The Early Impact of COVID-19 on Urological Service Provision.

Aim COVID-19 has posed an unprecedented challenge to healthcare systems. We aimed to observe the impact on urological care delivery in an Irish university hospital. Methods Data on urological activity was prospectively collected for 3 months from March 2020. A retrospective review of the same period in 2019 was performed for control data. Results Over the 2020 study period, 356 urological admissions were recorded; a 23.1% decrease from the 2019 corresponding period(n=463). A 21.7% decrease in flexible cystoscopies was seen (162 versus 207). 125 theatre cases (36 off-site) were performed in the 2020 period, versus 151 in 2019. Emergency case load remained stable, with 69 cases in the 2020 period. The percentage of trainee-performed cases was preserved. COVID-era outpatient activity increased, to involve 559 clinic consultations compared to 439 the preceding year; a reflection of annual growth in service demand and facilitated by virtual clinic application (n=403). There were 490 instances of patients cancelling/failing to attend outpatient appointments, compared to 335 in 2019. Conclusion The Irish COVID-19 outbreak has created obstacles for urological care. Nonetheless, urgent/emergent urological cases persist. Our unit has managed this to-date with flexible adaptation of service delivery. The global challenge posed by COVID-19 will demand ongoing resourcefulness to minimise impact on patients with time-sensitive urological conditions.

Simulation of a radiobiology facility for the Centre for the Clinical Application of Particles.

The Centre for the Clinical Application of Particles' Laser-hybrid Accelerator for Radiobiological Applications (LhARA) facility is being studied and requires simulation of novel accelerator components (such as the Gabor lens capture system), detector simulation and simulation of the ion beam interaction with cells. The first stage of LhARA will provide protons up to 15 MeV for in vitro studies. The second stage of LhARA will use a fixed-field accelerator to increase the energy of the particles to allow in vivo studies with protons and in vitro studies with heavier ions. BDSIM, a Geant4 based accelerator simulation tool, has been used to perform particle tracking simulations to verify the beam optics design done by BeamOptics and these show good agreement. Design parameters were defined based on an EPOCH simulation of the laser source and a series of mono-energetic input beams were generated from this by BDSIM. The tracking results show the large angular spread of the input beam (0.2 rad) can be transported with a transmission of almost 100% whilst keeping divergence at the end station very low (<0.1 mrad). The legacy of LhARA will be the demonstration of technologies that could drive a step-change in the provision of proton and light ion therapy (i.e. a laser source coupled to a Gabor lens capture and a fixed-field accelerator), and a system capable of delivering a comprehensive set of experimental data that can be used to enhance the clinical application of proton and light ion therapy.

Which children receive vigabatrin? Characteristics of pediatric patients enrolled in the mandatory FDA registry.

Vigabatrin (Sabril®) is an antiepileptic drug (AED) currently indicated in the US as a monotherapy for patients 1month to 2years of age with infantile spasms (IS) and as adjunctive therapy for patients ≥10years of age with refractory complex partial seizures (rCPS) whose seizures have inadequately responded to several alternative treatments and for whom the potential benefits outweigh the risk of vision loss. The approval required an FDA mandated registry. This article describes 5years of demographic and treatment exposure data from US pediatric patients (<17years). Participation is mandatory for all US Sabril® prescribers and patients. A benefit-risk assessment must be documented for patient progression to maintenance therapy. This includes demographic diagnosis and reports of ophthalmologic assessments (where available). Patient data were grouped by age as proxies for indication (IS: <3years, rCPS: ≥3 to <17years). As of August 26, 2014, 5546/6823 enrolled patients were pediatric/total; 4472 (81%) were vigabatrin-naïve. Seventy-one percent of patients were <3years of age; 29% were ≥3 to <17years of age. Etiologies of IS were identified as cryptogenic (21%), symptomatic tuberous sclerosis (17%), and symptomatic other (42%). The majority of patients with IS (56%) attempted no prior treatments; 16% received adrenocorticotropic hormone prior to vigabatrin. A third of patients with IS were receiving 1 concomitant treatment with vigabatrin. For patients with rCPS, 39% attempted 1-3 prior treatments; 27% were receiving 2 concomitant treatments at enrollment. A total of 1852 (41%) patients did not undergo baseline ophthalmological assessment; 25% of patients with IS and 42% of patients with rCPS were exempted for neurologic disabilities. Kaplan-Meier estimates predict that 71% and 65% of vigabatrin-naïve patients with IS and rCPS, respectively, would remain in the registry at 6months. Most pediatric vigabatrin patients have IS as an underlying diagnosis, especially those <3years of age. A proportion of those with rCPS remain on long-term vigabatrin despite the risk of adverse events.

Sabril® registry 5-year results: Characteristics of adult patients treated with vigabatrin.

Vigabatrin (Sabril®), approved in the US in 2009, is currently indicated as adjunctive therapy for refractory complex partial seizures (rCPS) in patients ≥ 10 years old who have responded inadequately to several alternative treatments and as monotherapy for infantile spasms (IS) in patients 1 month to 2 years of age. Because of reports of vision loss following vigabatrin exposure, FDA approval required a risk evaluation mitigation strategy (REMS) program. Vigabatrin is only available in the US through Support, Help, And Resources for Epilepsy (SHARE), which includes a mandated registry. This article describes 5 years of demographic and treatment exposure data from adult patients (≥ 17 years old) in the US treated with vigabatrin and monitored in the ongoing Sabril® registry. Registry participation is mandatory for all US Sabril® prescribers and patients. A benefit-risk assessment must be documented by the physician for a patient to progress to maintenance therapy, defined as 1 month of vigabatrin treatment for patients with IS and 3 months for patients with rCPS. Ophthalmologic assessments must be documented during and after completion of therapy. As of August 26, 2014, a total of 6823 patients were enrolled in the registry, of which 1200 were adults at enrollment. Of these patients, 1031 (86%) were naïve to vigabatrin. The majority of adult patients (n=783, 65%) had previously been prescribed ≥ 4 AEDs, and 719 (60%) were receiving ≥ 3 concomitant AEDs at vigabatrin initiation. Prescribers submitted an initial ophthalmological assessment form for 863 patients; an ophthalmologic exam was not completed for 300 (35%) patients and thus, were considered exempted from vision testing. Of these patients, 128 (43%) were exempted for neurologic disabilities. Clinicians discontinued treatment in 8 patients because of visual field deficits (VFD) (5 patients naïve to vigabatrin and 3 patients previously exposed). Based on Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, it is estimated that approximately 71%, 55%, and 40% of adult patients naïve to vigabatrin would remain in the registry at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. These demographic data suggest that a proportion of adult patients remain on vigabatrin long-term despite the risks of adverse events and significant underlying AED resistance and neurologic disease.

Single centre experience of hypothermic machine perfusion of kidneys from extended criteria deceased heart-beating donors: a comparative study.

INTRODUCTION: Kidneys from extended criteria donors are associated with higher rates of delayed graft function (DGF). Hypothermic machine perfusion (MP) for storage is associated with more favourable outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in 93 patients where the kidney was stored using hypothermic MP (LifePort(®)) and compared to an age-matched control group where the kidney was stored in cold static storage (CSS) using University of Wisconsin solution. RESULTS: Median age was similar in both groups (59.2 years in MP vs 59.9 years in CSS, p = 0.5598). Mean cold storage time was 15.6 h in MP vs 17.9 h in CSS. Post transplant mean serum creatinine was as follows; MP group-144.7 µmol/L at 1 month; 138.3 µmol/L at 3 months and 129.5 µmol/L at 12 months. In the CSS group-163 µmol/L at 1 month; 154.9 µmol/L at 3 months and 140.2 µmol/L at 12 months. There was a statistically significant difference at 1 month (p = 0.0096) and 3 months (p = 0.0236). DGF was defined as the need for haemodialysis within 7 days post transplant. In the MP group, DGF occurred in 17.2 % patients with mean of 6 days (range 1-18). In the CSS group, 25.8 % patients with mean of 8.1 days (range 3-25). One-year graft survival rate was better in the MP group (97.85 vs 96.77 %). CONCLUSION: Our experience to date recommends the use of hypothermic MP for storage of kidneys from extended criteria deceased heart-beating donors.

A smartphone app to communicate child passenger safety: an application of theory to practice.

Child passenger safety remains an important public health problem because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children, and the majority of children ride improperly restrained. Using a mobile app to communicate with parents about injury prevention offers promise but little information is available on how to create such a tool. The purpose of this article is to illustrate a theory-based approach to developing a tailored, smartphone app for communicating child passenger safety information to parents. The theoretical basis for the tailoring is the elaboration likelihood model, and we utilized the precaution adoption process model (PAPM) to reflect the stage-based nature of behavior change. We created assessment items (written at ≤6th grade reading level) to determine the child's proper type of car seat, the parent's PAPM stage and beliefs on selected constructs designed to facilitate stage movement according to the theory. A message library and template were created to provide a uniform structure for the tailored feedback. We demonstrate how messages derived in this way can be delivered through new m-health technology and conclude with recommendations for the utility of the methods used here for other m-health, patient education interventions.

Nonpharmacologic care for patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: ketogenic diets and vagus nerve stimulation.

Individuals with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) often do not respond to or become resistant to pharmacologic treatments. Ketogenic diets (KDs) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are nonpharmacologic treatment options for these intractable patients. The classic KD, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet with 90% of calories derived from fat, has been used in the treatment of seizures for >90 years. About half of patients with LGS respond to the KD with a >50% reduction in seizures and some patients may achieve a >90% reduction. Vagus nerve stimulation therapy involves a surgically implanted generator that delivers intermittent electrical stimuli to the brain via an electrode wrapped around the left vagus nerve. It is utilized as adjunctive therapy for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (including patients with LGS) who are not suitable candidates for resective surgery. Similar to the KD, about half of LGS patients respond to VNS therapy, with a >50% reduction in seizures, and the response may improve over time. Both the KD and VNS are options for patients with LGS.

Autotransplantation of a single functioning kidney following rupture of renal artery aneurysm.

Renal artery aneurysms (RAA) are the second most common visceral artery aneurysm. In cases of rupture they pose a significant and emergent surgical challenge. Extracorporeal arterial reconstruction and autotransplantation is often necessary in certain complex cases that are not amenable to aneurysm repair in vivo. We report a case of a 35 year old female with a RAA in a solitary functioning kidney, requiring ex vivo reconstruction and autotransplantation to the iliac vessels.

Organ donation following the circulatory determination of death (DCD): an audit of donation and outcomes following renal transplantation.

Organ Donation following the Circulatory determination of Death was introduced in Beaumont Hospital during 2011. The Intensive Care Society of Ireland formally endorsed a national DCD clinical practice guideline in 2012. This retrospective audit covers a 2-year period during which eleven patients were considered suitable for DCD and where consent was obtained. Nine patients died within the ninety-minute period following the withdrawal of life sustaining therapies and subsequently donated organs (82%). Eighteen kidneys were recovered and seventeen patients received renal transplants--one patient received a nephron-dosing dual renal transplant. Lungs were recovered on two occasions and one patient received a lung transplant. Heart valves were recovered on one occasion. To date sixteen of seventeen recipient patients have functioning renal transplants (94%). In conclusion, this model of deceased donation has proven acceptable to families, nursing and medical staff and the outcomes reported are consistent with international best practice.

Treatment of infantile spasms with very high dose prednisolone before high dose adrenocorticotropic hormone.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the short-term response to a standardized hormonal therapy protocol for treatment of infantile spasms. METHODS: Twenty-seven children with video electroencephalography (EEG)-confirmed infantile spasms received very high dose (8 mg/kg/day, max 60 mg/day) oral prednisolone for 2 weeks. Response (absence of both hypsarrhythmia and spasms) to prednisolone was ascertained by repeat overnight video-EEG. Responders were tapered over 2 weeks and nonresponders were immediately transitioned to high dose (150 IU/m(2)/day) intramuscular adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) for two additional weeks. Response was again determined by overnight video-EEG after ACTH therapy. KEY FINDINGS: Sixty-three percent (17/27) of patients responded completely to prednisolone. Subsequently, 40% (4/10) of prednisolone nonresponders exhibited a complete response after an additional 2-week course with ACTH. Among 27 subjects with median follow-up of 13.5 months (interquartile range [IQR] 4.8-25.9), 12% (2/17) of prednisolone responders and 50% (2/4) of ACTH responders experienced a relapse between 2 and 9 months after initial response. SIGNIFICANCE: Very high dose prednisolone demonstrated significantly higher efficacy than previously reported for lower doses in prior studies. High dose ACTH may be superior to very high dose prednisolone, and in lieu of a definitive clinical trial, the choice between prednisolone and ACTH for initial treatment of infantile spasms remains controversial.

Screening for suicidal ideation in children with epilepsy.

Given the FDA's warning regarding the potential connection between suicidal behavior and antiepileptic drugs, this study examined methods by which to detect suicidal ideation in children with epilepsy. It compared the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve for identifying children with suicidal behavior using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a structured psychiatric interview. Parent-completed CBCLs provided behavioral problem scores on 177 children with epilepsy, aged 5-16years. Psychiatric diagnoses were made based on separate child and parent structured psychiatric interviews about the child. The children answered questions on suicidal behaviors during the interview. A clinically elevated score in the CBCL Total Problems scale and having more than one psychiatric diagnosis, irrespective of the type of diagnosis, were significant predictors and correctly classified children with suicidal ideation in 79% of the cases based on the CBCL and 80% of the cases with more than one psychiatric diagnosis. These findings indicate that elevated CBCL Total Problems scores, a commonly used instrument, can screen and identify risk for suicidal behavior in children with epilepsy. Additionally, irrespective of diagnosis, if a child with epilepsy has more than one psychiatric diagnosis, further assessment of suicidal behavior is warranted. Importantly, the results underscore the utility of having parents complete a questionnaire in the waiting room in order to identify children with epilepsy at risk for suicidal behavior.

Fire and scald burn risks in urban communities: who is at risk and what do they believe about home safety?

While largely preventable, fire and hot water-related injuries are common in the United States. Measures recommended to reduce these injuries are smoke alarms (SAs) and lowered hot water temperatures. This study aims to: (i) describe the prevalence of working SAs and safe water temperatures among low-income, urban communities and (ii) explore the relationship between these behaviors and individuals' knowledge and beliefs about them. In this cross-sectional study, the Health Belief Model was used as a guide for understanding the safety behaviors. A total of 603 households had their SAs and hot tap water temperatures tested and were surveyed about their knowledge and beliefs related to these safety behaviors. We found that 40% of households had working SAs on every level and 57% had safe hot water temperatures. Perceived severity and self-efficacy were significantly associated with SA coverage, whereas perceived susceptibility and beliefs about benefits were significantly associated with safe hot water temperatures. This study demonstrates the need to increase the number of homes with working SAs and safe hot water temperatures. Messages focused on a safe home environment could communicate the ease and harm reduction features of SAs and benefits and risk reduction features of safe hot water temperatures.

The Houdini effect--an unusual case of blunt abdominal trauma resulting in perforative appendicitis.

We present a unique case of perforative appendicitis that occurred in an adult following blunt abdominal trauma. This case represents the first such reported case from Ireland. It also represents a modern practical example of Laplace's theory of the effect of increased pressure on colonic wall tension leading to localized perforation, and serves to highlight not only the importance in preoperative imaging for blunt abdominal trauma, but also the importance of considering appendiceal perforation.

SU-E-T-600: Utilizing Collimator Rotation to Increase Maximum Treatable Target Dimensions Using an Elekta Synergy-S with Beam Modulator Multileaf Collimator.

PURPOSE: To determine if a rotated collimator on an Elekta Synergy-S with Beam Modulator MLC (BMx) allows for dosimetrically acceptable treatment of targets exceeding the length of the maximum field size (21×16cm). The BMx is a high-resolution MLC with 4mm leaves but is of limited clinical use on patient target volumes exceeding 20cm in length. Rotation of the collimator utilizes the Pythagorean geometry to extend treatment length. This potentially increases the length of the PTV that be conformally treated. METHODS: Rods of 21-23cm length were contoured in water with the Pinnacle treatment planning system. The width of the rods varies from 1 -5cm. Four isocentric treatment plans were generated for each target: four-field conformal, 7-field IMRT, single-arc VMAT, and a modified double-arc VMAT (MDAV), with the collimator angled at 55°. The MDAV method consists of two opposing 180° arcs with the collimator turned 55° in opposite directions. A successful plan is defined as 99% of the target volume being covered by a minimum of 95% of the prescribed dose. Conformality is determined as a ratio of the volume exposed to prescribed isodose and target volume. RESULTS: Targets of length 21cm, 22cm, and 23 cm are able to be treated with widths of 4cm, 5 cm, and 4cm respectively. The MDAV method achieves these results on all trials. The VMAT method achieves these results for the 21cm and 23cm long target. The IMRT Method achieves these results for the 21cm long target. With the exception of the 1cm wide targets, the average conformality is approximately 2.5. CONCLUSIONS: Changing the collimator angle of the BMx Elekta-S machine allows for a 3cm length increase of targets up to 5cm. Further work will assess clinical suitability of these findings for treatment of head and neck tumors and spinal masses.

Registry initiated to characterize vision loss associated with vigabatrin therapy.

The vigabatrin patient registry was implemented in August 2009 in conjunction with Food and Drug Administration approval of vigabatrin. All US vigabatrin-treated patients must enroll in the registry. Data on prescriber specialty/location, patient demographics, and clinical characteristics are collected. Benefit-risk assessments are required early in the course of therapy. Vision assessments are required at baseline (≤4 weeks after therapy initiation), every 3 months during therapy, and 3 to 6 months after discontinuation. As of February 1, 2011, 2473 patients (1500 with infantile spasms, 846 with refractory complex partial seizures, 120 with other diagnoses) had enrolled; 30.4% were previously exposed to vigabatrin. Kaplan-Meier analysis of time in registry indicated that 83 and 97% of all enrolled patients with refractory complex partial seizures and infantile spasms remained beyond 3 and 1 month, respectively. The ongoing registry will provide visual status and other information on vigabatrin-treated patients for both the infantile spasm and refractory complex partial seizure indications.