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Zoghbi M, Moussa MJ, Dagher J, Haroun E, Qdaisat A, Singer ED, Karam YE, Yeung SCJ, Chaftari P. Brain Metastasis in the Emergency Department: Epidemiology, Presentation, Investigations, and Management. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2583. [PMID: 39061222 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16142583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases (BMs) are the most prevalent type of cerebral tumor, significantly affecting survival. In adults, lung cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma are the primary cancers associated with BMs. Symptoms often result from brain compression, and patients may present to the emergency department (ED) with life-threatening conditions. The goal of treatment of BMs is to maximize survival and quality of life by choosing the least toxic therapy. Surgical resection followed by cavity radiation or definitive stereotactic radiosurgery remains the standard approach, depending on the patient's condition. Conversely, whole brain radiation therapy is becoming more limited to cases with multiple inoperable BMs and is less frequently used for postoperative control. BMs often signal advanced systemic disease, and patients usually present to the ED with poorly controlled symptoms, justifying hospitalization. Over half of patients with BMs in the ED are admitted, making effective ED-based management a challenge. This article reviews the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and current treatment options of patients with BMs. Additionally, it provides an overview of ED management and highlights the challenges faced in this setting. An improved understanding of the reasons for potentially avoidable hospitalizations in cancer patients with BMs is needed and could help emergency physicians distinguish patients who can be safely discharged from those who require observation or hospitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Zoghbi
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mohammad Jad Moussa
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jim Dagher
- Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut 1100, Lebanon
| | - Elio Haroun
- Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut 1100, Lebanon
| | - Aiham Qdaisat
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Emad D Singer
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yara E Karam
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sai-Ching J Yeung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Patrick Chaftari
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Sidey-Gibbons CC, Brown G, Lu SC, Elrick A, Tang Y, Kaufman M, Williams M, Xu C, Harrison C, Swisher C. Introduction and validation of the open symptom framework: a public domain modular framework for patient-reported measurement of symptoms related to cancer and its treatment. Qual Life Res 2024:10.1007/s11136-024-03656-6. [PMID: 39023734 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-024-03656-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE We provide an initial description and validation of some public domain patient-reported outcome (PRO) items to assess cancer symptom burden to address immediate barriers to symptom assessment use in clinical practice and facilitate future research. METHODS We created the Open Symptom Framework (OSF), a flexible tool for clinical cancer-related symptom assessment. The items comprise six components: recall period, concept, symptom, qualifier(s), a definition, and a 5-point Likert-type response. We recruited patients receiving cancer therapy in the United States and United Kingdom. We assessed external construct validity by comparing OSF scores to the PRO-CTCAE measure and assessed reliability, scalability, dimensionality, and item ordering within a non-parametric item response theory framework. We tested differential item functioning for country, age, gender, and level of education. RESULTS We developed a framework alongside clinical and psychometric experts and debrieifed with 10 patients. For validation, we recruited 331patients. All items correlated with the PRO-CTCAE equivalents (r = 0.55-0.96, all p < 0.01). Mokken analysis confirmed the scalability and unidimensionality of all symptom scales with multiple items at the scale (Ho = 0.61-0.75) and item level (Hi = 0.60-0.76). Items are interpreted consistently between demographic groups (Crit = 0 for all groups). CONCLUSION The public domain OSF has excellent psychometric properties including face, content, and criterion validity and can facilitate the development of flexible, robust measurements to fulfil stakeholder need. The OSF was designed specifically to support clinical assessment but will function well for research. Further work is planned to increase the number of symptoms and number of questions per symptom within the framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Chris Sidey-Gibbons
- Section of Patient Centered Analytics, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 6565, MD Anderson Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - G Brown
- The Ronin Project Inc., San Mateo, CA, USA
| | - S C Lu
- Section of Patient Centered Analytics, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 6565, MD Anderson Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A Elrick
- The Ronin Project Inc., San Mateo, CA, USA
| | - Y Tang
- The Ronin Project Inc., San Mateo, CA, USA
| | - M Kaufman
- The Ronin Project Inc., San Mateo, CA, USA
| | - M Williams
- The Ronin Project Inc., San Mateo, CA, USA
| | - C Xu
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - C Harrison
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford, UK
| | - C Swisher
- The Ronin Project Inc., San Mateo, CA, USA
- Ellison Institute of Transformative Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Lee SY, Ro YS, Shin SD, Kim SJ, Jung E. Epidemiology of Non-Emergent Cancer-Related Emergency Department Visits in Korea between 2016 and 2020. Yonsei Med J 2024; 65:418-426. [PMID: 38910305 PMCID: PMC11199182 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2023.0338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE As people living with cancer increase in the aging society, cancer-related emergency department (ED) visits are also increasing. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiologic characteristics of non-emergent cancer-related ED visits using a nationwide ED database. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted using the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) database. All cancer-related ED visits between 2016 and 2020 were included. The study outcome was non-emergent ED visits, defined as patients triaged into non-emergent condition at both the time of arrival at ED and discharge from ED and were discharged without hospitalization. RESULTS Among 1185871 cancer-related ED visits over 5 years, 19.0% (n=225491) were classified as non-emergent visits. While abdominal pain and fever are the top chief complaints in both emergent and non-emergent visits, non-emergent visits had high proportions of abdomen distension (4.8%), ascite (2.4%), and pain in lower limb (2.0%) compared with emergent visits. The cancer types with a high proportion of non-emergent visits were thyroid (32.4%) and prostate cancer (30.4%). Adults compared with children or older adults, female, medical aid insurance, urban/rural ED, direct-in compared with transfer-in, and weekend visit were associated with high odds for non-emergent visits. CONCLUSION Approximately 20% of cancer-related ED visits may be potentially non-emergent. A significant number of non-emergent patients visited the ED due to cancer-related symptoms. To improve the quality of care for people living with cancer, the expansion of supportive care resources besides of ED, including active symptom control, is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Young Lee
- Public Healthcare Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Human Systems Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Sun Ro
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- National Emergency Medical Center, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Sang Do Shin
- Department of Human Systems Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seong Jung Kim
- National Emergency Medical Center, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Chosun University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Eujene Jung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea
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Baugh CW, Ouchi K, Bowman JK, Aizer AA, Zirulnik AW, Wadleigh M, Wise A, Remón Baranda P, Leiter RE, Molyneaux BJ, McCabe A, Hansrivijit P, Lally K, Littlefield M, Wagner AM, Walker KH, Salmasian H, Ravvaz K, Devlin JA, Brownell KL, Vitale MP, Firmin FC, Jain N, Thomas JD, Tulsky JA, Ray S, O’Mara LM, Rickerson EM, Mendu ML. A Hospice Transitions Program for Patients in the Emergency Department. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2420695. [PMID: 38976266 PMCID: PMC11231795 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.20695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Patients often visit the emergency department (ED) near the end of life. Their common disposition is inpatient hospital admission, which can result in a delayed transition to hospice care and, ultimately, an inpatient hospital death that may be misaligned with their goals of care. Objective To assess the association of hospice use with a novel multidisciplinary hospice program to rapidly identify and enroll eligible patients presenting to the ED near end of life. Design, Setting, and Participants This pre-post quality improvement study of a novel, multifaceted care transitions program involving a formalized pathway with email alerts, clinician training, hospice vendor expansion, metric creation, and data tracking was conducted at a large, urban tertiary care academic medical center affiliated with a comprehensive cancer center among adult patients presenting to the ED near the end of life. The control period before program launch was from September 1, 2018, to January 31, 2020, and the intervention period after program launch was from August 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022. Main Outcome and Measures The primary outcome was a transition to hospice without hospital admission and/or hospice admission within 96 hours of the ED visit. Secondary outcomes included length of stay and in-hospital mortality. Results This study included 270 patients (median age, 74.0 years [IQR, 62.0-85.0 years]; 133 of 270 women [49.3%]) in the control period, and 388 patients (median age, 73.0 years [IQR, 60.0-84.0 years]; 208 of 388 women [53.6%]) in the intervention period, identified as eligible for hospice transition within 96 hours of ED arrival. In the control period, 61 patients (22.6%) achieved the primary outcome compared with 210 patients (54.1%) in the intervention period (P < .001). The intervention was associated with the primary outcome after adjustment for age, race and ethnicity, primary payer, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and presence of a Medical Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) (adjusted odds ratio, 5.02; 95% CI, 3.17-7.94). In addition, the presence of a MOLST was independently associated with hospice transition across all groups (adjusted odds ratio, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.18-2.99). There was no significant difference between the control and intervention periods in inpatient length of stay (median, 2.0 days [IQR, 1.1-3.0 days] vs 1.9 days [IQR, 1.1-3.0 days]; P = .84), but in-hospital mortality was lower in the intervention period (48.5% [188 of 388] vs 64.4% [174 of 270]; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance In this quality improvement study, a multidisciplinary program to facilitate ED patient transitions was associated with hospice use. Further investigation is needed to examine the generalizability and sustainability of the program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W. Baugh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kei Ouchi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jason K. Bowman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ayal A. Aizer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Alexander W. Zirulnik
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Martha Wadleigh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Angela Wise
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Richard E. Leiter
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Andrea McCabe
- Mass General Brigham Home Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Panupong Hansrivijit
- Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kate Lally
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Melissa Littlefield
- Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Alexei M. Wagner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Hojjat Salmasian
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kourosh Ravvaz
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jada A. Devlin
- Mass General Brigham Home Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karen Lewis Brownell
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matthew P. Vitale
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Frantzie C. Firmin
- Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nelia Jain
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jane deLima Thomas
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - James A. Tulsky
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Soumi Ray
- Department of Analytics, Planning, Strategy and Improvement, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lynne M. O’Mara
- Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth M. Rickerson
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mallika L. Mendu
- Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Lingaratnam S, Shah M, Nicolazzo J, Michael M, Seymour JF, James P, Lazarakis S, Loi S, Kirkpatrick CMJ. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the impacts of germline pharmacogenomics on severe toxicity and symptom burden in adult patients with cancer. Clin Transl Sci 2024; 17:e13781. [PMID: 38700261 PMCID: PMC11067509 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The clinical application of Pharmacogenomics (PGx) has improved patient safety. However, comprehensive PGx testing has not been widely adopted in clinical practice, and significant opportunities exist to further optimize PGx in cancer care. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the safety outcomes of reported PGx-guided strategies (Analysis 1) and identify well-studied emerging pharmacogenomic variants that predict severe toxicity and symptom burden (Analysis 2) in patients with cancer. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, clinicaltrials.gov, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform from inception to January 2023 for clinical trials or comparative studies evaluating PGx strategies or unconfirmed pharmacogenomic variants. The primary outcomes were severe adverse events (SAE; ≥ grade 3) or symptom burden with pain and vomiting as defined by trial protocols and assessed by trial investigators. We calculated pooled overall relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) using random effects models. PROSPERO, registration number CRD42023421277. Of 6811 records screened, six studies were included for Analysis 1, 55 studies for Analysis 2. Meta-analysis 1 (five trials, 1892 participants) showed a lower absolute incidence of SAEs with PGx-guided strategies compared to usual therapy, 16.1% versus 34.0% (RR = 0.72, 95%CI 0.57-0.91, p = 0.006, I2 = 34%). Meta-analyses 2 identified nine medicine(class)-variant pairs of interest across the TYMS, ABCB1, UGT1A1, HLA-DRB1, and OPRM1 genes. Application of PGx significantly reduced rates of SAEs in patients with cancer. Emergent medicine-variant pairs herald further research into the expansion and optimization of PGx to improve systemic anti-cancer and supportive care medicine safety and efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senthil Lingaratnam
- Pharmacy DepartmentPeter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Mahek Shah
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Joseph Nicolazzo
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Michael Michael
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Medical OncologyPeter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - John F. Seymour
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Clinical HaematologyPeter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Paul James
- Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Smaro Lazarakis
- Health Sciences LibraryRoyal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Sherene Loi
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Division of Cancer ResearchPeter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Carl M. J. Kirkpatrick
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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Varga C, Springó Z, Koch M, Prenek L, Porcsa L, Bellyei S, Rumi L, Szabó É, Ungvari Z, Girán K, Kiss I, Pozsgai É. Predictive factors of basic palliative and hospice care among patients with cancer visiting the emergency department in a Hungarian tertiary care center. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29348. [PMID: 38628765 PMCID: PMC11019194 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Patients with advanced cancer tend to utilize the services of the health care system, particularly emergency departments (EDs), more often, however EDs aren't necessarily the most ideal environments for providing care to these patients. The objective of our study was to analyze the clinical and demographic characteristics of advanced patients with cancer receiving basic palliative care (BPC) or hospice care (HC), and to identify predictive factors of BPC and HC prior to their visit to the ED, in a large tertiary care center in Hungary. Methods A retrospective, detailed analysis of patients receiving only BPC or HC, out of 1512 patients with cancer visiting the ED in 2018, was carried out. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected via automated and manual chart review. Patients were followed up to determine length of survival. Descriptive and exploratory statistical analyses were performed. Results Hospital admission, multiple (≥4x) ED visits, and respiratory cancer were independent risk factors for receiving only BPC (OR: 3.10, CI: 1.90-5.04; OR: 2.97, CI: 1.50-5.84; OR: 1.82, CI: 1.03-3.22, respectively), or HC (OR: 2.15, CI: 1.26-3.67; OR: 4.94, CI: 2.51-9.71; OR: 2.07, CI: 1.10-3.91). Visiting the ED only once was found to be a negative predictive factor for BPC (OR: 0.28, CI: 0.18-0.45) and HC (OR: 0.18, 0.10-0.31) among patients with cancer visiting the ED. Conclusions Our study is the first from this European region to provide information regarding the characteristics of patients with cancer receiving BPC and HC who visited the ED, as well as to identify possible predictive factors of receiving BPC and HC. Our study may have relevant implications for health care planning strategies in practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Varga
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, 7400 Kaposvár, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Hungary
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1082 Budapest Üllői Street 78/A, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Springó
- Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, 7624 Pécs, Szigeti Street 12, Hungary
- International Training Program in Geroscience/Healthy Aging Program, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márton Koch
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, 7400 Kaposvár, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Hungary
| | - Lilla Prenek
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, 7400 Kaposvár, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Hungary
| | - Lili Porcsa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, 7400 Kaposvár, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Bellyei
- Department of Oncotherapy, University of Pécs Clinical Center, 7624 Pécs, Édesanyák Street 17, Hungary
| | - László Rumi
- Urology Clinic, Clinical Center, University of Pécs, 7621, Munkácsy Mihaly Street 2, Hungary
| | - Éva Szabó
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pécs Clinical Center, 7621 Pécs, Munkácsy M. Street 2., Hungary
| | - Zoltan Ungvari
- International Training Program in Geroscience/Healthy Aging Program, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, The Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Kyra Girán
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - István Kiss
- Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, 7624 Pécs, Szigeti Street 12, Hungary
| | - Éva Pozsgai
- Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, 7624 Pécs, Szigeti Street 12, Hungary
- Department of Primary Health Care, University of Pécs Medical School, 7623 Hungary Pécs, Rákóczi Street 2, Hungary
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Balasubramanian I, Malhotra C. Why is end-of-life inpatient cost high among cancer patients? A prospective cohort study. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e7057. [PMID: 38457240 PMCID: PMC10923043 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inpatient cost for cancer patients is high during the last year of life, but reasons for this are not understood. We aim to understand the type of hospital admissions and inpatient services associated with an increase in inpatient cost in last year of life. METHODS We used survey and billing records of 439 deceased patients with a solid metastatic cancer, enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Based on cost per day of inpatient admissions, we classified admissions as low- or high-intensity. We decomposed the inpatient cost into cost for different inpatient services. We examined the inpatient cost in the last year of life. We also assessed patient characteristics associated with higher inpatient cost in the next 3 months. RESULTS Towards death, proportion of inpatient cost for "maintenance care" increased while that for intensive care unit (ICU) and surgeries decreased. Low-intensity, compared to high-intensity admissions had a higher proportion of cost for "maintenance care" and a lower proportion for surgeries and ICU. Number of low-intensity admissions increased more steeply towards death than high-intensity admissions. Both admission types contributed equally to the share of inpatient cost. Older patients were less likely to have a high-intensity admission (β:-0.01, CI: -0.02, 0.00). Greater preference for life extension (β: 0.06, CI: 0.01, 0.11) and inaccurate prognostic belief were associated with higher cost of high-intensity admissions (β: 0.32, CI: 0.03, 0.62). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that inpatient costs in last year of life may be reduced if maintenance care is availed in low-cost settings such as hospice/palliative care alongside steps to reduce non-beneficial surgeries and ICU admissions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chetna Malhotra
- Lien Centre for Palliative Care, Duke‐NUS Medical SchoolSingaporeSingapore
- Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke‐NUS Medical SchoolSingaporeSingapore
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Reyes-Gibby CC, Caterino JM, Coyne CJ, Kyriacou DN, Qdaisat A, McQuade J, Owen DH, Bischof JJ, Shete S, Yeung SCJ. Immune-related adverse event in the emergency department: methodology of the immune-related emergency disposition index (IrEDi). EMERGENCY CANCER CARE 2024; 3:1. [PMID: 38725994 PMCID: PMC11081141 DOI: 10.1186/s44201-023-00023-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
For many cancer patients, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can be life-saving. However, the immune-related adverse events (irAEs) from ICIs can be debilitating and can quickly become severe or even be fatal. Often, irAEs will precipitate visits to the emergency department (ED). Therefore, early recognition and the decision to admit, observe, or discharge these patients from the ED can be key to a cancer patient's morbidity and mortality. ED clinicians typically make their decision for disposition (admit, observe, or discharge) within 2-6 h from their patient's ED presentation. However, irAEs are particularly challenging in the ED because of atypical presentations, the absence of classic symptoms, the delayed availability of diagnostic tests during the ED encounter, and the fast pace in the ED setting. At present, there is no single sufficiently large ED data source with clinical, biological, laboratory, and imaging data that will allow for the development of a tool that will guide early recognition and appropriate ED disposition of patients with potential irAEs. We describe an ongoing federally funded project that aims to develop an immune-related emergency disposition index (IrEDi). The project capitalizes on a multi-site collaboration among 4 members of the Comprehensive Oncologic Emergency Research Network (CONCERN): MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Northwestern University, and University of California San Diego. If the aims are achieved, the IrEDi will be the first risk stratification tool derived from a large racial/ethnically and geographically diverse population of cancer patients. The future goal is to validate irEDi in general EDs to improve emergency care of cancer patients on ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cielito C. Reyes-Gibby
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Caterino
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Christopher J. Coyne
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Demetrios N. Kyriacou
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Aiham Qdaisat
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer McQuade
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dwight H. Owen
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jason J. Bischof
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sanjay Shete
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sai-Ching Jim Yeung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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9
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Beck M, Schreiber KL, Wilson JM, Flowers KM, Edwards RR, Chai PR, Azizoddin DR. A secondary analysis: the impact of pre-existing chronic pain among patients with cancer presenting to the emergency department with acute pain. Support Care Cancer 2024; 32:129. [PMID: 38270721 PMCID: PMC11069411 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-024-08314-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Patients with cancer may experience pain from cancer itself or its treatment. Additionally, chronic pain (CP) predating a patient's cancer diagnosis may make the etiology of pain less clear and the management of pain more complex. In this brief report, we investigated differences in biopsychosocial characteristics, pain severity, and opioid consumption, comparing groups of cancer patients with and without a history of CP who presented to the emergency department (ED) with a complaint of cancer-related pain. METHODS This secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study included patients with cancer who presented to the ED with a complaint of pain (≥ 4/10). Sociodemographic, clinical, psychological, and pain characteristics were assessed in the ED and subsequent hospitalization. Mann-Whitney U-, T-, and Chi-square tests were used to compare differences between patients with and without pre-existing CP before cancer. RESULTS Patients with pre-existing CP had lower income (p = 0.21) and less formal education (p = 0.25) and were more likely to have a diagnosis of depression or substance use disorder (p < 0.01). Patients with pre-existing CP reported significantly greater pain severity in the ED and during hospitalization compared to those without pre-existing CP (p < 0.05), despite receiving greater amounts of opioid analgesics (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION Identifying a history of pre-existing CP during intake may help identify patients with cancer with difficult to manage pain, who may particularly benefit from multimodal interventions and supportive care. In addition, referral of these patients for the management of co-occurring pain disorders may help decrease the usage of the ED for undertreated pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Beck
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristin L Schreiber
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jenna M Wilson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K Mikayla Flowers
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert R Edwards
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter R Chai
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Desiree R Azizoddin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
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10
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Cuomo A. Fentanyl in cancer pain management: avoiding hasty judgments and discerning its potential benefits. Drugs Context 2023; 12:2023-10-2. [PMID: 38148830 PMCID: PMC10751104 DOI: 10.7573/dic.2023-10-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer pain is an important challenge in treatment and requires a rapid onset of action for its control. In particular, breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) should be adequately controlled with a stable dose of a short-acting oral opioid. Fentanyl is a synthetic, highly selective opioid with many advantageous chemical properties, including high lipophilicity and distinct pharmacokinetic properties. It is recommended for pain management in a variety of settings, including acute pain, chronic pain and BTcP. To date, its variously designed formulations allow non-invasive administration; amongst others, sublingual fentanyl has proven useful in the management of BTcP and in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer. This review provides an update on the management of BTcP with fentanyl, with consideration of safety, as it remains an important tool in the treatment of cancer pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Cuomo
- Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples,
Italy
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11
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Fleshner L, Lagree A, Shiner A, Alera MA, Bielecki M, Grant R, Kiss A, Krzyzanowska MK, Cheng I, Tran WT, Gandhi S. Drivers of Emergency Department Use Among Oncology Patients in the Era of Novel Cancer Therapeutics: A Systematic Review. Oncologist 2023; 28:1020-1033. [PMID: 37302801 PMCID: PMC10712716 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyad161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients diagnosed with cancer are frequent users of the emergency department (ED). While many visits are unavoidable, a significant portion may be potentially preventable ED visits (PPEDs). Cancer treatments have greatly advanced, whereby patients may present with unique toxicities from targeted therapies and are often living longer with advanced disease. Prior work focused on patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy, and often excluded those on supportive care alone. Other contributors to ED visits in oncology, such as patient-level variables, are less well-established. Finally, prior studies focused on ED diagnoses to describe trends and did not evaluate PPEDs. An updated systematic review was completed to focus on PPEDs, novel cancer therapies, and patient-level variables, including those on supportive care alone. METHODS Three online databases were used. Included publications were in English, from 2012-2022, with sample sizes of ≥50, and reported predictors of ED presentation or ED diagnoses in oncology. RESULTS 45 studies were included. Six studies highlighted PPEDs with variable definitions. Common reasons for ED visits included pain (66%) or chemotherapy toxicities (69.1%). PPEDs were most frequent amongst breast cancer patients (13.4%) or patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy (20%). Three manuscripts included immunotherapy agents, and only one focused on end-of-life patients. CONCLUSION This updated systematic review highlights variability in oncology ED visits during the last decade. There is limited work on the concept of PPEDs, patient-level variables and patients on supportive care alone. Overall, pain and chemotherapy toxicities remain key drivers of ED visits in cancer patients. Further work is needed in this realm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Fleshner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andrew Lagree
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Audrey Shiner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marie Angeli Alera
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mateusz Bielecki
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robert Grant
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alex Kiss
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Monika K Krzyzanowska
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Cancer Quality Lab, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ivy Cheng
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - William T Tran
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sonal Gandhi
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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12
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Lim CX, Bozkurt A, Chen ZY, Hird A, Wickens J, Lazarakis S, Hussainy SY, Alexander M. Healthcare professionals' and consumers' knowledge, attitudes, perspectives, and education needs in oncology pharmacogenomics: A systematic review. Clin Transl Sci 2023; 16:2467-2482. [PMID: 37991131 PMCID: PMC10719462 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical implementation of pharmacogenomic (PGx)-guided prescribing in oncology lags behind research evidence generation. We aimed to identify healthcare professionals' (HCPs) and consumers' knowledge, attitudes, perspectives, and education needs to inform strategies for implementation of scalable and sustainable oncology PGx programs. Systematic review of original articles indexed in EMBASE, EMCARE, MEDLINE, and PsycInfo from January 2012 until June 2022, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. PROSPERO registration number CRD42022352348. Of 1442 identified studies; 23 met inclusion criteria with 87% assessed high quality. Of these, 52% reported on HCPs, 35% on consumers, and 13% on both HCPs and consumers. Most were conducted in the United States (70%) and included multiple cancer types (74%). Across studies, HCPs and consumers mostly perceived value in PGx, however, both groups reported barriers to utilization, including cost, lack of consistent recommendations across guidelines, and limited knowledge among HCPs; test accuracy, clear testing benefits, and genomic information confidentiality among consumers. HCPs and consumers value and want to engage in PGx strategies in oncology care, however, are inhibited by unmet needs and practice and knowledge gaps. Implementation strategies aimed at addressing these issues may best support increased PGx uptake in oncology practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiao Xin Lim
- Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Alistair Bozkurt
- Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Zi Yue Chen
- Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Abbey Hird
- Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Joanne Wickens
- Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Smaro Lazarakis
- Health Sciences Library, Royal Melbourne HospitalParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Safeera Y. Hussainy
- Pharmacy Department, Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of General Practice, School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Marliese Alexander
- Pharmacy Department, Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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13
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Piazza M, Drury A. An integrative review of adult cancer patients' experiences of nursing telephone and virtual triage systems for symptom management. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2023; 67:102428. [PMID: 37952276 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2023.102428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Telephone and virtual triage services are becoming increasingly common in ambulatory oncology settings. Few studies have evaluated their implementation from the perspective of service users. This study aims to evaluate the experiences of engaging with nurse-delivered telephone and virtual triage systems for symptom management among people undergoing cancer treatment. METHODS An integrative review was undertaken. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Academic Search Complete and Scopus were systematically searched. Twelve publications met the inclusion criteria, and data related to cancer patients' perceptions of the triage process were extracted and analysed. RESULTS Telephone-based (n=7), app-based (n=5) and video-based teleconferencing (n=2) triage systems were evaluated positively overall, enhancing ease of health system navigation, avoidance of emergency department for consultation, and the information, reassurance and support provided to support self-management of symptoms. However, several factors influenced the users' engagement with triage services, including confidence to articulate symptoms, limited opening hours, waiting times for initial triage or follow-up and digital literacy. Collectively, these factors contributed to delayed reporting or under-reporting of symptoms, undermining the potential impact of services. Studies included variable reporting of intervention characteristics, including the qualification of nurses delivering and leading services. CONCLUSIONS Future evaluations of triage services must give greater consideration to the characterisation of interventions to ensure transferability, including nursing roles and qualifications. To ensure effective intervention and optimal supportive care for symptom management, patients must be prepared to engage triage services early. Future evaluations must ensure the impact of digital literacy on engagement with, and experience of, virtual triage is investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Piazza
- Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital (AUSL Romagna), 34, via Carlo Forlanini, Forlì, FC, 47121, Italy.
| | - Amanda Drury
- School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin, 9, Ireland.
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14
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Salama V, Geng Y, Rigert J, Fuller CD, Shete S, Moreno AC. Systematic Review of Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with Acute Pain Induced by Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancers. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2023; 43:100669. [PMID: 37954025 PMCID: PMC10634655 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctro.2023.100669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background/objective Pain is the most common acute symptom following radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). The multifactorial origin of RT-induced pain makes it highly challenging to manage. Multiple studies were conducted to identify genetic variants associated with cancer pain, however few of them focused on RT-induced acute pain. In this review, we summarize the potential mechanisms of acute pain after RT in HNC and identify genetic variants associated with RT-induced acute pain and relevant acute toxicities. Methods A comprehensive search of Ovid Medline, EMBASE and Web of Science databases using terms including "Variants", "Polymorphisms", "Radiotherapy", "Acute pain", "Acute toxicity" published up to February 28, 2022, was performed by two reviewers. Review articles and citations were reviewed manually. The identified SNPs associated with RT-induced acute pain and toxicities were reported, and the molecular functions of the associated genes were described based on genetic annotation using The Human Gene Database; GeneCards. Results A total of 386 articles were identified electronically and 8 more articles were included after manual search. 21 articles were finally included. 32 variants in 27 genes, of which 25% in inflammatory/immune response, 20% had function in DNA damage response and repair, 20% in cell death or cell cycle, were associated with RT-inflammatory pain and acute oral mucositis or dermatitis. 4 variants in 4 genes were associated with neuropathy and neuropathic pain. 5 variants in 4 genes were associated with RT-induced mixed types of post-RT-throat/neck pain. Conclusion Different types of pain develop after RT in HNC, including inflammatory pain; neuropathic pain; nociceptive pain; and mixed oral pain. Genetic variants involved in DNA damage response and repair, cell death, inflammation and neuropathic pathways may affect pain presentation post-RT. These variants could be used for personalized pain management in HNC patients receiving RT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Salama
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yimin Geng
- Research Medical Library, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jillian Rigert
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Clifton D. Fuller
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sanjay Shete
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amy C. Moreno
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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15
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Salama V, Youssef S, Xu T, Wahid KA, Chen J, Rigert J, Lee A, Hutcheson KA, Gunn B, Phan J, Garden AS, Frank SJ, Morrison W, Reddy JP, Spiotto MT, Naser MA, Dede C, He R, Mohamed AS, van Dijk LV, Lin R, Roldan CJ, Rosenthal DI, Fuller CD, Moreno AC. Temporal characterization of acute pain and toxicity kinetics during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. A retrospective study. ORAL ONCOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 7:100092. [PMID: 38638130 PMCID: PMC11025722 DOI: 10.1016/j.oor.2023.100092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Objectives Pain during Radiation Therapy (RT) for oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC) is a clinical challenge due to its multifactorial etiology and variable management. The objective of this study was to define complex pain profiles through temporal characterization of pain descriptors, physiologic state, and RT-induced toxicities for pain trajectories understanding. Materials and methods Using an electronic health record registry, 351 OC/OPC patients treated with RT from 2013 to 2021 were included. Weekly numeric scale pain scores, pain descriptors, vital signs, physician-reported toxicities, and analgesics were analyzed using linear mixed effect models and Spearman's correlation. Area under the pain curve (AUCpain) was calculated to measure pain burden over time. Results Median pain scores increased from 0 during the weekly visit (WSV)-1 to 5 during WSV-7. By WSV-7, 60% and 74% of patients reported mouth and throat pain, respectively, with a median pain score of 5. Soreness and burning pain peaked during WSV-6/7 (51%). Median AUCpain was 16% (IQR (9.3-23)), and AUCpain significantly varied based on gender, tumor site, surgery, drug use history, and pre-RT pain. A temporal increase in mucositis and dermatitis, declining mean bodyweight (-7.1%; P < 0.001) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) 6.8 mmHg; P < 0.001 were detected. Pulse rate was positively associated while weight and MAP were negatively associated with pain over time (P < 0.001). Conclusion This study provides insight on in-depth characterization and associations between dynamic pain, physiologic, and toxicity kinetics. Our findings support further needs of optimized pain control through temporal data-driven clinical decision support systems for acute pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Salama
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sara Youssef
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tianlin Xu
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kareem A. Wahid
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jaime Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jillian Rigert
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anna Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katherine A. Hutcheson
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brandon Gunn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jack Phan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Adam S. Garden
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Steven J. Frank
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William Morrison
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jay P. Reddy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael T. Spiotto
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mohamed A. Naser
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cem Dede
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Renjie He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Abdallah S.R. Mohamed
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lisanne V. van Dijk
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, NL, USA
| | - Ruitao Lin
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carlos J. Roldan
- Department of Pain Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Pain Medicine, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David I. Rosenthal
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Clifton D. Fuller
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amy C. Moreno
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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16
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Lash R, Pettit N, Vachon E, Spackman C, Draucker CB. A qualitative analysis of cancer-related patient care in the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med 2023; 30:842-850. [PMID: 36809571 DOI: 10.1111/acem.14706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Due to an increasing incidence of new cancer diagnoses in the United States and longer survivorship, a growing number of patients with cancer receive care in emergency departments (EDs). This trend places an increasing burden on already crowded EDs, and experts are concerned these patients do not receive optimal care. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of ED physicians and nurses who care for patients with cancer. This information can inform strategies to improve oncology care for patients in ED settings. METHODS We used a qualitative descriptive design to summarize to the experiences of ED physicians and nurses (n = 23) caring for patients with cancer. We conducted individual, semistructured interviews to query participants about their perspectives on care for oncology patients in the ED. RESULTS Physician and nurse participants identified 11 challenges and suggested three potential strategies to improve care. The challenges included the following: risk of infection, poor communication between ED staff and other providers, poor communication between oncology or primary care providers and patients, poor communication between ED providers and patients, difficult disposition decisions, new cancer diagnoses, complex pain management, allocation of limited resources, lack of cancer-specific skills among providers, poor care coordination, and evolving end-of-life decisions. The solutions included the following: patient education, education for ED providers, and improved care coordination. CONCLUSIONS Physicians and nurses experience challenges stemming from three overarching types of factors: illness factors, communication factors, and system-level factors. Solutions for the challenges of providing oncology care in the ED call for new strategies at the levels of the patient, provider, institution, and health care system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Lash
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Indiana University School of Nursing, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
| | - Nick Pettit
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Eric Vachon
- Center for Health Services Research, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Candice Spackman
- Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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17
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Tagerman DL, Ramos-Santillan V, Kalam A, Wang F, Schriner JB, Arientyl V, Solsky I, Friedmann P, Abdelnaby A, In H. Potentially Avoidable Admissions and Prolonged Hospitalization in Patients with Suspected Colon Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30:4748-4758. [PMID: 37198337 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-13593-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suspicion of cancer in the Emergency Department (ED) may lead to potentially avoidable and prolonged admissions. We aimed to examine the reasons for potentially avoidable and prolonged hospitalizations after admissions from the ED for new colon cancer diagnoses (ED-dx). METHODS A retrospective, single-institution analysis was conducted of patients with ED-dx between 2017 and 2018. Defined criteria were used to identify potentially avoidable admissions. Patients without avoidable admissions were examined for ideal length of stay (iLOS), using separate defined criteria. Prolonged length of stay (pLOS) was defined as actual length of stay (aLOS) being greater than 1 day longer than iLOS. RESULTS Of 97 patients with ED-dx, 12% had potentially avoidable admissions, most often (58%) for cancer workup. Very little difference in demographic, tumor characteristics, or symptoms were found, except patients with potentially avoidable admissions were more functional (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] score 0-1: 83% vs. 46%; p = 0.049) and had longer symptom duration prior to ED presentation {24 days (interquartile range [IQR] 7-75) vs. 7 days (IQR 2-21)}. Among the 60 patients who had necessary admissions but did not require urgent intervention, 78% had pLOS, most often for non-urgent surgery (60%) and further oncologic workup. The median difference between iLOS and aLOS was 12 days (IQR 8-16) for pLOS. CONCLUSIONS Potentially avoidable admissions following Ed-dx were uncommon but were mostly for oncologic workup. Once admitted, the majority of patients had pLOS, most often for definitive surgery and further oncologic workup. This suggests a lack of systems to safely transition to outpatient cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Tagerman
- Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Vicente Ramos-Santillan
- Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Ali Kalam
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Fei Wang
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jacob B Schriner
- Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Vanessa Arientyl
- Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Ian Solsky
- Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Patricia Friedmann
- Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Abier Abdelnaby
- Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Haejin In
- Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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Azizoddin DR, Wilson JM, Flowers KM, Beck M, Chai P, Enzinger AC, Edwards R, Miaskowski C, Tulsky JA, Schreiber KL. Daily pain and opioid administration in hospitalized patients with cancer: the importance of psychological factors, recent surgery, and current opioid use. Pain 2023; 164:1820-1827. [PMID: 36893325 PMCID: PMC10363176 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Pain is common and variable in its severity among hospitalized patients with cancer. Although biopsychosocial factors are well established as modulators of chronic pain, less is known about what patient-level factors are associated with worse pain outcomes among hospitalized cancer patients. This prospective cohort study included patients with active cancer presenting to the emergency department (ED) with pain severity of ≥4/10 and followed pain outcomes longitudinally throughout hospital admission. Baseline demographic, clinical, and psychological factors were assessed on ED presentation, and daily average clinical pain ratings and opioid consumption during hospitalization were abstracted. Univariable and multivariable generalized estimating equation analyses examined associations of candidate biopsychosocial, demographic, and clinical predictors with average daily pain and opioid administration. Among 113 hospitalized patients, 73% reported pain as the primary reason for presenting to the ED, 43% took outpatient opioids, and 27% had chronic pain that predated their cancer. Higher pain catastrophizing ( B = 0.1, P ≤ 0.001), more recent surgery ( B = -0.2, P ≤ 0.05), outpatient opioid use ( B = 1.4, P ≤ 0.001), and history of chronic pain before cancer diagnosis ( B = 0.8, P ≤ 0.05) were independently associated with greater average daily pain while admitted to the hospital. Higher pain catastrophizing ( B = 1.6, P ≤ 0.05), higher anxiety ( B = 3.7, P ≤ 0.05), lower depression ( B = -4.9, P ≤ 0.05), metastatic disease ( B = 16.2, P ≤ 0.05), and outpatient opioid use ( B = 32.8, P ≤ 0.001) were independently associated with higher daily opioid administration. Greater psychological distress, especially pain catastrophizing, as well as pain and opioid use history, predicted greater difficulty with pain management among hospitalized cancer patients, suggesting that early assessment of patient-level characteristics may help direct consultation for more intensive pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree R. Azizoddin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
| | - Jenna M. Wilson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Kelsey Mikayla Flowers
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Meghan Beck
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Peter Chai
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Population Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Fenway Health, Boston, MA
| | - Andrea C. Enzinger
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Population Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Robert Edwards
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Christine Miaskowski
- Schools of Nursing and Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - James A. Tulsky
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Kristin L. Schreiber
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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19
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Galloway K, Lambert P, Bow EJ, Czaykowski P, Fatoye T, Goldenberg B, Kristjanson M, Singh H, Bucher O, Decker K. Evaluation of the Impact of the Urgent Cancer Care Clinic on Emergency Department Visits, Primary Care Clinician Visits, and Hospitalizations in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:6771-6785. [PMID: 37504356 PMCID: PMC10378500 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30070496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The urgent cancer care (UCC) clinic at CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) opened in 2013 to provide care to individuals diagnosed with cancer and serious blood disorders experiencing complications from the underlying disorder or its treatment. This study examined the impact of the UCC clinic on other health care utilization in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. An interrupted time series study design was used to compare the rates of emergency department (ED) visits, primary care clinician (PCC) visits, and hospitalizations from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015. Rates of ED visits were also stratified by ED location, severity, and cancer type. We found a 6% (95% CI 1.00-1.13, p-value = 0.0389) increase in PCC visits, a 7% (95% CI 0.99-1.15, p-value = 0.0737) increase in hospitalizations, a 4% (95% CI 0.86-1.08, p-value = 0.5053) decrease in the rate of ED visits, and a 3% (95% CI 0.92-1.17, p-value = 0.5778) increase in the rate of ED visits during the UCC clinic hours after the UCC clinic opened. The implementation of the UCC clinic had minimal impact on health care utilization. Future work should examine the impact of the UCC clinic on other aspects of healthcare utilization (e.g., number of tests ordered and time spent waiting in CCMB's main clinics) and patient quality of life and patient and health care provider experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Galloway
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Registry, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W2, Canada
| | - Pascal Lambert
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Registry, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
| | - Eric J Bow
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1R9, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 745 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Piotr Czaykowski
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W2, Canada
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1R9, Canada
| | - Tunji Fatoye
- Department of Primary Care Oncology, Cancer Care Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W2, Canada
| | - Benjamin Goldenberg
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1R9, Canada
| | - Mark Kristjanson
- Department of Primary Care Oncology, Cancer Care Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
| | - Harminder Singh
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W2, Canada
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1R9, Canada
| | - Oliver Bucher
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Registry, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
| | - Kathleen Decker
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Registry, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W2, Canada
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
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20
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Koch M, Szabó É, Varga C, Soós V, Prenek L, Porcsa L, Bellyei S, Girán K, Girán J, Kiss I, Pozsgai É. Retrospective study of cancer patients' predictive factors of care in a large, Hungarian tertiary care centre. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e070320. [PMID: 37156589 PMCID: PMC10174014 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To identify predictive factors of multiple emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalisation and potentially preventable ED visits made by patients with cancer in a Hungarian tertiary care centre. DESIGN Observational, retrospective study. SETTING A large, public tertiary hospital, in Somogy County, Hungary, with a level 3 emergency and trauma centre and a dedicated cancer centre. PARTICIPANTS Patients above 18 years with a cancer diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes of C0000-C9670) who visited the ED in 2018, who had received their diagnosis of cancer within 5 years of their first ED visit in 2018 or received their diagnosis of cancer latest within the study year. Cases diagnosed with cancer at the ED (new cancer diagnosis-related ED visits) were also included, constituting 7.9% of visits. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected and the predictors of multiple (≥2) ED visits within the study year, admission to inpatient care following the ED visit (hospitalisation), potentially preventable ED visits and death within 36 months were determined. RESULTS 2383 ED visits made by 1512 patients with cancer were registered. Predictive factors of multiple (≥2) ED visits were residing in a nursing home (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.88 to 5.07) and prior hospice care (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.31). Predictive factors for hospitalisation following an ED visit included a new cancer diagnosis-related visit (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.66) and complaint of dyspnoea (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.12). CONCLUSIONS Being a resident of a nursing home and receiving prior hospice care significantly increased the odds of multiple ED visits, while new cancer-related ED visits independently increased the odds of hospitalisation of patients with cancer. This is the first study to report these associations from a Central-Eastern European country. Our study may shed light on the specific challenges of EDs in general and particularly faced by countries in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márton Koch
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Éva Szabó
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Csaba Varga
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Kaposvár, Hungary
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktor Soós
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Lilla Prenek
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Lili Porcsa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Bellyei
- Department of Oncotherapy, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Kyra Girán
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - János Girán
- Department of Public Health, Pécsi Tudományegyetem Általános Orvostudományi Kar, Pecs, Hungary
| | - István Kiss
- Department of Public Health, Pécsi Tudományegyetem Általános Orvostudományi Kar, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Éva Pozsgai
- Department of Public Health, Pécsi Tudományegyetem Általános Orvostudományi Kar, Pecs, Hungary
- Department of Primary Health Care, Pécsi Tudományegyetem Általános Orvostudományi Kar, Pecs, Hungary
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21
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Gajra A, Jeune-Smith Y, Balanean A, Miller KA, Bergman D, Showalter J, Page R. Reducing Avoidable Emergency Visits and Hospitalizations With Patient Risk-Based Prescriptive Analytics: A Quality Improvement Project at an Oncology Care Model Practice. JCO Oncol Pract 2023; 19:e725-e731. [PMID: 36913643 PMCID: PMC10424904 DOI: 10.1200/op.22.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancer-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations that would have been appropriately managed in the outpatient setting are avoidable and detrimental to patients and health systems. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to leverage patient risk-based prescriptive analytics at a community oncology practice to reduce avoidable acute care use (ACU). METHODS Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology, we implemented the Jvion Care Optimization and Recommendation Enhancement augmented intelligence (AI) tool at an Oncology Care Model (OCM) practice, the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders practice. We applied continuous machine learning to predict risk of preventable harm (avoidable ACU) and generated patient-specific recommendations that nurses implemented to avert it. RESULTS Patient-centric interventions included medication/dosage changes, laboratory tests/imaging, physical/occupational/psychologic therapy referral, palliative care/hospice referral, and surveillance/observation. Nurses contacted patients every 1-2 weeks after initial outreach to assess and maintain adherence to recommended interventions. Per 100 unique OCM patients, monthly ED visits dropped from 13.7 to 11.5 (18%), a sustained month-over-month improvement. Quarterly admissions dropped from 19.5 to 17.1 (13%), a sustained quarter-over-quarter improvement. Overall, the practice realized potential annual savings of $2.8 million US dollars (USD) on avoidable ACU. CONCLUSION The AI tool has enabled nurse case managers to identify and resolve critical clinical issues and reduce avoidable ACU. Effects on outcomes can be inferred from the reduction; targeting short-term interventions toward patients most at-risk translates to better long-term care and outcomes. QI projects involving predictive modeling of patient risk, prescriptive analytics, and nurse outreach may reduce ACU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajeet Gajra
- Cardinal Health, Dublin, OH
- Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY, East Syracuse, NY
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ray Page
- The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD), Fort Worth, TX
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22
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Walder JR, Faiz SA, Sandoval M. Lung cancer in the emergency department. EMERGENCY CANCER CARE 2023; 2:3. [PMID: 38799792 PMCID: PMC11116267 DOI: 10.1186/s44201-023-00018-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Background Though decreasing in incidence and mortality in the USA, lung cancer remains the deadliest of all cancers. For a significant number of patients, the emergency department (ED) provides the first pivotal step in lung cancer prevention, diagnosis, and management. As screening recommendations and treatments advance, ED providers must stay up-to-date with the latest lung cancer recommendations. The purpose of this review is to identify the many ways that emergency providers may intersect with the disease spectrum of lung cancer and provide an updated array of knowledge regarding detection, management, complications, and interdisciplinary care. Findings Lung cancer, encompassing 10-12% of cancer-related emergency department visits and a 66% admission rate, is the most fatal malignancy in both men and women. Most patients presenting to the ED have not seen a primary care provider or undergone screening. Ultimately, half of those with a new lung cancer diagnosis in the ED die within 1 year. Incidental findings on computed tomography are mostly benign, but emergency staff must be aware of the factors that make them high risk. Radiologic presentations range from asymptomatic nodules to diffuse metastatic lesions with predominately pulmonary symptoms, and some may present with extra-thoracic manifestations including neurologic. The short-term prognosis for ED lung cancer patients is worse than that of other malignancies. Screening offers new hope through earlier diagnosis but is underutilized which may be due to racial and socioeconomic disparities. New treatments provide optimism but lead to new complications, some long-term. Multidisciplinary care is essential, and emergency medicine is responsible for the disposition of patients to the appropriate specialists at inpatient and outpatient centers. Conclusion ED providers are intimately involved in all aspects of lung cancer care. Risk factor modification and referral for lung cancer screening are opportunities to further enhance patient care. In addition, with the advent of newer cancer therapies, ED providers must stay vigilant and up-to-date with all aspects of lung cancer including disparities, staging, symptoms of disease, prognosis, treatment, and therapy-related complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy R. Walder
- Divisions of Critical Care, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, 6431 Fannin St., Ste. MSB 1.282, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Saadia A. Faiz
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 1462, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Marcelo Sandoval
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 1468, Houston, TX 77030 USA
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23
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Imberti JF, Maisano A, Rampini F, Minnocci M, Bertuglia F, Mantovani M, Cherubini B, Mei DA, Ferrara L, Bonini N, Valenti AC, Vitolo M, Longo G, Boriani G. Cardiovascular Reasons for Access to a Tertiary Oncological Emergency Service: The CARILLON Study. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12030962. [PMID: 36769610 PMCID: PMC9917995 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12030962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of acute cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in cancer patients is steadily increasing and represents a significant reason for admission to the emergency department (ED). METHODS We conducted a prospective observational study, enrolling consecutive patients with cancer presenting to a tertiary oncological ED and consequently admitted to the oncology ward. Two groups of patients were identified based on main symptoms that lead to ED presentation: symptoms potentially related to CVD vs. symptoms potentially not related to CVD. The aims of the study were to describe the prevalence of symptoms potentially related to CVD in this specific setting and to evaluate the prevalence of definite CV diagnoses at discharge. Secondary endpoints were new intercurrent in-hospital CV events occurrence, length of stay in the oncology ward, and mid-term mortality for all-cause. RESULTS A total of 469 patients (51.8% female, median age 68.0 [59.1-76.3]) were enrolled. One hundred and eighty-six out of 469 (39.7%) presented to the ED with symptoms potentially related to CVD. Baseline characteristics were substantially similar between the two study groups. A discharge diagnosis of CVD was confirmed in 24/186 (12.9%) patients presenting with symptoms potentially related to CVD and in no patients presenting without symptoms potentially related to CVD (p < 0.01). During a median follow-up of 3.4 (1.2-6.5) months, 204 (43.5%) patients died (incidence rate of 10.1 per 100 person/months). No differences were found between study groups in terms of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-1.12), new in-hospital CV events (HR: 1.03, 95% CI 0.77-1.37), and length of stay (p = 0.57). CONCLUSIONS In a contemporary cohort of cancer patients presenting to a tertiary oncological ED and admitted to an oncology ward, symptoms potentially related to CVD were present in around 40% of patients, but only a minority were actually diagnosed with an acute CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo F. Imberti
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Anna Maisano
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Francesca Rampini
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Melania Minnocci
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Filippo Bertuglia
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Marta Mantovani
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Benedetta Cherubini
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Davide A. Mei
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Leonardo Ferrara
- Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Modena, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Niccolò Bonini
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Anna Chiara Valenti
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Marco Vitolo
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Giuseppe Longo
- Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Modena, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Boriani
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
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24
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Alishahi Tabriz A, Turner K, Hong YR, Gheytasvand S, Powers BD, Elston Lafata J. Trends and Characteristics of Potentially Preventable Emergency Department Visits Among Patients With Cancer in the US. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2250423. [PMID: 36656584 PMCID: PMC9857289 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.50423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE An initial step to reducing emergency department (ED) visits among patients with cancer is to identify the characteristics of patients visiting the ED and examine which of those visits could be prevented. OBJECTIVE To explore nationwide trends and characteristics of ED visits and examine factors associated with potentially preventable ED visits and unplanned hospitalizations among patients with cancer in the US. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study used data on ED visits from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2019; US Cancer Statistics reports were used to estimate new cancer cases each year. Frequencies and trends among 35 510 014 ED visits by adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with cancer were calculated. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was potentially preventable ED visits, and secondary outcomes were unplanned hospitalizations and the immediacy of the ED visits. Potentially preventable ED visits were identified using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services definition. The Emergency Severity Index, a triage algorithm that ranks patients based on the urgency of their health care condition, was used to measure the immediacy of ED visits (immediate [most urgent], emergent, urgent, less urgent, and nonurgent), with the categories of immediate and emergent classified as high acuity. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to calculate trends in ED visits among patients with cancer over time. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations of patient, hospital, and temporal factors with potentially preventable ED use and ED use resulting in hospitalization. RESULTS Among 854 911 106 ED visits, 35 510 014 (4.2%) were made by patients with cancer (mean [SD] age, 66.2 [16.2] years); of those, 55.2% of visits were among women, 73.2% were among non-Hispanic White individuals, 89.8% were among patients living in a private residence, and 54.3% were among Medicare enrollees. A total of 18 316 373 ED visits (51.6%) were identified as potentially preventable, and 5 770 571 visits (21.3%) were classified as high acuity. From 2012 to 2019, potentially preventable ED visits increased from 1 851 692 to 3 214 276. Pain (36.9%) was the most common reason for potentially preventable ED visits. The number of patients who visited an ED because of pain increased from 1 192 197 in 2012 to 2 405 849 in 2019 (a 101.8% increase). Overall, 28.9% of ED visits resulted in unplanned hospitalizations, which did not change significantly over time (from 32.2% in 2012 to 26.6% in 2019; P = .78 for trend). Factors such as residence in a nursing home (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.25-2.41) were positively associated with having a potentially preventable ED visit, and factors such as the presence of more than 1 comorbidity (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.43-2.32) were positively associated with having an unplanned hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, 51.6% of ED visits among patients with cancer were identified as potentially preventable, and the absolute number of potentially preventable ED visits increased substantially between 2012 and 2019. These findings highlight the need for cancer care programs to implement evidence-based interventions to better manage cancer treatment complications, such as uncontrolled pain, in outpatient and ambulatory settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Alishahi Tabriz
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Kea Turner
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Young-Rock Hong
- Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Sara Gheytasvand
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Benjamin D. Powers
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Jennifer Elston Lafata
- Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
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Van de Castle B, Lukkahatai N, Billing BSNL, Huang X, Wu H, Zhang J, Abdi S, Kameoka J, Smith TJ. Nurse-Administered Auricular Point Acupressure for Cancer-Related Pain. Integr Cancer Ther 2023; 22:15347354231198086. [PMID: 37706457 PMCID: PMC10503282 DOI: 10.1177/15347354231198086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The study aimed to (1) examine the feasibility of providing a training course on auricular point acupressure (APA) for clinical oncology nurses to integrate APA into real-world nursing care settings, and (2) examine the effectiveness of APA on cancer-related pain (CRP) under usual inpatient oncology ward conditions. METHODS This was a 2-phase feasibility study. Phase 1, an in-person, 8 hour training program was provided to oncology nurses. Phase 2, a prospective and feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the integration of APA into nursing care activities to manage CRP. Oncology patients were included if their pain was rated at ≥4 on a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale in the past 24 hours. Patients received 1 APA treatment administered by the nurses and were instructed to stimulate the points for 3 days. Study outcomes (pain intensity, fatigue, and sleep disturbance), pain medication use, and APA practice were measured by a phone survey daily. RESULTS Ten oncology nurses received APA training in phase 1. APA had been added to the hospital's electronic health records (EHRs) as a pain treatment. In phase 2, 33 oncology patients received APA treatment with a 100% adherence rate (pressing the seeds 3 times per day, 3 minutes per time based on the suggestion). The side effects of APA were minimal (~8%-12% felt tenderness on the ear). After 3 days of APA, patients reported 38% pain relief, 39% less fatigue, and 45% improvement in sleep disturbance; 24% reduced any type of pain medication use and 19% reduced opioid use (10 mg opioids using milligram morphine equivalent). The major barrier to integrating APA into routine nursing practice was time management (how to include APA in a daily workflow). CONCLUSION It is feasible to provide 8-hour training to oncology nurses for mastering APA skill and then integrating APA into their daily nursing care for patients with CRP. Based on the promising findings (decreased pain, improved fatigue and sleep disturbance, and less opioid use), the next step is to conduct a randomized clinical trial with a larger sample to confirm the efficacy of APA for oncology nurses to treat CRP in real-world practice.ClinicalTrial.gov identifier number: NCT04040140.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nada Lukkahatai
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Xinran Huang
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hulin Wu
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jingyu Zhang
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Salahadin Abdi
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Thomas J. Smith
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Mayo CS, Mierzwa M, Yalamanchi P, Evans J, Worden F, Medlin R, Schipper M, Schonewolf C, Shah J, Spector M, Swiecicki P, Mayo K, Casper K. Machine Learning Model of Emergency Department Use for Patients Undergoing Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer Using Comprehensive Multifactor Electronic Health Records. JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2023; 7:e2200037. [PMID: 36638327 DOI: 10.1200/cci.22.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To use a hybrid method, combining statistical profiling, machine learning (ML), and clinical evaluation to predict emergency department (ED) visits among patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy from 2015 to 2019 were identified using electronic health record data. Records from 60 days before 90 days after treatment were analyzed. Statistical profiling and ML were used to create a predictive model for ED visits during or after radiation therapy. A comprehensive set of variables were studied. Multiple ML models were developed including extreme gradient-boosted decision tree and generalized logistic regression with comparison of multiple predictive performance metrics. RESULTS Of the 1,355 patients studied, 13% had an ED visit during or after treatment. Our hybrid methodology enabled evidence-based winnowing of candidate features from 141 to 11 with clinically applicable, evidence-based thresholds. Extreme gradient boosting had the highest area under the curve (0.81 ± 0.06) with a sensitivity of 0.89 ± 0.10 and exceeded generalized logistic regression (area under the curve 0.64 ± 0.02). Significant predictors of ED visits during treatment included increasingly complex opioid use, number of prior ED visits, tumor volume, rate of change of blood urea nitrogen, total bilirubin, body mass index, and distance from hospital. CONCLUSION Our approach combining bootstrapped statistical profiling and ML importance analysis supported integration of clinician input to identify a distilled set of phenotypical characteristics for developing ML models predicting which patients undergoing head and neck cancer radiation therapy were at risk for ED visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Mayo
- Department of Radiation Oncology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Michelle Mierzwa
- Department of Radiation Oncology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | | | - Joseph Evans
- Department of Radiation Oncology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Francis Worden
- Department of Internal Medicine University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Richard Medlin
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Matthew Schipper
- Department of Biostatistics University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | | | - Jennifer Shah
- Department of Radiation Oncology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Matthew Spector
- Department of Otolaryngology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Paul Swiecicki
- Department of Otolaryngology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Katherine Mayo
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Keith Casper
- Department of Otolaryngology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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Iannelli M, Brimm-Akins A, Foxwell AM, Sandy B, Winalski K, Gatto K, Mcgettigan S, Grande C. Advanced Practice Provider Model for Urgent Oncology Care. J Adv Pract Oncol 2023; 14:73-81. [PMID: 36741208 PMCID: PMC9894209 DOI: 10.6004/jadpro.2023.14.1.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherent to the cancer disease trajectory are heightened risks for a plethora of comorbid diagnoses. As the treatment landscape for oncology therapeutics continues to rapidly advance, patients are living longer and potentially experiencing more symptoms requiring rapid assessment. Prompt assessment and intervention for cancer or cancer treatment-related symptoms is imperative to achieve patient comfort and obtain the best overall patient outcomes. Traditionally, these patients were frequently referred to the emergency department (ED) when same-day clinic appointments were not obtainable. In order to decrease ED utilization and provide same-day urgent care for oncology patients, the Abramson Cancer Center established an advanced practice provider-led Oncology Evaluation Center where cancer patients are able to receive same-day assessment, symptom relief, and ultimately prevent unnecessary ED visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Iannelli
- From Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Alexis Brimm-Akins
- From Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anessa M. Foxwell
- From Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Beth Sandy
- From Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Krista Winalski
- From Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kara Gatto
- From Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Suzanne Mcgettigan
- From Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Carolyn Grande
- From Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Simanke CD, DaCás E, Bussyguin DS, Belizário AC, de Alencar ED, Tomasich FDS, Skare T, Nisihara R. Presentation Patterns and Outcomes in Patients with Colorectal Cancer Seeking the Emergency Department for Consultation. JOURNAL OF COLOPROCTOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background Patients with colorectal cancer may seek the emergency department for symptoms related to chemotherapy and radiotherapy side effects as well as those from the disease itself and from surgery complications.
Objectives To establish the epidemiological and clinical profile of colorectal cancer patients that look for consultations in the emergency department.
Methods Retrospective study of emergency room charts from colorectal cancer patients that consulted in a single oncological hospital for the period of 1 year.
Results Four hundred and forty-six consultations were identified (49.5% males and 50.5% females) with a mean age of 63 years and with advanced disease (most with tumor, node, metastases [TNM] stages III and IV). The most common complaint was abdominal pain (27.5%), followed by nausea (4.7%; more commonly seen in females with p = 0.03) and bladder symptoms (4.7%; more commonly seen in males, with p = 0.003). Infections (10.3%) and acute abdominal pain (9.1%) were the most frequent diagnoses. About 18% of them were admitted to the hospital and 80% were discharged home.
Conclusion The profile of patients with colorectal cancer seeking the emergency department comprises patients with advanced disease and a similar proportion of males and females. Symptom-driven complaints were the most frequent reason for consultations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eduardo DaCás
- Department of Medicine, Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Flavio D. S. Tomasich
- Department of Surgery, Abdominal Surgery Unit, Hospital Erasto Gaertner, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Thelma Skare
- Department of Medicine, Mackenzie Evangelical School of Medicine, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Renato Nisihara
- Department of Medicine, Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
- Department of Medicine, Mackenzie Evangelical School of Medicine, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
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Cancer-related emergency and urgent care: expanding the research agenda. EMERGENCY CANCER CARE 2022; 1:4. [PMID: 35844668 PMCID: PMC9194780 DOI: 10.1186/s44201-022-00005-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of review Cancer-related emergency department (ED) visits often result in higher hospital admission rates than non-cancer visits. It has been estimated many of these costly hospital admissions can be prevented, yet urgent care clinics and EDs lack cancer-specific care resources to support the needs of this complex population. Implementing effective approaches across different care settings and populations to minimize ED and urgent care visits improves oncologic complication management, and coordinating follow-up care will be particularly important as the population of cancer patients and survivors continues to increase. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Office of Emergency Care (OECR) convened a workshop in December 2021, “Cancer-related Emergency and Urgent Care: Prevention, Management, and Care Coordination” to highlight progress, knowledge gaps, and research opportunities. This report describes the current landscape of cancer-related urgent and emergency care and includes research recommendations from workshop participants to decrease the risk of oncologic complications, improve their management, and enhance coordination of care. Recent findings Since 2014, NCI and OECR have collaborated to support research in cancer-related emergency care. Workshop participants recommended a number of promising research opportunities, as well as key considerations for designing and conducting research in this area. Opportunities included better characterizing unscheduled care services, identifying those at higher risk for such care, developing care delivery models to minimize unplanned events and enhance their care, recognizing cancer prevention and screening opportunities in the ED, improving management of specific cancer-related presentations, and conducting goals of care conversations. Summary Significant progress has been made over the past 7 years with the creation of the Comprehensive Oncologic Emergency Research Network, broad involvement of the emergency medicine and oncology communities, establishing a proof-of-concept observational study, and NCI and OECR’s efforts to support this area of research. However, critical gaps remain.
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Lash RS, Hong AS, Bell JF, Reed SC, Pettit N. Recognizing the emergency department’s role in oncologic care: a review of the literature on unplanned acute care. EMERGENCY CANCER CARE 2022; 1:6. [PMID: 35844666 PMCID: PMC9200439 DOI: 10.1186/s44201-022-00007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The global prevalence of cancer is rapidly increasing and will increase the acute care needs of patients with cancer, including emergency department (ED) care. Patients with cancer present to the ED across the cancer care continuum from diagnosis through treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life. This article describes the characteristics and determinants of ED visits, as well as challenges in the effort to define preventable ED visits in this population.
Findings
The most recent population-based estimates suggest 4% of all ED visits are cancer-related and roughly two thirds of these ED visits result in hospitalization—a 4-fold higher ED hospitalization rate than the general population. Approximately 44% of cancer patients visit the ED within 1 year of diagnosis, and more often have repeat ED visits within a short time frame, though there is substantial variability across cancer types. Similar patterns of cancer-related ED use are observed internationally across a range of different national payment and health system settings. ED use for patients with cancer likely reflects a complex interaction of individual and contextual factors—including provider behavior, health system characteristics, and health policies—that warrants greater attention in the literature.
Conclusions
Given the amount and complexity of cancer care delivered in the emergency setting, future research is recommended to examine specific symptoms associated with cancer-related ED visits, the contextual determinants of ED use, and definitions of preventable ED use specific to patients with cancer.
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Acute home-based care for patients with cancer to avoid, substitute, and follow emergency department visits: a conceptual framework using Porter’s Five Forces. EMERGENCY CANCER CARE 2022; 1:8. [PMID: 35844665 PMCID: PMC9247981 DOI: 10.1186/s44201-022-00008-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Background Patients with cancer constitute a large and increasing segment of patients who receive unscheduled hospital-based care due to treatment-related symptoms and disease progression. The initial hospital-based touchpoint for these unscheduled hospitalizations is often the emergency department. Traditional models of emergency department and inpatient hospital-based care are saturated and incapable of scaling to accommodate the future, increased needs projected for this population. New models of care are necessary to address this gap. Acute home-based care is a promising tool potentially providing patient-centric, efficient care to eligible patients. Methods We applied Porter’s Five Forces framework that addresses the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, threat of substitutes and new entrants, and industry rivalries plus the sixth force of regulation to clarify the factors that will promote or challenge the adoption of a home-based cancer care referral model before or following emergency department visits. Exploring this framework provides insights into the complexities of scaling an acute home-based cancer care model and highlights ways for health systems including hospitals, emergency departments, physician groups, and individual emergency physicians and oncologists to optimize their roles in this emerging model of care. Results We found that current workforce shortages, as well as workflow, infrastructure, and regulatory complexities, pose major challenges that unless carefully addressed may restrict the growth of acute home-based cancer care. Additional uncertainties persist around appropriate payment models and the competitive landscape. Key promoting factors include the recognized need in the cancer community and among payers for new models to decrease unscheduled hospitalizations and emergency department visits as well as the uptake of home-based and technology-enabled solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. A better understanding of these forces helps to clarify the risks and opportunities as new entrants build their programs. Conclusions Acute home-based cancer care is a promising tool to complement traditional outpatient clinics, emergency departments, and inpatient hospital-based models of cancer care. New technologies and policies increasingly enable a broader scope of cancer care in the home setting.
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Krishnamani PP, Qdaisat A, Wattana MK, Lipe DN, Sandoval M, Elsayem A, Cruz Carreras MT, Yeung SCJ, Chaftari PS. Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Cancer Pain Placed in an Emergency Department Observation Unit. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235871. [PMID: 36497353 PMCID: PMC9738053 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain remains an undertreated complication of cancer, with poor pain control decreasing patients’ quality of life. Traditionally, patients presenting to an emergency department with pain have only had two dispositions available to them: hospitalization or discharge. A third emerging healthcare environment, the emergency department observation unit (EDOU), affords patients access to a hospital’s resources without hospitalization. To define the role of an EDOU in the management of cancer pain, we conducted a retrospective study analyzing patients placed in an EDOU with uncontrolled cancer pain for one year. Patient characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics and predictors of disposition from the EDOU and were identified with univariate and multivariate analyses. Most patients were discharged home, and discharged patients had low 72-hour revisit and 30-day mortality rates. Significant predictors of hospitalization were initial EDOU pain score (odds ratio (OR) = 1.12; 95% CI 1.06−1.19; p < 0.001) and supportive care (OR = 2.04; 95% CI 1.37−3.04; p < 0.001) or pain service (OR = 2.67; 95% CI 1.63−4.40; p < 0.001) consultations. We concluded that an EDOU appears to be the appropriate venue to care for a subsegment of patients presenting to an emergency department with cancer pain, with patients receiving safe care as well as appropriate consultation and admission when indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavitra Parimala Krishnamani
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Aiham Qdaisat
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Monica Kathleen Wattana
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Demis N. Lipe
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- IQVIA Biotech, Morrisville, NC 27560, USA
| | - Marcelo Sandoval
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ahmed Elsayem
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Maria Teresa Cruz Carreras
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sai-Ching Jim Yeung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Patrick S. Chaftari
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence:
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Dumnui N, Nagaviroj K, Anothaisintawee T. A study of the factors associated with emergency department visits in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care. BMC Palliat Care 2022; 21:197. [PMCID: PMC9664626 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-022-01098-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose
Several studies demonstrated that cancer patients visited the emergency department (ED) frequently. This indicates unmet needs and poor-quality palliative care. We aimed to investigate the factors that contribute to ED visits among patients with advanced cancer in order to identify strategies for reducing unnecessary ED visits among these patients.
Methods
A retrospective study was conducted between January and December, 2019. Eligible patients were previously enrolled in the comprehensive palliative care program prior to their ED visit. All patients older than 18 were included. Patients were excluded if they had died at the initial consultation, were referred to other programs at the initial consultation, or had an incomplete record. The trial ended when the patients died, were referred to other palliative programs, or the study ended. The time between the initial palliative consultation and study endpoints was categorized into three groups: 16 days, 16–100 days, and > 100 days, based on the literature review. To investigate the factors associated with ED visits, a logistic regression analysis was conducted. The variables with a P value < 0.15 from the univariate logistic regression analysis were included in the multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results
Among a total of 227 patients, 93 visited the ED and 134 did not. Mean age was 65.5 years. Most prevalent cancers were colorectal (18.5%), lung (16.3%), and hepatobiliary (11.9%). At the end, 146 patients died, 45 were alive, nine were referred to other programs, and 27 were lost to follow-up. In univariate logistic regression analysis, patients with > 100 days from palliative consultation (OR 0.23; 95%CI 0.08, 0.66; p-value 0.01) were less likely to attend the ED. In contrast, PPS 50–90% (OR 2.02; 95%CI 1.18, 3.47; p-value 0.01) increased the ED visits. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, these two factors remained associated with ED visits:> 100 days from the palliative consultation (OR 0.18; 95%CI 0.06, 0.55; p-value 0.01) and PPS 50–90% (OR 2.62; 95%CI 1.44, 4.79; p-value 0.01).
Conclusions
There was reduced ED utilization among cancer patients with > 100 days of palliative care. Patients having a lower PPS were associated with a lower risk of ED visits.
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Workina A, Habtamu A, Zewdie W. Reasons for Emergency Department Visit, Outcomes, and Associated Factors of Oncologic Patients at Emergency Department of Jimma University Medical Centre. Open Access Emerg Med 2022; 14:581-590. [PMID: 36330170 PMCID: PMC9624217 DOI: 10.2147/oaem.s381816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The number of oncologic patients visiting the emergency department (ED) is increasing and represent a challenge for the emergency team owing to they might have acute sign and symptoms of a still undiagnosed malignancy, management of treatment-related side effects, co-morbidities, and palliative care. Thus, this study was aimed to identify reasons for ED visits, management outcomes, and associated factors of oncologic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from March 11, 2021 to August 25, 2021 at the ED of Jimma University Medical Center on a total of 338 oncologic patients. Data were collected from the patient and the patient's medical record using a questionnaire developed from up-to-date similar literatures. The questionnaire was started filled out upon diagnosis of cancer and completed during discharge from the ED. The outcomes of the patients were dichotomized into died and survived then, it was analyzed using frequency and bivariate logistic regression. RESULTS The most common reasons for oncologic patients ED visit were neutropenic fever 79 (23.4%) followed by vomiting 38 (11.2%) and electrolyte abnormality 37 (10.9%) respectively. Among oncologic patients visited ED, 137 (40.5%) of them were admitted to ward and 126 (37.3%) of them were discharged with improvement while 64 (18.9%) of them were died. Based on multivariate logistic regression, those patients who had distant metastasis cancer (AOR 1.85; 95% CI 1.03-7.21), comorbidity (AOR 2.56; 95% CI 1.20, 6.96), and ECOG >3 (AOR 2.40; 95% CI 1.25,13.43) were more likely to die than their counterparts. CONCLUSION Most of the oncologic patients visited ED due to neutropenic fever, nausea and or vomiting, and electrolyte disorder. Amongst oncologic patients who were visited ED, most of them were admitted to ward while around one-fifth of them were died. Having distant metastasis cancer, comorbidity and ECOG >3 were independent predictors of an oncologic patient's outcome at the ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdata Workina
- Department of Nursing, Jimma University, Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia,Correspondence: Abdata Workina, Department of Nursing, Jimma University, Jimma University, P.O. Box-378, Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia, Tel +251923643857, Email
| | - Asaminew Habtamu
- Department of Nursing, Jimma University, Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia
| | - Wondeson Zewdie
- Department of Emergency, Jimma University Medical Centre, Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia
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de Santis RB, Wainstein AJA, Machado GCOG, Santos FAV, Melo MRP, Drummond‐Lage AP. Cancer patients admitted in the emergency department: A single‐centre observational study. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2022; 31:e13758. [DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Azizoddin DR, Beck M, Flowers KM, Wilson JM, Chai P, Johnsky L, Cremone G, Edwards R, Hasdianda A, Boyer E, Schreiber KL. Psychological Evaluation of Patients With Cancer Presenting to the Emergency Department With Pain: Independent Predictors of Worse Pain Severity, Interference, and Higher Hourly Opioid Administration. JCO Oncol Pract 2022; 18:e1648-e1660. [PMID: 35994699 PMCID: PMC9810145 DOI: 10.1200/op.22.00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Pain is a common complaint in patients with cancer presenting to the emergency department (ED). This prospective study evaluated whether biopsychosocial factors could help predict cancer patients with risk of higher pain severity, pain interference, and opioid consumption. METHODS Patients with cancer presenting to the ED with a complaint of moderate-severe pain (≥ 4/10-numeric rating scale) completed validated self-report measures assessing sociodemographics, cancer-related treatments, pain severity and interference, medication use, and psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, pain catastrophizing, and sleep disturbance). Opioids administered and subsequent hospitalization were abstracted. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses assessed factors associated with pain-related outcomes. RESULTS Participants (n = 175) presented with a variety of cancer types, with 76% having metastatic disease and 42% reporting current outpatient opioid use. Higher pain catastrophizing, lower depressive symptoms, lower income, outpatient opioid use, and historical chronic pain were independently associated with worse pain (P ≤ .05). Higher pain catastrophizing, anxiety, sleep disturbance, outpatient opioid use, and education were independently associated with worse pain interference (P ≤ .05). The sole independent predictor of ED opioid administration was outpatient opioid use. Patients taking outpatient opioids were younger, had lower health literacy, worse pain catastrophizing, sleep disturbance, depression/anxiety, and greater rates of metastatic cancer and cancer-related surgery (P ≤ .05). CONCLUSION Biopsychosocial factors, particularly pain catastrophizing, remained significantly associated with worse pain outcomes for patients with cancer in the ED even after controlling for demographic and clinical variables. Patient outpatient opioid use was independently associated with worse pain, interference, and greater opioid administration, identifying this as a marker for who may benefit most from adjuvant pharmacologic and behavioral interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree R. Azizoddin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Meghan Beck
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - K. Mikayla Flowers
- Department of Anesthesiology Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Jenna M. Wilson
- Department of Anesthesiology Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Peter Chai
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- The Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Lily Johnsky
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | | | - Robert Edwards
- Department of Anesthesiology Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Adriana Hasdianda
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Edward Boyer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Kristin L. Schreiber
- Department of Anesthesiology Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
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Hao D, Fiore M, Di Capua C, Gulati A. Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Nerve Blocks: A Practical Review for Acute Cancer-Related Pain. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2022; 26:813-820. [PMID: 36168092 DOI: 10.1007/s11916-022-01089-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Ultrasound-guided regional techniques, including catheter-based approaches, are a subset of interventional therapies that have gained interest as an option for managing acute cancer-related pain. The authors sought to review the available published evidence and to discuss practical recommendations for expanding access to such therapies. RECENT FINDINGS In a MEDLINE/Pubmed search of ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks and peripheral nerve catheters for specific anatomic targets, a total of 28 case reports and case series were identified. Included studies described improved analgesia and reduced opioid requirements with highly variable duration of effect. Current level of evidence remains limited. Pain is a symptom that markedly impacts the quality of life of cancer patients and ultrasound-guided regional techniques are a promising therapeutic option albeit with a limited evidence base. Practical recommendations offered for coordinating access to such therapies in the inpatient, emergency department, and outpatient settings may expand interest and facilitate higher quality research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Hao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Michael Fiore
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher Di Capua
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amitabh Gulati
- Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
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Bischof JJ, Elsaid MI, Bridges JFP, Rosko AE, Presley CJ, Abar B, Adler D, Bastani A, Baugh CW, Bernstein SL, Coyne CJ, Durham DD, Grudzen CR, Henning DJ, Hudson MF, Klotz A, Lyman GH, Madsen TE, Reyes-Gibby CC, Rico JF, Ryan RJ, Shapiro NI, Swor R, Thomas CR, Venkat A, Wilson J, Yeung SCJ, Yilmaz S, Caterino JM. Characterization of older adults with cancer seeking acute emergency department care: A prospective observational study. J Geriatr Oncol 2022; 13:943-951. [PMID: 35718667 PMCID: PMC11137847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disparities in care of older adults in cancer treatment trials and emergency department (ED) use exist. This report provides a baseline description of older adults ≥65 years old who present to the ED with active cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Planned secondary analysis of the Comprehensive Oncologic Emergencies Research Network observational ED cohort study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Of 1564 eligible adults with active cancer, 1075 patients were prospectively enrolled, of which 505 were ≥ 65 years old. We recruited this convenience sample from eighteen participating sites across the United States between February 1, 2016 and January 30, 2017. RESULTS Compared to cancer patients younger than 65 years of age, older adults were more likely to be transported to the ED by emergency medical services, have a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score, and be admitted despite no significant difference in acuity as measured by the Emergency Severity Index. Despite the higher admission rate, no significant difference was noted in hospitalization length of stay, 30-day mortality, ED revisit or hospital admission within 30 days after the index visit. Three of the top five ED diagnoses for older adults were symptom-related (fever of other and unknown origin, abdominal and pelvic pain, and pain in throat and chest). Despite this, older adults were less likely to report symptoms and less likely to receive symptomatic treatment for pain and nausea than the younger comparison group. Both younger and older adults reported a higher symptom burden on the patient reported Condensed Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale than to ED providers. When treating suspected infection, no differences were noted in regard to administration of antibiotics in the ED, admissions, or length of stay ≤2 days for those receiving ED antibiotics. DISCUSSION We identified several differences between older (≥65 years old) and younger adults with active cancer seeking emergency care. Older adults frequently presented for symptom-related diagnoses but received fewer symptomatic interventions in the ED suggesting that important opportunities to improve the care of older adults with cancer in the ED exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Bischof
- Departments of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Mohamed I Elsaid
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - John F P Bridges
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Ashley E Rosko
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Carolyn J Presley
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Beau Abar
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - David Adler
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Aveh Bastani
- Department of Emergency Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital - Troy Campus, Troy, MI, USA.
| | - Christopher W Baugh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Steven L Bernstein
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Christopher J Coyne
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Danielle D Durham
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Corita R Grudzen
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine and Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Daniel J Henning
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | | | - Adam Klotz
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Gary H Lyman
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Troy E Madsen
- Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Cielito C Reyes-Gibby
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Juan Felipe Rico
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Richard J Ryan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Nathan I Shapiro
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Robert Swor
- Department of Emergency Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, USA.
| | - Charles R Thomas
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Geisel School of Medicine @ Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.
| | - Arvind Venkat
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Jason Wilson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sai-Ching Jim Yeung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Sule Yilmaz
- Department of Surgery, Division of Supportive Care in Cancer, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Jeffrey M Caterino
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Gupta R, Lin L, Resley V, Khan A, Li DR, Shatsky RA, Coyne CJ. Evaluating Cancer Pain Characteristics and Treatment Factors in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J Palliat Care 2022; 37:486-493. [PMID: 35979605 PMCID: PMC9465546 DOI: 10.1177/08258597221121316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: To identify patient characteristics and treatment
factors of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with
cancer-related pain that may affect patient outcomes. Methods: We
conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate adult patients with active
cancer, who presented to the ED with a chief complaint of pain between June
first, 2012 and January first, 2016. We utilized multivariable logistic
regression to evaluate the association of several exposure variables, including
disease and demographic characteristics, primary pain site, and treatment
methods, on ED disposition and revisit rate. Results: We included
483 patients with active cancer with a chief complaint of pain. Patients with
severe pain on arrival tended to be younger than those who did not present with
severe pain (median: 58 vs 62 respectively, OR 8.0 p < 0.01). Patients with
high ECOG scores (3-4) with severe pain on arrival (≥7 out of 10) had less
improvement in their pain than the rest of our cohort (OR 8.4, p < 0.01).
Also, those with musculoskeletal pain had significantly less improvement in
reported pain than all other pain types (delta pain −2.1 vs −3.4, OR 2.3,
p = 0.025) Long delays in initial analgesic administration were associated with
increased rates of subsequent admission (OR 3.4) [p = 0.014]. Although opioid
analgesics led to greater decreases in pain than non-opioid analgesics, patients
treated with opioids were more likely to be admitted (43% vs 34.5% AOR 1.51,
p = 0.048). Conclusion: Our study showed that delays in analgesic
administration, poor functional status, and the presence of musculoskeletal
(MSK) pain significantly influenced outcomes for this patient cohort. These
findings suggest the development of specific protocols and tools to address
cancer-related pain in the ED may be necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi Gupta
- Department of Emergency Medicine, 8784University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Lin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, 8784University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Vanessa Resley
- Department of Emergency Medicine, 8784University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ayesha Khan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, 8784University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - David R Li
- Department of Emergency Medicine, 8784University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca A Shatsky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, 8784University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christopher J Coyne
- Department of Emergency Medicine, 8784University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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40
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Grudzen CR, Barker PC, Bischof JJ, Cuthel AM, Isaacs ED, Southerland LT, Yamarik RL. Palliative care models for patients living with advanced cancer: a narrative review for the emergency department clinician. EMERGENCY CANCER CARE 2022; 1:10. [PMID: 35966217 PMCID: PMC9362452 DOI: 10.1186/s44201-022-00010-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Eighty-one percent of persons living with cancer have an emergency department (ED) visit within the last 6 months of life. Many cancer patients in the ED are at an advanced stage with high symptom burden and complex needs, and over half is admitted to an inpatient setting. Innovative models of care have been developed to provide high quality, ambulatory, and home-based care to persons living with serious, life-limiting illness, such as advanced cancer. New care models can be divided into a number of categories based on either prognosis (e.g., greater than or less than 6 months), or level of care (e.g., lower versus higher intensity needs, such as intravenous pain/nausea medication or frequent monitoring), and goals of care (e.g., cancer-directed treatment versus symptom-focused care only). We performed a narrative review to (1) compare models of care for seriously ill cancer patients in the ED and (2) examine factors that may hasten or impede wider dissemination of these models.
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41
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Issa M, Tang J, Guo Y, Coss C, Mace TA, Bischof J, Phelps M, Presley CJ, Owen DH. Risk factors and predictors of immune-related adverse events: implications for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2022; 22:861-874. [PMID: 35786142 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2094772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are now utilized as a standard of care treatment for multiple cancers, including in both the metastatic setting as well as in earlier stages of disease. The identification of unique immune-related adverse events (irAE) that occur during ICI treatment has led to intense research to identify potential risk factors and biomarkers that may assist in clinical decision making. Although initial studies in ICI were primarily in advanced stage disease, the use of ICI in earlier stages of disease as adjuvant therapies requires a better understanding of patient risk stratification to mitigate or prevent serious irAE. AREAS COVERED In this review, we set out to describe the current state of research regarding potential risk factors for irAE in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, as well as explore the barriers to understanding irAE. We review data from irAE that occur in large phase 3 trials and prospective studies focusing on irAE, as well as the many retrospective studies that currently form the bulk of our understanding of irAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majd Issa
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Joy Tang
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Yizhen Guo
- College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Chris Coss
- College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Thomas A Mace
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Jason Bischof
- Department of Emergency Medicine, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Mitch Phelps
- College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Carolyn J Presley
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Dwight H Owen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
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Yilmaz S, Grudzen CR, Durham DD, McNaughton C, Marcelin I, Abar B, Adler D, Bastani A, Baugh CW, Bernstein SL, Bischof JJ, Coyne CJ, Henning DJ, Hudson MF, Klotz A, Lyman GH, Madsen TE, Pallin DJ, Reyes-Gibby C, Rico JF, Ryan RJ, Shapiro NI, Swor R, Thomas CR, Venkat A, Wilson J, Yeung SCJ, Caterino JM. Palliative Care Needs and Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Advanced Cancer in the Emergency Department. J Palliat Med 2022; 25:1115-1121. [PMID: 35559758 PMCID: PMC9467631 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Older adults with cancer use the emergency department (ED) for acute concerns. Objectives: Characterize the palliative care needs and clinical outcomes of advanced cancer patients in the ED. Design: A planned secondary data analysis of the Comprehensive Oncologic Emergencies Research Network (CONCERN) data. Settings/Subjects: Cancer patients who presented to the 18 CONCERN affiliated EDs in the United States. Measurements: Survey included demographics, cancer type, functional status, symptom burden, palliative and hospice care enrollment, and advance directive code status. Results: Of the total (674/1075, 62.3%) patients had advanced cancer and most were White (78.6%) and female (50.3%); median age was 64 (interquartile range 54-71) years. A small proportion of them were receiving palliative (6.5% [95% confidence interval; CI 3.0-7.6]; p = 0.005) and hospice (1.3% [95% CI 1.0-3.2]; p = 0.52) care and had a higher 30-day mortality rate (8.3%, [95% CI 6.2-10.4]). Conclusions: Patients with advanced cancer continue to present to the ED despite recommendations for early delivery of palliative care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sule Yilmaz
- Division of Supportive Care in Cancer, Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Address correspondence to: Sule Yilmaz, PhD, Division of Supportive Care in Cancer, Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, 265 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Corita R. Grudzen
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine and Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Danielle D. Durham
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Isabelle Marcelin
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine and Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Beau Abar
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - David Adler
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Aveh Bastani
- Department of Emergency Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital—Troy Campus, Troy, Michigan, USA
| | - Christopher W. Baugh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Steven L. Bernstein
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jason J. Bischof
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Christopher J. Coyne
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Daniel J. Henning
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Adam Klotz
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gary H. Lyman
- Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Troy E. Madsen
- Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Daniel J. Pallin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cielito Reyes-Gibby
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Juan Felipe Rico
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Richard J. Ryan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Nathan I. Shapiro
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert Swor
- Department of Emergency Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA
| | - Charles R. Thomas
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Arvind Venkat
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jason Wilson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Sai-Ching Jim Yeung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Caterino
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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43
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Koch M, Varga C, Soós V, Prenek L, Porcsa L, Szakáll A, Bilics G, Hunka B, Bellyei S, Girán J, Kiss I, Pozsgai É. Main reasons and predictive factors of cancer-related emergency department visits in a Hungarian tertiary care center. BMC Emerg Med 2022; 22:114. [PMID: 35739467 PMCID: PMC9219147 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-022-00670-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identifying the reasons for the Emergency Department (ED) visit of patients with cancer would be essential for possibly decreasing the burden of ED use. The aim of our study was to analyze the distribution of the demographic and clinical parameters of patients with cancer based on the reasons for the ED visits and to identify possible predictive factors for their visits. METHODS This retrospective study, carried out at a large, public tertiary hospital in Hungary, involved all patients 18 years or over, who had received a cancer diagnosis latest within five years of their visit to the ED in 2018. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected partly via automated data collection and partly through the manual chart review by a team of experts, including six emergency physicians and an oncologist. Five main reasons for the ED visit were hypothesized, pilot-tested, then identified, including those with cancer-related ED visits (whose visit was unambiguously related to their cancer illness) and those with non-cancer-related ED visits (whose visit to the ED was in no way associated with their cancer illness.) A descriptive approach was used for data analysis and binary logistic regression was used to determine predictive factors for patients with cancer visiting the ED. RESULTS 23.2% of the altogether 2383 ED visits were directly cancer-related, and these patients had a significantly worse overall survival than patients with non-cancer related ED visits. Age 65 or below (Odds Ratio: 1.51), presence of two more comorbidities (OR: 7.14), dyspnea as chief complaint (OR: 1.52), respiratory cancer (OR: 3.37), any prior chemotherapy (OR: 1.8), any prior immune/biological treatment (OR: 2.21), any prior Best Supportive Care/palliative care (OR: 19.06), or any prior hospice care (OR: 9.43), and hospitalization (OR:2.88) were independent risk factors for the ED visit to be cancer-related. CONCLUSIONS Our study is the first to identify independent predictive factors of ED use by patients with cancer based on the chief cause of their visit in the Central and Eastern European region. These results may provide important information for the development of algorithms intended to identify the needs of care of patients with cancer at the ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márton Koch
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Kaposvár, 7400, Hungary
| | - Csaba Varga
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Kaposvár, 7400, Hungary.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői Street 78/A, Budapest, 1082, Hungary
| | - Viktor Soós
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Kaposvár, 7400, Hungary
| | - Lilla Prenek
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Kaposvár, 7400, Hungary
| | - Lili Porcsa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Kaposvár, 7400, Hungary
| | - Alíz Szakáll
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Kaposvár, 7400, Hungary
| | - Gergely Bilics
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Kaposvár, 7400, Hungary.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői Street 78/A, Budapest, 1082, Hungary
| | - Balázs Hunka
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Somogy County Kaposi Mór General Hospital, Tallián Gyula Street 20-32, Kaposvár, 7400, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Bellyei
- Department of Oncotherapy, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Édesanyák Street 17, Pécs, 7624, Hungary
| | - János Girán
- Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, Szigeti Street 12, Pécs, 7624, Hungary
| | - István Kiss
- Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, Szigeti Street 12, Pécs, 7624, Hungary
| | - Éva Pozsgai
- Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, Szigeti Street 12, Pécs, 7624, Hungary. .,Department of Primary Health Care, University of Pécs Medical School, Rákóczi Street 2, Pécs, 7623, Hungary.
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44
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Kobo O, Moledina SM, Raisi-Estabragh Z, Shanmuganathan JWD, Chieffo A, Al Ayoubi F, Alraies MC, Biondi-Zoccai G, Elgendy IY, Mohamed MO, Roguin A, Freeman P, Mamas MA. Emergency department cardiovascular disease encounters and associated mortality in patients with cancer: A study of 20.6 million records from the USA. Int J Cardiol 2022; 363:210-217. [PMID: 35752208 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2022.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND there is limited data on Emergency department (ED) cardiovascular disease (CVD) presentations and outcomes amongst cancer patients. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, prevalence, and clinical outcomes of the most common cardiovascular ED admissions in patients with cancer. METHODS All ED encounters with a primary CVD diagnosis from the US Nationwide Emergency Department Sample between January 2016 to December 2018 were stratified by cancer type as well as metastatic status. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the adjusted odds ratios of in-hospital mortality in different groups. RESULTS From a total of 20,737,247 ED encounters with a primary CVD diagnosis, cancer was present in 3.4%. In patients with cancer the most common CVDs were DVT/PE (20%), hypertensive heart or kidney disease (14.7%), and AF/flutter (11.2%). The distribution of CVDs varied by cancer type, with AF/flutter most common in patients with lung cancer, AMI most common in patients with prostate cancer, heart failure most common in those with haematological malignancies, and patients with colorectal cancer having the greatest frequency of DVT/PE. Cancer status was independently associated with significantly higher risk of mortality in almost all CVD categories, consistent across all the cancer types, amongst which lung cancer patients had the highest risk of mortality across all CVD categories, except intracranial haemorrhage and hypertensive crisis. CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular presentations to the ED varied by cancer subtype. Across all cancer subtypes, patients presenting with cardiovascular presentations carried a significantly increased risk of mortality compared to patients with no cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Kobo
- Department of Cardiology, Hillel Yaffe Medical Centre, Hadera, Israel; Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, Centre for Prognosis Research, Keele University, UK
| | - Saadiq M Moledina
- Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, Centre for Prognosis Research, Keele University, UK
| | - Zahra Raisi-Estabragh
- William Harvey Research Institute, NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre, Queen Mary University London, UK; Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, West Smithfield, EC1A 7BE London, UK
| | | | - Alaide Chieffo
- Interventional Cardiology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Fakhr Al Ayoubi
- Department of Cardiac Sciences KFCC, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Giuseppe Biondi-Zoccai
- Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, Italy; Mediterranea Cardiocentro, Napoli, Italy
| | - Islam Y Elgendy
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohamed O Mohamed
- Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, Centre for Prognosis Research, Keele University, UK
| | - Ariel Roguin
- Department of Cardiology, Hillel Yaffe Medical Centre, Hadera, Israel
| | - Phillip Freeman
- Department of Cardiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Mamas A Mamas
- Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, Centre for Prognosis Research, Keele University, UK; Department of Cardiology, Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA, USA; Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, UK.
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45
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Son MH, Chung HS. Chief complaints of patients with cancer who visit the emergency department over their oncologist's outpatient clinic in South Korea. BMC Palliat Care 2022; 21:54. [PMID: 35449052 PMCID: PMC9027837 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-022-00946-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There have been several reports of patients with cancer visiting the Emergency Department (ED) rather than the outpatient department of their oncologist. In this study, we aimed to analyze the chief complaints, visit time, and time spent in the ED between study groups of patients with cancer visiting the ED. This finding will help medical staff provide better care for patients with cancer and reduce time spent in the ED. Methods A total of 787 patients with cancer visited the Regional Emergency Medical Center between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. After the exclusion criterion such as patients who were transferred to the ED with a referral issued slip, patients who were pregnant women or minors under the age of 18 were applied, data from 607 patients with cancer were collected retrospectively from electronic medical records at the hospital. The participating patients with cancer were divided into two groups: 1) ED group—those who were cared for by the ED physician and 2) Referral group—those who were referred to their oncologist for hospitalization. Results We found that 40% of the total patients with cancer included in the study visited the ED with a chief complaint of pain. It was observed that the highest frequency of visits to the ED was around noon during clinic hours. The length of ED stay was 169 and 566 min for the ED and referral groups, respectively. Conclusion It would be more beneficial for patients with cancer visiting the ED to be quickly discharged from the ED physician’s active care for their symptoms. This usage of ED services will reduce unnecessary waiting time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Hyun Son
- Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, 170 Hyeonchung-ro, Nam-gu, Daegu, 42415, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Sol Chung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, 170 Hyeonchung-ro, Nam-gu, Daegu, 42415, Republic of Korea.
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Hudson MF, Strassels SA, Durham DD, Siddique S, Adler D, Yeung SJ, Bernstein SL, Baugh CW, Coyne CJ, Grudzen CR, Henning DJ, Klotz A, Madsen TE, Pallin DJ, Rico JF, Ryan RJ, Shapiro NI, Swor R, Venkat A, Wilson J, Thomas CR, Bischof JJ, Lyman GH, Caterino JM. Examining pain among non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White patients with cancer visiting emergency departments: CONCERN (Comprehensive Oncologic Emergencies Research Network). Acad Emerg Med 2022; 29:364-368. [PMID: 34606137 DOI: 10.1111/acem.14395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott A. Strassels
- Division of Pharmacy Atrium Health Charlotte North Carolina USA
- Department of Surgery The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Danielle D. Durham
- Department of Radiology School of Medicine University of North Carolina Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Sunny Siddique
- Healthcare Delivery Research Program Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences National Cancer Institute Rockville Maryland USA
| | - David Adler
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Rochester Rochester New York USA
| | - Sai‐Ching J. Yeung
- Department of Emergency Medicine The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston Texas USA
| | - Steven L. Bernstein
- Department of Emergency Medicine Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Hanover New Hampshire USA
| | - Christopher W. Baugh
- Department of Emergency Medicine Brigham and Women’s Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Christopher J. Coyne
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of California San Diego San Diego California USA
| | - Corita R. Grudzen
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine and Population Health New York University School of Medicine New York New York USA
| | - Daniel J. Henning
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Adam Klotz
- Department of Medicine Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York New York USA
| | - Troy E. Madsen
- Division of Emergency Medicine University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah USA
| | - Daniel J. Pallin
- Department of Emergency Medicine Brigham and Women’s Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Juan F. Rico
- Department of Pediatrics University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine Tampa Florida USA
| | - Richard J. Ryan
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio USA
| | - Nathan I. Shapiro
- Department of Emergency Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Robert Swor
- Department of Emergency Medicine William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak Michigan USA
| | - Arvind Venkat
- Department of Emergency Medicine Allegheny Health Network Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Jason Wilson
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine Tampa Florida USA
| | - Charles R. Thomas
- Department of Radiation Medicine Knight Cancer Institute Oregon Health & Sciences University Portland Oregon USA
| | - Jason J. Bischof
- Department of Emergency Medicine The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Gary H. Lyman
- Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Department of Medicine University of Washington School of Medicine Seattle Washington USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Caterino
- Department of Emergency Medicine The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center Columbus Ohio USA
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Ekpo M, Bauler LD, Redinger K. Ovarian Neoplasm: Delivering Suspicion of Cancer in the Emergency Department. Cureus 2022; 14:e22738. [PMID: 35382186 PMCID: PMC8975610 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.22738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is not infrequently detected in the Emergency Department (ED) and is sometimes even an incidental finding on imaging. Since the ED is designed to identify and treat acutely ill patients, the time providers can spend with patients and the depth of investigation into patient conditions is limited. However, Emergency Medicine physicians must ensure the appropriate follow-up for patients with presumptive diagnosis of cancer to ensure timely confirmatory testing, prompt treatment, and accurate prognosis. A 26-year-old woman presented to the ED for evaluation of abdominal pain and urinary complaints and was ultimately found to have a 36cm ovarian mass that was suspicious for neoplasm. The mass caused obstruction of urinary outflow leading the patient to develop a urinary tract infection. Emergency Medicine physicians are faced with the challenge of having limited time and short-lived doctor-patient relationships. In cases of suspicious findings, balancing the urgency of follow-up without causing undue harm from heightened anxiety for patients is essential. It is important to discuss findings that may be concerning for cancer with both clear verbal and written communication. Employ strategies such as direct communication with primary care physicians and outpatient specialists via phone consultation and electronic medical record messaging, as well as providing clear discharge instructions in-person and in-writing to the patient including whom to call and the time frame for follow-up.
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48
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The Value Proposition of Observation Medicine in Managing Acute Oncologic Pain. Curr Oncol Rep 2022; 24:595-602. [PMID: 35192121 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-022-01245-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Despite recommended best practice guidelines, pain remains an ongoing but undertreated symptom in patients with cancer, many of whom require emergency department evaluation for acute oncologic pain. A significant proportion of these patients are hospitalized for pain management, which increases healthcare costs and exposes patients to the risks of hospitalization. We reviewed the literature on observation medicine: an emerging mode of healthcare delivery which can offer patients with acute pain access to a hospital's pain management solutions and specialists without an inpatient hospitalization. Specifically, we appraised the role of observation medicine in acute pain management and its financial implications in order to consider its potential impact on the management of acute oncologic pain. RECENT FINDINGS Recent evidence shows that observation medicine has the potential to decrease short-stay hospitalizations in cancer patients presenting with various concerns, including pain. Observation medicine is reported to be successful in providing comprehensive and cost-effective care for non-cancer patients with acute pain, making it a promising alternative to short-stay hospitalizations for cancer patients with acute oncologic pain.
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Postoperative Rather Than Preoperative Neutropenia Is Associated With Early Catheter-related Bloodstream Infections in Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Cancer Patients. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2022; 41:133-139. [PMID: 34596627 DOI: 10.1097/inf.0000000000003315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship of early catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) with perioperative neutropenia and antibiotic prophylaxis is not well established. We sought to evaluate perioperative factors associated with early CRBSIs in newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients, particularly hematologic indices and antibiotic use. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed national registry records of newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients with port-a-caths inserted using standardized perioperative protocols where only antibiotic use was not regulated. Thirty-day postoperative CRBSI incidence was correlated with preoperative factors using logistic regression and with postoperative blood counts using linear trend analysis. RESULTS Among 243 patients, 17 CRBSIs (7.0%) occurred at median 14 (range, 8-28) postoperative days. Early CRBSIs were significantly associated with cancer type [acute myeloid leukemia and other leukemias (AML/OLs) vs. solid tumors and lymphomas (STLs): odds ratio (OR), 5.09; P = 0.0036; acute lymphoblastic leukemia vs. STL: OR 0.83; P = 0.0446] but not preoperative antibiotics, absolute neutrophil counts and white blood cell counts. Thirty-day postoperative absolute neutrophil counts and white blood cell trends differed significantly between patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and STLs (OR 0.83, P < 0.05) and between AML/OLs and STLs (OR 5.09, P < 0.005), with AML/OL patients having the most protracted neutropenia during this period. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to common belief, low preoperative absolute neutrophil counts and lack of preoperative antibiotics were not associated with higher early CRBSI rates. Instead, AML/OL patients, particularly those with prolonged neutropenia during the first 30 postoperative days, were at increased risk. Our findings do not support the use of empirical preoperative antibiotics and instead identify prolonged postoperative neutropenia as a major contributing factor for early CRBSI.
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50
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Sulo S, Brunton C, Drawert S, Watson G, Hegazi R, Bastasch M. Increased Emergency Department Utilization and Costs for Medicare Cancer Patients with Malnutrition Diagnoses. J Nutr Health Aging 2022; 26:786-791. [PMID: 35934823 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-022-1826-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malnutrition or its risk affects up to 70% of cancer patients. Compared to adequately nourished oncology patients, those with malnutrition experience more complications and have poorer prognoses, thus higher needs for healthcare. We compared utilization of emergency department (ED) services and costs for Medicare-covered cancer patients with or without a malnutrition diagnosis. METHODS We used the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Standard Analytic File to identify fee-for-service beneficiaries who had a cancer diagnosis, and had one or more outpatient claims in 2018. We totaled individual claims and costs for ED visits per beneficiary, then calculated mean per-person claims and costs for malnourished vs non-malnourished patients. RESULTS Using data from over 2.8 million claims of patients with cancer diagnoses, the prevalence of diagnosed malnutrition was 2.5%. The most common cancer types were genitourinary, hematologic/blood, and breast. Cancer patients with a malnutrition diagnosis, compared to those without, had a significantly higher annual total number of outpatient claims (21.4 vs. 11.5, P<.0001), including a 2.5-fold higher rate of ED visits (1.43 vs. 0.56, p<.0001). As result, such patients incurred more than 2-fold higher mean ED claim costs than did their adequately nourished counterparts ($10,724 vs. $4,935, P<.0001). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that malnutrition in cancer patients imposes a high outpatient burden on resource utilization and costs of care in terms of ED use. We propose that nutritional interventions can be used to improve health outcomes for people with cancer and to improve economic outcomes for patients and providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Sulo
- Suela Sulo, PhD, MSc, Abbott Nutrition, 100 Abbott Park Rd, Abbott Park, IL 60064, Office: 224-668-1377, Fax: 224-668-8355, E-mail:
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