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Treatment options for patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) include warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Although DOACs are easier to administer than warfarin and do not require routine laboratory monitoring, few studies have directly assessed whether patients are more satisfied with DOACs. We surveyed adults from two large integrated health systems taking DOACs or warfarin for incident VTE occurring between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2018. Treatment satisfaction was assessed using the validated Anti-Clot Treatment Scale (ACTS), divided into the ACTS Burdens and ACTS Benefits scores; higher scores indicate greater satisfaction. Mean treatment satisfaction was compared using multivariable linear regression, adjusting for patient demographic and clinical characteristics. The effect size of the difference in means was calculated using a Cohen’s d (0.20 is considered a small effect and ≥ 0.80 is considered large). We surveyed 2217 patients, 969 taking DOACs and 1248 taking warfarin at the time of survey. Thirty-one point five percent of the cohort was aged ≥ 75 years and 43.1% were women. DOAC users were on average more satisfied with anticoagulant treatment, with higher adjusted mean ACTS Burdens (50.18 v. 48.01, p

BackgroundThe risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events may differ by sociodemographic factors among patients meeting the definition of very high risk according to the 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology cholesterol guideline, leading to treatment disparities. We estimated the risk for recurrent ASCVD events among adults meeting the definition of very high risk by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in a US integrated healthcare system.Methods and ResultsThe study cohort included Kaiser Permanente Southern California members aged ≥21 years with a history of clinical ASCVD on September 30, 2009. Very high risk for recurrent ASCVD was defined by a history of ≥2 major ASCVD events or a history of 1 major event along with ≥2 high‐risk conditions. Patients were followed through 2015 for a first recurrent ASCVD event. Of 77 101 patients with ASCVD, 50.8% met the definition for very high risk. Among patients meeting the definition of very high risk, recurrent ASCVD rates were higher in older (>75 years) versus younger patients (21–40 years) (sex‐adjusted hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI] 1.85; 1.23–2.79), non‐Hispanic Black patients versus non‐Hispanic White patients (age‐, sex‐adjusted HR, 1.32; 1.23–1.41), those who lived in neighborhoods with lower (ConclusionsDisparities in the risk for recurrent ASCVD events were present across sociodemographic factors among very high risk patients. The addition of sociodemographic factors to current definitions of very high risk could reduce health disparities.

Background: Nearly 40% of breast cancer survivors have insomnia, yet, information how this condition affects their quality of life is lacking. We examined the association between insomnia and depressive symptoms and fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Methods: Participants were recruited from a community health plan. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to examine the association between current insomnia (using Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]) and current depressive symptoms (using Inventory of Depressive Symptomology [IDS]) and fatigue (using Fatigue Symptom Inventory [FSI]) in 315 breast cancer survivors who did not have major depressive disorder. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multivariable logistic regression. Results: The cohort included 30% minority women whose median time since breast cancer diagnosis was 6 years. Survivors with current insomnia symptoms (ISI ≥8) had a sixfold greater odds of current depressive symptoms (IDS >14, OR = 5.98, 95% CI: 3.04-11.76), after adjusting for lifetime insomnia history (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.03-3.94) and perceived stress (OR = 6.37, 95% CI: 2.48-16.32). Insomnia symptoms were markedly associated with moderate fatigue (FSI >3, OR = 5.02, 95% CI: 2.66-9.44). Ever use of antidepressants or sleep medications post-breast cancer diagnosis was not associated with lower odds of current depressive symptoms or feeling fatigued in those with insomnia symptoms. Conclusion: Current insomnia symptoms were strongly correlated with current depressive symptoms and fatigue. Survivorship care plans should consider incorporating insomnia screening to that may potentially enhance quality of life domains.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Studies evaluating the role of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection on the progression of CKD are few and conflicting. Therefore, we evaluated the association of untreated HCV on kidney function decline in patients with stage 3–5 CKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This retrospective cohort study included members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States aged ≥18 years, with incident HCV and CKD diagnoses from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2014. We used generalized estimating equations to compare the rate of change in eGFR between those with HCV and CKD versus CKD alone, adjusting for covariates. Cox proportional hazards models compared the risk of 25% decrease in eGFR and ESKD (defined as progression to eGFR

Summary Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is the preferred method of treatment for acute ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, after we had performed TAE on a patient with HCC whose tumor had been ruptured in a motor vehicle accident, he developed tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) on the 2 nd day after the procedure. TLS most commonly occurs in children with cancer and leukemia, but has also been reported in various types of solid tumors, such as liver carcinoma and breast carcinoma. A few case reports have been published about patients with HCC receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, but there have been few reports about complications after TAE for patients with a ruptured HCC. We report the case of a patient who received TAE for an HCC which had been ruptured in a motor vehicle accident to highlight this uncommon and easily overlooked situation.

Objective To compare visual acuity (VA) outcomes after bevacizumab or ranibizumab treatment for AMD. Design Comparative, retrospective case series. Participants We followed 452 patients in a retrospective study of exudative AMD treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs; 324 patients were treated with bevacizumab and 128 patients with ranibizumab. Methods All treatment-naive patients who received either bevacizumab or ranibizumab were followed for 1 year. Baseline characteristics and VA were recorded using standard descriptive statistics. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity. Results At 12 months, the distribution of VA improved in both groups with 22.9% of bevacizumab and 25.0% of ranibizumab attaining ≥20/40. Improvement in vision was observed in 27.3% of the bevacizumab group and 20.2% of the ranibizumab group. The mean number of injections at 12 months was 4.4 for bevacizumab and 6.2 for ranibizumab. There were 8 (2%) deaths in the bevacizumab group and 4 (3%) in the ranibizumab group. Two patients developed endophthalmitis in the bevacizumab group and the ranibizumab group. The bevacizumab group had slightly worse acuity at baseline, but both groups showed improvement and stability of vision over time. Conclusions Both treatments seem to be effective in stabilizing VA loss. There was no difference in VA outcome between the 2 treatment groups. Because the study is a nonrandomized comparison, selection bias could mask a true treatment difference. Results from the Comparison of the Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatment Trials will provide more definitive information about the comparative effectiveness of these drugs. Financial Disclosure(s) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of postpartum glucose testing within 6 months of pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), assess factors associated with testing and timing of testing after delivery, and report the test results among tested women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a retrospective study of 11,825 women who were identified as having GDM using the 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) from 1999 to 2006. Postpartum testing (75-g 2-h OGTT or fasting plasma glucose [FPG]) within 6 months of delivery and test results from laboratory databases are reported. Postpartum test results are categorized as normal, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and provisionally diabetic. RESULTS About half (n = 5,939) the women were tested with either a FPG or 75-g OGTT from 7 days to 6 months postpartum. Of these women, 46% were tested during the 6- to 12-week postpartum period. Odds of testing were independently associated with age, race/ethnicity, household income, education, foreign-born status, parity, mode of delivery, having a postpartum visit, having GDM coded at discharge, and pharmacotherapy for GDM. Of the 5,857 women with test results, 16.3% (n = 956) had IFG/IGT and 1.1% (n = 66) had provisional diabetes. After adjustment for demographic and clinical factors, abnormal postpartum test results was associated with having required insulin, glyburide, or metformin during pregnancy and with longer period from delivery to postpartum testing. CONCLUSIONS After a pregnancy complicated by GDM, automated orders for postpartum testing with notification to physicians and electronically generated telephone and e-mail reminder messages to patients may improve the rates of postpartum testing for persistence of glucose intolerance.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine whether Nissen fundoplication decreases hospital admissions for respiratory symptoms and failure to thrive (FTT). Methods A retrospective study using discharge abstract data from Southern California Kaiser Permanente hospitals during the last decade was done. Three hundred forty-two pediatric patients had at least one Nissen fundoplication. Hospital admissions for aspiration and other pneumonia, respiratory distress/apnea, and FTT were determined before and after Nissen fundoplication. Age and associated neurologic disorders were also studied. Statistical analysis was determined by χ 2 analysis, Poisson regression analysis, and relative risk. Results The number of patients requiring hospital admission for aspiration and other pneumonia, respiratory distress/apnea, and FTT was similar before and after Nissen fundoplication. The proportion of readmission within 1 year after Nissen fundoplication for aspiration pneumonia was 0.1250 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0266-0.3236); other pneumonia, 0.5465 (95% CI, 0.4355-0.6542); respiratory distress/apnea, 0.5039 (95% CI, 0.4145-0.5931); and FTT, 0.5669 (95% CI, 0.4761-0.6545). Associated neurologic disorders independently increased hospital admissions for aspiration and other pneumonia, respiratory distress/apnea, and FTT. Age was inversely related to hospital admissions for respiratory distress and FTT. Conclusion Nissen fundoplication did not improve hospital admissions for pneumonia, respiratory distress/apnea, and FTT. Associated neurologic disorders increased readmissions for pneumonia, respiratory distress/apnea, and FTT, whereas increasing age decreased readmission for respiratory distress and FTT.

Pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysms are rare, and their timely diagnosis and successful management, when combined with acute cholecystitis, is extremely challenging. Case Report A 56-year-old male

Background. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in renal transplant recipients with a functioning allograft. Modification of CVD risk factors may, therefore, decrease overall mortality in this patient population. We studied renal transplant recipients within an integrated healthcare system (IHS) that uses case management and electronic health records to determine mortality from CVD. Methods. We retrospectively collected data on all renal transplant recipients over a 10-year period. The primary endpoint was death with graft function (DWGF). Cardiovascular events were used as secondary endpoints. We determined the cause of death and collected laboratory data. The data were analyzed using Student's t test for continuous data, chi square for categorical data, and multivariate logistic regression. Survival was determined using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. Results. Death from “other” causes accounted for 29%. This was followed by CVD (24%), infection (16%), and malignancy (12%). The most common “other” causes were diabetes mellitus and end-stage renal disease. Overall, lower hemoglobin, uncontrolled blood pressure, and lower albumin levels were associated with DWGF. There were 184 cardiovascular events in total. Low-density lipid levels were lower in the group with cardiovascular events and DWGF. The use of antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic agents was similar between the two groups with the exception of diuretics, which were used more often in the DWGF group. Conclusions. There was a low rate of DWGF because of CVD within this IHS. It is possible that coordinated care within an IHS leads to improved cardiovascular mortality.

We report a case of melioidosis with splenic abscesses caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei in an urban-dwelling, 54-year-old Taiwanese man. The patient presented with prolonged fever and abdominal pain. A splenectomy was performed, followed by successful treatment with ceftazidime and amoxicillin-clavulanate. The patient recovered fully.

To compare visual acuity (VA) outcomes after bevacizumab or ranibizumab treatment for AMD.Comparative, retrospective case series.We followed 452 patients in a retrospective study of exudative AMD treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs; 324 patients were treated with bevacizumab and 128 patients with ranibizumab.All treatment-naïve patients who received either bevacizumab or ranibizumab were followed for 1 year. Baseline characteristics and VA were recorded using standard descriptive statistics.Visual acuity.At 12 months, the distribution of VA improved in both groups with 22.9% of bevacizumab and 25.0% of ranibizumab attainingor=20/40. Improvement in vision was observed in 27.3% of the bevacizumab group and 20.2% of the ranibizumab group. The mean number of injections at 12 months was 4.4 for bevacizumab and 6.2 for ranibizumab. There were 8 (2%) deaths in the bevacizumab group and 4 (3%) in the ranibizumab group. Two patients developed endophthalmitis in the bevacizumab group and the ranibizumab group. The bevacizumab group had slightly worse acuity at baseline, but both groups showed improvement and stability of vision over time.Both treatments seem to be effective in stabilizing VA loss. There was no difference in VA outcome between the 2 treatment groups. Because the study is a nonrandomized comparison, selection bias could mask a true treatment difference. Results from the Comparison of the Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatment Trials will provide more definitive information about the comparative effectiveness of these drugs.

Hypothesis Nissen fundoplication decreases the use of antireflux medications. Design Retrospective cohort study using discharge abstract data and pharmacy data. Setting Twelve regional Kaiser Permanente hospitals in southern California. Patients Three hundred forty-two patients underwent Nissen fundoplication. Intervention Nissen fundoplication. Main Outcome Measure Use of antireflux medications. Results The number of patients requiring antireflux medications decreased from 233 patients (68.1%) before Nissen fundoplication to 197 (57.6%) after Nissen fundoplication. Of the 233 patients, 176 (75.6%) were restarted on antireflux medications within 1 year after Nissen fundoplication. Use of antireflux medication decreased in neurologically healthy patients but was unchanged in neurologically impaired children. Conclusions Use of antireflux medication decreased after Nissen fundoplication. Neurologically healthy children showed the biggest decrease in antireflux medication use after Nissen fundoplication.

SUMMARY "Abdominal cocoon" is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. The most common symptoms are intestinal obstruction, recurrent abdominal pain, and an abdominal mass. Most cases are diagnosed almost incidentally during laparotomy for other conditions. The etiology of abdominal cocoon remains largely unknown. Surgical treatment is the cornerstone treatment, and the prognosis after surgery is excellent. (International Journal of Gerontology 2009; 3(2): 126-128)