Search

Context: Seriously ill patients, such as those who experience critical illness, and their families experience a variety of poor outcomes, including financial hardship. However, little is known about the ways in which these seriously ill patients and their families experience financial hardship., Objective: To examine seriously ill patients' and families' experiences of financial hardship and perspectives on addressing these concerns during and after critical illness., Methods: We conducted a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with seriously ill patients who recently experienced a critical care hospitalization (n=15) and family caregivers of these patients (n=18)., Results: Our analysis revealed three themes: 1) Prioritizing Survival and Recovery; 2) Living with Uncertainty-including experiences of prolonged uncertainty, navigating bureaucratic barriers, and long-term worries; and 3) Preferences for Financial Guidance. Our results suggest patients and families prioritize survival over financial hardship initially, and feelings of uncertainty about finances persist. However, patients and family caregivers are reluctant to have their physicians address financial hardship., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the acute and time sensitive nature of treatment decisions in critical care settings provides a unique context for experiences of financial hardship. Additional research is needed to better understand these experiences and design context-sensitive interventions to mitigate financial hardship and associated poor patient- and family-centered outcomes., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Context: Recent studies show increasing use of mechanical ventilation among people living with dementia. There are concerns that this trend may not be driven by patient preferences., Objectives: To better understand decision-making regarding mechanical ventilation in people living with dementia., Methods: This was an electronic health record-based retrospective cohort study of older adults with dementia (n = 295) hospitalized at one of two teaching hospitals between 2015 and 2019 who were supported with mechanical ventilation (n = 191) or died without mechanical ventilation (n = 104). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between patient characteristics and mechanical ventilation use., Results: The median age was 78 years (IQR 71-86), 41% were female, 28% resided in a nursing home, and 58% had clinical markers of advanced dementia (dehydration, weight loss, mobility limitations, or pressure ulcers). Among patients supported with mechanical ventilation, 70% were intubated within 24 hours of presentation, including 31% intubated before hospital arrival. Younger age, higher illness acuity, and absence of a treatment-limiting Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment document were associated with mechanical ventilation use; nursing home residence and clinical markers of advanced dementia were not. Most patients (89%) had a documented goals of care discussion (GOCD) during hospitalization., Conclusion: Future efforts to promote goal-concordant care surrounding mechanical ventilation use for people living with dementia should involve identifying barriers to goal-concordant care in pre-hospital settings, assessing the timeliness of in-hospital GOCD, and developing strategies for in-the-moment crisis communication across settings., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Goals-of-care discussions (GOCD) are uncommon in persons living with dementia (PLWD) despite the likelihood of eventual loss of decisional capacity in the population. The Jumpstart Guide, an existing serious illness communication priming tool, can improve GOCD in certain populations, but has not previously been adapted for use among PLWD and their caregivers., Methods: Using human-centered design (HCD), we adapted the Jumpstart Guide for use with PLWD and their caregivers. We conducted qualitative interviews with clinicians and caregivers of PLWD. Six team members conducted qualitative rapid analysis of interviews leading to the development of summary templates and integrative matrices. Four iterations of the Jumpstart Guide led to the final version., Results: Thirteen clinicians and 11 caregivers were interviewed. Interviews provided key insights into the unique barriers PLWD and their caregivers face during GOCD, including discomfort with accepting a dementia diagnosis and concern with using "serious illness" to describe dementia, as is commonly done in palliative care. Clinicians described differences in GOCD with PLWD compared to other serious illnesses, and the challenge of getting patients and families to think about future health states. Interviews led to Jumpstart Guide adaptations in the following domains: (1) format and structure, (2) content, and (3) specific language. Suggested changes included prioritizing naming a decision-maker, changing conversation prompts to improve accessibility and understandability, ensuring the Jumpstart Guide could be used with patients as well as their caregivers, and altering language to avoid references to "serious illness" and "abilities.", Conclusion: Using HCD yielded valuable insights from clinicians and caregivers about the unique barriers to conducting GOCD among PLWD and their caregivers. These insights were used to adapt the Jumpstart Guide for use with PLWD and their caregivers, which is currently being tested in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial in outpatient clinics., (© 2024 The American Geriatrics Society.)

Objetivo: Analizar la asociación de la contribución de los azúcares con sobrepeso y obesidad (Sp+Ob) en población escolar y adolescente. Material y métodos. En una muestra de 2 844 escolares y adolescentes de 5 a 19 años se determinó el estado de Sp+Ob según los patrones de crecimiento de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, así como el consumo de azúcares totales, añadidos e intrínsecos (%kcal/día) con información de un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. Se estimó la probabilidad ajustada de presentar Sp+Ob mediante modelos de regresión logística con interacción entre el consumo de azúcares y la condición de bienestar., Resultados: La prevalencia de Sp+Ob fue del 41% en la población de 5 a 19 años y más de 60% excedió el límite recomendado de consumo de azúcares añadidos del 10% de energía; las bebidas endulzadas fueron el grupo que más contribuyó a este consumo elevado. La probabilidad de presentar Sp+Ob a mayores consumos de azúcar añadido fue significativamente mayor en el tercil alto de condición de bienestar (0.59) vs. el bajo (0.30)., Conclusiones: El Sp+Ob y el consumo de azúcares añadidos son elevados en la población de 5 a 19 años en México. Se requiere fortalecer, focalizar y diversificar las estrategias de atención a estos problemas considerando las diferencias sociodemográficas de la población.

Objetivo: Describir la prevalencia actualizada de sobrepeso y obesidad en escolares y adolescentes mexicanos con datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición Continua (Ensanut Continua) en el periodo de 2020-2022. Material y métodos. Este análisis incluyó una muestra de 6 950 escolares y 5 421 adolescentes participantes de la Ensanut Continua 2020-2022. A partir de sus mediciones de peso y talla se obtuvo el puntaje Z de IMC (índice de masa corporal) y se estimaron las prevalencias de sobrepeso y obesidad a nivel nacional, por sexo, localidad de residencia, región y condición de bienestar., Resultados: La prevalencia de sobrepeso en escolares fue de 19.2% (IC95%: 18.0,20.4) y la de obesidad de 18.1% (IC95%: 16.8,19.4). En el caso de los hombres escolares se observa un incremento de 5.8 puntos porcentuales (pp) en la prevalencia de obesidad de 2006 al 2020-2022. En adolescentes, la prevalencia de sobrepeso fue de 23.9% (IC95%: 22.4,25.5) y de obesidad fue de 17.2% (IC95%: 15.8,18.6); en ambos sexos se ha incrementado la prevalencia de obesidad en poco más de 5 pp del 2006 al 2020-2022. Conclusión. El sobrepeso y obesidad en estos grupos de edad continúa siendo un problema de salud poblacional en México, es necesario profundizar en el estudio de estrategias efectivas para su atención.

Objetivo: Actualizar las estimaciones del porcentaje de población mexicana que consume grupos de alimentos recomendables y no recomendables de manera habitual. Material y métodos. Con información derivada del cuestionario semicuantitativo de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos de diferentes grupos de edad de la población participante en la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición Continua de 2020 a 2022, se estimó el porcentaje de consumidores de trece grupos de alimentos de relevancia para la salud., Resultados: Los grupos de alimentos mayormente consumidos en toda la población fueron el agua sola (>83%) y las bebidas endulzadas (>76%). Cerca de la mitad de la población menor de 20 años consumieron botanas, dulces y postres, cifra que es similar al porcentaje de consumidores de frutas y mayor al de consumidores de verduras (<30%). En todos los grupos de edad los consumidores de leguminosas no superan el 26%. Conclusión. La fracción de la población mexicana que consume bebidas endulzadas es muy alta en todos los grupos de edad, mientras que para alimentos saludables es baja. Se necesita profundizar en el análisis de las causas de estas diferencias y diseñar acciones encaminadas a aumentar la calidad de la dieta en la población mexicana.

Objective: In an era of broader lung sharing, different-team transplantation (DT, procuring team from nonrecipient center) may streamline procurement logistics; however, safety and cost implications of DT remain unclear. To understand whether DT represents a safe means to reduce lung transplant (LTx) costs, we compared posttransplant outcomes and lung procurement and index hospitalization costs among matched DT and same-team transplantation (ST, procuring team from recipient center) cohorts at a single, high-volume institution. We hypothesized that DT reduces costs without compromising outcomes after LTx., Methods: Patients who underwent DT between January 2016 to May 2020 were included. A cohort of patients who underwent ST was matched 1:3 (nearest neighbor) based on recipient age, disease group, lung allocation score, history of previous LTx, and bilateral versus single LTx. Posttransplant outcomes and costs were compared between groups., Results: In total, 23 DT and 69 matched ST recipients were included. Perioperative outcomes and posttransplant survival were similar between groups. Compared with ST, DT was associated with similar lung procurement and index hospitalization costs (DT vs ST, procurement: median $65,991 vs $58,847, P = .16; index hospitalization: median $294,346 vs $322,189, P = .7). On average, procurement costs increased $3263 less per 100 nautical miles for DT versus ST; DT offered cost-savings when travel distances exceeded approximately 363 nautical miles., Conclusions: At our institution, DT and ST were associated with similar post-LTx outcomes; DT offered cost-savings with increasing procurement travel distance. These findings suggest that DT may mitigate logistical and financial burdens of lung procurement; however, further investigation in a multi-institutional cohort is warranted., (Copyright © 2022 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Overweight and obesity in school-age children, in Mexico as in other countries around the world, is a rapidly increasing public health problem within recent years, with important consequences for the future health of the population. Various national strategies at the individual and community level have been established to prevent these conditions, but none have yet succeeded., Objective: To describe factors which influence overweight and obesity in school-age children five to 11 years old in Mexico, and national strategies for the prevention and management of these conditions., Methods: The data herein is derived from six National Health and Nutrition Surveys in Mexico: 2006, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021. They include a total of 45,216 school-age children with complete anthropometric data (weight/height) distributed over 84 pseudo-panels defined by age, wellbeing condition class (WCC), gender, and type of locality of residence. The indicators calculated were overweight and obesity by body mass index according to World Health Organization guidelines. Predictors are food consumption indicators in five groups., Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity showed a positive linear trend ( p < 0.001), with average annual increases of 0.41%. Increases in fruit consumption reduced the prevalence of these conditions by 6.6% ( p = 0.01) and vegetable consumption reduced this by 8.3%., Conclusions: Overweight and obesity in school-age children is a growing problem with serious repercussions for future life. New strategies are needed which focus on involving food systems, which translates to healthy and sustainable diets., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Shamah-Levy, Cuevas-Nasu, Gaona-Pineda, Valenzuela-Bravo, Méndez Gómez-Humarán and Ávila-Arcos.)

Intro: Textbook surgical outcome (TO) is a novel composite quality measure in lung transplantation (LTx). Compared to 1-year survival metrics, TO may better differentiate center performance, and motivate improvements in care. To understand the feasibility of implementing this metric, we defined TO in LTx using US national data, and evaluated its ability to predict post-transplant outcomes and differentiate center performance., Methods: Adult patients who underwent isolated LTx between 2016 and 2019 were included. TO was defined as freedom from post-transplant length of stay > 30 days, 90-day mortality, intubation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at 72 h post-transplant, post-transplant ventilator support lasting ≥5 days, postoperative airway dehiscence, inpatient dialysis, pre-discharge acute rejection, and grade 3 primary graft dysfunction at 72 h. Recipient and donor characteristics and post-transplant outcomes were compared between patients who achieved and failed TO., Results: Of 8959 lung transplant recipients, 4664 (52.1%) achieved TO. Patient and graft survival were improved among patients who achieved TO (both log-rank P < .0001). Among 62 centers, adjusted rates of TO ranged from 27.0% to 72.4% reflecting a wide variability in center-level performance., Conclusion: TO defined using national data may represent a novel composite metric to guide quality improvement in LTx across US transplant centers., Summary: In this study we defined textbook outcome (TO) for lung transplantation (LTx) using US national data. We found that achievement of TO was associated with improved post-transplant survival, and wide variability in center-level LTx performance. These findings suggest that TO could be readily implemented to compare quality of care among US LTx centers., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a novel lung preservation strategy that facilitates the use of marginal allografts; however, it is more expensive than static cold storage (SCS). To understand how preservation method might affect postoperative costs, we compared outcomes and index hospitalization costs among matched EVLP and SCS preserved lung transplant (LTx) recipients at a single, high-volume institution. A total of 22 EVLP and 66 matched SCS LTx recipients were included; SCS grafts were further stratified as either standard-criteria (SCD) or extended-criteria donors (ECD). Median total preservation time was 857, 409, and 438 min for EVLP, SCD, and ECD lungs, respectively (p < .0001). EVLP patients had similar perioperative outcomes and posttransplant survival compared to SCS SCD and ECD recipients. Excluding device-specific costs, total direct variable costs were similar among EVLP, SCD, and ECD recipients (median $200,404, vs. $154,709 vs. $168,334, p =  .11). The median direct contribution margin was positive for EVLP recipients, and similar to that for SCD and ECD graft recipients (all p > .99). These findings demonstrate that the use of EVLP was profitable at an institutional level; however, further investigation is needed to better understand the financial implications of EVLP in facilitating donor pool expansion in an era of broader lung sharing., (© 2021 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Background: When developed properly, disease-specific patient reported outcome measures have the potential to measure relevant changes in how a patient feels and functions in the context of a therapeutic trial. The Huntington's Disease Health Index (HD-HI) is a multifaceted disease-specific patient reported outcome measure (PROM) designed specifically to satisfy previously published FDA guidance for developing PROMs for product development and labeling claims., Objective: In preparation for clinical trials, we examine the validity, reliability, clinical relevance, and patient understanding of the Huntington's Disease Health Index (HD-HI)., Methods: We partnered with 389 people with Huntington's disease (HD) and caregivers to identify the most relevant questions for the HD-HI. We subsequently utilized two rounds of factor analysis, cognitive interviews with fifteen individuals with HD, and test-retest reliability assessments with 25 individuals with HD to refine, evaluate, and optimize the HD-HI. Lastly, we determined the capability of the HD-HI to differentiate between groups of HD participants with high versus low total functional capacity score, prodromal versus manifest HD, and normal ambulation versus mobility impairment., Results: HD participants identified 13 relevant and unique symptomatic domains to be included as subscales in the HD-HI. All HD-HI subscales had a high level of internal consistency and reliability and were found by participants to have acceptable content, relevance, and usability. The total HD-HI score and each subscale score statistically differentiated between groups of HD participants with high versus low disease burden., Conclusion: Initial evaluation of the HD-HI supports its validity and reliability as a PROM for assessing how individuals with HD feel and function.

Background: Hand-sewn anastomosis is a crucial part of aortic reconstruction surgery and significantly affects its outcome. The present study presents a novel, bidirectional surgical needle aimed to improve aortic anastomosis in terms of speed and ease of use. Our objective was to assess the efficacy of the new design in comparison with the conventional needle., Methods: A series of simulations were conducted with COMSOL software in order to perform a fatigue comparative analysis between the new and the conventional needle design. Ease of penetration into a piece of polydimethylsiloxane was evaluated. Lastly, the prototype was tested under in-vitro conditions in comparison with the conventional needle., Results: Based on fatigue analysis, the new needle design improves durability, provided the two tips are equally used. The polytetrafluoroethylene coating improves penetration into the tissue by 7% to 17%, while electropolishing improves penetration up to 19%. When using the novel needle design, the average anastomotic task completion time was significantly reduced by 22% and the overall distance of hand movements was significantly reduced by 20%., Conclusions: The proposed design exhibited a shorter anastomotic time and seems promising in relation to ease of use and simplicity of the anastomotic technique it introduces.

Background: Six hours was historically regarded as the limit of acceptable ischemic time for lung allografts. However, broader sharing of donor lungs often necessitates use of allografts with ischemic time >6 hours. We characterized the association between ischemic time ≥8 hours and outcomes after lung transplantation using a contemporary cohort from a high-volume institution., Methods: Patients who underwent primary isolated bilateral lung transplantation between 1/2016 and 5/2020 were included. Patients bridged to transplant with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or mechanical ventilation, and ex-vivo perfusion cases were excluded. Recipients were stratified by total allograft ischemic time <8 hours (standard) vs ≥8 hours (long). Perioperative outcomes and post-transplant survival were compared between groups., Results: Of 358 patients, 95 (26.5%) received long ischemic time (≥8 hours) lungs. Long ischemic time recipients were more likely to be male and have donation after circulatory death donors than standard ischemic time recipients. On unadjusted analysis, long and standard ischemic time recipients had similar survival, and similar rates of grade 3 primary graft dysfunction at 72 hours, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation post-transplant, acute rejection within 30 days, reintubation, and post-transplant length of stay. After adjustment, long and standard ischemic time recipients had comparable risks of mortality or graft failure., Conclusions: In a modern cohort, use of lung allografts with "long" ischemic time ≥8 hours were associated with acceptable perioperative outcomes and post-transplant survival. Further investigation is required to better understand how broader use impacts post-lung transplant outcomes and the implications for smarter sharing under an evolving national allocation policy., (Copyright © 2021 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To minimize complications associated with the construction of the hand-sewn aortic anastomosis, alternative experimental methods have been pursued. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of experimental anastomotic devices in relation to time and point of rupture of the anastomosis in comparison to the conventional technique., Materials and Methods: An electronic search was performed using MEDLINE, Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library databases by two independent authors. Our exclusion criteria referred to studies reporting results solely from end-to-side anastomosis, results on vessels other than the aorta, studies that did not involve animal experiments, and non-English publications. The last search date was January 1, 2020., Results: The meta-analysis included 22 studies with 34 anastomosis samples and a total of 316 animals. The pooled mean automated anastomosis time was 10.38 min, and the mean point of rupture was 32.7 N. In the subgroup analysis of automated anastomosis time by device category, the anastomotic stenting technique reported significantly lower anastomosis time but also showed significantly lower point of rupture. Comparing the efficacy of experimental devices and the hand-sewn technique, our pooled analysis showed that automated devices significantly decrease the time needed to perform the anastomosis (weighted mean difference -7.24 min). On the other hand, the automated anastomosis is also associated with decreased tensile strength (weighted mean difference -20.68 N)., Conclusions: Although experimental devices seem to offer a faster anastomosis, they lack endurance when compared with the hand-sewn technique. Further research is needed for the development of an "ideal" anastomotic technique., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the United States, an overall national decline in organ transplants has accompanied the substantial burden of COVID-19. Amidst significant regional variations in COVID-19, lung transplantation (LTx) remains a critical life-saving operation. Our LTx practice during the early pandemic may provide a blueprint for managing LTx in an era of continued community prevalence. Patients who underwent LTx at our institution between March 1 and May 20, 2020 were included. Recipient, operative, and donor characteristics were compared to those from our program in 2019, and COVID-19 testing practices were evaluated for March, April, and May to understand how our practice adapted to the pandemic. Our program performed 36 LTx, 33% more than the same period in 2019. Recipient, operative, and donor characteristics during COVID-19 were similar to those in 2019. By April 1, all donors and recipients underwent pretransplant COVID-19 testing, all returning negative results. To date, no recipients have developed posttransplant COVID-19. At our institution, pretransplant COVID-19 testing, use of local donor lungs, and avoidance of donors from areas of increased community penetration supported a safe and effective LTx practice during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Continued follow-up is required to ensure the long-term safety of these newly transplanted patients., (© 2020 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Background: Outcomes after kidney transplantation (KTx) remain limited by delayed graft function (DGF) and acute rejection. Non-invasive biomarkers may help identify patients at increased risk for these events. We examined the association between the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), a novel inflammatory biomarker, and outcomes after KTx and evaluated its ability to predict post-transplant prognosis., Patients and Methods: Adult patients who underwent primary KTx at our institution between 2016-2019 were included. SII was calculated from pre-transplant complete blood counts as the ratio of the neutrophil count to the lymphocyte count multiplied by the platelet count. The cutoff between high and low SII was determined by maximizing the area under the curve. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression were used to identify factors associated with DGF and patient, rejection-free, and graft survival respectively., Results: Overall, 378 KTx recipients were included; 224 (59.3%) had high SII. On unadjusted analysis, high SII was associated with reduced odds of DGF, and improved patient and rejection-free survival. After adjustment, high SII was independently associated with improved patient survival alone. Multivariable models incorporating SII performed well for the prediction of DGF (c-statistic=0.755) and patient survival (c-statistic=0.786), though rejection-free survival was more difficult to predict (c-statistic=0.635)., Conclusion: SII demonstrated limited utility as an independent predictor of outcomes after KTx. However, in combination with other clinically relevant parameters, SII is a useful predictor of post-KTx prognosis. Validation of this novel inflammatory biomarker in a multi-institutional study is needed to further elucidate its practical applications in transplantation., (Copyright© 2020, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)