Home Blood Pressure Monitoring And Nocturia In Adults.

Although widely viewed as a urological condition, nocturia has been increasingly recognized to accompany various non-urological conditions such as hypertension and blood pressure (BP) elevation on office determination. Home BP monitoring (HBPM) has been shown superior to office-based readings and provides an opportunity to assess potential relationships between nocturia and novel indices derived from multiple BP recordings including BP load, BP variability, and arterial stiffness, which have prognostic significance. We retrospectively studied 103 home BP logs and nocturia frequencies provided by 61 stable cardiology patients ≥ 21 years without medication change. Nocturnal voids ranged from 0 to 5 voids per night, median: 1.5. Nocturia frequency was significantly correlated with home and office systolic BPs and with BP load, but not with diastolic BPs, BP variability or arterial stiffness. On Poisson regression analysis, the estimated prevalence ratio (PR) for home and office systolic BPs were 1.025 (CI: 1.01, 1.04; p < .001) and 1.01 (CI:1.00, 1.02; p = .019), indicating 2.5% and 1% increases in the risk of nocturia per mmHg increases in BP respectively. In conclusion, higher mean home and office systolic BPs are associated with self-reported nocturia frequency with stronger associations seen for home BP measurement. Nocturia frequency appears unrelated to mean home and office diastolic BPs. Nocturia may be related to BP load, (percentage of elevated BP values), but not to BP variability or arterial stiffness. Future prospective studies using HBPM are needed to confirm these findings and to contribute to the understanding of the elevated BP-nocturia link.

Uncovering the Role of Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the most common form of heart failure. Obesity is a modifiable risk factor of HFpEF; however, body mass index provides limited information on visceral adiposity and patients with similar anthropometrics can present variable cardiovascular risk. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is the closest fat deposit to the heart and has been proposed as a biomarker of visceral adiposity. EAT may be particularly important for cardiac function, because of its location (under the pericardium) and because it acts as a metabolically active endocrine organ (which can produce both beneficial and detrimental cytokines). In this paper, the authors review the role of EAT in normal and pathologic conditions and discuss the noninvasive imaging modalities that allow its identification. This review highlights EAT implications in HFpEF and discuss new therapies that act on EAT and might also exert beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.

Trimming the need for invasive ventilation: pragmatic critical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has challenged all medical professionals to optimise non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIV) as a means of limiting intubation. We present a case of a middle-aged man with a voluminous beard for religious reasons who developed progressive hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 infection which became refractory to NIV. After gaining permission to trim the patient's facial hair by engaging with the patient, his family and religious leaders, his mask fit objectively improved, his hypoxaemia markedly improved and an unnecessary intubation was avoided. Trimming of facial hair should be considered in all patients on NIV who might have any limitations with mask fit and seal that would hamper ventilation, including patients who have facial hair for religious reasons.

Features of schizophrenia following premorbid eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Eating disorders (ED) and schizophrenia are frequently comorbid and schizophrenia shares genetic susceptibility with anorexia. Many factors associated with schizophrenia can disrupt eating, but ED can present years before schizophrenia. If premorbid ED distinguishes a particular subtype of schizophrenia, then phenotypic features may differ between schizophrenia cases with and without premorbid ED. METHOD: This secondary analysis used data from an inpatient schizophrenia research study that comprehensively assessed life course psychiatric disorders (DIGS interview), intelligence (WAIS), global assessments of function (GAF) and assessed symptoms during medication-free and fixed dose neuroleptic phases (PANSS). RESULTS: Premorbid ED was identified in 27 of the 288 schizophrenia cases (9.4%). This group had more females than the group without premorbid ED (74.1% vs. 30%); premorbid ED was 5-fold more common in female than male cases (χ2 (17.9, P < .0001). Only the premorbid ED group had gustatory hallucinations. They also demonstrated significantly more severe psychotic and disorganization symptoms during medication-free and fixed dose treatment phases, despite similar negative symptoms and GAF scores, as other cases. The premorbid ED group had significantly better cognition overall, but relatively lower nonverbal than verbal intelligence. DISCUSSION: Premorbid ED may define a specific subtype of schizophrenia that is common in females. Their more severe psychotic symptoms and better IQ, despite similarly impaired function and negative symptoms as other cases, suggests a distinct pathophysiology. Premorbid ED should be considered in evaluating risk states for schizophrenia, and as a relevant phenotype for treatment resistant schizophrenia.

Clostridium difficile infection: review.

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacillus, which is widely distributed in the intestinal tract of humans and animals and in the environment. In the last decade, the frequency and severity of C. difficile infection has been increasing worldwide to become one of the most common hospital-acquired infections. Transmission of this pathogen occurs by the fecal-oral route and the most important risk factors include antibiotic therapy, old age, and hospital or nursing home stay. The clinical picture is diverse and ranges from asymptomatic carrier status, through various degrees of diarrhea, to the most severe, life threatening colitis resulting with death. Diagnosis is based on direct detection of C. difficile toxins in feces, most commonly with the use of EIA assay, but no single test is suitable as a stand-alone test confirming CDI. Antibiotics of choice are vancomycin, fidaxomicin, and metronidazole, though metronidazole is considered as inferior. The goal of this review is to update physicians on current scientific knowledge of C. difficile infection, focusing also on fecal microbiota transplantation which is a promising therapy.

Altered Plasma Clot Properties and Trauma-Related Venous Thromboembolism despite Thromboprophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Prothrombotic clot phenotype may characterize patients developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) despite pharmacological thromboprophylaxis. We studied the role of fibrin clot properties and its potential determinants in individuals who experienced DVT after lower limb injury. METHODS: In a case-control study, we assessed 50 patients who developed DVT despite prophylactic use of low-molecular-weight heparins (the failed thromboprophylaxis group) after a lower limb injury, and three age- and sex-matched control groups, 50 patients each: (1) patients with trauma-related DVT without prior thromboprophylaxis; (2) individuals with unprovoked DVT; (3) patients without history of DVT (the no-DVT controls). Fibrin clot properties, along with thrombin concentration and α2-antiplasmin, were assessed following 3 months of anticoagulation in all DVT patients. RESULTS: Compared with the no-DVT controls, the failed thromboprophylaxis group exhibited denser fibrin networks (12.8% lower clot permeability [Ks], p = 0.0008) and impaired fibrinolysis (46.2% longer clot lysis time [CLT], p = 0.0001 and 8% lower rate of D-dimer release from clots, p = 0.0008). In the unprovoked DVT, similar Ks and 14.9% shorter CLT (p = 0.02) were reported compared with the failed thromboprophylaxis group. The failed thromboprophylaxis patients had higher odds of having elevated peak thrombin generation (>241.5 nM, 90th percentile in the no-DVT controls; odds ratio [OR]: 3.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.86-7.06; p = 0.002), and higher odds of having elevated α2-antiplasmin (>115.05%; OR: 3.38; 95% CI, 1.64-6.98; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients who experienced DVT despite thromboprophylaxis following lower limb trauma display a strongly prothrombotic fibrin clot phenotype, including increased clot density and hypofibrinolysis associated with higher plasma α2-antiplasmin.

Activation of blood coagulation and thrombin generation in acute ischemic stroke treated with rtPA.

The impact of thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) on blood coagulation in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients is not completely understood. We studied the effect of thrombolysis on the thrombin generation (TG) profile as well as coagulant activity of activated factors IX (FIXa), XI (FXIa) and tissue factor (TF) in AIS patients. In a case-control study, TG parameters as well as FIXa, FXIa and TF levels were assessed in 95 AIS patients, including individuals receiving rtPA treatment within 4.5 h since AIS onset (n = 71, 74.7%) and those ineligible for thrombolysis (n = 24, 25.3%). Blood samples were collected at baseline and after 24 h since admission. The two groups were similar with regard to demographics and clinical factors. In thrombolysed patients, all TG parameters measured after 24 h were markedly decreased, with strongest impact on lag time (LT), when compared with the baseline values (81.3% longer LT, p < 0.0001), as well as when compared to the non-thrombolysed group (86% longer LT, p = 0.002). In non-thrombolysed AIS patients the TG remained unaltered. Logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders showed that high baseline ETP value (the top quartile) was solely predicted by the presence of circulating FIXa, whereas after 24 h FXIa predicted high ETP in the subgroup of thrombolysed and in all AIS patients. Thrombolysis in AIS patients markedly attenuates the TG. Elevated FXIa contributes to thrombin formation capacity after 24 h, highlighting a role of this factor in the regulation of blood coagulation in AIS.

Comparative Effectiveness Research: Alternatives to "Traditional" Computed Tomography Use in the Acute Care Setting.

Computed tomography (CT) scanning is an essential diagnostic tool and has revolutionized care of patients in the acute care setting. However, there is widespread agreement that overutilization of CT, where benefits do not exceed possible costs or harms, is occurring. The goal was to seek consensus in identifying and prioritizing research questions and themes that involve the comparative effectiveness of "traditional" CT use versus alternative diagnostic strategies in the acute care setting. A modified Delphi technique was used that included input from emergency physicians, emergency radiologists, medical physicists, and an industry expert to achieve this.

Development of clinical recommendations for progressive return to activity after military mild traumatic brain injury: guidance for rehabilitation providers.

OBJECTIVE: Previously published mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) management guidelines provide very general recommendations to return individuals with mTBI to activity. This lack of specific guidance creates variation in military rehabilitation. The Office of the Army Surgeon General in collaboration with the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, a component center of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, convened an expert working group to review the existing literature and propose clinical recommendations that standardize rehabilitation activity progression following mTBI. PARTICIPANTS: A Progressive Activity Working Group consisted of 11 Department of Defense representatives across all service branches, 7 Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury representatives, and 8 academic/research/civilian experts with experience assessing and treating individuals with mTBI for return to activity. An expert working group meeting included the Progressive Activity Working Group and 15 additional subject matter experts. METHODS: In February 2012, the Progressive Activity Working Group was established to determine the need and purpose of the rehabilitation recommendations. Following literature review, a table was created on the basis of the progression from the Zurich consensus statement on concussion in sport. Issues were identified for discussion with a meeting of the larger expert group during a July 2012 conference. Following development of rehabilitation guidance, the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury coordinated a similar process for military primary care providers. RESULTS: End products for rehabilitation and primary care providers include specific recommendations for return to activity after concussion. A 6-stage progression specifies activities in physical, cognitive, and balance/vestibular domains and allows for resumption of activity for those with low-level or preinjury symptom complaints. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical recommendations for progressive return to activity represent an important effort to standardize activity progression across functional domains and offer providers duty-specific activities to incorporate into intervention. Recommendations were released in January 2014.

Concussive brain injury in the military: September 2001 to the present.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 1,348,405 citizens have been deployed to combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation New Dawn in Iraq, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (OEF). During this same period 266,810 (20%) of these individuals have been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The majority of these were Army soldiers, with 155,282 (58%) receiving the diagnosis. Mild TBI comprised 82% of the total, with the remainder being moderate to severe. Over this same period the Department of Defense (DoD) has invested $374.9 million to enhance access and quality of care services, including 57 TBI treatment centers in the combat theater and throughout the U.S. The Army's medical research division, the Medical Research and Material Command (MRMC), has invested an additional $700 million to TBI research during this time. The effort has faced a number of challenges, including limited human subject basic and translational research, limited epidemiological data on combat-related injuries, limited capacity and standards for data acquisition, and a lack of standardized evidenced-based protocols for treatment. All these areas have undergone significant growth and development, leading to the comprehensive system of care present today. A further challenge in this patient population has been the clinical co-morbidity of TBI, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain syndrome. The Army and the DoD have created treatment programs that are interdisciplinary in clinical approach, targeting particular neuropsychological domains of dysfunction rather than diagnostic category or etiology of injury. This article presents the history of this effort, the challenges to accurate and adequate diagnosis and care that remain, and the future of brain injury clinical and research efforts in the military.

Development of a measure to inform return-to-duty decision making after mild traumatic brain injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a principal injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, can result in significant morbidity. To make accurate return-to-duty decisions for soldiers with mTBI, military medical personnel require sensitive, objective, and duty-relevant data to characterize subtle cognitive and sensorimotor injury sequelae. A military-civilian research team reviewed existing literature and obtained input from stakeholders, end users, and experts to specify the concept and develop a preliminary assessment protocol to address this need. Results of the literature review suggested the potential utility of a test based on dual-task and multitask assessment methods. Thirty-three individuals representing a variety of military and civilian stakeholders/experts participated in interviews. Interview data suggested that reliability/validity, clinical feasibility, usability across treatment facilities, military face validity, and capacity to challenge mission-critical mTBI vulnerabilities were important to ultimate adoption. The research team developed the Assessment of Military Multitasking Performance, a tool composed of eight dual and multitasking test-tasks. A concept test session with 10 subjects indicated preliminary face validity and informed modifications to scoring and design. Further validation is needed. The Assessment of Military Multitasking Performance may fill a gap identified by stakeholders for complex cognitive/motor testing to assist return-to-duty decisions for service members with mTBI.

Traumatic brain injury: next steps, research needed, and priority focus areas.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been not only a major focus of concern during the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also among our garrison service members. The prevalence of these injuries has compelled the nation and Congress to invest in the development of policies and programs that support evidence-based care for the full continuum of TBI, from mild (otherwise known as concussion) to severe and penetrating brain injuries. Although, the Department of Defense has made great strides in the areas of TBI clinical care, education, and research, there remains a great need to leverage scientific, policy, and clinical advancement to maximize care of the service member. The purpose of this article is to outline the 7 major areas of work currently being undertaken to help advance the field of TBI. The 7 areas include: (1) eliminating undetected mild traumatic brain injury through prompt early diagnosis, (2) ensuring force readiness and addressing cultural barriers, (3) improving collaborations with the Department of Veterans Affairs, other federal agencies, and academic and civilian organizations, (4) improving deployment-related assessments, (5) deploying effective treatments, (6) conducting military-relevant and targeted research, and (7) enhancing information technology systems.

U.S. Army combat operational stress control throughout the deployment cycle: a case study.

As military conflicts around the world persist, a comprehensive approach in managing behavioral health issues will continue to be a key component of military healthcare. Deployed military personnel frequently exposed to trauma are well-known to be at high risk for developing behavioral health disorders, including combat stress reactions and posttraumatic stress disorder. In the U.S. Army, members of combat operational stress control (COSC) units have unique skills to assist soldiers and their families not only throughout all phases of a deployment, but also throughout a soldier's entire career. The purposes of this article are twofold, first to describe the role of COSC operations with an emphasis on interventions in a deployed environment. The second purpose is to present a case study from Operation Iraqi Freedom highlighting the efficacy of the COSC approach to meet a Soldier's behavioral health needs in a deployed environment.

Analysis of clinical motor testing for adult patients with diagnosed ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the dichotomous results for 7 ulnar nerve clinical motor tests (Froment's sign, Wartenberg's sign, finger flexion sign, Jeanne's sign, crossed finger test, Egawa's sign, presence of clinical fasciculations) with motor nerve conduction velocity findings. DESIGN: A static group comparison design assessed for differences among dichotomous test outcomes with respect to motor nerve conduction velocity. SETTING: Five medical facilities throughout the United States provided data for this study. PARTICIPANTS: Records from participants (N=26) with diagnosed ulnar neuropathy at the elbow were included for data analysis. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic data included age, sex, handedness, duration of symptoms, and the number of days between the clinical and electrodiagnostic exam. Other dependent variables included motor conduction velocity of the ulnar nerve, compound muscle action potential amplitude, and the dichotomous clinical motor test outcomes. RESULTS: Two motor signs, the presence of clinical fasciculations and a positive finger flexion sign, were identified more frequently (each present in 11 patients) than the other motor signs. An analysis of covariance revealed significant differences in motor nerve conduction velocity between positive and negative results for all the clinical motor tests except for the finger flexion sign. Significant chi-square analyses were found for the following comparisons: the presence of clinical fasciculations and Froment's sign, the finger flexion sign and the crossed finger test, Egawa's sign and Froment's sign, Warteberg's sign and Froment's sign, the crossed finger test and Froment's sign, and Egawa's sign and Wartenberg's sign. CONCLUSIONS: Some clinical motor tests are better than others at identifying early motor involvement, providing the rehabilitation professional some insight regarding the relative decrement of motor nerve conduction velocity when a selected test is positive.