Perioperative hypertension and anesthetic management in patients undergoing resection of neuroblastoma.

INTRODUCTION: Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial pediatric tumor, accounting for 5-8% of all childhood cancers. Neuroblastomas arise from catecholamine-secreting neural crest cells and their metabolites, vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid, that are readily detected in urine. Although rarely seen in clinical practice, case reports exist documenting severe intraoperative hypertension. However, data on the incidence of intraoperative hypertension are lacking. METHODS: This report is a single-center retrospective review of patients with neuroblastoma who underwent surgical resection (n = 102) at Boston Children's Hospital from July 1, 2012 to February 28, 2021. Significant intraoperative hypertension was defined as maximum systolic blood pressure greater than 95th percentile +12 mmHg based on normative blood pressure data. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and logistic regression. RESULTS: The overall incidence of intraoperative hypertension was 13% (n = 13/102). Higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status was associated with intraoperative hypertension. Antihypertensive medications were administered intraoperatively in 9% of cases (n = 9), and the use was significantly associated with intraoperative hypertension. Of patients with preoperative urine catecholamine data (n = 82), all 10 patients who had intraoperative hypertension were noted to have elevated preoperative urine catecholamines. Intraoperative hypertension was not associated with postoperative hypertension, postoperative hypotension, or increased intensive care unit length of stay. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Intraoperative hypertension in patients with neuroblastoma remains a relatively uncommon occurrence; however, it does occur at a frequency higher than previously described. While intraoperative hypertension is associated with an increased use of antihypertensive medications in the operating room, it is not associated with adverse perioperative outcomes.

Airway Impedance: A Novel Diagnostic Tool to Predict Extraesophageal Airway Inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: To validate a novel biomarker, airway impedance for extraesophageal disease. STUDY DESIGN: We prospectively recruited patients with respiratory symptoms undergoing combined endoscopy and direct laryngoscopy for the evaluation of symptoms. The direct laryngoscopy was performed and videotaped for blinded scoring by 3 otolaryngologists and an impedance catheter was placed onto the posterior larynx to obtain measurements. Following this, an endoscopy was performed and impedance measurements and biopsies were taken at 3 esophageal heights. Impedance values were compared within and between patients. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients were recruited, of which 73 had complete airway and endoscopic exams. There was no significant correlation between airway impedance values and mean reflux finding scores (r2 = 0.45, P = .07). There was no significant positive correlation between airway impedance and esophageal impedance values (r2 = 0.097-0.138, P > .2). Patients taking proton pump inhibitors had significantly lower mean airway impedance values (706 ± 450 Ω) than patients not taking them (1069 ± 809 Ω, P = .06). Patients who had evidence of aspiration on video fluoroscopic swallow studies had lower airway impedance (871 ± 615 Ω) than patients without aspiration (1247 ± 360 Ω, P = .008). Inhaled steroids did not impact airway impedance levels (P = .7). CONCLUSIONS: Airway impedance may be an important diagnostic tool to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux or aspiration, eliminating the subjectivity of airway appearance alone.

Prevalence of strongyloidiasis among cardiothoracic organ transplant candidates in a non-endemic region: A single-center experience with universal screening.

Disseminated strongyloidiasis and hyperinfection syndrome can cause significant morbidity and mortality after transplantation. Screening and treatment prior to transplantation can reduce or prevent this disease. Targeted screening of transplant candidates based on assessed risk, fails to identify all who would benefit. We implemented universal serology-based screening for Strongyloides at our transplant center, located in a non-endemic area. Of 200 transplant candidates who were evaluated for cardiothoracic transplant from January 2018 to June 2019, 169 were screened serologically and 21 (12.4%) were seropositive. Among seropositive patients, 57% reported travel to an endemic region, 38% were born outside the USA, 38% had eosinophilia, and 5% had history of gram-negative bacteremia. We estimate that universal screening for strongyloidiasis could identify an average of 17 additional candidates for preventive treatment for every 200 transplant candidates.

Trends in Mortality From Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, 1984-2016: An Autopsy-Based Study.

CONTEXT.­: With increasing use and efficacy of antiretroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, deaths from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining conditions have decreased. OBJECTIVE.­: To examine trends in the cause of death of HIV-infected patients who underwent autopsy at a major New York City hospital from 1984 to 2016, a period including the major epochs of the AIDS epidemic. DESIGN.­: Retrospective review of autopsy records and charts with modeling of trends by logistic regression using polynomial models. RESULTS.­: We identified 252 autopsies in adult patients with AIDS (by 1982 definition) or HIV infection. Prior to widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, in 1984-1995, on average 13 autopsies per year were done. Post-highly active antiretroviral therapy, the average number of autopsies declined to 4.5 per year. The fitted mean age at death was 35 years in 1984 and increased curvilinearly to 46 years (95% CI, 43-49) in 2016 (P < .001). By regression analysis, mean CD4+ T-cell count increased from 6 in 1992 to 64 in 2016 (P = .01). The proportion of AIDS-defining opportunistic infections decreased, from 79% in 1984-1987 to 41% in 2008-2011 and 29% in 2012-2016 (P = .04). The frequency of nonopportunistic infections, however, increased from 37% in 1984-1987 to 73% in 2008-2011 and 57% in 2012-2016 (P = .001). The frequency of AIDS-defining and other malignancies did not change significantly during the study period. The prevalence of atherosclerosis at autopsy rose dramatically, from 21% in 1988-1991 to 54% in 2008-2011 (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS.­: Despite limitations of autopsy studies, many trends in the evolution of the HIV/AIDS epidemic are readily discernable.

Characterization and utilization of an international neurofibromatosis web-based, patient-entered registry: An observational study.

The neurofibromatoses (neurofibromatosis type 1, neurofibromatosis type 2 and schwannomatosis) are rare disorders having clinical manifestations that vary greatly from patient to patient. The rarity and variability of these disorders has made it challenging for investigators to identify sufficient numbers of patients with particular clinical characteristics or specific germline mutations for participation in interventional studies. Similarly, because the natural history of all types of neurofibromatosis (NF) is variable and unique for each individual, it is difficult to identify meaningful clinical outcome measures for potential therapeutic interventions. In 2012, the Children's Tumor Foundation created a web-based patient-entered database, the NF Registry, to inform patients of research opportunities for which they fit general eligibility criteria and enable patients to contact investigators who are seeking to enroll patients in approved trials. Registrants were recruited through CTF-affiliated NF clinics and conferences, through its website, and by word-of-mouth and social media. Following online consent, demographic information and details regarding manifestations of NF were solicited on the Registry website. Statistical analyses were performed on data from a cohort of 4680 registrants (the number of registrants as of October 9, 2015) who met diagnostic criteria for one of the 3 NF conditions. The analyses support our hypothesis that patient-reported symptom incidences in the NF Registry are congruent with published clinician-sourced data. Between April 26, 2013 and July 8, 2016, the registry has been useful to investigators in recruitment, particularly for observational trials, especially those for development of patient-reported outcomes.

Hepatitis C Screening of the "Birth Cohort" (Born 1945-1965) and Younger Inmates of New York City Jails.

OBJECTIVES: To examine uptake of screening for all individuals born between 1945 and 1965 (referred to by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the "birth cohort") and outline preliminary HCV prevalence data in the New York City jail system. METHODS: Data were extracted from electronic health records for all individuals screened for HCV between June 13, 2013, and June 13, 2014, in New York City jails. We used the Abbott EIA 2.0 HCV antibody assay for testing. RESULTS: In the year of study, 56 590 individuals were incarcerated; 15.1% were born between 1945 and 1965, and 84.6% were born after 1965. HCV screening was completed for 64.1% of the birth cohort and for 11.1% born after 1965, with 55.1% and 43.8% of cases found in these groups, respectively. The overall seropositivity rate was 20.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Birth cohort screening in a large jail system identified many HCV cases, but HCV infection was common among younger age groups. PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS: Universal screening may be warranted pending further study including cost-effectiveness analyses.

Anesthetic considerations in Sheldon-Hall syndrome.

Arthrogryposis is characterized by multiple, nonprogressive joint contractures which may be caused by maternal disorders such as oligohydramnios as well as fetal akinesia resulting from primary disorders of muscle, connective tissue, or neurologic tissue. Its prevalence is about 1 : 3000. Distal arthrogryposis (DA) is a heterogenous group of genetic disorders with a characteristic flexion of the joints of the hands and feet divided into different types with additional features. Sheldon-Hall Syndrome (SHS), also known as distal arthrogryposis type 2A (DA2A), has some nonorthopedic features of specific importance to anesthetic care.

Genetic predictors of cervical dysplasia in African American HIV-infected women: ACTG DACS 268.

OBJECTIVE: To examine genome-wide associations in HIV-infected women with a history of cervical dysplasia compared with HIV-infected women with no history of abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) tests. DESIGN: Case-control study using data from women analyzed for the HIV Controllers Study and enrolled in HIV treatment-naïve studies in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG). METHODS: Genotyping utilized Illumina HumanHap 650 Y or 1MDuo platforms. After quality control and principal component analysis, ~610,000 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested for association. Threshold for significance was P < 5 × 10(-8) for genome-wide associations. RESULTS: No significant genomic association was observed between women with low-grade dysplasia and controls. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis between women with high-grade dysplasia or invasive cervical cancer and normal controls identified significant SNPs. In the analyses limited to African American women, 11 SNPs were significantly associated with the development of high-grade dysplasia or cancer after correcting for multiple comparisons. The model using significant SNPs alone had improved accuracy in predicting high-grade dysplasia in African American women compared to the use of clinical data (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for genetic and clinical model = 0.9 and 0.747, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary data serve as proof of concept that there may be a genetic predisposition to developing high-grade cervical dysplasia in African American HIV-infected women. Given the small sample size, the results need to be validated in a separate cohort.

Perioperative care of adolescents.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To describe adolescent development within the context of perioperative anesthetic management. RECENT FINDINGS: Most adolescent deaths are as a result of unintentional injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause, with homicide the second most common cause of intentional injury. Suicide is also a significant cause of adolescent death. The thinning of gray matter following preadolescence overtakes synaptogenesis, resulting in a more efficient, adult-like brain. Although adolescent substance use has declined over the last 30 years, cigarette smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use, sexual activity, and violent behavior remain significant concerns in perioperative care. The tremendous increase in physical working capacity and maximum oxygen consumption during adolescence commonly results in the pursuit of muscularity, substance use and abuse, dieting regimens, and muscle dysmorphia. Childhood obesity has risen by more than 50% in the last 10 years. Anorexics die at a rate of 10-20% from complications of starvation or from suicide. Up to 8% of adolescents are diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Poorly controlled perioperative pain is still common. Many adolescents have decision-making capacity and therefore assent to surgery becomes an important perioperative consideration. SUMMARY: Adolescents are a very healthy population subject to unintentional and intentional injury. Emotional and judgmental maturation is a cofactor in these injuries, better appreciated through improved understanding of developmental neurobiology. In addition, increases in muscle mass, requirements for nutrition and rest, maladaptive behavior, and health choices are important for optimal perioperative care.

Obesity prevention in young schoolchildren: results of a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity occur in 17% of children in the United States. Complications of excess weight in Americans cause 216,000 to 300,000 deaths yearly and cost $147 billion. METHODS: A convenience sample of 14 intervention and 15 control schools in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh was used. A program to improve lifestyle (Values Initiative Teaching About Lifestyle [VITAL®]), was implemented in young children to encourage healthy eating and appropriate physical activity. Students had annual evaluations of height and weight over a 2-year period, and teachers participating in VITAL completed questionnaires regarding the program. Changes in age- and sex-adjusted body mass index (BMI) percentiles in control and intervention groups were compared using linear mixed models regression. RESULTS: VITAL was highly rated by teachers and was popular with children. Over the 2-year period, adjusted mean BMI percentiles declined from 66.1 to 65.0 in control children and from 62.8 to 58.9 in intervention children. The rates of change in the 2 groups were significantly different (p = .015). CONCLUSION: VITAL improves lifestyle of young schoolchildren, is inexpensive, easy to implement, and should be expanded to improve health and reduce healthcare's financial burden.

Early detection of HIV infection among Kenyan infants using a reverse transcriptase activity assay.

Two hundred HIV-exposed Kenyan infants were tested for HIV infection at birth and at age 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks, by DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Cavidi reverse transcriptase (RT) assays and after age 18 months by HIV antibody test. Eleven (5.5%) infants became HIV infected. In 6 infants, positive RT preceded positive DNA PCR. The use of RT assay may facilitate earlier HIV diagnosis in infants.

Acupuncture management of pain and emergence agitation in children after bilateral myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertion.

AIM: To further investigate the effect of acupuncture in postoperative pain and emergence agitation in children undergoing bilateral myringotomy and tympanostomy tube (BMT) placement. BACKGROUND: BMT insertion surgery in children is routinely performed under general anesthesia and is associated with a high incidence of postoperative pain and agitation upon emergence from anesthesia. Various medications have been investigated to alleviate the pain and agitation, which have been accompanied by high incidence of adverse effects. In children, anecdotal reports suggest that acupuncture may offer postoperative analgesia. METHODS/MATERIALS: This prospective randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture to control pain and agitation after initial bilateral myringotomy tube placement in 60 nonpremedicated children. Acupuncture was applied at points LI-4 (he gu) and HT-7 (shen men) immediately after induction of anesthesia. A single-blinded assessor evaluated postoperative pain and agitation using CHEOPS and emergence agitation scale. Pain and agitation scores were significantly lower in the acupuncture group compared to those in the control group at the time of arrival in the post anesthesia care unit and during the subsequent 30 min. RESULTS: Acupuncture treatment provided significant benefit in pain and agitation reduction. The median time to first postoperative analgesic (acetaminophen) administration was significantly shorter in the control group. The number of patients who required analgesia was considerably fewer in the acupuncture group than that in the control. No adverse effects related to acupuncture treatment were observed. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that acupuncture therapy may be effective in diminishing both pain and emergence agitation in children after BMT insertion without adverse effects.

S-adenosylmethionine levels in the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) is a key molecule involved in methylation reactions and polyamine synthesis. Pneumocystis carinii are unable to synthesize this molecule and have been shown to scavenge this metabolic intermediate from the plasma of rats during active infection. A prior study involving humans strongly suggested that low levels of plasma AdoMet are sensitive and specific indicators of acute infection. METHODS: From March 2004 through January 2006, we collected plasma AdoMet levels from patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and either confirmed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis, or confirmed bacterial pneumonia. We compared levels in patients with PCP with those in patients with other diseases and also monitored changes in levels during treatment of PCP. RESULTS: Initial AdoMet levels were significantly lower in patients with PCP, and there was no overlap between the groups. Among patients with PCP, levels of AdoMet increased with successful treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of plasma AdoMet levels in patients with HIV infection who have pulmonary infections can identify those with PCP.

Risk factors associated with postcraniotomy meningitis.

OBJECTIVE: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine the incidence, bacteriological features, and risk factors for postcraniotomy meningitis. METHODS: Patients older than 18 years who underwent nonstereotactic craniotomies between January 1996 and March 2000 and who survived for more than 7 days were included. Operations for placement of burr holes and shunts were excluded. Records of the first 30 postoperative days were abstracted. Host factors, types of craniotomy, and pre- and postoperative variables were evaluated as risk factors for meningitis RESULTS: Among 453 patients, there were 25 cases of meningitis. Eight out of 12 culture-positive cases were the result of gram-positive cocci. Four hundred twenty (92%) patients received antibiotic prophylaxis, most commonly a first-generation cephalosporin. In multivariate analysis, the risk of meningitis was increased by surgery that entered a sinus (odds ratio [OR], 4.49; P = 0.018), an increase in the American Society of Anesthesiologists score (OR, 1.72; P = 0.023), and increases in the number of days of external ventricular drainage (OR, 1.21; P = 0.049) and intracranial pressure monitoring (OR, 1.24; P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Access of upper airway bacteria to the surgical wound, host factors as expressed by the American Society of Anesthesiologists score, and duration of device-related postoperative communication of the cerebrospinal fluid and the environment are major risk factors for postoperative meningitis after craniotomy.

A case-control study of gynecomastia in HIV-1-infected patients receiving HAART.

Gynecomastia has been reported to occur in HIV-infected patients receiving HAART. A retrospective case-control study was conducted to determine risk factors associated with this condition. Two control patients were randomly chosen for each of 23 case patients identified. An efavirenz-containing regimen was strongly associated with the development of gynecomastia (odds ratio, 20; P < .001). Case patients were not more likely to have lipodystrophy, low testosterone levels, chronic infection with hepatitis B or C virus, or liver dysfunction compared with control patients. None of these factors altered the efavirenz-associated risk when analyzed by multiple logistic regression. Efavirenz appears to be strongly associated with gynecomastia in HIV-infected patients receiving HAART.

S-adenosylmethionine concentrations in diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

Pneumocystis carinii is unable to synthesise S-adenosylmethionine and thus scavenges this intermediate. We aimed to test whether measurement of concentrations of this metabolic intermediate in plasma could provide a new method for rapid diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). We measured S-adenosylmethionine plasma concentrations in 12 healthy controls, 16 patients with confirmed or suspected PCP, and 36 patients with other infections. Median concentration in healthy controls was 106 nmol/L (range 86-128), but the protein was undetectable in eight patients with histologically proven and seven with suspected PCP, and was 8 nmol/L in another confirmed case (p<0.0001). In 36 patients with other infections, S-adenosylmethionine concentrations were much the same as in controls: 18 had bacterial pneumonia, two tuberculosis, five cryptococcal meningitis, three had other infections, and eight had asymptomatic HIV-1 infection. After treatment for PCP, S-adenosylmethionine concentrations rose rapidly in all but one patient who died of the disease. Measurement of plasma S-adenosylmethionine concentrations could prove useful for diagnosis of PCP and assessment of patients' response to treatment.