McFerrin C, et al. Investig Clin Urol. 2019 Nov;61:e60. https://doi.org/10.4111/icu.20200132

Objective: To characterize the use of palliative care for patients with metastatic prostate cancer and identify its associations with costs, hospital course, and discharge. Materials and Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2012 to 2013, we identified 99 070 patients with metastatic prostate cancer and analyzed the data from their hospital admissions using descriptive statistics, χ ² analysis, and regression modeling. Results: Palliative care services were consulted in 10.4% (10 300) of metastatic prostate cancer admissions. These admissions were associated with nonelective origin, acute complications, and reduced surgical procedures and chemotherapy. Patients in private, investor-owned hospitals had a 51.6% less consultations ( P < .001), while nonprofit and government, nonfederal hospitals had 4.7% and 7.8% more consultations ( P < .001). Median costs and charges were only marginally less (2.1% and 5.6%, respectively, P < .001), length of stay was 22% higher ( P < .001), and in-house mortality was 147.2% higher in the consultation group ( P < .001). Controlling for other factors, patients seen by palliative care were more likely to have do-not-resuscitate orders (odds ratio [OR]: 5.25, P < .001) and be transferred to another facility like hospice (OR: 3.90, P < .001) or to home health (OR: 3.85, P < .001). Conclusions: Palliative care consultation could improve care for patients with metastatic prostate cancer in a different manner than observed in other diseases. With our characterization of the incidence and patient and hospital factors, we can conclude that there is room to expand palliative care’s role beyond uninsured patients in large, urban teaching hospitals.

Adrenal-renal fusion with adrenal cortical adenoma is a rare anomaly with only a few cases described in the literature. Imaging-based identification of this anomaly remains a diagnostic challenge, making it difficult to differentiate upper pole renal malignancy from adrenal cortical adenoma. We describe a case of a 62-year-old woman with an upper pole cystic renal mass on imaging, who underwent robotic partial nephrectomy. Intraoperatively the renal mass was found to be an adrenal-renal fusion anomaly, with ectopic adrenal tissue. Adrenal-renal infusion of an adrenal cortical adenoma was confirmed on final pathology. Due to lack of imaging-based diagnosis, this condition should be considered in the differential for upper pole renal masses.

While blunt extra-peritoneal bladder injury is typically treated non-operatively or with minimally invasive management, the treatment for penetrating bladder injury is generally open surgery. We identify a group of patients with penetrating bladder injury who were treated with minimally invasive management and compare the results with those who underwent traditional open surgical treatment. This retrospective cohort study analyzes penetrating bladder injuries from a single trauma center from 2012 through 2019, and from the National Trauma Data Bank for 2016 and 2017. Mortality, complications, and length of stay were compared for minimally invasive management versus open surgery. We used Chi square to test significance for categorical variables, Mann–Whitney U test for ordinal variables, and T-test for continuous variables. Multivariate analysis was performed with multiple logistic, ordinal, and linear regression. Local: 117 (0.63%) had a bladder injury; 30 (25.6%) were penetrating. 6 (20.0%) were successfully treated with minimally invasive management with no complication versus 24 complications in 11 patients (45.8%) for open surgery (p = 0.047). Open surgical management was not a significant independent predictor of mortality or hospital length of stay. National Trauma Data Bank: 5330 (0.27%) had a bladder injury; 963 (19.5%) were penetrating. 97 (10.1%) were treated with minimally invasive management. The minimally invasive management group had 12 complications in 5 patients (4.9%) versus 280 complications in 169 patients (19.7%) for open surgery (p = < 0.001). Open surgery was a significant independent predictor of complications (OR 1.57, p = 0.003) and longer hospital length of stay (B = 5.31, p < 0.001). Most penetrating bladder injury requires open surgery, however a small proportion can safely be managed with minimally invasive management. Minimally invasive management is associated with lower total complications and shorter hospital length of stay in select patients.