Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for trauma-exposed patients in an outpatient setting: A clinical chart review study

Trauma exposure across the lifespan produces risks for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, as well as global disability in functioning. This retrospective clinical chart review is the first of its kind to assess the utility of sublingual ketamine-assisted body-centered psychotherapy in trauma-exposed patients in a real world clinic setting. De-identified clinical records data on self-reported symptom measures were retrospectively analyzed for patients (N = 18; M age = 45.22, SD = 12.90) entering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy treatment in an outpatient clinic between 2018 and 2020. Patients who completed six sessions of ketamine therapy reported meaningful (e.g., medium effect size) improvements in PTSD symptoms (P = 0.058; d = −0.48) and global disability in functioning (P = 0.050; d = −0.52) and statistically significant and meaningful improvements in depression (P = 0.019; d = −0.53). There were no improvements in anxiety symptoms. Sublingual ketamine-assisted psychotherapy was associated with heterogenous clinical utility among patients with trauma-exposure in an outpatient setting. This study was underpowered and unrepresentative of the population of ketamine patients in the United States. Replication of these findings is needed with larger and more diverse patient samples.

Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant is Associated with Higher Infectious Virus Loads Compared to the Alpha Variant in both Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Individuals

Background The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) B.1.6.17.2 (Delta) quickly displaced the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and is associated with increases in COVID-19 cases nationally. The Delta variant has been associated with greater transmissibility and higher viral RNA loads in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated individuals. Data is lacking regarding the infectious virus load in Delta infected individuals and how that compares to individuals infected with other SARS-CoV-2 lineages. Methods Whole genome sequencing of 2,785 clinical isolates was used to characterize the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in the National Capital Region between January and July 2021. Clinical chart reviews were performed for the Delta, Alpha, and B.1.2 (a control predominant lineage prior to both VOCs) variants to evaluate disease severity and outcome and Cycle threshold values (Cts) were compared. The presence of infectious virus was determined using Vero-TMPRSS2 cells and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were determined from upper respiratory specimen. An analysis of infection in unvaccinated and fully vaccinated populations was performed. Results The Delta variant displaced the Alpha variant to constitute 88.2% of the circulating lineages in the National Capital Region by July, 2021. The Delta variant associated with increased breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated individuals that were mostly symptomatic when compared to the Alpha breakthrough infections, though it is important to note there was a significantly longer period of time between vaccination and infection with Delta infections. The recovery of infectious virus on cell culture was significantly higher with the Delta variant compared to Alpha in both vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. The impact of vaccination on reducing the recovery of infectious virus from clinical samples was only observed with Alpha variant infections but was strongly associated with low localized SARS-CoV-2 IgG for both variants. A comparison of Ct values showed a significant decrease in the Delta compared to Alpha with no significant differences between unvaccinated and vaccinated groups. Conclusions Our data indicate that the Delta variant is associated with increased infectious virus loads when compared to the Alpha variant and decreased upper respiratory antiviral IgG levels. Measures to reduce transmission in addition to increasing vaccinations rates have to be implemented to reduce Delta variant spread.

Undetected Causes of Death in Hospitalized Elderly with COVID-19: Lessons from Autopsy

Background: Mechanisms and causes of death in older patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection are still poorly understood. Methods: We conducted in a retrospective monocentric study, a clinical chart review and post-mortem examination of patients aged 75 years and older hospitalized in acute care and positive for SARS-CoV-2. Full body autopsy and correlation with clinical findings and suspected causes of death were done. Results: Autopsies were performed in 12 patients (median age 85 years; median of 4 comorbidities, mainly hypertension and cardiovascular disease). All cases showed exudative or proliferative phases of alveolar damage and/or a pattern of organizing pneumonia. Causes of death were concordant in 6 cases (50%), and undetected diagnoses were found in 6. Five patients died from hypoxemic respiratory failure due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), five had another associated diagnosis and two died from alternative causes. Deaths that occurred in the second week were related to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia whereas those occurring earlier were related mainly to heart failure and those occurring later to complications. Conclusions: Although COVID-19 hypoxemic respiratory failure was the most common cause of death, post-mortem pathological examination revealed that acute decompensation from chronic comorbidities during the first week of COVID-19 and complications in the third week contributed to mortality.

Higher mortality in bacteremic sepsis - A propensity score matched study

The aim of this study was to describe outcome for critically ill patients with either culture-positive or -negative sepsis.In a clinical chart review of patients with a sepsis diagnosis treated in an intensive Care Unit (ICU), those who fulfilled sepsis-3 criteria and at had least one blood culture sampled ±48h from ICU admission were included. In a propensity score analysis bacteremic and non-bacteremic patients were matched with regard to age, comorbidities, site of infection and antimicrobial therapy prior to blood cultures.Out of 784 patients treated in the ICU with a sepsis diagnosis, blood cultures were missing in 140 excluded patients and additionally 95 excluded patients did not fulfill a sepsis diagnosis. In total 549 patients were included, 295 (54%) with bacteremia, 90 (16%) were non-bacteremic but had relevant pathogens detected from another body location and in 164 (30%) no relevant pathogen was detected in microbial samples. After the propensity score analysis, 90-day mortality was higher in bacteremic patients, 47%, than in non-bacteremic patients, 36%, p =0.04. In conclusion, bacteremic patients had higher mortality than their non-bacteremic counter-parts and bacteremia is more common in sepsis when studied in a clinical review.

Punctual Breast Implant Rupture following Lipofilling: Only a Myth?

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Lipofilling techniques are widespread in clinical practice as a complement to breast reconstruction, despite posing some risk. Punctual implant rupture following a fat transfer is one of the possible complications, which has not been properly reported yet and is probably being underdiagnosed. The aim of this paper is to report key facts for appropriate diagnosis of this clinical chart.<i></i><b><i>Case Report:</i></b><i></i>We present the case of a 47-year-old woman with a bilateral prosthetic breast reconstruction who was treated with autologous fat graft for upper pole enhancing and scar improvement. The patient developed an early unilateral breast capsular contracture after the fat graft procedure, with normal radiological exploration. Surgical findings showed intraprosthetic fat deposits and a punctual implant rupture. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Punctual breast implant rupture is a possible complication of lipofilling that is usually not suspected at first consultation and might be underdiagnosed based on radiological findings, so investigating clinical signs should necessarily be a prerequisite to diagnosis.

Insights into the clinical management of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infections: An Italian retrospective clinical chart review

There is a lack of consensus regarding management of infections with carbapenem- resistant Gram-negative (CR-GN) pathogens. This study comprised a medical chart review to assess patient management in a high CR prevalence setting. Data was collated retrospectively from medical records of patients hospitalized between November 1st, 2015 and October 31st, 2016. Of 29 patients, 66% had respiratory tract infections. Median duration of hospitalization was 28 days and ~50% of patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, with 77% remaining for >2 weeks. Median time to obtain respiratory culture results was 5 days. Isolation of patients with diagnosed CR-GN infection took ≥5 days in >50% of patients. A majority (76%) of patients received ≥1 antibiotic before providing a specimen for culture; a total of 17 antibiotic treatments were used. Overall, 72% of patients, and 68% of those with respiratory infections, were discharged alive; 38% were discharged without further antibiotics. The difficulties in achieving effective management in patients with CR-GN infections are largely due to complex co-morbidities, a history of prior antibiotic treatment, and multiple referrals across health care facilities.

AB0994 NEW ALTERNATIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENT WITH MUTATION OF GEN LACC1

Background:Few patients have been described in the literature with mutations in the Lacasa Domain containing one (LACC1) gene. Its clinical presentation usually associates sustained systemic inflammation associated with chronic polyarticular erosive arthritis. Until now, there have been multiple treatments described to try to control the disease, however, they are generally unsuccessful in the long term.Objectives:Describe the clinical course of a patient as well as the different treatments usedMethods:Clinical chart reviewResults:Female 18-year-old born from a consanguineous Moroccan couple. Mother, brother and sister with similar conditions. She started at 3 years with fever, anemia, intense elevation of acute phase reactants and symmetric polyarthritis (knees, elbows, carps, shoulders, hands and ankles). Subsequent whole exome sequencing identified c.128_129delGT mutation in the LACC1/FAMIN gene. During the course of her illness, she has received treatment with oral, intravenous and infiltrated corticosteroid, methotrexate and etanercept, without getting adequate control of the disease. In 2016, she started treatment with tocilizumab (8 mg / kg every two weeks), obtaining an acceptable control of the disease (requiring periodic infiltrations every 2-3 months due to persistent arthritis). Nonetheless, in April 2019, she consulted for clinical worsening of the arthritis and laboratory test (C reactive protein 99.7 mg / L, erythrosedimentation rate 53 mm / h, leukocytes 13,500/µL and neutrophils 10,930/µL). At that time, she discontinued therapy with tocilizumab and started tofacitinib 5 mg every 12 hours with good evolution. Since its introduction, it has not required joint infiltration again and the inflammatory parameters (persistently elevated previously) have normalized.Conclusion:The jak kinasa inhibitors may be a treatment option in those patients with bad response to conventional therapy.References:[1]Rabionet R, Remesal A, Mensa-Vilaró A, Murías S, Alcobendas R, González-Roca E, Ruiz-Ortiz E, Antón J, Iglesias E, Modesto C, Comas D, Puig A, Drechsel O, Ossowski S, Yagüe J, Merino R, Estivill X, Arostegui JI. Biallelic loss-of-function LACC1/FAMIN Mutations Presenting as Rheumatoid Factor-Negative Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 14;9(1):4579Disclosure of Interests:None declared