Developing and pilot testing ASTHMAXcel, a mobile app for adults with asthma.

Objective: We sought to compare the impact of ASTHMAXcel, a novel, guideline-based, patient-facing mobile app to human-delivered asthma education.Methods: We conducted a focus group with asthma patients in the Bronx to identify desired mobile app features. ASTHMAXcel was designed based on patient feedback and consistent with NAEPP, BTS/SIGN, and GINA guidelines. The app was reviewed by internists, allergist/immunologists, and pulmonologists specializing in asthma treatment, asthma educators, and a behavioral scientist, and iteratively refined. The refined version of ASTHMAXcel was administered once via tablet at our outpatient Montefiore Asthma Center (MAC). Asthma knowledge was measured through the Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire (AKQ) pre and post-intervention. We also recorded process outcomes including completion time and patient satisfaction. In parallel, human-delivered education was delivered once at MAC. These outcomes were similarly collected.Results: 60 patients were enrolled with 30 in the ASTHMAXcel and 30 in the human-educator group. Mean AKQ in the ASTHMAXcel group vs human-educator group pre-intervention was 9.9 vs 10.5, p = 0.27. Mean AKQ post-intervention in the ASTHMAXcel group vs human-educator group was 12.3 vs 14.4, p = 0.0002. The mean AKQ improvement for both groups were 2.4 vs 3.9, p = 0.007. Patients were highly satisfied in the ASTHMAXcel group scoring on average 27.9 out of 30 maximum points on the satisfaction survey. There was no difference in satisfaction scores or completion times (minutes) of either intervention.Conclusion: ASTHMAXcel was associated with an increase in AKQ, but the human-educator group experienced a greater improvement. ASTHMAXcel demonstrated no differences in process outcomes vs human-delivered education.

Evaluation of periprocedural hypersensitivity reactions.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the cause of periprocedural hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) remains challenging because of the multitude of medications involved. Antibiotics are the most common cause in the United States, whereas neuromuscular blocking agents are most common in Europe. OBJECTIVE: To identify causative agents for periprocedural HSRs. METHODS: This study was a 7-year retrospective medical record review of patients evaluated between December 2009 and January 2017 at a drug allergy center in Bronx, New York for periprocedural HSRs, defined as occurring soon before, during, or soon after a medical procedure or operation with or without general anesthesia. Demographics, description of historical HSRs, results of testing to potential causative medications, and tolerance of subsequent anesthesia were reviewed. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients completed a comprehensive evaluation. Skin testing identified an IgE-mediated cause in 22 patients (64.7%). The most common causative class of medications was induction agents (n = 9 [36%]), with midazolam being the most frequently implicated (n = 6 [3 positive skin test results, 3 equivocal skin test results]). Cefazolin was the most common agent identified (n = 8 [32%]) followed by ondansetron (n = 3 [12%]). Sixteen of 22 contacted patients were exposed to subsequent anesthesia, including 3 patients with negative evaluations. One patient experienced a mild urticarial HSR. CONCLUSION: Induction agents were the most common causative agents in our patients, which differs from other studies. Given the variability in evaluations of periprocedural HSRs across the United States with data published on small sample sizes, there is a need to establish national guidelines to standardize evaluations and to create a national registry to allow for data sharing.

Endobronchial Glandular Papilloma With Atypical Histologic Characteristics: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Papilloma of the lung is a rare benign entity and can be solitary or multiple. Solitary papilloma is subclassified into three categories: squamous papilloma, glandular papilloma, and mixed squamous and glandular papilloma. Glandular papilloma is the rarest subtype among them and occurs mostly in the sixth decade without any relation to smoking, syndrome, or infection. Histology is characterized by mixture of pseudostratified, columnar, nonciliated, mucinous epithelium-lined papillary fronds without any mitoses, necrosis, or atypia. The differential diagnosis can be broad depending upon the histologic features present in a particular case and may include both benign and malignant entities. We present here a patient with glandular endobronchial papilloma showing unusual clinical history and atypical histologic features, which required extensive immunohistochemical evaluation to establish a final diagnosis.

Endoscopic sinus surgery improves aspirin treatment response in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin desensitization and treatment benefits most patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), although some patients fail therapy. Our objective was to assess whether recent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) improved aspirin treatment outcomes in AERD patients who initially failed aspirin therapy. METHODS: Outcomes of aspirin desensitization and treatment in AERD patients prospectively enrolled were assessed preoperatively and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after ESS by determining changes in Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores and respiratory function. Biomarkers, including fractional excretion of nitric oxide (FeNO), spirometry, nasal inspiratory peak flow (NPF), immunoglobulin E (IgE), and eosinophil count, were measured. RESULTS: Nineteen patients who benefited (responders) and 21 patients who failed (nonresponders) preoperative aspirin treatment with a distant history of ESS (mean, 48 months) were identified. Nonresponders were more likely to be African American (71%, p < 0.01) and have higher baseline IgE levels (252 kU/L vs 87 kU/L in responders, p < 0.01). 24 of the 40 patients (nine responders and 15 non-responders) required subsequent ESS and underwent another aspirin desensitization 3-4 weeks after ESS. All 24 patients tolerated a second round of aspirin desensitization and treatment. The primary aspirin therapy was associated with a significant increase in IgE in nonresponders, but there was no significant increase in IgE after the second aspirin desensitization and treatment. CONCLUSION: Antecedent ESS enhances aspirin treatment responses in AERD patients and may convert patients who failed aspirin treatment before surgery to a more responsive phenotype after ESS. Patients with higher baseline serum IgE levels may benefit from ESS performed shortly before aspirin desensitization and therapy.

Sinus Surgery Is Associated with a Decrease in Aspirin-Induced Reaction Severity in Patients with Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

BACKGROUND: Nasal polyps influence the burden of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) by contributing to eicosanoid production. AERD is diagnosed through graded aspirin challenges. It is not known how sinus surgery affects aspirin challenge outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) on aspirin-induced reaction severity and on the levels of eicosanoids associated with these reactions. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with AERD were challenged with aspirin before and 3 to 4 weeks after ESS. Respiratory parameters and plasma and urine levels of eicosanoids were compared before and after challenges. RESULTS: Before ESS, AERD diagnosis was confirmed in all study patients by aspirin challenges that resulted in hypersensitivity reactions. After ESS, reactions to aspirin were less severe in all patients and 12 of 28 patients (43%, P < .001) had no detectable reaction. A lack of clinical reaction to aspirin was associated with lower peripheral blood eosinophilia (0.1 K/µL [interquartile range (IQR) 0.1-0.3] vs 0.4 K/µL [IQR 0.2-0.8]; P = .006), lower urinary leukotriene E4 levels after aspirin challenge (98 pg/mg creatinine [IQR 61-239] vs 459 pg/mg creatinine [IQR 141-1344]; P = .02), and lower plasma prostaglandin D2 to prostaglandin E2 ratio (0 [±0] vs 0.43 [±0.2]; P = .03), compared with those who reacted. CONCLUSIONS: Sinus surgery results in decreased aspirin sensitivity and a decrease in several plasma and urine eicosanoid levels in patients with AERD. Diagnostic aspirin challenges should be offered to patients with suspected AERD before ESS to increase diagnostic accuracy. Patients with established AERD could undergo aspirin desensitizations after ESS as the severity of their aspirin-induced hypersensitivity reactions lessens.

A Novel Independent Survival Predictor in Pulmonary Embolism: Prognostic Nutritional Index.

The prognostic impact of nutritional status in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) is poorly understood. A well-accepted nutritional status parameter, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which was first demonstrated to be valuable in patients with cancer and gastrointestinal surgery, was introduced to patients with PE. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive value of PNI in outcomes of patients with PE. We evaluated the in-hospital and long-term (53.8 ± 5.4 months) prognostic impact of PNI on 251 patients with PE. During a median follow-up of 53.8 ± 5.4 months, 27 (11.6%) patients died in hospital course and 31 (13.4%) died in out-of-hospital course. The patients with lower PNI had significantly higher in-hospital and long-term mortality. The Cox proportional hazard analyses showed that PNI was associated with an increased risk of all-cause death for both unadjusted model and adjusted for all covariates. Our study demonstrated that PNI, calculated based on serum albumin level and lymphocyte count, is an independent prognostic factor for mortality in patients with PE.

Longest surviving case of unoperated Stanford type A aortic dissection.

Stanford type A aortic dissection requires urgent intervention and immediate surgical approach in the emergency department. Survival rate is low, even in patients who undergo immediate surgery. Presently described is a case of unoperated Stanford type A aortic dissection that has been in follow-up under beta-blocker treatment for 7 years. To the best of our knowledge, our case is the longest surviving patient with unoperated type A aortic dissection reported in the literature.

Relation of the Number of Parity to Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Pregnancy.

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) has been relatively less studied than other cardiac changes during pregnancy. Previous studies revealed a mild diastolic deterioration during pregnancy. However, these studies did not evaluate the long-term effect of parity on left ventricular diastolic function. A comprehensive study evaluating the long-term effect of parity on diastolic function is required. A total of 710 women with various number of parity were evaluated through echocardiography to reveal the status of diastolic function. Echocardiographic parameters were compared among the women by parity number and categorized accordingly: none, 0 to 4 and 4< parity (grand multiparous). In nulliparous group, 19 women (23.2%) had grade 1 LVDD, and only 2 women (2.4%) had grade 2 LVDD. In women with a parity number of 0 to 4, 209 women (38.3%) had grade 1 LVDD, and only 17 women (3.1%) had grade 2 LVDD. In grand multiparous group, only 2 women (2.4%) did not have LVDD, and 12 women (14.6%) had grade 2 LVDD. None of the subjects had grade 3 or grade 4 LVDD. According to hierarchical logistic regression analysis, any grade of LVDD and grade 2 LVDD had the highest rates at parity category of > 4 parity and that had 21 and 5.8 times higher than nulliparous group, respectively. In conclusion, according to the present study, grand multiparity but not multiparity, severely deteriorates left ventricular diastolic function. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the risk of gradual diastolic dysfunction after each pregnancy.

A novel prognostic indicator for in-hospital and 4-year outcomes in patients with pulmonary embolism: TIMI risk index.

BACKGROUND: Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk index (TRI) was recently evaluated in patients with acute myocardial infarction and found as an important prognostic index. In the current study, we evaluated the prognostic value of TRI in patients with moderate-high and high risk pulmonary embolism (PE) who were treated with thrombolytic agents. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the in-hospital and long-term (4-year) prognostic impact of TRI in a total number of 456 patients with moderate-high and high risk PE. Patients were stratified by quartiles (Q) of admission TRI. RESULTS: In-hospital analysis revealed significantly higher rates of in-hospital death for patients with TRI in Q4. After adjustment for confounding baseline variables, TRI in Q4 was associated with 2.8-fold hazard of in-hospital death. Upon multivariate analysis, admission TRI in Q4 vs. Q1-3 was associated with 3.1 fold hazard of 4-year mortality rate. CONCLUSION: TRI in Q4, as compared to Q1-3, was significantly predictive of short term and long-term outcomes in PE patients who treated with thrombolytic agents. Our data suggest TRI to be an independent, feasible, and cost-effective tool for rapid risk stratification in moderate-high and high risk PE patients who treated with thrombolytic agents.

Plasma 15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid Predicts Treatment Outcomes in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin desensitization followed by daily aspirin provides therapeutic benefits to patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). It is not well understood how eicosanoid levels change during aspirin treatment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between clinical outcomes of aspirin treatment and plasma eicosanoid levels in patients with AERD. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with AERD were offered aspirin treatment (650 mg twice daily) for 4 weeks. Respiratory parameters and plasma levels of multiple eicosanoids were recorded at baseline and after 4 weeks of aspirin therapy using the Asthma Control Test and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire. Respiratory function was evaluated using the FEV1 and nasal inspiratory peak flow. RESULTS: After aspirin treatment, respiratory symptoms improved in 16 patients, worsened in 12 patients, and did not change in 4 patients. Seven patients were unable to complete the desensitization protocol. Patients with symptom improvement had higher baseline plasma 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) levels than did patients with symptom worsening: 7006 pg/mL (interquartile range, 6056-8688 pg/mL) versus 4800 pg/mL (interquartile range, 4238-5575 pg/mL), P = .0005. Baseline 15-HETE plasma levels positively correlated with the change in Asthma Control Test score (r = 0.61; P = .001) and in FEV1 after 4 weeks of aspirin treatment (r = 0.49; P = .01). It inversely correlated with Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire score (r = -0.58; P = .002). Black and Latino patients were more likely to have symptom worsening on aspirin or fail to complete the initial desensitization than white, non-Latino patients (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AERD, low baseline 15-HETE plasma levels and black or Latino ethnicity are associated with worsening of respiratory symptoms during aspirin treatment.