Armin Muigg

Implementation of Computer-Based Quality-of-Life Monitoring in Brain Tumor Outpatients in Routine Clinical Practice

CONTEXT Computerized assessment of quality of life (QOL) in patients with brain tumors can be an essential part of quality assurance with regard to evidence-based medicine in neuro-oncology. OBJECTIVES The aim of this project was the implementation of a computer-based QOL monitoring tool in a neurooncology outpatient unit. A further aim was to derive reference values for QOL scores from the collected data to improve interpretability. METHODS Since August 2005, patients with brain tumors treated at the neuro-oncology outpatient unit of the Innsbruck Medical University were consecutively included in the study. QOL assessment (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC] Quality of Life Questionnaire [QLQ-C30] plus the EORTC QLQ-brain cancer module [BN20]) was computer-based, using a software tool called the Computer-based Health Evaluation System. RESULTS A total of 110 patients with primary brain tumors (49% female; mean [standard deviation] age 47.9 [12.6] years; main diagnoses: 30.9% astrocytoma, 17.3% oligodendroglioma, 17.3% glioblastoma, 13.6% meningioma) was included in the study. On average, QOL was assessed 4.74 times per patient, 521 times in total. The user-friendly software was successfully implemented and tested. The routine QOL assessment was found to be feasible and was well accepted by both physicians and patients. CONCLUSION The software-generated graphic QOL profiles were found to be an important tool for screening patients for clinically relevant problems. Thus, computer-based QOL monitoring can contribute to an optimization of treatment (e.g., symptom management, psychosocial interventions) and facilitate data collection for research purposes.

Poor Response to Activated Protein C as a Prominent Risk Predictor of Advanced Atherosclerosis and Arterial Disease

BACKGROUND The potential role of activated protein C (APC) resistance in arterial thrombosis and disease is a matter of ongoing controversy. METHODS AND RESULTS In the present population-based survey, a random sample of 826 men and women underwent high-resolution duplex ultrasound scanning of the carotid and femoral arteries. Response to APC was expressed in APC ratios. Subjects were tested for the factor V Leiden mutation. The risk of carotid stenosis increased gradually with decreasing response to APC (adjusted OR [95% CI] for a 1-U decrease of response to APC, 1.6 [1. 2 to 2.2]), as did the risk of femoral artery stenosis (1.7 [1.3 to 2.3]) and prevalent cardiovascular disease (1.4 [1.1 to 2.0]). The association between low APC ratio and atherosclerotic vascular disease applied equally to subjects with the factor V Leiden mutation and those without. Our study identified various nongenetic determinants of poor response to APC in the general population, including behavioral, hormonal, and environmental factors. CONCLUSIONS The present study revealed an independent and gradual association between low response to APC and both advanced atherosclerosis (stenosis) and arterial disease. Resistance to APC due to factor V Leiden mutation was only one facet of this relationship.

Topography of putaminal degeneration in multiple system atrophy: a diffusion magnetic resonance study.

There is neuropathologic evidence that, in early stages of the Parkinson variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA‐P), the putamen shows a distinct topographical pathology affecting predominantly the dorsolateral and caudal regions while leaving the rostral to midparts almost intact. We investigated the topographic profile of putaminal degeneration in MSA‐P patients in vivo by means of diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI), which has been shown to reveal abnormalities in the basal ganglia of patients with MSA‐P compared to patients with PD and healthy controls. For this purpose, regional trace of the diffusion tensor (rTrace(D)) values were determined in the entire, anterior, and posterior putamen in 15 patients with probable MSA‐P, in 20 patients with PD, and in 11 healthy volunteers matched for age and disease duration. MSA‐P patients had significantly higher rTrace(D) values in entire, anterior, and posterior putamen compared to both controls and PD patients. Trace(D) values were significantly higher in the posterior compared to the anterior putamen in the MSA‐P group. There were no significant differences between posterior and anterior putamen in both the control and PD group. Our study demonstrates prominent involvement of the posterior putamen in early disease stages of MSA‐P in vivo by assessing putaminal diffusivity with the help of DWI.

Do neurooncological patients and their significant others agree on quality of life ratings

IntroductionPatients suffering from brain tumours often experience a wide range of cognitive impairments that impair their ability to report on their quality of life and symptom burden. The use of proxy ratings by significant others may be a promising alternative to gain information for medical decision making or research purposes, if self-ratings are not obtainable. Our study investigated the agreement of quality of life and symptom ratings by the patient him/herself or by a significant other.MethodsPatients with primary brain tumours were recruited at the neurooncological outpatient unit of Innsbruck Medical University. Quality of life self- and proxy-ratings were collected using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and its brain cancer module, the QLQ-BN20.ResultsBetween May 2005 and August 2007, 42 pairs consisting of a patient and his/her significant other were included in the study. Most of the employed quality of life scales showed fairly good agreement between patient- and proxy-ratings (median correlation 0.46). This was especially true for Physical Functioning, Sleeping Disturbances, Appetite Loss, Constipation, Taste Alterations, Visual Disorders, Motor Dysfunction, Communication Deficits, Hair Loss, Itchy Skin, Motor Dysfunction and Hair Loss. Worse rater agreement was found for Social Functioning, Emotional Functioning, Cognitive Functioning, Fatigue, Pain, Dyspnoea and Seizures.ConclusionThe assessment of quality of life in brain cancer patients through ratings from their significant others seems to be a feasible strategy to gain information about certain aspects of patients quality of life and symptom burden, if the patient is not able to provide information himself.

[Implementation of thrombolysis in acute stroke--10-year results of the Innsbruck stroke registry].

SummaryBACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials have yielded evidence for the efficacy and safety of intravenous alteplase in the therapy of acute ischemic stroke. A large patient registry has recently confirmed the safe implementation of this therapy in the clinical routine setting. METHODS: Between January 1998 and December 2007 302 stroke patients were treated with 0.9 mg/kg rt-PA at the stroke unit of the Innsbruck University Hospital. Severity and circumstances of the stroke event, indicators of pre- and intrahospital management as well as safety and outcome at three months were prospectively assessed in the local thrombolysis database. RESULTS: The number of patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis increased continuously from 2 patients in 1998 to 67 in 2007 and 87 patients in 2008. 43% of our patients were females. The median age and NIHSS-score on admission was 67 and 16, respectively. The mean onset-to-needle time decreased from 171 min to 110 min – mainly due to a substantial shortening of the door-to-needle time from 105 min to 45 min. A proportion of 41% of our patients were treated in the main working time while 59% received rt-PA during night and weekend service. A total of 38% of our patients were functionally independent at three months (mRS 0–2). Once considering the high initial stroke severity in our patient series and correcting the NIHSS scores to levels usually seen in randomized control trials and patient registries, 56% of our patients would reach a good outcome (mRS 0–2). The rate of symptomatic intracranial bleedings was low at 6.3%. CONCLUSION: Our data reinforce that intravenous thrombolysis is safe in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in clinical routine setting. Establishment of modern stroke services and the implementation of structural operating procedures have contributed to an increase in the number of treated patients and a parallel decrease in door-to-needle time at our hospital. Widespread educational programs in the general community, introduction of optimized pre-hospital triage algorithms as well as the potential extension of the 3-hour window to 4.5 hours all are suitable measures to further extend the benefit of i.v. thrombolysis to large proportion of stroke patients.ZusammenfassungHINTERGRUND: Die Wirksamkeit der systemischen Thrombolyse mit rekombinantem Gewebs- Plasminogen-Aktivator (rt-PA) beim akuten ischämischen Schlaganfall wurde in klinischen Studien dokumentiert . Die Umsetzung der Studienergebnisse in den klinischen Alltag ist bei Einhaltung der Richtlinien gegeben. STUDIENDESIGN: Im Zeitraum von 1998–2007 wurden an der Universitätsklinik für Neurologie in Innsbruck 302 PatientInnen mit akutem ischämischem Schlaganfall mit rt-PA in einer Dosis von 0,9 mg/kg Körpergewicht systemisch lysiert. Der initiale Schweregrad, prä- und intrahospitale Organisationsabläufe, die Sicherheit und das funktionelle Outcome nach drei Monaten wurden anhand validierter Parameter prospektiv in einer Datenbank erfasst. ERGEBNISSE: Die Lysefrequenz stieg kontinuierlich von initial 2 (1998) auf zuletzt 67 (2007) bzw. 87 (2008) pro Jahr. 43% der PatientInnen waren Frauen. Das durchschnittliche Alter lag bei 67 Jahren, der NIHSS-Score bei Aufnahme betrug im Mittel 16. Die mittlere Onset-to-needle-time verkürzte sich von 171 min auf 110 min – v.a. bedingt durch eine Verbesserung der Door-to-needle-time von 105 min auf 45 min. In der Regeldienstzeit wurden 41%, im Nacht- und Wochenenddienst 59% der PatientInnen lysiert. 38% der PatientInnen waren nach drei Monaten funktionell unabhängig (mRS 0–2). Bei Anpassung und Korrektur des Schweregrades entsprechend der internationalen Studien erreichen 56% ein gutes Outcome. Die Rate an symptomatischen intracerebralen Blutungen betrug 6,3%. KONKLUSION: Die Daten belegen die Sicherheit der i.v. Thrombolyse beim ischämischen Schlaganfall in der klinischen Routine und zeigen, dass Verbesserungen der Infrastruktur, der prä- und intrahospitalen Organisationsabläufe an der Stroke Unit Innsbruck zu einer gesteigerten Lyserate führten, verbunden mit einer Verkürzung der mittleren Door-to-needle-time. Durch Aufklärungskampagnen der Bevölkerung, Verbesserung der Triagealgorithmen im Notarztwesen und der Ausweitung des Lysezeitfensters von 3 auf 4,5 Stunden nach Symptombeginn kann die Therapiefrequenz in Zukunft noch gesteigert werden.

Einsatz der Thrombolyse beim akut ischämischen Schlaganfall

SummaryBACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials have yielded evidence for the efficacy and safety of intravenous alteplase in the therapy of acute ischemic stroke. A large patient registry has recently confirmed the safe implementation of this therapy in the clinical routine setting. METHODS: Between January 1998 and December 2007 302 stroke patients were treated with 0.9 mg/kg rt-PA at the stroke unit of the Innsbruck University Hospital. Severity and circumstances of the stroke event, indicators of pre- and intrahospital management as well as safety and outcome at three months were prospectively assessed in the local thrombolysis database. RESULTS: The number of patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis increased continuously from 2 patients in 1998 to 67 in 2007 and 87 patients in 2008. 43% of our patients were females. The median age and NIHSS-score on admission was 67 and 16, respectively. The mean onset-to-needle time decreased from 171 min to 110 min – mainly due to a substantial shortening of the door-to-needle time from 105 min to 45 min. A proportion of 41% of our patients were treated in the main working time while 59% received rt-PA during night and weekend service. A total of 38% of our patients were functionally independent at three months (mRS 0–2). Once considering the high initial stroke severity in our patient series and correcting the NIHSS scores to levels usually seen in randomized control trials and patient registries, 56% of our patients would reach a good outcome (mRS 0–2). The rate of symptomatic intracranial bleedings was low at 6.3%. CONCLUSION: Our data reinforce that intravenous thrombolysis is safe in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in clinical routine setting. Establishment of modern stroke services and the implementation of structural operating procedures have contributed to an increase in the number of treated patients and a parallel decrease in door-to-needle time at our hospital. Widespread educational programs in the general community, introduction of optimized pre-hospital triage algorithms as well as the potential extension of the 3-hour window to 4.5 hours all are suitable measures to further extend the benefit of i.v. thrombolysis to large proportion of stroke patients.ZusammenfassungHINTERGRUND: Die Wirksamkeit der systemischen Thrombolyse mit rekombinantem Gewebs- Plasminogen-Aktivator (rt-PA) beim akuten ischämischen Schlaganfall wurde in klinischen Studien dokumentiert . Die Umsetzung der Studienergebnisse in den klinischen Alltag ist bei Einhaltung der Richtlinien gegeben. STUDIENDESIGN: Im Zeitraum von 1998–2007 wurden an der Universitätsklinik für Neurologie in Innsbruck 302 PatientInnen mit akutem ischämischem Schlaganfall mit rt-PA in einer Dosis von 0,9 mg/kg Körpergewicht systemisch lysiert. Der initiale Schweregrad, prä- und intrahospitale Organisationsabläufe, die Sicherheit und das funktionelle Outcome nach drei Monaten wurden anhand validierter Parameter prospektiv in einer Datenbank erfasst. ERGEBNISSE: Die Lysefrequenz stieg kontinuierlich von initial 2 (1998) auf zuletzt 67 (2007) bzw. 87 (2008) pro Jahr. 43% der PatientInnen waren Frauen. Das durchschnittliche Alter lag bei 67 Jahren, der NIHSS-Score bei Aufnahme betrug im Mittel 16. Die mittlere Onset-to-needle-time verkürzte sich von 171 min auf 110 min – v.a. bedingt durch eine Verbesserung der Door-to-needle-time von 105 min auf 45 min. In der Regeldienstzeit wurden 41%, im Nacht- und Wochenenddienst 59% der PatientInnen lysiert. 38% der PatientInnen waren nach drei Monaten funktionell unabhängig (mRS 0–2). Bei Anpassung und Korrektur des Schweregrades entsprechend der internationalen Studien erreichen 56% ein gutes Outcome. Die Rate an symptomatischen intracerebralen Blutungen betrug 6,3%. KONKLUSION: Die Daten belegen die Sicherheit der i.v. Thrombolyse beim ischämischen Schlaganfall in der klinischen Routine und zeigen, dass Verbesserungen der Infrastruktur, der prä- und intrahospitalen Organisationsabläufe an der Stroke Unit Innsbruck zu einer gesteigerten Lyserate führten, verbunden mit einer Verkürzung der mittleren Door-to-needle-time. Durch Aufklärungskampagnen der Bevölkerung, Verbesserung der Triagealgorithmen im Notarztwesen und der Ausweitung des Lysezeitfensters von 3 auf 4,5 Stunden nach Symptombeginn kann die Therapiefrequenz in Zukunft noch gesteigert werden.

Einsatz der Thrombolyse beim akut ischämischen Schlaganfall@@@Implementation of thrombolysis in acute stroke – 10-year results of the Innsbruck stroke registry: 10-Jahres-Ergebnisse an der Stroke Unit Innsbruck

SummaryBACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials have yielded evidence for the efficacy and safety of intravenous alteplase in the therapy of acute ischemic stroke. A large patient registry has recently confirmed the safe implementation of this therapy in the clinical routine setting. METHODS: Between January 1998 and December 2007 302 stroke patients were treated with 0.9 mg/kg rt-PA at the stroke unit of the Innsbruck University Hospital. Severity and circumstances of the stroke event, indicators of pre- and intrahospital management as well as safety and outcome at three months were prospectively assessed in the local thrombolysis database. RESULTS: The number of patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis increased continuously from 2 patients in 1998 to 67 in 2007 and 87 patients in 2008. 43% of our patients were females. The median age and NIHSS-score on admission was 67 and 16, respectively. The mean onset-to-needle time decreased from 171 min to 110 min – mainly due to a substantial shortening of the door-to-needle time from 105 min to 45 min. A proportion of 41% of our patients were treated in the main working time while 59% received rt-PA during night and weekend service. A total of 38% of our patients were functionally independent at three months (mRS 0–2). Once considering the high initial stroke severity in our patient series and correcting the NIHSS scores to levels usually seen in randomized control trials and patient registries, 56% of our patients would reach a good outcome (mRS 0–2). The rate of symptomatic intracranial bleedings was low at 6.3%. CONCLUSION: Our data reinforce that intravenous thrombolysis is safe in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in clinical routine setting. Establishment of modern stroke services and the implementation of structural operating procedures have contributed to an increase in the number of treated patients and a parallel decrease in door-to-needle time at our hospital. Widespread educational programs in the general community, introduction of optimized pre-hospital triage algorithms as well as the potential extension of the 3-hour window to 4.5 hours all are suitable measures to further extend the benefit of i.v. thrombolysis to large proportion of stroke patients.ZusammenfassungHINTERGRUND: Die Wirksamkeit der systemischen Thrombolyse mit rekombinantem Gewebs- Plasminogen-Aktivator (rt-PA) beim akuten ischämischen Schlaganfall wurde in klinischen Studien dokumentiert . Die Umsetzung der Studienergebnisse in den klinischen Alltag ist bei Einhaltung der Richtlinien gegeben. STUDIENDESIGN: Im Zeitraum von 1998–2007 wurden an der Universitätsklinik für Neurologie in Innsbruck 302 PatientInnen mit akutem ischämischem Schlaganfall mit rt-PA in einer Dosis von 0,9 mg/kg Körpergewicht systemisch lysiert. Der initiale Schweregrad, prä- und intrahospitale Organisationsabläufe, die Sicherheit und das funktionelle Outcome nach drei Monaten wurden anhand validierter Parameter prospektiv in einer Datenbank erfasst. ERGEBNISSE: Die Lysefrequenz stieg kontinuierlich von initial 2 (1998) auf zuletzt 67 (2007) bzw. 87 (2008) pro Jahr. 43% der PatientInnen waren Frauen. Das durchschnittliche Alter lag bei 67 Jahren, der NIHSS-Score bei Aufnahme betrug im Mittel 16. Die mittlere Onset-to-needle-time verkürzte sich von 171 min auf 110 min – v.a. bedingt durch eine Verbesserung der Door-to-needle-time von 105 min auf 45 min. In der Regeldienstzeit wurden 41%, im Nacht- und Wochenenddienst 59% der PatientInnen lysiert. 38% der PatientInnen waren nach drei Monaten funktionell unabhängig (mRS 0–2). Bei Anpassung und Korrektur des Schweregrades entsprechend der internationalen Studien erreichen 56% ein gutes Outcome. Die Rate an symptomatischen intracerebralen Blutungen betrug 6,3%. KONKLUSION: Die Daten belegen die Sicherheit der i.v. Thrombolyse beim ischämischen Schlaganfall in der klinischen Routine und zeigen, dass Verbesserungen der Infrastruktur, der prä- und intrahospitalen Organisationsabläufe an der Stroke Unit Innsbruck zu einer gesteigerten Lyserate führten, verbunden mit einer Verkürzung der mittleren Door-to-needle-time. Durch Aufklärungskampagnen der Bevölkerung, Verbesserung der Triagealgorithmen im Notarztwesen und der Ausweitung des Lysezeitfensters von 3 auf 4,5 Stunden nach Symptombeginn kann die Therapiefrequenz in Zukunft noch gesteigert werden.