scholarly journals Initiation of droxidopa during hospital admission for management of refractory neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in severely ill patients

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine E. McDonell ◽  
Brock A. Preheim ◽  
Andre’ Diedrich ◽  
James A.S. Muldowney ◽  
Amanda C. Peltier ◽  
...  

AbstractIntroductionOrthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common cause of hospitalization, particularly in the elderly. Hospitalized patients with OH are often severely ill, with complex medical comorbidities and high rates of disability. Droxidopa is a norepinephrine precursor approved for the treatment of neurogenic OH (nOH) associated with autonomic failure that is commonly used in the outpatient setting, but there is currently no data regarding the safety and efficacy of droxidopa initiation in medically complex patients.MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of patients started on droxidopa for refractory nOH while hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center between October 2014 and May 2017. Primary outcome measures were safety, change in physician global impression of illness severity from admission to discharge, and persistence on medication after 180-day follow-up.ResultsA total of 20 patients were identified through chart review. Patients were medically complex with high rates of cardiovascular comorbidities and a diverse array of underlying autonomic diagnoses. Rapid titration of droxidopa was safe and well-tolerated in this cohort, with no cardiovascular events or new onset arrhythmias. Supine hypertension requiring treatment occurred in four patients. One death occurred during hospital admission due to organ failure associated with end-stage amyloidosis. Treating physicians noted improvements in presyncopal symptoms in 80% of patients. After 6 months, 13 patients (65%) continued on droxidopa therapy.ConclusionIn a retrospective cohort of hospitalized, severely ill patients with refractory nOH, supervised rapid titration of droxidopa was safe and effective. Treatment persistence was high, suggesting that symptomatic benefit extended beyond acute intervention.

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mouna Malki abidi ◽  
Rajaa Aoudia ◽  
Soumaya Chargui ◽  
Imen Gorsane ◽  
Mouna Jerbi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in the elderly due to physiologic renal aging and underlying pathologies. Few studies focused on AKI in Tunisian elderly. The aim of our study was to highlight the epidemiological, clinical, etiological, therapeutic, and progressive characteristics of AKI in elderly. Method We conducted a descriptive retrospective study of AKI in patients admitted to our department over a period of 04 years from 01/01/2014 to 31/12/2017. Results We collected 40 patients including 25 women and 15 men with a sex ratio of 1.66. The mean age was 74 [65-87] years. We noted the presence of pre-existing chronic kidney disease in 58% of cases, diabetes in 50% of cases and hypertension in 73% of cases. Polypharmacy was found in 40% of cases. AKI was symptomatic in 80% of cases and found on a routine check-up in 20% of cases. Mean creatinine was 612+/-334 µmol/l. AKI was pre-renal in 37% and parenchymal in 63% of cases. Iatrogenic origin was found in 33% of cases. Renal biopsy was performed for diagnostic purposes in 6 cases. Haemodialysis was necessary in 50% of cases. Etiopathogenic treatment was initiated in 73% of cases. Intra-hospital mortality was 10%, recovery of renal function (RF) was partial in 40 % of cases and total in 20 % of cases. Follow-up time was 16 +/- 23.2 months. And at the last news, recovery of renal function (RF) was partial in 7 cases and total in 10 cases, 6 patients kept a chronic renal failure (CRF), among them 3 cases had and end-stage of CRF. Conclusion AKI is a frequent pathology in the elderly and its severity is linked to mortality and the transition to chronicity. Iatrogenic causes are frequent and preventable in this population, hence the major interest of prevention.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 81-81
Author(s):  
Carole Dalby ◽  
Susana M. Campos ◽  
Lisa Doverspike ◽  
Melissa Spinks ◽  
Joseph O. Jacobson

81 Background: Ensuring patients have a follow-up appointment scheduled prior to discharge is one of several key interventions shown to reduce hospital readmission rates (Hansen L.O., Young R.S., Hinami K., et al. [2011, October]. Interventions to reduce 30-day rehospitalization: a systematic review. Annals of Internal Medicine, 155[8], 520-528). Lack of follow-up diminishes continuity between the inpatient and outpatient setting, can lead to patient dissatisfaction, as well as delays in proposed therapy. Methods: A three-month review of discharge data highlighted 49% of Women’s Cancer Gynecologic patients at an academic medical center were discharged from the hospital without securing a follow-up appointment. A multidisciplinary team involved in the scheduling process was assembled and determined failure to schedule appointments was attributed to a lack of communication between the inpatient and outpatient services, a complicated scheduling process, as well as ambiguity regarding when patient’s should return. Several rapid PDSA cycles were implemented over a three month period of time. The intervention created a standardized electronic template, including the establishment of standard time frames for follow-up appointments post discharge (7 to 10 days). The template details all required scheduling elements such as services requested, required laboratory studies, and patient preferences. Within the electronic template is the ability to directly email essential staff through a centralized email address embedded within the form. Staff engaged through reviewing of data, identification of the importance of securing a follow-up appointment, and weekly huddles. Results: Post intervention, the rate of compliance of scheduled discharge follow-up appointments rose from 49% to 87%. Staff reported high satisfaction with the new process, highlighting its simplicity and efficiency. Conclusions: Securing a follow-up appointment prior to discharge is feasible as evidence by increased compliance from baseline 49% to 87%. Future endeavors will implement this process across other disease programs in hopes of obtaining similar results.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 627-627
Author(s):  
Vincent Quoc-Huy Trinh ◽  
Chanjuan Shi ◽  
Jordan Berlin ◽  
Satya Das

627 Background: Predicting recurrence risk (RR) for resected (res) PNET patients (pts) is challenging using existing pathologic criteria. Better predictive models to tailor surveillance for individual pts are needed. A recent study suggests expression patterns of the transcriptomic/epigenomic enhancers ARX and PDX1 may predict RR. In this study, distant metastases occurred almost exclusively in ARX+/PDX1- tumors. Our primary objective was to validate ESCs within our institutional cohort. Methods: We used a tissue microarray generated from res localized PNETs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) between 2002-2012. Clinical, pathological, and outcomes data were extracted from records. Immunohistochemistry was performed with PDX1 by Novus and ARX by Sigma. Patients were grouped as double-positives (DP), ARX+/PDX1-, ARX-/PDX1+ and double-negatives (DN). Time-dependent ROC analysis was performed in R (v3.6.1; survivalROC v1.0.3) to determine ARX and PDX1 positivity. Comparative analyses were performed in SPSS v23.0 (Kruskal-Wallis, Freeman-Halton exact test, Log-rank). Primary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Results: 61 PNET specimens had adequate tissue for analysis. Table shows PFS plus CSS data by ESC distribution. Pts with ARX+ (DP & ARX+/PDX1-) tumors were younger (P=0.015) and possessed larger tumors (P=0.065). Pts with ARX+ tumors demonstrated shorter PFS (log-rank P=0.006) and a trend toward lower CSS (log-rank P=0.09). Notably, pts with ARX-/PDX1+ and DN tumors had no deaths and only 1 progression event over a median follow-up period of 91 months (m). Conclusions: Building upon earlier data that ARX+ res PNETs are more likely to relapse, we demonstrate that pts with such tumors have diminished PFS and a trend toward diminished CSS. ESCs need prospective validation but carry the potential to guide surveillance for res PNET patients. [Table: see text]


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (11) ◽  
pp. 1234-1238
Author(s):  
Alex Zendel ◽  
Eyal Mor ◽  
David Goitein ◽  
David Hazzan ◽  
Aviram Nissan ◽  
...  

Although elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the accepted strategy after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), papillotomy, and common bile duct (CBD) clearance, the decision to perform a cholecystectomy in high-risk elderly comorbid patients remains subjective and is controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the outcome of elderly patients with cholecystectomy deferral after successful initial endoscopic removal of CBD stones. The study examined a retrospective patient database, which included all patients aged >60 years who underwent an ERCP for CBD stones at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center. The study cohort was divided according to whether a subsequent cholecystectomy was performed and also by age 60 to 80 or >80 years. All biliary-related complications were recorded. The primary outcome measures were biliary complications, perioperative and periprocedural mortality, CBD stone recurrence, and the need for future surgical intervention. There were 111 patients (mean age 79.4 ± 9.1 years) who underwent ERCP with follow-up. After excluding 11 patients, 100 patients were left for analysis, 46 of whom underwent a cholecystectomy and 54 were observed without operation. There were significant longer term biliary complications in five of the operated patients (10.9%) and in four of the unoperated cases (7.4%). All biliary-related complications were managed successfully by conservative means except for one fatality in the nonoperated group. Biliary-related complications after successful ERCP for CBD stones were unaffected by surgery but were more commonly observed in older cases. A watch and wait policy may be justified in elderly comorbid patients.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 1981-1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sucha Nand ◽  
John Godwin ◽  
Scott Smith ◽  
Kevin Barton ◽  
Eliza Germano ◽  
...  

Abstract AML and high-risk MDS in the elderly carry a poor prognosis. Only 46% of AML patients receiving standard chemotherapy achieve complete remission (CR) and treatment-related mortality approaches 30% above age 60. In 2005, we initiated a Phase II trial for elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML or MDS, using the following outpatient treatment schema: If white blood cell (WBC) count at presentation was >10,000/ul, pt was started on hydroxyurea 1500 mg twice daily by mouth. Leukapheresis was performed if WBC >100,000/ul. Once WBC count was <10,000/ul, the patient received azacitidine 75 mg/m2 s/cu D1–7 and GO 3 mg/m2 on D8. A bone marrow was performed on D14 and induction therapy repeated for residual disease. Those who achieved CR were given one consolidation treatment with azacitidine+GO in same doses after recovery of blood counts. A total of 13 pts have been treated to date. Eleven had AML by WHO classification and 2 MDS (both RAEB). The median age was 77 (62–83) and 7 were male. Ten patients required retreatment on D14. Ten patients (76%) achieved CR. Six patients developed grade 3 toxicities: 5 neutropenic fever and 1 typhlitis, all requiring hospitalization. There were no treatment-related deaths. Median follow up is 7 months (2–13 months) and eleven patients remain alive. Two patients have died from relapsed or refractory disease. Nine patients remain in CR with a median duration of remission of 7 months (2–13 months). The trial is ongoing with an accrual goal of 20. Our early experience with this novel combination is quite encouraging. Cytoreduction with hydroxyurea and leukapheresis followed by azacitidine and GO appears to be a safe and effective regimen for elderly patients with AML and the therapy can be given in the outpatient setting. These preliminary results need to be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (03) ◽  
pp. 188-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary L. Murray ◽  
Joseph Colombo

Chronic orthostatic hypotension (OH), affecting 10 to 30% of the elderly, is associated with falls, and increased morbidity and mortality. Current pharmacologic therapy can cause or worsen hypertension and fluid retention. (r)α lipoic acid (ALA), a powerful natural antioxidant, avoids those complications and may assist management of chronic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH). The purpose of this study is to demonstrate improvement in the symptoms of orthostatic dysfunction with r-ALA, including improved sympathetic (S) and blood pressure (BP) responses to head-up postural change (standing).A cohort of 109 patients with low S tone upon standing was detected using the ANX −3.0, Autonomic Monitor, ANSAR Medical Technologies, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. From the cohort, 29 patients demonstrated NOH (change in (∆) standing BP ≥ −20/–10 mm Hg); 60 patients demonstrated orthostatic intolerance (OI, ∆ standing systolic BP between –6 and –19 mm Hg). These 89 were given ALA orally: either 590 to 788 mg (r)ALA or 867 to 1,500 mg of the less expensive 50 to 50% mixture (r)ALA and inactive (s)ALA. Changes in their S and parasympathetic (P) tone, and BPs, were compared with 20 control patients during mean follow-up of 2.28 years.Nineteen of 29 (66%) NOH patients responded with a ∆ standing BP from –28/–6 mm Hg to 0/+2 mm Hg. Forty of 60 (67%) of patients with OI responded with a ∆ standing BP of –9/+1 mm Hg to +6/+2 mm Hg. Although all patients treated with ALA increased S tone, the ∆ BP depended upon the pretreatment of S tone. Those with the lowest S tone responded the least well. The only treatment side effects were nausea, intolerable in only 5%. Nausea improved with routine gastrointestinal medications. Glucose levels improved in the 28% of patients who were diabetic. Also, resting hypertension improved. Control patients had no ∆ BP and no increase in S tone.(r)ALA improves S-, and BP, responses to head-up postural change, and thereby NOH/OI, in a majority of patients without causing harmful side effects.


Author(s):  
Marlone Cunha ◽  
Luiza Torres ◽  
Mariana Franson ◽  
Tirzah Secundo ◽  
Marina Moreira ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND. Histological evaluation has a crucial role in diagnosing hepatic diseases and percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) is widely chosen for this purpose. We aim to describe its indications, the rate and severity of adverse events (AEs) in an outpatient and ultrasound (US)-guided setting over 5 years. METHODS. This observational, single-center, and retrospective study included patients submitted to PLB between 2015 and 2019. We collected age, gender, coagulation tests, comorbidities, and number of needle passes. The association between the variables and outcomes (pain, mild and serious AEs, hospital admission, surgical treatment, and death) was evaluated using the generalized estimating equations method. RESULTS. We analyzed 532 biopsies in 524 patients (55.3% male) aged 49y (13–74y). Almost 39% had cardiovascular comorbidities and 18% had overweight/obesity. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection was the major indication for PLB (47%), followed by autoimmune hepatitis/cholestasis (12.6%), and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) (12.1%). The number of HCV-related biopsies had a remarkable reduction, while MAFLD-related procedures have progressively raised over time. Around 54% of the patients reported pain, which was significantly associated with the female gender (p=0.0143). Serious AEs occurred in 11 patients (2.1%); hospital admission was necessary in 10 cases (1.9%), but no patient required surgical approach and there were no deaths. No significant association was found between the occurrence of AEs and the studied variables (clinical, laboratory, and number of needle passes). CONCLUSION. Real-time US-guided PLB is safe to perform in an outpatient setting and its indications have notably undergone a transition from HCV to MAFLD over the years. New strategies to prevent biopsy-related pain are still needed, especially for females.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 100-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Erwin ◽  
Courtney Goodman ◽  
Tammy Smith

Abstract Introduction: The use of benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotics in the elderly is associated with a significant risk of delirium, falls, fractures, cognitive impairment, and motor vehicle accidents. This quality improvement project applies a direct-to-consumer intervention to an elderly veteran population to reduce the use of these medications. Methods: Patients aged 75 and older currently taking a benzodiazepine and/or a sedative-hypnotic were included in the project. Direct-to-consumer education intervention letters were mailed to patients within 30 days of their next appointment. Their providers were emailed a questionnaire after the patient's appointment. Providers were asked if the letter prompted a conversation regarding medication use, whether the provider initiated discussion regarding a taper, and whether a specific taper plan was developed. Medical records were reviewed to determine if a reduction in dose or discontinuation occurred. Results: Fifty-nine direct-to-consumer education letters were mailed to the patients. Follow-up questionnaires were e-mailed to 44 providers, and 27 providers responded. Twenty-two percent of patients had their benzodiazepine and/or sedative hypnotic dose reduced or discontinued after their follow-up appointment. Sixty-seven percent of veterans initiated a conversation with their provider regarding their medication with 74% of providers discussing dose reduction. Fifty-six percent of recipients developed a specific taper plan with their provider. Discussion: The data from this project suggests that direct-to-consumer patient education can reduce the exposure to benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotics in an elderly veteran population. More data is needed on larger populations to further explore the benefit of direct-to-consumer interventions.


VASA ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 423-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingtao Meng ◽  
Si Wang ◽  
Yong Wang ◽  
Shixi Wan ◽  
Kai Liu ◽  
...  

Background: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a disease prevalent among middle-aged men and the elderly. The association between arterial stiffness and OH is unclear. This study evaluates whether arterial stiffness is correlated with OH and tests the usefulness of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an arterial stiffness marker, with regard to identifying OH. Patients and methods: A sample of 1,010 participants was recruited from the general population (64.8 ± 7.7 years; 426 men) who attended health check-ups. BaPWV and the radial augmentation index (rAI) were both assessed as the arterial stiffness markers, and OH was determined using blood pressure (BP) measured in the supine position, as well as 30 seconds and 2 minutes after standing. Results: The prevalence of OH in this population was 4.9 %. Compared with the non-OH group, both baPWV (20.5 ± 4.5 vs 17.3 ± 3.7, p < 0.001) and rAI (88.1 ± 10.8 vs 84.2 ± 10.7, p < 0.05) were significantly higher in the OH group. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, baPWV (OR, 1.3; 95 % CI, 1.106–1.528; p < 0.05) remained associated with OH. Moreover, the degree of orthostatic BP reduction was related to arterial stiffness. In addition, increases in arterial stiffness predicted decreases in the degree of heart rate (HR) elevation. Finally, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that baPWV was useful in discriminating OH (AUC, 0.721; p < 0.001), with the cut-off value of 18.58 m/s (sensitivity, 0.714; specificity, 0.686). Conclusions: Arterial stiffness determined via baPWV, rather than rAI, was significantly correlated with the attenuation of the orthostatic hemodynamic response and the resultant OH. The impaired baroreceptor sensitivity might be the mechanism. In addition, baPWV appears to be a relatively sensitive and reliable indicator of OH in routine clinical practice.


MedPharmRes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Truc Phan ◽  
Tram Huynh ◽  
Tuan Q. Tran ◽  
Dung Co ◽  
Khoi M. Tran

Introduction: Little information is available on the outcomes of R-CHOP (rituximab with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) and R-CVP (rituximab with cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone) in treatment of the elderly patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), especially in Vietnam. Material and methods: All patients were newly diagnosed with CD20-positive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) at Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, Ho Chi Minh city (BTH) between 01/2013 and 01/2018 who were age 60 years or older at diagnosis. A retrospective analysis of these patients was perfomed. Results: Twenty-one Vietnamese patients (6 males and 15 females) were identified and the median age was 68.9 (range 60-80). Most of patients have comorbidities and intermediate-risk. The most common sign was lymphadenopathy (over 95%). The proportion of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was highest (71%). The percentage of patients reaching complete response (CR) after six cycle of chemotherapy was 76.2%. The median follow-up was 26 months, event-free survival (EFS) was 60% and overall survival (OS) was 75%. Adverse effects of rituximab were unremarkable, treatment-related mortality accounted for less than 10%. There was no difference in drug toxicity between two regimens. Conclusions: R-CHOP, R-CVP yielded a good result and acceptable toxicity in treatment of elderly patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In patients with known cardiac history, omission of anthracyclines is reasonable and R-CVP provides a competitive complete response rate.


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