Risk Of Serious Outcomes Research Articles

Serious outcomes among emergency department patients with presyncope: A systematic review

AbstractBackgroundSyncope is transient loss of consciousness, and in presyncope, patients experience same prodromal symptoms without losing consciousness. While studies have extensively reported the risk of serious outcome among emergency department (ED) syncope, the outcome for patients with presyncope and their management are not well studied. We undertook a systematic review to assess the occurrence/identification of short‐term (30‐day) serious outcomes among ED patients with presyncope.MethodsED studies that enrolled patients with presyncope and reported any short‐term serious outcome were included. Studies that enrolled patients without presyncope (e.g., hypoglycemia, seizure, and stroke) were excluded. We restricted our study to only English publications and searched the MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science from the inception date to July 2023. We used SIGN 50 tool for assessment of risk of bias.ResultsIn total, 1788 articles were screened by two reviewers and 32 articles were selected for full‐text assessment. Five (four prospective and one retrospective) studies with 2741 presyncope patients were included. Four studies were from North America and the fifth one was from Europe. Included studies had weaknesses due to risk of bias, but all had acceptable quality. The prevalence of overall adverse outcome varied 4.4%–26.8% for all adults and 5.5%–18.7% among older patients; arrhythmia was the most prevalent (17.4% in one study), followed by anemia/hemorrhage as reported in different studies. Among older patients, myocardial infarction was the third most common serious outcome reported in one study.ConclusionsThe prevalence of short‐term serious outcomes varies from 4% to 27% among ED patients with presyncope in our review, with arrhythmia being the most common serious outcome. Our review indicates that presyncope may carry a similar risk to syncope, and hence, the same level of caution should be exercised for ED presyncope management as syncope.

Evaluation of the quality of emergency department management for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with exacerbations and high risk of serious outcomes. Our goal was to determine the appropriateness of the emergency department (ED) management of COPD exacerbations. This observational cohort study incorporated a health records review and included COPD exacerbation cases seen at two large academic EDs. We included all patients with the primary diagnosis of COPD exacerbation. From the electronic medical record, demographic and clinical data were abstracted, and the Ottawa COPD Risk Score (OCRS) was calculated for each. Short-term serious outcomes included intensive care unit admission, intubation, myocardial infarction, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIV), and death at 30 days. Cases were judged for appropriateness of treatment according to explicit indications and standards developed a priori. We enrolled 500 cases with mean age of 71.9 years, 51.2% female patients, 50.2% admitted, and 4.4% death. The calculated OCRS score was >2 for 70.8% of patients. The treatments provided were inhaled β-agonists (82.6%), inhaled anticholinergics (76.6%), corticosteroids (75.2%), antibiotics (71.0%), oxygen (63.8%), NIV (8.8%), and intubation (0.6%). Overall, 50.0% of cases were judged to have had inadequate management due to missing treatments. Specifically, the proportion of missing treatments were inhaled β-agonist (17.0%), inhaled anticholinergic (22.6%), corticosteroids (24.4%), antibiotics (12.8%), and NIV (2.0%). Adequate treatment of COPD exacerbation was lacking in 50.0% of patients in these two large academic EDs. Concerning were the number of patients not receiving corticosteroids or antibiotics. Implementation of explicit treatment standards should lead to improved patient care of this common and serious condition.

A Prospective Study Evaluating Gender Differences of Serious Outcomes through Difficult Airway Physiological Score (DAPS) in the Emergency Department.

Gender variation in critically ill adults after resuscitation is reported in many studies. However, this variation is not well established when evaluating the physiological instability in this population. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the gender variation in serious outcomes by the difficult airway physiological score (DAPS) among critically ill patients requiring endotracheal intubation (ETI). This is a cohort study conducted from August 2021 to December 2022 in the emergency department of Aga Khan University. The prospective validity of the difficult airway physiological score was derived using retrospective data and includes 12 variables: sex, age, time of intubation, hypotension, respiratory distress, vomiting, shock index >0.9, pH < 7.3, fever, anticipated decline, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) < 15, and agitation. The serious outcomes were cardiac arrest, mortality (within 1 hour after intubation in emergency), hypotension (systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg), and oxygen desaturation (SpO2 < 92%). The difference between males and females was assessed using the chi-square test, and the association of gender and serious outcomes was explored using Cox and logistic regression analysis. ROC curve analysis and area under the curve assessed score validity separately in males and females with serious outcomes. We enrolled 326 patients with a mean age of 50.3 (±17.8), with 123 (33.7%) females and 203 (62.2%) males. 198 (60.7%) patients were >45 years old, of which 136 (67%) were male and 62 (50.4%) female. Cardiac arrest was observed in 56 (17.2%), with 24 (19.5%) females and 32 (15.8%) males, p value 0.348. Hypotension after intubation was observed in 132 (40.5%) patients, 56 (45.5%) females and 76 (37.4%) males, p value 0.149. Oxygen saturation (<92%) was observed in 80 (24.5%) patients, 32 (26%) females and 48 (23.6%) males, p value 0.630. In females, the DAPS of 11 had an area under the curve of 0.863 (0.74-0.91). The sensitivity of the score was 84.8%, the specificity was 71.9%, the PPV was 77.8%, and the NPV was 80.4% with an accuracy of 78.9%. In males, the DAPS score of 14 had an area under the curve of 0.892 (0.57-0.75). The sensitivity of the score was 67%, the specificity 93.8%, the PPV 92.2%, and the NPV 72.2% with an accuracy of 79.8%. The Difficult Airway Physiological Score (DAPS) predicts the risk of serious outcomes after intubation with high precision and reliability with different score cutoffs between the two sexes, highlighting the gender variation of a difficult airway.

Validation of Difficult Airway Physiological Score (DAPS) in Critically Ill Adults Undergoing Endotracheal Intubation in the Emergency Department.

Critically ill patients have increased risk of cardiovascular collapse following endotracheal intubation due to physiological instability. This study aims to validate the Difficult Airway Physiological Score (DAPS) in adults to predict the risk of serious outcomes in the emergency department of a tertiary care private hospital. This is a cohort study conducted in the emergency department (ED) from 2021 to 2022. Difficult Airway Physiological Score (DAPS) was derived from a sample of 1021 patients through a retrospective study. The variables in the score were age, gender, time of intubation, vitals and vomiting at presentation, pH <7.3, fever, physician's anticipation for patient decline, and agitation. The model performance was assessed prospectively on a separate dataset (n = 326) using train-test split method. Postintubation desaturation, hypotension, cardiac arrest, and mortality postintubation were the serious outcomes. ROC analysis, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were used to assess score validity. Our study includes 326 patients, of which 123 (37.7%) were males and 203 (62.2%) were females. The sample was divided into high-risk (DAPS ≥10) group, n = 194 with mean age of 52 (SD = ±18) years, and low-risk (DAPS <10) group, n = 132 with mean age of 47.7 (SD = ±17.4) years. The shock index ≥0.9 was in 128 (66%), while it was <0.9 in low-risk n = 111 (84%), p value <0.001. Similarly, pH <7.3 was seen in 70 (36.1%) in high-risk group compared to 4 (3%) in low-risk group, p value <0.001. Cardiac arrest was observed in 56 (17.2%) patients, of which 45 (23.2%) were in high-risk and 11 (8.3%) in low-risk groups (p < 0.001). Hypotension was the primary outcome in the high-risk group 100 (51.5%) versus 32 (24.2%) in low-risk group (p < 0.001). The DAPS of 10 had an area under the curve of 0.865 (0.71-0.84). The sensitivity of DAPS was 78.5%, specificity 77.9%, and accuracy 78.2%. The score can accurately predict serious outcomes in critically ill adult patients with physiologically difficult airway demonstrating good sensitivity and specificity.

Comparing the acute toxicities of co-exposure to cocaine and ethanol versus cocaine alone.

Cocaine is commonly consumed with ethanol, which leads to the formation of cocaethylene through transesterification. Cocaethylene is an active metabolite of cocaine with a longer duration of action. Literature on the combined toxicity of cocaine, ethanol, and cocaethylene is conflicting. We aimed to compare the acute toxicities of co-exposure to cocaine and ethanol versus cocaine alone in Hong Kong. This was a retrospective study on acute cocaine toxicities reported to the Hong Kong Poison Control Center from 1 January 2010 to 22 January 2023. Cocaine exposure was confirmed by urine immunoassays/laboratory tests and ethanol co-ingestion was confirmed by blood ethanol concentrations. A serious outcome was defined as a National Poison Data System outcome moderate or above. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were performed to compare the associations of clinical outcomes with and without ethanol, followed by subgroup analyses of cases with complete data. We analyzed 109 patients (median age 29 years, 71% men, 68% Chinese), of whom 20 had confirmed ethanol co-ingestion (mean blood ethanol concentration 1350mg/L). Multivariable analysis showed that co-exposure to cocaine and ethanol was associated with a lower risk of serious outcomes (adjusted odds ratio 0.09, 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.77; p = 0.03) after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, route of cocaine administration, and physical health status. Subgroup analyses showed similar findings. In contrast to previous studies, we did not identify a higher risk of serious outcomes after co-exposure to cocaine and ethanol compared to cocaine alone in a predominantly Chinese cohort.

Prehospital blood gas analyses in acute patients treated by a ground-based physician-manned emergency unit: a cohort study

BackgroundThe prehospital patients treated by ambulances and mobile emergency care units (MECU) are potentially critically ill or injured. Knowing the risks of serious outcomes in these patients is important for guiding their treatment. Some settings allow for prehospital arterial blood gas analyses. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of prehospital patients in relation to their prehospitally measured lactate, pH, and CO2 levels. The primary outcome was 7-day mortality.MethodsThis register-based cohort study included patients with one or more prehospital blood gas analyses during their prehospital treatment by a physician-manned MECU, from January 2015 to December 2018. The blood samples were analyzed on an ABL90 Flex analyzer. Absolute values with percentages and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for the primary and secondary outcomes within prespecified subgroups.ResultsThe study included 745 patients, with an overall 7-day mortality rate of 20.0%.Lactate levelThe 7-day mortality rates were 11.5% in patients with normal lactate levels (< 2.0 mmol/L), 14.4% with intermediate lactate levels (2.0–3.9 mmol/L), and 33.0% with high lactate levels (≥ 4.0 mmol/L). This corresponded to an OR of 1.30 (95% CI: 0.75–2.24) in the intermediate lactate group (2.0–3.9 mmol/L) and an OR of 3.77 (95% CI: 2.44–5.85) in the high lactate group (≥ 4.0 mmol/L), compared to the reference group with normal lactate.pH levelThe ORs of 7-day mortality rates were 4.82 (95% CI: 3.00–7.75) in patients with blood pH of < 7.35 and 1.33 (95% CI: 0.65–2.72) in patients with blood pH > 7.45, compared to the reference group with normal pH (7.35–7.45).CO2 levelThe ORs of 7-day mortality rates were 2.54 (95% CI: 1.45–4.46) in patients with blood CO2 of < 4.3 kPa and 2.62 (95% CI: 1.70–4.03) in patients with blood CO2 > 6.0 kPa, compared to the reference group with normal CO2 (4.3–6.0 kPa).ConclusionsThis study found a strong correlation between increasing 7-day mortality rates and high blood lactate levels, low levels of pH, and abnormal CO2 blood levels, in prehospital patients undergoing prehospital blood analysis.

NASAFYTOL® supplementation in adults hospitalized with COVID-19 infection: results from an exploratory open-label randomized controlled trial.

The effect and safety of Nasafytol®, a food supplement combining curcumin, quercetin, and Vitamin D, on hospitalized COVID-19-positive patients as support to standard of care were to be assessed. This exploratory, open-label, randomized, controlled trial was carried out among hospitalized adults with COVID-19 infection. Participants were randomly assigned to receive Nasafytol® or Fultium® control. The improvement of the clinical condition and occurrence of (serious) adverse events were evaluated. The study was registered on clincaltrials.gov with the identifier NCT04844658. Twenty-five patients received Nasafytol®, and 24 received Fultium®. Demographic characteristics were well balanced between the groups. On day 14 (or at hospital leave if < 14 days), no difference was observed between groups regarding their clinical condition, fever, or the need of oxygen therapy. At day 7, however, 19 participants had been discharged from the hospital in the Nasafytol® arm compared to 10 participants in the Fultium® arm. No participants were transferred to the ICU or died in the Nasafytol® arm, vs. 4 transfers and 1 death in the Fultium® arm. The clinical condition of participants in the Nasafytol® arm had improved, as evidenced by a decrease in the COVID-19 WHO score. Interestingly, five SAEs occurred with Fultium®, while no SAE was observed with Nasafytol®. Supplementation with Nasafytol®, in addition to standard-of-care treatment, led to a faster discharge from the hospital, improved clinical conditions of participants, and a reduced risk of serious outcomes, including transfer to the intensive care unit or death, in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Exercise dosing considerations in times of COVID-19 pandemic: A review

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, international organizations recommended regular physical exercise to maintain physical and mental health during confinement, however, it is an emerging disease, the evidence is not conclusive regarding the relationship between a physical inactivity and the risk of serious outcomes in patients with COVID-19, therefore, it is essential to identify the contribution of the type of physical exercise modality and the contribution to the immune system. Objective: To demonstrate the immunological response of different physical exercise modality in the population between 18 and 84 years of age, the population identified with the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, in the report n°198 of the World Health Organization. Materials and methods: A review of the literature was carried out between Central Pubmed, Google Scholar and Scielo from January 2016 to December 2021. Results: Of the selected articles, it was possible to identify the main benefits in the immune response with both modalities of physical exercise (aerobic and/or resistance) in the target population. Conclusion: At present, the benefits on the immune response in patients with COVID-19 are completely unknown, which is why it is essential to identify the contribution on the immune response in different modalities of physical.

ODP475 Developing suppurative thyroiditis

Abstract Suppurative thyroiditis is rare and associated with significant mortality. A high level of suspicion and aggressive management is needed to reduce the risk of serious outcomes. A 67-year-old male with a medical history including diabetes type 2, cognitive impairment, and ESRD presented with decreased appetite and lethargy for a few days. He presented with fever, tachycardia, and hypertension. There was a non-tender fullness around the anterior neck region. Initial laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis to 24K/uL, lactic acid of 5. 0 mmol/L, ESR 100 mm/hr, CRP 419 ng/dl, and blood culture was positive for gram-positive cocci in clusters for which he was started on iv vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam. CT scan on admission showed a probable inflammatory process in the neck originating from the thyroid bed, concerning acute thyroiditis and developing abscess/abscesses vs. very atypical presentation of thyroid cancer. Thyroid ultrasound showed diffuse thyroid enlargement with heterogeneous echogenicity. Repeat CT obtained due to apparent thyroid enlargement with erythema and tenderness on examination and fever on day 7 showed extensive heterogeneous thyroid enlargement with ill-defined margins to the adjacent soft tissue structures. A modified barium swallow revealed severe oropharyngeal dysphagia leading to thyroid fine-needle aspiration of both thyroid lobes by interventional radiology and subsequent urgent incision and drainage (I&amp;D) of the right neck and thyroid biopsy under general anesthesia by ENT. I&amp;D showed purulent drainage from the thyroid. Cultures were positive for MRSA. Surgical pathology reported a necrotic muscle and abscess and fragment of thyroid tissue. Thyroid function tests (TFTs) on admission revealed a TSH 0.31 mcIU/ml (reference: 0.30 - 5. 0 mcIU/ml) and a free T4 of 2.21 ng/dl (reference: 0.76- 1.46 ng/dl) and repeat TFTs with a TSH of 0.30 mcIU/mL, free T4 of 1.87 ng/dL, free T3 of 2.15 pg/ml (reference: 2.18- 3.98 pg/ml), consistent with sick euthyroid syndrome. TPO and TSI were negative. Subsequently, the patient's fever resolved, and the neck swelling improved. He continued IV vancomycin for a month. TFTs six weeks later showed an elevated TSH of 13.10 mcIU/ml and normal free T4 of 1. 03 ng/dl. Conclusion MRSA suppurative thyroiditis is rare, and its diagnosis may be delayed due to its indolent course, especially in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, a high index of clinical suspicion is needed for this endocrine emergency in a patient presenting with fever and neck swelling. While an early FNA of the thyroid is likely to aid in diagnosing thyroid infection, TFTs may be variable and not helpful. Presentation: No date and time listed

Risks of adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients and vaccination status in a secondary hospital in Spain

IntroductionIn December 2020, vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 started in Spain. Until March 2022, 91.1% of the target population was vaccinated. The objective of the study is to describe the characteristics of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the risk of serious outcomes and their vaccination status. Material and methodsRetrospective longitudinal analytical observational study. Demographic characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 infections and vaccination history from 01/01/2021–08/10/2021 were collected from electronic medical records and the Unified Vaccination Registry. Data analysis was performed with Excel and Stata 16. Results4161 COVID-19 cases were detected; of which 185 (4.5%) had received a complete vaccination schedule. The most affected age group was 80–89 years (34.1%). 1697 patients were hospitalized, of whom 78 (4.6%) had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. No patient admitted to the ICU had a history of vaccination. The mean hospitalization time in unvaccinated patients was 11 days (95% CI -41.54–63.54) compared to 8.5 days (95% CI 7.04–9.96) in vaccinated patients. The relative risk of hospitalization in vaccinated patients compared to unvaccinated patients for the age group 40 to 59 years was 0.29 (95% CI 0.11–0.72) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.67–0). 0.90) for people over 60 years of age. ConclusionsThe risk of hospitalization and death was lower in vaccinated patients compared to unvaccinated patients in the age groups 40–59 and older than 60 years. This finding supports current clinical evidence.

A Canadian Perspective: Monoclonal Antibodies for Pre- and Post-Exposure Protection from COVID-19 in Vulnerable Patients with Hematological Malignancies.

Patients with hematological malignancies have an increased risk of serious outcomes following COVID-19 infection, suggesting broader protection is needed beyond vaccination. Monoclonal antibodies such as sotrovimab, casirivimab–imdevimab, and bamlanivimab have provided valuable options for the treatment of COVID-19 disease. More recently, monoclonal antibodies have been examined for the prevention of COVID-19 infection. The monoclonal antibody combination, tixagevimab–cilgavimab, was recently approved by Health Canada as pre-exposure prophylaxis against COVID-19 in individuals who are immunocompromised or where vaccination is not recommended. Prophylactic approaches such as the use of tixagevimab–cilgavimab, in addition to COVID-19 vaccination, may provide additional protection for patients with hematological malignancies who are at greater risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 infection.

Risks of adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients and vaccination status in a secondary hospital in Spain

IntroductionIn December 2020, vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 started in Spain. Until March 2022, 91.1% of the target population was vaccinated. The objective of the study is to describe the characteristics of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the risk of serious outcomes and their vaccination status. Material and methodsRetrospective longitudinal analytical observational study. Demographic characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 infections and vaccination history from 01/01/2021–08/10/2021 were collected from electronic medical records and the Unified Vaccination Registry. Data analysis was performed with Excel and Stata 16. Results4161 COVID-19 cases were detected; of which 185 (4.5%) had received a complete vaccination schedule. The most affected age group was 80–89 years (34.1%). 1697 patients were hospitalized, of whom 78 (4.6%) had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. No patient admitted to the ICU had a history of vaccination. The mean hospitalization time in unvaccinated patients was 11 days (95% CI -41.54–63.54) compared to 8.5 days (95% CI 7.04–9.96) in vaccinated patients. The relative risk of hospitalization in vaccinated patients compared to unvaccinated patients for the age group 40 to 59 years was 0.29 (95% CI 0.11–0.72) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.67–0). 0.90) for people over 60 years of age. ConclusionsThe risk of hospitalization and death was lower in vaccinated patients compared to unvaccinated patients in the age groups 40–59 and older than 60 years. This finding supports current clinical evidence.

International Validation of the Canadian Syncope Risk Score : A Cohort Study.

The Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS) was developed to predict 30-day serious outcomes not evident during emergency department (ED) evaluation. To externally validate the CSRS and compare it with another validated score, the Osservatorio Epidemiologico della Sincope nel Lazio (OESIL) score. Prospective cohort study. Large, international, multicenter study recruiting patients in EDs in 8 countries on 3 continents. Patients with syncope aged 40 years or older presenting to the ED within 12 hours of syncope. Composite outcome of serious clinical plus procedural events (primary outcome) and the primary composite outcome excluding procedural interventions (secondary outcome). Among 2283 patients with a mean age of 68 years, the primary composite outcome occurred in 7.2%, and the composite outcome excluding procedural interventions occurred in 3.1% at 30 days. Prognostic performance of the CSRS was good for both 30-day composite outcomes and better compared with the OESIL score (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.85 [95% CI, 0.83 to 0.88] vs. 0.74 [CI, 0.71 to 0.78] and 0.80 [CI, 0.75 to 0.84] vs. 0.69 [CI, 0.64 to 0.75], respectively). Safety of triage, as measured by the frequency of the primary composite outcome in the low-risk group, was higher using the CSRS (19 of 1388 [0.6%]) versus the OESIL score (17 of 1104 [1.5%]). A simplified model including only the clinician classification of syncope (cardiac syncope, vasovagal syncope, or other) variable at ED discharge-a component of the CSRS-achieved similar discrimination as the CSRS (AUC, 0.83 [CI, 0.80 to 0.87] for the primary composite outcome). Unable to disentangle the influence of other CSRS components on clinician classification of syncope at ED discharge. This international external validation of the CSRS showed good performance in identifying patients at low risk for serious outcomes outside of Canada and superior performance compared with the OESIL score. However, clinician classification of syncope at ED discharge seems to explain much of the performance of the CSRS in this study. The clinical utility of the CSRS remains uncertain. Swiss National Science Foundation & Swiss Heart Foundation.

A Comprehensive Survey on Role of Learning Approaches in Respiratory Disease Management with Special Focus on Asthma

Asthma is a heterogeneous disorder with many phenotypes. We discuss the phenotypic characterization of asthma by which disease causality and ultimately management approaches can be developed to improve asthma control while avoiding adverse effects and decreasing the risk of serious outcomes. Thus the discussions would aim at phenotyping asthma based on clinical as well as physiological characteristics as Asthma is defined and diagnosed by a combination of clinical symptoms and physiologic abnormalities by deploying different learning techniques for devising novel approaches, while performing evaluation of the same, which would better define asthma phenotypes that may improve the understanding of the underlying pathobiology of the phenotypes and lead to targeted therapies for individual phenotypes. The approaches developed would serve to cluster, classify and further perform analysis and predict the severity of the disease in future effectively.

COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized puerperal, pregnant, and neither pregnant nor puerperal women.

To compare hospitalized reproductive age women with COVID-19 who were pregnant, puerperal, or neither one nor the other in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics and disease progression using Brazilian epidemiological data. A retrospective analysis of the records of the Information System of the Epidemiological Surveillance of Influenza of the Health Ministry of Brazil was performed. It included the data of female patients aged 10 to 49 years hospitalized because of severe COVID-19 disease (RT-PCR+ for SARS-CoV-2), from February 17, 2020 to January 02, 2021. They were separated into 3 groups: pregnant, puerperal, and neither pregnant nor puerperal. General comparisons and then adjustments for confounding variables (propensity score matching [PSM]) were made, using demographic and clinical characteristics, disease progression (admission to the intensive care unit [ICU] and invasive or noninvasive ventilatory support), and outcome (cure or death). Deaths were analyzed in each group according to comorbidities, invasive or noninvasive ventilatory support, and admission to the ICU. As many as 40,640 reproductive age women hospitalized for COVID-19 were identified: 3,372 were pregnant, 794 were puerperal, and 36,474 were neither pregnant nor puerperal. Groups were significantly different in terms of demographic data and comorbidities (p<0.0001). Pregnant and puerperal women were less likely to be symptomatic than the women who were neither one nor the other (72.1%, 69.7% and 88.8%, respectively). Pregnant women, however, had a higher frequency of anosmia, and ageusia than the others. After PSM, puerperal women had a worse prognosis than pregnant women with respect to admission to the ICU, invasive ventilatory support, and death, with OR (95% CI) 1.97 (1.55 - 2.50), 2.71 (1.78 - 4.13), and 2.51 (1.79 - 3.52), respectively. Puerperal women were at a higher risk for serious outcomes (need for the ICU, need for invasive and noninvasive ventilatory support, and death) than pregnant women.

Exposure reasons, other substance use, and medical outcomes of poison control center cases aged 50+ involving opioids, 2015–2020

Context Rates of prescription opioid (PO) prescribing and filling remain high, and illicit opioid (IO) use has increased among late middle-aged and older adults. Research on PO and IO poisoning and their impacts among these age groups is needed. Methods Data came from 2015 to 2020 poison control center cases aged 50+ (N = 83,135). We used χ 2 tests to examine changes over the study period in the numbers of PO and IO cases, type of opioids used, exposure reasons, and medical outcomes. We fit multinomial logistic regression models to examine the associations of medical outcomes with exposure reasons and other medication/substance involvement. Results Between 2015/2016 and 2020, the numbers and shares of PO-only cases steadily declined, but IO cases, with or without PO, nearly tripled, constituting almost 10% of all PCC opioid cases aged 50+ in 2020. The rates of intentional misuse/abuse increased among both PO-only and IO (with/without PO) cases during the study period, and the death rate among IO cases sharply increased in 2020. Compared to adverse reactions or other unintentional exposures, intentional misuse/abuse and suspected suicides were associated with significantly higher risks of serious outcomes (e.g., risk of death from intentional misuse/abuse: RRR = 22.11, 95% CI = 16.74–29.20 in PO-only cases and RRR = 6.95, 95% CI = 2.37–20.39 in IO cases with/without PO). The use of most other medications and substances was also significantly associated with serious outcomes. Discussion Among older adults, medical outcomes in opioid poisoning cases have become more serious in recent years as intentional misuse/abuse became more common. Opioid use disorder treatment should be readily available and accessible, and alternatives to PO prescribing should be considered. Conclusions Among individuals aged 50+, PO poisoning cases decreased, but IO cases increased sharply from 2015 to 2020 with concomitant increases in intentional misuse/abuse and serious medical outcomes.

A single centered study reveals association between liver injury and COVID-19 infection.

Background and aimDespite the fact that it has been over a year with the pandemic COVID-19 infection, ongoing research and analysis reveal many complications and comorbidities associated with COVID-19. In this study, we aimed at investigating the clinical and laboratory assessments in COVID-19 patients with and without liver injury.MethodsSymptomatic 541 COVID-19 positive patients, who were admitted to Al Kuwait Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were recruited in this study. Their data was collected retrospectively, including demographic data, blood tests, symptoms, radiographical assessments, and clinical outcomes of COVID-19.ResultsAround 19% of the recruited COVID-19 patients displayed signs of acute liver injury. Also, there was an increase in the percentage of critical, ICU-admitted and mortality rates in COVID-19 cases with liver injury, as well as a higher percentage of septic shock and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). COVID-19 patients with liver injury had more pronounced bilateral consolidation, lymphopenia and neutrophilia. Additionally, these patients had higher levels of CRP, LDH, procalcitonin, ferritin and D dimer levels. Finally, there was a higher percentage of patients taking various COVID-19 therapies in the COVID-19 patients with liver injury group.ConclusionCOVID-19 patients with acute liver injury are at a higher risk for serious outcomes including death.

Neither Donor nor Recipient Mitochondrial Haplotypes Are Associated with Unrelated Donor Transplant Outcomes: A Validation Study from the CIBMTR

Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) is a multistep process that involves T-cell recognition and priming toward alloantigen, expansion, acquisition of effector function, and repeated tissue injury, resulting in clinical manifestations of the disease. All of these processes have considerable metabolic demands and understanding the key role of mitochondria in cellular metabolism as it relates to GVHD has increased significantly. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes have been linked to functional differences in vitro, suggesting they have functional differences at an organismal level. We previously used mtDNA typing to assess the impact of mtDNA haplotypes on outcomes of ~400 allo-HCT patients. This pilot study identified uncommon mtDNA haplotypes potentially associated with inferior outcomes. We sought to validate pilot findings of associations between donor and recipient mitochondrial haplotypes and transplant outcome. We examined a cohort of 4143 donor-recipient pairs obtained from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. MtDNA was extracted from whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells from donors and recipients and sequenced to discern haplotype. We used multiple regression analysis to examine the independent association of mtDNA haplotype with overall survival and grade III-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) adjusting for known risk factors for poor transplant outcome. Neither recipient nor donor mtDNA haplotype reached groupwise significance for overall survival (P =.26 and .39, respectively) or grade III-IV aGVHD (P = .68 and.57, respectively). Adjustment for genomically determined ancestry in the subset of donor-recipient pairs for which this was available did not materially change results. We conclude that our original finding was due to chance in a small sample size and that there is essentially no evidence that mtDNA haplotype or haplotype mismatch contributes to risk of serious outcomes after allogeneic transplantation.

Diverse Sexual Behaviors in Undergraduate Students: Findings From a Campus Probability Survey

Probability-based surveys of college students typically assess sexual behaviors such as oral, vaginal, and anal sex. Little is known about the broader range of sexual behaviors in which students engage. In a random sample survey of undergraduate students, we aimed to: (1) describe how recently participants had engaged in solo and partnered sexual behaviors, (2) examine how frequently participants enacted certain rough sex sexual behaviors (e.g., light spanking, hard spanking, choking, slapping, and others), (3) assess participants' frequency of experiencing certain rough sex behaviors, (4) describe participants' frequency of threesome/group sex, (5) assess the characteristics of participants' experiences with choking during sex; and (6) examine choking and face slapping in regard to consent. A confidential, online cross-sectional survey of 4,989 randomly sampled undergraduate students at a large U.S. university. Participants reported having engaged in a broad range of solo and partnered sexual activities, including rough sex behaviors. The most prevalent general sexual behaviors were solo masturbation (88.6%), oral sex (79.4% received, 78.4% performed), penile-vaginal intercourse (73.5%), and partnered masturbation (71.1%). Anal intercourse was the least prevalent of these behaviors (16.8% received, 25.3% performed). Among those with any partnered sexual experience, 43.0% had choked a partner, 47.3% had been choked, 59.1% had been lightly spanked and 12.1% had been slapped on the face during sex. College health clinicians and educators need to be aware of the diverse and evolving range of solo and partnered sexual behaviors reported by students. In addition to counseling students about pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection risk, clinicians might assess patients' engagement in diverse sexual behaviors, such as choking/strangulation during sex, given the risk for serious outcomes including death. Strengths of our research include the large sample size, use of random sampling, high response rate for college populations, broad range of behaviors assessed, and novel data on choking during sex. Among our limitations, we did not assess to what extent the experiences were wanted, pleasurable, or appealing to participants. Except for in relation to choking and slapping, we also did not assess issues of consent. Participants reported engaging in diverse sexual behaviors, some of which have important clinical implications, are understudied, and warrant further research.

Sharing Is Caring: Can an App Help?

Parents of febrile young infants who present to the emergency department are frequently overwhelmed, surprised by the potential seriousness of their child's condition and the need for extensive testing and possible hospitalization.1 In this stressful context, communication can be challenging. Emergency physicians are faced with the responsibilities of explaining the need for testing, answering questions, addressing concerns, and providing support.