Epidemiology and resource utilization of ludwig's angina ED visits in the United States 2006-2014.

OBJECTIVES: Ludwig's angina is a potentially lethal submandibular space infection. We aim to describe the epidemiological characteristics of Ludwig's angina patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) and to examine outcomes and resource utilization to determine their burden on ED and hospitals. METHODS: Using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database, a nationally representative all-payer database, we retrospectively reviewed all ED visits between 2006 and 2014 for patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of Ludwig's angina (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, 528.3). We collected information including demographics, ED and inpatient charges, airway interventions, length of stay, and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 5,855 patients met our inclusion criteria. In our study population, the mean age was 44.5 years, with 54% males and 46% females. There were 75% insured and 25% uninsured. Overall median ED charges were $1,352 and median inpatient charges were $18,017.54, with a median length of stay of 3 days. As part of their management, 47.2% of the patients received a surgical drainage procedure, 3.3% required a surgical airway, and 4.6% required a nonsurgical airway. The overall mortality rate was 0.3%. CONCLUSION: Ludwig's angina remains a rare and potentially life-threatening condition. The mortality rate appears to be decreased from previous historical accounts, with airway intervention remaining a significant part of management. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 129:2041-2044, 2019.

Adipose Gene Expression Profile Changes With Lung Allograft Reperfusion.

Obesity is a risk factor for primary graft dysfunction (PGD), a form of lung injury resulting from ischemia-reperfusion after lung transplantation, but the impact of ischemia-reperfusion on adipose tissue is unknown. We evaluated differential gene expression in thoracic visceral adipose tissue (VAT) before and after lung reperfusion. Total RNA was isolated from thoracic VAT sampled from six subjects enrolled in the Lung Transplant Body Composition study before and after allograft reperfusion and quantified using the Human Gene 2.0 ST array. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed enrichment for genes involved in complement and coagulation cascades and Jak-STAT signaling pathways. Overall, 72 genes were upregulated and 56 genes were downregulated in the postreperfusion time compared with baseline. Long pentraxin-3, a gene and plasma protein previously associated with PGD, was the most upregulated gene (19.5-fold increase, p = 0.04). Fibronectin leucine-rich transmembrane protein-3, a gene associated with cell adhesion and receptor signaling, was the most downregulated gene (4.3-fold decrease, p = 0.04). Ischemia-reperfusion has a demonstrable impact on gene expression in visceral adipose tissue in our pilot study of nonobese, non-PGD lung transplant recipients. Future evaluation will focus on differential adipose tissue gene expression and the development of PGD after transplant.

Frailty Phenotypes, Disability, and Outcomes in Adult Candidates for Lung Transplantation.

RATIONALE: Frailty is associated with morbidity and mortality in abdominal organ transplantation but has not been examined in lung transplantation. OBJECTIVES: To examine the construct and predictive validity of frailty phenotypes in lung transplant candidates. METHODS: In a multicenter prospective cohort, we measured frailty with the Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). We evaluated construct validity through comparisons with conceptually related factors. In a nested case-control study of frail and nonfrail subjects, we measured serum IL-6, tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, insulin-like growth factor I, and leptin. We estimated the association between frailty and disability using the Lung Transplant Valued Life Activities disability scale. We estimated the association between frailty and risk of delisting or death before transplant using multivariate logistic and Cox models, respectively. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 395 subjects, 354 completed FFP assessments and 262 completed SPPB assessments; 28% were frail by FFP (95% confidence interval [CI], 24-33%) and 10% based on the SPPB (95% CI, 7-14%). By either measure, frailty correlated more strongly with exercise capacity and grip strength than with lung function. Frail subjects tended to have higher plasma IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and lower insulin-like growth factor I and leptin. Frailty by either measure was associated with greater disability. After adjusting for age, sex, diagnosis, and transplant center, both FFP and SPPB were associated with increased risk of delisting or death before lung transplant. For every 1-point worsening in score, hazard ratios were 1.30 (95% CI, 1.01-1.67) for FFP and 1.53 (95% CI, 1.19-1.59) for SPPB. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty is prevalent among lung transplant candidates and is independently associated with greater disability and an increased risk of delisting or death.