Identifying predictors of nosocomial pneumonia in trauma patients admitted to a level-1 trauma center.

Background: Nosocomial pneumonia is common in trauma patients and associated with an adverse prognosis. We recently externally validated and recalibrated an existing formula to predict nosocomial pneumonia risk. Identifying more potential predictors could aid in a more accurate prediction of nosocomial pneumonia risk in level-1 trauma patients.

[Interpretation of research on patient volumes].

Healthcare research into patient volumes and volume-outcome relations can have far-reaching consequences. By means of a thought experiment, five core elements of valid research into patient volumes are identified: variation in numbers of patients, scalability of capacity, comparability regarding quality of care, comparability regarding groups of patients, and statistical precision. Practical challenges are described for each of these aspects as well as their possible impact on research quality.

The longitudinal association of hand osteoarthritis with paid and unpaid work restrictions and related societal costs: The Hand Osteoarthritis in Secondary Care cohort.

Objectives: To investigate the course of restrictions in paid and unpaid work and corresponding societal costs in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Patients with data of at least baseline and one follow-up moment (year one up to year eight) of the Dutch Hand OSTeoArthritis in Secondary care cohort (HOSTAS) were included. The Health and Labour Questionnaire was used to assess over the last two weeks hand OA-related restrictions for paid and unpaid work.

External validation of SCORE2-Diabetes in the Netherlands across various Socioeconomic levels in native-Dutch and non-Dutch populations.

Aims: Adults with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular events (CVE), the world's leading cause of mortality. The SCORE2-Diabetes model is a tool designed to estimate the 10-year risk of CVE specifically in individuals with type 2 diabetes. However, the performance of such models may vary across different demographic and socioeconomic groups, necessitating validation and assessment in diverse populations.

The power of sample size calculations.

Researchers frequently come across sample size calculations in the scientific literature they read, in projects undertaken by their peers, and likely within their own work. However, despite its ubiquity, calculating a sample size is often perceived as a hurdle and not fully understood. This paper provides a brief overview of sample size estimation to guide readers, researchers, and reviewers through its fundamentals.

Efficacy of an erector spinae plane block for renal colic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aim: The passage of kidney stones through the ureter creates renal colic, a severe visceral abdominal pain. Renal colic is typically managed with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids. Yet, these treatments often fail to provide adequate pain relief.

Non-operative treatment of metacarpal fractures and patient-reported outcomes: a multicentre snapshot study.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate practice variation in non-operative treatment methods and immobilisation duration for metacarpal fractures, and to evaluate patient-reported outcomes.

Methods: Conducted in 12 Dutch hospitals over three months in 2020, this study included adult patients with non-operatively treated solitary metacarpal fractures. Fractures were classified into intra-articular base, extra-articular base, shaft, neck, and intra-articular head fractures.

Operative versus non-operative treatment of ulnar styloid process base fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Ulnar styloid process (USP) fractures are present in 40-65% of all distal radius fractures (DRFs). USP base fractures can be associated with distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instability and ulnar sided wrist pain and are treated by conservative management and surgical fixation, without consensus. This systematic review and meta-analysis compares operative to non-operative treatment of concomitant ulnar styloid base fractures in patients with distal radius fractures.

The use of pledget-reinforced sutures during surgical aortic valve replacement: A systematic review and -analysis.

Objective: Literature presents conflicting results on the pros and cons of pledget-reinforced sutures during surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). We aimed to investigate the effect of pledget-reinforced sutures versus sutures without pledgets during SAVR on different outcomes in a systematic review and -analysis.

Methods: A literature search was performed in five different medical literature databases.

Replication studies in the Netherlands: Lessons learned and recommendations for funders, publishers and editors, and universities.

Drawing on our experiences conducting replications we describe the lessons we learned about replication studies and formulate recommendations for researchers, policy makers, and funders about the role of replication in science and how it should be supported and funded. We first identify a variety of benefits of doing replication studies. Next, we argue that it is often necessary to improve aspects of the original study, even if that means deviating from the original protocol.

Mortality patterns in Dutch diabetes outpatients.

Aim: Diabetes mellitus is a major cause of death. Outpatients with diabetes have more complications than patients in general practice; mortality patterns have only been studied in the total diabetes population. This study aims to assess mortality, causes, and predictors in outpatients with diabetes.

Current definitions of hemodynamic structural valve deterioration after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement lack consistency.

Objective: New echocardiographic definitions have been proposed for hemodynamic structural valve deterioration. We aimed to study their consistency in classifying structural valve deterioration after surgical aortic valve replacement.

Methods: Data were used of patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement in a multicenter, prospective cohort study with a 5-year follow-up.

Applying two approaches to detect unmeasured confounding due to time-varying variables in a self-controlled risk interval design evaluating COVID-19 vaccine safety signals, using myocarditis as a case example.

We test the robustness of the self-controlled risk interval (SCRI) design in a setting where time between doses may introduce time-varying confounding, using both negative control outcomes (NCOs) and quantitative bias analysis (QBA). All vaccinated cases identified from 5 European databases between 1 September 2020 and end of data availability were included. Exposures were doses 1-3 of the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines; outcomes were myocarditis and otitis externa (NCO).

"Catheter replacement in catheter-associated urinary tract infection: current state of evidence ".

Purpose: Catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the most common healthcare associated infection. A significant knowledge gap exists regarding the necessity of catheter replacement as part of CAUTI treatment. Current guidelines recommend replacement for faster recovery and to prevent recurrences, but adherence is low.

Ten things to remember about propensity scores.

Propensity score methods are popular to control for confounding in observational biomedical studies of risk factors or medical treatments. This paper focused on aspects of propensity score methods that often remain undiscussed, including unmeasured confounding, missing data, variable selection, statistical efficiency, estimands, the positivity assumption, and predictive performance of the propensity score model.

Lipid Levels and Risk of Diabetic Polyneuropathy in 2 Danish Type 2 Diabetes Cohorts.

Background And Objectives: Reduction of blood lipids may aid in preventing diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), but evidence remains conflicting. We investigated the association between lipid parameters and DPN risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study of individuals with newly diagnosed T2DM and a cross-sectional study using a clinically recruited T2DM cohort.

[Causes of death: the uncertainty behind the numbers].

When a person dies in the Netherlands it is legally required to report the cause of death. In most cases however, there is uncertainty when classifying causes of death. Additional postmortem diagnostics such as a CT scan or autopsy do not always provide absolute certainty.

Directed acyclic graphs in clinical research.

Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), or causal diagrams, are graphical representations of causal structures that can be used in medical research to understand and illustrate potential bias, including bias arising from confounding, selection, and misclassification. Further, they provide guidance for researchers about how to address a potential bias.

Do postoperative hemodynamic parameters add prognostic value for mortality after surgical aortic valve replacement?

Background: Although various hemodynamic parameters to assess prosthetic performance are available, prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) is defined exclusively by effective orifice area (EOA) index thresholds. Adjusting for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality (STS PROM), we aimed to explore the added value of postoperative hemodynamic parameters for the prediction of all-cause mortality at 5 years after aortic valve replacement.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Pericardial Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (PERIGON) Pivotal Trial, a multicenter prospective cohort study examining the performance of the Avalus bioprosthesis.

Real-World Evidence to Inform Regulatory Decision Making: A Scoping Review.

Real-world evidence (RWE) is increasingly considered in regulatory decision making. When, and to which extent, RWE is considered relevant by regulators likely depends on many factors. This review aimed to identify factors that make RWE necessary or desirable to inform regulatory decision making.

Transfusion of ever-pregnant donor red blood cells and mortality of male patients.

Previous studies found exposure to red blood cell transfusions from female donors who have been pregnant reduces survival in male patients compared to exposure to male donor products, but evidence is not consistent. We postulate the previously observed association is modified by offspring sex, with an expected increased mortality risk for male patients receiving units from female donors with sons. Here, marginal structural models were used to assess the association between exposure to units from ever-pregnant donors, ever-pregnant donors with sons and ever-pregnant donors with daughters, and mortality.

Let's Agree to Disagree on Operative Versus Nonoperative Treatment for Distal Radius Fractures in Older People: Protocol for a Prospective International Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: Distal radius fractures are the most frequently encountered fractures in Western societies, typically affecting patients aged 50 years and older. Although this is a common injury, the best treatment for these fractures in older patients is still under debate.

Objective: This prospective study aims to compare the outcome of operatively and nonoperatively treated distal radius fractures in the older population.