Quantitative Blood Volume Analysis and Hemodynamic Measures of Vascular Compliance in Patients With Worsening Heart Failure

BackgroundThe role of blood volume (BV) expansion vs a change in vascular compliance in worsening heart failure (HF) remains under debate. We aimed to assess the relationship between BV and resting and stress hemodynamics in worsening HF and to further elucidate the significance of BV in cardiac decompensation.Methods and ResultsPatients with worsening HF underwent radiolabeled indicator-dilution BV analysis and cardiac catheterization. Intravascular volumes and resting/stress hemodynamics were recorded. Provocative stress maneuvers included change in systolic blood pressure (ΔSBP) from lying to standing and Valsalva and intracardiac pressure changes with leg raise. Correlation between BV and invasive hemodynamics were assessed by linear regression. Of 27 patients with worsening HF, patients’ characteristics included mean age 61 ± 12 years, 70% male, 19% Black, and mean ejection fraction 29% ± 15%. Of the patients, 13 (48%) had hypervolemia as measured by total BV, which weakly correlated with ΔSBP by position (R² = 0.009) and Valsalva (R² = 0.003) and with right atrial (R² = 0.049) and pulmonary capillary wedge (R² = 0.047) pressure changes during leg raise.ConclusionsIn patients with worsening HF, BV mildly correlated with intracardiac pressures at rest. Provocative maneuvers intended to test vascular compliance did not correlate with BV, indicating that compliance may serve as a stand-alone metric in HF.     

Exploring Mothers’ Perspectives About Why Grandparents in Appalachia Give Their Grandchildren Cariogenic Foods and Beverages: A Qualitative Study

BackgroundDental caries is the most common chronic childhood disease. Past studies revealed that grandparents provide their grandchildren with cariogenic foods and beverages (eg, those with free sugars and/or modified starches). Qualitative research can help identify what drives this phenomenon.ObjectiveOur aim was to examine mothers’ explanations for why grandparents in north central and central Appalachia give their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages.DesignA qualitative study on children’s oral health in Pennsylvania and West Virginia from 2018 through 2020 was performed. In-person, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Qualitative data from interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then coded using NVivo. Data analysis for this study was performed using thematic analysis with iterative theme development.Participants/settingThe participants were 126 mothers of children aged 3-5 years from West Virginia (n = 66) and Pittsburgh, PA (n = 60).Main outcome measuresMothers’ perspectives about why grandparents give their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages were analyzed.ResultsIn the study sample, 85% of mothers (n = 107/126) named at least 1 of their children’s grandparents as a member of their social network responsible for their children’s oral health. From these interviews, 85% of mothers (n = 91/107) discussed that grandparents gave their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages. The mothers described the following 4 themes to explain why grandparents gave their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages: privilege of the grandparent role; responsibilities of the grandparent role; symbol of care and affection; and limited consideration or understanding of the detrimental impact.ConclusionsGrandparents play a role in giving their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages, which could potentially contribute to childhood caries. Research is needed to develop effective social interventions to help some grandparents understand the implications of a cariogenic diet on their grandchildren’s oral health and/or decrease their provision of cariogenic foods and beverages.     

A meta-analysis on salvage surgery as a potentially curative procedure in patients with isolated local recurrent or persistent esophageal cancer after chemoradiotherapy

BackgroundIsolated local recurrent or persistent esophageal cancer (EC) after curative intended definitive (dCRT) or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) with initially omitted surgery, is a potential indication for salvage surgery. We aimed to evaluate safety and efficacy of salvage surgery in these patients.Material and methodsA systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines was performed using databases of PubMed/Medline. All included studies were performed in patients with persistent or recurrent EC after initial treatment with dCRT or nCRT, between 2007 and 2017. Survival analysis was performed with an inverse-variance weighting method.ResultsOf the 278 identified studies, 28 were eligible, including a total of 1076 patients. Postoperative complications after salvage esophagectomy were significantly more common among patients with isolated persistent than in those with locoregional recurrent EC, including respiratory (36.6% versus 22.7%; difference in proportion 10.9 with 95% confidence interval (CI) [3.1; 18.7]) and cardiovascular complications (10.4% versus 4.5%; difference in proportion 5.9 with 95% CI [1.5; 10.2]). The pooled estimated 30- and 90-day mortality was 2.6% [1.6; 3.6] and 8.0% [6.3; 9.8], respectively. The pooled estimated 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) were 39.0% (95% CI: [35.8; 42.2]) and 19.4% [95% CI:16.5; 22.4], respectively. Patients with isolated persistent or recurrent EC after initial CRT had similar 5-year OS (14.0% versus 19.7%, difference in proportion −5.7, 95% CI [-13.7; 2.3]).ConclusionsSalvage surgery is a potentially curative procedure in patients with locally recurrent or persistent esophageal cancer and can be performed safely after definitive or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy when surgery was initially omitted.     

A novel framework to guide antibiotic stewardship nursing practice

BackgroundThere is a pervasive view among some nurses and health care disciplines that antibiotic stewardship (AS) is solely a physician or pharmacist responsibility. There is an urgent need to alter this view so that nurses can seize every opportunity to prevent patient harm from antibiotics and optimize antibiotic use. One challenge to achieving full nurse engagement as equal members of the AS team is lack of an organizing framework to illustrate relationships of phenomena and concepts inherent to adoption of AS nursing practices.MethodsWe sought to create a framework derived from the peer-reviewed literature, systematic and scoping reviews, and professional standards, consensus statements and white papers. The emerging framework went through multiple iterations as it was vetted with nurse clinicians, scholars and educators, physicians, pharmacists, infection preventionists and AS subject matter experts.ResultsOur evidence-based Antibiotic Stewardship Nursing Practice SCAN-P Framework provides the much-needed context and clarity to help guide local-level nurses to participate in and lead AS nursing practice.ConclusionsNurses worldwide are ideally situated to provide holistic person-centered care, advocate for judicious use of antibiotics to minimize antibiotic resistance, and be AS educators of their patients, communities and the general public. The Antibiotic Stewardship Nursing Practice SCAN-P Framework provides a tool to do so.