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Articles of Interest

October 23, 2009

This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes:

Articles funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Articles mentioning or discussing AHRQ staff, activities, and publications/products.
Articles related to AHRQ-funded Evidence-based Practice Centers.
Articles related to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force or Put Prevention into Practice program.
Articles mentioning the National Healthcare Disparities Report and National Healthcare Quality Report.
Other research using AHRQ data or products.

AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

Cancer
Seow H, Snyder CF, Shugarman LR, et al. Developing quality indicators for cancer end-of-life care: proceedings from a national symposium. Cancer 2009 Sep 1; 115(17):3820-9. [Supported by contract 290-2005-00341 as part of the Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness (DeCIDE) program.] Select to access the abstract.

Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Anthony M, Romero K, Malone DC, et al. Warfarin interactions with substances listed in drug information compendia and in the FDA-approved label for warfarin sodium. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2009 Oct; 86(4):425-9. [Supported by grant U18 HS17001.] Select to access the abstract.

Community Mental Health Journal
Berdahl TA, Torres Stone RA. Examining Latino differences in mental healthcare use: the roles of acculturation and attitudes towards healthcare. Community Ment Health J 2009 Oct; 45(5):393-403. [First author is a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Kelz RR, Tran TT, Hosokawa P, et al. Time-of-day effects on surgical outcomes in the private sector: a retrospective cohort study. J Am Coll Surg 2009 Oct; 209(4):434-45, 445.e1-445.e2. [Supported in part by grant 5 U18 HS11913 ("Reporting System to Improve Patient Safety in Surgery").] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the National Medical Association
Haywood C Jr, Beach MC, Lanzkron S, et al. A systematic review of barriers and interventions to improve appropriate use of therapies for sickle cell disease. J Natl Med Assoc 2009 Oct; 101(10):1022-33. [Supported by contract 290-02-0018 and grant K08 HS13903 (to second author).]

Journal of Rural Health
Everett CM, Schumacher JR, Wright A, et al. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners as a usual source of care. J Rural Health 2009 Fall; 25(4):407-14. [Supported in part by National Research Service Award (NRSA) T-32 Institutional Training Program grant 5 T32 HS00083 (to first and second authors).] Select to access the abstract.

Violence and Victims
Rodriguez M, Shoultz J, Richardson E. Intimate partner violence screening and pregnant Latinas. Violence Vict 2009; 24(4):520-32. [Supported in part by grant 7 R01 HS11104. Also go to AHRQ-authored article by Lin KW (Am Fam Physician, 2009) cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles and AHRQ-funded article by Terasawa et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2009) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Boyer R, McPherson ML, Deshpande G, et al. Improving medication error reporting in hospice care. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2009 Oct-Nov; 26(5):361-7. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Morimoto et al. (Qual Saf Health Care, 2004) and Moore, Cohen, and Furberg (Arch Intern Med, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
Kim JJ, Ortendahl J, Goldie SJ. Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination and cervical cancer screening in women older than 30 years in the United States. Ann Intern Med 2009 Oct 20; 151(8):538-45, W-169-W-173. [Cites AHRQ publication, Use of the Pap Test as a Cancer Screening Tool Among Women Age 18-64, U.S. Noninstitutionalized Population, 2005, MEPS Statistical Brief No. 173, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Bariatric Nursing and Surgical Patient Care
Rowen L. Improved bariatric surgery outcomes: let's not forget the nurses. Bariatric Nurs Surg Patient Care 2009 Oct; 4(3):153-5. [Discusses AHRQ's focus and strategic goals (citing AHRQ publication, AHRQ At A Glance, 2009, published on AHRQ Web site), noting that "AHRQ serves as the public overseer for our healthcare;" reviews findings from AHRQ research on bariatric surgery complications published in article by Encinosa, Bernard, Du, and Steiner (first, third, and fourth authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, and third author is a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends), (Med Care, 2009).]

BMJ
Kim JJ, Goldie SJ. Cost effectiveness analysis of including boys in a human papillomavirus vaccination programme in the United States. BMJ 2009 Oct 8; 339:b3884. [Cites AHRQ publication, Use of the Pap Test as a Screening Tool Among Women Aged 18-64, US Noninstitutionalized Population, 2005, MEPS Statistic Brief No. 173, 2007, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Goldhaber-Fiebert et al. (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2008), Insinga et al. (Clin Infect Dis, 2003), and Fryback et al. (Med Decis Making, 1993).] Select to access the abstract.

Clinics in Geriatric Medicine
Tseng TY, Stoller ML. Obstructive uropathy. Clin Geriatr Med 2009 Aug; 25(3):437-43. [Cites 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Emergency Medicine Reports
Bitterman RQ, Fish MB. Health care reform: should it grant physicians immunity for EMTALA-mandated services? Emerg Med Rep 2009 Oct 1; 30():1-7. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Hellinger and Encinosa (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Am J Public Health, 2006).]

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Briesacher BA, Soumerai SB, Field TS, et al. Nursing home residents and enrollment in Medicare Part D. J Am Geriatr Soc 2009 Oct; 57(10):1902-7. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Schneeweiss et al. (Health Serv Res, 2003) and Stevenson et al. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Holley AP, Gorawara-Bhat R, Dale W, et al. Palliative access through care at home: experiences with an urban, geriatric home palliative care program. J Am Geriatr Soc 2009 Oct; 57(10):1925-31. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Morrison and Siu (JAMA, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law
Tanenbaum SJ. Pay for performance in Medicare: evidentiary irony and the politics of value. J Health Polit Policy Law 2009 Oct; 34(5):717-46. [Mentions and cites AHRQ publication, Resources on Pay for Performance (P4P), 2006, as posted on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Rosenthal and Frank (Med Care Res Rev, 2006) and Rosenthal and Dudley (JAMA, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

McDonald R, White J, Marmor TR. Paying for performance in primary medical care: learning about and learning from "success" and "failure" in England and California. J Health Polit Policy Law 2009 Oct; 34(5):747-76. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Rosenthal et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006) and Werner, Goldman, and Dudley (JAMA, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Kealey KA, Ludman EJ, Marek PM, et al. Design and implementation of an effective telephone counseling intervention for adolescent smoking cessation. J Natl Cancer Inst 2009 Oct 21; 101(20):1378-92. [Notes that the cognitive behavioral skills training (CBST) intervention "complies with current guidelines for treatment of tobacco dependence among unmotivated smokers," citing AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2008 Update, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Rural Health
Heflinger CA, Hoffman C. Double whammy? Rural youth with serious emotional disturbance and the transition to adulthood. J Rural Health 2009 Fall; 25(4):399-406. [Cites AHRQ's Child Health Care Quality Toolbox Web site; cites AHRQ-funded article by Cooper et al. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Kumar A, Cannon CP. Acute coronary syndromes: diagnosis and management, part I. Mayo Clin Proc 2009 Oct; 84(10):917-38. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Unstable Angina: Diagnosis and Management, 1994.] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Economics
Cardiometabolic disorders and weight: action for outcomes. Med Econ 2009 Sep 04; 86(17):31-4. [Cites AHRQ publication, The Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs Ranked by Total Expense for Adults Age 18 and Older in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2006, MEPS Statistical Brief No. 232, as published on AHRQ Web site.]

Campbell ML. A complex constellation of interrelated conditions. Med Econ 2009 Sep 04; 86(17):35-37. [Cites AHRQ publication, The Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs Ranked by Total Expense for Adults Age 18 and Older in the US Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2006, MEPS Statistical Brief No. 232, as published on AHRQ Web site.]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles

American Family Physician
CME quiz. Am Fam Physician 2009 Oct 15; 80(8):785-7. [Based two study questions on USPSTF recommendations on screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry, cited below.]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry: recommendation statement. Am Fam Physician 2009 Oct 15; 80(8):853-4. [Summarizes USPSTF recommendations against screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry.]

Lin KW, Finnell VW. Screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry. Am Fam Physician 2009 Oct 15; 80(8):861-2. [First author is a medical officer with AHRQ's USPSTF program in the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships; case study and questions are based on USPSTF recommendations on screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry, cited above.]

Snyderman D, Rovner BW. Mental status examination in primary care: a review. Am Fam Physician 2009 Oct 15; 80(8):809-14. [Summarizes in a separate table USPSTF screening recommendations for mental disorders, citing as sources AHRQ publication, Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2008, as published on AHRQ Web site, and article by Whooley et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 1997) which cites Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 1996, and AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Depression in Primary Care, Vol. 1: Detection and Diagnosis, 1993.] Select to access the abstract.

Givens V, Mitchell G, Harraway C, et al. Diagnosis and management of adnexal masses. Am Fam Physician 2009 Oct 15; 80(8):815-20. [Mentions the USPSTF's recommendations against routine screening for ovarian cancer, citing USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Ovarian Cancer, 2004, as published on AHRQ Web site, and AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Management of Adnexal Masses, 2006; cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review on genetic risk assessment and BRCA mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility (Ann Intern Med, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

Bordelon P, Ghetu MV, Langan R. Recognition and management of vitamin D deficiency. Am Fam Physician 2009 Oct 15; 80(8):841-6. [Notes that the USPSTF "states that dosages of vitamin D greatly exceeding the recommended AI should be taken with care," citing USPSTF recommendations on routine vitamin supplementation to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease (Ann Intern Med, 2003); cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Effectiveness and Safety of Vitamin D in Relation to Bone Health, 2007.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
Budhraja V. Responses to USPSTF guideline on aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Ann Intern Med 2009 Oct 20; 151(8):587. [Comments on updated USPSTF recommendations on aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (Ann Intern Med, 2009).]

Mohan AV, Mohan CP, Balaban R. Responses to USPSTF guideline on aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Ann Intern Med 2009 Oct 20; 151(8):587. [Comments on updated USPSTF recommendations on aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (Ann Intern Med, 2009).]

Calonge N, Petitti D, Barton M. Author reply. Responses to USPSTF guideline on aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Ann Intern Med 2009 Oct 20; 151(8):587. [Responds to comments on updated USPSTF recommendations on aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (Ann Intern Med, 2009); third author is a researcher supporting the USPSTF in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships.]

BMJ
Stark JR, Mucci L, Rothman KJ, et al. Prostate cancer screening: the controversy continues. BMJ 2009 Oct 3; 339(7724):784-6. [Includes a summary statement of USPSTF recommendations on prostate cancer in a boxed list of "International Recommendations on Screening for Prostate Cancer" and notes the impact on quality of life of radiotherapy, citing AHRQ-funded systematic review of the comparative effectiveness and harms of treatments for clinically localized prostate cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

Clinical Nutrition
Bozzetti F, Forbes A. The ESPEN clinical practice Guidelines on Parenteral Nutrition: present status and perspectives for future research. Clin Nutr 2009 Aug; 28(4):359-64. [Describes the use of the evidence-rating criteria presented in AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Acute Pain Management, 1992 (archived) to grade the quality and strength of the supporting literature and presents in a separate table the "classification proposed by the American Preventive Services Task Force to guide clinicians in contexts of varying robustness of evidence," citing the USPSTF section of the AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Emergency Medicine Reports
Clement JM, Garnick MB. An evidence-based approach to early-stage prostate cancer: the role of active surveillance. Emerg Med Rep 2009 Oct 1; 30():1-25. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for prostate cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants
Quigley T. What's new in... prostate cancer screening: benefits and harms of widespread PSA test use still unclear. JAAPA 2009 Oct; 22(10):50, 55. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for prostate cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Chao C, Velicer C, Slezak JM, et al. Correlates for completion of 3-dose regimen of HPV vaccine in female members of a managed care organization. Mayo Clin Proc 2009 Oct; 84(10):864-70. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for cervical cancer (Am Fam Physician, 2003). Also go to the article by Lansdorp-Vogelaar et al. (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2009) cited inEvidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Siega-Riz AM, Viswanathan M, Moos MK, et al. A systematic review of outcomes of maternal weight gain according to the Institute of Medicine recommendations: birthweight, fetal growth, and postpartum weight retention. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009 Oct; 201(4):339.e1-339.e14. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessments, Outcomes of Maternal Weight Gain, 2008, and Systems to Rate the Strength of the Scientific Evidence, 2002.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
Terasawa T, Dvorak T, Ip S, et al. Systematic review: charged-particle radiation therapy for cancer. Ann Intern Med 2009 Oct 20; 151(8):556-65. [Supported by contract HHSA 290-2007-10055-1 EPC3 (to the Tufts Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center); see editorial article by Tepper and Blackstock cited below.] Select to access the abstract.

Tepper JE, Blackstock AW. Randomized trials and technology assessment. Ann Intern Med 2009 Oct 20; 151(8):583-4. [Comments on AHRQ-funded article by Terasawa et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2009), cited above.]

BMJ
Hartling L, Ospina M, Liang Y, et al. Risk of bias versus quality assessment of randomised controlled trials: cross sectional study. BMJ 2009 Oct 19; 339:b4012. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Systems to Rate the Strength of the Scientific Evidence, 2002.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the Medical Library Association
Holst R, Funk CJ, Adams HS, et al. Vital pathways for hospital librarians: present and future roles. J Med Libr Assoc 2009 Oct; 97(4):285-92. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Literacy and Health Outcomes, 2004, as published on AHRQ Web site.]

Shipman JP, Kurtz-Rossi S, Funk CJ. The health information literacy research project. J Med Libr Assoc 2009 Oct; 97(4):293-301. [Cites AHRQ evidence report/Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Literacy and Health Outcomes, 2004, as published on AHRQ Web site.]

Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Lansdorp-Vogelaar I, van Ballegooigen M, Zauber AG, et al. Effect of rising chemotherapy costs on the cost savings of colorectal cancer screening. J Natl Cancer Inst 2009 Oct 21; 101(20):1412-22. [Uses AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Cost-effectiveness of DNA Stool Testing to Screen for Colorectal Cancer, 2007 (prepared for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) as the basis for assumptions for sensitivity and specificity of the evaluated colorectal cancer screening tests; cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence review on cost-effective analyses of colorectal cancer screening (Ann Intern Med, 2002) and USPSTF recommendations on screening for colorectal cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2008). Also go to articles by Givens et al. (Am Fam Physician, 2009) and Bordelon et al. (Am Fam Physician, 2009) cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles.]

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
Patel SN, Tsai CL, Boudreaux ED, et al. Multicenter study of cigarette smoking among patients presenting to the emergency department with acute asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009 Aug; 103(2):121-7. [Uses data from the asthma medical record review component of the National Emergency Department Safety Study, previously supported by grant R01 HS13099.] Select to access the abstract.

Blood Purification
Nicoara A, Patel UD, Phillips-Bute BG, et al. Mortality trends associated with acute renal failure requiring dialysis after CABG surgery in the United States. Blood Purif 2009 Sep 1; 28(4):359-63. [Uses 1988-2003 HCUP NIS data; uses and cites AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Clinical Gastroenterology
Murthy SK, Heathcote EJ, Nguyen GC. Impact of cirrhosis and liver transplant on maternal health during labor and delivery. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009 Aug 15; [Epub ahead of print:1-6. Uses and cites 1998-2005 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Disease of the Colon and Rectum
Nguyen GC, Correia AJ, Thuluvath PJ. The impact of cirrhosis and portal hypertension on mortality following colorectal surgery: a nationwide, population-based study. Dis Colon Rectum 2009 Aug; 52(8):1367-74. [Uses 1998-2005 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Ricciardi R, Baxter NN, Read TE, et al. Is the decline in the surgical treatment for diverticulitis associated with an increase in complicated diverticulitis? Dis Colon Rectum 2009 Sep; 52(9):1558-63. [Uses 1991-2005 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

EuroIntervention
Movahed MR, Ramaraj R, Jamal MM, et al. Nationwide trends in the utilisation of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the United States of America based on gender and ethnicities. EuroIntervention 2009 Aug; 5(3):343-8. [Uses and cites 1988-2004 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Fertility and Sterility
Ketefian A, Hu J, Bartolucci AA, et al. Fifteen-year trend in the use of reproductive surgery in women in the United States. Fertil Steril 2009 Aug; 92(2):727-35. [Uses and cites 1988-2005 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Ananthakrishnan AN, McGinley EL, Saeian K. Higher hospital volume is associated with lower mortality in acute nonvariceal upper-GI hemorrhage. Gastrointest Endosc 2009 Sep; 70(3):422-32. [Uses and cites 2004 HCUP NIS data; cites AHRQ-authored article by Steiner, Elixhauser, and Schnaier (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Eff Clin Pract, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Health Affairs
Pizer SD, Frakt AB, Iezzoni LI. Uninsured adults with chronic conditions or disabilities: gaps in public insurance programs. Health Aff 2009 Oct 20; [Epub ahead of print :W1141-w1150. Uses Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data for 2000-2005.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law
Kronebusch K. Quality information and fragmented markets: patient responses to hospital volume thresholds. J Health Polit Policy Law 2009 Oct; 34(5):777-827. [Uses and cites AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998), AHRQ comorbidity software, and AHRQ's 2006 inpatient quality indicators; cites several AHRQ-funded articles.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Hospital Medicine
Arora VM, Manjarrez E, Dressler DD, et al. Hospitalist handoffs: a systematic review and task force recommendations. J Hosp Med 2009 Sep; 4(7):433-40. [Uses studies obtained through AHRQ's Patient Safety Network; cites article Triple Handoff, 2006, as published on AHRQ's WebM&M Web site; cites AHRQ's Discontinuities, Gaps, and Hand-Off Problems Web site, which is a part of AHRQ's PSNet Patient Safety Network Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Invasive Cardiology
Movahed MR, Ramaraj R, Jamal MM, et al. Decline in the nationwide trends in in-hospital mortality of patients undergoing multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention. J Invasive Cardiol 2009 Aug; 21(8):388-90. [Uses 1988 to 2004 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Rural Health
Klingner J, Moscovice I, Tupper J, et al. Implementing patient safety initiatives in rural hospitals. J Rural Health 2009 Fall; 25(4):352-7. [Uses AHRQ's Patient Safety Culture Survey; cites AHRQ publication, Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches, Vol. 2. Culture and Redesign, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Surgical Research
Simons JP, Ng SC, Hill JS, et al. In-hospital mortality for liver resection for metastases: a simple risk score. J Surg Res 2009 Sep; 156(1):21-5. [Uses 1998-2005 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Trauma
Goble S, Neal M, Clark DE, et al. Creating a nationally representative sample of patients from trauma centers. J Trauma 2009 Sep; 67(3):637-42; discussion 642-4. [Uses and cites 2003-2006 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Vascular Surgery
Schermerhorn ML, Giles KA, Hamdan AD, et al. Mesenteric revascularization: management and outcomes in the United States, 1988-2006. J Vasc Surg 2009 Aug; 50(2):341-48.e1. [Uses 1988-2006 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Neurosurgery
Shamji MF, Parker S, Cook C, et al. Impact of body habitus on perioperative morbidity associated with fusion of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine. Neurosurgery 2009 Sep; 65(3):490-98; discussion 498. [Uses 1988-2004 HCUP NIS data; cites AHRQ publications, HCUP Quality Control Procedures, 2003, and Final 2000 NIS Comparison Report, 2000, HCUP Methods Series Report No. 2003-1, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Pain Medicine
Fishbain DA, Cole B, Lewis JE, et al. What is the evidence for chronic pain being etiologically associated with the DSM-IV category of sleep disorder due to a general medical condition? A structured evidence-based review. Pain Med 2009 Sep 24; [Epub ahead of print:1-21. Uses "guidelines developed by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) for categorizing the levels of evidence represented by reviewed studies," citing AHRQ-sponsored Institute of Medicine report, Clinical Practice Guidelines: Directions for a New Program, 1990.] Select to access the abstract.

Stroke
Feng W, Nietert PJ, Adams RJ. Influence of age on racial disparities in stroke admission rates, hospital charges, and outcomes in South Carolina. Stroke 2009 Sep; 40(9):3096-101. [Uses HCUP State Inpatient Databases (SID) data for South Carolina on stroke hospitalizations for 2002-2006.] Select to access the abstract.

Surgery
Krajewski SA, Hameed SM, Smink DS, et al. Access to emergency operative care: a comparative study between the Canadian and American health care systems. Surgery 2009 Aug; 146(2):300-7. [Uses and cites 2001-2005 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Singla A, Li Y, Ng SC, et al. Is the growth in laparoscopic surgery reproducible with more complex procedures? Surgery 2009 Aug; 146(2):367-74. [Uses and cites 1998-2006 HCUP NIS data and AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Kohn GP, Galanko JA, Overby DW, et al. Recent trends in bariatric surgery case volume in the United States. Surgery 2009 Aug; 146(2):375-80. [Uses and cites 1998-2006 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Thrombosis and Haemostasis
Piazza G, Fanikos J, Zayaruzny M, et al. Venous thromboembolic events in hospitalised medical patients. Thromb Haemost 2009 Sep; 102(3):505-10. [Uses 2003 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Current as of October 2009

Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, October 23, 2009. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art102309.htm