Association of Patient Belief About Success of Antibiotics for Appendicitis and Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis of the CODA Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

A patient's belief in the likely success of a treatment may influence outcomes, but this has been understudied in surgical trials.

Objective

To examine the association between patients' baseline beliefs about the likelihood of treatment success with outcomes of antibiotics for appendicitis in the Comparison of Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a secondary analysis of the CODA randomized clinical trial. Participants from 25 US medical centers were enrolled between May 3, 2016, and February 5, 2020. Included in the analysis were participants with appendicitis who were randomly assigned to receive antibiotics in the CODA trial. After informed consent but before randomization, participants who were assigned to receive antibiotics responded to a baseline survey including a question about how successful they believed antibiotics could be in treating their appendicitis.

Interventions

Participants were categorized based on baseline survey responses into 1 of 3 belief groups: unsuccessful/unsure, intermediate, and completely successful.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Three outcomes were assigned at 30 days: (1) appendectomy, (2) high decisional regret or dissatisfaction with treatment, and (3) persistent signs and symptoms (abdominal pain, tenderness, fever, or chills). Outcomes were compared across groups using adjusted risk differences (aRDs), with propensity score adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Results

Of the 776 study participants who were assigned antibiotic treatment in CODA, a total of 425 (mean [SD] age, 38.5 [13.6] years; 277 male [65%]) completed the baseline belief survey before knowing their treatment assignment. Baseline beliefs were as follows: 22% of participants (92 of 415) had an unsuccessful/unsure response, 51% (212 of 415) had an intermediate response, and 27% (111 of 415) had a completely successful response. Compared with the unsuccessful/unsure group, those who believed antibiotics could be completely successful had a 13-percentage point lower risk of appendectomy (aRD, -13.49; 95% CI, -24.57 to -2.40). The aRD between those with intermediate vs unsuccessful/unsure beliefs was -5.68 (95% CI, -16.57 to 5.20). Compared with the unsuccessful/unsure group, those with intermediate beliefs had a lower risk of persistent signs and symptoms (aRD, -15.72; 95% CI, -29.71 to -1.72), with directionally similar results for the completely successful group (aRD, -15.14; 95% CI, -30.56 to 0.28).

Conclusions and Relevance

Positive patient beliefs about the likely success of antibiotics for appendicitis were associated with a lower risk of appendectomy and with resolution of signs and symptoms by 30 days. Pathways relating beliefs to outcomes and the potential modifiability of beliefs to improve outcomes merit further investigation.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02800785.

High cost of stage IV pressure ulcers

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to calculate and analyze the cost of treatment for stage IV pressure ulcers.

METHODS

A retrospective chart analysis of patients with stage IV pressure ulcers was conducted. Hospital records and treatment outcomes of these patients were followed up for a maximum of 29 months and analyzed. Costs directly related to the treatment of pressure ulcers and their associated complications were calculated.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients with stage IV pressure ulcers (11 hospital-acquired and 8 community-acquired) were identified and their charts were reviewed. The average hospital treatment cost associated with stage IV pressure ulcers and related complications was $129,248 for hospital-acquired ulcers during 1 admission, and $124,327 for community-acquired ulcers over an average of 4 admissions.

CONCLUSIONS

The costs incurred from stage IV pressure ulcers are much greater than previously estimated. Halting the progression of early stage pressure ulcers has the potential to eradicate enormous pain and suffering, save thousands of lives, and reduce health care expenditures by millions of dollars.

Anesthetic care for patients with skin breakdown

Wound patients commonly have multiple comorbidities, which should be optimized before anesthesia. These factors contribute not only to skin breakdown but also other causes of mortality and morbidity. Skin becomes more vulnerable to damage from pressure, friction, shear, and moisture when the skin is dry, less elastic, and less perfused. Careful assessment and implementation of an anesthetic plan using regional or general techniques can improve outcomes. The anesthesiologist plays a vital role in maintaining homeostasis during the surgically stressful perioperative period of the wound patient. Aggressive wound management in the early stages is likely to prevent wound progression to deeper levels. Policies are being implemented to decrease the risk of pressure ulcers by prevention.

Fluorescence intensity as a quality control parameter in clinical flow cytometry

The fluorescence intensity (FI) and percentage of immunostained peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were tested as parameters for monitoring quality control of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) and the staining procedure. Several potential variables were addressed, including optimal dilutions of MoAbs, standardization of instrument functions with fluorescent microspheres, stability of day-to-day fluorescence detection with fluorescent fixed cells, and effects of separation method and storage conditions on FI and PBL antigens. Although some small (but statistically significant) changes were found in certain tests, in general the FI and percentages of MoAB-positive human PBLs provided information useful in a standardized flow cytometry quality control program. This type of standardization and quality control facilities early discovery of methodologic and reagent problems in the clinical laboratory, as well as the ability to routinely evaluate disease states associated with abnormal antigen density.