ABSTRACT
Background: Tolvaptan is the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to slow the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), but it requires strict clinical monitoring due to potential serious adverse events. Objective: We aimed to share our experience in developing and implementing an electronic health record (EHR)-based application to monitor patients with ADPKD who were initiated on tolvaptan. Methods: The application was developed in collaboration with clinical informatics professionals based on our clinical protocol with frequent laboratory test monitoring to detect early drug-related toxicity. The application streamlined the clinical workflow and enabled our nursing team to take appropriate actions in real time to prevent drug-related serious adverse events. We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of the enrolled patients. Results: As of September 2022, a total of 214 patients were enrolled in the tolvaptan program across all Mayo Clinic sites. Of these, 126 were enrolled in the Tolvaptan Monitoring Registry application and 88 in the Past Tolvaptan Patients application. The mean age at enrollment was 43.1 (SD 9.9) years. A total of 20 (9.3%) patients developed liver toxicity, but only 5 (2.3%) had to discontinue the drug. The 2 EHR-based applications allowed consolidation of all necessary patient information and real-time data management at the individual or population level. This approach facilitated efficient staff workflow, monitoring of drug-related adverse events, and timely prescription renewal. Conclusions: Our study highlights the feasibility of integrating digital applications into the EHR workflow to facilitate efficient and safe care delivery for patients enrolled in a tolvaptan program. This workflow needs further validation but could be extended to other health care systems managing chronic diseases requiring drug monitoring.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to examine the effect of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) on endothelial function. BACKGROUND: Enhanced external counterpulsation improves symptoms and exercise tolerance in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the exact mechanisms by which this technique exerts its clinical benefit are unclear. METHODS: Reactive hyperemia-peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT), a noninvasive method to assess peripheral endothelial function by measuring reactive hyperemic response in the finger, was performed in 23 patients with refractory angina undergoing a 35-h course of EECP. In each patient RH-PAT measurements were performed before and after the first, at midcourse, and the last EECP session. In addition, RH-PAT response was assessed one month after completion of EECP therapy; RH-PAT index, a measure of reactive hyperemia, was calculated as the ratio of the digital pulse volume during reactive hyperemia divided by that at rest. RESULTS: Enhanced external counterpulsation led to symptomatic improvement (>/=1 Canadian Cardiovascular Society class) in 17 (74%) patients; EECP was associated with a significant immediate increase in average RH-PAT index after each treatment (p < 0.05). In addition, average RH-PAT index at one-month follow-up was significantly higher than that before EECP therapy (p < 0.05). When patients were divided by their clinical response, RH-PAT index at one-month follow-up increased only in those patients who experienced clinical benefit. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced external counterpulsation enhances peripheral endothelial function with beneficial effects persisting at one-month follow-up in patients with a positive clinical response. This suggests that improvement in endothelial function may contribute to the clinical benefit of EECP in patients with symptomatic CAD.
