The virtual pediatric perioperative home, experience at a major metropolitan safety net hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Successes from anesthesiologist-led perioperative surgical homes in the adult patient population have inspired similar initiatives by pediatric hospitals. Typically the care coordination for these perioperative homes is run through hospital-funded, on-site, preanesthesia clinics. Preliminary data from pediatric perioperative homes have shown promising results in improved patient outcomes and decreased length of hospital stay. The majority of pediatric surgeries within the country are performed in nonpediatric hospitals. Such centers may not have the infrastructure or financial resources for a freestanding pediatric preanesthesia clinic. Faced with this situation at the largest safety net hospital in New England, the authors present their experience designing and implementing a "Virtual Pediatric Perioperative Home," a telemedicine-based triage and preanesthetic optimization for pediatric patients at Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all pediatric anesthesia cases at Boston Medical Center from February 1, 2019, to January 31, 2020, as well as the number of pediatric cases canceled or postponed on the day of surgery for any reason during the same time period was conducted. RESULTS: From February 1, 2019, to January 31, 2020, 1546 anesthetics were performed in children 18 years and under. Of those, 63 were designated as emergent and hence excluded from our analysis. 153 of the total 1483 (9.4%) of nonemergent bookings were canceled or postponed on the day of surgery. This represented a marked decline from our previous year's 13.7% same-day cancellation rate for pediatric patients. The most common reason for case cancellations (41.8%) was acute illness. Cancellation rates varied from month to month, with the highest cancellation rate of the year in September 2019 (18.8%). The departments of Podiatry and Gastroenterology represented the highest cancellation rates as a denominator of their case volumes, 15.4% and 15.2%, respectively. Younger children had 2.4 times the odds (95% CI: 1.720, 3.4) of cancellation compared to older children. DISCUSSION: The virtual pediatric perioperative home (VPPH) may benefit quality of care while decreasing costs to pediatric patients, families, and hospital systems. While direct financial gains may be difficult to demonstrate, the VPPH has the potential to reduce OR delays and same day cancellations related to questions of medical optimization. In the context of a socioeconomically disadvantaged patient population, our VPPH's team of subspecialists created inroads for at risk children to establish or reestablish care for their comorbidities, while collaboration with the Department of Children and Families further streamlined communication and consent for pediatric patients in foster care. CONCLUSIONS: The authors describe the design and successful implementation of a telemedicine-based pediatric preanesthesia triage and medical optimization service at a large safety net hospital. By creating a communication network of pediatric subspecialists, the anesthesiologists were able to, at minimal institutional cost, coordinate care for children with a variety of comorbidities leading up to the day of surgery. This yielded a 9.4% same day cancellation rate in a complex, socioeconomically disadvantaged pediatric patient population at a general hospital.

Co-occurrence of and factors associated with health risk behaviors among adolescents: a multi-center study in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India.

Background: Despite lifelong and detrimental effects, the co-occurrence of health risk behaviors (HRBs) during adolescence remains understudied in low- and middle-income countries. This study examines the co-occurrence of HRBs and its correlates among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India. Methods: A multi-country cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022, involving 9697 adolescents (aged 10-19 years) from eight countries, namely Burkina Faso, China, Ethiopia, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. A standardized questionnaire was administered to examine five types of HRBs - physical inactivity, poor dietary habits, smoking, alcohol consumption, and risky sexual behavior. Latent class analysis was employed to identify clustering patterns among the behaviors, and logistic regression was used to identify the correlates of these patterns. Findings: Three clusters of HRBs were identified, with Cluster 1 (27.73%) characterized by the absence of any specific risky behavior, Cluster 2 (68.16%) characterized by co-occurrence of physical inactivity and poor dietary habits, and Cluster 3 (4.11%) characterized by engagement in smoking, alcohol consumption, and risky sexual behavior. Relative to Cluster 1, being in Cluster 2 was associated with being female (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.32), not enrolled in education (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.99), and not engaged in paid work (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.08-1.41). Compared with those Cluster 1, adolescents in Cluster 3 were less likely to be female (aOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.32-0.54), be engaged in paid work (aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.41-0.71), more likely to be older (aOR 7.56, 95% CI 5.18-11.03), not be enrolled in educational institution (aOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.27-2.38), and more likely to live with guardians other than parents (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.19-2.05). Interpretation: The significant clustering patterns of HRBs among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India highlights the urgent need for convergent approaches to improve adolescent health behaviors. Early life and school-based programs aimed at promoting healthy behaviors and preventing risky and unhealthy behaviors should be prioritized to equip adolescents with the tools and skills for lifelong well-being. Funding: Fondation Botnar (Grant #INV-037672) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, partially funded this study.

Personal air pollution exposure and metals in the nasal epithelial lining fluid of COPD patients.

Sampling of the nasal epithelial lining fluid is a potential method to assess exposure to air pollution within the respiratory tract among high risk populations. We investigated associations of short- and long-term particulate matter exposure (PM) and pollution-related metals in the nasal fluid of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study included 20 participants with moderate-to-severe COPD from a larger study who measured long-term personal exposure to PM2.5 using portable air monitors and short-term PM2.5 and black carbon (BC) using in-home samplers for the seven days preceding nasal fluid collection. Nasal fluid was sampled from both nares by nasosorption, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentration of metals with major airborne sources. Correlations of selected elements (Fe, Ba, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, Cu) were determined within the nasal fluid. Associations between personal long-term PM2.5 and seven day home PM2.5 and BC exposure and nasal fluid metal concentrations were determined by linear regression. Within nasal fluid samples, concentrations of vanadium and nickel (r = 0.8) and lead and zinc (r = 0.7) were correlated. Seven day and long-term PM2.5 exposure were both associated with higher levels of copper, lead, and vanadium in the nasal fluid. BC exposure was associated with higher levels of nickel in the nasal fluid. Levels of certain metals in the nasal fluid may serve as biomarkers of air pollution exposure in the upper respiratory tract.

Physical Activity, Air Pollution Exposure, and Lung Function Interactions Among Adults with COPD.

Rationale: Although physical activity is strongly encouraged for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it is unknown if physical activity affects daily exposure to air pollution, or whether it attenuates or exacerbates the effects of pollution on the airways among adults with COPD. Methods: Thirty former smokers with moderate-to-severe COPD in Boston were followed for 4 non-consecutive months in different seasons. We assessed daily lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] and forced vital capacity [FVC]), prior-day personal pollutant exposure measured by portable air quality monitors (fine particulate matter [PM2.5] nitrogen oxide [NO2], and ozone [O3]), and daily step count. We constructed multi-level linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts for person and person-observation month, adjusting for demographic/seasonal covariates to test if step count was associated with daily pollution exposure, and if associations between prior-day pollution and lung function differed based on prior-day step count. Where effect modification was found, we performed stratified analyses by tertile of step count. Results: Higher daily step count was associated with higher same-day personal exposure to PM2.5, and O3 but not NO2. Each interquartile range (IQR) increment in step count was associated with 0.97 µg/m3 (95%CI: 0.30, 1.64) higher exposure to PM2.5 and 0.15 parts per billion (95% CI: -0.05, 0.35) higher exposure to O3 in adjusted models. We observed an interaction between prior-day NO2 and step count on FEV1 and FVC (Pinteraction<0.05) in which the negative associations between NO2 and lung function were reduced or absent at higher levels of daily activity. For example, FEV1 was 28.5mL (95%CI: -41.0, -15.9) lower per IQR of NO2 in the lowest tertile of step count, but there was no association in the highest tertile of step count (-1.6mL, 95% CI: -18.4, 15.2). Conclusions: Higher physical activity was associated with modestly higher daily exposure to PM2.5 and O3 and may attenuate the association between NO2 exposure and lung function.

Personal and community-level exposure to air pollution and daily changes in respiratory symptoms and oxygen saturation among adults with COPD.

Background: Air pollution exposure is associated with hospital admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Few studies have investigated whether daily personal exposure to air pollutants affects respiratory symptoms and oxygenation among COPD patients. Methodology: We followed 30 former smokers with COPD for up to 4 non-consecutive 30-day periods in different seasons. Participants recorded worsening of respiratory symptoms (sub-categorized as breathing or bronchitis symptoms) by daily questionnaire, and oxygen saturation by pulse oximeter. Personal and community-level exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) were measured by portable air quality monitors and stationary monitors in the Boston area. We used generalized and multi-level linear mixed-effects models to estimate associations of the 24-hour average of each pollutant in the previous day with changes in respiratory symptoms and oxygen saturation. Results: Higher community-level exposure to air pollutants was associated with worsening respiratory symptoms. An interquartile range (IQR) higher community-level O3 was associated with a 1.35 (95%CI: 1.07-1.70) higher odds of worsening respiratory symptoms. The corresponding ORs for community-level PM2.5 and NO2 were 1.18 (95%CI: 1.02-1.37) and 1.06 (95%CI: 0.90-1.25), respectively. Community-level NO2 was associated with worsening bronchitis symptoms (OR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.00-1.56), but not breathing symptoms. Personal PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower odds of worsening respiratory symptoms (OR=0.91; 95%CI: 0.81-1.01). Personal exposure to NO2 was associated with 0.11% lower oxygen saturation (95%CI: -0.22, 0.00) per IQR. Conclusions: In this COPD population, there was a pattern of worsening respiratory symptoms associated with community-level exposure to O3 and PM2.5, and worsening oxygenation associated with personal exposure to NO2.

Nasal biomarkers of immune function differ based on smoking and respiratory disease status.

Respiratory biomarkers have the potential to identify airway injury by revealing inflammatory processes within the respiratory tract. Currently, there are no respiratory biomarkers suitable for clinical use to identify patients that warrant further diagnostic work-up, counseling, and treatment for toxic inhalant exposures or chronic airway disease. Using a novel, noninvasive method of sampling the nasal epithelial lining fluid, we aimed to investigate if nasal biomarker patterns could distinguish healthy nonsmoking adults from active smokers and those with chronic upper and lower airway disease in this exploratory study. We compared 28 immune mediators from healthy nonsmoking adults (n = 32), former smokers with COPD (n = 22), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) (n = 22), and smoking adults without airway disease (n = 13). Using ANOVA, multinomial logistic regressions, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we determined associations between immune mediators and each cohort. Six mediators (IL-7, IL-10, IL-13, IL-12p70, IL-15, and MCP-1) were lower among disease groups compared to healthy controls. Participants with lower levels of IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, and MCP-1 in the nasal fluid had a higher odds of being in the COPD or CRS group. The cluster analysis identified groups of mediators that correlated with disease status. Specifically, the cluster of IL-10, IL-12p70, and IL-13, was positively correlated with healthy and negatively correlated with COPD groups, and two clusters were correlated with active smoking. In this exploratory study, we preliminarily identified groups of nasal mucosal mediators that differed by airway disease and smoking status. Future prospective, age-matched studies that control for medication use are needed to validate these patterns and determine if nasosorption has diagnostic utility for upper and lower airway disease or injury.

Counting adolescents in: the development of an adolescent health indicator framework for population-based settings.

Changing realities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in terms of inequalities, urbanization, globalization, migration, and economic adversity shape adolescent development and health, as well as successful transitions between adolescence and young adulthood. It is estimated that 90% of adolescents live in LMICs in 2019, but inadequate data exist to inform evidence-based and concerted policies and programs tailored to address the distinctive developmental and health needs of adolescents. Population-based data surveillance such as Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) and school-based surveys provide access to a well-defined population and provide cost-effective opportunities to fill in data gaps about adolescent health and well-being by collecting population-representative longitudinal data. The Africa Research Implementation Science and Education (ARISE) Network, therefore, systematically developed adolescent health and well-being indicators and a questionnaire for measuring these indicators that can be used in population-based LMIC settings. We conducted a multistage collaborative and iterative process led by network members alongside consultation with health-domain and adolescent health experts globally. Seven key domains emerged from this process: socio-demographics, health awareness and behaviors; nutrition; mental health; sexual and reproductive health; substance use; and healthcare utilization. For each domain, we generated a clear definition; rationale for inclusion; sub-domain descriptions, and a set of questions for measurement. The ARISE Network will implement the questionnaire longitudinally (i.e., at two time-points one year apart) at ten sites in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and two countries in Asia. Integrating the questionnaire within established population-based data collection platforms such as HDSS and school settings can provide measured experiences of young people to inform policy and program planning and evaluation in LMICs and improve adolescent health and well-being.

Corrigendum to "Counting adolescents in: the development of an adolescent health indicator framework for population-based settings".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102067.].

Air Pollution Exposure and Daily Lung Function in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Effect Modification by Eosinophil Level.

Rationale: Few studies have assessed personal exposure to pollutants and lung function among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Blood eosinophil level may be a biomarker of airway inflammation and pollution susceptibility. Objectives: To evaluate if daily pollutant exposures are associated with lung function and if associations are modified by eosinophil level in COPD. Methods: We recruited 30 former smokers with moderate to severe COPD living in the Boston area and followed them for up to 4 nonconsecutive months in different seasons. Participants measured morning lung function and carried a portable air quality monitor daily. Previous-day exposure to pollutants (particulate matter ⩽2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter, nitrogen dioxide [NO2], and ozone) were measured by portable and community monitors. We constructed multilevel linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts for person and observation month, adjusted for temperature, humidity, age, sex, race, height, weight, income, and season, to assess associations of previous-day pollutant exposure with lung function and effect modification by eosinophil count (<150/µl vs. ⩾150/µl). Results: A total of 3,314 observations with exposure and lung function data were collected. Each interquartile range (5.1 parts per billion [ppb])-higher previous-day personal exposure to NO2 was associated with an 11.3 ml (95% confidence interval [CI], -18.7 to -4.0) lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and an 18.0 ml (95% CI, -32.0 to -4.2) lower forced vital capacity. Personal and community-level exposure to particulate matter ⩽2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter and community-level NO2 were negatively associated with FEV1 among the 55.2% of participants with the higher eosinophil level (Pinteraction < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study highlights the need to address air pollution exposure among patients with COPD. Future research is needed to verify if eosinophil level is a biomarker for susceptibility to air pollution in COPD.

Pulmonary histopathology of interstitial lung disease associated with antisynthetase antibodies.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine if antibody type is an indicator of pulmonary histopathology, using antisynthetase antibody positive interstitial lung disease (ILD) cases with lung biopsy or autopsy findings. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive review of the English language literature in PubMed to identify ILD histopathology results for cases with antibodies against anti-aminoacyl-transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetases (anti-ARS antibodies), including Jo1, PL-12, PL-7, KS, ES, and OJ. We additionally identified patients who had ILD, anti-ARS antibodies, and a lung biopsy between 2015 and 2020 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For each case, we documented the specific anti-ARS antibody and major histopathologic patterns identified on biopsy or autopsy, including usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), organizing pneumonia (OP), and acute lung injury (ALI). To determine if histopathology varied by antibody type, we compared the proportion of each of four major patterns by antibody type using the Fisher's Exact test. RESULTS: We identified 310 cases with pathology findings and anti-ARS antibody positivity, including 12 cases from our institution. The proportion of NSIP differed significantly across antibody type, found in 31% of Jo1 (p < 0.01), 67% of EJ (p < 0.01), and 63% of KS (p < 0.01) cases. OP was common in Jo1 (23%, p = 0.07), but rare in EJ (4%, p = 0.04) and KS (4%, p = 0.04). UIP was common in PL-12 alone (36%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The frequency of histopathologic findings in ILD with anti-ARS positivity varies significantly by antibody type, and NSIP occurs in less than half of all cases.

The impact of personal and outdoor temperature exposure during cold and warm seasons on lung function and respiratory symptoms in COPD.

Rationale: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients often report aggravated symptoms due to heat and cold, but few studies have formally evaluated this. Methodology: We followed 30 Boston-based former smokers with COPD for four non-consecutive 30-day periods over 12 months. Personal and outdoor temperature exposure were measured using portable and Boston-area outdoor stationary monitors. Participants recorded daily morning lung function measurements as well as any worsening breathing (breathlessness, chest tightness, wheeze) and bronchitis symptoms (cough, sputum colour and amount) compared to baseline. Using linear and generalised linear mixed-effects models, we assessed associations between personal and outdoor temperature exposure (1-3-day moving averages) and lung function and symptoms, adjusting for humidity, smoking pack-years and demographics. We also stratified by warm and cold season. Results: Participants were on average 71.1±8.4 years old, with 54.4±30.7 pack-years of smoking. Each 5°C increase in personal temperature exposure was associated with 1.85 (95% CI 0.99-3.48) higher odds of worsening breathing symptoms. In the warm season, each 5°C increase in personal and outdoor temperature exposure was associated with 3.20 (95% CI 1.05-9.72) and 2.22 (95% CI 1.41-3.48) higher odds of worsening breathing symptoms, respectively. Each 5°C decrease in outdoor temperature was associated with 1.25 (95% CI 1.04-1.51) higher odds of worsening bronchitis symptoms. There were no associations between temperature and lung function. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that higher temperature, including outdoor exposure during the warm season and personal temperature exposure year-round, may worsen dyspnoea, while colder outdoor temperature may trigger cough and phlegm symptoms among COPD patients.

Differences of the Nasal Microbiome and Mycobiome by Clinical Characteristics of COPD Patients.

Rationale: While studies suggest that the lung microbiome may influence risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, little is known about the relationship between the nasal biome and clinical characteristics of COPD patients. Methods: We sampled the nasal lining fluid by nasosorption of both nares of 20 people with moderate-to-severe COPD. All 40 samples, plus 4 negative controls, underwent DNA extraction, and 16SV4 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) (bacterial) and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) (fungal) sequencing. We measured the proportion of variance (R2) in beta diversity explained by clinical factors, including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), COPD treatment, disease severity (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], symptom/exacerbation frequency), peripheral eosinophil level (≥150 versus <150 cells/µL) and season of sampling, with the PERMANOVA test on the Bray-Curtis dissimilarities, accounting for within-person correlation of samples. We assessed the relative abundance of microbial features in the nasal community and their associations with clinical characteristics using the Microbiome Multivariable Association with Linear Models (MaAsLin2) package. Results: The most abundant nasal fluid bacterial taxa were Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Moraxella, and Dolosigranulum, and fungal taxa were Malassezia, Candida, Malasseziales, Cladosporium and Aspergillus. Bacterial microbiome composition was associated with short-acting muscarinic antagonist use (R2 11.8%, p=0.002), sex (R2 8.3%, p=0.044), nasal steroid use (R2 7.7%, p=0.064), and higher eosinophil level (R2 7.6%, p=0.084). Mycobiome composition was associated with higher eosinophil level (R2 14.4%, p=0.004) and low FEV1 (R2 7.5%, p=0.071). No specific bacterium or fungus differed significantly in relative abundance by clinical characteristics in the multivariate per-feature analysis. Conclusion: The taxonomical composition of the nasal biome is heterogeneous in COPD patients and may be explained in part by clinical characteristics.

Change in Inhaler Use, Lung Function, and Oxygenation in Association with Symptoms in COPD.

Despite clinical guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to self-treat worsening respiratory symptoms with supplemental inhaler/nebulizer use, few studies have investigated if symptom changes are associated with differences in oxygenation, lung function, or self-treatment. A total of 26 former smokers (mean age 72.7 ±7.5 years; 57.7% female) with COPD (≥ Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Stage 2) were followed for up to 4 months, during which they recorded daily oxygenation, lung function, and inhaler/nebulizer use. Differences in these health measures were assessed in association with self-reported worsening symptoms and COPD exacerbations, as defined by validated questionnaire. We collected 2451 observations with spirometry and questionnaire data and identified 253 symptom days (10.3%) and 47 (1.92%) exacerbation days. In linear mixed effects models adjusted for age, sex, race, height, weight, and season, each respiratory symptom reported worse than baseline was associated with a 0.19 percentage point (95% CI -0.31 to -0.07) lower daily oxygen saturation (p=0.002). On major symptom days (defined as worse-than-baseline dyspnea, sputum purulence or sputum amount), oxygen saturation was 0.56 percentage points lower (95% CI -0.89 to -0.23, p=0.001) than days without increased major symptoms. We found no association of symptom days or exacerbations with forced expiratory volume in 1 second. There were 8 reports of increased inhaler/nebulizer use from baseline on symptom days (1.5% of 253). In this moderate-to-severe COPD population, worsening respiratory symptoms were common and associated with lower oxygenation. However, participants did not self-treat symptoms with increased inhaler/nebulizer use, which may suggest poor perceived clinical benefit from short-acting bronchodilators and a potential target for patient education.