Newer P2Y12 Inhibitors vs Clopidogrel in Acute Myocardial Infarction With Cardiac Arrest or Cardiogenic Shock: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes, safety, and efficacy of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with newer P2Y12 inhibitors compared with clopidogrel in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiac arrest (CA) or cardiogenic shock (CS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were queried systematically from inception to January 2021 for comparative studies of adults (≥18 years) with AMI-CA/CS receiving DAPT with newer P2Y12 inhibitors as opposed to clopidogrel. We compared outcomes (30-day or in-hospital and 1-year all-cause mortality, major bleeding, and definite stent thrombosis) of newer P2Y12 inhibitors and clopidogrel in patients with AMI-CA/CS. RESULTS: Eight studies (1 randomized trial and 7 cohort studies) comprising 1100 patients (695 [63.2%] receiving clopidogrel and 405 [36.8%] receiving ticagrelor or prasugrel) were included. The population was mostly male (68.5%-86.7%). Risk of bias was low for these studies, with between-study heterogeneity and subgroup differences not statistically significant. Compared with the clopidogrel cohort, the newer P2Y12 cohort had lower rates of early mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.81; P=.001) (7 studies) and 1-year mortality (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.71; P<.001) (3 studies). We did not find a significant difference in major bleeding (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.71 to 2.06; P=.48) (6 studies) or definite stent thrombosis (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 0.63 to 6.45; P=.24) (7 studies). CONCLUSION: In patients with AMI-CA/CS receiving DAPT, compared with clopidogrel, newer P2Y12 inhibitors were associated with lower rates of early and 1-year mortality. Data on major bleeding and stent thrombosis were inconclusive.

Reduction in Healthcare Utilization With Transition to Peptide-Based Diets in Intolerant Home Enteral Nutrition Patients.

BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in the 1980s, the prevalence of home enteral nutrition (HEN) support has increased significantly. Despite these increases, many patients are unable to tolerate standard polymeric formulas (SPFs), resulting in significant healthcare resource utilization. Peptide-based diets (PBDs) have emerged as a viable option in SPF-intolerant patients; however, data in the HEN population are lacking. METHODS: Retrospective review of our prospectively maintained HEN database was conducted to assess tolerance, efficacy, and impact on healthcare utilization in patients on PBDs. RESULTS: From January 1, 2016, to May 1, 2018, 95 patients were placed on PBDs, with 53 patients being started directly and 42 patients being transitioned from SPFs. In patients transitioned to PBDs, symptoms of nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and distention improved significantly. Healthcare utilization also declined significantly, including mean number of phone calls (1.8 ± 1.6 to 1.1 ± 0.9, P = 0.006), mean number of emergency room visits (0.3 ± 0.6 to 0.09 ± 0.3, P = 0.015), and mean number of provider visits (1.3 ± 1.3 to 0.3 ± 0.5, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, PBDs were well tolerated and resulted in significant improvements in symptoms of gastrointestinal distress and healthcare utilization in patients intolerant to SPFs.

Long-Term Use of Mixed-Oil Lipid Emulsion in Soybean Oil-Intolerant Home Parenteral Nutrition Patients.

BACKGROUND: Although home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is lifesaving for patients with chronic intestinal failure (IF), long-term use can be associated with complications such as infections, metabolic abnormalities, and IF-associated liver disease (IFALD). The key to treatment of many of these complications is prevention. Guidelines recommend avoidance of overfeeding, use of oral/enteral nutrition if possible, cyclic PN, and maintaining dose of soybean oil (SO) intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) <1 g/kg/day as preventive strategies for IFALD. Additionally, with development of IFALD, ω-6/ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio should be decreased in ILE. The newly available mixed-oil (MO) ILE offers such an opportunity; however, there is a paucity of long-term data available. METHODS: The current study reports our long-term experience with MO ILE use in HPN patients. RESULTS: Seventeen patients (8 female and 9 male) with an average age of 47 ± 12 years and median HPN duration of 4.6 years (1.1-32.1 years) have utilized MO ILE for >12 months after being transitioned from SO ILE because of intolerance. Use of MO ILE allowed an increase in ILE energy from 8% ± 8% to 22% ± 8% while reducing dextrose energy from 66% ± 8% to 54% ± 5%, maintaining stability in alkaline phosphatase and triglyceride levels, and achieving improvement in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and α-tocopherol levels. CONCLUSION: In this HPN cohort with SO ILE intolerance, MO ILE was well tolerated and allowed an improvement in macronutrient composition while improving some liver parameters over a 12-month period.

Repair of Central Venous Catheter in a Single-Center Adult Home Parenteral Nutrition Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic intestinal failure who require long-term parenteral nutrition rely on central venous catheters (CVCs) for access to nutrition and hydration. With prolonged use, complications such as central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), damage to CVC, and central venous thrombosis (CVT) can threaten the availability of life-preserving access. Because of this, all efforts should be made to preserve CVCs with techniques such as catheter salvage in case of CLABSI and catheter repair when damaged. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of catheter repair in our patient population. METHODS: Retrospective review in 1253 adult patients who received home parenteral nutrition at the Mayo Clinic between September 1, 1997, and April 30, 2018, was conducted to determine the incidence of CLABSI and CVT in patients who underwent CVC repair. RESULTS: Fifty-five CVC repairs were performed in 36 patients (n = 23 female) with mean age of 57.05 ± 16.96 years. A total of 14 catheters (25.45%) were complicated with 24 episodes of CLABSI. CLABSI rate before and after repair was 0.23/1000 catheter days and 0.21/1000 catheter days, respectively. Most common indications for eventual catheter replacement were mechanical damage (32%), infection (32%), and switching to alternate mode of nutrition (24%). We had a 100% success rate of catheter repair procedure, and no post-procedural complications were present. CONCLUSION: Catheter repair can increase the catheter survival without increasing the risk of CLABSI, providing not only socioeconomic benefit but also decreasing risk of compromising future vascular access.

Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery: Prevalence, Etiology, and Treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Obesity is a life-limiting disease that is associated with a number of co-morbidities. Bariatric surgery remains the most efficacious and durable weight loss method available to patients. However, a significant percentage of patients can regain weight resulting in frustration, depression, and return of obesity-related co-morbidities. The present review provides an overview of the most common therapeutic modalities available to combat weigh regain after weight loss surgery. RECENT FINDINGS: Given the high percentage of patients with weight regain after surgery, significant effort has been placed on developing treatment options in the last few years. Tremendous work has taken place in the realm of cognitive behavior therapy, appetite suppressants, and endoscopic procedures with the hope of reducing the need for revision surgery which can be associated with significant complications. Weight regain is unfortunately a common phenomenon associated with all weight loss modalities including bariatric surgery. We now have a number of treatment options that can reverse the weight loss trend.

Fad Diets: Hype or Hope?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Obesity continues to be a growing concern globally due to association with a number of comorbidities and contributing significantly to increase in health care expenditures. Despite availability of a number of treatment modalities, lifestyle modification with dietary modification and exercise continues to be the foundation. However, the standard model of lifestyle modification is not efficacious or sustainable for many patients leading them to seek alternative approaches. We conducted a comprehensive literature review to present the data regarding efficacy and sustainability of many common dietary approaches. RECENT FINDINGS: Building upon previous work, recent randomized controlled trials have compared many popular diets head to head in varying patient populations. Along with the weight changes, studies have investigated the changes in metabolic parameters, inflammatory markers, and cardiac risk factor reduction. Though the studies do not show superiority of one diet compared to the other, the preventive benefits and other favorable metabolic changes of the diets make them worthy of consideration.