Mixed-effects Regression Models Research Articles

Sleep quality and cognitive functioning among Chinese older adults living in the US: a mixed-effects model analysis

BackgroundRacial and ethnic disparities in sleep quality and cognitive health are increasingly recognized, yet little is understood about their associations among Chinese older adults living in the United States. This study aims to examine the relationships between sleep health and cognitive functioning in this population, utilizing data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE).MethodsThis observational study utilized a two-wave panel design as part of the PINE, including 2,228 participants aged 65 years or older who self-identified as Chinese. Participants completed interviews at two time points. Cognitive functioning was assessed using a battery of tests, including the Chinese Mini-Mental State Examination (C_MMSE), the immediate and delayed recall of the East Boston Memory Test, the Digit Span Backwards assessment, and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Sleep quality was assessed using items from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), covering four aspects: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and sleep duration. Insomnia was assessed using four items from the Women’s Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale. Mixed-effects regression models were used to assess the effects of sleep parameters on baseline cognitive functioning and cognitive change over time.ResultsParticipants had an average age of 77.42 years (± 7.57) at baseline, with about 39% reporting fairly bad or very bad sleep quality. Poorer overall sleep quality (B = -0.01, SE = 0.01, p < .01), and more insomnia symptoms (B = -0.01, SE = 0.00, p < .001) were associated with lower baseline global cognition. However, these associations diminished over time (sleep quality: B = 0.01, SE = 0.00, p < .05; insomnia: B = 0.00, SE = 0.00, p < .05). Among sleep quality subdomains, all except sleep efficiency had significantly negative relationships with baseline global cognition. The associations between sleep parameters and the four cognitive domains were less consistent.ConclusionsThe findings highlight cross-sectional negative relationships between self-reported sleep parameters and cognition, showing distinct associations between various aspects of sleep quality and cognitive domains. Targeted interventions to improve sleep quality may have the potential to enhance cognitive health outcomes.

Looking under the hood of a hybrid two-way texting intervention to improve early retention on antiretroviral therapy in Malawi: an implementation fidelity evaluation

BackgroundWhile key to interpreting findings and assessing generalizability, implementation fidelity is underreported in mobile health (mHealth) literature. We evaluated implementation fidelity of an opt-in, hybrid, two-way texting (2wT) intervention previously demonstrated to improve 12-month retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in a quasi-experimental study in Lilongwe, Malawi.MethodsShort message service (SMS) data and ART refill visit records were used to evaluate adherence to 2wT content, frequency and duration through the lens of the Conceptual Framework for Implementation Fidelity. Message delivery and 2wT participant interactions were considered across four core 2wT components: 1) weekly motivational SMS messages; 2) proactive SMS appointment reminders; 3) SMS reminders after missed appointments; and 4) interactive messaging with 2wT staff about transfers and appointment rescheduling. Using mixed-effects logistic regression models adjusted for participant demographics, we examined the effect of core 2wT component fidelity on a) on-time appointment attendance and b) timely return to care after a missed appointment, presenting adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe 468 2wT participants had a median of 52 study weeks (interquartile range [IQR] 34 – 52) with 6 ART appointments (IQR 4—7) of which 2 (IQR 1 – 3) were missed. On average, participants received a motivation message for 75% (IQR 56%—83%) of enrolled weeks, a reminder before 83% (IQR 67%—100%) of appointments, and after 67% (IQR 0%—100%) of missed appointments. Participants reported 9 transfers and rescheduled 46 appointments through 2wT prompts; 196 appointments were changed via unprompted interaction. Participants with 10% higher expected motivation message delivery were more likely to attend clinic appointments on time (aOR: 1.08; 95%CI: 1.01 – 1.16, p = 0.03). Receiving and responding to an appointment reminder in any way were also associated with increased on-time appointment attendance (aOR: 1.35; 95%CI: 1.03 – 1.79, p = 0.03 and aOR: 1.47, 95%CI: 1.16 – 1.87, p = 0.001, respectively). No associations were found for 2wT messages and timely return to care following a missed appointment.ConclusionGreater 2wT implementation fidelity was associated with improved care outcomes. Although implementation fidelity monitoring of mHealth interventions is complex, it should be integrated into study design.

Association of environmental, demographic and clinical parameters with physical activity in children with asthma

Personal characteristics, unfavorable weather conditions and air pollution have been linked with reduced physical activity in children. However, among children with asthma the effects of these parameters remain unclear. This study objectively quantified the physical activity of children with asthma and evaluated its association with environmental, personal, and clinical parameters. Participants of the prospective LIFE-MEDEA asthma study wore the EMRACE™ smartwatch daily for continuous monitoring of physical activity and acquisition of global positioning system data. Daily physical activity, personal and clinical data were combined with daily temperature, precipitation, and air pollution levels in adjusted mixed effect regression models to examine the relationship between physical activity and the examined parameters. For a follow-up period of 4 months, 186 children with asthma demonstrated a decrease of 796 steps (95% CI: -1080, -512) on days with precipitation compared to non-precipitation days and a decrease of 96 steps (95% CI: -182, -9) for every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10. The relationship between temperature and daily steps was characterized by an inverted U-shape. There was also evidence that gender and age-adjusted BMI z-score were negatively associated with daily steps. These results can further inform the design of physical activity interventions targeting children with asthma.

Oxytocin levels in response to CRH administration in hypopituitarism and hypothalamic damage: a randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled trial

Increasing evidence supports the presence of oxytocin deficiency (OXT-D) in patients with hypopituitarism and hypothalamic damage (HHD), that might be associated with neuropsychological deficits and sexual dysfunction, leading to worse quality of life (QoL). Therefore, identifying a provocative test to diagnose an OXT-D will be important. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a candidate for such a test as it increases oxytocin secretion in animal models. This study aimed to examine the effects of CRH on oxytocin release in HHD compared to healthy controls (HC) and to describe the psychopathology, sexual function and QoL and their associations with oxytocin. This is a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept study (NCT 04902235) with crossover assignment (CRH vs. placebo). Nineteen HHD patients (10 females) and 20 HC (11 females) completed two visits, receiving CRH or placebo in random order and completed validated questionnaires to assess psychopathology, sexual function and QoL. Samples were collected over 120 min to assess oxytocin. Linear mixed-effects regression model evaluated the change in oxytocin after CRH/placebo in HHD vs. HC. CRH administration did not impact oxytocin concentrations across groups over time (p = 0.97). HHD had greater psychopathology (most ps < 0.05), sexual dysfunction (p < 0.03) and worse QoL (p < 0.001) compared to HC, nevertheless, baseline oxytocin concentrations and area under the curve of oxytocin were not significantly associated with psychopathology, sexual function or QoL, neither in HHD or HC. In conclusion, CRH administration does not appear to be a suitable provocative test for diagnosing OXT-D in HHD. Identifying a reliable diagnostic test for OXT-D remains crucial. Alternative provocative tests or biomarkers should be explored.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: The Association Between Newer Generation Antidepressants and Insomnia in Children and Adolescents With Major Depressive Disorder.

To examine the association between newer generation antidepressants and insomnia as an adverse event (AE) in the treatment of children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). A systematic search was performed in major databases (inception to August 31st, 2023) to retrieve double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the safety of 19 antidepressants in the acute treatment (initial 6 to 12 weeks) of children and adolescents aged ≤ 18 years with MDD (primary analyses). RCTs in anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were retrieved from a recent meta-analysis and included in complementary analyses. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to compare the frequency of insomnia in the antidepressant relative to the placebo group. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. In total, 20 trials in MDD (N = 5,357) and 8 trials in anxiety disorders and OCD (N = 1,271) evaluating selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) were included. In MDD, antidepressant treatment was associated with a modest increase in the odds of insomnia compared with placebo (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.21-2.27, p = 0.002), with no significant difference between SSRIs and SNRIs. The RCTs showed low risk of bias or minor concerns for the assessment of insomnia. The odds of treatment-emergent insomnia were significantly lower in MDD (OR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.21-2.15) compared to anxiety disorders and OCD (OR = 2.89; 95% CI = 1.83-4.57) for treatment with SSRIs (p = 0.03). Among individual antidepressants with evidence from ≥ 3 studies, sertraline had the highest OR (3.45; 95% CI = 1.91-6.24), while duloxetine had the lowest OR (1.38; 95% CI = 0.79 - 2.43). Children and adolescents are at a modestly increased risk of experiencing insomnia during the first 6 to 12 weeks of treatment with SSRIs and SNRIs. Antidepressant- and disorder-specific variability in the risk of treatment-emergent insomnia may be relevant to consider in clinical decision-making.

The effect of a general practitioner's perception of a patient request for antibiotics on antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections: secondary analysis of a point prevalence audit survey in 18 European countries.

Illness severity, comorbidity, fever, age and symptom duration influence antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTI). Non-medical determinants, such as patient expectations, also impact prescribing. To quantify the effect of general practitioners' (GPs') perception of a patient request for antibiotics on antibiotic prescribing for RTI and investigate effect modification by medical determinants and country. Prospective audit in 18 European countries. Consultation data were registered of 4982 patients presenting with acute cough and/or sore throat. A mixed-effect logistic regression model analysed the effect of GPs' perception of a patient request for antibiotics. Two-way interaction terms assessed effect modification. Relevant clinical findings were added to subgroups of lower RTI (LRTI), throat infection, and influenza-like-illness (ILI). GPs who perceived a patient request for antibiotics were four times more likely to prescribe antibiotics (OR: 4.4, 95%CI: 3.4-5.5). This effect varied by country: lower in Spain (OR: 0.06), Ukraine (OR: 0.15), and Greece (OR: 0.22) compared to the lowest prescribing country. The effect was higher for ILI (OR: 13.86, 95%CI: 5.5-35) and throat infection (OR: 5.1, 95%CI: 3.1-8.4) than for LRTI (OR: 2.9, 95%CI: 1.9-4.3). For ILI and LRTI, GPs were more likely to prescribe antibiotics with abnormal lung auscultation and/or increased/purulent sputum and for throat infection, with tonsillar exudate and/or swollen tonsils. GPs' perception of an antibiotic request and specific clinical findings influence antibiotic prescribing. Incorporating exploration of patient expectations, point-of-care testing and discussing watchful waiting into the decision-making process will benefit appropriate prescribing of antibiotics.

Effects of Webcam Access to Preterm Infants in NICUs on Parental Psychological Strain.

To investigate whether webcam access for parents of infants in neonatal intensive care units influences parental postpartum depression and stress experiences. Parents whose infants had a birth weight below 1500 g and who were admitted to one of the four participating tertiary care hospitals were eligible to participate in the study. The study followed the structure of a multi-centre cross-over pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Depending on their assigned study group, participants gained access to a webcam either in Weeks 1-4 of the observation period and abstained from webcam use in Weeks 5-8 (First-Half Access Group) or vice versa (Second-Half Access Group). Outcomes were measured at four time points utilising the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Effects were estimated using linear mixed-effects regression modelling. Data from 229 mothers and 211 fathers/partners were analysed; neither group's webcam access had a significant effect on the level of symptoms related to postpartum depression or stress experienced. Based on the present results, webcam access has neither negative nor positive effects on parental psychological strain. Further research is needed to understand how individual preferences and physical presence influence the impact of webcams.

Improving Cooking Skills, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Clinical Outcomes for Adults at Risk for Cardiometabolic Disease: Protocol for a Randomized Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial (TK-MT).

This protocol describes a study to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a novel Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial (TK-MT) for adults with cardiometabolic abnormalities. The TK-MT protocol describes a hybrid lifestyle intervention combining in-person and virtual instruction in culinary skills, nutrition education, movement, and mindfulness with community support and behavior change strategies. This 18-month-long randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a 12-month, 24 class program, assess preliminary study efficacy, and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation. The intervention program includes 16 weeks of intensive hands-on culinary and lifestyle education classes followed by eight monthly virtual classes. Psychometric assessments and biometric data will be collected at baseline, 4, 12, and 18 months. Semi-structured interviews and open-ended surveys will be conducted during the 12-month follow-up assessment. Feasibility will be assessed through recruitment, attendance, and fidelity data. Secondary outcomes will analyze changes in health behaviors, biometric data, and anthropometric measures using mixed-effects regression models. Qualitative data will undergo thematic analysis. As envisioned and described in detail in this manuscript, this study will inform the development and implementation of reproducible, scalable teaching kitchen interventions. The protocol described here is intended to set the stage for future investigations to evaluate evidence for the impact of teaching kitchen interventions on dietary habits, physical activity, and overall health and well-being.

Antibiotic treatment versus appendicectomy for acute appendicitis in adults: an individual patient data meta-analysis.

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have found antibiotics to be a feasible and safe alternative to appendicectomy in adults with imaging-confirmed acute appendicitis. However, patient inclusion criteria and outcome definitions vary greatly between RCTs. We aimed to compare antibiotics with appendicectomy for the treatment of acute appendicitis using individual patient data and uniform outcome definitions. In this individual patient data meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials without language restrictions between database inception and June 6, 2023, for RCTs comparing appendicectomy with antibiotics for the treatment of adults (≥18 years) with imaging-confirmed acute appendicitis. Studies without 1-year follow-up data on complications were excluded, as were patients. Corresponding authors of eligible studies were contacted and invited to share data; individual patient data were merged after validation. One-stage meta-analyses were conducted using a generalised, mixed-effects linear regression model, accounting for clustering of patients within studies. The primary outcome was the complication rate at 1-year follow-up, uniformly harmonised across trials using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Complications were further divided into minor (grade 1-2 or equivalent) and major (grade 3-5 or equivalent) complications. Appendicectomy rate during 1 year was a key secondary outcome but not considered a complication for the antibiotics group. Outcomes were described separately for patients with and without an appendicolith. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42023391676. Of 887 potentially relevant articles, eight were eligible for inclusion, of which six RCTs could provide data for 2101 eligible patients (1050 assigned to antibiotics and 1051 assigned to appendicectomy; 830 [39·5%] women and 1271 [60·5%] men). All studies raised some bias concerns due to absence of blinding. One study was judged to have a high risk of bias due to the exclusion of eligible patients after randomisation, but these patients were eligible for inclusion in our meta-analysis. At 1 year, 57 (5·4%) of 1050 patients randomly assigned to antibiotics had a complication compared with 87 (8·3%) of 1051 patients randomly assigned to appendicectomy (odds ratio [OR] 0·49 [95% CI 0·20 to 1·20]; risk difference -4·5 percentage points [95% CI -11·6 to 2·6]). At 1 year, 1025 (97·5%) patients in the appendicectomy group had undergone appendicectomy compared with 356 (33·9%) patients in the antibiotics group. In patients with an appendicolith at pre-interventional imaging, there were more complications at 1 year among patients who received antibiotic treatment than among those who underwent appendicectomy (29 [15·0%] of 193 patients vs 12 [6·3%] of 190 patients; OR 2·82 [95% CI 1·11 to 7·18]; risk difference 13·2 percentage points [95% CI 2·3 to 24·2]). In the antibiotics group, 94 (48·7%) of 193 patients with an appendicolith underwent appendicectomy within 1 year versus 262 (30·6%) of 857 patients without an appendicolith. This meta-analysis showed that antibiotic treatment in adults with imaging-confirmed acute appendicitis was a safe alternative to surgery and resulted in around two-thirds of patients avoiding appendicectomy during the first year. In patients with an appendicolith, initial antibiotic treatment increased the risk of complications compared with appendicectomy, and around half of these patients assigned to antibiotics underwent step-up appendicectomy within 1 year. These data should be key components in shared decision making. None.

Blood Culture Use in Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Units and Wards

Blood culture (BC) use benchmarks in US hospitals have not been defined. To characterize BC use in adult intensive care units (ICUs) and wards in US hospitals. A retrospective cross-sectional study of BC use in adult medical ICUs, medical-surgical ICUs, medical wards, and medical-surgical wards from acute care hospitals from the 4 US geographic regions was conducted. Critical access hospitals, less than 6 months of BC data, and non-US hospitals were excluded. The study included BC use data from September 1, 2019, to August 31, 2021. Data were analyzed from February 23 to July 14, 2024. The primary outcome was BC use per 1000 patient-days. Adjusted means with 95% CIs were calculated using mixed-effects negative binomial regression models adjusted for unit type, hospital bed size, geographic region, seasonality, and state COVID-19 case load, with random intercepts accounting for clustering at unit and hospital levels. Secondary outcomes included blood culture positivity, single BCs, BC contamination, and minimum threshold for BC use where blood culture positivity would be optimized. A total of 362 327 blood cultures were analyzed from 27 medical ICUs, 35 medical-surgical ICUs, 121 medical wards, and 109 medical-surgical wards from 48 hospitals in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The adjusted mean BC use per 1000 patient-days was 273.1 (95% CI, 270.2-275.9) for medical ICUs, 146.0 (95% CI, 144.5-147.5) for medical-surgical ICUs, 80.3 (95% CI, 79.8-80.7) for medical wards, and 65.1 for medical-surgical wards. Blood culture use was significantly higher across all 4 unit types in hospitals with more than 500 beds compared with 500 or less beds and in the West-Midwest compared with other regions. Single blood culture and positive blood culture rates were below 10% across all 4 unit types. Of the 292 units, 97% had a mean BC contamination rate within 3% of the recommended threshold, and 51% were within 1%. The minimum BC use thresholds (ie, BC use below this number may represent undertesting) were 120 BCs per 1000 patient-days for medical ICUs, 80 BCs per 1000 patient-days for medical-surgical ICUs, and 30 BCs per 1000 patient-days for medical-surgical wards. The findings of this study suggest that blood culture positivity may help determine appropriate BC use for individual unit types.

Prevalence and determinants of unhealthy feeding practices among young children aged 6-23 months in five sub-Saharan African countries.

Despite the World Health Organization's advice against unhealthy feeding, many low- and middle-income countries, including sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, are experiencing a nutritional transition to high in sugar, unhealthy fats, salts, and processed carbohydrates for younger children. However, there is a scarcity of recently updated multicounty information on unhealthy feeding practices and determinants in SSA countries. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of unhealthy feeding practices and determinants among children aged 6-23 months in five SSA countries. A cross-sectional study design was employed with the most recent demographic and health survey secondary data (DHS) from five SSA countries. This secondary data was accessed from the DHS portal through an online request. The DHS is the global data collection initiative that provides detailed and high-quality data on population demographics, health, and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries. We used a weighted sample of 14,064 children aged 6-23 months. A multilevel mixed-effect binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify significant factors associated with unhealthy feeding practices. The level of statistical significance was declared with p-value < 0.05. This study found that overall, 62.4% (95% CI: 61.62-63.17) of children aged 6-23 months in five SSA countries had unhealthy feeding practices. Rural residents, lower-middle-income SSA countries, and children aged above 12 months had lower odds of unhealthy feeding practices. On the other hand, richer households and women who had not had an optimal antenatal care visit had higher odds of unhealthy feeding practices. According to this study, nearly two out of three young children in five SSA countries had unhealthy feeding practices. Both individual and community-level factors are significantly associated with unhealthy feeding practices. As a result, responsible bodies shall make all efforts to reduce unhealthy feeding practices among young children in SSA countries.

A Neighborhood-Level Hispanic Paradox: the Interaction between Hispanic Density, Neighborhood Disadvantage, and Survival in Breast Cancer Patients.

To evaluate the impact of Hispanic ethnic enclaves (EE) on the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and overall survival (OS) in breast cancer (BCa) patients. Data from BCa patients with stage I-IV disease diagnosed between 2005-2017 was used to analyze the effects of Area Deprivation Index (ADI) scores, a measure of neighborhood disadvantage, and census-tract level Hispanic density, a measure of EE, on OS using mixed-effects Cox regression models. The final model included the following individual-level factors (age, income, race, Hispanic/Latino origin, nativity, insurance status, and comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, and body mass index) and clinical factors (National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline-concordant treatment, stage, and receptor subtype). 5,387 patients were analyzed. 52% resided in Hispanic EE. Enclave residents were predominantly White (93%), with Cubans the predominant subgroup (37%). Overall, there were 1,040 deaths within the cohort. Patients residing in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods (ADI Tertile 3 [ADIT3]) within Hispanic EE experienced reduced HR compared to those outside of EE, evidenced by the interaction effect [EE x ADIT3 - HR (95% CI): 0.66 (0.44, 0.98)]. Hispanic EE may protect against mortality in BCa patients, suggesting positive social factors help combat negative effects of neighborhood disadvantage for patients. Understanding protective attributes of EE can help create effective cancer interventions and promote more equitable outcomes in minority populations. This study found that EE may protect against mortality in BCa patients, suggesting positive social factors may help mitigate the negative effects caused by the neighborhood.

Proteins and pathways involved in inflammation are longitudinally associated with total body bone mineral density among primarily hispanic overweight/obese adolescents and young adults.

Bone mineral density (BMD), an important marker of bone health, is regulated by a complex interaction of proteins. Plasma proteomic analyses can contribute to identification of proteins associated with changes in BMD. This may be especially informative in stages of bone accrual and peak BMD achievement (i.e., adolescence and young adulthood), but existing research has focused on older adults. This analysis in the Study of Latino Adolescents at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes (SOLAR; n = 304; baseline age 8-13, 100% Hispanic) explored associations between baseline proteins (n = 653 proteins) measured with Olink® plasma protein profiling and repeated annual DXA measures of BMD (average of 3.2 visits per participant). Covariate-adjusted linear mixed effect regression models were applied to estimate longitudinal protein-BMD associations using an adjusted p-value cutoff (P < 0.00068). Identified proteins were imported into the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database to determine significantly enriched protein pathways. Forty-four proteins, many of which are involved in inflammatory processes, were associated with longitudinal changes in total body BMD, including several proteins previously linked to bone health such as osteopontin (SPP1) and microfibrillar-associated protein 5 (MFAP5; both P < 0.00068). These 44 proteins were associated with enrichment of pathways including PI3K-Akt Signaling Pathway and Cytokine-Cytokine Receptor Interaction, supporting results from existing proteomics analyses in older adults. To evaluate whether protein associations were consistent into young adulthood, linear mixed effect models were repeated in a young adult cohort (n = 169; baseline age 17-22; 62.1% Hispanic) with 346 available overlapping Olink® protein measures. While there were no significant overlapping longitudinal protein associations between the cohorts, these findings suggest differences in protein regulation at different ages and provide novel insight on longitudinal protein associations with BMD in overweight/obese adolescents and young adults of primarily Hispanic origin, which may inform the development of biomarkers for bone health in youth.

Severity of Impaired Oxygenation and Conservative Oxygenation Targets in Mechanically Ventilated Children: A Post Hoc Subgroup Analysis of the Oxy-PICU Trial of Conservative Oxygenation.

A conservative oxygenation strategy is recommended in adult and pediatric guidelines for the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome to reduce iatrogenic lung damage. In the recently reported Oxy-PICU trial, targeting peripheral oxygen saturations (Spo2) between 88% and 92% was associated with a shorter duration of organ support and greater survival, compared with Spo2 greater than 94%, in mechanically ventilated children following unplanned admission to PICU. We investigated whether this benefit was greater in those who had severely impaired oxygenation at randomization. Post hoc analysis of a pragmatic, open-label, multicenter randomized controlled trial. Fifteen PICUs across England and Scotland. Children between 38 weeks old corrected gestational age and 15 years accepted to a participating PICU as an unplanned admission and receiving invasive mechanical ventilation with supplemental oxygen for abnormal gas exchange. A mixed-effects ordinal regression model was used to explore the effect of severity of lung injury, dichotomized to an oxygen saturation index (OSI) less than 12 or greater than or equal to 12 at randomization, the trial group allocation, age, and Pediatric Index of Mortality-3 on the composite ordinal outcome measure of duration of organ support at day 30 and mortality, with death being the worst outcome. An interaction term was included to specifically understand the effect of trial arm allocation on those with and OSI less than 12 and OSI greater than or equal to 12. Data were available for 1775 of 1986 eligible children. Two hundred twelve of 1775 children had an OSI greater than or equal to 12 at randomization. The trial primary outcome did not vary significantly according to OSI category. Both children with OSI less than 12 (odds ratio [OR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.71-1.01) and OSI greater than or equal to 12 (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.49-1.84) benefited from conservative arm allocation, with relative benefit greater for those with an OSI less than 12. These data do not provide evidence that a conservative oxygenation strategy should be limited to mechanically ventilated children with severely impaired oxygenation.

Modelling emergency response times for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) patients in rural areas of the North of England using routinely collected data

BackgroundNational response time targets for ambulance services are known to be more strongly maintained in urban areas compared to rural. That may mean that responses in rural areas could be less immediate which can in turn affect survival of those experiencing cardiac arrest. Thus, analysis of variation in response times using routinely collected data can be used to understand which rural areas have the highest need for emergency intervention. In this study we have focused, given the heterogeneity of demographic make up, on a specific area of the North of England. Some areas in North England have shown to have a large proportion of cardiac arrests occurring in a rural setting, specifically, in the anonymised study region this was almost half of the cases at 46.3%. Response times to these areas were found to be over 3.5 minutes slower than for urban areas making it worthy of further exploration.MethodsA retrospective observation analysis was conducted on routinely collected data from regional ambulance services for areas within the North of England from April 2016 to March 2021. Information was collected on service and geographic characteristics for 1915 incidents. A multivariable linear mixed effect regression model was used to understand the association between geographical, service factors and response times to cardiac arrest patients. To advance previous research which up to now only used visualisations to analyse ambulance response times, the study used a mixed effects model with a variety of predictors, capturing geographical variation alongside service characteristics.ResultsFrom the cases analysed it was found that the mean response time to scene was 9.1 minutes, with a standard deviation of 6.4 minutes. After adjustment for geographic variation and incorporating robust standard errors into the model: distance to the nearest ambulance station (coefficient = 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.66), urgency of the call (Category 2, second most urgent, compared to the most urgent coefficient = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.13 - 2.18), location of the nearest ambulance station to the incident and the type of crew who attended the incident (Advanced Paramedic when compared to just Paramedic, coefficient = -0.70, 95% CI: -1.24 - -0.16) were all factors which affected response times to scene.ConclusionFor each extra km the incident was away from an ambulance station, the response time to scene increased by 37 seconds. The ambulance station which displayed the largest increase in response time, Station L was 170 seconds (95% CI: 79, 261) longer than Station N, which had a median performance across all stations, as measured by median survival rate to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The rural geography of the North of England means that lots of cardiac arrest incidents occur a considerable distance away from the stations, emphasising the need to use alternative emergency services technologies within these rural areas to attend to patients sooner.

Results from the PROmoting Early Childhood Outside cluster randomized trial evaluating an outdoor play intervention in early childhood education centres

Participation in outdoor play is beneficial for the health, well-being, and development of children. Early childhood education centers (ECECs) can provide equitable access to outdoor play. The PROmoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO) study is a pilot randomized trial that evaluates the PRO-ECO intervention on children’s outdoor play participation. The PRO-ECO intervention included four components: ECEC outdoor play policy; educator training; ECEC outdoor space modification; and parent engagement. This study included eight ECECs delivering licensed care to children (n = 217) aged 2.5 to 6 years in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Using a wait-list control cluster randomized trial design, ECECs were randomly allocated to either the intervention arm (n = 4) or the wait-list control arm (n = 4). Change in the proportion and diversity of observed outdoor play behaviour during scheduled outdoor time was measured. Outcome data were collected at baseline, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. The intervention effect on children’s outdoor play participation was examined using logistic regression mixed effect models. Controlling for gender, weather and temperature, there were no changes in children’s outdoor play participation following implementation of the PRO-ECO intervention in the between-group analysis. Within-group comparisons also revealed no change in play participation following the PRO-ECO intervention, however, the intervention group showed a positive effect (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 0.97, 1.70) in play participation 6 months after implementation of the intervention. The findings indicate that further analyses on child- and ECEC-level outcomes collected as part of the PRO-ECO study, including the diversity of children’s play, is required to effectively assess the impact of this intervention.

Pre- and post-diagnosis body weight trajectories in patients with localized renal cell cancer.

Obesity in mid-life is a well-established risk factor for developing renal cell carcinoma (RCC); however, patients with RCC who are obese at the time of diagnosis have more favorable survival outcomes. To get better insight into the obesity paradox and determine the extent to which weight around diagnosis is stable, we examined pre- and post-diagnosis weight changes in patients with localized RCC. We included 334 patients with localized RCC from the prospective cohort ReLife who self-reported body weight at multiple time points ranging from 2years before to 2years after diagnosis. Multivariable linear mixed-effects regression models were used to compare weight at each timepoint to weight at diagnosis for the overall study population, as well as stratified by BMI at diagnosis, tumor stage, and tumor grade. Most patients were classified as overweight (38.3%) or obese (29.6%) at diagnosis. Overall, patients experienced on average 1.45kg (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84, 2.06) weight loss in the 2years before diagnosis. Pre-diagnosis weight loss was higher in patients who were non-obese at diagnosis, and who presented with higher tumor stage and grade. On average, pre-diagnosis weight loss was at least partially regained within two years after diagnosis. Patients who were non-obese and patients with higher stage and grade tumors had higher pre-diagnosis weight loss, which was at least partially regained after treatment. These patterns suggest there are subgroups of patients with localized RCC who experience disease-related weight loss, which could contribute to the obesity paradox.

Risk of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Patients With Cardiac Disease.

Pregnant patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) face increased risk of preeclampsia and preterm delivery, yet data is limited data regarding degree of risk and impact of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) on gestational age at delivery. To examine HDP risk and impact on delivery timing in patients with CVD. This retrospective cohort study included patients >18 years old who delivered between 10/1/2015 and 12/31/2020 using the Premier Healthcare Database. Patients with CVD were divided into six categories: congenital, ischemic, aortic pathology, pulmonary hypertension, cardiomyopathy, and valvular disease. The primary outcome was risk of HDP (gestational hypertension/ preeclampsia). The secondary outcome was gestational age at delivery. Multivariable mixed effects regression models were used to estimate adjusted outcomes, adjusting for CVD subtype, >1 CVD subtype present, demographics, hospital characteristics, and comorbidities. Among 4,606,247 obstetric patients, 20,021 had CVD. The risk of HDP among people with CVD varied by CVD subtype, lowest in those with congenital heart disease (aOR,0.9; 95% CI [0.8, 1.0]) and highest in those with pulmonary hypertension (aOR, 1.5; 95% CI [1.3, 1.8]) and cardiomyopathy (aOR,1.5; 95% CI [1.4,1.6]). Patients with CVD delivered earlier than those without CVD, even in the absence of HDP(36.4-38.0 weeks versus 38.4 weeks). Among those with HDP, patients with severe pre-eclampsia with CVD, delivered earlier than those without CVD (33.1-34.6 weeks versus 35.5 weeks). Risk of HDP and preterm delivery is higher those with CVD, particularly in pulmonary hypertension and cardiomyopathy. Patients with CVD should be advised of their increased risk.

Effects of sex on imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis for ischaemic stroke with unknown onset time: a pooled analysis of clinical trials.

The effects of imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis on outcomes based on patient sex remain unclear. We aimed to investigate whether outcomes among patients with stroke with an unknown onset time and treated with imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis are influenced by their sex. This study was a pooled analysis of individual patient-level data acquired from the Evaluation of unknown Onset Stroke thrombolysis trials. Patients treated with imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis for stroke with an unknown onset time were included. The primary outcome was a favourable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0-1) at 90 days. The sex-based difference in outcomes was studied using mixed-effect logistic or ordinal regression models, considering potential heterogeneity across trials. Out of 509 patients in total, 204 (40.1%) were women. Compared with men, women were older and more likely to have atrial fibrillation. Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was higher and hours from last-known-well to treatment were longer for women than for men. Favourable outcomes occurred less often among women than among men. However, multivariate adjustment revealed a non-significant association between female sex and favourable outcome (adjusted odds ratio: 1.04 [95% confidence interval: 0.66-1.52], p = 0.98). Pooled data from the included clinical trials showed that women with ischaemic stroke with an unknown onset time had worse functional outcomes following imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis than did men. However, this sex-based difference can be explained by the higher age and more severe clinical status at onset among women.

Impact of mandibular overdentures on maxillary resorption and its association with masticatory function: A prospective longitudinal study with 3 years of follow-up.

This longitudinal clinical study monitored annually the maxillary and mandibular bone remodeling and masticatory function in complete denture (CD) wearers rehabilitated with implant-retained mandibular overdentures (MO) over three years and combined radiographic and masticatory function data to assess the correlation between bone remodeling and masticatory function. Thirty-nine MO wearers were monitored annually to assess changes in: i) residual ridge in the anterior and posterior maxillary region; ii) posterior height and posterior area index (PAI) in the mandible; and iii) masticatory function. Bone remodeling was measured through linear and angular measurements using panoramic radiographs. Masticatory function was evaluated by swallowing threshold test, to determine the median particle size (X50) and homogenization index (B). A mixed-effects multilevel regression model estimated differences between radiological and masticatory parameters over time, with associations verified using Pearson's correlation test. Significant changes in mandibular bone variables (PAI and L1/R1, L2/R2, L3/R3; p ≤ 0.01) occurred when transitioning from CD to MO, showing a reduction in PAI values and slight reduction in mandibular linear measurements. Improvements in masticatory parameters were also observed, highlighting the benefits of transitioning to MO. Over three years of MO usage, significant changes in all radiographic bone parameters were found, with increased PAI and maxillary bone values in the first year. The correlations between masticatory function and radiological parameters indicated that mandibular morphology can significantly influence masticatory function especially in patients wearing CDs. Following the transition to MO, only one consistent significant correlation was observed between X50 and R3/L3 at the 1-year and 3-year intervals. Continuous changes in bone parameters were observed in MO wearers, with stabilization of maxillary ridge resorption and ongoing mandibular remodeling, alongside slight changes in masticatory function, suggesting transitory correlations between linear changes in the posterior region of mandible and masticatory function over time.