| 1. |
- Cunningham, Janet L., et al.
(författare)
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Agreement between physicians' and patients' ratings on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Affective Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0327 .- 1573-2517. ; 135:1-3, s. 148-153
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Self-rating scales developed for monitoring depression severity are potentially informative and cost effective tools. There is an increasing tendency to use the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the self-rating version (MADRS-S) interchangeably. Methods: 400 patients with major depressive disorder were included. Concordance between patient and physician ratings was measured by means of repeated MADRS and MADRS-S ratings during a six-month drug trial and one-year follow-up. Results: Overall scores from patients and physicians show the same trends and both are sensitive to improvements. Our results, however, show only moderate to good agreement between patient and physician ratings. Intraclass coefficients ranged from 0.47 to 0.75 with highest agreement at week 8. Limitations: Generalizability is restricted to outpatients in general practice with moderate to severe depression. MADRS-S and MADRS scale definitions are similar but not identical concerning language and are scaled differently, 0-6 vs. 0-3, respectively, which may have influenced the results. The exclusion criteria restricted the range of values for the item Suicidal thoughts/Zest for life, which may have reduced the correlations. Conclusions: MADRS-S is a suitable tool for following patients' symptoms on a regular basis over time and may also be used to compensate for bias in physicians' ratings in drug trials.
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| 2. |
- Cunningham, Janet L., et al.
(författare)
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Predicting disagreement between physicians and patients on depression response and remission
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Clinical Psychopharmacology. - 0268-1315 .- 1473-5857. ; 28:3, s. 134-140
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Demographic, personality, and disease-related factors all contribute when patients disagree with physicians on the severity of subjective symptoms. This study aims to create a model, on the basis of patient factors at treatment initiation, for longitudinal prediction of disagreement on treatment response and remission in depressed patients. Four hundred patients with major depressive disorder were studied during a clinical drug trial. Repeated assessments with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the self-rating version (MADRS-S) were used to indicate response or remission. Factors at baseline and week 2 were tested for inclusion in a model for the prediction of discordance on remission and response between patients and physicians at week 8. The models were then tested, in the same population, at weeks 12, 16, and 24. Model AUCs ranged from 0.71 to 0.74 for week 8. The models that were validated at weeks 12, 16, and 24 indicated stability in the predictive value of the models. The risk for longitudinal disagreement in the evaluation of depression treatment response and remission in clinical practice and drug trials can be predicted using factors at study initiation and at week 2.
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| 3. |
- Byström, P., et al.
(författare)
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An explorative study on the clinical utility of baseline and serial serum tumour marker measurements in advanced upper gastrointestinal cancer
- 2010
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Ingår i: Oncology Reports. - : Spandidos Publications. - 1021-335X .- 1791-2431. ; 24:6, s. 1645-1652
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The value of early tumour marker changes during palliative chemotherapy in patients with upper gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma (UGIA) is unclear. Seventy-three patients with advanced UGIA were randomised to receive 45 mg/m2 docetaxel or 180 mg/m2 irinotecan with 5-FU/leucovorin. After every 2nd course the patients were crossed over to the other regimen. Serum was sampled before start of chemotherapy and every 2nd week during 8 weeks for CEA, TPA, TPS, CA72-4, CA19-9 and CA242 measurements. Eighteen patients (25%) had partial response (PR) and 21 patients had stable disease for at least 4 months (SD4). All baseline marker levels, except CA72-4, correlated with time to progression and survival. Patients with normal levels, except CA72-4, also had more clinical responses (PR+SD4) than patients with elevated values. Tumour marker changes early during treatment provided modest predictive information for tumour response and survival. A model combining baseline level, the change and the interaction between them gave the best prediction of outcome, however, insignificantly better than baseline level for all markers except CA242. Baseline tumour marker levels provide prognostic information for patients with UGIA on palliative chemotherapy. Early changes generally failed to provide accurate information for tumour response and survival.
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| 4. |
- Byström, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of predictive markers for patients with advanced colorectal cancer
- 2012
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Ingår i: Acta Oncologica. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 51:7, s. 849-859
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background.To evaluate the predictive and prognostic value of serum and plasma tumor markers, in comparison with clinical and biomedical parameters for response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with combination chemotherapy.Material and methods.One-hundred and six patients with mCRC from three centers, part of a multicenter study, received irinotecan with the Nordic bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid schedule (FLIRI) or the de Gramont schedule (Lv5FU2-IRI). Blood samples for CEA, CA19-9, TPA, TIMP-1, SAA, transthyretin and CRP were taken at baseline and after two, four and eight weeks of treatment. Tumor marker levels at baseline and longitudinally were compared with responses evaluated (CT/MRI) after two and four months of treatment. The correlations to RR, PFS and OS were evaluated with regression analyses.Results.A significant correlation to OS was seen for baseline levels of all markers. In multivariate analyses with clinical parameters, TPA, CRP, SAA and TIMP-1 provided independent information. The baseline values of CEA, TPA and TIMP-1 were also significantly correlated to PFS and TPA to RR. Changes during treatment, i.e. the slope gave with the exception of CA19-9 for OS less information about outcomes. The best correlation to response was seen for CEA, CA19-9 and TPA with AUC values of 0.78, 0.83 and 0.79, respectively, using a combined model based upon an interaction between the slope and the baseline value.Conclusions.Baseline tumor markers together with clinical parameters provide prognostic information about survival in patients with mCRC. The ability of the individual tumor markers to predict treatment response and PFS is limited. Changes in marker levels during the first two months of treatment are less informative of outcome.
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| 5. |
- Henriksson, Catrin, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of health related quality of life on time from symptom onset to hospital arrival and the risk of readmission in patients with myocardial infarction
- 2014
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Ingår i: Open heart. - : BMJ. - 2053-3624. ; 1:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Despite increased awareness of the importance of early treatment in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the delay from symptom onset to hospital arrival is still too long and rehospitalisations are frequent. Little is known about how health-related quality of life (HRQL) affects delay time and the frequency of readmissions. METHOD: We used quality registers to investigate whether patients' HRQL has any impact on delay time with a new AMI, and on the rate of readmissions during the first year. Patients with AMI <75 years, with HRQL assessed with EQ-5D at 1-year follow-up, and who thereafter had a new AMI registered, were evaluated for the correlation between HRQL and delay time (n=454). The association between HRQL and readmissions was evaluated among those who had an additional AMI and a new 1-year follow-up registration (n=216). RESULTS: Patients who reported poor total health status (EQ-VAS ≤50), compared to those who reported EQ-VAS 81-100, had tripled risk to delay ≥2 h from symptom onset to hospital arrival (adjusted OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.43 to 6.34). Patients scoring EQ-VAS ≤50 had also a higher risk of readmissions in the univariate analysis (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.71 to 5.53). However, the correlation did not remain significant after adjustment (OR 1.99, 95% CI 0.90 to 4.38). EQ-index was not independently associated with delay time or readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: Aspects of total health status post-AMI were independently associated with delay time to hospital arrival in case of a new AMI. However, the influence of total health status on the risk of readmissions was less clear.
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| 6. |
- Henriksson, Catrin, et al.
(författare)
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Knowledge about Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and attitudes to medical care seeking : a comparison between patients and the general public
- 2012
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Ingår i: Open Journal of Nursing. - : Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.. - 2162-5336 .- 2162-5344. ; 2:4, s. 372-378
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Patients with acute myocardial infarction often have long decision times before seeking medical care. The decision time is influenced by knowledge of AMI-symptoms, psychological factors and the response of people near the patient to the symptoms.Aim:To investigate and compare the knowledge of AMI, intended actions in response to AMI-symptoms and attitudes toward seeking medical care of patients and the general public. Method: This was a multicentre study with descriptive and comparative design, using questionnaires as an instrument. The population consisted of AMI-patients and representatives of the general public.Results: There was good knowledge about typical AMI-symptoms among the participants. The majority thought an AMI always starts suddenly. Patients did not know more about the time-dependency of treatment outcome than the general public. A greater proportion of the general public would contact an additional person before consulting medical professionals.Conclusions: Patients had no better knowledge about AMI than the general public, but would more commonly act appropriately in case of AMI-symptoms.
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| 7. |
- Henriksson, Catrin, et al.
(författare)
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Knowledge and attitudes toward seeking medical care for AMI-symptoms
- 2011
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5273 .- 1874-1754. ; 147:2, s. 224-227
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Time is crucial when an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurs, but patients often wait before seeking medical care. Aim: To investigate and compare patients' and relatives' knowledge of AMI, attitudes toward seeking medical care, and intended behaviour if AMI-symptoms occur. Methods: The present study was a descriptive, multicentre study. Participants were AMI-patients <= 75 years (n = 364) and relatives to AMI-patients (n = 319). Questionnaires were used to explore the participants' knowledge of AMI and attitudes toward seeking medical care. Results: Both patients and relatives appeared to act more appropriate to someone else's chest pain than to their own. Patients did not have better knowledge of AMI-symptoms than relatives. Women would more often contact someone else before seeking medical care. A greater percentage of elderly (65-75 years), compared to younger individuals, reported that they would call for an ambulance if chest pain occurred. Conclusions: There were only minor differences between patients and relatives, regarding both knowledge and attitudes. It seems easier to act correctly as a bystander than as a patient. Therefore, in order to decrease patients' delay time it is important to educate relatives as well as patients on how to respond to symptoms of an AMI.
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| 8. |
- Johansson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) training of ambulance caregivers and impact on survival of trauma victims
- 2012
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Ingår i: Resuscitation. - : Elsevier BV. - 0300-9572 .- 1873-1570. ; 83:10, s. 1259-1264
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND:The Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) course has been widely implemented and approximately half a million prehospital caregivers in over 50 countries have taken this course. Still, the effect on injury outcome remains to be established. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between PHTLS training of ambulance crew members and the mortality in trauma patients.METHODS:A population-based observational study of 2830 injured patients, who either died or were hospitalized for more than 24h, was performed during gradual implementation of PHTLS in Uppsala County in Sweden between 1998 and 2004. Prehospital patient records were linked to hospital-discharge records, cause-of-death records, and information on PHTLS training and the educational level of ambulance crews. The main outcome measure was death, on scene or in hospital.RESULTS:Adjusting for multiple potential confounders, PHTLS training appeared to be associated with a reduction in mortality, but the precision of this estimate was poor (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-1.19). The mortality risk was 4.7% (36/763) without PHTLS training and 4.5% (94/2067) with PHTLS training. The predicted absolute risk reduction is estimated to correspond to 0.5 lives saved annually per 100,000 population with PHTLS fully implemented.CONCLUSIONS:PHTLS training of ambulance crew members may be associated with reduced mortality in trauma patients, but the precision in this estimate was low due to the overall low mortality. While there may be a relative risk reduction, the predicted absolute risk reduction in this population was low.
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| 9. |
- Mindemark, Mirja, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Costly regional variations in primary health care test utilization in Sweden
- 2010
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5513 .- 1502-7686. ; 70:3, s. 164-170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Laboratory tests are used increasingly in primary health care and they are thus associated with rapidly growing costs. Variations in clinical practice, an important determinant of expenditure for laboratory tests, could further increase the financial burden. The study's threefold objective was to determine the presence and extent of regional variations in test ordering between eight counties in Sweden, to investigate the influence on these variations by factors earlier described in the literature as explanatory, and to calculate the achievable savings that could be realized through optimized test ordering. Design: A retrospective study using test request data. Setting: A total of 223 primary health care centers in eight counties in Sweden. Main outcome measures: Thirteen ratios of commonly used laboratory tests, demographic data and the number of ordered tests per 1000 inhabitants served as the basis of comparison. The total savings per 100,000 inhabitants that could be achieved through optimized test ordering was estimated. Results: Large variations were found between all studied counties for all investigated ratios. However, none of the demographic variables investigated seemed to be able to explain the full extent of the variations. The range of achievable yearly savings per 100,000 inhabitants was euro14,000-euro185,000. Conclusion: The inter-county variations in Sweden are large and the savings associated with optimized test utilization are substantial. The investigated factors previously described as explaining the variations in test ordering only seem to explain a small part of the variation, and the variations are likely influenced by regional habits and traditions.
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| 10. |
- Oldgren, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Fibrinolytic therapy and bleeding complications: risk predictors from RIKS-HIA
- 2010
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Ingår i: HEART. - : BMJ Publishing Group; 1999. - 1355-6037 .- 1468-201X. ; 96:18, s. 1451-1457
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Fibrinolytic treatment for ST-elevation myocardial infarction is associated with increased bleeding risk but is still widely used world wide, mainly because of limited access to primary PCI. Objective To analyse contemporary fibrinolytic treatment patterns, in-hospital bleeding risk and prognosis during 2001 to 2006 in unselected Swedish patients. Methods and results The RIKS-HIA registry covers almost all Swedish patients treated for acute coronary syndromes. Major in-hospital bleeding was defined as lethal or intracranial bleeding or bleeding requiring surgery or blood transfusion. Survival status of the 15 373 patients was obtained from the National Cause of Death Register. The number of patients receiving fibrinolysis as reperfusion therapy decreased from 4336 patients in 2001 to 733 in 2006. Cases of major in-hospital bleeding increased from 1.2% (including 0.7% lethal or intracranial) in 2001 to 4.0% (1.1%) in 2006, pandlt;0.001. Higher age, female gender, hypertension, kidney failure, clopidogrel treatment before admission, pre-hospital administration of fibrinolysis and fibrin-specific fibrinolytic agents were identified as predictors for bleeding. Major in-hospital bleeding was the strongest predictor of adverse prognosis with a more than threefold increase in 1-year mortality. Conclusion During 2001 to 2006 the use of fibrinolytic treatment markedly decreased while the incidence of major bleeding complications more than doubled. The latter might in part be explained by increasing use concomitant antiplatelet therapy, pre-hospital treatment and fibrin-specific fibrinolytic agents. Future close monitoring of bleeding complications is warranted, especially when considering the increased use of various combinations of antithrombotic drugs in conjunction with fibrinolysis and the great impact of bleeding on long-term mortality.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Palm, Maria, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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A longitudinal study of plasma levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), placental growth factor (PlGF), sFlt1 : PlGF ratio and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) in normal pregnancy
- 2011
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Ingår i: Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 0001-6349 .- 1600-0412. ; 90:11, s. 1244-1251
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To describe plasma levels of angiogenic (PlGF, VEGF-A) and anti-angiogenic (sFlt1) factors as well as the sFlt1:PlGF ratio throughout normal pregnancy and postpartum. Design: Longitudinal prospective study. Setting: One outpatient antenatal clinic in Uppsala, Sweden. Population: Thirty-seven healthy women with normal pregnancies and normal neonatal outcome were included. Methods: Blood samples were collected from each woman at least six times. Plasma levels of sFlt1, PlGF and VEGF-A were measured using commercially available ELISA kits. Main outcome measures. Median plasma levels, the 25th to the 75th percentile and the average change per gestational week of sFlt1, PlGF and the sFlt1:PlGF ratio. Results: sFlt1 levels were relatively constant until weeks 29-30, when they increased, reaching a peak at week 40. An increase of 643pg/ml per week was observed from weeks 30 to 40. Postpartum levels were low. PlGF increased by 16pg/ml per week from early pregnancy until weeks 29-30 and thereafter decreased by 14pg/ml per week until week 40. The sFlt1:PlGF ratio decreased from weeks 9-12, was constantly low from weeks 19-20 to 37-38 and then increased to weeks 39-40. VEGF-A was detectable in only 8% of the samples during pregnancy and in 64% postpartum. Conclusion: This longitudinal study demonstrates how sFlt1, PlGF and the sFlt1:PlGF ratio fluctuate throughout normal pregnancy and postpartum and may serve as a reference against which these factors can be studied in complicated pregnancies. VEGF-A levels were more often detectable postpartum.
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| 13. |
- Palm, Maria, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Involvement of inflammation in normal pregnancy
- 2013
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Ingår i: Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 0001-6349 .- 1600-0412. ; 92:5, s. 601-605
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. To study the role of inflammatory biomarkers of cytokine and cyclooxygenase origin throughout normal pregnancy and postpartum.Design. Longitudinal prospective study.Setting. One outpatient antenatal clinic in Uppsala, Sweden. Population. Thirty-seven healthy women with normal pregnancies and normal neonatal outcome were included. Methods. Blood and urine samples were collected from each woman at least 6 times during pregnancy and postpartum. Plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were measured by using ELISA kits and urine levels of PGF2α metabolite were measured by using RIA.Main outcome measures. Median plasma and urine levels, the 25:th to the 75:th percentile and the average change per gestational week of IL-6, TNF-α and PGF2α metabolite .Results.IL-6 levels increased significantly throughout pregnancy and postpartum levels remained high. No change in TNF-α could be seen with advancing gestational age or postpartum period. The PGF2α metabolite levels increased significantly throughout pregnancy and decreased in postpartum period.Conclusion.These results suggest that mild but significant inflammatory activity is involved in development of normal pregnancy and might have important physiological effects.
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| 14. |
- Snellman, Greta, et al.
(författare)
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Determining Vitamin D Status : A Comparison between Commercially Available Assays
- 2010
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 5:7, s. e11555-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Vitamin D is not only important for bone health but can also affect the development of several non-bone diseases. The definition of vitamin D insufficiency by serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D depends on the clinical outcome but might also be a consequence of analytical methods used for the definition. Although numerous 25-hydroxyvitamin D assays are available, their comparability is uncertain. We therefore aim to investigate the precision, accuracy and clinical consequences of differences in performance between three common commercially available assays. Methodology/Principal Findings: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels from 204 twins from the Swedish Twin Registry were determined with high-pressure liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLCAPCI-MS), a radioimmunoassay (RIA) and a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA). High inter-assay disagreement was found. Mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were highest for the HPLC-APCI-MS technique (85 nmol/L, 95% CI 81-89), intermediate for RIA (70 nmol/L, 95% CI 66-74) and lowest with CLIA (60 nmol/L, 95% CI 56-64). Using a 50-nmol/L cut-off, 8% of the subjects were insufficient using HPLC-APCI-MS, 22% with RIA and 43% by CLIA. Because of the heritable component of 25-hydroxyvitamin D status, the accuracy of each method could indirectly be assessed by comparison of within-twin pair correlations. The strongest correlation was found for HPLC-APCI-MS (r = 0.7), intermediate for RIA (r = 0.5) and lowest for CLIA (r = 0.4). Regression analyses between the methods revealed a non-uniform variance (p<0.0001) depending on level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Conclusions/Significance: There are substantial inter-assay differences in performance. The most valid method was HPLCAPCI-MS. Calibration between 25-hydroxyvitamin D assays is intricate.
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| 15. |
- Wallentin, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Biomarkers in Relation to the Effects of Ticagrelor in Comparison With Clopidogrel in Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Managed With or Without In-Hospital Revascularization A Substudy From the Prospective Randomized Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) Trial
- 2014
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Ingår i: Circulation. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 129:3, s. 293-303
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Risk stratification and the use of specific biomarkers have been proposed for tailoring treatment in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). We investigated the prognostic importance of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) in relation to randomized treatment (ticagrelor versus clopidogrel) and management strategy (with or without revascularization) in the NSTE-ACS subgroup of the Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial. Methods and Results Of 18 624 patients in the PLATO trial, 9946 had an entry diagnosis of NSTE-ACS and baseline blood samples available. During index hospitalization, 5357 were revascularized, and 4589 were managed without revascularization. Hs-TnT, NT-proBNP, and GDF-15 were determined and assessed according to predefined cutoff levels. Median follow-up was 9.1 months. Increasing levels of hs-TnT were associated with increasing risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke in medically managed patients (P<0.001), but not in those managed invasively. NT-proBNP and GDF-15 levels were associated with the same events independent of management strategy. Ticagrelor versus clopidogrel reduced the rate of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke in patients with NSTE-ACS and hs-TnT 14.0 ng/L in both invasively and noninvasively managed patients; in patients with hs-TnT <14.0 ng/L, there was no difference between ticagrelor and clopidogrel in the noninvasive group Conclusions Hs-TnT, NT-proBNP, and GDF-15 are predictors of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke in patients with NSTE-ACS managed noninvasively, and NT-proBNP and GDF-15 also in those managed invasively. Elevated hs-TnT predicts substantial benefit of ticagrelor over clopidogrel both in invasively and noninvasively managed patients, but no apparent benefit was seen at normal hs-TnT. Clinical Trial Registration URL:http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00391872.
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