scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cystic Fibrosis Pulmonary Exacerbations

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shreya Patel ◽  
Misty Thompson ◽  
James Slaven ◽  
Clement Ren

​Background and Hypothesis       CF pulmonary exacerbations (PEx) are episodes of decline in respiratory function that can be triggered by a variety of mechanisms, including respiratory viral infections.  The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures and home isolation policies and a potential reduction in exposure to other respiratory viruses.  The goal of this project is to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CF PEx at the Riley Hospital for Children. We hypothesize that the incidence of PEx will be lower during the period of the COVID-19 lockdown from March 1 to May 15 in 2020 compared to the same time interval in 2019.      Methods  We performed a retrospective chart review of children with CF ages 2-12 (N=80) seen at Riley in 2019 and 2020 and collected data within the following timeframes: January 1 to March 15 2019 and 2020, and March 16 to May 15 2019 and 2020.  We collected data on baseline clinical features and details of each PEx event.  Data were analyzed with parametric and non-parametric descriptive statistic tests as appropriate; significance was set at P≤0.05.     Results       The percent of PEx events in the study cohort was significantly lower in 2020 compared to 2019 for January 1 to March 15 (56% vs 42%, P=0.0116) and March 16 to May 15 (35% vs 14%, P<0.0001).  The percent of in-person PEx events was significantly lower during March 16 to May 15 in 2020 compared to 2019 (15% vs 1%, P=0.0066)    Conclusions and Potential Impact        COVID-19 restrictions were associated with a decrease PEx events.  We speculate that this reflects a reduced exposure to respiratory viral infections in general. The decrease in in-person PEx events may reflect a shift towards telehealth during the COVID-19 restrictions.  These results provide a foundation for further research into triggers and prevention of CF PEx.   

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233372142110189
Author(s):  
Brandi M. Mize ◽  
Brandon Duke ◽  
Amanda K. Pangle ◽  
Jeanne Y. Wei ◽  
Gohar Azhar

Cardiovascular disease is a common comorbidity associated with an aging population. However, there is a unique group of individuals whose age-defying qualities are still being investigated. This retrospective chart review analyzed various cardiac and metabolic health parameters to characterize the prevalence of heart failure and metabolic derangements in individuals aged 90 years old or older in central Arkansas. Only 236 of the 291 patients in our study cohort had blood pressures recorded. Of these, 50% had systolic blood pressures ≥140 mmHg. Additionally, 77% had pulse pressures ≥50 mmHg. Of the 96 patients with BNP data, 44% had values ≥300 pg/mL. There was a slight positive correlation between aging and HDL cholesterol, while there was a negative correlation between aging and both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. A majority of our patients had both elevated systolic blood pressures and elevated pulse pressures. A majority also had high BNP values, indicative of some degree of heart failure. Additionally, atrial fibrillation was a common arrhythmia identified on EKG. However, these oldest of the old patients had fewer documented metabolic derangements. These findings lay important groundwork for further investigation into lifestyle and genetic components that allow them to live exceptionally long with such comorbidities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Gazzetta ◽  
Betty Fan ◽  
Paul Bonner ◽  
John Galante

Patients with classic biliary colic symptoms and documented gallbladder ejection fractions on the higher end of the spectrum on hepatobiliary iminoacetic acid scans with cholecystokinin stimulation are presently understudied and the benefits of cholecystectomy are unclear. To determine whether patients with biliary-type pain and biliary hyperkinesia (defined as a gallbladder ejection fractions of 80% or greater) benefit from laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a retrospective chart review encompassing five community hospitals was performed. Patients 16 years and older with diagnosed biliary hyperkinesia who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy between January 1, 2010 and May 31, 2015 were included. Pathology reports were reviewed for histologic changes indicating cholecystitis. Resolution of biliary colic symptoms was reviewed one to three weeks after surgery in their postoperative follow-up documentation. Within our study cohort, we found 97 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for biliary hyperkinesia. Within this population, 84.5 per cent of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for biliary hyper-kinesia had positive findings for gallbladder disease on final pathology. Of the 77 patients with data available from their first postoperative visit, 70 (90.9%) reported improvement or resolution of symptoms. Our findings suggest that symptomatic biliary hyperkinesia may be treated successfully with surgery.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma M Loebel ◽  
Mary Rojas ◽  
Connor Mensching ◽  
Danielle Wheelwright ◽  
Laura K Stein

Introduction: Studies have demonstrated that aphasia may negatively impact morbidity and mortality among ischemic stroke (IS) patients. However, the association between post-stroke aphasia and readmission with infection (RI) is poorly understood. We sought to assess the impact of aphasia on post-stroke RI. We hypothesized that aphasic patients are at increased risk of infection in the 30-day post-stroke period. Methods: We performed retrospective chart review of the Mount Sinai Hospital IS patients with 30-day all cause readmission from January 2016 - December 2019. All variables were abstracted from the index admission (IA) electronic medical records except for aspects related to the readmission (RA). Aphasia was present if a neurologist diagnosed the patient with acquired language dysfunction during IA. We performed chi square and logistic regression analyses to compare readmitted patients with and without aphasia at IA. Our fully adjusted model controlled for age, sex, medical comorbidities, NIHSS ≥ 8, IA LOS > 7, IA infection, discharge to facility. We completed all analyses with SPSS. Results: During IA, 36% (n=42) were diagnosed with aphasia. At IA, there were no significant differences in age (dichotomized at 65), sex, or medical comorbidities between aphasic and non-aphasic cohorts. However, more aphasic patients had admission NIHSS ≥ 8 (89% vs 35%, p<0.0001), LOS > 7 (76% vs 42%, p=0.0004), discharge to facility (79% vs 49%, p=0.0016), and RI (52% vs 19%, p=0.002). The presence of aphasia predicted RI in both unadjusted (OR=4.6, p<0.001) and adjusted (OR= 3.3, p=0.014) multivariate analyses. The Kappa inter-reliability ranged from 0.7-1.0 for the key variables included in our adjusted model. Conclusions: The adjusted odds of 30-day readmission with infection were significantly greater in those with diagnosis of aphasia at the time of index admission compared to those without. Our study provides preliminary evidence that the presence of aphasia may have negative consequences on a patient’s health beyond the language disturbance. Further study is needed to better understand the reasons and risk reduction strategies in this vulnerable population.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Burnett ◽  
Dolly Panchal ◽  
Bjorn Peterson ◽  
Eric Ernest ◽  
Kent Griffith ◽  
...  

IntroductionAgitated patients who present a danger to themselves or emergency medical services (EMS) providers may require chemical restraints.  Haloperidol is employed for chemical restraint in many EMS services.  Recently, ketamine has been introduced as an alternate option for prehospital sedation.  On-scene time is a unique metric in prehospital medicine which has been linked to outcomes in multiple patient populations. When used for chemical restraint, the impact of ketamine relative to haloperidol on on-scene time is unknown.Objective: To evaluate whether the use of ketamine for chemical restraint was associated with a clinically significant (≥5 minute) increased on-scene time compared to a haloperidol based regimen.MethodsPatients who received haloperidol or ketamine for chemical restraint were identified by retrospective chart review.  On-scene time was compared between groups using an unadjusted Student t-test powered to 80% to detect a ≥5 minute difference in on-scene time.Results110 cases were abstracted (Haloperidol = 55; Ketamine = 55). Of the patients receiving haloperidol, 11/55 (20%) were co-administered a benzodiazepine, 4/55 (7%) received diphenhydramine and 34/55 (62%) received the three drugs in combination. There were no demographic differences between the haloperidol and ketamine groups.  On-scene time was not statistically different for patients receiving a haloperidol based regimen compared to ketamine (18.2 minutes, [95% CI 15.7-20.8] vs. 17.6 minutes, [95% CI 15.1-20.0]; p = 0.71).ConclusionsThe use of prehospital ketamine for chemical restraint was not associated with a clinically significant (≥5 minute) increased on-scene time compared to a haloperidol based regimen.  


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-87
Author(s):  
Bethany A. Lynch ◽  
Peter Gal ◽  
J. Laurence Ransom ◽  
Rita Q. Carlos ◽  
Mary Ann V.T. Dimaguila ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE Aminophylline is a methylxanthine with multiple physiologic actions. At low doses, aminophylline can antagonize adenosine and improve renal function via increased glomerular filtration rate. Despite its clinical use, little data exists in neonates for this indication. Therefore, the objective of this report is to describe the impact of aminophylline on renal function indices in a series of neonates with acute renal failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a retrospective chart review of 13 neonates with acute renal failure who received aminophylline during a 15-month study period. Aminophylline was administered at 1 mg/kg intravenously or orally every twelve hours. Forty-six percent (n = 6) of the patients received a 5 mg/kg loading dose before initiation of maintenance therapy. Most patients had already received other treatments for renal failure, including diuretics and dopamine. RESULTS Resolution of acute renal failure (with normalization of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen) was documented in 10 patients (77%). Four of the thirteen patients died from complications due to their prematurity. Failure of low-dose aminophylline was observed in 3 of the 4 patients who died. CONCLUSIONS Low-dose aminophylline in neonates with acute renal failure is associated with an improvement in renal function indices.


Author(s):  
Ruben Berrocal Timmons

Objective: Treatment of joint pain with an injection of the amniotic membrane has not been adequately studied. This study retrospectively reviewed Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and analgesic usage data from patients treated with the injection of cryopreserved amniotic membrane (CAM) in their knees to determine the impact of treatment on patients’ pain, quality of life, and analgesic usage. Methods: Chart review was conducted on 40 patients. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained prior to initiation of the project. The membrane was utilized as per the FDA guidance of 21CFR1271. Retrospective data, including demographics, medical history, pain score, quality of life score, analgesic usage and adverse events, were collected from their medical records for each consenting patient through 6 months after CAM injection. Results: A total of 40 patients were considered in the final analysis. Mean VAS for pain level improved from 7.0 to 2.6 (p<0.001). WOMAC daily activity function score improved from a mean score of 52 to 28 (p<0.001). Opioid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) usage decreased from 97% to 25% (p<0.001). No adverse events were reported. Conclusion: Mean values for VAS and WOMAC scores significantly improved at all time points and the number of patients who used analgesics decreased as compared to baseline. CAM injection into painful knee joints decreases pain, improves physical function, and decreases the use of analgesics in the absence of adverse events.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Jarnot ◽  
Christopher Streib ◽  
Angela Heyer ◽  
Amy Reichert ◽  
David Anderson ◽  
...  

Introduction: “Stroke codes” (SCs) facilitate the timely treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with IV tPA or intra-arterial thrombectomy (IAT), but are inherently resource-intensive and can expose patients to unnecessary and potentially harmful interventions. While all healthcare providers are encouraged to activate SCs, this might lead to low SC-to-treatment-ratios (SCTR). We examined the impact of de-escalation of stroke codes (DSCs) on SCTR. Methods: DSCs were initiated in our institution in January 2015. All DSCs were reviewed for the patient’s eligibility for IV tPA or IAT, and reason for de-escalation. We reviewed all stroke codes 12 months before and after the initiation of this process and compared the SCTR by chi-squared testing. Results: In 2014, prior to DSCs, 253 SCs resulted in 22 AIS interventions (22 IV tPA) for a SCTR of 8.7%. In 2015, 348 SCs were activated with 64 subsequent DSCs (18.4%) and 45 AIS interventions (38 IV tPA, 7 IAT, 7 both), for a SCTR of 15.8%. The improvement in SCTR after introducing DSCs was statistically significant (p=0.012). When restricting the analysis to IV tPA interventions alone, there remained a trend (p=0.068) towards improvement in SCTR. Retrospective chart review did not reveal any DSC cases that resulted in missed opportunity for IV TPA or IAT treatment. No DSCs were due to an acute ICH. Justifications for de-escalations are summarized in figure 1. Conclusions: The introduction of DSCs resulted in a statistically significant absolute improvement in SCTR of 7.1%. Importantly, DSCs did not result in any eligible AIS patient forgoing IV tPA or IAT, nor missed ICH. More research is needed to increase the yield of stroke codes, refine the criteria for both activating and de-escalating them, and quantify the resource and cost implications of such de-escalations.


mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen T. Groves ◽  
Sophie L. Higham ◽  
Miriam F. Moffatt ◽  
Michael J. Cox ◽  
John S. Tregoning

ABSTRACT Respiratory viral infections are extremely common, but their impacts on the composition and function of the gut microbiota are poorly understood. We previously observed a significant change in the gut microbiota after viral lung infection. Here, we show that weight loss during respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or influenza virus infection was due to decreased food consumption, and that the fasting of mice altered gut microbiota composition independently of infection. While the acute phase tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) response drove early weight loss and inappetence during RSV infection, this was not sufficient to induce changes in the gut microbiota. However, the depletion of CD8+ cells increased food intake and prevented weight loss, resulting in a reversal of the gut microbiota changes normally observed during RSV infection. Viral infection also led to changes in the fecal gut metabolome, with a significant shift in lipid metabolism. Sphingolipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) valerate were all increased in abundance in the fecal metabolome following RSV infection. Whether this and the impact of infection-induced anorexia on the gut microbiota are part of a protective anti-inflammatory response during respiratory viral infections remains to be determined. IMPORTANCE The gut microbiota has an important role in health and disease: gut bacteria can generate metabolites that alter the function of immune cells systemically. Understanding the factors that can lead to changes in the gut microbiome may help to inform therapeutic interventions. This is the first study to systematically dissect the pathway of events from viral lung infection to changes in gut microbiota. We show that the cellular immune response to viral lung infection induces inappetence, which in turn alters the gut microbiome and metabolome. Strikingly, there was an increase in lipids that have been associated with the resolution of disease. This opens up new paths of investigation: first, what is the (presumably secreted) factor made by the T cells that can induce inappetence? Second, is inappetence an adaptation that accelerates recovery from infection, and if so, does the microbiome play a role in this?


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S880-S880
Author(s):  
Amy Chang ◽  
Stan Deresinski ◽  
Aruna Subramanian ◽  
Bruno Medeiros ◽  
Emily Mui, PharmD ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In a retrospective chart review of 211 first episodes of febrile neutropenia (FN) in in-patients with acute myelogenous leukemia evaluating rates of appropriate vs. inappropriate management, we identified frequent noncompliance with national guidelines for the management of FN. We utilized these data to develop an educational intervention targeting front-line providers. Methods Based on findings from our chart review, we developed and implemented an interactive, case-based didactic session for advanced practice providers (APPs) and medical students/residents rotating on hematology, targeting inappropriate antibiotic use. Pretest questions were embedded into the lecture, preceding content related to each learning objective. Lecture material included content from national guidelines, literature addressing misconceptions (e.g., vancomycin usage for persistent fever), and data from our institutional antibiogram (Figure 1). A post-test was given directly after the lecture to evaluate knowledge gained. Results Five inappropriate behaviors were identified (Figure 2): (1) changing empiric therapy despite clinical stability, (2) misunderstanding piperacillin/tazobactam’s spectrum of activity, (3) inappropriate initiation of antibiotics active against resistant Gram-positive organisms; (4) failure to de-escalate therapy at 72 hours and (5) failure to add Gram-positive coverage when using aztreonam. Lectures were provided to 13 APPs and 17 medical students/residents over 6 sessions. An improvement in knowledge was noted for most learning objectives except for the third, for which misconceptions remained, especially regarding need for vancomycin in the setting of mucositis (Figures 3 and 4). Higher baseline knowledge was noted for medical students/residents than APPs. 93% of learners rated the lecture very/extremely helpful. Learners recommended future content focus on antifungal therapy. Conclusion We utilized local practice data to develop educational content for front-line providers. We will convert this lecture into a video-format to be incorporated into hematology rotations to reinforce key concepts. A prospective cohort study to evaluate the impact on prescribing behavior is underway. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 4708-4708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Patton ◽  
Yong Mun ◽  
Joel Wallace

Abstract Patients with MDS often receive erythropoietic therapy for the treatment of anemia resulting from the disease. This retrospective chart review examined the impact of switching patients from their current dosing regimens of epoetin alfa (Procrit®) to darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp®) 200 mcg every two weeks (Q2W) following the implementation of therapeutic substitution guidelines in September 2003. Key eligibility criteria included: ≥ 18 years old with a diagnosis of MDS, and treatment with epoetin alfa therapy between May 2003 and January 2004. Patients receiving epoetin alfa therapy were either switched to darbepoetin alfa, or allowed to remain on epoetin alfa, depending on whether their treating physician had adopted therapeutic substitution guidelines. To ensure full characterization of the patient population, in the 16 weeks prior to the time of the therapeutic substitution, detailed demographic and disease characteristics were collected, in addition to dose requirements, transfusion status and hemoglobin profiles. To assess the impact on clinical outcomes, data were collected for 16 weeks after the therapeutic substitution guidelines were implemented (defined as the treatment period). Patients identified in the chart review who received at least one dose of study drug during both time periods were included in the analysis. Response was defined according to the international working group on MDS definitions (Cheson et al., Blood, 2000; 96(12):3671–4). Kaplan-Meier estimates (95% CL) for the percentage of patients with a major response (hemoglobin [Hb] change ≥ 2 g/dL over baseline or transfusion independence) or a minor response (Hb increase ≥ 1 g/dL to < 2 g/dL or a 50% reduction in transfusion requirements) during the treatment period were calculated. Data were abstracted from 142 patient charts, 112 (62 darbepoetin alfa; 50 epoetin alfa) of whom had confirmatory evidence of MDS available in their records (a documented bone marrow biopsy, French-American-British [FAB] classification, or karyotype [confirmed MDS population]). Baseline demographics for the confirmed MDS population were similar between the two cohorts. For those patients with data available, the majority had a FAB classification of refractory anemia with ≤ 5% bone marrow blasts. Mean baseline Hb was 11.0 g/dL for the darbepoetin alfa cohort (n=61) and 11.3 g/dL for the epoetin alfa cohort (n=48). The Kaplan-Meier percentage (95% CL) of patients with a major response was 27% (15, 39) for the darbepoetin alfa cohort and 19% (7, 30) for the epoetin alfa cohort; a minor response was noted for 46% (33, 59) and 47% (31, 63) of patients in the darbepoetin alfa and epoetin alfa cohorts, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier (95% CL) proportion of patients receiving red blood cell transfusions was similar between the groups: 8% (1, 15) for the darbepoetin alfa cohort and 12% (3, 22) for the epoetin alfa cohort. This study indicates that darbepoetin alfa achieved comparable clinical outcomes with epoetin alfa for the treatment of anemia in patients with confirmed MDS.


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