Atypical Hepatic Steatosis Patterns on MRI After Total Pancreatectomy With Islet Autotransplant.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the prevalence and patterns of hepatic steatosis after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplant (TPIAT) and to determine if the unique patterns of steatosis seen in this study correlated with islet graft function. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Fifty-two subjects who had undergone MRI after TPIAT were reviewed for the presence of hepatic steatosis. Patterns of steatosis were categorized into three groups: normal (no steatosis), homogeneous, and atypical. Demographics and outcomes were compared between the groups. Islet graft function 1 year after surgery was classified as full graft function, partial graft function, and graft failure. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS. Sixty-three percent of patients had steatosis present on MRI after TPIAT (33 subjects of 52 total), and 48% (25/52) exhibited an atypical pattern. Twenty-four percent of the 37 patients who had MRI examinations before TPIAT showed steatosis preoperatively, yet none of these showed an atypical steatosis pattern. Islet graft function was not statistically different between the groups. The only statistically significant variable difference between the groups was body mass index (p = .02). CONCLUSION. Steatosis is a common finding after TPIAT, and atypical steatosis patterns frequently develop after the procedure, implying that the procedure itself is the causal factor. There was no correlation between islet graft function and the presence or pattern of steatosis. An atypical pattern of hepatic steatosis can therefore be considered an incidental finding after TPIAT and does not require additional workup or treatment.

Impact of a drug utilization review program on high-risk use of prescription controlled substances.

BACKGROUND: Prescription drug abuse has prompted considerable concern. We evaluated a retrospective drug utilization review program to reduce controlled substance use among individuals with high-risk utilization. METHODS: We analyzed pharmacy claims from a large pharmaceutical benefits manager. For each eligible member, we calculated a controlled substance score based on the number and type of claims, prescribers and pharmacies, and utilization patterns over three months. Two state health plans sent controlled substance letters to prescribers of members meeting or exceeding a plan- and pre-specified controlled substance score. Two different state health plans did not send such letters. We used a difference-in-difference design and generalized estimating equations to quantify the impact of the program on the mean difference in reduction of the controlled substance score over six months. RESULTS: Eligible members in the intervention and comparison states had similar baseline mean controlled substance scores (19.0 vs. 18.6, p = 0.36). Adjusting for individuals' age, sex and pharmacy risk group score, reductions in the mean controlled substance score were greater in the intervention than comparison cohort (5.67 vs. 4.31, p = 0.01), corresponding with a 34.0% reduction in the intervention cohort compared to a 25.5% reduction in the comparison cohort. Changes were driven primarily by reductions in the number of controlled substance claims filled (30.5% vs. 23.1%, p = 0.01), as well as by a non-statistically significant trend towards reductions in the number of prescribers and pharmacies used (26.9% vs. 20.1%, p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Retrospective drug utilization review programs may reduce controlled substance scores and claims among individuals with patterns suggesting high-risk utilization.

Intractable Neuropathic Pain in COVID-19-Induced Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A Case Report.

There is limited literature specific to neuropathic pain in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP). We present a unique case of a 20-year-old vaccinated female with a past medical history of chronic hepatitis B virus and untreated anxiety who presented to the emergency department due to an intractable headache and horizontal diplopia in the setting of active COVID-19 infection. During acute hospitalization, the patient was diagnosed with the Miller-Fisher variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disease with a known association with COVID-19. While in the ICU, the patient developed severe, 10/10-rated, distal, symmetric burning pain with associated allodynia requiring a multimodal regimen with combinations of intravenous narcotics, neuropathic medications, topical agents, and desensitization training to attempt to control her pain. Rehabilitation psychology was consulted while she was in chronic ventilatory rehabilitation for supplementation of behavioral pain management strategies with pharmacological approaches for continued pain. After several months and completion of a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program, the patient was weaned off intravenous narcotics and prescribed oral pain medications. This patient had the optimal response to amitriptyline, which likely aided in the co-treatment of psychological manifestations of COVID-19 and prolonged hospitalization. This study highlights the pathogenicity of COVID-19-induced AIDP, its potential severity, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to managing it.

Pediatric Rehabilitation of Acute Hyperextension-Induced Myelopathy After Surfing.

This case is a unique pediatric presentation of a surfer's myelopathy, now referred to as acute hyperextension-induced myelopathy (AHIM), that provides an optimistic rehabilitation outcome. A 13-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with back pain, paraplegia, urinary retention, and dysesthesia following his first surfing lesson while visiting Hawaii. MRI of the thoracic spine without contrast showed a significant T2 hyperintense signal in the T9-T12 distal thoracic cord, consistent with AHIM. He completed a 10-day inpatient rehabilitation program and experienced exceptional improvement in functional mobility. AHIM is a rare phenomenon that is triggered by repetitive spinal hyperextension. While there are studies describing this clinical syndrome in detail, the literature lacks information about rehabilitation outcomes for these patients. Following the diagnosis and acute management of AHIM, a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program is recommended to maximize functional improvement.

Nonsurgical management of low back pain and lumbar disk degeneration.

Lumbar disk degeneration is a ubiquitous and complex phenomenon. The etiology varies widely and may be dificult to identify. Many techniques have been proposed to manage the pain and disability resulting from disk degeneration. Medicines, bed rest, orthotics, physical therapy, chiropractics, selective injections, and intradiskal electrothermal therapy have been used. Some of these therapies have been more successful than others, but most have at least some role in the current techniques of helping patients deal with this syndrome. How best to use these tools in conjunction with patient education is critical to success.

Health plan utilization and costs of specialty drugs within 4 chronic conditions.

BACKGROUND: Drugs are most typically defined as specialty because they are expensive; however, other criteria used to define a drug as specialty include biologic drugs, the need to inject or infuse the drug, the requirement for special handling, or drug availability only via a limited distribution network. Specialty drugs play an increasingly important role in the treatment of chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), yet little is known regarding the comprehensive medical and pharmacy benefit utilization and cost trends for these conditions. OBJECTIVE: To describe MS, RA, psoriasis, and IBD trends for condition prevalence, treatment with specialty drugs, specialty costs, nonspecialty costs, and total direct costs of care within the medical and pharmacy benefits. METHODS: This was a descriptive analysis of a commercially insured population made up of 1 million members, using integrated medical and pharmacy administrative claims data from 2008 to 2010. Analyses were limited to continuously enrolled commercially insured individuals less than 65 years of age. Condition-specific cohorts for MS, RA, psoriasis, and IBD were defined using standardized criteria. Trends in condition prevalence, specialty drug use for the conditions, and direct total cost of care were analyzed. The direct costs were subcategorized into the following: medical benefit specialty drug costs, medical benefit all other costs, pharmacy benefit specialty drug costs, and pharmacy benefit all other costs. Trends and compound annual growth rates were calculated for the total cost of care and subcategory costs from 2008 through 2010. RESULTS: Condition prevalence ranged from a low of 1,720 per million members for MS to a high of 4,489 per million members for RA. Psoriasis and MS condition prevalence rates were unchanged over the 3 years; however, IBD prevalence increased 7.0%, and RA prevalence increased 9.7%. The rate of specialty drug use was lowest for IBD (13.7%) and highest for MS (71.8%). The lowest total annual cost of care was for psoriasis ($14,815), and the highest total annual cost was for MS ($36,901). The most commonly used specialty drugs for each of the conditions were as follows: glatiramer (MS), etanercept (RA and psoriasis), and infliximab (IBD). The total annual costs were more than double for the specialty drug users for psoriasis compared with all the psoriasis members ($29,565 vs. $14,815). The total costs were only somewhat higher among MS members using specialty drugs ($41,760 vs. $36,901). Among specialty drug users for each of the cohorts, the annual costs of specialty drugs accounted for 50% or more of the total annual costs. The annual spending growth rate for specialty drugs ranged from 4.4% to 18.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Although specialty drug utilization varied widely across the 4 chronic conditions analyzed, when specialty drugs were used they accounted for the majority of the annual total direct cost of care. Because specialty drugs are accounting for a growing portion of chronic disease total cost of care, health insurers will need to become more vigilant regarding specialty drug use and focus on 4 cost saving management opportunities: drug distribution channel, utilization management, contracting activities, and care coordination.