Perioperative Anesthesia-Related Complications and Risk Factors in Children: A Cross-Sectional Observation Study in Rwanda.

BACKGROUND: Despite an increasing awareness of the unmet burden of surgical conditions, information on perioperative complications in children remains limited especially in low-income countries such as Rwanda. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of perioperative anesthesia-related adverse events and to explore potential risk factors associated with them among pediatric surgical patients in public referral hospitals in Rwanda. METHODS: Data were collected for all patients under 5 years of age undergoing surgery in 3 public referral hospitals in Rwanda from June to December 2015. Patient and family history, type of surgery, comorbidities, anesthesia technique, intraoperative adverse events and postoperative events in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) were recorded. The incidence of perioperative adverse events was assessed and associated risk factors analyzed with univariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 354 patients enrolled in this study 11 children had a cardiac arrest. Six (1.7%) suffered an intraoperative cardiac arrest, 2 of whom (0.6%) died intraoperatively. In the PACU, 6 (1.8%) suffered a postoperative cardiac arrest, 5 of whom (1.5%) died in the PACU. One child had both an intraoperative cardiac arrest and then a cardiac arrest in PACU but survived. Eighty-nine children (25.1%) had an intraoperative adverse event, whereas 67 (20.6%) had an adverse event in PACU. A review of the cases where cardiac arrest or death occurred indicated that there were significant lapses in the expected standard of care. Age <1 week was associated with cardiac arrest or death. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of perioperative complications, including death, for children undergoing surgery in tertiary care hospitals in Rwanda was high. Quality improvement measures are needed to decrease this rate among surgical pediatric patients in this low resource setting.

Nursing During a Disaster Starts With Education.

Future nurses, both entry level and advanced practice, are pivotal to the nation's disaster response. They are critical frontline, acute, primary, and public health workers in the United States and internationally. To respond well, they must be taught how to prepare and intervene appropriately. This preparation is multidimensional and includes not only concrete knowledge but mental, emotional, and ethical preparation for the realities of working and providing care while affected by chaos. Training should be experiential and reflective and expose students to the interprofessional nature of disaster planning and response. New nurses, as they enter practice, as the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, may also take on the role of a frontline disaster responder. The ability to effectively respond and access available resources to care for patients is required. Schools of nursing and nursing faculty increasingly will be required to include disaster preparedness as an integral part of the nursing curriculum.

Improving Corrected QT Interval Monitoring in Critical Care Units: A Single Center Report.

BACKGROUND: Corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation is a type of ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Recommendations for QTc interval monitoring for critical care nurses are limited and variable. LOCAL PROBLEM: The intensive care unit at the study institution had no policies for QTc interval monitoring. A quality improvement initiative for identifying and monitoring at-risk patients was begun. METHODS: A QTc interval monitoring protocol was developed according to current recommendations for electrocardiogram monitoring and input from experts. Nursing staff received education on the QTc monitoring protocol. Numbers of patients with indications for monitoring were collected for 60 days before and 60 days after implementation. The rate of protocol adherence was collected for 60 days after implementation. Aknowledge assessment was administered to nurses at baseline, immediately after education, and 4 months after education. RESULTS: Before protocol implementation, 537 patients had indications for monitoring. No QTc intervals were documented by nurses. After protocol implementation, 544 patients had indications for monitoring. Protocol adherence was higher during day shifts than during night shifts (45.3% and 38.4%, respectively). Of 170 documented QTc prolongation events, 26 (15%) were reported to physicians. Nurses' knowledge significantly improved after education and was retained 4 months after education (correct responses to assessment questions: 59% at baseline, 96% immediately after education, and 86% at 4 months after education). CONCLUSIONS: This QTc interval monitoring protocol improved nurses' ability to identify and monitor patients with increased risk of QTc interval prolongation. Adherence was less than desired, suggesting that further protocol revisions are required.

Preparing ABSN students for early entry and success in the clinical setting: flipping both class and skills lab with the Socratic Method.

OBJECTIVES: Accelerated Second Degree BSN (ABSN) students have limited time to gain expertise. Reaching competency in skills takes weeks, delaying the application and mastery of skills in clinical practice. Our objective is to describe how our ABSN program fundamentals of nursing course enhances learning effectiveness and prepares students for successful entry into nursing. METHODS: Using the Socratic Method and flipping the classroom and skills lab, with deliberate practice techniques, ABSN students quickly gain competence in core aspects of nursing. Rapid acquisition of competence early in the program allows for a meaningful clinical experience. RESULTS: NCLEX pass rates for our ABSN graduates averaged 93.84% over the past 4 years, and students report high levels of satisfaction with the program. CONCLUSIONS: Using the Socratic Method in a flipped classroom and skills lab provides an environment that engages students, fosters NCLEX success, and supports development of clinical judgment critical for positive patient outcomes.

Decreases in COVID-19 Cases, Emergency Department Visits, Hospital Admissions, and Deaths Among Older Adults Following the Introduction of COVID-19 Vaccine - United States, September 6, 2020-May 1, 2021.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, older U.S. adults have been at increased risk for severe COVID-19-associated illness and death (1). On December 14, 2020, the United States began a nationwide vaccination campaign after the Food and Drug Administration's Emergency Use Authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended prioritizing health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities, followed by essential workers and persons at risk for severe illness, including adults aged ≥65 years, in the early phases of the vaccination program (2). By May 1, 2021, 82%, 63%, and 42% of persons aged ≥65, 50-64, and 18-49 years, respectively, had received ≥1 COVID-19 vaccine dose. CDC calculated the rates of COVID-19 cases, emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, and deaths by age group during November 29-December 12, 2020 (prevaccine) and April 18-May 1, 2021. The rate ratios comparing the oldest age groups (≥70 years for hospital admissions; ≥65 years for other measures) with adults aged 18-49 years were 40%, 59%, 65%, and 66% lower, respectively, in the latter period. These differential declines are likely due, in part, to higher COVID-19 vaccination coverage among older adults, highlighting the potential benefits of rapidly increasing vaccination coverage.

Death Certificate-Based ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes for COVID-19 Mortality Surveillance - United States, January-December 2020.

Approximately 375,000 deaths during 2020 were attributed to COVID-19 on death certificates reported to CDC (1). Concerns have been raised that some deaths are being improperly attributed to COVID-19 (2). Analysis of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnoses on official death certificates might provide an expedient and efficient method to demonstrate whether reported COVID-19 deaths are being overestimated. CDC assessed documentation of diagnoses co-occurring with an ICD-10 code for COVID-19 (U07.1) on U.S. death certificates from 2020 that had been reported to CDC as of February 22, 2021. Among 378,048 death certificates listing U07.1, a total of 357,133 (94.5%) had at least one other ICD-10 code; 20,915 (5.5%) had only U07.1. Overall, 97.3% of 357,133 death certificates with at least one other diagnosis (91.9% of all 378,048 death certificates) were noted to have a co-occurring diagnosis that was a plausible chain-of-event condition (e.g., pneumonia or respiratory failure), a significant contributing condition (e.g., hypertension or diabetes), or both. Overall, 70%-80% of death certificates had both a chain-of-event condition and a significant contributing condition or a chain-of-event condition only; this was noted for adults aged 18-84 years, both males and females, persons of all races and ethnicities, those who died in inpatient and outpatient or emergency department settings, and those whose manner of death was listed as natural. These findings support the accuracy of COVID-19 mortality surveillance in the United States using official death certificates. High-quality documentation of co-occurring diagnoses on the death certificate is essential for a comprehensive and authoritative public record. Continued messaging and training (3) for professionals who complete death certificates remains important as the pandemic progresses. Accurate mortality surveillance is critical for understanding the impact of variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and of COVID-19 vaccination and for guiding public health action.

Probable Delirium as a Risk Factor for Adverse Surgical Outcomes in Geriatric Patients With Acute Hip Fracture: Preoperative Assessment Using a Short Screening Tool.

Hip fractures in geriatric patients are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality including postoperative delirium. Few data are available regarding preoperative identification of patients at risk of postoperative delirium before surgical repair of hip fracture. We used the Ultrabrief Two-Item Bedside Test, a proxy for delirium, to identify patients who are likely to have adverse outcomes postoperatively. This prospective pilot study included patients 65 years and older with an acute hip fracture. The questionnaire was administered preoperatively, and patients were followed up for 30 days postoperatively. We enrolled 30 patients, with a mean age of 78 years. The 12 patients with an abnormal test result had a significantly lower body mass index, a trend in descriptive statistics for pulmonary disease, and a higher ASA physical status. In addition, hospital stay following fracture repair was longer for patients with an abnormal test result, although not significantly (mean [SD]=8.8 [4.2] days vs 6.4 [2.0] days, median=8 vs 6 days, log-rank P=.052). A 2-item questionnaire could help identify patients who have sustained hip fracture who are likely to have a longer hospitalization. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine whether interventions can reduce risk.

Estimate of Burden and Direct Healthcare Cost of Infectious Waterborne Disease in the United States.

Provision of safe drinking water in the United States is a great public health achievement. However, new waterborne disease challenges have emerged (e.g., aging infrastructure, chlorine-tolerant and biofilm-related pathogens, increased recreational water use). Comprehensive estimates of the health burden for all water exposure routes (ingestion, contact, inhalation) and sources (drinking, recreational, environmental) are needed. We estimated total illnesses, emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, deaths, and direct healthcare costs for 17 waterborne infectious diseases. About 7.15 million waterborne illnesses occur annually (95% credible interval [CrI] 3.88 million-12.0 million), results in 601,000 ED visits (95% CrI 364,000-866,000), 118,000 hospitalizations (95% CrI 86,800-150,000), and 6,630 deaths (95% CrI 4,520-8,870) and incurring US $3.33 billion (95% CrI 1.37 billion-8.77 billion) in direct healthcare costs. Otitis externa and norovirus infection were the most common illnesses. Most hospitalizations and deaths were caused by biofilm-associated pathogens (nontuberculous mycobacteria, Pseudomonas, Legionella), costing US $2.39 billion annually.

Attribution of Illnesses Transmitted by Food and Water to Comprehensive Transmission Pathways Using Structured Expert Judgment, United States.

Illnesses transmitted by food and water cause a major disease burden in the United States despite advancements in food safety, water treatment, and sanitation. We report estimates from a structured expert judgment study using 48 experts who applied Cooke's classical model of the proportion of disease attributable to 5 major transmission pathways (foodborne, waterborne, person-to-person, animal contact, and environmental) and 6 subpathways (food handler-related, under foodborne; recreational, drinking, and nonrecreational/nondrinking, under waterborne; and presumed person-to-person-associated and presumed animal contact-associated, under environmental). Estimates for 33 pathogens were elicited, including bacteria such as Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter spp., Legionella spp., and Pseudomonas spp.; protozoa such as Acanthamoeba spp., Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Naegleria fowleri; and viruses such as norovirus, rotavirus, and hepatitis A virus. The results highlight the importance of multiple pathways in the transmission of the included pathogens and can be used to guide prioritization of public health interventions.

Summary of Guidance for Public Health Strategies to Address High Levels of Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Related Deaths, December 2020.

In the 10 months since the first confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in the United States on January 20, 2020 (1), approximately 13.8 million cases and 272,525 deaths have been reported in the United States. On October 30, the number of new cases reported in the United States in a single day exceeded 100,000 for the first time, and by December 2 had reached a daily high of 196,227.* With colder weather, more time spent indoors, the ongoing U.S. holiday season, and silent spread of disease, with approximately 50% of transmission from asymptomatic persons (2), the United States has entered a phase of high-level transmission where a multipronged approach to implementing all evidence-based public health strategies at both the individual and community levels is essential. This summary guidance highlights critical evidence-based CDC recommendations and sustainable strategies to reduce COVID-19 transmission. These strategies include 1) universal face mask use, 2) maintaining physical distance from other persons and limiting in-person contacts, 3) avoiding nonessential indoor spaces and crowded outdoor spaces, 4) increasing testing to rapidly identify and isolate infected persons, 5) promptly identifying, quarantining, and testing close contacts of persons with known COVID-19, 6) safeguarding persons most at risk for severe illness or death from infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, 7) protecting essential workers with provision of adequate personal protective equipment and safe work practices, 8) postponing travel, 9) increasing room air ventilation and enhancing hand hygiene and environmental disinfection, and 10) achieving widespread availability and high community coverage with effective COVID-19 vaccines. In combination, these strategies can reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission, long-term sequelae or disability, and death, and mitigate the pandemic's economic impact. Consistent implementation of these strategies improves health equity, preserves health care capacity, maintains the function of essential businesses, and supports the availability of in-person instruction for kindergarten through grade 12 schools and preschool. Individual persons, households, and communities should take these actions now to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission from its current high level. These actions will provide a bridge to a future with wide availability and high community coverage of effective vaccines, when safe return to more everyday activities in a range of settings will be possible.

Evaluation of an Adapted Collaborative Care Model for Older Adult Depression Severity Reduction and Quality of Life Improvement.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the efficacy of a collaborative care model in the reduction of depression severity and the improvement of quality of life (QOL) of older adults. METHODS: Individual participant encounters were conducted approximately every 2 weeks over 4 months with nineteen participants. Average participant age was 73 years. A pre-experimental single pretest-posttest group was conducted in which the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and Quality of Life Assessment (QOLA) scores respectively measured depression severity and QOL of participants. RESULTS: The average PHQ-9 score (0-27; higher indicates worse depression) decreased from 14 pre-intervention to 8.3 post-intervention (p < .001), while the average QOLA score (0-10; higher indicates better QOL) increased from 5.7 pre-intervention to 6.5 post-intervention (p = .342). CONCLUSION: The adapted collaborative care model provided an affordable, effective method of older adult depression management within the contexts of this clinical study.

A Clinical Nurse Specialist-Led Initiative to Reduce Deficits in Tube Feeding Administration for the Surgical and Trauma Populations.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this clinical nurse specialist-led initiative was to redefine the standard of care to reduce the deficit that exists between the daily amount of tube feedings prescribed versus received by patients in a surgical-trauma intensive care unit. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT: Nutrition plays a vital role in health and wellness. Although nutritional recommendations are not always met by individuals on a daily basis-the presence of in-hospital malnutrition presents greater risks and complications after a surgery or traumatic event. An evidence-based algorithm for initiating and maintaining tube feedings was developed and incorporated into morning bedside report. A preintervention and postintervention chart analysis was done to calculate the amount of tube feedings received by patients during their first 5 days of admission. OUTCOMES: Preintervention data revealed that 29 patients received a mean 49.8% (SD, 21.6%) of tube feedings prescribed, and postintervention data showed 31 patients received 60.4% (SD, 18.5%) of tube feedings prescribed (P = .04). CONCLUSION: Through the implementation of a tube feeding algorithm, there was a reduction of tube feed interruptions and volume deficits during the first 5 days of admission.

Outbreaks Associated with Untreated Recreational Water - United States, 2000-2014.

Outbreaks associated with untreated recreational water can be caused by pathogens, toxins, or chemicals in fresh water (e.g., lakes, rivers) or marine water (e.g., ocean). During 2000-2014, public health officials from 35 states and Guam voluntarily reported 140 untreated recreational water-associated outbreaks to CDC. These outbreaks resulted in at least 4,958 cases of disease and two deaths. Among the 95 outbreaks with a confirmed infectious etiology, enteric pathogens caused 80 (84%); 21 (22%) were caused by norovirus, 19 (20%) by Escherichia coli, 14 (15%) by Shigella, and 12 (13%) by Cryptosporidium. Investigations of these 95 outbreaks identified 3,125 cases; 2,704 (87%) were caused by enteric pathogens, including 1,459 (47%) by norovirus, 362 (12%) by Shigella, 314 (10%) by Cryptosporidium, and 155 (5%) by E. coli. Avian schistosomes were identified as the cause in 345 (11%) of the 3,125 cases. The two deaths were in persons affected by a single outbreak (two cases) caused by Naegleria fowleri. Public parks (50 [36%]) and beaches (45 [32%]) were the leading settings associated with the 140 outbreaks. Overall, the majority of outbreaks started during June-August (113 [81%]); 65 (58%) started in July. Swimmers and parents of young swimmers can take steps to minimize the risk for exposure to pathogens, toxins, and chemicals in untreated recreational water by heeding posted advisories closing the beach to swimming; not swimming in discolored, smelly, foamy, or scummy water; not swimming while sick with diarrhea; and limiting water entering the nose when swimming in warm freshwater.

Outbreaks Associated with Treated Recreational Water - United States, 2000-2014.

Outbreaks associated with exposure to treated recreational water can be caused by pathogens or chemicals in venues such as pools, hot tubs/spas, and interactive water play venues (i.e., water playgrounds). During 2000-2014, public health officials from 46 states and Puerto Rico reported 493 outbreaks associated with treated recreational water. These outbreaks resulted in at least 27,219 cases and eight deaths. Among the 363 outbreaks with a confirmed infectious etiology, 212 (58%) were caused by Cryptosporidium (which causes predominantly gastrointestinal illness), 57 (16%) by Legionella (which causes Legionnaires' disease, a severe pneumonia, and Pontiac fever, a milder illness with flu-like symptoms), and 47 (13%) by Pseudomonas (which causes folliculitis ["hot tub rash"] and otitis externa ["swimmers' ear"]). Investigations of the 363 outbreaks identified 24,453 cases; 21,766 (89%) were caused by Cryptosporidium, 920 (4%) by Pseudomonas, and 624 (3%) by Legionella. At least six of the eight reported deaths occurred in persons affected by outbreaks caused by Legionella. Hotels were the leading setting, associated with 157 (32%) of the 493 outbreaks. Overall, the outbreaks had a bimodal temporal distribution: 275 (56%) outbreaks started during June-August and 46 (9%) in March. Assessment of trends in the annual counts of outbreaks caused by Cryptosporidium, Legionella, or Pseudomonas indicate mixed progress in preventing transmission. Pathogens able to evade chlorine inactivation have become leading outbreak etiologies. The consequent outbreak and case counts and mortality underscore the utility of CDC's Model Aquatic Health Code (https://www.cdc.gov/mahc) to prevent outbreaks associated with treated recreational water.

Pool water quality and prevalence of microbes in filter backwash from metro-Atlanta swimming pools.

During the 2012 summer swim season, aquatic venue data and filter backwash samples were collected from 127 metro-Atlanta pools. Last-recorded water chemistry measures indicated 98% (157/161) of samples were from pools with ≥1 mg/L residual chlorine without stabilized chlorine or ≥2 mg/L with stabilized chlorine and 89% (144/161) had pH readings 7.2-7.8. These water quality parameters are consistent with the 2016 Model Aquatic Health Code (2nd edition) recommendations. We used previously validated real-time polymerase chain reaction assays for detection of seven enteric microbes, including Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. E. coli was detected in 58% (93/161) of samples, signifying that swimmers likely introduced fecal material into pool water. P. aeruginosa was detected in 59% (95/161) of samples, indicating contamination from swimmers or biofilm growth on surfaces. Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis were each detected in approximately 1% of samples. These findings indicate the need for aquatics staff, state and local environmental health practitioners, and swimmers to each take steps to minimize the risk of transmission of infectious pathogens.

Prescription Opioid Use and Satisfaction With Care Among Adults With Musculoskeletal Conditions.

PURPOSE: In the current payment paradigm, reimbursement is partially based on patient satisfaction scores. We sought to understand the relationship between prescription opioid use and satisfaction with care among adults who have musculoskeletal conditions. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study using nationally representative data from the 2008-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We assessed whether prescription opioid use is associated with satisfaction with care among US adults who had musculoskeletal conditions. Specifically, using 5 key domains of satisfaction with care, we examined the association between opioid use (overall and according to the number of prescriptions received) and high satisfaction, defined as being in the top quartile of overall satisfaction ratings. RESULTS: Among 19,566 adults with musculoskeletal conditions, we identified 2,564 (13.1%) who were opioid users, defined as receiving 1 or more prescriptions in 2 six-month time periods. In analyses adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and health status, compared with nonusers, opioid users were more likely to report high satisfaction with care (odds ratio = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.18-1.49). According to the level of use, a stronger association was noted with moderate opioid use (odds ratio = 1.55) and heavy opioid use (odds ratio = 1.43) (P <.001 for trend). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with musculoskeletal conditions, those using prescription opioids are more likely to be highly satisfied with their care. Considering that emerging reimbursement models include patient satisfaction, future work is warranted to better understand this relationship.

Risk Factors for Acanthamoeba Keratitis-A Multistate Case-Control Study, 2008-2011.

OBJECTIVE: To identify modifiable risk factors contributing to Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) infection. METHODS: A case-control investigation was conducted. Case patients were soft contact lens wearers with laboratory-confirmed AK. Control were soft contact lens wearers ≥12 years of age, with no history of AK. Case patients were recruited from 14 ophthalmology referral centers and a clinical laboratory. Control were matched on state of residence and type of primary eye care provider (ophthalmologist or optometrist). Participants were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Univariable and multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses were conducted. Matched odds ratios (mORs) were calculated. RESULTS: Participants included 88 case patients and 151 matched control. Case patients were more likely to be aged <25 years (unadjusted mOR 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.3-5.5) or aged >53 years (mOR 2.5, 1.1-5.7), and more likely to be men (mOR 2.6, 1.4-4.8). Unadjusted analyses identified multiple risk factors: rinsing (mOR 6.3, 1.3-29.9) and storing lenses in tap water (mOR 3.9, 1.2-12.3), topping off solution in the lens case (mOR 4.0, 2.0-8.0), having worn lenses ≤5 years (mOR 2.4, 1.3-4.4), rinsing the case with tap water before storing lenses (mOR 2.1, 1.1-4.1), and using hydrogen peroxide (mOR 3.6, 1.1-11.7) versus multipurpose solution. Significant risk factors in multivariable modeling included age >53 years, male sex, topping off, and using saline solution. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous modifiable risk factors for AK were identified, mostly involving hygiene practices. To reduce the risk of AK, lens wearers should observe recommended lens care practices.