Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: Trials have shown superiority of primary percutaneous intervention (PPCI) over in-hospital thrombolysis in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated within 6-12 hours from symptom onset. These studies also included high-risk patients not all of whom underwent a therapeutic intervention. 

Objectives: To compare the outcome of early-arriving stable STEMI patients treated by thrombolysis with or without coronary angiography to the outcome of PPCI-treated STEMI patients.

Methods: Based on six biannual Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Surveys comprising 5474 STEMI patients, we analyzed the outcome of 1464 hemodynamically stable STEMI patients treated within 3 hours of onset. Of these, 899 patients underwent PPCI, 383 received in-hospital thrombolysis followed by angiography (TFA), and 182 were treated by thrombolysis only.

Results: Median time intervals from symptom onset to admission were similar while door-to-reperfusion intervals were 63, 45 and 52.5 minutes for PPCI, TFA and thrombolysis only, respectively (P < 0.001). The 30-day composite endpoint of death, post-infarction angina and myocardial infarction occurred in 77 patients of the PPCI group (8.6%), 64 patients treated by TFA (16.7%), and 36 patients of the thrombolysis only group (19.8%, P < 0.001), with differences mostly due to post-infarction angina. One-year mortality rate was 27 (3%), 13 (3.4%) and 11 (6.1%) for PPCI, TFA and thrombolysis only, respectively (P = 0.12).

Conclusions: PPCI was superior to thrombolysis in early-arriving stable STEMI patients with regard to 30-day composite endpoint driven by a decreased incidence of post-infarction angina. No 1 year survival benefit for PPCI over thrombolysis was observed in early-arriving stable STEMI patients.

 

Background: In recent years, the role of intrapartum sonography has expanded in childbirth management, in subjective clinical situations such as arrested deliveries, or prior to instrumental deliveries.

Objectives: To assess the current use of intrapartum ultrasound by obstetricians in Israel.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 79 obstetricians in second- and third level- hospitals in Israel. The results were analyzed according to main subspecialty (sonography, delivery), experience and gender.

Results: A questionnaire was completed by 56 senior obstetricians and 23 interns with an average experience of 14.3 and 2.4 years, respectively. All obstetricians performed ultrasound examinations in the delivery room for basic indications such as fetal presentation during twin delivery and to rule out placenta previa. Sonographers consistently reported advanced indications as compared to senior members of delivery teams and interns in the assessment of prolonged first (52% vs. 14% vs. 14%) and second stage of labor (88% vs. 52% vs. 62%) and in assessment of fetal head station (60% vs. 30% vs. 22%), head progression during descent (48% vs. 23% vs. 11%), diagnosis of head position (88% vs. 68% vs. 60%), spine direction (92% vs. 59% vs. 53%) and asynclytism (41% vs. 20% vs. 29%).

Conclusions: Ultrasound is currently used by all physicians in the delivery room for basic indications. However, obstetric teams report a low use of advanced intrapartum ultrasound and prefer to rely on their clinical experience. Advanced intrapartum sonographic imaging should be an integral part of obstetric qualifications. A steep learning curve, along with high reproducibility, suggests that ultrasound devices will become a common tool in labor and delivery management.

Background: Recurrent tuberculosis (TB) is one of the indices used to assess the effectiveness of the Israeli National TB Programs (NTP).

Objectives: To estimate the incidence of recurrent TB in Israel and to identify the associated risk factors.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all TB patients who were Israeli citizens and diagnosed between 1999 and 2011 with a treatment outcome recorded as “success." We compared those who had recurrent TB with those who did not. In addition, a nested case-control study included all those who had recurrent TB with a random sample from this cohort matched by age, gender, and year of TB diagnosis.

Results: Of 3515 TB patients diagnosed between 1999 and 2011, 37 (1.05%) had recurrent TB during the follow-up period, with an incidence rate of 1.55 cases per 1000 person-years (PY). Male gender [hazard ratio (HR) 3.2, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.4–7.4], human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (HR 3.9, 95%CI 1.5–10.4), positive sputum culture [odds ratios (OR) 2.7, 95%CI 1.1–6.9], and low adherence to anti-TB treatment (OR 3.2, 95%CI 1.0–10.3) were found to be risk factors for recurrent TB.

Conclusions: Male gender, HIV infection, positive sputum culture, and low adherence to anti-TB drugs during the initial TB episode were risk factors for developing recurrent TB.

Background: Transcatheter tricuspid valve-in-valve implantation (TVIV) is an attractive yet under-explored alternative to redo valve surgery. 

Objectives: To report the multicenter TVIV experience in Israel.

Methods: We approached multiple centers and collected data regarding seven TVIV cases. 

Results: The study group comprised seven participants: five females and two males, with a mean age of 63 ± 12 years and EuroSCORE-II 13.6 ± 3.3%. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 21 months (mean 8 ± 6 months). All presented with advanced heart failure. The indication for valve intervention was a predominant tricuspid stenosis in three patients, significant tricuspid regurgitation in one and a mixture in three. Six procedures were conducted via a transfemoral approach and one by transatrial access. The Edwards SAPIENTM XT valve was used in four cases and the SAPIENTM 3 in three. Without pre-stenting/rapid pacing, all participants underwent successful valve implantation. Mean transvalvular gradient decreased from 11 ± 3 mmHg to 6 ± 3 mmHg (P = 0.003) and regurgitation decreased from moderate/severe (in four cases) to none/trace (in six of the seven cases). One patient remained severely symptomatic and died 3.5 months after the implantation. All others achieved a functional capacity improvement and amelioration of symptoms soon after the implantation, which persisted during follow-up. 

Conclusions: TVIV may be a safe and effective strategy to treat carefully selected patients with degenerated bioprosthetic tricuspid valve at high operative risk. 

 

Background: The prevalence and etiology of nephrolithiasis vary, depending on geography, gender and ethnicity. 

Objectives: To analyze the demographic data of return nephrolithiasis patients in a tertiary care center.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our prospective registry database of return patients seen at our outpatient clinic for nephrolithiasis. Data included gender, age at first visit, age at first stone event, body mass index (BMI), self-reported hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and hyperlipidemia. All patients were seen at least twice and had undergone a metabolic workup. 

Results: A total of 260 return patients were seen during the period 2010–2015. The male:female ratio was 3.1:1. Mean age at the first stone event was 44.1 years. Median time elapsed since the first stone event to medical evaluation was 5 years (interquartile range 1–12 years). Hypertension was reported by 33.1% of the patients, DM by 23.5% and hyperlipidemia by 30.4%. All three diseases were reported by 11.5% of patients. The metabolic abnormalities detected were hypocitraturia (60%), low urine volume (LUV) (60%), hypercalciuria (40.8%), hyperoxaluria (24.2%), hyperuricosuria (16.5%) and hyperuricemia (13.5%). Stone compositions from most to least frequent were calcium-oxalate (81%), calcium-phosphate (11.9%) and uric acid (7.1%). We also found that 24.6% were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and showed higher rates of hypertension, DM, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia and hyperuricosuria compared with non-obese patients. Significantly higher rates of obesity and LUV were detected in females compared with males. Patients over age 45 had lower rates of hyperuricemia compared with patients ≥ 45 years old (P = 0.038).

Conclusions: Factors related to nephrolithiasis can potentially differ among populations and countries. Our findings emphasize the significance of individualized national health programs to address local issues.

 

Background: neonatal cardiac surgery has evolved over the last 50 years with a large percentage of the patients achieving complete physiological repair in the neonatal period. The remaining patients achieve staged palliation with an increasing amount of success. 

Objectives: To report our experience with 1000 neonatal cardiac surgical procedures performed in the last 10 years.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of surgical outcome in all neonatal patients who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2007 and July 2016 at Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel.

Results: A total of 1003 neonates aged < 30 days underwent surgery for congenital heart defects at our center. Neonatal surgery accounted for 22.5% of all cardiac surgeries. Neonatal operative mortality was 7.3%, Operative mortality for individual lesions were: simple aortic coarctation (CoA) (198 patients, 2.5%), CoA with hypoplastic arch (24, 4%), CoA with ventricular septal defect (VSD) (84, 2.3%), transposition of the great arteries (TGA, simple and complex, 185, 6.3%), TGA with VSD (37, 0%), truncus arteriosus (26, 3.8%), interrupted aortic arch (25, 4%), Norwood Sano (71, 19.7%), neonatal tetralogy of Fallot (41, 0%), and shunt (131 patients, 12%).

Conclusions: Neonatal surgical capabilities have improved substantially over the last decades. Excellent results can be expected for lesions that can be repaired to create biventricular circulation. Improved results can be attributed in part to the evolution of surgical strategies and assistive technologies, but essential is the collaborative effort of surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and intensive care specialists acting as a cohesive team whose performance far exceeds the sum of its individual members’ contributions. 

 

Background: Six medical disciplines are responsible for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of people with attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Israel: family doctors, pediatricians, adult and child neurologists, adult and child psychiatrists.  

Objectives: To investigate differences in ADHD diagnostic practices between three different pediatric subspecialties in the clinical setting in order to establish a common ground for a future unified approach.

Methods: An anonymous web-based questionnaire was administered to child psychiatrists, pediatric neurologists and general pediatricians who are actively involved in ADHD diagnosis (n=104).

Results: Neurologists and pediatricians rarely use the mental status examination, while psychiatrists rarely perform a neurological or physical examination (P < 0.0001). A general clinical impression of learning abilities and/or neurodevelopmental skills was implemented more often by pediatric neurologists (P < 0.04).

Conclusions: The significant differences found between the three medical specialties with regard to the clinical evaluation of ADHD could be attributed, at least in part, to the ambiguity of available guidelines concerning the clinical examination, and to the adherence of each specialty to its own "skills." Larger surveys in other countries should be considered and an effort made to create a common, "inter-disciplinary" ground on this important part of ADHD evaluation, differential diagnosis, and research.

 

Background: Although fat grafting is a common technique to repair defects after breast cancer reconstruction surgery and has a low complication rate, the relation between fat grafting and the risk of breast cancer is unknown. Clinical trials to investigate this connection can elucidate the benefits and potential risks of fat grafting in oncology patients.

Objectives:To establish an efficient experimental model, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, for comparing different breast tumor study groups post-fat grafting. 

Methods: Breast tumor cells were injected into immunocompromised mice. After tumors formed they were removed. Liposuction was performed in a female human donor and fat was collected. Cells were extracted from the fat by enzymatic digestion. Immunocompromised mice were randomized into four groups: a preliminary experiment group and three equal groups according to the type of fat graft: (i) fresh fat enriched with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs), (ii) fresh fat without cell enrichment, and (iii) no fat injected. Tumor volume was assessed by serial MRI scans. 

Results: The rate of tumor growth was higher in the enriched fat group compared to the non-enriched fat group. 

Conclusions: This experimental model is an effective measurable method, allowing future investigation of the effect of autologous fat on breast cancer.

 

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous chronic autoimmune disease that it is very difficult to diagnose in the early phase, resulting in a critical delay in therapy which is often begun when internal organ involvement is already irreversible. The ACR or LeRoy criteria have a low sensitivity for the early phases; these criteria were replaced by the ACR/EULAR 2013 criteria which improved the disease classification. Therefore, the SSc diagnosis may be delayed for several years after the onset of Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) and even after the onset of the first non-RP symptom. RP, antinuclear antibodies (ANA) positivity, and puffy fingers were recently indicated as “red flags” (by the VEDOSS project) – that is, the main elements for suspicion of SSc in the very early phase of the disease. Confirming the diagnosis requires further tests, particularly nailfold videocapillaroscopy and evaluation of specific disease antibodies (anti-centromere and anti-topoisomerase I). In this way, the VEDOSS project identified patients in the very early phase of disease enabling a ‘‘window of opportunity’’ whereby the physician can act with effective drugs to block or at least slow the progression of the disease. The principal challenge in the fight against SSc is to detect valid predictors of disease evolution in order to treat patients in the early stage of disease. While waiting to find valid predictors, a close follow-up of the patients with the VEDOSS red flags is essential, as is a close collaboration between rheumatologists and general practitioners in order to identify all potential SSc patients as soon as possible.

Lung involvement is a well-recognized extra-articular manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Anecdotal reports suggest that the use of anti-TNF drugs may be related to lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis. To examine the association between anti-TNF drugs and the development of lung disease in patients with AS or  psoriatic arthritis (PsA) we conducted a systematic review. Of the 670 papers identified by means of key word and hand search, only one full-text paper was considered potentially relevant but had to be discarded as it did not meet the eligibility criteria. Although no conclusion was reached, this is the first systematic review to examine this problem which is becoming increasingly important as these drugs are widely prescribed in patients with spondyloarthritis.