Predictors of flare-related inpatient or emergency department stay in systemic lupus erythematosus: A real-world analysis of Medicaid claims in the United States

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by multisystem inflammation. Medical management of SLE is based on reducing inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs; however, medications used to treat SLE have been found to contribute to additional organ damage. Therefore, finding new ways to predict and prevent flares that require an inpatient (IP) stay or emergency department (ED) visit is critical for reducing the clinical and economic burden in patients with SLE.

OBJECTIVE

To identify risk factors of SLE flares requiring an IP/ED visit among a Medicaid-insured population with SLE.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients from the Merative MarketScan Medicaid database (2013-2019). To capture patients at all stages of their SLE journey, all SLE claims for a patient were captured, and the index date was randomly selected among those claims that were at least 12 months after the first evidence of SLE. Patients were required to be continuously enrolled 1-year pre-index (year 1) and post-index (year 2). Demographics, clinical characteristics, and health care use and costs were measured in year 1, and flares requiring an IP/ED visit were identified in year 2 using the Garris algorithm. Multivariable logistic regression and classification and regression tree (CART) modeling were used to identify year 1 predictors and combination of factors, respectively, associated with flares-related IP/ED visits.

RESULTS

Of the 8,083 patients included in the study, 37.6% of patients (n = 3,039) had a flare. Logistic regression identified ED visits in year 1 as one of the strongest predictors of flares-related IP/ED visits in year 2 (odds ratio = 2.19 [95% CI = 1.93-2.49]). SLE treatment progression to biologics (0.54 [0.42-0.70]) was the strongest predictor of decreased odds. Other strong predictors included other neurological disorders (1.63 [1.43-1.87]), Black race (1.49 [1.32-1.68]), chronic kidney disease/renal failure (1.35 [1.10-1.66]), and opioid use (1.30 [1.17-1.45]). CART modeling identified patients with an ED visit, an IP admission, and a diagnosis of Elixhauser Comorbidity Index-defined other neurological disorders in year 1 as having the highest probability of a flare-related IP/ED visit in year 2 (probability = 0.708), whereas patients without an ED visit had the lowest probability (probability = 0.185).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with the highest risk of a flare that required an IP/ED visit were those with a prior ED visit, IP admission, and other neurological disorders. Modeling also identified patients with prior opioid use, Black patients, and patients without SLE medications as subgroups with a high risk of a flare requiring an IP/ED visit.

Meningococcal serogroup B vaccination series initiation in the United States: A real-world claims data analysis

In the United States (US), meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccination has been recommended for 16-23-year-olds (preferably 16-18 years) based on shared clinical decision-making since 2015. MenB vaccine coverage (≥1 dose) by age 17 years has been reported, but initiation at older ages and by insurance type is unknown. In this retrospective cohort study, MarketScan claims data were analyzed to assess MenB vaccine series initiation (i.e. receipt of a first dose) during 2017-2020 among US commercially insured and Medicaid-covered individuals aged 16-18 and 19-23 years. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated to estimate series initiation at various times from index (latest of 1/1/2017 or 16^th/19^th birthday, depending on the cohort). Multivariable analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with series initiation. Among 1,450,354 Commercial and 1,140,977 Medicaid 16-18-year-olds, MenB vaccine series initiation rates within 3 years of each person's first eligibility were estimated to be 33% and 20%, respectively; among 1,857,628 Commercial and 747,483 Medicaid 19-23-year-olds, 3% and 1%, respectively. Factors identified to be significantly associated with increased likelihood of initiating a MenB vaccine series included co-administration of meningococcal serogroups ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine, younger age, female sex, nonwhite race (Medicaid only), New England or Middle Atlantic location (Commercial only), urban residence, and previous influenza vaccination. MenB vaccine series initiation among the studied US adolescents and young adults was low. There is a need for continued efforts to better understand barriers to the uptake of vaccines that are recommended based on shared clinical decision-making.

Increasing Rates of RSV Hospitalization among Preterm Infants: A Decade of Data

OBJECTIVE

In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) changed its policy on the use of respiratory syncytial virus immunoprophylaxis (RSV-IP) so that RSV-IP was no longer recommended for use among infants without other medical conditions born >29 weeks of gestational age (wGA). This study examines 10-year trends in RSV-IP and RSV hospitalizations among term infants and preterm infants born at 29 to 34 wGA, including the 5 RSV seasons before and 5 RSV seasons after the AAP guidance change.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective observational cohort study of a convenience sample of infants less than 6 months of age during RSV season (November-March) born between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2019, who were born at 29 to 34 wGA (preterm) or >37 wGA (term) in the IBM MarketScan Commercial and Multi-State Medicaid databases. We excluded infants with medical conditions that would independently qualify them for RSV-IP. We identified RSV-IP utilization along with RSV and all-cause bronchiolitis hospitalizations during each RSV season. A difference-in-difference model was used to determine if there was a significant change in the relative rate of RSV hospitalizations following the 2014 policy change.

RESULTS

There were 53,535 commercially insured and 85,099 Medicaid-insured qualifying preterm infants and 1,111,670 commercially insured and 1,492,943 Medicaid-insured qualifying term infants. Following the 2014 policy change, RSV-IP utilization decreased for all infants, while hospitalization rates tended to increase for preterm infants. Rate ratios comparing preterm to term infants also increased. The relative rate for RSV hospitalization for infants born at 29 to 34 wGA increased significantly for both commercially and Medicaid-insured infants (1.95, 95% CI: 1.67-2.27, p <0.001; 1.70, 95% CI: 1.55-1.86, p <0.001, respectively). Findings were similar for all-cause bronchiolitis hospitalizations.

CONCLUSION

We found that the previously identified increase in RSV hospitalization rates among infants born at 29 to 34 wGA persisted for at least 5 years following the policy change.

KEY POINTS

· Immunoprophylaxis rates decreased after the 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines update.. · Rate of RSV hospitalization increased among preterm infants after the 2014 AAP guidelines update.. · Increase in RSV hospitalization persisted for at least 5 years after AAP guidelines update..

Real-world analysis of cost, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in the US

OBJECTIVES

To describe real-world characteristics and treatment patterns of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (mCSCC).

METHODS

This retrospective observational study used MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental claims databases (1/1/2013-7/31/2019). Adult patients with mCSCC who initiated non-immunotherapy systemic treatment (i.e. index event) between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2018 were assessed for treatment patterns, all-cause and CSCC-related healthcare resource utilization, costs, and mortality .

RESULTS

Overall, 207 patients were included in the study(mean age 64.8 years, 76.3% male), 59.4% had prior radiotherapy, and 58.9% had prior CSCC-related surgery. During follow-up, 75.8%, 51.7%, and 35.7% of patients received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy as first-line treatment, respectively. Cisplatin (32.9%) and carboplatin (22.7%) were the most common chemotherapy agents, and cetuximab (32.4%) was the most common targeted therapy during the first-line.Probability of death (95% CI) at month 6, year 1, and year 2 was 24% (16-32%), 50% (40 - 59%), and 67% (56 - 75%), respectively. Average CSCC-related healthcare costs were $5,354 per person per month (PPPM), with outpatient costs being the major cost driver at 96.4% ($5,160 PPPM).

CONCLUSION

During 2014-2018, patients with mCSCC were commonly treated with cisplatin and cetuximab; prognosis was generally poor. These results indicate opportunity for new treatments to improve survival outcomes.

Racial variation in healthcare resource utilization and expenditures in knee/hip osteoarthritis patients: a retrospective analysis of a Medicaid population

BACKGROUND

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability. Prior studies have documented racial disparities in the clinical management of OA. The objective of this study was to assess the racial variations in the economic burden of osteoarthritis within the Medicaid population.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective observational study using the MarketScan Multi-State Medicaid database (2012-2019). Newly diagnosed, adult, knee and/or hip OA patients were identified and followed for 24 months. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected at baseline; outcomes, including OA treatments and healthcare resource use (HCRU) and expenditures, were assessed during the 24-month follow-up. We compared baseline patient characteristics, use of OA treatments, and HCRU and costs in OA patients by race (White vs. Black; White vs. Other) and evaluated racial differences in healthcare costs while controlling for underlying differences. The multivariable models controlled for age, sex, population density, health plan type, presence of non-knee/hip OA, cardiovascular disease, low back pain, musculoskeletal pain, presence of moderate to severe OA, and any pre-diagnosis costs.

RESULTS

The cohort was 56.7% White, 39.9% Black and 3.4% of Other race (American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, two or more races and other). Most patients (93.8%) had pharmacologic treatment for OA. Inpatient admission during the 24-month follow-up period was lowest among Black patients (25.8%, p < .001 White vs. Black). In multivariable-adjusted models, mean all-cause expenditures were significantly higher in Black patients ($25,974) compared to White patients ($22,913, p < .001). There were no significant differences between White patients and patients of Other race ($22,352).

CONCLUSIONS

The higher expenditures among Black patients were despite a lower rate of inpatient admission in Black patients and comparable length and number of hospitalizations in Black and White patients, suggesting that other unmeasured factors may be driving the increased costs among Black OA patients.

Healthcare Costs Among Patients with Psoriasis Treated with Ixekizumab Versus Secukinumab in Real-World Settings Over 24 Months

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare healthcare costs between ixekizumab (IXE)-treated and secukinumab (SEC)-treated patients with psoriasis over a 24-month follow-up period in the United States.

METHODS

Patients with psoriasis diagnosis were identified from IBM Watson Health MarketScan^® Research Databases; those with one or more claim for index drug (IXE or SEC) between March 1, 2016 and October 31, 2019 were included. Included patients were ≥ 18 years old and had continuous enrollment with medical and pharmacy benefits ≥ 6 months before and ≥ 24 months after index date. Patients were classified as IXE or SEC users based on drug received at index. Per patient per month (PPPM) all-cause, psoriasis-related, and index drug costs for IXE and SEC users were estimated over 24 months of follow-up. Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) discount factors were applied to adjust pharmacy costs. Index drug costs were additionally adjusted for adherence. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to address cohort imbalances. Chi-square/t tests were used to compare IXE versus SEC users; p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Overall, 1461 patients (IXE users, n = 471; SEC users, n = 990) were included. IXE versus SEC users had higher weighted PPPM all-cause, psoriasis-related, and index drug costs (p ≤ 0.001). IXE versus SEC users had comparable ICER-adjusted mean PPPM all-cause costs (US$4172 ± 3349 vs US$3978 ± 2619; p = 0.227) and psoriasis-related costs (US$2950 ± 1332 vs US$2899 ± 1152; p = 0.447). After applying ICER and adherence adjustments, index drug costs were similar between IXE and SEC users (US$3794 ± 1822 vs US$3766 ± 1973; p = 0.795).

CONCLUSIONS

All-cause and psoriasis-related costs were comparable between IXE and SEC users after ICER adjustments; index drug costs were similar after ICER and adherence adjustments.

A Real-world Claims Data Analysis of Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccine Series Completion and Potential Missed Opportunities in the United States

BACKGROUND

In the United States, meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccination is recommended for 16-23-year-olds based on shared clinical decision-making. We estimated series completion among individuals initiating MenB vaccination for the 2 available vaccines: MenB 4-component (MenB-4C, doses at 0 and ≥1 month) and MenB factor H binding protein (MenB-FHbp, doses at 0 and 6 months).

METHODS

This retrospective health insurance claims data analysis included 16-23-year-olds who initiated MenB vaccination (index date) during January 2017 to November 2018 (MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database) or January 2017 to September 2018 (MarketScan Multi-State Medicaid Database) and had continuous enrollment for ≥6 months before and ≥15 months after index. The main outcome was MenB vaccine series completion within 15 months. Among noncompleters, preventive care/well-child and vaccine administrative office visits were identified as potential missed opportunities for series completion. Robust Poisson regression models identified independent predictors of series completion.

RESULTS

In the Commercial (n = 156,080) and Medicaid (n = 57,082) populations, series completion was 56.7% and 44.7%, respectively, and was higher among those who initiated MenB-4C versus MenB-FHbp (61.1% versus 49.8% and 47.8% versus 33.9%, respectively; both P < 0.001). Among noncompleters, 40.2% and 34.7% of the Commercial and Medicaid populations, respectively, had ≥1 missed opportunity for series completion. Receipt of MenB-4C and younger age were independently associated with a higher probability of series completion.

CONCLUSIONS

Series completion rates were suboptimal but were higher among those who initiated MenB-4C. To maximize the benefits of MenB vaccination, interventions to improve completion and reduce missed opportunities should be implemented.

Greater Adherence and Persistence with Injectable Dulaglutide Compared with Injectable Semaglutide at 1-Year Follow-up: Data from US Clinical Practice

PURPOSE

Greater medication adherence and persistence have been associated with improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study compared adherence, persistence, and treatment patterns among patients naïve to glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists initiating once-weekly injectable treatment with dulaglutide versus semaglutide over 6-month (6M) and 12-month (12M) follow-up periods.

METHODS

This retrospective, observational cohort study used administrative claims data from three IBM MarketScan research databases. Data from adult patients with type 2 diabetes newly initiating treatment with dulaglutide or semaglutide between January 2018 and January 2020 (index date was defined as the earliest fill date), without evidence of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist use in the 6M baseline period, and with continuous enrollment in the 6M baseline and 6M or 12M follow-up period were included. Dulaglutide initiators were propensity score-matched, in a 1:1 ratio, to semaglutide initiators in each 6M and 12M follow-up cohort (26,284 and 13,837 pairs, respectively).

FINDINGS

In the matched cohorts, baseline characteristics were balanced; the mean age was 53 years, and 50% of patients were women. Compared to semaglutide initiators, dulaglutide initiators were more adherent (6M, 63.4% vs 47.8%; 12M, 54.4% vs 43.3%; both, P < 0.0001), more persistent on therapy (6M, 72% vs 62%, 12M, 55.5% vs 45.3%, both, P < 0.001), and had more mean days of persistence (6M, 145 vs 132, 12M, 254.3 vs 220.7; both, P < 0.001).

IMPLICATIONS

At both 6M and 12M follow-up, dulaglutide initiators had significantly greater adherence and greater persistence compared with matched semaglutide initiators.

Healthcare resource utilization and costs among patients with psoriasis treated with ixekizumab or adalimumab over 2 years of follow-up in real-world settings

AIMS

To compare long-term healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs among patients who initiated ixekizumab (IXE) or adalimumab (ADA) for treatment of psoriasis in the United States.

METHODS

Adult patients with psoriasis who had ≥1 claim for IXE or ADA were identified from IBM MarketScan claims databases prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (1 March 2016-31 October 2019). The index date was the date of first claim for the index drug of interest. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was employed to balance treatment cohorts. All-cause and psoriasis-related HCRU and costs were examined for 24 months of follow-up. Costs were reported as per patient per month. Costs of psoriasis-related biologics were adjusted using published Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) discount factors. Index drug costs were adjusted for adherence and ICER discount rates.

RESULTS

The analyses included 407 IXE and 2,702 ADA users. IXE users had significantly higher inpatient admission rate (all-cause HCRU: 14.9% vs. 11.0%; p =0.012) and greater mean length of stay per admission (days, 6.6 vs. 4.1; p =0.004) than ADA users. ICER-adjusted costs were significantly higher in IXE than ADA users (all-cause costs: $4,132 vs. $3,610; p <0.001; psoriasis-related costs $3,077 vs. $2,700; p <0.001). After adjusting for ICER and adherence, IXE and ADA drug costs were comparable ($3,636 vs. $3,677; p =0.714).

LIMITATIONS

Study relied on administrative claims data, subjected to data coding limitations and data entry errors. Rebates, patient assistance programs, and commission to wholesalers are not always captured in claims. Adjustment made by ICER discount factors may lead to double-discounting if the discounts have been applied in claim payments.

CONCLUSIONS

All-cause HCRU was higher in IXE than ADA users. Healthcare costs were also higher in IXE than ADA users after ICER adjustment, over 24 months. Cost differences were largely driven by higher treatment adherence associated with IXE. Index drug costs were comparable after ICER and adherence adjustments.

Comparison of Real-World Treatment Patterns Among Biologic-Experienced Patients with Psoriasis Treated with Ixekizumab or Secukinumab Over 18 Months

Introduction

Real-world data comparing effectiveness of ixekizumab (IXE) and secukinumab (SEC) among biologic-experienced patients are limited. This study compared treatment patterns over 18 months among biologic-experienced patients with psoriasis receiving IXE or SEC in the USA.

Methods

A retrospective observational study using administrative claims data from IBM^® Watson Health MarketScan^® Research Databases included adult patients with ≥ 1 inpatient or ≥ 2 non-diagnostic (≥ 30 days apart) outpatient claim/s with diagnosis of psoriasis between March 1, 2015 and October 31, 2019, and ≥ 1 claim/s for index drugs, IXE or SEC, between March 1, 2016 and October 31, 2019. Patients had to have ≥ 1 claim/s for biologics indicated for psoriasis in the 6-month pre-period. During the 18-month follow-up, treatment adherence (proportion of days covered [PDC]), high adherence (PDC ≥ 80%), persistence, discontinuation, reinitiation, and switching were assessed. To address cohort imbalances, inverse probability of treatment weighting was employed. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio for high adherence. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratio for non-persistence, discontinuation, and switching.

Results

Overall, 411 IXE and 780 SEC users were included. After weighting, IXE users had significantly higher rate of high treatment adherence (42% vs. 35%, p = 0.019), higher persistence rate (44.9% vs. 36.9%, p = 0.007), lower discontinuation rate (48.4% vs. 56.0%, p = 0.012), and lower switching rate (26.6% vs. 34.0%, p = 0.009) compared with SEC users. After multivariable adjustment, compared with SEC, IXE use was associated with 36% higher odds of high treatment adherence (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.05–1.74), 20% lower risk of treatment non-persistence (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68–0.93), 19% lower risk of discontinuation (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68–0.96), and 25% lower risk of switching (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60–0.93).

Conclusion

This study suggests that IXE treatment is associated with significantly higher adherence rates and significantly lower non-persistence, discontinuation, and switching compared with SEC treatment.

Association of physician specialty with psoriatic arthritis treatment and costs

OBJECTIVES

To describe current psoriatic arthritis treatment and costs by provider specialty using real-world claims data.

STUDY DESIGN

Observational, retrospective cohort study of patients in the IBM MarketScan Commercial and supplemental Medicare databases.

METHODS

Eligible patients had newly diagnosed psoriatic arthritis with 12 months of continuous enrollment pre- and post index date for their initial claim. Patients were assigned to 1 of 5 provider specialty cohorts. During the 1-year follow-up period, we collected psoriatic arthritis treatment agent and regimen type and total annual medical and health care costs. We used multivariate regression models to determine the conditional associations of provider specialty with costs.

RESULTS

A total of 2132 patients with incident psoriatic arthritis qualified. Most providers were rheumatologists (n = 1365; 64%). Rheumatologists commonly prescribed oral small molecules (methotrexate, 56.3% of prescriptions; sulfasalazine, 8.6%; apremilast, 7.0%) as the index therapy, whereas 23.8% of prescriptions were for tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (adalimumab, 14.2%; etanercept, 7.9%; and infliximab, 1.7%). Compared with other specialists, dermatologists prescribed biologics and other specialty drugs more frequently-adalimumab (32.7%), apremilast (14.3%), etanercept (11.6%), and ustekinumab (8.8%)-and methotrexate less frequently (30.6%). The greatest unadjusted median health care costs were observed among dermatologists ($45,548) compared with rheumatologists ($30,411), primary care physicians ($29,927), rheumatologists/dermatologists ($27,393), and other specialists ($27,774). However, after adjusting for patient-level factors, multivariate regression analyses found that provider specialty was not associated with higher health care costs.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with newly diagnosed psoriatic arthritis, physician specialty was associated with different medication choices but not costs.

Exploration of machine learning techniques to examine the journey to neuroendocrine tumor diagnosis with real-world data

Aim: Machine learning reveals pathways to neuroendocrine tumor (NET) diagnosis. Patients & methods: Patients with NET and age-/gender-matched non-NET controls were retrospectively selected from MarketScan claims. Predictors (e.g., procedures, symptoms, conditions for which NET is misdiagnosed) were examined during a 5-year pre-period to understand presence of and time to NET diagnosis using conditional inference trees. Results: Among 3460 patients with NET, 70% had a prior misdiagnosis. 10,370 controls were included. Decision trees revealed combinations of factors associated with a high probability of being a patient with NET (e.g., abdominal pain, an endoscopic/biopsy procedure, vomiting) or longer times to diagnosis (e.g., asthma diagnosis with visits to >6 providers). Conclusion: Decision trees provided a unique examination of the journey to NET diagnosis.

Increased health care costs associated with new persistent opioid use after major surgery in opioid-naive patients

BACKGROUND: Opioid use after surgery is associated with increased health care utilization and costs. Although some studies show that surgical patients may later become persistent opioid users, data on the association between new persistent opioid use after surgery and health care utilization and costs are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To compare health care utilization and costs after major inpatient or METHODS: The IBM MarketScan Research databases were used to identify opioid-naive patients with major inpatient or outpatient surgeries and at least 1 year of continuous enrollment before and after this index surgery. Cohorts were stratified by new persistent opioid utilization status, setting of surgery (inpatient, outpatient), and payer (commercial, Medicare, Medicaid). Patients were considered new persistent opioid users if they had at least 1 opioid claim 4-90 days after index surgery and at least 1 opioid claim 91-180 days after index surgery. Patients with opioid prescription claims between 1 year and 15 days before their index event were excluded. Health care utilization and costs (excluding index surgery) were measured in the 1-year period after surgery. Predicted costs and cost ratios were estimated using multivariable log-linked gamma-family generalized linear models. RESULTS: In the inpatient cohorts, 827,583 commercial, 186,154 Medicare, and 104,734 Medicaid patients were included in the study, and the incidence of new persistent opioid use in these cohorts was 4.1%, 5.6%, and 7.1%, respectively. In the outpatient cohorts, 1,542,565 commercial, 390,876 Medicare, and 94,878 Medicaid patients were selected, with 2.0%, 1.5%, and 6.4% new persistent opioid use, respectively. Across all 3 payers in both surgical settings, patients with new persistent opioid use had a higher comorbidity burden and more use of concomitant medications in the baseline period. In the 1-year period after index surgery, patients with new persistent opioid use had more inpatient admissions, emergency department visits, and ambulance/paramedic service use than patients without persistent use, regardless of payer and setting. Patients with new persistent opioid use had approximately 5 times more opioid prescriptions and also had more nonopioid pharmacy claims than those without persistent use across all cohorts. After covariate adjustment, predicted 1-year total health care costs were significantly higher for patients with new persistent opioid use compared with those without persistent use for all comparisons (commercial inpatient: $29,499 vs. $11,798; Medicare inpatient: $34,455 vs. $21,313; Medicaid inpatient: $14,622 vs. $6,678; commercial outpatient: $18,751 vs. $7,517; Medicare outpatient ($26,411 vs. $13,577; Medicaid outpatient: $12,381 vs. $6,784; all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: New persistent opioid use after major surgery in opioid-naive patients is associated with increased health care utilization and costs in the year after surgery across all surgical settings and payers. DISCLOSURES: Funding for this study was provided by Heron Therapeutics, which participated in analysis and interpretation of data, drafting, reviewing, and approving the publication. All authors contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data and development of the publication and maintained control over the final content. England and Evans-Shields are employees of Heron Therapeutics. Kong, Lew, Zimmerman, and Henriques are employees of IBM Watson Health, which was compensated by Heron Therapeutics for conducting this research. Brummett is a paid consultant for Heron Therapeutics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Alosa Health and provides expert testimony. He further reports receipt of research funding from MDHHS (Sub K Michigan Open), NIDA (Centralized Pain Opioid Non-Responsiveness R01 DA038261-05), NIH0DHHS-US-16 PAF 07628 (R01 NR017096-05), NIH-DHHS (P50 AR070600-05 CORT), NIH-DHHS-US (K23 DA038718-04), NIH-DHHS-US-16-PAF06270 (R01 HD088712-05), NIH-DHHS-US-17-PAF02680 (R01 DA042859-05), and UM Michigan Genomics Initiative and holds a patent for peripheral perineural dexmedetomidine. Sun reports funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K08DA042314) as well as consulting fees from the Mission Lisa Foundation that are unrelated to this work.

Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Cardiopulmonary Responses and Predictors of Change in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of aerobic exercise on maximal and submaximal cardiopulmonary responses and predictors of change in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD).

DESIGN

Single-center, parallel-group, rater-blind study.

SETTING

Research laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals with mild to moderate PD (N=100).

INTERVENTION

Participants were enrolled in a trial evaluating the effect of cycling on PD and randomized to either voluntary exercise (VE), forced exercise (FE), or a no exercise control group. The exercise groups were time and intensity matched and exercised 3×/wk for 8 weeks on a stationary cycle.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Cardiopulmonary responses were collected via gas analysis during a maximal graded exercise test at baseline and post intervention.

RESULTS

Exercise attendance was 97% and 93% for the FE and VE group, respectively. Average exercise heart rate reserve was 67%±11% for FE and 70%±10% for VE. No significant difference was present for change in peak oxygen consumption (VO₂peak) post intervention, even though the FE group had a 5% increase in VO₂peak. Both the FE and VE groups had significantly higher percentage oxygen consumption per unit time (V˙o₂) at ventilator threshold (VT) than the control group compared with baseline values (P=.04). Mean V˙O₂ at VT was 5% (95% CI, 0.1%-11%) higher in the FE group (P=.04) and 7% (2%, 12%) higher in VE group compared with controls. A stepwise linear regression model revealed that lower age, higher exercise cadence, and lower baseline VO₂peak were most predictive of improved VO₂peak. The overall model was found to be significant (P<.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Peak and submaximal cardiopulmonary function may improve after aerobic exercise in individuals with PD. Lower age, higher exercise cadence, and lower baseline VO₂peak were most predictive of improved VO₂peak in this exercise cohort. The improvements observed in aerobic capacity were gained after a relatively short aerobic cycling intervention.

Systemic Corticosteroid-Related Complications and Costs in Adults with Persistent Asthma

BACKGROUND

Systemic corticosteroids (SCS) may cause complications for patients with asthma.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to better understand the burden of SCS use in persistent asthma, including health care costs.

METHODS

Adult patients with persistent asthma were identified in the IBM MarketScan Databases from January 2003 to July 2016. The index date was set as the first SCS prescription for SCS users or an algorithm-matched date for non-SCS users. Patients were required to have ≥1 year of data before and after the index date. Based on the number of SCS claims in the first year after index, patients were categorized into 3 SCS groups: 0 SCS claims, 1 to 3 claims, and 4+ claims. Inverse probability of treatment weights were applied to adjust for differences between SCS and non-SCS users. Analyses included weighted and multivariate modeling to assess SCS-related complications and costs during a 3-year follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 86,786 SCS users (1-3 claims: 76,690; 4+ claims: 10,096) and 91,409 non-SCS users were included; 45% remained 3 years after index. In multivariate analysis, the 3-year risk of developing any chronic complication was 6% greater for those with 1 to 3 claims and 26% greater for those with 4+ claims compared with non-SCS users (P < .001). Multivariate-adjusted health care costs over 3 years were significantly greater as 4+ users incurred $22,311 greater total costs, $4627 greater asthma-related costs, and $2647 greater chronic complication-related costs than non-SCS users (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, adults with persistent asthma receiving SCS treatment had greater odds of complications and greater associated costs over 3 years than matched non-SCS asthma patients.

The next generation of current measurement for ionization chambers

Re-entrant ionization chambers (ICs) are essential to radionuclide metrology and nuclear medicine for maintaining standards and measuring half-lives. The requirements of top-level metrology demand that systems must be precise and stable to 0.1 % over many years, and linear from 10^-14 A to 10^-8 A. Thus, laboratories depend on bespoke current measurement systems and often rely on sealed sources to generate reference currents. To maintain and improve present capabilities, metrologists need to overcome two looming challenges: ageing electronics and decreasing availability of sealed sources. Possible solutions using Ultrastable Low-Noise Current Amplifiers (ULCAs), resistive-feedback electrometers, and (quantum) single-electron pumps are reviewed. Broader discussions of IC design and methodology are discussed. ULCAs show promise and resistive-feedback systems which take advantage of standard resistor calibrations offer an alternative.

Matched cohort study of healthcare resource utilization and costs in young children of mothers with postpartum depression in the United States

Objective: To assess healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs in children of mothers with and without postpartum depression (PPD).Methods: Administrative claims data from the IBM Watson Health MarketScan Databases (2010-2016) were used. Women with live births (index date = delivery date) were identified and linked to their newborns. The mother-child pairs were divided into PPD and non-PPD exposure cohorts based on claims for depression, mood or adjustment disorders, or anxiety identified in the mother between 15 and 365 days after delivery. Mother-child pairs with PPD exposure were propensity score matched 1:3 to mother-child pairs without PPD exposure. Children were required to have 24 months of continuous health plan enrolment following delivery. Additional comparisons were performed between mother-child pairs with and without preterm delivery.Results: Overall, 33,314 mother-child pairs with PPD exposure were propensity score matched to 102,364 mother-child pairs without PPD exposure. During the 24-month follow-up period, HRU across most service categories was significantly higher among children in the PPD exposure cohort than non-PPD exposure cohort. Among outpatient services, the percentages of children with a physician specialist service (68% versus 64%), early-intervention screening (40% versus 37%), and an emergency room visit (48% versus 42%) were greater in children of mothers with PPD (all p < .001). Furthermore, children of mothers with PPD incurred 12% higher total healthcare costs in the first 24 months of life compared to children of mothers without PPD ($24,572 versus $21,946; p < .001). After excluding mothers with preterm delivery, the proportion of children with ER visits, physician specialist services, and outpatient pharmacy claims was significantly higher in the PPD exposure cohort than non-PPD exposure cohort (all p < .001).Conclusion: The results of this analysis suggest that HRU and costs over the first 24 months of life in children of mothers with PPD exceeded that of children of mothers without evidence of PPD.

Comparison of Real-World Treatment Patterns Among Psoriasis Patients Treated with Ixekizumab or Adalimumab

BACKGROUND

There is lack of real-world treatment pattern comparison data between ixekizumab and adalimumab which are approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE

To compare real-world treatment patterns among psoriasis patients initiating ixekizumab or adalimumab in the United States.

METHODS

Psoriasis patients with ≥1 claim for ixekizumab or adalimumab between March 1, 2016, and May 31, 2018, were identified (index date = date of first ixekizumab or adalimumab claim) from the IBM Watson Health MarketScan^® databases. Patients were required to be continuously enrolled for ≥12 months before the index date and followed for a minimum of 6 months until inpatient death, enrollment end, or study end, whichever occurred first. Treatment persistence, adherence, discontinuation, restart, and switching were analyzed. Inverse probability of treatment weighting and multivariable regression modeling were employed to address cohort imbalances and estimate the adjusted risk of non-persistence, discontinuation, and switching, and the odds of adherence.

RESULTS

A total of 646 ixekizumab and 3668 adalimumab users were included and followed for a mean of 14.0 and 16.5 months, respectively. Compared to adalimumab, ixekizumab was associated with 19% lower risk of non-persistence (hazard ratio [HR]=0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.95), 26% lower risk of discontinuation (HR=0.74, 95% CI: 0.62-0.88), and 28% lower risk of switching (HR=0.72, 95% CI: 0.57-0.91). Ixekizumab users had higher odds of medication possession ratio ≥80% (odds ratio [OR]=1.36, 95% CI: 1.10-1.69) but similar odds by proportion of days covered ≥80% (OR=1.22, 95% CI: 0.98-1.53).

CONCLUSION

Psoriasis patients treated with ixekizumab demonstrated longer persistency, higher adherence and were less likely to discontinue or switch treatment compared to adalimumab users. However, while patients achieving highly adherent threshold significantly differed by MPR ≥80%, it did not by PDC ≥80%; hence, further analysis using fixed-length follow-up is required.

Comparison of Health Care Costs Among Patients with Psoriasis Initiating Ixekizumab, Secukinumab, or Adalimumab

BACKGROUND

As more biologics become available for the treatment of psoriasis (PsO), there is a lack of direct comparisons of health care costs between patients who are treated by different medications, including ixekizumab (IXE), secukinumab (SEC), and adalimumab (ADA).

OBJECTIVE

To compare the real-world health care costs of patients with PsO initiating IXE with those of patients initiating either SEC or ADA.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with PsO between July 1, 2015, and May 31, 2018, were identified from the IBM MarketScan commercial and Medicare databases. Two weighted patient sample sets were constructed based on drug claims between March 1, 2016, and May 31, 2018: IXE versus SEC and IXE versus ADA. Within each sample, the first claim of eligible drugs was set as the index date. Patients were aged ≥ 18 years and had ≥ 12 months of continuous eligibility before and after the index date. Patients with other indications for the index drug in the preperiod or with use of the index drug within 90 days before the index date were excluded. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was employed to balance cohorts. All-cause and PsO-related health care costs per member per month (PMPM) incurred during the 12-month follow-up period were assessed. Monthly PsO-related pharmacy costs were adjusted using drug discount rates published by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). Annual index drug costs were estimated by adjusting for medication possession ratio and ICER discount rates. All costs were weighted by IPTW.

RESULTS

Two study samples were identified: 357 IXE users were compared with 763 SEC users, and 388 IXE users were separately compared with 2,578 ADA users. Before weighting, IXE users were demographically and clinically similar to SEC users but were older and had worse health status than ADA users. Cohorts were balanced postweighting. After weighting, mean monthly all-cause health care costs were $7,313 and $6,477 (P = 0.002) and mean PsO-related costs were $6,303 and $5,437 (P < 0.001), for IXE and SEC users, respectively. Similarly, mean monthly all-cause health care costs were $6,535 and $5,557 (P = 0.026) and mean PsO-related costs were $5,792 and $4,754 (P = 0.017), for IXE and ADA users, respectively. After applying ICER adjustments, mean monthly PsO-related costs were comparable between groups: $3,637/IXE versus $3,443/SEC (P = 0.132) and $3,320/IXE versus $3,287/ADA (P = 0.907).

CONCLUSIONS

After adjusting for drug discount programs (through application of ICER discount rate), this real-world study estimated that average monthly PsO-related costs during the first year of treatment were similar between patients treated with IXE compared with those treated with SEC or ADA.

DISCLOSURES

Funding for this study was provided to IBM Watson Health by Eli Lilly and Company. The analysis was conducted independently by IBM Watson Health. Eli Lilly and Company and IBM Watson Health collaborated on study design and interpretation of results. Shi, Lew, and Zimmerman were employed by IBM Watson Health and received funding from Eli Lilly and Company to conduct this study. Zhu, Burge, Malatestinic, Lin, Goldblum, and Murage were employed by Eli Lilly and Company while this study was conducted. Blauvelt has served as a scientific adviser and/or clinical study investigator for AbbVie, Aclaris, Akros, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Arena, Athenex, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly and Company, FLX Bio, Galderma, Genentech/Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Leo, Meiji, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Pfizer, Purdue Pharma, Regeneron, Revance, Sandoz, Sanofi Genzyme, Sienna Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma, UCB Pharma, Valeant, and Vidac, and as a paid speaker for AbbVie, Regeneron, and Sanofi Genzyme. A portion of these results were presented at the 2019 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Annual Meeting; May 18-22, 2019; New Orleans, LA, and the 2019 Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Annual Meeting; March 25-28, 2019; San Diego, CA.

Health Care Burden Associated with Outpatient Opioid Use Following Inpatient or Outpatient Surgery

BACKGROUND

The treatment of postsurgical pain with prescription opioids has been associated with persistent opioid use and increased health care utilization and costs.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the health care burden between opioid-naive adult patients who were prescribed opioids after a major surgery and opioidnaive adult patients who were not prescribed opioids.

METHODS

Administrative claims data from the IBM Watson Health MarketScan Research Databases for 2010-2016 were used. Opioid-naive adult patients who underwent major inpatient or outpatient surgery and who had at least 1 year of continuous enrollment before and after the index surgery date were eligible for inclusion. Cohorts were defined based on an opioid pharmacy claim between 7 days before index surgery and 1 year after index surgery (opioid use during surgery and inpatient use were not available). To ensure an opioid-naive population, patients with opioid claims between 365 and 8 days before surgery were excluded. Acute medical outcomes, opioid utilization, health care utilization, and costs were measured during the post-index period (index surgery hospitalization and day of index outpatient surgery not included). Predicted costs were estimated from multivariable log-linked gamma-generalized linear models.

RESULTS

The final sample consisted of 1,174,905 opioid-naive patients with an inpatient surgery (73% commercial, 20% Medicare, 7% Medicaid) and 2,930,216 opioid-naive patients with an outpatient surgery (74% commercial, 23% Medicare, and 3% Medicaid). Opioid use after discharge was common among all 3 payer types but was less common among Medicare patients (63% inpatient/43% outpatient) than patients with commercial (80% inpatient/75% outpatient) or Medicaid insurance (86% inpatient/81% outpatient). Across all 3 payers, opioid users were younger, were more likely to be female, and had a higher preoperative comorbidity burden than nonopioid users. In unadjusted analyses, opioid users tended to have more hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and pharmacy claims. Adjusted predicted 1-year post-period total health care costs were significantly higher (P< 0.001) for opioid users than nonopioid users for commercial insurance (inpatient: $22,209 vs. $14,439; outpatient: $13,897 vs. $8,825), Medicare (inpatient: $31,721 vs. $26,761; outpatient: $24,529 vs. $15,225), and Medicaid (inpatient: $13,512 vs. $9,204; outpatient: $11,975 vs. $8,212).

CONCLUSIONS

Filling an outpatient opioid prescription (vs. no opioid prescription) in the 1 year after inpatient or outpatient surgery was associated with increased health care utilization and costs across all payers.

DISCLOSURES

Funding for this study was provided by Heron Therapeutics, which participated in analysis and interpretation of data, drafting, reviewing, and approving the publication. All authors contributed to the development of the publication and maintained control over the final content. Brummett is a paid consultant for Heron Therapeutics and Recro Pharma and reports receipt of research funding from MDHHS (Sub K Michigan Open), NIDA (Centralized Pain Opioid Non-Responsiveness R01 DA038261-05), NIH0DHHS-US-16 PAF 07628 (R01 NR017096-05), NIH-DHHS (P50 AR070600-05 CORT), NIH-DHHS-US (K23 DA038718-04), NIH-DHHS-US-16-PAF06270 (R01 HD088712-05), NIH-DHHS-US-17-PAF02680 (R01 DA042859-05), and UM Michigan Genomics Initiative and holding a patent for peripheral perineural dexmedetomidine. Oderda is a paid consultant for Heron Therapeutics. Pawasauskas is a paid consultant to Heron Therapeutics and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. England and Evans-Shields are employees of Heron Therapeutics. Kong, Lew, Zimmerman, and Henriques are employees of IBM Watson Health, which was compensated by Heron Therapeutics for conducting this research. Portions of this work were presented as a poster at the AMCP Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting 2019; March 25-28, 2019; San Diego, CA.

Reduced Left Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain Predicts Prolonged Hospitalization: A Cohort Analysis of Patients Having Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery

BACKGROUND

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is often preserved in patients with aortic stenosis and thus cannot distinguish between normal myocardial contractile function and subclinical dysfunction. Global longitudinal strain and strain rate (SR), which measure myocardial deformation, are robust indicators of myocardial function and can detect subtle myocardial dysfunction that is not apparent with conventional echocardiographic measures. Strain and SR may better predict postoperative outcomes than LVEF. The primary aim of our investigation was to assess the association between global longitudinal strain and serious postoperative outcomes in patients with aortic stenosis having aortic valve replacement. Secondarily, we also assessed the associations between global longitudinal SR and LVEF and the outcomes.

METHODS

In this post hoc analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial (NCT01187329), we examined the association between measures of myocardial function and the following outcomes: (1) need for postoperative inotropic/vasopressor support; (2) prolonged hospitalization (>7 days); and (3) postoperative atrial fibrillation. Standardized transesophageal echocardiographic examinations were performed after anesthetic induction. Myocardial deformation was measured using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations between measures of myocardial function and outcomes, adjusted for potential confounding factors. The predictive ability of global longitudinal strain, SR, and LVEF was assessed as area under receiver operating characteristics curves (AUCs).

RESULTS

Of 100 patients enrolled in the clinical trial, 86 patients with aortic stenosis had acceptable images for global longitudinal strain analysis. Primarily, worse intraoperative global longitudinal strain was associated with prolonged hospitalization (odds ratio [98.3% confidence interval], 1.22 [1.01-1.47] per 1% decrease [absolute value] in strain; P = .012), but not with other outcomes. Secondarily, worse global longitudinal SR was associated with prolonged hospitalization (odds ratio [99.7% confidence interval], 1.68 [1.01-2.79] per 0.1 second(-1) decrease [absolute value] in SR; P = .003), but not other outcomes. LVEF was not associated with any outcomes. Global longitudinal SR was the best predictor for prolonged hospitalization (AUC, 0.72), followed by global longitudinal strain (AUC, 0.67) and LVEF (AUC, 0.62).

CONCLUSIONS

Global longitudinal strain and SR are useful predictors of prolonged hospitalization in patients with aortic stenosis having an aortic valve replacement.

Are perioperative therapeutic doses of statins associated with postoperative pain and opioid consumption after hip surgery under spinal anaesthesia?

Background

The anti-inflammatory effects of statins have been suggested to relieve postoperative pain. This retrospective study tested the association between the perioperative routine use of statins in therapeutic doses, and opioid requirements and pain scores, after hip replacement surgery.

Methods

With IRB approval, data was obtained for adult patients who had elective hip replacement surgery under spinal anaesthesia at Cleveland Clinic between 2005 and 2015. Patients were compared using a joint hypothesis framework. We used the inverse probability of treatment weighting method to control for observed confounding factors (a total of 26).

Results

We included 611 statin users and 780 non-statin users. Pain score during the initial 72 h after surgery was 0.07 higher (95% CI: -0.02, 0.17) in statin users (noninferiority test in both directions P<0.001). The estimated ratio of geometric means in the cumulative i.v. morphine equivalent opioid consumption was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.93, 1.10) for statin vs non-statin users (noninferiority test P=0.001 in the hypothesized direction and<0.001 in the other direction) during the initial 72 h after surgery. The statin and non-statin patients were deemed equivalent on postoperative opioid consumption and pain score.

Conclusions

This is the first large retrospective clinical study that investigates the effects of statin use on postoperative pain and opioid consumption. We observed no difference between statin users and non-users during the initial 72 h after hip surgery. Our findings do not support the routine use of statins as part of an analgesic regimen.

A technology-enabled electronic incident report to document and facilitate management of sport concussion: A cohort study of youth and young adults

Despite the widespread awareness of concussion across all levels of sport, the management of concussion from youth to college is inconsistent and fragmented. A fundamental gap contributing to inconsistent care is the lack of a scalable, systematic approach to document initial injury characteristics following concussion. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in injury profiles and management of youth, high school, and college athletes using a mobile application for incident report documentation.A cohort study was conducted in which concussion electronic incident report data from 46 high schools and colleges, and Cleveland Clinic ambulatory concussion clinics were gathered and analyzed.In sum, 1421 (N = 88 youth, N = 1171 high school and N = 162 college) athletes with sport-related concussions were included.Despite the relative absence of red flags, youth athletes had a greater probability of being sent to the emergency department than high school and collegiate athletes. Over 60% of athletes were removed from play immediately post-injury. Injury recognition was delayed in 25% of athletes due to delayed symptom reporting (20% of males, 16% of females) or delayed symptom onset (5% of males, 9% of females). A significantly greater incidence of red flags was evident in males, and in high school and collegiate athletes compared to youth athletes.The high frequency of youth athletes sent to the emergency department, despite the absence of red flags, may be a reflection of inadequate medical coverage at youth events, ultimately resulting in unnecessary utilization of emergency medicine services. The relatively high incidence of delayed injury reporting implies that additional educational efforts targeting student-athletes and the utilization of resources to improve injury detection are warranted. The systematic collection of injury-related demographics through the electronic mobile application facilitated interdisciplinary communication and improved the efficiency of managing athletes with concussion.

Combined Aerobic Exercise and Task Practice Improve Health-Related Quality of Life Poststroke: A Preliminary Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this project was to determine the effects of lower extremity aerobic exercise coupled with upper extremity repetitive task practice (RTP) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and depressive symptomology in individuals with chronic stroke.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of data from 2 randomized controlled trials.

SETTING

Research laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals (N=40) with chronic stroke.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants received one of the following interventions: forced exercise+RTP (FE+RTP, n=16), voluntary exercise+RTP (VE+RTP, n=16), or stroke education+RTP (EDU+RTP, n=8). All groups completed 24 sessions, each session lasting 90 minutes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) were used to assess depressive symptomology and HRQOL.

RESULTS

There were no significant group-by-time interactions for any of the SIS domains or composite scores. Examining the individual groups following the intervention, those in the FE+RTP and VE+RTP groups demonstrated significant improvements in the following SIS domains: strength, mobility, hand function, activities of daily living, and the physical composite. In addition, the FE+RTP group demonstrated significant improvements in memory, cognitive composite, and percent recovery from stroke. The HRQOL did not change in the EDU+RTP group. Although CES-D scores improved predominantly for those in the FE+RTP group, these improvements were not statistically significant. Overall, results were maintained at the 4-week follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Aerobic exercise, regardless of mode, preceding motor task practice may improve HRQOL in patients with stroke. The potential of aerobic exercise to improve cardiorespiratory endurance, motor outcomes, and HRQOL poststroke justifies its use to augment traditional task practice.

A Comparison of Global Longitudinal, Circumferential, and Radial Strain to Predict Outcomes After Cardiac Surgery

OBJECTIVE

Myocardial strain measured by speckle-tracking echocardiography detects subtle regional and global left ventricular dysfunction. Myocardial strain is measured in the longitudinal, circumferential, and radial dimensions; however, it is unclear which dimension of strain is the best predictor of postoperative outcomes.

DESIGN

A secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from a clinical trial (NCT01187329).

SETTING

The cardiothoracic surgical operating rooms of an academic tertiary-care center.

PARTICIPANTS

Cardiothoracic surgery patients with aortic stenosis having aortic valve replacement (AVR) with or without coronary artery bypass grafting enrolled in a clinical trial.

INTERVENTIONS

Myocardial deformation analysis from standardized investigative transesophageal echocardiographic examinations performed after induction of anesthesia.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The authors compared the ability of intraoperative global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), and global radial strain (GRS) strain to predict adverse postoperative outcomes, including prolonged hospitalization and the need for pharmacologic hemodynamic support after cardiac surgery. The association of GLS, GCS, and GRS with prolonged hospitalization (>7 days) and the need for pharmacologic hemodynamic support, with epinephrine or norepinephrine after cardiopulmonary bypass, were assessed using separate multivariable logistic regression models with adjustment for multiple comparisons. Of 100 patients, 86 had acceptable measurements for GLS analysis, 73 for GCS, and 72 for GRS. Worse GLS was associated with prolonged hospitalization [odds ratio [OR] (98.3% confidence interval [CI]) of 1.21 (1.01-1.46) per-unit worsening in strain (p = 0.01, significance criterion <0.0167)] and the need for inotropic support with epinephrine [OR (99.2% CI) of 1.81 (1.10-2.97) per-unit worsening in strain (p = 0.002, significance criterion <0.0083)], but not norepinephrine. GCS and GRS were not associated with adverse outcomes.

CONCLUSION

GLS, but not GCS or GRS, predicts prolonged hospitalization and the requirement for inotropic support with epinephrine after AVR.

Epidural compared with non-epidural analgesia and cardiopulmonary complications after colectomy: A retrospective cohort study of 20,880 patients using a national quality database

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Epidural analgesia may be associated with fewer postoperative complications and is associated with improved survival after colon cancer resection. This study used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to assess any association between epidural analgesia (versus non-epidural) and complications after colectomy.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

603 hospitals in the United States reporting data to NSQIP.

PATIENTS

From 2014-15 data, 4176 patients undergoing colectomy with records indicating epidural analgesia were matched 1:4 via propensity scores to 16,704 patients without.

INTERVENTIONS

None (observational study).

MEASUREMENTS

Primarily, we assessed the association between epidural analgesia and a composite of cardiopulmonary complications using an average relative effect generalized estimating equations model. Secondary outcomes included neurologic, renal, and surgical complications and length of hospitalization. Sensitivity analyses repeated the analyses on a subgroup of only open colectomies.

MAIN RESULTS

We found no association between epidural analgesia and the primary outcome: average relative effect (95% CI) 0.87 (0.68, 1.11); P = 0.25. We found no significant associations with any secondary outcomes. In the 8005 open colectomies, however, there was a significant association between epidural analgesia and fewer cardiopulmonary complications (average relative effect odds ratio [95% CI] of 0.58 [0.35, 0.95]; P = 0.03) and shortened hospital stay (HR for time to discharge [98.75% CI] of 1.10 [1.02, 1.18]; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found no overall association between epidural analgesia and reduced complications after colectomy. In open colectomies, however, epidural analgesia was associated with fewer cardiopulmonary complications and shorter hospitalization. This may inform analgesic choice when planning open colectomy.

Intravenous acetaminophen analgesia after cardiac surgery: A randomized, blinded, controlled superiority trial

BACKGROUND

Pain after cardiac surgery traditionally has been controlled by intravenous opioids and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. An intravenous analgesic with fewer adverse effects is needed. Therefore, we tested the primary hypothesis that intravenous acetaminophen is more effective than placebo for pain management, which was defined a priori as superior on either pain intensity score and/or opioid consumption and not worse on either.

METHODS

In this single-center, double-blind trial, 147 patients having cardiac surgery via median sternotomy were randomized to receive either 1 g of intravenous acetaminophen (73 patients) every 6 hours for 24 hours or comparable placebo (74 patients) starting in the operating room after sternal closure. Cumulative opioid consumption (in morphine equivalents) and pain intensity scores (on a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale) were measured at 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 hours after surgery. We estimated ratio of mean opioid consumption by using multivariable linear regression (noninferiority delta = 1.15) and pain score difference by using repeated measures regression (noninferiority delta = 1).

RESULTS

Acetaminophen was superior to placebo on mean pain intensity scores and noninferior on opioid consumption, with estimated difference in mean pain (95% confidence interval) of -0.90 (-1.39, -0.42), P < .001 (superior), and estimated ratio of means in opioid consumption (90% confidence interval) of 0.89 (0.73-1.10), P = .28 (noninferior; not superior).

CONCLUSIONS

Intravenous acetaminophen reduced pain after cardiac surgery, but not opioid consumption. Intravenous acetaminophen can be an effective analgesic adjunct in patients recovering from median sternotomy.

Pharyngeal Oxygen Insufflation During AirTraq Laryngoscopy Slows Arterial Desaturation in Infants and Small Children

BACKGROUND

The extent to which insufflation of oxygen into the posterior pharynx during laryngoscopy prolongs adequate saturation in infants and small children remains unknown. Therefore, we compared oxygen saturation over time in preoxygenated small children with and without posterior pharynx oxygen insufflation.

METHODS

After induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane and propofol, infants and small children were preoxygenated with 100% oxygen for 3 minutes. An AirTraq laryngoscope size 0 or 1 with an appropriately sized cuffed endotracheal tube positioned in the side channel was prepared. Oxygen tubing was connected to the endotracheal U-shaped tube. However, oxygen at a flow of 4 L/min was provided only to half of the randomly selected participating patients. The trachea was intubated, the tube cuff was inflated, and the laryngoscope was removed from the mouth. The oxygen tubing was disconnected from the endotracheal tube and left exposed to ambient air until oxygen saturation decreased to 95%. Thereafter, patients' lungs were manually ventilated with 100% oxygen until SpO2 returned to 100%. Subsequent anesthetic management was at the discretion of the attending anesthesiologist.

RESULTS

Laryngoscopy took a median of 60 (Q1-Q3, 40-90) seconds. The mean time to 95% oxygen saturation was (mean ± SD) 166 ± 47 seconds in the oxygen insufflation group and 131 ± 39 seconds in small children without insufflation. Oxygen insufflation prolonged the mean time for saturation to decrease from 100% to 95% by an estimated 35 (95% confidence interval, 10-60) seconds, P = 0.01.

CONCLUSIONS

Adding posterior pharyngeal oxygen insufflation to conventional preoxygenation prolonged the period of adequate oxygen saturation in infants and small children by an amount that is potentially clinically important.

Electrical conductivity of xenon at megabar pressures

The electrical transport properties of solid xenon were directly measured at pressures up to 155 GPa and temperatures from 300 K to 27 mK. The temperature dependence of resistance changed from semiconducting to metallic at pressures between 121 and 138 GPa, revealing direct proof of metallization of a rare-gas solid by electrical transport measurements. Anomalies in the conductivity are observed at low temperatures in the vicinity of the transition such that purely metallic behavior is observed only at 155 GPa over the entire temperature range.

A capacitance standard based on counting electrons

A capacitance standard based directly on the definition of capacitance was built. Single-electron tunneling devices were used to place N electrons of charge e onto a cryogenic capacitor C, and the resulting voltage change DeltaV was measured. Repeated measurements of C = Ne/DeltaV with this method have a relative standard deviation of 0.3 x 10(-6). This standard offers a natural basis for capacitance analogous to the Josephson effect for voltage and the quantum Hall effect for resistance.