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Biomedical subjects

F P Sarasin

Publications and source records attributed to F P Sarasin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Should B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) be used in daily practice?].

Each diagnostic test should be systematically evaluated before acceptation for use in daily practice. The principles for validating a diagnostic test are reviewed using B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) as an example. BNP seems promising to diagnose symptomatic left-sided heart failure in the emergency department, especially when the diagnosis remains uncertain (intermediate clinical probability). However, before its widespread use, its efficacy on clinical outcome measures such as reduction of time to treatment or in-hospital length of stay should be more clearly demonstrated through pragmatic studies.

Cardiac Output, Low↗

[Acute dyspnea: what is the diagnostic role of B-type natriuretic peptide?].

Bedside dosage of B-type natriuretic peptide as a marker of congestive heart failure is of major interest in the evaluation of acute dyspnea. However, this test remains difficult to use because its interpretation depends upon the probability of disease and upon its diagnostic performance (sensitivity and specificity), varying with each BNP level. When the clinical probability of heart failure is low or high, BNP level doest not modify significantly the probability of disease. The test is useful when the diagnostic is uncertain (intermediate clinical probability), because a BNP value < 100 pg/ml makes the diagnosis of heart failure unlikely (high negative predictive value), and a value > 500 pg/ml very likely.

Biomarkers↗

[Anaphylaxis: initial management].

Anaphylaxis is an immediate systemic reaction caused by an external agent. Its initial management depends on the severity of the reaction. In case of benign to moderate reaction, anti-histamine and steroid treatment are sufficient to control the process, and management is ambulatory. A severe reaction (hypotension, dyspnea) can be life threatening and adrenalin administration by the intramuscular route is indicated. In this case, it is advocated to observe the evolution for 24 hours in the hospital and the patient should be prescribed adrenaline auto-injectors. It is recommended that individuals who have experienced anaphylaxis should receive consultation from an allergist regarding diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

Anaphylaxis↗

[Non invasive ventilation in emergency settings].

The use of non invasive ventilation (NIV) in the emergency setting to treat acute respiratory failure (ARF) has received much attention. To date, large studies support the early administration of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with cardiogenic acute pulmonary edema; and 2) non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). NIV could also be useful in other types of ARF, but its success rate is dependent on the cause of ARF and patient's characteristics. Use of NIV in the emergency setting should take into account validated indications and local expertise of the nursing staff to minimize the risk of complications.

Acute Disease↗

Is measurement of D-dimer useful in the diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis?

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a challenge because its clinical presentation is variable, brain CT may be normal, and MRI is not always available. Furthermore, early treatment may be effective. As D-dimer (DD) measurement is a sensitive test for the exclusion of venous thromboembolism, the authors studied whether this test could be useful in the diagnosis of CVT. METHODS: A prospective study of 54 consecutive patients with headaches suggestive of CVT was conducted between October 2000 and September 2002. DD levels were tested for all patients in the emergency room before brain CT or MRI was performed. RESULTS: Twelve (22%) of the 54 patients had CVT, and 10 (83%) of these 12 patients had DD level of >500 ng/mL (sensitivity of 83% and negative predictive value of 95%). Two patients with confirmed CVT and DD of <500 ng/mL had a history of chronic headache of >30 days' duration. In the 42 patients without confirmed CVT, only 4 patients had DD level of >500 ng/mL (specificity of 90% and positive predictive value of 71%). CONCLUSIONS: DD test is useful in the diagnosis of acute CVT. A value below 500 ng/mL makes acute thrombosis unlikely.

Adult↗

Role of echocardiography in the evaluation of syncope: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of echocardiography in the stepwise evaluation of syncope. DESIGN: A prospective observational study with an 18 month follow up. SETTING: University teaching hospital providing primary and tertiary care. SUBJECTS: 650 consecutive patients with syncope and clinical suspicion of an obstructive valvar lesion, or with syncope not explained by history, physical examination, or a 12 lead ECG, who underwent bidimensional Doppler transthoracic echocardiography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The causes of syncope were assigned using published diagnostic criteria. Echocardiography was considered diagnostic when confirming a suspected diagnosis, or when revealing occult cardiac disease explaining the syncope. RESULTS: A systolic murmur was identified in 61 of the 650 patients (9%). Severe aortic stenosis was suspected in 20 of these and was confirmed by echocardiography in eight. Follow up excluded further cases of aortic stenosis. In patients with unexplained syncope (n = 155), routine echocardiography showed no abnormalities that established the cause of the syncope. Echocardiography was normal or non-relevant in all patients with a negative cardiac history and a normal ECG (n = 67). In patients with a positive cardiac history or an abnormal ECG (n = 88), echocardiography showed systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 40%) in 24 (27%) and minor non-relevant findings in the remaining 64. Arrhythmias were diagnosed in 12 of the 24 patients with systolic dysfunction (50%), and in 12 of the 64 remaining patients (19%) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiography was most useful for assessing the severity of the underlying cardiac disease and for risk stratification in patients with unexplained syncope but with a positive cardiac history or an abnormal ECG.

Aged↗

Relationship between hospital length of stay and quality of care in patients with congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between hospital length of stay (LOS) and quality of care in patients admitted for congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: This observational study was conducted in the medical wards of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. A random sample of 371 patients was drawn from the 1084 patients discharged alive with a principal diagnosis of CHF between January 1997 and December 1998. Explicit criteria grouped into three scores were used to assess the quality of processes of care: admission work-up (admission score); evaluation and treatment during the stay (treatment score); and readiness for discharge (discharge score). The association between LOS and quality of care was analysed using linear regression with adjustment for clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The mean proportion of criteria met were 80% for the admission score, 66% for the treatment score, and 76% for the discharge score. Mean (SD) LOS was 13.2 (8.8) days. The admission score was not associated with LOS, but the treatment score increased by 0.5% (95% CI 0.3 to 0.7; p < 0.001) with each additional day in hospital and the discharge score increased by 2.5% (95% CI 1.6 to 3.3; p < 0.001) per day from admission to day 10 but remained unchanged thereafter. Adjustment for potential confounders did not substantially modify these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CHF there is a significant association between LOS and the quality of the treatment provided, as well as with readiness for discharge. Appropriate reorganisation of processes of care should accompany attempts at reducing LOS to avoid detrimental effects on quality of care.

Aged↗

Prospective evaluation of patients with syncope: a population-based study.

PURPOSE: To determine the diagnostic yield of a standardized sequential evaluation of patients with syncope in a primary care teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All consecutive patients who presented to the emergency department with syncope as a chief complaint were enrolled. Their evaluation included initial and routine clinical examination, including carotid sinus massage, as well as electrocardiography and basic laboratory testing. Targeted tests, such as echocardiography, were used when a specific entity was suspected clinically. Other cardiovascular tests (24-hour Holter monitoring, ambulatory loop recorder ECG, upright tilt test, and signal-averaged electrocardiography) were performed in patients with unexplained syncope after the initial steps. Electrophysiologic studies were performed in selected patients only as clinically appropriate. Follow-up information on recurrence and mortality were obtained every 6 months for as long as 18 months for 94% (n = 611) of the patients. RESULTS: After the initial clinical evaluation, a suspected cause of syncope was found in 69% (n = 446) of the 650 patients, including neurocardiogenic syncope (n = 234, 36%), orthostatic hypotension (n = 156, 24%), arrhythmia (n = 24, 4%), and other diseases (n = 32, 5%). Of the 67 patients who underwent targeted tests, suspected diagnoses were confirmed in 49 (73%) patients: aortic stenosis (n = 8, 1%), pulmonary embolism (n = 8, 1%), seizures/stroke (n = 30, 5%), and other diseases (n = 3). Extensive cardiovascular workups, which were performed in 122 of the 155 patients in whom syncope remained unexplained after clinical assessment, provided a suspected cause of syncope in only 30 (25%) patients, including arrhythmias in 18 (60%), all of whom had abnormal baseline ECGs. The 18-month mortality was 9% (n = 55, including 8 patients with sudden death); syncope recurred in 15% (n = 95) of the patients. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic yield of a standardized clinical evaluation of syncope was 76%, greater than reported previously in unselected patients. Electrocardiogram-based risk stratification was useful in guiding the use of specialized cardiovascular tests.

Adult↗

Decision analysis and its application in clinical medicine.

Decision analysis is increasingly used to address difficult medical problems. Case-by-case models designed for individual patients facing complex trade-offs in their medical care often help individual clinical decision making, but are expensive and time consuming. On the other hand, generic models addressing broad clinical questions that can be adapted from one patient to another, can often make valid projections about specific outcomes, such as life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy, and cost-effectiveness issues, and represent a useful approach to clinical decision making.

Anticoagulants↗

Living donor liver transplantation for early hepatocellular carcinoma: A life-expectancy and cost-effectiveness perspective.

Cadaveric liver transplantation (CLT) is an excellent treatment for early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its use, however, is limited by the shortage of grafts, with up to 30% of patients developing contraindications to the procedure while waiting for a donor. Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has emerged as an alternative to overcome this limitation. We compared the consequences of LDLT versus CLT using a Markov model balancing the gains and losses in life expectancy among donors and recipients. For a 60-year-old recipient with a 70% 5-year survival after transplantation, a 4% monthly drop-out rate, and a donor with 1% mortality, LDLT became more effective than CLT after 3.5 months on the waiting list. These results varied with the probability of developing contraindications to transplantation, the survival after transplantation, and the donor's mortality. For a 12-month delay saved on the waiting list, the gain in survival provided by LDLT compared with CLT ranged between 0 and 2.8 life years depending on survival after transplantation, time spent on the waiting list, and drop-out rate. LDLT was cost-effective (less than $50,000 per quality-adjusted life year saved) in all scenarios of waiting lists exceeding 7 months, and this figure ranged from 2 to 16 months when varying the drop-out rate. LDLT for early HCC offered substantial gains in life expectancy with acceptable cost-effectiveness ratios when the waiting list exceeds 7 months. The gain in life expectancy and the cost-effectiveness of LDLT were more dependent on the drop-out rate and the outcome after transplantation than on donor's mortality.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

Economic evaluation of celecoxib, a new cyclo-oxygenase 2 specific inhibitor, in Switzerland.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to predict the cost effectiveness of celecoxib, a cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) specific inhibitor, in the treatment of arthritis patients in Switzerland. METHODS: We applied a decision analytical model to compare the effects of 6 months' treatment with the following: (i) celecoxib; (ii) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) alone; NSAID protected with (iii) proton pump inhibitor (PPI), (iv) histamine H2 receptor antagonist (H2RA), or (v) misoprostol; and (vi) diclofenac/misoprostol. Treatment costs included drug acquisition and the management of gastrointestinal (GI) adverse effects, classified as GI discomfort, symptomatic ulcer, anaemia and serious GI events (requiring hospitalisation). Probabilities were derived from celecoxib clinical trials and the literature. Drug utilisation patterns and treatment costs reflecting Swiss practice were obtained from local sources. Analysis was from the public health insurers' perspective. A range of sensitivity analyses was performed. RESULTS: For the base case of patients at typical risk (0.56% per 6 months) of serious GI events, the total expected costs of 6 months' treatment were as follows: celecoxib 435 Swiss francs (SwF); NSAID alone SwF510; diclofenac/misoprostol SwF522; and other protected NSAID regimens between SwF1034 and SwF1415. Celecoxib remained the lowest costing treatment over all categories of GI risk. Celecoxib generated 115 expected adverse events per 1000 patients per 6 months, followed by NSAID + PPI (119), NSAID + H2RA (154), NSAID + misoprostol (202), diclofenac/misoprostol (203), and NSAID alone (220), again for the base case. The cost per adverse event averted for celecoxib compared with NSAIDs alone was estimated in a stochastic version of the model using Monte Carlo simulation. In 95% of 500 iterations, celecoxib was predicted to save both costs and adverse events, thus dominating NSAIDs alone; the maximum cost per adverse event averted was SwF440. CONCLUSIONS: Celecoxib is predicted to be the most cost effective of the treatments considered for managing arthritis patients in Switzerland. A policy of switching patients from NSAIDs to celecoxib is predicted to be cost saving for public health insurers, while reducing the burden of iatrogenic GI side effects. Greater cost savings would be realised when patients are switched from NSAIDs used with gastroprotective agents. Models such as this can provide a useful but simplified view of treatment outcomes and predicted results require prospective validation in clinical practice.

Anemia↗

Cost-effectiveness of new antiplatelet regimens used as secondary prevention of stroke or transient ischemic attack.

BACKGROUND: Compared with aspirin alone, use of the new antiplatelet regimens, including aspirin combined with dipyridamole and clopidogrel bisulfate, has been found to further reduce the risk of stroke and other vascular events in patients who have experienced stroke or transient ischemic attack. However, their cost-effectiveness ratios relative to aspirin alone have not been estimated. METHODS: We developed a Markov model to measure the clinical benefits and the economic consequences of the following strategies to treat high-risk patients aged 65 years or older: (1) aspirin, 325 mg/d; (2) aspirin, 50 mg/d, and dipyridamole, 400 mg/d; and (3) clopidogrel bisulfate, 75 mg/d. Input data were obtained by literature review. Outcomes were expressed as US dollars per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). RESULTS: The use of aspirin combined with dipyridamole was more effective and less costly compared with the use of aspirin alone, providing a gain of 0.3 QALY for a 65-year-old patient. This regimen remained cost-effective despite wide sensitivity analyses. Clopidogrel was more effective and more costly compared with aspirin alone, yielding a gain of 0.2 QALY with a marginal cost-effectiveness ratio of $26,580 per each additional QALY (patient aged 65 years). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the efficacy of clopidogrel and its cost were key factors in determining its cost-effectiveness ratio compared with aspirin, which exceeded $50,000 when its efficacy decreased by half or its cost doubled. CONCLUSION: To prevent stroke in high-risk patients, dipyridamole combined with aspirin was more effective and less costly than aspirin alone, and clopidogrel was cost-effective compared with current standards of medical practice, except in extreme scenarios.

Aged↗

Unplanned readmissions of patients with congestive heart failure: do they reflect in-hospital quality of care or patient characteristics?

PURPOSE: To determine if early unplanned readmissions of patients hospitalized for heart failure are associated with suboptimal in-hospital care or with the clinical and demographic characteristics of the patient. SUBJECT AND METHODS: We performed a case-control study among patients discharged with a principal diagnosis of heart failure. Cases included all patients unexpectedly readmitted within 31 days of discharge; controls were randomly selected from among those not readmitted. Quality of care was measured using explicit criteria reflecting the admission work-up, evaluation and treatment, and readiness for discharge. RESULTS: Ninety-one cases and 351 controls were included. There was no significant association between early unplanned readmissions and the scores for quality of the admission work-up or evaluation and treatment during the stay. There was a significant association between readiness for discharge and subsequent early readmission: for each 10% decrease in the proportion of fulfilled criteria, the odds of readmission increased by 14% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1. 01 to 1.28, P = 0.04) for all-cause readmissions and by 19% (95% CI: 1.04 to 1.36, P = 0.01) for heart-failure-related readmissions. In a multiple logistic regression model, previous diagnosis of heart failure (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.7 to 4.8, P <0.001), age (OR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.3 to 8.5, P = 0.01 for patients aged 65 to 79 years and OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.6 to 11, P = 0.004 for patients aged 80 years and older), and history of cardiac revascularization (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2 to 3.9, P = 0.01) showed a stronger association with early unplanned all-cause readmissions than the readiness-for-discharge score (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.31, P = 0.02). Similar findings were seen for heart failure-related readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with heart failure, early unplanned readmissions were not associated with suboptimal admission work-up or evaluation and treatment but were weakly associated with readiness for discharge. However, they were strongly associated with the patients' clinical and demographic characteristics.

Aged↗

Prophylactic antithrombotic therapy for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with or without antiphospholipid antibodies: do the benefits outweigh the risks? A decision analysis.

BACKGROUND: A high incidence of both arterial and venous thromboembolic events has been reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the risks and benefits of primary prophylactic antithrombotic therapy have not been assessed. We measured the clinical benefit of 3 antithrombotic regimens in patients with SLE without antiphospholipid antibodies, with anticardiolipin antibodies, or with lupus anticoagulant. METHODS: A Markov decision analysis was used to evaluate prophylactic aspirin therapy, prophylactic oral anticoagulant therapy, and observation. Input data were obtained by literature review. Clinical practice was simulated in a hypothetical cohort of patients with SLE who had not experienced any previous episode of arterial or venous thromboembolic events. For each strategy, we measured numbers of thromboembolic events prevented and major bleeding episodes induced, and quality-adjusted survival years. RESULTS: Prophylactic aspirin therapy was the preferred strategy in all settings, the number of prevented thrombotic events exceeding that of induced bleeding episodes. In the baseline analysis (40-year-old patients with SLE), the gain in quality-adjusted survival years achieved by prophylactic aspirin compared with observation ranged from 3 months in patients without antiphospholipid antibodies to 11 months in patients with anticardiolipin antibodies or lupus anticoagulant. Prophylactic oral anticoagulant therapy provided better results than prophylactic aspirin only in patients with lupus anticoagulant and an estimated bleeding risk of 1% per year or less. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic aspirin should be given to all patients with SLE to prevent both arterial and venous thrombotic manifestations, especially in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies. In selected patients with lupus anticoagulant and a low bleeding risk, prophylactic oral anticoagulant therapy may provide a higher utility.

Administration, Oral↗

Primary liver resection and salvage transplantation or primary liver transplantation in patients with single, small hepatocellular carcinoma and preserved liver function: an outcome-oriented decision analysis.

Two treatments are accepted for patients with solitary hepatocellular carcinoma </=5 cm in size and with preserved hepatic function: (1) liver resection, which can be performed without delay but has a high recurrence rate, and (2) liver transplantation, which has a better long-term survival, but is not easily available because grafts are scarce. A third possibility is to offer liver resection first and liver transplantation for tumor recurrence or deteriorating liver function ("salvage" transplantation). We investigated the implications of such a strategy with a Markov-based decision analytic model. In a scenario assuming intermediate values for 4 main variables (12-month waiting list; tumor progression outside transplantation criteria: 4% per month; recurrence after resection: 20% per year; recurrences eligible for transplantation: 60%), the life expectancy was 8.8 years for primary transplantation versus 7.8 years for primary resection and salvage transplantation, with a calculated use of grafts at 5 years of 52% for primary transplantation versus 23% for salvage transplantation. This study estimates of the survival and graft-saving of a strategy of primary resection and salvage transplantation according to variables that are to some extent predictable. This strategy may be a rational way to cope with lengthening waiting lists, especially for patients with tumors close to the limit for transplantation criteria, if the results of liver resection are good, if patients with the lowest risks of recurrence can be selected, and if a strict follow-up can detect recurrences when the patients are still transplantable.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

Successful implementation of guidelines for encouraging the use of beta blockers in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

PURPOSE: To assess whether implementation of guidelines increases the prescription of drugs, particularly beta blockers, recommended for secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Prescription patterns among 355 patients discharged from a public teaching hospital after recovery from myocardial infarction were prospectively monitored in a before-after trial. The implementation strategies included educational interventions (large group meetings), placement of guidelines in patients' records, and bimonthly general reminders sent to physicians. RESULTS: Beta blockers were prescribed in 93 (38%) of 243 survivors of acute myocardial infarction before guideline implementation (12-month control period), as compared with 71 (63%) of 112 patients (P <0.001) after their implementation (6-month period). During the entire study period, the prescription of beta blockers at a neighboring public teaching hospital, used as a comparison, was unchanged. After adjusting for potential confounders, implementation of the guidelines remained significantly associated with prescription of beta blockers at discharge [odds ratio (OR) = 10; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.2 to 33; P <0.001]. Other independent predictors of prescription of beta blockers were previous coronary artery bypass grafting (OR = 8.7; 95% CI, 2.5 to 31; P = 0.001), hypertension (OR = 2.5; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.5; P = 0.003), age per 10-year increase (OR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.99; P = 0.04), secular trend in prescription patterns expressed in months (OR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.8 to 1.0; P = 0.02), a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 40% (OR = 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.4; P <0.001), the presence of atrioventricular block (OR = 0.1; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.7; P = 0.02), and concomitant prescription of digoxin (OR = 0.2; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.8; P = 0.02) or calcium antagonists (OR = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.3; P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: When appropriately developed and implemented by local experts, literature-based guidelines may be effective in modifying use of recommended drugs for secondary prevention of coronary artery disease, such as prescription of beta blockers.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Comparison between planned and unplanned readmissions to a department of internal medicine.

The objective of this study was to assess the respective frequency of planned and unplanned early readmissions after discharge from an internal medicine department, and to identify and compare risk factors for these two types of readmissions. Readmissions within 31 days of discharge were identified as planned or unplanned based on analysis of discharge summaries. Time-failure methods were used to describe the risk of readmissions over time and to assess relationships between patient and index stay characteristics and risk of readmission. Of 5828 patients discharged alive, 730 (12.5%) were readmitted within 31 days. There were slightly more planned than unplanned readmissions (393 vs. 337). The difference in time-to-event functions was significant (P=0.04). The risk of planned readmission was increased for men, younger patients, and for patients discharged with a diagnosis of coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia, and neoplastic disease. Increased risk of unplanned readmission was associated with index length of stay longer than 3 days, an increased number of comorbidities, and with a diagnosis of neoplastic disease. Planned readmissions constitute more than half of early readmissions to our internal medicine department. Therefore, a crude readmission rate is unlikely to be a useful indicator of quality of care. Several patient characteristics influence the risk of unplanned readmission, suggesting that case-mix adjustments are necessary when readmission rates are compared between institutions or tracked over time.

Aged↗

Decision analysis and the implementation of evidence-based medicine.

The evidence-based medicine movement has received enthusiastic endorsement from editors of major medical journals. Hardly anyone can disagree with the aim of helping clinicians to make judicious use of the best scientific evidence for decisions in patient care. Evidence-based medicine, however, because of its dependence on randomized trials, cannot be applied to all individuals seen in daily practice. Specifically, patients may differ in age, severity of illness, presence of comorbidity and myriad of other clinical nuances. In response to these limitations, decision analysis, a technique which allows to consider multiple health outcomes, such as the patient's preferences for different states of health, and to measure the consequences of many strategies for which randomized trials are not feasible, provides a rational means of allowing health professionals to move from finding evidence to implementing it. Such formal approach may reconcile evidence-based medicine with 'real life' and patient's preference. It should therefore be considered complementary to evidence-based medicine.

Decision Support Techniques↗