Aim
Aim of the study was to provide a scoring system for predicting downgrading and resolution of infantile high‐grade vesicoureteral reflux (VUR).
Methods
Eighty‐nine infants (65 boys) with ...high‐grade VUR (grade 4‐5) diagnosed at median age 2.5 months and followed to 39 months had repeated investigations of VUR grade, renal damage/function and bladder function. Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) were registered. Risk variables collected at 1 year were analysed as independent factors for spontaneous resolution to grades ≤2 and 0, using univariable/multivariable logistic regression.
Results
A scoring system was built with a total of 14 points from four independent risk factors (sex, breakthrough UTI, type of renal damage and subnormal glomerular filtration rate). Children with persistent VUR (grade 3‐5) had higher scores compared with the group with spontaneous resolution (grade 0‐2) (mean 7.9 vs. 4.5, P < .0001). A score of ≥8 points indicated a low probability of VUR resolution (≤14%). The model was considered excellent based on area under the ROC curve (0.82) and showed satisfactory internal validity.
Conclusion
This model provides a practical tool in the management of infants born with high‐grade reflux. High scores at one year of age indicate a high risk of persistent dilated reflux.
Purpose
To investigate the surgical and pharmacological management and outcomes of patients with cataract and concurrent uveitis.
Methods
Data from the Swedish National Cataract Register, 2018–2019, ...were collected and analysed. Uveitic eyes were identified and eyes without uveitis were used as controls. Generalized estimating equations were used to adjust for intra‐individual correlation.
Results
The study included 719 eyes with and 256 360 without uveitis. The mean age was 66.0 ± 13.5 (standard deviation SD) years in the uveitis group and 74.3 ± 8.7 years in the control group (p < 0.001). Surgery was associated with more intraoperative difficulties in eyes with uveitis (27.0%) than in control eyes (7.1%; p < 0.001). Posterior capsule rupture/zonular complications were registered in nine eyes with uveitis (1.3%) and in 1464 eyes without uveitis (0.6%; p = 0.02). Hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses (uveitis 3.6%, controls 1.2%) and subconjunctival steroids (uveitis 17.4%, controls 6.1%) were more frequently used in eyes with uveitis (p < 0.001). post‐operative best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.16 ± 0.38 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR, mean ± SD) in eyes with uveitis (n = 52) and 0.08 ± 0.20 in control eyes (n = 14 489; p = 0.008).
Conclusion
In this large registry‐based Swedish cohort study, the findings demonstrate that cataract surgery in patients with uveitis poses more challenges and requires special surgical precautions. Eyes with concurrent uveitis had worse BCVA prior to and following surgery. Despite the intraoperative challenges, the visual improvement was greater in the uveitic group.
Abstract Aim To assess experience of care, well‐being of parents and children's development in a cohort of extremely premature infants born <24 weeks of gestation in Sweden from 2007 to 2018. Methods ...A survey based on multiple questionnaires answered by 124/349 (35.5%) parents. Results The median age of parents and children was 43 and 9 years, respectively; 74.2% were mothers. Parents expressed high healthcare satisfaction. Following discharge from neonatal care, the satisfaction with the infant's treatment, support from personnel and being respected as a parent significantly declined but remained high. The criteria for suspected developmental deviation according to the screening test early symptomatic syndromes eliciting neurodevelopmental clinical examinations‐questionnaire was fulfilled by 84.3%, 55.6% had suspected avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and 47.9% had visual perception problems. Parents experienced severe fatigue (48.6%) despite strong social support and family self‐efficacy. Economic support was provided to 30.6%, and 37.9% of children were enrolled in habilitation services. Conclusion This study highlighted the substantial challenges faced by parents of infants born before 24 weeks of gestation, including decreased satisfaction post‐discharge, fatigue and concerns about children's well‐being. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive family‐centred support and long‐term multi‐professional follow‐up centres.
Aims
Sacubitril/valsartan is a first-in-class angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) with a class-1 guideline recommendation. We assessed the real-world effectiveness of ARNI versus ...angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEi/ARB) on all-cause and cardiovascular (CV)-related mortality and hospitalizations in heart failure (HF) with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction (EF).
Methods
Patient-level clinical, laboratory, drug dispensation, hospitalization, and mortality data were derived from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry (SwedeHF) and interlinked databases (1 April 2016–31 December 2020). Eligible ARNI:ACEi/ARB patients (
n
= 7275:24,604) had a left ventricular EF < 50%. Mortality and hospitalizations with ARNI (≤ 3 months pre-/post-1 April 2016 index SwedeHF;
n
= 1506) versus ACEi/ARB (≤ 3 months post-index;
n
= 17,108) were assessed using propensity score matching (1:1 ratio) with clinical variables, and sensitivity analysis (1:2/1:3 with, and 1:2 without clinical variables).
Results
ARNI induced a 23% reduction in all-cause mortality versus ACEi/ARB (1:1 hazard ratio HR; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.77 0.63–0.95,
p
= 0.013), and a non-significant 23% relative risk reduction in CV-related mortality (0.77 0.54–1.09,
p
= 0.13), but no difference in all-cause or CV-related hospitalization (1.02 0.91–1.13;
p
= 0.76; 1.01 0.91–1.15;
p
= 0.84, respectively). Sensitivity analyses confirmed all-cause mortality was reduced for ARNI versus ACEi/ARB (HR 0.90 95% CI 0.82–0.99,
p
= 0.026), but not CV-related mortality (HR 1.04 95% CI 0.89–1.22,
p
= 0.63).
Conclusions
In this nationwide real-world study including a population of patients with HF with reduced or mildly reduced EF, ARNI as part of guideline-led Swedish clinical practice was associated with a statistically significant relative risk reduction in all-cause mortality compared with ACEi/ARB.
Background
Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) ensures tissue oxygenation during cardiac surgery. New technology allows continuous registration of CPB variables during the operation. The aim of the present ...investigation was to study the association between CPB management and the risk of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI).
Methods
This observational study based on prospectively registered data included 2661 coronary artery bypass grafting and/or valve patients operated during 2016–2020. Individual patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes collected from the SWEDEHEART registry were merged with CPB variables automatically registered every 20 s during CPB. Associations between CPB variables and AKI were analyzed with multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for patient characteristics.
Results
In total, 387 patients (14.5%) developed postoperative AKI. After adjustments, longer time on CPB and aortic cross‐clamp, periods of compromised blood flow during aortic cross‐clamp time, and lower nadir hematocrit were associated with the risk of AKI, while mean blood flow, bladder temperature, central venous pressure, and mixed venous oxygen saturation were not. Patient characteristics independently associated with AKI were advanced age, higher body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 or >90 mL/min/m2, and preoperative hemoglobin concentration below or above the normal sex‐specific range.
Conclusions
To reduce the risk of AKI after cardiac surgery, aortic clamp time and CPB time should be kept short, and low hematocrit and periods of compromised blood flow during aortic cross‐clamp time should be avoided if possible.
Importance The prognostic impact of parenteral nutrition duration (PND) on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is not well studied. Safe prediction models can help optimize ROP screening by effectively ...discriminating high-risk from low-risk infants.
Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of PND on ROP; to update and validate the Digital ROP (DIGIROP) 2.0 birth into prescreen and screen prediction models to include all ROP-screened infants regardless of gestational age (GA) and incorporate PND; and to compare the DIGIROP model with the Weight, IGF-1, Neonatal, and ROP (WINROP) and Postnatal Growth and ROP (G-ROP) models.
Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective study included 11 139 prematurely born infants from 2007 to 2020 from the Swedish National Registry for ROP. Extended Poisson and logistic models were applied. Data were analyzed from August 2022 to February 2023.
Main Outcomes and Measures Any ROP and ROP requiring treatment were studied in relation to PND. ROP treatment was the outcome in DIGIROP models. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and adjusted OR (aOR) with 95% CI were the main measures. Internal and external validations were performed.
Results Of 11 139 screened infants, 5071 (45.5%) were girls, and the mean (SD) gestational age was 28.5 (2.4) weeks. ROP developed in 3179 infants (29%), treatment was given in 599 (5%), 7228 (65%) had PND less than 14 days, 2308 (21%) had PND for 14 days or more, and 1603 (14%) had unknown PND. PND was significantly correlated with ROP severity (Spearman r = 0.45; P < .001). Infants with 14 days or more of PND vs less than 14 days had faster progression from any ROP to ROP treatment (adjusted mean difference, −0.9 weeks; 95% CI, −1.5 to −0.3; P = .004). Infants with PND for 14 days or more vs less than 14 days had higher odds of any ROP (aOR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.62-2.10; P < .001) and of severe ROP requiring treatment (aOR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.73-2.80; P < .001). Among all 11 139 infants, the DIGIROP 2.0 models had 100% sensitivity (95% CI, 99.4-100). The specificity was 46.6% (95% CI, 45.6-47.5) for the prescreen model and 76.9% (95% CI, 76.1-77.7) for the screen model. G-ROP as well as the DIGIROP 2.0 prescreen and screen models showed 100% sensitivity on a validation subset (G-ROP: sensitivity, 100%; 95% CI, 93-100; DIGIROP prescreen: sensitivity, 100%; 95% CI, 93-100; DIGIROP screen: sensitivity, 100%; 95% CI, 93-100), whereas WINROP showed 89% sensitivity (95% CI, 77-96). Specificity for each prediction model was 29% (95% CI, 22-36) for G-ROP, 38% (95% CI, 32-46) for DIGIROP prescreen, 53% (95% CI, 46-60) for DIGIROP screen at 10 weeks, and 46% (95% CI, 39-53) for WINROP.
Conclusion and Relevance Based on more than 11 000 ROP-screened infants born in Sweden, PND of 14 days or more corresponded to a significantly higher risk of having any ROP and receiving ROP treatment. These findings provide evidence to support consideration of using the updated DIGIROP 2.0 models instead of the WINROP or G-ROP models in the management of ROP.
Introduction
We examined the long‐term risk of dementia after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in relation to age and sex.
Methods
All CABG patients in Sweden 1992–2015 (n = 111,335), and ...matched controls (n = 222,396) were included in a population‐based study. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for all‐cause dementia, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer's disease were calculated.
Results
There was no difference in the risk for all‐cause dementia between CABG patients and control subjects (aHR 0.98 95% confidence interval 0.95 to 1.02). CABG patients <65 years and 65 to 74 years had higher risk (aHR 1.29 1.17–1.42 and 1.08 1.02–1.13, respectively), and patients ≥75 years had lower risk (aHR 0.76 0.71–0.81). The highest risk was observed in women <65 years (aHR 1.64 1.31–2.05).
Discussion
Overall, the long‐term risk for all‐cause dementia does not differ between CABG patients and the general population. Younger patients have a higher risk, while older patients have a lower risk, compared to controls.
Importance Daily supplementation with the probiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 ( L reuteri ) vs placebo has previously been demonstrated to reduce bone loss in an estrogen deficiency ...mice model and older women, although the magnitude of the effect was small. We hypothesized that long-term treatment with L reuteri could result in clinically relevant skeletal benefits in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Objective To evaluate whether daily supplementation with L reuteri vs placebo could reduce early postmenopausal bone loss and whether the effects remained or increased over time during 2 years of treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted between December 4, 2019, and October 6, 2022, at a single center in Gothenburg, southwestern Sweden. Participants were recruited by online advertisements, and letters were sent to 10 062 women aged 50 to 60 years. Responding women (n = 752) underwent telephone screening, resulting in 292 women being invited to a screening visit. Of those who were screened, 239 women met all inclusion criteria and had no exclusion criteria. Interventions Capsules with L reuteri in 2 doses, 5 × 10 8 (low dose) or 5 × 10 9 (high dose) colony-forming units, taken twice daily or placebo were administered. All capsules also included cholecalciferol, 200 IU. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the relative change in tibia total volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) over 2 years. Secondary outcomes included relative change in areal BMD of the lumbar spine and total hip, bone turnover markers C-terminal telopeptide cross-links of collagen type I and type I procollagen intact N-terminal propeptide, as well as tibia trabecular bone volume fraction and cortical vBMD. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were conducted. Results A total of 239 postmenopausal women (median age, 55 IQR, 53-56 years) were included. Tibia vBMD (primary outcome), hip and spine vBMD, and tibia cortical area and BMD decreased significantly in all groups, with no group-to-group differences (percent change tibia vBMD high dose vs placebo least-squares means, −0.08 95 CI, −0.85 to 0.69 and low dose vs placebo least-squares means, −0.22 95% CI, −0.99 to 0.55). There were no significant treatment effects on any other predefined outcomes. A prespecified sensitivity analysis found a significant interaction between body mass index (BMI) and treatment effect at 2 years. No significant adverse effects were observed. Conclusions and Relevance In this randomized clinical trial of 239 early postmenopausal women, supplementation with L reuteri had no effect on bone loss or bone turnover over 2 years. The observed interaction between BMI and treatment effect warrants further investigation. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04169789
IMPORTANCE: The prognostic impact of parenteral nutrition duration (PND) on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is not well studied. Safe prediction models can help optimize ROP screening by effectively ...discriminating high-risk from low-risk infants. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic value of PND on ROP; to update and validate the Digital ROP (DIGIROP) 2.0 birth into prescreen and screen prediction models to include all ROP-screened infants regardless of gestational age (GA) and incorporate PND; and to compare the DIGIROP model with the Weight, IGF-1, Neonatal, and ROP (WINROP) and Postnatal Growth and ROP (G-ROP) models. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective study included 11 139 prematurely born infants from 2007 to 2020 from the Swedish National Registry for ROP. Extended Poisson and logistic models were applied. Data were analyzed from August 2022 to February 2023. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Any ROP and ROP requiring treatment were studied in relation to PND. ROP treatment was the outcome in DIGIROP models. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and adjusted OR (aOR) with 95% CI were the main measures. Internal and external validations were performed. RESULTS: Of 11 139 screened infants, 5071 (45.5%) were girls, and the mean (SD) gestational age was 28.5 (2.4) weeks. ROP developed in 3179 infants (29%), treatment was given in 599 (5%), 7228 (65%) had PND less than 14 days, 2308 (21%) had PND for 14 days or more, and 1603 (14%) had unknown PND. PND was significantly correlated with ROP severity (Spearman r = 0.45; P < .001). Infants with 14 days or more of PND vs less than 14 days had faster progression from any ROP to ROP treatment (adjusted mean difference, −0.9 weeks; 95% CI, −1.5 to −0.3; P = .004). Infants with PND for 14 days or more vs less than 14 days had higher odds of any ROP (aOR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.62-2.10; P < .001) and of severe ROP requiring treatment (aOR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.73-2.80; P < .001). Among all 11 139 infants, the DIGIROP 2.0 models had 100% sensitivity (95% CI, 99.4-100). The specificity was 46.6% (95% CI, 45.6-47.5) for the prescreen model and 76.9% (95% CI, 76.1-77.7) for the screen model. G-ROP as well as the DIGIROP 2.0 prescreen and screen models showed 100% sensitivity on a validation subset (G-ROP: sensitivity, 100%; 95% CI, 93-100; DIGIROP prescreen: sensitivity, 100%; 95% CI, 93-100; DIGIROP screen: sensitivity, 100%; 95% CI, 93-100), whereas WINROP showed 89% sensitivity (95% CI, 77-96). Specificity for each prediction model was 29% (95% CI, 22-36) for G-ROP, 38% (95% CI, 32-46) for DIGIROP prescreen, 53% (95% CI, 46-60) for DIGIROP screen at 10 weeks, and 46% (95% CI, 39-53) for WINROP. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Based on more than 11 000 ROP-screened infants born in Sweden, PND of 14 days or more corresponded to a significantly higher risk of having any ROP and receiving ROP treatment. These findings provide evidence to support consideration of using the updated DIGIROP 2.0 models instead of the WINROP or G-ROP models in the management of ROP.
Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening condition for which emergent surgical treatment is essential 1.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Stroke is a serious complication in patients with ...acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Previous studies investigating stroke in ATAAD patients have been limited by small cohorts and have shown diverging results. We sought to identify risk factors for stroke and to evaluate the effect of stroke on outcomes in surgical ATAAD patients.
METHODS
The Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection database included patients operated for ATAAD at 8 Scandinavian Hospitals between 2005 and 2014.
RESULTS
Stroke occurred in 177 (15.7%) out of 1128 patients. Patients with stroke presented more frequently with cerebral malperfusion (20.6% vs 6.3%, P < 0.001), syncope (30.6% vs 17.6%, P < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (33.1% vs 20.7%, P < 0.001) and pericardial tamponade (25.9% vs 14.7%, P < 0.001) and more often underwent total aortic arch replacement (10.7% vs 4.7%, P = 0.016), compared to patients without stroke. In the 86 patients presenting with cerebral malperfusion, 38.4% developed stroke. Thirty-day and 5-year mortality in patients with and without stroke were 27.1% vs 13.6% and 42.9% vs 25.6%, respectively. Stroke was an independent predictor of early- odds ratio 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34–3.05; P < 0.001 and midterm mortality (hazard ratio 1.68, 95% CI 1.27–2.23; P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Stroke in ATAAD patients is associated with increased early- and midterm mortality. Preoperative cerebral malperfusion and impaired haemodynamics, as well as total aortic arch replacement, were more frequent among patients who developed stroke. Importantly, a large proportion of patients presenting with cerebral malperfusion did not develop a permanent stroke, indicating that signs of cerebral malperfusion should not be considered a contraindication for surgery.