Safety, Efficacy, and Cost-Effectiveness of Same-Day Discharge for Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the Watchman device is FDA approved for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who have an appropriate indication. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a same-day discharge protocol (SDDP) was employed to improve resource utilization, relieve hospital occupation, and reduce the possible risk of in-hospital virus transmission. OBJECTIVES: We sought to analyze the safety, feasibility, and cost effectiveness for SDDP in patients receiving LAAO. METHODS: A prospective analysis of 142 consecutive patients, 119 treated prior to SDDP and 23 who underwent SDDP following LAAO with cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA)-guided pre-procedural planning and intracardiac echocardiogram (ICE). Procedures were performed in a single, large academic hospital in the United States. In-hospital and 45-day procedural success, adverse events, length of procedure, and length-of-stay were evaluated. RESULTS: Baseline patient characteristics including mean CHA2DS2VASc scores and mean HAS-BLED scores were similar in both groups. All procedures were successful. There was no significant difference in rates of procedural complications or in-hospital adverse events. The mean procedure time in the SDDP group was 11 minutes longer than in the conventional group (62.1 ± 5.9 vs 51.1 ± 21; P=.01). Outcomes at 45-day follow-up were similar. SDDP was associated with a reduced length of stay compared with conventional strategy and a 15% reduction in total costs. CONCLUSIONS: Same-day discharge strategy for LAAO appears safe, feasible and could become the new standard approach for LAAO. A protocol including CTA pre-procedural planning, ICE-guided deployment and conscious sedation reduces hospital occupation and lowers costs.

The prevalence and disease burden of severe eosinophilic asthma in Japan.

Background: There are limited data on the prevalence and burden of severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) both in Japan and globally. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and burden of SEA in Japan. Methods: This study was a retrospective, observational cohort analysis using health records or health insurance claims from patients with severe asthma treated at Kyoto University Hospital. The primary outcome was the prevalence of SEA, defined as a baseline blood eosinophil count ≥300 cells/µL. Secondary outcomes included frequency and risk factors of asthma exacerbations, and asthma-related healthcare resource utilization and costs. Results: Overall, 217 patients with severe asthma were included; 160 (74%) had eosinophil assessments. Of these, 97cases (61%), 54cases (34%), and 33cases (21%) had a blood eosinophil count ≥150, ≥300, and ≥500 cells/µL, respectively. Proportion of SEA was 34%. Blood eosinophil count was not associated with a significantly increased frequency of exacerbations. In the eosinophilic group, lower % forced expiratory volume in 1 second and higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide were predictive risk factors, while the existence of exacerbation history was a predictive risk factor for asthma exacerbations in the non-eosinophilic group. Severe asthma management cost was estimated as ¥357,958/patient-year, and asthma exacerbations as ¥26,124/patient-year. Conclusions: Approximately, one-third of patients with severe asthma in Japan have SEA. While risk factors for exacerbations differed between SEA and severe non-eosinophilic asthma, both subgroups were associated with substantial disease and economic burden. From subgroup analysis, blood eosinophil counts could be an important consideration in severe asthma management.

Disease severity and economic burden in Japanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A retrospective, observational study.

AIM: To describe the healthcare resource utilization (HRU), direct medical costs and clinical characteristics for Japanese patients with mild, moderate or severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The primary objectives were to describe HRU and examine the direct medical costs for Japanese patients with mild, moderate, or severe SLE over the 3-year study period. Secondary objectives included recording patient demographics, clinical characteristics and frequency and cost of mild, moderate or severe flares. Exploratory objectives included a description of treatment patterns, and to explore which factors affect medical costs. METHODS: This retrospective, observational cohort study identified patients with SLE (diagnosed April 2010 to March 2012), from the Japan Medical Data Center claims database. RESULT: The study cohort comprised 295 patients with mild (28, 9.5%), moderate (134, 45.4%), or severe (133, 45.1%) SLE. Outpatient visits, hospitalizations and emergency room stays were experienced by 295 (100%), 116 (39.3%) and 31 (10.5%) patients, respectively, over the 3-year study period. Over the 3-year period, the mean total direct medical cost was US$27 004, and cost increased with SLE severity: mild, $5549 moderate, $15 290; and severe, $43 322 (analysis of variance, P < 0.0001). During this period, the majority of patients (282, 95.6%) experienced at least one flare episode and the mean (standard deviation) frequency was 5.5 (3.3) flares. The mean total direct medical cost per flare increased with SLE severity. CONCLUSION: This descriptive study provides information on the economic burden and clinical characteristics of Japanese patients with SLE based on claims data; high levels of HRU and direct medical costs were exhibited, particularly in patients with moderate or severe disease.

Efficacy and Safety Assessment of Paclitaxel in Patients with Docetaxel-Resistant Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Incomplete cross-resistances between paclitaxel (PTX) and docetaxel (DTX) has been demonstrated in several types of cancer. The objective of the present study was to assess the existence of cross-resistance between PTX and DTX in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Patients in the PTX group received PTX without DTX pretreatment, patients in the prior DTX (Pr-DTX) group received PTX after the development of resistance to DTX, and patients in the DTX group received DTX without subsequent PTX treatment. RESULTS: A total of 73 patients were enrolled. The response rates to PTX in the PTX and Pr-DTX groups were 22.7 and 20.0%, respectively. The median progression-free survival times from the first day of PTX treatment in the PTX and Pr-DTX groups were 113 (95% CI 56-154) and 97 days (95% CI 36-189), respectively. The median overall survival times from the first day of DTX treatment in the Pr-DTX and DTX groups were 315 (95% CI 124-453) and 148 days (95% CI 139-177), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There is no or incomplete clinical cross-resistance between PTX and DTX in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Replacement of DTX with PTX is a suitable treatment option for patients with DTX-resistant esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Racial differences in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) predicts short-term and long-term mortalities in patients with stable and unstable coronary artery disease. However, it has been reported that white blood cell and neutrophil counts vary considerably among different races. We aimed to assess the impact of racial difference on NLR in our diverse population with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). METHODS: We carried out a retrospective analysis of 456 consecutive NSTEMI patients who had undergone coronary angiography. The patients were divided into four groups on the basis of self-reported race: White, Hispanic, African-American, and Asian. NLR was compared among the four groups. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were carried out between NLR and baseline clinical characteristics and angiographic findings. The primary outcome was inhospital mortality. RESULTS: The median NLR in the entire study population was 3.47 (interquartile range, 2.16-5.57). NLR differed significantly among the four groups according to the Kruskal-Wallis test (P=0.03). NLR was significantly lower in the African-American group compared with the White group according to the Steel-Dwass test (P=0.03). Multivariate analysis revealed that African-American ethnicity was negatively associated with NLR (P=0.04). The second multivariate analysis using the White group as a reference also revealed that African-American ethnicity was negatively associated with NLR (P=0.04). There was no significant difference in inhospital mortality among the four groups. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated an independent association between race and NLR in patients with NSTEMI, suggesting that a tailored cutoff value according to race would provide more precise prognostic information.

[Assessment of working memory capacity with a Japanese version of the Operation Span Test].

The Operation Span Test (OSPAN) is widely used to assess working memory capacity. However, this instrument has been rarely used to test Japanese participants because its task was not sufficiently difficult. The mean score for the original computerized OSPAN often reached a ceiling when Japanese participants were tested. In this study, we developed a computerized version of OSPAN for Japanese participants by increasing the task difficulty of the arithmetic procedures. The OSPAN scores were normally distributed and the mean score was approximately 50%. There were positive correlations between OSPAN scores and other scores of working memory measurements, such as a reading span test and a digit span test. These results suggest that the Japanese OSPAN is a reliable and valid measurement of working memory to test Japanese participants.