Assessing resuscitation in burn patients with varying degrees of liver disease.

We find minimal literature and lack of consensus among burn practitioners over how to resuscitate thermally injured patients with pre-existing liver disease. Our objective was to assess burn severity in patients with a previous history of liver disease. We attempted to stratify resuscitation therapy utilised, using it as an indicator of burn shock severity. We hypothesized that as severity of liver disease increased, more fluid therapy is needed. We retrospectively studied adult patients with a total body surface area (TBSA) of burn greater than or equal to 20% (n = 314). We determined the severity of liver disease by calculating admission Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores and measured resuscitation adequacy via urine output within the first 24 h. We performed stepwise, multivariable linear regression with backward selection to test our hypothesis with α = 0.05 defined a priori. After controlling for important confounders including age, TBSA, baseline serum albumin, total crystalloids, colloids, blood products, diuretics, and steroids given in first 24 h, we found a statistically significant reduction in urine output as MELD score increased (p < 0.000). In our study, severity of liver disease correlated with declining urine output during first 24-hour resuscitation more so than burn size or burn depth. While resuscitation is standardized for all patients, lack of urine output with increased liver disease suggests a new strategy is of benefit. This may involve investigation of alternate markers of adequacy of resuscitation, or developing modified resuscitation protocols for use in patients with liver disease. More investigation is necessary into how resuscitation protocols may best be modified.

Baseline glucose levels moderate the association between burn-related mortality inpatients with obesity.

BACKGROUND: Differing findings concerning outcomes for burn patients with obesity indicate additional factors at play. One possible explanation could lie in determining metabolically healthy versus unhealthy obesity, which necessitates further study. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using the Cerner Health Facts® Database. Deidentified patient data from 2014 to 2018 with second or third-degree burn injuries were retrieved. A moderator analysis was conducted to determine if the association between increased body mass index (BMI) and mortality is moderated by baseline glucose level, a surrogate marker associated with metabolically unhealthy obesity. RESULTS: The study included 4682 adult burn patients. BMI alone was not associated with higher mortality (ß = 0.106, p = 0.331). Moderation analysis revealed that baseline glucose level significantly modulated the impact of BMI on burn-related obesity; patients with higher BMI and higher baseline blood glucose levels had higher mortality than those with lower baseline blood glucose levels (ß = 0.277, p = 0.009). These results remained unchanged after adjusting for additional covariates (ß = 0.285, p = 0.025) and inthe sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Increased baseline glucose levels indicate increased mortality in obese patients with burn injuries, emphasizing the differentiation between metabolically unhealthy versus healthy obesity.

Impact of elevated body mass index on burn injury-associated mortality in a representative US sample.

BACKGROUND: The impact of obesity on burn-related mortality is inconsistent and incongruent; despite being a risk factor for numerous comorbidities that would be expected to increase complications and worsen outcomes, there is evidence of a survival advantage for patients with high body mass index-the so-called obesity paradox. We used a national data set to explore further the relationship between body mass index and burn-related mortality. METHODS: Deidentified data from patients with second and third-degree burns between 2014 and 2018 were obtained from the Cerner Health Facts Database. Univariate and multivariate regression models were created to identify potential factors related to burn-related mortality. A restricted cubic spline model was built to assess the nonlinear association between body mass index and burn-related mortality. All statistical analyses were conducted using R (R Foundation for Statistical Computing). RESULTS: The study included 9,405 adult burn patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that age (odds ratio = 2.189 [1.771, 2.706], P < .001), total burn surface area (odds ratio = 1.824 [1.605, 2.074], P < .001), full-thickness burns (odds ratio = 1.992 [1.322, 3.001], P < .001), and comorbidities (odds ratio = 2.03 [1.367, 3.014], P < .001) were associated with increased mortality. Sensitivity analysis showed similar results. However, a restricted cubic spline indicated a U-shaped relation between body mass index and burn-related mortality. The nadir of body mass index was 28.92 kg/m2, with the lowest mortality. This association persisted even after controlling for age, total burn surface area, full-thickness burns, and comorbidities, which all remained significant. CONCLUSION: This study confirms a U-shaped association between body mass index and burn-related mortality along with age, total burn surface area, full-thickness burns, and comorbidities as risk factors.

The Risk of Clostridioides difficile Recurrence after Initial Treatment with Vancomycin or Fidaxomicin Utilizing Cerner Health Facts.

(1) Background: Fidaxomicin has been shown to significantly reduce Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) recurrences rates in randomized, controlled trials. However, national data from the Veterans Affairs has called the real-world applicability of these findings into question. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients receiving fidaxomicin or vancomycin as initial therapy for an index case of CDI in the hospital to evaluate the relative rates CDI recurrence within 90 days of an index case. (2) Methods: We retrieved patients 18 years and older who were admitted between July 2011 through June 2018 and diagnosed and treated for CDI with vancomycin or fidaxomicin. The first occurrence of CDI with treatment was designated as the index case. Patients with CDI within 1 year prior to index case were excluded. From the remaining index cases (vancomycin = 14,785; fidaxomicin = 889) the primary outcome (a recurrence of CDI within 90 days of the index case) was determined. The CDI recurrence rates for fidaxomicin and vancomyicn were evaluated using a Cox Proportional Hazards model on a propensity score matched cohort. (3) Results: A statistically significantly lower risk of CDI recurrence was observed with fidaxomicin use in the matched cohort (889 patients per treatment) using a Cox Proportional Hazards model (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.90). (4) Conclusions: Fidaxomicin was independently associated with a decreased CDI recurrence, as defined by readmission for CDI within 90 days.

Demographic and institutional predictors of stroke hospitalization mortality among adults in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Stroke remains a primary source of functional disability and inpatient mortality in the United States (US). Recent evidence reveals declining mortality associated with stroke hospitalizations in the US. However, data updating trends in inpatient mortality is lacking. This study aims to provide a renewed inpatient stroke mortality rate in a national sample and identify common predictors of inpatient stroke mortality. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from a nationwide database between 2010 and 2017. We included patient encounters for both ischemic (ICD9 433-434, ICD10 I630-I639) and hemorrhagic stroke (ICD9 430-432, ICD10 I600-I629). We performed an annual comparison of in-hospital stroke mortality rates, and a cross-sectional analytic approach of multiple variables identified common predictors of inpatient stroke mortality. RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2017, we identified 518,185 total stroke admissions (86.6% ischemic stroke and 13.4% hemorrhagic strokes). Stroke admissions steadily increased during the studied period, whereas we observed a steady decline in in-hospital mortality during the same time. The inpatient stroke mortality rate gradually declined from 4.8% in 2010 (95% CI 4.6-5.1) to 2.1% in 2017 (95% CI 2.0-2.1). Predictors of higher odds of dying from ischemic stroke were female (OR 1.059, 95% CI 1.015-1.105, p = 0.008), older age (OR 1.028, 95% CI 1.026-1.029, p < 0.001), and sicker patients (OR 1.091, 95% CI 1.089-1.093, p < 0.001). Predictors of higher odds of dying from hemorrhagic stroke were Hispanic ethnicity (OR 1.459, 95% CI 1.084-1.926, p < 0.001), older age (OR 1.021, 95% CI 1.019-1.023, p < 0.001), and sicker patients (OR 1.042, 95% CI 1.039-1.045, p < 0.001). All census regions and hospital types demonstrated improvements in in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: This study identified a continuous declining rate in in-hospital mortality due to stroke in the United States, and it also identified demographic and hospital predictors of inpatient stroke mortality.

Geographic Disparity in Asthma Hospitalizations: The Role of Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Other Factors.

Background In the United States, asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, and is associated with low sociodemographic, economic, and environmental factors.  Objective To investigate geographic disparities in asthma hospitalizations and the roles that race/ethnicity, health insurance, and other environmental factors played on these disparities in Lubbock County, Texas.  Methods Data were obtained from the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File for the years 1999-2018. International classification of disease codes were used to identify primary diagnoses of asthma among all severe inpatient admissions. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).  Results Of the 248,768 patients admitted for severe conditions, 4,224 had a primary diagnosis of asthma. In multivariable-adjusted models, the odds of asthma hospitalizations varied across geographic regions of Lubbock with the Northeast having the highest age-adjusted prevalence (7.17 per 1,000) and ORs for asthma hospitalizations (OR: 1.25, CI: 1.12-1.40). Data suggested that non-Hispanic Blacks using federal insurance in the Northeast region had the highest odds for asthma hospitalizations (OR: 4.88, CI: 3.06-7.79; p-interaction = 0.001). Across all regions, a 1 µg/m3 increase in particulate matter 2.5 was associated with a 27% higher likelihood of asthma hospitalization (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.23-1.31).  Conclusion In this study, geographic disparities in asthma hospitalizations were observed within Lubbock County and were significantly influenced by a disparate distribution of socioeconomic factors related to health insurance and race/ethnicity. The potential contributory role of particulate matter needs further investigation.