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Timothy J Wilt

Publications and source records attributed to Timothy J Wilt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Extended Reality Interventions for Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Recovery After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses.

BACKGROUND: Nonpharmacologic interventions are important for treating knee pain due to osteoarthritis or after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and extended reality (XR) technology may enhance treatments for these indications. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to evaluate XR interventions for pain due to knee osteoarthritis (KOA) or for recovery after TKA. METHODS: Databases were searched through May 2023 and updated in December 2025. Eligible trials evaluated XR interventions to treat KOA pain or after TKA. We classified interventions by depth of immersion and clinical mechanism. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria to determine the certainty of evidence for prioritized outcomes. Meta-analyses were performed when ≥3 studies evaluated similar comparisons, outcomes, and time points. RESULTS: Eligible trials addressed KOA (k=12) or recovery after TKA (k=9). Sample sizes ranged from 36 to 306 participants, and most studies had a follow-up of ≤3 months. Nineteen studies assessed pain-related functioning and pain intensity, and 5 assessed adverse events (AEs). For KOA, 10 studies examined interactive digital rehabilitation (IDR), and 2 examined virtual reality (VR)-digitally augmented exercise (DAE). IDR for KOA may result in better pain-related functioning (low certainty of evidence [COE]; pooled standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.59, 95% CI -1.11 to -0.06; prediction interval [PI] -1.72 to 0.55; k=5) and lower pain intensity at 6-8 weeks (low COE; pooled SMD -0.46, 95% CI -0.92 to 0.00; PI -1.39 to 0.47; k=4). VR-DAE for KOA (k=2) produced inconsistent results (very low COE). For post-TKA studies, 5 examined IDR, 2 examined VR-DAE, 1 examined VR-distraction, and 1 examined VR-psychoeducation. Post-TKA IDR may result in better pain-related functioning (low [k=4] and moderate COE [k=1]) but little to no difference in pain intensity (low-moderate COE; pooled SMD at 3-4 months -0.12, 95% CI -0.75 to 0.52; PI -1.63 to 1.27; k=3). VR-psychoeducation probably results in lower pain at 4 weeks (moderate COE; k=1), and VR-distraction may result in 6 months (low COE; k=1), whereas VR-DAE produced mixed findings (k=2; very low COE). IDR was not associated with AEs, and VR may not be associated with AEs for KOA (high and low COE), though AE reporting was uncommon (k=5) and evidence was very uncertain for post-TKA. CONCLUSIONS: IDR may augment treatment for KOA and post-TKA recovery, and VR may benefit post-TKA rehabilitation. This review is the first to stratify by level of immersion, clinical mechanism, and follow-up duration and to systematically evaluate AEs. IDR may be ready for integration into KOA care, while use after TKA needs more evidence. Randomized controlled trials with implementation outcomes could determine how XR interventions can be used for KOA, whereas trials evaluating efficacy and AEs are needed before their use for post-TKA.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence and trends of selected urologic conditions for VA healthcare users.

BACKGROUND: Conducted as part of the Urologic Diseases in America project whose aim was to quantify the burden of urologic diseases on the American public, this study focuses on Veterans Health Administration (VHA) users as a special population to supplement data on overall prevalence rates and trends in the United States. Veterans comprise 25% of the male population 18 years or older and contribute substantially to the overall burden of urologic conditions. The objective of this study is to describe the prevalence rates and trends of urologic cancers and selected benign conditions from 1999 to 2002 for VHA users. METHODS: VHA administrative files for 1999-2002 and Medicare claims files for the same years were used to identify those who had a diagnosis of qualifying urologic conditions. RESULTS: Among the conditions evaluated, prostate cancer was listed as a primary diagnosis for 5.4% of VHA users in 2002, followed in decreasing prevalence by erectile dysfunction (2.9%), renal mass (1.5%), interstitial cystitis (1.4%), and prostatitis (1.1%). Age-adjusted rates showed significant increases for renal mass (31%), interstitial cystitis (14%), and erectile dysfunction (8%) between 1999 and 2002. Systematic variations in prevalence rates and trends were observed by age, race/ethnicity, and region. Those in the Western region generally had lower age-adjusted prevalence rates and their increases were also slower than other regions. Addition of Medicare data resulted in large increases (21 to 489%) in prevalence among VHA users, suggesting substantial amount of non-VA urological care provided to VHA users. CONCLUSION: Prevalence rates for many urologic diseases increased between 1999 and 2002, which were not entirely attributable to the aging of veterans. This changing urologic disease burden has substantial implications for access to urologic care and treatment capacity, especially in light of the level of urologic care delivered to veterans by Medicare providers outside the VA. Further study on the factors associated with these increases and how they affect the patterns, cost, and quality of care in veterans is needed.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer mainly affects elderly men, and its incidence has steadily increased over the last decade. The management of this disease is replete with controversy. In men with advanced, metastatic prostate cancer, hormone therapy is almost universally accepted as the initial treatment of choice and produces good responses in most patients. However, many patients will relapse and become resistant to further hormone manipulation; the outlook for these patients is poor. Many have disease extending to the skeleton, which is associated with severe pain. Therapies for these men include chemotherapy, bisphosphonates, palliative radiotherapy, and radioisotopes. Systemic chemotherapy has been evaluated in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) for many years, with disappointing results. However, more recent studies with newer agents have shown encouraging results. There is therefore a need to explore the value of chemotherapy in this disease. OBJECTIVES: The present review aims to assess the role of chemotherapy in men with metastatic HRPC. The major outcome was overall survival. Secondary objectives include the effect of chemotherapy on pain relief, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response, quality of life, and treatment-related toxicity. SEARCH STRATEGY: Trials were identified by searching electronic databases, such as MEDLINE, and handsearching of relevant journals and conference proceedings. There was no restriction of language or location. SELECTION CRITERIA: Only published randomised trials of chemotherapy in HRPC patients were eligible for inclusion in this review. Randomised comparisons of different chemotherapeutic regimens, chemotherapy versus best standard of care or placebo, were relevant to this review. Randomised, dose-escalation studies were not included in this review. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data extraction tables were designed specifically for this review to aid data collection. Data from relevant studies were extracted and included information on trial design, participants, and outcomes. Trial quality was also assessed using a scoring system for randomisation, blinding, and description of patient withdrawal. MAIN RESULTS: Out of 107 randomised trials of chemotherapy in advanced prostate cancer identified by the search strategy, 47 were included in this review and represented 6929 patients with HRPC. Only two trials compared the same chemotherapeutic interventions and therefore a meta-analysis was considered inappropriate. The quality of some trials was poor because of poor reporting, low-patient recruitment, or poor trial design. For clarity, trials were categorised according to the major drug used, but this was not a definitive grouping, since many trials used several agents and would be eligible for inclusion in a number of categories. Drug categories included estramustine, 5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, mitoxantrone, and docetaxel. Only studies using docetaxel reported a significant improvement in overall survival compared to best standard of care, although the increase was small (< 2.5 months). The mean percentage of patients achieving at least a 50% reduction in PSA compared to baseline was as follows: estramustine 48%; 5-fluorouracil 20%; doxorubicin 50% (one study only); mitoxantrone 33%; and docetaxel 52%. Pain relief was reported in 35% to 76% of patients receiving either single agents or combination regimens. A three weekly regime of docetaxel significantly improved pain relief compared to mitoxantrone plus prednisone (the latter regimen approved as standard therapy for HRPC in the USA). All chemotherapeutics, either as single agents or in combination, were associated with toxicity; the major ones being myelosuppression, gastrointestinal toxicity, cardiac toxicity, neuropathy, and alopecia. Quality of life was significantly improved with docetaxel compared to mitoxantrone plus prednisone. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HRPC have not traditionally been offered chemotherapy as a routine treatment because of treatment-related toxicity and poor responses. Recent data from randomised studies, in particular those using docetaxel, have provided encouraging improvements in overall survival, palliation of symptoms, and improvements in quality of life. Chemotherapy should be considered as a treatment option for patients with HRPC. However, patients should make an informed decision based on the risks and benefits of chemotherapy.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Transition to the new race/ethnicity data collection standards in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

BACKGROUND: Patient race in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) information system was previously recorded based on an administrative or clinical employee's observation. Since 2003, the VA started to collect self-reported race in compliance with a new federal guideline. We investigated the implications of this transition for using race/ethnicity data in multi-year trends in the VA and in other healthcare data systems that make the transition. METHODS: All unique users of VA healthcare services with self-reported race/ethnicity data in 2004 were compared with their prior observer-recorded race/ethnicity data from 1997-2002 (N = 988,277). RESULTS: In 2004, only about 39% of all VA healthcare users reported race/ethnicity values other than "unknown" or "declined." Females reported race/ethnicity at a lower rate than males (27% vs. 40%; p < 0.001). Over 95% of observer-recorded data agreed with self-reported data. Compared with the patient self-reported data, the observer-recorded White and African American races were accurate for 98% (kappa = 0.89) and 94% (kappa = 0.93) individuals, respectively. Accuracy of observer-recorded races was much worse for other minority groups with kappa coefficients ranging between 0.38 for American Indian or Alaskan Natives and 0.79 for Hispanic Whites. When observer-recorded race/ethnicity values were reclassified into non-African American groups, they agreed with the self-reported data for 98% of all individuals (kappa = 0.93). CONCLUSION: For overall VA healthcare users, the agreement between observer-recorded and self-reported race/ethnicity was excellent and observer-recorded and self-reported data can be used together for multi-year trends without creating serious bias. However, this study also showed that observation was not a reliable method of race/ethnicity data collection for non-African American minorities and racial disparity might be underestimated if observer-recorded data are used due to systematic patterns of inaccurate race/ethnicity assignments.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Predictors and prevalence of erectile dysfunction in a racially diverse population.

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, the burden of disease attributed to erectile dysfunction (ED) has not been adequately quantified across a complete spectrum of age and race using a global disease definition, as recommended by the National Institutes of Health consensus statement. To obtain a better understanding of the national estimates of prevalence and risk factors for ED, we analyzed data from the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collects data by household interview. The sample design is a stratified, multistage, probability sample of clusters of persons representing the civilian noninstitutionalized population. Data include medical histories in which specific queries are made regarding urological symptoms (including ED). These items were selected for analysis in 3566 men, 20 years and older. RESULTS: In men 20 years and older, ED affected almost 1 in 5 respondents. Hispanic men were more likely to report ED (odds ratio [OR], 1.89), after controlling for other factors. The prevalence of ED increased dramatically with advanced age; 77.5% of men 75 years and older were affected. In addition, there were several modifiable risk factors that were independently associated with ED, including diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.69), obesity (OR, 1.60), current smoking (OR, 1.74), and hypertension (OR, 1.56). CONCLUSIONS: The burden of ED on the US population is significant. Hispanic men had an elevated risk for ED, a finding that requires confirmation in prospective studies. Obesity, hypertension, smoking, and diabetes mellitus are significantly associated with ED risk. Mitigation of these risk factors may ameliorate the burden of ED.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Systematic review: antimicrobial urinary catheters to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection in hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of antimicrobial urinary catheters in hospitalized patients is poorly defined. PURPOSE: To assess currently marketed antimicrobial urinary catheters for preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI). DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases, conference proceedings, bibliographies, trialists, and catheter manufacturers (search dates, 1966 to June 2005). STUDY SELECTION: Randomized and quasi-randomized trials of nitrofurazone-coated or silver alloy-coated antimicrobial urinary catheter use for less than 30 days; no language restriction. DATA EXTRACTION: Study design, study sample, inclusion and exclusion criteria, allocation, blinding, UTI definition, ascertainment methods, and proportion developing symptomatic UTI (primary end point) or bacteriuria (secondary end point) were extracted by using a structured data collection instrument. DATA SYNTHESIS: Twelve qualifying trials (13,392 total participants or catheters) were identified. They compared nitrofurazone-coated silicone (n = 3) or silver-coated latex (n = 9) catheters with silicone or latex catheters. No study addressed symptomatic UTI. All trials suggested protection against bacteriuria with test catheter use. However, effect size varied considerably and postrandomization exclusions were very common. Effect size was greatest in trials of nitrofurazone-coated catheters (all post-1995) and in pre-1995 silver alloy-coated catheter trials and was smallest in post-1995 silver alloy-coated catheter trials. Control group bacteriuria rate, control catheter type (latex vs. silicone), and patient sample (urology vs. other) also predicted effect size. Few studies addressed secondary bloodstream infection, mortality, costs, or microbial resistance. Short-term adverse effects were minimal. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited by the number, size, and quality of studies and by lack of the following: intention-to-treat analyses, data on clinical end points, and trials comparing nitrofurazone-coated with silver alloy-coated catheters. CONCLUSIONS: According to fair-quality evidence, antimicrobial urinary catheters can prevent bacteriuria in hospitalized patients during short-term catheterization, depending on antimicrobial coating and several other variables. Older data probably lack current relevance. Cost implications and effect on infectious complications remain undefined.

Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence, severity, and health correlates of lower urinary tract symptoms among older men: the MrOS study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence, severity, and health correlates of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in older community-dwelling U.S. men. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis from a cohort study recruited from six U.S. clinical centers. This analysis included 5284 men without a history of prostate cancer who were at least 65 years of age. Participants completed questionnaires regarding the presence and severity of LUTS, including the American Urological Association Symptom and Bother indexes. Health status measures included the Medical Outcomes Survey SF-12 and self-rated health and instrumental activities of daily living. RESULTS: LUTS were absent in 2.3%, mild in 51.6%, moderate in 39.6%, and severe in 6.6%. Dissatisfaction with the urinary symptoms increased with LUTS severity (P <0.001); 19.8% of moderate and 58.1% of men with severe LUTS reported feeling mostly unsatisfied to terrible with their present urinary symptoms. The prevalence, severity, and dissatisfaction with LUTS increased with age. Men reporting moderate or severe LUTS were 1.41-fold (95% confidence interval 1.23 to 1.61) and 1.51-fold (95% confidence interval 1.23 to 1.85) more likely to rate their overall health quality as fair to very poor for their age instead of good to excellent, even after controlling for age and comorbid conditions. Increased LUTS also was independently associated with increased impairment in instrumental activities of daily living and poorer SF-12 scores. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate-to-severe LUTS is common in community-dwelling elderly U.S. men. In this study, LUTS severity was associated with poorer health quality and a greater prevalence of an inability to perform activities of daily living. The association of LUTS severity with poor health warrants increased clinical attention.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Agreement about indications for total knee arthroplasty.

UNLABELLED: Total knee arthroplasty is an effective and cost efficient procedure that improves the quality of life for patients with end stage knee arthritis. With the prevalence of arthritis expected to increase with the aging of the population, the demand for total knee arthroplasty will increase substantially. We examined current indications for total knee arthroplasty by reviewing articles extracted from a comprehensive Med-line search. We studied the indications for proceeding with a total knee arthroplasty, the indications for referring a patient for a total knee arthroplasty, and the contraindications among orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists, and primary care providers. We evaluated 27-42 different patient factors. "Pain not responsive to drug therapy" was the only factor with consensus for total knee arthroplasty. "Major psychiatric disorder, including dementia" was the only contraindication to total knee arthroplasty that had a consensus. The lack of consensus within orthopaedics and across specialties likely represents a limitation in empirical data associated with total knee arthroplasty outcomes. Achieving better consensus will require conducting and disseminating better research on patient characteristics that predict the success of total knee arthroplasty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Economic and decision analyses, level IV (analyses with no sensitivity analyses). See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee↗
PubMed2006

Who uses decision aids? Subgroup analyses from a randomized controlled effectiveness trial of two prostate cancer screening decision support interventions.

OBJECTIVE: To examine who reported using unsolicited prostate cancer screening decision aids distributed as part of a randomized controlled trial, whether reported use varied by type of aid (video or pamphlet), and what affect reported use had on study outcomes. METHODS: A total of 1,152 men aged 50 and older from four medical facilities in the United States were randomly assigned to pamphlet, video or usual care (control). Materials were mailed 2 weeks prior to clinic appointments in general internal medicine. Outcomes were assessed by phone survey 1 week after appointments. Analyses examined the reported use of materials by study group, the association between patient characteristics and reported use, and the impact of reported use (adjusting for patient characteristics) on a 10-item knowledge index. RESULTS: Fifty-six percent of those randomized to receive the video and 50% of those randomized to receive the pamphlet reported using the materials. Reported use of the video was higher for patients who had greater than a high school education (OR 1.73), were married (OR 2.20), and reported no prior abnormal prostate cancer screening test results (OR 3.39). Reported use of the pamphlet did not vary by patient characteristics. In intent-to-treat analyses (ignoring reported use), individuals randomized to the video and pamphlet groups had significantly higher knowledge scores relative to the control group (7.44, 7.26 and 6.90 respectively). Adjusting for reported use modestly increased the estimated differences across treatment groups but did not substantially change conclusions about the relative effects of these aids on knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Only half of men receiving unsolicited prostate cancer screening decision aids before a visit reported using the aids, and who reported using them varied by type of aid. Efforts to broadly implement decision aids may need to offer a variety of approaches, and incorporate creative strategies to enhance reaching all population subgroups.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Alfuzosin for treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms compatible with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review of efficacy and adverse effects.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of alfuzosin for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: The included studies were randomized controlled trials involving men with symptomatic BPH treated with alfuzosin versus placebo or active control for at least 4 weeks. RESULTS: The search strategy identified 11 trials involving 3901 men with a mean age of 64 years. Eight trials were placebo-controlled studies, two were alfuzosin versus alternative alpha-blockers, and one was alfuzosin versus finasteride and combination alfuzosin/finasteride therapy. The study durations were short term, 4 to 26 weeks. The mean baseline symptom scores and peak urinary flow rates were indicative of moderate BPH. Alfuzosin (7.5 or 10 mg) improved lower urinary tract symptoms assessed by the International Prostate Symptom Score compared with placebo. The mean absolute change from baseline was -5.4 points for alfuzosin compared with -3.6 points for placebo, a weighted mean difference of 1.8 points (three studies). Alfuzosin increased the peak urinary flow more than did placebo, although the improvement varied across the eight studies. Symptom and flow improvements were generally comparable to that with combination therapy and with other alpha1-blockers. Alfuzosin had good short-term tolerability, and the numbers of study withdrawals were comparable to those with placebo and controls. Efficacy and short-term safety were similar across the various (immediate-release, sustained, and once-daily) formulations. CONCLUSIONS: The results from short-term studies have indicated that alfuzosin improves lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary flow more than does placebo and is generally well tolerated in men with symptomatic BPH. Long-term efficacy and safety studies in combination with a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor should be initiated.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗
PubMed2005

Correlates and prevalence of prostatitis in a large community-based cohort of older men.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence and correlates of self-reported history of prostatitis in terms of lower urinary tract symptoms and associated dissatisfaction in community-dwelling older men. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis from a prospective cohort study of 5821 men aged 65 years and older recruited from six clinical centers. RESULTS: Overall, 1439 men (25%) self-reported a history of prostatitis. Men with a history of prostatitis were more likely to self-report a history of prostate cancer (26% versus 7%; P < 0.0001) and a history of benign prostatic hyperplasia (83% versus 38%; P < 0.0001) within a lifetime compared with men without a history of prostatitis. Men with a history of prostatitis also had a greater mean American Urological Association symptom score (mean +/- SD, 10.1 +/- 7.1 versus 7.7 +/- 5.9; P < 0.0001) than men without a history of prostatitis. Also, a greater percentage of men with a history of prostatitis reported being dissatisfied with their present urinary condition than did men without a history of prostatitis (21% versus 11%; P < 0.0001). We found positive associations for a history of prostatitis with a history of benign prostatic hyperplasia (odds ratio 8.0, 95% confidence interval 6.8 to 9.5), a history of prostate cancer (odds ratio 5.4, 95% confidence interval 4.4 to 6.6), and dissatisfaction with current urinary condition (odds ratio 1.2, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.5). CONCLUSIONS: A self-reported history of prostatitis is common in older men and was associated with self-reported prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia and increased severity of lower urinary tract symptoms and associated dissatisfaction. Because of the potential detection bias, recall bias, and the cross-sectional nature of the study, limiting causal inference, the associations among these urologic conditions require additional study.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Clinical efficacy of OM-85 BV in COPD and chronic bronchitis: a systematic review.

OM-85 BV is an immunomodulatory agent used for prevention of exacerbations in persons with chronic lung disease. We conducted a systematic review of OM-85 BV to evaluate its efficacy and safety. A systematic search for relevant articles was performed. Studies were included if they involved persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic bronchitis and were randomized to OM-85 BV or placebo. Investigators extracted data on study design, participant characteristics, and clinical outcomes. Thirteen trials involving 2066 individuals met inclusion criteria. Three trials enrolled an older, more homogenous population with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Utilizing quantitative pooled analysis in these studies, with one or more acute exacerbations as the endpoint, we found a non-statistically significant trend in favor of OM-85 BV [relative risk 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.65-1.05]. Ten trials enrolled a heterogeneous population with chronic bronchitis. In these trials, exacerbation rates were less with OM-85 BV in 4 of 9 trials reporting this outcome. Varied results in the outcomes of hospitalization, symptom scores, and antibiotic or steroid use were found across studies. Withdrawals and adverse events were similar between OM-85 BV and placebo. While OM-85 BV is used to prevent exacerbations in persons with chronic lung disease, consistent evidence across multiple important outcomes does not exist to clearly demonstrate clinical benefit. Further randomized controlled trials enrolling large numbers of persons with well-defined COPD are necessary to confirm the effectiveness of this agent.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed2005

Antibiotic prophylaxis for transurethral prostatic resection in men with preoperative urine containing less than 100,000 bacteria per ml: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: We determined whether antibiotic prophylaxis can reduce the risk of postoperative infective complications in men undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) who have preoperative urine with less than 100,000 bacteria per ml. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE (Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of antibiotic prophylaxis with placebo or active controls for men undergoing TURP with preoperative sterile urine. Two reviewers independently extracted patient characteristic and outcomes data based on a prospectively developed protocol. RESULTS: A total of 28 trials, 10 placebo controlled and 18 no treatment controlled, involving 4,694 patients, met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the subjects was 69 years and the majority underwent TURP for prostatic hyperplasia (85%). Antibiotic prophylaxis was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing postoperative TURP complications. The risk differences for post-TURP bacteriuria, high degree fever, bacteremia and use of additional antibiotic treatment were -0.17 (95% CI 0.20, -0.15), -0.11 (-0.15, -0.06), -0.02 (-0.04, 0.00) and -0.20 (-0.28, -0.11), respectively. The results were observed consistently across all classes of antibiotics assessed. There was no difference in the duration of postoperative catheterization or hospitalization. Adverse events were rare, generally mild, and included allergic reactions, pyrexia and abdominal complaints. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic antibiotics decrease the incidence of post-TURP bacteriuria, high fever, bacteremia and additional antibiotic treatment. Additional research should evaluate the optimal antibiotic regimen, and whether the cost and possibility of the development of resistant strains of organisms justify the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

The functional outcomes of total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: As an elective procedure, total knee arthroplasty is under scrutiny to evaluate its cost-effectiveness. In this review, we examined the available literature on total knee arthroplasty to assess the evidence regarding factors associated with better functional outcomes. METHODS: A structured literature search of English-language databases was performed to identify studies of the functional outcomes of total knee arthroplasty that had been published between 1995 and April 2003. Inclusion criteria were a study of primary total knee arthroplasty, more than 100 knees in the study, provision of baseline data and rating of postoperative outcomes with a standardized symptom scale, and an experimental or quasi-experimental study design. The abstracting form included a list of potential prognostic factors, including comorbidities, radiographic evidence of joint destruction, bone loss, integrity of the extensor mechanism, range of motion, alignment, tibiofemoral angle, and ligament integrity, as well as the characteristics of the operating surgeon, such as procedure volume and experience. RESULTS: Sixty-two studies met the criteria and were reviewed. Total knee arthroplasty was found to be associated with substantial functional improvement, with the effect sizes varying with the measure that was used. Physician-derived measures showed effect sizes of 2.35 and 3.91, whereas patient-derived measures showed smaller effect sizes (1.27 and 1.62). Few investigators used multivariate models to identify associations between outcomes and patient characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Total knee arthroplasty is a generally effective procedure, but the current English-language literature does not support specific recommendations about which patients are most likely to benefit from it.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Effectiveness of statin therapy in adults with coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a meta-analysis of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) to determine the effectiveness of statin therapy; whether effectiveness varied according to patient characteristics, outcomes, or pretreatment low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels; and the optimal LDL-C goal and the level at which to initiate statin therapy. METHODS: Randomized trials or systematic reviews for secondary prevention of CHD with statin therapy published between January 1966 and December 2002 were identified through MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. Studies were included if they randomly assigned adults with CHD to statin therapy or control, enrolled at least 100 individuals per arm, reported clinical outcomes and LDL-C levels, and were published as full studies in English. Two reviewers abstracted data using a prospectively designed protocol. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies enrolling 69 511 individuals were included. Participants in 19 placebo-controlled trials had a mean age of 63 years and a mean pretreatment LDL-C level of 149 mg/dL (3.85 mmol/L); 23% were women. Statin therapy reduced CHD mortality or nonfatal myocardial infarction 25% (relative risk [RR], 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.79), all-cause mortality 16% (RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.79-0.89), and CHD mortality 23% (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.71-0.83). Beneficial effects were seen in women and the elderly. There were no data to determine whether lowering the LDL-C level to less than 100 mg/dL (<2.59 mmol/L) was superior to lowering it to 100 to 130 mg/dL (2.59-3.36 mmol/L). Meta-regression analyses revealed risk reductions for CHD mortality or nonfatal myocardial infarction and major vascular events across available pretreatment LDL-C levels. CONCLUSION: Statin therapy reduces mortality and morbidity in adults with CHD, even at pretreatment LDL-C levels as low as 100 mg/dL (2.59 mmol/L).

Adult↗