Project description:Hypertension management poses a major challenge to clinicians globally once non-drug (lifestyle) measures have failed to control blood pressure (BP). Although drug treatment strategies to lower BP are well described, poor control rates of hypertension, even in the first world, suggest that more needs to be done to surmount the problem. A major issue is non-adherence to antihypertensive drugs, which is caused in part by drug intolerance due to side effects. More effective antihypertensive drugs are therefore required which have excellent tolerability and safety profiles in addition to being efficacious. For those patients who either do not tolerate or wish to take medication for hypertension or in whom BP control is not attained despite multiple antihypertensives, a novel class of interventional procedures to manage hypertension has emerged. While most of these target various aspects of the sympathetic nervous system regulation of BP, an additional procedure is now available, which addresses mechanical aspects of the circulation. Most of these new devices are supported by early and encouraging evidence for both safety and efficacy, although it is clear that more rigorous randomized controlled trial data will be essential before any of the technologies can be adopted as a standard of care.
Project description:Interventional procedures can produce pain, anxiety, and physical and mental distress. Analgesia and sedation in the interventional radiology suite are given routinely during interventional procedures and allow a safe, comfortable, and technically successful procedure to be performed. Appropriate sedation decreases patient movement, patient anxiety, pain perception, and is crucial to successfully perform percutaneous interventions. A thorough understanding of the preoperative patient assessment, intraprocedural monitoring, pharmacologic characteristics of medications, postoperative care, and treatment of complications is required for the practicing interventionalist. Complications related to sedation and analgesia can occur secondary to preexisting medical conditions, incorrect drug administration, and/or inadequate patient monitoring.1,2.
Project description:ObjectiveTo characterize use of uterine tamponade and interventional radiology procedures.MethodsThis retrospective study analyzed uterine tamponade and interventional radiology procedures in a large administrative database. The primary outcomes were temporal trends in these procedures 1) during deliveries, 2) by hospital volume, and 3) before hysterectomy for uterine atony or delayed postpartum hemorrhage. Three 3-year periods were analyzed: 2006-2008, 2009-2011, and 2012-2014. Risk of morbidity in the setting of hysterectomy with uterine tamponade and interventional radiology procedures as the primary exposures was additionally analyzed in adjusted models.ResultsThe study included 5,383,486 deliveries, which involved 6,675 uterine tamponade procedures, 1,199 interventional radiology procedures, and 1,937 hysterectomies. Interventional radiology procedures increased from 16.4 to 25.7 per 100,000 delivery hospitalizations from 2006-2008 to 2012-2014 (P<.01), and uterine tamponade increased from 86.3 to 158.1 (P<.01). Interventional radiology procedures use was highest (45.0/100,000 deliveries, 95% CI 41.0-48.9) in the highest and lowest (8.9/100,000, 95% CI 7.1-10.7) in the lowest volume quintile. Uterine tamponade procedures were most common in the fourth (209.8/100,000, 95% CI 201.1-218.5) and lowest in the third quintile (59.8/100,000, 95% CI 55.1-64.4). Interventional radiology procedures occurred before 3.3% of hysterectomies from 2006 to 2008 compared with 6.3% from 2012 to 2014 (P<.05), and uterine tamponade procedures increased from 3.6% to 20.1% (P<.01). Adjusted risks for morbidity in the setting of uterine tamponade and interventional radiology before hysterectomy were significantly higher (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.63, 95% CI 1.47-1.81 and aRR 1.75 95% CI 1.51-2.03, respectively) compared with when these procedures were not performed.ConclusionThis analysis found that uterine tamponade and interventional radiology procedures became increasingly common over the study period, are used across obstetric volume settings, and in the setting of hysterectomy may be associated with increased risk of morbidity, although this relationship is not necessarily causal.
Project description:During interventional procedures, the deficiencies of nonstereoscopic vision increase the difficulty of identifying the anteroposterior direction and pathways of vessels. Therefore, achieving real-time stereoscopic vision during interventional procedures is meaningful. Pairs of X-ray images were captured with identical parameter settings, except for different rotation angles (represented as the ? angle). The resulting images at these ? angles were used as left-eye and right-eye views and were horizontally merged into single left-right 3D images. Virtual reality (VR) glasses were used for achieving stereo vision. Pairs of X-ray images from four angiographies with different ? angles (1.8-3.4°) were merged into left-right 3D images. Observation with VR glasses can produce realistic stereo views of vascular anatomical structure. The results showed that the optimal ? angles accepted by the brain for generating stereo vision were within a narrow range (approximately 1.4-4.1°). Subsequent tests showed that during transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, 3D X-ray stereoscopic images provided significantly improved spatial discrimination and convenience for identifying the supply vessels of a liver tumor and its anteroposterior direction compared with plain X-ray images (all P?<?0.01). Real-time X-ray stereoscopic vision can be easily achieved via the straightforward method described herein and has the potential to benefit patients during interventional procedures.
Project description:Image-guided interventions have allowed for minimally invasive treatment of many common diseases, obviating the need for open surgery. While percutaneous interventions usually represent a safer approach than traditional surgical alternatives, complications do arise nonetheless. Inadvertent injury to blood vessels represents one of the most common types of complications, and its affect can range from inconsequential to catastrophic. The interventional radiologist must be prepared to manage hemorrhagic risks from percutaneous interventions. This manuscript discusses this type of iatrogenic injury, as well as preventative measures and treatments for postintervention bleeding.
Project description:Background:The use of fluoroscopically-guided interventional (FGI) procedures by orthopedic surgeons has been increasing. This study aimed to investigate the occupational radiation exposure among orthopedic surgeons in South Korea. Methods:A nationwide survey of orthopedic surgeons was conducted in South Korea in October 2017. The dosimetry data of the participants were obtained from the National Dosimetry Registry. The orthopedic surgeons were categorized by job specialty [spine or trauma specialists, other orthopedic specialists, and residents], and descriptive statistics for the demographics and work-related characteristics were presented. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors for the orthopedic surgeons who were not linked with the dosimetry data. Results:Among the total participants (n?=?513), 40.5% of the orthopedic surgeons spent more than 50% of their time working with the FGI procedures when compared with their overall work. The average frequency of the FGI procedures among the orthopedic surgeons was 12.3?days per month. Less than 30% of the participants were regularly provided with radiation monitoring badges. The proportion of subjects who always wore lead aprons and thyroid shields were 52 and 29%, respectively. The residents group experienced more unfavorable working conditions of radiation exposure than the other specialists. The dosimetry data were not significantly linked among the residents (odds ratio [OR] 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-3.95) and orthopedic surgeons working at small hospitals (OR 4.76, 95% CI 1.05-21.51). Conclusions:Although orthopedic surgeons often performed FGI procedures, they wore protective gear less frequently, and a large proportion of orthopedic surgeons were not monitored by the national radiation dosimetry system. As the number of radiation procedures performed by the orthopedic surgeons increases, more intensive approaches are needed to reduce radiation exposure, especially for spine and trauma surgeons.
Project description:In recent years, the application of EUS in the diagnosis and treatment has become increasingly popular due to the rapid technological advancements in this field. With the application of new technologies, EUS assistants encounter various problems or "pitfalls" during clinical operations, which may pose challenges to the successful completion of relevant procedures. For example, a needle tip may not be visualized by ultrasonography during EUS-FNA; a stiff fine needle may not be introduced through the working channel of the endoscope in the duodenum, and withdrawal of a guidewire in a needle may be associated with tearing and peeling of the guidewire in EUS-guided biliary drainage. In view of these commonly encountered problems, this article summarizes the countermeasures that EUS assistants can take for EUS-FNA and EUS-guided drainage to improve the efficiency of the procedures and reduce the occurrence of adverse events.
Project description:Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are rare and heterogeneous epithelial tumors most commonly arising from the gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) system. GEP-NENs account for approximately 60% of all NENs, and the small intestine and pancreas represent two most common sites of primary tumor development. Approximately 80% of metastatic patients have secondary liver lesions, and in approximately 50% of patients, the liver is the only metastatic site. The therapeutic strategy depends on the degree of hepatic metastatic invasion, ranging from liver surgery or percutaneous ablation to palliative treatments to reduce both tumor volume and secretion. In patients with grade 1 and 2 NENs, locoregional nonsurgical treatments of liver metastases mainly include percutaneous ablation and endovascular treatments, targeting few or multiple hepatic metastases, respectively. In the present work, we provide a narrative review of the current knowledge on liver-directed therapy for metastasis treatment, including both interventional radiology procedures and nuclear medicine options in NEN patients, taking into account the patient clinical context and both the strengths and limitations of each modality.