Association of Multimodal Pain Control with Patient-Reported Outcomes in Children Undergoing Surgery

IntroductionOur aim was to describe practices in multimodal pain management at US children's hospitals and evaluate the association between non-opioid pain management strategies and pediatric patient-reported outcomes (PROs).MethodsData were collected as part of the 18-hospital ENhanced Recovery In CHildren Undergoing Surgery (ENRICH-US) clinical trial. Non-opioid pain management strategies included use of preoperative and postoperative non-opioid analgesics, regional anesthetic blocks, and a biobehavioral intervention. PROs included perioperative nervousness, pain-related functional disability, health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Associations were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models.ResultsAmong 186 patients, 62 (33%) received preoperative analgesics, 186 (100%) postoperative analgesics, 81 (44%) regional anesthetic block, and 135 (73%) used a biobehavioral intervention. Patients were less likely to report worsened as compared to stable nervousness following regional anesthetic block (relative risk ratio [RRR]:0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.11–0.85), use of a biobehavioral technique (RRR:0.26, 95% CI:0.10–0.70), and both in combination (RRR:0.08, 95% CI:0.02–0.34). There were no associations of non-opioid pain control modalities with pain-related functional disability or HRQoL.ConclusionUse of postoperative non-opioid analgesics have been largely adopted, while preoperative non-opioid analgesics and regional anesthetic blocks are used less frequently. Regional anesthetic blocks and biobehavioral interventions may mitigate postoperative nervousness in children.Level of evidenceIII.     

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) 2022 Expert Consensus Document: The use of mechanical circulatory support in lung transplantation

ObjectiveThe use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in lung transplantation has been steadily increasing over the prior decade, with evolving strategies for incorporating support in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative settings. There is significant practice variability in the use of these techniques, however, and relatively limited data to help establish institutional protocols. The objective of the AATS Clinical Practice Standards Committee (CPSC) expert panel was to review the existing literature and establish recommendations about the use of MCS before, during, and after lung transplantation.MethodsThe AATS CPSC assembled an expert panel of 16 lung transplantation physicians who developed a consensus document of recommendations. The panel was broken into subgroups focused on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative support, and each subgroup performed a focused literature review. These subgroups formulated recommendation statements for each subtopic, which were evaluated by the entire group. The statements were then developed via discussion among the panel and refined until consensus was achieved on each statement.ResultsThe expert panel achieved consensus on 36 recommendations for how and when to use MCS in lung transplantation. These recommendations included the use of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a bridging strategy in the preoperative setting, a preference for central veno-arterial ECMO over traditional cardiopulmonary bypass during the transplantation procedure, and the benefit of supporting selected patients with MCS postoperatively.ConclusionsAchieving optimal results in lung transplantation requires the use of a wide range of strategies. MCS provides an important mechanism for helping these critically ill patients through the peritransplantation period. Despite the complex nature of the decision making process in the treatment of these patients, the expert panel was able to achieve consensus on 36 recommendations. These recommendations should provide guidance for professionals involved in the care of end-stage lung disease patients considered for transplantation.     

Glutamate infusion associated with reduced rises of p-Copeptin after coronary surgery: Substudy of GLUTAMICS II

Background

Glutamate plays a key role for post-ischaemic recovery of myocardial metabolism. According to post hoc analyses of the two GLUTAMICS trials, patients without diabetes benefit from glutamate with less myocardial dysfunction after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Copeptin reflects activation of the Arginine Vasopressin system and is a reliable marker of heart failure but available studies in cardiac surgery are limited. We investigated whether glutamate infusion is associated with reduced postoperative rises of plasma Copeptin (p-Copeptin) after CABG.

Methods

A prespecified randomised double-blind substudy of GLUTAMICS II. Patients had left ventricular ejection fraction ≤0.30 or EuroSCORE II ≥3.0 and underwent CABG ± valve procedure. Intravenous infusion of 0.125 M L-glutamic acid or saline at 1.65 mL/kg/h was commenced 10–20 min before the release of the aortic cross-clamp and then continued for another 150 min P-Copeptin was measured preoperatively and postoperatively on day one (POD1) and day three. The primary endpoint was an increase in p-Copeptin from the preoperative level to POD1. Postoperative stroke ≤24 h and mortality ≤30 days were safety outcomes.

Results

We included 181 patients of whom 48% had diabetes. The incidence of postoperative mortality ≤30 days (0% vs. 2.1%; p = .50) and stroke ≤24 h (0% vs. 3.2%; p = .25) did not differ between the glutamate group and controls. P-Copeptin increased postoperatively with the highest values recorded on POD1 without significant inter-group differences. Among patients without diabetes, p-Copeptin did not differ preoperatively but postoperative rise from preoperative level to POD1 was significantly reduced in the glutamate group (73 ± 66 vs. 115 ± 102 pmol/L; p = .02). P-Copeptin was significantly lower in the Glutamate group on POD1 (p = .02) and POD 3 (p = .02).

Conclusions

Glutamate did not reduce rises of p-Copeptin significantly after moderate to high-risk CABG. However, glutamate was associated with reduced rises of p-Copeptin among patients without diabetes. These results agree with previous observations suggesting that glutamate mitigates myocardial dysfunction after CABG in patients without diabetes. Given the exploratory nature of these findings, they need to be confirmed in future studies.     

端粒长度与认知障碍及其中药治疗的研究现况

认知障碍是指记忆、语言、理解和判断等一个或多个方面的功能障碍,包括轻度认知障碍和各种类型的痴呆症。痴呆症是认知障碍最严重的表现,是一种导致患者日常生活、社会交往和工作能力发生显著变化的综合征。阿尔茨海默病(AD)是最常见的痴呆症类型,其次是血管性痴呆(VD)和其他神经退行性痴呆[1]。已知年龄与认知功能的退化密切相关。     

Out of the boxes,out of the silos: The need of interdisciplinary collaboration to reduce poor-quality medical products in the supply chain

In this paper, we argue that understanding and addressing the problem of poor-quality medical products requires a more interdisciplinary approach than has been evident to date. While prospective studies based on rigorous standardized methodologies are the gold standard for measuring the prevalence of poor-quality medical products and understanding their distribution nationally and internationally, they should be complemented by social science research to unpack the complex set of social, economic, and governance factors that underlie these patterns. In the following sections, we discuss specific examples of prospective quality surveys and of social science studies, highlighting the value of cross-sector partnerships in driving high-quality, policy-relevant research in this area.     

Prospective characterization of incident hepatic steatosis in pediatric and adolescent patients after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation

BackgroundHepatic steatosis has been described as a common finding in adults following total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) but it is unknown if this occurs in children and adolescents.ObjectivesTo define the frequency of post-TPIAT hepatic steatosis in a sample of children and adolescents and to identify clinical predictors of incident steatosis post-TPIAT.MethodsIn this prospective study, consecutive participants at least 1-month post-TPIAT underwent a liver MRI with proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and blood draw at our pediatric academic medical center between April 2021 and January 2022. Comparison clinical pre-TPIAT liver MRI or ultrasound and insulin use and graft function data were extracted from the medical record. T-tests were used for the comparison of means across continuous variables between participants with and without post-TPIAT steatosis.ResultsA total of 20 participants (mean: 13 ± 4 years; 12 female) were evaluated. Mean liver PDFF at research MRI was 7.4 ± 6.2% (range: 2–25%). Seven participants (35%) had categorical hepatic steatosis (PDFF>5%) post-TPIAT, five of whom had pre-TPIAT steatosis, reflecting a 13% (2/15; 95% CI: 2–40%) incidence of post-TPIAT steatosis. Participant characteristics were not significantly different between subgroups with and without post-TPIAT steatosis. Mean PDFF at research MRI was not different between graft function subgroups (7.5% optimal/good vs. 7.3% marginal/failure; p = .96).ConclusionOur study shows a moderate prevalence but low incidence of hepatic steatosis in a small sample of children and adolescents post-TPIAT. This study raises questions about a causal relationship between TPIAT and hepatic steatosis.     

SARS-CoV-2 and cancer: the intriguing and informative cross-talk

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has significantly disrupted and burdened the diagnostic workup and delivery of care, including transfusion, to cancer patients across the globe. Furthermore, cancer patients suffering from solid tumors or hematologic malignancies were more prone to the infection and had higher morbidity and mortality than the rest of the population. Major signaling pathways have been identified at the intersection of SARS-CoV-2 and cancer cells, often leading to tumor progression or alteration of the tumor response to therapy. The reactivation of oncogenic viruses has also been alluded to in the context and following COVID-19. Paradoxically, certain tumors responded better following the profound infection-induced immune modulation. Unveiling the mechanisms of the virus-tumor cell interactions will lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of both cancer progression and virus propagation. It would be challenging to monitor, through the different cancer registries, retrospectively, the response of patients who have been previously exposed to the virus in contrast to those who have not contracted the infection.     

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Type 2 Diabetes: A Screening Approach

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder common among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this quality improvement project was to increase identification and referral for sleep study for individuals with T2D at moderate to high risk for OSA. Pre- and post-intervention patient samples were analyzed to compare the number of referrals for sleep study. Results demonstrated that none of the patients pre-intervention were referred for sleep study compared with 77% of patients post-intervention. This project demonstrated implementing an evidence-based tool to screen patients with T2D for OSA leads to higher rates of detection and referral.     

女性压力性尿失禁风险预测的研究进展

综述女性压力性尿失禁(stress urinary incontinence,SUI)风险预测的研究进展。指出女性SUI风险预测相关文献普遍存在风险预测工具和指标缺乏临床大样本验证,指标、纳入人群不统一的现象,风险预测模型存在构建过程未按报告规范进行,未进行完整的模型验证以及模型性能评价指标不规范的情况。未来研究可以在现有风险预测工具或模型的基础上进行改进、完善,以期为女性SUI风险预测提供参考。