The Effect of COVID-19 on Care for Chronic Wounds Among Medicare Beneficiaries Using Medicare Claims - 2019, 2020, and 2021

Objectives: Examine the effect of COVID-19 on chronic wound care service provision for Medicare beneficiaries in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Method(s): This retrospective analysis of Medicare claims data included beneficiaries who received care for diabetic foot ulcers and infections, arterial ulcers;skin disorders and infections, surgical wounds and infections;traumatic wounds;venous ulcers and infections, unspecified chronic ulcers, and others. We extracted all claims for each targeted beneficiary across all care settings and from the Medicare Beneficiary Summary File for 2019 to 2021. The outcomes were: 1) prevalence of each wound type, 2) Medicare expenditures by wound type, and expenditures by type of service. Result(s): Over the 3-year period, the number of Medicare beneficiaries with a wound generally decreased in 2020, then increased in 2021 to a higher level than in 2019. In 2019, 16.4% of Medicare beneficiaries (10.6M) had at least one type of wound. In 2020, 14.9% of Medicare beneficiaries (9.8M) were diagnosed with wounds (a decrease of 7.1%), and in 2021, 16.1% of Medicare beneficiaries (10.8M) were diagnosed with wounds, an increase of 1.9% from 2019. In 2021, approximately 2.7% of beneficiaries had a claim with a wound diagnosis that had been added in FY2020, or 0.4% of all Medicare beneficiaries. The prevalence of COVID-19 among beneficiaries with chronic wounds was 896,198 (9.1%) in 2020, rising to 1.2M (11.1%) in 2021. Using our mid-range estimates of Medicare expenditures, wound care totaled $24.7B in 2019, $23.9B in 2020, and $26.3B in 2021. Conclusion(s): These results emphasize the ongoing prevalence of chronic wounds among Medicare beneficiaries and suggest the decrease in care during the pandemic contributed to a relative increase in care and expenditures in 2021. We found a shift in the site of care from skilled nursing facilities toward home health as individuals sought to avoid COVID-19 exposure.Copyright © 2023

Case report of an antimelanoma differentiationassociated protein 5 antibody-associated amyopathic dermatomyositis

Autoantibodies against melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) associated with dermatomyositis have recently been described in Asians with rapidly progressive respiratory disease. Here we report the case of a middle-aged white woman with anti-MDA5 antibody-associated amyopathic dermatomyositis with interstitial lung disease (ILD), which is stable with minimal immune suppression. A 55-year-old woman was referred to a virtual dermatology clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic suspected of having widespread eczema involving the chest, face, arm and hands on the background of atopy. On direct questioning, she admitted to having constitutional symptoms, exertional dyspnoea, joint pain and symptoms of proximal muscle weakness. On clinical suspicion of possible connective tissue disorder, she was urgently reviewed in the hospital, where she was found to have a photodistributed rash involving cutaneous ulceration and violaceous plaques. Hand examination showed mechanic's hand mimicking hand eczema, ragged nail cuticles and acute tenosynovitis in the left index finger. Her upper and lower limb muscle power was normal and respiratory examination revealed bi-basal fine end-expiratory crepitation. Her repeated biochemical, haematological and muscle enzymes remained normal. Skin biopsy taken from photosensitive rash over the wrist showed hypergranulosis, Civatte body formation, colloid bodies and dyskeratotic keratinocytes, in keeping with severe lichenoid eruption. Superficial dermis showed patchy red-cell extravasation, perivascular chronic infiltration, dermal oedema and serum on the surface, in keeping with ulceration secondary to severe inflammatory processes. There were no eosinophils and eccrine coils were free of inflammation, raising the suspicion of a drug eruption. Her antinuclear antibody and double-stranded DNA were repeatedly negative. Myositisspecific antibody panel was performed owing to a high clinical suspicion of photosensitive dermatoses, both clinically and histologically. Histology revealed positive anti-MDA5 antibodies;repeated positive testing confirmed this. Although lung function was normal, computed tomography revealed evidence of ILD. We made a diagnosis of anti-MDA5 antibodyassociated amyopathic dermatomyositis with ILD. Her malignancy screening was negative. The patient was started on lowdose prednisolone and hydroxychloroquine 200 mg twice daily, with topical steroid applications, which resulted in remarkable clinical improvement. Anti-MDA5 associated dermatomyositis has characteristic cutaneous lesions consisting of skin ulceration and tender palmar papules, mechanic's hands, inflammatory arthritis and rapidly progressive ILD, which is frequently fatal. Although our patient had ILD, she was relatively stable on minimal immunosuppression. It is important for clinicians to have an increased awareness of this disease as it could have a highly variable clinical presentation in the white population.

Multidisciplinary management of a quickly growing pediatric atypical Spitz nevus, mimicking melanoma, during the COVID-19 pandemic

Spitzoid melanoma is very rare tumour in the pediatric population, with clinical and non-uniform behaviour, different from adult melanoma [1]. It can be difficult to differentiate an atypical Spitz nevus from a Spitzoid melanoma, resulting in diagnostic problems. In addition, in our clinical case, the COVID-19pandemiccaused significant delays both in the diagnosis and in the surgical treatment of our patient. We present the clinical case of a 4-year-old child suffering from a localized polypoid cutaneous neoformation on the dorsum of the left hand, which started immediately before the lockdown and steadily increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a general clinical framing, the child underwent an excisional biopsy at our Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, at the Policlinico of Foggia. Subsequently, two independent anatomic pathology groups examined the specimen. Definitive diagnosis was made only after careful genetic analysis in combination with supporting histological and immunohistochemical examinations. This clinical case shows how during the pandemic we have been facing advanced forms of tumours, compared to the previous period and highlight show an interdisciplinary and multicenter collaboration allowed a quick diagnosis of certainty, demonstrating the utility of molecular pathology as a fundamental aid in clinical/surgical practice. © 2022 The Authors

Dermatomyositis: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, an initiator or a trigger?

Dermatomyositis is an immune-mediated inflammatory myopathy. In adults, the common triggering factors for its onset include viral infections, malignancy, and drugs. The clinical manifestation of these group of disorders may be cutaneous, neurological, pulmonary, or a combination of all. The cutaneous manifestations are helpful in the early clinical diagnosis. The detection of myositis-specific autoantibodies serves as specific biomarkers for the diagnosis and helps in predicting the prognosis. We are presenting two cases of dermatomyositis, temporally related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and vaccination. Copyright © 2022 Journal of the Egyptian Women's Dermatologic Society.

NEW-ONSET SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS AND STEVEN JOHNSONS SYNDROME WITH SEVERE ARDS HERALDED BY POST-COVID-19 INFECTION MULTISYSTEM INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME IN AN ADULT (MIS-A)

SESSION TITLE: Autoimmune Diseases Gone Wild: Rare Cases of Pulmonary Manifestations SESSION TYPE: Rapid Fire Case Reports PRESENTED ON: 10/18/2022 01:35 pm - 02:35 pm INTRODUCTION: Post-Covid-19 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS) is a severe hyperinflammatory syndrome associated with either the acute or recovery phase of covid-19 infection affecting multiple organ systems requiring hospitalization. This syndrome has been described in both children (MIS-C) and adults (MIS-A). Several case reports and systematic reviews have reported an association between post-covid-19 MIS-A and several autoimmune diseases. CASE PRESENTATION: We herein report a case of a 27-year-old female with no known chronic medical condition and a non-contributory family history who was diagnosed with post-covid-19 multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A). She presented with generalized partial thickness erythematous skin ulcerations with tender blistering and painful erosion of her mucus membranes (oral and vaginal mucosa). This was diagnosed as Steven Johnsons syndrome. She was pulsed with intravenous methylprednisone. During this therapy, she progressed to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring mechanical ventilation (fig 1). Bronchoscopy revealed mild pulmonary hemorrhage fig 2a&b). Serological testing heralded a new onset systemic lupus erythematosus in light of positive antinuclear antibodies, anti Ds DNA and anti Smith antibodies. Her course was complicated by significant proteinuria and an active renal cast suggestive of lupus nephritis. This necessitated further treatment for active lupus. She was successfully extubated and discharged home. DISCUSSION: We arrived at the diagnosis of post-covid-19 multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) in light of her presenting with fever, hypotension, persistent sinus tachycardia and new onset atrial fibrillation), acute pancreatitis, acute kidney injury, elevation in transaminases, new onset skin rash, elevated inflammatory markers and a recent history of positive SARS-CoV-2 infection. Covid-19 has been reported to induce wide spread vasculitis resulting in MIS-A or MIS-C by triggering type 3 hypersensitivity (1). Also, multiple case reports and systemic reviews have reported a direct association between MIS-A and several autoimmune diseases including SLE, SJS (2). The patient recovered with high dose corticosteroid and supportive therapy indicating her severe ARDS was most likely due associated to SJS, SLE and MIS-A. Clinicians should also keep in mind that SARS-CoV-2 PCR swab may be negative at the time patient presents with symptoms of MIS-A as the infection might have occurred about 4-5weeks prior just as in our patient(3) CONCLUSIONS: We cannot underscore enough the importance of clinicians having a high index of suspicion for this syndrome in patients with acute or recent covid-19 infection, with or without a positive PCR covid-19 test. Early involvement of a multidisciplinary approach and appropriate management is essential to mitigate morbidity and mortality in these patients. Reference #1: Roncati L, Ligabue G, Fabbiani L, Malagoli C, Gallo G, Lusenti B, et al. Type 3 hypersensitivity in COVID-19 vasculitis. Clin Immunol Orlando Fla. 2020 Aug;217:108487. Reference #2: Gracia-Ramos AE, Martin-Nares E, Hernández-Molina G. New Onset of Autoimmune Diseases Following COVID-19 Diagnosis. Cells [Internet]. 2021 Dec 20 [cited 2022 Mar 22];10(12):3592. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8700122/ Reference #3: Morris SB. Case Series of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection — United Kingdom and United States, March–August 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2022 Mar 22];69. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6940e1.htm DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Isaac Ikwu No relevant relationships by Anthony Lyonga Ngonge No relevant relationships by Alem Mehari No relevant relationships by Noordeep Panesar no disclosure on file for Vis al Poddar;No relevant relationships by Emnet Yibeltal

NON-UREMIC CALCIPHYLAXIS SECONDARY TO ACUTE COVID-19

CASE: A 40-year-old white female with medical history significant for COVID-19 infection three months prior to presentation and previous spontaneous miscarriage presented with bilateral lower extremity lesions present for several weeks and described as “sunburn-like” with blistering. The lesions were initially located on her anterior thighs and spread to the lateral thighs and lower back. On presentation, she was found to have several distinct lower extremity lesions, with evidence of necrosis and eschar formation, along with blackened mottled skin. The lesions were extremely painful to the patient. Laboratory evaluation demonstrated hyponatremia, elevated ESR and CRP, with normal serum creatine and calcium. Calciphylaxis was confirmed with biopsy. The patient was treated with strict wound care to prevent infection and received sodium thiosulfate three times weekly and anticoagulation with apixaban due to concern for underlying hypercoagulability. An extensive work-up for underlying autoimmunity and hypercoagulability demonstrated presence of antiphospholipid antibodies with positive Cardiolipin IgM, lupus anticoagulant, and a homogenous ANA patern that showed a titer of 1:160. Her clinical status improved on extensive pain regimen and on follow-up one week later, the lesions were unchanged. IMPACT/DISCUSSION: Calciphylaxis is a known dermatologic finding that is typically diagnosed in the setting of End-stage Renal disease (ESRD). It presents with non-healing, painful skin ulcers that are at a high risk for infection and have poor healing. In the absence of ESRD, calciphylaxis is rare but has been reported in certain settings including hypercoagulable states and/ or autoimmune conditions. We present a case that has an absence of known etiologies for calciphylaxis and hypothesize that this is due to a hypercoagulable state caused by recent COVID-19 infection, or COVID-19 aggravating an underlying hypercoagulable state. This case offers an uncommon diagnosis with an even rarer presentation. Calciphylaxis must be confirmed with biopsy and is extremely debilitating and painful. In the setting of non-uremic calciphylaxis, prevention of infection and management of pain should be prioritized. Additionally, this case offers a platform to identifying COVID-19 as a risk factor for development of calciphylaxis in previously healthy individuals. CONCLUSION: The general internist should be aware of non-uremic calciphylaxis and also be concerned for hypercoagulable state induced from COVID-19. It is important to have accurate history-taking and consider delayed reactions, as in this case.

RT with hyperthermia in recurrent and radiation-induced sarcomas: preliminary results of NCT04398095

Purpose or Objective The role of perioperative treatment in radiation-induced and in-field recurrent sarcomas (RIS/IFRS) is unknown. Reirradiation may be associated with a risk of significant toxicity;thus, it is rarely used. We hypothesized that the combination of preoperative or definitive 12x 3 Gy radiotherapy (RT) with or without integrated 3.5 Gy to 42 Gy boost combined with regional hyperthermia twice a week will enable satisfactory local control without significant late toxicity in patients with RIS/IFRS. Materials and Methods A prospective phase II, single-arm clinical trial was conducted. We included patients with locally advanced RIS/IFRS without distant metastases. Treatment combined three weeks of radiotherapy, four fractions per week, 3 or 3.5 Gy per fraction, with regional hyperthermia, followed by surgery or observation. The choice of the boost or no-boost regimen was based on resectability (Figure 1). The intervention would be deemed tolerable if significant RT-related (grade 3+ CTCAE 5.0) late adverse events occur in less than 20% of patients. We planned to enroll 20 patients based on Wilson’s method for calculation of confidence intervals. (Figure Presented) Results We recruited 20 patients. All patients completed the treatment without interruptions. Eight of them had RIS whereas twenty were diagnosed with IFRS. Patients’ characteristics were provided in Table 1. Twelve patients from planned 15 underwent surgery. Two patients with potentially resectable tumors did not undergo surgery due to COVID-related reasons. One patient preferred not to undergo surgery after the preoperative no-boost regimen. The remaining five patients were deemed unresectable at the enrollment and received the simultaneous boost. In five patients who underwent resection, we observed extensive pathological response according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group recommendations for pathological examination and reporting, namely grade A in two cases and grade C in three cases. In four patients we observed complete radiological response. The median follow-up was 13 months. In 14 patients we noted mild or moderate radiation dermatitis. One patient experienced grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities. From the late toxicities, we observed restricted limb mobility (grade 1) in one patient and chronic skin ulceration (grade 2) in one patient. None of the patients who developed grade 3 or higher late toxicity. Two patients who received the no-boost regimen and did not undergo resection developed local progression. One patient experienced borderline local relapse after surgery. None of the patients who received the boost regimen developed local progression. Three patients developed distant metastases. One patient was lost to follow-up. (Figure Presented) Conclusion Preliminary data suggest that the tolerance of the regimen is acceptable;however, data regarding late toxicity may change during the follow-up period. Boost may play a significant role in achieving local control in non-resected tumors.

First Interim Analysis of the Italian Dante Study: De-Escalation before Treatment-Free Remission in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treated with First-Line Nilotinib

Introduction: Treatment-free remission (TFR) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is demonstrated to be achievable and recommended for patients (pts) in sustained deep molecular response (sDMR) who can discontinue tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment and maintain responses in ~50% of cases. While the feasibility and safety of TKI cessation have been largely demonstrated, the strategies of TFR optimization are yet to be clarified. Studies (eg. DESTINY) investigating de-escalation, mainly after imatinib, suggested that a stepwise approach may favor TFR outcome. We present the interim results of the phase 2, prospective, multicenter DANTE study (NCT03874858) evaluating de-escalation and TFR in Italian pts with CML in chronic phase (CML-CP) treated with nilotinib (NIL). Methods: Adults with CML-CP treated with NIL 300 mg twice daily (bid) in first-line for ≥3 years who achieved sDMR for ≥1 year (≥MR 4.0;BCR-ABL level ≤0.01% IS) were enrolled in 27 centers. The study consisted of 4 phases: screening (week [wk] −4-0), consolidation (wk 0-48), TFR (wk 48-144), and follow-up (until wk 144). Ongoing treatment with ≥400 mg/day dose was allowed at study entry. During consolidation, pts were treated with NIL 300 mg once daily (qd). At the end of consolidation phase, pts with sDMR entered TFR phase and discontinued NIL;indeed, pts with at least major molecular response (MMR;BCR-ABL ≤0.1% IS), but without sDMR, continued NIL 300 mg qd. At any time, pts with loss of MMR returned to NIL 300 mg bid. During TFR phase, BCR-ABL levels were monitored monthly from wk 52-96, and then every 3 months. Pts on half-dose or full-dose NIL were monitored every 3 months. The primary endpoint is the percentage of pts in full treatment-free remission (FTFR) 96 wks after the start of consolidation phase. FTFR is defined as pts with MMR or better, including those who remained in discontinuation during TFR phase and those who are treated with half the standard dose. Key secondary endpoints include percentage of pts with sDMR at wk 48;TFR rate at wk 96 and 144;BCR-ABL kinetics and safety. The predictive role of digital droplet PCR is also evaluated as an exploratory objective. Results: Overall, 113 pts were screened and 107 entered consolidation phase. This interim analysis included 52 pts who reached the end of consolidation phase by data cut-off period (February 8, 2021). Of these 52 pts, 49 (94.2%) were ongoing by data cut-off and 3 (5.8%) discontinued the study (1 patient due to adverse event (AE) and 2 per patient's decision). Median age at study entry was 49.5 years. Median time from diagnosis was 5.6 years and median dose of prior NIL treatment was 600 mg/day for all pts except one who was on NIL 450 mg/day at baseline. Median duration of last sustained MR4 and MR4.5 were 30 and 16.5 months, respectively. Further details are listed in Table 1. At screening, molecular response categories were MR4.0 in 13.7%, MR4.5 in 23.1% and undetectable MR4.5 in 63.5% of pts. During consolidation phase, 5 (9.6%) pts discontinued prematurely: 2 pts restarted NIL full dose (3.8%) for MMR loss, 2 (3.8%) discontinued for AEs and 1 (1.9%) for pt decision. Overall, 47 pts completed consolidation: of them 40 (76.9%) sustained DMR and 7 (13.5%) maintained MMR but not sDMR. Of the 7 pts not sustaining DMR during consolidation, 6 regained DMR after a median of 4.4 months, while 1 pt was still in MMR by data cutoff. The 2 pts who lost MMR after 5 and 8 months regained MMR and 1 regained DMR by data cutoff after increasing NIL to 300 mg bid. Median time spent in consolidation phase was 11.7 months, and the evolution of response categories over time is shown in Figure 1. During consolidation phase, AEs were observed in 16 pts (30.8%), of them 2 (3.8%) pts had serious AEs: 1 patient had skin ulcers and COVID-19 related pneumonia, while 1 patient had unstable angina. No deaths and disease progressions were observed. Conclusions: DANTE is the first study that showed the safety and feasibility of NIL de-escalation before TFR in CML-CP pts with sDMR. Inter m results suggest that loss of MMR during de-escalation is rare. De-escalation strategy may lead to further improvement of TFR outcome and tolerability and may also preemptively support the identification of pts who may not be ready for discontinuation, with a tailored approach. To date, accuracy in predicting TFR outcome is still low, and the de-escalation setting may sharpen biological and clinical predictive factors, including the potential role of digital PCR. [Formula presented] Disclosures: Breccia: Abbvie: Honoraria;Pfizer: Honoraria;Novartis: Honoraria;Incyte: Honoraria;Bristol Myers Squibb/Celgene: Honoraria. Abruzzese: Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria;Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria;Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria;Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria. Stagno: InCyte: Consultancy, Honoraria;Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel;Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Research Funding. Iurlo: Incyte: Speakers Bureau;Novartis: Speakers Bureau;Pfizer: Speakers Bureau;Bristol Myers Squibb: Speakers Bureau. Sportoletti: AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria;Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria;AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Lemoli: Jazz, Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau;AbbVie, Daiichi Sankyo, Servier: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau;Celgene: Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel. Siragusa: Novartis, CSL, Behring, Amgen, Novonoridsk, SOBI, Bayer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Chiodi: Novartis: Current Employment.

Surveillance for Pressure Injuries on Admission to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the incidence of pressure injuries (PIs) on admission to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital (IRH) system of care was increased during the early coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic period. DESIGN: Retrospective survey chart review of consecutive cohorts. Admissions to 4 acute IRHs within 1 system of care over the first consecutive 6-week period of admitting patients positive for COVID-19 during the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, April 1-May 9, 2020. A comparison was made with the pre-COVID-19 period, January 1-February 19, 2020. SETTING: Four acute IRHs with admissions on a referral basis from acute care hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: A consecutive sample (N=1125) of pre-COVID-19 admissions (n=768) and COVID-19 period admissions (n=357), including persons who were COVID-19-positive (n=161) and COVID-19-negative (n=196). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of PIs on admission to IRH. RESULTS: Prevalence of PIs on admission during the COVID-19 pandemic was increased when compared with the pre-COVID-19 period by 14.9% (P<.001). There was no difference in the prevalence of PIs in the COVID-19 period between patients who were COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-negative (35.4% vs 35.7%). The severity of PIs, measured by the wound stage of the most severe PI the patient presented with, worsened during the COVID-19 period compared with pre-COVID-19 (χ2 32.04%, P<.001). The length of stay in the acute care hospital before transfer to the IRH during COVID-19 was greater than pre-COVID-19 by 10.9% (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic time frame, there was an increase in the prevalence and severity of PIs noted on admission to our IRHs. This may represent the significant burden placed on the health care system by the pandemic, affecting all patients regardless of COVID-19 status. This information is important to help all facilities remain vigilant to prevent PIs as the pandemic continues and potential future pandemics that place strain on medical resources.