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Macrosomic fetuses are at increased risk of shoulder dystocia. We aimed to compare induction of labour with expectant management for large-for-date fetuses for prevention of shoulder dystocia and other neonatal and maternal morbidity associated with macrosomia. We did this pragmatic, randomised controlled trial between Oct 1, 2002, and Jan 1, 2009, in 19 tertiary-care centres in France, Switzerland, and Belgium. Women with singleton fetuses whose estimated weight exceeded the 95th percentile, were randomly assigned (1:1), via computer-generated permuted-block randomisation (block size of four to eight) to receive induction of labour within 3 days between 37+0 weeks and 38+6 weeks of gestation, or expectant management. Randomisation was stratified by centre. Participants and caregivers were not masked to group assignment. Our primary outcome was a composite of clinically significant shoulder dystocia, fracture of the clavicle, brachial plexus injury, intracranial haemorrhage, or death. We did analyses by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00190320. We randomly assigned 409 women to the induction group and 413 women to the expectant management group, of whom 407 women and 411 women, respectively, were included in the final analysis. Mean birthweight was 3831 g (SD 324) in the induction group and 4118 g (392) in the expectant group. Induction of labour significantly reduced the risk of shoulder dystocia or associated morbidity (n=8) compared with expectant management (n=25; relative risk [RR] 0·32, 95% CI 0·15–0·71; p=0·004). We recorded no brachial plexus injuries, intracranial haemorrhages, or perinatal deaths. The likelihood of spontaneous vaginal delivery was higher in women in the induction group than in those in the expectant management group (RR 1·14, 95% CI 1·01–1·29). Caesarean delivery and neonatal morbidity did not differ significantly between the groups. Induction of labour for suspected large-for-date fetuses is associated with a reduced risk of shoulder dystocia and associated morbidity compared with expectant management. Induction of labour does not increase the risk of caesarean delivery and improves the likelihood of spontaneous vaginal delivery. These benefits should be balanced with the effects of early-term induction of labour. Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris and the University of Geneva.

Current treatment options for chronic pain and depression are largely medication-based, which may cause adverse side effects. Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) combines mindfulness techniques, evidence based integrative medicine, and medical group visits, and is a promising adjunct to medications, especially for diverse underserved patients who have limited access to non-pharmacological therapies. Determine the effectiveness of IMGV compared to a Primary Care Provider (PCP) visit in patients with chronic pain and depression. 9-week single-blind randomized control trial with a 12-week maintenance phase (intervention-medical groups; control-primary care provider visit). Academic tertiary safety-net hospital and 2 affiliated federally-qualified community health centers. 159 predominantly low income racially diverse adults with nonspecific chronic pain and depressive symptoms. IMGV intervention- 9 weekly 2.5 hour in person IMGV sessions, 12 weeks on-line platform access followed by a final IMGV at 21 weeks. Data collected at baseline, 9, and 21 weeks included primary outcomes depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 9), pain (Brief Pain Inventory). Secondary outcomes included pain medication use and utilization. There were no differences in pain or depression at any time point. At 9 weeks, the IMGV group had fewer emergency department visits (RR 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.83) compared to controls. At 21 weeks, the IMGV group reported reduction in pain medication use (Odds Ratio: 0.42, CI: 0.18-0.98) compared to controls. Absence of treatment assignment concealment for patients and disproportionate group attendance in IMGV. Results demonstrate that low-income racially diverse patients will attend medical group visits that focus on non-pharmacological techniques, however, in the attention to treat analysis there was no difference in average pain levels between the intervention and the control group. clinicaltrials.gov NCT02262377.

We compared three policy options for the use of medical masks and N95 respirators in healthcare workers (HCWs). A cluster randomized clinical trial of 1,669 hospital-based HCWs in Beijing, China in the winter of 2009-2010. Participants were randomized to medical masks, N95 respirators, or targeted use of N95 respirators while doing high-risk procedures or barrier nursing. Outcomes included clinical respiratory illness (CRI) and laboratory-confirmed respiratory pathogens in symptomatic subjects. The rate of CRI was highest in the medical mask arm (98 of 572; 17%), followed by the targeted N95 arm (61 of 516; 11.8%), and the N95 arm (42 of 581; 7.2%) (P < 0.05). Bacterial respiratory tract colonization in subjects with CRI was highest in the medical mask arm (14.7%; 84 of 572), followed by the targeted N95 arm (10.1%; 52 of 516), and lowest in the N95 arm (6.2%; 36 of 581) (P = 0.02). After adjusting for confounders, only continuous use of N95 remained significant against CRI and bacterial colonization, and for just CRI compared with targeted N95 use. Targeted N95 use was not superior to medical masks. Continuous use of N95 respirators was more efficacious against CRI than intermittent use of N95 or medical masks. Most policies for HCWs recommend use of medical masks alone or targeted N95 respirator use. Continuous use of N95s resulted in significantly lower rates of bacterial colonization, a novel finding that points to more research on the clinical significance of bacterial infection in symptomatic HCWs. This study provides further data to inform occupational policy options for HCWs. Clinical trial registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry http://www.anzctr.org.au (ACTRN 12609000778280).

Respectful provision of care is an integral component of quality maternity care service. The objective of the present study was to assess the status of respectful maternity care and its associated factors in public and private hospitals in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care public hospital and a tertiary care private hospital in Chittagong, Bangladesh from October 2023 to September 2024. Face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire was conducted to collect data from postnatal women. Respectful maternity care was measured using a validated 15-item tool with four domains (friendly, abuse-free, timely, and discrimination-free care). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with respectful maternity care. A number of 264 postnatal women from the public hospital and 334 from the private hospital were included in the study. Overall, 55.5% of them received respectful maternity care, with significant differences between public (33.7%) and private (72.8%) hospitals (p-value <0.001). Women in private hospitals reported higher standards across all domains, with the largest disparity in discrimination-free care (98% in private vs. 56% in public hospitals, p < 0.001). Logistic regression showed that women in private hospitals (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 18.10; 95% confidence interval, CI 8.43-42.0), those with facility-level referrals (aOR 2.88; 95% CI 1.59-5.31), and cesarean deliveries (aOR 2.45; 95% CI 1.26-5.07) were significantly more likely to receive respectful maternity care. Respectful maternity care was significantly more likely among women delivering in private hospitals, through facility-level referrals, and by cesarean section, indicating gaps in public hospital practices that require attention to ensure respectful care for all mothers.

\"Push\" or \"pull\" techniques with the use of snares, forceps, baskets, and grasping devices are conventionally used to manage esophageal food bolus impaction (FBI). A novel cap-assisted technique has recently been advocated to reduce time taken for food bolus (FB) removal. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the cap-assisted technique against conventional methods of esophageal FB removal in a randomized controlled trial. Consecutive patients with esophageal FBI requiring endoscopic removal, from 3 Australian tertiary hospitals between 2017 and 2019, were randomized to either the cap-assisted technique or the conventional technique. Primary outcomes were technical success and FB retrieval time. Secondary outcomes were technical success rate, en bloc removal rate, procedure-related complication, length of hospital stay, and cost of consumables. Over 24 months, 342 patients with esophageal FBI were randomized to a cap-assisted (n = 171) or conventional (n = 171) technique. Compared with the conventional approach, the cap-assisted technique was associated with (i) shorter FB retrieval time (4.5 ± 0.5 minutes vs 21.7 ± 0.9 minutes, P < 0.001), (ii) shorter total procedure time (23.0 ± 0.6 minutes vs 47.0 ± 1.3 minutes, P < 0.0001), (iii) higher technical success rate (170/171 vs 160/171, P < 0.001), (iv) higher rate of en bloc removal (159/171 vs 48/171, P < 0.001), and (v) lower rate of procedure-related mucosal tear and bleeding (0/171 vs 13/171, P < 0.001). There were no major adverse events or deaths within 30 days in either group. The total cost of consumables was higher in the conventional group (A$19,644.90 vs A$6,239.90). This multicenter randomized controlled trial confirmed that the cap-assisted technique is more effective and less costly than the conventional approach and should be first-line treatment for esophageal FBI.

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a program intended to reduce intrapartum and neonatal mortality in Accra, Ghana. Quasi-experimental, time-sequence intervention, retrospective cost-effectiveness analysis. A program integrating leadership development, clinical skills and quality improvement training was piloted at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital from 2013 to 2016. The number of intrapartum and neonatal deaths prevented were estimated using the hospital's 2012 stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates as a steady-state assumption. The cost-effectiveness of the intervention was calculated as cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. In order to test the assumptions included in this analysis, it was subjected to probabilistic and one-way sensitivity analyses. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), which measures the cost per disability-adjusted life-year averted by the intervention compared to status quo. From 2012 to 2016, there were 45,495 births at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, of whom 5,734 were admitted to the newborn intensive care unit. The budget for the systems strengthening program was US $1,716,976. Based on program estimates, 307 (±82) neonatal deaths and 84 (±35) stillbirths were prevented, amounting to 12,342 DALYs averted. The systems strengthening intervention was found to be highly cost effective with an ICER of US $139 (±$44), an amount significantly lower than the established threshold of cost-effectiveness of the per capita gross domestic product, which averaged US $1,649 between 2012-2016. The results were found to be sensitive to the following parameters: DALYs averted, number of neonatal deaths, and number of stillbirths. An integrated approach to system strengthening in referral hospitals has the potential to reduce neonatal and intrapartum mortality in low resource settings and is likely to be cost-effective. Sustained change can be achieved by building organizational capacity through leadership and clinical training.

The correlation between myocardial injury and clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients is gaining attention in the literature. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of cardiac involvement and of respiratory failure in a cohort of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in an academic hospital in Lombardy, one of the most affected Italian (and worldwide) regions by the epidemic. The study included 405 consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19 admitted to a medical ward from February 25th to March 31st, 2020. Follow-up of surviving patients ended either at hospital discharge or by July 30th, 2020. Myocardial injury was defined on the basis of the presence of blood levels of hs-TnI above the 99th percentile upper reference limit. Respiratory function was assessed as PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratio. The primary end-point was death for any cause. During hospitalization, 124 patients died. Death rate increased from 7.9% in patients with normal hs-TnI plasma levels and no cardiac comorbidity to 61.5% in patients with elevated hs-TnI and cardiac involvement (p < 0.001). At multivariable analysis, older age, P/F ratio < 200 (both p < 0.001) and hs-TnI plasma levels were independent predictors of death. However, it must be emphasized that the median values of hs-TnI were within normal range in non-survivors. Cardiac involvement at presentation was associated with poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients, but, even in a population of COVID-19 patients who did not require invasive ventilation at hospital admission, mortality was mainly driven by older age and respiratory failure.

Antimicrobial resistance, which is commonly observed in the management of pneumonia, is a major threat to public health and is driven by inappropriate antimicrobial use. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the current practice of antimicrobial utilization and clinical outcomes in the management of adult pneumonia at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. A prospective observational study was conducted in the internal medicine wards of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. The study was conducted from 1 September 2016 to 30 June 2017 and patients aged ≥ 14 years and diagnosed with pneumonia were included. Chart review and self-administered questionnaire were used to collect data regarding pneumonia diagnosis and management as well as clinical outcomes (stable, complications, and in-hospital mortality). Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regressions were performed for data analyses. Out of 200 enrolled patients, clinical diagnosis was supported by microbiologic testing and imaging in 75 (37.5%) and 122 (61.0%) cases, respectively. The treatment approach in almost all patients (99.5%) was empirical and no de-escalation therapy was made even after acquiring culture results. The total duration of antimicrobial therapy was 12.05±5.09 days and vancomycin was the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial agent (25%), with 70% of the patients receiving this drug empirically. Nearly, 30% of the patients missed their antimicrobial doses during the course of treatment and stock-out (36.7%) was the major reason. Close to 113 (66%) of the treating physicians used reference books to prescribe antimicrobial agents. Patients' outcomes were found to be stable (66%), in-hospital mortality (18.5%), and ending up in complications (17%). Poor clinical outcome (death and complicated cases) was found to be associated with recent antimicrobial use history (p = 0.007, AOR 2.86(1.33-6.13)), cancer (p = 0.023, AOR 3.46(1.18-10.13)), recent recurrent upper respiratory tract infection (p = 0.046, AOR 3.70(1.02-13.40)), respiratory rate >24 breaths/min or <12 breaths/min (p = 0.013, AOR 2.45(1.21-4.95)) and high level of serum creatinine after initiation of antimicrobial therapy (>1.4mg/dl) (p = 0.032, AOR 2.37(1.07-5.20)). Antimicrobials are empirically prescribed without sufficient evidence of indication and microbiological or radiological findings. The practice also is not based on local guidelines and no multidisciplinary approach is apparent. [How about: \"It is likely that these factors contributed to higher rates of mortality (18.5%) when compared with similar studies in other countries\" instead of this \"As a result, there were higher rates of mortality (18.5%) when compared with other similar studies\"]. Hence, the hospital requires a coordinated intervention to improve rational use of antimicrobials and clinical outcomes through establishing an antimicrobial stewardship program.

Cancer and osteoporosis have high incidence rates in older populations. However, the treatment of osteoporosis among cancer patients has not been adequately described. Our purpose was to clarify the current practice patterns of osteoporosis treatment among cancer patients in an academic cancer center, and to analyze the efficacy of treatment interventions. Patient records from April 2009 to March 2018 were retrospectively reviewed, and the study included a total of 316 cancer patients with osteoporosis. After patients’ data extraction, the patients were divided into two groups, with (n = 144) or without treatment (n = 172), and compared the outcomes of these groups to evaluate the medication effect. The primary outcome was new radiographic fragility fractures during the study period. The related factors associated with fracture injuries and the rate of adverse events, such as osteonecrosis in the jaw and atypical femoral fractures, were analyzed. The rate of treatment intervention was 45.6% among the patient groups. Among patients in the study group, breast cancer patients (n = 107) were mostly treated (n = 79, 73.8%) with oral bisphosphonate. A significant difference in new fracture rate was observed between the two groups (treatment group, 30.6%; non-treatment group, 54.7%), and the risk of fracture was 42% lower in the treatment group (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.39–0.86; p <0.05). Previous chemotherapy, steroid use, and older age were significantly associated with increased rate of new fragility fractures. The adverse event rate was 3.5% (presented in five cases). Older cancer patients who receive chemotherapy or steroids are strongly recommended undergo bone quality assessment and appropriate osteoporosis treatment to improve their prognosis.

Universal Zero-Markup Drug Policy (UZMDP) mandates no price mark-ups on any drug dispensed by a healthcare institution, and covers the medicines not included in the China's National Essential Medicine System. Five tertiary hospitals in Beijing, China implemented UZMDP in 2012. Its impacts on these hospitals are unknown. We described the effects of UZMDP on a participating hospital, Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China (JST). This retrospective longitudinal study examined the hospital-level data of JST and city-level data of tertiary hospitals of Beijing, China (BJT) 2009-2015. Rank-sum tests and join-point regression analyses were used to assess absolute changes and differences in trends, respectively. In absolute terms, after the UZDMP implementation, there were increased annual patient-visits and decreased ratios of medicine-to-healthcare-charges (RMOH) in JST outpatient and inpatient services; however, in outpatient service, physician work-days decreased and physician-workload and inflation-adjusted per-visit healthcare charges increased, while the inpatient physician work-days increased and inpatient mortality-rate reduced. Interestingly, the decreasing trend in inpatient mortality-rate was neutralized after UZDMP implementation. Compared with BJT and under influence of UZDMP, JST outpatient and inpatient services both had increasing trends in annual patient-visits (annual percentage changes[APC] = 8.1% and 6.5%, respectively) and decreasing trends in RMOH (APC = -4.3% and -5.4%, respectively), while JST outpatient services had increasing trend in inflation-adjusted per-visit healthcare charges (APC = 3.4%) and JST inpatient service had decreasing trend in inflation-adjusted per-visit medicine-charges (APC = -5.2%). Implementation of UZMDP seems to increase annual patient-visits, reduce RMOH and have different impacts on outpatient and inpatient services in a Chinese urban tertiary hospital.