Cardiovascular risk in patients with acromegaly vs. non-functioning pituitary adenoma following pituitary surgery: an active-comparator cohort study.

PURPOSE: Given the increased cardio-metabolic risk in patients with acromegaly, this study compared cardiovascular outcomes, mortality, and in-hospital outcomes between patients with acromegaly and non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) following pituitary surgery. METHODS: This was a nationwide cohort study using data from hospitalized patients with acromegaly or NFPA undergoing pituitary surgery in Switzerland between January 2012 and December 2021. Using 1:3 propensity score matching, eligible acromegaly patients were paired with NFPA patients who underwent pituitary surgery, respectively. The primary outcome comprised a composite of cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, ischemic stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias, intracranial hemorrhage, hospitalization for hypertensive crisis) and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included individual components of the primary outcome, surgical re-operation, and various hospital-associated outcomes. RESULTS: Among 231 propensity score-matched patients with acromegaly and 491 with NFPA, the incidence rate of the primary outcome was 8.18 versus 12.73 per 1,000 person-years (hazard ratio [HR], 0.64; [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-1.32]). Mortality rates were numerically lower in acromegaly patients (2.43 vs. 7.05 deaths per 1,000 person-years; HR, 0.34; [95% CI, 0.10-1.17]). Individual components of the primary outcome and in-hospital outcomes showed no significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: This cohort study did not find an increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes and mortality in patients with acromegaly undergoing pituitary surgery compared to surgically treated NFPA patients. These findings suggest that there is no legacy effect regarding higher cardio-metabolic risk in individuals with acromegaly once they receive surgical treatment.

Rate of Cardiovascular Events and Safety Outcomes Seven Years Following Gastric Bypass Versus Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Objective: The study aimed to assess major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), complications requiring revision surgery, and bariatric conversion surgery 7 years after gastric bypass (GB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) using real-world data. Background: GB and SG both result in weight loss and improved cardiometabolic health. Whether the long-term rate of MACE differs between the 2 bariatric procedures is unclear. Methods: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we used inhospital National Health Registry data from January 2012 to December 2018. Patients undergoing GB were 1:1 propensity score-matched with patients who had SG. The primary outcome was the incidence of MACE, defined as acute myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, cardiac arrest, or hospitalization for heart failure. Secondary outcomes encompassed individual MACE components, postoperative complications, and the need for bariatric conversion surgery. Results: Among 5240 propensity score-matched pairs, the incidence rate per 1000 person-years of MACE was 2.8 among patients undergoing GB and 3.2 among those undergoing SG (hazard ratio [HR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-1.37). Single components of MACE were not different between both groups. Patients after GB had a higher risk of long-term postoperative complications requiring a revision surgery compared with those after SG (HR, 3.53 [95% CI, 2.78-4.49]). Bariatric conversion surgery was less frequently performed among patients undergoing GB compared with patients undergoing SG (HR, 0.09 [95% CI, 0.06-0.13]). Conclusions: In this study, the performance of GB versus SG was associated with a similar risk of MACE. While postoperative complications were more frequent among patients undergoing GB, patients following SG had a higher probability of bariatric conversion surgery.

Glucocorticoid withdrawal and glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency: Study protocol of the randomized controlled «TOASST" (Taper Or Abrupt Steroid STop) multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite the widespread use of glucocorticoids in inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, there is uncertainty about the safe cessation of long-term systemic treatment, as data from prospective trials are largely missing. Due to potential disease relapse or glucocorticoid-induced hypocortisolism, the drug is often tapered to sub-physiological doses rather than stopped when the underlying disease is clinically stable, increasing the cumulative drug exposure. Conversely, the duration of exposure to glucocorticoids should be minimized to lower the risk of side effects. METHODS: We designed a multicenter, randomized, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to test the clinical noninferiority of abrupt glucocorticoid stop compared to tapering after ≥28 treatment days with ≥420 mg cumulative and ≥7.5 mg mean daily prednisone-equivalent dose. 573 adult patients treated systemically for various disorders will be included after their underlying disease has been stabilized. Prednisone in tapering doses or matching placebo is administered over 4 weeks. A 250 mg ACTH-test, the result of which will be revealed a posteriori, is performed at study inclusion; all patients are instructed on glucocorticoid stress cover dosing. Follow-up is for 6 months. The composite primary outcome measure is time to hospitalization, death, initiation of unplanned systemic glucocorticoid therapy, or adrenal crisis. Secondary outcomes include the individual components of the primary outcome, cumulative glucocorticoid doses, signs and symptoms of hypocortisolism, and the performance of the ACTH test in predicting the clinical outcome. Cox proportional hazard, linear, and logistic regression models will be used for statistical analysis. CONCLUSION: This trial aims to demonstrate the clinical noninferiority and safety of abrupt treatment cessation after ≥28 days of systemic glucocorticoid therapy in patients with stabilized underlying disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03153527; EUDRA-CT: 2020-005601-48 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03153527?term=NCT03153527&draw=2&rank=1.

Sex-Specific Differences in Outcomes Following Thyroidectomy: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Numbers of thyroidectomies and awareness of postoperative quality measures have both increased. Potential sex-specific variations in clinical outcomes of patients undergoing thyroidectomy are controversial. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate sex-specific differences in outcomes following thyroidectomy. METHODS: This is a population-based cohort study of all adult patients undergoing either hemi- or total thyroidectomy in Switzerland from 2011 to 2015. The primary outcome was all-cause 30-day readmission rate. The main secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) admission, surgical re-intervention, in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS), postoperative calcium disorder, vocal cord paresis, and hematoma. RESULTS: Of 16,776 patients undergoing thyroidectomy, the majority of patients undergoing thyroidectomy were female (79%), with a median age of 52 (IQR 42-64) years. Within 30 days after the surgery, male patients had significantly higher rates of hospital readmission (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 1.38; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.11-1.72, p = 0.008) and higher risks for postoperative ICU admission (RR 1.25; 95% CI, 1.09-1.44, p = 0.003) than female patients. There were no significant differences among sexes in the LOS, rates of surgical re-interventions, or in-hospital mortality. While postoperative calcium disorders due to hypoparathyroidism were less prevalent among male patients (RR 0.63; 95% CI, 0.54-0.72, p < 0.001), a 2-fold higher incidence rate of postoperative hematoma was observed (RR 1.93, 95% CI, 1.51-2.46, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Male patients undergoing thyroidectomy have higher 30-day hospital readmission and ICU admission rates. Following surgery, male patients revealed higher rates of neck hematoma, while hypocalcemia was more frequent among female patients.

Safety of parathyroidectomy in older vs. younger patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Primary hyperparathyroidism is a prevalent endocrinopathy for which surgery is the only curative option. Parathyroidectomy is primarily recommended in younger and symptomatic patients, while there are still concerns regarding surgical complications in older patients. We therefore assessed the association of age with surgical outcomes in patients undergoing parathyroidectomy in a large population in Switzerland. METHODS: Population-based cohort study of adult patients with primary hyperparathyroidism undergoing parathyroidectomy in Switzerland between 2012 and 2018. The cohort was divided into four age groups (<50 years, 50-64 years, 65-74 years, ≥75 years). The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital postoperative complications. Secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) admission, unplanned 30-day-readmission, and prolonged length of hospital stay. RESULTS: We studied 2642 patients with a median (IQR) age of 62 (53-71) years. Overall, 111 patients had complications including surgical re-intervention, hypocalcemia, and vocal cord paresis. As compared to <50 year-old patients, older patients had no increased risk for in-hospital complications after surgery (50-64 years: odds ratio (OR): 0.51 (95% CI, 0.28 to 0.92); 65-74 years: OR: 0.72 (95% CI, 0.39 to 1.33); ≥75 years: OR: 1.03 (95% CI, 0.54 to 1.95), respectively. There was also no association of age and rates of ICU-admission and unplanned 30-day-readmission, but oldest patients had longer hospital stays (OR: 2.38 (95% CI, 1.57 to 3.60)). CONCLUSION: ≥50 year-old patients undergoing parathyroidectomy had comparable risk of in-hospital complications as compared with younger ones. These data support parathyroidectomy in even older patients with primary hyperparathyroidism as performed in clinical routine.

The Shape grading system: a classification for growth patterns of pituitary adenomas.

BACKGROUND: Long-term tumor control of pituitary adenomas may be achieved by gross total resection (GTR). Factors, which influence the extent of resection, are invasiveness, tumor size, and possibly tumor shape. Nevertheless, the latter factor has not been assessed so far and there is no classification for the different shapes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different tumor shapes on GTR rates and outcome according to our proposed "Shape grading system." METHODS: In this retrospective single center study, the radiological outcome of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas was assessed with respect to the following previously defined growth patterns: spherical (Shape I), oval (Shape II), dumbbell (Shape III), mushroom (Shape IV), and polylobulated (Shape V). RESULTS: A total of 191 patients were included (Shape I, n = 28 (15%); Shape II, n = 91 (48%); Shape III, n = 37 (19%); Shape IV, n = 12 (6%); Shape V, n = 23 (12%)). GTR was achieved in 101 patients (53%) with decreasing likelihood of GTR in higher shape grades (Shape I, n = 23 (82%); Shape II, n = 67 (74%); Shape III, n = 9 (24%); Shape IV, n = 2 (17%); Shape V, n = 0 (0%)). This correlated with larger tumor remnants, a higher risk of tumor recurrence/regrowth and therefore necessity of re-surgery and/or radiotherapy/radiosurgery. CONCLUSION: The "Shape grading system" may be used as a predictor of the outcome in nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. The higher the "Shape grade," the higher the likelihood for lower GTR rates, larger tumor remnants, and need for further therapies.

Selective resection of cushing microadenoma guided by preoperative hybrid 18-fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine and 11-C-methionine PET/MRI.

PURPOSE: 11-C-methionine (MET)-positron emission tomography (PET) as an adjunct to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed as a suitable molecular imaging modality for localizing pituitary adenomas in Cushing's disease. 18-F-Fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine (FET)-PET, which is more widely available has not yet been reported in this context. METHODS: Retrospective double-center cohort study on 15 patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery for biochemically proven Cushing's disease between 2011 and 2019. Preoperative MET-PET/MRI and/or FET-PET/MRI were compared with intraoperative and histopathological examinations using the Mann Whitney U test and the Fisher's Exact test, along with positive predictive value calculations. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were included, with a mean age of 47.2 (18-69) years. Six patients received either a MET-PET/MRI or a FET-PET/MRI and 3 patients both exams, respectively. 67% of the tumors were detected by MRI (MET-PET-group [56%]; FET-PET-group [78%]). All tumors were microadenomas with a mean adenoma volume of 0.19 cm3 (0.02-0.78), all of which displayed a circumscribed pathological FET- and/or MET-uptake. FET-PET/MRI results positively correlated with the localization of the tumor confirmed intraoperatively and histopathologically in all cases, resulting in a sensitivity and specificity of FET-PET/MRI for tumor localization of 100% (95% CI 66.37-100%). One MET-PET/MRI suggested a localization contralateral to the expected spot. The sensitivity and specificity of MET-PET for tumor localization hence was 89% (95% CI 51.75-99.72%). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative hybrid FET-PET/MRI and MET-PET/MRI have a high predictive value in localizing corticotroph adenoma for selective adenomectomy in Cushing's disease.

Influence of Prednisone on Inflammatory Biomarkers in Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial.

Glucocorticoids are frequently prescribed in inflammatory diseases and have recently experienced a boom in the treatment of COVID-19. Small studies have shown an effect of glucocorticoids on inflammatory marker levels, but definitive proof is lacking. We investigated the influence of prednisone on inflammatory biomarkers in a previous multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that compared a 7-day treatment course of 50-mg prednisone to placebo in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia. We compared levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), leukocyte and neutrophil count between patients with and without glucocorticoid treatment at baseline and on days 3, 5, and 7 and at discharge by Wilcoxon tests and analysis of variance. A total of 356 patient data sets in the prednisone group and 355 in the placebo group were available for analysis. Compared to placebo, use of prednisone was associated with reductions in levels of CRP on days 3, 5, and 7 (mean difference of 46%, P < .001 for each time point). For PCT, no such difference was observed. Leukocyte and neutrophil count were higher in the prednisone group at all time points (mean difference of 27% for leukocytes and 33% for neutrophils, P <.001 for all time points). We conclude that after administration of glucocorticoids in community-acquired pneumonia, patients had lower CRP levels and increased leukocyte and neutrophil count as compared to the placebo group. PCT levels were not different between treatment groups. PCT levels thus may more appropriately mirror the resolution of infection compared to more traditional inflammatory markers.

Association of endothelial activation assessed through endothelin-I precursor peptide measurement with mortality in COVID-19 patients: an observational analysis.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) has been linked to thrombotic complications and endothelial dysfunction. We assessed the prognostic implications of endothelial activation through measurement of endothelin-I precursor peptide (proET-1), the stable precursor protein of Endothelin-1, in a well-defined cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: We measured proET-1 in 74 consecutively admitted adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 and compared its prognostic accuracy to that of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (n = 876) and viral bronchitis (n = 371) from a previous study by means of logistic regression analysis. The primary endpoint was all-cause 30-day mortality. RESULTS: Overall, median admission proET-1 levels were lower in COVID-19 patients compared to those with pneumonia and exacerbated bronchitis, respectively (57.0 pmol/l vs. 113.0 pmol/l vs. 96.0 pmol/l, p < 0.01). Although COVID-19 non-survivors had 1.5-fold higher admission proET-1 levels compared to survivors (81.8 pmol/l [IQR: 76 to 118] vs. 53.6 [IQR: 37 to 69]), no significant association of proET-1 levels and mortality was found in a regression model adjusted for age, gender, creatinine level, diastolic blood pressure as well as cancer and coronary artery disease (adjusted OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.0009 to 14.7). In patients with pneumonia (adjusted OR 25.4, 95% CI 5.1 to 127.4) and exacerbated bronchitis (adjusted OR 120.1, 95% CI 1.9 to 7499) we found significant associations of proET-1 and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to other types of pulmonary infection, COVID-19 shows only a mild activation of the endothelium as assessed through measurement of proET-1. Therefore, the high mortality associated with COVID-19 may not be attributed to endothelial dysfunction by the surrogate marker proET-1.

Admission kidney function is a strong predictor for the response to nutritional support in patients at nutritional risk.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at substantial risk of malnutrition, which negatively affects clinical outcomes. We investigated the association of kidney function assessed at hospital admission and effectiveness of nutritional support in hospitalized medical patients at risk of malnutrition. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of an investigator-initiated, randomized-controlled, Swiss multicenter trial (EFFORT) that compared individualised nutritional support with usual hospital food on clinical outcomes. We compared effects of nutritional support on mortality in subgroups of patients stratified according to kidney function at the time of hospital admission (estimated glomerular filtration rates [eGFR] <15, 15-29, 30-59, 60-89 and ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m2). RESULTS: We included 1943 of 2028 patients (96%) from the original trial with known admission creatinine levels. Admission eGFR was a strong predictor for the beneficial effects of nutritional support in regard to lowering of 30-day mortality. Patients with an eGFR <15, 15-29 and 30-59 had the strongest mortality benefit (odds ratios [95%CI] of 0.24 [0.05 to 1.25], 0.37 [0.14 to 0.95] and 0.39 [0.21 to 0.75], respectively), while patients with less severe impairment in kidney function had a less pronounced mortality benefits (p for interaction 0.001). A similar stepwise association of kidney function and response to nutritional support was found also for other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: In medical inpatients at nutritional risk, admission kidney function was a strong predictor for the response to nutritional therapy. Initial kidney function may help to individualize nutritional support in the future by identification of patients with most clinical benefit. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier no. NCT02517476.

Duration of antibiotic treatment using procalcitonin-guided treatment algorithms in older patients: a patient-level meta-analysis from randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Older patients have a less pronounced immune response to infection, which may also influence infection biomarkers. There is currently insufficient data regarding clinical effects of procalcitonin (PCT) to guide antibiotic treatment in older patients. OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: We performed an individual patient data meta-analysis to investigate the association of age on effects of PCT-guided antibiotic stewardship regarding antibiotic use and outcome. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We had access to 9,421 individual infection patients from 28 randomized controlled trials comparing PCT-guided antibiotic therapy (intervention group) or standard care. We stratified patients according to age in four groups (<75 years [n = 7,079], 75-80 years [n = 1,034], 81-85 years [n = 803] and >85 years [n = 505]). The primary endpoint was the duration of antibiotic treatment and the secondary endpoints were 30-day mortality and length of stay. RESULTS: Compared to control patients, mean duration of antibiotic therapy in PCT-guided patients was significantly reduced by 24, 22, 26 and 24% in the four age groups corresponding to adjusted differences in antibiotic days of -1.99 (95% confidence interval [CI] -2.36 to -1.62), -1.98 (95% CI -2.94 to -1.02), -2.20 (95% CI -3.15 to -1.25) and - 2.10 (95% CI -3.29 to -0.91) with no differences among age groups. There was no increase in the risk for mortality in any of the age groups. Effects were similar in subgroups by infection type, blood culture result and clinical setting (P interaction >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This large individual patient data meta-analysis confirms that, similar to younger patients, PCT-guided antibiotic treatment in older patients is associated with significantly reduced antibiotic exposures and no increase in mortality.

Prevalence and outcome of comorbidities associated with acromegaly.

BACKGROUND: Acromegaly is associated with various comorbidities, such as arterial hypertension (aHT), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS), carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and polyposis coli. For therapeutic decisions, it is essential to know if, and to what extent, these associated morbidities are reversible or preventable. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and course of aHT, obesity, OSAS, CTS, DM2 and polyposis coli in acromegalic patients. METHODS: The following criteria for inclusion in this database study were used: treatment for acromegaly at the authors' institutions; full endocrinological and radiological work- and follow-up; screening for aHT, DM2, CTS, OSAS, obesity and polyposis coli. All patients were followed-up for > 3 months, and treatments were indicated with the intent of biochemical remission (normal IGF-1 and random growth hormone level). RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were included. Twelve (19%), 45 (71%) and 6 (10%) patients harboured micro-, macro- and giant adenomas, respectively. Nineteen tumours (30%) invaded the cavernous sinus. Mean tumour volume was 5.4 cm3. Mean follow-up time was 42 months. Sixty-one (97%) patients had transsphenoidal surgery; two patients only had drug therapy. Surgery led to remission in 31 (51%) patients. Intracavernous growth and larger tumour volume were negative predictors for cure. Drug therapy lead to remission in 22 (73%) patients within a mean follow-up of 54 months. The pretherapeutic prevalence of associated morbidities was as follows: aHT, 56%; DM2, 25%; OSAS, 29%; CTS, 29%; polyposis coli, 5%. There were neither age nor gender preferences for the respective prevalences. Surgery leads to remission of aHT and DM2 in 6% and 25%, respectively. Additional drug therapy resulted in remission of aHT, DM2 and CTS in 17%, 14% and 14%, respectively. Other associated morbidities persisted regardless of therapeutic efforts. Even if criteria for remission were not met, no new comorbidities of acromegaly developed during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Treating acromegaly may relieve threatening associated morbidities such as aHT and DM2; nevertheless, only few comorbidities are reversible, which highlights the importance of treating acromegaly as early as possible.

Association of kidney function with effectiveness of procalcitonin-guided antibiotic treatment: a patient-level meta-analysis from randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: Patients with impaired kidney function have a significantly slower decrease of procalcitonin (PCT) levels during infection. Our aim was to study PCT-guided antibiotic stewardship and clinical outcomes in patients with impairments of kidney function as assessed by creatinine levels measured upon hospital admission. Methods: We pooled and analyzed individual data from 15 randomized controlled trials who were randomly assigned to receive antibiotic therapy based on a PCT-algorithms or based on standard of care. We stratified patients on the initial glomerular filtration rate (GFR, ml/min/1.73 m2) in three groups (GFR >90 [chronic kidney disease; CKD 1], GFR 15-89 [CKD 2-4] and GFR<15 [CKD 5]). The main efficacy and safety endpoints were duration of antibiotic treatment and 30-day mortality. Results: Mean duration of antibiotic treatment was significantly shorter in PCT-guided (n=2,492) compared to control patients (n=2,510) (9.5-7.6 days; adjusted difference in days -2.01 [95% CI, -2.45 to -1.58]). CKD 5 patients had overall longer treatment durations, but a 2.5-day reduction in treatment duration was still found in patients receiving in PCT-guided care (11.3 vs. 8.6 days [95% CI -3.59 to -1.40]). There were 397 deaths in 2,492 PCT-group patients (15.9%) compared to 460 deaths in 2,510 control patients (18.3%) (adjusted odds ratio, 0.88 [95% CI 0.78 to 0.98)]. Effects of PCT-guidance on antibiotic treatment duration and mortality were similar in subgroups stratified by infection type and clinical setting (p interaction >0.05). Conclusions: This individual patient data meta-analysis confirms that the use of PCT in patients with impaired kidney function, as assessed by admission creatinine levels, is associated with shorter antibiotic courses and lower mortality rates.

Excess Mortality Among Hospitalized Patients With Hypopituitarism-A Population-Based, Matched-Cohort Study.

CONTEXT: Patients with hypopituitarism face excess mortality in the long-term outpatient setting. However, associations of pituitary dysfunction with outcomes in acutely hospitalized patients are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work is to assess clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with hypopituitarism with or without diabetes insipidus (DI). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: In this population-based, matched-cohort study from 2012 to 2017, hospitalized adult patients with a history of hypopituitarism were 1:1 propensity score-matched with a general medical inpatient cohort. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included all-cause readmission rates within 30 days and 1 year, intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: After matching, 6764 cases were included in the study. In total, 3382 patients had hypopituitarism and of those 807 (24%) suffered from DI. All-cause in-hospital mortality occurred in 198 (5.9%) of patients with hypopituitarism and in 164 (4.9%) of matched controls (odds ratio [OR] 1.32, [95% CI, 1.06-1.65], P = .013). Increased mortality was primarily observed in patients with DI (OR 3.69 [95% CI, 2.44-5.58], P < .001). Patients with hypopituitarism had higher ICU admissions (OR 1.50 [95% CI, 1.30-1.74], P < .001), and faced a 2.4-day prolonged length of hospitalization (95% CI, 1.94-2.95, P < .001) compared to matched controls. Risk of 30-day (OR 1.31 [95% CI, 1.13-1.51], P < .001) and 1-year readmission (OR 1.29 [95% CI, 1.17-1.42], P < .001) was higher among patients with hypopituitarism as compared with medical controls. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with hypopituitarism are highly vulnerable once hospitalized for acute medical conditions with increased risk of mortality and adverse clinical outcomes. This was most pronounced among those with DI.

Outcome of nonneoplastic pituitary cysts during conservative monitoring and after surgery-a SwissPit study.

BACKGROUND: Nonneoplastic cysts of the pituitary are common incidental findings; however, best management remains controversial as they are often asymptomatic but eventually may cause symptoms. The aims of this study are to describe the course of conservative and surgical approaches, to assess timing and results of surgery, and to identify predictors for growth. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed medical records from the Swiss Pituitary registry. Fifty patients (68% females; median 44 years old) fulfilled the criteria for inclusion. Three cohorts were defined: a conservative group (n = 28), a group who initially needed surgery (n = 18), and a group who had surgery during follow-up (n = 4). Transsphenoidal cyst evacuation was used in 95%; 68% had intraoperative MRI. All patients had standardized neuroradiological, endocrinological, and ophthalmological follow-up (mean 44 (7-151) months). RESULTS: Conservative follow-up of 30 (6-120) months showed cyst growth in 16% (4%/year) and spontaneous shrinkage in 19% (8%/year). Cyst-volumes changed - 0.95 to 1.45 cm3 per year. The probability of needing surgery was 5% per year. Larger cysts (> 1.4 cm3) and T1-hypo-/T2-hyper cyst contents were associated with higher probability for growth. Postoperatively, no remnant was seen in 82% during a follow-up of 53 months. Visual field deficiencies improved in 83%. Hypopituitarism recovered in up to 88%. But for a smaller complication rate, the outcome was not influenced by the use of the intraoperative MRI. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic nonneoplastic pituitary cysts may be monitored; many lesions may shrink with time. Larger or T1-hypo-/T2-hyper cysts have higher growth rates. If indicated, surgery for nonneoplastic sellar cysts is a safe and efficient.

The Shapiro-Procalcitonin algorithm (SPA) as a decision tool for blood culture sampling: validation in a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Blood cultures (BC) are the gold standard for bacteremia detection despite a relatively low diagnostic yield and high costs. A retrospective study reported high predictive values for BC positivity when combining the clinical Shapiro score with procalcitonin (PCT). METHODS: Single-center, prospective cohort study between 01/2016 and 02/2017 to validate SPA algorithm, including a modified Shapiro score ≥ 3 points (S) PLUS admission PCT > 0.25 µg/l (P), or presence of overruling safety criteria (A) in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. The diagnostic yield of SPA compared to non-standardized clinical judgment in predicting BC positivity was calculated and results presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Of 1438 patients with BC sampling, 215 (15%) had positive BC which increased to 31% (173/555) in patients fulfilling SP criteria (OR for BC positivity 9.07 [6.34-12.97]). When adding 194 patients with overruling safety criteria (i.e., SPA), OR increased to 11.12 (6.99-17.69), although BC positivity slightly decreased to 26%. With an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.742, SPA indicated better diagnostic performance than its individual components. Positive BC in 689 patients not fulfilling SPA (sampling according to non-standardized clinical judgment) were rare (3%; OR for BC positivity 0.09 [0.06-0.14]). Eight out of 21 missed pathogens were still identified by sampling the primary infection focus. CONCLUSIONS: This study validates the high predictive value of SPA for bacteremia, increasing true BC positivity from 15 to 26%. Restricting BC sampling to SPA would have reduced BC sampling by 48%, while still detecting 194/215 organisms (90%), which makes SPA a valuable diagnostic stewardship tool.

What Are They Worth? Six 30-Day Readmission Risk Scores for Medical Inpatients Externally Validated in a Swiss Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Several clinical risk scores for unplanned 30-day readmission have been published, but there is a lack of external validation and head-to-head comparison. OBJECTIVE: Retrospective replication of six clinical risk scores (LACE, HOSPITAL, SEMI, RRS, PARA, Tsui et al.)f DESIGN: Models were fitted with the original intercept and beta coefficients as reported. Otherwise, a logistic model was refitted (SEMI and Tsui et al). We performed subgroup analyses on main admission specialty. This report adheres to the TRIPOD statement for reporting of prediction models. PARTICIPANTS: We used our prospective cohort of 15,639 medical patients from a Swiss tertiary care institution from 2016 through 2018. MAIN MEASURES: Thirty-day readmission rate and area under the curve (AUC < 0.50 worse than chance, > 0.70 acceptable, > 0.80 excellent) CONCLUSIONS: Among several readmission risk scores, HOSPITAL, PARA, and the score from Tsui et al. showed the best predictive abilities and have high potential to improve patient care. Interventional research is now needed to understand the effects of these scores when used in clinical routine. KEY RESULTS: Among the six risk scores externally validated, calibration of the models was overall poor with overprediction of events, except for the HOSPITAL and the PARA scores. Discriminative abilities (AUC) were as follows: LACE 0.53 (95% CI 0.50-0.56), HOSPITAL 0.73 (95% CI 0.72-0.74), SEMI 0.47 (95% CI 0.46-0.49), RRS 0.64 (95% CI 0.62-0.66), PARA 0.72 (95% CI 0.72-0.74), and the score from Tsui et al. 0.73 (95% CI 0.72-0.75). Performance in subgroups did not differ from the overall performance, except for oncology patients in the PARA score (0.57, 95% CI 0.54-0.60), and nephrology patients in the SEMI index (0.25, 95% CI 0.18-0.31), respectively.

Association of Nutritional Support With Clinical Outcomes in Malnourished Cancer Patients: A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study.

Malnutrition is prevalent in hospitalized cancer patients and has been associated with poor therapy response and unfavorable clinical outcome. While recent studies have shown a survival benefit through nutritional support in a hospitalized malnourished medical population including cancer patients, we aimed to investigate the association of nutritional support with in-hospital mortality and other clinical outcomes in a nationwide inpatient cancer population. In this population-based cohort study, using a large Swiss administrative claims database from April 2013 to December 2018, we created two cohorts of malnourished cancer patients on medical wards. We generated two pairwise cohorts of malnourished patients who received nutritional support by 1:1 propensity-score matching to patients not receiving nutritional support. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-days all-cause hospital readmission and discharge to a post-acute care facility. To account for disease activity, we stratified patients either admitted for cancer as main diagnosis or admitted with cancer as comorbidity. Among 1,851,498 hospitalizations on medical ward, we identified a total of 32,038 malnourished cancer patients. After matching, 11,906 (37%) cases were included in the "cancer main diagnosis cohort" and 5,954 (18.6%) in the "cancer comorbidity cohort." Patients prescribed a nutritional support showed a lower in-hospital mortality in both cohorts as compared to their respective matched controls not receiving nutritional support [cancer main diagnosis cohort: 15.4 vs. 19.4 %, OR 0.76 (95% CI 0.69-0.83); cancer comorbidity cohort: 7.4 vs. 10.2%, OR 0.71 (95% CI 0.59-0.85)]. While we found no difference in 30-days readmission rates, discharge to a post-acute care facility was less frequent in the nutritional support group of both cohorts. In this large cohort study, nutritional support in hospitalized patients with either cancer as main diagnosis or comorbidity was associated with a lower risk of in-hospital mortality and discharge to a post-acute care facility.

Nutritional risk screening (NRS 2002) is a strong and modifiable predictor risk score for short-term and long-term clinical outcomes: secondary analysis of a prospective randomised trial.

INTRODUCTION: The Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) identifies patients at risk of malnutrition. We studied the prognostic implications of this score with regard to short-term and long-term clinical outcomes in a well-characterised cohort of medical inpatients from a previous trial. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of an investigator-initiated, prospective randomised controlled multicenter trial in Switzerland (EFFORT) that compared the effects of an individualised nutritional support intervention with standard of care. We investigated associations between admission NRS and several short-term and long-term outcomes using multivariable regression analyses. RESULTS: Of the 2028 patients, 31% had an NRS of 3, 38% of 4 and 31% of ≥5 points, and 477 (24%) died during the 180 days of follow-up. For each point increase in NRS, we found a stepwise increase in risk of 30-day mortality (adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.22 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.48), p = 0.048) and 180-day mortality (adjusted HR 1.37 (95% CI 1.22 to 1.55), p < 0.001). NRS was associated with length of hospital stay (adjusted difference of 0.60 days per NRS point increase, 95%CI 0.23 to 0.97, p = 0.002) and functional outcomes at 180 days (adjusted decrease in Barthel index of -4.49 points per NRS point increase, 95%CI -6.54 to -2.45, p < 0.001). In a subgroup analysis, associations of NRS and short-term adverse outcomes were less pronounced in patients receiving nutritional support (intervention group) compared to control group patients (adjusted HR for 30-day mortality 1.12 [95%CI 0.83 to 1.52, p = 0.454] vs. 1.33 [95%CI 1.02 to 1.72, p = 0.032]). CONCLUSION: The NRS is a strong and independent risk score for malnutrition-associated mortality and adverse outcomes over 180 days. Our data provide strong evidence that the nutritional risk, however, is modifiable and can be reduced by the provision of adequate nutritional support.

New inductive proximity sensor platform for precise localization of small colorectal tumors.

Location of small gastric or colorectal tumors during a laparoscopic procedure is often imprecise and can be misleading. There is a real need for a compatible and straightforward tool that can be used intraoperatively to help the surgeon in this regard. We emphasize in the present work on the fabrication of a new and innovative inductive proximity switch architecture, fully compatible with laparoscopic surgery and with direct application in precise localisation of bowel tumors. An electromagnetic detection probe optimized for laparoscopic surgery and preconditioned for sterilisation was designed and constructed. Various metallic markers designed to be attached to the gastrointestinal mucosa were used for detection by the probe, from standard endoscopic and laparoscopic haemostatic clips to other custom made tags. Experiments were performed in dry and wet-lab experimental laboratory environment using ex-vivo segments of calf's small bowel and colonic surgical specimens from human patients. The dry-lab detection range varied considerably depending on the metallic component of the tags, from 0.5 mm for the endoscopic hemostatic clip to 3.5 mm for the 0.9 mm thickness stainless-steel custom tags. The latter was actually detectable from the serosal side of the fresh colonic surgical specimens in 85% of the attempts if the scanned area was less than 150 cm2 and less than 2 mm of fat was interposed between the probe and the bowel. The newly designed system has the potential to discover metallic tags attached to the bowel mucosa for precise intraoperative laparoscopic location of digestive tumors. Further work is in progress to increase the sensitivity and detection range of the system in order to make it fully compatible with the clinical use.