ns with CKD.
  Treatment of low back pain (LBP) associated with elderly degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) remains controversial. We have developed percutaneous intervertebral-vacuum polymethylmethacrylate injection (PIPI) targeting to the intervertebral vacuum as a minimally invasive surgery. The present study compared the long-term clinical outcomes of PIPI to that of nonoperative treatment.
 
  Patients with de novo DLS, aged ≥ 65years, who had LBP with visual analog scale (VAS) of ≥ 50 for ≥ 6months with intervertebral vacuum on computed tomography and bone marrow edema (BME) on magnetic resonance imaging were included. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using VAS and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at baseline, 1, 6, 12, 24months, and at the final follow-up. The course of BME was also evaluated.
 
  One hundred and one patients underwent PIPI and 61 received nonoperative treatment. The mean follow-up duration after PIPI and nonoperative treatment was 63.7 ± 32.4 and 43.9 ± 20.9months, respectively. VAS and ODI after PIPI were significantly improved compared to post-nonoperative treatment. BME decreased substantially in the PIPI group and it was significantly correlated with VAS and ODI improvement.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/Erlotinib-Hydrochloride.html  Following PIPI, LBP recurred in 28 patients (35%). LBP recurrence was identified at the same level of PIPI in 10 patients, at the adjacent level of PIPI in 11 patients, and at the non-adjacent level of PIPI in seven patients. Eighteen patients underwent additional PIPIs, and both VAS and ODI were significantly improved after additional PIPIs.
 
  Bone marrow lesions of the endplate are strongly associated with the presence of LBP. PIPI can be considered as an effective, safe and repeatable treatment for LBP in elderly DLS patients.
 Bone marrow lesions of the endplate are strongly associated with the presence of LBP. PIPI can be considered as an effective, safe and repeatable treatment for LBP in elderly DLS patients.
  Adult scoliosis is sometimes associated with back pain and severe curves can progress over time. Despite scoliosis has been estimated to affect up to 68% of the population over 60, there is scant literature about conservative treatment for adult scoliosis. Recently, we tested a new brace designed to alleviate pain for adult patients with chronic pain secondary to scoliosis. The study aims to test the efficacy of a prefabricated brace in reducing pain in adult scoliosis patients.
 
  Twenty adults (age 67.8 ± 10.5, curve 61.9 ± 12.6° Cobb) with chronic low back pain (cLBP) secondary to Idiopathic Scoliosis (IS) were included. Patients were evaluated at baseline immediately before starting with the brace and after 6months. Outcome measures were GRS, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Roland Morris Questionnaire (RM), COMI. The paired t test, ANOVA and Wilcoxon tests were used for statistical analysis RESULTS At six months, worst pain, leg pain and back pain were significantly improved from 7.15 to 5.60, from 5.65643290, December 31, 2015.
  Despite the decreasing of environmental contamination throughout the anticancer drug circuit, the administration of chemotherapies remains at risk of occupational exposure for nurses. Many medical devices aim at securing administration, but none have been scientifically evaluated to verify the actual improvement.
 
  A monocentric comparative before/after study was carried out in an oncology day hospital to evaluate the efficacy of Safe Infusion Devices in reducing drug exposure compared to usual infusion practices. The rate of nurses' gloves contamination was estimated. To avoid false negatives and to ensure sampling reproducibility, each sample of gloves was contaminated with a drop of topotecan. Association between contamination and other variables was investigated using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.
 
  The usual practice led to a rate of 58.3% of contaminated samples while Safe Infusion Devices to a rate of 15% Safe Infusion Devices reduced the risk of gloves contamination by 85% in multivarted in occupational exposure. Except a contamination due to the leakage of a bag, no cross-contamination was detected. Safe Infusion Devices were highly effective but did not completely eliminate exposure.
  Early detection of anxiety symptoms in older people is capital as it may be linked to increased physical/functional disabilities, onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders, and poor cognitive functioning. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of psychometrically validated anxiety measures in the elderly.
 
  This study aimed at assessing the psychometric properties of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form Y (STAI-Y) and providing the first normative data for the Italian elderly population.
 
  The sample included 361 individuals aged 65-94. All subjects underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and the state (S-Anxiety) and trait anxiety (T-anxiety) scales of the STAI-Y.
 
  The S-Anxiety and T-Anxiety scales showed reliable internal consistency and, overall, good item characteristics. Divergent validity was "apparently" threatened, with S-Anxiety scale correlating with MMSE and GDS, and T-Anxiety scale only with GDS. The principal component analysis revealed a three-factor solution for both scales, i.e., presence and absence of state (or trait) anxiety, and performance anxiety. Since no effect of sociodemographic variables was found, unadjusted cutoffs were provided.
 
  Although some questions on the psychometric properties of the STAI-Y remain unanswered, this normative study can help clinicians and researchers to monitor anxiety levels in the Italian elderly population.
 Although some questions on the psychometric properties of the STAI-Y remain unanswered, this normative study can help clinicians and researchers to monitor anxiety levels in the Italian elderly population.
  Achalasia is a debilitating primary esophageal motility disorder. Heller myotomy (HM) is a first-line therapy for the treatment of achalasia patients who have failed other modalities. Other indications for HM include diverticulum, diffuse esophageal spasm, and esophageal strictures. However, long-term outcomes of HM are unclear. This study aims to assess incidence of reintervention, either endoscopically or through minimally invasive or resectional procedures, in patients who underwent HM in New York State.
 
  The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) administrative longitudinal database identified 1817 adult patients who underwent HM between 2000 and 2008 for achalasia, esophageal diverticulum, diffuse esophageal spasm, and esophageal strictures, based on ICD-9 and CPT codes. Through the use of unique identifiers, patients requiring reintervention were tracked up to 2016 (for at least 8years follow-up). Primary outcome was incidence of subsequent procedures following HM. Secondary outcomes were time to reintervention and risk factors for reintervention.