Using a Decision Support Algorithm for Referrals to Post-Acute Care

Objectives

Although hospital clinicians strive to effectively refer patients who require post-acute care (PAC), their discharge planning processes often vary greatly, and typically are not evidence-based.

Iodized Salt in Cambodia: Trends from 2008 to 2014

Though the consequences of nutritional iodine deficiency have been known for a long time, in Cambodia its elimination has only become a priority in the last 18 years. The Royal Government of Cambodia initiated the National Sub-Committee for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in 1996 to fight this problem. Using three different surveys providing information across all provinces, we examined the compliance of salt iodization in Cambodia over the last 6 years. Salt samples from the 24 provinces were collect at the household level in 2008 (n = 566) and 2011 (n = 1275) and at the market level in 2014 (n = 1862) and analysed through a wavelength spectrophotometer for iodine content. According to the samples collected, the median iodine content significantly dropped from 22 mg/kg (25th/75th percentile: 2/37 mg/kg) in 2011 to 0 mg/kg in 2014 (25th/75th percentile: 0/8.9 mg/kg) (p < 0.001). The proportion of non-iodized salt within our collected salt drastically increased from 22% in 2011 to 62% in 2014 (p < 0.001). Since the international organizations ceased to support the procurement of iodine, the prevalence of salt compliant with the Cambodian declined within our samples. To date, the current levels of iodine added to tested salt are unsatisfactory as 92% of those salts do not meet the government requirements (99.6% of the coarse salt and 82.4% of the fine salt). This inappropriate iodization could illustrate the lack of periodic monitoring and enforcement from government entities. Therefore, government quality inspection should be reinforced to reduce the quantity of salt not meeting the national requirement.     

Long-term incidence and risk factors of cardiovascular events in Asian populations: systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based cohort studies

Background: Scientific studies on cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden and risk factors are predominantly based on short-term risk in Westerner populations, and such information may not be applicable to Asian populations, especially over the longer term. This review aims to estimate the long-term (>10 years) CVD burden, including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, as well as associated risk factors in Asian populations.

Methods: PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were systematically searched, and hits screened on: Asian adults, free of CVD at baseline; cohort study design (follow-up >10 years). Primary outcomes were fatal and non-fatal CVD events. Pooled estimates and between-study heterogeneity were calculated using random effects models, Q and I² statistics.

Results: Overall, 32 studies were eligible for inclusion (follow-up: 11–29 years). The average long-term rate of fatal CVD is 3.68 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 2.84–4.53), the long-term cumulative risk 6.35% (95% CI 4.69%–8.01%, mean 20.13 years) and the cumulative fatal stroke/CHD risk ratio 1.5:1. Important risk factors for long-term fatal CVD (RR, 95% CI) were male gender (1.49, 1.36–1.64), age over 60/65 years (7.55, 5.59–10.19) and current smoking (1.68, 1.26–2.24). High non-HDL-c, and β- and γ-tocopherol serum were associated only with CHD (HR 2.46 [95% CI 1.29–4.71] and 2.47 [1.10–5.61] respectively), while stage 1 and 2 hypertensions were associated only with fatal stroke (2.02 [1.19–3.44] and 2.89 [1.68–4.96] respectively).

Conclusions: Over a 10 year?+?follow-up period Asian subjects had a higher risk of stroke than CHD. Contrary to CVD prevention in Western countries, strategies should also consider stroke instead of CHD only.     

Mental health disorder,pain, and pain treatment among long-term care residents: Evidence from the Minimum Data Set 3.0

Objective: This study evaluated: (a) associations between long-term care residents’ mental health disorder diagnoses and their pain self-reports and pain treatments, and (b) the extent to which communication, cognitive, and physical functioning problems help explain disparities in the pain and pain treatments of long-term care residents with and without mental health disorders.

Method: Minimum Data Set 3.0 records of 8,300 residents of Department of Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers were used to determine statistically unadjusted and adjusted cross-sectional associations between residents' mental health diagnoses and their pain and pain treatments.

Results: Residents diagnosed with dementia and serious mental illness (SMI) were less likely, and those diagnosed with depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder (SUD) were more likely, to report recent, severe, and debilitating pain. Among residents affirming recent pain, those with dementia or SMI diagnoses were twice as likely to obtain no treatment for their pain and significantly less likely to receive as-needed pain medication and non-pharmacological pain treatments than were other residents. Those with either depressive disorder or PTSD were more likely, and those with SUD less likely, to obtain scheduled pain medication. In general, these associations remained even after statistically adjusting for residents' demographic characteristics, other mental health disorder diagnoses, and functioning.

Conclusion: Long-term care residents with mental health disorders experience disparities in pain and pain treatment that are not well-explained by their functioning deficits. They may benefit from more frequent, thorough pain assessments and from more varied and closely tailored pain treatment approaches.     

Prosthetic choice in mitral valve replacement for severe chronic ischemic mitral regurgitation: Long-term follow-up

BackgroundProsthetic choice for mitral valve replacement is generally driven by patient age and patient and surgeon preference, and current guidelines do not discriminate between different etiologies of mitral valve disease. Our objective was to assess and compare short- and long-term outcomes after mitral valve replacement among patients with biological or mechanical prostheses in the setting of severe ischemic mitral regurgitation.MethodsBetween 2000 and 2016, 424 patients underwent mitral valve replacement for severe ischemic mitral regurgitation at our institution, using biological prosthesis in 188 (44%) and mechanical prosthesis in 236 (56%). A 1:1 propensity score match (n = 126 per group) and inverse probability of treatment weighting were used to compare groups. Short-term outcomes included in-hospital mortality and other cardiovascular adverse events. Long-term outcomes included survival and hospital readmission for cardiovascular causes, stroke, and major bleeding.ResultsIn-hospital mortality and early postoperative adverse events were similar between groups in the propensity score match and inverse probability of treatment weighting cohorts. Overall long-term survival was similar at 5 and 9 years, but mechanical prosthesis recipients were more frequently readmitted to hospital for cardiovascular causes, including stroke and non-neurological bleeding in propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting analyses (all P values < .004). Type of prosthesis did not independently influence all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.43; P = .959), but placement of a mechanical prosthesis was associated with increased risk of readmission for cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.32; P = .004) among matched patients.ConclusionsThe type of prosthesis has no influence on long-term survival among patients with severe ischemic mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve replacement. There may be an increased risk of neurologic events and serious bleeding associated with mechanical prostheses.     

Cortical mechanisms underlying variability in intermittent theta-burst stimulation-induced plasticity: A TMS-EEG study

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) variability depends on the ability to engage specific neurons in the primary motor cortex (M1).MethodsIn a sham-controlled interventional study on 31 healthy volunteers, we used concomitant transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG). We compared baseline motor evoked potentials (MEPs), M1 iTBS-evoked EEG oscillations, and resting-state EEG (rsEEG) between subjects who did and did not show MEP facilitation following iTBS. We also investigated whether baseline MEP and iTBS-evoked EEG oscillations could explain inter and intraindividual variability in iTBS aftereffects.ResultsThe facilitation group had smaller baseline MEPs than the no-facilitation group and showed more iTBS-evoked EEG oscillation synchronization in the alpha and beta frequency bands. Resting-state EEG power was similar between groups and iTBS had a similar non-significant effect on rsEEG in both groups. Baseline MEP amplitude and beta iTBS-evoked EEG oscillation power explained both inter and intraindividual variability in MEP modulation following iTBS.ConclusionsThe results show that variability in iTBS-associated plasticity depends on baseline corticospinal excitability and on the ability of iTBS to engage M1 beta oscillations.SignificanceThese observations can be used to optimize iTBS investigational and therapeutic applications.     

Cercarial Dermatitis

Cercarial dermatitis or “swimmers’ itch” is a maculopapular skin eruption associated with the penetration of the skin by cercaria of certain species of nonhuman schistosomes. It is globally distributed and affects those who work or play in fresh and salt water.

The etiology and epidemiology of the disease are similar to that of human schistosomiasis (bilharziasis). The trematode parasite passes through a life cycle that involves both warm-blooded and molluscan hosts.

The clinical manifestations of “swimmers’ itch” are principally associated with an intensely pruritic dermatitis that lasts five to ten days and becomes more severe with subsequent exposure. Prevention is directed toward control of the molluscan hosts and their supporting environment. Treatment is symptomatic.