Prehabilitation Programs Improve Exercise Capacity Before and After Surgery in Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Prehabilitation programs or interventions are employed prior to surgery with the aim to optimize the patient before surgery and to improve their physiologic ability to recover from surgery. Components of these programs often include exercise, nutritional supplementation, and psychological interventions. This meta-analysis examines the impact of prehabilitation programs on both surgical and patient outcomes among gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients undergoing surgery.

Determining 30-day readmission risk for heart failure patients: the Readmission After Heart Failure scale.

Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF), which affects >5 million Americans, accounts for >1 million hospitalizations annually. As a part of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, the Affordable Care Act requires that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reduce payments to hospitals with excess readmissions. This study sought to develop a scale that reliably predicts readmission rates among patients with CHF.

Clinical outcomes after burns in elderly patients over 70 years: A 17-year retrospective analysis.

Introduction: In the United Stated population >70years is likely to double by the year 2050. Elderly population (>70years) are most vulnerable to burns and outcomes following such injuries in this special group is poorly studied. This study aimed to look at outcomes following burns in patients >70years over a period of 17 years.

Preoperative intravenous ibuprofen does not influence postoperative narcotic use in patients undergoing elective hernia repair: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled prospective trial.

Introduction: Inguinal and umbilical hernia repairs are among the most common surgical procedures performed in the US. Optimal perioperative pain control regimens remain challenging and opioid analgesics are commonly used. Preoperative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administration has been shown to reduce postoperative narcotic requirements.

Readmission After COPD Exacerbation Scale: determining 30-day readmission risk for COPD patients.

Background: COPD affects over 13 million Americans, and accounts for over half a million hospitalizations annually. The Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, established by the Affordable Care Act requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reduce payments to hospitals with excess readmissions for COPD as of 2015. This study sought to develop a predictive readmission scale to identify COPD patients at higher readmission risk.

7 Strategies for Improving Drug Utilization.

When new pharmaceutical products enter the market, the lack of real-world experience with these drugs creates quandaries for payers and providers alike. Often, all there is to go on is the minimum required for FDA approval-non-inferiority to a comparator product in terms of efficacy and safety. Here are a few promising strategies to end this ambiguity.

Gallbladder Carcinoma in the United States: A Population Based Clinical Outcomes Study Involving 22,343 Patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result Database (1973-2013).

Introduction: Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract and the third most common gastrointestinal tract malignancy. This study examines a large cohort of GBC patients in the United States in an effort to define demographics, clinical, and pathologic features impacting clinical outcomes.

Methods: Demographic and clinical data on 22,343 GBC patients was abstracted from the SEER database (1973-2013).

Disease Severity, Presentation, and Clinical Outcomes Among Adolescents With Malignant Breast Neoplasms: A 20-Year Population-Based Outcomes Study From the SEER Database (1973-2009).

Introduction: Primary breast cancer in adolescents is extremely rare and thus is not widely studied. This study aimed to evaluate trends, characteristics, and outcomes among a cohort of adolescents with breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: A total of 657,712 female patients with breast cancer from Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (1973-2009) were analyzed, and 91 adolescents were identified.

Less Invasive Surfactant Administration Reduces the Need for Mechanical Ventilation in Preterm Infants: A Meta-Analysis.

Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome due to surfactant deficiency is associated with high morbidity and mortality in preterm infants, and the use of less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) has been increasingly studied. This meta-analysis found that LISA via thin catheter significantly reduced the need for mechanical ventilation within the first 72 hours (relative risk [RR] = 0.677; = .

Oligodendrogliomas in pediatric and adult patients: an outcome-based study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result database.

Introduction: Oligodendrogliomas (OGs) account for <20% of all intracranial tumors and 25% of gliomas. Despite improvements in imaging techniques allowing for earlier diagnosis, OG is rare among the pediatric population. This study examines a large cohort of OG patients in an effort to define the demographic, clinical, and pathologic factors associated with clinical and survival outcomes.

Malignant Melanoma in African-Americans: A Population-Based Clinical Outcomes Study Involving 1106 African-American Patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) Database (1988-2011).

Malignant melanoma accounts for 75% of all skin cancer deaths and is potentially curable if identified early. Although melanoma is rare in African-Americans (AA), it is associated with a worse prognosis than in Caucasians. This study examines the demographic, pathologic, and clinical factors impacting AA melanoma outcomes.

Ocular melanoma-when you have seen one, you have not seen them all: a clinical outcome study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (1973-2012).

Background: Ocular melanoma (OM) comprises <5% of all melanomas. Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common subtype of OM, while conjunctival melanoma (CM) is rare and differs significantly from UM. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a large cohort of OM patients to differentiate demographic, pathologic, and clinical factors between these two neoplasms, which may affect treatment and outcomes.

Probiotics improve the efficacy of standard triple therapy in the eradication of : a meta-analysis.

Introduction: colonization is present in half of the world's population and can lead to numerous gastrointestinal diseases if left untreated, including peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Although concurrent triple therapy remains the recommended treatment regimen for eradication, its success rate and efficacy have been declining. Recent studies have shown that the addition of probiotics can significantly increase eradication rates by up to 50%.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Programs Improve Patient Outcomes and Recovery: A Meta-analysis.

Introduction: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs have been developed to improve patient outcomes, accelerate recovery after surgery, and reduce healthcare costs. ERAS programs are a multimodal approach, with interventions during all stages of care. This meta-analysis examines the impact of ERAS programs on patient outcomes and recovery.

Trends in incidence, survival, and management of uveal melanoma: a population-based study of 7,516 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1973-2012).

Introduction: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy, despite comprising <5% of all melanomas. To date, relatively few case series of UM have been published. Moreover, the factors influencing survival remain largely unknown.

Use of preoperative gabapentin significantly reduces postoperative opioid consumption: a meta-analysis.

Objectives: Effective postoperative pain management is crucial in the care of surgical patients. Opioids, which are commonly used in managing postoperative pain, have a potential for tolerance and addiction, along with sedating side effects. Gabapentin's use as a multimodal analgesic regimen to treat neuropathic pain has been documented as having favorable side effects.

Leukocyte filtration and postoperative infections.

Background: Leukocyte filtration has been hypothesized to reduce the risk of postoperative infections by alleviating the immunosuppressive effect of whole blood. However, the literature regarding the clinical efficacy of leukocyte filtration remains conflicted. This meta-analysis investigates the impact of allogeneic and autologous leukocyte-filtered blood transfusions on the incidence of postoperative infections in adult surgical patients.

Acute mental disorders and short and long term morbidity in patients with third degree flame burn: A population-based outcome study of 96,451 patients from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database (2001-2011).

Background: Although burn patients with preexisting mood disorders have been shown to have diminished clinical recovery, acute mental disorders (AMD) are often unrecognized despite a link with post-traumatic stress disorder and social maladjustment later on. This study assessed the clinical profile of a large cohort of burn patients who developed AMD compared to those with chronic mental illness (CMI) and those without mental health problems to assess the impact of AMI on burn outcomes.

Methods: Admission data on 96,451 patients with third degree flame burns was abstracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database from 2001 to 2011.

Immunonutrition Is Associated With a Decreased Incidence of Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients: A Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a serious complication of bone marrow transplantation (BMT), requiring higher doses of glucocorticoids or immunosuppressive therapies and further straining transplant recipients. Immunonutrition, such as vitamins and amino acid supplements, increase immunity and decrease inflammation and oxidative stress. This meta-analysis examines the impact of immunonutrition on the incidence of GVHD and postoperative infections among BMT recipients.

Pediatric Burns: A Single Institution Retrospective Review of Incidence, Etiology, and Outcomes in 2273 Burn Patients (1995-2013).

Unintentional burn injury is the third most common cause of death in the U.S. for children age 5 to 9, and accounts for major morbidity in the pediatric population.

Probiotics and Synbiotics Decrease Postoperative Sepsis in Elective Gastrointestinal Surgical Patients: a Meta-Analysis.

Background: The health benefits of probiotics and synbiotics are well established in healthy adults, but their role in preventing postoperative sepsis remains controversial. This meta-analysis assesses the impact of probiotics and synbiotics on the incidence of postoperative sepsis in gastrointestinal (GI) surgical patients.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search of all published randomized control trials (RCTs) was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar (1966-2015).

Risk of Metabolic Complications in Patients with Solid Tumors Treated with mTOR inhibitors: Meta-analysis.

Background/aim: Numerous trials have described a wide variation of metabolic complications associated with the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi). This analysis aimed to report and critically analyze the risks of mTORi-associated metabolic complications.

Materials And Methods: A comprehensive search of all published phase II or III randomized controlled trials were investigated.

Ultrasound-guided central venous catheter placement increases success rates in pediatric patients: a meta-analysis.

Background: Real-time ultrasound (US) guidance for central venous catheter (CVC) insertion has been shown to increase cannulation success rates and reduce complications in adults. Literature regarding US-guided CVC placement in children remains limited and conflicting. This meta-analysis examines the efficacy and safety of US-guided CVC placement among pediatric patients.

A Preoperative Scale for Determining Surgical Readmission Risk After Total Hip Replacement.

Importance: Total hip replacement is a commonly performed orthopedic procedure for the treatment of painful arthritis, osteonecrosis, or fracture.

Objective: To develop and verify a scale for predicting readmission rates for total hip replacement patients and allow for the development and implementation of readmission risk-reduction strategies.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Discharge data on 268 518 patients from New York and California (derivation cohort) and 153 560 patients from Florida and Washington (validation cohort) were collected from the State Inpatient Database, a part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2006-2011).