Anti-IL17A, Ixekizumab, for treatment-resistant chronic venous leg ulcers: A phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial

Chronic venous leg ulcers cause significant morbidity in patients and the majority reoccur after resolution. The current standard of care, double layer compression, is not effective in all patients. Interleukin 17A (IL17) antagonist therapy has been shown to promote healing in murine models of chronic wounds. This has not previously been explored in humans. Therefore, we aim to undertake a phase II randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot trial to assess whether Ixekizumab, an anti-IL17A therapy, is effective at reducing chronic venous ulcer size. In addition, to determine the feasibility and safety of undertaking a randomized control trial. Patients with a venous leg ulcer not responsive to 4 weeks of compression therapy were recruited. Participant were randomized to receive either Ixekizumab (80mg) or placebo injected subcutaneously every fortnight for 12 weeks while continuing standard of care. From 30 eligible, 4 patients consented, were enrolled and randomized. Initially, COVID-19 risk, medical history and distance from recruiting site were the main causes of exclusion or refusal to participate. All participants completed the 12-week treatment period. At completion, two participants in the Ixekizumab group reduced by >40% and one completely resolved their ulcer. Ulcers in the Ixekizumab group reduced by an average size of 955mm2 to 529mm2at baseline to final review respectively (p-value 0.12). The placebo group reduced in size by <5%.There were no adverse events related to the intervention. This pilot clinical trial investigated a novel treatment for chronic venous ulcers and showed IL17 inhibition does not impede and may improve chronic wound healing. It also showed a lack of major safety issues in using anti-IL17A therapy in this population. Moreover, the findings reinforce the feasibility of a larger trial to more accurately evaluate anti-inflammatory strategies in chronic wounds.Copyright © 2023

A novel approach to low-energy calcaneal tuberosity avulsion fractures in patients with fragile bone quality: A report of two cases

Maintaining reduction of a calcaneal tuberosity avulsion fracture is challenged by the powerful force exerted upon the bone fragment by the Achilles tendon. Low-demand, elderly patients with osteoporotic bone usually undergo a low-energy mechanism when this fracture pattern occurs. Likely attributable to poor bone quality, the rate of early fixation failure has been documented to be as high as 40%. We present the cases of two 65-year-old female patients who each sustained a calcaneal tuberosity avulsion fracture. Both patients underwent a low-energy mechanism of injury and had a medical history of many comorbidities. The first patient underwent a partial calcaneal ostectomy and tenotomy after failing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). The second patient primarily underwent a partial calcaneal ostectomy and tenotomy. Postoperatively, after the incision site was fairly healed, both patients could bear weight as tolerated. This method of excision and release may allow for decreased risk of skin compromise and return trips to the operating room for failed ORIF. In low-demand patients with low-energy calcaneal avulsion type fractures and osteoporotic bone, this technique may be the preferred surgical option.Copyright © 2022 The Author(s)

Challenges of Trustable AI and Added-Value on Health - Proceedings of MIE 2022

The proceedings contain 250 papers. The topics discussed include: applying machine learning to arsenic species and metallomics profiles of toenails to evaluate associations of environmental arsenic with incident cancer cases;user satisfaction with an AI system for chest X-ray analysis implemented in a hospital’s emergency setting;scaling AI projects for radiology – causes and consequences;ECG classification using combination of linear and non-linear features with neural network;dataset comparison tool: utility and privacy;when context matters for credible measurement of drug-drug interactions based on real-world data;a lightweight and interpretable model to classify bundle branch blocks from ECG signals;analysis of stroke assistance in Covid-19 pandemic by process mining techniques;automated diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder condition using shape based features extracted from brainstem;using explainable supervised machine learning to predict burnout in healthcare professionals;and an image based object recognition system for wound detection and classification of diabetic foot and venous leg ulcers.

The Effect of an Educational Intervention on Self-Care in Patients with Venous Leg Ulcers-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Although patients with venous leg ulcers are involved in ulcer management, little is known about why and how these patients self-treat their ulcers without direct supervision by health professionals. Yet patients' knowledge of ulcer management can be important for achieving ulcer closure and/or preventing recurrence. This study thus investigates the effects of an educational intervention on knowledge of self-care among patients with venous leg ulcers, mainly on wound dressing practice, compression therapy, physical activity and nutrition. METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS: This research was conducted in three outpatient hospitals in central Croatia. An educational brochure was made and distributed to patients; patients were surveyed about caring for venous leg ulcers before the brochure was distributed and after 3 months. RESULTS: In total, 208 patients were involved in the study: 112 in the experimental group and 96 in the control group. The educational intervention increased awareness of compression therapy, knowledge of recurrence prevention, appropriate lifestyle habits, and warning signs related to venous leg ulcers. CONCLUSIONS: Patient education on illness and self-care is necessary to achieve positive effects in self-care knowledge. In this study, patients learned how to change dressings, learned how to improve their lifestyle, and were empowered to deal with their illness.

Successful Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia with CPX-351 in 2 Patients in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic hit the United Kingdom in early 2020. High infection rates prompted concern for immunocompromised patients, including patients with AML receiving intensive chemotherapy. CPX-351 (Europe: Vyxeos ® Liposomal;US: Vyxeos ®), a dual-drug liposomal encapsulation of daunorubicin and cytarabine in a synergistic 1:5 molar ratio, is approved for the treatment of newly diagnosed therapy-related AML (t-AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) in adults in Europe and in adults and pediatric patients aged ≥1 year in the United States. Despite concerns about intensive chemotherapy-related myelosuppression, the National Cancer Research Institute AML Working Group recommends that CPX-351 should continue to be administered in patients with adverse-risk cytogenetics and/or secondary AML during the pandemic. We report 2 patients with AML who were successfully treated with CPX-351 in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The patients were diagnosed and managed per institutional guidelines. Two patients received CPX-351 induction (daunorubicin 44 mg/m 2 + cytarabine 100 mg/m 2) on Days 1, 3, and 5 (Days 1 and 3 for second induction) and CPX-351 consolidation (daunorubicin 29 mg/m 2 + cytarabine 65 mg/m 2) on Days 1 and 3, all by 90-minute IV infusion, during the pandemic. Results: The first patient was a 67-year-old male who presented with generalized fatigue in June 2020 with comorbidities of type 2 diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, and leg ulcers. Blood counts demonstrated a hemoglobin count of 79 g/L, white blood cell count of 0.7×10 9, platelet count of 58×10 9/L, and neutrophil count of 0.2×10 9/L. A bone marrow biopsy revealed AML-MRC with 40% blasts, and the patient had wild-type FLT3, NPM1, and SRSF2. The patient achieved morphologic and cytogenetic remission after 2 CPX-351 induction cycles. The patient then received 1 CPX-351 consolidation cycle but was not a candidate for transplant due to diabetic nephropathy. Tolerability improved with each cycle;the patient experienced neutropenic sepsis during the first induction, a flare up of leg ulcers and cellulitis during the second induction, and no tolerability concerns during the consolidation cycle. After the first induction, recovery of neutrophils and platelets occurred around Day 35 and Day 28, respectively (Figure 1), and counts recovered more quickly with each cycle. This patient was managed without contracting COVID-19 or experiencing any pandemic-related complications. The second patient was a 69-year-old female who presented with pancytopenia in February 2020 with no significant past medical or drug history. Her hemoglobin count was 66 g/L, white blood cell count was 0.6×10 9/L, platelet count was 17×10 9/L, and neutrophil count was 0.3×10 9/L. The patient was diagnosed with AML-MRC with mutated NPM1, SRSF2, IDH2, and JA2. During the first CPX-351 induction cycle, the patient contracted COVID-19. Some symptoms were present, but the patient did not become significantly unwell from COVID-19. Despite count recovery, the patient remained positive by nasal/oral PCR swab test for several weeks, delaying the delivery of the second CPX-351 induction cycle. After the second CPX-351 cycle began, the patient once again became positive for COVID-19 by PCR swab. The patient remained positive for longer than the first infection but was largely asymptomatic during the cycle (apart from a bout of sepsis). After a period of approximately 3 months from the previous CPX-351 cycle, the patient received a CPX-351 consolidation cycle and achieved complete remission with no measurable residual disease by NPM1 mutation in the bone marrow (Figure 2). The patient was eligible for transplant but declined. Conclusions: Two patients with AML-MRC were successfully treated with CPX-351 during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite one of the patients contracting and variably testing positive for the disease. During the pandemic, it is important to weigh the benefits of treating AML with curative intent versus the risks of immuno uppression and potential COVID-19 infection. Individualized decisions must be made for each patient based on disease, treatment, and COVID-19 risk factors through discussion with a multidisciplinary team. Although treating patients with AML with CPX-351 during the pandemic can be challenging, it remains an option for appropriate patients with newly diagnosed t-AML or AML-MRC. [Formula presented] Disclosures: Munisamy: Roche: Speakers Bureau;Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Speakers Bureau. Choudhuri: AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and Pfizer: Consultancy.

One-year results of treatment of incompetent truncal veins and incompetent perforators using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)

Introduction, Objectives, and/or Purpose: Incompetent truncal and perforating veins of the legs contribute to a variety of conditions collectively called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Symptoms and signs of CVI adversely affect patient's quality-of-life. These can range from tired and heavy legs, through varicose veins, swollen ankles, fasciocutaneous damage all the way to leg ulceration. International guidelines recommend the treatment of venous reflux using endovenous thermal ablation as a first-line, and foam sclerotherapy as a second-line treatment. Both of these ablate the incompetent vein. There has been a push towards less invasive techniques, but most of these still involve endovenous cannulation. High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a completely non-invasive ablative technique. The HIFU technique uses to ultrasound systems within one machine. The first, a greyscale ultrasound with a colour flow capability, is used to identify the target vein and to target the focused ultrasound. The second is a conical focused ultrasound beam, that focuses on a point approximately 5 mm high by 3.6 mm circumference. In this focus area, temperatures can rise to 70-90°C. This is sufficient to ablate biological tissue. Objectives: (1) To assess the success of using HIFU for the treatment of incompetent truncal veins (GSV, SSV, AASV). (2) To assess the success of using HIFU for the treatment of incompetent perforator veins. (3) To determine the success of adjuvant foam sclerotherapy with of after HIFU, as a treatment protocol. Methods: A retrospective audit of 55 patients treated with HIFU using the Sonovein device (Theraclion, Paris, France) between May 2019 and September 2020 was performed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and consequent travel restrictions and lockdowns, not all patients could return for follow-up DUS at the planned time intervals (1-2 weeks, 6- 8 weeks, 6 months, 1-year post-treatment). DUS outcome of the treated vein was graded: 1. complete success (complete atrophy of the target vein) 2. partial success (≥ 1 patent section;none giving rise to recurrent varicose veins / subclinical reflux not requiring treatment) 3. partial failure (≥ 1 patent section giving rise to significant recurrent varicose veins) 4. complete failure. Initially, we performed HIFU of incompetent veins and then completed the procedure with ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy. Later, the foamsclerotherapy was delayed and only used if required.We analysed the success rate of HIFU alone in those patients who had only HIFU treatment. In those who had additional foam sclerotherapy, we analysed the success rate of HIFU and foam sclerotherapy starting from the date of the foam sclerotherapy, regardless of whether it was performed on the same day as HIFU or subsequently. Results: Fifty patients (female:male 39:11) returned for at least one follow-up scan giving a 90.9% response rate for at least 1 scan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and consequent travel restrictions and lockdowns, not all patients could return for follow-up DUS at planned time intervals (1-2 weeks, 6-8 weeks, 6 months, 1-year post-treatment). There were 78 legs treated, and 41 truncal veins and 146 incompetent perforator veins. Truncal veins: Twenty-nine patients (41 truncal veins in 35 legs) had at least one follow-up scan. Ten patients (15 truncal veins) had concurrent foam sclerotherapy, and nineteen patients (26 truncal veins) did not. Of these nineteen patients, seven patients (10 truncal veins) received foam sclerotherapy within one year of having HIFU treatment. Twelve patients (16 truncal veins) did not receive foam sclerotherapy at all. Those patients having HIFU only showed an 83.3% (15 out of 18) closure at 6- 8 weeks (Figure 1). The results for HIFU and foam sclerotherapy are shown in Figure 2. Despite difficulties in getting patients back for scans, closure rates of 83.3% and 100% were found between 9 and 12 months and over 12 months, respectively. Perforator veins: Forty-three patients (146 perforator veins in 68 legs) attended at least once. Suc essful ablation was seen in 88% at 6 months and 70% at one year in those not having foam sclerotherapy, and 83.3% and 100% in those having HIFU and foam sclerotherapy. Conclusions: High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a new technique that can treat incompetent truncal and incompetent perforator veins extracorporeally. We have reported the one-year results of patients having either HIFU alone, or HIFU combined with ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy. Allowances need to be made for the sporadic follow-up due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and also the fact that we changed our protocols of treatment as we got more experienced. Hence, even although we are reporting what is in effect the learning curve for this technique, the outcomes are not dissimilar from the early outcomes from endovenous thermal ablation. Increased speed of treatment with a corresponding reduction in the need of any local anaesthetic is being introduced, and further audits will be performed in the future to ensure the success rates are maintained or improved.

Abstracts for the American Vein and Lymphatic Society, AVLS 35th Annual Congress

The proceedings contain 35 papers. The topics discussed include: ambulatory phlebectomy in the treatment of superficial venous disease;artificial intelligence in the research of vein valve damage;associated factors, natural history and management of venous leg ulceration from the UK Biobank cohort;biomatrix sclerofoam in large recurrent varices with three year follow-up;comparison of the effects of detergent and osmotic sclerosants in an ex-vivo human vein study using histology and immunohistochemistry;COVID-19 and VTE: institution of an aggressive anticoagulation policy decreased venous thromboembolism (VTE) in surgical patients;cyanoacrylate adhesive closure of incompetent perforator veins;and efficiency of non-drug complex rehabilitation of patients with chronic venous diseases of the lower limbs and obesity.

Conference Report: LINK for Wound Healing Congress 2021

The third LINK for Wound Healing Congress, powered by HARTMANN in partnership with Wounds International, took place in a virtual format on October 14-15, 2021. The aim was to deliver an informative educational experience and offer attendees the opportunity to learn about recent developments in wound management and discuss clinical best practice.

Sickle Cell Disease and COVID-19 Infection: A Single-Center Experience

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 (CO19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains a significant issue for global health, economics, and society. Several reports have shown that African Americans (AA) have been disproportionately affected by the CO19 pandemic. Limited data have suggested that sickle cell disease (SCD) could be one of the several reasons for higher morbidity and mortality related to CO19 among AA. Recent reports have suggested higher-than-average morbidity and mortality related to CO19 among patients with SCD. We conducted a retrospective, single-institution study in adult patients with SCD who were diagnosed with CO19 infection and their outcomes. Methods: After IRB approval, we conducted a chart review of adult patients (greater than 18 years) with SCD who were diagnosed with CO19 infection between March 1st, 2020, and March 31st, 2021. We recorded demographic data including age, gender, social factors (the type of insurance, availability of primary care provider (PCP), living alone/not), clinical parameters (type of SCD, co-morbidities), outpatient management of SCD, and how CO19 infection was managed like inpatient admission and complications. In patients who were admitted or seen in the emergency department (ED), we collected additional data including vitals, labs, the severity of illness, complications, length of stay, and outcomes. Computations were performed using statistical software SAS 9.4 for Windows. Results: We found a total of 51 patients with SCD diagnosed with CO19 infection in the above period. The median age of patients was 30 years. 61% were females and 39 % were males. All of them were AA. 11.76% were living alone, 49.02% were living with family, 1.96% (1 patient) was institutionalized, and the living situation was unknown in 37.25%. Most of the patients had Medicaid Insurance (52.94%), Medicare in 33.3%, private insurance in 13.73 % and 2% were uninsured. Only 64.71% of patients had a PCP. 60% had HbSS disease, 32% had HbSC disease, 4% had HbS-beta thalassemia, one patient each had HbSS with hereditary persistence of HbF and HbS/HbD. Comorbidities and previous history included acute chest syndrome in 65.96%, avascular necrosis in 36.96%, leg ulcers in 8.7%, hypertension in 8.7%, sickle cell retinopathy in 14.57%, cerebrovascular disease in 26.19%, chronic kidney disease in 7.69%, venous thromboembolism (VTE) in 20.41%, 10.41% were on anticoagulation, history of HIV and hepatitis C infection in 6.38%. 28.21% of patients were maintained on partial exchange transfusions as an outpatient for various indications. 72.73% were on hydroxyurea, 7.5% were on crizanlizumab, 5.26% were on voxelotor and 26.83% were on iron chelation. Vitals and pertinent lab values on initial assessment were recorded and many patients had missing data. On presentation, 25.53% were febrile, 29.17% of patients were tachycardic, 31.25% were hypoxic (SpO2 < 95%), 38.46% were tachypneic, 59.18% had a body mass index (BMI) of > 24.9. Median hemoglobin and hematocrit were 8.9/27.4 g/dL. The median white blood cell count was 9490/uL and platelets were 315,000/uL. Median ferritin was 1573 ug/L. Median bilirubin and creatinine were 2.05 mg/dL and 0.86 mg/dL. The patients were further stratified based on the clinical location where CO19 infection was managed (Table 1). 39.3% were diagnosed in the outpatient setting/ED and 60.3% in the inpatient setting. Among 51 patients, 5.71% (n=2) required ICU admission and was mechanically ventilated. 17.5% received dexamethasone, 7.69% received remdesivir, 2.76% received convalescent plasma, 17.07% had infections and 47% received antibiotics. Only one patient received an exchange transfusion during admission. One patient developed a new VTE after CO19 infection. On statistical analysis, the only factor which impacted the clinical location of management was tachycardia (P=0.007). Of the 51 patients, only 3.9% (2 patients) died of complications of CO19 infection, one with hypoxic respiratory failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, shock, and the other one with pulmonary mbolism. 13% were readmitted within a month, one of them was admitted with a new pulmonary embolism and the others were admitted for acute painful episodes. Conclusion: We found a mortality rate of 3.9% in our single-center study of patients with SCD and CO19 infection. This mortality rate is lower than other published experiences in patients with SCD and CO19 infection. [Formula presented] Disclosures: Master: Blue Bird Bio: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company.

26 Congresso Nazionale della Societa Scientifica FADOI

The proceedings contain 316 papers. The topics discussed include: usefulness of NEWS and NEWS-c in predicting dismal outcomes in acute medical unit: a lesson from CoViD-19 pandemic;Efficacy and safety of anti SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies treatment in the real world;incidental pheochromocytoma: is it really silent a case series;the mesentery as an uncommon site of involvement of IgG-related disease, a rare autoimmune disorder;Risk of venous and arterial thromboembolic events in women with advanced breast cancer treated with CDK 4/6 inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis;nine-year efficacy and safety of azathioprine treatment in the maintenance of steroid-free remission in inflammatory bowel disease patients;helmet CPAP in severe CoViD-19: an experience in an internal medicine ward;disease knowledge and self-care in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers: preliminary short-term results of a randomized controlled study;and Casirivimab-imdevimab combination therapy for inpatients with early diagnosis of hospital-acquired CoViD-19: a single center experience.

A case of granulomatosis with polyangiitis complicated by COVID-19: Challenges in diagnosis and management

Case report-IntroductionGranulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) is a rare small-to medium-vessel vasculitis associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA). Its multi-systemic features include pulmonary, ear, nose, and throat (ENT), renal, and neurological manifestations. Its incidence is estimated to be 10.2 cases per million population. It is challenging to diagnose when its symptoms are treated in isolation from one another. This case highlights the difficulty in diagnosing GPA in a patient with respiratory symptoms during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and describes the challenges of managing it in the context of a subsequent COVID-19 infection as the mainstay of treatment remains immunosuppression.Case report-Case descriptionA 78-year-old female non-smoker with a history of leg ulcers developed a 3-month history of cough and haemoptysis and was treated in primary care for suspected sinus and chest infections. She then presented to Accident and Emergency twice for the same symptoms and was discharged after having her antibiotics changed.2 weeks later, she presented for the third time with cough, ongoing haemoptysis, conjunctivitis in the right eye, pain over the right side of her head, and discharge from her right ear. She was admitted as she was pyrexical, tachycardic and her CRP was 60. COVID-19 swabs were negative. ENT team recommended IV ceftriaxone and metronidazole for suspected orbital cellulitis. Blood cultures remained negative. CT sinuses with contrast showed right sided thrombosis of transverse sinus and bilateral mastoid effusion of the middle ear. Following neurology review, she was anticoagulated with dalteparin. A day later, she was transferred to the Respiratory ward and dropped her Haemoglobin level to 70. Her chest radiograph showed diffuse alveolar haemorrhage and CT images showed widespread bilateral peri-hilar consolidation.A rheumatology opinion was sought and vasculitic screen showed ANCA 268, and PR3 >177. Her urinary protein/creatinine ratio was elevated at 90. Rheumatology team confirmed multi-systemic GPA and recommended starting oral Prednisolone 60 mg daily. After the renal team was consulted, she was moved to a side-room and started on IV Methylprednisolone (pulsed with three doses), along with cyclophosphamide and rituximab. Dalteparin was discontinued.2 days later, she desaturated, and became pyrexical. Repeat COVID-19 swabs were positive.Three Consultants agreed that Plasma Exchange and Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) would be inappropriate. A Do Not Attempt Resuscitation form was signed, and prognosis was discussed with the patient and her 78-year-old husband who requested to visit. Patient deteriorated and unfortunately died 6 days later.Case report-DiscussionThis case is interesting because it highlights the diagnostic challenge of GPA. Retrospectively, it may be noted that doctors persisted in treating suspected infection although the patient continued to deteriorate. However, a diagnosis should be re-considered if the patient does not respond to treatment and it is important to consider vasculitis as a cause of haemoptysis.Anticoagulation was started since the benefits were considered to outweigh the risks as her haemoptysis was of small volume. The patient soon developed pulmonary haemorrhage, so the risks of anticoagulation should not be underestimated in vasculitis.The Rheumatology team's cautious approach to immunosuppression was in stark contrast to the renal team's aggressive approach. The Renal team believed that concerns about protecting the patient from COVID-19 when she was negative from this infection should not take precedence over appropriate immunosuppression from a potentially fatal vasculitis.The patient was admitted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and was negative for COVID-19 on admission. She was nursed in a bay on the Respiratory ward where she later became COVID-19 positive. This raises questions about whether the earlier test was a false negative result or whether her infection was hospital-acquired. Infection cont ol guidelines were changing rapidly at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.The decision to avoid plasma exchange was based on the findings of the PEXIVAS trial. NIV was avoided as it required a full-face mask to minimize particle dispersion but would pose an asphyxiation risk as patient was coughing up blood.Finally, the team learnt to be flexible in these extraordinary circumstances when dealing with the end-of-life decisions of the COVID-19 positive patient. Although her husband was a vulnerable person because of his age, he was given the opportunity to visit while wearing Personal Protective Equipment and agreed to self-isolate for two weeks.Case report-Key learning pointsThis case helped me appreciate the complexity of deciding to immunosuppress an already severely ill patient in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. I recognised that the patient had a poor prognosis with or without immunosuppression and our role as healthcare professionals was to give her the best chance of recovery. The conference will allow me to interact with other colleagues and discuss what they would do in this situation as our Rheumatology and Renal teams had different approaches.After further reading on false negative results, we found that Johns Hopkins researchers found that testing people for SARS-CoV2 too early in the course of infection is likely to result in a false negative test even though they may eventually test positive for the virus.I have also learnt about the PEXIVAS trial which found that the addition of plasma exchange to standard therapy does not reduce the risk for all-cause mortality among patients with severe ANCA-associated vasculitis. Moreover, a reduced-dose regimen of glucocorticoids is non-inferior to a standard-dose protocol, while reducing the risk for serious infections.Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH) is not treatable with arterial embolization or bronchoscopic methods due to the diffuse nature of the bleeding. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used to support patients with DAH but the use of ECMO is controversial due to the need for anticoagulation.The conference will help me deepen my understanding of epidemic rheumatology which will be useful for my clinical practice going forward, especially if there is a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am keen to use this event to engage with other clinicians on immunosuppression in the context of infection so that I may confidently manage similarly complex cases in the future.

An advanced self-care delivery model for leg ulcer management: a service evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Lower limb ulceration is a common cause of suffering in patients and its management poses a significant burden on the NHS, with venous leg ulcers (VLUs) being the most common hard-to-heal wound in the UK. It is estimated that over one million patients in the UK have lower limb ulceration, of which 560,000 were categorised as VLUs, with a cost burden of over £3 billion each year. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this service evaluation was to assess the effects of implementing a self-care delivery model on clinical outcomes with the intention of limiting face-to-face health professional contact to one appointment every 6 weeks. METHOD: A suitability assessment was conducted and a cohort of patients were moved to a self-care delivery model. Patient data were collected, anonymised and independently analysed, comparing time to healing against data on file from a previous report. RESULTS: This highlighted that, in 84 of the 95 patients selected, the VLUs had healed by week 24 on the pathway, a further 10 patients' VLUs had healed by week 42 and only one remaining patient reached 42 weeks without healing. CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis that patients with VLUs can self-care and deliver clinical effectiveness. It is recommended that all services explore the possibility of introducing a self-care model for VLU care.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Vascular Leg Ulcers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of 2 lockdown periods during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the course and management of nonhealing vascular ulcers of lower limbs. A total of 41 patients were included in the study. Before the pandemic began they had been seen at our unit at weekly intervals. During lockdown from March 9, 2020, to May 18, 2020 subjects were not allowed to enter the hospital unless they needed urgency or emergency surgery, or oncological management. During the second lockdown, from October 19, 2020, to December 11, 2020 patients could be followed up at distance by direct outreach including telephoning contacts. Data obtained early after each lockdown were compared with those obtained prior to the pandemic. Data for the first lockdown show that pain intensified and there was an increase in the recurrence rate of wounds, of their severity, and of superimposed infections as compared with the prelockdown period. The risk of lower-limb amputation was also considerably greater. During the second and less restrictive lockdown, patients were followed up by telemedicine and data indicate that skin lesions had not worsened any further. The management of vascular wounds was impacted by the pandemic unfavorably with health care failures in the hospital as well as in the primary care settings. In conclusion, the treatment of vascular leg ulcers is challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic as this spreads worldwide. This seems to be in keeping with what happens for other diseases. The data we obtained indicate that the pandemic-related lockdown has a deleterious effect on vascular skin wounds, with an increase of severity and mortality risk. The impact appears to be proportional to the number and the degree of limitations imposed on people.

Impact of COVID-19 on wound care in Germany.

Recent studies showed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused collateral damage in health care in terms of reduced hospital submissions or postponed treatment of other acute or chronic ill patients. An anonymous survey was sent out by mail to patients with chronic wounds in order to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on wound care. Sixty-three patients returned the survey. In 14%, diagnostic workup or hospitalisation was cancelled or postponed. Thirty-six percent could not seek consultation by their primary care physician as usual. The use of public transport or long travel time was not related to limited access to medical service (P = .583). In ambulatory care, there was neither a significant difference in the frequency of changing wound dressings (P = .67), nor in the person, who performed wound care (P = .39). There were no significant changes in wound-specific quality of life (P = .505). No patient used telemedicine in order to avoid face-to-face contact or anticipate to pandemic-related restrictions. The COVID-19 pandemic impaired access to clinical management of chronic wounds in Germany. It had no significant impact on ambulatory care or wound-related quality of life. Telemedicine still plays a negligible role in wound care.