COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendations for Immunocompromised Patient Populations: Delphi Panel and Consensus Statement Generation in the United States.

Introduction: The United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend COVID-19 vaccines for all immunocompromised individuals. Certain disease groups are at increased risk of comorbidity and death for which disease-specific recommendations should be considered. The objective of the Delphi panel of experts was to summarize expert consensus on COVID-19 vaccinations for patients with rheumatologic disease, renal disease, hematologic malignancy and solid organ transplant (SOT) in the US.

Delphi Panel Consensus Statement Generation: COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendations for Immunocompromised Populations in the European Union.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems globally. The lack of quality guidelines on the management of COVID-19 in rheumatologic disease, renal disease, hematological malignancy, and solid organ transplant recipients has resulted in a wide variation in clinical practice.

Methods: Using a Delphi process, a panel of 16 key opinion leaders developed clinical practice statements regarding vaccine recommendations in areas where standards are absent or limited.

Sepsis outcomes in solid organ transplant recipients.

Background: We present data on a cohort of patients diagnosed with sepsis over a 10-year period comparing outcomes in solid organ transplant (SOT) and non-solid organ transplant (non-SOT) recipients.

Methods: This is a retrospective single-center study of patients with diagnosis of sepsis from 1/1/06 to 6/30/16. Cases and controls were matched by year of sepsis diagnosis with propensity score matching.

How Leading Hospitals Operationalize Evidence-Based Readmission Reduction Strategies: A Mixed-Methods Comparative Study Using Systematic Review and Survey Design.

Although various interventions targeted at reducing hospital readmissions have been identified in the literature, little is known about actual operationalization of such evidence-based interventions. This study conducted a systematic review and a survey of key informants in 2 leading hospitals, Houston Methodist (HM) and MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), to compare and contrast the most cited evidence-based interventions in the current literature with interventions reported by those hospitals. The authors found that both hospitals followed evidence-based practices reported as successful in the literature.

Both the Observer's Expertise and the Subject's Facial Symmetry Can Affect Anatomical Position of the Head.

Purpose: It is easier to judge facial deformity when the patient's head is in anatomic position. The purposes of this study were to determine 1) whether a group of expert observers would agree more than a group of nonexperts on what is the correct anatomic position of the head, 2) whether there would be more variation in the alignment of an asymmetrical face compared with a symmetrical one, and 3) whether the alignments of experts would be more repeatable than those of nonexperts.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-one orthodontists (experts) and 31 dental students (nonexperts) were recruited for this mixed-model study.

Analysis of Rothman Index Data to Predict Postdischarge Adverse Events in a Medical Intensive Care Unit.

Objective: Currently, there are no objective metrics included in the intensive care unit (ICU) discharge decision making process. In this study, we evaluate Rothman Index(RI) data for a possible metric as part of a quality improvement project. Our objectives were to determine whether RI could predict adverse events occurring within 72 hours of ICU discharge decision, the optimal clinical cutoff value for this metric, and to determine whether there is a relation between the RI warning alert 24 hours prior to discharge and adverse events postdischarge.

Eighty-six Percent Failure Rate of a Modular-Neck Femoral Stem Design at 3 to 5 Years: Lessons Learned.

Background: While innovation drives advancement, it is not immune to failure. Previously, we reported a corrosion-related revision rate of 28% (23 of 81 total hip arthroplasties) among patients who received the Rejuvenate modular-neck stem implant with short-term follow-up. Because we observed a dramatic interval failure rate after our initial report, we undertook this study.

Cup-to-Disc Ratio in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension without Papilloedema.

This study seeks to characterise potential differences in the cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) with papilloedema (IIHWP) compared with IIH without papilloedema (IIHWOP). The medical charts, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and digital optic disc photos of 30 patients (59 eyes) with IIHWP and 4 patients (8 eyes) with IIHWOP were reviewed retrospectively. The CDR values of the two groups were analysed using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.

Preclinical and clinical studies of gamma secretase inhibitors with docetaxel on human breast tumors.

Purpose: Accumulating evidence supports the existence of breast cancer stem cells (BCSC), which are characterized by their capacity to self-renew and divide indefinitely and resistance to conventional therapies. The Notch pathway is important for stem cell renewal and is a potential target for BCSC-directed therapy.

Experimental Design: Using human breast tumorgraft studies, we evaluated the impact of gamma secretase inhibitors (GSI) on the BCSC population and the efficacy of combining GSI with docetaxel treatment.

Differences in risk factors for coronary heart disease among diabetic and nondiabetic individuals from a population with high rates of diabetes: the Strong Heart Study.

Context: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Objective: This study compares differences in risk factors for CHD in diabetic vs. nondiabetic Strong Heart Study participants.

Red cell distribution width is a predictor of mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Red cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of the variability in size of circulating erythrocytes, is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that RDW is a prognostic marker of death, myocardial infarction and unplanned revascularization in a broad population undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We investigated the prognostic value of RDW derived from a complete blood count drawn ≤24 h of PCI in 1,689 patients at four centers who underwent PCI between 2004 and 2007 in the evaluation of drug eluting stents and ischemic events registry.

Leptin replacement therapy does not improve the abnormal lipid kinetics of hypoleptinemic patients with HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome.

Patients with HIV-associated dyslipidemic lipodystrophy (HADL) have characteristic lipid kinetic defects: accelerated lipolysis, blunted fat oxidation and increased hepatic fatty acid reesterification. HADL patients with lipoatrophy also have leptin deficiency. Small or non-randomized studies have suggested that leptin replacement improves glucose metabolism in HADL, with very limited data regarding its effects on the lipid kinetic abnormalities.

Coronary artery calcium scoring in the emergency department: identifying which patients with chest pain can be safely discharged home.

Study Objective: Coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) is a simple and readily available test for identifying coronary artery disease. Our objective is to evaluate whether a CACS of zero will identify chest pain patients who can be safely discharged home, without need for further cardiac testing.

Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study conducted at an urban tertiary care hospital of stable patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain of uncertain cardiac cause.