Impact of Anti-VEGF Treatment and Patient Characteristics on Vision Outcomes in Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration: Up to 6-Year Analysis of the AAO IRIS® Registry.

Purpose: To evaluate anti-VEGF treatment patterns and the influence of patient demographic and clinical characteristics on up to 6-year vision outcomes in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Design: Retrospective, multicenter, noninterventional registry study with up to 6 years of follow-up.

Participants: A cohort of 254 655 eyes (226 767 patients) with first anti-VEGF injection and at least 2 years of follow-up; 160 423 eyes had visual acuity (VA) data.

A Transparent and Adaptable Method to Extract Colonoscopy and Pathology Data Using Natural Language Processing.

Key variables recorded as text in colonoscopy and pathology reports have been extracted using natural language processing (NLP) tools that were not easily adaptable to new settings. We aimed to develop a reliable NLP tool with broad adaptability. During 1996-2016, Kaiser Permanente Northern California performed 401,566 colonoscopies with linked pathology.

Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Individuals With a History of Serrated Polyps.

Background And Aims: Serrated polyp (SPs) are precursors to 20% to 30% of cases of colorectal tumors, but patients' long-term risk after removal of SPs is poorly understood. We investigated the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in individuals with a history of SPs.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who underwent colonoscopy from 2006 through 2016.

Proton Pump Inhibitors, H Blocker Use, and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Children.

Objectives: Evidence suggests use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and H blockers may provoke disease flares in individuals with established inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, there are no studies investigating the relationship of these medications with risk of developing pediatric IBD. The hypothesis was that use of acid suppression therapy in children might be associated with development of pediatric IBD.

Methods: This was a nested case-control study of 285 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members, age ≤21 years diagnosed with IBD from 1996 to 2016.

Long-term follow-up of pediatric open and laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.

Background: Pediatric laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is not widely accepted.

Study Design: Children 0-14 years who underwent inguinal hernia repair during 2010-2016 at Kaiser Permanente Northern California were classified into five groups: (1) open unilateral repair without contralateral exploration; (2) open unilateral repair with contralateral laparoscopic exploration ("open+explore"); (3) open bilateral repair; (4) laparoscopic unilateral repair; and (5) laparoscopic bilateral repair. Outcomes included ipsilateral reoperation, metachronous contralateral repair, incision time, and complications.

Understanding Nonadherence with Hydroxychloroquine Therapy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a cornerstone to managing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), yet adherence to medication is poor. We sought to measure the association of adherence with 5 "dimensions of adherence" as articulated by the World Health Organization for chronic conditions: the patient's socioeconomic status, and patient-, condition-, therapy-, and healthcare system-related factors. Our longterm goal is to generate evidence to design effective interventions to increase adherence.

Reducing risk of infection and overall use of antibiotic in the outpatient treatment of urinary tract infection.

Background: Risk of community-acquired infection (CA-CDI) following antibiotic treatment specifically for urinary tract infection (UTI) has not been evaluated.

Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 2007-2010, to assess antibiotic prescribing and other factors in relation to risk of CA-CDI in outpatients with uncomplicated UTI. Cases were diagnosed with CA-CDI within 90 days of antibiotic use.

Defining the association between operative time and outcomes in children's surgery.

Introduction: Prolonged operative time (OT) is considered a reflection of procedural complexity and may be associated with poor outcomes. Our purpose was to explore the association between prolonged OT and complications in children's surgery.

Methods: 182,857 cases from the 2012-2014 NSQIP-Pediatric were organized into 33 groups.

Non-viable Borrelia burgdorferi induce inflammatory mediators and apoptosis in human oligodendrocytes.

In previous studies, exposure to live Borrelia burgdorferi was shown to induce inflammation and apoptosis of human oligodendrocytes. In this study we assessed the ability of non-viable bacteria (heat killed or sonicated) to induce inflammatory mediators and cell death. Both heat-killed and sonicated bacteria induced release of CCL2, IL-6, and CXCL8 from oligodendrocytes in a dose dependent manner.