Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein to monitor treatment outcomes in diabetic foot osteomyelitis.

This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the inflammatory markers, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), in monitoring treatment of osteomyelitis in the diabetic foot. We screened 150 charts of patients admitted to our hospital with diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO), confirmed by positive results of bone culture and/or histopathology. We included patients who had an initial ESR/CRP within 72 hours of admission and two reported follow-up values. We dichotomised patients based on the outcomes wound healing, re-infection, recurrent ulceration, re-hospitalisation, additional surgery, re-amputation and death, all within 12 months, and analysed the trajectories of the markers over time. Our primary outcome, DFO remission, was defined as wound healing within 12 months of follow-up without re-infection. We included 122 subjects; 65 patients (53·3%) had a combination of positive culture and histopathology. Factors associated with DFO remission (n = 46) were a lower white blood count (WBC) at admission (P = 0·006) and a higher glomerular filtration rate (GFR, P = 0·049). Factors associated with healing were a lower WBC (P = 0·004), a higher GFR (P = 0·01), longer wound duration before admission (P = 0·01), location of the ulcer on the great toe (P = 0·01) and higher glycated haemoglobin (P = 0·03). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated no associations between DFO remission and other variables collected. Trajectories of the inflammatory markers showed an association between stagnating values of ESR and CRP and poor clinical outcomes. In this study population, the trajectories of both ESR and CRP during 12 months follow-up suggest a predictive role of both inflammatory markers when monitoring treatment of DFO.

Cross-Sectional Study Evaluating Clinical & Psychological Impact of Limited Access to Healthcare in Chronic Pain Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 quarantine measures have created new challenges in the delivery of medical care, especially in the realm of medical and interventional chronic pain management. This study evaluated the effect of COVID-19 social distancing and quarantine measures on symptoms of pain and anxiety, as well as substance abuse and health care engagement in patients with chronic pain and the role of the clinic's virtual assessment initiatives in managing these patients. METHODS: A 24-question cross-sectional survey was conducted with patients with chronic pain seen at the Montefiore Medical Center Comprehensive Pain Clinic from June 2020 through July 2020. The survey was administered to 552 high-utilizer patients via telephone, evaluating domains such as pain, anxiety, substance use, and health care engagement. The questions were quantitively assessed on a Likert scale or a numerical rating scale. We used descriptive statistics to report our results. RESULTS: Of the 1,023 patients identified as high utilizers of the pain clinic, 552 patients participated in the survey. The median (25th-75th percentile) pain score reported was 7 (5-9) for all responders. Approximately 50% of the patients reported that they were anxious about their pain and somewhat or very concerned that their pain would be uncontrolled during the pandemic. Further, the severity of the pain reported was associated with sleep, appetite, and mood changes. In our cohort, 95% of all patients denied using alcohol, 92% denied using marijuana, and 98% denied using other recreational drugs to manage their pain during the pandemic. In addition, just more than three-fourths (79%) of all patients reported needing to speak with their health care provider during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The survey conducted among high-utilizers demonstrated that patients who remained engaged with their health care team reported minimal concerns regarding chronic pain and associated symptoms during the COVID-19 quarantine period. In addition, the early implementation of virtual consults in the pain clinic may have contributed to mitigating patient concerns. Finally, the study also identified the importance of outreach and patient education on the availability and utilization of telemedicine services. Consequently, it is reasonable to implement virtual assessments and visits alongside other education outreach methods to engage patients with chronic pain who frequently utilize chronic pain health care resources.

Management of a Critically Ill Patient With Severe Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy Presenting for Emergent Craniotomy Due to Subdural Hemorrhage.

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is an inherited cardiac disorder characterized by asymmetric thickening of the myocardium, most commonly of the interventricular septum. Perioperative considerations for patients with HOCM undergoing surgical procedures are discussed, so as to avoid worsening the existing left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, leading to potential cardiovascular collapse. Of particular interest is managing these patients when confronted with vascular aneurysmal disease or hemorrhagic comorbidities with conflicting hemodynamic goals. In this case report, we present the case of a 77-year-old female with known HOCM and severe LVOT obstruction, presenting with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), acute on chronic subdural hematoma, and potential cerebral aneurysm, undergoing decompressive craniectomy and hematoma evacuation. Anesthetic management of a patient with HOCM presenting for emergent ICH can be challenging given the complex hemodynamic management goals, often conflicting with a patient's comorbidities. Here we describe the prioritization of the patient's underlying HOCM pathology and favored maintenance of afterload given the potentially lethal risk of cardiovascular collapse if LVOT obstruction was encountered.

Complications during the treatment of diabetic foot osteomyelitis.

AIM: To identify complications of medical treatment in patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO). METHODS: We reviewed 143 records of consecutive patients admitted with DFO, confirmed by bone histopathology or culture. Complications monitored included acute kidney injuries (AKI), development of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), gastrointestinal complications, and venous catheter related complications during a 12months follow-up period. RESULTS: Forty-seven AKI episodes were reported during follow-up; half occurred during the first hospitalization with involvement of antimicrobial therapy in 14 events (29.8%). Patients with AKI were more likely to have recurrent ulcerations (69.2% vs. 45.2%, p=0.02), recurrent infections (38.5% vs. 17.3%, p=0.01), and recurrent hospitalizations (43.6% vs. 28.8%, p=0.02) during follow-up. Only 14 MRSA isolates were found in bone samples at baseline (9.8%). Resistant strains of MRSA and VRE were identified in twenty-one patients (14.7%) during follow-up. Patients re-hospitalized for infection were more likely to have resistant bacterial strains (52.6% vs. 25.8%, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the rates of VRE and MRSA in bone biopsies of patients with DFO were lower than in previous reports. Acute kidney injury occurred frequently in our patient population but might not be associated with antibiotic exposure.