Rapid rise in COVID-19 among young people in England - learning for the future.

OBJECTIVES: We determined the age and sociodemographic distribution of COVID-19 cases between January and September 2020 to identify the group with the highest incidence rates at the beginning of the second wave in England. STUDY DESIGN: We undertook a retrospective cohort study design. METHODS: SARS-CoV-2 cases in England were linked with area-level socio-economic status indicators using quintiles of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Age-specific incidence rates were stratified by IMD quintile to further assess rates by area-level socio-economic status. RESULTS: Between July and September 2020, SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates were highest amongst those aged 18-21 years, reaching rates of 213.9 (18-19 years) and 143.2 (20-21 years) per 100,000 population by week ending 21 September 2022. Stratification of incidence rates by IMD quintile evidenced that despite high rates observed in the most deprived areas of England amongst the very young and older age groups, the highest rates were observed in the most affluent areas of England amongst the 18- to 21-year-olds. CONCLUSIONS: The reversal of sociodemographic trend in COVID-19 cases in England for those aged 18-21 years at the end of the summer of 2020 and beginning of the second wave showed a novel pattern of COVID-19 risk. For other age groups, the rates remained highest for those from more deprived areas, which highlighted persisting inequalities. Combined, this demonstrates the need to reinforce awareness of COVID-19 risk for young people, particularly given the late inclusion of the 16-17 years age group for vaccination administration, as well as continued efforts to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations.

Establishing outpatient ureteric stent changes under local aesthetic in the Northeast region;a safety and feasibility study

Introduction: The COVID19 pandemic has led to unprecedented pressures on theatre waiting lists. The numbers of patients requiring regular ureteric stent changes under general anesthetic (GA) can be significant. We performed a regional study of these patients to assess;i) suitability for procedures under local anaesthetic (LA) and ii) outcomes for those then having LA rather than GA procedures. Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study from 3 urology centres was performed. Feasibility criteria for transition to LA stent change was determined on;comorbidities, indication for stent placement and operative factors. 2 centres subsequently initiated regular out-of-theatre LA stent change lists and outcomes were reviewed. Results: 216 cases were included. Median age was 68 and sex ratio 1:1 (M:F). Commonest indications for indwelling stents included benign strictures (37%), non-urological malignancy (24.1%) and urological malignancy (22.2%). 34 patients were suitable for/awaiting definitive procedures. Average number of changes was 2.4/year with 49% of patients being ASA3 or higher. LA stent changes were deemed feasible in 70 patients. 63 procedures were performed under LA with a 98% success rate. Complications (30d) included stent migration (2), haematuria (2) and infection (1). Conclusion: Innovation is required to deal with significant COVID-19 related problems. LA ureteric stent changes are safe and tolerable in appropriately selected patients. Performing these outside of the theatre environment increases capacity on surgical waiting lists. Patient benefits include reduced risks of multiple GA procedures in elderly and co-morbid patients. This data encourages expansion of this initiative.

Management of acute ureteric colic in a large tertiary centre during the initial COVID-19 pandemic - How did our practice change?

Introduction & Objectives: Treatment of acute ureteric colic according to current BAUS guidelines can be challenging, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to audit our practice during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. Materials & Methods: A retrospective analysis of 94 patients admitted with ureteric colic during the initial COVID-19 pandemic (March to June 2020). Data was collected from records and outcomes compared to a pre-pandemic audit of our acute stone service (January to June 2018). Results: Patient demographics were comparable: 33 admissions/month (pre-COVID 37), average age 52 years (pre-COVID 53 years), and median stone size 6 mm (pre-COVID 5mm). Septic patients (23%, pre-COVID 17%) underwent ureteric stenting (23%, pre-COVID 17%) or nephrostomy (10%, pre-COVID <1%). For non-septic patients, 46% underwent primary treatment (ureteroscopy:ESWL = 1:1, pre-COVID = 2:1), 24% ureteric stenting (pre-COVID 31%) and 30% conservative management (pre-COVID 34%). Median time to primary ureteroscopy (94% successful) and ESWL (76% successful;1-2 sessions) was 24 hours (target <48 hours). Median time from stent insertion to definite ureteroscopy was 5.8 weeks (pre-COVID 6.6 weeks, target <4 weeks) and subsequent cystoscopic stent removal was 4 weeks (target <2 weeks). For patients managed conservatively, median time to outpatient review was 7.1 weeks (pre-COVID 5.4 weeks, target <4 weeks) and follow-up imaging 8.2 weeks. Conclusions: These results from one of the largest stone units in the UK show, that despite the pandemic, primary stone intervention was still achievable within 24 hours. There was a greater reliance on ESWL and nephrostomy insertion due to concerns regarding general anaesthesia and COVID-19.

VIRTUAL FRACTURE CLINIC: A PANDEMIC-READY TOOL for IMPROVING the EFFICIENCY of FRACTURE CLINIC

BACKGROUND: The traditional model of care of the Orthopaedic Fracture Clinic (OFC) is labour intensive, expensive, has poor satisfaction rates, and often has minimal impact on management and outcomes of patients with minor injuries. Our aim was to implement a Virtual Fracture Clinic (VFC) for the management of minor injuries that is safe, reduces OFC clinic workload and reduces the OFC failure to attend (FTA) rate. METHODS: This study was a retrospective longitudinal audit of OFC workload before (January 2012 -February 2017) and after (March 2017 - December 2019) implementation of the VFC. It was performed in an urban district general hospital in South East Queensland, Australia. The primary outcome measures included attendances per timepoint (month). RESULTS: Overall, we observed a significant reduction in total number of patients from 1, 055 (IQR 104.5) to 831 (IQR: 103) per month coming through the OFC following the introduction of the VFC (F = 21.9;df=1;p <0.0001). The failure to attend rate was reduced by 44% from 271 (IQR: 127.3) to 151 (IQR: 72.8) (F=4.0;df=1;p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: The VFC implementation was successful in improving efficiency and reducing the current OFC workload, as well as reducing FTA rate. Reduction in clinic workload allows more time to be spent with complex patients, prevents clinic backlogs and overbooking, and crowding of waiting rooms. In the midst of a global pandemic that is spread by close contact, virtual clinics seem the way of the future to treat patients whilst minimising risk of COVID-19 spread. © 2021 Australasian College of Health Service Management. All Rights Reserved.

TROPISM OF SARS-COV-2 FOR BARRETT'S ESOPHAGUS MAY INCREASE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DEVELOPING COVID-19

Background and Aims: In addition to pulmonary and thrombotic sequalae, gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations of COVID-19 are common. Although enterocytes express ACE2 and TMPRSS2, the proteins that determine SARS-CoV-2 tropism, prior studies have suggested that the virus is inactivated by gastric acid and other luminal fluids as it transits the gastrointestinal tract. However, we reason here that individuals with intestinal metaplasia of the esophagus and stomach might have ectopic, proximal SARS-CoV-2 receptor expression that would predispose them to infection from ingested oral secretions or respiratory sputum. Methods: Histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were performed on human tissue and organoid cultures derived from biopsied human Barrett’s esophagus. Organoid cultures were infected with a chimeric virus expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (rVSV-eGFP-SARS-CoV-2). Both fixed and live cells were imaged by light, epifluorescence, and live confocal microscopy. Results: Unlike normal esophagus and stomach, Barrett’s esophagus and gastric intestinal metaplasia both strongly express apical ACE2 and TMPRSS2 at the protein level. Organoids derived from Barrett’s esophagus are readily infected by the chimeric rVSV-eGFP-SARSCoV- 2 virus as demonstrated by the GFP fluorescence observed in both epifluorescence as well as three-dimensional, time-lapse confocal imaging of live infected organoids. We observed that fluorescence persisted for greater than 2 weeks in culture suggesting ongoing viral infection and intestinal identity correlated with increased viral entry. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 has a previously undescribed tropism for Barrett’s esophagus and gastric intestinal metaplasia, placing these individuals at higher risk of infection via the orogastric route.

Comparison of all-cause mortality in England with Europe and the USA: January 2020 to February 2021

Background Assessing mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital for informing public health strategies and policy decision making. All-cause excess mortality provides an objective measure of the impact of the pandemic including both the direct and indirect effects. Our study considers the burden of mortality in the UK, Europe and the USA. We examine variation between countries, by age and sex. We explore the extent to which this variation is associated with COVID-19 case rates and other population characteristics. Methods The study is a secondary analysis of routine administrative population and mortality data. Weekly death occurrences and population estimates were obtained from Eurostat and national statistical agencies. Contextual information on COVID-19 case rates, population-level risk factors and healthcare were obtained from various open-source databases. Weekly age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) were calculated and presented relative to a baseline average from the preceding 5-year period. Relative cumulative (rc) ASMRs were then calculated to provide a comparable assessment of excess mortality at a point in time. Results Preliminary results show that, by end of the analysis period, England had an overall rcASMR of 10.09%. Higher excess mortality was identified for some countries (eg USA 14.58%) and lower - even below average mortality - for others (eg Norway -6.8%). Under 65 rcASMR showed substantial variation between countries. Cumulative COVID-19 case rates showed a moderate effect size (R2 = 0.51) when used to explain the proportion of variation observed between rcASMRs. Other population factors showed a smaller effect. Conclusions The burden of mortality experienced between countries and populations over the COVID-19 pandemic period has shown significant variation. Factors which may have contributed to the position of some countries should be further explored in order to inform ongoing management of Covid-19 and future pandemic events. Key messages Significant variation in all-cause excess mortality has been identified across the COVID-19 pandemic period between nations and particularly in younger age groups. COVID-19 case rates are associated with relative cumulative all-cause excess mortality among the nations assessed.

Post-ureteroscopy febrile urinary tract infections are linked to pre-operative stent dwell time: Results from three European endourology centres

Introduction: Indwelling ureteric stents, usually inserted for emergency drainage of an obstructed system, can cause significant morbidity with infections. We aimed to assess pre-operative stent dwell time on infectious complications following ureteroscopy and laser fragmentation (URSL). Material and Methods: Data was retrospectively collected for outcomes of URSL from 3 European endourology centres for patients with pre-operative indwelling ureteric stents. We included data for patient details, stone demographics, operative details, stone free rate (SFR), outcomes and complications between 2011 and 2020. Patients divided into group 1 (<6 months stent dwell time) and group 2 (6 months). Primary outcomes were early post-operative infectious complications (febrile UTI) and ICU access. Analysis with binomial logistic regression (SPSS v.24). Results: 501 patients were included (group 1, n=429;group 2, n=72) [Table 1]. Mean age and operative time in groups 1/2 were 71-30 years and 64-22 years, and 51-28 minutes and 59-31 minutes. Febrile UTI and ICU admissions were seen in 32(8%) and 3(0.7%), and 22(31%) and 1(1.4%) in groups 1/2 respectively. Stent dwell time of 6 months carried significantly higher risk for febrile UTI post URSL (RR=5.45, 95% CI: 2.94-10.10, p<0.001) [see fig 1]. Conclusion: Although the overall risk of infectious complication rates from URSL were low, longer indwelling stent time significantly increases the risk of post-operative infections. We would recommend having the stent dwell time as short as possible and not to exceed 6 months. Our findings will help prioritise these patients in the post-COVID era.

Acute management of ureteric colic in a large tertiary centre;A re-audit and comparison to BAUS guidelines

Introduction: Considerable pressure exists to deliver timely treatment for patients with acute ureteric colic. We conducted a re-audit of our practice measured against BAUS guidelines to determine an improvement in our stone service. Patients and Methods: A prospective analysis of 130 patients admitted over 3 months (October to December 2019) with acute ureteric colic. Data was collected from records and outcomes compared to our previous audit (from 2018). Results: Patient demographics were comparable: admissions 43/month, average age 54 years, median stone size 6mm, stone location (45 % distal-, 36 % proximal-,19% mid-ureteric). Sepsis rates were identical (17%) and managed with stent insertion. For non-septic patients, 51 % (previously 59%) underwent primary treatment (36 ureteroscopy/ stent, 18 ESWL) and 49 % (previously 41%) conservative management. In theatre, primary ureteroscopy was attempted in 75% cases (previously 62%) and successful in 81%. Median time to primary ureteroscopy/stent insertion remained 24 hours;primary ESWL improved to 48 hours (previously 72 hours). Median time from stent insertion to definitive ureteroscopy was 8.9 weeks (previously 6.6 weeks). For patients managed conservatively, median time to outpatient review was 6.7 weeks (previously 5.4 weeks). For ureteric stents, 100 % were removed <2 weeks post-ureteroscopy (previously 89%). Conclusions: Increasing emergency slots for acute onsite ESWL, rates of emergency primary ureteroscopy and introducing nurse-specialist stent removal (Isiris system) have enabled us to achieve primary intervention 48 hours and stent removal <2 weeks. Prolonged waiting times for definitive ureteroscopy and outpatient review remain challenging to address, particularly in the era of COVID-19.