Safety, Feasibility, and Efficacy of Early Rehabilitation in Patients Requiring Continuous Renal Replacement: A Quality Improvement Study.

INTRODUCTION: Early rehabilitation in critically ill patients is associated with improved outcomes. Recent research demonstrates that patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) can safely engage in mobility. The purpose of this study was to assess safety and feasibility of early rehabilitation with focus on mobility in patients requiring CRRT. METHODS: Study design was a mixed methods analysis of a quality improvement protocol. The setting was an intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary medical center. Safety was prospectively recorded by incidence of major adverse events including dislodgement of CRRT catheter, accidental extubation, bleeding, and hemodynamic emergency; and minor adverse events such as transient oxygen desaturation >10% of resting. Limited efficacy testing was performed to determine if rehabilitation parameters were associated with clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 67 patients (54.0 ± 15.6 years old, 44% women, body mass index 29.2 ± 9.3 kg/m2) received early rehabilitation under this protocol. The median days of CRRT were 6.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 2-11) and 72% of patients were on mechanical ventilation concomitantly with CRRT at the time of rehabilitation. A total of 112 rehabilitation sessions were performed of 152 attempts (74% completion rate). No major adverse events occurred. Patients achieving higher levels of mobility were more likely to be alive at discharge (P = 0.076). CONCLUSIONS: The provision of early rehabilitation in critically ill patients requiring CRRT is safe and feasible. Further, these preliminary results suggest that early rehabilitation with focus on mobility may improve patient outcomes in this susceptible population.

Validation of the San Diego Early Test Score for Early Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Among Amsterdam Men Who Have Sex With Men.

The San Diego Early Test score is a simple risk-assessment tool for acute, and early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Validation in a prospective cohort of Amsterdam men who have sex with men showed fair prediction of HIV seroconversion (AUC, 0.701). This score can help prioritize and target HIV-prevention strategies.

Effects of a Surgical Receipt Program on the Supply Costs of Five General Surgery Procedures.

BACKGROUND: Surgical supplies occupy a large portion of health care expenditures but is often under the surgeon's control. We sought to assess whether an automated, surgeon-directed, cost feedback system can decrease supply expenditures for five common general surgery procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An automated "surgical receipt" detailing intraoperative supply costs was generated and emailed to surgeons after each case. We compared the median cost per case for 18 mo before and after implementation of the surgical receipt. We controlled for price fluctuations by applying common per-unit prices in both periods. We also compared the incision time, case length booking accuracy, length of stay, and postoperative occurrences. RESULTS: Median costs decreased significantly for open inguinal hernia ($433.45 to $385.49, P < 0.001), laparoscopic cholecystectomy ($886.77 to $816.13, P = 0.002), and thyroidectomy ($861.21 to $825.90, P = 0.034). Median costs were unchanged for laparoscopic appendectomy and increased significantly for lumpectomy ($325.67 to $420.53, P < 0.001). There was an increase in incision-to-closure minutes for open inguinal hernia (71 to 75 min, P < 0.001) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (75 to 96 min, P < 0.001), but a decrease in thyroidectomy (79 to 73 min, P < 0.001). There was an increase in booking accuracy for laparoscopic appendectomy (38.6% to 55.0%, P = 0.001) and thyroidectomy (32.5% to 48.1%, P = 0.001). There were no differences in postoperative occurrence rates and length of stay duration. CONCLUSIONS: An automated surgeon-directed surgical receipt may be a useful tool to decrease supply costs for certain procedures. However, curtailing surgical supply costs with surgeon-directed cost feedback alone is challenging and a multimodal approach may be necessary.

National Trends and Factors Associated With Inpatient Mortality in Adult Patients With Opioid Overdose.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of opioid misuse and opioid-related mortality has increased dramatically over the past decade. There is limited evidence on factors associated with mortality from opioid overdose in the inpatient setting. The primary objective was to report national trends in opioid overdose and mortality. The secondary objectives were to explore factors associated with inpatient mortality and report differences in prescription opioid overdose (POD) versus illicit opioid overdose (IOD) cohorts. METHODS: Using the 2010-2014 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we performed a cross-sectional analysis and identified a weighted estimate of 570,987 adult patients with an International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, or External Cause of Injury code of POD or IOD. We performed multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of inpatient mortality. The odds ratio (OR) and their associated 95% confidence interval (CI) are reported. RESULTS: Of the 570,987 patients with opioid overdose, 13.8% had an admissions diagnosis of IOD, and the remaining had POD. Among all opioid overdose admissions, the adjusted odds of IOD admissions increased by 31% per year (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.29-1.31; P < .001); however, the adjusted odds POD admissions decreased by 24% per year (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.75-0.77; P < .001). The mortality was 4.7% and 2.3% among IOD and POD admissions, respectively. The odds of inpatient mortality increased by 8% per year among IOD admissions (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.14; P < .007). The odds of inpatient mortality increased by 6% per year among all POD admissions (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09; P < .001). Those with IOD compared to POD had higher odds of mortality (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.79-2.29; P < .001). Patients with age ≥80 years of age and those with a diagnosis of a solid tumor malignancy had higher odds of mortality. Odds of inpatient mortality were decreased in African American versus Caucasian patients and in patients undergoing alcohol rehabilitation therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in mortality provides a strong basis for further risk reduction strategies and intervention program implementation. Medical management of not only the opioid overdose but also the comorbidities calls for a multidisciplinary approach that involves policy makers and health care teams.

Association of HIV infection with age and symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease at the time of carotid intervention in the United States.

The primary objectives of this work were: (1) to describe trends in HIV prevalence among those undergoing carotid intervention (carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting) in the United States; and (2) to determine if HIV infection is independently associated with symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease or age at the time of carotid intervention. In a nationally representative inpatient database from 2004 to 2014, HIV infection was associated with younger age at the time of carotid intervention (59 years [SE 0.2] vs 71 years [SE 0.01], p < 0.001), male sex (83% vs 58%, p < 0.001), black race (21% vs 4%, p < 0.001), and symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease (18.8% vs 11.0%, p < 0.001). Among those undergoing carotid intervention, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of HIV from 0.08% in 2004 to 0.17% in 2014 ( p < 0.001). After adjustment for patient demographics, comorbidities and other covariates, HIV infection remained significantly associated with younger age (-8.9 years; 95% CI: -9.7 to -8.1; p < 0.001) at the time of carotid intervention, but HIV infection was not independently associated with symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease.

Brief Report: The Amsterdam Symptom and Risk-Based Score Predicts for Acute HIV Infection in Men Who Have Sex With Men in San Diego.

OBJECTIVE: Dijkstra et al recently described a risk- and symptom-based score moderately predictive for HIV seroconversion in the preceding 6-12 months in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Amsterdam. Our objective was to determine whether this "Amsterdam Score" could also predict for acute HIV infection (AHI) in MSM. DESIGN AND SETTING: This study is a case-control analysis of a prospectively enrolled cohort of MSM who voluntarily presented for HIV testing in San Diego. The study sample was composed of MSM who screened HIV antibody-negative and then either tested positive with AHI [HIV nucleic acid test (NAT)-positive] or tested HIV NAT-negative. METHODS: The Amsterdam Score was calculated for each participant in the study sample. Score performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves and their area under the curve (AUC). An optimal cutoff was determined using the Youden index. RESULTS: Seven hundred fifty-seven MSM (110 AHI and 647 HIV NAT-negative) were included in the analysis. AHI and HIV-negative cases were similar in age [median 32 years (interquartile range 26-42) vs 33 (27-45), respectively, P = 0.082]. The Amsterdam Score yielded a receiver operating characteristic curve with an AUC of 0.88 (95% confidence interval: 0.84 to 0.91). An optimal cutoff of ≥1.6 was 78.2% sensitive and 81.0% specific. CONCLUSIONS: The risk- and symptom-based Amsterdam Score was highly predictive (AUC of 0.88) of AHI in MSM in San Diego. The Amsterdam Score could be used to target NAT utilization in resource-poor settings among MSM who test HIV antibody-negative, although the potential cost-savings must be balanced with the risk of missing AHI diagnoses.

Dependent functional status is associated with unplanned postoperative intubation after elective cervical spine surgery: a national registry analysis.

PURPOSE: The impact of preoperative functional status on 30-day unplanned postoperative intubation and clinical outcomes among patients who underwent cervical spine surgery is not well-described. We hypothesized that functional dependence is associated with 30-day unplanned postoperative intubation and that among the reintubated cohort, functional dependence is associated with adverse postoperative clinical outcomes after cervical spine surgery. METHODS: Utilizing the 2007-2016 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we identified adult elective anterior and posterior cervical spine surgery patients by Current Procedural Terminology codes. We performed (1) a Cox Proportional Hazard analysis for the following outcomes: reintubation, prolonged ventilator use, and pneumonia and (2) an adjusted logistic regression analysis among patients that required postoperative reintubation to evaluate the association of functional status with adverse postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: The sample size was 26,263, of which 550 (2.1%) were functionally dependent. The adjusted model suggested that when compared with functionally independent patients, dependent patients were at increased risk of unplanned 30-day intubation (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.26-3.34; P = 0.003). The adjusted risk of 30-day postoperative pneumonia was significantly higher in patients with functional dependence (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.02-2.54, P = 0.036). Among patients that required postoperative reintubation, the odds of 30-day mortality was significantly higher in patients with functional dependence (OR 5.82, 95% CI 1.59-23.4, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Preoperative functional dependence is a good marker for estimating postoperative unplanned intubation following cervical spine surgery.

Antifungal Prophylaxis with Posaconazole Delayed-Release Tablet and Oral Suspension in a Real-Life Setting: Plasma Levels, Efficacy, and Tolerability.

We continuously determined posaconazole plasma concentrations (PPCs) in 61 patients with hematological malignancies receiving posaconazole (PCZ) delayed-release tablets (DRT; 48 patients; median duration of intake, 92 days) and PCZ oral solution (OS; 13 patients; median duration of intake, 124 days). PCZ DRT and OS antifungal prophylaxis was efficient and well tolerated. Thirty-four of 48 patients (71%) receiving DRT always had PPCs of >0.7 mg/liter, while 14 of 48 patients (29%) had at least one PPC of ≤0.7 mg/liter. In patients receiving OS, 4 of 13 patients (31%) always had PPCs of >0.7 mg/liter, 6 of 13 patients (46%) had at least one PPC of ≤0.7 mg/liter, and 3 (23%) patients never reached a PPC of 0.7 mg/liter. In patients with at least one determined PPC, the mean proportion of all PPCs of >0.7 mg/liter was 91% for PCZ DRT, whereas it was 52% for PCZ OS (P = 0.001). In the per sample analysis, PPCs were significantly more likely to be >0.7 mg/liter in patients receiving DRT than in patients receiving OS (PPCs were >0.7 mg/liter in 91.4% [297/325] of patients receiving DRT versus 70.3% [85/121] of patients receiving OS; P < 0.001). Patients receiving PCZ DRT had higher proportions of PPCs of >0.7 mg/liter than patients receiving OS both in the per patient and in the per sample analyses. Two patients (3%) had side effects during PCZ prophylaxis, and one (2%) had fungal breakthrough infection. Therapeutic drug monitoring enables detection of extended periods of PPCs of ≤0.7 mg/liter (e.g., due to nonadherence or graft-versus-host disease), which may also be associated with the loss of protective intracellular PCZ concentrations, regardless of the PCZ formulation.

A Simple Symptom Score for Acute Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in a San Diego Community-Based Screening Program.

Background: Treatment of acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (AHI) decreases transmission and preserves immune function, but AHI diagnosis remains resource intensive. Risk-based scores predictive for AHI have been described for high-risk groups; however, symptom-based scores could be more generalizable across populations. Methods: Adults who tested either positive for AHI (antibody-negative, HIV nucleic acid test [NAT] positive) or HIV NAT negative with the community-based San Diego Early Test HIV screening program were retrospectively randomized 2:1 into a derivation and validation set. In the former, symptoms significant for AHI in a multivariate logistic regression model were assigned a score value (the odds ratio [OR] rounded to the nearest integer). The score was assessed in the validation set using receiver operating characteristics and areas under the curve (AUC). An optimal cutoff score was found using the Youden index. Results: Of 998 participants (including 261 non-men who have sex with men [MSM]), 113 had AHI (including 4 non-MSM). Compared to HIV-negative cases, AHI cases reported more symptoms (median, 4 vs 0; P < .01). Fever, myalgia, and weight loss were significantly associated with AHI in the multivariate model and corresponded to 11, 8, and 4 score points, respectively. The summed score yielded an AUC of 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], .77-.93). A score of ≥11 was 72% sensitive and 96% specific (diagnostic OR, 70.27). Conclusions: A 3-symptom score accurately predicted AHI in a community-based screening program and may inform allocation of resources in settings that do not routinely screen for AHI.

Superior mesenteric artery calcification is associated with cardiovascular risk factors, systemic calcified atherosclerosis, and increased mortality.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality. However, epidemiologic data are sparse regarding risk factors for superior mesenteric artery calcification (SMAC), the association between SMAC and disease in other arterial beds, or the independent contribution of SMAC to risk of mortality. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that presence and extent of SMAC are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, calcification in other arterial beds, and both cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, independent of classic risk factors and calcification in other arterial beds. METHODS: Arterial calcification in the superior mesenteric artery, celiac trunk, coronaries, thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, and iliac arteries was evaluated by computed tomography in adults with no known CVD. Multiple logistic regression models examined risk factor associations for SMAC and SMAC as a risk factor for calcification in other arterial beds. Cox models were used to examine the association between SMAC and mortality. RESULTS: The average age of subjects was 56 years; 43.7% (1877/4300) were women, and 6.7% (290) had SMAC. Age (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.11), male sex (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.08-3.03), dyslipidemia (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.01-1.88), and any smoking (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.20-2.14) were associated with SMAC presence. Notably, body mass index, body fat percentage, hypertension, diabetes, and family history of coronary heart disease were not significant risk factors for the presence of SMAC. SMAC presence was associated with calcification in all five other arterial beds (OR, 6.02; 95% CI, 3.76-9.66). During a median follow-up time of 9.4 years, there were 234 deaths, 76 of which were CVD related. SMAC extent (represented as per-unit increase in log [SMAC score + 1]; OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.01-1.71) was significantly associated with CVD mortality after full adjustment for risk factors and calcification in other arterial beds. SMAC presence (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.10-2.12) and extent (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06-1.48) were also both significantly associated with all-cause mortality after full adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: SMAC is associated with specific CVD risk factors as well as with calcification in all other arterial beds. SMAC extent was significantly associated with incident cardiovascular mortality, whereas both SMAC presence and extent were significantly associated with all-cause mortality, even after adjustment for risk factors and calcification in other arterial beds. Further studies are needed to determine whether SMAC is simply a marker for advanced and systemic disease or whether it confers increased mortality risk through an independent mechanism.