Closed Suction Drainage after Total Knee Arthroplasty with Concomitant Intravenous Tranexamic Acid Administration.

Drain use in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial. Use has been associated with increased complications, particularly postoperative transfusion, infection, increased cost, and longer hospital stays. However, studies examining drain use were performed before widespread adoption of tranexamic acid (TXA), which markedly reduces transfusion without increasing venous thromboembolism events. We aim to investigate incidence of postoperative transfusion and 90-day return to the operating room (ROR) for hemarthrosis in TKA with use of drains and concomitant intravenous (IV) TXA. Primary TKAs from a single institution were identified from August 2012 to December 2018. Inclusion criteria were primary TKA, age 18 years and over where use of TXA, drains, anticoagulant, and pre- and postsurgical hemoglobin (Hb) were documented during the patient's admission. Primary outcomes were 90-day ROR specifically for hemarthrosis and rate of postoperative transfusion. A total of 2,008 patients were included. Sixteen patients required ROR, three of which were due to hemarthrosis. Drain output was statistically higher in the ROR group (269.3 vs. 152.4 mL, p = 0.05). Five patients required transfusion within 14 days (0.25%). Patients requiring transfusion had significantly lower presurgical Hb (10.2 g/dL, p = 0.01) and 24-hour postoperative Hb (7.7 g/dL, p < 0.001). Drain output between the transfusion and no transfusion groups varied significantly (p = 0.03), with transfusion patients having higher postoperative day 1 drain output of 362.6 mL and total drain output of 376.6 mL. In this series, postoperative drain use with concomitant weight-based IV TXA is shown to be safe and efficacious. We observed exceedingly low risk of postoperative transfusion compared with prior reports of drain use alone as well as preserved low rate of hemarthrosis that has previously been positively linked to drain use.

Retrospective analysis of sepsis in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma reveals significantly greater risk in Black patients.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization among patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). OBJECTIVE: To characterize the demographic, clinical, and microbial attributes distinguishing patients with CTCL sepsis from other patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) sepsis and patients with CTCL in general. METHODS: Two-part retrospective cohort study at an academic medical center from 2001-2019 involving patients with CTCL (n = 97) and non-CTCL NHL (n = 88) admitted with sepsis, and a same-institution CTCL patient database (n = 1094). Overall survival was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analyses. RESULTS: Patients with CTCL sepsis were more likely to be older, Black, experience more sepsis episodes, die or be readmitted within 30 days of an inpatient sepsis episode, and develop Gram-positive bacteremia than patients with non-CTCL NHL sepsis. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most frequently speciated organisms in CTCL (26%) and non-CTCL NHL (14%), respectively. No between-group differences were identified regarding sex, presence of central line, chemotherapy use, or disease stage. Compared with general patients with CTCL, patients with sepsis were Black and exhibited advanced-stage disease, higher body surface area involvement, and higher lactate dehydrogenase levels. LIMITATIONS: Single institution, retrospective nature may limit generalizability. CONCLUSION: Awareness of CTCL-specific risk factors is crucial for guiding sepsis prevention and improving patient outcomes.

The use of social media platforms to discuss and educate the public on allergic contact dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Social media platforms are increasingly used by patients to research and discuss medical problems. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify by whom, how frequently, and in what manner allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is discussed on social media sites. METHODS: Search terms "allergic contact dermatitis" and "contact dermatitis" were queried across Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, YouTube, and Google search metrics. The frequency, content, and creators of the content were assessed. RESULTS: ACD content was identified on all platforms, generated by by patients, physicians, professional organizations, and companies. When comparing the volume of posts, more content was on Instagram than Twitter, particularly among patients. Patient support groups were identified on Facebook but not on Reddit. A formal analysis of YouTube videos found that the medical information presented in these videos was often of poor quality. CONCLUSIONS: Patch testing physicians should be aware that information on ACD exists across social media sites. While some content is generated by physicians, patients and industry groups also post and share material. Patch testing physicians should know that there is an opportunity to share ACD information, but they should also be aware that patients are posting and creating online support communities independent of physicians. HIGHLIGHTS: Online support communities exist for patients with ACD on Facebook. Online information is of lower quality, with a mean QUEST quality score of 7.4/28 on reviewed YouTube videos. Of the five social media sites reviewed, patients are most active on Instagram, Reddit, and Facebook. Approximately 9000 Google searches per month are conducted using contact dermatitis-related search terms. Differences in terminology exist between physicians and non-physicians. While the most popular hashtag term was "contact dermatitis", physicians disproportionately authored posts tagged with "allergic contact dermatitis."