Symptoms Six Weeks After COVID-19 Are Reduced Among US Health Care Personnel Receiving Additional Vaccine Doses During the Omicron Period, December 2021-April 2022

Background

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that subsequent doses of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine are associated with lower incidence of COVID-19-like symptoms at 6 weeks after infection.

Methods

This study was a case-control analysis of health care personnel in an ongoing multicenter COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness study. We enrolled participants at the time of COVID-19-like symptoms between December 19, 2021, and April 27, 2022, which corresponded to the early Omicron-predominant period after original monovalent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 additional vaccination doses became available. Our outcome was self-reported symptoms completed 6 weeks after the onset of symptoms.

Results

We enrolled 2478 participants, of whom 1422 (57%) had COVID-19. The prevalence of symptoms at 6 weeks was 26% (n = 373) in those with COVID-19 and 18% (n = 195) in those without COVID-19. Fatigue (11%) and difficulty sleeping (7%) were most strongly associated with COVID-19. A total of 1643 (66%) participants received a subsequent vaccine dose (after the primary series). Participants with COVID-19 who had received a subsequent vaccination had lower odds of symptoms at 6 weeks (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.55; 95% CI, 0.43-0.70), but this relationship was not observed in those without COVID-19 (aOR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.59-1.29).

Conclusions

Health care personnel who received subsequent doses of original monovalent COVID-19 vaccine had a lower prevalence of symptoms at 6 weeks than those that did not.

Respiratory Therapist-Driven Mechanical Ventilation Protocol Is Associated With Increased Lung Protective Ventilation

BACKGROUND

Mechanical ventilation is a common life-saving procedure but can lead to serious complications, including ARDS and oxygen toxicity. Nonadherence to lung-protective ventilation guidelines is common. We hypothesized that a respiratory therapist-driven mechanical ventilation bundle could increase adherence to lung-protective ventilation and decrease the incidence of pulmonary complications in the ICU.

METHODS

A respiratory therapist-driven protocol was implemented on August 1, 2018, in all adult ICUs of a Midwestern academic tertiary center. The protocol targeted low tidal volume, adequate PEEP, limiting oxygen, adequate breathing frequency, and head of the bed elevation. Adherence to lung-protective guidelines and clinical outcomes were retrospectively observed in adult subjects admitted to the ICU and on ventilation for ≥ 24 h between January 2011 and December 2019.

RESULTS

We included 666 subjects; 68.5% were in the pre-intervention group and 31.5% were in the post-intervention group. After adjusting for body mass index and intubation indication, a significant increase in overall adherence to lung-protective ventilation guidelines was observed in the post-intervention period (adjusted odds ratio 2.48, 95% CI 1.73-3.56). Fewer subjects were diagnosed with ARDS in the post-intervention group (adjusted odds ratio 0.22, 95% CI 0.08-0.65) than in the pre-intervention group. There was no difference in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, ventilator-free days, ICU mortality, or death within 1 month of ICU discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

A respiratory therapist-driven protocol increased adherence to lung-protective mechanical ventilation guidelines in the ICU and was associated with decreased ARDS incidence.

Utility of thromboelastography to assess the effect of anticoagulation reversal in intracranial hemorrhage

Background

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious complication associated with oral anticoagulant use and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although anticoagulation reversal agents are utilized as standard of care, practitioners are limited in their ability to assess degree of anticoagulation reversal for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). There is a clinical need identify biomarkers to assess anticoagulation status in patients with DOAC-associated ICH to ensure hemostatic efficacy of anticoagulation reversal agents in the acute setting. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of thromboelastography (TEG) to assess the impact of anticoagulation reversal in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with DOAC-associated ICH.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study in adult patients presenting to the ED with acute DOAC-associated ICH. Patients were excluded if last DOAC dose was >48 hours prior to hospital arrival, if they experienced polytrauma, were pregnant, incarcerated, had a history of hepatic failure or coagulopathy, or received anticoagulation reversal with products other than prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs). We collected baseline TEG samples from participants prior to anticoagulation reversal, as well as 30-minutes, 12-hours, and 24-hours post-reversal. TEG samples were also collected from participants who transferred to our facility after reversal at ED presentation, as well as 12- and 24-hours post-reversal.

Results

Pre-reversal TEG was collected on 10 participants prior to DOAC reversal. A significant decrease in TEG R-time was observed at 30 minutes post-reversal. R-time increased at 12- and 24-hours to baseline levels. Significant changes were not observed in K-time, clot strength, maximum amplitude, or coagulation index.

Conclusions

TEG R-time may be able to detect a change in anticoagulation activity of DOACs in ICH after anticoagulation reversal. R-time decreases acutely after anticoagulation reversal and rebounds at 12- and 24-hours post-reversal.

Effectiveness of Updated 2023-2024 (Monovalent XBB.1.5) COVID-19 Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB and BA.2.86/JN.1 Lineage Hospitalization and a Comparison of Clinical Severity-IVY Network, 26 Hospitals, October 18, 2023-March 9, 2024

BACKGROUND

Assessing variant-specific COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) and severity can inform public health risk assessments and decisions about vaccine composition. BA.2.86 and its descendants, including JN.1 (referred to collectively as "JN lineages"), emerged in late 2023 and exhibited substantial divergence from co-circulating XBB lineages.

METHODS

We analyzed patients hospitalized with COVID-19-like illness at 26 hospitals in 20 U.S. states admitted October 18, 2023-March 9, 2024. Using a test-negative, case-control design, we estimated effectiveness of an updated 2023-2024 (Monovalent XBB.1.5) COVID-19 vaccine dose against sequence-confirmed XBB and JN lineage hospitalization using logistic regression. Odds of severe outcomes, including intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or death, were compared for JN versus XBB lineage hospitalizations using logistic regression.

RESULTS

585 case-patients with XBB lineages, 397 case-patients with JN lineages, and 4,580 control-patients were included. VE in the first 7-89 days after receipt of an updated dose was 54.2% (95% CI = 36.1%-67.1%) against XBB lineage hospitalization and 32.7% (95% CI = 1.9%-53.8%) against JN lineage hospitalization. Odds of ICU admission (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.80; 95% CI = 0.46-1.38) and IMV or death (aOR 0.69; 95% CI = 0.34-1.40) were not significantly different among JN compared to XBB lineage hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS

Updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccination provided protection against both XBB and JN lineage hospitalization, but protection against the latter may be attenuated by immune escape. Clinical severity of JN lineage hospitalizations was not higher relative to XBB.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infections Among Emergency Health Care Personnel: Impact on Delivery of United States Emergency Medical Care, 2020

STUDY OBJECTIVE

In the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and before vaccine availability, there were concerns that infected emergency department (ED) health care personnel could present a threat to the delivery of emergency medical care. We examined how the pandemic affected staffing levels and whether COVID-19 positive staff were potentially infectious at work in a cohort of US ED health care personnel in 2020.

METHODS

The COVID-19 Evaluation of Risks in Emergency Departments (Project COVERED) project was a multicenter prospective cohort study of US ED health care personnel conducted from May to December 2020. During surveillance, health care personnel completed weekly electronic surveys and underwent periodic serology and nasal reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing for SARS-CoV-2, and investigators captured weekly data on health care facility COVID-19 prevalence and health care personnel staffing. Surveys asked about symptoms, potential exposures, work attendance, personal protective equipment use, and behaviors.

RESULTS

We enrolled 1,673 health care personnel who completed 29,825 person weeks of surveillance. Eighty-nine (5.3%) health care personnel documented 90 (0.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2% to 0.4%) person weeks of missed work related to documented or concerns for COVID-19 infection. Health care personnel experienced symptoms of COVID-19 during 1,256 (4.2%) person weeks and worked at least one shift whereas symptomatic during 1,042 (83.0%) of these periods. Seventy-five (4.5%) participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during the surveillance period, including 43 (57.3%) who indicated they never experienced symptoms; 74 (98.7%; 95% CI 90.7% to 99.9%) infected health care personnel worked at least one shift during the initial period of infection, and 71 (94.7%) continued working until laboratory confirmation of their infection. Physician staffing was not associated with the facility or community COVID-19 levels within any time frame studied (Kendall tau's 0.02, 0.056, and 0.081 for no shift, one-week time shift, and 2-week time shift, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

During the first wave of the pandemic, COVID-19 infections in ED health care personnel were infrequent, and the time lost from the workforce was minimal. Health care personnel frequently reported for work while infected with SARS-CoV-2 before laboratory confirmation. The ED staffing levels were poorly correlated with facility and community COVID-19 burden.

Provider-to-provider telemedicine for sepsis is used less frequently in communities with high social vulnerability

PURPOSE

Sepsis disproportionately affects patients in rural and socially vulnerable communities. A promising strategy to address this disparity is provider-to-provider emergency department (ED)-based telehealth consultation (tele-ED). The objective of this study was to determine if county-level social vulnerability index (SVI) was associated with tele-ED use for sepsis and, if so, which SVI elements were most strongly associated.

METHODS

We used data from the TELEmedicine as a Virtual Intervention for Sepsis in Rural Emergency Department study. The primary exposures were SVI aggregate and component scores. We used multivariable generalized estimating equations to model the association between SVI and tele-ED use.

FINDINGS

Our study cohort included 1191 patients treated in 23 Midwestern rural EDs between August 2016 and June 2019, of whom 326 (27.4%) were treated with tele-ED. Providers in counties with a high SVI were less likely to use tele-ED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31‒0.87), an effect principally attributable to the housing type and transportation component of SVI (aOR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.22-0.89). Providers who treated fewer sepsis patients (1‒10 vs. 31+ over study period) and therefore may have been less experienced in sepsis care, were more likely to activate tele-ED (aOR = 3.91, 95% CI 2.08‒7.38).

CONCLUSIONS

Tele-ED use for sepsis was lower in socially vulnerable counties and higher among providers who treated fewer sepsis patients. These findings suggest that while tele-ED increases access to specialized care, it may not completely ameliorate sepsis disparities due to its less frequent use in socially vulnerable communities.

Effectiveness of Updated 2023-2024 (Monovalent XBB.1.5) COVID-19 Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB and BA.2.86/JN.1 Lineage Hospitalization and a Comparison of Clinical Severity - IVY Network, 26 Hospitals, October 18, 2023-March 9, 2024

Background

Assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) and severity of SARS-CoV-2 variants can inform public health risk assessments and decisions about vaccine composition. BA.2.86 and its descendants, including JN.1 (referred to collectively as "JN lineages"), emerged in late 2023 and exhibited substantial genomic divergence from co-circulating XBB lineages.

Methods

We analyzed patients hospitalized with COVID-19-like illness at 26 hospitals in 20 U.S. states admitted October 18, 2023-March 9, 2024. Using a test-negative, case-control design, we estimated the effectiveness of an updated 2023-2024 (Monovalent XBB.1.5) COVID-19 vaccine dose against sequence-confirmed XBB and JN lineage hospitalization using logistic regression. Odds of severe outcomes, including intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or death, were compared for JN versus XBB lineage hospitalizations using logistic regression.

Results

585 case-patients with XBB lineages, 397 case-patients with JN lineages, and 4,580 control-patients were included. VE in the first 7-89 days after receipt of an updated dose was 54.2% (95% CI = 36.1%-67.1%) against XBB lineage hospitalization and 32.7% (95% CI = 1.9%-53.8%) against JN lineage hospitalization. Odds of ICU admission (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.80; 95% CI = 0.46-1.38) and IMV or death (aOR 0.69; 95% CI = 0.34-1.40) were not significantly different among JN compared to XBB lineage hospitalizations.

Conclusions

Updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccination provided protection against both XBB and JN lineage hospitalization, but protection against the latter may be attenuated by immune escape. Clinical severity of JN lineage hospitalizations was not higher relative to XBB lineage hospitalizations.

Partial pressure of carbon dioxide/pH interaction and its association with mortality among patients mechanically ventilated in the emergency department

OBJECTIVES

There is currently conflicting data as to the effects of hypercapnia on clinical outcomes among mechanically ventilated patients in the emergency department (ED). These conflicting results may be explained by the degree of acidosis. We sought to test the hypothesis that hypercapnia is associated with increased in-hospital mortality and decreased ventilator-free days at lower pH, but associated with decreased in-hospital mortality and increased ventilator-free days at higher pH, among patients requiring mechanical ventilation in the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

Secondary analysis of patient level data from prior clinical trials and cohort studies that enrolled adult patients who required mechanical ventilation in the ED. Patients who had a documented blood gas while on mechanical ventilation in the ED were included in these analyses. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcome was ventilator-free days. Mixed-effects logistic, linear, and survival-time regression models were used to test if pH modified the association between partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and outcome measures.

RESULTS

Of the 2348 subjects included, the median [interquartile range (IQR)] pCO2 was 43 (35-54) and pH was 7.31 (7.22-7.39). Overall, in-hospital mortality was 27%. We found pH modified the association between pCO2 and outcomes, with higher pCO2 associated with increased probability of in-hospital mortality when pH is below 7.00, and decreased probability of in-hospital mortality when pH is above 7.10. These results remained consistent across multiple sensitivity and subgroup analyses. A similar relationship was found with ventilator-free days.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher pCO2 is associated with decreased mortality and greater ventilator-free days when pH is >7.10; however, it is associated with increased mortality and fewer ventilator-free days when the pH is below 7.00. Targeting pCO2 based on pH in the ED may be a potential intervention target for future clinical trials to improve clinical outcomes.

Telehealth Use and Health Equity for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), telehealth utilization accelerated to facilitate health care management and minimize risk. However, those with mental health conditions and substance use disorders (SUD)-who represent a vulnerable population, and members of underrepresented minorities (e.g., rural, racial/ethnic minorities, the elderly)-may not benefit from telehealth equally. Objective: To evaluate health equality in clinical effectiveness and utilization measures associated with telehealth for clinical management of mental health disorders and SUD to identify emerging patterns for underrepresented groups stratified by race/ethnicity, gender, age, rural status, insurance, sexual minorities, and social vulnerability. Methods: We performed a systematic review in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL through November 2022. Studies included those with telehealth, COVID-19, health equity, and mental health or SUD treatment/care concepts. Our outcomes included general clinical measures, mental health or SUD clinical measures, and operational measures. Results: Of the 2,740 studies screened, 25 met eligibility criteria. The majority of studies (n = 20) evaluated telehealth for mental health conditions, while the remaining five studies evaluated telehealth for opioid use disorder/dependence. The most common study outcomes were utilization measures (n = 19) or demographic predictors of telehealth utilization (n = 3). Groups that consistently demonstrated less telehealth utilization during the PHE included rural residents, older populations, and Black/African American minorities. Conclusions: We observed evidence of inequities in telehealth utilization among several underrepresented groups. Future efforts should focus on measuring the contribution of utilization disparities on outcomes and strategies to mitigate disparities in implementation.

Chronic Disease Management through Clinical Video Telehealth on Health Care Utilization, and Mortality in the Veterans Health Administration: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Chronic health diseases such as congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetes mellitus (DM) affect 6 in 10 Americans and contribute to 90% of the $4.1 trillion health care expenditures. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of clinical video telehealth (CVT) on health care utilization and mortality. A retrospective cohort study of Veterans ≥65 years with CHF, COPD, or DM was conducted. Measures: Veterans using CVT were matched 1:3 on demographic characteristics to Veterans who did not use CVT. Outcomes included 1-year incidence of ED visits, inpatient admissions, and mortality, reported as adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Final analytical cohorts included 22,280 Veterans with CHF, 51,872 Veterans with COPD, and 170,605 Veterans with DM. CVT utilization was associated with increased ED visits for CHF (aOR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.15-1.34), COPD (aOR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.14-1.26), and DM (aOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.00-1.10). For CHF, there was no difference between CVT utilization and inpatient admissions (aOR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.91-1.05) or mortality (aOR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.93-1.15). For COPD, CVT was associated with increased inpatient admissions (aOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02-1.13) and mortality (aOR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.25-1.48). For DM, CVT utilization was associated with lower risk of inpatient admissions (aOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.80-0.86) and mortality (aOR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.84-0.95). Conclusions: CVT use as an alternative care site might serve as an early warning system, such that this mechanism may indicate when an in-person assessment is needed for potential exacerbation of conditions. Although inpatient and mortality varied, ED utilization was higher with CVT. Exploring pathways accessing clinical care through CVT, and how CVT is directly or indirectly associated with immediate and long-term clinical outcomes would be valuable.

The role of increasing synchronous telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic on disparities in access to healthcare: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 public health emergency led to an unprecedented rapid increase in telehealth use, but the role of telehealth in reducing disparities in access to care has been questioned. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to summarize the available evidence on how telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with telehealth utilization for minority groups and its role in health disparities.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review focused on health equity and access to care by searching for interventional and observational studies using the following four search domains: telehealth, COVID-19, health equity, and access to care. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, telehealth.hhs.gov, and the Rural Health Research Gateway, and included any study that reported quantitative results with a control group.

RESULTS

Our initial search yielded 1970 studies, and we included 48 in our final review. The most common dimensions of health equity studied were race/ethnicity, rurality, insurance status, language, and socioeconomic status, and the telehealth applications studied were diverse. Included studies had a moderate risk of bias. In aggregate, most studies reported increased telehealth use during the pandemic, with the greatest increase in non-minority populations, including White, younger, English-speaking people from urban areas.

DISCUSSION

We found that despite rapid adoption and increased telehealth use during the public health emergency, telehealth did not reduce existing disparities in access to care. We recommend that future work measuring the impact of telehealth focus on equity so that features of telehealth innovation can reduce disparities in health outcomes.

Availability and use of institutional support programs for emergency department healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic placed health care personnel (HCP) at risk for stress, anxiety, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To address this, hospitals developed programs to mitigate risk. The objectives of the current study were to measure the availability and use of these programs in a cohort of academic emergency departments (EDs) in the United States early in the pandemic and identify factors associated with program use.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey of ED HCP in 21 academic EDs in 15 states between June and September 2020. Site investigators provided data on the availability of 28 programs grouped into 9 categories. Individual support programs included: financial, workload mitigation, individual COVID-19 testing, emotional (e.g., mental health hotline), and instrumental (e.g., childcare) Clinical work support programs included: COVID-19 team communication (e.g., debriefing critical incident), patient-family communication facilitation, patient services (e.g., social work, ethics consultation), and system-level exposure reduction. Participants provided corresponding data on whether they used the programs. We used generalized linear mixed models clustered on site to measure the association between demographic and facility characteristics and program use.

RESULTS

We received 1,541 survey responses (96% response rate) from emergency physicians or advanced practice providers, nurses, and nonclinical staff. Program availability in each of the 9 categories was high (>95% of hospitals). Program use was variable, with clinical work support programs used more frequently (28-50% of eligible HCP across categories) than individual employee support programs (6-13% of eligible HCP across categories). Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their stress and anxiety, and 12% were at elevated risk for PTSD. Program use did not significantly differ for HCP who reported symptoms of anxiety and/or stress compared to those who did not.

CONCLUSIONS

Early in the pandemic, support programs were widely available to ED HCP, but program use was low. Future work will focus on identifying barriers and facilitators to use and specific programs most likely to be effective during periods of highest occupational stress.

Effectiveness of a bivalent mRNA vaccine dose against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection among U.S. Healthcare personnel, September 2022-May 2023

BACKGROUND

Bivalent mRNA vaccines were recommended since September 2022. However, coverage with a recent vaccine dose has been limited, and there are few robust estimates of bivalent VE against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). We estimated VE of a bivalent mRNA vaccine dose against COVID-19 among eligible U.S. healthcare personnel who had previously received monovalent mRNA vaccine doses.

METHODS

We conducted a case-control study in 22 U.S. states, and enrolled healthcare personnel with COVID-19 (case-participants) or without COVID-19 (control-participants) during September 2022-May 2023. Participants were considered eligible for a bivalent mRNA dose if they had received 2-4 monovalent (ancestral-strain) mRNA vaccine doses, and were ≥67 days after the most recent vaccine dose. We estimated VE of a bivalent mRNA dose using conditional logistic regression, accounting for matching by region and four-week calendar period. We adjusted estimates for age group, sex, race and ethnicity, educational level, underlying health conditions, community COVID-19 exposure, prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, and days since the last monovalent mRNA dose.

RESULTS

Among 3,647 healthcare personnel, 1,528 were included as case-participants and 2,119 as control-participants. Participants received their last monovalent mRNA dose a median of 404 days previously; 1,234 (33.8%) also received a bivalent mRNA dose a median of 93 days previously. Overall, VE of a bivalent dose was 34.1% (95% CI, 22.6%-43.9%) against COVID-19 and was similar by product, days since last monovalent dose, number of prior doses, age group, and presence of underlying health conditions. However, VE declined from 54.8% (95% CI, 40.7%-65.6%) after 7-59 days to 21.6% (95% CI 5.6%-34.9%) after ≥60 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines initially conferred approximately 55% protection against COVID-19 among U.S. healthcare personnel. However, protection waned after two months. These findings indicate moderate initial protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection by remaining up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines.

Vaccine Effectiveness Against Influenza A-Associated Hospitalization, Organ Failure, and Death: United States, 2022-2023

BACKGROUND

Influenza circulation during the 2022-2023 season in the United States largely returned to pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-pandemic patterns and levels. Influenza A(H3N2) viruses were detected most frequently this season, predominately clade 3C.2a1b.2a, a close antigenic match to the vaccine strain.

METHODS

To understand effectiveness of the 2022-2023 influenza vaccine against influenza-associated hospitalization, organ failure, and death, a multicenter sentinel surveillance network in the United States prospectively enrolled adults hospitalized with acute respiratory illness between 1 October 2022, and 28 February 2023. Using the test-negative design, vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates against influenza-associated hospitalization, organ failures, and death were measured by comparing the odds of current-season influenza vaccination in influenza-positive case-patients and influenza-negative, SARS-CoV-2-negative control-patients.

RESULTS

A total of 3707 patients, including 714 influenza cases (33% vaccinated) and 2993 influenza- and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-negative controls (49% vaccinated) were analyzed. VE against influenza-associated hospitalization was 37% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27%-46%) and varied by age (18-64 years: 47% [30%-60%]; ≥65 years: 28% [10%-43%]), and virus (A[H3N2]: 29% [6%-46%], A[H1N1]: 47% [23%-64%]). VE against more severe influenza-associated outcomes included: 41% (29%-50%) against influenza with hypoxemia treated with supplemental oxygen; 65% (56%-72%) against influenza with respiratory, cardiovascular, or renal failure treated with organ support; and 66% (40%-81%) against influenza with respiratory failure treated with invasive mechanical ventilation.

CONCLUSIONS

During an early 2022-2023 influenza season with a well-matched influenza vaccine, vaccination was associated with reduced risk of influenza-associated hospitalization and organ failure.

Severity of Respiratory Syncytial Virus vs COVID-19 and Influenza Among Hospitalized US Adults

Importance

On June 21, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for adults aged 60 years and older using shared clinical decision-making. Understanding the severity of RSV disease in adults can help guide this clinical decision-making.

Objective

To describe disease severity among adults hospitalized with RSV and compare it with the severity of COVID-19 and influenza disease by vaccination status.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this cohort study, adults aged 18 years and older admitted to the hospital with acute respiratory illness and laboratory-confirmed RSV, SARS-CoV-2, or influenza infection were prospectively enrolled from 25 hospitals in 20 US states from February 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. Clinical data during each patient's hospitalization were collected using standardized forms. Data were analyzed from August to October 2023.

Exposures

RSV, SARS-CoV-2, or influenza infection.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Using multivariable logistic regression, severity of RSV disease was compared with COVID-19 and influenza severity, by COVID-19 and influenza vaccination status, for a range of clinical outcomes, including the composite of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and in-hospital death.

Results

Of 7998 adults (median [IQR] age, 67 [54-78] years; 4047 [50.6%] female) included, 484 (6.1%) were hospitalized with RSV, 6422 (80.3%) were hospitalized with COVID-19, and 1092 (13.7%) were hospitalized with influenza. Among patients with RSV, 58 (12.0%) experienced IMV or death, compared with 201 of 1422 unvaccinated patients with COVID-19 (14.1%) and 458 of 5000 vaccinated patients with COVID-19 (9.2%), as well as 72 of 699 unvaccinated patients with influenza (10.3%) and 20 of 393 vaccinated patients with influenza (5.1%). In adjusted analyses, the odds of IMV or in-hospital death were not significantly different among patients hospitalized with RSV and unvaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.59-1.13; P = .22) or influenza (aOR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.82-1.76; P = .35); however, the odds of IMV or death were significantly higher among patients hospitalized with RSV compared with vaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.02-1.86; P = .03) or influenza disease (aOR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.62-4.86; P < .001).

Conclusions and Relevance

Among adults hospitalized in this US cohort during the 16 months before the first RSV vaccine recommendations, RSV disease was less common but similar in severity compared with COVID-19 or influenza disease among unvaccinated patients and more severe than COVID-19 or influenza disease among vaccinated patients for the most serious outcomes of IMV or death.

Provider-to-provider telehealth for sepsis patients in a cohort of rural emergency departments

BACKGROUND

Telehealth has been proposed as one strategy to improve the quality of time-sensitive sepsis care in rural emergency departments (EDs). The purpose of this study was to measure the association between telehealth-supplemented ED (tele-ED) care, health care costs, and clinical outcomes among patients with sepsis in rural EDs.

METHODS

Cohort study using Medicare fee-for-service claims data for beneficiaries treated for sepsis in rural EDs between February 1, 2017, and September 30, 2019. Our primary hospital-level analysis used multivariable generalized estimating equations to measure the association between treatment in a tele-ED-capable hospital and 30-day total costs of care. In our supporting secondary analysis, we conducted a propensity-matched analysis of patients who used tele-ED with matched controls from non-tele-ED-capable hospitals. Our primary outcome was total health care payments among index hospitalized patients between the index ED visit and 30 days after hospital discharge, and our secondary outcomes included hospital mortality, hospital length of stay, 90-day mortality, 28-day hospital-free days, and 30-day inpatient readmissions.

RESULTS

In our primary analysis, sepsis patients in tele-ED-capable hospitals had 6.7% higher (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1%-11.5%) total health care costs compared to those in non-tele-ED-capable hospitals. In our propensity-matched patient-level analysis, total health care costs were 23% higher (95% CI 16.5%-30.4%) in tele-ED cases than matched non-tele-ED controls. Clinical outcomes were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

Tele-ED capability in a mature rural tele-ED network was not associated with decreased health care costs or improved clinical outcomes. Future work is needed to reduce rural-urban sepsis care disparities and formalize systems of regionalized care.

Race, Ethnicity, and Delayed Time to COVID-19 Testing Among US Health Care Workers

Importance

Access to COVID-19 testing is critical to reducing transmission and supporting early treatment decisions; when made accessible, the timeliness of testing may also be an important metric in mitigating community spread of the infection. While disparities in transmission and outcomes of COVID-19 have been well documented, the extent of timeliness of testing and the association with demographic factors is unclear.

Objectives

To evaluate demographic factors associated with delayed COVID-19 testing among health care personnel (HCP) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study used data from the Preventing Emerging Infections Through Vaccine Effectiveness Testing study, a multicenter, test-negative, case-control vaccine effectiveness study that enrolled HCP who had COVID-19 symptoms and testing between December 2020 and April 2022. Data analysis was conducted from March 2022 to Junne 2023.

Exposure

Displaying COVID-19-like symptoms and polymerase chain reaction testing occurring from the first day symptoms occurred up to 14 days after symptoms occurred.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Variables of interest included patient demographics (sex, age, and clinical comorbidities) and COVID-19 characteristics (vaccination status and COVID-19 wave). The primary outcome was time from symptom onset to COVID-19 testing, which was defined as early testing (≤2 days) or delayed testing (≥3 days). Associations of demographic characteristics with delayed testing were measured while adjusting for clinical comorbidities, COVID-19 characteristics, and test site using multivariable modeling to estimate relative risks and 95% CIs.

Results

A total of 5551 HCP (4859 female [82.9%]; 1954 aged 25-34 years [35.2%]; 4233 non-Hispanic White [76.3%], 370 non-Hispanic Black [6.7%], and 324 non-Hispanic Asian [5.8%]) were included in the final analysis. Overall, 2060 participants (37.1%) reported delayed testing and 3491 (62.9%) reported early testing. Compared with non-Hispanic White HCP, delayed testing was higher among non-Hispanic Black HCP (adjusted risk ratio, 1.18; 95%CI, 1.10-1.27) and for non-Hispanic HCP of other races (adjusted risk ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03-1.33). Sex and age were not associated with delayed testing. Compared with clinical HCP with graduate degrees, all other professional and educational groups had significantly delayed testing.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study of HCP, compared with non-Hispanic White HCP and clinical HCP with graduate degrees, non-Hispanic Black HCP, non-Hispanic HCP of other races, and HCP all other professional and education backgrounds were more likely to have delayed COVID-19 testing. These findings suggest that time to testing may serve as a valuable metric in evaluating sociodemographic disparities in the response to COVID-19 and future health mitigation strategies.

Rural Emergency Medical Services Clinicians' Perceptions and Preferences in Receiving Clinical Feedback From Hospitals: A Qualitative Needs Assessment

OBJECTIVE

Emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians experience dissatisfaction with the quality and quantity of clinical feedback from hospitals. Satisfaction is further diminished by the lack of a standardized systems approach. The purpose of this study was to identify rural clinicians' perceptions and preferences regarding clinical feedback received from hospitals, the delivery mechanisms, and its impact on their relationships with health care organizations.

METHODS

This was a qualitative study focused on EMS clinicians involved in rural prehospital care at a single Midwestern academic medical center. Using a phenomenological framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical directors, service directors, fire captains, air medical personnel, emergency medical responders, emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency medical technicians, and paramedics, all of whom were selected through purposive sampling. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and independently coded by two trained reviewers.

RESULTS

Twenty participants (11 frontline clinicians and 9 administrative staff members) with a wide range of clinical experience from 14 air and ground EMS agencies were interviewed. Emerging themes included: (1) the value or usefulness of feedback; (2) desired feedback system characteristics; (3) barriers to receiving feedback; (4) utilization and application of feedback; and (5) the feedback's impact on the relationship with health care organizations. Participants felt that clinical feedback from hospitals was especially important as a method of improving quality of care, though was rarely provided. Professional development was seen as a major benefit of receiving clinical feedback from hospitals.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that consistent clinical feedback provided by hospitals was valued. Establishing a culture of providing organized feedback to practicing rural EMS clinicians is important for professional development and can strengthen the relationships between EMS clinicians and hospitals. These study findings can assist in the development and implementation of a standardized feedback instrument to benefit rural EMS clinicians, patients, and the health care system as a whole.

Interim Effectiveness of Updated 2023-2024 (Monovalent XBB.1.5) COVID-19 Vaccines Against COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalization Among Immunocompetent Adults Aged ≥18 Years - VISION and IVY Networks, September 2023-January 2024

In September 2023, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended updated 2023-2024 (monovalent XBB.1.5) COVID-19 vaccination for all persons aged ≥6 months to prevent COVID-19, including severe disease. However, few estimates of updated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against medically attended illness are available. This analysis evaluated VE of an updated COVID-19 vaccine dose against COVID-19-associated emergency department (ED) or urgent care (UC) encounters and hospitalization among immunocompetent adults aged ≥18 years during September 2023-January 2024 using a test-negative, case-control design with data from two CDC VE networks. VE against COVID-19-associated ED/UC encounters was 51% (95% CI = 47%-54%) during the first 7-59 days after an updated dose and 39% (95% CI = 33%-45%) during the 60-119 days after an updated dose. VE estimates against COVID-19-associated hospitalization from two CDC VE networks were 52% (95% CI = 47%-57%) and 43% (95% CI = 27%-56%), with a median interval from updated dose of 42 and 47 days, respectively. Updated COVID-19 vaccine provided increased protection against COVID-19-associated ED/UC encounters and hospitalization among immunocompetent adults. These results support CDC recommendations for updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccination. All persons aged ≥6 months should receive updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine.

Factors associated with the decision to receive bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccination among health care personnel

COVID-19 vaccination is effective at reducing SARS-CoV-2 complications, but uptake has been low. Our objective in this study was to compare the importance of factors reported to influence the decision to receive a bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine among health care personnel (HCP) tested for SARS-CoV-2 between October 2022 and April 2023 in a 20-hospital vaccine effectiveness study in the United States (n = 1656). Compared with those who had not received the booster, the factors most likely to be reported to be important were concerns about contracting COVID-19 (84.0% of those who had received the bivalent booster vs. 47.5% of those who had not, difference 36.6% points (PP), 95% confidence interval [CI] 32.1 to 41.1%), spreading infection to family members (89.2% vs. 62.8%, difference 26.3 PP, 95% CI 22.3 to 30.4%), and spreading infection to colleagues at work (85.5% vs. 59.4%, difference 26.1 PP, 95% CI 21.7 to 30.5%). HCP who had received the booster more frequently cited the primary literature (61.7% vs. 31.8%, difference 29.9 PP, 95% CI 24.6 to 35.2%) and employer recommendations (48.3% vs. 29.8%, difference 18.5 PP, 95% CI 13.2 to 23.9%) as influencing their decision. This analysis provides insight into factors for targeting future vaccine messaging.

Core Warming of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation: A Pilot Study

Fever is a recognized protective factor in patients with sepsis, and growing data suggest beneficial effects on outcomes in sepsis with elevated temperature, with a recent pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) showing lower mortality by warming afebrile sepsis patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The objective of this prospective single-site RCT was to determine if core warming improves respiratory physiology of mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), allowing earlier weaning from ventilation, and greater overall survival. A total of 19 patients with mean age of 60.5 (±12.5) years, 37% female, mean weight 95.1 (±18.6) kg, and mean body mass index 34.5 (±5.9) kg/m2 with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation were enrolled from September 2020 to February 2022. Patients were randomized 1:1 to standard of care or to receive core warming for 72 hours through an esophageal heat exchanger commonly utilized in critical care and surgical patients. The maximum target temperature was 39.8°C. A total of 10 patients received usual care and 9 patients received esophageal core warming. After 72 hours of warming, the ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) ratios were 197 (±32) and 134 (±13.4), cycle thresholds were 30.8 (±6.4) and 31.4 (±3.2), ICU mortalities were 40% and 44%, 30-day mortalities were 30% and 22%, and mean 30-day ventilator-free days were 11.9 (±12.6) and 6.8 (±10.2) for standard of care and warmed patients, respectively (p = NS). This pilot study suggests that core warming of patients with COVID-19 undergoing mechanical ventilation is feasible and appears safe. Optimizing time to achieve febrile-range temperature may require a multimodal temperature management strategy to further evaluate effects on outcome. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04494867.

Awareness with paralysis and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among mechanically ventilated emergency department survivors (ED-AWARENESS-2 Trial): study protocol for a pragmatic, multicenter, stepped wedge cluster randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Awareness with paralysis (AWP) is memory recall during neuromuscular blockade (NMB) and can cause significant psychological harm. Decades of effort and rigorous trials have been conducted to prevent AWP in the operating room, where prevalence is 0.1-0.2%. By contrast, AWP in mechanically ventilated emergency department (ED) patients is common, with estimated prevalence of 3.3-7.4% among survivors given NMB. Longer-acting NMB use is a critical risk for AWP, and we have shown an association between ED rocuronium use and increased AWP prevalence. As NMB are given to more than 90% of ED patients during tracheal intubation, this trial provides a platform to test an intervention aimed at reducing AWP. The overall objective is to test the hypothesis that limiting ED rocuronium exposure will significantly reduce the proportion of patients experiencing AWP.

METHODS

This is a pragmatic, stepped wedge cluster randomized trial conducted in five academic EDs, and will enroll 3090 patients. Per the design, all sites begin in a control phase, under observational conditions. At 6-month intervals, sites sequentially enter a 2-month transition phase, during which we will implement the multifaceted intervention, which will rely on use of nudges and defaults to change clinician decisions regarding ED NMB use. During the intervention phase, succinylcholine will be the default NMB over rocuronium. The primary outcome is AWP, assessed with the modified Brice questionnaire, adjudicated by three independent, blinded experts. The secondary outcome is the proportion of patients developing clinically significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder at 30 and 180 days after hospital discharge. We will also assess for symptoms of depression and anxiety, and health-related quality of life. A generalized linear model, adjusted for time and cluster interactions, will be used to compare AWP in control versus intervention phases, analyzed by intention-to-treat.

DISCUSSION

The ED-AWARENESS-2 Trial will be the first ED-based trial aimed at preventing AWP, a critical threat to patient safety. Results could shape clinical use of NMB in the ED and prevent more than 10,000 annual cases of AWP related to ED care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT05534243 . Registered 06, September 2022.

The Relationship Between Hospital Capability and Mortality in Sepsis: Development of a Sepsis-Related Hospital Capability Index

OBJECTIVES

Regionalized sepsis care could improve sepsis outcomes by facilitating the interhospital transfer of patients to higher-capability hospitals. There are no measures of sepsis capability to guide the identification of such hospitals, although hospital case volume of sepsis has been used as a proxy. We evaluated the performance of a novel hospital sepsis-related capability (SRC) index as compared with sepsis case volume.

DESIGN

Principal component analysis (PCA) and retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

A total of 182 New York (derivation) and 274 Florida and Massachusetts (validation) nonfederal hospitals, 2018.

PATIENTS

A total of 89,069 and 139,977 adult patients (≥ 18 yr) with sepsis were directly admitted into the derivation and validation cohort hospitals, respectively.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

We derived SRC scores by PCA of six hospital resource use characteristics (bed capacity, annual volumes of sepsis, major diagnostic procedures, renal replacement therapy, mechanical ventilation, and major therapeutic procedures) and classified hospitals into capability score tertiles: high, intermediate, and low. High-capability hospitals were mostly urban teaching hospitals. Compared with sepsis volume, the SRC score explained more variation in hospital-level sepsis mortality in the derivation (unadjusted coefficient of determination [ R2 ]: 0.25 vs 0.12, p < 0.001 for both) and validation (0.18 vs 0.05, p < 0.001 for both) cohorts; and demonstrated stronger correlation with outward transfer rates for sepsis in the derivation (Spearman coefficient [ r ]: 0.60 vs 0.50) and validation (0.51 vs 0.45) cohorts. Compared with low-capability hospitals, patients with sepsis directly admitted into high-capability hospitals had a greater number of acute organ dysfunctions, a higher proportion of surgical hospitalizations, and higher adjusted mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.55; 95% CI, 1.25-1.92). In stratified analysis, worse mortality associated with higher hospital capability was only evident among patients with three or more organ dysfunctions (OR, 1.88 [1.50-2.34]).

CONCLUSIONS

The SRC score has face validity for capability-based groupings of hospitals. Sepsis care may already be de facto regionalized at high-capability hospitals. Low-capability hospitals may have become more adept at treating less complicated sepsis.

Effect of Chronic Disease Home Telehealth Monitoring in the Veterans Health Administration on Healthcare Utilization and Mortality

BACKGROUND

The high prevalence of chronic diseases, including congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetes mellitus (DM), accounts for a large burden of cost and poor health outcomes in US hospitals, and home telehealth (HT) monitoring has been proposed to improve outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To measure the association between HT initiation and 12-month inpatient hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and mortality in veterans with CHF, COPD, or DM.

DESIGN

Comparative effectiveness matched cohort study.

PATIENTS

Veterans aged 65 years and older treated for CHF, COPD, or DM.

MAIN MEASURES

We matched veterans initiating HT with veterans with similar demographics who did not use HT (1:3). Our outcome measures included a 12-month risk of inpatient hospitalization, ED visits, and all-cause mortality.

KEY RESULTS

A total of 139,790 veterans with CHF, 65,966 with COPD, and 192,633 with DM were included in this study. In the year after HT initiation, the risk of hospitalization was not different in those with CHF (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.01, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.98-1.05) or DM (aOR 1.00, 95%CI 0.97-1.03), but it was higher in those with COPD (aOR 1.15, 95%CI 1.09-1.21). The risk of ED visits was higher among HT users with CHF (aOR 1.09, 95%CI 1.05-1.13), COPD (1.24, 95%CI 1.18-1.31), and DM (aOR 1.03, 95%CI 1.00-1.06). All-cause 12-month mortality was lower in those initiating HT monitoring with CHF (aOR 0.70, 95%CI 0.67-0.73) and DM (aOR 0.79, 95%CI 0.75-0.83), but higher in COPD (aOR 1.08, 95%CI 1.00-1.16).

CONCLUSIONS

The initiation of HT was associated with increased ED visits, no change in hospitalizations, and lower all-cause mortality in patients with CHF or DM, while those with COPD had both higher healthcare utilization and all-cause mortality.

Disease Severity of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Compared with COVID-19 and Influenza Among Hospitalized Adults Aged ≥60 Years - IVY Network, 20 U.S. States, February 2022-May 2023

On June 21, 2023, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination for adults aged ≥60 years, offered to individual adults using shared clinical decision-making. Informed use of these vaccines requires an understanding of RSV disease severity. To characterize RSV-associated severity, 5,784 adults aged ≥60 years hospitalized with acute respiratory illness and laboratory-confirmed RSV, SARS-CoV-2, or influenza infection were prospectively enrolled from 25 hospitals in 20 U.S. states during February 1, 2022-May 31, 2023. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare RSV disease severity with COVID-19 and influenza severity on the basis of the following outcomes: 1) standard flow (<30 L/minute) oxygen therapy, 2) high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) or noninvasive ventilation (NIV), 3) intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and 4) invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or death. Overall, 304 (5.3%) enrolled adults were hospitalized with RSV, 4,734 (81.8%) with COVID-19 and 746 (12.9%) with influenza. Patients hospitalized with RSV were more likely to receive standard flow oxygen, HFNC or NIV, and ICU admission than were those hospitalized with COVID-19 or influenza. Patients hospitalized with RSV were more likely to receive IMV or die compared with patients hospitalized with influenza (adjusted odds ratio = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.33-3.26). Among hospitalized older adults, RSV was less common, but was associated with more severe disease than COVID-19 or influenza. High disease severity in older adults hospitalized with RSV is important to consider in shared clinical decision-making regarding RSV vaccination.