Positive signs from the history as an aid for early diagnosis in functional movement disorders: The prospective TASMAN study.

Background And Purpose: There has been a concerted move in recent times to shift from an exclusionary to a positive diagnosis of functional movement disorders (FMDs). To date, most of the focus has been on defining positive physical signs. Here the focus was on the diagnostic specificity of specific symptoms and patient characteristics.

Mesenteric Artery Stenosis is a Risk Factor for Anastomotic Leakage in Colorectal Surgery.

Objective: Anastomotic leakage (AL) after colorectal surgery leads to substantial morbidity and mortality. Theoretically, compromised blood flow caused by mesenteric artery (MA) stenosis may create suboptimal healing conditions at the anastomotic site, increasing susceptibility to AL. The association between MA stenosis on pre-operative computed tomography (CT) scans and AL in patients undergoing colorectal surgery was investigated.

Does adherence to exacerbation action plans matter? Insights from two COPD self-management studies.

Introduction: Patients' adherence is essential for COPD self-management, as beneficial effects can only be expected in adherent patients. We explored associations between patients' adherence to COPD exacerbation action plans and health outcomes.

Materials And Methods: Pooled COPD self-treatment intervention group data from two RCTs were analysed, only including patients who had ≥1 COPD exacerbation or started ≥1 course of oral corticosteroids over one-year follow-up.

Lack of Evidence Regarding Markers Identifying Acute Heart Failure in Patients with COPD: An AI-Supported Systematic Review.

Background: Due to shared symptoms, acute heart failure (AHF) is difficult to differentiate from an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). This systematic review aimed to identify markers that can diagnose AHF underlying acute dyspnea in patients with COPD presenting at the hospital.

Methods: All types of observational studies and clinical trials that investigated any marker's ability to diagnose AHF in acutely dyspneic COPD patients were considered eligible for inclusion.

Comparing the Effectiveness of the Blended Delivery Mode With the Face-to-Face Delivery Mode of Smoking Cessation Treatment: Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Tobacco consumption is a leading cause of death and disease, killing >8 million people each year. Smoking cessation significantly reduces the risk of developing smoking-related diseases. Although combined treatment for addiction is promising, evidence of its effectiveness is still emerging.

A Critical Appraisal of the Whack-a-Mole and Swivel Chair Signs in the Diagnosis of Functional Movement Disorders.

Background: The demonstration of positive signs during neurological examination is a cornerstone of the diagnosis of functional movement disorders, however, the available data supporting the diagnostic value of some of these signs is limited.

Objectives: To determine the diagnostic value (sensitivity and specificity) of the "whack-a-mole" (WAM) and "swivel chair" (SC) tests in patients with functional movement disorders (FMD).

Methods: We enrolled patients with functional and organic movements in the WAM test if they exhibited tremor, dystonia, myoclonus, chorea, or tics.

Exploring Patterns of COPD Exacerbations and Comorbid Flare-Ups.

Background: Comorbidities are known to complicate disease management in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This is partly due to lack of insight into the interplay of acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) and comorbid flare-ups. This study aimed to explore patterns of AECOPDs and comorbid flare-ups.

eHealth Technologies for Monitoring Pediatric Asthma at Home: Scoping Review.

Background: eHealth monitoring technologies offer opportunities to more objectively assess symptoms when they appear in daily life. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood with an episodic course, requiring close follow-up of pediatric asthma control to identify disease deterioration, prevent exacerbations, and enhance quality of life. eHealth technologies in pediatric asthma care show promising results regarding feasibility, acceptability, and asthma-related health outcomes.

Artificial intelligence in systematic reviews: promising when appropriately used.

Background: Systematic reviews provide a structured overview of the available evidence in medical-scientific research. However, due to the increasing medical-scientific research output, it is a time-consuming task to conduct systematic reviews. To accelerate this process, artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in the review process.

A mobilization poster stimulates early in-hospital rehabilitation after cardiac surgery: a prospective sequential-group study.

Background: Patients infrequently mobilize at the surgical ward after cardiac surgery. Inactivity results in prolonged hospital stay, readmissions and increased cardiovascular mortality. Next, the course of in-hospital mobilization activities for patients is unclear.

Augmenting outpatient alcohol treatment as usual with online approach bias modification training: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Previous research shows that automatic tendency to approach alcohol plays a causal role in problematic alcohol use and can be retrained by Approach Bias Modification (ApBM). ApBM has been shown to be effective for patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD) in inpatient treatment. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of adding an online ApBM to treatment as usual (TAU) in an outpatient setting compared to receiving TAU with an online placebo training.

Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase: A Friend against Cholestatic Itch? A Retrospective Observational Data Analysis in Patients with Extrahepatic Cholestasis.

Methods: We included 235 patients with chronic extrahepatic cholestasis due to pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, or papillary carcinoma.

Results: GGT was significantly higher in patients without pruritus (median 967, IQR 587-1571) compared to patients with pruritus (median 561 IQR 266-1084 IU/l) ( < 0.01).

Patient and Health Care Provider Perspectives on Potential Preventability of Hospital Admission for Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent chronic disease partly characterised by the occurrence of acute exacerbations (AECOPD). The need for hospital admissions for COPD exacerbations could theoretically be decreased through timely and appropriate outpatient care or self-management. The aim of this study is to explore and compare patients' and health care providers' (HCP) perspectives on the potential preventability of COPD hospitalisations and to identify strategies to prevent unnecessary hospitalisations.

Diagnosing Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Exhaled Breath Profiling Using an Electronic Nose: A Multicenter Validation Study.

Background: Despite the potential of exhaled breath analysis of volatile organic compounds to diagnose lung cancer, clinical implementation has not been realized, partly due to the lack of validation studies.

Research Question: This study addressed two questions. First, can we simultaneously train and validate a prediction model to distinguish patients with non-small cell lung cancer from non-lung cancer subjects based on exhaled breath patterns? Second, does addition of clinical variables to exhaled breath data improve the diagnosis of lung cancer?

Study Design And Methods: In this multicenter study, subjects with non-small cell lung cancer and control subjects performed 5 min of tidal breathing through the aeoNose, a handheld electronic nose device.

Therapeutic Alliance in Web-Based Treatment for Eating Disorders: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In face-to-face therapy for eating disorders, therapeutic alliance (TA) is an important predictor of symptom reduction and treatment completion. To date, however, little is known about TA during web-based cognitive behavioral therapy (web-CBT) and its association with symptom reduction, treatment completion, and the perspectives of patients versus therapists.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate TA ratings measured at interim and after treatment, separately for patients and therapists; the degree of agreement between therapists and patients (treatment completers and noncompleters) for TA ratings; and associations between patient and therapist TA ratings and both eating disorder pathology and treatment completion.

Self-management interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Self-management interventions help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to acquire and practise the skills they need to carry out disease-specific medical regimens, guide changes in health behaviour and provide emotional support to enable them to control their disease. Since the 2014 update of this review, several studies have been published.

Objectives: Primary objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of COPD self-management interventions compared to usual care in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and respiratory-related hospital admissions.

Predicting Mortality in COPD with Validated and Sensitive Biomarkers; Fibrinogen and Mid-Range-Proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM).

Although fibrinogen is a FDA qualified prognostic biomarker in COPD, it still lacks sufficient resolution to be clinically useful. Next to replication of findings in different cohorts also the combination with other validated biomarkers should be investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm in a large well-defined population of COPD patients whether fibrinogen can predict mortality and whether a combination with the biomarker MR-proADM can increase prognostic accuracy.

Stability in eosinophil categorisation during subsequent severe exacerbations of COPD.

Background: The blood eosinophil count has been shown to be a promising biomarker for establishing personalised treatment strategies to reduce corticosteroid use, either inhaled or systemic, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Eosinophil levels seem relatively stable over time in stable state, but little is known whether this is also true in subsequent severe acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD).

Aims And Objectives: To determine the stability in eosinophil categorisation between two subsequent severe AECOPDs employing frequently used cut-off levels.

Effectiveness and safety of cervical catheter tip placement in intrathecal baclofen treatment of spasticity: A systematic review.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of intrathecal baclofen treatment of spasticity, administered via a cervical catheter tip.

Design: A review of PubMed and the Cochrane Library up to September 2020. No restriction in study design.