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Intergenerational programs in residential aged care may improve well-being and combat loneliness and social isolation in older people with cognitive impairment. This pilot study investigated the effects of a semi-structured intergenerational group, including children from a co-located early learning centre and people living in residential aged care with cognitive impairment. This 9-week study used a mixed methods pre- and post-program design. Sessions were designed and delivered once per week by Occupational Therapists and took into account residents' interests and children's developmental needs and interests, identified in pre-program interviews. Nine older people with cognitive impairment and 13 children participated. The program was well attended despite disruptions and complications caused by COVID-19 and weather conditions. Older people valued the opportunity to engage with the children. Children were observed to gain confidence in communicating and forming friendships with older people with different levels of ability. There did not appear to be any change in loneliness or neuropsychiatric symptoms. The intergenerational program benefited participants and received strong support from family members and staff of the early learning centre and aged care home., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: In 2020, the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system deployed a heart failure (HF) dashboard for use nationally. The initial version was notably imprecise and unreliable for the identification of HF subtypes. We describe the development and subsequent optimization of the VA national HF dashboard., Materials and Methods: This study describes the stepwise process for improving the accuracy of the VA national HF dashboard, including defining the initial dashboard, improving case definitions, using natural language processing for patient identification, and incorporating an imaging-quality hierarchy model. Optimization further included evaluating whether to require concurrent ICD-codes for inclusion in the dashboard and assessing various imaging modalities for patient characterization., Results: Through multiple rounds of optimization, the dashboard accuracy (defined as the proportion of true results to the total population) was improved from 54.1% to 89.2% for the identification of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and from 53.9% to 88.0% for the identification of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). To align with current guidelines, HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) was added to the dashboard output with 88.0% accuracy., Conclusions: The inclusion of an imaging-quality hierarchy model and natural-language processing algorithm improved the accuracy of the VA national HF dashboard. The revised dashboard informatics algorithm has higher use rates and improved reliability for the health management of the population., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Oral anticoagulants, including warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants, are the standard of care for thrombosis prevention and treatment; however, concerns of bleeding often dictate treatment decisions. Inhibition of the intrinsic coagulation system via factor XIa may allow for selective inhibition of the coagulation cascade without significantly impacting hemostasis after injury. Asundexian is an oral small molecule factor XIa inhibitor that, via this novel mechanism, may prove to be a safe and effective option compared with available anticoagulants. Early clinical data for asundexian was promising as a safer alternative to current therapies and prompted further analysis in certain patient populations at increased thrombotic risk. Currently, studies are ongoing to evaluate the safety and efficacy in stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and in patients following an acute noncardioembolic ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack.

Objective: The interactions among hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the ongoing injection drug epidemic have created a syndemic that significantly affects the Appalachian region of the United States. The purpose of this work is to describe a successful Kentucky program that aimed to increase HCV and HIV testing for people visiting an urban emergency department (ED) who were screened, diagnosed, and linked to care after diagnosis with special consideration for substance use disorder., Methods: The Plan-Do-Study-Act model for quality improvement was used to create a streamlined process for testing, reporting results, and linking people to care. The program was refined and expanded across 3 phases., Results: Across all phases, a total of 25,685 patients were eligible for testing and did not opt out. Of those, 17,090 had HCV antibody (Ab) testing; 3460 (20.2%) had HCV Ab; 1750 (50.8%) had HCV RNA, and an average of 31% of patients were linked to care within 30 days. The program found 54 new cases of HIV infection., Conclusions: Universal HCV and HIV testing and linkage to care is possible within an ED. In areas affected by the syndemic, EDs may serve as a public health safety net to identify affected individuals and ensure they receive follow-up care. Testing in this center uncovered an exceptionally high prevalence of HCV infection and new HIV case identification., Competing Interests: Barbra Cave is in the speaker bureau for AbbVie and Gilead Sciences. She receives research support from AbbVie, Intercept, Bausch/Salix, and Durect. None of the other authors have disclosures., (© 2022 The Authors. JACEP Open published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Emergency Physicians.)

Background: No evidence-based recommendations exist for imaging surveillance of grade I blunt thoracic aortic injuries (BTAI). We aimed to evaluate the natural history of these injuries to provide guidance for follow-up imaging., Methods: Patients that presented to our trauma center from 2008 to 2021 with grade I BTAI were retrospectively evaluated. CT angiography images were assessed for initial injury grade and subsequent stability, improvement, worsening, or resolution., Results: Of 83 patients who had grade I injuries and repeat imaging, 57.8% had complete resolution, 20.5% had improvement, and 18.1% had stability of their injury. Only seven patients (8.4%) demonstrated worsening of their injury. Six patients had eventual resolution and one underwent endovascular repair that would not have been performed under current practice patterns., Conclusions: Since grade I injuries do not worsen to require later surgical intervention, early surveillance imaging is not necessary and further imaging may not be necessary at all., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of non-targeted hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening in emergency departments (EDs) and other healthcare settings in terms of patients identified with HCV infection and linked to HCV care., Methods: In the Southern Appalachian region of the United States, we developed non-targeted HCV screening and linkage-to-care programs in 10 institutions at different healthcare settings, including EDs, outpatient clinics, and inpatient units. Serum samples were tested for HCV antibodies, and if positive, reflexed to HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) testing as a confirmatory test for active infection. Patients with positive RNA tests were contacted to link them to HCV care., Results: Between 2017 and 2019, among 195,152 patients screened for HCV infection, 16,529 (8.5%) were positive by antibody testing, 10,139 (5.2% of screened patients and 61.3% of patients positive by antibody test) were positive by RNA testing, and 5778 (3.0% of screened patients and 57.0% of patients positive by RNA test) were successfully linked to HCV care. Among 83,645 patients screened in EDs, 9060 (10.8%) were positive by HCV antibody, and 5243 (6.3%) were positive by RNA test. Among patients positive by RNA testing, linkage to care was lower for patients screened in the ED (44.1%) compared with outpatient clinics (67.6%) ( P  < 0.01) and inpatient units (50.9%) ( P  < 0.01)., Conclusions: Non-targeted HCV screening in acute care settings can identify large numbers of people with HCV infection. To optimize the utility of these screening programs, future work is needed to develop best practices that consistently link these patients to HCV care., Competing Interests: Each author reports funding from Gilead Sciences to develop hepatitis C virus screening programs described in this work. None of the authors report any other potential conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. JACEP Open published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Emergency Physicians.)

Background: Gabapentinoids (GPs) are frequently prescribed in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, their exclusive renal elimination warrants dose adjustments to decrease risk of toxicity. This study evaluated GP prescribing patterns and whether excessive dosing was associated with increased incidence of gabapentinoid-related adverse events (GRAEs)., Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of adult CKD and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients hospitalized from 2014 to 2020 and receiving GPs was conducted. Patients were grouped based on whether the average daily dose prescribed was higher than recommended (inappropriately dosed, (ID)) or as recommended (appropriately dosed (AD)) for CKD stage. The occurrence of GRAEs was compared between groups. Patient characteristics, CKD stage, and hospital length of stay (LOS) were evaluated to determine association with GRAEs., Results: The 200 patients included were predominantly female (51%), black (72%), CKD 5/ESKD (84%), and prescribed gabapentin (90%) with a mean age 61 ± 14 years. For the 111 (55%) patients in the AD group and 89 (45%) in the ID group there was no statistically significant difference in GRAEs (18 vs. 19%, p = 0.84). GRAEs were associated with older age (66 vs. 61 years; p < 0.001), seizure history (14% for GRAE vs. 3% for no GRAE, p = 0.02), and concomitant antipsychotic use (24% for GRAE vs. 5% for no GRAE; p < 0.001) but not with CKD severity. LOS was significantly longer for patients experiencing a GRAE (8.5 vs. 5.3 days; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Appropriate dosing of GPs is particularly important to minimize the risk of adverse events in patients of older age, with a history of seizures, or concomitant antipsychotic use. There is a need for prescriber education given the high frequency of inappropriate GP dosing observed in patients with advanced kidney disease.

COVID-19 is the most recent respiratory pandemic to necessitate better knowledge about city planning and design. The complex connections between cities and pandemics, however challenge traditional approaches to reviewing literature. In this article we adopted a rapid review methodology. We review the historical literature on respiratory pandemics and their documented connections to urban planning and design (both broadly defined as being concerned with cities as complex systems). Our systematic search across multidisciplinary databases returned a total of 1323 sources, with 92 articles included in the final review. Findings showed that the literature represents the multi-scalar nature of cities and pandemics - pandemics are global phenomena spread through an interconnected world, but require regional, city, local and individual responses. We characterise the literature under ten themes: scale (global to local); built environment; governance; modelling; non-pharmaceutical interventions; socioeconomic factors; system preparedness; system responses; underserved and vulnerable populations; and future-proofing urban planning and design. We conclude that the historical literature captures how city planning and design intersects with a public health response to respiratory pandemics. Our thematic framework provides parameters for future research and policy responses to the varied connections between cities and respiratory pandemics., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: Interhospital transferred (IHT) emergency general surgery (EGS) patients are associated with high care intensity and mortality. However, prior studies do not focus on patient-level data. Our study, using each IHT patient's data, aimed to understand the underlying cause for IHT EGS patients' outcomes. We hypothesized that transfer origin of EGS patients impacts outcomes due to critical illness as indicated by higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and disease severity., Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all adult patients transferred to our quaternary academic center's EGS service from 01/2014 to 12/2016. Only patients transferred to our hospital with EGS service as the primary service were eligible. We used multivariable logistic regression and probit analysis to measure the association of patients' clinical factors and their outcomes (mortality and survivors' hospital length of stay [HLOS])., Results: We analyzed 708 patients, 280 (39%) from an ICU, 175 (25%) from an ED, and 253 (36%) from a surgical ward. Compared to ED patients, patients transferred from the ICU had higher mean (SD) SOFA score (5.7 (4.5) vs. 2.39 (2), P < 0.001), longer HLOS, and higher mortality. Transferring from ICU (OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.36-6.41, P =0.006), requiring laparotomy (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.04-3.70, P =0.039), and SOFA score (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.13-1.32, P < 0.001) were associated with higher mortality., Conclusions: At our academic center, patients transferred from an ICU were more critically ill and had longer HLOS and higher mortality. We identified SOFA score and a few conditions and diagnoses as associated with patients' outcomes. Further studies are needed to confirm our observation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Brandon Cave et al.)

There is increasing experimental and clinical evidence that inflammation appears to play an important role in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Treatment of coronary artery disease currently involves management of cardiovascular risk factors, lipid-lowering strategies and antiplatelet medications. Inflammation seems to be central to the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaque development, instability, and rupture seen in coronary artery disease. Colchicine, a well-known and relatively inexpensive drug, has unique anti-inflammatory properties, which is generating considerable interest in its potential role in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and potentially mortality. This review discusses the mechanism of action of colchicine in preventing and treating atherosclerosis as well as the literature from recent clinical studies supporting its use in coronary artery disease., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is applied to infrastructure and other large projects. The European Union EIA Directive (2011/92/EU as amended by 2014/52/EU) requires EIAs to consider the effects that a project might have on human health. The International Association for Impact Assessment and the European Public Health Association prepared a reference paper on public health in EIA to enable the health sector to contribute to this international requirement. We present lessons from this joint action. We review literature on policy analysis, impact assessment and Health Impact Assessment (HIA). We use findings from this review and from the consultation on the reference paper to consider how population and human health should be defined; how the health sector can participate in the EIA process; the relationship between EIA and HIA; what counts as evidence; when an effect should be considered 'likely' and 'significant'; how changes in health should be reported; the risks from a business-as-usual coverage of human health in EIA; and finally competencies for conducting an assessment of human health. This article is relevant for health authorities seeking to ensure that infrastructure, and other aspects of development, are not deleterious to, but indeed improve, human health.

Background: Oligoanalgesia in emergency departments (EDs) is multifactorial. A previous study reported that emergency providers did not adequately manage patients with severe pain despite objective findings for surgical pathologies. Our study aims to investigate clinical and laboratory factors, in addition to providers' interventions, that might have been associated with oligoanalgesia in a group of ED patients with moderate and severe pains due to surgical pathologies., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of adult patients who were transferred directly from referring EDs to the emergency general surgery (EGS) service at a quaternary academic center between January 2014 and December 2016. Patients who were intubated, did not have adequate records, or had mild pain were excluded. The primary outcome was refractory pain, which was defined as pain reduction <2 units on the 0-10 pain scale between triage and ED departure., Results: We analyzed 200 patients, and 58 (29%) had refractory pain. Patients with refractory pain had significantly higher disease severity, serum lactate (3.4±2.0 mg/dL vs. 1.4±0.9 mg/dL, P =0.001), and less frequent pain medication administration (median [interquartile range], 3 [3-5] vs. 4 [3-7], P =0.001), when compared to patients with no refractory pain. Multivariable logistic regression showed that the number of pain medication administration (odds ratio [ OR ] 0.80, 95% confidence interval [95% CI ] 0.68-0.98) and ED serum lactate levels ( OR 3.80, 95% CI 2.10-6.80) were significantly associated with the likelihood of refractory pain., Conclusions: In ED patients transferring to EGS service, elevated serum lactate levels were associated with a higher likelihood of refractory pain. Future studies investigating pain management in patients with elevated serum lactate are needed., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright: © World Journal of Emergency Medicine.)

Background and Purpose: Current guidelines suggest that 3-factor prothrombin complex concentrate is a possible alternative to 4-factor products for the emergent reversal of bleeding secondary to warfarin. While multiple observational studies have evaluated various forms of 3-factor prothrombin complex concentrate individually, no study has compared the efficacy of the 2 products. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of Bebulin™ and Profilnine™ for the emergent reversal of warfarin-associated major bleeding., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients receiving both Bebulin™ and Profilnine™ at an urban, academic medical center with comprehensive stroke center designation and a neurosurgical center of excellence. All patients were treated at a single center that utilized a fixed, weight-based dosing protocol. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients in each group achieving a goal international normalization ratio of 1.4 or less., Results: There was a significant difference in goal international normalization ratio achieved favoring Bebulin™ (85.5% vs 27.3%; P < .001) over Profilnine™. Median dose per kilogram of actual body weight was the same between the groups. When we assessed results by baseline™ international normalization ratio subgroup, more patients in the Bebulin™ group achieved goal when baseline values were 6 or less. No thrombotic events were documented in either group., Conclusions: We found that patients treated with Bebulin™ experienced significantly higher rates of successful international normalization ratio reversal when compared to those who received Profilnine™. Further research is needed to determine the comparative efficacy between the 2 agents., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Dr Cave discloses that he has serves on the speaker’s bureau for Portola Pharmaceuticals., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Health impact assessment (HIA) practice has expanded across the world, since it was established more than two decades ago. This paper presents a snapshot of current global HIA practice based on the findings of an online questionnaire survey. HIA practitioners from all world regions were invited to participate. A total of 122 HIA practitioners from 29 countries completed the survey, following a broad international outreach effort. The large variety in the types of HIAs conducted, and the application of HIA in various fields reported by respondents, demonstrates that HIA practice has evolved over the past two decades. Although differences in the use of HIA were reported across world regions, an overall increasing trend in global HIA practice can be observed. In order to sustain this upward trend, efforts are needed to address the main barriers in the utilisation of HIA. The establishment of new national and international HIA teaching and training offerings seems to be an obvious strategy to pursue along with the strengthening of policies and legal frameworks that specify the circumstances, under which HIA is required, and to what extent.

For patients with atrial fibrillation with concomitant acute coronary syndrome (ACS) requiring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the increased risk of bleeding associated with the use triple therapy is well established. However, there is question whether it is a necessary risk for patients to prevent stroke and stent thrombosis. The purpose of this article is to highlight the findings of prior studies evaluating the comparative safety and efficacy of dual and triple antithrombotic regimens in the subgroup of atrial fibrillation patients requiring PCI for ACS. Trials that evaluated dual versus triple antithrombotic therapy demonstrated post-PCI treatment with a P2Y12 inhibitor alone was safer than aspirin plus a P2Y12 inhibitor in patients also taking an anticoagulant for atrial fibrillation. Data regarding ischemic outcomes have not suggested harm with the omission of aspirin, but these studies have not been powered to assess efficacy outcomes, especially in ACS patients. These studies also demonstrate a significant reduction in bleeding events when aspirin is excluded from the post-PCI regimen in the ACS subgroup of atrial fibrillation patients. Further studies, with added focus on the ACS subgroup, are needed to potentially confirm that dual therapy may be as efficacious as triple therapy in ACS patients with atrial fibrillation., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: Dr. Cave discloses that he serves on the speaker’s bureau for Portola Pharmaceuticals. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2019 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) poses a major health concern in the United States by affecting over 5 million people accounting for at least 15% to 25% of strokes. It can be asymptomatic or subclinical with its first presentation being stroke in 18%, and AF being only detected at the time of stroke. With evidence of subclinical AF associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke, recent developments indeed point towards wearables, especially smart watches, being quite effective and representing a novel method for screening for silent AF in the general population, and thereby reducing mortality and morbidity associated with it. This manuscript aims to review whether the photoplethysmography (PPG) technology, employed in the wearables to monitor heart rate, is accurate enough to aid in the diagnosis of AF that may remain asymptomatic or paroxysmal. It also explores the option of actually employing this method in the general population, the feasibility of this mode of diagnosis, sensitivity and specificity of this method compared to the conventional electrocardiogram (EKG), and the actual follow up with a practitioner and subsequent treatment of AF, if diagnosed. We conducted a Medline search using various combinations of "smart watch" "atrial fibrillation" "wearables", and "Kardia" to identify pivotal randomized trials published before June 1, 2019, for inclusion in this review. Concurrently, major practice guidelines, trial bibliographies, and pertinent reviews were examined to ensure inclusion of relevant trials. A consensus among the authors was used to choose items for narrative inclusion. The following section reviews data from pivotal trials to determine the effectiveness of smart watch technology in detecting AF in the general population. Trials reviewed evaluated apple watch, Kardia, Samsung wearables in diagnosis of AF. The fact that there is an increase in consumer use of wearables, smart devices, which can serve as health monitoring devices that can be used as a non-invasive, ambulatory assessment of heart rate and rhythm, is definitely novel. Intermittent short EKG recordings repeated over a longer-term period produced significantly better sensitivity for AF detection, with 4 times as many cases diagnosed compared with a single time-point measurement. Since there are limitations and further research into this new field is required, the wearable technology may not serve as the ultimate tool for diagnosis of AF, rather a nidus for the general population to seek medical advice for confirmation on being notified of having an irregular rhythm leading to prevention of morbidity and mortality associated with it., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2019 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Background: Heart failure (HF) is highly prevalent in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system and the leading cause of hospital discharges in the VA. Despite guideline-specific recommendations of drug therapy, many patients are not on optimal medication regimens. Objective: To examine and quantify pharmacist impact in an interdisciplinary HF consult (IC) service on increasing use of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). The 30-day readmission rates before and after the implementation of an IC service are reported. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective analysis of veterans admitted with a HF diagnosis between August 2008 and August 2015 in 2 distinctive cohorts: pre-IC (August 2008 to November 2011) and IC (November 2011 to August 2015). Results: Four-hundred patients were included, with 200 in each cohort. All-cause readmissions at 30 days were not different between pre-IC and IC groups: 33.5% versus 28.5%, respectively. Secondary outcomes of HF readmission and 1-year mortality were not different between groups. Significant increases in medication use rates were observed from admission to discharge in both cohorts; however, greater increases were observed in the IC group in which the pharmacist role was clearly defined in recommending GDMT optimization, especially in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction. Conclusion and Relevance: Although the implementation of an IC service did not significantly change 30-day readmission rates, increases in GDMT use are evident with increased pharmacist involvement. Longer-term outcomes associated with this intervention warrant future investigation.