Andrew K. Diehl

How many days of bed rest for acute low back pain? A randomized clinical trial

Bed rest is usually recommended for acute low back pain. Although the optimal duration of bed rest is uncertain, a given prescription may directly affect the number of days lost from work or other activities. In a randomized trial, we compared the consequences of recommending two days of bed rest (Group I) with those of recommending seven days (Group II). The subjects were 203 walk-in patients with mechanical low back pain; 78 percent had acute pain (less than or equal to 30 days), and none had marked neurologic deficits. Follow-up data were obtained at three weeks (93 percent) and three months (88 percent). Although compliance with the recommendation of bed rest was variable, patients randomly assigned to Group I missed 45 percent fewer days of work than those assigned to Group II (3.1 vs. 5.6 days, P = 0.01), and no differences were observed in other functional, physiologic, or perceived outcomes. For many patients without neuromotor deficits, clinicians may be able to recommend two days of bed rest rather than longer periods, without any perceptible difference in clinical outcome. If widely applied, this policy might substantially reduce absenteeism from work and the resulting indirect costs of low back pain for both patients and employers.

Cancer as a cause of back pain - Frequency, clinical presentation, and diagnostic strategies

Back pain is very common. Rarely, it may be the first manifestation of cancer. Although many advocate selective use of laboratory and x-ray tests for back pain patients, the early detection of cancer may be an important reason to obtain such tests. To develop a diagnostic approach that would identify malignancies while remaining parsimonious, the authors evaluated 1,975 walk-in patients with α chief complaint of back pain. Thirteen patients (0.66%) proved to have underlying cancer. Findings significantly associated with underlying cancer (p<0.05) were: age ≥50 years, previous history of cancer, duration of pain>1 month, failure to improve with conservative therapy, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and anemia. Combining historical features and ESR results led to an algorithm that would have limited x-ray utilization to just 22% of subjects while recommending an x-ray for every cancer patient. It would further suggest which patients with negative x-ray findings require further work-up.Back pain is very common. Rarely, it may be the first manifestation of cancer. Although many advocate selective use of laboratory and x-ray tests for back pain patients, the early detection of cancer may be an important reason to obtain such tests. To develop a diagnostic approach that would identify malignancies while remaining parsimonious, the authors evaluated 1,975 walk-in patients with α chief complaint of back pain. Thirteen patients (0.66%) proved to have underlying cancer. Findings significantly associated with underlying cancer (p<0.05) were: age ≥50 years, previous history of cancer, duration of pain>1 month, failure to improve with conservative therapy, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and anemia. Combining historical features and ESR results led to an algorithm that would have limited x-ray utilization to just 22% of subjects while recommending an x-ray for every cancer patient. It would further suggest which patients with negative x-ray findings require further work-up.

Patient satisfaction with medical care for low-back pain.

Because patient satisfaction with medical care for back pain is an important outcome and may correlate with compliance or other outcomes, the authors devised a brief (9- item) satisfaction scale and demonstrated its reliability and validity. The most frequently cited source of dissatisfaction among 140 patients with mechanical low-back pain (LBP) was failure to receive an adequate explanation of the problem. Compared with patients who reported an adequate explanation, those who did not wanted more diagnostic tests, were less satisfied with their visit, and were less likely to want the same doctor again. Receiving an adequate explanation was not associated with more tests or physician time. Thus, explanation of symptoms has a high priority among patients with LBP, and this need should be explicitly acknowledged and addressed by their physicians.

Measuring physical and psychosocial function in patients with low-back pain

Techniques for assessing daily function in Patients with back pain are generally crude and limited in scope. We therefore examined a “health status” questionnaire, the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) to assess its measurement characteristics in such patients. Eighty patients with mechanical low-back pain completed the SIP and a physical examination at a walk-in visit and again three weeks later. Test-retest reliability of the SIP was substantial. Biologic validity was confirmed by significant correlations with age, pain duration, spine flexion, straight leg raising, and pain severity. Validity of psychosocial subscales was confirmed by significant associations with patient anxiety and psychiatric problems. Scores changed in the expected directions when patients were evaluated three weeks later. The SIP is thus valid, reliable, sensitive to clinical changes, and comprehensively assesses a wide range of dysfunctions.

Lumbar spine films in primary care - Current use and effects of selective ordering criteria

Low back pain (LBP) often prompts radiography, although the diagnostic yield of lumbar spine films is low, and many radiographic abnormalities are unrelated to symptoms. Criteria have been proposed for selective x-ray use, but their value and safety are uncertain. To evaluate these criteria, the authors prospectively studied 621 walk-in patients with LBP. The yield of explanatory x-ray findings was over three times greater among patients with indications for radiography than among those without. Furthermore, an indication for x-rays existed for all patients found to have a malignancy, and for 13 of 14 patients with an identified fracture. Actual physician ordering, however, did not correspond well with the recommended indications. Application of selective criteria appears safe and may improve the yield of useful findings. It may not, however, reduce x-ray utilization from current levels without further refinement in the criteria.Low back pain (LBP) often prompts radiography, although the diagnostic yield of lumbar spine films is low, and many radiographic abnormalities are unrelated to symptoms. Criteria have been proposed for selective x-ray use, but their value and safety are uncertain. To evaluate these criteria, the authors prospectively studied 621 walk-in patients with LBP. The yield of explanatory x-ray findings was over three times greater among patients with indications for radiography than among those without. Furthermore, an indication for x-rays existed for all patients found to have a malignancy, and for 13 of 14 patients with an identified fracture. Actual physician ordering, however, did not correspond well with the recommended indications. Application of selective criteria appears safe and may improve the yield of useful findings. It may not, however, reduce x-ray utilization from current levels without further refinement in the criteria.

A genomewide search finds major susceptibility loci for gallbladder disease on chromosome 1 in Mexican americans

Gallbladder disease (GBD) is one of the major digestive diseases. Its risk factors include age, sex, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (MS). The prevalence of GBD is high in minority populations, such as Native and Mexican Americans. Ethnic differences, familial aggregation of GBD, and the identification of susceptibility loci for gallstone disease by use of animal models suggest genetic influences on GBD. However, the major susceptibility loci for GBD in human populations have not been identified. Using ultrasound-based information on GBD occurrence and a 10-cM gene map, we performed multipoint variance-components analysis to localize susceptibility loci for GBD. Phenotypic and genotypic data from 715 individuals in 39 low-income Mexican American families participating in the San Antonio Family Diabetes/Gallbladder Study were used. Two GBD phenotypes were defined for the analyses: (1) clinical or symptomatic GBD, the cases of cholecystectomies due to stones confirmed by ultrasound, and (2) total GBD, the clinical GBD cases plus the stone carriers newly diagnosed by ultrasound. With use of the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, five MS risk factors were defined: increased waist circumference, hypertriglyceredemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertension, and high fasting glucose. The MS risk-factor score (range 0-5) for a given individual was used as a single, composite covariate in the genetic analyses. After accounting for the effects of age, sex, and MS risk-factor score, we found stronger linkage signals for the symptomatic GBD phenotype. The highest LOD scores (3.7 and 3.5) occurred on chromosome 1p between markers D1S1597 and D1S407 (1p36.21) and near marker D1S255 (1p34.3), respectively. Other genetic locations (chromosomes 2p, 3q, 4p, 8p, 9p, 10p, and 16q) across the genome exhibited some evidence of linkage (LOD >or=1.2) to symptomatic GBD. Some of these chromosomal regions corresponded with the genetic locations of Lith loci, which influence gallstone formation in mouse models. In conclusion, we found significant evidence of major genetic determinants of symptomatic GBD on chromosome 1p in Mexican Americans.

Clinical evaluation for gallstone disease: Usefulness of symptoms and signs in diagnosis

PURPOSE Patients with gallstones who have recently experienced biliary tract pain are likely to develop recurrent symptoms in the near future. As a consequence, most symptomatic patients are offered specific treatment. However, disagreement persists regarding which symptoms and signs truly represent symptomatic cholelithiasis. We re-examined the relation of gastrointestinal complaints and physical findings to the presence of gallstones in a clinical population. PATIENTS AND METHODS Over a 2-year period, we identified outpatients of a public teaching hospital for whom diagnostic studies of the gallbladder had been ordered. Patients were interviewed and examined by research personnel prior to completion of the studies. Gastrointestinal symptoms and physical examination findings in 122 patients found to have gallstones were contrasted with those of 178 gallstone-free patients. RESULTS In comparison to control subjects, patients with gallstones more often reported epigastric pain lasting at least 30 minutes (64.2% versus 45.1%, p less than 0.004). The latter patients infrequently complained of lower abdominal pain (12.3% versus 29.9%, p less than 0.002), but more often described pain radiating to the upper back. Gallstone-associated pain usually occurred more than 1 hour after meals, persisted from 1 to 24 hours, and was steady in quality. Although these differences were statistically significant, likelihood ratio analysis indicated that clinical symptoms and signs were relatively weak discriminators of gallbladder disease. CONCLUSIONS Upper abdominal pain is the symptom most closely associated with gallstone disease. Radiation to the upper back, a steady quality, duration between 1 and 24 hours, and onset more than an hour after meals support the diagnosis. Nevertheless, gallstone-associated symptoms are non-specific, and accurate diagnosis cannot rely on the clinical assessment alone. Careful clinical evaluation can guide patient selection for diagnostic imaging and the appropriate management of those found to harbor stones.

Changing indications for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Stones without symptoms and symptoms without stones.

In less than a decade, laparoscopic methods have dramatically improved the safety and convenience of cholecystectomy. As a result, the number of cholecystectomies performed nationwide has increased significantly. Whether this increase is a reflection of any major change in operative indications is unclear; the actual answer may vary from community to community. Silent gallstones continue to represent a sometimes contentious therapeutic dilemma. Because their natural history is unlikely to have changed, the management guidelines previously established for open cholecystectomy continue to have relevance today. Thus, it can be agreed that the majority of patients with silent gallstones do not require a cholecystectomy. The changing risk-benefit ratio suggests that some liberalization of these guidelines may now be in order. Already a number of transplantation surgeons have begun to recommend pretransplant cholecystectomy for asymptomatic patients who are found to have gallstones during screening. Available evidence also appears to support the use of pre-emptive laparoscopic cholecystectomy for other indications such as in selected women of childbearing age, young children, and patients with very large gallstones. The problem of silent gallstones in diabetics continues to be more enigmatic, but some complicated diabetics are probably best managed with operation. Other patient groups who are at high risk of having adverse outcomes from expectant management will be more precisely identified by future research efforts. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy should also be helpful in patients with various forms of acalculous biliary disease. However, special caution is advisable in approaching chronic acalculous cholecystitis until more specific and reproducible diagnostic methods are further validated.

Socioeconomic status and the prevalence of clinical gallbladder disease

The prevalence of clinical gallbladder disease was determined in a cross-sectional survey of Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. The study population was randomly selected from three urban neighborhoods representing different socioeconomic strata. Gallbladder disease was defined as a history of cholecystectomy, or of stones on cholecystography. Mexican American women had an age-standardized prevalence of 16.9%, vs 8.7% for non-Hispanic whites (p less than 0.0001). Prevalences in men were 4.2 and 3.4%, respectively. The ethnic differences in women persisted after stratification by age, parity, and body mass index. Gallbladder disease prevalence was inversely related to four measures of socioeconomic status. After controlling for age, obesity, parity, and ethnicity, the prevalence in women was inversely related to levels of education, income, occupational status, and neighborhood. These socioeconomic differences, if not the result of detection bias, suggest that environmental factors may play a role in gallstone pathogenesis. Identification of such factors may lead to the development of preventive strategies.

Dietary intake and the prevalence of gallbladder disease in Mexican Americans

Mexican Americans have a high prevalence of gallbladder disease. We examined the contribution of ethnic preferences in food intake to the risk of gallbladder disease in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Participants in a population-based health survey were questioned about any history of gallbladder disease, and were interviewed to determine their dietary intake. After adjusting for age, body mass index, and ethnic group, we found that women with the highest intake of total fat and linoleic acid had reduced risks of gallbladder disease, although an opposite trend was observed in men. High levels of sucrose intake and low levels of cholesterol intake were associated with an increased risk for both sexes, but the odds ratios were not statistically significant. Although Mexican Americans and non-Hispanics differed in their intake of several nutrients, the elevated risk of gallbladder disease in Mexican American women was unchanged after ethnic differences in food intake were taken into account. Although the dietary preferences of Mexican Americans as reflected in 24-h diet recall interviews do not appear to explain their high prevalence of gallbladder disease, this finding should be interpreted with caution because of methodologic limitations in measuring habitual food intake.