Development and Validation of a Remote Monitoring Tool for Assessment of Mild, Moderate, and Severe Infections in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: Immunomodulators and biologics are cornerstones in the management of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], but are associated with increased risk of infections. Post-marketing surveillance registries are pivotal to assess this risk, yet mainly focus on severe infections. Data on the prevalence of mild and moderate infections are scarce.

Symptom Experience and Content Validity of the Psoriasis Symptom Scale (PSS) in Patients with Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP).

Introduction: We sought to understand key symptoms of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) and to confirm the relevance to patients and content validity of the Psoriasis Symptom Scale (PSS) in GPP.

Methods: A targeted literature review and clinical expert interviews were conducted as background research. Patients were interviewed individually (involving concept elicitation and cognitive interviews), and a separate patient workshop was conducted to determine disease-specific symptoms of importance.

Patients with non-idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss show hearing improvement more often than patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Introduction: To compare inpatient treated patients with idiopathic (ISSNHL) and non-idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (NISSNHL) regarding frequency, hearing loss, treatment and outcome.

Methods: All 574 inpatient patients (51% male, median age: 60 years) with ISSNHL and NISSNHL, who were treated in federal state Thuringia in 2011 and 2012, were included retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed.

The clinical, humanistic, and economic burden of generalized pustular psoriasis: a structured review.

: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is characterized by widespread erythema and edema, superficial sterile coalescing pustules, and lakes of pus. Although the impact of GPP is thought to be substantial, emerging literature on its clinical, humanistic, and economic burden has not previously been described in a structured way.: A structured search focused on the identification of studies in GPP using specific search terms in PubMed and EMBASE® from 2005 onwards, with additional back-referencing and pragmatic searches.

The clinical, humanistic, and economic burden of palmoplantar pustulosis: a structured review.

: Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a chronic, relapsing and refractory disease characterized by sterile pustules appearing on the palms and/or soles, accompanied by erythema, blistering, scales and/or keratinization. The overall burden of PPP in terms of its clinical impact, effect on patients and families, and economic consequences has not previously been investigated in a structured manner.: A structured search focused on identification of studies in PPP using specific search terms in PubMed and EMBASE® from 2005 onwards, with additional back-referencing and pragmatic searches.

Reliability, validity, and the ability to detect change of the Psoriasis Symptom Scale (PSS) in patients with plaque psoriasis.

The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the measurement properties of the patient-reported four-item Psoriasis Symptom Scale (PSS).: Analysis of phase-III data on the efficacy of risankizumab to assess psychometric characteristics of the PSS in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. PSS items had a good range of symptom severity coverage.

[Management of vestibular schwannomas].

Vestibular schwannomas are benign neoplasms originating from the Schwann cells of the vestibular vestibular nerve of the vestibulocochlear nerve, and rarely from the pars cochlearis. These are tumors that are in contact with the nerve but do not bind the fibers. Benign neoplasms of the Schwann cells of the auditory and equilibrium nerves can also occur primarily in the inner ear and are referred to as intralabyrinthine schwannomas (ILS).

Influence of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Progression on Healthcare Resource Use.

Background: Disease progression and acute exacerbations in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. They usually require a visit to a specialist or a general practitioner (GP) in less severe cases or hospitalisation in more severe cases.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify factors that influence resource use in IPF.

Psychometric properties of the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: insights from the INPULSIS trials.

Introduction: We evaluated the psychometric properties of the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) using data from the two INPULSIS trials.

Methods: Data from 1061 patients treated with nintedanib or placebo were pooled. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, known-groups validity, responsiveness and responder thresholds were examined.

Inpatient treatment of patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a population-based healthcare research study.

Purpose: The aim was to determine inpatient treatment rates of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) with focus on diagnostics, treatment, and outcome.

Methods: A retrospective population-based study in the federal state Thuringia in 2011 and 2012 was performed on all 490 inpatients (51% females, median age: 60 years) treated for ISSNHL (Median duration: 7 days). The association between analyzed parameters and the probability of recovery was tested using univariable and multivariable statistics.

Inpatient Treatment of Patients Admitted for Dizziness: A Population-Based Healthcare Research Study on Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcome.

Objective: To determine inpatient treatment rates of patients with dizziness with focus on diagnostics, treatment and outcome.

Study Design: Retrospective population-based study.

Setting: Inpatients in the federal state Thuringia in 2014.

Humanistic and cost burden of systemic sclerosis: A review of the literature.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc), or systemic scleroderma, is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease characterised by widespread vascular injury and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Patients with SSc have decreased survival, with pulmonary involvement as the main cause of death. Current treatments for SSc manage a range of symptoms but not the cause of the disease.

Using one filter stage of unsaturated/saturated vertical flow filters for nitrogen removal and footprint reduction of constructed wetlands.

French vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) treating raw wastewater have been developed successfully over the last 30 years. Nevertheless, the two-stage VFCWs require a total filtration area of 2-2.5 m/P.

The accuracy of objective threshold determination at low frequencies: comparison of different auditory brainstem response (ABR) and auditory steady state response (ASSR) methods.

Objective: The hearing threshold at 500 Hz was estimated using five methods which are suitable for the low frequency range: Low-Chirp BERA (LCBERA), Notched-noise BERA (NNBERA), Narrow band CE-Chirp BERA (NBCBERA) and Narrow band CE-Chirp ASSR (NBCASSR) (40/90 Hz). The slope of the discrimination function of each method was used for determination of the most efficient method. The threshold values were compared and the corresponding odds ratios (OR) were calculated.

[Direct Microlaryngoscopy: A Population-Based Analysis on Outcome, Complications and Surgery Rates].

Although microlaryngoscopy is an integral part of surgical routine of otorhinolaryngologists, there is no population-based data published on surgery rates and efficiency of microlaryngoscopy country-wide or nation-wide. All 616 patients who underwent microlaryngoscopy 2011 in one of the eight ENT departments in Thuringia were analyzed according to patients' characteristics, therapy, complications and follow-up. The majority of admissions were performed because of a benign disease (60%) of the larynx, and in 33% related to a malignant disease or suspicion of a malignant disease.

Evaluation of optimal masking levels in place-specific low-frequency chirp-evoked auditory brainstem responses.

The aim of the study is the experimental determination of the optimal required masking level for a given stimulus level when using a band limited "low-frequency chirp" in order to improve frequency and place specificity of auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). A low-frequency chirp (100-850 Hz) at stimulation levels between 40 and 80 dB normalized hearing level was presented to 12 normal hearing subjects. During presentation of each stimulus, the level of a high-pass noise with a low cutoff frequency of 1100 Hz was varied between 0 and 25 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by using 5 dB steps (at 0 dB SNR the same level of both the chirp and the masker in dB sound pressure level was presented).

Psychometric properties of the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) has been used to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).This analysis evaluated the psychometric properties of the SGRQ using data from 428 patients with IPF who participated in a 12-month, randomised, placebo-controlled phase II trial of nintedanib.Internal consistency (Cronbach's α) was 0.

Treatment patterns, resource use and costs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Spain--results of a Delphi Panel.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a form of chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia characterized by progressive worsening of dyspnea and lung function, with a poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to determine treatment patterns, resource use and costs of managing Spanish patients with IPF.

Methods: A three-round Delphi consensus panel of 15 clinical experts was held between December 2012 and June 2013 using questionnaires to describe the management of patients with IPF.

Cardiac comorbidity in head and neck cancer patients and its influence on cancer treatment selection and mortality: a prospective cohort study.

Comorbidity assessment and a profound cardiac examination were implemented into pre-treatment diagnostics to analyze their influence on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) therapy selection and short-term mortality. Comorbidity was measured prospectively in 49 HNSCC patients using standard indices between 2012 and 2013. Cardiac examinations included electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and bicycle ergometry.

Magnitude of effect of asthma treatments on Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire and Asthma Control Questionnaire scores: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: The Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) are widely used in asthma research; however, in studies of newer asthma treatments, mean improvements in these measures compared with placebo arms do not exceed the minimal important difference (MID), particularly when a new treatment is added to current treatment.

Objective: We performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis to examine the magnitude of AQLQ and ACQ responses achieved with commonly used asthma drugs and factors influencing these end points in clinical trials.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify blinded randomized controlled trials reporting AQLQ or ACQ results.