Gravity steam reprocessing in healthcare facilities for the reuse of N95 respirators

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly impacted the health of millions of people around the world. The shortage of personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, in hospital facilities has put frontline healthcare professionals at high risk for contracting this virus.

AIM

To develop a reproducible and safe N95 respirator reprocessing method that satisfies all presented regulatory standards and that can be directly implemented by hospitals using existing available equipment.

METHODS

A non-toxic gravity steam reprocessing method has been developed for the reuse of N95 respirators consisting of 30 min of steam treatment at 121°C followed by 30 min of heat drying. Samples of model number 1860, 1860s, 1870+, and 9105 N95 respirators were either collected from hospitals (for microbiology testing) or purchased new (for functionality testing), with all functionality tests (i.e. filter efficiency, fit evaluation, and strap integrity) performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention using standard procedures established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

FINDINGS

All tested models passed the minimum filter efficiency of 95% after three cycles of gravity steam reprocessing. The 1870+ N95 respirator model is the most promising model for reprocessing based on its efficient bacterial inactivation coupled with the maintenance of all other key functional respirator properties after multiple reprocessing steps.

CONCLUSIONS

The gravity steam method can effectively reprocess N95 respirators over at least three reprocessing cycles without negatively impacting the functionality requirements set out by regulators. Enabling the reuse of N95 respirators is a crucial tool for managing both the current pandemic and future healthcare crises.

Olfactory and taste dysfunction in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: its prevalence and outcomes

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the occurrence, clinical course and outcomes of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in patients with laboratory confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 infection.

METHODS

This is a prospective cross-sectional study of patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 infection by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction over two months. The epidemiological and clinical outcomes studied were: age, sex, general symptoms, and olfactory and taste dysfunction.

RESULTS

A total of 410 coronavirus disease 2019 infected patients were included in the study, with 262 males (63.9 per cent) and 148 females (36.1 per cent). Ninety-nine patients (24.1 per cent) reported chemosensory dysfunction, of which 85 patients (20.7 per cent) reported both olfactory and taste dysfunction. Olfactory and taste dysfunction were proportionally more common in females. The mean duration of olfactory and taste dysfunction was 4.9 days, with a range of 2-15 days.

CONCLUSION

Olfactory and taste dysfunction are prevalent symptoms in coronavirus disease 2019 patients. In this study, they were more common in females than males. The occurrence of such dysfunctions is lower in the Indian population than in the European population.

Predictors of intra-procedural stent thrombosis (IPST) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI): a pooled data analysis

Background

Among all PCI related intraprocedural thrombotic events, IPST is rare but associated with worst outcomes.

Purpose

We conducted this study to identify specific patient and procedural characteristics that are associated with higher incidence of IPST.

Methods

Data on patient and procedural characteristics from all the studies comparing IPST without IPST was pooled for the purpose of analysis.

Results

5 studies with a total of 21251 patients were included. IPST occurred in 170 patients (0.8%). History of a prior PCI (assumed to be on dual or single anti-platelet agent)was associated with decrease in IPST. IPST occurred more in smokers, patients with abnormal cardiac enzymes at presentation, presentation with STEMI. Incidence of IPST was significantly higher in interventions involving left main artery or bifurcation or with bare metal stent placement. A low pre-TIMI flow of 0 or 1, baseline thrombus, not using upstream GpIIb inhibitors also significantly increased incidence of IPST.

Conclusion

Further studies are needed to validate above described patient and procedural risk factors. Using upstream GpIIb inhibitors in this specific high-risk population may help in prevention.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Impact of intraprocedural stent thrombosis on outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis

Background

Intraprocedural stent thrombosis (IPST), defined as the development of occlusive or nonocclusive new thrombus in or adjacent to a recently implanted stent before completion of PCI. IPST even though a rare entity, yet is associated with worse prognosis amongst all intraprocedural thrombotic events.

Purpose

Data regarding the impact of IPST is scarce and needs further investigation.

Methods

We performed literature search of all published full-length articles that studied and compared data on patients with IPST and with no IPST during PCI. We calculated odds ratios via the random effects model for 30 day and 1 year outcomes.

Results

Our literature search yielded 3 studies (1 retrospective, 2 observational post-hoc analysis) relevant to the meta-analysis. Total 19272 patients were included. IPST occurred in 159 patients (0.8%). At 30 days, IPST was associated with statistically significant higher all-cause mortality (OR 10.79, 95% CI [6.31, 18.45] p<0.00001), MI (OR 4.82, 95% CI [2.39, 9.73] p<0.0001), target vessel revascularization (TVR) (OR 6.70, 95% CI [3.38, 13.29] p<0.00001), definite stent thrombosis (OR 10.44, 95% CI [5.87, 18.58] p<0.00001), definite or probable stent thrombosis (OR 9.28), 95% CI [5.54, 15.56] p<0.00001) and death or MI or TVR (OR 7.20], 95% CI [4.10, 12.64] p<0.00001), than those without IPST. At one year, results remained statistically significant for higher mortality (OR 4.27, 95% CI [1.92, 9.49] p=0.0004) and death or MI or TVR (OR 2.91, 95% CI [1.58, 5.36] p=0.0006) in patients with IPST.

Conclusions

IPST even though is a rare occurrence, is associated with more adverse ischemic events, including higher mortality at 30 days and 1 year.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Yoga could reduce the burden and symptoms of atrial fibrillation as well as medication related side effects and the complications with cardiac ablation

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia that affects around three million people worldwide. Thromboembolic stroke, myocardial ischemia and congestive heart failure with significant financial burden are bad outcomes of AF. It is associated with significant morbidity and is also an independent risk factor for mortality. The treatment of AF and its associated complications increases healthcare resource utilization and contributes to increasing costs of healthcare, particularly costs associated with recurrent hospitalization.

Methods

538 patients of atrial fibrillation are enrolled in our multicentric study from 2012 to 2017 that brought to light the therapeutic impact a noninvasive, medication-free intervention has on a costly disease.The unique approach of this study involved patients serving as their own controls; for the first 12 weeks, patients continued standard AF medical or catheter ablation therapy, followed by 16 weeks of 30-min alternate day yoga sessions (Savasana / Sun Salution Yoga Posture, Ujjayi Breath and Anulom –Vilom Pranayam). Patients were also encouraged to practice yoga at home on a daily basis.We divided into two group Yoga and Non Yoga and compared the data after 16 weeks of training.

Results

Yoga training reduced symptomatic AF episodes (14.8±4 vs. 8.2±3.2, p<0.005), symptomatic non-AF episodes (12.8±2.8 vs. 9.2±2.2; p<0.004), asymptomatic AF episodes (2.4±0.4 vs. 1.3±0.20; p<0.005), and depression and anxiety (p<0.005) used Goldberg anxiety score 2.5 fold improved as compared to non yoga group while improving, QoL parameters including physical functioning, vitality, social functioning, and mental health as assessed using the SF-36 (p=0.017, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.019, and p<0.003, respectively). There were significant decreases in heart rate and systolic (11±3 mmhg) and diastolic (6±2 mmhg) blood pressure after yoga training (p<0.002). This may directly result in decreased hospitalization (38% in yoga vs 16% in non yoga group) and healthcare costs reduction in yoga group. Yoga is also an intervention free from medication-related side effects or the complications observed with cardiac ablation.

Conclusions

The primary outcome was a composite of the reductions in symptomatic AF, symptomatic non-AF, and asymptomatic AF episodes as recorded by a diary and correlated with a non-looping event monitor with low cost. Strikingly, the results validate the ability of yoga practice to reduce patient-reported AF symptoms. It also demonstrated a statistically significant impact on quality of life (QoL), mental health, physical functioning, depression, and anxiety with avoid of side effects of medication or ablation.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Exploring a New Management Option for Patients With Refractory Ascites: The PeriLeve Device

Cirrhosis of the liver is often accompanied by refractory ascites, a condition characterized by fluid buildup in the peritoneal cavity that does not respond to diuretics or recurs shortly after therapeutic paracentesis. There are several management strategies in practice including large-volume paracentesis, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts, peritoneovenous shunting, and liver transplant. However, each of these options come with limitations such as high cost, poor efficacy, and increased risk of complications. This article explores a new management strategy with a novel biopowered shunt, the PeriLeve device, that moves fluid from the peritoneal cavity to the urinary bladder using natural changes in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). By doing so, PeriLeve shifts the current paradigm of care from the hospital to the home which reduces costs to healthcare providers and patients while improving quality of life. The basic design of the pump consists of two check (i.e., one-way) valves on either side of a fluid filled cavity which is separated from an air cavity by an elastomeric membrane. This article presents benchtop testing results of a prototype PeriLeve pump. The performance of the pump was analyzed along six parameters: change in intra-abdominal pressure, valve opening pressure, membrane thickness, membrane stiffness, membrane surface area, and air cavity volume. Initial results indicate that, with future optimizations, the pump can ultimately move a clinically significant volume of fluid.

A 10-year review of surgical management of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

BACKGROUND

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare skin cancer. Standard treatment in the UK is either wide local excision (WLE) or Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). It is unclear which approach has the lower recurrence rate.

OBJECTIVES

We undertook a retrospective comparative review of surgical management of DFSP in the UK National Health Service in order to define (i) current surgical practice for primary and recurrent DFSP, (ii) local recurrence rates for primary DFSP and (iii) survival outcomes for DFSP.

METHODS

A retrospective clinical case-note review of patients with histologically confirmed DFSP (January 2004 to December 2013) who have undergone surgical treatment.

RESULTS

The surgical management of 483 primary and 64 recurrent DFSP in 11 plastic surgery and 15 dermatology departments was analysed. Almost 75% of primary DFSP (n = 362) were treated with WLE and 20% (n = 97) with MMS. For recurrent DFSP, 69% (n = 44) and 23% (n = 15) of patients underwent WLE and MMS, respectively. Recurrent primary DFSP occurred in six patients after WLE and none after MMS. The median follow-up time was 25·5 months (interquartile range 6·8-45·1) for new and 19·8 (IQR 4·5-44·5) for recurrent DFSP [Correction added on 1 Feb 2021, after first online publication: 4.8 years (interquartile range 3.5-5.8) was incorrect], with eight reported deaths during the follow-up analysis period (one confirmed to be DFSP related).

CONCLUSIONS

WLE was the most common surgical modality used to treat DFSP across the UK. The local recurrence rate was very low, occurring only after WLE. Although a prospective randomized controlled trial may provide more definitive outcomes, in the absence of a clearly superior surgical modality, treatment decisions should be based on patient preference, clinical expertise and cost.

The Early Impact of COVID-19 on Urological Service Provision

Aim COVID-19 has posed an unprecedented challenge to healthcare systems. We aimed to observe the impact on urological care delivery in an Irish university hospital. Methods Data on urological activity was prospectively collected for 3 months from March 2020. A retrospective review of the same period in 2019 was performed for control data. Results Over the 2020 study period, 356 urological admissions were recorded; a 23.1% decrease from the 2019 corresponding period(n=463). A 21.7% decrease in flexible cystoscopies was seen (162 versus 207). 125 theatre cases (36 off-site) were performed in the 2020 period, versus 151 in 2019. Emergency case load remained stable, with 69 cases in the 2020 period. The percentage of trainee-performed cases was preserved. COVID-era outpatient activity increased, to involve 559 clinic consultations compared to 439 the preceding year; a reflection of annual growth in service demand and facilitated by virtual clinic application (n=403). There were 490 instances of patients cancelling/failing to attend outpatient appointments, compared to 335 in 2019. Conclusion The Irish COVID-19 outbreak has created obstacles for urological care. Nonetheless, urgent/emergent urological cases persist. Our unit has managed this to-date with flexible adaptation of service delivery. The global challenge posed by COVID-19 will demand ongoing resourcefulness to minimise impact on patients with time-sensitive urological conditions.

Impacts of extreme summers on European ecosystems: a comparative analysis of 2003, 2010 and 2018

In Europe, three widespread extreme summer drought and heat (DH) events have occurred in 2003, 2010 and 2018. These events were comparable in magnitude but varied in their geographical distribution and biomes affected. In this study, we perform a comparative analysis of the impact of the DH events on ecosystem CO₂ fluxes over Europe based on an ensemble of 11 dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs), and the observation-based FLUXCOM product. We find that all DH events were associated with decreases in net ecosystem productivity (NEP), but the gross summer flux anomalies differ between DGVMs and FLUXCOM. At the annual scale, FLUXCOM and DGVMs indicate close to neutral or above-average land CO₂ uptake in DH2003 and DH2018, due to increased productivity in spring and reduced respiration in autumn and winter compensating for less photosynthetic uptake in summer. Most DGVMs estimate lower gross primary production (GPP) sensitivity to soil moisture during extreme summers than FLUXCOM. Finally, we show that the different impacts of the DH events at continental-scale GPP are in part related to differences in vegetation composition of the regions affected and to regional compensating or offsetting effects from climate anomalies beyond the DH centres. This article is part of the theme issue 'Impacts of the 2018 severe drought and heatwave in Europe: from site to continental scale'.

Intake of Ultra-processed Foods Among Adolescents From Low- and Middle-Income Families in Delhi

OBJECTIVE

To assess the contribution of ultra-processed foods to the macronutrient intake of adolescents from low- and middle-income families in Delhi.

METHOD

Adolescents (n=1030) aged 12-16 years from four private and four government schools of Delhi were interviewed using 24-hour recall (repeated on three days), and a food frequency questionnaire.

RESULTS

The mean energy intake from ultra-processed foods was 371 kcal (16.2%) of the total energy intake. The mean intake of macronutrients from ultra-processed foods was 7.1 g (16.3%) fat, 78.9 g (18.6%) carbohydrate and 4.8 g (10.9%) protein. Children from middle-income families consumed significantly higher (P<0.05) amounts of macronutrients coming from ultra-processed foods, as compared to those from low-income families.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents reported regular consumption of variety of ultra-processed foods, and measures to reduce this consumption and encouraging healthy food choices are urgently needed.

Spatially controlled nano-structuring of silicon with femtosecond vortex pulses

Engineering material properties is key for development of smart materials and next generation nanodevices. This requires nanoscale spatial precision and control to fabricate structures/defects. Lithographic techniques are widely used for nanostructuring in which a geometric pattern on a mask is transferred to a resist by photons or charged particles and subsequently engraved on the substrate. However, direct mask-less fabrication has only been possible with electron and ion beams. That is because light has an inherent disadvantage; the diffraction limit makes it difficult to interact with matter on dimensions smaller than the wavelength of light. Here we demonstrate spatially controlled formation of nanocones on a silicon surface with a positional precision of 50 nm using femtosecond laser ablation comprising a superposition of optical vector vortex and Gaussian beams. Such control and precision opens new opportunities for nano-printing of materials using techniques such as laser-induced forward transfer and in general broadens the scope of laser processing of materials.

SAT0230 MACROPHAGE ACTIVATION SYNDROME IN SLE AND SYSTEMIC ONSET JIA: SIMILAR OR DISSIMILAR

Background:

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a serious complication in rheumatic disease. Fever and hyperferritinemia are common in systemic onset JIA and cytopenias are common in SLE thus recognising MAS in them is a challenge.

Objectives:

We compared clinical, laboratory parameters, various classification criteria for MAS, and its outcome in SLE and sJIA.

Methods:

Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from clinician diagnosed cases of MAS with SLE/sJIA who were admitted between 2004-2018 at a tertiary care hospital. Percentage of patients satisfying Ravelli, International consensus, HLH 2004 and criteria proposed by Parodi et al1were calculated.

Results:

Among 33 patients (18 females) with MAS 19 had SLE and 14 had sJIA. MAS was more likely to be the presenting manifestation of disease in SLE as compared to sJIA (p<0.05). There were no differences in the clinical features among these two diseases. EBV and CMV were identified in 2 patients each as the trigger for MAS.

Patients with SLE had lower baseline TLC and platelet whereas patients with sJIA-MAS had significantly higher median CRP (p = 0.002), fall in TLC (p=0.012) and delta ESR/CRP ratio (p=0.02) and lower fibrinogen level (p=0.006). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, Ferritin/CRP ratio and number of patients with Ferritin/ESR >80 were similar. Bone Marrow hemophagocytosis was seen in only in 21% of patients.

Only 6/33 fulfilled HLH criteria but criteria meant for sJIA or SLE performed well for both diseases and majority of patients could be diagnosed using them. Treatment included steroids(100%), cyclosporine(30%), Tacrolimus(21%), cyclophosphamide(21%), etoposide(3%) and thalidomide(12%). Mortality was similar in both groups.

Table 1.

Agreement amongst MAS/HLH criteria in SLE and sJIA MAS

SLE-MASHLHRavelli et alConsensusParodi et alHLH4444Ravelli et al4191918Consensus4191918Parodi et al4181818sJIA-MASHLHRavelli et alConsensusParodi et alHLH2222Ravelli et al2121112Consensus2111212Parodi et al2121214Table 2.

Comparison with various other cohorts

Minoia et alsJIAn (%)Our studysJIA, n (%)Our Study SLE, n (%)SLE, n (%) Ai-Chun Liu et alJuvenile SLE n (%)Parodi et alNumber36214193238MAS as presenting feature (%)80 (22)4 (28)12 (63)NA24 (63)Most common manifestation (%)Fever (96)Fever (100)Fever (89)Fever (96)Fever (89)Most common triggerDisease activityDisease activityDisease activityDisease activityDisease activityBM done251 (72.3)8 (57)12 (63)32 (96)38 (100)BM hemophagocytosis150 (60.7)2 (25)5 (41)32 (100)20 (52)Mortality28 (8)2 (14)2 (10.5)4 (12.5)4 (11.4)Patients meeting JIA criteria %NA-100NA100Patients meeting HLH criteria %NA1419NA66

Conclusion:

MAS is more likely to be presenting manifestation in SLE compared to sJIA. Though lab parameters are significantly different in MAS associated with SLE & sJIA, criteria meant for MAS in sJIA or SLE MAS performed equally well in both diseases.

References:

[1]Parodi A et al, Macrophage activation syndrome in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus: a multinational multicenter study of thirty-eight patients. Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Nov;60(11):3388-99.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared