Use of convalescent plasma in COVID-19 treatment: is clinical severity more important than the intervention?

Objective: This study compared the outcomes of two cohorts of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who received COVID-19 convalescent plasma transfusions between 2020 and 2021.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. We included a retrospective cohort of patients who received convalescent compassionate plasma, and another group of patients from a previous clinical study.

Current landscape of clinical use of ex vivo expanded natural killer cells for cancer therapy.

Natural Killer cells are immune leukocytes required for responses against tumor cells and virus-infected cells. In the last decade, natural killer cells have emerged as promising tools in cancer therapy, and clinical studies on patients treated with natural killer cells have revealed increased rates of disease-free survival. In this article, we review results from the major clinical trials that have used natural killer cells for cancer treatment, including their global distribution.

Feasibility of a digital palliative care intervention (Convoy-Pal) for older adults with heart failure and multiple chronic conditions and their caregivers: a waitlist randomized control trial.

Background: Although older adults with heart failure (HF) and multiple chronic conditions (MCC) frequently rely on caregivers for health management, digital health systems, such as patient portals and mobile apps, are designed for individual patients and often exclude caregivers. There is a need to develop approaches that integrate caregivers into care. This study tested the feasibility of the Social Convoy Palliative Care intervention (Convoy-Pal), a 12-week digital self-management program that includes assessment tools and resources for clinical palliative care, designed for both patients and their caregivers.

Platelet antibody detection assays: a single-laboratory comparison of MAIPA, PIFT, and microsphere-based multiplex assays Pak-Lx.

Background And Objectives: The identification of platelet antibodies is essential for diagnosing and managing conditions such as fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenic purpura, post-transfusion purpura, and immune platelet refractoriness. Monoclonal antibody immobilization of platelet antigens (MAIPA) is the standard method for detecting anti-human platelet antigen (HPA) antibodies, while the detection of anti-HLA antibodies once relied on the complement-dependent cytotoxicity method, however advanced technologies such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Luminex have significantly improved sensitivity and accuracy in identifying these antibodies. Flow cytometry-based techniques (platelet immunofluorescence test - PIFT) and Luminex platform-driven microsphere-based multiplex assays (Pak-Lx) are widely employed in platelet immunology laboratories owing to their remarkable flexibility and versatility.

Patient Outcomes of a Virtual Reality-Based Music Therapy Pilot in Palliative Care.

Background: Hospitalized patients with palliative care needs often have high levels of physical and psychological symptom distress. Virtual reality (VR) with a music therapy intervention may improve physical and psychological symptoms.

Objectives: To assess symptom distress and quality of life (QOL) among hospitalized palliative care patients who participated in a virtual reality-based music therapy (VR-MT) intervention, and to explore VR-MT from the perspectives of health care professionals involved in their care.

An Extended Flow Cytometry Evaluation of ex Vivo Expanded NK Cells Using K562.Clone1, a Feeder Cell Line Manufactured in Brazil.

Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in the immune system's response against cancer. However, the challenge of obtaining the required quantity of NK cells for effective therapeutic response necessitates the development of strategies for their ex vivo expansion. This study aimed to develop a novel feeder cell line, K562.

Association Between Patient Portal Activities and End-of-Life Outcomes Among Deceased Patients in the Last 12 Months of Life.

The objective of this study was to examine the association between portal use and end-of-life (EOL) outcomes in the last year of life. A retrospective cohort ( = 6,517) study at Kaiser Permanente Colorado among adults with serious illness deceased between January 1, 2016, and June 30, 2019. Portal use was categorized into engagement types: no use, nonactive, active without a provider, and active with a provider.

Measuring Quality of Life in Deprescribing Trials: A Scoping Review.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome to capture in clinical trials evaluating deprescribing interventions.

Objective: We aimed to conduct a scoping review to examine how QoL has been measured in deprescribing trials among older people and identify potentially relevant QoL scales, to better inform QoL measurement in future deprescribing trials.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, Epistemonikos, ClinicalTrials.

Advancing the Science of Palliative Care: Contributions of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group.

The Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC) formed to lead, catalyze, and empower a community of scientists to build an evidence base to ensure high-quality care and optimal well-being for persons with serious illness and their caregivers. The PCRC grew to 630 members representing 220 distinct sites. The PCRC awarded 44 pilot grant awards (total investment $1.

Telemedicine pre-screening for blood donor.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had an important impact on blood bank services. The onset of the pandemic led to a decrease in the number of blood donors. A remote interview would avoid deferred donors from having to travel to the blood bank.

Does a novel community-based outpatient palliative care intervention for Parkinson's disease and related disorders improve care? Qualitative results from patients and care partners.

Background: Palliative care has the potential to address significant unmet needs in people with Parkinson's disease and related disorders, but models that rely on in-person specialty palliative care teams have limited scalability.

Aim: To describe patient and care partner experiences with a novel, community-based palliative care intervention for Parkinson's disease.

Design: Qualitative study embedded in a randomized clinical trial to document participant experiences with a novel palliative care intervention (community neurologist training and remote team-based specialist palliative care).

Novel method for determining when a field-collected donor unit is sufficiently full.

Background: Whole blood (WB) collections can occur downrange for immediate administration. An important aspect of these collections is determining when the unit is sufficiently full. This project tested a novel method for determining when a field collection is complete.

Virtual platelet cross-matching as transfusion management for patients with immune platelet refractoriness.

Background And Objectives: This study describes the use of the Epvix platform for virtual cross-matching (VC) of human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-compatible platelets for patients with immune platelet refractoriness, and demonstrates effectiveness of the selected platelets.

Materials And Methods: A prospective cohort of haematological patients was evaluated from 2018 to 2022. HLA-typed donor bank profile was previously uploaded to the Epvix platform.

Patient and Family Outcomes of Community Neurologist Palliative Education and Telehealth Support in Parkinson Disease.

Importance: Parkinson disease and related disorders (PDRD) are the fastest growing neurodegenerative illness in terms of prevalence and mortality. As evidence builds to support palliative care (PC) for PDRD, studies are needed to guide implementation.

Objective: To determine whether PC training for neurologists and remote access to a PC team improves outcomes in patients with PDRD in community settings.

Primary Author Characteristics Associated With Publication in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

Context: Scientific journals are the primary source for dissemination of research findings, and this process relies on rigorous editorial and peer-review. As part of continuing efforts by the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (JPSM) to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion, JPSM's leadership requested an external evaluation of their publication decisions.

Objectives: 1) Describe primary author characteristics associated with final decisions to accept or reject manuscripts submitted for publication; 2) Report on whether there are potential publication biases in the JPSM editorial or peer-review processes.

The "Surprise Question" for Prognostication in People With Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders.

Context: Parkinson's disease and related disorders (PDRD) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by a fluctuating course that can complicate prognostication. The "surprise question" (SQ: "Would you be surprised if your patient died in the next year?") has been used to identify patients with limited prognosis but has not been assessed in PDRD.

Objectives: To determine the validity of the SQ in predicting 12-month mortality in PDRD.

Anxiety and Depression in Metastatic Cancer: A Critical Review of Negative Impacts on Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life Decision Making With Practical Recommendations.

Purpose: Providers treating adults with advanced cancer increasingly seek to engage patients and surrogates in advance care planning (ACP) and end-of-life (EOL) decision making; however, anxiety and depression may interfere with engagement. The intersection of these two key phenomena is examined among patients with metastatic cancer and their surrogates: the need to prepare for and engage in ACP and EOL decision making and the high prevalence of anxiety and depression.

Methods: Using a critical review framework, we examine the specific ways that anxiety and depression are likely to affect both ACP and EOL decision making.

Dissemination and Implementation of a Community Health Worker Intervention for Disparities in Palliative Care (DeCIDE PC): a study protocol for a hybrid type 1 randomized controlled trial.

Background: There are persistent racial and ethnic health disparities in end-of-life health outcomes in the United States. African American patients are less likely than White patients to access palliative care, enroll in hospice care, have documented goals of care discussions with their healthcare providers, receive adequate symptom control, or die at home. We developed Community Health Worker Intervention for Disparities in Palliative Care (DeCIDE PC) to address these disparities.

Patient and Caregiver Expression of Reluctance and Ambivalence During Palliative Care Encounters.

Patients with serious illness and their caregivers often face challenging decisions. When faced with these decisions, patients and caregivers may display signs of ambivalence and reluctance toward end-of-life decision making. We recruited 22 palliative care clinicians to participate in a communication coaching study.

Infectious diseases and the impact on transfusion medicine: A historical review and lessons for the future.

Blood transfusion saves millions of lives each year. It is a well-established treatment, and many procedures are applied to avoid transmitted infections. However, throughout the history of transfusion medicine, many infectious diseases arose or were recognised, bringing up an impact on the blood supply, as the difficulties in diagnosing new diseases, the decrease in blood donors, the challenges for the medical team, the risks for the receptor and the related costs.

Empathic communication between clinicians, patients, and care partners in palliative care encounters.

Objective: Palliative care encounters often involve empathic opportunities conveyed by patients and their care partners. In this secondary analysis, we examined empathic opportunities and clinician responses with attention to how presence of multiple care partners and clinicians shapes empathic communication.

Methods: We used the Empathic Communication Coding System (ECCS) to characterize emotion-focused, challenge-focused, and progress-focused empathic opportunities and responses in 71 audio-recorded palliative care encounters in the US.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), transfusion requirements and clinical outcomes in orthotopic liver transplantation.

Inflammatory phenomena have a direct impact on the prognosis of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) contribute to OLT inflammation and hemostasis imbalance in OLT. The association between NETosis, clinical outcomes and transfusion requirements is not determined.