Muscle density in rheumatoid arthritis: associations with disease features and functional outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between measures of body composition derived from computed tomography (CT) of the thigh and functional outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Patients with RA underwent bilateral midfemoral quantitative CT for measurement of thigh fat area (TFA), thigh muscle area (TMA), and thigh muscle density (TMD). The associations of thigh-composition measures with disability and physical performance, as measured with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), the Valued Life Activities (VLAs), and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) instruments, were explored in the total cohort and in the cohort subgrouped by sex, controlling for pertinent demographic, lifestyle, and RA disease and treatment covariates. RESULTS: A total of 152 RA patients were studied. Among the potential determinants of TMD, older age, longer duration of sedentary activity, longer duration of RA, higher tender joint count, higher serum interleukin-6 levels, use of glucocorticoids, and nonuse of hydroxychloroquine were all significantly associated with lower TMD in multivariable models. RA characteristics accounted for 63% of the explainable variability in TMD. When comodeled, higher TFA and lower TMD, but not lower TMA, were significantly and independently associated with higher HAQ scores, lower Short Form 36 health survey physical functioning scores, lower composite SPPB scores, and a greater proportion of affected obligatory VLAs. CONCLUSION: Thigh CT-derived measures of body composition, particularly fat area and muscle density, were strongly associated with disability and physical performance in RA patients, with RA disease features as potential determinants. Efforts to reduce fat and improve muscle quality may reduce disability in this population with impaired physical functioning.

Using Iterative RE-AIM to enhance hospitalist adoption of lung ultrasound in the management of patients with COVID-19: an implementation pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a clinician-performed evidence-based imaging modality that has multiple advantages in the evaluation of dyspnea caused by multiple disease processes, including COVID-19. Despite these advantages, few hospitalists have been trained to perform LUS. The aim of this study was to increase adoption and implementation of LUS during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic by using recurrent assessments of RE-AIM outcomes to iteratively revise our implementation strategies. METHODS: In an academic hospital, we implemented guidelines for the use of LUS in patients with COVID-19 in July 2020. Using a novel "RE-AIM dashboard," we used an iterative process of evaluating the high-priority outcomes of Reach, Adoption, and Implementation at twice monthly intervals to inform revisions of our implementation strategies for LUS delivery (i.e., Iterative RE-AIM process). Using a convergent mixed methods design, we integrated quantitative RE-AIM outcomes with qualitative hospitalist interview data to understand the dynamic determinants of LUS Reach, Adoption, and Implementation. RESULTS: Over the 1-year study period, 453 LUSs were performed in 298 of 12,567 eligible inpatients with COVID-19 (Reach = 2%). These 453 LUS were ordered by 43 out of 86 eligible hospitalists (LUS order adoption = 50%). However, the LUSs were performed/supervised by only 8 of these 86 hospitalists, 4 of whom were required to complete LUS credentialing as members of the hospitalist procedure service (proceduralist adoption 75% vs 1.2% non-procedural hospitalists adoption). Qualitative and quantitative data obtained to evaluate this Iterative RE-AIM process led to the deployment of six sequential implementation strategies and 3 key findings including (1) there were COVID-19-specific barriers to LUS adoption, (2) hospitalists were more willing to learn to make clinical decisions using LUS images than obtain the images themselves, and (3) mandating the credentialing of a strategically selected sub-group may be a successful strategy for improving Reach. CONCLUSIONS: Mandating use of a strategically selected subset of clinicians may be an effective strategy for improving Reach of LUS. Additionally, use of Iterative RE-AIM allowed for timely adjustments to implementation strategies, facilitating higher levels of LUS Adoption and Reach. Future studies should explore the replicability of these preliminary findings.

Hospitalist Perspectives of Available Tests to Monitor Volume Status in Patients With Heart Failure: A Qualitative Study.

Acute decompensated heart failure is the leading admitting diagnosis in patients 65 years and older with more than 1 million hospitalizations per year in the US alone. Traditional tools to evaluate for and monitor volume status in patients with heart failure, including symptoms and physical exam findings, are known to have limited accuracy. In contrast, point of care lung ultrasound is a practical and evidenced-based tool for monitoring of volume status in patients with heart failure. However, few inpatient clinicians currently use this tool to monitor diuresis. We performed semi-structured interviews of 23 hospitalists practicing in five geographically diverse academic institutions in the US to better understand how hospitalists currently assess and monitor volume status in patients hospitalized with heart failure. We also explored their perceptions and attitudes toward adoption of lung ultrasound. Hospitalist participants reported poor reliability and confidence in the accuracy of traditional tools to monitor diuresis and expressed interest in learning or were already using lung ultrasound for this purpose. The time required for training and access to equipment that does not impede workflow were considered important barriers to its adoption by interviewees.

Indicators of walking speed in rheumatoid arthritis: relative influence of articular, psychosocial, and body composition characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the contributions from and interactions between articular swelling and damage, psychosocial factors, and body composition characteristics on walking speed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: RA patients underwent the timed 400-meter long-corridor walk. Demographics, self-reported levels of depressive symptoms and fatigue, RA characteristics, and body composition (using whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry, and abdominal and thigh computed tomography) were assessed and their associations with walking speed explored. RESULTS: A total of 132 RA patients had data for the 400-meter walk, among whom 107 (81%) completed the full 400 meters. Significant multivariable indicators of slower walking speed were older age, higher depression scores, higher reported pain and fatigue, higher swollen and replaced joint counts, higher cumulative prednisone exposure, nontreatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and worse body composition. These features accounted for 60% of the modeled variability in walking speed. Among specific articular features, slower walking speed was primarily correlated with large/medium lower-extremity joint involvement. However, these articular features accounted for only 21% of the explainable variability in walking speed. Having any relevant articular characteristic was associated with a 20% lower walking speed among those with worse body composition (P < 0.001), compared with only a 6% lower speed among those with better body composition (P = 0.010 for interaction). CONCLUSION: Psychosocial factors and body composition are potentially reversible contributors to walking speed in RA. Relative to articular disease activity and damage, nonarticular indicators were collectively more potent indicators of an individual's mobility limitations.