Assessing Effective Practices and Barriers to Creating School and Community Partnerships for a Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention Program: A National Project ADAM® study.

OBJECTIVES: Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory) is a national collaborative to improve outcomes for out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. Given Project ADAM's expansion, we sought to identify effective methods to partner with community leaders and understand barriers to engagement. Our aim was to establish effective practices to guide affiliates and optimize site operations and partnerships. METHODS: We conducted a survey of all Project ADAM sites in 2020. Medical Directors and Program Coordinators were included for generalizability. The survey consisted of 20 questions covering the domains of communication, goals for partner organizations, partnership barriers, staff time commitments, and Project ADAM program needs. RESULTS: Thirty-one members responded: 14 Medical Directors and 17 Program Coordinators. E-mail was the predominant method to initiate (58%) and maintain (87%) contact with partner organizations, though telephone (21%) and in-person visits (14%) were common for initiating contact. Presentations at school board, Emergency Medical Services, and athletic director meetings and student/family testimonials were powerful engagement tools. Barriers to partnership varied, revolving around limited school budgets, overburdened staff, and Covid-19. Limited time, difficulty coordinating schedules, and lack of dedicated resources were common challenges for Project ADAM sites. Only 36% of Medical Directors receive institutional recognition of Project ADAM effort. CONCLUSIONS: Project ADAM's partnership with community stakeholders creates unique opportunities and challenges. Optimal communication methods should be identified early for each school, with regular interaction for long-term success. Institutional recognition of Project ADAM efforts may boost success. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic created numerous challenges and may spur operational changes.

A 'train the trainers' approach to infection prevention and control training in pandemic conditions.

Background: The first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic in early 2020 required a rapid roll-out of infection prevention and control (IPC) training for healthcare workers (HCW), including use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Education about respiratory droplet and aerosol transmission was of paramount importance to ensure safe working practices and improve confidence. Methods: A joint working group of Infectious Diseases and IPC staff developed a 'train the trainers' programme, to be rapidly deployed over a three-week period. This model utilised a snowballing approach, training selected staff with the intention that they would train their teams, facilitating swift cascading of information. Targeted invitations prompted staff from diverse departments of the hospital to attend. Pre- and post-session questionnaires evaluated staff confidence with regard to appropriate PPE use. Results: The programme trained 130 HCW over a three week period, was well received and led to increased confidence with PPE use amongst staff. Real-time evaluation ensured content could be adapted to the specific needs of HCW involved. We highlight perceived gaps in training despite existing and enhanced training structures. Conclusion: Provision of face-to-face training in transmission-based precautions, including PPE use, is required to maintain confidence in safe and appropriate IPC amongst hospital staff. We highlight the importance of including non-clinical staff in PPE educational programmes, recognising that these roles are vital for patient care and are frequently patient-facing. We recommend adopting the train the trainers model to facilitate rapid dissemination of education, with interactive multidisciplinary training in future outbreaks to improve HCW confidence and effective IPC.

Latent Class Analysis Reveals COVID-19-related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Subgroups with Differential Responses to Corticosteroids.

Rationale: Two distinct subphenotypes have been identified in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but the presence of subgroups in ARDS associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is unknown. Objectives: To identify clinically relevant, novel subgroups in COVID-19-related ARDS and compare them with previously described ARDS subphenotypes. Methods: Eligible participants were adults with COVID-19 and ARDS at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups with baseline clinical, respiratory, and laboratory data serving as partitioning variables. A previously developed machine learning model was used to classify patients as the hypoinflammatory and hyperinflammatory subphenotypes. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared between subgroups. Heterogeneity of treatment effect for corticosteroid use in subgroups was tested. Measurements and Main Results: From March 2, 2020, to April 30, 2020, 483 patients with COVID-19-related ARDS met study criteria. A two-class latent class analysis model best fit the population (P = 0.0075). Class 2 (23%) had higher proinflammatory markers, troponin, creatinine, and lactate, lower bicarbonate, and lower blood pressure than class 1 (77%). Ninety-day mortality was higher in class 2 versus class 1 (75% vs. 48%; P < 0.0001). Considerable overlap was observed between these subgroups and ARDS subphenotypes. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RT-PCR cycle threshold was associated with mortality in the hypoinflammatory but not the hyperinflammatory phenotype. Heterogeneity of treatment effect to corticosteroids was observed (P = 0.0295), with improved mortality in the hyperinflammatory phenotype and worse mortality in the hypoinflammatory phenotype, with the caveat that corticosteroid treatment was not randomized. Conclusions: We identified two COVID-19-related ARDS subgroups with differential outcomes, similar to previously described ARDS subphenotypes. SARS-CoV-2 PCR cycle threshold had differential value for predicting mortality in the subphenotypes. The subphenotypes had differential treatment responses to corticosteroids.

The impact of the first COVID-19 surge on severe asthma patients in the UK. Which is worse: the virus or the lockdown?

Asthma therapy, including monoclonal antibodies, was not associated with #COVID19 infection or hospitalisation in a UK severe asthma population. Shielding led to a reported worsening of mental health in nearly half of patients contacted (47%). https://bit.ly/3jImUsG.

[Covid-19: An ad hoc public health ethics consultation]. / Covid-19: Eine Ad hoc Public-Health-Ethikberatung.

In this paper we describe the process and content of our ad hoc public health ethics consultation for a Bavarian health authority in relation to Covid-19.