Risk assessment of ischemic stroke associated pneumonia

BACKGROUND:Cerebral stroke is a disease with a high disability rate and a high fatality rate.This study was undertaken to assess the risk of stroke associated pneumonia(SAP) in patients with ischemic stroke using A2DS2 score.METHODS:Altogether 1 279 patients with ischemic stroke who were treated in our department from 2009 to 2011 were retrospectively analyzed with A2DS2 score. A2DS2 score was calculated as follows:age ≥75 years=1,atrial fi brillation=1,dysphagia=2,male sex=1; stroke severity:NIHSS score 0–4=0,5–15=3,≥16=5. The patients were divided into three groups according to A2DS2 score:620 in score 0 group,383 in score 1–9 group,and 276 in score ≥10 group. The three groups were comparatively analyzed. The diagnostic criteria for SAP were as follows:newly emerging lesions or progressively infiltrating lesions on post-stroke chest images combined with more than two of the following clinical symptoms of infection:(1) fever ≥38 °C;(2) newly occurred cough,productive cough or exacerbation of preexisting respiratory tract symptoms with or without chest pain;(3) signs of pulmonary consolidation and/or wet rales;(4) peripheral white blood cell count ≥10×109/L or ≤4×109/L with or without nuclear shift to left,while excluding some diseases with clinical manifestations similar to pneumonia,such as tuberculosis,pulmonary tumors,non-infectious interstitial lung disease,pulmonary edema,pulmonary embolism and atelectasis. The incidence and mortality of SAP as well as the correlation with ischemic stroke site were analyzed in the three groups respectively. Mean± standard deviation was used to represent measurement data with normal distribution and Student's t test was used. The chi-square test was used to calculate the percentage for enumeration data.RESULTS:The incidence of SAP was significantly higher in the A2DS2 score≥10 group than that in the score 1–9 and score 0 groups(71.7% vs. 22.7%,71.7% vs. 3.7%,respectively),whereas the mortality in the score≥10 group was significantly higher than that in the score 1–9 and score 0 groups(16.7% vs. 4.96%,16.7% vs. 0.3%,respectively). The incidences of cerebral infarction in posterior circulation and cross-MCA,ACA distribution areas were signif icantly higher than those in the SAP group and in the non-SAP group(35.1% vs.10.1%,11.4% vs. 7.5%,respectively). The incidence of non-fermentative bacteria infection was signifi cantly increased in the score≥10 group.CONCLUSIONS:A2DS2 score provides a basis for risk stratifi cation of SAP. The prevention of SAP needs to be strengthened in acute ischemic stroke patients with a A2DS2 score≥10.

Bone mineral density in fracture neck of femur patients:What's the significance?

BACKGROUND The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence(NICE)guidelines have advised further research is required into investigating the added prognostic value of bone mineral density(BMD)in the assessment of fracture risk with the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool(FRAX)score.AIM To investigate the significance of BMD in fracture neck of femur patients and compare it to the outcome of the FRAX score.METHODS Inclusion criteria for this study were all patients who underwent dual-energy Xray absorptiometry(DXA)scan following fracture neck of femur between 2015 and 2017.Analysis of BMD,FRAX scores and patient demographic data was undertaken.RESULTS A total of 69 patients were included in the study,mean age 74.1 years.There was no significant difference between mean BMD of the femoral neck in males(0.65)as compared to females(0.61)(P=0.364).Analyses showed no significant correlation between BMD and menopause age(rs=-0.28,P=0.090).A significant difference was seen of the femoral neck BMD between the different fracture pattern types(P=0.026).A stronger correlation was observed between BMD of femoral neck and FRAX major score(rs=-0.64,P<0.001)than with BMD of lumbar spine and FRAX major score(rs=-0.37,P=0.003).CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that BMD of the femoral neck measured by DXA scan is of added prognostic value when assessing patients for risk of fracture neck of femur in combination with the FRAX predictive scoring system.

Evaluation of the Early Functional Outcome Following Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy for Meniscal Tears

Meniscal tears are among the common knee pathologies which affect activities of daily living if not managed properly. Arthroscopic knee surgery is an evolving procedure in our environment and patient satisfaction with this procedure needs to be evaluated. This was a prospective study carried out between June 2017 and May 2018 with the aim to determine the effectiveness of Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy in the management of meniscal tears in our environment. The Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) Knee Score was used to assess patient satisfaction with this procedure. A total of thirty-one patients were recruited into the study consisting of eighteen males and thirteen females with an average age of thirteen years (17 - 48 years) who underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. Preoperative and postoperative knee scores at 6 weeks and 12 weeks were compared using the Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool. At the end of the study period, data collated were analyzed using the specified tools. In terms of clinical outcomes, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy showed statistically significant improvement of symptoms as evidenced by a mean knee score of 75.6 (SD 9.3) at 6 weeks, 87.7 (SD 4.7) at 12 weeks compared with a preoperative knee score of 46.7. Medial meniscal tears were more common than lateral meniscal tears in all age groups and both sexes recruited into the study. The most common type of meniscal tear seen was the longitudinal type of tear while complex tear is the least type of tear seen. The surgery (arthroscopic partial meniscectomy) is an evolving area of sports medicine that requires sub-specialization, however solves the problem of increased mobility following open surgery. This study will tend to add to existing knowledge as patients who are mostly sports inclined can return to play very early with better outcome scores as regards pain and function.

Infantile hemangiomas screening modalities for primary care physicians

Infantile hemangiomas are the most common benign vascular tumors in children.They present a characteristic natural history of spontaneous involution after a phase of initial proliferation.A small but significant minority demonstrates incomplete regression or complications and requires prompt intervention.Prediction of the evolution of infantile hemangiomas is challenging because of their morphological and behavioral heterogeneity.The decision between referral for treatment and observation is sometimes difficult,especially among non-expert physicians,with the risk of missing the period for optimizing outcomes in case of delayed intervention.The aim of this review is to update our knowledge,especially of the primary care providers,regarding the ongoing difficulties of the early clinical evaluation of infantile hemangiomas,and to outline the importance of current practical scoring tools for the identification of the lesions which require expert consultation and referral.