Betina Durovni and colleagues evaluated whether implementation of Xpert MTB/RIF increased the notification rate of laboratory-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis and reduced the time to tuberculosis treatment initiation in 14 Brazilian primary care laboratories. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

IntroductionThe impact on treatment outcomes of XpertMTB/RIF, a molecular-based test that provides rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and rifampicin resistance with high accuracy, has not been reported despite its adoption in a few countries. We here report treatment outcomes in a step-wedged cluster randomized trial for patients diagnosed with XpertMTB/RIF compared to patients diagnosed with sputum smear examination in public health facilities in Brazil.MethodsTreatment outcome data were added to the trial database of patients diagnosed from 4 February to 4 October 2012, and crosschecked with data from the national mortality and the drug-resistant TB registers. Treatment outcomes in the intervention (n=2232) and baseline (n=1856) arms were compared using a multilevel regression model.ResultsUnfavourable outcomes were frequent in both arms, mainly due to loss to follow-up (16%). Overall unfavourable outcomes were not reduced in the intervention arm (29.6% versus 31.7%, OR=0.93; 95%CI=0.79-1.08). However, the overall TB-attributed death rate was lower in the intervention arm (2.3% vs. 3.8%). Adjusted for HIV status, age group and city, the intervention resulted in a 35% decrease in TB-attributed deaths (OR=0.65, 95%CI=0.44-0.97).ConclusionsThe proportion of patients successfully treated did not increase with Xpert MTB/RIF implementation, with high loss to follow-up rates in both arms. We did observe a 35% reduction in TB-related mortality, which we hypothesize may be explained by less advanced disease among the smear-negative patients diagnosed by Xpert. In conclusion, XpertMTB/RIF introduction did not improve TB treatment outcomes in Brazil.Trial Registrationclinicaltrials.gov NCT01363765

Because the real benefit of pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot who develop pulmonary insufficiency remains unclear, it is necessary to analyze the evidence published around the world. We performed a systematic review of studies that reported data about the effect of PVR in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot that developed pulmonary insufficiency, until December 2012. The variables chosen to represent the benefit were both right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular measures, QRS duration, and functional class. The principal summary measures were difference in means with 95% confidence interval and p values (considered statistically significant when p < 0.05). The differences in means were combined across studies with the weighted DerSimonian-Laird random effects model. Meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis, and meta-regression were completed with the software Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (version 2, Biostat, Inc., Englewood, New Jersey). Forty-eight studies involving 3,118 patients met the eligibility criteria. The pooled 30-day mortality was 0.87% (47 studies; 27 of 3,100 patients); the pooled 5-year mortality was 2.2% (24 studies; 49 of 2,231 patients); the pooled 5-year re-PVR was 4.9% (15 studies; 88 of 1,798 patients). The results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that after PVR: 1) the RV experiences improvement of its volumes and function; 2) the left ventricle experiences improvement of its function; 3) QRS duration decreases; 4) symptoms improve; 5) pre-operative RV geometry modulates the effect of PVR; and 6) there is important heterogeneity of the effects among the studies, and few publication biases. In conclusion, PVR seems to be a positive approach in the analyzed scenario.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate the impact of patient–prosthesis mismatch (PPM) on the risk of perioperative, early-, mid- and long-term mortality rates after surgical aortic valve replacement. METHODS Databases were searched for studies published until March 2018. The main outcomes of interest were perioperative mortality, 1-year mortality, 5-year mortality and 10-year mortality. RESULTS The search yielded 3761 studies for inclusion. Of these, 70 articles were analysed, and their data were extracted. The total number of patients included was 108 182 who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement. The incidence of PPM after surgical aortic valve replacement was 53.7% (58 116 with PPM and 50 066 without PPM). Perioperative mortality [odds ratio (OR) 1.491, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.302–1.707; P < 0.001], 1-year mortality (OR 1.465, 95% CI 1.277–1.681; P < 0.001), 5-year mortality (OR 1.358, 95% CI 1.218–1.515; P < 0.001) and 10-year mortality (OR 1.534, 95% CI 1.290–1.825; P < 0.001) were increased in patients with PPM. Both severe PPM and moderate PPM were associated with increased risk of perioperative mortality, 1-year mortality, 5-year mortality and 10-year mortality when analysed together and separately, although we observed a higher risk in the group with severe PPM. CONCLUSIONS Moderate/severe PPM increases perioperative, early-, mid- and long-term mortality rates proportionally to its severity. The findings of this study support the implementation of surgical strategies to prevent PPM in order to decrease mortality rates.

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Objective: The purpose of the present study is to compare and analyze the benefits of this operation with and without cardiopulmonary bypass in octogenarian patients. Method: Retrospective data of patients aged eighty years or more from December 1995 to December 2003 were analyzed. During this period 73 patients were submitted to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 26 (35.6%) on-pump and 47 (64.4%) off-pump. A comparison was made of the demographic data, preoperative risks, concurrent morbid conditions, types of angina, postoperative complications and surgical outcomes between the on-pump and off-pump groups. The Student t-test was used to compare the groups and the level of significance was set at p-value < 0.05. Results: Both groups showed a high preoperative risk, although the off-pump group presented less surgical mortality (11.5% vs. 2.1%, p < 0.05). No strokes were observed in the patients operated on off-pump (11.5% vs. 0.0%, p < 0.005). Atrial fibrillation (AF) in the immediate postoperative period was present less often in the off-pump group (30.8% vs. 12.8%, p < 0.005). The postoperative mechanical ventilation time and the presence of respiratory failure were less in the off-pump group (p < 0.005). The presence of acute renal insufficiency (ARI) was 19.2% in the on-pump group and 0% in the off-pump group (p < 0.05). There was less need for transfusion of blood or blood derivatives in the off-pump group (69.2% vs. 31.9%, p < 0.005). The mean sojourn in the intensive care unit (ICU) was shorter in the off-pump group (p < 0.05). The percentage of patients with no postoperative complications was higher in the off-pump group than in the on-pump group (89.4% vs. 61.5%, p <0.001). Conclusions: The present study suggests that patients aged eighty years and over benefit when submitted to off-pump CABG and that this procedure is associated with low rates of postoperative complications such as strokes, AF, ARI and respiratory insufficiency, and with less time in the ICU, a shorter hospital sojourn, less use of blood derivatives and lower mortality. In octogenarian patients off-pump CABG is a safe and effective technique, and may be the operation of choice when correctly indicated.

SummaryBackground: Optimization of the saphenous vein for myocardial revascularization.