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Academic productivity in pediatric neurosurgery in relation to elective surgery slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic

Virendra R. Desai, Audrey Grossen, Huy Gia Vuong, Nicholas Hopkins, Mikayla Peters, and Andrew Jea

OBJECTIVE

COVID-19 has not only impacted healthcare systems directly via hospitalizations and resource utilization, but also indirectly via adaptations in healthcare practice, such as the evolution of the academic environment and the rise of telemedicine and virtual education. This void in clinical responsibilities has been filled with academic productivity in various fields. In this study the authors investigate the influence of COVID-19 on the academic focus within pediatric neurosurgery.

开云体育世界杯赔率

All data were obtained from the开云手机版app下载安装最新版神经外科杂志》开云体育app官方网站下载入口: Pediatrics(JNS Peds). The number of submissions for each month from January 2017 to December 2021 was collected. Data including number of publications, publication level of evidence (LOE), and COVID-19–related articles were collected and verified. Each publication was categorized by manuscript and LOE according to adaptations from the Canadian Task Force on Periodic Health Examination. Publication groups were categorized as pre–COVID-19 (January 2017–February 2020), peri–COVID-19 (March 2020–July 2020), and post–COVID-19 (August 2020–December 2021). Statistical analysis was performed to compare pre–COVID-19, peri–COVID-19, and post–COVID-19 academic volume and quality.

RESULTS

During the study time period, a total of 3116 submissions and 997 publications were identified forJNS Peds。只有2篇文章专门COVID-19有关and its impact on pediatric neurosurgery were identified, both published in 2021. When analyzing submission volume, a statistically significant increase was seen during the shutdown relative to pre–COVID-19 and post-shutdown time periods, and a significant decrease was seen post-shutdown relative to pre–COVID-19. LOE changed significantly as well. When comparing pre–COVID-19 versus post–COVID-19 articles, a statistically significant increase was identified only in level 4 publications. When analyzing pre–COVID-19 versus post–COVID-19 (2020) and post–COVID-19 (2021), a statistically significant decrease in level 3 and increases in levels 4 and 5 were identified during post–COVID-19 (2020), with a rebound increase in level 3 and a decrease in level 5 during post–COVID-19 (2021).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a significant increase in manuscript submission during the initial pandemic period. However, there was no change during subsequent spikes in COVID-19–related hospitalizations. Coincident with the initial surge in academic productivity, despite steady publication volume, was an inverse decline in quality as assessed by LOE.

In开云手机版app下载安装最新版神经外科杂志》开云体育app官方网站下载入口: Pediatrics Volume 30: Issue 5 (Nov 2022)

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A standardized protocol to reduce pediatric baclofen pump infections: a quality improvement initiative

Virendra R. Desai, Jeffrey S. Raskin, Arvind Mohan, JoWinsyl Montojo, Valentina Briceño, Daniel J. Curry, and Sandi Lam

OBJECTIVE

Intrathecal baclofen pumps are generally placed in children for the treatment of spasticity and dystonia. Use of implants in this pediatric population with comorbidities is reported to have a high risk of complications and infections. With the aim of reducing baclofen pump–related infections, a quality improvement project was instituted at the authors’ institution.

开云体育世界杯赔率

A workflow paradigm unique to baclofen pump implantation aimed at decreasing implant-related infections was implemented. All baclofen pump operations performed at the authors’ institution between August 2012 and June 2016 were reviewed. An infection prevention protocol was created and implemented in August 2014 based on a literature review and the consensus opinion of the pediatric neurosurgeons in the group. Compliance with the prevention bundle was tracked. Case outcomes before and after implementation of the protocol with a minimum of 3 months of follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the association of the steps in the prevention bundle with infection and complication outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 128 baclofen pump surgeries were performed (64 preprotocol and 64 postprotocol). The patient age range was 3 to 27 years. The overall compliance rate with the infection prevention bundle was 82%. The pre- and postimplementation infection rates were 12.5% and 6.3%, respectively (p = 0.225). The total pre- and postimplementation complication rates were 23.4% and 9.4%, respectively (p = 0.032). The absolute and relative risk reductions for infections were 6.3% (95% CI 3.8%–16.3%) and 50%, respectively; for complications, the absolute and relative risk reductions were 14.1% (95% CI 1.5%–26.7%) and 60%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The total complication rate following intrathecal baclofen pump surgery was significantly lower after implementation of the quality improvement protocol. This study is an example of using checklist standardization to diminish special cause variability.

In开云手机版app下载安装最新版神经外科杂志》开云体育app官方网站下载入口: Pediatrics Volume 21 (2018): Issue 4 (Apr 2018)

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Concomitant brain abscess and spinal cord abscess in an immunocompetent teenage male: illustrative case

Piiamaria S. Virtanen, Med Jimson D. Jimenez, V. Jane Horak, Virendra R. Desai, John J. Manaloor, and Jeffrey S. Raskin

BACKGROUND

Multiple bilateral brain abscesses occur rarely in immunocompetent patients. Hematogenous spread to the central nervous system (CNS) allows suppuration and abscess formation in the privileged immune environment of the CNS; hematogenous spread to the spinal cord is extremely rare and the combination of multifocal brain abscesses and intramedullary abscesses has not been reported. This report presents a rare presentation and diagrams a treatment algorithm involving iterative minimal access surgeries and prolonged medical management.

OBSERVATIONS

The authors present a case of an 18-year-old male with numerous multifocal and bilateral intraparenchymal abscesses and a medically resistant C5 intramedullary spinal cord abscess. The symptomatic patient had a left oculomotor palsy and left hemiparesis, ultimately undergoing ultrasound-guided aspiration of abscesses in the left frontal and left cerebral peduncle. Following transient motor improvement, he evolved tetraparesis prompting spinal cord imaging and emergent ultrasound-guided needle aspiration of an occult C5 intramedullary spinal cord abscess. The patient received appropriate medical therapy, completed inpatient rehabilitation, and made a full recovery.

LESSONS

Needle- and ultrasound-guided catheter drainage of CNS abscesses should be considered for symptomatic lesions. Following the neurological examination closely is extremely important; if the expected neurological improvement is delayed or regresses, then expanded imaging is warranted.

In开云手机版app下载安装最新版神经外科杂志》开云体育app官方网站下载入口: Case Lessons Volume 5 (2023): Issue 4 (Jan 2023)

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Influence of the living Pareto chart and data transparency on patient outcomes in neurosurgery

Helen H. Shi, Sixia Chen, Laura Propester, Jami Valenzuela, Joanna Gernsback, Virendra R. Desai, Karl Balsara, Kristin Zieles, and Andrew Jea

OBJECTIVE

Quality improvement (QI) tools are increasingly being used to calibrate healthcare quality. Achieving healthcare quality is essential, as there is a movement toward value-based healthcare delivery. Visual management, such as a living Pareto chart, is a strategy for improvement within the QI framework. The authors herein hypothesized that transparency of data through a living Pareto chart is a powerful way to improve patient outcomes and gain clinical efficiency.

开云体育世界杯赔率

The authors retrospectively reviewed patient outcomes and complications; cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks; shunt, baclofen, and other surgical site infections; readmission rates; and same- or next-day appointments in a cohort of patients at the Riley Hospital for Children from November 1, 2016, to May 31, 2020. Similarly, they reviewed neurosurgical outcomes and complications at a second institution, the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, where a living Pareto chart was utilized from February 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. The discrete frequency and rates per month of outcomes and complications were graphed on scatterplots, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to measure the strength of the relationship between event frequency and time, and best-fit lines illustrated the relationship between those points through the least-squares method.

RESULTS

At both the Riley Hospital for Children and Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, the use of a living Pareto chart to display data transparently was associated with decreasing infections, and it was associated with decreasing readmissions at Riley. On the other hand, it encouraged same- or next-day clinic appointments to be offered to patients and families. Interestingly, CSF leaks were not mitigated with data transparency alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Transparency is a driver of change in patient, provider, and institutional behaviors. It is an essential element of QI and patient safety, as well as building a culture of trust. Readmissions, infections, and same- or next-day appointments were influenced by the living Pareto chart; however, CSF leaks remained recalcitrant to data transparency. Other QI strategies may be necessary to positively affect the occurrence of CSF leaks in neurosurgery.

In开云手机版app下载安装最新版神经外科杂志》开云体育app官方网站下载入口: Pediatrics Publish Before Print

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Language lateralization with resting-state and task-based functional MRI in pediatric epilepsy

Virendra R. Desai, Aditya Vedantam, Sandi K. Lam, Lucia Mirea, Stephen T. Foldes, Daniel J. Curry, P. David Adelson, Angus A. Wilfong, and Varina L. Boerwinkle

OBJECTIVE

我确定语言偏重患者ntractable epilepsy is important in operative planning. Wada testing is the gold standard, but it has a risk of stroke. Both Wada and task-based functional MRI (tb-fMRI) require patient cooperation. Recently, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) has been explored for language lateralization. In the present study, the correlation between rs-fMRI and tb-fMRI in language lateralization is estimated in a pediatric population with intractable epilepsy.

开云体育世界杯赔率

rs-fMRI and tb-fMRI language lateralization testing performed as part of epilepsy surgery evaluation was retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine patients underwent rs-fMRI and tb-fMRI; a total of 38 rs-fMRI studies and 30 tb-fMRI studies were obtained. tb-fMRI suggested left dominance in 25 of 30 cases (83%), right in 3 (10%), and in 2 (7%) the studies were nondiagnostic. In rs-fMRI, 26 of 38 studies (68%) suggested left dominance, 3 (8%) right dominance, 6 (16%) bilateral, and 3 (8%) were nondiagnostic. When tb-fMRI lateralized to the left hemisphere (25 cases), rs-fMRI was lateralized to the left in 23 patients (92%) and it was bilateral/equal in 2 (8%). When tb-fMRI lateralized to the right (3 cases), rs-fMRI lateralized to the right in all cases (100%). The overall concordance rate was 0.93 (95% CI 0.76–0.99) when considering cases with tb-fMRI and rs-fMRI performed within 6 months of each other, and tb-fMRI results were not nondiagnostic.

CONCLUSIONS

rs-fMRI significantly correlated with tb-fMRI in lateralizing language and suggests the potential role for identifying hemispheric dominance via rs-fMRI. Further investigation and validation studies are warranted.

In开云手机版app下载安装最新版神经外科杂志》开云体育app官方网站下载入口: Pediatrics Volume 23: Issue 2 (Feb 2019)

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Abstracts of the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Lumbar Spine Research Society Chicago, Illinois • April 9–10, 2015

InNeurosurgical Focus Volume 38 (2015): Issue 4 (Apr 2015): Craniovertebral Junction Abnormalities

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2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting Los Angeles, CA • April 22–26, 2017

In开云手机版app下载安装最新版神经外科杂志》开云体育app官方网站下载入口Volume 126 (2017): Issue 4 (Apr 2017): Pages 1029-A1444

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