A Comparison of Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes Between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Patients Presenting to Townsville Hospital Emergency Department With Chest Pain.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous Australians have a high rate of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). There is a paucity of local data for North Queensland regarding the clinical characteristics of Indigenous people who present to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain. The aim of the study is to compare the cardiovascular risk factors, social characteristics, and the clinical outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients who presented with cardiac-related chest pain. METHODS: This is a retrospective single-centre audit. The data was collected through chart reviews of chest pain presentations to the Townsville University Hospital Emergency Department, Queensland, Australia, from January to December 2017. We categorised the patients into Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups and compared their cardiac risk factors and social characteristics. We further classified the patients into three diagnosis groups and we measured the clinical outcomes in the patients with a diagnosis of cardiac-related chest pain. We used a data linkage to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the death outcomes. A multivariable analysis was done to determine the risk of major adverse cardiac event (MACE) for Indigenous vs non-Indigenous patients. RESULTS: Indigenous patients were over-represented making up 19.1% of the total cohort (compared with 11.1% of the North Queensland Indigenous population) and presented at a younger age (median age: 45 vs 52, p<0.005). Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were significantly higher in Indigenous patients. The incidence of discharge against medical advice was also higher (6.5% vs 2.7%, p<0.005). There was an underutilisation of the local chest pain pathway amongst the Indigenous group (35.8% vs 44.7%, p<0.005). In patients with a diagnosis of cardiac-related chest pain, the rate of receiving invasive coronary angiogram procedures was similar in both cohorts (44.5% vs 43.7%, p=0.836). With regards to outcomes, Indigenous patients suffered from acute coronary syndrome (ACS) at a younger median age (51 vs 64, p<0.005) and were more likely to have severe three vessel disease (17% vs 6%, p<0.005) leading to coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG) (19% vs 6%, p<0.005). When adjusted for age, gender, and comorbidities, Indigenous patients were more likely to have MACE within 1 year of their chest pain presentation, compared with non-Indigenous patients with the same diagnosis (adjusted odds ration [AOR]=2.0, 95% CI [1.1, 3.8], p=0.03). CONCLUSION: In our study, Indigenous patients carried a heavier burden of cardiovascular risk factors, presented at a younger age, with more severe coronary disease and had a higher rate of CABG. We found an underutilisation of the local chest pain protocol amongst the Indigenous cohort, which suggests a need to improve support structures in the ED. In our multivariable analysis, Indigenous patients suffered from a significantly higher MACE compared to non-Indigenous patients which indicates that more collaborative efforts are needed to improve the cardiovascular health of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Association Between Indigenous Status and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease: A Comparison of Coronary Angiogram Findings in Patients With Chest Pain Presenting to a Regional Hospital Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death amongst Indigenous Australians accounting for 12.1% of all deaths in this population. However, there is little evidence to suggest that Indigenous status is an independent risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. This study assessed the association between Indigenous status and the severity of CAD in patients presenting with chest pain at a regional hospital emergency department. METHODS: This was a retrospective single-centre audit over 12 months from January to December 2017. Charts were reviewed for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients 18 years and older who presented with chest pain and subsequently underwent an invasive coronary angiogram. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to examine the association of Indigenous status with the severity of CAD. RESULTS: Indigenous patients are 2.7 times more likely to experience significant CAD compared to non-Indigenous patients (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.73, 95% CI [1.38, 5.39], p≤0.001) even after adjusting for other risk factors. Those aged 65 years and older are more prone to significant CAD (AOR=2.96, 95% CI [1.12, 7.78], p=0.03), while women were less likely to have significant CAD compared to men, (AOR=0.46, 95% CI [0.27, 0.78], p<0.01). CONCLUSION: In this study cohort, our analysis indicates that there is a strong association between Indigenous status and significant coronary artery disease, independent of the increased burden of traditional cardiovascular risk factors among Indigenous Australians.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic tests for diagnosis of melioidosis.

OBJECTIVES: Melioidosis is an emerging tropical disease caused by B. pseudomallei that can rapidly prove fatal and require prompt and appropriate antibiotic treatment. Diagnosis currently relies on culture; however, this delays appropriate antibiotics and contributes to mortality as results can take up to one week or more. Several non-culture based diagnostic tests are available; however, their role remains a point of contention. This review was performed to characterise the accuracy of various diagnostic tests. METHODS: Medline/Pubmed, CINAHL, Informit, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Embase databases were searched from inception to April 2020. Clinical trials investigating diagnostic tests capable of providing results in ≤48 hours using samples from suspected human cases; with bacterial culture as the reference test, and reporting sensitivity and specificity were eligible for inclusion. Data was pooled using bivariate analysis for diagnostic tests reported in ≥4 studies. RESULTS: 22 publications comprising 10963 individual tests were included. Meta-analysis was able to be performed for immunofluorescence assay (sensitivity 63.8% [95% CI, 45.6-78.7%]; specificity 99.4% [95% CI, 97.2-99.9%]), polymerase chain reaction (sensitivity 77.1 [95% CI, 20.8%-97.8%]; specificity 99.8 [95% CI, 91.6%-100.0%]) and lateral flow immunoassay (sensitivity 58.2% [95% CI, 34.1%-78.9%]; specificity 95.0% [95% CI, 93.3%-96.3%]). Measures of sensitivity were overall similar although specificity of immunofluorescence assay was statistically superior to lateral flow immunoassay. There was a trend for reduced sensitivity of direct detection methods applied to blood samples compared to other sample types, although statistically insignificant. Serological methods were unable to be meta-analysed due to an insufficient number of studies, but their sensitivities were generally higher than direct detection methods (median 84% [IQR 71.5-88%] vs 51% [IQR 39-79%]), however they lacked specificity compared to direct detection (median 82% [IQR 70-86%] vs 98% [IQR 95-100%]). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, no method showed sensitivity and specificity which would allow it to substitute culture. Serological tests may play a role in ruling out infection in endemic regions given their higher sensitivity, with direct detection methods being used for diagnostic confirmation. Further research into cost-effectiveness and implementation studies are required before diagnostic tests can be introduced clinically in the detection of melioidosis.

A case report of iatrogenic gas gangrene post colonoscopy successfully treated with conservative management- is surgery always necessary?

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is a routine procedure in diagnosis and treatment of colonic disease. While generally regarded as a safe procedure, potentially fatal complications can occur. Gas gangrene is one such complication, with very high mortality. There are few cases of gas gangrene occurring after colonoscopy, making it one of the rarer complications of this procedure. There have been no previously reported cases of a patient surviving such an infection and the optimal treatment strategy is contentious. This report describes a case of intramural gas gangrene of the colon, treated conservatively with antibiotic therapy in which the patient survived with full recovery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old, previously healthy male presented 6 h post apparently uncomplicated colonoscopic polypectomy with rigors, nausea, vomiting and right upper quadrant pain. At presentation he was febrile at 40.1 °C but hemodynamically stable. Abdominal computed tomography revealed substantial colonic thickening and several focal intramural gas bubbles (pneumatosis intestinalis) surrounding the polypectomy site. Within 24 h post procedure he became hypotensive and was admitted to ICU in frank septic shock requiring inotropes, and with demonstrable septic myocardial depression. Bloods showed multi-organ derangement with leukocytosis, lactic acidosis, haemolytic anaemia and hyperbilirubinemia. A diagnosis of presumed Clostridial gas gangrene was made, and treatment was initiated with benzylpenicillin, clindamycin, metronidazole and vancomycin. After 4 days in ICU he was stepped down, and discharged after a further 10 days with no surgical or endoscopic interventions. At three-month review he reported being back to full health. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates that gas gangrene infection is a possible complication of colonoscopic polypectomy. This is a cause of rapid deterioration in post-colonoscopy patients and has been misdiagnosed as colonic perforation in previously reported cases of retroperitoneal gas gangrene. Such misdiagnosis delays antibiotic therapy, which likely plays a role in the high mortality of this condition. Early diagnosis and initiation of antibiotic therapy with benzylpenicillin and clindamycin as seen in this case is essential for patient survival. While surgery is typically performed, non-operative management of pneumatosis intestinalis, and potentially gas gangrene is becoming more common and was utilized effectively in this patient.