Patient Engagement With Early Stage Advance Care Planning at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

BACKGROUND: Establishing care preferences and selecting a prepared medical decision-maker (MDM) are basic components of advance care planning (ACP) and integral to treatment planning. Systematic ACP in the cancer setting is uncommon. We evaluated a systematic social work (SW)-driven process for patient selection of a prepared MDM. METHODS: We used a pre/post design, centered on SW counseling incorporated into standard-of-care practice. New patients with gynecologic malignancies were eligible if they had an available family caregiver or an established Medical Power of Attorney (MPOA). Questionnaires were completed at baseline and 3 months to ascertain MPOA document (MPOAD) completion status (primary objective) and evaluate factors associated with MPOAD completion (secondary objectives). RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty patient/caregiver dyads consented to participate. One hundred and sixteen (32%) had MPOADs at baseline. Twenty (8%) of the remaining 244 dyads completed MPOADs by 3 months. Two hundred and thirty-six patients completed the values and goals survey at both baseline and follow-up: at follow-up, care preferences were stable in 127 patients (54%), changed toward more aggressive care in 60 (25%), and toward the focus on the quality of life in 49 (21%). Correlation between the patient's values and goals and their caregiver's/MPOA's perception was very weak at baseline, improving to moderate at follow-up. Patients with MPOADs by study completion had statistically significant higher ACP Engagement scores than those without. CONCLUSION: A systematic SW-driven intervention did not engage new patients with gynecologic cancers to select and prepare MDMs. Change in care preferences was common, with caregivers' knowledge of patients' treatment preferences moderate at best.

A modified emergency severity index level is associated with outcomes in cancer patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a modified emergency severity index (mESI)-based triage of cancer patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the emergency department (ED) and determine the associations between mESI level and ED disposition, hospital length of stay, and overall survival. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients who presented to our institution's ED between March 22, 2020, and March 12, 2021, and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: A total of 306 cancer patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, with 45% of patients triaged to level 2 (emergent) and 55% to level 3 (urgent). Among all patients, 61.8% were admitted to the hospital, 15.7% were admitted to the intensive care unit, 2.9% were sent for observation, and 19.6% were discharged. Although demographic and clinical characteristics did not significantly vary by triage level, we observed significant differences in ED length of stay (urgent = 6.67 h, emergent = 5.97 h; p < 0.01). Hospital and intensive care unit admission rates were also significantly higher among emergent patients than among urgent patients (p < 0.05). There were 75 deaths (urgent = 32; emergent = 43), and the 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher among emergent patients (urgent = 8%, emergent = 15%; p < 0.05). The mESI level persisted as a significant factor associated with overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.7, 95% confidence interval = 1.09-2.81) in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: The mESI level is associated with ED disposition, ED length of stay, and overall survival in cancer patients presenting with COVID-19. These results indicate that the mESI triage tool can be effectively used in cancer patients with COVID-19, whose condition can rapidly deteriorate.

Cardiotoxicity associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and CAR T-cell therapy.

INTRODUCTION: The expanding use of immunotherapy and the growing population of patients with cancer has led to an increase in the reporting of immune related adverse events (irAEs). The emergency clinician should be aware of these emerging toxicities, some of which can be fatal. In this review we discuss the cardiotoxic side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy. DISCUSSION: Recognizing the possible presentations of cardiotoxic irAEs is of utmost important as the diagnosis of cardiotoxicity associated with ICI and CAR T-cell can be difficult to make in the emergency department. The emergency clinician will have to presume the diagnosis and treat it without final confirmation in most cases. For this reason, if the diagnosis is suspected, early involvement of the cardiologist and oncologist is important to help guide management. Most irAEs will be treated with glucocorticoids, but in the case of CAR T-cell cardiotoxicity, Tocilizumab should be used as first line. CONCLUSION: Although cardiotoxicity is rare, it is often life-threatening. Treatment should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis is suspected, and early involvement of the cardiologist and oncologist is imperative for optimal treatment.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myasthenia gravis, myositis, and myocarditis overlap syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Case reports of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) overlap syndrome of myasthenia gravis, myositis and myocarditis, are increasing in the published literature. This is a potentially fatal adverse event of ICIs and emergency physicians need to be familiar with this triad when patients present to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of the electronic medical record between September 1, 2016 to March 9, 2020. We identified patients with the overlap syndrome who presented to our ED. RESULTS: Seven patients were identified. Most were female and treated with a programmed cell death-1 inhibitor. Most patients presented with abnormal vital signs and the most common symptoms were ptosis, diplopia, dyspnea and fatigue. Most required supplemental oxygen and had a prolonged length of stay. All received steroids in addition to other immunomodulators. Two patients died. DISCUSSION: Presence of one of the diagnosis should lead to evaluation for the others. Suspicion should be raised by patients presenting with ptosis, muscular weakness, fatigue and dyspnea. Early recognition of this triad can allow for early administration of high-dose glucocorticoids (1-2 mg/kg of prednisone or equivalent), which is the mainstay of treatment. However, it is likely that patients will need further immunomodulators and therefore, will need hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Emergency physicians should be aware of this potentially lethal triad in cancer patients receiving ICIs. The life-saving interventions in the ED include recognizing the triad, airway support, administration of high-dose glucocorticoids, and early involvement of a multidisciplinary team.

Characteristics of cancer patients with COVID-19 in a cancer hospital.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients are vulnerable to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) given their compromised immune system. The purpose of this study was to describe the presenting symptoms, inpatient stay trajectory, and survival outcomes, for cancer patients infected with COVID-19; who presented to the emergency department (ED) of a single center during the early months of the pandemic. METHODS: We reviewed the electronic medical records of all cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at our institution for demographic information, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, treatment intervention and outcomes. All patients had at least 14 days of follow-up. We determined their survival outcomes as of August 5, 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-eight cancer patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, and 16 (57%) presented to the ED during the study period. The median age of patients who presented to the ED was 61 years, 69% were women, and the median length of hospitalization was 11 days. There was no difference between the groups (ED vs. no ED visit) for demographics, treatment status or solid tumor versus hematologic malignancies or treatments. Dyspnea was a significant symptom with 67% of ED patients experiencing it versus only 17% of those that did not come to the ED (P=0.009). Do not resuscitate orders were initiated in eight patients, as early as two days from ED presentation and two of these patients died, while 88% of patients were discharged alive. CONCLUSIONS: Most cancer patients with COVID-19 infection admitted though the ED experienced dyspnea and were discharged from the hospital. We did not notice a statistically significant difference between cancer types or type of therapy. A broad differential is of utmost importance when caring for cancer patients with COVID-19 due to the complexity of this population. Early goals of care discussion should be initiated in the ED.

Diagnosis and management of immune-related adverse effects of immune checkpoint therapy in the emergency department.

Rapid advances in cancer immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to significantly improved survival. Rapid identification of the toxicity syndromes associated with these therapeutic agents is very important for emergency physicians because the population of patients diagnosed with cancer is increasing and cancer therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the first-line treatment for more and more types of cancer. The emergency medicine literature lags behind rapid advances in oncology, and oncology guidelines for rapid recognition and management of these emerging toxicity syndromes are not familiar to emergency physicians. In this review article, we discuss the clinical presentation and management of immune-related adverse effects during the critical first hours of emergency care. We also suggest a workflow for the recognition and treatment of emergencies arising from serious immune-related adverse effects, including but not limited to colitis, adrenal crisis, myocarditis, pneumonitis, myasthenic crisis, diabetic ketoacidosis, bullous pemphigus, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Rapid advances in cancer therapy are bringing new diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to emergency providers, and therefore it is crucial to raise awareness and provide guidelines for the management of new treatment-related toxicities.

Sepsis and Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Population-Level Study of Comparative Outcomes of Patients Discharged From Texas Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, approximately 750,000 cases of sepsis occur annually, and 28% to 50% of affected people die. Treatment is costly, often involving admission to the intensive care unit and prolonged hospitalization. We evaluated outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and sepsis in Texas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of adults discharged from Texas hospitals during 2011, using ICD-9-CM codes and the Texas Inpatient Data Collection. RESULTS: A total of 2,173,776 adults were discharged from hospitals in Texas, and 5501 (0.25%) had a diagnosis of AML. Among patients with AML, 40% were ≥ 65 years old, and 52% were men. The rate of sepsis for AML patients was 16% compared to 4% for non-AML patients. Among patients with AML, sepsis was associated with pneumonia, acute renal failure, and hematologic dysfunctions in 34%, 32%, and 29% of discharges, respectively. Median length of stay, intensive care unit admission rate, and median hospital charges per stay for patients with AML and sepsis were 13 days (range, 1-133 days), 72%, and $122,333, respectively. Among in-hospital deaths due to sepsis, mortality was 30% in AML patients compared to 21% in non-AML patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with AML had a higher sepsis incidence and higher mortality rates overall, especially in relation to stem-cell transplant recipients and those with other types of cancer. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether early intervention or treatment in specialized centers could improve outcomes and reduce costs of care, particularly in the management of serious complications such as sepsis.

Implementation of modified early-goal directed therapy for sepsis in the emergency center of a comprehensive cancer center.

PURPOSE: The investigation examines the impact of a standardized sepsis order set and algorithm utilizing non-invasive monitoring for early-goal directed therapy (EGDT) in an emergency center setting on the clinical outcomes of sepsis in cancer patients. METHODS: Single-center, retrospective study comparing clinical outcomes of sepsis before and after routine usage of a standardized order set and algorithm for non-invasive elements of EGDT for sepsis in an emergency center of a comprehensive cancer center. The outcomes measures evaluated were 28-day in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit length of stay, hospital length of stay, goal mean arterial pressure and urine output within the first 6 h of treatment, time to measurement of lactic acid, and appropriateness and timeliness of initial antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: The 28-day in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the post-intervention group compared to the pre-intervention group (20 vs. 38%, p = 0.005). The percentages of patients who reached their goal mean arterial pressure (74 vs. 90%, p = 0.004) and goal urine output (79 vs. 96%, p = 0.002) during the first 6 h of treatment were higher the after than the before group. No significant differences were detected in the rest of the outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a standardized sepsis order set and algorithm to improve compliance with the non-invasive elements of EGDT for sepsis in cancer patients in the emergency center setting was associated with a decreased 28-day in-hospital mortality rate.

Demographic and clinical determinants of having do not resuscitate orders in the intensive care unit of a comprehensive cancer center.

To understand the needs of patients and family members as physicians communicate their expectations about patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), we evaluated the demographic and clinical determinants of having a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order for adults with cancer. Patients included were admitted from June 16, 2008-August 16, 2008, to the ICU in a comprehensive cancer center. We conducted a prospective chart review and collected data on patient demographics, length of stay, advance directives, clinical characteristics, and DNR orders. A total of 362 patients met the inclusion criteria; only 15.2% had DNR orders before ICU discharge. In the multivariate analysis, we found that medical admission was an independent predictor of having a DNR order during the ICU stay (odds ratio = 3.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.44-9.28); we also found a significant two-way interaction between race/ethnicity and type of admission (medical vs. surgical) with having a DNR order (p = .04). Although medical admissions were associated with significantly more DNR orders than were surgical admissions, we observed that the subgroup of non-white patients admitted for medical reasons was significantly less likely to have DNR orders. This finding could reflect different preferences for aggressive care by race/ethnicity in patients with cancer, and deserves further investigation.

End-of-life issues in critically ill cancer patients.

This article discusses end-of-life issues in critically ill cancer patients. Since the majority of deaths will occur after limiting or withdrawing life support, focus should be given to ensuring that multidisciplinary family meetings are convened to discuss end-of-life decision making. Throughout the process of transitioning from cure to comfort care, it is essential to support the patient and the patient's family cultural beliefs and spiritual values, and to ensure good pain and symptom management. The use of protocols facilitates a smooth transition and potentially reduces variability between health care providers. Integrating measures into the ICU routine that will help health care providers cope with the care of a dying patient is recommended to avoid moral distress or emotional burnout.