Sunday 13 November 2011
Saturday 12 November 2011
Complications After Prostate Biopsies Are Rising
Complications After Prostate Biopsies Are Rising
A recent upsurge in infectious complications is worrisome.
The rate of complications following prostate biopsy is relevant to the balance of benefits and harms from prostate cancer screening. Johns Hopkins urologists determined 30-day hospitalization rates after prostate biopsy in a random national sample of 17,000 Medicare participants who underwent biopsy procedures between 1991 and 2007.
The 30-day hospitalization rate of 6.9% was significantly higher than the 2.9% rate among 135,000 randomly selected controls of similar age (for controls, a 30-day period was selected randomly). Exclusion of men with diagnosed prostate cancer — who might have been hospitalized for cancer treatment after positive biopsies — yielded a similarly elevated relative risk for hospitalization. Men in the biopsy group were at significantly higher risk than controls for hospitalizations with diagnostic codes for urinary or prostatic infection (0.4% vs. 0.2%) and for noninfectious complications such as hematuria or urinary retention (0.30% vs. 0.04%). The rate of hospitalizations for infectious complications rose significantly over time: It was consistently lower than 0.5% before the year 2000, but, more recently, it's been between 0.5% and 1.0%.
Comment: The authors conclude that "there is a nontrivial risk of serious complications after prostate biopsy." These figures underestimate the total complication rates, given that some patients are treated in outpatient or emergency department settings. The authors also express concern that quinolone resistance might account for the temporal trend of increasing infection rates. Interestingly, a recent Canadian study also documented that the incidence of post-biopsy hospitalization for infection increased strikingly between 1996 and 2005 (J Urol 2010; 183:963).
— Allan S. Brett, MD
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine November 10, 2011
The 30-day hospitalization rate of 6.9% was significantly higher than the 2.9% rate among 135,000 randomly selected controls of similar age (for controls, a 30-day period was selected randomly). Exclusion of men with diagnosed prostate cancer — who might have been hospitalized for cancer treatment after positive biopsies — yielded a similarly elevated relative risk for hospitalization. Men in the biopsy group were at significantly higher risk than controls for hospitalizations with diagnostic codes for urinary or prostatic infection (0.4% vs. 0.2%) and for noninfectious complications such as hematuria or urinary retention (0.30% vs. 0.04%). The rate of hospitalizations for infectious complications rose significantly over time: It was consistently lower than 0.5% before the year 2000, but, more recently, it's been between 0.5% and 1.0%.
Comment: The authors conclude that "there is a nontrivial risk of serious complications after prostate biopsy." These figures underestimate the total complication rates, given that some patients are treated in outpatient or emergency department settings. The authors also express concern that quinolone resistance might account for the temporal trend of increasing infection rates. Interestingly, a recent Canadian study also documented that the incidence of post-biopsy hospitalization for infection increased strikingly between 1996 and 2005 (J Urol 2010; 183:963).
— Allan S. Brett, MD
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine November 10, 2011
Citation(s):
Loeb S et al. Complications after prostate biopsy: Data from SEER-Medicare. J Urol 2011 Nov; 186:1830. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.
Medline abstract (Free)
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Primary Care Updates : 12.11.2011 : Holiday Villa (5.30 pm - 8.15 pm)
3 Consultants From KMC
Dato' Dr Ismail Yaacob
Dr Mohd Riduan Abdullah
Dr Ismayatim Ahmad
Saturday 29 October 2011
nnual Screening Chest X-Rays Don't Lead to Increased Survival in Lung Cancer
Annual Screening Chest X-Rays Don't Lead to Increased Survival in Lung Cancer
Lung cancer mortality is not reduced among people who undergo annual screening with chest x-rays, according to a report in JAMA.
Some 155,000 people aged 55 through 74 were randomized either to annual screening with chest radiographs or to usual care for 4 years. After a median follow-up of 12 years, lung cancer mortality in the two groups was roughly the same: 14.0 per 10,000 person-years in the x-ray group and 14.2 among controls.An editorialist says that the results are valuable for putting to rest the question of whether lung cancer screening with chest radiographs is effective.
JAMA article (Free)
JAMA editorial (Free)
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Saturday 13 August 2011
Clinic-Based BP Measurement Is Inaccurate for Diagnosing Hypertension
Compared with ambulatory blood pressure measurements, those obtained in the clinic or at home are far less accurate.
Most clinicians rely on clinic- or home-based measurement of blood pressure (BP) for diagnosing hypertension. However, whether such measurements are accurate is unclear. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies that involved 5700 patients, U.K. investigators determined how accurately clinic- and home-based BP measurements diagnosed hypertension; daytime ambulatory BP measurements were the reference standard.
The studies varied in the number of BP measurements obtained for ambulatory (24–111), clinic (2–18), and home (18–56) monitoring. Compared with a mean daytime ambulatory BP of >135/85 mm Hg for diagnosing hypertension (the reference standard), a mean clinic BP of >140/90 had a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 75%, and a mean home BP of >135/85 had a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 62%. How often these differences affected clinical accuracy depended on the prevalence of hypertension: If prevalence was 10% (e.g., in people 40), only one in four diagnoses of hypertension based on clinic BP measurements would be correct, whereas, if prevalence was 50% (e.g., in people 65), then three in four diagnoses of hypertension would be correct.
Comment: These results have important implications: Many people with diagnosed hypertension are not really hypertensive, especially if the diagnoses were based on clinic BP measurements (i.e., white-coat hypertension). The study investigators suggest using clinic- or home-based BP measurements to screen for hypertension, followed by ambulatory BP measurement to diagnose hypertension so that unnecessary antihypertensive treatment can be avoided. Notably, Medicare reimburses for 24-hour ambulatory BP measurements only in patients with white-coat hypertension (ICD-9 code 796.2).
— Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine August 11, 2011
Citation(s):
Hodgkinson J et al. Relative effectiveness of clinic and home blood pressure monitoring compared with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in diagnosis of hypertension: Systematic review. BMJ 2011 Jun 24; 342:d3621. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d3621)
Original article (Subscription may be required)
Medline abstract (Free)
Monday 25 July 2011
Tuesday 19 July 2011
Thursday 14 July 2011
Intensified Early Treatment of Subclinical Diabetes: No Benefit at 5 Years
Summary and Comment
Intensified Early Treatment of Subclinical Diabetes: No Benefit at 5 Years
Longer follow-up might reveal benefit.
Clinicians often diagnose type 2 diabetes by screening asymptomatic patients, but how intensively patients should be managed at this early stage of disease is unclear.
Researchers in the U.K., Denmark, and the Netherlands randomized 343 primary care practices to provide either routine care or intensive multifactorial treatment to 3057 patients with early diabetes that was diagnosed through routine screening. Physicians and nurses in the intensive intervention received education on targets, algorithms, and lifestyle advice for managing hyperglycemia, blood pressure, and lipids; in some areas, patients also met periodically with diabetes nurses.
After a mean follow-up of 5.3 years, mean declines in levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total and LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure were slightly but significantly greater in patients in the intensive treatment practices than in those receiving routine care. The incidence of the primary composite endpoint (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke, or revascularization), each of its components, and all-cause death was lower in the intensive treatment group. However, none of these differences in clinical outcomes reached significance (hazard ratio for composite endpoint, 0.83; P=0.12).
Comment: Although this trial had the virtue of a pragmatic setting, it took place against the background of improving evidence- and guideline-driven general diabetes care, which might have lessened the relative effect of the intensive intervention. The cumulative incidence curves for the primary endpoint began to diverge after 4 years; longer follow-up might reveal an important clinical benefit.
— Bruce Soloway, MD
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine July 12, 2011
Researchers in the U.K., Denmark, and the Netherlands randomized 343 primary care practices to provide either routine care or intensive multifactorial treatment to 3057 patients with early diabetes that was diagnosed through routine screening. Physicians and nurses in the intensive intervention received education on targets, algorithms, and lifestyle advice for managing hyperglycemia, blood pressure, and lipids; in some areas, patients also met periodically with diabetes nurses.
After a mean follow-up of 5.3 years, mean declines in levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total and LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure were slightly but significantly greater in patients in the intensive treatment practices than in those receiving routine care. The incidence of the primary composite endpoint (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke, or revascularization), each of its components, and all-cause death was lower in the intensive treatment group. However, none of these differences in clinical outcomes reached significance (hazard ratio for composite endpoint, 0.83; P=0.12).
Comment: Although this trial had the virtue of a pragmatic setting, it took place against the background of improving evidence- and guideline-driven general diabetes care, which might have lessened the relative effect of the intensive intervention. The cumulative incidence curves for the primary endpoint began to diverge after 4 years; longer follow-up might reveal an important clinical benefit.
— Bruce Soloway, MD
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine July 12, 2011
Citation(s):
Griffin SJ et al. Effect of early intensive multifactorial therapy on 5-year cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes detected by screening (ADDITION-Europe): A cluster-randomised trial. Lancet 2011 Jul 9; 378:156. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
Medline abstract (Free)
Preiss D and Sattar N. The case for diabetes screening: ADDITION-Europe. Lancet 2011 Jul 9; 378:106. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
Medline abstract (Free)
Monday 4 July 2011
Friday 24 June 2011
Diabetes mellitus, fasting glucose, and risk of cause-specific death.
Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration, Seshasai SR, Kaptoge S, Thompson A, Di Angelantonio E, Gao P, Sarwar N, Whincup PH, Mukamal KJ, Gillum RF, Holme I, Njølstad I, Fletcher A, Nilsson P, Lewington S, Collins R, Gudnason V, Thompson SG, Sattar N, Selvin E, Hu FB, Danesh J.
Erratum in
- N Engl J Med. 2011 Mar 31;364(13):1281.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The extent to which diabetes mellitus or hyperglycemia is related to risk of death from cancer or other nonvascular conditions is uncertain.METHODS:
We calculated hazard ratios for cause-specific death, according to baseline diabetes status or fasting glucose level, from individual-participant data on 123,205 deaths among 820,900 people in 97 prospective studies.RESULTS:
After adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, and body-mass index, hazard ratios among persons with diabetes as compared with persons without diabetes were as follows: 1.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71 to 1.90) for death from any cause, 1.25 (95% CI, 1.19 to 1.31) for death from cancer, 2.32 (95% CI, 2.11 to 2.56) for death from vascular causes, and 1.73 (95% CI, 1.62 to 1.85) for death from other causes. Diabetes (vs. no diabetes) was moderately associated with death from cancers of the liver, pancreas, ovary, colorectum, lung, bladder, and breast. Aside from cancer and vascular disease, diabetes (vs. no diabetes) was also associated with death from renal disease, liver disease, pneumonia and other infectious diseases, mental disorders, nonhepatic digestive diseases, external causes, intentional self-harm, nervous-system disorders, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Hazard ratios were appreciably reduced after further adjustment for glycemia measures, but not after adjustment for systolic blood pressure, lipid levels, inflammation or renal markers. Fasting glucose levels exceeding 100 mg per deciliter (5.6 mmol per liter), but not levels of 70 to 100 mg per deciliter (3.9 to 5.6 mmol per liter), were associated with death. A 50-year-old with diabetes died, on average, 6 years earlier than a counterpart without diabetes, with about 40% of the difference in survival attributable to excess nonvascular deaths.CONCLUSIONS:
In addition to vascular disease, diabetes is associated with substantial premature death from several cancers, infectious diseases, external causes, intentional self-harm, and degenerative disorders, independent of several major risk factors. (Funded by the British Heart Foundation and others.).- PMID:
- 21366474
- [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Sunday 5 June 2011
Wednesday 1 June 2011
Monday 25 April 2011
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Wednesday 6 April 2011
Thicker arteries in men who take antidepressants
NEW ORLEANS: Men who take antidepressants are more likely to have thickening of the arteries and higher heart and stroke risks than those who do not, said a study of middle-aged male twins on Saturday.
The difference translates to about a four-year age gap, making the twin taking the pills physically older than the twin who does not, said the study presented at a major cardiology conference in New Orleans.
The study is the first to examine the link between vascular disease and antidepressant use, and looked at 513 twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, the authors said. The average age of the subjects was 55.
Researchers found that the inner lining of the carotid artery, which supplies oxygen to the brain, was five percent thicker in men who took antidepressants compared to their twin brothers who did not.
“There is a clear association between increased intima-media thickness (IMT) and taking an antidepressant, and this trend is even stronger when we look at people who are on these medications and are more depressed,” said Amit Shah, a cardiology fellow at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
The study said antidepressant use was associated with a 37 micron increase in carotid IMT, or about five percent.
Previous research has suggested each additional year of life is linked to a 10 micron increase in IMT, and each 10 micron jump is linked to a 1.8 increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Antidepressants raise the level of chemical messengers like norepinephrine and serotonin, which may have the negative effect of restricting blood vessels, though more research is needed to determine exactly why the difference was observed, the study’s main author said.
“Because we didn’t see an association between the depression itself and a thickening of the carotid artery, it strengthens the argument that it is more likely the antidepressants than the actual depression that could be behind the association,” said Shah. -- AFP
Read more:
Thicker arteries in men who take antidepressants http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Thickerarteriesinmenwhotakeantidepressants/Article/#ixzz0k0AbjTCc
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Friday 11 March 2011
Olmesartan Delays Microalbuminuria in Diabetes, But With Risks
The ROADMAP trial, sponsored by the drug's manufacturer, randomized some 4500 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria to daily olmesartan or placebo. In addition, participants' blood pressures were treated to maintain values under 130/80 mm Hg.
After a median 3-year follow-up, the olmesartan group showed a significant advantage over placebo in delaying time to onset of microalbuminuria (the primary outcome). However, fatal cardiovascular events were more common with olmesartan.
An editorialist writes that the finding of delayed microalbuminuria was not unanticipated.
And given the increased cardiovascular mortality found with olmesartan, she asks why wouldn't other renin-angiotensin blocking drugs be prescribed if they are not associated with fatal complications?
Comment: (Or would others also cause similar fatal complications?)
NEJM article (Free abstract)
NEJM editorial (Subscription required)
Friday 28 January 2011
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Wednesday 12 January 2011
Public Health Talk @ Kedah Medical Centre - 24.1.2011
Tajuk Ceramah
Pembedahan Laproskopik (Key Hole Surgery)
Penceramah
Dr Manisekar (Pakar Bedah Umum - Pelawat)
Tarikh/Masa
9.30 pagi - 11.00 pagi (24.1.2011)
Semua dijemput hadir
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