Improvement in Adherance to Anesthesia Preoperative Appointment With Telemedicine: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the sudden demand for virtual medical visits drove the expansion of telemedicine across all medical specialties. Current literature demonstrates limited knowledge of the impact of telehealth on appointment adherence, particularly in preoperative anesthesia evaluations. This study aims to describe the impact of telemedicine-based anesthesia evaluation and its effects on appointment completion.  Methods: This was a retrospective, non-randomized, cohort study of adult patients at the University of California, Los Angeles, United States, who received preoperative anesthesia evaluations by telemedicine or in-person in an academic medical center. From January to September 2021, we evaluated telemedicine and in-person appointment completion in patients scheduled for surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of appointment completion. The secondary outcomes included appointment no-shows and cancellations.  Results: Of 1332 patients included in this study, 956 patients received telehealth visits while 376 patients received in-person preoperative anesthesia evaluations. Compared to the in-person group, the telemedicine group had more appointment completions (81.38% vs 76.60%), fewer cancellations (12.55% vs 19.41%), and no statistical difference in appointment no-shows (6.07% vs 3.99%). Compared to the in-person group, patients who received telemedicine evaluations were younger (55.81 ± 18.38 vs 65.97 ± 15.19), less likely Native American and Alaska Native (0.31% vs 1.60%), more likely of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (16.63% vs 12.23%), required less interpreter services (4.18% vs 9.31%), had more private insurance coverage (53.45% vs 37.50%) and less Medicare coverage (37.03% vs 50.53%). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that telemedicine can improve preoperative anesthesia appointment completion and decrease appointment cancellations. We also demonstrate potential shortcomings of telemedicine in serving patients who are older, require interpreter services, or are non-privately insured. These inequities highlight potential avenues to increase equity and access to telemedicine.

Comparing Rationale for Opioid Prescribing Decisions after Surgery with Subsequent Patient Consumption: A Survey of the Highest Quartile of Prescribers.

BACKGROUND: Opioid prescribing patterns, including those after surgery, have been implicated as a significant contributor to the US opioid crisis. A plethora of interventions-from nudges to reminders-have been deployed to improve prescribing behavior, but reasons for persistent outlier behavior are often unknown. STUDY DESIGN: Our institution employs multiple prescribing resources and a near real-time, feedback-based intervention to promote appropriate opioid prescribing. Since 2019, an automated system has emailed providers when a prescription exceeds the 75th percentile of typical opioid consumption for a given procedure-as defined by institutional data collection. Emails include population consumption metrics and an optional survey on rationale for prescribing. Responses were analyzed to understand why providers choose to prescribe atypically large discharge opioid prescriptions. We then compared provider prescriptions against patient consumption. RESULTS: During the study period, 10,672 eligible postsurgical patients were discharged; 2,013 prescriptions (29.4% of opioid prescriptions) exceeded our institutional guideline. Surveys were completed by outlier prescribers for 414 (20.6%) encounters. Among patients where both consumption data and prescribing rationale surveys were available, 35.2% did not consume any opioids after discharge and 21.5% consumed <50% of their prescription. Only 93 (39.9%) patients receiving outlier prescriptions were outlier consumers. Most common reasons for prescribing outlier amounts were attending preference (34%) and prescriber analysis of patient characteristics (34%). CONCLUSIONS: The top quartile of opioid prescriptions did not align with, and often far exceeded, patient postdischarge opioid consumption. Providers cite assessment of patient characteristics as a common driver of decision-making, but this did not align with patient usage for approximately 50% of patients.

Weight Loss or Liver Loss: A Case Report on Fulminant Hepatic Failure Secondary to Garcinia cambogia Supplementation.

This case describes a 56-year-old man with a past medical history including sickle cell trait requiring blood transfusions, who presented to the emergency department (ED) with generalized weakness and fatigue following Garcinia cambogia supplementation. Initial laboratory abnormalities included: aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) 4,222 U/L and 4,664 U/L respectively, alkaline phosphatase 215 U/L, international normalized ratio (INR) 3.2, and his model for end-stage liver disease was 37. Creatinine, hemoglobin and hematocrit, and ferritin levels were all elevated. The differential diagnosis for his acute illness was broad ranging from hemochromatosis, anabolic steroid use, and portal venous thrombosis. The patient was started on N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and his liver function improved. He was discharged on hospital day 10 and instructed to discontinue his supplements and follow up for repeat blood work. This case explores the critical management of G. cambogia toxicity. The patient explored G. cambogia as an herbal supplementation resulting in weight loss, worsening generalized fatigue, and fulminant hepatic failure.

Racial Differences in 30-Day Reintubation After Head and Neck Surgery.

Background This study aimed to examine the association of race and ethnicity with 30-day unplanned reintubation following head and neck surgery. Methodology A retrospective analysis of head and neck surgery patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years was extracted from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2015 to 2020. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and 30-day reintubation were included in the analysis. Pearson's chi-square and independent samples t-test were used to compare reintubation cohorts. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the association of race and ethnicity with 30-day reintubation. Results Of the total 108,442 head and neck surgery cases included, 74.9% of patients were non-Hispanic White, 17.3% were non-Hispanic Black, and 7.7% were Hispanic. The overall 30-day reintubation rate was 0.33%. After adjusting for age, body mass index, sex, and comorbidities, non-Hispanic Black patients had increased 30-day reintubation compared to non-Hispanic White patients (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70-2.69, and P < 0.0001). There was no difference in 30-day reintubation for Hispanic patients compared to non-Hispanic White patients (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.67-1.65, and P = 0.747). Conclusions This analysis showed that non-Hispanic Black patients disproportionately had higher odds of 30-day reintubation following head and neck surgery. Hispanic ethnicity was not associated with increased odds of 30-day reintubation. More studies are needed to investigate the reasons for these racial differences.

Rapid Weight Gain and Weight Differential Predict Competitive Success in 2100 Professional Combat-Sport Athletes.

PURPOSE: Combat-sport athletes commonly undergo rapid weight loss prior to prebout weigh-in and subsequently rapid weight gain (RWG) prior to competition. This investigation aimed to evaluate the effect of RWG and weight differential (WD) between opponents on competitive success. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using data from professional mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing events held between 2015 and 2019. The primary outcome was RWG (relative and absolute) between weigh-in and competition stratified by bout winners and losers. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the relationships among bout outcome, RWG, and WD between competitors on the day of their bout. RESULTS: Among 708 MMA athletes included, winners regained more relative body mass (8.7% [3.7%] vs 7.9% [3.8%], P < .01) than losers. In 1392 included male boxers, winners regained significantly more relative body mass (8.0% [3.0%] vs 6.9% [3.2%], P < .01) than losers. Each percentage body mass increase resulted in a 7% increased likelihood of victory in MMA and a 13% increase in boxing. The relationship between RWG and competitive success remained significant in regional and male international MMA athletes, as well as boxers. WD predicted victory in international mixed martial artists and boxers. WD predicted victory by knockout or technical knockout in international MMA athletes and regional boxers. CONCLUSION: This analysis of combat-sport athletes indicates that RWG and WD influence competitive success. These findings raise fair-play and safety concerns in these popular sports and may help guide risk-mitigating regulation strategies.

Skeletal fluorosis secondary to harmful inhalant use.

INTRODUCTION: Inhalants are common household items that may be abused for the desired effect of euphoria. Skeletal fluorosis is an uncommon and debilitating bone disorder caused by excess fluoride deposition. We report a case of skeletal fluorosis from chronic inhalation of an electronic duster product containing 1,1-difluoroethane. CASE: A 33-year-old male with inhalant use disorder presented to the emergency department with prominent bilateral hand swelling and long bone deformities. The patient reported five years of inhaling "surf onn.© electronic duster" (1,1-Difluoroethane). Diagnostic testing demonstrated urine fluoride 64.5 mg/L (ref <3) and serum fluoride 1.8 mg/L (ref <0.13). Radiographs demonstrated diffuse periosteal new bone formation and sclerosis consistent with skeletal fluorosis. CONCLUSION: Skeletal fluorosis is an uncommon complication of inhalant use disorder with products containing fluoride.

Advances in Mobile Health for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Mobile health has the potential to transform the management of chronic illnesses, expanding treatment from a purely clinic-based approach to a more patient-centered delivery of care. For patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition characterized by a relapsing and remitting course, adoption of mobile health strategies can promote improved quality of care delivery and clinical outcomes. Benefits of mobile health applications for IBD include tracking symptoms to guide disease management, coordinating data exchange across clinical care providers, increasing communication between patients and the care team, and providing educational materials to increase patient engagement and satisfaction. In this review, we present the current offerings for telemedicine systems and mobile applications designed for patients with IBD and discuss the potential advantages and limitations of utilizing mobile health in the care of these patients.

Incidence, risk factors, and outcome of Clostridioides difficile infection following urological surgeries.

PURPOSE: To assess the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes associated with (Clostridioides difficile infection) CDI following urological surgery, which is the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea and a growing public health burden. METHODS: We queried the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to identify patients undergoing urological surgery in 2015-2016. We evaluated the 30-day incidence and factors associated with postoperative CDI and 30-day hospital readmission and length of stay as secondary outcomes. Among the subset of patients undergoing radical cystectomy with urinary diversion (surgery with highest CDI incidence) we used multivariable logistic regression analysis to evaluate independent clinical and demographic factors associated with postoperative CDI. RESULTS: We identified 98,463 patients during the study period. The overall 30-day incidence of CDI was 0.31%, but varied considerably across surgery type. The risk of CDI was greatest following radical cystectomy with urinary diversion (2.72%) compared to all other urologic procedures (0.19%) and was associated with increased risk of hospital readmission (p < 0.0001), re-operation (p < 0.0001), and longer mean length of stay (p < 0.0001) in this cohort. Among patients undergoing radical cystectomy with urinary diversion, multivariable logistic regression revealed that preoperative renal failure (OR: 5.30, 95% CI 1.13-24.9, p = 0.035) and blood loss requiring transfusion (OR: 1.67, 95% CI 1.15-2.44, p = 0.0075) were independently associated with CDI. CONCLUSIONS: In a nationally representative cohort, the incidence of CDI was low but varied substantially across surgery types. CDI was most common following radical cystectomy and associated with potentially modifiable factors such as blood transfusion and significantly longer length of stay.

Feasibility Evaluation of Commercially Available Video Conferencing Devices to Technically Direct Untrained Nonmedical Personnel to Perform a Rapid Trauma Ultrasound Examination.

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a rapidly expanding discipline that has proven to be a valuable modality in the hospital setting. Recent evidence has demonstrated the utility of commercially available video conferencing technologies, namely, FaceTime (Apple Inc, Cupertino, CA, USA) and Google Glass (Google Inc, Mountain View, CA, USA), to allow an expert POCUS examiner to remotely guide a novice medical professional. However, few studies have evaluated the ability to use these teleultrasound technologies to guide a nonmedical novice to perform an acute care POCUS examination for cardiac, pulmonary, and abdominal assessments. Additionally, few studies have shown the ability of a POCUS-trained cardiac anesthesiologist to perform the role of an expert instructor. This study sought to evaluate the ability of a POCUS-trained anesthesiologist to remotely guide a nonmedically trained participant to perform an acute care POCUS examination. Methods: A total of 21 nonmedically trained undergraduate students who had no prior ultrasound experience were recruited to perform a three-part ultrasound examination on a standardized patient with the guidance of a remote expert who was a POCUS-trained cardiac anesthesiologist. The examination included the following acute care POCUS topics: (1) cardiac function via parasternal long/short axis views, (2) pneumothorax assessment via pleural sliding exam via anterior lung views, and (3) abdominal free fluid exam via right upper quadrant abdominal view. Each examiner was given a handout with static images of probe placement and actual ultrasound images for the three views. After a brief 8 min tutorial on the teleultrasound technologies, a connection was established with the expert, and they were guided through the acute care POCUS exam. Each view was deemed to be complete when the expert sonographer was satisfied with the obtained image or if the expert sonographer determined that the image could not be obtained after 5 min. Image quality was scored on a previously validated 0 to 4 grading scale. The entire session was recorded, and the image quality was scored during the exam by the remote expert instructor as well as by a separate POCUS-trained, blinded expert anesthesiologist. Results: A total of 21 subjects completed the study. The average total time for the exam was 8.5 min (standard deviation = 4.6). A comparison between the live expert examiner and the blinded postexam reviewer showed a 100% agreement between image interpretations. A review of the exams rated as three or higher demonstrated that 87% of abdominal, 90% of cardiac, and 95% of pulmonary exams achieved this level of image quality. A satisfaction survey of the novice users demonstrated higher ease of following commands for the cardiac and pulmonary exams compared to the abdominal exam. Conclusions: The results from this pilot study demonstrate that nonmedically trained individuals can be guided to complete a relevant ultrasound examination within a short period. Further evaluation of using telemedicine technologies to promote POCUS should be evaluated.

A preliminary evaluation of the relationship of cannabinoid blood concentrations with the analgesic response to vaporized cannabis.

A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial utilizing vaporized cannabis containing placebo and 6.7% and 2.9% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was performed in 42 subjects with central neuropathic pain related to spinal cord injury and disease. Subjects received two administrations of the study medication in a 4-hour interval. Blood samples for pharmacokinetic evaluation were collected, and pain assessment tests were performed immediately after the second administration and 3 hours later. Pharmacokinetic data, although limited, were consistent with literature reports, namely dose-dependent increase in systemic exposure followed by rapid disappearance of THC. Dose-dependent improvement in pain score was evident across all pain scale elements. Using mixed model regression, an evaluation of the relationship between plasma concentrations of selected cannabinoids and percent change in items from the Neuropathic Pain Scale was conducted. Changes in the concentration of THC and its nonpsychotropic metabolite, 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC, were related to percent change from baseline of several descriptors (eg, itching, burning, and deep pain). However, given the large number of multiple comparisons, false-discovery-rate-adjusted P-values were not significant. Plans for future work are outlined to explore the relationship of plasma concentrations with the analgesic response to different cannabinoids. Such an appraisal of descriptors might contribute to the identification of distinct pathophysiologic mechanisms and, ultimately, the development of mechanism-based treatment approaches for neuropathic pain, a condition that remains difficult to treat.