The Maine vein of Marshall ethanol experience: learning curve and safety.

BACKGROUND: The marginal benefit of ethanol infusion into the vein of Marshall (VOM) as an adjunct to atrial fibrillation ablation has shown promise in a single randomized study and case series from very experienced centers. However, adoption has not been widespread and the impact on real-world outcomes outside of leading centers is not established. The objective in this study is to understand the learning curve, and explore procedural outcomes and safety with VOM ethanol infusion from a large single medical center. METHODS: One hundred twenty nine atrial ablation cases wherein VOM ethanol infusion was attempted were identified from the time of the program's inception in 2019 at Maine Medical Center (Portland, ME). Our technical approach, procedural success, and complications were adjudicated from the medical record. RESULTS: The overall VOM ethanol infusion success was 90%. Infusion success rates improved and fluoroscopy utilization decreased with experience. Arrhythmia recurrence was 14% after a mean follow-up of 9.5 months. Complications occurred in 5.4% of patients, including a 3.1% risk of delayed tamponade. CONCLUSION: In our single center experience, VOM ethanol infusion was feasible with a high technical success rate. These positive results are balanced against a concerning rate of delayed tamponade.

Gestational Diabetes Is Uniquely Associated With Altered Early Seeding of the Infant Gut Microbiota.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a worldwide public health problem affecting up to 27% of pregnancies with high predictive values for childhood obesity and inflammatory diseases. Compromised seeding of the infant gut microbiota is a risk factor for immunologic and metabolic diseases in the offspring; however, how GDM along with maternal obesity interact to alter colonization remains unknown. We hypothesized that GDM individually and in combination with maternal overweight/obesity would alter gut microbial composition, diversity, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in neonates. We investigated 46 full-term neonates born to normal-weight or overweight/obese mothers with and without GDM, accounting for confounders including cesarean delivery, lack of breastfeeding, and exposure to antibiotics. Gut microbiota in 2-week-old neonates born to mothers with GDM exhibited differences in abundance of 26 microbial taxa; 14 of which showed persistent differential abundance after adjusting for pre-pregnancy BMI. Key pioneering gut taxa, including potentially important taxa for establishing neonatal immunity, were reduced. Lactobacillus, Flavonifractor, Erysipelotrichaceae, and unspecified families in Gammaproteobacteria were significantly reduced in neonates from mothers with GDM. GDM was associated with an increase in microbes involved in suppressing early immune cell function (Phascolarctobacterium). No differences in infant stool SCFA levels by maternal phenotype were noted; however, significant correlations were found between microbial abundances and SCFA levels in neonates. Our results suggest that GDM alone and together with maternal overweight/obesity uniquely influences seeding of specific infant microbiota in patterns that set the stage for future risk of inflammatory and metabolic disease.

Pharmacist-Managed Inpatient Dofetilide Initiation Program: Description and Adherence Rate Post-Root Cause Analysis.

The aim of this article is to describe the pharmacist-managed dofetilide initiation program at Maine Medical Center (MMC), assess the adherence rate to 8 core clinical metrics, and review adverse effects before and after a root cause analysis (RCA). Core clinical metrics included pharmacist note entered within 4 hours of dose administration, dose chosen correctly per renal function, QTc measurements obtained and reviewed 2 hours after each dose, appropriate dose adjustment per the most recent QTc measurement, documentation of patient education, and assessment of conduction abnormality, drug-drug interactions, and serum potassium and magnesium concentrations. The primary outcome was adherence rate to all 8 core clinical metrics before and after the RCA. The safety outcome was the total number of adverse events. One hundred patients undergoing elective dofetilide initiation were evaluated: 50 pre-RCA and 50 post-RCA. Adherence rate to all core metrics was 14% in the pre-RCA group and 44% in the post-RCA group (P < .001). Torsade de pointes occurred 3 times in the pre-RCA group and never in the post-RCA group. After the RCA, adherence to MMC's pharmacist-managed inpatient dofetilide initiation program significantly improved.

The failure of diphtheria toxoid to influence the course of experimental murine leprosy

The subcutaneous injection of diphtheria toxoid failed to produce a beneficial effect on the course of murine leprosy in white rats. This was true whether the toxoid was injected early or late in the course of the disease.