HCA Healthcare Research Articles

6453 Cushing Syndrome And Bilateral Adrenal Incidentalomas In A Patient With Mucopolysaccharidosis

Abstract Disclosure: D. John: None. M. Kinaan: None. TITLE Cushing Syndrome & Bilateral Adrenal Incidentalomas in a patient with Mucopolysaccharidosis Affiliation of Authors Dieula John M.D., M.B.A.,a,b Mustafa Kinaan M.D.,a,baEndocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship, UCF HCA Healthcare GME, Orlando, FL. bDepartment of Internal Medicine, UCF College of Medicine, Orlando, FL. This research was supported (in whole or in part) by HCA Healthcare and/or an HCA Healthcare affiliated entity. The views expressed in this publication represent those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of HCA Healthcare or any of its affiliated entities. Introduction: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) is a group of hereditary and incurable storage diseases characterized by a deficiency of enzymes involved in the metabolism of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) at the lysosomal level. MPS are usually inherited in autosomal recessive or x-linked pattern. MPS affects functioning of the cells, tissues and organs where the GAGs products typically accumulate. This can result in neurologic, developmental, and neoplastic issues. While endocrine disturbances in MPS have been reported, the literature on hypercortisolism and adrenal masses in MPS is limited. We present a case of a patient with MPS diagnosed with Cushing Syndrome (CS) as part of evaluation for adrenal incidentalomas. Case Description: A 50 year old male with a medical history of MPS, DVT, and developmental delay presented to our clinic accompanied by his mother for evaluation of adrenal incidentalomas. CT abdomen incidentally showed a left adrenal non-calcified, non-hemorrhagic mass measuring 3.9 x 3.6 cm with a pre-contrast attenuation of 45 Hounsfield units. Delayed washout was not obtained, and washout calculation couldn’t be performed. These radiologic features were suspicious for malignancy. Repeat CT with adrenal protocol showed left adrenal mass measuring 4.5 x 3.9 cm with central necrosis, unenhanced attenuation of 42 HU, and no drop-in attenuation on delayed phase indicating poor absolute and relative washout. There was also a right adrenal mass measuring up to 2.2 cm 54.5% absolute washout and 39.0% relative washout. Biochemical workup showed no pheochromocytoma, hyperaldosteronism, or adrenal hyperandrogenism. However, his dex suppression test was consistent with ACTH-independent CS. The patient was referred to an endocrine surgeon. We anticipate more information to be available based on the pathology of the excised tumor following his urgent surgery. Conclusion: MPS diseases are extremely rare and their effects on the endocrine system in general, and the adrenal gland specifically, is limited. Our case would serve as the first reported case of CS in MPS patient based on our literature search. In addition, we’ll discuss the pathology findings once the tumor is excised and highlight the connection between the adrenal mass and this lysosomal storage disease. Presentation: 6/3/2024

12213 Is Atrial Fibrillation An Adverse Cardiovascular Effect Of Romosozumab

Abstract Disclosure: S. Martinez: None. D. Anez: None. M. Shahid: None. Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease are both common in older populations. Therefore, it is not uncommon to find the two disorders in a single individual and yet it may be difficult to establish whether the diseases are coincident or the result of complex hormonal processes interacting with multiple systems, including possibly sclerostin. Indeed, pre-existent cardiovascular disease predisposes to osteoporotic bone loss and increased fracture risk. To date, a number of studies have linked the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with various osteoporosis treatments while other treatments have demonstrated no associated or a reduced cardiovascular risk. Here we discuss the possibility of romosozumab-induced sudden, new onset atrial fibrillation (a fib) in a 70-year-old female with no known risk factors other than age. A 70-year-old female with a 20-year history of osteoporosis presented to establish care. After 5 years of alendronate therapy, she was switched to denosumab injections, 60 mg every 6 months. During Covid the patient’s physicians closed their office and denosumab therapy was interrupted for approximately 18 months. Therefore, when the patient established care with a new rheumatologist she was started on romosozumab. After 6 months of romosozumab the patient developed new onset atrial fibrillation. The cardiovascular safety of romosozumab, in particular, has been adjudicated in two large trials describing predominantly major cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure and cardiovascular death. In one of those trials, two reports of atrial fibrillation were also included in the adverse events but further details were not available. These increased MACEs prompted a safety warning from the FDA such that use of romosozumab in patients who have experienced a myocardial infarction or stroke within the year prior to its use is contraindicated. Recently atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure were documented in 78-year-old woman who had been receiving romosozumab for three months for the treatment of osteoporosis. Our case represents a second report of a temporal relationship between the initiation of romosozumab and the onset of atrial fibrillation raising the question of a possible cause and effect. Disclaimer: This research was supported (in whole or in part) by HCA Healthcare and/or an HCA Healthcare affiliated entity. The views expressed in this publication represent those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of HCA Healthcare or any of its affiliated entities. Presentation: 6/3/2024

Influence of Metformin Discontinuation on Readmission Rate in Patients With Acute Heart Failure.

The consequences of discontinuing metformin in patients with heart failure have not been determined. Knowing that acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure contributes to substantial increases in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), we proposed a retrospective study to examine whether discontinuing metformin in patients hospitalized with heart failure impacts mortality and readmission rates. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients admitted with a diagnosis of acute heart failure to hospitals in the HCA Healthcare System from 2020 to 2022. Included patients had a prior diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, acute heart failure, and were taking metformin prior to admission. After applying our exclusion criteria, a total of 7740 patients remained. The primary outcomes were 30-, 60-, and 90-day readmission rates and secondary outcomes were mortality and length of stay. Patients who were discharged without a prescription for metformin (NONDIS-MET) were 4.489 (95% CI 3.673-5.488, p < 0.0001) times more likely to have a MACE outcome in 30 days compared to patients who received a discharge order for metformin (DIS-MET). The findings were similar for 60-day and 90-day readmission rates, with NONDIS-MET patients 3.457 (95% CI 2.893-4.131, p < 0.0001) and 2.992 (95% CI 2.534-3.533 p < 0.0001) times more likely to have a MACE outcome than MET patients, respectively. However, when metformin was continued during the patients' hospital stay (CONT-MET) there was no significant association with MACE outcomes, readmission, or mortality rates. We found that diabetic patients admitted with acute heart failure exacerbations had a higher incidence of major adverse cardiac events and were more likely to be readmitted when they were not prescribed metformin after discharge. Our findings agree with prior work showing the cardioprotective effects of metformin; however, continuing metformin during hospital admission did not affect our patients adverse outcomes.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Remdesivir for the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has accounted for more than 1 000 000 deaths in the United States alone. In May 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization to allow the investigational use of intravenous remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized children and adults. Several other agents, such as hydroxychloroquine, dexamethasone, and tocilizumab have been investigated as potential treatment options; however, dexamethasone is currently the only agent that has been proven to reduce mortality in patients who require supplemental oxygen. The purpose of this study was to determine if initiation of remdesivir treatment in patients who presented with early symptoms of COVID-19 (defined as symptom onset < 7 days) had a significant impact on in-patient all-cause mortality compared to initiation of remdesivir treatment in patients who presented with symptom onset of at least 7 days. This ethics-committee-approved, retrospective, multicenter, double-arm study was conducted across 10 facilities in the HCA Healthcare West Florida Division. Adult inpatients age 18 and older with confirmed COVID-19 and administered intravenous remdesivir from May 1, 2020, to July 31, 2020, were included. Exclusion criteria included patients less than 18 years of age, the concomitant use of hydroxychloroquine or tocilizumab for any indication, or an estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 30 milliliters per minute. The primary outcome of this study was in-patient all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included total length of stay, time to discharge, oxygen requirements, and number of ventilator days. A total of 217 patients from facilities in the HCA Healthcare West Florida Division were evaluated for inclusion. The primary outcome of all-cause mortality occurred in 34.9% of patients with symptom onset of fewer than 7 days versus 31.0% of patients with symptom onset of at least 7 days (P = .57). There were no statistical differences found among the secondary outcomes. Time since symptom onset did not result in a statistically significant difference in all-cause mortality in patients who received intravenous remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19.

A Trial of Automated Outbreak Detection to Reduce Hospital Pathogen Spread

BackgroundDetection and containment of hospital outbreaks currently depend on variable and personnel-intensive surveillance methods. Whether automated statistical surveillance for outbreaks of health care–associated pathogens allows earlier containment efforts that would reduce the size of outbreaks is unknown.MethodsWe conducted a cluster-randomized trial in 82 community hospitals within a larger health care system. All hospitals followed an outbreak response protocol when outbreaks were detected by their infection prevention programs. Half of the hospitals additionally used statistical surveillance of microbiology data, which alerted infection prevention programs to outbreaks. Statistical surveillance was also applied to microbiology data from control hospitals without alerting their infection prevention programs. The primary outcome was the number of additional cases occurring after outbreak detection. Analyses assessed differences between the intervention period (July 2019 to January 2022) versus baseline period (February 2017 to January 2019) between randomized groups. A post hoc analysis separately assessed pre–coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and Covid-19 pandemic intervention periods.ResultsReal-time alerts did not significantly reduce the number of additional outbreak cases (intervention period versus baseline: statistical surveillance relative rate [RR]=1.41, control RR=1.81; difference-in-differences, 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40 to 1.52; P=0.46). Comparing only the prepandemic intervention with baseline periods, the statistical outbreak surveillance group was associated with a 64.1% reduction in additional cases (statistical surveillance RR=0.78, control RR=2.19; difference-in-differences, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.99). There was no similarly observed association between the pandemic versus baseline periods (statistical surveillance RR=1.56, control RR=1.66; difference-in-differences, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.46 to 1.92).ConclusionsAutomated detection of hospital outbreaks using statistical surveillance did not reduce overall outbreak size in the context of an ongoing pandemic. (Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04053075. Support for HCA Healthcare’s participation in the study was provided in kind by HCA.)

An Acknowledgement to the HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine's Reviewers and Editors for the Second Half of 2023

An Acknowledgement to the HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine's Reviewers and Editors for the Second Half of 2023

Facts about hospital-insurer contracting.

To use publicly available price transparency data files to establish empirical regularities about hospital-insurer contracting. Retrospective analysis of 10 price transparency data files from HCA Healthcare. Cross-sectional qualitative analysis of 524hospital-insurer contracts across 10 hospitals. We ascertain 4 empirical regularities in these files. First, hospitals contract with many payers, ranging from 35 to 82 across the hospitals in the sample. Second, contract structure varies significantly within and across hospitals: Of the 524 contracts in our sample, the median contract contained 9 contract elements, whereas the mean contract contained 1285 contract elements. Third, most of the contracts in our sample contained multiple contracting methodologies (eg, both fixed fee and percentage of charges). Fourth, these contracts indicated substantial variation for the same service within and across hospitals, validating findings from analyses based on claims data and hospital price transparency files. Hospital-insurer contracts dictate the flow and structure of a significant portion of total health care expenditure in the US. Increased attention by both researchers and policy makers would lead to a greater understanding of this vital-yet understudied-element of the market for hospital services.

Abstract TP110: Strengthening Neurology and Cardiology Care Collaboration: Getting to the Heart of Stroke Initiative

Introduction: The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates 1 in 3 acute ischemic strokes (AIS) are cryptogenic and approximately 1 in 4 survivors will have another event. Identifying the AIS etiology will help define appropriate therapy and lower the likelihood of having another stroke. Over 67% of Black Americans have at least 1 risk factor for AIS and a higher morbidity &amp; mortality compared to any other racial group. To address these gaps, the AHA launched Getting To The Heart Of Stroke in 2022, in conjunction with HCA Healthcare and HCA Healthcare Foundation, to improve the identification of stroke etiology by strengthening neurology &amp; cardiology care collaboration. An overarching goal of this initiative is to improve healthcare disparities by assuring correct data collection of socioeconomic data, assessing barriers to care and addressing social determinants of health. Methods: Using a learning collaborative model, 10 HCA Comprehensive Stroke Centers, along with their clinical and administrative leadership were engaged. Monthly virtual performance improvement consultations are held to discuss actions taken, identify trends between sites, and develop PDSAs (Plan-Do-Study-Act). Their clinical multidisciplinary teams defined custom and existing metrics using Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke to measure the impact of best practice implementation. Results: Gaps include inconsistent identification of stroke etiology, lack of race documentation and lack of standardized social needs assessments. Barriers include a lack of standard triggers for cardiology and neurology consults on cryptogenic stroke and widely variable documentation by hospital. Sites are creating communication points between departments utilizing a multidisciplinary committee of stroke and cardiology team members. Conclusion: Early data suggest the need to establish standardized processes for the identification of cryptogenic stroke. A framework is necessary to build the foundational relationship between neurology &amp; cardiology to positively impact cryptogenic stroke patient care. Over the next 2 years, the initiative will continue to explore an enhanced framework to identify cryptogenic stroke, optimize secondary prevention strategies, and ensure equitable care.

Long-Term Outcomes After Spinal Cord Stimulator Placement in Patients with Pre-procedural Active Opioid Use Versus Patients Who Were Opioid-Naïve

BACKGROUND: Outcome optimization after the placement of a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) is critical. The objective of this study was to determine if an association existed between pre-procedural opioid use (compared to patients who were opioid-naïve) and postoperative long-term outcomes following SCS placement. OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of preprocedural opioid use on long-term outcomes after SCS therapy. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study utilizing a nationwide database. SETTING: Retrospective. METHODS: With the use of data from HCA Healthcare’s national database, a retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze differences in outcomes between opioid-naïve patients and preoperative opioid users who underwent SCS placements. The primary outcome of interest was device explantation at 6 months and 12 months. Secondary outcome measurements included reoperations and readmissions at 6 months and 12 months, as well as operative complications. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to analyze the association of preoperative opioid use with those outcomes. The odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and P values were reported for the independent variables. RESULTS: The final study population consisted of 13,893 patients who underwent SCS placements. In univariate analyses, patients who used opioids preoperatively had higher 6-month (3.6% vs. 2.6%) and one-year removal rates (3.6% vs. 2.8%) (all P &lt; 0.009). On multivariable logistic regression, those using opioids preoperatively had higher odds of removal at 6 months (OR = 1.290, 95% CI 1.05-1.58, P = 0.01) and at one year (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.01-1.50, P = 0.04). There was no difference between patients requiring preoperative opioids and patients who were opioid-naive as far as the odds of 6- or 12-month readmissions were concerned. Compared to the opioid-naive group, patients requiring preoperative opioids had increased odds of reoperation at 6 months (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.02-1.40, P = 0.03). There were no differences in the odds of complications between both cohorts. LIMITATIONS: Opioid use in this study was defined as using opioids preoperatively in the 30 days leading up to surgery. CONCLUSION: Patients requiring preoperative opioids before SCS placements had increased odds of SCS explantation at 6 months and 12 months, as well as increased odds of reoperation at 6 months. KEY WORDS: Spinal cord stimulation, opioid use, opioid use disorder, opioid tolerance, explant, readmission, outcomes

Significance of Chronic Kidney Disease on Morbidity and Mortality in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19.

Patients with comorbid illnesses are at risk for worse outcomes with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19). Our research examined patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to establish whether it remains an independent risk factor for mortality and morbidity in patients with COVID-19. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using an electronic patient database in 2020. An observational dataset from 149 hospitals comprising a United States-based health system (HCA Healthcare) was analyzed. Hospitalized patients (N=11 086), aged 18 and above, with a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction positive result between January 1, 2020, and September 1, 2020, were included in the initial data set.Primary outcomes were in-hospital death or discharge to hospice in patients with COVID-19. Secondary outcomes were individual components of the primary outcome including intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ventilator dependency, development of acute kidney injury (AKI), and in-hospital death. Baseline patient characteristics were recorded, including demographic variables and comorbidities. A total of 11 086 patients were included in the analysis. The study group included patients with CKD (5543 patients). Patients in the control group (5543 patients) were propensity matched for age, race, sex, and ethnicity. The primary outcome of in-hospital death or discharge to hospice was observed in 20.96% of patients with CKD compared to 11.91% of the control group with an odds ratio of 1.58 (confidence interval 1.37-1.80). ICU admission was required for 37.20% of patients in the CKD group and 21.63% of patients in the control group (P < .001). Ventilator dependency was found in 14.41% of patients in the CKD group and 8.59% of patients in the control group (P < .01). Development of AKI was seen in 5.65% of patients in the CKD group and 2.90% of patients in the control group (P < .01). A logistic regression model confirmed an independent association between underlying CKD and in-hospital death or discharge to hospice in patients with COVID-19. Our study confirms an independent association between underlying CKD and poor outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, including in-hospital death or discharge to hospice.

Engaging Chief Medical Officers to Improve Multidisciplinary Rounds.

Multidisciplinary rounds (MDRs), a model of care in which multiple members of the care team, representing different disciplines, come together to discuss the care of a patient in real-time. MDRs are a valuable tool for clinical teams to improve patient length of stay (LOS), reduce healthcare-associated infections, and increase care coordination. HCA Healthcare's data science and performance improvement teams created a data visualization tool called Next-gen Analytics for Treatment and Efficiency (NATE) Tempo to support care teams in managing rounds and barriers. A pilot implementation of MDRs using the NATE Tempo tool was initiated in 10 hospitals, accompanied by a survey for Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of each of the participating hospitals. Implementation of MDRs using the NATE Tempo tool was associated with an average reduction in LOS ratio from 135% to 114% across the 10 hospitals. CMO survey feedback identified areas of improvement related to MDR participation, and incorporation of NATE Tempo. CMO leadership within each facility and the use of the interactive dashboard facilitated the identification of high performers and areas of opportunity for improvement. CMO engagement can help physicians take steps to decrease variation in practice, leading to compliance with best practice guidelines and decreasing the overall LOS in hospitals. The MDR process can support these efforts. Empowering CMOs through the use of the NATE Tempo tool improved engagement. Through the tool, the CMO promotes coordination of patient care throughout the hospital experience and during the post-discharge phase.

2476. Universal detection of healthcare-related bacterial transmissions using de novo assembly with short-read whole genome sequencing

Abstract Background Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is the gold standard for molecular evidence of pathogen transmission. To date, most WGS investigations within healthcare settings have used low cost short-read technologies (e.g., Illumina), aligning reads to a high quality reference genome. However, this relies on either public repositories having closely-related high quality references, which is not guaranteed for arbitrary clinical isolates, or additional long-read sequencing. De novo assembly avoids reliance on references, but the utility of fragmented assemblies of short reads is not well-established in hospital outbreak investigations. Methods 24 clusters of clinical isolates were identified by automated and routine methods at 17 U.S. hospitals and underwent paired-end WGS on Illumina platforms, followed by two parallel analyses. For a reference-free analysis, de novo assembly was performed with Shovill, assemblies were clustered with Mash, core-genome alignments were created with Harvest, and finally single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distances were visualized using the PathoSPOT phylogenomics toolkit to highlight likely transmission events. For a reference-guided analysis, references were selected for each isolate using StrainGST, and SNPs called by read alignment were used to define phylogenomic distances. Finally, conclusions from both analyses were compared. Results 92 bacterial isolates underwent WGS, of which 86 (93%) completed de novo assembly and passed quality control, comprising 10 isolates of Acinetobacter baumanii, 4 of Klebsiella oxytoca, 46 of Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 26 of Staphylococcus aureus. Reference-free analysis with PathoSPOT identified close relatedness consistent with transmission in 13 of 24 clusters (54%), while the reference-guided analysis identified the same in 12 clusters (50%). Overall, 21 clusters (88%) showed concordance between reference-free and reference-guided methods. Cohen’s kappa indicated substantial agreement (0.75; 95% CI, 0.49–1.0). Conclusion De novo assembly of short reads is tenable for WGS investigation of hospital outbreaks, elides the need for reference genomes or long-read sequencing, and compares favorably with SNP calling via read alignment for detecting likely healthcare-related transmissions. Disclosures Laura E. McLean, M.Ed., HCA Healthcare: Stocks/Bonds Susan S. Huang, MD MPH, Medline Industries, Inc: Conducted studies whereby participating nursing homes and hospital patients received cleaning &amp; antiseptic products|Xttrium Laboratories: Conducted studies where participating nursing homes and hospital patients received antiseptic products Yonatan H. Grad, MD, PhD, Day Zero Diagnostics: Board Member|GSK: Advisor/Consultant

FRI205 Splenic Infarct: A Rare Presentation Of Cushing Syndrome

Abstract Disclosure: G. Virella: None. Splenic Infarct: A Rare Presentation of Cushing Syndrome Geover, Virella M.D. 1,2, Carlos Santiago Botero Suarez, M.D.1,2, Alfredo Palomino Abella, M.D. 1,2, Mustafa Kinaan, M.D. 1,2 1) University of Central Florida HCA Healthcare GME, Greater Orlando, Florida2) Department of Internal Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida Disclaimer: This research was supported (in whole or in part) by HCA Healthcare and/or an HCA Healthcare affiliated entity. The views expressed in this publication represent those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of HCA Healthcare or any of its affiliated entities.Introduction Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is associated with a hypercoagulable state leading to increased incidence of thromboembolic events. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is due to an imbalance between activity of pro- and anticoagulant pathways. We report a case of newly diagnosed CS in a patient presenting with acute splenic and inferior vena cava (IVC) infarcts. Case Description A 59-year-old woman with no significant medical history presents with acute left upper quadrant pain. She denied other symptoms. Physical examination was remarkable for tachycardia, left upper quadrant tenderness, and centripetal adiposity with BMI of 19. Labs showed marked leukocytosis (WBC 26 x 109/L) and thrombocytopenia (platelet 96,000 cells/uL). She was also found to be diabetic (HgA1C 12.5%). Abdominal CT imaging showed a wedge-shaped 4.3 x 3.1 x 2.3 cm splenic infarction, peri-splenic abscess, and thrombosis of the left renal and gonadal veins extending into the IVC. Additionally, there was a left adrenal incidentaloma measuring 4.5 x 3.8 x 2.9 cm. MRI of the left adrenal gland was consistent with an adenoma. The right adrenal gland was unremarkable. Screening for pheochromocytoma and hyperaldosteronism was normal. A morning serum cortisol was 33.4 mcg/dL, and ACTH level of &amp;lt; 1.5 pg/mL. An overnight 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test revealed post-dexamethasone cortisol of 4.58 mcg/dL. These findings were consistent with Cushing syndrome secondary to adrenal cause. The patient was initially treated with heparin infusion and underwent a successful thrombectomy of the IVC and gonadal vein. She later underwent a successful laparoscopic left adrenalectomy and splenectomy. Pathology reports confirmed an adrenocortical adenoma. A random post-surgical cortisol was 22.8. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged home with outpatient endocrine follow-up planned to evaluate for hypercortisolism resolution and management of diabetes. Conclusion Cushing Syndrome patients have been shown to have an almost 18-fold higher rate of venous thromboembolism (VTE). This is an often-overlooked complication of hypercortisolism. The pathogenesis is not fully understood but is believed to be related to shortening of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), increased clot lysis time, and glucocorticoid-induced increase in procoagulant factors such as fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and factor VIII. Our case will closely demonstrate the link between hypercortisolism and hypercoagulability. Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

COVID-19 Disease Characterization and Outcomes Comparison in Pediatrics.

It has been reported that children experience less severe COVID-19 symptoms than adults; however, the literature that supports this idea is evolving. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively characterize hospitalized COVID-19-positive pediatric patients with a focus on the assessment of risk factors for poorer outcomes, mortality, and evaluation of interventions utilized and associated clinical outcomes. We conducted a multi-center retrospective chart review of patients 18 years old or younger who were COVID-19 positive and admitted to any US HCA Healthcare Pediatric service line between January 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020. We identified 6081 children across 4 states and included them in our data analysis. Negative Binomial Regression was used to measure the associations between characteristics abstracted from medical records and length of hospital stay. Of the total cohort, 2.7% had at least one comorbidity. The majority of patients were discharged shortly after admission with 93.6% of patients spending less than 48 hours as an inpatient. The mortality rate during the study period was 0.1%. Factors found to be significantly associated with an increased length of stay were time in the intensive care unit (ICU), surgeries, developmental disorders, diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, and type of admission. The results of this cohort show there was a low disease burden at baseline and during hospitalization in pediatric patients positive for COVID-19. However, as the pandemic continues, future studies that further describe COVID-19 in children will be crucial to fully understand the disease course.

One Example of Healthcare Misinformation

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. On June 21st NBC News aired an investigation into HCA Healthcare accusing HCA administration of pressuring doctors, nurses and family to have patients enter hospice care or be discharged (1). Patients entering hospice care can lower inpatient mortality rate and length of stay, increasing profits and bonuses for executives. It works this way — if a patient passes away in a hospital, that death adds to the facility’s inpatient mortality figures. But if that person dies after a transfer to hospice care — even if the patient stays at the same hospital in the same bed — the death doesn’t count toward the facility’s inpatient mortality rate because the patient was technically discharged from the hospital. A reduction in lengthy patient stays is a secondary benefit according to an internal HCA hospital document (1). Under end-of-life care, patients don’t typically live long, so the practice can allow HCA to replace patients that may be costing the facility money because their insurance has run out with those who generate fresh …

Probiotic-Associated Central Venous Catheter Bloodstream Infections Lead to Increased Mortality in the ICU.

To determine the occurrence rate and impact on patient outcomes of probiotic-associated central venous catheter bloodstream infections in the ICU. Retrospective observational cohort study. The cohort was gathered using HCA Healthcare's data warehouse. Adult patients with central venous catheters in the ICU. None. Blood culture data were used to determine whether an infection had occurred with an organism contained in an administered probiotic. Eighty-six probiotic-associated central venous catheter bloodstream infections were identified among the 23,015 patient cohort who received probiotics (0.37%). The number needed to harm was 270. Zero infections were found in the cohort that did not receive probiotics. Patients who contracted a probiotic infection had increased mortality (odds ratio, 2.23; 1.30-3.71; p < 0.01). Powder formulations had an increased rate of infection compared with nonpowder formulations (0.76% vs 0.33%; odds ratio, 2.03; 1.05-3.95; p = 0.04). Probiotic administration is associated with a substantial rate of probiotic-associated bloodstream infection in ICU patients with central venous catheters in place. Probiotic-associated bloodstream infections result in significantly increased mortality. Powder formulations cause bloodstream infections more frequently than nonpowder formulations. In ICU patients with central venous catheters, the risks of probiotic-associated central venous catheter bloodstream infection and death outweigh any potential benefits of probiotic administration.

A scalable approach to democratizing cancer risk stratification: One healthcare system’s approach using a patient-facing digital platform.

10622 Background: Access to genetic testing and risk stratification is primarily gated by referrals from non-genetics providers for patients who meet testing criteria. The majority of Americans seek care at community hospitals that are closer to home; community hospitals are faced with the challenge of how to democratize access to precision oncology and cancer prevention. Research has shown that the establishment of such protocols is challenging, requiring organizational buy-in, capital, resources, and the involvement of multiple levels of clinical and nonclinical stakeholders. Here we highlight Sarah Cannon, the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare, and their programmatic approach to risk stratification using a digital platform offered universally to all patients undergoing screening mammography. Methods: From February to November in 2022, fourteen sites were assessed to have appropriate provider and facility capabilities to support the implement the CARE program. The web-based risk-stratification tool is sent to individuals before standard ambulatory appointments to assess their lifetime risk for breast cancer based on the Tyrer-Cuzick (version 8.0) risk algorithm and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) genetic testing criteria. Testing criteria included hereditary breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers, Lynch syndrome, and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Retrospective data was pulled from patients seen between February 2022 through January 2023. The outcome measures included percentage of individuals who completed the risk-assessment, met genetic testing criteria, pursued germline genetic testing, received a positive germline result, and/or had a breast cancer risk ≥20%. Results: During the 10 months at the 14 community hospitals a total of 25,671 individuals were invited for risk assessment through the CARE program; 19,277 (75.1%) individuals completed assessment. Overall, 5,070 (26.3%) met genetic testing criteria and 1,536 individuals had a ≥20% lifetime risk of breast cancer, for a total of 34% of patients identified as elevated risk. 23.4% (1,187) of those meeting criteria opted to proceed with germline genetic testing. An additional 126 individuals who did not meet criteria pursued genetic testing. Of the 1,313 completed genetic tests, 96 (7%) had positive genetic test results. Fifty-four of 96 (56%) positive results had an impact on medical management and cancer prevention. Conclusions: Sarah Cannon and HCA Healthcare have successfully begun implementing a comprehensive, digital risk stratification program in the community hospital setting to provide standardized access to genomic testing and risk stratification. By identifying patients with an elevated risk for cancer, the potential for increased early cancer detection and precision oncology can be observed in a scalable and sustainable program.

Incidence and Outcomes of Non–Ventilator-Associated Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia in 284 US Hospitals Using Electronic Surveillance Criteria

Non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) is a common and deadly hospital-acquired infection. However, inconsistent surveillance methods and unclear estimates of attributable mortality challenge prevention. To estimate the incidence, variability, outcomes, and population attributable mortality of NV-HAP. This cohort study retrospectively applied clinical surveillance criteria for NV-HAP to electronic health record data from 284 US hospitals. Adult patients admitted to the Veterans Health Administration hospital from 2015 to 2020 and HCA Healthcare hospitals from 2018 to 2020 were included. The medical records of 250 patients who met the surveillance criteria were reviewed for accuracy. NV-HAP, defined as sustained deterioration in oxygenation for 2 or more days in a patient who was not ventilated concurrent with abnormal temperature or white blood cell count, performance of chest imaging, and 3 or more days of new antibiotics. NV-HAP incidence, length-of-stay, and crude inpatient mortality. Attributable inpatient mortality by 60 days follow-up was estimated using inverse probability weighting, accounting for both baseline and time-varying confounding. Among 6 022 185 hospitalizations (median [IQR] age, 66 [54-75] years; 1 829 475 [26.1%] female), there were 32 797 NV-HAP events (0.55 per 100 admissions [95% CI, 0.54-0.55] per 100 admissions and 0.96 per 1000 patient-days [95% CI, 0.95-0.97] per 1000 patient-days). Patients with NV-HAP had multiple comorbidities (median [IQR], 6 [4-7]), including congestive heart failure (9680 [29.5%]), neurologic conditions (8255 [25.2%]), chronic lung disease (6439 [19.6%]), and cancer (5,467 [16.7%]); 24 568 cases (74.9%) occurred outside intensive care units. Crude inpatient mortality was 22.4% (7361 of 32 797) for NV-HAP vs 1.9% (115 530 of 6 022 185) for all hospitalizations; 12 449 (8.0%) were discharged to hospice. Median [IQR] length-of-stay was 16 (11-26) days vs 4 (3-6) days. On medical record review, pneumonia was confirmed by reviewers or bedside clinicians in 202 of 250 patients (81%). It was estimated that NV-HAP accounted for 7.3% (95% CI, 7.1%-7.5%) of all hospital deaths (total hospital population inpatient death risk of 1.87% with NV-HAP events included vs 1.73% with NV-HAP events excluded; risk ratio, 0.927; 95% CI, 0.925-0.929). In this cohort study, NV-HAP, which was defined using electronic surveillance criteria, was present in approximately 1 in 200 hospitalizations, of whom 1 in 5 died in the hospital. NV-HAP may account for up to 7% of all hospital deaths. These findings underscore the need to systematically monitor NV-HAP, define best practices for prevention, and track their impact.

The impact of surgical volume on hospital ranking using the standardized infection ratio

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require hospitals to report on quality metrics which are used to financially penalize those that perform in the lowest quartile. Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a critical component of the quality metrics that target healthcare-associated infections. However, the accuracy of such hospital profiling is highly affected by small surgical volumes which lead to a large amount of uncertainty in estimating standardized hospital-specific infection rates. Currently, hospitals with less than one expected SSI are excluded from rankings, but the effectiveness of this exclusion criterion is unknown. Tools that can quantify the classification accuracy and can determine the minimal surgical volume required for a desired level of accuracy are lacking. We investigate the effect of surgical volume on the accuracy of identifying poorly performing hospitals based on the standardized infection ratio and develop simulation-based algorithms for quantifying the classification accuracy. We apply our proposed method to data from HCA Healthcare (2014–2016) on SSIs in colon surgery patients. We estimate that for a procedure like colon surgery with an overall SSI rate of 3%, to rank hospitals in the HCA colon SSI dataset, hospitals that perform less than 200 procedures have a greater than 10% chance of being incorrectly assigned to the worst performing quartile. Minimum surgical volumes and predicted events criteria are required to make evaluating hospitals reliable, and these criteria vary by overall prevalence and between-hospital variability.

Ischemic Stroke and TIA in a Cohort of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: A Single Center Cross Sectional Study (P6-5.004)

<h3>Objective:</h3> To identify risk factors for ischemic stroke and TIA in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). <h3>Background:</h3> ACHD are at high risk for ischemic stroke, but specific risk factors within this population are not well characterized. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> We reviewed medical records of patients evaluated in an ACHD clinic who underwent brain MRI for any reason between 8/1/1995 and 3/1/2022. We excluded patients with intracerebral, subarachnoid, or subdural hemorrhage or cerebral venous thrombosis. We collected phenotypic data including cardiac diagnoses, comorbidities, and medications. We compared characteristics in patients with and without ischemic stroke and TIA (IS/TIA) in univariable analysis. <h3>Results:</h3> Among 5740 available patient records, we identified 156 patients (median age 34 years; 61% White, 10% Black, 4% Asian, 23% Other/unknown) who underwent brain MRI, of whom 40 (26%) had IS/TIA (28 with IS, 12 with TIA). Anatomical subtypes included single ventricle/Eisenmenger’s (12%), mechanical valve (4%), right-sided heart disease or conotruncal abnormality (56%) and left sided heart disease (28%). There were no significant differences in age, sex, or race/ethnicity between those with and without IS/TIA. Proportions of hypertension and migraine also did not differ between groups. Individuals with IS/TIA had lower oxygen saturation (94% vs 97%, p=0.01), higher proportion of moderate or greater ventricular dysfunction (p=0.04), higher proportion of supraventricular tachycardia (0.04), and higher proportion of NYHA class ≥ 2 (0.004). The distribution of cardiac anatomical subtypes did not differ significantly between those with and without IS/TIA. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Among patients with ACHD who underwent brain MRI, IS/TIA was associated with cyanosis, ventricular dysfunction, supraventricular tachycardia, and lower functional class, but not anatomic subtype. Future studies are required to define optimum stroke prevention protocols in this complex population. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Mammadli has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kochav has nothing to disclose. Mrs. Argenio has nothing to disclose. Mrs. Sariyeva has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bilski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ibeh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Willey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Edwards Scientific. Dr. Willey has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for RECARDIO. Dr. Willey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Abbott. Dr. Willey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Willey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Uptodate. Dr. Willey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Review chapter author, MKSAP 16-20 with American College of Physicians. Dr. Rosenbaum has stock in Amgen. Dr. Rosenbaum has stock in Ascendis Pharma. Dr. Rosenbaum has stock in Regeneron. Dr. Rosenbaum has stock in CRISPR Therapeutics. Dr. Rosenbaum has stock in HCA Healthcare. The institution of Dr. Rosenbaum has received research support from Janssen Research Pharma. Matthew Lewis has nothing to disclose. Dr. Miller has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Elsevier. Dr. Miller has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Expert Witness for Argionis and Associates LLC. The institution of Dr. Miller has received research support from National Institutes of Health.