Search results for "confidence interval"
showing 10 items of 1297 documents
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Results of intratympanic steroids as salvage treatment
2012
Objective: The aim of the present study was to verify the efficacy and the safety of intratympanic dexamethasone to treat sudden sensorineural hearing loss as salvage therapy. Materials and methods: A prospective study was conducted on patients affected by idiopathic sudden hearing loss who were treated before with some systemic therapy, but without recovery of the hearing The patients able to undergo the study, but who refused salvage treatment were considered as control group. A solution of Dexamethasone 4 mg/ml was then injected through the posterior–inferior quadrant filling completely the middle ear. The follow-up in the following 6 months included an audiogram every month. Results: Th…
Statin therapy and plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations—A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials
2015
Statin therapy may lower plasma coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) concentrations, but the evidence as to the significance of this effect is unclear. We assessed the impact of statin therapy on plasma CoQ10 concentrations through the meta-analysis of available RCTs. The literature search included selected databases up to April 30, 2015. The meta-analysis was performed using either a fixed-effects or random-effect model according to I(2) statistic. Effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The data from 8 placebo-controlled treatment arms suggested a significant reduction in plasma CoQ10 concentrations following treatment with statins (WMD: -0.44 μmol/…
Cancer-specific survival after radical cystectomy and standardized extended lymphadenectomy for node-positive bladder cancer: prediction by lymph nod…
2009
OBJECTIVE To investigate the associations between different overall or topographically restricted lymph node (LN) variables and cancer-specific survival (CSS) after radical cystectomy (RC) and extended LN dissection (LND) with curative intent in patients with LN-positive bladder cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 2001 and 2006, 152 patients had RC with standardized extended LND for bladder cancer with curative intent. Patients with positive LNs were stratified according to the median of the LN variables (LNs removed, number of positive LNs, LN density). CSS was related to overall and topographically restricted LN variables, e.g. different levels of LND, and relationships were tested by un…
The PFO anatomy evaluation as possible tool to stratify the associated risks and the benefits arising from the closure
2010
Aims According to the current guidelines, the patent foramen ovale (PFO) is still considered a qualitative factor and, as a consequence, its closure is recommended just on the basis of its ‘presence’. Methods and results In the year 2008, we evaluated 25 patients (mean age 62.7) with acute cerebrovascular event and 92 patients (mean age 27.3) suffering from migraine with aura. No PFO was reported in 79 patients. A venous-to-arterial circulation shunt had been shown in 38 patients (29 subjects with migraine and 9 subjects with prior stroke). According to the number of microbubbles arrived during the Valsava manoeuvre, we found: 25 small PFO, 6 moderate PFO, and 6 severe PFO. In the baseline …
Residual vein thrombosis for assessing duration of anticoagulation after unprovoked deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs: the extended DACUS study.
2011
Abstract The safest duration of anticoagulation after idiopathic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is unknown. We conducted a prospective study to assess the optimal duration of vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy considering the risk of recurrence of thrombosis according to residual vein thrombosis (RVT). Patients with a first unprovoked DVT were evaluated for the presence of RVT after 3 months of VKA administration; those without RVT suspended VKA, while those with RVT continued oral anticoagulation for up to 2 years. Recurrent thrombosis and/or bleeding events were recorded during treatment (RVT group) and 1 year after VKA withdrawal (both groups). Among 409 patients evaluated for unprovoked DVT…
Dietary habits are related to outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure awaiting heart transplantation.
2012
Abstract Background Empirical evidence supporting the benefits of dietary recommendations for patients with advanced heart failure is scarce. We prospectively evaluated the relation of dietary habits to pre-transplant clinical outcomes in the multisite observational Waiting for a New Heart Study. Methods and Results A total of 318 heart transplant candidates (82% male, age 53 ± 11 years) completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire (foods high in salt, saturated fats, poly-/monounsaturated fats [PUFA+MUFA], fruit/vegetables/legumes, and fluid intake) at time of waitlisting. Cox proportional hazard models controlling for heart failure severity (eg, Heart Failure Survival Score, creatinine) estim…
Neuromuscular Fatigue and Physiological Responses After Five Dynamic Squat Exercise Protocols
2015
This aimed to analyze neuromuscular, physiological and perceptual responses to a single bout of 5 different dynamic squat exercise protocols. In a randomized and counterbalanced order, 15 male resistance-trained athletes (mean ± SD; age: 23.1 ± 1.9 years, body mass: 77.4 ± 8.0 kg) completed traditional multiple sets (MS: 4 × 6, 85% 1 repetition maximum [RM]), drop sets (DS: 1 × 6, 85% 1RM + 3 drop sets), eccentric overload (EO: 4 × 6, 70% 1RM concentric, 100% 1RM eccentric), flywheel YoYo squat (FW: 4 × 6, all-out), and a plyometric jump protocol (PJ: 4 × 15, all-out). Blood lactate (La), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), counter movement jump height (CMJ), multiple rebound jump (MRJ) pe…
Development and validation of the Migraine Screen Questionnaire (MS-Q).
2005
Aim.—To develop and evaluate the clinimetric properties of a new migraine screening questionnaire: the Migraine Screen Questionnaire (MS-Q). Background.—Migraine is a public health problem requiring screening programs and tools to ensure early detection. Methods.—A questionnaire was developed based on the criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS) and a review of the literature by a committee of experts. Stage I: The original version of the MS-Q was distributed by mail and completed by Pfizer employees and self-administered to neurological patients; all subjects were afterward evaluated by a neurologist who was blinded to the MS-Q results, to establish an independent IHS diagnosis…
The Use of Lower or Higher Than Recommended Doses of Folic Acid Supplements during Pregnancy Is Associated with Child Attentional Dysfunction at 4–5 …
2021
We assessed the association between the use of lower- and higher-than-recommended doses of folic acid supplements (FAs) during pregnancy and attentional function in boys and girls at age of 4–5. We analyzed data from 1329 mother-child pairs from the mother-child cohort INfancia y Medio Ambiente Project (INMA) study. Information on FAs use during pregnancy was collected in personal interviews at weeks 12 and 30, and categorized in <
Effect of organizational features on patient satisfaction with care in Italian multiple sclerosis centres
2017
Background and purpose Receiving clear, complete and up-to-date information and having a satisfying relationship with the health professional (HP) are of primary importance for MS patients. Healthcare organization plays a key role in promoting an effective relationship and communication between patients and HPs. The present study aims to explore which care organization and service characteristics provided by Italian MS centres best predict patients’ satisfaction with healthcare. Methods Eighty-one centres and 707 patients (502 women, mean age 40.5 years, SD 10.2; mean education 12.2 years, SD 3.6; time since diagnosis 5.9 years, SD 1.5) were included in the analysis. The care organization a…