Arterial complications associated with cardiac catheterization in pediatric patients with a previous history of kawasaki disease

Objectives : To determine whether patients with Kawasaki Disease (KD) undergoing percutaneous catheter angiography were at increased risk of arterial complications at the point of arterial access compared to patients with structural heart abnormalities, but normal vessels. Background : Systemic arterial damage can occur as a result of KD. Methods : Medical histories of all patients with KD undergoing percutaneous catheter angiography at The Hospital for Sick Children between January 1990 and August 2008 were reviewed. Results : A total of 44 patients with KD underwent 82 catheter procedures. Of these, 3 were associated with important arterial complications (2 males; age: 4 months, 3 and 17 years). All patients who experienced complications had multiple large and/or giant coronary artery aneurysms and two were within 3 months of the acute phase of KD. All patients developed pseudoaneurysms of the femoral artery which had been utilized for catheter access. All pseudoaneurysms were treated with ultrasound‐guided thrombin injection and compression, and resolved with no long‐term complications. One patient also developed a substantial arteriovenous fistula of the femoral circulation which had to be surgically repaired with no permanent sequela. Odds for arterial complications in patients with KD were 10.4 times greater (95%CI: 3.2–33.8) than that noted for the general pediatric cardiac catheterization population (3.6% vs. 0.4%, P < 0.0001) which indicates higher risk associated with arterial access in patients with KD. Conclusions : Greater care in obtaining arterial access for angiography is warranted, especially in the first month directly following the acute phase, possibly related to systemic arterial damage associated with KD. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Development and Implementation of a Proactive Geriatrics Consultation Model in Collaboration with Hospitalists

Acutely ill hospitalized older adults often experience a decline in function that may be preventable using a proactive, interdisciplinary, patient-centered approach. Hospitalists are treating an increasing number of these patients. A collaborative geriatrics consultation model to prevent functional decline and improve care for older patients with geriatrics syndromes was developed and implemented in partnership with a large hospitalist group in a community teaching hospital. A team of a geriatrician and a geriatrics nurse practitioner led the new consultation service. The team assisted with identifying cases, provided consultation early in the hospital stay, focused its evaluation on functional and psychosocial issues, and assisted in clinical management to optimize implementation of recommendations. In the first 4 years, the consultation service conducted 1,538 consultations in patients with a mean age of 81 (range 56–103). The most frequent geriatrics diagnoses were gait instability, delirium, and depression; recommendations usually included consulting physical therapy, increasing activity, and changing medications. The number of referrals and referring physicians grew steadily each year. Twenty-eight of 34 (82%) of the referring hospitalists completed a Web-based satisfaction questionnaire. All responding hospitalists agreed that proactive geriatrics consultation helped them provide better care; 96% rated the service as excellent. Analysis of hospital administrative data revealed a lower length of stay index and lower hospital costs in patients receiving a geriatrics consultation. The Proactive Geriatrics Consultation Service represents a promising model of collaboration between hospitalists and geriatricians for improving care of hospitalized older adults.     

Computational pathology definitions,best practices,and recommendations for regulatory guidance: a white paper from the Digital Pathology Association

In this white paper, experts from the Digital Pathology Association (DPA) define terminology and concepts in the emerging field of computational pathology, with a focus on its application to histology images analyzed together with their associated patient data to extract information. This review offers a historical perspective and describes the potential clinical benefits from research and applications in this field, as well as significant obstacles to adoption. Best practices for implementing computational pathology workflows are presented. These include infrastructure considerations, acquisition of training data, quality assessments, as well as regulatory, ethical, and cyber-security concerns. Recommendations are provided for regulators, vendors, and computational pathology practitioners in order to facilitate progress in the field. © 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.