The association of environmental,meteorological, and pollen count variables with asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in the Bronx

Objective: To better understand how meteorological variables, air quality variables, and pollen counts collectively contribute to asthma-related emergency department visits (AREDV) and asthma-related hospitalizations (ARH) among pediatric and adult patients in the New York City borough of the Bronx. Methods: The numbers of daily adult and pediatric AREDV and ARH from 2001 to 2008 were obtained from three Bronx hospitals. After removing outliers, interpolating missing data, and standardizing variable values by scaling the data using z-scores, data were analyzed using Spearman rank tests and linear regression models for the full year and each season. Results: There were a total of 42,065 AREDV and 1,664 ARH at both Bronx hospitals. With the exception of a spring peak in AREDVs, AREDVs and ARHs follow a cyclical pattern, climbing in the fall, plateauing in the winter, dropping in the spring, and reaching a low in the summer. Among the 11 air quality, meteorological, and pollen count variables, temperature and tree pollen made the greatest contribution to AREDV with scaled coefficients of –0.337 and 0.311 respectively; equating to an additional AREDV for every 5.0-unit decrease in temperature and an additional AREDV for every 186.0-unit increase in tree pollen. These two variables were confirmed to have independent associations with AREDV prior to the data interpolation. Grass pollen was also found to have a relatively large contribution to AREDV during the summer with a scaled coefficient of 0.314, equating to an additional AREDV for every 2.3-unit increase in grass pollen. Conclusion: There are distinct peaks of increased AREDVs that are closely associated with increased tree pollen counts in the spring and decreasing temperatures in the fall. Early anticipation of these air quality, meteorological, and pollen factor changes based on ongoing surveillance could potentially guide clinical practice and minimize AREDVs in the Bronx.     

A new assay of thermal-based avoidance test in freely moving mice.

The hot plate test is a standard way to measure nociceptive response latencies to a noxious thermal stimulus. Here we have modified the classic hot plate by allowing animals to escape to an adjacent chamber after exposure to the heated surface. In this test, the animals escape to the adjacent chamber after exposure to the hot plate set at 50 degrees C. Repeated exposure to the hot plate resulted in a facilitation of escape responses, as measured by a reduced latency to escape from the noxious thermal stimulus. Signs of nociceptive behavior, such as licking or jumping, were not affected in animals that received hot plate training. The reduction of escape latencies after repeated hot plate exposure might be a useful measure for studying the facilitation of escape responses. In addition, the modified hot plate described here might be useful in studying performance and memory deficits related to noxious thermal stimuli. PERSPECTIVE: We modified a hot plate to measure facilitation of escape responses to a noxious thermal stimulus. The measure of escape responses might be useful in the assessment of memory defects, evaluation of drug therapies, and the behavioral characterization of transgenic mice.     

Midregional pro-A-type natriuretic peptide and carboxy-terminal provasopressin may predict prognosis in community-acquired pneumonia

BACKGROUND: Markers to better assess severity of disease in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) would help improve medical care of this condition. The hemodynamic biomarkers carboxy-terminal provasopressin (CT-proAVP; copeptin) and midregional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) are increased under septic conditions, in which MR-proANP has been described as a prognostic predictor. We aimed to explore the diagnostic accuracy of MR-proANP and CT-proAVP to predict mortality in patients with CAP. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study of patients with CAP. We measured biomarkers in serum samples obtained at diagnosis and performed univariate and multivariate analyses to identify potential predictors of mortality. RESULTS: CT-proAVP and MR-proANP concentrations were measured in 173 patients. We found a positive correlation between pneumonia severity index (PSI) and MR-proANP (r(s) = 0.68, P <0.0001) and between PSI and CT-proAVP (r(s) = 0.44, P <0.0001). Median (interquartile range) CT-proAVP and MR-proANP values were 8.2 (5.3-16.8) and 73.6 (44.6-144.0) pmol/L, respectively. Nonsurvivors had significantly higher MR-proANP and CT-proAVP than survivors (median 259.0 vs 71.8 pmol/L, P = 0.01, and 24.9 vs 8.1 pmol/L, P = 0.03, respectively). In multivariate analysis including PSI, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, CT-proAVP, and MR-proANP concentrations, only CT-proAVP remained an independent predictor of death (odds ratio 1.05, P = 0.007). Cutoff values of >18.9 pmol/L for CT-proAVP and >227 pmol/L for MR-proANP showed the highest diagnostic accuracy to predict mortality. CONCLUSIONS: CT-proAVP and MR-proANP may be used to predict prognosis in patients with CAP.     

Reliability and normative data for the comprehensive assessment of prospective memory (CAPM)

The Comprehensive Assessment of Prospective Memory (CAPM) is a questionnaire designed to evaluate frequency of prospective memory (PM) failures in people with brain injury. The aims of this study were to investigate the psychometric properties of the CAPM, including test-retest reliability and internal consistency, and to establish normative data by comparing CAPM scores between groups on the basis of sex, age, and education. Data were collected on 95 people aged 15-60 years living in the community, with no history of brain injury, using the CAPM. The results showed that the test-retest reliability and internal consistency for the CAPM were within acceptable ranges, indicating that the CAPM provides a stable and homogenous measure of an individual's self-report of PM failures. Normative data are presented in two age groups based on the significant difference found between the age groups 15-30 years and 31-60 years. These established norms can be used to describe perceived or observed behaviours indicative of PM failure in patients with brain injury by comparing CAPM ratings from significant others with the norms. The CAPM questionnaire provides researchers or clinicians with a stable and reliable assessment option that specifically focuses on PM for individuals with brain injury.     

Serum Uric Acid to Creatinine Ratio in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Serum uric acid (UA), the final product of purine degradation, has been shown to be increased in the hypoxic state. We assessed whether the presence of higher values of serum UA and serum UA to creatinine ratio is associated with clinical or functional characteristics in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Fifty-nine consecutive stable patients with COPD, without comorbid conditions, were included. Clinical and functional characteristics were compared between patients with levels below and above the median values of serum UA and serum UA to creatinine ratio. Patients with serum UA levels above the median value differed significantly from the group with levels below this value only in FVC (p = 0.04), and serum UA did not correlate significantly with the parameters analyzed. Patients with the serum UA to creatinine ratio above the median value had lower FVC (63 ± 18 vs. 73 ± 15 percentage of predicted, p = 0.028), lower FEV₁ (43 ± 19 vs. 55 ± 18 percentage of predicted, p = 0.019), and a higher level of dyspnea (MRC scale, 1.5 ± 1.1 vs. 0.8 ± 1.0, p = 0.011). The serum UA to creatinine ratio correlated with FVC (r = −0.27), with FEV₁ (r = −0.31), and with dyspnea (r = 0.29). In view of these results, we consider that the serum UA to creatinine ratio warrants evaluation as an additional parameter for predicting outcome in COPD.     

Awareness of diagnosis,treatment and risk of late effects in Chinese survivors of childhood cancer in Hong Kong

BackgroundFor survivors of childhood cancer, awareness of personal health risks is a critical component of long‐term health management.ObjectiveTo evaluate the awareness of the diagnosis, treatment and risk of late effects among survivors of childhood cancer in Hong Kong.MethodsBetween June 2019 and March 2020, this cross‐sectional study recruited 155 adult survivors (mean age = 26.9, standard deviation [SD] = 6.4 years) and 45 parents of paediatric survivors (mean age = 11.1, SD = 3.6 years) from a long‐term follow‐up clinic. At >10 years post‐treatment (mean = 13.4, SD = 7.6 years), they completed a structured questionnaire to report their cancer‐specific knowledge. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify clinical, socioeconomic and behavioural factors associated with poor awareness.ResultsThe majority of participants accurately recalled their diagnoses (73.5%) and major treatment modalities (chemotherapy 92.4%, radiation 82.9% and surgery 88.2%). However, less than half (45%) of the participants recognized more than 25% of the total late effects for which they were at risk. The highest levels of awareness were reported for endocrine problems (49%), neurocognitive impairment (44%) and secondary cancers (43%), and the lowest for peripheral neuropathy (21%) and vision problems (23%). Compared with survivors of haematological malignancies, those of central nervous system (CNS) tumours (standardized estimate [B] = −9.33, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: −13.41 to −5.26) and non‐CNS solid tumours (B = −8.47, 95% CI: −12.39 to −4.94) had less knowledge about their diagnosis. Retaining medical records (P < .0001) and better medical information‐seeking habits (P = .048) were associated with better awareness.ConclusionsSurvivors of childhood cancer in Hong Kong have deficient awareness of their personal health risks. They may benefit from the provision of a survivorship care plan and personalized education regarding treatment‐related late effects.Patient ContributionPatients contributed in designing the study tools. Results were presented at a non‐governmental organization.     

Emerging drug therapies for frailty

The metaphor of a frail older person as a car running out of petrol seems to have resonance in the lay media. Though it may be an over simplistic representation of a complex and dynamic process, it does facilitate discussion with patients and their relatives about the appropriateness of interventions, such as whether or not there is enough fuel (physiological reserves) to get up a really steep hill (undergo a coronary bypass graft). It can also be used as a way to emphasise what can be done to help. For example, in some longitudinal studies, 5% of older patients are less frail after 5 years follow up, suggesting there are things that can still be done to “fill up the tank”. This review will consider whether drug therapies can fulfil this role.Frail older people are often prescribed long lists of medications but it is debatable whether current treatments actually address the causes or consequences of frailty itself. Here, we explore the associations between frailty and co-morbidity and evaluate whether the management of chronic disease may impact frailty development or progression. We consider how the management of hypertension may have an important role in the prevention of frailty, mediated by reduction of cerebrovascular disease, but why aggressive management of hypertension may have negative consequences for those who are already frail. We also summarise the evidence linking immunosenescence, inflammation and endocrine changes to frailty and investigate whether targeted drug therapy has the potential to influence frailty pathophysiology.