Safety Evaluation in Iterative Development of Wearable Patches for Aripiprazole Tablets With Sensor: Pooled Analysis of Clinical Trials

BACKGROUND

Wearable sensors in digital health may pose a risk for skin irritation through the use of wearable patches. Little is known about how patient- and product-related factors impact the risk of skin irritation. Aripiprazole tablets with sensor (AS, Abilify MyCite; Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc) is a digital medicine system indicated for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, and major depressive disorder. AS includes aripiprazole tablets with an embedded ingestible event marker, a wearable sensor attached to the skin through a wearable patch, a smartphone app, and a web-based portal. To continuously improve the final product, successive iterations of wearable patches were developed, including raisin patch version 4 (RP4), followed by disposable wearable sensor version 5 (DW5), and then reusable wearable sensor version 2 (RW2).

OBJECTIVE

This analysis pooled safety data from clinical studies in adult participants using the RP4, DW5, and RW2 wearable patches of AS and evaluated adverse events related to the use of wearable patches.

METHODS

Safety data from 12 studies in adults aged 18-65 years from May 2010 to August 2020 were analyzed. All studies evaluated safety, with studies less than 2 weeks also specifically examining human factors associated with the use of the components of AS. Healthy volunteers or patients with schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, or major depressive disorder were enrolled; those who were exposed to at least 1 wearable patch were included in the safety analysis. Adverse events related to the use of a wearable patch were evaluated. Abrasions, blisters, dermatitis, discoloration, erythema, irritation, pain, pruritus, rash, and skin reactions were grouped as skin irritation events (SIEs). All statistical analyses were descriptive.

RESULTS

The analysis included 763 participants (mean [SD] age 42.6 [12.9] years; White: n=359, 47.1%; and male: n=420, 55%). Participants were healthy volunteers (n=269, 35.3%) or patients with schizophrenia (n=402, 52.7%), bipolar I disorder (n=57, 7.5%), or major depressive disorder (n=35, 4.6%). Overall, 13.6% (104/763) of the participants reported at least 1 SIE, all of which were localized to the wearable patch site. Incidence of ≥1 patch-related SIEs was seen in 18.1% (28/155), 14.2% (55/387), and 9.2% (28/306) of participants who used RP4, DW5, and RW2, respectively. Incidence of SIE-related treatment discontinuation was low, which is reported by 1.9% (3/155), 3.1% (12/387), and 1.3% (4/306) of participants who used RP4, DW5, and RW2, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence rates of SIEs reported as the wearable patch versions evolved from RP4 through RW2 suggest that information derived from reported adverse events may have informed product design and development, which could have improved both tolerability and wearability of successive products.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02091882, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02091882; Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02404532, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02404532; Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02722967, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02722967; Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02219009, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02219009; Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03568500, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03568500; Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03892889, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03892889.

Ant bite artefacts: A series of cases reported over a year

Artefacts are postmortem findings that often complicate an investigation into death. The police and relatives may be bewildered by them, and forensic pathologists need to be well versed with the intricacies that they can pose. We studied postmortem records over a year and report three cases of ant bite artefacts which led the relatives and the police to suspect the manner of death. A thorough postmortem examination endorsed the findings as ant bite artefacts and so correctly advised the police investigation.

Medical Encounters During the United States Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course

Introduction

The Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) is an extremely physically and mentally demanding 19- to 20-day course designed to determine whether Soldiers are qualified to enter the Special Forces Qualification Course. As a first step to understand medical problems during SFAS, this study examined injuries, illnesses, and activities associated with injuries during the course.

Materials and Methods

Medical events during the SFAS course were compiled from Sick Call Trackers (a log of medical encounters maintained by medical personnel in the field) and Chronology of Medical Care (Standard Form 600). Descriptive statistics were calculated for each injury and illness and injuries were compiled by the activities performed when the injuries occurred.

Results

Of the 800 Soldiers who volunteered for the study, 38% (n = 307/800) and 12% (n = 97/800) experienced one or more injuries and/or illnesses, respectively. The most common injuries were blisters and abrasions/lacerations with incidences of 20% (n = 158/800) and 13% (104/800), respectively. The most common illnesses were respiratory infections, other infections, contact dermatitis, and allergies with incidences of 7% (n = 57/800), 2% (n = 14/800), 2% (n = 14/800), and 2% (n = 13/800), respectively. Among all injuries recorded (n = 573), the most common were blisters (46%), abrasions/lacerations (24%), pain (not otherwise specified) (19%), tendonitis (3%), and sprains (3%). Among all illnesses recorded (n = 133), the most common were respiratory infections (56%), allergies (11%), contact dermatitis (11%), and other infections (11%). Most injuries were experienced during land navigation (44%), team events (20%), and foot marching (11%), running (6%), and the obstacle course (5%), but when the estimated time involved for each event was considered, activities with the highest injury rates were the obstacle course (65 injuries/hr), running (27 injuries/hr), the Combat Readiness Assessment (activity involving combat-related tasks) (20 injuries/hr), and foot marching (16 injuries/hr).

Conclusion

The major limitations of this investigation were: 1) the low specificity with regard to many of the diagnoses/complaints; and 2) the fact that the medical problems reported here are only those seen by medical care providers and are likely an underestimate of the total morbidity in the SFAS course. Soldiers often self-treat and some may be reluctant to see medical personnel because of how it might affect their rating in the course. Nonetheless, this investigation alerts medical personnel to the injuries and illnesses to expect, and public health workers and leadership with activities to target for injury prevention measures during SFAS.

Children's Abrasions in Recreational Beach Areas and a Review of Possible Wound Infections

The Beach Exposure and Child Health Study (BEACHES) quantified the behavior of children at recreational beach areas to evaluate how various behaviors might affect their exposure to environmental contaminants such as bacteria and chemicals. Due to limited information in the study about abrasions, we conducted a literature review to examine how marine bacteria cause infections in open wounds. The literature review revealed possible adverse health effects from the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus due to its increasing prevalence and the severity of infection. We used data from the BEACHES study to review children's behavior and their susceptibility to abrasions. Children six years of age and younger were evaluated before and after 1 hour of play for open or healing abrasions at two beaches in Miami-Dade County, Florida (Crandon and Haulover), and two beaches in Galveston County, Texas (Stewart and Seawall). The children were videotaped to monitor their activities and to determine the behavior that would increase their susceptibility to obtaining abrasions. Overall, 58.2% of the children had at least one existing abrasion before playing at the beach, while 8.2% of the children acquired a new abrasion during their time at the beach. Children who acquired new abrasions most often played in the sea water, with new abrasions most frequently occurring on exposed skin surfaces such as the knees. Proper wound care before and after visiting the beach should be encouraged to minimize the risk of bacterial infection, especially considering the possible detrimental impacts that can be caused by some bacterial pathogens through wound exposures.

When a suicide becomes a forensic enigma: The role of hanging marks and tools of suspension

Death by hanging is asphyxiation when the body is suspended by means of a ligature. Most deaths by hanging are suicides, though occasionally they are accidental or a homicidal event. The characteristics of the hanging marks depend on the ligature used, the dynamics and on the node position with respect to the neck. When the crime scene is contaminated, the hanging mark must be checked with the type of suspension and ligatures used to establish how the hangings took place. We report on 20 cases (2013-2016) where the bodies were moved at or from the crime scene. We analysed the features of hanging marks, the tools of suspension and the ligatures employed in each case. Judicial inspections and an external examination were also carried out. Analysis of hanging marks enables the pathologist to clarify the manner of death and the type of hanging, and tools used especially where the crime scene has been contaminated and the body has been moved.

National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Management of Acute Skin Trauma

OBJECTIVE

  To present recommendations for the cleansing, debridement, dressing, and monitoring of acute skin trauma in patients.

BACKGROUND

  Acute skin trauma is common during participation in athletic and recreational activities. Clinical decisions and intervention protocols after injury vary among athletic trainers and are often based on ritualistic practices. An understanding of cleansing, debridement, and dressing techniques; clinical features of infection and adverse reactions; and monitoring of acute skin trauma is critical for certified athletic trainers and other allied health and medical professionals to create a local wound environment that promotes healing and lessens the risk of complications.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  These guidelines are intended to provide the certified athletic trainer and others participating in athletic health care with specific knowledge about and recommendations for the management of acute skin trauma.

Management of superficial to partial-thickness wounds

REFERENCE/CITATION

Wiechula R. The use of moist wound-healing dressings in the management of split-thickness skin graft donor sites: a systematic review. Int J Nurs Pract. 2003; 9:S9-S17.

CLINICAL QUESTION

Do rates of healing, infection, and pain differ depending on whether nonmoist or moist dressings are used to manage superficial to partial-thickness wounds?

DATA SOURCES

Investigations were identified by CINAHL, MEDLINE, Pre-MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Current Contents, Health STAR, EMBASE, Expanded Academic Index, and Dissertation Abstracts International searches. The search terms included skin, graft, and donor. Additional searches were performed with reference lists and bibliographies of retrieved studies.

STUDY SELECTION

To be included in the review, each study had to fulfill the following criteria: it had to be an intraindividual or prospective randomized controlled trial of human subjects; it had to include patients with postharvest split-thickness skin graft donor sites; it had to evaluate the effectiveness of primary and secondary wound dressings; and it had to have outcome measures that included healing (objective), infection (subjective), and pain (objective).

DATA EXTRACTION

Data extraction and study quality assessment procedures were developed specifically for this review based on Cochrane Collaboration, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, and Joanna Briggs Institute protocols and were performed independently by the author. Details of the procedures were not fully explained. The principal outcome measures were healing (proportion of sites healed within the study period or time to complete healing), rate of infection, and pain scores. The studies were grouped according to broad dressing type (nonmoist and moist) and specific types of moist dressings (hydrocolloids and polyurethane semipermeable transparent films). When comparable, study results were pooled and analyzed with a fixed-effects model. Data within broader dressing categories (nonmoist and moist) were analyzed with a random-effects model. chi (2) analysis was used to determine heterogeneity among the studies. RevMan software (version 4.04; Cochrane Centre, Oxford, UK) was used for statistical analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

The searches identified 111 studies and 1 integrative review, of which 58 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inconsistency and variation in outcome measures and incomplete reporting of results prevented analysis of many studies. Wound healing was measured by days to complete healing (when dressings could be removed without trauma and pain) and wounds healed by day X (removal of dressings at regular intervals). Wound infection was subjectively measured based on clinical signs of infection (edema, heat, pain, or smell). Visual analog scales were used to measure pain levels. Among the broad categories of nonmoist (sterile gauze, fine mesh gauze, Xerofoam [Tyco Healthcare Group LP, Mansfield, MA]) and moist (DuoDERM hydrocolloid [ConvaTec, Princeton, NJ], Tegaderm transparent film [3M Health Care, St Paul, MN], Opsite transparent film [Smith & Nephew, London, UK]) dressings, the outcomes of healing, infection, and pain were analyzed. In 6 studies, the findings significantly favored moist dressings, compared with nonmoist dressings, for days to complete healing (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -3.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -5.91, -2.02). In 9 studies, wounds healed by day X (day 7, 8, 9, 10, or 12) were analyzed. The results were varied and inconclusive because of a small number of trials and subjects. Among 10 studies, no significant difference was noted in infection rates between nonmoist and moist dressings (odds ratio [OR] = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.14, 1.18). Three studies using visual analog scales for the outcome of pain were converted into a uniform scale of 1 to 10 (10 representing most painful). The findings significantly favored moist dressings over nonmoist dressings (WMD = -1.75, 95% CI = -2.94, -0.56). Among nonmoist and specific types of moist dressings, a subset analysis was performed to examine the outcomes of healing, infection, and pain. For days to complete healing, 2 investigations significantly favored hydrocolloid dressings over nonmoist dressings (WMD = -2.19, 95% CI = -2.89, -1.49). Additionally, in 2 studies, hydrocolloid dressings were significantly favored over other moist dressings (semiocclusive hydrocolloid and transparent film) for days to complete healing (WMD = -1.45, 95% CI = -2.17, -0.74). In 3 studies, the data significantly favored polyurethane semipermeable transparent film dressings over nonmoist dressings for days to complete healing (WMD = -2.82, 95% CI = -3.58, -2.07). For infection rates, 4 studies significantly favored hydrocolloid dressings over nonmoist dressings (OR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.07, 0.65). In 4 other studies, polyurethane semipermeable transparent film dressings were significantly favored over nonmoist dressings with regard to infection rates (OR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.09, 0.91). For the outcome of pain, varied outcome measures and insufficient data prevented analysis among specific types of moist dressings.

CONCLUSIONS

Moist dressings decreased the days to complete healing and pain scores when compared with nonmoist dressings. Among the broad categories of nonmoist and moist dressings, no differences were found in infection rates. The data on specific types of moist dressings revealed that days to complete healing were decreased with hydrocolloid dressings compared with nonmoist and other moist dressings. Hydrocolloid dressings also decreased infection rates compared with nonmoist dressings. Polyurethane semipermeable transparent film dressings also decreased days to complete healing and infection rates compared with nonmoist dressings. Overall, the data indicated that hydrocolloid dressings are more effective than nonmoist dressings in terms of rates of healing, infection, and pain in the management of superficial to partial-thickness wounds. The variations in outcome measures among the included studies should be considered in interpreting these findings.