ABSTRACT
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), specifically deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a major complication in plastic surgery; however, there is a paucity of evidence about the incidence of VTE in the craniofacial subpopulation. We investigated the incidence and risk factors for VTE in the adult craniofacial trauma population. Methods: This retrospective review identified patients from the 2016 and 2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample with a diagnosis for an initial encounter of a facial fracture. International Classification of Disease codes identified patients with DVT or PE. Groups were identified: adult craniofacial patients with and without a VTE diagnosis. The groups were analyzed to determine risk factors for developing a VTE during inpatient admissions. Results: A total of 203,240 patients were identified based on a diagnosis for an initial encounter of a facial fracture. Among those, 3350 (1.65%) were diagnosed with a DVT and 1455 (0.72%) with a PE. Risk factors for VTE were male sex (P = 0.011), longer hospital stay (P = 0.000), and higher Elixhauser comorbidity index (P = 0.000). Additionally, PE was an independent predictor of mortality [odds ratio (OR), 2.129] but DVT was not (OR, 1.148). Cranial and frontal fractures were independently associated with an increase in DVT (OR, 2.481) and PE (OR, 1.489). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that craniofacial trauma patients are at risk for VTE and should be risk-stratified for chemoprophylaxis therapy. Further studies in thromboembolism prophylaxis for facial fractures are warranted as the data are limited.
ABSTRACT
Multiplex technologies for interrogating multiple biomarkers in concert have existed for several decades; however, methods to evaluate multiple epitopes on the same analyte remain limited. This report describes the development and optimization of a multiplexed immunobead assay for serological testing of common immunoglobulin isotypes (e.g., IgA, IgM, and IgG) associated with an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. Assays were accomplished using a flow-based, multiplex fluorescent reader with dual-channel capability. Optimizations focused on analyte capture time, detection antibody concentration, and detection antibody incubation time. Analytical assay performance characteristics (e.g., assay range (including lower and upper limits of quantitation); and intra- and inter-assay precision) were established for either IgG/IgM or IgA/IgM serotype combination in tandem using the 'dual channel' mode. Analyte capture times of 30 min for IgG, 60 min for IgM, and 120 min for IgA were suitable for most applications, providing a balance of assay performance and throughput. Optimal detection antibody incubations at 4 µg/mL for 30 min was observed and are recommended for general applications, given the overall excellent precision (percent coefficient of variance (%CV) ≤ 20%) and sensitivity values observed. The dynamic range for the IgG isotype spanned several orders of magnitude for each assay (Spike S1, Nucleocapsid, and Membrane glycoproteins), which supports robust titer evaluations at a 1:500 dilution factor for clinical applications. Finally, the optimized protocol was applied to monitoring Spike S1 seroconversion for subjects (n = 4) that completed a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine regimen. Within this cohort, Spike S1 IgG levels were observed to reach maximum titers at 14 days following second dose administration, at a much higher (~40-fold) signal intensity than either IgM or IgA isotypes. Interestingly, we observed highly variable Spike S1 IgG titer decay rates that were largely subject-dependent were observed, which will be the topic of future studies.
