Malignancy in Dialysis Patients—How Serious Is the Problem, Especially in Relation to Waiting List Status?

Clinical impacts of delayed central venous catheter removal according to the severity of comorbidities in patients with candidaemia

Background: This study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of sphenopalatine artery (SPA) surgery in patients with refractory epistaxis and to identify factors associated with the indications for surgery to assist clinicians in making prompt and appropriate decisions regarding SPA surgery for refractory epistaxis. Methods: We analyzed 97 consecutive patients with nasal bleeding hospitalized in our institution between April 2009 and March 2018. Clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes were analyzed from retrospective chart reviews. Results: Of the 97 patients, 28 (29 sides) required SPA surgery. There were no differences in sex, anti-coagulant drug or antiplatelet use, hemoglobin concentration, or platelet count between Group A (patients who required surgery) and Group B (patients who did not require surgery). Age (58 vs. 67 years, p = 0.038) and severity of comorbidity (0 vs. 1, p = 0.039) were significantly lower in the surgery group. Patients who were younger and had lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores had more requirements for surgery than those who were older and had higher CCI scores. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to the proportion of patients receiving blood transfusions; however, the length of hospitalization was significantly longer in Group A than in Group B (8.9 vs. 8 days, p = 0.038). Success rate (non-rebleeding rate) was 89%, comparable to that reported in previous studies. Conclusions: Endoscopic SPA surgery was found safe and effective method with few complications. Younger patients with lower CCI scores were found appropriate for SPA surgery for refractory epistaxis due in part to a lower risk of anesthesia.

Aim. To assess comorbidities in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to analyze patient subgroups with different treatment strategies in the Regional Vascular Center (RVC).Material and methods. The prospective study included 205 patients with confirmed ACS 75 years and older, the mean age was 81±4.9 years, and 68% were women. ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was diagnosed in 46 (22.4 %) patients, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was diagnosed in 159 (77,6 %) patients. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was calculated in every patient. Early outcomes were defined as those assessed during hospital stay. Late outcomes were assessed at 6 months after the discharge using phone calls and/or clinic visits. All patients provided written informed consent.Results. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed in 42% of patients. In patients with STEMI and NSTEMI PCI was performed in 73% and 32%, respectively. Mean CCI score was 7.9 points: 7.6 points in men and 8.04 in women. Patients with STEMI had higher CCI score than NSTEMI patients (p<0.01): 8.1 points and 7.1 points, respectively. Patients who underwent PCI had lower CCI score (7.2 points) than patients in non-PCI group (8.2 points; p<0.05). Patients with STEMI in PCI and non-PCI groups had significant difference in CCI score (p<0.05): 7.4 and 8.4 points, respectively. Mean CCI score in patients who died in hospital was 8.5 while discharged patients had 7.6 points (p<0.01). In 6 months 13 patients (6.3%) died, their mean age was 84.9 years, mean CCI was 9 points, PCI was performed in 3 (23%) patients.Conclusions. Elderly patients with ACS had high comorbidity level assessed by CCI score. Higher CCI score was associated with PCI non-performance in elderly patients. Elderly patients with STEMI had higher CCI score than patients with NSTEMI which was significantly associated with PCI non-performance. Patients who died in hospital or in 6 months after the ACS onset had higher CCI score than other elderly patients with ACS.

Our intent is to examine the predictive role of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) on mortality of patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN). Based on the CCI score, the severity of comorbidity was categorized into three grades: mild, with CCI scores of 1-2; moderate, with CCI scores of 3-4; and severe, with CCI scores ≥5. Factors influencing mortality and differences between groups stratified by CCI were determined by logistical regression analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The impact of CCI on mortality was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis. A total of 533 patients with type 2 DN were enrolled in this study, all of them had comorbidity (CCI score >1), and 44.7% (238/533) died. The mortality increased with CCI scores: 21.0% (50/238) patients with CCI scores of 1-2, 56.7% (135/238) patients with CCI scores of 3-4, and 22.3% (53/238) patients with CCI scores ≥5. Logistical regression analysis showed that CCI scores, hemoglobin, and serum albumin were the potential predictors of mortality (P<0.05). One-way ANOVA analysis showed that DN patients with higher CCI scores had lower levels of hemoglobulin, higher levels of serum creatinine, and higher mortality rates than those with lower CCI scores. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that survival time decreased when the CCI scores and mortality rates went up. In conclusion, CCI provides a simple, readily applicable, and valid method for classifying comorbidities and predicting the mortality of type 2 DN. An increased awareness of the potential comorbidities in type 2 DN patients may provide insights into this complicated disease and improve the outcomes by identifying and treating patients earlier and more effectively.

Background: The risk of retinal vein occlusion(RVO) is known to increase in patients with chronic kidney disease, especially end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, little is known about the incidence and correlates of RVO after kidney transplantation (KT). In this study, we aimed to compare the incidence of RVO of KT recipients compared with ESRD patients and healthy controls (HCs) in a long-term population-based cohort. Methods: We analyzed a Nationwide Health Insurance Database of South Korea and identified patients who received KT from the year of 2007 to 2015. After exclusion of previous history of RVO, KT recipients were selected and matched with ESRD patients and HCs with respect to age, sex and inclusion year. KT and ESRD patients were further matched with diabetes and hypertension. The incidence (incidence ratio, IR per 1000) of RVO in KT recipients was compared with ESRD patients and HCs, respectively. Results: A total of 10,498 patients were analyzed in all three groups. Their mean age was 45.9 ± 10.6 years and 59.1% were men. When compared with HCs, the incidence of RVO was significantly higher in KT recipients (HCs vs KT: IR, 1.0 vs 2.7 per 1000 patient-year; adjusted HR [aHR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.27), as well as in ESRD patients (HCs vs ESRD: IR, 1.0 vs 5.7; aHR, 3.21; 95% CI, 2.19-4.70). There was a difference in the risk of RVO between ESRD patients and KT recipients (IR, 5.69 vs 2.74; aHR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.39-0.58). In multivariate regression, old age and high Charlson Comorbidity Index(CCI) scores were associated with increased risk of RVO although hypertension and preemptive KT didn’t show statistical significance in KT recipients. Conclusion: KT recipients showed a lower risk for RVO than ESRD patients, and the risk was greater than HCs. Increasing age, high CCI scores were a risk factor for RVO in KT recipients.

12061 Background: Comorbidities are more prevalent among older adults and predict worse outcomes for cytotoxic chemotherapy. Immunotherapies are increasingly used to treat various cancers and have a milder but less predictable toxicity profile. This study aimed to evaluate the association of comorbidity burden with immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and survival among older adults treated with these immunotherapies for any cancer type. Methods: We created a retrospective registry of consecutive patients ≥ 70 years old treated with one or more doses of an immune checkpoint inhibitor for any cancer indication between 2/1/2011- 4/7/2022 at our comprehensive cancer center. Treatment outcomes, including treatment-emergent adverse events, were captured via chart review. The comorbidity burden at the time of immunotherapy initiation was captured by chart abstraction and classified using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). We compared patients with high CCI scores (≥ 4) to patients with low CCI scores (CCI &lt;4) on the outcome of any irAE yes/no, using chi-square tests. We used the Kaplan-Meier method to compare progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between the two CCI groups. Survival analyses were calculated from the first dose of immunotherapy to death, last follow-up, or disease progression. A two-sided alpha of 0.05 was used for analyses. The study had institutional IRB approval. Results: Our cohort consisted of 1,216 patients (median age 76 years [interquartile range 73 to 80]), of which 217 (18%) had a high CCI score. The most common comorbidities were chronic obstructive lung disease (45%), coronary artery disease (29%), and diabetes (29%). The most common cancer type was lung cancer (46%), followed by melanoma (15%). Patients with a high CCI score had a shorter median overall survival than patients with a low CCI (11.2 vs. 13.8 months, respectively, p = 0.049). However, there was no significant difference in PFS between the high and low CCI groups (median PFS 27.1 vs. 25.0 months, p=0.32). There was no association between the CCI group and the incidence of any-grade irAEs (39% vs. 40%, p = 0.82). There was also no association between CCI group and high-grade (grade ≥3) irAEs (17% vs. 15%, p = 0.35). We did not find any associations between any individual CCI comorbid condition and risk of irAE.1 Conclusions: A high comorbidity burden, as measured by the CCI, was not associated with increased immunotherapy toxicity or shorter PFS among older adults. The presence of comorbidities was associated with shorter OS. These data can support informed decision-making for older adults with comorbidity considering immunotherapy. Reference: 1. Charlson ME, Carrozzino D, Guidi J, Patierno C. Charlson Comorbidity Index: A Critical Review of Clinimetric Properties. Psychother Psychosom. 2022;91(1):8-35. doi: 10.1159/000521288. Epub 2022 Jan 6. PMID: 34991091.

Necrotizing fasciitis of the extremities in high and low Charlson Comorbidity Index: A multi-center retrospective cohort study

Clinical practice guidelines for the provision of renal service in Hong Kong: Potential Kidney Transplant Recipient Wait-listing and Evaluation, Deceased Kidney Donor Evaluation, and Kidney Transplant Postoperative Care.

BackgroundPsoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder associated with several severe comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and depression. Tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy fails among half of...

The current retrospective study aimed to investigate the relationship between prognostic factors and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced pancreatic head cancers who initially presented with obstructive jaundice. Furthermore, the impact of age and comorbidities on therapeutic strategies in such patients was evaluated.A total of 79 advanced pancreatic head cancer patients who were treated at our institution between January 2006 and November 2013 were reviewed. We analyzed OS risk factors including sex, age, laboratory characteristics, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, Charlson Comorbidity Index Scores (CCIS), and therapeutic strategies using Cox proportional hazards regression models.There was no difference in the OS of patients according to the type biliary drainage procedure they underwent. Other related factors, such as better performance status, lower CCIS, and receiving chemotherapy significantly correlated with survival in multivariate analyses. There was a significant survival benefit in systemic chemotherapy compared to best supportive care (BSC) or local radiotherapy. However, no survival benefit was found in elderly patients (age >70 years) undergoing systemic therapy compared to younger patients, except in those elderly patients with CCIS ≤ 1.In advanced pancreatic head cancer patients with obstructive jaundice, systemic therapy and adequate biliary drainage were still the most effective procedures for improving OS in the general population. However, in elderly patients with relatively higher CCIS, BSC with adequate biliary drainage was palliative and no less effective than systemic/local therapies.

Although treatment outcomes for diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have improved with the introduction of rituximab, approximately half of patients experience relapsed/refractory (r/r) disease. Furthermore, no standard salvage therapy has yet been established to date, while limitations in treatment options exist due to toxicity and restricted tolerability among elderly patients and/or those with comorbidities. The ICE (ifosfamide, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide) regimen is often used as salvage therapy for r/r DLBCL. Several modified ICE regimens not requiring continuous ifosfamide infusion are available, which can be used in outpatient clinics. This study analyzed the efficacy and toxicity of fractionated ICE with rituximab (f-R-ICE) as a salvage regimen among 47 patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL (median age upon f-R-ICE initiation, 71years). The whole cohort had an overall (ORR) and complete response rate of 53.1% (n = 25) and 25.5% (n = 12), respectively, and an estimated 1-year overall survival after f-R-ICE initiation of 57%. Comorbidities were evaluated using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) upon f-R-ICE initiation. Patients with low CCI scores (68%) had a higher ORR than those with high CCI scores (36.4%) upon f-R-ICE initiation (P = 0.042). In contrast, no significant differences in overall survival (OS) were observed between the low and high CCI groups (1-year OS 56.6% vs. 52.2%; median OS 24 vs. 22.8months) after initiating f-R-ICE. Our results suggest that f-R-ICE is a safe and effective salvage therapy for r/r DLBCL and can be used for older patients and/or those with high CCI scores in outpatient clinics.

Five-year malignancy incidence in patients with chronic pruritus: A population-based cohort study aimed at limiting unnecessary screening practices

PurposeThe survival outcome of lung cancer patients with coexisting liver cirrhosis has thus far received limited attention in the literature. In this study, we evaluated whether liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for the survival of patients with lung cancer.Materials and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, multicenter, propensity-matched study of lung cancer patients with and without liver cirrhosis. To determine differences in survival, we sought to identify risk factors associated with poor outcomes using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences in the baseline clinical characteristics of patients between the cirrhosis and non-cirrhosis groups. The median overall survival of patients with and without cirrhosis was 13.07 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.56–16.84) and 13.67 months (95% CI: 10.42–16.91), respectively (p=0.76). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that liver cirrhosis was not an independent risk factor for poor outcome (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.057, 95% CI: 0.805–1.388, p=0.690). In patients with cirrhosis, lower serum albumin levels, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score, advanced-stage lung cancer, and treatment modality were factors associated with poor outcome. Increase in serum albumin by 1 g was associated with a 30% reduction in the risk of mortality (HR: 0.700, 95% CI: 0.494–0.993, p=0.045). While every point increase in the Charlson Comorbidity Index score by 1 point was linked to a 9% higher risk of mortality (HR: 1.090, 95% CI: 1.023–1.161, p=0.007).ConclusionThe survival rates of lung cancer patients with and without cirrhosis did not differ significantly. Higher serum albumin levels and lower Charlson Comorbidity Index scores were associated with improved survival.

Objective: To study the association between comorbidity and acute exacerbation risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: This was a prospective cohort study with 64 stable COPD patients included. There were 64 males and 18 females with an average age of (68±9) years. Clinical characteristics, the number and type of comorbidities were recorded, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was calculated. The patients were interviewed by phone calls every 3 months since baseline in which the number of acute exacerbations was recorded until 12 months. The impact of CCI, the number of comorbidities and certain comorbidities in the prediction of COPD exacerbation risk were analyzed. Results: Compared to patients with a lower CCI score, patients with a higher CCI score were older (75±6 vs 62±8), and had more severe lung function impairment [FEV(1)%pred: (40±18)% vs (52±18)% ], higher number of comorbidities [4(3, 7) vs 1(1, 3)] and higher frequency of hospital admission due to acute exacerbation [1(0, 2) vs 0(0, 0.25)]. In comparison with patients with lower number of comorbidities, patients with higher number of comorbidities were older (72±7 vs 64±10), and had higher mMRC score [2(1, 3) vs 2(1, 2)] and more severe lung function impairment [FEV(1)%pred: (42±15)% vs (53±19)% ], higher age adjusted CCI score [5(3, 5) vs 3(2, 3) ] and more courses of systemic corticosteroids [2(0, 3) vs 0(0, 0.75)] and/or antibiotics use [3(2, 4) vs 1.5(1, 2.75)]. The number of hospitalizations and total number of exacerbations were higher in COPD patients with bronchiectasis than those without (P<0.005). Conclusion: The inclusion of clinically meaningful comorbidities into the combined assessment of COPD for the prediction of disease prognosis deserves further study.

IntroductionFemoral fractures in elderly individuals present significant health challenges, often leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Acute kidney injury (AKI) during hospitalization further complicates outcomes, yet the interaction between AKI severity and comorbidities, as quantified by the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), remains poorly understood in this population. This study aimed to assess the associations between AKI severity and the CCI and between AKI severity and one-year mortality postfemoral fracture in elderly patients.MethodologyThis study utilized data from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database and focused on elderly patients (> 65 years) admitted with hip fractures. Patients were categorized based on AKI stage according to the KDIGO criteria and CCI scores. The primary outcome assessed was all-cause mortality one year after hospital discharge. The statistical analyses included logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards regression and moderation analysis with the Johnson–Neyman technique to evaluate associations between AKI and long-term mortality and between the CCI and long-term mortality.ResultsThe analysis included 1,955 patients and revealed that severe AKI (stages 2 and 3) was independently associated with increased one-year mortality. Notably, the CCI moderated these associations significantly. A lower CCI score was significantly correlated with greater mortality in patients with severe AKI. The impact of severe AKI was greater for those with a CCI as low as 3, more than doubling the observed one-year mortality rate. In contrast, higher CCI scores (≥8) did not significantly impact mortality. Sensitivity analyses supported these findings, underscoring the robustness of the observed associations.ConclusionThis study elucidates the complex interplay between AKI severity and comorbidities and long-term mortality in elderly hip fracture patients. These findings underscore the importance of considering both AKI severity and comorbidity burden in prognostic assessments and intervention strategies for this vulnerable population. Targeted interventions tailored to individual risk profiles may help mitigate the impact of AKI on mortality outcomes, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms involved and refine risk stratification approaches in this population.