Psychometric evaluation of the Dutch version of the patient-reported experience measure for addiction treatment (PREMAT-NL).

Introduction: Patient-centred care has become increasingly important in health care. Patient-reported experience measures (PREM) are used to measure patient experiences in health care, but the availability of psychometrically validated PREMs is limited. The Patient Reported Experience Measure in Addiction Treatment (PREMAT) is a PREM developed with extensive service user input to assess the experiences of people in residential addiction treatment services.

Implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction in Belgium: a Delphi panel approach.

Background: The 2021 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines recommended a shift from a traditional hierarchical treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) to a four-pillar medical therapy strategy intended for near-simultaneous initiation. However, practical guidance for implementation in clinical practice is lacking. To address this, a Delphi Panel of 12 Belgian heart failure experts aimed to obtain consensus on integrating guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in HFrEF patients in Belgian clinical practice, considering local specificities, including reimbursement criteria.

Effect of Denosumab or Alendronate on Vascular Calcification: Secondary Analysis of SALTIRE2 Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Patients with osteoporosis demonstrate increased vascular calcification but the effect of osteoporosis treatments on vascular calcification remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine whether coronary or aortic calcification are influenced by denosumab and alendronic acid treatment.

Methods And Results: In a double-blind randomized controlled SALTIRE2 (Study Investigating the Effect of Drugs Used to Treat Osteoporosis on the Progression of Calcific Aortic Stenosis) trial, patients with aortic stenosis were randomized 2:1:2:1 to denosumab, placebo injection, alendronic acid, or placebo capsule.

Safety and efficacy of pulsed-field ablation for atrial fibrillation in the elderly: A EU-PORIA sub-analysis.

Background: The role of catheter ablation in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. Pulsed field ablation (PFA) demonstrates a favorable clinical profile, however, data on elderly patients are lacking.

Aims: We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of PFA in the elderly, using data from the EU-PORIA registry.

Enhancing pediatric pain management in Turkey: A modified Delphi study on culturally adapted pain neuroscience education for chronic pain in children.

Background: Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) is a commonly used technique applied by physical therapists in the rehabilitation of chronic pain.

Objective: The aim of this study was to culturally adapt an existing PNE for children with chronic pain (PNE4Kids) to Turkish children with chronic pain (PNE4Kids-Turkish).

Methods: A three-round modified Delphi-study was conducted between September 2023 and February 2024.

Socioeconomic Determinants of Initiating Neuromodulation for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Neuromodulation is an effective treatment for chronic pain; however, socioeconomic differences may influence decision-making to initiate this therapy. This review investigated potential differences in accessibility of neuromodulation for patients with chronic pain due to socioeconomic determinants.

Materials And Methods: Four electronic databases were used for this systematic review: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Deep Inspiration Breath Hold in Left-Sided Breast Radiotherapy: A Balance Between Side Effects and Costs.

Background: Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) is an effective technique for reducing heart exposure during radiotherapy for left-sided breast cancer. Despite its benefits, cost considerations and its impact on workflow remain significant barriers to widespread adoption.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of DIBH and compare its operational, financial, and clinical outcomes with free breathing (FB) in breast cancer treatment.

Focal Pulsed Field Ablation for Premature Ventricular Contractions: A Multicenter Experience.

Background: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a novel technology for catheter-based atrial arrhythmia treatment. Evidence of its application for ventricular arrhythmia ablation is still limited. In this study, we describe the feasibility and efficacy of focal PFA for premature ventricular contraction (PVC) ablation.

Headless screw fixation of unstable ulnar styloid base fractures after distal radial fractures fixation.

Ulnar styloid fractures occur frequently concomitant with distal radial fractures. Although unstable distal radial fractures are mostly surgically treated, ulnar styloid fractures are often ignored. Unstable fractures at the base of the ulnar styloid may lead to persistent ulnar pain, due to distal radioulnar joint instability or ulnar styloid non-union.

Large-scale CSF proteome profiling identifies biomarkers for accurate diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia.

Diagnosis of Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and the specific underlying neuropathologies (frontotemporal lobar degeneration; FTLD- Tau and FTLD-TDP) is challenging, and thus fluid biomarkers are needed to improve diagnostic accuracy. We used proximity extension assays to analyze 665 proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from a multicenter cohort including patients with FTD (n = 189), Alzheimer's Disease dementia (AD; n = 232), and cognitively unimpaired individuals (n = 196). In a subset, FTLD neuropathology was determined based on phenotype or genotype (FTLD-Tau = 87 and FTLD-TDP = 68).

Shortened radiofrequency delivery time to optimize efficiency and safety of pulmonary vein isolation with the radiofrequency balloon: insights from the COLLABORATE registry.

Aims: Previous clinical studies on pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with a radiofrequency balloon (RFB) reported safe and effective procedures using conventional ablation settings with 20/60 s RF delivery via posterior/anterior (PST/ANT) electrodes. The latest evidence suggests that reducing the application time to 15 s (s) on the posterior wall when facing the oesophageal region is as effective as applying 20 s. To prospectively assess whether reducing RF time on PST/ANT segments to 15/45 s can ensure sufficient quality of lesion metrics and compare the new shortened ablation settings with the conventional one in terms of safety, and effectiveness at 1-year.

Five-year VIM-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak in four Belgian ICUs, an investigation report (2019-2023).

Background: Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (VIM-PA) outbreaks are frequently linked to contaminated sink-drains in the intensive care unit (ICU). This study aims to investigate a VIM-PA outbreak occurring at 4 ICUs in a Belgian university center.

Methods: Between 01/01/2019 and 30/07/2023, data were retrospectively retrieved.

Mortality, perioperative complications and surgical timelines in hip fracture patients: Comparison of the Spanish with the non-Spanish Cohort of the HIP ATTACK-1 trial.

Background: Hip fractures carry a substantial risk of complications and death. This study aimed to report the 90-day incidence of mortality, major perioperative complications and in-hospital timelines after a hip fracture in the Spanish HIP ATTACK-1 trial cohort, comparing with the non-Spanish cohort.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of Spanish patients nested in the HIP ATTACK-1 trial.

Bismuth-based quadruple therapy versus standard triple therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Belgium: a multicentre, non-blinded randomized, prospective study.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection predisposes to malignant and non-malignant diseases warranting eradication. In Belgium, resistance rates for clarithromycin demonstrate regional variations making the use of standard triple therapy (STT) borderline acceptable. According to a recent Belgian survey, STT and bismuth-based quadruple therapy (BQT), are equally frequent prescribed as first line treatment for treatment naïve Hp positive patients.

Testicular mosaicism in non-mosaic postpubertal Klinefelter patients with focal spermatogenesis and in non-mosaic prepubertal Klinefelter boys.

Study Question: Do testis-specific cells have a normal karyotype in non-mosaic postpubertal Klinefelter syndrome (KS) patients with focal spermatogenesis and in non-mosaic prepubertal KS boys?

Summary Answer: Spermatogonia have a 46, XY karyotype, and Sertoli cells surrounding these spermatogonia in postpubertal patients also have a 46, XY karyotype, whereas, in prepubertal KS boys, Sertoli cells surrounding the spermatogonia still have a 47, XXY karyotype.

What Is Known Already: A significant proportion of patients with non-mosaic KS can have children by using assisted reproductive techniques thanks to focal spermatogenesis. However, the karyotype of the cells that are able to support focal spermatogenesis has not been revealed.

Continuous Rhythm Monitoring With Implanted Loop Recorders in Children and Adolescents With Brugada Syndrome.

Background: Young (<18 years of age) patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) are often under-represented in BrS studies and their management, especially related to syncopal episodes, remains unclear.

Objectives: This study sought to describe the arrhythmia prevalence among young patients with BrS undergoing continuous rhythm monitoring by implantable loop recorder (ILR) and to assess the etiology behind syncope of undetermined origin.

Methods: A total of 147 patients with BrS with ILR were enrolled in 12 international centers and divided into pediatric (age <12 years; n = 77, 52%) and adolescents (age 13-18 years; n = 70, 48%).

Impact of COVID-19 infection on lung function and nutritional status amongst individuals with cystic fibrosis: A global cohort study.

Background: Factors associated with severe COVID-19 infection have been identified; however, the impact of infection on longer-term outcomes is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 infection on the trajectory of lung function and nutritional status in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF).

Methods: This is a retrospective global cohort study of pwCF who had confirmed COVID-19 infection diagnosed between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021.