Medical Specialties Commons^™

Temporal Multi-Step Predictive Modeling Of Remission In Major Depressive Disorder Using Early Stage Treatment Data; Star*D Based Machine Learning Approach, Haitham Salem, Tung Huynh, Natasha Topolski, Benson Mwangi, Madhukar H Trivedi, Jair C Soares, A John Rush, Sudhakar Selvaraj

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence is currently being used to facilitate early disease detection, better understand disease progression, optimize medication/treatment dosages, and uncover promising novel treatments and potential outcomes.

METHODS: Utilizing the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) dataset, we built a machine learning model to predict depression remission rates using same clinical data as features for each of the first three antidepressant treatment steps in STAR*D. We only used early treatment data (baseline and first follow up) in each STAR*D step to temporally analyze predictive features of remission at the end of the step.

RESULTS: Our model showed significant prediction …

Case Report: Exposure To Relapsing Fever Group Borreliae In Patients With Undifferentiated Febrile Illness In Mexico, Edwin Vázquez-Guerrero, Guadalupe Gordillo-Pérez, Nora Ríos-Sarabia, Job E Lopez, J Antonio Ibarra

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Relapsing fever (RF) borreliosis is a neglected disease in Mexico. A retrospective serological survey using diagnostic antigens GlpQ and BipA from Borrelia turicatae was performed to evaluate human exposure to RF borreliae. Seventy serum samples were used from a cohort of patients with undifferentiated febrile illness in Mexico. Four samples were positive to GlpQ and three to BipA. Results indicate that RF borreliae continue to circulate in regions of Mexico and pose a risk to human health.

Serum Bile Acids As A Prognostic Biomarker In Biliary Atresia Following Kasai Portoenterostomy, Sanjiv Harpavat, Kieran Hawthorne, Kenneth D R Setchell, Monica Narvaez Rivas, Lisa Henn, Charlotte A Beil, Saul J Karpen, Vicky L Ng, Estella M Alonso, Jorge A Bezerra, Stephen L Guthery, Simon Horslen, Kathy M Loomes, Patrick Mckiernan, John C Magee, Robert M Merion, Jean P Molleston, Philip Rosenthal, Richard J Thompson, Kasper S Wang, Ronald J Sokol, Benjamin L Shneider, Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (Children)

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In biliary atresia, serum bilirubin is commonly used to predict outcomes after Kasai portoenterostomy (KP). Infants with persistently high levels invariably need liver transplant, but those achieving normalized levels have a less certain disease course. We hypothesized that serum bile acid levels could help predict outcomes in the latter group.

APPROACH AND RESULTS: Participants with biliary atresia from the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network were included if they had normalized bilirubin levels 6 months after KP and stored serum samples from the 6-month post-KP clinic visit ( n = 137). Bile acids were measured from the stored …

Risk Factors And Prognostic Significance Of Platelet Count Abnormalities In Children With Hiv Infection On Antiretroviral Therapy, Joseph Lubega, Taylor O Kim, Gladstone Airewele, Amanda Grimes, Shaun Bulsara, Erin Peckham, Sebastian R Wanless, Heather Haq, Peter Elyanu, Philippa Musoke, Mwita Lumumba, Adeodata Kekitiinwa, Mogomotsi Matshaba, Michael Scheurer, Jenny Despotovic

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: To establish the incidence, risk factors and correlation with survival of thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis (T/T) among children with HIV infection (CWH).

DESIGN: A retrospective nested case control study of patients 0-18 years in five Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) centers in sub-Sahara Africa, 2004-2014.

METHODS: Clinical and laboratory variables including complete blood counts (CBC) were extracted from the BIPAI electronic medical record system. Incident cases of T/T were identified and frequency-matched on follow-up time with controls with normal platelets. We calculated the prevalence and incidence density of T/T and used conditional logistic regression to evaluate their association with …

The Quality And Management Of Penicillin Allergy Labels In Pediatric Primary Care, Margaret G Taylor, Torsten Joerger, Sara Anvari, Yun Li, Jeffrey S Gerber, Debra L Palazzi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Penicillin allergy labels are the most common drug allergy label. The objective of this study was to describe the quality and management of penicillin allergy labels in the pediatric primary care setting.

METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 500 of 18 015 children with penicillin allergy labels born from January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2020 randomly selected from an outpatient birth cohort from Texas Children's Pediatrics and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia networks. Penicillin allergy risk classification ("not allergy," "low risk," "moderate or high risk," "severe risk," "unable to classify") was determined based on documentation within (1) the …

Fine Needle Aspiration Of Pancreatic Lesions Focusing On Secondary Tumors With Emphasis Of Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Clinicopathological Study With Follow-Up, Maria Yanqing Chen, Neda Zarrin-Khameh, Ya Xu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The data on metastatic tumors to the pancreas diagnosed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is limited. We report our experience of FNA of primary and secondary pancreatic tumors emphasizing metastatic breast cancer in the pancreas.

METHOD: Total 274 cases of pancreatic FNA in 10 years were retrospectively reviewed. Literature review of metastatic breast cancers to the pancreas was performed.

RESULTS: Out of the 274 cases, 7 (7/274, 2.6%) cases were non-diagnostic, 46 (46/274, 16.8%) cases were negative for malignancy, and 40 (40/274, 14.6%) cases were under the category of atypical cells. There were 133 (133/274, 48.5%) cases diagnosed …

Access To Clinically Indicated Genetic Tests For Pediatric Patients With Medicaid: Evidence From Outpatient Genetics Clinics In Texas, Haley Streff, Crescenda L Uhles, Heather Fisher, Rachel Franciskovich, Rebecca O Littlejohn, Amanda Gerard, Julianna Hudnall, Hadley Stevens Smith

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Little is known about how Medicaid coverage policies affect access to genetic tests for pediatric patients. Building upon and extending a previous analysis of prior authorization requests (PARs), we describe expected coverage of genetic tests submitted to Texas Medicaid and the PAR and diagnostic outcomes of those tests.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed genetic tests ordered at 3 pediatric outpatient genetics clinics in Texas. We compared Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes with the Texas Medicaid fee-for-service schedule (FFSS) to determine whether tests were expected to be covered by Medicaid. We assessed completion and diagnostic yield of commonly ordered tests.

Results: …

Recovery From The Impact Of Covid-19 On Treatment Times And Clinical Outcomes Of Patients With St-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: An Interim Analysis, Abdelrahman Ali, Thomas Schirmer, Francis J Kiernan, Bryan Piccirillo, Joseph Ingrassia, Talhat Azemi, Immad Sadiq, Daniel B Fram, Asad Rizvi, Saurabh Joshi, Jeffrey Mather, Raymond G Mckay

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have documented a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergent percutaneous treatment of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but few have examined recovery of healthcare systems in restoring prepandemic STEMI care.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed of data from 789 patients with STEMI from a large tertiary medical center treated with percutaneous coronary intervention between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021.

RESULTS: For patients with STEMI presenting to the emergency department, median time from door to balloon was 37 minutes in 2019, 53 minutes in 2020, and 48 minutes in 2021 (P < .001), whereas median time from first medical contact to device changed from 70 to 82 to 75 minutes, respectively (P = .002). Treatment time changes in 2020 and 2021 correlated with median emergency department evaluation time (30 to 41 to 22 minutes, respectively; P = .001) but not median catheterization laboratory revascularization time. For transfer patients, median time from first medical contact to device changed from 110 to 133 to 118 minutes, respectively (P = .005). In 2020 and 2021, patients with STEMI had greater late presentation (P = .028) and late mechanical complications (P = .021), with nonsignificant increases in yearly in-hospital mortality (3.6% to 5.2% to 6.4%; P = .352).

CONCLUSION: …

Mortality Patterns Associated With Central Sleep Apnea Among Veterans: A Large, Retrospective, Longitudinal Report, Ritwick Agrawal, Amir Sharafkhaneh, Daniel J Gottlieb, Sara Nowakowski, Javad Razjouyan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is associated with high mortality. Current knowledge stems from studies with limited sample size (fewer than 100 subjects) and in homogeneous populations such as heart failure (HF).

Objectives

To address this knowledge gap, we compared the mortality pattern and time to death between the CSA and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients in the large Veterans Health Administration patient population using the big data analytic approach.

Methods

This is a retrospective study using national Veterans Health Administration electronic medical records from October 1, 1999, through September 30, 2020. We grouped the patients with underlying sleep disorders …

Use Of Contrast Media During Ct-Guided Thermal Ablation Of Colorectal Liver Metastasis For Procedure Planning Is Associated With Improved Immediate Outcomes, Iwan Paolucci, Yuan-Mao Lin, A Kyle Jones, Kristy K Brock, Bruno C Odisio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of using intra-procedural pre-ablation contrast-enhanced CT prior to percutaneous thermal ablation (pre-ablation CECT) of colorectal liver metastases (CLM) on local outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected liver ablation registry included 144 consecutive patients (median age 57 years IQR [49, 65], 60% men) who underwent 173 CT-guided ablation sessions for 250 CLM between October 2015 and March 2020. In addition to oncologic outcomes, technical success was retrospectively evaluated using a biomechanical deformable image registration software for 3D-minimal ablative margin (3D-MAM) quantification. Bayesian regression was used …

Developing A Parsimonious Frailty Index For Older, Multimorbid Adults With Heart Failure Using Machine Learning, Javad Razjouyan, Molly J Horstman, Ariela R Orkaby, Salim S Virani, Orna Intrator, Parag Goyal, Christopher I Amos, Aanand D Naik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Frailty is associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure (HF). A parsimonious frailty index (FI) that predicts outcomes of older, multimorbid patients with HF could be a useful resource for clinicians. A retrospective study of veterans hospitalized from October 2015 to October 2018 with HF, aged ≥50 years, and discharged home developed a 10-item parsimonious FI using machine learning from diagnostic codes, laboratory results, vital signs, and ejection fraction (EF) from outpatient encounters. An unsupervised clustering technique identified 5 FI strata: severely frail, moderately frail, mildly frail, prefrail, and robust. We report hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality, adjusting for age, …

The Impact Of Bicuspid Aortic Valve Leaflet Fusion Morphology On The Ascending Aorta And On Outcomes Of Aortic Valve Replacement, Steve Bibevski, Mark Ruzmetov, Juan F Plate, Frank G Scholl

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

BACKGROUND: Patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) tend to develop dilation of the ascending aorta. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of leaflet fusion pattern on aortic root diameter and outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for BAV vs tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) disease.

METHODS: This is a retrospective review of 90 patients with aortic valve disease (mean [SD] age, 51.5 [8.2] years) who underwent aortic valve replacement for BAV (n = 60) and TAV (n = 30). Fusion of right-left (R/L) coronary cusps was identified in 45 patients, whereas the remaining 15 patients had right-noncoronary (R/N) …

Defining The Role Of Ab Externo Xen Gel Stent In Glaucomatous Eyes With Prior Failed Surgical Intervention, Lillian K To, Rupak K Dhoot, Alice Z Chuang, Sam Karimaghaei, Francisco Guevara-Abadia, Ruchi D Shah, Robert M Feldman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Xen45 Gel stent (Xen; Allergan) in eyes that have failed prior surgical intervention, compared to traditional glaucoma drainage device (GDD) or continuous-wave cyclophotocoagulation (CPC). Since this population has low expected success rates with additional surgery, it is vital to compare to standard-of-care surgical options.

METHODS: Retrospective, single-center, case-control study of ab externo transconjunctival Xen shunt in eyes that have previously undergone trabeculectomy and/or GDD surgery. Postoperative data were collected for 18 months. Failure was defined as no light perception, additional glaucoma surgery required, or intraocular pressure (IOP) of < 6 mmHg after 6 weeks postoperatively.

RESULTS: Eighteen Xen eyes …

Human Papillomavirus Status And Prognosis Of Oropharyngeal High-Grade Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, Luana G De Sousa, Felippe Lazar Neto, Eduardo A Dal Lago, Andrew Sikora, Ehab Hanna, Amy Moreno, Jack Phan, Bonnie S Glisson, Diana Bell, Renata Ferrarotto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The prognostic impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or smoking on oropharyngeal high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (HG-NEC) is not established.

Methods: Retrospective study with patients with oropharyngeal HG-NEC seen at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1997 to 2020, and previously reported patients with oropharyngeal HG-NEC and known p16 and HPV status from the literature review. Survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival differences assessed with the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: Thirty patients were included; most had a heavy (≥10 pack-years) smoking history (52%), locoregional disease (stage III-IVB; 77%), and p16-positive tumor (92%). HPV was …

Temporal Stability Of The Hemodynamic Response Function Across The Majority Of Human Cerebral Cortex, Haitham Salem, Tung Huynh, Natasha Topolski, Benson Mwangi, Madhukar H Trivedi, Jair C Soares, A John Rush, Sudhakar Selvaraj

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence is currently being used to facilitate early disease detection, better understand disease progression, optimize medication/treatment dosages, and uncover promising novel treatments and potential outcomes.

METHODS: Utilizing the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) dataset, we built a machine learning model to predict depression remission rates using same clinical data as features for each of the first three antidepressant treatment steps in STAR*D. We only used early treatment data (baseline and first follow up) in each STAR*D step to temporally analyze predictive features of remission at the end of the step.

RESULTS: Our model showed significant prediction …

Longitudinal Changes In Fibrosis Markers Are Associated With Risk Of Cirrhosis And Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, George Cholankeril, Jennifer R Kramer, Jinna Chu, Xian Yu, Maya Balakrishnan, Liang Li, Hashem B El-Serag, Fasiha Kanwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Currently, there is no consistent information on the course of fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score changes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or their association with subsequent risk of cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, we aimed to evaluate the association between longitudinal changes in FIB-4 and subsequent risk of HCC and a composite endpoint of cirrhosis and HCC in patients with NAFLD.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with NAFLD seen in 130 Veterans Administration hospitals between 1/1/2004-12/31/2008, with follow-up through to 12/31/2018. We calculated FIB-4 longitudinally and categorized patients based on risk of advanced …

Clinical Course And Outcomes Of Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-Related Hepatocellular Cancer (Nafld-Hcc), Jinna Chu, George Cholankeril, Xian Yu, Abbas Rana, Yamini Natarajan, Hashem B El-Serag, Jennifer Kramer, Fasiha Kanwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Among etiologies for hepatocellular (HCC), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) carries a high risk of competing non-cancer mortality. The effect of cancer and non-cancer factors on risk of death after NAFLD-HCC diagnosis remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the role of non-cancer mortality with NAFLD-HCC.

METHODS: Using a retrospective cohort of patients with NAFLD diagnosed at 130 facilities in the Veterans Administration, we identified patients with incident HCC diagnosed between January 1, 2005 and June 30, 2018. We determined cause of death as HCC-related, non-HCC liver-related, and non-liver-related after HCC diagnosis. We used Cox proportional hazards regression …

Association Of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency With Outcomes In Us Veterans With Covid-19, Sarah H Elsea, Javad Razjouyan, Kyung Min Lee, Julie A Lynch, Sharyl Martini, Lavannya M Pandit

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: The underlying biological risk factors for severe outcome due to SAR-CoV-2 infection are not well defined.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and severity of COVID-19.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study included analysis of 24 700 veterans with G6PD enzyme testing prior to January 1, 2020, obtained through the US Veterans Health Administration national databases. These veterans were cross-referenced with the Veterans Administration COVID-19 Shared Data Resource for SARS-CoV-2 testing from February 15, 2020, to January 1, 2021. The final study population consisted of 4811 veterans who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Statistical …

Transabdominal Cerclage During Pregnancy: A Retrospective Single Operator Series Over A Quarter Century, David R Hall, Mari Van De Vyver

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To describe the pregnancy outcomes and complications observed in a series of cases of transabdominal cerclage (TAC), which is reserved for highly selected women with recurrent mid-trimester pregnancy loss, due to cervical insufficiency.

METHODS: A retrospective audit covering 25 years (January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2021) was performed at the Obstetric Special Care division, Tygerberg Academic Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. All 118 pregnancies from 94 procedures, operated and managed by the principal author were included for descriptive analysis.

RESULTS: Eighty-four (91.3%) of the 92 first pregnancies after first insertion had successful outcomes. All second and third …

What Are Risk Factors For And Outcomes Of Late Amputation After Treatment For Lower Extremity Sarcoma: A Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Report, Erik J Geiger, Wei Liu, Deo Kumar Srivastava, Nicholas M Bernthal, Brent R Weil, Yutaka Yasui, Kirsten K Ness, Kevin R Krull, Robert E Goldsby, Kevin C Oeffinger, Leslie L Robison, Bryan V Dieffenbach, Christopher B Weldon, Mark C Gebhardt, Rebecca Howell, Andrew J Murphy, Wendy M Leisenring, Gregory T Armstrong, Eric J Chow, Rosanna L Wustrack

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Although pediatric lower extremity sarcoma once was routinely treated with amputation, multiagent chemotherapy as well as the evolution of tumor resection and reconstruction techniques have enabled the wide adoption of limb salvage surgery (LSS). Even though infection and tumor recurrence are established risk factors for early amputation (< 5 years) after LSS, the frequency of and factors associated with late amputation (≥ 5 years from diagnosis) in children with sarcomas are not known. Additionally, the resulting psychosocial and physical outcomes of these patients compared with those treated with primary amputation or LSS that was not complicated by subsequent amputation are not well studied. Studying these outcomes is critical to enhancing the quality of life of patients with sarcomas.

Questions/purposes: (1) How have treatments changed over time in patients with lower extremity sarcoma who are included in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), and did primary treatment with amputation or LSS affect overall survival at 25 years among patients who had survived at least 5 years from diagnosis? (2) What …

Burn Resuscitation Practices In North America: Results Of The Acute Burn Resuscitation Multicenter Prospective Trial (Abrupt), David G Greenhalgh, Robert Cartotto, Sandra L Taylor, Jeffrey R Fine, Giavonni M Lewis, David J Smith, Michael A Marano, Angela Gibson, Lucy A Wibbenmeyer, James H Holmes, Julie A Rizzo, Kevin N Foster, Anjay Khandelwal, Sarah Fischer, Mark R Hemmila, David Hill, Ariel M Aballay, Edward E Tredget, Jeremy Goverman, Herbert Phelan, Carlos J Jimenez, Anthony Baldea, Rajiv Sood

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: ABRUPT was a prospective, noninterventional, observational study of resuscitation practices at 21 burn centers. The primary goal was to examine burn resuscitation with albumin or crystalloids alone, to design a future prospective randomized trial.

Summary background data: No modern prospective study has determined whether to use colloids or crystalloids for acute burn resuscitation.

Methods: Patients ≥18 years with burns ≥ 20% total body surface area (TBSA) had hourly documentation of resuscitation parameters for 48 hours. Patients received either crystalloids alone or had albumin supplemented to crystalloid based on center protocols.

Results: Of 379 enrollees, two-thirds (253) were resuscitated with …

Predictors Of Emergency Room Visits After Ambulatory Breast Cancer Surgery In The Medicare Population, Susie X Sun, Zhigang Duan, Henry M Kuerer, Sarah M Desnyder, Carrie Cunningham, Hui Zhao, Sharon H Giordano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Emergency department (ED) overuse is a large contributor to healthcare spending in the USA. We examined the rate of and risk factors for ED visits following outpatient breast cancer surgery.

Patients and methods: Using linked data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and Medicare, we identified women who underwent curative breast cancer surgery between 2003 and 2015. Our outcome of interest was ED visits within 30 days of surgery. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate the odds of ED visit while controlling for clinical and socioeconomic variables. Secondary analyses assessed admission from the ED as well …

Imaging Features Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Nephritis With Clinical Correlation: A Retrospective Series Of Biopsy-Proven Cases, Muhammad O Awiwi, Ala Abudayyeh, Noha Abdel-Wahab, Adi Diab, Migena Gjoni, Guofan Xu, Raghu Vikram, Khaled Elsayes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Imaging appearances of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related nephritis have not yet been described. The primary objective of this study is to describe the appearances of immunotherapy-related nephritis on computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET). The secondary objectives are to investigate the association of radiologic features with clinical outcomes.

METHODS: CT and PET-CT scans before the initiation of immunotherapy (baseline), at nephritis, and after resolution of pathology-proven nephritis cases were reviewed. Total kidney volume, renal parenchymal SUVmax, renal pelvis SUVmax, and blood pool SUVmean were obtained.

RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were included. The total kidney volume was significantly higher at …

Risk Factors For Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome After Initial Detection Of Pulmonary Impairment After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Mansour Alkhunaizi, Badar Patel, Luis Bueno, Neel Bhan, Tahreem Ahmed, Muhammad H Arain, Rima Saliba, Gabriela Rondon, Burton F Dickey, Lara Bashoura, David E Ost, Liang Li, Shikun Wang, Elizabeth Shpall, Richard E Champlin, Rohtesh Mehta, Uday R Popat, Chitra Hosing, Amin M Alousi, Ajay Sheshadri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pulmonary chronic graft-versus-host-disease (cGVHD), or bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), is a highly morbid complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The clinical significance of a single instance of pulmonary decline not meeting the criteria for BOS is unclear. We conducted a retrospective analysis in a cohort of patients who had an initial post-HCT decline in the absolute value of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of ≥10% or mid-expiratory flow rate of ≥25% but not meeting the criteria for BOS (pre-BOS). We examined the impact of clinical variables in patients with pre-BOS on the risk for subsequent BOS. Pre-BOS developed …

Impact Of High Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio On Survival In Hospitalized Cancer Patients With Covid-19, Fernando A Díaz-Couselo, Santiago Flagel, Carla Nicolini, Sebastián Halac, Natalia Manzano, Marina Aguirre, Juan Rébora, Sandra Valle, Laura Noro, Chirayu Mohindroo, Florencia Mcallister, Marcelo Zylberman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been studied as a prognostic factor for mortality in COVID-19 patients. Our study aimed to evaluate the association between NLR at COVID-19 diagnosis and survival during the following 90 days in hospitalized patients with solid cancer. Between May 2020 and June 2021, 120 patients were included in a retrospective cohort study. Univariable analysis showed patients with an NLR > 8.3 were associated with an increased risk of death (HR: 4.34; 95% CI: 1.74-10.84) compared to patients with NLR < 3.82 and with NLR ≥3.82 and ≤8.30 (HR: 2.89; 95% CI: 1.32-6.36). Furthermore, on multivariable analysis, NLR > 8.30 independently correlated with increased mortality. In patients with solid malignancies with COVID-19, an NLR > 8.3 is associated with …

Clinical Outcomes Of Combined Cervical And Transthoracic Surgical Approaches In Patients With Advanced Thyroid Cancer, Jared A Shenson, Mark E Zafereo, Mark Lee, Kevin J Contrera, Lei Feng, Mongkol Boonsripitayanon, Neil Gross, Ryan Goepfert, Anastasios Maniakas, Jennifer Rui Wang, Libby Grubbs, Ara Vaporciyan, Wayne Hofstetter, Stephen Swisher, Reza Mehran, David Rice, Boris Sepesi, Mara Antonoff, Maria Cabanillas, Naifa Busaidy, Ramona Dadu, Natalie L Silver

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Advanced thyroid disease involving the mediastinum may be managed surgically with a combined transcervical and transthoracic approach. Contemporary analysis of this infrequently encountered cohort will aid the multidisciplinary team in personalizing treatment approaches.

Methods: Retrospective review of patients undergoing combined transcervical and transthoracic surgery for thyroid cancer at a single high-volume institution from 1994 to 2015.

Results: Thirty-eight patients with median age 59 years (range 28-76) underwent surgery without perioperative mortality. Most patients had primary disease. A majority had distant metastases outside the mediastinum but had locoregionally curable disease. Common complications were temporary (39%) and permanent (18%) hypoparathyroidism, and …

Systemic Inflammatory Markers And Eeg Features Of Children With Fires Receiving Anakinra, Yi-Chen Lai, Gabriella Abou-El-Kheir, Thao Nguyen, Margo Hanerhoff, James J Riviello, Eyal Muscal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In a retrospective case series of 10 children with cryptogenic FIRES, we sought to describe the early clinical course and potential biomarkers following anakinra initiation. Six children achieved anesthetic withdrawal within 3 weeks of therapy and one in week four. Of the available cEEG (six children), CRP (10 children), and serum cytokine (six children) studies, there were temporal changes in highly epileptiform bursts (observed in three children), CRP, IL-6, and IL-10 levels that might parallel clinical progression. These observations may represent candidate biomarkers for monitoring clinical progression and therapeutic interventions including anakinra, which merits further investigation in future studies.

Incidence And Predictors Of Acute Limb Ischemia In Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated By Cardiogenic Shock., Carlos M Romero, Irfan Shafi, Aadhar Patil, Eric Secemsky, Ido Weinburg, Raghu Kolluri, Huaqing Zhao, Vladimir Lakther, Riyaz Bashir

Heart and Vascular Articles

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence and predictors of acute limb ischemia (ALI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS).

METHODS: Patients with index hospitalizations for AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock from 2016 to 2019 in the US National Readmission Database were identified. We evaluated the incidence of ALI and its associated mortality, length of stay, and cost of hospitalization. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine independent predictors of ALI in this population.

RESULTS: A total of 84,615 patients had AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock and 1302 (1.54%) developed ALI. The rates of ALI increased …

The Increased Clinical And Economic Burden Of Hyperkalemia In Medicare Patients Admitted To Long-Term Care Settings., James F Neuenschwander, Alison R Silverstein, Christie L Teigland, Shambhavi Kumar, Edric Y Zeng, Abiy T Agiro, William J Pottorf, W Frank Peacock

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

INTRODUCTION: Older patients are at increased risk for hyperkalemia (HK). This study describes the prevalence, recurrence, and clinical and economic burden of HK in Medicare patients admitted to a long-term care (LTC) setting.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using 100% Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) claims identified patients aged ≥ 65 years with index admission between 2017 and 2019 to a LTC setting (skilled nursing, home health, inpatient rehabilitation, or long-term acute care). Beneficiaries were required to have 12 months continuous medical and pharmacy coverage prior to index LTC admission and ≥ 30 days after LTC discharge (follow-up). Patient characteristics, healthcare resource utilization, …

Novel And Replicated Clinical And Genetic Risk Factors For Toxicity From High-Dose Methotrexate In Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Mark Zobeck, M Brooke Bernhardt, Kala Y Kamdar, Karen R Rabin, Philip J Lupo, Michael E Scheurer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Methotrexate (MTX) is a key component of treatment for high-risk pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) but may cause acute kidney injury and prolonged hospitalization due to delayed clearance. The purpose of this study is to identify clinical and genetic factors that may predict which children are at risk for creatinine increase and prolonged MTX clearance.

DESIGN: We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients with ALL who received 4000-5000 mg/m

MAIN RESULTS: Hispanic ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) < 3%, BMI between 85%-95%, and Native American genetic ancestry were found to be associated with an increased risk for creatinine elevation. Older age, Black race, and use of the intensive monitoring protocol were associated with a decreased risk for creatinine elevation. Older age, B- compared to T-ALL, and the minor alleles of rs2838958/SLC19A1 and rs7317112/ABCC4 were associated with an increased risk for delayed clearance. Black race, MTX dose reduction, and the minor allele of rs2306283/SLCO1B1 were found to be associated with a decreased risk for delayed clearance.

CONCLUSIONS: These predictors of MTX toxicities may allow for more precise individualized toxicity risk prediction.