Clinical Deterioration Research Articles

Large-bore Mechanical Thrombectomy Versus Catheter-directed Thrombolysis in the Management of Intermediate-risk Pulmonary Embolism: Primary Results of the PEERLESS Randomized Controlled Trial.

There is a lack of randomized controlled trial (RCT) data comparing outcomes of different catheter-based interventions for intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). PEERLESS is a prospective, multicenter, RCT that enrolled 550 intermediate-risk PE patients with right ventricular dilatation and additional clinical risk factors randomized 1:1 to treatment with large-bore mechanical thrombectomy (LBMT) or catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT). The primary endpoint was a hierarchal win ratio (WR) composite of the following: 1) all-cause mortality, 2) intracranial hemorrhage, 3) major bleeding, 4) clinical deterioration and/or escalation to bailout, and 5) postprocedural intensive care unit (ICU) admission and length of stay, assessed at the sooner of hospital discharge or 7 days post-procedure. Assessments at the 24-hour visit included respiratory rate, mMRC dyspnea score, NYHA classification, right ventricle (RV)/left ventricle (LV) ratio reduction, and RV function. Endpoints through 30 days included total hospital stay, all-cause readmission, and all-cause mortality. The primary endpoint occurred significantly less frequently with LBMT vs CDT (WR 5.01 [95% CI: 3.68-6.97]; P<0.001). There were significantly fewer episodes of clinical deterioration and/or bailout (1.8% vs 5.4%; P=0.04) with LBMT vs CDT and less postprocedural ICU utilization (P<0.001), including admissions (41.6% vs 98.6%) and stays >24 hours (19.3% vs 64.5%). There was no significant difference in mortality, intracranial hemorrhage, or major bleeding between strategies, nor in a secondary WR endpoint including the first 4 components (WR 1.34 [95% CI: 0.78-2.35]; P=0.30). At the 24-hour visit, respiratory rate was lower for LBMT patients (18.3±3.3 vs 20.1±5.1; P<0.001) and fewer had moderate to severe mMRC dyspnea scores (13.5% vs 26.4%; P<0.001), NYHA classifications (16.3% vs 27.4%; P=0.002), and RV dysfunction (42.1% vs 57.9%; P=0.004). RV/LV ratio reduction was similar (0.32±0.24 vs 0.30±0.26; P=0.55). LBMT patients had shorter total hospital stays (4.5±2.8 vs 5.3±3.9 overnights; P=0.002) and fewer all-cause readmissions (3.2% vs 7.9%; P=0.03), while 30-day mortality was similar (0.4% vs 0.8%; P=0.62). PEERLESS met its primary endpoint in favor of LBMT vs CDT in treatment of intermediate-risk PE. LBMT had lower rates of clinical deterioration and/or bailout and postprocedural ICU utilization compared with CDT, with no difference in mortality or bleeding.

Long-term clinical course of Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease patients with treatment failure.

Despite guideline-based therapy, some patients with Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD) experience treatment failure. We analyzed the clinical courses of 271 patients with treatment-refractory MAC-PD who discontinued therapy after at least 12 months. Patients were categorized into two groups-the retreatment group, who resumed antibiotics due to clinical or radiological deterioration, and the stable group, who did not require antibiotics. Of the study patients, 138 (51%) were in the retreatment group, whereas 133 (49%) were in the stable group. In the multivariate analysis models, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] =1.01), the presence of a cavity (aHR = 1.75), and the number of lobes affected by bronchiectasis (aHR = 1.21) were associated with the need for retreatment. Our data indicated that approximately 50% of the patients with refractory MAC-PD who discontinued antibiotics eventually required retreatment, which was influenced by the extent of lung destruction or inflammation. These findings can aid in determining treatment strategies for patients with refractory diseases.

Pediatric Early Warning Scores Before Rapid Response Poorly Predict Intensive Care Unit Transfers.

The Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) is a clinical tool used to identify children at risk for clinical deterioration, but its utility remains debated, particularly in high-resource settings. Our objective with this study was to assess the predictive performance of the PEWS for unplanned PICU transfers after pediatric rapid response team (RRT) activation. A retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care academic children's hospital included all hospitalized patients up to 21 years old who had RRT activations between August 2021 and July 2022. Demographic and clinical data, the primary reason for RRT activation, and the modified Brighton PEWS were collected. The primary outcome was PICU transfer following RRT activation, and the secondary outcome was rapid escalation of care within 4 hours after RRT activation. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) were calculated at multiple PEWS thresholds. Of 297 RRT activations in 244 patients, 183 (63%) resulted in a PICU transfer, 75% of which were due to respiratory concerns. The PEWS was recorded in 89% of RRT activations within the preceding 4 hours. There was no significant difference in the PEWS between patients with or without PICU transfer or rapid escalation of care. The sensitivity, specificity, and AUROC of PEWS for predicting PICU transfer or rapid escalation of care were low (AUROC 0.495-0.613). PEWS within 4 hours before RRT activation was a poor predictor of PICU transfer or rapid escalation care. Further work is needed to develop a more sensitive and specific tool.

Acute vasoreactivity testing for severe pulmonary hypertension associated with lung disease

Abstract Background Pulmonary hypertension results in clinical deterioration and increases mortality risk in patients with lung disease (LD), including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease and combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. Though acute vasoreactivity testing predicts long term-survival of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), its clinical impact for patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with LD (LD-PH) remains unknown. Purpose The purpose of this study is to clarify the clinical impact of acute vasoreactivity testing using inhaled nitric oxide for severe LD-PH. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 65 consecutive patients with LD-PH between January 2014 and December 2022; 48 patients (73 [68–78] years; males, 81%; median follow-up period 23 [7–35] months) with severe pulmonary hypertension who underwent acute vasoreactivity testing were included. We divided the patients based on a median pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) response (−15%) in acute vasoreactivity testing into the high-responder (PVR response ≦−15%) and the low-responder (PVR response &amp;gt;−15%) groups. Results Acute vasoreactivity testing significantly decreased mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) (from 41 [34–48] to 36 [31–40] mmHg, P&amp;lt;0.01) and PVR (from 10.7 [8.3–13.8] to 8.9 [6.6–11.4] Wood units, P&amp;lt;0.01). The high-responder group had better long-term survival than the low-responder group (P = 0.03). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that the prognostic factors for better survival included younger age, high-responder to acute vasoreactivity testing, and PAH-specific therapy (P &amp;lt;0.01, 0.04, 0.03, respectively). There were correlations between the PVR response at acute vasoreactivity testing and improvement in mPAP (R=0.40, P=0.03) or PVR (R = 0.47, P &amp;lt;0.01) with PAH-specific therapy. Conclusions PVR response at acute vasoreactivity testing was associated with better long-term survival and haemodynamic improvement with PAH-specific therapy. Acute vasoreactivity testing may be useful to predict the responders to PAH-specific therapy and long-term survival in patients with severe LD-PH.

White Smoke in the Intermediate risk PE debate, could POPE be the solution?

Abstract Introduction In spite of a multitude of innovative therapeutic strategies emerging in the past decade, acute pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a potentially fatal disease. However, mortality varies significantly according to risk stratification, substantiating current recommendations to use reperfusion therapy only in hemodynamically unstable patients. There is an ongoing debate around whether hemodynamically stable patients showing signs of right ventricle dysfunction and myocardial injury (intermediate-high risk acute PE) may also benefit from reperfusion therapy. While the majority of patients in this category typically improve with anticoagulation alone, up to 10% may experience clinical deterioration. Aim We aimed to characterize the clinical in-hospital progression of patients with intermediate-risk PE and to evaluate the discriminative efficacy of PE scores in anticipating unfavorable clinical outcomes. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study in patients admitted with the diagnosis of PE classified as intermediate risk in a tertiary center. Clinical, laboratory and ECG data were obtained. The BOVA score, the News score and the Pope score were evaluated. A composite endpoint of in-hospital mortality and use of reperfusion therapy due to hemodynamic deterioration was defined. Predictive abilities of these three scores were compared using area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUC-ROC) curve. Results From January 2019 to December 2020, a total of 166 patients were admitted with acute PE, classified as intermediate-risk, in our center. The mean age 71.9 ± 16.2 years and 57.2% were female. 71.1% of the pts showed bilateral PE in chest CT. The composite endpoint of in-hospital mortality and reperfusion therapy due to hemodynamic deterioration occurred in 9.8% of the pts. The median BOVA score was 3 (2-4), the median POPE score was 1 (0-2) and the median News score was 4 (2-6). The ROC curve analysis showed a significant higher discriminative power of POPE score compared to the other scores (AUC 0.856 95%CI 0.79–.92, p&amp;lt;0.001) (Fig1). Compared to patients with a POPE score 1, the composite endpoint was 4,6 times higher in patients with higher scores (OR 4.6 95%CI 1.63- 6914, p=0.029) (Fig2). Conclusion Despite classification as intermediate risk, these patients displayed a non-negligible in-hospital mortality rate. Close clinical monitoring is warranted in this group of pts and there is pressing need for an early identification of those who might benefit from more than just anticoagulation. In our population POPE score showed to be a simple and accurate tool in predicting those with an unfavorable evolution that could have benefitted from more advanced intervention.

Arrhythmia burden in patients with congenital heart disease

Abstract Background The prevalence of congenital heart defects (CHD) is rising. Many patients experience arrhythmias either due to the defect itself or necessary intervention. Sudden onset of arrhythmia poses grave risks such as heart failure, stroke, or cardiac death. Research gaps exist regarding high-risk defects, age susceptibility, and prognostic implications of arrhythmia. Purpose Delineate the burden of arrhythmias in patients with CHD. Methods Patients born in the period 1970-2017 and diagnosed with CHD were identified in Swedish nationwide medical registries. Each patient was matched by birthyear and sex with ten controls from the general population. Cox proportional hazard regression model and Fine-Gray regression model with death as competing risk were used to compute risk (hazard ratio [HR]) and cumulative incidence of arrhythmias (supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias). Estimates were compared with the matched controls. Follow-up started at time of birth. Results We included 63,559 patients and 583,205 matched controls with median follow-up of 12.8 years. Almost two-thirds of the total CHD population were born after year 2000 and 89% (n=56,564) had a simple lesion (defined as atrial or ventricular septal defect, coarctation of the aorta or malformation of the heart valves). During follow-up, 1,632 events of arrhythmia (90% of supraventricular origin) were registered in the population of patients with CHD, yielding an incidence rate of 16.4 per 10,000 person-years (versus 1.6 in the control population). The cumulative incidence of arrhythmias in the total CHD population was slightly increased during childhood compared with the control population, but rose significantly hereafter, illustrated in Figure 1, yielding an overall risk of 10.5 (CI 95%: 9.8-11.2). Stratified by lesion severity, the risk for arrhythmias was 8.7 (CI 95%: 7.6-8.7) and 30.4 (CI 95%: 26.2-35.2) in patients with simple and complex lesions, respectively. Patients with simple CHD lesions displayed a risk of 7.7 (95% CI: 7.1-8.4) for supraventricular arrhythmias and 11.5 (95% CI: 9.2-14.5) for ventricular arrhythmias. Correspondingly, patients with complex CHD lesions displayed risks of 66.7 (95% CI: 42.7-104.2) and 28.9 (95% CI: 24.8-33.6). Conclusion Arrhythmias, irrespective of origin, are common in patients with CHD and correlate with lesion severity. The overall burden of arrhythmias increased significantly after childhood. Meticulous follow-up is vital in order to prevent, detect and treat arrhythmias as it might trigger clinical deterioration and even sudden cardiac death in patients with CHD.

National Early Warning Score 2 to Predict ICU Admission of COVID-19 Patients in Bangladeshi Cohort

Objective: To assess the predictive accuracy of the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS 2) for early prediction of clinical deterioration (ICU admission) of COVID-19- infected patients in Bangladesh. Methods: Data from 244 patients with COVID-19 infection admitted from July 2021- September 2021, to the Aichi Hospital Ltd, Bangladesh, were retrospectively reviewed. Consecutive adult patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 initially admitted to non- ICU wards were included. Categorical and quantitative variables were expressed as numbers (percentages) and median (interquartile range, IQR). We evaluated the predictive performance of NEWS2 to predict ICU admission by comparing the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) at thresholds 5 and 7 and assessed its association with ICU admission by performing multivariate logistic analyses. STATA conducted all the statistical analyses. Results: Among the included 218 patients, 68 patients were transferred to ICU. The AUROC was 0.96 (Standard error 0.01, 95% confidence interval 0.93-0.98), revealing that NEWS2 at hospital admission was a good predictor of ICU admission. A NEWS2 threshold of 5 had higher sensitivity than a threshold of 7 (72.06% and 29.41%). A point of 7 also had high specificity (99.33% and 63.33%) and a high positive predictive value than a threshold of 5 (95.24% vs. 47.12%). The NEWS2 entries 5 and 7 were related to ICU admission found in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Our results suggest that NEWS2 at hospital admission is a good predictor for ICU admission of COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh. Screening patients at admission with this tool may identify patients at risk of clinical deterioration and help in better management. EWMCJ Vol. 12, No. 1&amp;2, January-July 2024: 60-65

Siamese neural networks can identify subjects from anonymised ECGs

Abstract Background/Introduction Many research databases contain anonymised electrocardiograms (ECGs) linked to other sensitive information. ECGs hold features unique to individuals, potentially enabling subject identification from anonymised ECGs. Purpose We assessed if artificial intelligence approaches to output ECG pair similarity can re-identify individuals from anonymised ECGs. Additionally, we aimed to explore clinical risk prediction using ECG similarity over time. Methods We used a convolutional Siamese neural network (SNN), with a triplet loss function, to train a deep learning model determining if two ECGs belong to the same individual (Figure 1). The model aims to encode ECG inputs from same subjects closer than ECG inputs from different subjects. An ECG similarity score is output, corresponding to the probability two ECGs belong to the same subject. This continuous metric can be used in a binary manner. Below a threshold, two ECGs are classed as from the same individual. Our dataset comprised 72,455 secondary care subjects from a USA cohort with 4 to 75 ECGs each, totalling 864,283 ECGs. These were split 50:10:40% at the subject level for training, validation and testing. Results In 2,689,124 same-subject pairs and 2,689,124 different-subject pairs from the test set, the model achieves an accuracy of 91.68% against the binary threshold. This improves to 93.61% and 95.97% in outpatient and normal ECG subsets, respectively. We tested the model using a subject’s ECG to identify them from a group where only one ECG also belongs to that subject. 89.4% success rates occur in groups of 100 normal ECGs (if random, success would be 1%). 91.4%, 95.1%, and 96.3% success occurs when supplemented with subject gender, age (decade-bracket), and both, respectively. We calculated a model certainty score for this task. 99% success occurs when &amp;gt;95% certain. This is in 65% of group size 100 trials. In groups of 1000 normal ECGs, the success rate is 72.5% with no additional information, and 75.9%, 84.2% and 87.5% when supplemented as before (if random, success would be 0.1%). &amp;gt;95% certainty occurs in 33% of group size 1000 trials. For a given subject, ECG pair similarity proved clinically informative. The model accounts for slight variations within a subject’s ECGs, even when far apart in time (Figure 2A). However, it incorrectly predicts two ECGs as being from different individuals for substantial ECG morphology changes (Figure 2B), which could be used to identify clinical deterioration. The temporal evolution of ECG pair similarity reflects clinical trajectory, with greater dissimilarity associating with all-cause mortality (Hazard ratio, 1.22 per 1 standard deviation change, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). Conclusion(s) Anonymised ECGs retain information useful for subject re-identification. Whilst this implies possible ethical and data protection issues with large datasets, such approaches offer potential for continuous monitoring and identifying clinical deterioration.Figure 1Figure 2

Remote monitoring and prioritisation for patients awaiting transcatheter aortic valve implantation safely mitigates longer waiting times

Abstract Background • The UK National Health Service (NHS) faces an unprecedented backlog of over 400,000 patients awaiting critical cardiac procedures, incurring thousands of excess deaths (1). • Longer waiting times to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) can increase rates of unplanned hospitalisation and death (2). • Remote patient monitoring (RPM) can improve cardiovascular clinical outcomes (3), but its effectiveness in detecting and managing TAVI waiting list deterioration is untested. Purpose 1. Measure the systemic increase in waiting time to TAVI 2. Determine if RPM and prioritisation: · Is acceptable to patients · Detects clinical deterioration · Mitigates the expected increase in adverse events associated with longer waiting times · Does not unfairly disadvantage patients who are not prioritised Methods • We performed an observational cohort study including all patients awaiting TAVI at one UK regional centre between 24th April and 15th November 2023. • Patients were supported to complete an online or telephone-based weekly symptom questionnaire. • Responses were monitored by non-specialist nurses staffing a 'hub', with rule-based escalation to the TAVI team, who could prioritise treatment (Figure 1). • A historical control cohort who did not receive RPM was identified, as sequential unselected patients on the TAVI waiting list in reverse order, from 24th April 2023 to 1st January 2023. This cohort was propensity score-matched to adjust for age, sex, ethnicity and comorbidities. • Waiting time was defined as the date difference between a patient being placed on the waiting list and TAVI completion. • We defined patient acceptability as &amp;gt;80% engagement with at least one symptom questionnaire. • Sensitivity was calculated as the percentage of escalations to the TAVI Consultant resulting in prioritisation. • Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed for the primary endpoint of adverse events, defined as emergency department presentation, unplanned hospitalisation or death. Results • The median waiting time to TAVI increased by one month (104 days versus 75 days, p&amp;lt;0.001). • There was 99% (200/202) engagement with RPM • Despite the increased waiting time, there was no significant difference in rate of adverse events between the propensity score-matched RPM and historical control groups (12.5% versus 13.7%, p=0.86) (Figure 2) • 87% (27/31) of escalations to the TAVI Consultant resulted in treatment prioritisation • There was a non-significant difference in median waiting time between prioritised and non-prioritised patients during the study period, but with no clinical consequence to the delay (97 versus 120 days, p=0.16). Conclusions • An RPM pathway can detect patient deterioration on TAVI waiting lists with high sensitivity • RPM-based prioritisation for patients awaiting TAVI can mitigate the increased risk of adverse events associated with longer waiting times, without unfairly disadvantaging non-prioritised patients.Figure 1.RPM pathwayFigure 2

Differences in myocardial work across functional class strata in a severe aortic stenosis AHA D1 population. A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Aortic stenosis is the most prevalent degenerative valvopathy. [1,2] The contractile state of the left ventricle has prognostic value in these patients. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is the most accurate method for the estimation of myocardial performance. However, its value depends on the left ventricular afterload, [3,4] making GLS values challenging to interpret for decision-making purposes. The global myocardial work index (GWI) is an innovative echocardiographic technique for assessing myocardial function.[5] From these values, other indices representing constructive work, wasted work, and myocardial efficiency can be calculated.[6] Purpose The objective of our study was to measure the GWI and its derivatives using transthoracic echocardiography and relate them to the patient's functional class. Methods We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study, including patients with severe aortic stenosis AHA D1, aged over 45 years, hypertensive, without coronary lesions. We exclude patients with other associated valvulopathies and rhythm disorders. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography, with measurements of GLS and GWI. Systolic blood pressure was added to the mean gradient of the aortic valve obtained by continuous Doppler. The population was divided into those with NYHA functional classes I/II and those with NYHA III/IV. Results Between May 2022 and August 2023, we included 152 patients, average age was 68 +/- 9 years. Of these, 54% were male, 38% had type 2 diabetes, 36% had dyslipidemia, and 30% had a history of smoking. Regarding functional class, 21% were in NYHA class I, 37% in NYHA II, 32% in NYHA III, and 9% in NYHA IV. The mean LVEF of 60 +/- 5%, GLS strain of -15.1 +/- 3.1; mean GWI was 2251 +/- 595 mmHg%, while the global constructive work index was 2526 +/- 596 mmHg%. The median wasted work index was 198.2 (196-204.2) mmHg%, and the mean myocardial efficiency was 89.9 +/- 4.7%. The global myocardial work index was 2455 +/- 582 in patients with NYHA I/II vs 1978 +/- 527 mmHg% in patients with NYHA III/IV (p&amp;lt;0.001) (Table 1). For the global constructive work, patients in NYHA I/II had a mean of 2708 +/- 590 mmHg, while those in NYHA III/IV had 2281 +/- 542 mmHg% (p&amp;lt;0.001). There were no significant differences in wasted work (190 +/- 11 mmHg%, NYHA I/II vs 210 +/- 113 mmHg%, NYHA III/IV, p=0.27). Marginally statistically significant difference was observed for myocardial efficiency (91 +/- 4.8%, NYHA I/II vs 89 +/- 4.5%, NYHA III/IV, p=0.49). Conclusions Patients with severe aortic stenosis have supranormal myocardial work indices.[7] However, as the disease progresses and patients experience greater clinical deterioration, these indices decrease, showing a significant difference between functional classes I/II and III/IV. Further studies are needed to determine the utility of these indices as prognostic indicators in this patient group.Table 1.Differences in myocardial workBulley

Long term care-acute system integration and transformation: Innovations in models of care.

The article discusses innovations in integrating Long-Term Care (LTC) and acute systems, focusing on Humber River Health's (HRH) model. Older adults in LTC homes are vulnerable to avoidable Emergency Department (ED) visits due to frailty and medical complexity. HRH developed an integrated care model centred on LTC Remote Monitoring (RM) with LTC partners, leveraging nurse-led care models, digital tools, and virtual care hub to reduce avoidable ED transfers. Key components include the PREVIEW-ED© tool for early detection of clinical deterioration, LTC+ Hub and LTC++ Diagnostic Imaging and Transportation, supporting improved access to healthcare services. The program aligns with the Quintuple Aim, emphasizing patient and provider experiences, population health, cost reduction, and health equity. Results show significant reductions in ED visits, hospital lengths of stay, and associated costs, while enhancing resident and provider experiences. The LTC RM model is positioned as a scalable solution for system transformation in integrated care.

ENDOSCOPIC THIRD VENTRICULOSTOMY VS VENTRICULOPERITONEAL SHUNT IN OBSTRUCTIVE HYDROCEPHALUS IN TERMS OF POST-OPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS

: Obstructive Hydrocephalus is a condition characterized by increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume within the brain's ventricular system, leading to clinical deterioration and disability. Without treatment, it can be fatal. Two primary treatment modalities are Ventriculoperitoneal Shunting (VPS) and Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV), with ongoing debate over the superiority of one approach over the other. Objective: To compare the complications associated with Ventriculoperitoneal Shunting (VPS) and Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV) in patients with obstructive hydrocephalus. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary care hospital from April 15, 2024, to September 15, 2024. A total of 100 patients diagnosed with obstructive hydrocephalus were randomly allocated into two groups: 50 patients received VPS treatment, and 50 received ETV. Complications, including surgical site infection, seizures, hematoma, and CSF leakage, were recorded and analyzed. Results: Complications were observed in 36% (n=18) of patients in the VPS group compared to 16% (n=8) in the ETV group, with a statistically significant difference (p=0.023). Surgical site infections occurred in 8% (n=4) of VPS patients, while no infections were reported in the ETV group. Seizures were significantly more common in the VPS group, affecting 26% (n=13) compared to 8% (n=4) in the ETV group (p=0.017). Hematoma formation was observed in 4% (n=2) of VPS patients and 6% (n=3) of ETV patients. CSF leakage occurred in 4% (n=2) of VPS patients and 2% (n=1) of ETV patients. Conclusion: Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV) demonstrated a significantly lower complication rate compared to Ventriculoperitoneal Shunting (VPS) in the management of obstructive hydrocephalus. These findings support ETV as a safer alternative with fewer associated complications.

Prevalence of clinical deterioration in the pre-hospital setting.

Improved understanding of the deteriorating patient in the pre-hospital setting may result in earlier recognition and response. Considering the effects of undetected deterioration are profound, it is fundamental to report the prevalence of pre-hospital clinical deterioration to advance our understanding. The present study investigated the prevalence of pre-hospital clinical deterioration and adverse events (AEs) within 3 days of the pre-hospital episode of care. This retrospective cohort study was based on pre-hospital incidents involving adult patients attended by Queensland Ambulance Service between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020. Due to lacking a standardised definition of pre-hospital clinical deterioration, established early warning scores (NEWS, MEWS and Q-ADDS) were calculated from pre-hospital vital signs to identify clinical deterioration. Linked hospital data were used to identify the occurrence of an AE. Some degree of physiological derangement was initially observed in over half of the patients, and pre-hospital clinical deterioration was seen in 2.7%-4% of patients. The prevalence of AEs was 3.2%. Patients that experienced an AE were more likely to be male, elderly, suffering from a medical (non-trauma) condition, and had a greater burden of disease. Concerningly, almost 50% of patients that suffered an AE did not meet escalation thresholds of NEWS, MEWS or Q-ADDS. The present study found the prevalence of pre-hospital clinical deterioration and AEs subsequent to pre-hospital episodes of care to be low. Future research should prioritise using standardised criteria to define pre-hospital clinical deterioration and evaluate the performance of early warning scores.

Respiratory Trajectories and Correlation with Serum Biochemical Indices in Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy

Background/Objectives: The primary life-threatening complication in spinal–bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is ventilatory failure. The present study analyzes the longitudinal patterns of respiratory function tests over a follow-up of 11 years. Methods: We collected data from 9 genetically confirmed SBMA patients. Spirometric measurements [maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and forced vital capacity (FVC)], serum biochemical indices and SBMA functional rating scale (SBMAFRS) were collected every 6 months for 11 years. An average time curve was utilized to assess the changes in both pulmonary tests and serum biochemical indices of the patients. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA was applied to assess statistical differences. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was utilized to evaluate the correlations between the respiratory function tests and serum biochemical and clinical indices. Results: A progressive decrease was observed in the respiratory function tests; the slope of the linear regression was significantly non-zero (p &lt; 0.0001) for all three time curves. A major decrease was observed for MEP (52%) and MIP (42%), while this was minor for FVC (25%). SBMAFRS score correlated with FVC (r = 0.27), MIP (r = 0.53) and MEP (r = 0.51). MIP and MEP correlated with creatine phosphokinase (r = 0.3, r = 0.25, respectively) and MIP with creatinine levels (r = 0.31). Conclusions: This longitudinal study shows a progressive decline of spirometric data throughout life in SBMA patients. The decline appears to be related to clinical deterioration and muscle denervation. Spirometric measures relative to maximal strength of the respiratory muscles (MIP and MEP) may have a better predictive value for pulmonary and muscular decline than FVC.

Evaluation of moderate periorbital cellulitis and home-based therapy in children (EPOCH study, Part 2): A prospective single centre cohort study.

Paediatric periorbital cellulitis, a common eye condition, typically requires inpatient admission for intravenous antibiotics due to concerns about orbital spread. This study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of ambulatory management for children with moderate periorbital cellulitis. Over a 24-month period, we prospectively enrolled 84 children aged 1 to 16 years who presented with moderate periorbital cellulitis to the emergency department. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Following a guideline-based decision tree, eligible children received intravenous antibiotics and were discharged with a peripheral cannula for follow-up in ambulatory care and ophthalmology clinics. Descriptive statistics were used for data presentation. Among the 84 children, 62 (73.8%) were managed through the ambulatory care model. Within the category of moderate POC, those who were admitted to the hospital did not have higher CRP or White Cell counts and received IV antibiotics for the same length of time. The ambulatory care clinic provided a total of 132 daily doses of intravenous antibiotics. Two children treated on this pathway required inpatient admission due to clinical deterioration, one of whom required ophthalmic surgical intervention. There was no mortality or sight-threatening complications in this study. Implementing a directed ambulatory care pathway for children with moderate periorbital cellulitis proved to be an effective and safe management strategy. This approach reduces the strain on hospital bed occupancy while promoting community-based patient care.

19 How are paediatric tertiary care hospitals structured to respond to the needs of children with medical complexity during acute deteriorations? A landscape study in Canada

Abstract Background Children with medical complexity (CMC) are at risk of unplanned healthcare visits especially due to acute clinical deteriorations. Complex care (CC) programs help facilitate the needs of CMC. Objectives To identify the organizational and administrative resources available for the care of CMC in Canadian tertiary care paediatric hospitals and to assess how physicians believe these resources are adapted to the specific urgent needs of CMC. Design/Methods In this observational study, key informants representing complex care (CC) and paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) services from 15 paediatric tertiary care hospitals in Canada completed cross-sectional structured questionnaires. Participants were identified through national research networks (Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC), Pediatric Inpatient Research Network (PIRN) and by snowball sampling. Utilizing the Lime Survey web application, two questionnaires (one for PEM, one for CC) were develop based on a literature review and following Burns methodology. Verbal questionnaires were administered via a secured teleconference application or completed digitally. Descriptive data were generated using Excel and SPSS v.29. Results From 09/2022 to 09/2023, 93% (28/30) key informants completed questionnaires (15 PEM, 13 CC, Table 1). Across the 15 sites, 12 had a CC program or clinic. Information about established CC programs was available for 10 sites (Table 2), from participating CC informants: 4/10 offered outpatient services; 6/10 offered inpatient and outpatient services; 8/10 offered last minute appointments for CMC. CC programs had variable staffing: mostly physicians (median 3 FTE, range: 0.2-6) and nurse practitioners (0.75 FTE, range: 0-9) or registered nurses (0.9 FTE, 0-8). CC informants reported offering an ED consultation service at 8/10 sites, while 6/12 PEM participants reported access to such a service. CC informants reported that their program rarely offered consultations during weekends (2/10) or nights (1/10). Across all sites, PEM informants reported good access to documents to help with continuity of care including emergency care plans (13/15), medical history (14/15), goals of care (13/15). Using an 11-point scale, CC informants rated their hospital’s median ability to meet the outpatient needs of CMC as 6.5 (range: 0-10), and their ED’s median ability to meet the needs of CMC as 7 (range 5-10). PEM informants reported their median ability to meet the needs of CMC as 8 (range 6-9). Informants made suggestions to improve the ED care of CMC (Table 3). Conclusion There exists wide variation in the structures caring for CMC and their availability in case of acute needs. National collaboration between CC and PEM teams may facilitate the design of programs to improve the acute outpatient care of CMC.

Development of the Pulmonary Embolism Progression (PEP) score for predicting short-term clinical deterioration in intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism: a single-center retrospective study.

Accurate risk stratification in acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) is essential. Current prediction scores lack the ability to forecast impending clinical decline. The Pulmonary Embolism Progression (PEP) score aims to predict short-term clinical deterioration (respiratory failure or hemodynamic instability within 72h) in patients with intermediate-risk PE. This single-center retrospective cohort study analyzed patients with intermediate PE. The outcome of interest was respiratory failure or hemodynamic instability within 72h. A multivariate logistic regression identified five predictive variables for the final PEP score: use of > 4L/min of supplemental oxygen above baseline, lactate > 2.0 mmol/L, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) > 40 ng/L, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) < 13mm, and the combination of central and subsegmental clot. The derivation cohort included 117 patients, and the validation cohort included 70 patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve for the derivation cohort was 0.8671 (95% CI: 0.7946, 0.9292), and for the validation cohort, it was 0.9264 (95% CI: 0.8680, 0.9847). A PEP score of 4 points yielded the highest combination of sensitivity (93%) and specificity (65%). Each incremental point increase in the PEP score raised the probability of clinical deterioration by a factor of 1.933. The PEP score is a reliable tool for predicting the likelihood of clinical deterioration in intermediate-risk PE patients within 72h, potentially aiding in timely clinical decision-making and improving patient outcomes.

Electroencephalographic monitoring in detection and prediction of delayed cerebral ischemia due to non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage

Intensive care of patients with acute non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage primarily relies on diagnostics of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). The major difficulty in detecting DCI emerges upon suppression of wakefulness, when clinical assessment of growing neurological deficit becomes complicated. Widely used transcranial dopplerography allows solely to verify a vasospasm development not always leading to DCI exhibiting a multifactorial underlying mechanism. Electroencephalography (EEG) is the only broadly available instrumental tool ensuring a continuous monitoring of cerebral functional status including in subjects at intensive care unit. To date, non-specific EEG parameters pointing at development of acute cerebral injury were identified that provide varying diagnostic and predictive informative value in DCI. We reviewed publications aimed at assessing the data on visual and quantitative EEG parameters such as regional slowing, alpha rhythm spectral power and relative variability, alpha-to-delta power ratio, and detection of epileptiform activity. Having searched international and Russia-wide medical databases, we found only 7 publications quantitatively assessing diagnostic value of EEG monitoring, which showed that for DCI diagnosis its sensitivity ranged from 76% to 100%, and specificity – from 54% to 100%. We also present a clinical case with a 70-year-old female patient who underwent surgery for non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm of the communicating segment of the right internal carotid artery. During the continuous videoEEG monitoring 2 days before clinical deterioration and appearance of ischemic changes in the right cerebral hemisphere on computed tomography scans, an ictal-interictal continuum pattern was noted to emerge. Future studies should be aimed at clarifying and validating the most informative DCI biomarkers including while recording EEG with intracranial electrodes that may contribute to development of automated algorithms for DCI detection.

Use of telemedicine technologies in organizing rehabilitation of patients with bronchopulmonary pathology. Myth or reality?

In 2013, telemedicine began to penetrate widely and actively into the activities of the medical community. Telerehabilitation acts as an alternative within the framework of considering and conducting traditional rehabilitation or as an additional therapeutic tool, which allows you to achieve the set goal of recovery faster and more effectively. During the period 2022-2023, 1,318 people participated in the telerehabilitation program: 712 patients who suffered pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus infection COVID-19, 606 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. During the course, not a single patient was hospitalized for an exacerbation of the disease or for a clinical deterioration of the condition. At the same time, there was a significant improvement in the calculated indicators, which confirmed the relevance of this area of medicine.

Helmet Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for Acute Bronchiolitis Respiratory Failure in a Pediatric Ward: Is It a Replicable Experience?

(1) Background: Helmet Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (H-CPAP) has primarily been used in intensive care settings to treat moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis in infants. We aim to report on the feasibility of H-CPAP for selected infants with bronchiolitis in a pediatric ward. (2) Methods: A retrospective, observational, consecutive case series was studied of 26 patients who received H-CPAP on the pediatric ward from October 2022 to February 2023, including a description of patient outcomes and costs. (3) Results: Of 130 infants with bronchiolitis admitted to Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome, 34 were hospitalized for moderate to severe bronchiolitis, and 26 began H-CPAP on the ward. Among the 26 pediatric patients who received H-CPAP on the ward, 4 out of 26 (15%) required transfer to the PICU within the first hours of care due to clinical deterioration. No problems with the H-CPAP interface or side effects attributable to H-CPAP were reported. Pharmacological sedation with a single dose of dexmedetomidine was required for 15/26 patients (57%) following failure of non-pharmacological anxiety reduction strategies. After introducing H-CPAP in our pediatric ward, we achieved total cost savings of approximately EUR 147,120. (4) Conclusions: Treatment with H-CPAP for infants with bronchiolitis may be feasible in non-intensive care settings with trained staff, appropriate monitoring, and rapid access to pediatric intensive care.