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Biomedical subjects

Avi Porath

Publications and source records attributed to Avi Porath.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

The effect of statin therapy on infection-related mortality in patients with atherosclerotic diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Statins have pleiotropic effects that are independent of their lipid-lowering ability. We have previously shown that prior statin therapy is associated with a decreased risk of severe sepsis in patients admitted with acute bacterial infection. The aim of this study was to determine whether statin therapy is associated with a decreased risk of infection-related mortality. DESIGN: A prospective, observational, population-based study. SETTING: Tertiary university medical center. PATIENTS: Using a computerized database, 11,490 patients with atherosclerotic diseases were identified and followed for up to 3 yrs. Two groups of patients were compared: those receiving statins in the final month before follow-up termination and those who were not. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was infection-related mortality. Of the 11,362 patients included in the final analysis, 5,698 (50.1%) belonged to the statin group. Median follow-up was 19.8 months (interquartile range, 14.3-33.3). The risk of infection-related mortality was significantly lower in the statin compared with the no-statin group (0.9% vs. 4.1%), reflecting a relative risk of 0.22 (95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.28). Stepwise Cox proportional hazard survival analysis including a propensity score for receiving statins revealed that the protective effect of statins adjusted for all known potential confounders remained highly significant (hazard ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.52). CONCLUSIONS: Therapy with statins may be associated with a reduced risk of infection-related mortality. This protective effect is independent of all known comorbidities and dissipates when the medication is discontinued. If this finding is supported by prospective controlled trials, statins may play an important role in the primary prevention of infection-related mortality.

Atherosclerosis↗
PubMed2006

Underuse of standard care and outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction and chronic renal insufficiency.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate characteristics, management and outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). BACKGROUND: Patients with AMI and CRI are considered to be at high risk of complications and death. Physicians may be reluctant to prescribe life-saving medications to patients with concomitant CRI. METHODS: We compared clinical characteristics, management and outcome of 1,683 consecutive AMI patients in three categories of renal function: (1) normal renal function (<1.5 mg/dl) (n = 1,559), (2) mild to moderate CRI (1.5-3.5 mg/dl) (n = 77), and (3) severe CRI (>3.5 mg/dl) (n = 47). RESULTS: CRI patients were older and were more likely to have other co-morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, prior AMI, stroke, angina and heart failure. Compared with patients with normal renal function, standard therapy for AMI including thrombolysis, aspirin, angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers and lipid lowering agents was underutilized in CRI patients and these patients were more likely to have in-hospital complications such as heart failure, atrial or ventricular fibrillation, cardiogenic shock, sepsis, worsening of renal function and death within 30 days [odds ratio (OR) = 3.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.0-4.8]. After adjustment for age and co-morbidities, the association between mild to moderate CRI and 30-days mortality declined, whereas severe CRI remained an independent determinant of mortality (OR = 4.8; 95% CI = 2.0-11.4). Adjustment for aspirin, angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and beta-blocker therapy weakened the association between CRI and death within 30 days after AMI. CONCLUSIONS: CRI patients are more likely to experience serious complications and death early after AMI. Underutilization of standard care, particularly beta-blocker therapy, contributes to increased mortality risk in these patients.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed2006

Do patients with diabetes and low socioeconomic status receive less care and have worse outcomes? A national study.

PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to assess the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on the care of patients with diabetes. METHODS: Quality indicators for patients who were taking medication for diabetes were established. Overall compliance with the quality indicators, as well as prevalence of diabetes by age, were obtained from a national database. Patients with national tax exemptions (used as a marker for low SES) were compared to those without. RESULTS: Of 4,110,852 citizens aged 18-74, 210,988 (5.1%) were receiving medication for diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes reached 19.9% in people aged 65-74. 495,392 citizens had an exemption, and they had a higher prevalence of diabetes that those who did not (15.4% vs. 3.7%). Patients with an exemption had a higher rate of having a yearly HbA1c done, a yearly LDL level done, a yearly eye exam, a yearly urinary protein exam, of being treated with insulin for an elevated HbA1c than those without an exemption. In patients with an exemption there was a lower percentage with an HbA1c less than 7%, a higher percentage with an HbA1c greater than 9%, and a lower percentage with an LDL less than 130. Multivariate analysis showed that exemption status was a predictor of better performance on process measures (LDL test done, OR-1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06, HbA1c test done, OR 1.03, 95% CI- 1.01-1.05) and of worse outcomes (high LDL, OR 0.92, 95% CI, 0.90-0.95 and high HbA1c, OR, 0.85, 95% CI, 0.83-0.87). CONCLUSIONS: In a country with universal healthcare, patients from a lower SES had an increased prevalence of diabetes and had greater adherence to preventive healthcare measures However, they were less successful in meeting target treatment goals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Urinothorax: An unexpected cause of pleural effusion.

Urinothorax is an unexpected cause of transudative pleural effusion associated with obstructive uropathy. We present a case of urinothorax in a patient with congestive heart failure who had undergone percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The diagnosis was made after an unexpected enlargement of the pleural effusion after treatment with diuretics.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

General characteristics of hospitalized patients after deliberate self-poisoning and risk factors for intensive care admission.

BACKGROUND: Deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) is recognized as a major health problem worldwide with significant morbidity. After DSP, a substantial number of patients require intensive care unit (ICU) care, but little is known about how these patients differ from patients admitted to a general medical ward. METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2002, all adult patients admitted to Soroka University Hospital after DSP were identified by ICD-9 coded diagnoses. Demographic data, previous psychiatric illness, laboratory tests, medication used in the DSP, presenting syndromes, treatment, and time elapsed after ingestion until emergency department presentation were obtained retrospectively from the patients' charts. RESULTS: Out of a total of 217 patients, 34 (15.7%) were admitted to the ICU. Their mean age was 35.9 years and 65.4% of the patients were female. In multivariate analysis, the risk factors for ICU admission were suicide attempt with an antihypertensive medication (OR=12.2, 95% CI 2.3-65.8), coma on presentation (OR=15.8, 95% CI 4.9-50.7), and arrival at the emergency department less than 2 h after ingestion as compared to arrival after 2 h (OR=8.4, 95% CI 2.6-26.7). Previous psychiatric disease had no impact on ICU admission, and a recurrent attempt was protective of ICU admission. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that ingestion of antihypertensive medication, coma upon presentation, and emergency department admission less than 2 h after ingestion are predictive of ICU admission after a deliberate overdose with medication. These variables may help emergency department physicians to identify high-risk patients more quickly and, thereby, to improve patient care.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Adverse outcomes in patients with community acquired pneumonia discharged with clinical instability from Internal Medicine Department.

There are well established admission criteria for patients suffering from community-acquired pneumonia, yet the clinical tool for decision to discharge the hospitalized patient is lacking. Continuous pressure to reduce hospital expenditures can lead to a premature discharge of unstable patients. The current study assessed the impact of clinical instability at discharge on short-term outcomes. Demographic data, background disease, laboratory tests results and PORT score were assessed prospectively. On the last day of the hospitalization 7 physiological parameters of instability were evaluated. 60 d composite mortality and readmission rate was a primary outcome measure. Of the 373 patients, 22% were discharged with 1 or more instabilities, of whom 26.8% reached primary outcome within 60 d, compared to 8.2% of patients with no instabilities. 60 d death rate was 2.1% in the former group, compared to 14.6% in the unstable patients (p<0.001). Instability on discharge remained a significant prognosticator of adverse outcome (odds ratio 3.5; 95% CI 1.8-6.8) after adjustment for pneumonia severity and baseline comorbidity. We concluded that discharging an unstable patient hospitalized with pneumonia is associated with elevated risk of death or readmission within 60 d. Pneumonia guidelines should include objective criteria for judging patients' stability and promptness for discharge.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Adherence to guidelines for patients hospitalized with heart failure: a nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: Despite significant advances in the therapy of heart failure, many patients still do not receive optimal treatment. OBJECTIVES: To document the standard of care that patients hospitalized with HF in Israel received during a 2 month period. METHODS: The Heart Failure Survey in Israel 2003 was a prospective 2 month survey of patients admitted to all 25 public hospitals in Israel with a diagnosis of HF. RESULTS: The mean age of the 4102 patients was 73 years and 43% were female. The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme/angiotensin receptor blockers and beta blockers both declined from NYHA class I to IV (68.8% to 50.6% for ACE-inhibitor/ARB and 64.1% to 52.9% for beta blockers, P < 0.001 for comparisons). The percentage of patients by NYHA class taking an ACE-inhibitor or ARB and a beta blocker at hospital discharge also declined from NYHA class I to IV (47.5% to 28.8%, P < 0.002 for comparisons). The strongest predictor of being discharged with an ACE-inhibitor or ARB was the use of these medications at hospital admission. Negative predictors for their usage were age, creatinine, disease severity class, and functional status. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the dissemination of guidelines many patients did not receive optimal care for HF. Reasons for this discrepancy need to be identified and modified.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed2005

Deliberate self-poisoning with acetaminophen: a comparison with other medications.

BACKGROUND: Acetaminophen is the most common drug employed in deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) in many countries and can lead to acute liver failure. The purpose of the present study was to compare DSP with acetaminophen with DSP with other medications. METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2002, all patients admitted after DSP to Soroka University Hospital in Beer-Sheva, Israel, were identified. Demographic data and medical history were obtained retrospectively. RESULTS: There were 282 incidences of DSP in the study period. The mean age of 94 patients with an acetaminophen overdose was lower than that of patients who had attempted DSP with other medications (24.8 vs. 34.6 years, p<0.001). There was no gender or ethnic difference between the groups. Patients with DSP with acetaminophen were less likely to make recurrent attempts (23.4% vs. 39.9% p=0.006), less likely to have psychiatric disorders (32% vs. 59% p<0.001), and had a shorter hospital stay (1.7 vs. 2.1 days, p=0.05). The acetaminophen group had less of an impairment in level of consciousness (84% vs. 52.1% p<0.001) and had less need for ICU care (6.4% vs. 14.9%, p=0.04). Serum levels were checked in 68 (72.3%) of the patients in the acetaminophen group and they were found to be high in 6 (8.8%) of them (95% CI 2.1-15.5%). CONCLUSION: Taking an overdose of acetaminophen is a common method of DSP, with patients tending to have a more benign presentation and shorter hospital stay than those who attempt DSP with other medications. Further research on the optimal care of these patients and multi-disciplinary approaches to DSP prevention are needed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

No gender difference in the clinical management and outcome of unstable angina.

BACKGROUND: Women with myocardial infarction have a less favorable prognosis than men. Many studies have indicated gender bias in the evaluation and treatment of myocardial infarction, but few data exist concerning these aspects in the management of unstable angina. OBJECTIVE: To investigate gender differences in the baseline characteristics, clinical presentation, treatment and prognosis of women with unstable angina. METHOD: Data were collected prospectively as part of the Acute Coronary Syndromes Israeli Survey in 2000 at Soroka University Medical Center. In-hospital management and 2 year follow-up were monitored for 226 consecutive patients with unstable angina admitted to our medical center during February and March 2000. RESULTS: Women were older (71 +/- 12 vs. 66 +/- 12, P = 0.006), more diabetic (41.3% vs. 34.5%, not significant) and hypertensive (76.3% vs. 64.6%, P = 0.07). Women presented more often with atypical chest pain (18.8% vs. 7.5%, P = 0.038). Heparin, aspirin and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor were delivered equally, but more beta-blockers were administered to women (88.5% vs. 75.7%, P = 0.02) and more statins to men (48.1% vs. 35.4%, P = 0.07). Angiography rates were similar (17.7% vs. 19.6%). Similar management was documented during the 2 year follow-up. Re-hospitalization rates were similar (53.3% of women and 63.7% of men, NS). Men had a tendency to develop acute myocardial infarction more often (9.6% vs. 2.7%, P = 0.06) and to develop peripheral vascular disease (3.7% vs. 0%, P = 0.09), and they had a non-significant higher rate of coronary artery bypass graft (6.7% vs. 1.3%, P = 0.08). No gender difference was found in angiography (14.7% of women vs. 16.3% of men) or percutaneous intervention (13% vs. 16.7%). At 2 years there was no gender-related difference in mortality (13.3% of women vs. 16.3% of , NS). Kaplan-Meier analysis for event-free survival after 2 years showed no gender difference in survival. Multi-regression analysis showed that gender was not a prognostic factor for survival. CONCLUSIONS: We found no major difference in the management of men and women with unstable angina. Although men showed a tendency to suffer more major cardiac events, their 2 year prognosis was the same as for women.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

A physician charter on medical professionalism: a challenge for medical education.

The European Federation of Internal Medicine, The American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Internal Medicine recently developed a Charter on Medical Professionalism that they hope will be accepted by physicians around the world. The charter is based on three principles: the primacy of patient welfare, patient autonomy, and social justice. We believe that each of these principles has relevance to medical education and practical implications. Based on the obligations of the charter, we believe that medical educators should consider the attribute of altruism in making admission decisions, enhance moral development in medical schools, develop a curriculum in quality improvement, explore further the use of patient simulation, and renew their efforts to incorporate knowledge of the basic sciences into clinical training. Furthermore, we believe they should ensure that students protect patient confidentiality, ensure role-model appropriate interactions with pharmaceutical companies, teach students how gender, race, and socioeconomic status have an impact on health care, require electives in underserved areas, and incorporate the charter into courses on medical ethics. Medical educators must also ensure that the curriculum and learning climate at their institutions support the values articulated in the charter.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

The relationship between primary care physicians' adherence to guidelines for the treatment of diabetes and patient satisfaction: findings from a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to clinical guidelines improves health care outcomes, reduces expenditure and prevents the complication of unnecessary interventions. It is uncertain what effect the adherence to guidelines for treating diabetes has on patient satisfaction. Some authors have reported that the use of guidelines does not affect patient satisfaction with care, and have concluded that satisfaction is related to a physician's interpersonal skills, rather than to the quality of care. Others have reported that structured intervention programmes improve patient satisfaction with care. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to explore the association between adherence to clinical guidelines and satisfaction with care among diabetics. METHODS: The study population included 135 randomly sampled diabetes patients listed with 12 primary care physicians at two health plans in Israel, which together insure >80% of the population. Telephone interviews were conducted with the patients between August and November 2000, using structured questionnaires. Patients were asked to report on the extent to which their primary care physician treated them as indicated by the clinical guidelines of these health plans. They were also asked to rate their satisfaction with their primary care physician and the treatment of their disease. Bi-variate analysis was conducted using the chi-square statistical significance test. Multivariate analysis was conducted using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Adherence to guidelines for diabetes was associated with patient satisfaction with care, independently of the patient's ethnicity (first language), age, gender, education, medication (insulin versus other) and health plan affiliation. CONCLUSION: Patients who report being treated as recommended in practice guidelines were more likely to be satisfied with their care. This finding may encourage primary care physicians to adhere to clinical practice guidelines.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Appropriateness of soldiers' referrals to the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Emergency departments (ED) in Israel deal with a large number of referrals from the Israel Defense Force. In a recent study, we observed that only 3% of soldiers referred to the ED in Soroka Medical Center were hospitalized. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriateness of soldier referrals to the ED, using a proposed set of criteria for ED appropriateness. METHODS: A retrospective assessment of 707 discharge letters of soldiers from the ED was performed. A set of criteria to assess the appropriateness of soldier's referrals to the ED was developed. The criteria were as follows: (1) resuscitation, (2) hospitalization, (3) laboratory examination, (4) X-ray examination, (5) medical treatment, and (6) specialist consultation. A referral was considered appropriate if at least one criterion was positive. RESULTS: According to the proposed criteria of ED military appropriateness, 586 of 707 referrals (83%) were considered as appropriate. Appropriateness of the referrals according to sections of the ED was as follows: orthopedics (97%), internal medicine (63%), ophthalmology (100%), and neurosurgery (100%). CONCLUSIONS: A discrepancy exists between the high proportion of appropriate soldiers' referrals to the ED and the low hospitalization proportion. Organizational steps should be undertaken in the Israel Defense Force to decrease excess military use of civilian ED services.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

A prospective national survey of management and clinical outcome of acute myocardial infarction in Israel, 2000.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available on the clinical practice and implementation of guidelines for treating acute myocardial infarction patients in Israel. OBJECTIVE: To assess patient characteristics, hospital course, management, and 30 day clinical outcome of all AMI patients hospitalized in Israel during a 2 month period in 2000. METHOD: We conducted a prospective 2 month survey of consecutive AMI patients admitted to 82 of 96 internal medicine departments and all 26 cardiac departments operating in Israel in 2000. Data were collected uniformly by means of a hospital and 30 day follow-up form. RESULTS: During the survey 1,683 consecutive patients with a discharge diagnosis of AMI were included. Their mean age was 66 years; 73% were male. The electrocardiographic pattern on admission revealed ST elevation, non-ST elevation and an undetermined ECG in 63%, 34% and 4% of patients respectively. Aspirin and heparin were given to 95% of patients. Beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were given to 76% and 65% of patients respectively. Among hospital survivors, 45% received lipid-lowering drugs. Thrombolytic therapy was administered in 28% of patients, coronary angiography was used in 45%, and 7% of patients underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The 7 and 30 day mortality rates were 7% and 11% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide survey shows that one-third of the AMI patients in Israel are elderly (> or = 75 years). The survey suggests that clinical guidelines for the management of patients with AMI are partially implemented in the community. Data from large surveys representing the "real world" practice are of utmost importance for the evaluation of clinical guidelines, research and educational purposes.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

[Iron-deficiency anemia related to ancylostoma duodenale infection among Ethiopian immigrants to Israel].

BACKGROUND: Among the diseases imported by the Ethiopian immigrants to Israel are many parasite infections. Hookworm infections, caused by the nematodes Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale, involve the gastrointestinal tract, causing iron-deficiency anemia. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the rate of iron-deficiency anemia related to hookworm infections among immigrants from an endemic area. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the medical records of all Ethiopians over the age of 18, who immigrated to Israel in the early 90's, in two primary care clinics of Clalit Health Services in Ofakim. RESULTS: Sixty patients (64%) had evidence of A. duodenale infection. The mean hemoglobin level was 11.92.3 g/dl in the Ancylostoma group and 13.81.6 g/dl in the control group (p = 0.0001). Analyzing the data according to the patient's sex revealed significant differences in the hemoglobin levels between the Ancylostoma group and the control group. Patients infected with A. duodenale had significantly lower mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and serum iron, and were likely to have eosinophilia and hypoalbuminemia. CONCLUSION: Among the Ethiopian immigrant population, Ancylostoma duodenale infection is a common cause of iron deficiency anemia. In young patients it should be ruled out before invasive and expensive investigations are performed.

Ancylostoma↗
PubMed2003

Triage disposition of patients with acute myocardial infarction--ACSIS 2000.

BACKGROUND: In the emergency department the physician is often confronted with the decision of where to hospitalize a patient presenting with chest pain and a possible acute myocardial infarction--in the cardiac care unit or in the internal medicine ward. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the clinical factors involved in the triage disposition of patients hospitalized with AMI in Israel to either CCUs or IMWs and to determine to what extent the perceived probability of ischemia influenced the disposition decision. METHODS: During a 2 month nationwide prospective survey in the 26 CCUs and 82 of the 94 IMWs in Israel, we reviewed the charts of 1,648 patients with a discharge diagnosis of AMI. The probability of ischemia at admission was determined retrospectively by the Acute Coronary Ischemia Time-Insensitive Predictive Instrument. Co-morbidity was coded using the Index of Coexistent Diseases. RESULTS: The ACI-TIPI score for patients admitted to CCUs or to IMWs was 76.2% and 57.7% respectively (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that young patients with a high probability of ischemia and low co-morbidity or functional impairment were more likely to be hospitalized in CCUs than in IMWs. CONCLUSION: In Israel, the factors that strongly influence the initial triage disposition of AMI patients to CCUs or IMWs are age, perceived probability of ischemia, status of co-morbid conditions and functional impairment.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2002

A comparison of management and short-term outcomes of acute myocardial infarction patients admitted to coronary care units and medical wards: the importance of case mix.

BACKGROUND: Variation in case mix of patients can significantly influence outcome. In this study, the management and outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction who were admitted either to coronary care units or to internal medicine wards were examined. METHODS: A nationwide prospective study was performed during a 2-month period in all 26 coronary care units and in 82 of 96 internal medicine wards in Israel. All patients with a discharge diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction were included. Comorbidity was coded using the Index of Coexistent Diseases. RESULTS: A total of 1648 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction were identified. One thousand and eighty eight (66%) were admitted to coronary care units and 560 (34%) to internal medicine wards. The 30-day mortality for the coronary care unit group was 9.2% compared to 15.5% for patients in the internal medicine ward group. Using logistic regression, independent factors determining 30-day mortality were (odds ratio and 95% confidence interval): age (1.06 per year, 1.03-1.08), Killip score (2.09, 1.64-2.67), Q wave acute myocardial infarction (2.12, 1.31-3.43), and Index of Coexistent Diseases score (1.42, 1.12-1.80). After controlling for age, infarct type and severity, and coexisting medical conditions, no excess mortality was detected among patients admitted to internal medicine wards. CONCLUSIONS: Variance in the case mix has a great influence on the interpretation of mortality in studies of acute myocardial infarction.

Journal Article↗