Clinical Decision System

PURPOSE: This article presents a comprehensive exploration of neurovascular anatomy of the encephalon, focusing specifically on the intricate network within the posterior circulation and the posterior fossa anatomy; enhancing understanding of its dynamics, essential for practitioners in neurosurgery and neurology areas. METHOD: A profound literature review was conducted by searching the PubMed and Google Scholar databases using main keywords related to neurovascular anatomy...

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Despite the efficacy of chemotherapy, AYA patients contend with psychosocial challenges, including psychological distress and financial toxicity, exacerbated further by those with dependent children. Parenting responsibilities intersect with cancer care, impacting both family dynamics and treatment adherence. Despite recognized needs, however, the impact of parenting concerns or even parenting status and the presence of dependents has not been systematically addressed and there is a paucity of interventional research regarding patients with cancer as concomitant caregivers...

OBJECTIVE: The pathological features of immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) are dominated by the infiltration of macrophages. We aimed to perform a histopathologic semiquantitative analysis to investigate the relationship between macrophage markers and prognosis. METHODS: Semiquantitative analysis of histologic features was performed in 62 samples of IMNM. Independent risk factors were identified through univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Cluster analysis was performed using the partitioning around the medoids (PAM) method...

AIM: To explore factors that influence the impact of nurse practitioners' clinical autonomy with a self-determining perspective. BACKGROUND: Worldwide, there is a significant demand for healthcare professionals such as the nurse practitioner in meeting some healthcare needs across patients' lifespans. Factors influencing nurse practitioners clinical autonomy can impact the full utilisation of the role in practice. INTRODUCTION: Limited evidence exists that describes or researches nurse practitioner clinical autonomy...

This work delves into the increasing relevance of Large Language Models (LLMs) in the realm of sustainable policy-making, proposing an innovative hetero-intelligence framework that blends human and artificial intelligence (AI) for tackling modern sustainability challenges. The research methodology includes a hetero-intelligence performance test, which juxtaposes human intelligence with AI in the formulation and implementation of sustainable policies. After testing this hetero-intelligence methodology, seven steps are rigorously described so that it can be replicated in any sustainability planning related context...

AIM: Traumatic posterior fossa extradural hematoma (PFEDH) is a relatively rare entity with non-specific clinical presentation and management. The aim of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of conservative management with surgical decompression. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2018 and 2022, 51 patients were admitted with PFEDH. Management decision was tailored by clinicoradiological findings. We did a prospective analysis of patient characteristics, radiology, clinical presentation, management, and outcome at discharge and one-month...

BACKGROUND: Early guidance recommended a bolus of intravenous heparin at the beginning of leadless pacemaker (LP) implantation procedures. However, due to concern about bleeding complications, more recent practice has tended toward omitting the bolus and only running a continuous heparin infusion through the introducer sheath. The impact of omitting the heparin bolus on procedural outcomes is not clear. METHODS: We reviewed all Medtronic Micra LP implants at our institution from 9/2014 to 9/2022...

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating and prevalent mental disorder with a high disease burden. Despite a wide array of different treatment options, many patients do not respond to initial treatment attempts. Selection of the most appropriate treatment remains a significant clinical challenge in psychiatry, highlighting the need for the development of biomarkers with predictive utility. Recently, the epigenetic modification DNA methylation (DNAm) has emerged to be of great interest as a potential predictor of MDD treatment outcomes...

STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective study. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the value of the Spinal Infection Treatment Evaluation (SITE) score, Brighton Spondylodiscitis Score (BSDS), and Pola classification to predict the need for surgical intervention in patients with spondylodiscitis. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Spondylodiscitis is a rare disease, and the prediction of its outcome is crucial in the decision-making process. METHODS: All case records were assessed to extract information on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Japanese Orthopedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ) scores before and after surgery...

Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are measures of patients' health that are conveyed directly by individual patients. These measures serve as instruments to evaluate the impact of interventions on any aspect of patients' health, from specific symptoms to broader quality-of-life indicators. However, their effectiveness relies on capturing relevant factors accurately. While commonly utilized in clinical trials, PROs extend their influence across healthcare settings, informing clinicians, healthcare payers, regulators, and administrators to guide quality improvement and reimbursement decisions...

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular conditions (eg, cardiac and coronary conditions, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and cardiomyopathies) were the leading cause of maternal mortality between 2017 and 2019. The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income nation, disproportionately impacting those who identify as non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic. Novel clinical approaches to the detection and diagnosis of cardiovascular conditions are therefore imperative. Emerging research is demonstrating that machine learning (ML) is a promising tool for detecting patients at increased risk for hypertensive disorders during pregnancy...

BACKGROUND: Patient and staff experience is a vital factor to consider in the evaluation of remote patient monitoring (RPM) interventions. However, no comprehensive overview of available RPM patient and staff experience-measuring methods and tools exists. OBJECTIVE: This review aimed at obtaining a comprehensive set of experience constructs and corresponding measuring instruments used in contemporary RPM research and at proposing an initial set of guidelines for improving methodological standardization in this domain...

BACKGROUND: Up to 20% of youth have impairing mental health problems as early as age 3. Early identification and intervention of mental health risks in pediatric primary care could mitigate this crisis via prevention prior to disease onset. The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a brief transdiagnostic screening instrument in pediatric primary care for irritability and corollary impairment. METHOD: Five pediatric clinicians in a Midwest clinic implemented the Multidimensional Assessment Profiles-Early Assessment Screener of Irritability (MAPS-EASI) for toddlers (24-30 months) and their families...

Leading national health organizations have declared pediatric mental health an urgent public health issue. Pediatric primary care is an ideal setting to improve mental health in young children; however, various existing barriers limit the effective identification of social-emotional risk among toddlers. This special section of Families, Systems, & Health includes four articles that identify multilevel barriers and facilitators to population-level early childhood mental health screening, identification, and referral and describe implementation strategies that may be used to improve pediatric mental health...

BACKGROUND: Serum biomarkers have a significant impact on the prediction of treatment outcomes in patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The primary aim of this study was to develop and validate a nomogram that incorporates hemoglobin, albumin, and globulin ratio (HAGR) and clinical data to accurately forecast treatment outcomes in patients with NPC. METHODS: A total of 796 patients diagnosed with NPC were included in the study. RESULTS: The results of the multivariate Cox analysis revealed that TNM stage and HAGR were found to be significant independent prognostic factors for OS and PFS...

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) management in individuals aged 55 and above presents unique challenges due to the complex interaction between aging, comorbidities, immunosenescence, and MS pathophysiology. This comprehensive review explores the evolving landscape of MS in older adults, including the increased incidence and prevalence of MS in this age group, the shift in disease phenotypes from relapsing-remitting to progressive forms, and the presence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy. We aim to provide an updated review of the available evidence of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) in older patients, including the efficacy and safety of existing therapies, emerging treatments such as Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTKs) inhibitors and those targeting remyelination and neuroprotection, and the critical decisions surrounding the initiation, de-escalation, and discontinuation of DMTs...

Robotic-assisted hip and knee arthroplasty represents cutting-edge advancements in orthopedic surgery, harnessing robotic technology to enhance precision, improve clinical outcomes, and facilitate intra-operative procedures. In these robotic-assisted surgeries, the robotic systems assist surgeons in planning and executing joint replacement surgeries, thereby facilitating personalized implant positioning and optimizing the fit and alignment of hip and knee implants. Despite the increasing attention garnered by robotic-assisted hip and knee arthroplasty in recent years, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis using the Scopus database has yet to be conducted...

OBJECTIVE: We applied a user experience (UX) design approach to clinical decision support (CDS) tool development for the specific use case of pediatric asthma. Our objective was to understand physicians' workflows, decision-making processes, barriers (ie, pain points), and facilitators to increase usability of the tool. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a mixed-methods approach with semi-structured interviews and surveys. The coded interviews were synthesized into physician-user journey maps (ie, visualization of a process to accomplish goals) and personas (ie, user types)...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of additional surgery on the survival and prognosis of high-risk T1 colorectal cancer patients who have undergone endoscopic resection. METHODS: The clinical data of patients with high-risk T1 colorectal cancer were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into the endoscopic resection (ER) plus additional surgical resection (SR) group, or the ER+SR group, and the ER group according to whether additional SR were performed after ER...

BACKGROUND: Surgical removal of the tumour is the gold standard treatment for early stage invasive breast cancer. However, with a global ageing population, a larger number of diagnoses are occurring in women with comorbidities that render them unsuitable for surgery. Hence, it is of interest to explore alternative treatment strategies for this group of women. SUMMARY: Our narrative review aims to explore two such techniques, cryoablation and external beam radiotherapy, providing a brief summary of the evidence behind each technique...