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E Mascha

Publications and source records attributed to E Mascha.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Postoperative seizures after extratemporal resections and hemispherectomy in pediatric epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate frequency and risk factors for acute postoperative seizures (APOS) within the first week after extratemporal cortical resection (ETR) and hemispherectomy (HS) in children and to assess the predictive value of APOS on long-term seizure outcome in this group. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of children (< 18 years), who underwent ETR or HS for intractable epilepsy between 1995 and 2002. APOS features and seizure outcome after ETR or HS were obtained at 6, 12, and 24 months. Univariate logistic regression was used for risk factors of APOS and life table analysis and log rank tests for seizure outcome at 0 to 6, 6 to 12, and 12 to 24 months. RESULTS: Of 132 patients, 34 (26%) had APOS. APOS were more frequent after ETR (26/71) than HS (8/61) (p < 0.01). APOS, irrespective of their timing, number, semiology, or other perioperative complications, were an independent predictor of poor postoperative seizure outcome at 2 years (p < 0.001). The estimated odds of postoperative Engel class I outcome in the APOS vs non-APOS categories was 0.27 (73% less likely) for 0- to 6-month, 0.22 (78% less likely) for 6- to 12-month, and 0.13 (87% less likely) for the 12- to 24-month intervals. CONCLUSIONS: Acute postoperative seizures (APOS) occur in 26% children, and the risk is higher after extratemporal cortical resection than hemispherectomy. APOS predict a poor postoperative seizure outcome at 6, 12, and 24 months. This study is useful for counseling families after epilepsy surgery. It also suggests that APOS may not be discounted as "benign" in research studies that evaluate seizure outcomes after epilepsy surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Homotypic variation of canine flexor tendons: implications for the design of experimental studies in animal models.

Water, collagen and glycosamimoglycan contents, cross-sectional area, stiffness and elastic modulus were carefully quantitated in flexor digitorum superficialis tendons from mature canines. From these data the within- and between-animal variability was estimated and used to demonstrate sample size calculations for both two-group and paired (within-animal) study designs. The estimated between-dog variance was typically 50% or less of the total variance for the parameters investigated. In other words, the correlation among the tendons within an animal for most measures was not strong. Therefore, for some variables (e.g., elastic modulus) in this animal and tendon model, there is no appreciable gain in statistical power by using a paired study design. A two-group design could be used, but any within-animal correlation must be accounted for in the analysis. For other variables such as collagen content, a paired design would gain substantial power.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Long-term outcome and health-related quality of life after laparoscopic and open colectomy for benign disease.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of laparoscopic colectomy (LC) vs open colectomy (OC) for the treatment of benign disease have not yet been clearly demonstrated with regard to long-term consequences and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of this study was to compare LC and OC in terms of outcome and HRQL and to determine whether a generic nonspecific instrument for HRQL assessment is valid in postoperative follow-up. METHODS: Forty-nine patients who underwent LC for elective right hemicolectomy (RH) or sigmoid resection (SR) for benign polyps or uncomplicated diverticular disease between 1992 and 2000 were evaluated and compared to 50 controls treated by OC in the same period. All patients were evaluated by postal questionnaire to determine recurrence rates and surgery-related complications. HRQL was assessed by the SF-36 Physical and Mental Component Summary Score (PCS, MCS) and by the SF-36 Health Survey, which measures eight different health-quality domains, including physical and social functioning (PF, SF), general health perception (GH), physical and emotional role limitations (RP, RE), body pain (BP), vitality (VT), and mental health (MH). RESULTS: The LC and OC patients were similar in age, gender, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, and diagnosis. There were significant differences between the two groups in resection type (26 RH:23 SR in LC vs 16 RH:34 SR in OC, p = 0.03) and length of follow-up (median, 39 and 53.5 months, respectively, p = 0.04), but neither parameter was predictive of the main SF-36 scores (PCS and MCS). There were no differences between the groups in recurrence rates (8% in LC vs 11% in OC) or surgery-related complications, including incisional hernias (16.3% in LC vs 17% in OC) and small bowel obstructions (2% in LC vs 10.4% in OC). None of the eight SF-36 Health Survey domains or the PCS or MCS scores showed significant differences between LC and OC patients in HRQL. However, occurrence of hernia after surgery was predictive of lower SF-36 scores, specifically in PF (p = 0.047), GH (p = 0.045), SF (p = 0.047), MH (p = 0.041), and MCS (p = 0.037). In addition, small bowel obstruction was significantly associated with lower scores in BP (p = 0.008), GH (p = 0.008), SF (p = 0.013), RE (p = 0.026), MH (p = 0.003), and MCS (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: LC was not different from OC for selected indications that measure long-term outcome and HRQL. SF-36 appears to be an appropriate instrument to measure postoperative HRQL, showing responsiveness to changes in objective outcome measures.

Adenomatous Polyps↗
PubMed2001

Rheolytic thrombectomy in the management of acute and subacute limb-threatening ischemia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of a percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) catheter (AngioJet) as an initial treatment for acute (<2 weeks) and subacute (2 weeks to 4 months) arterial occlusion of the limbs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 86 (acute, n = 65; subacute, n = 21) patients were available for retrospective analysis, averaging 65 +/- 14 years of age. Outcomes assessed include initial angiographic success (failure = less than 50% luminal restoration [LR]; partial success = 50%-95% LR; success = more than 95% LR), pre- and postprocedural ankle-brachial index (ABI), device-related and systemic complications, 1-month amputation, mortality, and short-term patency. RESULTS: Angiographic success was evaluated in 83 of 86 patients (guide wire unable to traverse lesion in three patients). The procedure failed in 13 of 83 (15.6%) patients, partial success was seen in 19 of 83 patients (22.9%), and successful recanalization was noted in 51 of 83 patients (61.4%). Adjunctive thrombolysis was used in 50 of 86 patients (58%). However, thrombolysis resulted in angiographic improvement at the site of PMT in only seven of 50 of these patients (14%). Adjunctive thrombolysis was uniformly unsuccessful in patients in whom initial PMT failed. The median increase in ABI was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.43-0.81). Success was more likely in the setting of in situ thrombosis, with 61 of 68 (90%) procedures successful, compared to embolic occlusions, with nine of 15 (60%) procedures successful (P =.011). Angiographic outcome was not dependent on the duration of occlusion (acute, 51 of 62; subacute, 19 of 21; P =.35) or the conduit type (graft, 28 of 31; native vessel, 42 of 52; P =.35). An underlying stenosis was identified in 53 of the 70 patients (75.7%) with a successful PMT, and 51 of these 53 unmasked lesions were successfully treated. Follow-up data were available in 56 patients for patency assessment at a median of 3.9 months (range, 0.1-28.5 months). Patency at 6 months was 79% (95% CI: 65-92). Systemic complications occurred in 16.3% of patients, local complications were noted in 18.6%, and 1-month amputation and mortality rates were 11.6% and 9.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: PMT offers the potential to rapidly reestablish flow to an ischemic extremity and may be the only available treatment option in patients at high risk for open surgery or with contraindications to pharmacologic thrombolysis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Acetazolamide in women with catamenial epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Catamenial epilepsy is a condition characterized by an increase in seizures during particular phases of the menstrual cycle. The incidence of catamenial epilepsy varies widely, partly because of a lack of a universally adopted definition. Specific treatment options for these patients are limited. The use of acetazolamide (AZ) has been based largely on anecdotal reports demonstrating efficacy in small or poorly characterized populations. The purpose of this study was to analyze retrospectively the efficacy, safety profile, and tolerability of AZ in women with catamenial epilepsy. METHODS: Women with catamenial epilepsy identified from 1990 through 1999 were invited to participate in a retrospective telephone questionnaire addressing the relationship of seizures and the menstrual cycle and the use, efficacy, and adverse effects of AZ. Seizure outcome was classified as: seizure free (SF), significantly improved (SI), or not significantly improved (NSI). Responses to AZ were compared in women with different types of epilepsy and comparing continuous versus intermittent dosing using Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Twenty women were identified who had received or were currently taking AZ. The drug was given continuously in 55% and intermittently in 45% of patients. A > or =50% decrease in the seizure frequency was reported by 40% of subjects. Response rates were similar in generalized and focal epilepsy and in temporal and extratemporal epilepsy. There was no significant difference in effectiveness comparing continuous with intermittent dosing. A loss of efficacy over 6-24 months was reported by 15% of women. CONCLUSIONS: Despite our small sample and retrospective design, AZ appears to demonstrate efficacy for catamenial epilepsy.

Acetazolamide↗
PubMed2000

Identifying montages that best detect electrographic seizure activity during polysomnography.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Recognizing epileptic seizures during video polysomnography (VPSG) can be challenging, particularly when using standard, limited EEG montages and paper speed. Few sleep laboratories have PSG equipment that allows for the recording of 18 channels of EEG without compromising the ability to detect sleep apnea, periodic limb movements, and parasomnias. We studied the ability of sleep medicine- and EEG-trained polysomnographers to correctly identify epileptic seizures during PSG using 4, 7, and 18 channels of simultaneous EEG, recording at conventional PSG and EEG paper speeds. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of limited EEG montages viewed with EEG reformatting capability in the identification of seizures during PSG. DESIGN: Blinded EEG analysis of seizures and arousals during VPSG. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital with sleep laboratory and epilepsy monitoring unit. PATIENTS: Subjects with focal (partial) epilepsy that underwent video-EEG monitoring. INTERVENTIONS: We designed two 7-channel EEG montages that might facilitate the identification of seizures arising from the frontal and temporal lobes. Sleep medicine- and EEG-trained polysomnographers were asked to review tracings containing frontal or temporal lobe epileptic seizures and arousals from sleep. Utilizing the capability of our digital recording equipment to reformat EEG channels and change paper speeds, we asked the readers to classify events recorded with 4, 7, and 18 channels of simultaneous EEG, at paper speeds of 10 and 30 mm/sec. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: 6 readers viewed 32 sleep-related events (13 frontal lobe seizures, 11 temporal lobe seizures, and 8 arousals). The following factors were analyzed for their influence on accuracy of event detection: 1) the type of training of the reader (EEG vs. sleep medicine); 2) the number of EEG channels (4, 7, or 18); and 3) paper speed (10 vs. 30 mm/sec). Pair-wise comparisons and generalized estimating equations were used to identify factors leading to more accurate detection of seizures and arousals. 77% of events were correctly identified: 74% of seizures and 88% of arousals. Seizure detection was better using 7 and 18 channels (sensitivity of 82% and 86%, respectively) than 4 EEG channels (sensitivity of 67%) for temporal lobe seizures only. The number of EEG channels did not affect the accuracy of frontal lobe seizure detection. For EEG-trained readers, accuracy was greater using 30 mm/sec than 10 mm/sec paper speed (85% vs. 78% correct, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Adding EEG channels and EEG reformatting capabilities to PSG interpretation improves the detection of some types of epileptic seizures. Accuracy of temporal lobe seizure detection using an abbreviated 7-channel montage approximates that of an 18-channel EEG recording. However, the same is not true of frontal lobe seizures in which accuracy was similar regardless of the number of EEG channel available. Further studies are needed to identify specific EEG montages that would best detect epileptiform activity during VPSG.

Electrodes↗
PubMed2000

Seizure outcome after temporal lobectomy for temporal lobe epilepsy: a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine seizure outcome and its predictors in patients with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) after temporal lobectomy (TL). BACKGROUND: TL is the most common surgical procedure performed in adolescents and adults for the treatment of medically refractory TLE. Seizure outcome has been reported extensively during the first few postoperative years, but little is known beyond that time. METHODS: The authors analyzed seizure outcome in 79 patients who underwent TL for epilepsy at the Duke University Medical Center from 1962 through 1984. Patients with less than 2 years of follow-up and degenerative disorders were excluded. Predictors of seizure outcome were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 14 years (range, 2.1 to 33.6 years). Using Engel's classification, 65% of patients were class I, 15% were class II, 11% were class III, and 9% were class IV. At least one postoperative seizure occurred in 55% of subjects. The majority of recurrences (86%) took place within 2 years of surgery. Later recurrences tended not to lead to medical intractability. Higher monthly preoperative seizure frequency was associated with poor seizure outcome. A seizure-free state at 2 years was found to be a better predictor of long-term outcome than the 6-, 12-, and 18-month landmarks. CONCLUSIONS: TL provides sustained, long-term benefit in patients with medically refractory TLE. Seizure-free status at 2 years from the time of surgery is predictive of long-term remission.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Spiritual well-being of the individual with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: A study was conducted to: (1) establish the feasibility and reliability of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and its religious (RWB) and existential well-being (EWB) subscales in a sample of individuals with ALS; (2) describe the spiritual and religious practices, and spiritual well-being in these individuals; and (3) examine the relationship between spiritual well-being and quality of life. METHOD: A random sample of 60 individuals completed the SWBS at the beginning and end of an ALS clinic visit. Subjects were classified into early, middle or late stage of ALS, using vital capacity and total ALS Functional Rating Scale scores. A subsample completed the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). RESULTS: The SWBS and its RWB and EWB subscales were found to have high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. There were no statistically significant differences in SWB, RWB or EWB scores among the three stages of ALS. RWB scores were significantly higher than EWB scores overall and within the middle and late stages. Strong negative correlations were found between physical and psychosocial dimension SIP subscores and RWB scores, suggesting that religious well-being may impact quality of life, or vice versa.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2000

Case-control study of laparoscopic versus abdominal myomectomy.

PURPOSE: To compare laparoscopic with abdominal approaches to myomectomy. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Frequency matching was used to ensure similar fibroid weights among the laparoscopic and abdominal groups in this case-control study. The study group consisted of prospectively recruited patients undergoing laparoscopic (N = 5) or laparoscopically assisted (N = 20) myomectomy (lap). The control group represented both prospectively (N = 14) and retrospectively (N = 37) identified abdominal myomectomy patients (abd). Analysis of the variables was performed using a t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, chi-square test, or analysis of covariance at the 0.01 significance level. RESULTS: All results are reported after matching for fibroid weight, with the median (quartiles) aggregate weight measuring 151 g (31.0, 262.0) and 170.0 g (81.0, 285.0) for the lap and abd patients, respectively (P = 0.15). Median (quartiles) length of hospital stay (30.5 hours [25.0, 52.5] v 65.0 hours [45.0, 76.0]; P < 0.001) and duration of postoperative intravenous narcotic use (14.8 hours [3.0, 18.5] v 24.0 hours [18.0, 40.0]; P = 0.001) were significantly shorter for the lap patients. The laparoscopic cases required a longer median operative time (222.5 minutes [192.5, 270.0]) than the abdominal cases (180.0 minutes [160.0, 220.0]; P = 0.001). No difference was detected in estimated blood loss from surgery (P = 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: A laparoscopic approach to myomectomy may be safely chosen for patients with fibroids and offers the benefits of less postoperative intravenous narcotic use, a shorter hospital stay, and no greater intraoperative blood loss than abdominal myomectomy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Long-term survival and functional capacity in cardiac surgery patients after prolonged intensive care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hospital discharge alone represents a good outcome for patients who had prolonged intensive care after cardiac surgery by studying their postdischarge survival and functional outcome. The secondary objective is to estimate the proportion of intensive care unit (ICU) resources used by the long-stay (> or = 10 initial consecutive ICU days) patients and to identify preoperative patient characteristics that are associated with a prolonged ICU stay and hospital and long-term survival. DESIGN: Inception cohort study. SETTING: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, a tertiary care, academic teaching institution. PATIENTS: Cardiac surgery patients with an initial ICU stay of 10 or more consecutive days. INTERVENTIONS: Data were collected daily during hospitalization on every adult who underwent coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve surgery at one institution in 1993. Discharged patients who spent >10 initial consecutive days in the ICU after surgery were contacted by telephone to determine vital status and functional capacity using the Duke Activity Status Index. Total ICU and total hospital direct costs were obtained for each patient. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome measurements were ICU length of stay, hospital mortality, after-surgery and postdischarge mortality and functional capacity, and relative resource utilization. Of the 2,618 cardiac surgery patients who met the inclusion criteria, 142 (5.4%) had an initial ICU length of stay of 10 or more consecutive days. Of these, 47 (33.1%) died in the hospital. Ninety-four of the 95 discharged patients were followed up (median follow-up, 30.6 months), and 44 of the 94 (46.8%) died during the follow-up period. The median Duke Activity Status Index for the 50 survivors was 26 out of a possible 58.2. The 142 long-stay patients used 50% of the total ICU days and 48% of the total ICU direct cost for all 2,618 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Many survivors of prolonged intensive care die soon after hospital discharge and many longer term survivors have a poor functional state. Therefore, hospital discharge is an incomplete measure of outcome for these patients, and longer follow-up is more appropriate. The relatively small number of patients who require prolonged intensive care consumes a disproportionate amount of the total ICU and total hospital direct cost.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Risk factors for unsuccessful testing during the intracarotid amobarbital procedure in preadolescent children.

PURPOSE: Identification of risk factors for unsuccessful testing during intracarotid amobarbital procedure (IAP) in preadolescent children. METHODS: A pediatric IAP protocol was attempted in 42 candidates for epilepsy surgery (5-12 years old; mean, 10 years) based on the ability to pass a practice test. Language dominance was defined by marked asymmetry until first verbal response and paraphasic errors. Intact hemispheric memory was defined by recall of >/=60% of test items. The odds ratios of baseline variables (age at IAP, Full-Scale IQ, side of disease, age at seizure onset, amobarbital dose) were calculated for various IAP outcomes. RESULTS: IAPs were accomplished in 40 children. Language dominance was established in 25 (62.5%) of 40 patients: all 21 focal resection candidates were left language dominant; four hemispherectomy candidates had intact language after injection of the damaged hemisphere. In 12 (30%) of 40 patients, language testing failed because of agitation or obtundation. Compared with the 21 children with language dominance established by bilateral IAP, these 12 children had lower mean Full-Scale IQ (66.4 vs. 87.9; p = 0.014), and more frequently, the epileptogenic lesion in the left hemisphere (presumed dominant by right-handedness; 78 vs. 33%; p = 0.04). Excluding hemispherectomy candidates (intentionally only one injection), memory testing could not be completed in 13 (36%) of 36 children because of obtundation or agitation. These children were significantly younger than the 23 (64%) of 36 with successful bilateral memory testing (mean age, 107.6 vs. 128.7 months; p = 0. 006). The eight (25%) of 32 children with failing retention scores after ipsilateral injection had lower Full-Scale IQ than did the 24 (75%) patients who passed (mean, 59.6 vs. 81.7 months; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The IAP successfully established hemispheric language dominance and memory representation for just under two thirds of the preselected preadolescent children. Risk factors for unsuccessful testing included low Full-Scale IQ (especially <80), young age (especially <10 years), and seizures arising from the left hemisphere presumed dominant by right-handedness.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

A Bayesian hierarchical model for multi-level repeated ordinal data: analysis of oral practice examinations in a large anaesthesiology training programme.

Oral practice examinations (OPEs) are used in many anaesthesiology programmes to familiarize anaesthesiology residents with the format of the oral examination administered by the American Board of Anesthesiology. The OPE outcome (final grade) consists of 'Definite Not Pass', 'Probable Not Pass', 'Probable Pass' and 'Definite Pass'. In our study to assess the validity of the OPE, residents took an average of two (ranging from one to six) OPEs, each of which was evaluated by two board certified anaesthesiologists randomly selected from a pool of 12. A key question of interest was to identify factors, for example, the length of training, didactic experience and other characteristics, that most influence OPE outcome. In addition, we were interested in assessing the reliability of the final grade, that is, the covariance parameters are of interest as well. However, estimating variance components in multi-level data with an unequal number of repeated ordinal outcomes presents several statistical challenges, such as how to estimate high dimensional random effects parameters, especially for ordinal outcomes. We propose a Bayesian hierarchical proportional odds model for data with such complexity. The flexibility of such a model allows us to make inference on the association of OPE outcomes with other factors and to estimate the variance components as well.

Anesthesiology↗
PubMed1999

Association between the Epworth sleepiness scale and the multiple sleep latency test in a clinical population.

BACKGROUND: Excessive daytime sleepiness can be evaluated with both subjective and objective tests. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores and sleep latency on the multiple sleep latency test. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Referral sleep disorders center. PATIENTS: 102 consecutive patients evaluated for excessive daytime sleepiness. MEASUREMENTS: Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores and mean sleep latency on the multiple sleep latency test. RESULTS: No significant association was seen between Epworth scores and mean sleep latency (Pearson correlation, -0.17 [95% CI, -0.35 to 0.03]; P = 0.09) (analysis of variance, P = 0.13). The mean Epworth score did not differ in three groups of patients who were defined by mean sleep latency as having normal sleep latency (>10 minutes), moderate sleep latency (5 to 10 minutes), or severe sleep latency (<5 minutes) (analysis of variance, P = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: No statistically or clinically significant association was seen between Epworth scores and mean sleep latency. The subjective Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the objective multiple sleep latency test may evaluate different, complementary aspects of sleepiness.

Humans↗
PubMed1999

Prospective randomized clinical trial of laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy versus total abdominal hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: We compared operative time, length of hospital stay, postoperative recovery, return to work, and costs for women undergoing laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy or abdominal hysterectomy. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective randomized clinical trial of laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (n = 24) versus abdominal hysterectomy (n = 24) was carried out in a tertiary care setting. The main outcome variables were operative time, length of hospital stay, and return to work. Secondary outcomes were postoperative pain and return to normal activity as determined by weekly visual analog scales and daily diary. Hospital costs were calculated. RESULTS: The laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy group had longer operative times (median and quartiles, laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy 180 [139, 225] minutes vs abdominal hysterectomy 130 [97, 155] minutes), lower requirements for postoperative intravenous analgesia (patient-controlled analgesia pump, median and quartiles: laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy 22.1 [15.9, 23.5] hours, abdominal hysterectomy 36.7 [26.2, 45.0] hours), shorter length of hospital stay (median and quartiles, laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy 1.5 [1.0, 2.3] days, abdominal hysterectomy 2.5 [1.5, 2.5] days), and quicker return to work (Kaplan-Meier analysis, P =.03). Both procedures had similar hospital costs (P =.21). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy appears to allow patients a more rapid postoperative recovery and an earlier return to work with hospital costs similar to those of abdominal hysterectomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Comparison of intrauterine and intracervical insemination with frozen donor sperm: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether artificial insemination with frozen donor sperm yielded a higher pregnancy rate per cycle by intracervical (ICI) or intrauterine (IUI) techniques. A meta-analysis was performed. DATA IDENTIFICATION: A computerized MEDLINE search of the English-language literature on artificial insemination with donor sperm was performed and augmented by a review of meeting abstract books and references in published papers. STUDY SELECTION: Only prospective randomized studies that reported monthly fecundity rates for IUI and ICI with frozen donor sperm were included. DATA ANALYSIS: Seven studies were identified. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined with use of the general estimating equation method for the three studies for which raw data could be obtained. For the remaining four studies, the OR and CI were assessed with use of the published summary data. A random-effects meta-analysis was then performed. RESULT: Intrauterine insemination resulted in a significantly higher monthly fecundity rate with a common OR of 2.4 (CI 1.5-3.8). CONCLUSION: On the basis of this meta-analysis of the seven prospective studies, IUI results in higher pregnancy rates than ICI for frozen donor insemination.

Cervix Uteri↗
PubMed1999

CD5- B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders presenting in blood and bone marrow. A clinicopathologic study of 40 patients.

We studied 40 patients with CD5- B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (B-LPDs) presenting in blood or bone marrow and 28 control patients with CD5+ B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Fifteen study patients had morphologic features typical of CLL. The 15 patients with CD5- CLL were older and had lower absolute lymphocyte counts and more advanced-stage disease at diagnosis than controls. Ten study patients had morphologic features suggesting mantle cell lymphoma (MCL); 3 were later given a diagnosis of MCL based on lymph node biopsy results. The 10 patients with CD5- MCL were older and at a more advanced stage than CLL control patients. The remaining 15 study patients were given the following diagnoses: circulating non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 5; splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes, 5; lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma, 3; and CLL/pro-lymphocytic leukemia, 2. For the patients with CD5- B-LPDs with morphologic features and manifestations resembling CLL, we prefer the term CD5- CLL variant because of clinical and immunophenotypic differences. Patients with CD5- B-LPDs with atypical nuclear morphologic features may represent the leukemic phase of MCL. Since CD23 is expressed in most patients with CD5- B-LPD, its use in subclassifying these disorders seems limited.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Predicting the difficult neuraxial block: a prospective study.

UNLABELLED: Anticipated technical difficulty is one factor that can influence the anesthesiologist's decision to perform neuraxial (spinal or epidural) blockade. Problems during the procedure may be associated with patient dissatisfaction, neurologic sequelae, or hematoma. We designed this study of 595 neuraxial blocks to determine whether any patient characteristics would be useful in predicting a difficult neuraxial block. Before the procedure, the following data were noted: demographic data, body habitus (normal, thin, muscular, obese), spinal landmarks (good = easily palpable spinous processes, poor = difficult to palpate spinous processes, none = unable to positively identify spinous processes), and spinal anatomy (assessed by inspection and examination as normal or deformed). We noted the technique, approach, needle type, needle gauge, etc. We also recorded whether the procedure was completed at the first (first-level success) or second spinal level and the total number of new skin punctures (attempts) necessary to complete the procedure. Of all the factors considered, the quality of landmarks best correlated with technical difficulty as measured by both first-level success and number of attempts. Abnormal spinal anatomy correlated with difficulty as measured by number of attempts. Body habitus also correlated with difficulty, but only as measured by number of attempts. There was no association between either measure of difficulty and any of the following: age, sex, spinal versus epidural, approach, needle type, needle gauge, or training level of the provider. Thoracic epidurals were less difficult than lumbar epidurals by both measures of difficulty. We conclude that body habitus does not seem to be the best predictor of technical difficulty. An examination of the patient's back for the quality of landmarks and obvious anatomical deformity better predicts the ease or difficulty of neuraxial block. Other factors seem to have little or no influence on the difficulty of neuraxial block procedures. IMPLICATIONS: We studied a number of factors, including equipment, technique, and patient characteristics, that may indicate the ease or difficulty of performing neuraxial (spinal and epidural) blocks. Of these factors, only patient characteristics had significant predictive value. We found that an examination of the patient's back for the quality of landmarks and obvious anatomical deformity better predicts the ease or difficulty of neuraxial block than does body habitus.

Adolescent↗