National strategy for palliative care of severely ill and dying people and their relatives in pandemics (PallPan) in Germany - study protocol of a mixed-methods project

Background In the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, general and specialist Palliative Care (PC) plays an essential role in health care, contributing to symptom control, psycho-social support, and providing support in complex decision making. Numbers of COVID-19 related deaths have recently increased demanding more palliative care input. Also, the pandemic impacts on palliative care for non-COVID-19 patients. Strategies on the care for seriously ill and dying people in pandemic times are lacking. Therefore, the program ‘Palliative care in Pandemics’ (PallPan) aims to develop and consent a national pandemic plan for the care of seriously ill and dying adults and their informal carers in pandemics including (a) guidance for generalist and specialist palliative care of patients with and without SARS-CoV-2 infections on the micro, meso and macro level, (b) collection and development of information material for an online platform, and (c) identification of variables and research questions on palliative care in pandemics for the national pandemic cohort network (NAPKON). Methods Mixed-methods project including ten work packages conducting (online) surveys and qualitative interviews to explore and describe i) experiences and burden of patients (with/without SARS-CoV-2 infection) and their relatives, ii) experiences, challenges and potential solutions of health care professionals, stakeholders and decision makers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The work package results inform the development of a consensus-based guidance. In addition, best practice examples and relevant literature will be collected and variables for data collection identified. Discussion For a future “pandemic preparedness” national and international recommendations and concepts for the care of severely ill and dying people are necessary considering both generalist and specialist palliative care in the home care and inpatient setting.

Shift of radiotherapy use during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic? An analysis of German inpatient data

Objective To assess the change in inpatient radiotherapy related to COVID-19 lockdown measures during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Methods We included cases hospitalized between January 1 and August 31, 2018–2020, with a primary ICD-10 diagnosis of C00–C13, C32 (head and neck cancer, HNC) and C53 (cervical cancer, CC). Data collection was conducted within the Medical Informatics Initiative. Outcomes were fractions and admissions. Controlling for decreasing hospital admissions during holidays, calendar weeks of 2018/2019 were aligned to Easter 2020. A lockdown period (LP; 16/03/2020–02/08/2020) and a return-to-normal period (RNP; 04/05/2020–02/08/2020) were defined. The study sample comprised a control (admission 2018/19) and study cohort (admission 2020). We computed weekly incidence and IR ratios from generalized linear mixed models. Results We included 9365 (CC: 2040, HNC: 7325) inpatient hospital admissions from 14 German university hospitals. For CC, fractions decreased by 19.97% in 2020 compared to 2018/19 in the LP. In the RNP the reduction was 28.57% (p < 0.001 for both periods). LP fractions for HNC increased by 10.38% (RNP: 9.27%; p < 0.001 for both periods). Admissions for CC decreased in both periods (LP: 10.2%, RNP: 22.14%), whereas for HNC, admissions increased (LP: 2.25%, RNP: 1.96%) in 2020. Within LP, for CC, radiotherapy admissions without brachytherapy were reduced by 23.92%, whereas surgery-related admissions increased by 20.48%. For HNC, admissions with radiotherapy increased by 13.84%, while surgery-related admissions decreased by 11.28% in the same period. Conclusion Related to the COVID-19 lockdown in an inpatient setting, radiotherapy for HNC treatment became a more frequently applied modality, while admissions of CC cases decreased.

Biomarkers of Length of Stay On An Inpatient Eating Disorder Unit For Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa in Females

Background. Length of stay on an inpatient unit for treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) is widely variable. Although previous research has used anthropometric and clinical variables and duration of illness to predict length of stay, there has been limited investigation of the predictive ability of biomarkers. Biomarkers, including those collected through a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) and appetite hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin, are impacted by disease presence and may play an etiological role in AN. Methods. Using a series of regression models, we retrospectively evaluated the associations of these putative biomarkers at admission with length of inpatient stay in 59 females receiving treatment on an inpatient eating disorder unit for anorexia nervosa. Results. Both lower levels of magnesium and higher active ghrelin levels at inpatient admission predicted length of stay. Conclusions. This research provides further evidence supporting both biological and psychological components of AN, identifying potential biomarkers that could aid in prospective prediction of treatment needs. Ghrelin monitoring throughout inpatient stays may aid clinicians in better predicting physical recovery and renourishment from AN and prepare for stepdown from an inpatient setting. Further research is necessary to replicate and extend these findings across treatment settings.

Real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes for inpatients with COVID-19 in the US from September 2020 to February 2021

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to describe pre-treatment characteristics, treatment patterns, health resource use, and clinical outcomes among adults hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States (US) who initiated common treatments for COVID-19. The Optum® COVID-19 electronic health records database was used to identify patients >18 years, diagnosed with COVID-19, who were admitted to an inpatient setting and received treatments of interest for COVID-19 between September 2020 and January 2021. Patients were stratified into cohorts based on index treatment use. Patient demographics, medical history, care setting, medical procedures, subsequent treatment use, patient disposition, clinical improvement, and outcomes were summarized descriptively. Among a total of 26,192 patients identified, the most prevalent treatments initiated were dexamethasone (35.4%) and dexamethasone + remdesivir (14.9%), and dexamethasone was the most common subsequent treatment. At day 14 post-index, <10% of patients received any treatments of interest. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) patient age was 65.6 (15.6) years, and the most prevalent comorbidities included hypertension (44.8%), obesity (35.4%), and diabetes (25.7%). At the end of follow-up, patients had a mean (SD) 8.1 (6.6) inpatient days and 1.4 (4.1) days with ICU care. Oxygen supplementation, non-invasive, or invasive ventilation was required by 4.5%, 3.0%, and 3.1% of patients, respectively. At the end of follow-up, 84.2% of patients had evidence of clinical improvement, 3.1% remained hospitalized, 83.8% were discharged, 4% died in hospital, and 9.1% died after discharge. Although the majority of patients were discharged alive, no treatments appeared to alleviate the inpatient morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19. This highlights an unmet need for effective treatment options for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Differentiating Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Parkinson's Disease With Head-Mounted Displays

Background: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder that, especially in the early stages of the disease, is clinically difficult to distinguish from Parkinson's disease (PD).Objective: This study aimed at assessing the use of eye-tracking in head-mounted displays (HMDs) for differentiating PSP and PD.Methods: Saccadic eye movements of 13 patients with PSP, 15 patients with PD, and a group of 16 healthy controls (HCs) were measured. To improve applicability in an inpatient setting and standardize the diagnosis, all the tests were conducted in a HMD. In addition, patients underwent atlas-based volumetric analysis of various brain regions based on high-resolution MRI.Results: Patients with PSP displayed unique abnormalities in vertical saccade velocity and saccade gain, while horizontal saccades were less affected. A novel diagnostic index was derived, multiplying the ratios of vertical to horizontal gain and velocity, allowing segregation of PSP from PD with high sensitivity (10/13, 77%) and specificity (14/15, 93%). As expected, patients with PSP as compared with patients with PD showed regional atrophy in midbrain volume, the midbrain plane, and the midbrain tegmentum plane. In addition, we found for the first time that oculomotor measures (vertical gain, velocity, and the diagnostic index) were correlated significantly to midbrain volume in the PSP group.Conclusions: Assessing eye movements in a HMD provides an easy to apply and highly standardized tool to differentiate PSP of patients from PD and HCs, which will aid in the diagnosis of PSP.

A Retrospective Review of Opioid Prescribing Practices for At-Risk Pediatric Populations Undergoing Ambulatory Surgery

OBJECTIVE Pediatric patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and obesity are at risk for opioid-induced respiratory depression. Although monitoring in the inpatient setting allows for early recognition of opioid-related adverse events, there is far less vigilance after ambulatory surgery as patients are discharged home. Guidelines for proper opioid dosing in these pediatric subsets have not been established. We sought to determine if at-risk children were more likely to receive doses of opioids outside the recommended range. METHODS Baseline opioid prescribing data for all outpatient surgery patients receiving an opioid prescription between January 2019 and June 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with SDB or obesity were identified. To obtain more information about prescribing practices, we analyzed patient demographics, size descriptors used for calculations, and prescription characteristics (dose, duration, and prescribing surgical service). RESULTS A total of 4674 patients received an opioid prescription after outpatient surgery. Of those, 173 patients had SDB and 128 were obese. Surgical subspecialties rendering most of the opioid prescriptions included otolaryngology and orthopedics. Obese patients were more likely (64%) to be prescribed opioids using ideal weight at higher mg/kg doses (&gt;0.05 mg/kg; 83.3%; p &lt; 0.0001). When providers used actual body weight, lower mg/kg doses were more likely to be used (53.7%; p &lt; 0.0001). No prescriptions used lean body mass. CONCLUSIONS Overweight/obese children were more likely to receive opioid doses outside the recommended range. Variability in prescribing patterns demonstrates the need for more detailed guidelines to minimize the risk of opioid-induced respiratory complications in vulnerable pediatric populations.

Factors Affecting the Statural Growth Retardation in Children using Steroids in Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

Background and Aim: Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome or nephrosis causes massive protein leakage in the urine. Its treatment requires steroids (prednisone, methylprednisolone), often for a prolonged period, notably in case of steroid-dependence or steroid-resistance. In children, long-term use of steroids can lead to several side effects such as statural growth retardation/ stunting. This study evaluated the frequency of stunting in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in children on steroids and identified the associated factors. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive cohort study carried out in children aged 0 to 16 years treated at the paediatric nephrology unit of Aristide Le Dantec Hospital in Dakar, between 1 December 2017 and 31 May 2020. All records of nephrotic children treated in outpatient or inpatient setting were included. These children had to be on corticosteroid therapy for at least 30 months and have a height taken regularly during follow-up consultations. Results: Of 259 children followed for idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, 93 were included in the study. The median age was 96.5 months and the sex ratio was 1.9. The mean height of the children at the beginning of the follow-up was -0.26 DS, at the end it was -0.88 DS. At the beginning of the follow-up, 8 children had already stunting. At 12 months follow-up, 72 children (77.4%) had a decrease in z-score; and at 30 months, there were 7 more children (84.9%) who had a decrease in z-score. Methylprednisolone boluses were given to 17 children (18.3%). Calcium supplementation was done in 91 children (97.8%). Vitamin D supplementation was given to 91 children (97.8%). The mean number of relapses was 1.8. Factors associated with stunting were number of relapses ≤3 (p=0.03), duration of corticosteroid therapy >6 months (p<0.0001) and cumulative doses of prednisone >100 mg/kg (p=0.04). Conclusion: In prolonged nephrotic syndrome in children, corticosteroids can cause stunting.

How preceptors develop trust in continuity clinic residents and how trust influences supervision: A qualitative study

Introduction To advance in their clinical roles, residents must earn supervisors’ trust. Research on supervisor trust in the inpatient setting has identified learner, supervisor, relationship, context, and task factors that influence trust. However, trust in the continuity clinic setting, where resident roles, relationships, and context differ, is not well understood. We aimed to explore how preceptors in the continuity clinic setting develop trust in internal medicine residents and how trust influences supervision. Methods In this qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with faculty preceptors from two continuity clinic sites in an internal medicine residency program at an urban academic medical center in the United States from August 2018–June 2020. We analyzed transcripts using thematic analysis with sensitizing concepts related to the theoretical framework of the five factors of trust. Results Sixteen preceptors participated. We identified four key drivers of trust and supervision in the continuity clinic setting: 1) longitudinal resident-preceptor-patient relationships, 2) direct observations of continuity clinic skills, 3) resident attitude towards their primary care physician role, and 4) challenging context and task factors influencing supervision. Preceptors shared challenges to determining trust stemming from incomplete knowledge about patients and limited opportunities to directly observe and supervise between-visit care. Discussion The continuity clinic setting offers unique supports and challenges to trust development and trust-supervision alignment. Maximizing resident-preceptor-patient continuity, promoting direct observation, and improving preceptor supervision of residents’ provision of between-visit care may improve resident continuity clinic learning and patient care.

Associations of Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors with Late Presentation for Early Infant HIV Diagnosis (EID) Services in Kenya

Background: Understanding the missed opportunities in early infant HIV testing within the PMTCT program is essential to address any gaps. The study set out to describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of the infants presenting late for early infant diagnosis in Kenya. Methods: We abstracted routinely collected clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, in a cross-sectional study, on all HIV-infected infants with a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test from 1,346 President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supported health facilities for the period October 2016 to September 2018. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine the association of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with late (>2 months after birth) presentation for infant HIV testing. Results: Of the 4,011 HIV-infected infants identified, the median infant age at HIV diagnosis was 3 months [interquartile range (IQR), 1-16 months], and two-thirds [2,669 (66.5%)] presented late for infant HIV testing. Factors that were associated with late presentation for infant testing were: maternal ANC non-attendance, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.41 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18 -1.69); new maternal HIV diagnosis, aOR 1.45, (95%CI 1.24 -1.7); and lack of maternal antiretroviral therapy(ART), aOR 1.94, (95% CI 1.64 - 2.30). There was a high likelihood of identifying HIV-infected infants among infants who presented for medical services in the outpatient setting (aOR 18.9; 95% CI 10.2 - 34.9) and inpatient setting (aOR 12.2; 95% CI 6.23-23.9) compared to the infants who presented late in maternity. Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Gaps in early infant HIV testing suggest the need to increase maternal pre-pregnancy HIV diagnosis, timely antenatal care, early infant diagnosis services, early identification of mothers who seroconvert during pregnancy or breastfeeding and improved HIV screening in outpatient and inpatient settings. Early referral from the community and access to health facilities should be strengthened by the implementation of national PMTCT guidelines. Copyright © 2021 Langat et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.