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Introduction Over the last two decades, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the United States significantly in terms of lives lost, disabling injuries, and budgetary expenditures. This manuscript calculates the differences in costs between veterans with combat injuries vs veterans without combat injuries. This work could be used to project future costs in subsequent studies. Materials and Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we randomly selected 7,984 combat-injured veterans between February 1, 2002, and June 14, 2016, from Veterans Affairs Health System administrative data. We matched injured veterans 1:1 to noninjured veterans on year of birth (± 1 year), sex, and first service branch. We observed patients for a maximum of 10 years. This research protocol was reviewed and approved by the David Grant USAF Medical Center institutional review board (IRB), the University of Utah IRB, and the Research Review Committee of the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System in accordance with all applicable Federal regulations. Results Patients were primarily male (98.1% in both groups) and White (76.4% for injured patients, 72.3% for noninjured patients), with a mean (SD) age of 26.8 (6.6) years for the injured group and 27.7 (7.0) years for noninjured subjects. Average total costs for combat-injured service members were higher for each year studied. The difference was highest in the first year ($16,050 compared to $4,135 for noninjured). These differences remained significant after adjustment. Although this difference was greatest in the first year (marginal effect $12,386, 95% confidence interval $9,736-$15,036; P Conclusions Combat injured patients have significantly higher long-term health care costs compared to their noninjured counterparts. If this random sample is extrapolated to the 53,251 total of combat wounded service members, it implies a total excess cost of $1.6 billion to date after adjustment for covariates and a median follow-up time of 10 years. These costs are likely to increase as injured veterans age and develop additional chronic conditions.

INTRODUCTION Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (AF/AFL), the most common atrial arrhythmias, have never been examined in combat casualties. In this study, we investigated the impact of traumatic injury on AF/AFL among service members with deployment history. METHODS Sampled from the Department of Defense (DoD) Trauma Registry (n = 10,000), each injured patient in this retrospective cohort study was matched with a non-injured service member drawn from the Veterans Affairs/DoD Identity Repository. The primary outcome was AF/AFL diagnosis identified using ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes. Competing risk regressions based on Fine and Gray subdistribution hazards model with were utilized to assess the association between injury and AF/AFL. RESULTS There were 130 reported AF/AFL cases, 90 of whom were injured and 40 were non-injured. The estimated cumulative incidence rates of AF/AFL for injured was higher compared to non-injured patients (hazards ratio [HR] = 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.44, 2.87). After adjustment demographics and tobacco use, the association did not appreciably decrease (HR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.23, 2.93). Additional adjustment for obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and vascular disorders, the association between injury and AF/AFL was no longer statistically significant (HR = 1.51; 95% CI = 0.99, 2.52). CONCLUSION Higher AF/AFL incidence rate was observed among deployed service members with combat injury compared to servicemembers without injury. The association did not remain significant after adjustment for cardiovascular-related covariates. These findings highlight the need for combat casualty surveillance to further understand the AF/AFL risk within the military population and to elucidate the potential underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms.

Examinations of risk factors for suicide attempt in United States service members at high risk of mental health diagnoses, such as those with combat injuries, are essential to guiding prevention and intervention efforts.Retrospective cohort study of 8727 combat-injured patients matched to deployed, non-injured patients utilizing Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs administrative records.Combat injury was positively associated with suicide attempt in the univariate model (HR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.5-2.1), but lost significance after adjustment for mental health diagnoses. Utilizing Latent Transition Analysis in the combat-injured group, we identified five mental/behavioral health profiles: (1) Few mental health diagnoses, (2) PTSD and depressive disorders, (3) Adjustment disorder, (4) Multiple mental health comorbidities, and (5) Multiple mental health comorbidities with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Multiple mental health comorbidities with AUD had the highest suicide attempt rate throughout the study and more than four times that of Multiple mental health comorbidities in the first study year (23.4 vs. 5.1 per 1000 person years, respectively).Findings indicate that (1) combat injury's impact on suicide attempt is attenuated by mental health and (2) AUD with multiple mental health comorbidities confers heightened suicide attempt risk in combat-injured service members.

Introduction We explore disparities in awarding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) service-connected disability benefits (SCDB) to veterans based on gender, race/ethnicity, and misconduct separation. Methods Department of Defense data on service members who separated from October 1, 2001 to May 2017 were linked to Veterans Administration (VA) administrative data. Using adjusted logistic regression models, we determined the odds of receiving a PTSD SCDB conditional on a VA diagnosis of PTSD. Results A total of 1,558,449 (79% of separating service members) had at least one encounter in VA during the study period (12% female, 4.5% misconduct separations). Females (OR 0.72) and Blacks (OR 0.93) were less likely to receive a PTSD award and were nearly equally likely to receive a PTSD diagnosis (OR 0.97, 1.01). Other racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to receive an award and diagnosis, as were those with misconduct separations (award OR 1.3, diagnosis 2.17). Conclusions Despite being diagnosed with PTSD at similar rates to their referent categories, females and Black veterans are less likely to receive PTSD disability awards. Other racial/ethnic minorities and those with misconduct separations were more likely to receive PTSD diagnoses and awards. Further study is merited to explore variation in awarding SCDB.

Introduction Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are commonly seen among military service members (SM) and Veterans. We explored correlates of award of MSK-related service-connected disability benefits (SCDB) among SM seeking care in Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. Materials and Methods Department of Defense data on SM who separated from October 1, 2001 to May 2017 were linked to VA administrative data. Using adjusted logistic regression models, we determined the odds of receiving MSK SCDB. Results A total of 1,558,449 (79% of separating SM) had at least one encounter in VA during the study period (7.8% disability separations). Overall, 51% of this cohort had at least one MSK SCDB (88% among disability separations, 48% among normal). Those with disability separations (as compared to normal separations) were significantly more likely to receive MSK SCDB (odds ratio 2.37) as were females (compared to males, odds ratio 1.15). Conclusions Although active duty SM with disability separations were more likely to receive MSK-related service-connected disability ratings in the VA, those with normal separations also received such awards. Identifying those at highest risk for MSK-related disability could lead to improved surveillance and prevention strategies in the Department of Defense and VA health care systems to prevent further damage and disability.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent among military members despite fewer traditional risk factors. We sought to determine the incidence and longitudinal predictors of obstructive sleep apnea in a large population of survivors of combat-related traumatic injury and a matched control group. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of military service members deployed to conflict zones from 2002–2016 with longitudinal follow-up in the Veterans Affairs and Military Health Systems. Two cohorts of service members were developed: (1) those who sustained combat injuries and (2) matched, uninjured participants. RESULTS: 17,570 service members were retrospectively analyzed for a median of 8.4 years. After adjustment, traumatic brain injury (hazard ratio [HR] 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20–1.60), posttraumatic stress disorder (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.05–1.46), depression (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.30–1.79), anxiety (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.21–1.62), insomnia (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.44–2.02), and obesity (HR 2.40, 95% CI 2.09–2.74) were associated with development of obstructive sleep apnea. While combat injury was associated with obstructive sleep apnea in the univariate analysis (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.17–1.33), the direction of this association was reversed in the multivariable model (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.65–0.84). In a nested analysis, this was determined to be due to the effect of mental health diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea is higher among injured service members (29.1 per 1,000 person-years) compared to uninjured service members (23.9 per 1,000 person-years). This association appears to be driven by traumatic brain injury and the long-term mental health sequelae of injury. CITATION: Haynes ZA, Stewart IJ, Poltavskiy EA, et al. Obstructive sleep apnea among survivors of combat-related traumatic injury: a retrospective cohort study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(1):171–179.

Introduction Although retrospective analyses have found that combat-injured service members are at high risk for mental and physical health outcomes following injury, relatively little is known about the long-term health of injured service members. To better understand long-term health outcomes after combat injury, a large, prospective observational cohort collecting both subjective and objective health data is needed. Given that a study of this nature would be costly and face many logistical challenges, we first conducted a pilot to assess the feasibility of a larger, definitive study. Materials and Methods We ran a prospective, observational pilot study of 119 combat-injured service members and veterans who completed (1) at least one set of laboratory measurements (blood and urine sample collection and vitals measurements) at Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment of 1988 compliant laboratory locations and (2) at least one online assessment for the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project (WWRP), a 15-year examination of patient-reported outcomes among service members injured on combat deployment. We recruited the pilot study cohort from WWRP participants who met eligibility criteria and indicated interest in additional research opportunities. We collected laboratory values and patient-reported outcomes at baseline and again 1 year later, and obtained demographic, injury, and military service data from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database. The David Grant USAF Medical Center Institution Review Board (IRB) and the Naval Health Research Center IRB reviewed and approved the study protocols. Results During recruitment for the pilot study, 624 study candidates were identified from WWRP. Of the 397 candidates we contacted about the pilot study, 179 (45.1%) enrolled and 119 (66.4%) of those who enrolled completed the first year of participation. The second study year was suspended due to the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. At the time of suspension, 72 (60.5%) participants completed follow-up laboratory appointments, and 111 (93.3%) completed second-year WWRP assessments. Participants in the pilot study were predominately male (95.0%) and non-Hispanic White (55.5%), with a median (interquartile range) age of 38.3 (34.1-45.4) years. Conclusions Collection of patient-reported outcomes and laboratory samples in a geographically dispersed cohort of combat-injured service members is possible. While significant challenges exist, our pilot study results indicate that a larger, longitudinal, cohort study is feasible.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Insomnia is a diagnosis with broad health and economic implications that has been increasingly recognized in military service members. This trend was concurrent with an increase in traumatic wartime injuries. Accordingly, we sought to determine longitudinal predictors of persistent insomnia in combat veterans who sustained traumatic injuries. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of service members deployed to conflict zones from 2002 to 2016, with longitudinal follow-up in the Veterans Affairs and Military Health Systems. Two cohorts were derived: (1) service members who sustained traumatic injuries and (2) an age-, sex-, and service component–matched cohort of uninjured service members who deployed to a combat zone. Insomnia was defined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision or International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision-Clinical Modification codes. RESULTS: The final population of 17,374 service members was followed from date of injury (or date of matched participant’s injury) for a median of 8.4 (interquartile range, 5.3–10.7) years. Service members with traumatic injury were at significantly greater risk of developing insomnia than uninjured service members (hazard ratio = 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–1.58) after adjustment. Traumatic brain injury was associated with insomnia compared with patients without traumatic brain injury in the multivariable model: mild/unclassified traumatic brain injury (hazard ratio = 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.82–2.35) and moderate/severe/ penetrating traumatic brain injury (hazard ratio = 2.43; 95% confidence interval, 2.06–2.86). Additionally, burn injury (hazard ratio = 1.95; 95% confidence interval, 1.47–2.59) and amputation (hazard ratio = 1.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.26–2.06) significantly increased the risk of a diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic injuries significantly predicted a diagnosis of insomnia after controlling for mental health disorders. Our findings strongly suggest the need for long-term surveillance of sleep disorders in trauma survivors. CITATION: Haynes ZA, Collen JF, Poltavskiy EA, et al. Risk factors of persistent insomnia among survivors of traumatic injury: a retrospective cohort study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(9):1831–1840.

Introduction. Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter (AF/AFL), the most common atrial arrhythmias, have never been examined in combat casualties. In this study, we investigated the impact of traumatic injury on AF/AFL among service members with deployment history. Methods. Sampled from the Department of Defense (DoD) Trauma Registry (n=10,000), each injured patient in this retrospective cohort study was matched with a non-injured service member drawn from the Veterans Affairs/DoD Identity Repository. The primary outcome was AF/AFL diagnosis identified using ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes. Competing risk regressions based on Fine and Gray subdistribution hazards model with were utilized to assess the association between injury and AF/AFL. Results. There were 130 reported AF/AFL cases, 90 of whom were injured and 40 were non-injured. The estimated cumulative incidence rates of AF/AFL for injured was higher compared to non-injured patients (HR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.44, 2.87). After adjustment demographics and tobacco use, the association did not appreciably decrease (HR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.23, 2.93). Additional adjustment for obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and vascular disorders, the association between injury and AF/AFL was no longer statistically significant (HR: 1.51; 95% CI = 0.99, 2.52). Conclusion. Higher AF/AFL incidence rate was observed among deployed service members with combat injury compared to servicemembers without injury. The association did not remain significant after adjustment for cardiovascular-related covariates. These findings highlight the need for combat casualties surveillance to further understand the AF/AFL risk within the military population and to elucidate the potential underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms.

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the University of California, San Francisco down-staging (UCSF-DS) criteria (one lesion > 5 cm and ≤ 8 cm; two to three lesions each ≤ 5 cm; or four to five lesions each ≤ 3 cm with total tumor diameter ≤ 8 cm) who achieved successful down-staging (DS) to Milan criteria had similar outcomes after liver transplantation (LT) compared with HCC initially meeting the Milan criteria. Nevertheless, little is known about the outcome of DS in patients with initial tumor burden exceeding the UCSF-DS criteria, defined as "all-comers" (AC). We compared the intention-to-treat (ITT) outcomes of DS in 74 patients in the AC group and 133 patients in the UCSF-DS group. Successful DS to Milan was observed in 64.8% of the AC group versus 84.2% of the UCSF-DS group (P < 0.001). The sum of tumor number and largest tumor diameter was significantly associated with successful DS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.87, P < 0.05). The cumulative probability of dropout within 1 year and 3 years was 53.5% and 80.0%, respectively, for AC versus 25.0% and 36.1%, respectively, for UCSF-DS (P < 0.0001). Factors predicting dropout included sum of tumor number and largest tumor diameter greater than 8 (HR 1.79, P = 0.049) and Child class B and C (HR 2.54, P = 0.001). The AC group also had a significantly lower liver transplant (LT) rate (13.5% versus 59.0%, P < 0.001). ITT survival at 1 year and 5 years was 77.4% and 21.1%, respectively, in AC versus 85.5% and 56.0%, respectively, in UCSF-DS (P < 0.001). Three of 10 patients in the AC group who underwent LT developed HCC recurrence. Conclusion: We observed a significantly lower LT probability and inferior ITT survival with DS in the AC group versus the UCSF-DS group. Our results suggest that an upper limit in tumor burden exists beyond which successful LT after DS becomes an unrealistic goal.

IntroductionExternal cause of injury matrices is used to classify mechanisms/causes of injuries for surveillance and research. Little is known about the performance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new external cause of injury matrix for Clinical Modification of the 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10-CM), compared with the ICD-9-CM version.MethodsDually coded (ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM) administrative data were obtained from two major academic trauma centres. Injury-related cases were identified and categorised by mechanism/cause and manner/intent. Comparability ratios (CR) were used to estimate the net impact of changing from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM on the number of cases classified to each mechanism/cause category. Chamberlain’s percent positive agreements (PPA) were calculated and McNemar’s test was used to assess the significance of observed classification differences.ResultsOf 4832 and 5211 dual-coded records from the two centres, 632 and 520 with injury-related principal diagnoses and external cause codes in both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM were identified. CRs for the mechanisms/causes with at least 20 records ranged from 0.85 to 1.9 at one centre and from 0.97 to 1.07 at the other. Among these mechanisms/causes, PPAs ranged from 33% for ‘other transport’ to 94% for poisoning at one centre, and from 75% for ‘other transport’ to 100% for fires/burns at the other centre. Case assignment differed significantly for falls, motor vehicle traffic, other transport, and ‘struck by/against’ injuries at one centre, and for ‘other pedal cyclist’ at the other centre.ConclusionSwitching to ICD-10-CM and the new external cause of injury matrix may affect injury surveillance and research, especially for certain mechanisms/causes.

Background Chronic hepatitis B infection is an important contributor to mortality in the United States, yet impact of available and effective oral antivirals on mortality among infected individuals is unknown. Aims To compare risks and predictors of mortality in a recent time period between those with chronic, prior and no hepatitis B infection. Methods This is a population-based cohort study of National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys participants between 1999 and 2014 linked to National Death Index data. Adults aged 20 years or older with hepatitis B serologic testing were included. Outcomes of all-cause and liver-related mortality were evaluated using Cox regression. Results Of 39 206 participants, 192 (0.5%) had chronic and 2694 (6.9%) had prior hepatitis B infection. The all-cause age/sex-standardised mortality rates for chronic, prior and uninfected were 21.4, 15.1 and 11.8 per 1000 person-years respectively. Liver-related mortality occurred at respective rates of 4.1, 0.3 and 0.1 per 1000 person-years. In multivariable analyses, those with chronic infection had 1.9-fold (95% CI 1.1-3.3) increased hazard of all-cause mortality and 13.3-fold (95% CI 3.9-45.5) increased hazard of liver-related mortality compared to uninfected. Predictors of all-cause mortality among chronic infection included heavy alcohol use (HR 18.3, 95% CI 3.3-100.6) and higher alanine aminotransferase (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03). Conclusions Mortality among adults living with chronic hepatitis B infection still exceeds that of uninfected despite availability of improved therapeutics. Identification of chronic infection, initiation of treatment among eligible and modulation of co-factors for disease progression are needed to improve survival.

Background A better understanding of the long-term health effects of combat injury is important for the management of veterans’ health in the Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) health care systems and may have implications for primary care management of civilian trauma patients. Objective To determine the impact of traumatic injury on the subsequent development of hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), and coronary artery disease (CAD) after adjustment for sociodemographic, health behavior, and mental health factors. Design Retrospective cohort study of current and former US military personnel with data obtained from both the DoD and VA health care systems. Participants Combat injured (n = 8727) service members between 1 February 2002 and 14 June 2016 randomly selected from the DoD Trauma Registry matched 1:1 based on year of birth, sex, and branch of service to subjects that deployed to a combat zone but were not injured. Main Measures Traumatic injury, stratified by severity, compared with no documented injury. Diagnoses of HTN, DM, and CAD defined by International Classification of Diseases 9th or 10th Revision Clinical Modification codes. Key Results After adjustment, severe traumatic injury was significantly associated with HTN (HR 2.78, 95% CI 2.18–3.55), DM (HR 4.45, 95% CI 2.15–9.18), and CAD (HR 4.87, 95% CI 2.11–11.25), compared with no injury. Less severe injury was associated with HTN (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05–1.24) and CAD (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.11–2.37). Conclusions Severe traumatic injury is associated with the subsequent development of HTN, DM, and CAD. These findings have profound implications for the primary care of injured service members in both the DoD/VA health systems and may be applicable to civilian trauma patients as well. Further exploration of pathophysiologic, health behavior, and mental health changes after trauma is warranted to guide future intervention strategies.

Objective To determine whether persistent opioid use after injury is associated with subsequent long-term development of clinically recognized opioid abuse. Summary background data Opioid abuse is an epidemic in the United States and trauma can initiate persistent use; however, it remains unclear whether persistent opioid use contributes to the subsequent development of opioid abuse. The care of combat casualties by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs uniquely allows investigation of this long-term outcome. Methods This retrospective cohort study randomly selected 10,000 battle-injured United States military personnel. We excluded patients who died during initial hospitalization or within 180 days of discharge, had a preinjury opioid abuse diagnosis, or had missing data in a preselected variable. We defined persistent opioid use as filling an opioid prescription 3 to 6 months after discharge and recorded clinically recognized opioid abuse using relevant diagnosis codes. Results After exclusion, 9284 subjects were analyzed, 2167 (23.3%) of whom developed persistent opioid use. During a median follow-up time of 8 years, 631 (6.8%) patients developed clinically recognized opioid abuse with a median time to diagnosis of 3 years. Injury severity and discharge opioid prescription amount were associated with persistent opioid use after trauma. After adjusting for patient and injury-specific factors, persistent opioid use was associated with the long-term development of clinically recognized opioid abuse (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.99-2.86). Conclusions Nearly a quarter of patients filled an opioid prescription 3 to 6 months after discharge, and this persistent use was associated with long-term development of opioid abuse.

Aim To investigate patterns of and factors associated with help-seeking behaviors among individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) and/or serious psychological distress (SPD). Methods The analysis was conducted with the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2011–2012 of 40,803 adults. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between the multiple facilitating/preventing factors and outcome, guided by the Andersen's Health Care Utilization Model. Results The prevalence of DM and SPD were 10.9% and 3.4%, respectively, among participants in the survey. The participants with DM were more likely to experience SPD than those without DM (OR 1.46, 95% CI=1.11–1.91, p =0.006). Participants with combined DM and SPD, the most underserved, were less likely to perceive the need for mental health services and less likely to seek help, compared to those with only SPD. Need factors (SPD status and perceived need) were significantly associated with help-seeking behaviors for mental health, along with predisposing factors (age, gender, obesity, race, and employment), and enabling factors (insurance, English proficiency). Conclusions Perceptions about need for seeking help seem to play an important role in receiving mental health services in addition to other predisposing or enabling factors. Identification of these factors may improve clinical outcomes related to DM and SPD.

Background Acute upper respiratory tract infections are a common cause of Emergency Department (ED) visits and often result in unnecessary antibiotic treatment. Methods We conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the impact of a rapid, multi-pathogen respiratory panel (RP) test versus usual care (control). Patients were eligible if they were ≥12 months old, had symptoms of upper respiratory infection or influenza like illness, and were not on antibiotics. The primary outcome was antibiotic prescription; secondary outcomes included antiviral prescription, disposition, and length of stay (ClinicalTrials.gov# NCT02957136). Results Of 191 patients enrolled, 93 (49%) received RP testing; 98 (51%) received usual care. Fifty-three (57%) RP and 7 (7%) control patients had a virus detected and reported during the ED visit (p=0.0001). Twenty (22%) RP patients and 33 (34%) usual care patients received antibiotics during the ED visit (-12% [95% CI -25%, 0.4%]; p=0.06/0.08); 9 RP patients received antibiotics despite having a virus detected. The magnitude of antibiotic reduction was greater in children (-19%) versus adults (-9%; post-hoc analysis). There was no difference in antiviral use, length of stay, or disposition. Conclusions Rapid RP testing was associated with a trend towards decreased antibiotic use, suggesting a potential benefit from more rapid viral tests in the ED. Future studies should determine if specific groups are more likely to benefit from testing and evaluate relative cost and effectiveness of broad testing, focused testing, and a combined diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship approach.

Objective: To determine: 1) rates of cardio­vascular disease (CVD) among individuals with and without prior US military service; and 2) variation in CVD outcomes by race/ ethnicity.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of the 2011-2016 Behavioral Risk Fac­tor Surveillance System during 2018-2019. Groups with (n=369,844) and without (n=2,491,784) prior service were compared overall, and by race/ethnicity. CVD odds were compared using logistic regression. Rate-difference decomposition was used to estimate relative contributions of covariates to differences in CVD prevalence.Results: CVD was associated with military service (OR=1.34; P

Background: With HIV-infected patients living longer, there is an increased burden of comorbidities related to aging, HIV itself, and polypharmacy. Cardiac morbidity is of particular importance. Methods: This 2-group comparison study (156 HIV-positive and 105 HIV-negative patients) investigated the prevalence of abnormalities in and factors associated with an electrocardiogram (ECG) measure, corrected QT interval (QTc), where prolongation can lead to arrhythmia and sudden death. Medications prescribed (antiretroviral therapy, psychiatric medications, methadone, and antibiotics) at the time of ECG were noted. Patient characteristics, medications, QTc, and ECG characteristics were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Prolongation (29% versus 19%) and extreme prolongation (6% versus 1%) in QTc were more frequent in those with HIV. Antiretroviral therapy was associated with lower odds of prolonged QTc (odds ratio [OR] = 0.35; P = .04), while methadone with higher odds (OR = 4.6; P = .01) in HIV-positive patients. With methadone and medication groups adjusted, HIV status was still associated with 17-millisecond longer QTc ( P = .04). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that patients with HIV may have clinically relevant longer QTc interval on ECG. Baseline and routine ECG monitoring may be warranted among patients living with HIV in clinical practice based on cumulative evidence.

A notable proportion of cases of COVID-19 have occurred among older adults living in congregant settings.1 2 Once an outbreak occurs in such settings, few mitigation strategies exist. Identifying predictors of COVID-19 would facilitate enhanced surveillance to prevent future outbreaks. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have long required that all skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) report quality metrics, including the Five-Star Quality Rating System for comparing SNFs: 1 star (lowest score) to 5 star (highest score).3 This metric is predicated on patient and stakeholder perceptions. We examined the relationship of star ratings and other facility-related metrics to COVID-19 occurrence among nursing home residents using a newly established reporting mechanism by the state of California. Beginning 17 April 2020, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) started reporting the daily and cumulative numbers of positive cases of COVID-19 among the residents and staff of SNFs.4 For this study, we used the category ‘Cumulative Positive Residents’, and compiled data available through 31 May 2020. SNF characteristics were obtained from the Facilities Compare Website3 as follows: Overall Star Rating, its three domains—Health Inspections, Staffing and Quality Measures, plus Provider and Ownership Types, Number of Certified Beds and Medicare Claims Quality Measures, and linked using the Federal Provider Number. Descriptive statistics were used for SNF characteristics with and without COVID-19 among the residents, and univariate-adjusted and …

Aims There are numerous risk or screening scores for the prediction of type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM). In contrast, few scores are available for preDM. In this paper, we compare the two screening scores from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that can be used for DM as well as preDM. Methods Adult participants ( N = 9391) without known DM from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2009–12 were included. We fitted the factors/items in the ADA and CDC scores in logistic regression with the outcomes of undiagnosed DM, preDM, and combination, and assessed the association and discrimination accuracy. We also evaluated the suggested cutpoints that define high risk individuals. We mimicked the original models/settings but also tested various deviations/modifications often encountered in practice. Results Both scores performed well and robustly, while the ADA score performed somewhat better (e.g., AUC = 0.77 for ADA and 0.73–0.74 for CDC for DM; 0.72–0.74 and 0.70–0.71 for preDM). The same predictors and scoring rules seem to be reasonably justified with different cutpoints for DM and preDM, which can make usage easier and consistent. Some factors such as race and HDL/LDL cholesterols may be useful additions to health education. Conclusions Current DM education and screening focus on the prevention and management of DM. The ADA and CDC scores could further help when we identify individuals at high risk for preDM, and teach the importance of preDM during which lifestyle intervention can be effective and urgently needed.

Surgical intervention for severe tricuspid regurgitation secondary to remote infective endocarditis has been infrequent, especially in patients also infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We describe the case of a 62-year-old HIV-positive man, with a 24-year history of endocarditis caused by intravenous heroin use, who presented with severe tricuspid regurgitation. The patient was initially asymptomatic, was taking antiretroviral medications, and had a satisfactory CD4 count and an undetectable viral load, so we decided to manage the regurgitation conservatively. Two years later, he presented with biventricular heart failure and dyspnea. After surgical tricuspid valve replacement, his condition improved substantially. This case illustrates that HIV-infected patients with complex medical conditions can successfully undergo cardiac surgery.

Introduction: Multiple case reports have described lymphomas and plasma cell neoplasms developing after trauma 1-4. It has been hypothesized that trauma-induced inflammation may contribute to the neoplasia, and that the site of trauma may serve as the nidus (locus minoris resistentiae) 1, 5. However, to our knowledge there are no studies demonstrating causality. Traumatic injuries sustained during combat have been linked with higher rates of hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease 6. Whether severe injury also increases the risk of hematologic malignancies is unknown. We hypothesized that combat injured veterans have higher rates of lymphoma and plasma cell dyscrasias than un-injured combat veterans. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of US military personnel injured during combat operations in Iraq or Afghanistan from 2002-2015 extracted from the Department of Defense (DoD) Trauma Registry. Patients were excluded if they died in theater, had multiple battle injuries, had pre-existing cancer diagnoses or missing data. A comparator arm of deployed and un-injured Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans was obtained from the Military Health System Data Repository (MDR) matched for year of birth, branch of service, and sex. Cancer diagnoses were defined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) Clinical Modification codes obtained from both the DoD and the Veterans Health Administration through the MDR and the Veterans Informatics and Computing Infrastructure, respectively. Malignancy classifications by ICD codes are demonstrated in Table 1 and broken down into aggressive B-cell lymphomas, indolent B-cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphoma, T-cell lymphomas and plasma cell dyscrasias. Statistical analyses were performed with the chi-square test and fisher's exact test. This study was approved by the IRB at David Grant USAF Medical Center. Results: There were 9,654 subjects each in the injured and un-injured cohorts. Baseline demographics are demonstrated in Table 2. The mean age was 26 and most patients were junior enlisted, members of the Army, males, and of non-Hispanic white ethnicity/race. The average post-trauma follow-up time was 5.3 years. Overall rates of aggressive B-cell lymphomas, indolent B-cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphoma, T-cell lymphomas and plasma cell dyscrasias were low, as demonstrated in Table 3, and there were no statistically significant differences in incidence rates between the two cohorts. Discussion: Traumatic injuries can activate innate immune responses involving inflammatory cytokines, complement, coagulation and dendritic cells, resulting in a pro-inflammatory state 7. Preclinical studies reveal that such inflammation may hamper T-cell immune-surveillance needed to eradicate malignancy 8. However, in our cohort of severely injured combat veterans, rates of lymphomas and plasma cell dyscrasias were not increased over un-injured combat veterans. Strengths of this study include a well-characterized cohort with a matched comparator arm enabling vigorous examination of the impacts of traumatic injuries on cancer. Limitations include retrospective design and relatively short follow up. It is possible that differences will emerge with longer follow up. Conclusions: Despite critical combat trauma injuries being associated with a heightened risk of multiple chronic comorbidities, they do not appear to heighten the risk of lymphoid or plasma cell neoplasms within the first 5-years. The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Air Force, David Grant USAF Medical Center, the Uniformed Services University or the Department of Defense. References: 1. Kriwalsky MS, Oral Surg, 2010. 2. Huang J, Medicine, 2019. 3. Stemberga V, Hematol Oncol, 2003. 4. Erdogan B, Eur Spine J, 2005. 5. Lo Schiavo A, Clin Dermatol, 2014. 6. Stewart IJ, Circulation, 2015. 7. Huber-Lang M, Nature Immunology, 2018. 8. Krall J, Science, 2018. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Purpose The aims of this study were (1) to assess the utility of the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorder (Neuro-QoL) questionnaire in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome by comparing the validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure Neuro-QoL to the validated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Assessment Questionnaire (CTSAQ) before and following carpal tunnel release, (2) to compare the measurements of the median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) using high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) before and after surgery, and (3) to determine a correlation between HRUS and PRO. Methods Individuals diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome were evaluated using the CTSAQ, Neuro-QoL, and HRUS before surgery and at 3 months after surgery. Results Twenty patients completed the study. Overwhelmingly, there was an improvement in symptoms and function assessed by patients on both the Neuro-QoL and the CTSAQ at 3 months after surgery. The Neuro-QoL Physical Function and Upper Extremity scores had strong correlation with the CTSAQ activity score but had low to moderate correlation with the CTSAQ symptoms score, before and after surgery. The HRUS measurements of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel inlet demonstrated a decrease in CSA whereas no noticeable changes were observed at mid tunnel and at the outlet (hook of hamate). The correlations between the ultrasound findings and PRO measures ranged from weak to strong. Conclusions Patients had resolution of symptoms and higher physical function following carpal tunnel release measured by both the CTSAQ and the Neuro-QoL scores. The Neuro-QoL self-assessment questionnaire, a measurement of quality of life, correlated well with the CTSAQ. Therefore, it could be used as a self-assessment outcomes tool in patients undergoing carpal tunnel release. At 3 months after surgery, HRUS measurements of the median nerve CSA showed a noticeable decrease of CSA only at the inlet of carpal tunnel. This objective improvement correlated with the improvement in CTSAQ and Neuro-QoL scores. Type of study/level of evidence Diagnosis II.

BACKGROUND:Hyperkyphosis, an excessive anterior curvature in the thoracic spine, is associated with reduced health status in older adults. Hyperkyphosis is highly prevalent, more common in older women than men. There is no standard intervention to reduce age-related hyperkyphosis. Sex differences in response to a kyphosis-specific exercise intervention are not known. METHODS:We conducted a randomized controlled trial of a targeted kyphosis-specific exercise and postural training program on the primary outcome Cobb angle of kyphosis, and investigated whether the magnitude of change differed between men and women. One hundred twelve participants aged ≥60years with kyphosis ≥40° were enrolled and randomized to exercise or waitlist control, and 101 participants had analyzable baseline and follow-up radiographs for Cobb angle measurements. A group intervention including 10 participants per group was delivered by a physical therapist, 1-h, twice a week for 3-months. Controls were placed on a waitlist for 3months before receiving a delayed intervention. Primary outcome was change from baseline to 3-months in Cobb angle measured from standing lateral spine radiographs. Secondary outcomes included change over 3-months in kyphometer-measured kyphosis, physical function and quality of life. Groups were combined for analysis after both received the intervention, and sex differences in response to the intervention were tested with ANOVA. RESULTS:Participants (60 women, 41 men) were 70.0 (SD = 5.7) years old with mean Cobb angle 55.9 (SD = 12.2) degrees at baseline. The active group had higher baseline modified Physical Performance Test scores than control, p= 0.03. Men had greater baseline kyphometer-measured kyphosis, p= 0.09, and higher bone mineral density (BMD), spine strength, more vertebral fractures and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) than women, p≤ 0.01. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in change in Cobb at 3-months, p = 0.09, however change in kyphometer-measured kyphosis differed by 4.8 (95% CI:-6.8,-2.7) degrees, p 0.1. CONCLUSIONS:A 3-month targeted spine strengthening exercise and posture training program reduced kyphometer-measured, but not radiographic-measured kyphosis. Despite sex differences in baseline kyphosis, BMD, spine strength, fractures and DISH, sex did not affect treatment response. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01766674.

In the modern era, with high-throughput technology and large data size, associational studies are actively being generated. Some have statistical and clinical validity and utility, or at least have biologically plausible relationships, while others may not. Recently, the potential effect of birth month on lifetime disease risks has been studied in a phenome-wide model. We evaluated the associations between birth month and 5 cardiovascular disease-related outcomes in an independent registry of 8,346 patients from Ontario, Canada in 1977-2014. We used descriptive statistics and logistic regression, along with model-fit and discrimination statistics. Hypertension and coronary heart disease (of primary interest) were most prevalent in those who were born in January and April, respectively, as observed in the previous study. Other outcomes showed weak or opposite associations. Ancillary analyses (based on raw blood pressures and subgroup analyses by sex) demonstrated inconsistent patterns and high randomness. Our study was based on a high risk population and could not provide scientific explanations. As scientific values and clinical implications can be different, readers are encouraged to read the original and our papers together for more objective interpretations of the potential impact of birth month on individual and public health as well as toward cumulative/total evidence in general.

AIM To investigate the impact of physical frailty on risk of hospitalisation in cirrhotic patients on the liver transplant waitlist. METHODS Cirrhotics listed for liver transplantation at a single centre underwent frailty assessments using the Fried Frailty Index, consisting of grip strength, gait speed, exhaustion, weight loss, and physical activity. Clinical and biochemical data including MELD score as collected at the time of assessment. The primary outcome was number of hospitalised days per year; secondary outcomes included incidence of infection. Univariable and multivariable analysis was performed using negative binomial regression to associate baseline parameters including frailty with clinical outcomes and estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR). RESULTS Of 587 cirrhotics, 64% were male, median age (interquartile range) was 60 (53-64) years and MELD score was 15 (12-18). Median Fried Frailty Index was 2 (1-3); 31.6% were classified as frail (fried frailty ≥ 3). During 12 mo of follow-up, 43% required at least 1 hospitalisation; 38% of which involved major infection. 107/184 (58%) frail and 142/399 (36%) non-frail patients were hospitalised at least once (P < 0.001). In univariable analysis, Fried Frailty Index was associated with total hospitalisation days per year (IRR = 1.51, 95%CI: 1.28-1.77; P ≤ 0.001), which remained significant on multivariable analysis after adjustment for MELD, albumin, and gender (IRR for frailty of 1.21, 95%CI: 1.02-1.44; P = 0.03). Incidence of infection was not influenced by frailty. CONCLUSION In cirrhotics on the liver transplant waitlist, physical frailty is a significant predictor of hospitalisation and total hospitalised days per year, independent of liver disease severity.

Objectives-The aim of this study was to determine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of sonographic measurements of the median nerve cross-sectional area in individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome and healthy control participants.Methods-The median nerve cross-sectional area was evaluated by sonography in 18 participants with carpal tunnel syndrome (18 upper extremities) and 9 control participants (18 upper extremities) at 2 visits 1 week apart. Two examiners, both blinded to the presence or absence of carpal tunnel syndrome, captured independent sonograms of the median nerve at the levels of the carpal tunnel inlet, pronator quadratus, and mid-forearm. The cross-sectional area was later measured by each examiner independently. Each also traced images that were captured by the other examiner.Results-Both the intra- and inter-rater reliability rates were highest for images taken at the carpal tunnel inlet (radiologist, r = 0.86; sonographer, r = 0.87; inter-rater, r = 0.95; all P < .0001), whereas they was lowest for the pronator quadratus (r = 0.49, 0.29, and 0.72, respectively; all P < .0001). At the mid-forearm, the intra-rater reliability was lower for both the radiologist and sonographer, whereas the inter-rater reliability was relatively high (r = 0.54, 0.55, and 0.81; all P < .0001). Tracing of captured images by different examiners showed high concordance for the median cross-sectional area at the carpal tunnel inlet (r = 0.96-0.98; P < .0001).Conclusions-The highest intra- and inter-rater reliability was found at the carpal tunnel inlet. The results also demonstrate that tracing of the median nerve cross-sectional area from captured images by different examiners does not contribute significantly to measurement variability.

OBJECTIVE Patients with HIV may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, treatment, and control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) dyslipidemia and hypertension in a population of HIV-infected patients at an HIV/AIDS clinic in New York City. METHODS Review of electronic medical records of 4278 HIV-infected patients aged 20 years or older in a racially and ethnically diverse urban HIV/AIDS clinic based in a large tertiary hospital and designated New York State AIDS Center that provides comprehensive care. LDL-C dyslipidemia was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III goals and hypertension according to Joint National Committee VII criteria. RESULTS The prevalence of LDL-C dyslipidemia was 35%. Ninety percent of patients with LDL-C dyslipidemia were treated and 75% of those treated were at goal. Patients in high-risk groups (56%), including known coronary heart disease (57%) or coronary heart disease equivalents (62%), were less likely to be at LDL-C goal. The prevalence of hypertension was 43%. Seventy-five percent of patients with hypertension were treated but only 57% overall were at goal. CONCLUSIONS Although most patients with HIV and LDL-C dyslipidemia or hypertension are treated, a significant percentage did not have adequate control of these risk factors. As patients with HIV are at higher risk for CVD and living to an age where CVD is more common, it will be important to identify ways to better manage and control CVD risk factors in this patient population. A comprehensive care model such as our setting may serve as an option.