Lab Draws Research Articles

Establishing a plan to improve pediatric patient comfort during PIV insertions and blood specimen collection: a quality improvement effort.

Patient comfort during peripheral intravenous (PIV) insertion and specimen collection was increased. The authors extended the contingency plan implemented for PICC insertion to include PIV insertion and specimen collection. The authors met their goals by using quality improvement methodology. Prioritizing patient comfort often requires institutional culture change. Needle procedures can cause pain and distress, especially in pediatric patients.1 Retrospective data collected at a freestanding pediatric facility revealed that approximately 30% of pediatric patients were not demonstrating sufficient levels of comfort during peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheter insertion and specimen collection (lab draws) even after successful implementation of comfort measures by the vascular access team (VAT) in an adjacent procedure (eg peripherally inserted central catheter placement). The current quality improvement project was implemented to support adaptation and expansion of previous lessons learned to PIVs and lab draws specifically. The VAT used the Pediatric Sedation State Scale,2 a standardized assessment tool integrated into the electronic medical record, to assess procedural comfort during PIVs and lab draws from February 2021 through April 2023. A total of 24 134 patients aged 0 to 18 years were included in the data collection. Interventions were delivered concurrently and included (1) reeducation/ongoing support for implementation of the Comfort Promise3 measures, (2) the creation and implementation of advanced comfort options, and (3) culture change. The goal of the interventions was to improve the percentage of pediatric patients achieving adequate levels of comfort beginning at 68% in year 1 to 90% in year 2. From February 2021 to April 2023, the VAT team was able to improve procedural comfort scores from 68% to 90% of pediatric patients with adequate comfort for lab draws and/or PIV insertions. While standard comfort measures are a good first step in pain management during needle procedures, they are not sufficient for every pediatric patient. Nitrous, sedation, and the use of anxiolytics and analgesics can play an important role in reducing pain and anxiety during needle procedures and should be considered for patients not achieving adequate levels of comfort with standard comfort measures.

Establishing a Plan to Improve Pediatric Patient Comfort during PIV Insertions and Blood Specimen Collection: A Quality Improvement Effort

Highlights Patient comfort during peripheral intravenous (PIV) insertion and specimen collection was increased. The authors extended the contingency plan implemented for PICC insertion to include PIV insertion and specimen collection. The authors met their goals by using quality improvement methodology. Prioritizing patient comfort often requires institutional culture change. Abstract Background: Needle procedures can cause pain and distress, especially in pediatric patients.1 Retrospective data collected at a freestanding pediatric facility revealed that approximately 30% of pediatric patients were not demonstrating sufficient levels of comfort during peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheter insertion and specimen collection (lab draws) even after successful implementation of comfort measures by the vascular access team (VAT) in an adjacent procedure (i.e., peripherally inserted central catheter placement). The current quality improvement project was implemented to support adaptation and expansion of previous lessons learned to PIVs and lab draws specifically. Design and Methods: The VAT used the Pediatric Sedation State Scale,2 a standardized assessment tool integrated into the electronic medical record, to assess procedural comfort during PIVs and lab draws from February 2021 through April 2023. A total of 24,134 patients aged 0 to 18 years were included in the data collection. Interventions were delivered concurrently and included (1) reeducation/ongoing support for implementation of the Comfort Promise3 measures, (2) the creation and implementation of advanced comfort options, and (3) culture change. Aims and Objectives: The goal of the interventions was to improve the percentage of pediatric patients achieving adequate levels of comfort beginning at 68% in year 1 to 90% in year 2. Results: From February 2021 to April 2023, the VAT team was able to improve procedural comfort scores from 68% to 90% of pediatric patients with adequate comfort for lab draws and/or PIV insertions. Conclusions: While standard comfort measures are a good first step in pain management during needle procedures, they are not sufficient for every pediatric patient. Nitrous, sedation, and the use of anxiolytics and analgesics can play an important role in reducing pain and anxiety during needle procedures and should be considered for patients not achieving adequate levels of comfort with standard comfort measures.

Creating Creatinine: How to Pass a Urine Drug Test

Here we report on a patient that consumed recreational drugs, successfully passing a urine drug screen (UDS) by consuming a marketed detoxification product. After some exploration of the product consumed, there proved to be a viable mechanism by which the UDS outcome can be manipulated. The UDS relies on urine meeting specific concentration criteria to validate the sample. Dilute samples may mask the tested drugs as they fall below a concentration threshold for detection. Common UDS require a specific gravity with a reference range of 1.003-1.035 and a urine creatinine concentration above 20 mg/dL. Participants are told not to drink fluid for 4-5-hours pre-test to allow urine to concentrate above these thresholds. The 21-year-old female we describe along with each UDS had lab drawings on two separate occasions in which both measurements revealed elevated serum creatinines of 1.8 mg/dL. She had ingested QCarbo Maximum Strength Same-Day Cleansing Formula™, a marketed detoxification product, the day prior to the lab draws. The product recommended that the consumer ingest a large volume of water to “flush” the drugs from the body. This resulted in dilution of her urine to cause the drug levels to fall below the detectable range, while still exceeding the urine creatinine concentration to provide a valid test. Although she was unaware that this product increased both serum and urine creatinine, this proved successful. She passed the test and was awarded the position.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Overall Survival in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Comprehensive Cancer Center Experience of 627 Patients

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted cancer care nationwide. Challenges with frequent clinic visits for lab draws, administration of multi-agent chemotherapy regimens, and scarcity of supportive blood products disrupted effective health care delivery. The magnitude of these factors on the survival of patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during the pandemic is incompletely described. Methods: We included 627 patients aged ≥18 years with AML treated at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2022; we recorded baseline demographics, molecular profiles, induction regimens, and survival data. We defined the pandemic era as March 7, 2020 (coinciding with the first confirmed case in our region) to July 1, 2021 (routine and widespread vaccination available). Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. ECOG and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores were compared using the Mann-Whitney test; we used the D'Agostino & Pearson method for normality testing. Results: The median age of patients who received intensive chemotherapy (7+3, CPX-351, FLAG-IDA, MEC, or HAM) in the COVID-19 pandemic cohort was 60 years (range, 28.5-69.6) vs 58 years (range, 19.6-81.4) for the non-COVID-19 cohort (p = 0.932). The median ECOG performance status in both cohorts was 1 (range, 0-4, p = 0.658). The median Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score for patients for both groups was 4 (range, 0-9 vs 2-9, p = 0.909). Patients who were initiated on lower-intensity therapies (e.g., a hypomethylating agent with or without venetoclax) during the COVID-19 pandemic had a median age of 75 (range, 61.9-85.1) years vs 73 (range, 26.1-92.0) years in the non-COVID-19 cohort (p=0.438). The median ECOG performance status for the COVID-19 cohort was 2 (range, 0-3) vs 1 (range, 0-4) for the non-COVID-19 cohort (p=0.005). CCI score for both groups was 6 (range, 4-12 vs 2-14, p=0.789). We then compared the mOS between the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 eras for both intensive and non-intensive treatment cohorts. For patients treated with intensive chemotherapy during the pandemic, the mOS was 25.1 months in the COVID-19 cohort vs 18.0 months (p = 0.173) in the non-COVID-19 cohort. For patients treated with non-intensive regimens, mOS was 6.6 months in the COVID-19 cohort vs 6.0 months in the non-COVID-19 cohort (p = 0.963). Patients with relapsed disease who were retreated with intensive chemotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic had a mOS of 6.5 months compared to 8.2 months (p = 0.094) in the non-COVID-19 cohort. Relapsed patients in the lower-intensity COVID-19 cohort had a significantly shorter mOS of 1.8 months compared to 5.2 months in the non-COVID-19 cohort (p = 0.005). Regardless of therapy, the mOS was shorter in the COVID-19 cohort at 11.0 months compared to 13.4 months in the non-COVID-19 cohort (p = 0.191). Relapsed or refractory patients in the COVID-19 cohort had significantly shorter mOS at 5.8 months compared to 8.0 months in the non-COVID-19 cohort (p = 0.019). Discussion: The median overall survival appears shorter for patients diagnosed with AML during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with relapsed or refractory AML appeared to have significantly worse overall survival during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with lower-intensity therapies. Patients treated with less-intensive regimens are generally older with increased frailty, raising concern for lack of physiologic reserve. These results convey a lesson in preparation for future healthcare crises.

Methotrexate Monitoring in Dermatology: A Follow-Up Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction: There have been no large-scale studies looking at the efficacy and safety of methotrexate. Prior research by our team investigated whether certain monitoring practices were associated with lab abnormalities resulting in clinically relevant events (CREs) within the first 90 days of methotrexate treatment and concluded that dermatologists may consider postponing lab monitoring until 15 days after methotrexate initiation in patients without concerning baseline disease. This follow-up study was performed to determine when within the first 90 days of treatment CREs were most likely to occur and to define the specific numeric values at which abnormal labs resulted in a CRE.
 Methods: The medical records of 243 dermatology patients were retrospectively reviewed.
 Results: Week 11 had the highest percentage of CREs (11.1%, p=0.00003), with slight peaks at weeks 2 and 5. ALT (22%) and AST (27%) were the most commonly abnormal labs, and elevated ALT (p=0.00087) and AST (p=0.03) values were significantly higher in CREs.
 Discussion: This data suggests that lab frequency can be reduced within the first few months; optimal timing of lab draws may be around weeks 2-5 and 11-12. In summary, we found that 1) abnormal labs most frequently led to a CRE at week 11 of monitoring, 2) ALT and AST were the most frequently abnormal labs, and 3) abnormal ALT and AST values were significantly higher in patients with CREs. This study provides valuable insight into an understudied dermatologic topic and hopefully will inform clinicians regarding methotrexate laboratory monitoring and spur further investigation.

Oncology Care at Home: A Patient-Centered Approach to Managing Care for Bone Marrow Transplant and CAR-T Cell Therapy Patients

Introduction. More than half of patients with cancer who receive cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or immunotherapies experience deleterious side effects such as febrile neutropenia, infection, neurotoxicity, and cytokine release syndrome. Early intervention and treatment for these side effects can help avoid complications and improve outcomes, but delays in treatment administration are common as most outpatient management approaches depend on patient self-assessment and patient-initiated pursuit of follow-up care. Remote patient monitoring through digital health technologies offers the opportunity to bridge this gap without imposing undue burden on either patients or healthcare providers. This feasibility study assessed the results of a technology-assisted in-home oncology care program to remotely monitor bone marrow transplant and CAR T-cell therapy patients and provide early intervention for symptomatic episodes needing clinical management. The program also offered support for patients to obtain routine lab draws, hydration, antiemetics, intravenous antibiotics, and a provider assessment at home. Technical and operational feasibility were evaluated together with perceived user experience among patients, caregivers, and providers. Methods. Ten patients between 18-89 years old participated in the study for up to 90 days following allogeneic bone marrow transplant and up to 30 days following CAR T-cell therapy or autologous bone marrow transplant. Patients used continuous-wear biometric sensors for passive vital sign monitoring around the clock seven days per week and engaged with a chatbot by SMS text for health status checks and symptom reporting. Scheduled home care was administered by licensed home health providers. Virtual care center personnel evaluated patient status based on wearable data and patient messaging and followed up directly with patients or engaged patients' treating clinicians for notification and management of urgent issues as needed. Patients and caregivers were asked to complete surveys about their experience with and perceptions of the program at midpoint and study completion, while providers were asked to complete end-of-study surveys to capture their perspectives across all patients. Patients were also asked to participate in brief interviews at study midpoint and at the end of the study. Interim Results. Eighty percent of patients participated in the program as intended through wearing devices and responding to engagement prompts. Wearable sensors detected a total of 184 outpatient alerts from patients between April and July 2023, of which 57 led to follow up with patients, 12 required further follow up with the clinical care team, and 5 required follow up care in a clinical setting due to elevated temperature or respiratory rate. Sixty percent of patients responded more than 50% of the time to requested health assessment surveys. Patient engagement with the chatbot and symptom reporting system led to 48 events needing virtual care team follow up, of which 20 were to answer patient questions and 28 were in response to reports of concerning symptoms. A total of 11 events were further referred by the virtual care team to the clinical care team, of which 5 required follow up care in a clinical setting. Study data collection will complete in August 2023. Initial Conclusions. Technology-assisted remote patient monitoring is feasible for use with bone marrow transplant and CAR T-cell therapy patients at home. Successful integration with clinical practice settings requires tailoring to existing workflows. Further assessment of patient acceptance for short-term versus long-term monitoring is recommended.

Reducing time toxicity: Impact of a fast-track infusion pathway on overall wait-times and patient satisfaction at a large safety-net health system.

386 Background: Time toxicity is an emerging concept focusing on the impact of cancer care beyond traditionally measured outcomes: the time spent towards receiving care. Although the inherent complexity of cancer care can pose a challenge to improve time toxicity, addressing system and workflow inefficiencies through process improvement is an effective mitigation strategy. Here we present the impact of a fast-track infusion pathway on the wait-times and patient satisfaction at a large safety-net system. Methods: Parkland Health (PH) is the safety-net system for Dallas County, TX. The PH oncology infusion center supports cancer disciplines and other subspecialties. Factors such as timely patient arrivals, preference for coupled visits and same-day lab draws, and heterogeneity of treatments (medicine specialties vs. oncology) significantly impact wait times. In July 2022, a multidisciplinary team was formed to reduce wait times at the infusion center, including members who had previously participated in the ASCO Quality Training Program (QTP). This report is focused on developing a fast-track pathway for patients with injections or <30-minute infusions. Patients with coupled appointments and same-day lab draws were eligible for fast-track. Wait times were calculated from the time patients were checked in at the front desk to the first medication administered. A dedicated team (RN and MA) and separate waiting areas/infusion bays were designated for fast-track patients. Fast-track patients were surveyed for satisfaction. Results: Baseline infusion volume for the 3 months prior to fast-track implementation was 106 patients per day with average wait time of 167 minutes. In the seven-month period after fast-track implementation, average daily fast-track and main infusion center combined volume was 115. The first PDSA cycle was focused on improving workflows and communication with pharmacy. In the second PDSA cycle, the fast-track infusions were moved to another area to infusion chairs to better patient flow. In May 2023, average volumes and wait times for fast-track and main infusion were 28/80 minutes and 87/107 minutes, respectively. This represents a 40% decrease in wait time for fast-track and 36% for main infusion. In our survey, 89% of fast-track patients reported their wait time to be shorter and 92% rated their experience good or excellent. Conclusions: Implementing and optimizing a separate process for short treatments reduced the wait times for both the short infusions (fast-track) as well as long infusions (main infusion) without a need for additional staff, infusion chairs, or space. The observed decrease in main infusion wait-time is likely the result of decongestion of their process by moving some of the volume to fast-track. We hope to further decrease our wait-times through additional PDSA cycles and leveraging process improvement methodology.

Implementing a Pediatric Resident Physician/Bedside Nurse Shadow Program to Improve Interprofessional Collaboration and Understanding, and to Transform Practice

INTRODUCTION Resident physician/nurse collaboration is essential for patient safety and optimal clinical outcomes. Interprofessional shadowing experiences can facilitate understanding of team roles; however, enhanced understanding may not transform individual practices leading to workplace improvement. This educational innovation utilized a resident/nurse shadow program to raise awareness of interprofessional roles and as a needs assessment to identify and educate about specific system-wide standards that can lead residents to transform their practices to improve nurse workflow. METHODS From 2018-2020, 44 first-year pediatric residents at a free-standing children’s hospital shadowed nine nurse preceptors. Each nurse received an orientation and checklist of topics to cover. Residents observed nursing responsibilities including admissions, line placement and medication administration. All participants completed pre-post surveys. RESULTS Post-surveys demonstrated a statistically significant improvement (p<.00001) in Likert scores of residents’ self-rated understanding of nursing cares and workflow. The experience uncovered three system-wide scheduling standards where resident modification of ordering practices could optimize nursing workflow: timing of morning lab draws, new medication administration, and delivery of dietary formula. The shadow program was modified to include education in these three areas and participants had statistically significant (p<.01) increased knowledge of timing of morning labs and new medication administration (35% and 39% improvement, respectively). Nurse understanding of resident workflow was not measured due to limited data.DISCUSSION A resident/nurse shadow program successfully improved resident awareness of nursing roles and was an innovative way to identify specific areas of workflow improvement. Program modifications are required to create a true, bidirectional, resident/nurse interprofessional shadow experience.

Antibiotic choice for Group B Streptococcus prophylaxis in mothers with reported penicillin allergy and associated newborn outcomes

ObjectiveTo evaluate the choice of antibiotic used for intrapartum Group B Streptococcus (GBS) prophylaxis in pregnant individuals with reported penicillin allergies compared to those without reported penicillin allergies and investigate whether there are associated differences in neonatal outcomes.Study DesignThis retrospective cohort study included mother-infant dyads of GBS positive pregnant individuals who labored and delivered newborns ≥ 35 weeks of gestation at a high-volume urban hospital (2005–2018). The type of antibiotic administered to the mothers for GBS prophylaxis (beta-lactam prophylaxis defined as penicillin-class drug or cefazolin; alternative prophylaxis defined as vancomycin or clindamycin) was compared between those with a penicillin allergy documented in their medical record versus those who did not. Neonatal outcomes included number of postnatal blood draws, antibiotic administration, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, bacteremia, and hospital length of stay and were compared between groups. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were performed.ResultsOf 11,334 mother-infant pairs, 1170 (10.3%) mothers had a penicillin allergy documented in their medical record. Of them, 49 (4.2%) received a penicillin, 259 (22.1%) received cefazolin, 449 (38.4%) received clindamycin, and 413 (35.3%) received vancomycin. Patients with a reported penicillin allergy were significantly more likely to receive alternative GBS prophylaxis compared to those without penicillin allergy (73.7% vs. 0.2%, p < 0.01). Neonates of patients who received alternative GBS prophylaxis were significantly more likely to undergo a postnatal lab draw compared to neonates of patients who received beta-lactam antibiotics (20.8% vs. 17.3%, OR 1.25 (95% CI 1.08–1.46)). This significant association persisted after adjusting for potential confounders (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.06–1.43). There were no other significant differences seen in other newborn outcomes.ConclusionPregnant individuals who report a penicillin allergy were more likely to receive alternative antibiotics for GBS prophylaxis compared to those without a penicillin allergy. This was associated with an increased frequency of postnatal blood draws among neonates of mothers with a reported penicillin allergy.Brief summaryAdministration of alternative intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis with vancomycin or clindamycin is common in individuals with self-reported penicillin allergy, and maternal alternative antibiotic administration may impact neonatal care, particularly via increased lab draws.

Safety and Feasibility Assessment of a Pharmacy-Driven AUC/MIC Vancomycin Dosing Protocol in a Multicenter Hospital System.

Vancomycin is used for Gram-positive infections, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The 2020 vancomycin guidelines described by M. J. Rybak, J. Le, T. P. Lodise, D. P. Levine, et al. (Am J Health Syst Pharm 77:835-864, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxaa036) provided an update on vancomycin dosing, which recommended an optimal area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h to MIC (AUC/MIC) target of 400 to 600. In 2021, a pharmacy-driven AUC/MIC vancomycin dosing protocol was implemented across 12 Sentara Health System hospitals. The primary objective of this study was to assess if the pharmacy-driven AUC/MIC vancomycin dosing protocol led to fewer acute kidney injury (AKI) events than trough-based dosing. Secondary objectives included vancomycin duration, hospital length of stay, administered vancomycin dose during admission, vancomycin labs drawn during standard lab times, and cost. AKI was assessed in two separate ways: (i) modified AKIN (Acute Kidney Injury Network) criteria and (ii) a modified version from the vancomycin guidelines. Inferential statistics were used to analyze the results of this retrospective study. Per the AKIN definition, the rates of AKI were 13.9% (349/2,507) in the trough-based group and 14.9% (369/2,471) in the AUC/MIC-based group (P = 0.309). Per the definition of the vancomycin guidelines, the rates of AKI were 6.7% (169/2,507) in the trough-based group and 7.6% (187/2,471) in the AUC/MIC-based group (P = 0.258). A total of 52% (2,679/5,151) of vancomycin labs were obtained during standard lab times in the AUC group and 24% (1,144/4,766) in the trough group (P < 0.05). There was no difference in AKI events between AUC and trough dosing. Use of contrast dye may confound these results. AUC/MIC dosing was associated with more lab draws during standard times, a larger number of labs drawn per person, and less total use of vancomycin. IMPORTANCE In this article, we report that there were no differences in rates of acute kidney injury between trough-based vancomycin dosing and AUC/MIC-based vancomycin dosing across 12 hospitals. AUC/MIC dosing resulted in more vancomycin lab draws during standard lab draw times compared to trough dosing, thus making it more convenient for health care personnel. This study includes all uses for vancomycin, including empirical use, and all patient severity levels. Therefore, this research reflects real-world use of vancomycin in hospitals. AUC/MIC dosing is supported by various infectious disease societies. However, the feasibility of incorporating AUC/MIC dosing in hospitals is undetermined. This study is unique in that it includes hospitals of various sizes (small community hospitals and an academic teaching hospital), and it includes a feasibility component. Therefore, this study has broad applicability to other hospitals across the United States. This original research includes the clinical application of vancomycin in a multicenter health system.

Hospital at Home in an oncology setting: Updated analysis.

257 Background: Hospitalization at Home (HaH) is an emerging clinical model that delivers the essential elements of acute hospital-level care in the home and has demonstrated efficacy largely for inpatient medical conditions. Few programs have implemented HaH for patients with active cancer diagnoses. There is little data evaluating the impact of HaH on cancer outcomes, patient experience or cost effectiveness. In 2019, the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) expanded its HaH program to include oncology patients. Here, we describe our institution’s experience of HaH in oncology as we continue to increase enrollment. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review for solid tumor, myeloma and lymphoma patients at MSHS from August 2019 to April 2022 enrolled in HaH. Our updated analysis includes additional patients from what was previously presented at ASCO Annual Meeting June 2022. Patient eligibility for HaH required meeting established institutional HaH admission criteria. Demographics, cancer diagnosis, social situation, indication for antecedent ED or inpatient stay, and HaH admission were extracted from the electronic medical record. Our primary endpoint was rate of successful HaH admission, with success defined as discharge from HaH for complete recovery from the acute condition or transition to hospice. We also evaluated patient social support and home resources. Results: We enrolled 27 patients with multiple myeloma (n = 13), lymphoma (n = 1), and solid tumor (n = 13), which is an additional 8 patients from the data presented prior. Sixty-three percent (n = 17) were male, 67% (n = 18) were age 65 or older, and 33% (n = 9) were white. Patients were enrolled in HaH either from an inpatient service (n = 21) or from the emergency room (n = 6). While on the inpatient service, 12 of the 21 patients had received chemotherapy. Post-chemotherapy monitoring was the primary reason for HaH admission. Successful HaH admissions occurred for 85% (n = 23) of patients. The mean duration of HaH admission was 5.6 days (range 1-13 days). Four patients opted to re-enroll in HaH planned care at a later point. There were no significant issues with provider home visits, access, medication delivery, lab draws, or social support. Conclusions: The MSHS Oncology HaH program successfully cared for 85% of our cohort demonstrating the functionality of expanding the program to patients with cancer. We continue to increase enrollment and develop clinical pathways available on hospital at home for our oncology patients.

In-person follow-up visit attendance after telemedicine visits.

Although Coronavirus disease 2019 rapidly increased the use of telemedicine for pediatric primary care, vaccinations, screening tests, lab draws, and other procedures still require follow-up in-person visits. We investigated in-person follow-up rates after telemedicine visits at our primary care clinic, and what patient or visit characteristics were associated with non-completion of in-person follow-up. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of telemedicine visits completed between April and May 2020. A manual chart review was performed to determine which encounters required a follow-up in-person visit; and was tracked through August 2020. Bivariate comparisons were performed according to completion of in-person follow-up and multivariable analysis of follow-up visit attendance was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Of 500 eligible encounters, 16% did not attend at least one in-person follow-up. The median time for follow-up was 2 days (IQR: 1, 6). Patients older than 1 year of age (32%, p= <0.001) and with Medicaid insurance (83%, p=0.019) were more likely to not complete a follow-up visit. The likelihood of completion was higher for Hispanic as compared to non-Hispanic Black patients (HR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.28, 2.12; p<0.001) and patients requiring routine screening (HR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.89; p=0.028). Not all required in-person follow-ups were completed after telemedicine visits, which could have negative impacts on children's health. Improving the transition between telemedicine and inperson follow-up of primary care can help ensure the quality of care provided in a telemedicine-first model.

Reducing central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) through patient accountability contracts: A pilot project for patients on Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) bone marrow transplant (BMT) service.

283 Background: Patients with cancer whom develop Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSIs) have increased mortality rates ranging from 12% to 40%. Transplant patients are particularly at risk due to cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens and/or graft-versus-host disease with risk for translocation of oral and gut flora to the bloodstream. At Weill Cornell Medicine, we had 102 CLABSIs in 2021, 25 (25%) of which attributed to patients in oncology units. The Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Unit, had 10 of the 25 (40%), 2.05 CLABSIs per 1000 central line inpatient days with a CLABSI standardized infection ratio (SIR) of 1.26 (above goal of 1). Methods: Our SMART aim was to reduce the number and rate of CLABSI events on the BMT unit by 10% from February 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022 by educating patients on preventive strategies and implementing a patient central-line maintenance “contract.” We had previously optimized evidence-based nursing interventions for CLABSI prevention which included adherence to central line maintenance best practices, weekly device rounds with Infection, Protection &amp; Control to monitor compliance with dressing changes and IV tubing, annual CLABSI prevention competencies, peer-to-peer validation of blood culture lab draws, weekly quality-improvement huddles and interdisciplinary root cause analysis discussions for CLABSI events. Patient noncompliance with daily recommendations for central line care was identified as a possible CLABSI risk factor that was not previously addressed in the bundle. Newly-developed patient education and a “contract” was incorporated into the BMT admission process. Results: The BMT CLABSI patient education and contract was initiated with all new patients admitted to unit in February 1, 2022. Since starting, the BMT unit CLABSI SIR has decreased from 1.26 to 0.6, and from a CLABSI rate per 1000 central lines days of 2.05 to 0.97. Conclusions: Engaging patients in their own care of the central lines can significantly reduce overall risk of central line infections. Patients have positively responded to this pilot project. We have translated educational materials and contracts to other languages and are considering expansion into other units.

The promising use of hospital at home in an oncology setting.

1523 Background: Hospitalization at Home (HaH) is an emerging clinical model that delivers the essential elements of acute hospital-level care in the home and has demonstrated efficacy largely for inpatient medical conditions. Few programs have implemented HaH for patients with active cancer diagnoses. There is little data evaluating the impact of HaH on cancer outcomes, patient experience or cost effectiveness. In 2019, the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) expanded its HaH program to include oncology patients. Here, we describe our institution’s experience of HaH in oncology. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review for solid tumor, myeloma and lymphoma patients at MSHS from August 2019 to November 2021 enrolled in HaH. Patient eligibility for HaH required meeting established institutional HaH admission criteria. Demographics, cancer diagnosis, social situation, indication for antecedent ED or inpatient stay, and HaH admission were extracted from the electronic medical record. Our primary endpoint was rate of successful HaH admission, with success defined as discharge from HaH for complete recovery from the acute condition or transition to hospice. We also evaluated patient social support and home resources. Results: We enrolled 19 patients with multiple myeloma (n = 7), lymphoma (n = 1), and solid tumor (n = 11). Sixty-three percent (n = 12) were male, 74% (n = 14) were age 65 or older, and 42% (n = 8) were white. Patients were enrolled in HaH either from an inpatient service (n = 15) or from the emergency room (n = 4). While on the inpatient service, 6 of the 15 patients had received chemotherapy. Post-chemotherapy monitoring was the primary reason for HaH admission. Successful HaH admissions occurred for 79% (n = 15) of patients. The mean duration of HaH admission was 4.5 days (range 1-10 days). Three patients opted to re-enroll in HaH planned care at a later point. There were no significant issues with provider home visits, access, medication delivery, lab draws, or social support. Conclusions: The MSHS Oncology HaH program successfully cared for 79% of our cohort demonstrating the functionality of expanding the program to patients with cancer. We continue to increase enrollment for oncology patients. Further studies to assess patient outcomes, cost savings, and re-hospitalization rates when compared to the standard in hospital only care for oncology patients will help determine the benefits and preferred population to utilize oncology HaH.

Commentary on "Absorbed".

“Can the doctor simultaneously attend Man the molecular aggregate and Man the person; Man the unit of complex society and Man the ineffable?” —Edmund Pellegrino 1 My short poem “Absorbed” depicts the tension between the humane and scientific realms of clinical medicine through a fictional meeting between a preclinical medical student and a patient with cancer. The student is a novice to both the relational and technical aspects of a successful clinical encounter; her apparent uncertainty is expressed through the poem’s stream-of-consciousness, jumpy form. While awkwardly striving to model her idea of a good physician and focus on obtaining an accurate H&P, she neglects what is most important: the experience of the human being sitting in front of her. Though fictitious in details and chronology, this experience is authentic for medical trainees, who are frequently tasked with navigating the ever-fluid, complex science of clinical medicine (“Man the molecular aggregate”) without losing sight of the humanity of those they serve (“Man the person”). “She turned to me”—a blunt opening with the student already in the patient’s room; no pep talk from her resident, no moment to collect her thoughts, no deep breath before knocking on the door and greeting the waiting patient. This curt commencement provides a fitting encapsulation of the experience of a green student doctor, often unsure and sometimes uncomfortable with the tasks assigned by her superiors. Thrust into this new situation, unversed in the decorum surrounding a new patient encounter, the student assumes a simpler mode of relating, human-to-human rather than clinician-to-patient. This humane predisposition is revealed as the student first notices particularities about the patient (“glassy eyes” and “kaleidoscopic headscarf”) regardless of their clinical relevance. These idiomatic attributes exhibit the patient’s vibrant personal identity as juxtaposed against her “invariable uniform”—a standardized hospital gown devoid of personal expression. This observational role is quickly derailed as the student redirects herself to an analytical, objective persona, modeled to her as a good physician. After reorienting, the student “stumbles, tumbles” through the interview, which she describes as an “interrogation.” Her embarrassment about her inexperience signifies imposter syndrome, a psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their accomplishments or talents and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud, experienced by many new medical trainees. The prevalence of this phenomenon is evidenced by Villwock and colleagues’ 2016 pilot study, which concluded that nearly half of female medical students and a quarter of male students experience imposter syndrome and report burnout components of cynicism, depersonalization, and exhaustion. 2 This anxiety of not belonging, of being an imposter, can be further exacerbated by rationed time with patients, as modeled by more experienced physicians. The student in the poem feels not only overwhelmed and underqualified but also pressed by a lack of time to adequately navigate the intricacies of caring for an ill patient. The piece comes to a discouraging close as the patient’s experience comes to light: “Just a tissue,” she says, sniffling, revealing her sadness to the floundering trainee. Until this point, any real appreciation of the patient’s perspective beyond mere superficial observations has been painfully absent. The learner caught up in trying to be a great medical student fails to attend to the person, the whole person sitting in front of her. This patient could have just learned that her grueling treatments have been ineffective in treating her cancer. Or maybe she feels lonely and isolated because people tend to treat her differently now that she is bald and weak. Perhaps she is mourning the loss of her everyday life that has now been usurped by chemotherapy infusions, lab draws, and follow-up visits. An appreciation of this robust perspective is demoted by the trainee for any number of reasons: for instance, a lack of time, a desire to retrieve an accurate HPI to impress the attending, general anxiety about the ordeal resulting in tunnel vision centered on the task at hand. Yet, despite adequate reasoning, the failure of the student to attend to the patient’s emotional well-being is a failure to care for the patient. As Sir William Osler rightly stated, “The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” 3 In light of Osler’s observation, it should be the task of medical schools to emphasize not only scientific knowledge but also humanistic considerations, such as emotional and illness intelligence, philosophical reflection, and narrative competence, when shaping the character of tomorrow’s physicians.

Evaluation of a fluid resuscitation protocol for patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis

IntroductionWe previously developed an institutional, evidence-based fluid resuscitation protocol for neonates with infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) based on the severity of electrolyte derangement on presentation. We aim to evaluate this protocol to determine its efficacy in reducing the number of preoperative lab draws, time to electrolyte correction, and overall length of stay. MethodsA single center, retrospective review of 319 infants with HPS presenting with electrolyte derangement from 2008 to 2020 was performed; 202 patients managed pre-protocol (2008–2014) and 117 patients managed per our institutional fluid resuscitation algorithm (2016–2020). The number of preoperative lab draws, time to electrolyte correction, and length of stay before and after protocol implementation was recorded. ResultsUse of a fluid resuscitation algorithm decreased the number of infants who required four or more preoperative lab draws (20% vs. 6%) (p < .01), decreased median time to electrolyte correction between the pre and post protocol cohorts (15.1 h [10.6, 22.3] vs. 11.9 h [8.5, 17.9]) (p < .01), and decreased total length of hospital stay (49.0 h [40.3, 70.7] vs. 45.7 h [34.3, 65.9]) (p < .05). ConclusionImplementation of a fluid resuscitation algorithm for patients presenting with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis decreases the frequency of preoperative lab draws, time to electrolyte correction, and total length of hospital stay. Use of a fluid resuscitation protocol may decrease discomfort through fewer preoperative lab draws and shorter length of stay while setting clear expectations and planned intervention for parents. Level of EvidenceIII – Retrospective comparative study.

804 A Multidisciplinary Approach to Investigating Sleep Practices and Sleep Disturbances on an Inpatient Neurology Unit

Abstract Introduction Minimizing nightly disruptions in the inpatient setting requires a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach. Our aim was to assess staff perceptions and practices of sleep during hospitalization to help identify and prioritize improvement initiatives. Methods An online survey was distributed to inpatient staff (nurses, residents, attendings, APPs) on a neurology unit at an academic medical center. The survey assessed sleep disturbances, sleep knowledge and sleep practices. Responses across groups were analyzed using Cochran Armitage tests. Cumulative logit model was also performed. Results Among the 49 respondents, 75% reported not having the training to diagnose and treat sleep disorders. 51.2% rarely or never asked about sleep quality or duration prior to admission. 29.6% rarely or never tracked the amount and quality of sleep during hospitalization. Reasons for not tracking or considering sleep included “not being a priority”, “no place to document” and “not being there at night.” Overall, staff ranked noise, testing and vital sign checks as most disruptive to sleep quality and temperature as least disruptive. However, nurses perceived medication administration (p=0.0001) and testing (p=0.0296) more disruptive than the ordering providers. Multivariable analysis showed nurses ranked medication administration higher than providers when shift differences were controlled (p&amp;lt; 0.01). Evening/night shift workers ranked pain (p=0.0324) and anxiety (p=0.0360) higher than day shift workers. Those comfortable with diagnosing and treating sleep disorders were more likely to track sleep during admission (p=0.009), allow patients to sleep during medication administration times (p=0.0189) and allow sleep during scheduled lab draws (p=0.0189). Conclusion Our findings indicate that differences in sleep knowledge and sleep perspectives exist across the healthcare team. Possible explanations include training differences, ordering providers not knowing what time medications are administered or when tests are done, teams not clarifying whether nighttime orders are critical and nurses lacking empowerment to notify providers that sleep is being disrupted. Hand offs may need optimization with regards to pain and anxiety. A multidisciplinary approach, particularly between providers/nurses and night/day teams is critical to improve sleep on inpatient units. Our next steps include surveying patients, tracking nightly disruptions using EMR and decreasing unnecessary overnight orders using a team based approach. Support (if any):

Implementation of an evidence-based accelerated pathway: can hospital length of stay for children with blunt solid organ injury be safely decreased?

Recent work has demonstrated that an accelerated pathway for pediatric patients with blunt solid organ injuries is safe; however, this is not well-studied in a dual trauma center. We hypothesized that implementation of an accelerated pathway would decrease length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization cost without increased mortality. Retrospective review of patients < 15years presenting to a dual level 1 trauma center between 2015 and 2020 with traumatic blunt liver and splenic injuries. Patients presenting pre- and post-protocol implementation were compared. The primary outcome was total hospital LOS. Secondary outcomes were number of lab draws, intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, cost of hospitalization, readmissions within 30days, and mortality. 103 patients were evaluated, 67 pre-protocol and 63 post-protocol. LOS was significantly shorter post-protocol (2days vs. 4days, p < 0.001). The ICU LOS was unchanged. There was a decrease in direct hospitalization cost per patient from $6,246 pre-protocol to $4,294 post-protocol (p = 0.001). There was one readmission post-protocol and none pre-protocol. There were no deaths. Implementation of an accelerated pathway for management of blunt solid organ injury at a dual trauma center was associated with decreased LOS and decreased costs with no increased morbidity or mortality.

Assessing anthropometric and laboratory outcomes of a paediatric telehealth weight management program

Introduction Telehealth can expand quality care to patients unable to access specialty health services. The purpose of this study was to compare changes in body mass index (BMI) and laboratory values in patients visiting a weight management clinic for in-person versus telehealth counselling. Methods A retrospective cohort study of active program participants from two to 22 years old was conducted. Change in BMI, BMI z-score, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured at each patient’s initial and final visit for the study period, and the difference was analysed for significance. Change in BMI z-score was analysed for non-inferiority of the telehealth group using a delta of 0.15. Results We evaluated 1019 of 1126 (90.5%) in-person patients and 58 of 75 (77.3%) of telehealth clinic patients. The mean initial BMI was 32.2 and 32.6 for the in-person and telehealth groups, respectively. There were mean decreases in BMI z-scores of 0.044 and 0.032 in the in-person and telehealth groups, respectively, P < 0.001 with a margin of 0.15. The changes in mean HbA1c (p = 0.59), mean LDL (p = 0.93), and a mean ALT (p = 0.09) were not significant, although only a minority of patients followed-up for lab draws, limiting interpretation of these results. Discussion Attending a weight management clinic via telehealth was non-inferior to in-person visits for enacting a clinically significant change in BMI z-score, mitigating the effect of sample size on BMI z-score results. These findings give credibility to telehealth as a means of increasing access to paediatric weight management care.

Accuracy of Hemolyzed Potassium Levels in the Emergency Department.

IntroductionIn the emergency department (ED), pseudohyperkalemia from hemolysis may indirectly harm patients by exposing them to increased length of stay, cost, and repeat blood draws. The need to repeat hemolyzed potassium specimens in low-risk patients has not been well studied. Our objective was to determine the rate of true hyperkalemia among low-risk, adult ED patients with hemolyzed potassium specimens.MethodsWe conducted this prospective observational study at two large (129,000 annual visits) academic EDs in the mid-Atlantic. Data were collected from June 2017–November 2017 as baseline data for planned departmental quality improvement and again from June 2018–November 2018. Inclusion criteria were an initial basic metabolic panel in the ED with a hemolyzed potassium level > 5.1 milliequivalents per liter that was repeated within 12 hours, age (≥18, and bicarbonate (HCO3) > 20. Exclusion criteria were age > 65, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60, creatine phosphokinase > 500, hematologic malignancy, taking potassium-sparing or angiotensin-acting agents, or treatment with potassium-lowering agents (albuterol, insulin, HCO3, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, or potassium-excreting diuretic) prior to the repeat lab draw.ResultsOf 399 encounters with a hemolyzed, elevated potassium level in patients with GFR ≥ 60 and age > 18 that were repeated, we excluded 333 patients for age > 64, lab repeat > 12 hours, invalid identifiers, potassium-elevating or lowering medicines or hematologic malignancies.This left 66 encounters for review. There were no instances of hyperkalemia on the repeated, non-hemolyzed potassium levels, correlating to a true positive rate of 0% (95% confidence interval 0–6%). Median patient age was 46 (interquartile range [IQR] 34 – 56) years. Median hemolyzed potassium level was 5.8 (IQR 5.6 – 6.15) millimoles per liter (mmol/L), and median repeated potassium level was 3.9 (IQR 3.6 – 4.3) mmol/L. Median time between lab draws was 145 (IQR 87 – 262) minutes.ConclusionOf 66 patients who met our criteria, all had repeat non-hemolyzed potassiums within normal limits. The median of 145 minutes between lab draws suggests an opportunity to decrease the length of stay for these patients. Our results suggest that in adult patients < 65 with normal renal function, no hematologic malignancy, and not on a potassium-elevating medication, there is little to no risk of true hyperkalemia. Further studies should be done with a larger patient population and multicenter trials.