Hospitalization Events Research Articles

Drug prescription patterns and their association with mortality and hospitalization duration in COVID-19 patients: insights from big data.

Different medication prescription patterns have been associated with varying course of disease and outcomes in COVID-19. Health claims data is a rich source of information on disease treatment and outcomes. We aimed to investigate drug prescription patterns and their association with mortality and hospitalization via insurance data for a relatively long period of the pandemic in Iran. We retrieved hospitalized patients' data from Iran Health Insurance Organization (IHIO) spanning 26 months (2020-2022) nationwide. Included were patients with ICD-10 codes U07.1/U07.2 for confirmed/suspected COVID-19. A case was defined as a single hospitalization event for an individual patient. Multiple hospitalizations of a patient within a 30-day interval were aggregated into a single case, while hospitalizations with intervals exceeding 30 days were treated as independent cases. The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) was used for medications classification. The two main study outcomes were general and intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization periods and mortality. Besides, various demographic and clinical associate factors were analyzed to derive the associations with medication prescription patterns and study outcomes using accelerated failure time (AFT) and logistic regression models. During the 26 months of the study period, 1,113,678 admissions with COVID-19 diagnosis at hospitals working in company with IHIO were recorded. 917,198 cases were detected from the database, among which 51.91% were females and 48.09% were males. Among the main groups of medications, antithrombotics (55.84% [95% CI: 55.74-55.94]), corticosteroids (54.14% [54.04-54.24]), and antibiotics (42.22% [42.12-42.32]) were the top used medications among cases with COVID-19. Investigation of the duration of hospitalization based on main medication groups showed antithrombotics (adjusted median ratio = 0.94 [0.94-0.95]) were significantly associated with shorter periods of overall hospitalization. Also, antithrombotics (adjusted odds ratio = 0.74 [95%CI, 0.73-0.76]), corticosteroids (0.97 [0.95-0.99]), antivirals (0.82 [0.80-0.83]), and ACE inhibitor/ARB (0.79 [0.77-0.80]) were significantly associated with lower mortality. Over 2 years of investigation, antithrombotics, corticosteroids, and antibiotics were the top medications for hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Trends in medication prescription varied based on various factors across the country. Medication prescriptions could potentially significantly impact the trends of mortality and hospitalization during epidemics, thereby affecting both health and economic burdens.

Effectivity of Management Events with Integrated System Organization Rumah Sakit Dr. Oen Kandang Sapi Solo

Background: To provide information on health services and education, hospitals require marketing communication, one of which is event. The hospital holds a variety of events for employees and citizen, which are routine or even incidental. Along with era development, hospitals are required to make fast and precise movements, so that performance is efficient and effective to achieve the success of events. President Director of RUMAH SAKIT Dr. OEN KANDANG SAPI SOLO (Droenska) decided to establish the Hospital Event Committee in 2019 with integrated system organization (ISO DOI) to replace the role of the event committee which is formed in every events. It is expected that the performance of each unit can be more effective, efficient, and the entire hospital community makes the culture of hospitals, internal marketers, as a way of life, because intangible marketing assets are important to embrace customers. After the Decision of the President Director is determined and implemented, of course, monitoring and evaluation are required.Purpose: Evaluating the effectiveness of events management which used Integrated System Organization RUMAH SAKIT Dr. OEN KANDANG SAPI SOLO (ISO DOI).Method: Qualitative descriptive research was used. The research datas were obtained through in-depth interviews with 17 informans who are choosen by purposive sampling selection method at the Hospital Event Committee in 2019–2020. Then it is formulated with the study of proposal recapitulation data as well as liability sheet (LPJ) in 2019–2020.Result: Component and function of Hospital events committee already fulfilled the standard of EO. The concept of events is quite good and clear. Coordination between the committees of events is inadequate due to a lack of communication and initiative. The event went smoothly and also there were no obstacles that led to the failure of the event, although there were still some shortcomings. Some of the event committees have not evaluated and given accountability (LPJ).Conclusion: The completeness of EO component’s and work function’s already exists and running on the Hospital Event Committee (ISO DOI). Events held by hospital with ISO DOI committees become more organized, effective, and efficient, but the function of coordination and evaluation must be improved. ISO DOI is potensial to develop as an event organizer that manage events with partners so that it can be additional revenue for Droenska.

Effect of In utero Exposure to Air Pollution on Adulthood Hospitalizations

Empirical analyses have demonstrated that individuals exposed to severe air pollution in utero have worse health outcomes during childhood. However, there is little evidence on the long-term health impacts of air pollution exposure. The objective of this paper is to estimate the effect of in utero exposure to the Great London Smog of 1952 (GLS) on five health outcomes identified through a scoping review to be those most likely affected: respiratory, circulatory, neoplasms, mental health, and nervous system conditions. We use the GLS, an extreme air pollution event in December 1952, as a quasi-natural experiment to estimate the effect of exposure to air pollution in utero on adulthood health. Data from the UK Biobank is analysed for a cohort of participants born from December 1952 to July 1956. Differences in health outcomes between adults exposed and not exposed to the GLS due to their birth dates, born inside and outside London, were explored. Our primary focus is hospitalization events between 1997 and 2020 (corresponding to ages 40 to 69), as recorded in linked administrative data from the National Health Service (NHS). Specifically, the five primary outcomes are binary variables indicating that the individual had at least one hospitalization where the main cause of hospitalization is related to respiratory, circulatory, neoplasms, mental health, or nervous system conditions. The analytical sample comprised 36,281 individuals. A positive effect on adulthood hospitalizations due to respiratory conditions was observed. If exposed to the GLS in utero, the probability of at least one respiratory health-related hospitalization between 1997 and 2020 increased by 2.58 percentage points (95% CI 0.08, 4.30, p = 0.03), a 23% increase relative to the sample mean. Small effects were found for all other outcomes, suggesting that these conditions were not affected by the GLS. We do not find heterogeneous effects by sex or childhood socioeconomic status. This study found that a 5-day pollution exposure event while in utero significantly increased respiratory-related hospitalizations at ages 40 to 69 but had no impact on hospitalizations due to circulatory, neoplasms, mental health, and nervous system conditions.

Atrial fibrillation before and after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: short- and long-term clinical implications.

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) have been associated with worse short-term outcomes compared with patients in sinus rhythm but data on long-term outcomes are limited. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between AF and short- and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing TAVI. We retrospectively evaluated patients undergoing TAVI between 2012 and 2022 in four tertiary centres. Two different analyses were conducted: (i) in-hospital and (ii) postdischarge analysis. First, we evaluated the association between preexisting AF and short-term outcomes according to VARC-3 criteria. Second, we analyzed the association between AF at discharge (defined as both preexisting and new-onset AF occurring after TAVI) and long-term outcomes at median follow-up of 3.2 years (i.e. all-cause death, hospitalization and major adverse cardiovascular events). A total of 759 patients were initially categorized according to the presence of preexisting AF (241 vs. 518 patients). The preexisting AF group had a higher occurrence of acute kidney injury [odds ratio (OR) 1.65; 95%confidence interval ( CI) 1.15-2.38] and major bleeding (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.06-3.27). Subsequently, the population was categorized according to the presence of AF at discharge. At the adjusted Cox regression analysis, AF was independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular hospitalization [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.42, 95% CI 1.09-1.86], all-cause death and all-cause hospitalization (aHR 1.38, 95% CI 1.06-1.78) and all-cause hospitalization (aHR 1.59, 95% CI 1.14.2.22). In a real-world cohort of patients undergoing TAVI, the presence of AF (preexisting and new-onset) was independently associated with both short- and long-term adverse outcomes.

Long-term outcome of children with acute promyelocytic leukemia: a randomized study of oral versus intravenous arsenic by SCCLG-APL group

Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF), an oral traditional Chinese medicine mainly containing Realgar (As4S4), is highly effective in treating adult acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, the treatment efficacy and safety of RIF have not been verified in pediatric patients. SCCLG-APL group conducted a multicenter randomized non-inferiority trial to determine whether intravenous arsenic trioxide (ATO) can be substituted by oral RIF in treating pediatric APL. Of 176 eligible patients enrolled, 91 and 85 were randomized to ATO and RIF groups, respectively. Patients were treated with the risk-adapted protocol. Induction, consolidation, and 96-week maintenance treatment contained all-trans-retinoic acid and low-intensity chemotherapy, and either ATO or RIF. The primary endpoint was 5-year event-free survival (EFS). The secondary endpoints were adverse events and hospital days. After a median 6-year follow-up, the 5-year EFS was 97.6% in both groups. However, the RIF group had significantly shorter hospital stays and lower incidence of infection and tended to have less cardiac toxicity. All 4 relapses occurred within 1.5 years after completion of maintenance therapy. No long-term arsenic retentions were observed in either group. Substituting oral RIF for ATO maintains treatment efficacy while reducing hospitalization and adverse events in treating pediatric APL patients, which may be a future treatment strategy for APL.

Efficacy and safety of antiviral treatments for symptomatic COVID-19 outpatients: Systematic review and network meta-analysis

BackgroundRemdesivir, molnupiravir, and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir are three antiviral agents approved by FDA emergency authorization for treating mild to moderate symptomatic COVID-19 adult outpatients at high risk for hospitalization and death. ObjectivesTo compare the efficacy and safety of these antivirals based on updated published RCT and real-world data. Study designThis systematic review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis framework guidelines. We searched all publications up to January 2023. RRs and 95% CIs for death, hospitalization, and adverse events were calculated. ResultsSix RCTs and seven cohort studies were included, with 1,456,523 participants, of whom 50,979 were treated with antivirals. Remdesivir was associated with the lowest probability of hospitalization and death compared to nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir (P-scores 0.99 and 0.90, respectively, for remdesivir, 0.64 and 0.55, respectively for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, and 0.26 and 0.49, respectively for molnupiravir). Based on indirect comparisons, remdesivir was associated with a statistically significant decreased risk for hospitalization compared to molnupiravir (RR 0.09; 95% CI 0.02–0.40) and to nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (RR 0.11; 95% CI 0.03–0.73). No statistically significant difference was found between antivirals in the mortality risk reduction and the risk for side effects. ConclusionsThis is the most comprehensive network meta-analysis integrating RCTs and real-world data. In our indirect comparison, remdesivir was associated with the highest efficacy in preventing hospitalization among high risk symptomatic COVID-19 outpatients, compared to nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir. This finding supports current guidelines, and may have importance when deciding which antiviral to use, together with other important factors.

Intensive Versus Traditional Cardiac Rehabilitation: Mortality and Cardiovascular Outcomes in a 2016-2020 Retrospective Medicare Cohort.

Traditional cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves cardiovascular outcomes and reduces mortality, but less is known about the relative benefit of intensive CR (ICR) which incorporates greater lifestyle education through 72 sessions (versus 36 in CR). Our objective was to determine whether ICR is associated with a mortality and cardiovascular benefit compared with CR. Retrospective cohort study of Medicare Fee-For-Service beneficiaries in a 100% sample, claims data set. Qualifying events were captured from May 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019 and ICR/CR utilization captured from May 1, 2016 to December 31, 2020. Among patients attending at least 1 day of either CR or ICR, Cox proportional hazards models using a 1 to 5 propensity score match were used to compare utilization and the association of ICR versus CR participation with (1) all-cause mortality and (2) cardiovascular-related hospitalizations or nonfatal cardiac events. Dose-response was assessed by the number of days attended. From 2016 to 2019, 1 277 358 unique patients met at least one qualifying indication for ICR/CR from 2016 to 2019. Of these, 262 579 (20.6%) and 4452 (0.4%) attended at least one session of CR or ICR, respectively (mean [SD] age, 73.2 [7.8] years; 32.3% female). In the matched sample, including 26 659 total patients (median, 2.4-year follow-up), ICR was associated with 12% lower all-cause mortality (multivariable adjusted hazard ratio, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.78-0.99]; P=0.036) compared with CR but no significant difference for cardiovascular-related hospitalization or nonfatal cardiac events. The mortality benefit was seen for both ICR and CR per day strata, with each modality demonstrating a clear dose-response benefit. ICR is associated with lower mortality than traditional CR among Medicare beneficiaries but no difference in cardiovascular-related hospitalization or nonfatal cardiac events. Moreover, ICR and CR demonstrate a dose-response relationship for mortality. Additional studies are needed to confirm these observations and to better understand the mechanisms by which ICR may lead to a reduction in mortality.

Risk Factors Associated to Severe Episodes of Infection in Myelodysplastic Syndromes

INTRODUCTION. Mortality differs according to the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) risk categories in patients afflicted with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Historically, high-risk (HR)-MDS (IPSS-R >3.5 points) is related to death caused by progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), while low-risk (LR)-MDS is associated with mortality due to severe infections (Nachtkamp K, et al. 2016), probably caused by neutrophile dysfunction and hindered oxidative burst. Studies of causes of death (COD) in MDS are scarce. A MD Anderson study in LR-MDS patients identified infections as the leading COD, followed by progression (Dayyani F, et al, 2010), while the Düsseldorf registry recognized infections as the main COD across all MDS categories (Neukirchen, J. et al, 2011). Considering that information in low- and medium-income countries is especially limited, this study aims to describe the characteristics and identify the risk factors for severe infectious events in patients afflicted by MDS in a third-level center in Mexico. METHODS. In this single-center retrospective study, we analyzed severe infection episodes, associated risk factors, and the COD in MDS patients.We included patients diagnosed with MDS from January 2000 to December 2021, according to the 2016 WHO criteria. We registered baseline characteristics and described the episodes of severe infection, defined as hospitalization events due to infectious diseases complicated with septic shock and/or respiratory failure requiring orotracheal intubation. We conducted uni- and multivariate analyses based on the following variables: neutropenia (≤0.5x10 9/L), monocytopenia (≤0.2x10 9/L), lymphopenia (≤1.0x10 9/L), ferritin (≥1,000ng/mL), autoimmune disease, MDS comorbidity index, COPD, granulocyte dysplasia, and treatment with azacytidine or pharmacological immunosuppression. RESULTS. We included 156 patients with MDS treated at our institution. Median age at diagnosis was 65 years (IQR; 55-75 years), 53% of which were women. Multilineage dysplasia was the most prevalent MDS type (59%), followed by excess blasts type 2 (11.5%). LR-MDS represented 68% (n=106), while HR-MDS, 32% (n=50). Hypocellularity in bone marrow biopsy was found in 24.4%. Eighty-seven patients developed 156 infectious episodes, 64.7% of which were severe. A median of 1 serious event (IQR: 0.75-1 event) occurred in each patient, with a median time to diagnosis of 13 months (IQR: 3.5-34.5 months). Infection sites and etiologies are described in Figure 1. Of note, we identified 14 fungal infections, 8 of them by Aspergillus, with a 37.5% death rate. Risk factors associated with increased severe infection risk were neutropenia during follow-up (OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.5-6.4; p=0.001), neutrophil hypogranularity at diagnosis (OR 2.1; CI 95% 1.1-4.1; p=0.029), hyperferritinemia (OR 2.46; CI 95% 1.2-4.9; p=0.011), and azacitidine treatment (OR 3.1; CI 95% 1.01-9.6; p=0.047). Fifty patients (32%) died. In both HR-MDS and LR-MDS groups, the main COD was infection (13 in HR group, 48.1%, vs 10 in LR group, 43.5%; p=0.782), followed by progression to AML (3 in HR group, 11.1%, vs 4 in LR group, 21.7%; p=0.444). Median overall survival was lower in patients with severe neutropenia (62 vs. 210 months; p=0.009) and hyperferritinemia (62 months vs. non-reached, p<0.001) (Figure 2). CONCLUSIONS In our MDS population severe infections represent the leading COD, regardless of risk category. More than half developed at least one infectious episode, 64.7% of which were severe. Fungal infections were highly lethal, suggesting antifungal prophylactic interventions could prove helpful. We found neutropenia during follow-up and hypogranularity at diagnosis to be significant risk factors, the latter perhaps reflecting neutrophil disfunction which should be further evaluated. Hyperferritinemia's association with increased infection and mortality urges to further understand its role in MDS pathophysiology, and could potentially prove a therapeutic target in infections disease prevention. Additionally, there is currently no consensus on infectious disease for use of azacitidine, which might add to a worsening risk of infection.

1768. Engaging Clinically and Socially Vulnerable Populations to Understand Their Perceptions of mRNA Vaccines

Abstract Background One of the COVID-19 pandemic’s greatest silver linings has been the success of mRNA-based vaccines. While successful, the public has had many questions and even concerns about these vaccines as the pandemic is the first time they were clinically used. Both clinically and socially vulnerable populations have borne a hugely disproportionate burden of the pandemic. It is a public health imperative to ensure vaccine uptake in these groups are as high as possible. This project aimed to understand vulnerable populations perspectives on mRNA vaccines and immunizations to inform the development and dissemination of educational materials. Methods We conducted semi-structured qualitative descriptive interviews with clinically vulnerable (e.g., 50+, those living in LTC and congregate settings, having immunocompromising conditions/treatments) and socially vulnerable (e.g., racialized, newcomer and indigenous) populations across Canada. We thematically analyzed the data to identify patterns of meaning across the interviews. Results Fourteen people participated in interviews. Themes include: 1) clinically vulnerable populations view mRNA vaccines as safe and important for protecting themselves against COVID-19 and wish for the general public to get vaccinated to protect those who are most vulnerable; 2) socially vulnerable populations felt that there was a lack of accessible and concise information about who is high risk for COVID-19, timing of vaccination and how natural immunity to COVID-19 impacts the need for vaccination; and 3) vulnerable populations felt that the general public no longer views getting vaccinated as important since they do not view themselves as at-risk of hospitalization or severe adverse events. Conclusion These findings suggest that vulnerable populations view the vaccine as safe but perceive that getting vaccinated is not a priority for the general public. Our team is developing educational resources for vulnerable populations and the public to promote vaccine uptake. With more mRNA vaccines being developed for other infectious diseases, these findings can help inform vaccine promotion efforts and increase confidence in mRNA vaccines. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Ukrainian migrants’ and war refugees’ admissions to hospital: evidence from the Polish Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study, 2014–2022

BackgroundConsidering the rapid influx of Ukrainian migrants and war refugees into Poland, the knowledge of their health condition is becoming increasingly important for health system policy and planning.The aim of the study was to assess war-related changes in the frequency and structure of hospitalizations among Ukrainian migrants and refugees in Poland.MethodsThe study is based on the analysis of hospital admission records of Ukrainian patients, which were collected in the Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study from 01.01.2014 to 31.12.2022.ResultsIn the study period, 13,024 Ukrainians were hospitalized in Poland, 51.7% of whom had been admitted to hospital after February 24, 2022. After the war broke out, the average daily hospital admissions augmented from 2.1 to 21.6 person/day. A noticeable increase in the share of women (from 50% to 62%) and children (from 14% to 51%) was also observed. The average age of patients fell from 33.6 ± 0.2 years to 24.6 ± 0.3 years. The most frequently reported hospital events among the migrants until 23.02.2022 were injuries (S00-T98) – 26.1%, pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99) – 18.4%, and factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99) – 8.4%. After the war started, the incidence of health problems among migrants and war refugees changed, with pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99) being the most common – 14.9%, followed by abnormal clinical and lab findings (R00-R99) – 11.9%, and infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99) – 11.0%.ConclusionsOur findings may support health policy planning and delivering adequate healthcare in refugee-hosting countries.

Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics for People With Problematic Opioid Use

New approaches are needed to provide care for individuals with problematic opioid use (POU). Rapid access addiction medicine (RAAM) clinics offer a flexible, low-barrier, rapid access care model for this population. To assess the associations of RAAM clinics with emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and mortality for people with POU. A retrospective cohort study involving a matched control group was performed using health administrative data from Ontario, Canada. Anonymized data from 4 Ontario RAAM clinics (cities of Ottawa, Toronto, Oshawa, and Sudbury) were linked with health administrative data. Analyses were performed on a cohort of individuals who received care at participating RAAM clinics and geographically matched controls who did not receive care at a RAAM clinic. All visits occurred between October 2, 2017, and October 30, 2019, and data analyses were completed in spring 2023. A propensity score-matching approach was used to balance confounding factors between groups, with adjustment for covariates that remained imbalanced after matching. Individuals who initiated care through the RAAM model (including assessment, pharmacotherapy, brief counseling, harm reduction, triage to appropriate level of care, navigation to community services and primary care, and related care) were compared with individuals who did not receive care through the RAAM model. The primary outcome was a composite measure of ED visits for any reason, hospitalization for any reason, and all-cause mortality (all measured up to 30 days after index date). Outcomes up to 90 days after index date, as well as outcomes looking at opioid-related ED visits and hospitalizations, were also assessed. In analyses of the sample of 876 patients formed using propensity score matching, 440 in the RAAM group (mean [SD] age, 36.5 [12.6] years; 276 [62.7%] male) and 436 in the control group (mean [SD] age, 36.8 [13.8] years; 258 [59.2%] male), the pooled odds ratio (OR) for the primary, 30-day composite outcome of all-cause ED visit, hospitalization, or mortality favored the RAAM model (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50-0.92). Analysis of the same outcome for opioid-related reasons only also favored the RAAM intervention (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.29-0.76). Findings for the individual events of hospitalization, ED visit, and mortality at both 30-day and 90-day follow-up also favored the RAAM model, with comparisons reaching statistical significance in most cases. In this cohort study of individuals with POU, RAAM clinics were associated with reductions in ED visits, hospitalizations, and mortality. These findings provide valuable evidence toward a broadened adoption of the RAAM model in other regions of North America and beyond.

The Role of SGLT2 Inhibitors on Heart Failure Outcomes in Nondiabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). However, studies examining their benefits exclusively in nondiabetic patients on various HF outcomes are limited. By conducting a MEDLINE and ClinicalTrials.gov search for randomized controlled trials, we identified 4 studies on SGLT2i with data on HF outcomes in nondiabetic patients and performed a meta-analysis. There were 10.638 nondiabetic patients, with 5316 patients in the SGLT2i group and 5322 in the placebo group included in this meta-analysis. The composite of worsening HF (hospitalization for HF or urgent visit for HF) or cardiovascular death had 726 events (13.66%) in the SGLT2i group and 907 (17.04%) in the placebo group, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.78 and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.71-0.86 ( P < 0.0001). There were 551 events (10.36%) of hospitalization for HF in the SGLT2i group, compared with 751 (14.11%) in the placebo group with an HR of 0.71 (95% CI, 0.62-0.81; P < 0.0001). Cardiovascular death occurred in 396 patients (7.45%) in the SGLT2i group and 452 (8.49%) in the placebo group, with an HR of 0.88 (95% CI, 0.77-1.00; P = 0.059). All-cause mortality occurred in 552 patients (10.38%) in the SGLT2i group and 586 (11.01%) in the placebo group, with an HR of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.84-1.07; P = 0.37). This study showed that in patients with HF without diabetes mellitus, SGLT2i improve HF outcomes, including a significant decrease in hospitalizations for HF and a favorable response for the outcome of cardiovascular death.

Analysis of adverse events in general surgery. Multicenter study

IntroductionKnowledge of adverse events (AE) in acute care hospitals is a particularly relevant aspect of patient safety. Its incidence ranges from 3% to 17%, and surgery is related to the occurrence of 46%–65% of all AE. Material and methodsAn observational, descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study was conducted with the participation of 31 Spanish acute-care hospitals to determine and analyze AE in general surgery services. ResultsThe prevalence of AE was 31.53%. The most frequent types of AE were infectious (35%). Higher ASA grades, greater complexity and urgent-type admission are factors associated with the presence of AE. The majority of patients (58.42%) were attributed a category F event (temporary harm to the patient requiring initial or prolonged hospitalization); 14.69% of AE were considered severe, while 34.22% of AE were considered preventable. ConclusionsThe prevalence of AE in General and GI Surgery (GGIS) patients is high. Most AE were infectious, and the most frequent AE was surgical site infection. Higher ASA grades, greater complexity and urgent-type admission are factors associated with the presence of AE. Most detected AE resulted in mild or moderate harm to the patients. About one-third of AE were preventable.

Protocol: dexmedetomidine on myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery—a multicenter, double-blind, controlled trial

AimsMyocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) is common in elderly patients and considered as an independent predictor of 30-day mortality after noncardiac surgery. Dexmedetomidine possesses cardiac-protective profile. Previous clinical studies have found that perioperative application of dexmedetomidine is associated with decreased 1-year mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The current study protocol aims to investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on the incidence of MINS, complications, and 30-day mortality in elderly patients subjected to noncardiac surgery.MethodsA multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind, prospective trial is designed to explore cardiac protection of dexmedetomidine in the elderly patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. A total of 960 patients aged over 65 years will be recruited and randomly assigned to dexmedetomidine group (group Dex) and normal saline placebo group (group NS) in a ratio of 1:1. Patients in group Dex will receive a bolus dose of 0.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine within 10 min before surgical incision, followed by a consistent infusion at the rate of 0.3–0.5 μg/kg/h throughout the operation. Group NS patients will receive the same volume of normal saline. The primary outcome is the incidence of MINS via detecting the hs-TnT level within 3 days after the operation. The secondary outcome includes myocardial ischemic symptoms, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in hospital, length of ICU and postoperative hospital stay, the incidence of inhospital complications, and 30-day all-cause mortality.DiscussionThe results of the current study will illustrate the effect of dexmedetomidine on myocardial injury for elderly patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery.Trial registrationThe trial was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (CHICTR) on Aug 24, 2021 (ChiCTR2100049946, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=131804).

Impact of the MEESSI-AHF tool to guide disposition decision-making in patients with acute heart failure in the emergency department: a before-and-after study

ObjectivesTo determine the impact of risk stratification using the MEESSI-AHF (Multiple Estimation of risk based on the Emergency department Spanish Score In patients with acute heart failure) scale to guide...

Functional tricuspid regurgitation associated with left-side valvulopathy: clinical profile and long term evolution based on pulmonary pressure

Abstract Introduction Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is an entity with multiple etiologies, with functional TR associated with left-sided valvulopathy being the most frequent group in clinical practice, accounting for approximately 50%. This group has traditionally been considered a consequence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to left-sided valvulopathy, although this dogma has hardly been evaluated despite new clinical and pathophysiological knowledge of TR. In this study we aimed to evaluate the clinical profile and evolution of a large series of patients with significant TR based on pulmonary pressure. Methods Multicenter and retrospective study that included a series of consecutive patients with significant TR (moderate to severe or greater) diagnosed between 2002 and 2017. After excluding patients with organic TR (congenital or acquired), those with TR associated with left-sided valvular disease were included, defined by the presence of mild mitral stenosis, previous left-sided surgery, left-sided valvular prosthesis or other left-sided valvular disease of at least moderate grade. Patients were classified according to the absence or presence of PH which was estimated by echocardiography, defining a systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PASP) ≥ 50 mmHg. Subsequently, the baseline clinical characteristics of the sample were compared and a follow-up was carried out to evaluate long-term mortality and hospitalization events due to heart failure (HF). Results A total of 422 patients were were included (160 with PASP &amp;lt;50 and 262 with PASP ≥50). The attached table shows the baseline characteristics of both groups. Patients with PASP &amp;lt;50 were younger, had a higher percentage of previous valvular surgery, AF, HTN, and DM, along with a lower percentage of pulmonary disease and right HF. After follow-up (median 42.6 months), significant differences were observed between the two groups (Figures 1 and 2) with higher overall long-term survival (p&amp;lt;0.001) and higher freedom from HF hospitalization (p 0.013) in the group without PH. Cox regression analysis showed that female sex was a predictor of higher survival (p&amp;lt;0.001) while age and previous diagnosis of RHF were predictors of mortality (p&amp;lt;0.001). Similarly, the presence of previous RHF and previous hospitalizations for HF were predictors of the HF hospitalization event (p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusions In a large series of patients with left-sided valvular heart disease and TR, cases with estimated absence of significant PH were frequent (37.9%). Furthermore, it was observed that pulmonary disease (a possible concomitant cause of PH) was more frequent in the group with significant PH. The group without PH had a different clinical profile and a better long-term prognosis. All of this suggests that there are different factors that determine the development of significant TR associated with left-sided valvular heart disease, beyond secondary PH itself. These factors could influence the patient's prognosis.Baseline clinical characteristics.Kaplan Meier survival curves.

Pretreatment with P2Y12 inhibitors and relationship with clinical outcomes in NSTEMI: Analysis of 2 Argentinian registries

Abstract Introduction Pretreatment with P2Y12 inhibitors has been widely studied in the context of NSTEMI patients, with varying results. General consensus is that this strategy should be avoided, unless a long wait time is expected before angiography can be performed. However, it is unclear whether this strategy is associated with a reduction in clinical outcomes, or an increase in bleeding events. Purpose To analyze frequency of pretreatment in NSTEMI in our medium, and association with clinical outcomes. Methods We analyzed the results of two Argentinian acute coronary syndrome registries from 2017 and 2022. We explored incidence of pretreatment, and drug used. We evaluated first through univariate analysis the relationship between pretreatment use and a clinical composite outcome of in hospital events: Myocardial infarction + Mortality + In stent thrombosis + post MI angina + Stroke/TIA. We also explored the relationship of pretreatment with bleeding events (BARC 2 or higher). We later conducted a logistic regression with other clinical variables: Age, gender, diabetes, previous bleeding events, previous MI, aspirin use, anticoagulation, killip-kimball scale and ejection fraction. Results 1297 patients were included in the analysis, after excluding STEMI patients, patients with current use of P2Y12 inhibitors at time of event, and patients who did not undergo angiography. 75.6% were men, 25.6% diabetic, 27,1% smokers, 70.3% hypertensive, and 23.1% had a previous acute coronary syndrome. Mean age was 55.3 years old. Mean GRACE score was 113,5 and CRUSADE 23,8. 44% of patients recieved pretreatment, mostly with clopidogrel (93.5%). Patients that recieved pretreatment were more frequently hypertensive (73.8% vs 67%, p=0.01) and had a higher incidence of previous MI (27% vs 19%, p=0.002). GRACE score was significantly lower in patients that were pretreated (111,5 vs 115, p=0.04). Pretreatment use was significantly associated with a higher incidence of the composite clinical outcome, occuring in 10.1% of patients pretreated and in 6.9% of patients not pretreated (OR 1.56 (1.06-2.3) p=0.02. Bleeding events were numerically more frequent with pretreatment (8.7% vs 5.9%), though did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.51 (0.99-2.3) p=0.054). In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for multiple clinical variables, pretreatment was no longer associated with a higher incidence of clinical outcomes, though also not with a lower incidence (OR 1.4 (0.89-2.3) p=0.13). Discussion Pretreatment, mostly with clopidogrel, did not show a relationship with either benefit or harm with regard to ischemic and bleeding outcomes in NSTEMI patients.

Prognostic significance of growth differentiation factor-15 across the BMI spectrum in patients with chronic heart failure: Insights from the SUPPORT trial

Abstract Background Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases including heart failure (HF), yet patients with obesity have better outcomes than their leaner counterparts in HF (i.e. the obesity paradox). We sought to investigate whether growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15), an emerging biomarker in HF reflecting inflammation and oxidative stress, is a prognostic indicator across the body mass index (BMI) spectrum in chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods Serum levels of GDF15 and its prognostic significance across BMI were examined in a total of 1,040 Japanese patients with CHF enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of the SUPPORT trial (supplemental benefit of an angiotensin receptor blocker in hypertensive patients with stable heart failure using olmesartan) (mean age 66.0±9.9 years, 26% female). Patients were categorized into four groups: underweight (BMI &amp;lt;18.5 kg/m2; n = 56), normal (BMI 18.5-22.9; n = 304), overweight (BMI 23-24.9; n = 257), and obese (BMI ≥25; n = 423) defined based on the WHO recommendation for Asian-Pacific population. Results The underweight group consisted of older patients with a higher prevalence of NYHA class III and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) compared to obese patients (mean age 69.0 vs 64.7 years, NYHA class III 17.9 vs 5.9%, and mean LVEF 49.3 vs 55.5%; all p&amp;lt;0.05). Median GDF15 level in the underweight group was higher (1,864 pg/mL [IQR 1,070-2,626]) but was similar in overweight and obese groups (1,285 [953, 1772] and 1,220 [888-1,789], respectively) compared to normal BMI group (1,276 [879-2,018]). During follow-up (median 10.3 years), 540 composite events of HF hospitalization or all-cause death occurred. The risk was higher in the underweight group (adjusted HR 1.8, 95%CI [1.3-2.5]) and lower in the obesity group (adjusted HR 0.8 [95% CI 0.6-0.9]) compared to the normal BMI group. An increased GDF15 incurred a consistently higher risk from underweight to obese groups; per unit increase in logGDF15 (pg/mL) was associated with 4.1, 2.4, 1.7 and 2.4 times higher risk, respectively. The optimal cut-off point for discriminating those with and without the composite events was 1,343 pg/mL in overall patients. This cut-off value performed well as a prognostic indicator across the continuous BMI spectrum including those with higher BMI (Figure). Conclusions The prognostic significance of GDF15 persisted across the BMI spectrum in patients with CHF. GDF15 may be useful for providing prognostic information across patients with a diverse range of BMI even in those with modest outcomes.HF events in high GDF15 across BMI

Mathematical software tool that helps clinicians to classify clinicand and spurious alerts in patients with heart failure and cardiac implantable devices

Abstract Introduction Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of cardiovascular hospitalisation in developed countries. More and more HF patients are receiving cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) that collect physiological data that may be used to predict HF decompensations and avoid hospitalisation through early medical interventions. Some CIEDs have a Multiparameter heart failure index (HF-I), which is an algorithm based on the information provided by five sensors (heart sounds, respiration, chest impedance, heart rate and activity level) capable of predicting 34 days before HF decompensation episodes when the reported index is ≥16 (HF-I alert) with a sensitivity of 70%, although with a significant rate of false positive HF diagnosis. Purpose Develop a computational tool to analyse HF-I curve dynamics to find the mathematical variables with the highest predictive accuracy of true clinical events in a tertiary hospital. Methods We developed a computational tool to analyse curves of 71 HF-I alerts in 25 patients with HF who were implanted with an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronisation-defibrillator (CRT-D) between 2017 and 2021, using mathematical software (fig 1). It includes peak, time to peak, area under the curve, increase and decrease slopes, variability and monotony. Alerts (HF-I ≥16) were clinically classified as real HF decompensation (clinical alerts) and false positive HF decompensation (spurious/subclinical alerts). Results Median age of the study group was 68 years, and 60% had non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Median left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) was 29%; 60% had non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Patients with clinical alerts had higher raise slopes 7 days after alert onset (p=0.0055), higher HF-I values 3 days after crossing the alert, higher raise variability and less monotonic curves. Additionally, significant differences were observed in alert duration (p=0.004), HF-I maximum value (p&amp;lt; 0.0001), area under the overall alert curve (p&amp;lt; 0.0001), area under the alert curve at 3 / 7 days (p=0.04/0.002 respectively) and time to maximum peak of the alert (p=0,0032). HF-I value at the 7th day from the alert onset was an early and robust predictor of clinical events (P&amp;lt; 0.0001). A value at day 7 from alert onset ≥ 28 had a 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity for detecting clinical events (fig 2). Conclusion a computational mathematical tool can help to classify true positive clinical alerts versus spurious alerts in patients with a multiparameter heart failure index and CIED.Figure 1.Figure 2.

Effect of dapagliflozin in patients in Asia with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction: insights from DELIVER

Abstract Background A large and growing fraction of the global heart failure (HF) population lives in Asia. One-fifth of participants in the DELIVER (Dapagliflozin Evaluation to Improve the Lives of Patients with Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure) trial were enrolled from Asia, providing a rich source of contemporary data to understand their unique clinical profiles and responses to sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition. Purpose To assess the differences in clinical characteristics, outcomes, and response to dapagliflozin in patients from Asia vs outside Asia among patients with HF with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction in the DELIVER trial. Methods DELIVER was a global randomized clinical trial enrolling across 353 sites in 20 countries. Baseline clinical characteristics from patients enrolled in DELIVER trial were compared between patients in Asia vs outside Asia. The primary outcome was a composite of worsening HF or cardiovascular (CV) death. The effect of dapagliflozin on primary and secondary outcomes were compared in patients in Asia vs outside Asia. Results Among 6,263 participants in the DELIVER trial, 1,226 (19.6%) were enrolled in Asia (310 in China, 422 in Japan, and 318 in Taiwan, and 176 in Vietnam). Compared to patients outside Asia, participants from Asia were similar in age, more likely to be men with previous HF hospitalization, less likely to have obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or history of myocardial infarction, and had lower symptom burden despite similar natriuretic peptide levels (Figure 1). After adjusting for age, sex, and baseline LVEF, those in Asia faced similar risks of HF events but lower risk of mortality compared with those enrolled outside Asia (all-cause mortality Asia vs. outside Asia: HR 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49 – 0.72, Table 1). Within Asia, all-cause mortality was highest in Vietnam (6.8 per 100 person-year [py]), followed by Taiwan (6.7 per 100 py), Japan (3.5 per 100 py) and China (3.3 per 100 py). Dapagliflozin reduced the primary outcome in participants enrolled in Asia (hazard ratio [HR] 0.89, 95% CI 0.67-1.18) and outside Asia (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71 – 0.92) to a similar extend (P-interaction = 0.54, Figure 1). Similarly, region did not modify the treatment effect of dapagliflozin on CV death, HF hospitalization, all-cause death, CV death and recurrent HF events, or changes in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores (P-interaction &amp;gt; 0.30 for all). Serious adverse events and rates of drug discontinuation were also balanced in both treatment arms, irrespective of enrollment in Asia vs. outside Asia. Conclusions In the global DELIVER trial, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of CV death or HF events and was well tolerated both among participants enrolled in Asia and other geographic regions.Figure 1Table 1