Clinical Relevance of Resection Margins in Patients with Total Laryngectomy or Laryngopharyngectomy.

Background: Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer is complex and resection margins are therefore constrained. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical relevance of resection margins in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal surgery.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for patients treated with a total laryngectomy (TL) or laryngopharyngectomy (TLP) for laryngeal or hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC and HSCC, respectively).

Drug Utilisation Patterns of Alternatives to Ranitidine-Containing Medicines in Patients Treated with Ranitidine: A Network Analysis of Data from Six European National Databases.

Introduction: Ranitidine, a histamine H-receptor antagonist (HRA), is indicated in the management of gastric acid-related disorders. In 2020, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended suspension of all ranitidine-containing medicines in the European Union (EU) due to the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) impurities, which were considered to be carcinogenic. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of regulatory intervention on use patterns of ranitidine-containing medicines and their therapeutic alternatives.

Comorbidity in incident osteoarthritis cases and matched controls using electronic health record data.

Background: Comorbidities are common in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). This study aimed to determine the association of a wide range of previously diagnosed comorbidities in adults with newly diagnosed OA compared with matched controls without OA.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted.

Skinfold-based-equations to assess longitudinal body composition in children from birth to age 5 years.

Background & Aims: In order to identify children at risk for excess adiposity, it is important to determine body composition longitudinally throughout childhood. However, most frequently used techniques in research are expensive and time-consuming and, therefore, not feasible for use in general clinical practice. Skinfold measurements can be used as proxy for adiposity, but current anthropometry-based-equations have random and systematic errors, especially when used longitudinally in pre-pubertal children.

Chronic Cough-Related Differences in Brain Morphometry in Adults: A Population-Based Study.

Background: Individuals with cough hypersensitivity have increased central neural responses to tussive stimuli, which may result in maladaptive morphometric changes in the central cough processing systems.

Research Question: Are the volumes of the brain regions implicated in cough hypersensitivity different in adults with chronic cough compared with adults without chronic cough?

Study Design And Methods: Between 2009 and 2014, participants in the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort, underwent brain MRI and were interviewed for chronic cough, which was defined as daily coughing for at least 3 months. Regional brain volumes were quantified with the use of parcellation software.

Effects of Short-Term Potassium Chloride Supplementation in Patients with CKD.

Background: Observational studies suggest that adequate dietary potassium intake (90-120 mmol/day) may be renoprotective, but the effects of increasing dietary potassium and the risk of hyperkalemia are unknown.

Methods: This is a prespecified analysis of the run-in phase of a clinical trial in which 191 patients (age 68±11 years, 74% males, 86% European ancestry, eGFR 31±9 ml/min per 1.73 m, 83% renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, 38% diabetes) were treated with 40 mmol potassium chloride (KCl) per day for 2 weeks.

The interrelationship of chronic cough and depression: a prospective population-based study.

Background: Chronic cough is a debilitating medical condition that is often complicated by psychomorbidities such as depressive symptoms. Nevertheless, little is known about the impact of chronic cough on the risk of developing depression. Therefore, we investigated the association between chronic cough and prevalent, incident and recurrent depression in a population-based sample of middle-aged and older persons.

Trends in the conduct and reporting of clinical prediction model development and validation: a systematic review.

Objectives: This systematic review aims to provide further insights into the conduct and reporting of clinical prediction model development and validation over time. We focus on assessing the reporting of information necessary to enable external validation by other investigators.

Materials And Methods: We searched Embase, Medline, Web-of-Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar to identify studies that developed 1 or more multivariable prognostic prediction models using electronic health record (EHR) data published in the period 2009-2019.

Is the Depth of Invasion a Marker for Elective Neck Dissection in Early Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma?

Objective: The depth of invasion (DOI) is considered an independent risk factor for occult lymph node metastasis in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). It is used to decide whether an elective neck dissection (END) is indicated in the case of a clinically negative neck for early stage carcinoma (pT1/pT2). However, there is no consensus on the cut-off value of the DOI for performing an END.

Comparison of Illumina versus Nanopore 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing of the Human Nasal Microbiota.

Illumina and nanopore sequencing technologies are powerful tools that can be used to determine the bacterial composition of complex microbial communities. In this study, we compared nasal microbiota results at genus level using both Illumina and nanopore 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We also monitored the progression of nanopore sequencing in the accurate identification of species, using pure, single species cultures, and evaluated the performance of the nanopore EPI2ME 16S data analysis pipeline.

Depth of invasion in early stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: The optimal cut-off value for elective neck dissection.

Objectives: Depth of invasion (DOI) is the most important predictor for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early stage (T1-T2) oral cancer. The aim of this study is to validate the cut-off value of 4 mm on which the decision to perform an Elective Neck Dissection (END) is made.

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective study in patients with pathologically proven early stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) without clinical or radiological signs of LNM, who were treated between 2013 and 2018.

Incidence, risk factors and re-exacerbation rate of severe asthma exacerbations in a multinational, multidatabase pediatric cohort study.

Background: There are sparse real-world data on severe asthma exacerbations (SAE) in children. This multinational cohort study assessed the incidence of and risk factors for SAE and the incidence of asthma-related rehospitalization in children with asthma.

Methods: Asthma patients 5-17 years old with ≥1 year of follow-up were identified in six European electronic databases from the Netherlands, Italy, the UK, Denmark and Spain in 2008-2013.

Impact and longevity of measles-associated immune suppression: a matched cohort study using data from the THIN general practice database in the UK.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that measles infection increases the incidence of non-measles infectious diseases over a prolonged period of time.

Design: A population-based matched cohort study.

Data Sources: This study examined children aged 1-15 years in The Health Improvement Network UK general practice medical records database.

Are proton-pump inhibitors harmful for the semen quality of men in couples who are planning pregnancy?

Objective: To determine associations between proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use and semen parameters in young men of couples who are planning pregnancy.

Design: Case-control study of a population-based registry.

Setting: Not applicable.

Time trends in the incidence, prevalence and age at diagnosis of asthma in children.

Background: Current knowledge on the prevalence of asthma is mainly based on cross-sectional questionnaire data. Current population-based data on the incidence of asthma in children are scarce.

Objective: To study the incidence, prevalence, and age at diagnosis of asthma in children in the Netherlands over the study period 2000-2012.

Rheumatoid arthritis during pregnancy and postnatal catch-up growth in the offspring.

Objective: Active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during pregnancy and the presence of rheumatoid factor (RF) or anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are associated with lower birth weight of the child. Moreover, treatment of the mothers with prednisone may shorten the gestational age at birth. Rapid catch-up in weight for length during the first year of life has been related to a worse cardiovascular and metabolic profile in early adulthood.

Cognitive development in congenital hypothyroidism: is overtreatment a greater threat than undertreatment?

Background: Optimal treatment of children with congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) is still debated. Our objective was to evaluate whether early undertreatment (UT) and overtreatment (OT) influence cognitive development at age 11 years.

Methods: Sixty-one patients (27 severe CHT, 34 mild CHT) were psychologically tested at ages 1.

Methylphenidate and the response to growth hormone treatment in short children born small for gestational age.

Background: Growth hormone (GH) treatment has become a frequently applied growth promoting therapy in short children born small for gestational age (SGA). Children born SGA have a higher risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Treatment of ADHD with methylphenidate (MP) has greatly increased in recent years, therefore more children are being treated with GH and MP simultaneously.

Circulating maternal cytokines influence fetal growth in pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: High rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity during pregnancy is associated with a lower birth weight. Active RA is characterised by high circulating levels of cytokines, which can mediate placental growth and remodelling.

Objectives: To assess the influence of maternal serum cytokine levels on birth weight in RA pregnancy.

Experience in treating congenital hypothyroidism: implications regarding free thyroxine and thyrotropin steady-state concentrations during optimal levothyroxine treatment.

Background: A major problem in the treatment of patients with congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) is that the optimal individual target values of thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT(4)) are unknown. We investigated whether patients with CHT have during treatment considered optimal stable fT(4) and TSH steady-state concentrations (SSCs) that can be used as target values, and whether TSH or fT(4) is more useful in guiding decisions regarding therapy.

Methods: From 60 early-treated patients with CHT, TSH and fT(4) follow-up samples within the age interval 1.

Adult height in short children born SGA treated with growth hormone and gonadotropin releasing hormone analog: results of a randomized, dose-response GH trial.

Context: GH treatment is effective in improving height in short children born small for gestational age (SGA). GH is thought to have limited effect when started during adolescence.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate GH treatment efficacy in short SGA children when treatment was started during adolescence; to assess whether GH 2 mg/m(2) · d during puberty improves adult height (AH) compared with 1 mg/m(2) · d; and to assess whether an additional 2-yr postponement of puberty by GnRH analog (GnRHa) improves AH in children who are short at the start of puberty (<140 cm), with a poor AH expectation.

Effective strategy for improving instructions for analgesic use in the emergency department.

Pain is a common presenting complaint of emergency department patients. Providing instructions that can be easily recalled by patients is an important step in enabling patients to manage their pain following discharge. The effect of the introduction of written discharge instructions for pain medication on patients' recall of instructions was evaluated in this study.

Serum thyroid hormone levels in healthy children from birth to adulthood and in short children born small for gestational age.

Context: Age-appropriate reference ranges for thyroid hormones are required for detecting pediatric thyroid dysfunction. Data on thyroid hormones and peripheral thyroid metabolism in short children born small for gestational age (SGA) before and during GH treatment are lacking.

Objectives: Our objectives were to obtain pediatric thyroid hormone reference ranges; to investigate thyroid hormones in short SGA children before puberty, during puberty, and during postponement of puberty by GnRH analog; and to evaluate thyroid hormones during GH treatment.