COMbined Exercise Trial (COMET) to improve cognition in older adults: Rationale and methods

Substantial evidence suggests physical exercise may sustain cognitive function and perhaps prevent Alzheimer's Disease (1, 2). Current public health recommendations call for older adults to do at least 150 min a week of aerobic exercise (e.g. walking) and twice a week resistance exercise (e.g. weight lifting) for physical health. Yet, much remains unknown about how these exercise modalities support brain health independently or in combination. The COMbined Exercise Trial (COMET) is designed to test the combined and independent effects of aerobic and resistance training specifically focusing on exercise-related changes in 1) cognitive performance, 2) regional brain volume, 3) physical function, and 4) blood-based factors. To explore these questions, we will enroll 280 cognitively normal older adults, age 65-80 years, into a 52-week community-based exercise program. Participants will be randomized into one of four arms: 1) flexibility/toning- control 2) 150 min of aerobic exercise only, 3) progressive resistance training only, or 4) combined aerobic and progressive resistance training. Outcomes assessed include a comprehensive cognitive battery, blood biomarkers, brain magnetic resonance imaging, physiological biomarkers, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical function, and battery of psychosocial questionnaires is assessed at baseline, 6 and 12-months. COMET will provide rigorous randomized controlled trial data to understand the effects of the most common exercise modalities, and their combination (i.e., the standard public health recommendation), on brain health.

POS1234 DMARD DISRUPTION, INCREASED DISEASE ACTIVITY, AND PROLONGED SYMPTOM DURATION AFTER ACUTE COVID-19 AMONG PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASE: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Background

Systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD) patients may be at risk for disease flare and prolonged symptom duration after COVID-19, perhaps related to DMARD disruption and immune activation.

Objectives

To describe DMARD disruption and identify differences in SARD activity among patients with and without prolonged COVID-19 symptom duration.

Methods

We identified all SARD patients with confirmed COVID-19 at the Mass General Brigham healthcare system in Boston, USA; prospective recruitment is ongoing. Surveys were used to collect demographics, clinical characteristics, DMARD disruption, COVID-19 course, and SARD disease activity before and after COVID-19. The survey included validated instruments measuring disease activity, pain, fatigue, functional status, and respiratory quality of life. Prolonged symptom duration was defined as COVID-19 symptoms lasting ≥28 days. We compared differences in patient-reported measures between those with and without prolonged symptoms.

Results

We analyzed survey responses from 174 COVID-19 survivors with SARDs (mean age 52±16 years, 81% female, 80% White). The most common SARDs were RA (40%) and SLE (14%). Fifty-one percent of the 127 respondents on any DMARD reported a disruption to their regimen at COVID-19 onset (Figure 1). Among individual DMARDs, 56-77% were reported to have any change, except for hydroxychloroquine (23%) and rituximab (46%). SARD flare after COVID-19 was reported by 41% of respondents (Table 1). Patient global assessment of SARD activity was worse after COVID-19 (mean 7.6±2.3 before vs. 6.6±2.9 after COVID-19, p<0.001). Prolonged symptom duration was reported by 45% of participants. Those with prolonged symptoms had a higher initial COVID-19 symptom count (median 7 vs. 4, p<0.001) and were more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 (28% vs. 17%, p=0.001). Respondents experiencing prolonged symptom duration had higher disease activity on RAPID3 (p=0.007) as well as more pain (p<0.001) and fatigue (p=0.03) compared to those without prolonged symptoms.

Table 1.

Acute COVID-19 course, SARD flare/activity, and patient-reported outcomes among COVID-19 survivors with SARDs.

All COVID-19 survivors with SARDs (n=174)Prolonged symptom duration ≥28 days (n=78)No prolonged symptom duration/(n=96)p-value (prolonged vs. not)Acute COVID-19 courseCOVID-19 symptom duration, days, median [IQR]14 [9, 29]46 [30, 65]11 [7, 14]<0.0001Initial symptom count, median [IQR]6 [3, 8]7 [6, 9]4 [2, 7]<0.001Hospitalized, n (%)38 (22)22 (28)16 (17)0.001SARD flare/activitySelf-reported SARD flare after COVID-19, n (%)71 (41)38 (49)33 (34)0.15Disease activity by RAPID3, median [IQR]9 [4, 14]11.2 [6, 16]7 [3, 13]0.0067RAPID3 categorical score, n (%)0.13Remission (0)11 (7)4 (5)7 (7)Near remission (0.3-1.0)23 (14)5 (7)18 (19)Low severity (1.3-2.0)26 (15)10 (14)16 (17)Moderate severity (2.3-4.0)55 (33)27 (36)28 (29)High severity (4.3-10.0)54 (32)28 (38)26 (27)Patient-reported outcomesPain by SF-MPQ, median [IQR]2 [1, 2]2 [1, 2]1 [0, 2]0.0008Fatigue by FSI, median [IQR]53 [27, 84]66 [31, 91.5]43 [26, 76]0.031mHAQ, median [IQR]0.125 [0, 0.38]0.25 [0, 0.75]0.125 [0, 0.38]0.11Respiratory quality of life by SGRQ, global [IQR]15 [4, 29]16 [4, 36]10 [4, 26]0.49

RAPID3, Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3; SF-MPQ, Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire; FSI, Fatigue Symptom Inventory; mHAQ, modified Health Assessment Questionnaire; SGRQ, Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire.

Figure 1.

Frequency of baseline DMARD use and proportion with any disruption at COVID-19 onset.

Conclusion

DMARD disruption, SARD flare, and prolonged symptoms were common in this prospective study of COVID-19 survivors with SARDs. Those with prolonged COVID-19 symptom duration, defined as ≥28 days, had higher SARD activity, more pain, and more fatigue compared to those without prolonged symptoms. These findings suggest that post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 may have a large impact on underlying SARD activity and quality of life.

Disclosure of Interests

Michael Di Iorio: None declared, Claire Cook: None declared, Kathleen Vanni: None declared, Naomi Patel Consultant of: Receives consulting fees from FVC Health unrelated to this work., Kristin D’Silva: None declared, Xiaoqing Fu: None declared, Jiaqi Wang: None declared, Lauren Prisco: None declared, Emily Kowalski: None declared, Alessandra Zaccardelli: None declared, Lily Martin: None declared, Grace Qian: None declared, Tiffany Hsu: None declared, Zachary Wallace Consultant of: Receives consulting fees from Viela Bio, Zenas BioPharma, and MedPace unrelated to this work., Grant/research support from: Receives research support from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Principia/Sanofi., Jeffrey Sparks Consultant of: Receives consultant fees from AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova Diagnostics, Janssen, Optum, and Pfizer unrelated to this work., Grant/research support from: Receives research support from Bristol Myers Squibb.

POS0661 MAJOR COST SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BIOLOGIC DOSE REDUCTION IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS

Background

Anti-TNF drugs have dramatically improved the management of inflammatory arthritis (IA).

Although the introduction of biosimilars have reduced the cost, chronic use of biologic agents

has a high impact on healthcare expenditure. This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of a

dose reduction strategy for the most commonly used anti- TNF drugs over a period of 10 years

in patients with IA in remission.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to explore whether patients with Inflammatory Arthritis (IA) (Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) or Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) would remain in remission after 10 year period, following a reduction in biologic dosing frequency and to calculate the cost savings associated with dose reduction.

Methods

This prospective, non-blinded, non-randomised study was commenced in 2010. Patients

with IA, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA),ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)

who were in remission as defined by disease activity indices (DAS28<2.6, BASDAI<4), and

were offered Anti TNF dose reduction. Patients on etanercept were reduced from 50mg

weekly to fortnightly, adalimumab 40mg once monthly instead of fortnightly. Patients were

assessed for disease activity at 1, 4 and 10 years following reduction in dosing

frequency.Cost saving was calculated by deducting the total annual cost of the biologic

agent used over 10 years compared with the cost if the dosing interval had not changed.

Results

Seventy nine patients with inflammatory arthritis in remission were recruited. 57% had rheumatoid arthritis (n=45), 13% psoriatic arthritis (n=10) and 30% ankylosing spondylitis (n=24). 57% (n=45) were taking etanercept and 43% (n=34) adalimumab. The percentage of patients who maintained dose reduction at 10 years was 9% (n=7). Of the total 48 patients who were successfully dose reduced at year 1 (n=42), (69%, n=29) were able to maintain the dose reduction up to 4 years and 9% (n=7) maintained this dose reduction up to year 10. The estimated cost saving was €4,928 per patient per year. Estimated cost savings for 7 patients on reduced dose was €344,952.88 over 10 years.

Conclusion

Anti TNF dose reduction strategy in patients with IA results in substantial cost savings. Implementation of a dose reduction strategy while monitoring of disease activity reduces the financial impact of the use of biologic therapies. Further studies should be done to identify which patients are more likely to remain in remission while on dose reduction.

References

[1]Bonafede MM, Gandra SR, Watson C, Princic N, Fox KM. Cost per treated patient for etanercept, adalimumab, and infliximab across adult indications: a claims analysis. Adv Ther. 2012 Mar;29(3):234-48. doi: 10.1007/s12325-012-0007-y. Epub 2012 Mar 9. PMID: 22411424.

[2]Joaquín Borrás-Blasco, Antonio Gracia-Pérez, J Dolores Rosique-Robles, MD Elvira Casterá & F Javier Abad (2014) Clinical and economic impact of the use of etanercept 25 mg once weekly in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthropathy and ankylosing spondylitis patients, Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy, 14:2, 145-150, DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2014.868433

[3]Carter CT, Changolkar AK, Scott McKenzie R. Adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab utilization patterns and drug costs among rheumatoid arthritis patients. J Med Econ. 2012;15(2):332-9. doi: 10.3111/13696998.2011.649325. Epub 2012 Jan 6. PMID: 22168788.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

POS0252 MYOFIBROBLASTS MAINTAIN Th1 and Tc1 POLARIZATIONS IN GIANT CELL ARTERITIS

Background

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large-vessel vasculitis mainly involving the aorta and cranial arteries. It is the most frequent vasculitis in adults over 50 years. When they are stimulated by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) contribute to GCA pathogenesis by producing chemokines triggering the recruitment of pro-inflammatory T cells and monocytes (1).

Objectives

Current knowledge about the interaction between resident cells of the vascular wall (VSMC, myofibroblasts [MF]) and immune cells is limited. The aim of our research was to better characterize the interactions between VSMC, MF and T cells in GCA.

Methods

Fresh fragments of temporal artery biopsies (TAB) performed at Dijon university hospital (France) were prospectively sent to our research unit. Fresh sections of positive and negative TAB were fixed and embedded in optimal cutting temperature OCT and stored at -80°C. Then, cryostat sections were fixed, permeabilized, blocked and incubated with primary antibodies (anti-alpha smooth muscle actin [α-SMA], anti-myosin heavy chain 11 [MHC11], anti-Desmin, anti CD90, anti-CD45, anti-HLA-DR, anti-phospho STAT1 [pSTAT1] and anti-pSTAT3) and secondary antibodies for confocal microscopy analyses. Fresh sections of healthy TAB were embedded in MATRIGEL and covered by DMEM to obtain vascular cells in culture. Cells were treated with trypsina-EDTA between each passage. Vascular cells were used after 4-7 doubling passages. Cells were analyzed by immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and RT-PCR and their proliferation was evaluated by impedancemetry (iCELLigence system). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and vascular cells thus obtained were co-cultured for 7 days in different conditions. Vascular cells were cultured in the presence or absence of IFN-γ and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble receptor of IL-6 for 72 hours. When cells reached confluence, they were cultured alone or with allogenic PBMC activated with anti-CD3/CD28 microbeads. After 7 days of culture, cells were separated with a treatment with EDTA and studied by flow cytometry.

Results

Confocal microscopy analyses of GCA arteries showed that neointima was mainly composed of myofibroblasts (MF) (α-SMA+Desmin+MHC11lowCD90+) in contact with CD45+ cells and that MF expressed HLA-DR, the phosphorylated form of STAT1 (pSTAT1) and in a lesser extent pSTAT3, strongly suggesting the activation of the IFN-γ signaling pathway rather than the IL-6 pathway. The phenotype of cultured vascular cells isolated from fresh TAB was consistent with MF. When MF were exposed to IFN-γ and TNF-α in vitro, their proliferation capacity decreased and their levels of expression of HLA-DR and CD86 increased (median fluorescence intensity [MFI] from 0 to 57 [p=0.03] and from 34 to 103 [p=0.03], respectively). In addition, co-cultures of MF and activated PBMC revealed that MF maintained the polarization of T cells into Th1 and Tc1 cells (p≤0.001) and to a lesser extent into Th17 and Tc17 cells (p=0.03). This effect was even more significant when MF were previously exposed to IFN-γ and TNF-α but not when they were exposed to IL-6.

Conclusion

Our results show that myofibroblasts are present in the neointima of GCA patients and that these MF activate signaling pathways indicative of IFN-γ exposure. Moreover, these MF, especially when exposed to IFN-γ, maintain the polarization of T cells into Th1 and Tc1 cells, which contributes to amplify the production of IFN-γ and thus initiate a pro-inflammatory amplification loop that likely participates in vascular inflammation and remodelling.

References

[1]Corbera-Bellalta M, Planas-Rigol E, Lozano E, Terrades-Garcia N, Alba MA, Prieto-Gonzalez S, et al. Blocking interferon gamma reduces expression of chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 and decreases macrophage infiltration in ex vivo cultured arteries from patients with giant cell arteritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2016;75:1177-86.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Patient Perspectives toward Undergoing Same-Day Discharge for Apical Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

To ensure patient satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals implemented changes to elective surgeries while upholding safety and quality of care. This includes a growing trend toward same-day discharge (SDD) following apical pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair surgery, which previously involved overnight hospitalization for some institutions. We assessed patient perspectives following SDD after transvaginal and minimally invasive apical POP repair during the pandemic.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of women who underwent apical POP surgery. Preoperatively, we assessed preference for SDD. A postoperative survey evaluated perceived safety, pain control and satisfaction using the "Core questionnaire for the assessment of Patient Satisfaction for general Day-care" and the "Patient Global Impression of Improvement." Postoperative complications were identified.

RESULTS

Of 36 recruited patients, 83.3% preferred SDD preoperatively. When rating the influence of COVID-19 on their preference (1-10, 10=high), 13 reported level 10 and 11 reported level 1 (mean 5.9±4.0). A total of 34 postoperative surveys were collected, 29 of which were SDD (85.3%); 89.7% of patients reported feeling safer with SDD, and 40% (2/5) of admitted patients would have preferred SDD. Pain control satisfaction for SDD was assessed on a Likert scale (1-10, 10=very satisfied), with a mean of 9.1 (±1.8); 82.8% of SDD patients rated their overall experience as "very satisfied" and consistently rated individual components highly.

CONCLUSIONS

During the pandemic, our patient population preferred SDD after an apical POP repair with a high success and satisfaction rate with minimal complications. In the absence of a pandemic, SDD should be considered to increase patient satisfaction.

Educational opportunities for postgraduate medical trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic: deriving value from old, new and emerging ways of learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on postgraduate medical training across all specialties. Although some traditional learning opportunities have been curtailed, there have been numerous examples of highly valuable educational experiences that have arisen during this time. Here, from a trainee perspective, we consider the educational merits of the re-emergence of 'firm-based' teams, new online learning opportunities, use of digital technologies and the rise of telephone clinics and new COVID-19 clinical services. As health services continue to recover from surges in COVID-19 cases, it is important to reflect on and recognise the value of these educational experiences so that helpful elements can be retained and embedded into training programmes for the benefit of both trainees and patients.

Intraoperative Ultrasound Guided Laparoscopic Spleen-Preserving Distal Pancreatectomy for Primitive Neuroendocrine Tumors in a Pediatric Patient with MEN-1

This case details the presentation and surgical management of a 15-year-old male patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 1 (MEN1) who required distal pancreatectomy for multiple nonfunctional pancreatic tumors. An intraoperative ultrasound was utilized to allow for proper location of the distal pancreatectomy, as well as visualization of the splenic vessel relationships and to ensure all lesions were contained within the specimen. Pathology demonstrated 5 well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors with no evidence of malignancy. This case utilized innovative technology and a multidisciplinary approach in a challenging case to achieve a safe minimally invasive resection. The use of ultrasound intraoperatively provided confidence that all lesions had been identified, as well as demonstration of safe planes separate from the nearby vasculature.

Do Women Have a Seat at the Table: Trends in Female Representation Among the Board of Directors in American Urological Association Subspecialty Societies

Introduction

Although women remain vastly underrepresented in urology, the proportion of female urology residents and practicing urologists has steadily increased over the last four decades. However, it remains critical to evaluate the representation of females in the pipeline when examining trainees and practicing urologists. As it pertains to leadership positions, the gender distribution among the board of directors (BOD) and committee chairs in the American Urological Association (AUA) subspecialties has not been studied to date. Therefore, we plan to analyze the proportion of females among the BOD and committee chairs in different subspecialty societies recognized by the AUA over time.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional observational study, quantitatively comparing the composition of gender in BOD and Committee Chair members belonging to different AUA-recognized subspecialty societies from 2014 to 2020. The websites for each subspecialty society were searched and contacted.

Results

We evaluated BODs from 10 AUA subspecialty societies and committee chair members from 6 AUA subspecialty societies. From 2014 to 2020, the total proportion of female BOD amongst all AUA sub-specialty societies did not change significantly, with a small increase from 10.6% (n = 29) to 13.5% (n = 36). However, female representation among committee chair members significantly increased from 9.8% (n = 20) to 19.2% (n = 44; p = 0.006), along with the total number of women in urology, from 897 (8.9%) to 1,375 (10.3%). Increases in female representation were seen in the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction (SSMR) from 0% to 9% and in the Indian American Urological Association (IAUA) from 4% to 13%. Of note, there were no elected female board members in the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) or the Urologic Society for Transplantation and Renal Surgery (USTRS) from 2014 to 2020.

Conclusion

Females remain a minority in leadership positions at AUA sub-specialty societies despite increased female representation in recent years. Future efforts should promote the advancement of women to positions of leadership to reflect the changing landscape of the urology workforce and surgical specialties.

Breast arterial calcifications on mammography: a new marker of cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic middle age women?

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether breast arterial calcification (BAC) detected on mammography can predict the presence of coronary artery calcification (CAC) on CT in women.

METHODS

Women explored with both mammography and thoracic CT from 2009 to 2018 were retrospectively included. Women were separated in 3 categories (no BAC, few BAC, and marked BAC) using a specific 12-point scale. Similar scale was used to evaluate the amount of CAC on CT. The mean sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of BAC for the detection of CAC were calculated. Statistical significance was assessed with Pearson's chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test as appropriate.

RESULTS

A total of 507 women (mean age: 62 years ± 16) were included. Patients with high amount of BAC were older (72 ± 11 vs. 59 ± 15 years old; p < .0001), were more frequently hypertensive (66% vs. 31%; p < .0001), and had more frequently renal failure (21% vs. 6%; p < .0003) than patients without BAC. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy of BAC for the detection of women with marked CAC were 53.1%, 87.6%, 55.0%, 86.7%, and 79.9%, respectively. The highest diagnostic accuracy was obtained in patients under 60 years: 84.2% for detection of CAC and 93.2% for detection of women with marked CAC.

CONCLUSION

The presence of BAC on mammography was linked to the presence of CAC and may be used as a cardiovascular marker in patient less than 60 years.

KEY POINTS

• The diagnostic accuracy of breast arterial calcification (BAC) to detect the presence of coronary artery calcification (CAC) was 70.4% and reached to 79.9% to detect women with high amount of CAC. • Highest diagnostic accuracy of BAC to detect CAC (93.2%) was noticed in women under 60 years. • The presence of BAC on mammography may be used as a cardiovascular risk marker in women, especially under 60 years.

Monitoring prolongation of QT interval in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterium using mobile health device AliveCor

Multidrug resistant tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterium infections present challenges due to complex treatment regimens. Extended treatment regimes expose patients to higher risks of toxic side-effects. A high drug toxicity profile necessitates closer monitoring. One of the more challenging issues is QTc prolongation with non-injectable regimens. This study investigates the portable AliveCor device to record and measure the QTc on a 6-lead ECG. An automated QTc readout from 12-Lead ECG for each patient (n = 13) and mean QTc value calculated from each patients' respective AliveCor tracing were compared. The general trend suggests AliveCor underestimates QTc - 92% cases calculated the AliveCor QTc as lower than their corresponding 12-Lead QTc readout. The use of AliveCor could potentially be translated into current clinical practice with caution of percentage variation either side. This could facilitate the use of AliveCor as a promising and convenient screening tool before further evaluation by a 12-Lead ECG is required.

Radiative Capture on Nuclear Isomers: Direct Measurement of the ^{26m}Al(p,γ)^{27}Si Reaction

We present the first direct measurement of an astrophysical reaction using a radioactive beam of isomeric nuclei. In particular, we have measured the strength of the key 447-keV resonance in the ^{26m}Al(p,γ)^{27}Si reaction to be 432_{-226}^{+146}  meV and find that this resonance dominates the thermally averaged reaction rate for temperatures between 0.3 and 2.5 GK. This work represents a critical development in resolving one of the longest standing issues in nuclear astrophysics research, relating to the measurement of proton capture reactions on excited quantum levels, and offers unique insight into the destruction of isomeric ^{26}Al in astrophysical plasmas.

Low concentration Phloxine B staining for high chemical contrast, nonlinear microscope mosaic imaging of skin alterations in pseudoxanthoma elasticum

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder characterized by ectopic mineralization of soft connective tissue. Histopathology findings include fragmented, mineralized elastic fibers and calcium deposits in the mid-dermis. Nonlinear microscopy (NLM) can be used for visualization of these histopathological alterations of the mid-dermis in PXE-affected skin sections. Upon introducing a normalized 3D color vector representation of emission spectra of three of the main tissue components (collagen, elastin and calcification) we found that due to their broad, overlapping emission spectra, spectral separation of emission from elastin and calcification is practically impossible in fresh-frozen or unstained, deparaffinized PXE sections. However, we found that the application of a low concentration Phloxine B staining after the deparaffinization process creates an imaging contrast for these two tissue components, which enables spectral decomposition of their fluorescence images. The obtained concentration maps for calcium deposits can be well suited for the determination of illness severity by quantitative analysis.

Safety and efficacy of low-dose PI3K inhibitor taselisib in adult patients with CLOVES and Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS): the TOTEM trial, a phase 1/2 multicenter, open-label, single-arm study

PURPOSE

PIK3CA pathogenic variants in the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS) activate phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling, providing a rationale for targeted therapy, but no drug has proven efficacy and safety in this population. Our aim was to establish the six-month tolerability and efficacy of low-dose taselisib, a selective class I PI3K inhibitor, in PROS patients.

METHODS

Patients over 16 years with PROS and PIK3CA pathogenic variants were included in a phase IB/IIA multicenter, open-label single-arm trial (six patients at 1 mg/day of taselisib, then 24 at 2 mg/day). The primary outcome was the occurrence of dose limiting toxicity (DLT). Efficacy outcomes were the relative changes after treatment of (1) tissue volume at affected and unaffected sites, both clinically and on imaging; (2) cutaneous vascular outcomes when relevant; (3) biologic parameters; (4) quality of life; and (5) patient-reported outcomes.

RESULTS

Among 19 enrolled patients, 2 experienced a DLT (enteritis and pachymeningitis) leading to early trial termination (17 treated, 10 completed the study). No serious adverse reaction occurred in the 1 mg cohort (n = 6). No significant reduction in affected tissue volume was observed (mean -4.2%; p = 0.81; SD 14.01). Thirteen (76.4%) participants reported clinical improvement (pain reduction, chronic bleeding resolution, functional improvement).

CONCLUSION

Despite functional improvement, the safety profile of low-dose taselisib precludes its long-term use.

EP.FRI.997 Recognising frailty: the scale of the problem

Aim

To assess compliance with frailty scoring in acute surgical admissions.

Method

Data including age, admitting speciality, whether the frailty score was completed and the recorded score if completed, were collected for all admissions to an acute surgical unit over a 7 day period in November 2019.

Results

The average age of the 139 patients was 56.25 years (range 16-89). Frailty scoring was completed in 53 patients (38.1%); 8 patients (15%) met the criteria for frailty. Sixty-four patients (46%) were aged over 65 years, 26 (40.6%) had the score completed and 7 (27%) met the frailty criteria. Of 36 patients (26%) aged 75 or over, 16 (44.4%) were scored and 6 (37.5%) met the frailty criteria. Scoring was most frequently completed in patients admitted under the Vascular Surgery team (52.9% compliance) with a mean score 3.8.

Conclusion

Worsening frailty is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in acute surgical admissions. The 7-point Clinical Frailty Scale has been added our acute surgical admission document and should be completed for every patient. Our compliance with scoring is a long way from our recommended 100%, with compliance with assessing frailty across age groups similar, despite the increased rates of frailty seen in older age groups. Poor compliance with frailty assessment may hamper future progress with the management of the frail, older surgical patient. We are planning documentation changes, staff education sessions and to appoint frailty ‘champions’ with a repeat audit of compliance to assess the effects of these changes.

Association between mean arterial pressure and neurological outcome in survivors of a cardiac arrest undergoing targeted temperature management

Background

Besides targeted temperature management (TTM), no other therapeutic strategy has shown to improve neurological outcome in cardiac arrest patients. Recently, it has been suggested that higher levels of mean arterial blood pressure (&gt;90 mmHg) may have a protective neurological effect in this population, yet data is scarce.

Objective

To describe the association between neurological outcomes and MAP during TTM.

Methods

Retrospective study of a prospective database including survivors of a cardiac arrest undergoing TTM and admitted to the acute cardiac care of a tertiary university hospital from September 2007 to July 2020. MAP was recorded from arrival and hourly during TTM. Neurological outcome was graded 3 months after initial event using the Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) scale and patients were divided classified as follows: Group A patients with CPC of 1 to 2 (good neurological outcome), and group B, with CPC 3 to 5 (poor neurological outcome or death). As CPC 5 comprises patients who have died but whose cause of death may not be related to their neurological condition, we sort to control this potential source of bias, by including a variable of “severe neurological injury”, which includes patients with CPC 3–4 and those CPC 5 who died due to WLST due to poor neurological prognosis/brain death.

Results

A total pf 431 patients were analysed. Baseline and cardiac arrest characteristics are depicted in Table 1. Patients in group B had a higher proportion of non-witnessed cardiac arrest, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, non-shockable rhythm, and longer time before ROSC. The relation between MAP and neurological outcome is shown in Table 2. The were no differences of MAP in day 1 and 3 between groups. MAP was statistically higher in Group A during day 2 or rewarming phase. Mean MAP during day 1 and 2; and during day 1, 2 and 3 was also significantly higher in group A. However, when same analysis was performed under the variable “severe neurological injury” no statistically significant differences were observed.

Conclusion

There is no association between MAP and neurological outcomes, when true “severe neurological injury” is analysed. Therefore, and until further data is obtained, following actual practical guidelines or avoiding hypotension seems to be the goal in this population, as higher MAP may also have deleterious effects.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public hospital(s). Main funding source(s): University Hospital La Paz