JAMA news releases are made available to the public after 3 pm US Central time on the first 4 Tuesdays of each month. The Archives Journals news releases are made available to the public after 3 pm Central time on Mondays. We also provide a list of previous news releases.
THIS WEEK'S CONTENTS
ARCHIVES OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY—HEAD & NECK SURGERY NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, October 17, 2005)
CORTICOSTEROIDS OFTEN USED IN TREATMENT OF INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS
ARCHIVES OF SURGERY NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, October 17, 2005)
LESS INVASIVE SURGERY EFFECTIVE IN TREATMENT OF REFLUX DISEASE
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, October 17, 2005
Media Advisory: To contact Scott K. Thompson, M.D., call Lori Barrette at 585-275-1310.
CORTICOSTEROIDS OFTEN USED IN TREATMENT OF INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS
CHICAGO—Corticosteroids are used often in the treatment of infectious mononucleosis, and for reasons beyond usual criteria, according to a study in the October issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Systemic corticosteroid therapy (SCT) in the treatment of infectious mononucleosis has long been controversial, with conflicting results from different studies, according to background information in the article. The most consistently agreed on indication for SCT in the treatment of mononucleosis has been for complications involving severe airway compromise.
Scott K. Thompson, M.D., of the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, N.Y., and colleagues analyzed the records of patients diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis from January 1998 to March 2003. Details of each patient's symptoms at the first visit, diagnosis, treatment and outcome were analyzed.
Systemic corticosteroid therapy was used in 44.7 percent of patients (92 of the 206 individuals included in the analysis), the researchers report. Evaluation of treatment indications for SCT showed that 8.0 percent of the study population qualified by traditional criteria for the use of corticosteroids, seven patients for "airway concern" and one patient for another indicated complication. "Factors associated with the observed increase in corticosteroid use included a history of repeat visits, inpatient admission, and otolaryngology consultation," the authors write.
"Despite consistent and uniform acceptance in the medical literature that SCT in the setting of IM [infectious mononucleosis] should be reserved for patients with impending airway obstruction, corticosteroids continue to be used on a much broader scale at this tertiary care institution," the authors conclude. "This observation suggests that clinicians see value in SCT for treatment of IM beyond the classically accepted reasons. Moreover, despite previous reports of possible adverse consequences of SCT in IM, our review failed to demonstrate any such trend."
(Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005;131:900-904. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, October 17, 2005
Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Jean-Pierre Arnaud, M.D., e-mail jparnaud{at}chu-angers.fr.
LESS INVASIVE SURGERY EFFECTIVE IN TREATMENT OF REFLUX DISEASE
CHICAGO—Laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgery to treat severe reflux disease was effective in relieving symptoms and was associated with high rates of patient satisfaction five years after the procedure, according to a study in the October issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery has been gaining in popularity for the treatment of severe symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to background information in the article. Few previous studies have reported five-year follow-up for a large group of patients who have undergone laparoscopic surgery to treat severe reflux disease.
Patrick Pessaux, M.D., of the University Hospital, Angers, France, and colleagues evaluated patients who had undergone one of three types of laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery in one of 31 hospital centers between January 1992 and December 1998. Outcome data covering five or more years was available for 1,340 patients, 815 men and 525 women (average age 49.3 years). The average follow-up was 7.1 years. Patients were evaluated post-operatively using a standardized questionnaire including questions on gastrointestinal symptoms and satisfaction with surgery.
"In this study, the intraoperative and postoperative complication rates were 2.1 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively, with a subsequent operation rate of 4.4 percent at five years," the researchers report. "Of interest, overall patient satisfaction following surgery was high, with 93.1 percent of patients satisfied with their long-term outcome and 94.1 percent willing to have the surgery again. Although nearly 10 percent of patients resumed taking antisecretory medication, in most no evidence of reflux recurrence could be found."
"In conclusion, the results of this study do not differ significantly from the data reported in the literature, suggesting that laparoscopic antireflux surgery is an effective long-term procedure, is well tolerated, and can be properly used in the treatment of GERD," the authors write.
(Arch Surg. 2005;140:946-951. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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