CTEPH: A Kaiser Permanente Northern California Experience.

Introduction: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare and life-threatening form of pulmonary hypertension and the only potentially curable form of the World Health Organization Pulmonary Hypertension classes. Thus, the prompt and accurate diagnosis of this condition is imperative. Despite widespread chronic symptoms following acute pulmonary embolism (PE), the condition is rarely considered, and an externally validated inexpensive diagnostic algorithm is lacking.

The REACT study: design of a randomized phase 3 trial to assess the efficacy and safety of clazosentan for preventing deterioration due to delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background: For patients presenting with an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The REACT study is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of clazosentan in preventing clinical deterioration due to DCI in patients with aSAH.

Methods: REACT is a prospective, multicenter, randomized phase 3 study that is planned to enroll 400 patients with documented aSAH from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, randomized 1:1 to 15 mg/hour intravenous clazosentan vs.

An Accessible Clinical Decision Support System to Curtail Anesthetic Greenhouse Gases in a Large Health Network: Implementation Study.

Background: Inhaled anesthetics in the operating room are potent greenhouse gases and are a key contributor to carbon emissions from health care facilities. Real-time clinical decision support (CDS) systems lower anesthetic gas waste by prompting anesthesia professionals to reduce fresh gas flow (FGF) when a set threshold is exceeded. However, previous CDS systems have relied on proprietary or highly customized anesthesia information management systems, significantly reducing other institutions' accessibility to the technology and thus limiting overall environmental benefit.

A Case of Neonatal Lupus Presenting with Myocardial Dysfunction in the Absence of Congenital Heart Block (CHB): Clinical Management and Brief Literature Review of Neonatal Cardiac Lupus.

Neonatal lupus (NLE) is a rare acquired autoimmune disorder caused by transplacental passage of maternal autoantibodies to Sjogren's Syndrome A or B (SSA-SSB) autoantigens (Vanoni et al. in Clin Rev Allerg Immunol 53:469-476, 2017) which target fetal and neonatal tissues for immune destruction. The cardiac trademark of NLE is autoimmune heart block, which accounts for more than 80% of cases of complete atrioventricular heart block (AVB) in newborns with a structurally normal heart (Martin in Cardiol Young 24: 41-46, 2014).

Education Research: Neurologic Education in Physician Assistant Programs.

Background And Objectives: A growing number of advanced practice providers (APPs) are entering neurologic practice, and educational initiatives focused on postgraduate training in neurology for these providers are growing in turn. Neurologic education in APP degree programs is not well defined, which limits the ability to tailor these initiatives to the specific needs of APPs. We aim to describe neurologic education in physician assistant (PA) degree programs to better inform these efforts.

Cardiology Assessment of Patients Undergoing Evaluation for Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is a viable treatment option for end-stage liver disease. Significant perioperative stress is placed on the cardiovascular system because of hemodynamic changes and the length of the operation. Diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease before OLT are imperative to ensure favorable outcomes.

[Integrating hypertension and diabetes management in primary health care settings: HEARTS as a toolIntegrando o manejo da hipertensão e do diabetes na atenção primária à saúde: uso do HEARTS como instrumento].

Hypertension and diabetes are modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors that contribute to nearly one-third of all deaths in the Americas Region each year (2.3 million deaths). Despite advances in the detection and clinical management of hypertension and diabetes, there are substantial gaps in their implementation globally and in the Region.

Recent Advances in the Use of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing T-Cell Therapies for Treatment of Multiple Myeloma.

Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies have revolutionized the treatment paradigm for heavily pretreated B-cell malignancies such as large B-cell lymphoma. There is a major unmet need for effective treatments for heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), for which many CAR-T therapies are under active clinical investigation. Goal of the review: This review provides an overview of recently updated clinical trial data and indirect treatment comparison analyses regarding two clinically advanced CAR-T therapies, idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel).

Disparities in access to care among patients with appendiceal or colorectal cancer and peritoneal metastases: A medicare insurance-based study in the United States.

Background: Prior studies attempting to identify disparities in the care of patients with appendiceal (AC) or colorectal cancer (CRC) with peritoneal metastasis (PM) are limited to single-institution, highly selected patient populations. This observational cohort study sought to identify factors associated with specialty care for Medicare beneficiaries with AC/CRC-PM.

Materials And Methods: Patients >65 years old in the United States diagnosed with AC/CRC and isolated PM were identified within the Medicare Standard Analytic File (2013-2017).

Predicting short-term outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis.

Background: The approved use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for aortic stenosis has expanded substantially over time. However, gaps remain with respect to accurately delineating risk for poor clinical and patient-centered outcomes. Our objective was to develop prediction models for 30-day clinical and patient-centered outcomes after TAVR within a large, diverse community-based population.

Child and Adult Care Food Program Participation Benefits, Barriers and Facilitators for Independent Child Care Centers in California.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides reimbursements for nutritious foods for children with low-income at participating child care sites in the United States. The CACFP is associated with improved child diet quality, health outcomes, and food security. However CACFP participation rates are declining.

Association Between Subclinical Thyroid Dysfunction and Fracture Risk.

Importance: Clinical hyperthyroidism accelerates bone resorption without compensatory bone formation, reducing bone density and increasing the risk of fracture. The association between subclinical hyperthyroidism and fracture risk is less clear.

Objective: To investigate the association of endogenous subclinical thyroid dysfunction and fracture risk, independent of clinical confounders.

Improving outcomes in malignant pleural mesothelioma in an integrated health care system.

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive tumor that should be managed by an experienced surgical and multidisciplinary group. Our objective was to determine the impact of proficient surgeons and MPM bi-disciplinary review on outcomes of patients with MPM.

Methods: Through this cohort study, electronic medical records of 368 adult patients with MPM from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2020 were reviewed and compared before and after MPM surgeries were regionalized to specialized surgeons and bi-disciplinary review of MPM patient treatment options.

Salvage Cryoablation for Local Recurrences of Thyroid Cancer Inseparable from the Trachea and Neurovascular Structures.

Purpose: To demonstrate safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of cryoablation of recurrent papillary thyroid cancer ineligible for reoperation because of scarring, eligible for focal ablation as defined within 2015 American Thyroid Association guideline sections C16 and C17.

Materials And Methods: With multidisciplinary consensus, cryoablation was performed with curative intent for 15 tumors in 10 patients between January 2019 and July 2021. Demographics, procedural details, and serial postprocedural imaging findings were analyzed.

Comparison of Survival by Multimodal Treatment Regimen Among Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Patients in an Integrated Health System.

Background: Optimal therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) remains unclear. We compared overall survival in patients with MPM after various multimodal treatment regimens including combinations of immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.

Patients And Methods: We examined MPM patients treated within our integrated health system from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2020.

Exploring Bias in Scientific Peer Review: An ASCO Initiative.

Purpose: To investigate implicit bias (IB) in the peer review process across ASCO and Conquer Cancer Foundation and to propose potential mitigation strategies.

Materials And Methods: We, ASCO Working Group on Implicit Bias, selected four data sources: (1) literature search [(a) defining IB in peer review, (b) evidence of IB in peer review, and (c) strategies to mitigate IB]; (2) created and analyzed an ASCO database for sex, race, and institutional affiliation regarding peer review success; (3) constructed and conducted qualitative interviews of key stakeholders within the ASCO board, publications, and grants committee, on experience with IB within ASCO; and (4) constructed, delivered, and analyzed results of member survey on perception of IB within ASCO.

Results: Historically uncommon, PubMed articles on IB in peer review subsequently increased exponentially in the past 2 decades.

Association of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Size With Long-term Patient Outcomes: The KP-TAA Study.

Importance: The risk of adverse events from ascending thoracic aorta aneurysm (TAA) is poorly understood but drives clinical decision-making.

Objective: To evaluate the association of TAA size with outcomes in nonsyndromic patients in a large non-referral-based health care delivery system.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Kaiser Permanente Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm (KP-TAA) cohort study was a retrospective cohort study at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a fully integrated health care delivery system insuring and providing care for more than 4.

Characterizing Unhealthy Alcohol Use Patterns and Their Association with Alcohol Use Reduction and Alcohol Use Disorder During Follow-Up in HIV Care.

Outcomes of PWH with unhealthy alcohol use, such as alcohol use reduction or progression to AUD, are not well-known and may differ by baseline patterns of unhealthy alcohol use. Among 1299 PWH screening positive for NIAAA-defined unhealthy alcohol use in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 2013-2017, we compared 2-year probabilities of reduction to low-risk/no alcohol use and rates of new AUD diagnoses by baseline use patterns, categorized as exceeding: only daily limits (72% of included PWH), only weekly limits (17%), or both (11%), based on NIAAA recommendations. Overall, 73.

Disparities in Care Access to Liver-Directed Therapy Among Medicare Beneficiaries with Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis.

Background: Liver-directed therapies (LDT) are important components of the multidisciplinary care of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) that contribute to improved long-term outcomes. Factors associated with receipt of LDT are poorly understood.

Patients And Methods: Patients > 65 years old diagnosed with CRCLM were identified within the Medicare Standard Analytic File (2013-2017).

Developing population-based hypertension control programs.

Hypertension remains the leading cause of cardiovascular disease globally despite the availability of safe and effective treatments. Unfortunately, many barriers exist to controlling hypertension, including a lack of effective screening and awareness, an inability to access treatment and challenges with its management when it is treated. Addressing these barriers is complex and requires engaging in a systematic and sustained approach across communities over time.

Randomized Comparison of Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair for Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation in Prohibitive Surgical Risk Patients.

Background: Severe symptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) has a poor prognosis in the absence of treatment, and new transcatheter options are emerging.

Objectives: The CLASP IID (Edwards PASCAL Transcatheter Valve Repair System Pivotal Clinical Trial) randomized trial (NCT03706833) is the first to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the PASCAL system compared with the MitraClip system in patients with significant symptomatic DMR. This report presents the primary safety and effectiveness endpoints for the trial.