Afectación ocular como primera y única manifestación del síndrome de Bardet-Biedl: presentación de un caso / Ocular impairment as the first and only manifestation of Bardet–Biedl syndrome: A case report

El síndrome de Bardet-Biedl (SBB) es una ciliopatía que se asocia principalmente a distrofia retiniana, disfunción renal, polidactilia posaxial, obesidad, déficit cognitivo e hipogonadismo. Los síntomas vinculados a la distrofia retiniana no suelen aparecer hasta la primera década de vida, por lo que la detección tiende a retrasarse. La afectación ocular puede ser la forma inicial de manifestación de este síndrome, incluso puede ser la única, por lo que se debería tener en cuenta en el diagnóstico diferencial de una ambliopía en un niño que no mejora a pesar del correcto cumplimiento del tratamiento. Se presenta un caso de baja agudeza visual (AV) en una paciente pediátrica como manifestación inicial que lleva al diagnóstico del SBB y que es, además, el único síntoma que exhibe hasta la fecha, a pesar de tratarse de una enfermedad multisistémica.(AU)

Bardet–Biedl syndrome is a ciliopathy mainly associated with retinal dystrophy, renal dysfunction, post-axial polydactyly, obesity, cognitive deficit and hypogonadism. The symptoms associated with retinal dystrophy do not usually appear until the first decade of life, so the diagnosis is usually delayed. Ocular involvement may be the initial form of manifestation of this syndrome, it may even be the only one, so it should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of amblyopia in a child who does not improve despite correct compliance with treatment. A case of low visual acuity in a pediatric patient is presented as an initial manifestation that leads to the diagnosis of Bardet–Biedl syndrome, and which is also the only symptom that the patient presents to date, despite being a multisystem disease.(AU)

Neuromiotonía ocular: un infrecuente caso tras carcinoma nasofaríngeo tratado con radioterapia local / Ocular neuromyotonia: An unusual case after radiotheraphy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

La neuromiotonía ocular es una patología poco frecuente caracterizada por episodios recurrentes de diplopía binocular ocasionada por una contracción paroxística mantenida de uno o más músculos extraoculares inervados por un mismo nervio craneal, espontáneamente o inducidos por una versión concreta mantenida en el tiempo, normalmente relacionado con un antecedente de radioterapia local intracraneal. Presentamos el caso de una mujer de 46 años que presenta episodios de diplopía binocular recurrentes, diagnosticada de neuromiotonía ocular del VI nervio craneal izquierdo a los 8 años de padecer un cáncer de cavum tratado mediante radioterapia local y en completa remisión. Aunque es poco frecuente, la radiación a nivel de cavum debe tenerse en cuenta como potencial causa de neuromiotonía ocular, por su proximidad a la base del cráneo y su estrecha relación con el trayecto de los nervios oculomotores, especialmente el VI par craneal, como el caso que se presenta en este artículo.(AU)

Ocular neuromyotonia is an infrequent disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of binocular diplopia caused by paroxysmal contraction of one or several extraocular muscles innervated by the same cranial nerve. It can be triggered spontaneously or caused by prolonged contraction of specific eye muscle(s) and is usually related to a local intracranial radiotherapy antecedent. We report the case of a 46-year-old woman who developed intermittent episodes of binocular diplopia 8 years after radiotherapy for a nasopharyngeal carcinoma. After a complete neuro-ophthalmic assessment we diagnosed the case as an abducens nerve neuromyotonia. Although it is infrequent, radiotherapy to the nasopharynx is a possible cause of ocular neuromyotonia, due to the proximity to the base of the skull and extraocular motor nerve pathways, especially that of the VI cranial nerve, as is the case presented in this article, about a patient whose history is a nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with local radiotherapy.(AU)

Un caso inusual de oclusión de rama arterial retiniana: posible variante del síndrome de Sneddon / Unusual case of retinal arterial branch occlusion: Possible variant of Sneddon syndrome

El síndrome de Sneddon (SS) se manifiesta por múltiples accidentes cerebrovasculares y livedo reticularis. La vasculopatía livedoide (VL) se caracteriza por una larga historia de ulceración de pies y piernas y una histopatología que indica un proceso trombótico. Se describe una oclusión de rama arterial retiniana en un varón de 52años con VL. No presentó anomalías de laboratorio perceptibles, como anticuerpos antifosfolípidos, ni antecedentes de accidentes cerebrovasculares. La oclusión de arteria retiniana acompañada de VL podría ser una variante del síndrome de Sneddon. Con angiografía por tomografía de coherencia óptica se observó en la mácula en el ojo asintomático una reducción de las capas vasculares, lo que indica cambios microvasculares localizados como marcador evolutivo en la patogénesis del SS.(AU)

Sneddon's syndrome (SS) manifests through multiple strokes and livedo reticularis. Livedoid vasculopathy (LV) is characterized by a long history of foot and leg ulceration and histopathology indicating a thrombotic process. Arterial retinal branch occlusion is described in a 52-year-old male with LV. He did not present noticeable laboratory abnormalities, such as antiphospholipid antibodies, or a history of strokes. Retinal artery occlusion accompanied by LV could be a variant of Sneddon's syndrome. Optical coherence tomography angiography revealed a reduction in the macula's vascular layers in the asymptomatic eye, indicating localized microvascular changes as an evolving marker in the pathogenesis of SS.(AU)

External Validation of the Risk Assessment Model of Venous Thromboembolism in Multicenter Internal Medicine Inpatients.

To external validate the risk assessment model (RAM) of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in multicenter internal medicine inpatients. We prospectively collected 595 internal medical patients (310 with VTE patients, 285 non-VTE patients) were from Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, and the respiratory department of Beijing Tsinghua Changgeng Hospital from January 2022 to December 2022 for multicenter external validation. The prediction ability of Caprini RAM, Padua RAM, The International Medical Prevention Registry on Venous Thromboembolism (IMPROVE) RAM, and Shijitan (SJT) RAM were compared. This study included a total of 595 internal medicine inpatients, including 242 (40.67%) in the respiratory department, 17 (2.86%) in the respiratory intensive care unit, 49 (8.24%) in the neurology department, 34 (5.71%) in the intensive care unit, 26 (4.37%) in the geriatric department, 22 (3.70%) in the emergency department, 71 (11.93%) in the nephrology department, 63 (10.59%) in the cardiology department, 24 (4.03%) in the hematology department, 6 (1.01%) in the traditional Chinese medicine department, 9 (1.51%) cases in the rheumatology department, 7 (1.18%) in the endocrinology department, 14 (2.35%) in the oncology department, and 11 (1.85%) in the gastroenterology department. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that among internal medicine inpatients, age > 60 years old, heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, tumors, history of VTE, and elevated D-dimer were significantly correlated with the occurrence of VTE (P < .05). The incidence of VTE increases with the increase of D-dimer. It was found that the effectiveness of SJT RAM (AUC = 0.80 ± 0.03) was better than Caprini RAM (AUC = 0.74 ± 0.03), Padua RAM (AUC = 0.72 ± 0.03) and IMPROVE RAM (AUC = 0.52 ± 0.03) (P < .05). The sensitivity and Yoden index of SJT RAM were higher than those of Caprini RAM, Pauda RAM, and IMPROVE RAM (P < .05), but specificity was not significantly different between the 4 models (P > .05). The SJT RAM derived from general hospitalized Chinese patients has effective and better predictive ability for internal medicine inpatients at risk of VTE.

Gender health gaps in guideline-based inpatient cardiovascular medical and nursing care and implementation strategies to reduce the gap (HeartGap): A mixed methods study protocol.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that a gender-sensitive approach to healthcare is needed in all areas of medicine. Although medical and nursing guidelines include gender-sensitive care (GSC+) recommendations, the level of implementation in health care practice is unknown. This study aims to examine the current level of implementation and acceptance of GSC+ among physicians and nurses and to identify potential gaps between guidelines and practice and barriers and facilitators of GSC+ implementation, taking the perceptions of all relevant stakeholders into account. The overarching aim is to develop holistic recommended actions to strengthen GSC+. METHODS: This study has a mixed methods triangulation design. The preparation phase consisting of a literature review and a two-part (qualitative and quantitative) data analysis will be conducted in the cardiology department of 9 pilot hospitals in Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. 18 focus groups with clinicians and nurses as well as interviews with experts in other relevant fields will be performed. In the national roll-out phase, a questionnaire survey will be conducted with hospital clinicians (n = 382), nurses (n = 386) and patients (n = 388). DISCUSSION: This study will provide comprehensive insights into the implementation and acceptance of GSC+ in cardiology from the perspective of doctors, nurses, patients, stakeholders and experts in relevant fields, such as policy and education. A focus will also be on the extent to which age or gender of health professionals, region and hospital type influence the implementation of GSC+. The identification of GSC+ implementation barriers and facilitators should help to improve the standard of care for cardiology patients of all genders. The outcomes from this study can be used to develop measures and recommended actions for the successful and sustainable implementation of gender-sensitive care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is registered in the German Register of Clinical Studies (DRKS) under study number DRKS00031317.

Effects of Prolonged Medical Fasting during an Inpatient, Multimodal, Nature-Based Treatment on Pain, Physical Function, and Psychometric Parameters in Patients with Fibromyalgia: An Observational Study.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a common chronic pain disorder and often occurs as a concomitant disease in rheumatological diseases. Managing FMS takes a complex approach and often involves various non-pharmacological therapies. Fasting interventions have not been in the focus of research until recently, but preliminary data have shown effects on short- and medium-term pain as well as on physical and psychosomatic outcomes in different chronic pain disorders. This single-arm observational study investigated the effects of prolonged fasting (3-12 days, <600 kcal/d) embedded in a multimodal treatment setting on inpatients with FMS. Patients who were treated at the Department of Internal Medicine and Nature-Based Therapies of the Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Germany, between 02/2018 and 12/2020 answered questionnaires at hospital admission (V0) and discharge (V1), and then again three (V2), six (V3), and 12 (V4) months later. Selected routine blood and anthropometric parameters were also assessed during the inpatient stay. A total of 176 patients with FMS were included in the study. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) total score dropped by 13.7 ± 13.9 (p < 0.001) by V1, suggesting an improvement in subjective disease impact. Pain (NRS: reduction by 1.1 ± 2.5 in V1, p < 0.001) and quality of life (WHO-5: +4.9 ± 12.3 in V1, p < 0.001) improved, with a sustainable effect across follow-up visits. In contrast, mindfulness (MAAS: +0.3 ± 0.7 in V1, p < 0.001), anxiety (HADS-A: reduction by 2.9 ± 3.5 in V1, p < 0.0001), and depression (HADS-D: reduction by 2.7 ± 3.0 in V1, p < 0.0001) improved during inpatient treatment, without longer-lasting effects thereafter. During the study period, no serious adverse events were reported. The results suggest that patients with FMS can profit from a prolonged therapeutic fasting intervention integrated into a complex multimodal inpatient treatment in terms of quality of life, pain, and disease-specific functional parameters. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03785197.

Inpatient midwifery staffing levels and postpartum readmissions: a retrospective multicentre longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Preventing readmission to hospital after giving birth is a key priority, as rates have been rising along with associated costs. There are many contributing factors to readmission, and some are thought to be preventable. Nurse and midwife understaffing has been linked to deficits in care quality. This study explores the relationship between staffing levels and readmission rates in maternity settings. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study using routinely collected individual patient data in three maternity services in England from 2015 to 2020. Data on admissions, discharges and case-mix were extracted from hospital administration systems. Staffing and workload were calculated in Hours Per Patient day per shift in the first two 12-hour shifts of the index (birth) admission. Postpartum readmissions and staffing exposures for all birthing admissions were entered into a hierarchical multivariable logistic regression model to estimate the odds of readmission when staffing was below the mean level for the maternity service. RESULTS: 64 250 maternal admissions resulted in birth and 2903 mothers were readmitted within 30 days of discharge (4.5%). Absolute levels of staffing ranged between 2.3 and 4.1 individuals per midwife in the three services. Below average midwifery staffing was associated with higher rates of postpartum readmissions within 7 days of discharge (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.108, 95% CI 1.003 to 1.223). The effect was smaller and not statistically significant for readmissions within 30 days of discharge (aOR 1.080, 95% CI 0.994 to 1.174). Below average maternity assistant staffing was associated with lower rates of postpartum readmissions (7 days, aOR 0.957, 95% CI 0.867 to 1.057; 30 days aOR 0.965, 95% CI 0.887 to 1.049, both not statistically significant). CONCLUSION: We found evidence that lower than expected midwifery staffing levels is associated with more postpartum readmissions. The nature of the relationship requires further investigation including examining potential mediating factors and reasons for readmission in maternity populations.

Mixed-Mode Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for psychological resilience, Self Esteem and Stigma of patients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: People with schizophrenia often face challenges such as lower psychological resilience, reduced self-worth, and increased social stigma, hindering their recovery. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has shown promise in boosting psychological resilience and self-esteem while diminishing stigma. However, MBCT demands professional involvement and substantial expenses, adding to the workload of professionals and the financial strain on patients. Mixed-mode Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (M-MBCT) integrates both "face-to-face" and "self-help" approaches to minimize staff effort and costs. This study aims to assess the impact of M-MBCT on the psychological resilience, self-esteem, and stigma in schizophrenia patients. METHODS: This randomized, controlled, parallel-group, assessor-blinded clinical trial enrolled 174 inpatients with schizophrenia. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group underwent an 8-week M-MBCT intervention, while the control group received standard treatment. Data collection employed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) before and after the intervention. Post-intervention, significant differences in ISMI, CD-RISC, and RSES scores were observed between the experimental and control groups. RESULTS: In the experimental group, ISMI scores notably decreased, while CD-RISC and RSES scores significantly increased (P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis identified age, education, and family history of mental illness as significant factors related to stigma (P < 0.05). Additionally, correlation analysis indicated a significant negative relationship between the reduction in CD-RISC scores and the reduction in ISMI scores (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: M-MBCT effectively enhanced psychological resilience and self-esteem while diminishing stigma in individuals with schizophrenia. M-MBCT emerges as a promising treatment option for schizophrenia sufferers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 03/06/2023 ( www.chictr.org.cn ; ChiCTR ID: ChiCTR2300069071).

Imagery rescripting and cognitive restructuring for inpatients with moderate and severe depression - a controlled pilot study.

BACKGROUND: This controlled pilot study investigates the effect of the combined use of cognitive restructuring (CR) and imagery rescripting (IR) compared to treatment as usual among inpatients with moderate and severe depression. Alongside expert ratings and self-report tools, fitness wristbands were used as an assessment tool. METHODS: In addition to the standard inpatient care (SIC) program, 33 inpatients with moderate and severe depression were randomly assigned to an intervention group (two sessions of IR and CR) or an active treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group (two sessions of problem-solving and build-up of positive activity). Depression severity was assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-21 (HDRS-21), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and as a diagnostic adjunct daily step count via the Fitbit Charge 3™. We applied for analyses of HDRS-21 and BDI-II, 2 × 2 repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and an asymptotic Wilcoxon test for step count. RESULTS: The main effect of time on both treatments was η2 = .402. Based on the data from the HDRS-21, patients in the intervention group achieved significantly greater improvements over time than the TAU group (η2 = .34). The BDI-II data did not demonstrate a significant interaction effect by group (η2 = .067). The daily hourly step count for participants of the intervention group was significantly higher (r = .67) than the step count for the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the utilization of imagery-based interventions for treating depression. They also provide insights into using fitness trackers as psychopathological assessment tools for depressed patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien) under the registration number: DRKS00030809.

Prognostic implications of the arginine metabolism in patients at nutritional risk: A secondary analysis of the randomized EFFORT trial.

BACKGROUND: Arginine, a conditionally essential amino acid, is key component in metabolic pathways including immune regulation and protein synthesis. Depletion of arginine contributes to worse outcomes in severely ill and surgical patient populations. We assessed prognostic implications of arginine levels and its metabolites and ratios in polymorbid medical inpatients at nutritional risk regarding clinical outcomes and treatment response. METHODS: Within this secondary analysis of the randomized controlled Effect of early nutritional support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of malnourished medical inpatients Trial (EFFORT), we investigated the association of arginine, its metabolites and ratios (i.e., ADMA and SDMA, ratios of arginine/ADMA, arginine/ornithine, and global arginine bioavailability ratio) measured on hospital admission with short-term and long-term mortality by means of regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 231 patients with available measurements, low arginine levels ≤90.05 µmol/l (n = 86; 37 %) were associated with higher all-cause mortality at 30 days (primary endpoint, adjusted HR 3.27, 95 % CI 1.86 to 5.75, p < 0.001) and at 5 years (adjusted HR 1.50, 95 % CI 1.07 to 2.12, p = 0.020). Arginine metabolites and ratios were also associated with adverse outcome, but had lower prognostic value. There was, however, no evidence that treatment response was influenced by admission arginine levels. CONCLUSION: This secondary analysis focusing on medical inpatients at nutritional risk confirms a strong association of low plasma arginine levels and worse clinical courses. The potential effects of arginine-enriched nutritional supplements should be investigated in this population of patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02517476 (registered 7 August 2015).

Eight-month intensive meditation-based intervention improves refractory hallucinations and delusions and quality of life in male inpatients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: This study investigated the impact of an 8-month daily-guided intensive meditation-based intervention (iMI) on persistent hallucinations/delusions and health-related quality of life (QoL) in male inpatients with schizophrenia with treatment-refractory hallucinations and delusions (TRHDs). METHODS: A randomized controlled trial assigned 64 male inpatients with schizophrenia and TRHD equally to an 8-month iMI plus general rehabilitation program (GRP) or GRP alone. Assessments were conducted at baseline and the third and eighth months using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), 36-Item Short Form-36 (SF-36), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Primary outcomes measured PANSS reduction rates for total score, positive symptoms, and hallucinations/delusions items. Secondary outcomes assessed PANSS, SF-36, and FFMQ scores for psychotic symptoms, health-related QoL, and mindfulness skills, respectively. RESULTS: In the primary outcome, iMI significantly improved the reduction rates of PANSS total score, positive symptoms, and hallucination/delusion items compared with GRP at both the third and eighth months. Treatment response rates (≥25% reduction) for these measures significantly increased in the iMI group at the eighth month. Concerning secondary outcomes, iMI significantly reduced PANSS total score and hallucination/delusion items, while increasing scores in physical activity and mindfulness skills at both the third and eighth months compared with GRP. These effects were more pronounced with an 8-month intervention compared with a 3-month intervention. CONCLUSIONS: An iMI benefits patients with TRHDs by reducing persistent hallucinations/delusions and enhancing health-related QoL. Longer iMI duration yields superior treatment outcomes.

Long-term follow-up of inpatients with meniscus tears who received integrative Korean medicine treatment: A retrospective analysis and follow-up survey.

Evidence regarding the use of Korean medicine (KM) for the conservative treatment of meniscus tears remains lacking. We aimed to evaluate clinical effectiveness and long-term follow-up outcomes in patients undergoing integrative KM treatment for meniscus tears. We analyzed the electronic medical records (EMRs) of 86 patients with meniscus tears and administered a follow-up survey. Patients treated at 1 of 4 KM hospitals between June 1, 2015, and June 30, 2020, were reviewed. KM treatment comprised herbal medicine, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, bee venom pharmacopuncture, Chuna therapy, and KM physiotherapy. The primary outcome was the numeric rating scale (NRS) score for knee pain; secondary outcomes were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), EuroQol 5-dimension (EQ-5D) score, range of motion, and patient global impression of change. The NRS for knee pain was reduced by an average of 2.49 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.03-2.95) at discharge and 1.97 (95% CI: 2.03-2.95) at follow-up. The WOMAC decreased by an average of 15.52 (95% CI: 10.14-20.89) during hospital stay and 30.72 (95% CI: 24.58-36.87) at follow-up. The EQ-5D score increased by an average of 0.06 (95% CI: -0.14 to 0.02) at discharge and 0.19 (95% CI: -0.29 to -0.09) at follow up. KM treatment effectively reduced knee pain, improved knee joint function, and enhanced the quality of life in patients with a meniscus tear for a relatively long period after treatment.

Spiritual care needs and their attributes among Chinese inpatients with advanced breast cancer based on the Kano model: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Numerous previous research have established the need for spiritual care among patients with cancer globally. Nevertheless, there was limited research, primarily qualitative, on the spiritual care needs of Chinese inpatients with advanced breast cancer. Furthermore, the need for spiritual care was rarely explored using the Kano model. To better understand the spiritual care needs and attributes characteristics of inpatients with advanced breast cancer, this study examined the Kano model. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design study was conducted in the oncology departments of three tertiary grade-A hospitals in China from October 2022 to May 2023. To guarantee high-quality reporting of the study, the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Checklist was used. Data on the demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Nurse Spiritual Therapeutics Scale (NSTS), and the Kano model-based Nurse Spiritual Therapeutics Attributes Scale (K-NSTAs) were collected through convenience sampling. The Kano model, descriptive statistics, two independent samples t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The overall score for spiritual care needs was 31.16 ± 7.85. The two dimensions with the highest average scores, "create a good atmosphere" (3.16 ± 0.95), and the lowest average scores, "help religious practice" (1.72 ± 0.73). The 12 items were distributed as follows: three attractive attributes were located in Reserving Area IV; five one-dimensional attributes were distributed as follows: three one-dimensional attributes were located in Predominance Area I, and two were found in Improving Area II; two must-be attributes were located in Improving Area II; and two indifference attributes were located in Secondary Improving Area III. CONCLUSION: The Chinese inpatients with advanced breast cancer had a middle level of spiritual care needs, which need to be further improved. Spiritual care needs attributes were defined, sorted, categorized, and optimized accurately and perfectly by the Kano model. And "create a good atmosphere" and "share self-perception" were primarily one-dimensional and must-be attributes. In contrast, the items in the dimensions of "share self-perception" and "help thinking" were principally attractive attributes. Nursing administrators are advised to optimize attractive attributes and transform indifference attributes by consolidating must-be and one-dimensional attributes, which will enable them to take targeted spiritual care measures based on each patient's characteristics and unique personality traits.

Adaptation of nutritional risk screening tools may better predict response to nutritional treatment: a secondary analysis of the randomized controlled trial Effect of early nutritional therapy on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of malnourished medical inpatients Trial (EFFORT).

BACKGROUND: Nutritional screening tools have proven valuable for predicting clinical outcomes but have failed to determine which patients would be most likely to benefit from nourishment interventions. The Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS) and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) are 2 of these tools, which are based on both nutritional parameters and parameters reflecting disease severity. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that the adaptation of nutritional risk scores, by removing parameters reflecting disease severity, would improve their predictive value regarding response to a nutritional intervention while providing similar prognostic information regarding mortality at short and long terms. METHODS: We reanalyzed data of 2028 patients included in the Swiss-wide multicenter, randomized controlled trial EFFORT (Effect of early nutritional therapy on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of malnourished medical inpatients Trial) comparing individualized nutritional support with usual care nutrition in medical inpatients. The primary endpoint was 30-d all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Although stratifying patients by high compared with low NRS score showed no difference in response to nutritional support, patients with high adapted NRS showed substantial benefit, whereas patients with low adapted NRS showed no survival benefit [adjusted hazard ratio: 0.55 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37, 0.80]] compared with 1.17 (95% CI: 0.70, 1.93), a finding that was significant in an interaction analysis [coefficient: 0.48 (95% CI: 0.25, 0.94), P = 0.031]. A similar effect regarding treatment response was found when stratifying patients on the basis of MNA compared with the adapted MNA. Regarding the prognostic performance, both original scores were slightly superior in predicting mortality than the adapted scores. CONCLUSIONS: Adapting the NRS and MNA by including nutritional parameters only improves their ability to predict response to a nutrition intervention, but slightly reduces their overall prognostic performance. Scores dependent on disease severity may best be considered prognostic scores, whereas nutritional risk scores not including parameters reflecting disease severity may indeed improve a more personalized treatment approach for nourishment interventions. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02517476.

Evaluation of an outreach programme for patients with COVID-19 in an integrated healthcare delivery system: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems implemented programmes to manage outpatients with COVID-19. The goal was to expedite patients' referral to acute care and prevent overcrowding of medical centres. We sought to evaluate the impact of such a programme, the COVID-19 Home Care Team (CHCT) programme. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Kaiser Permanente Northern California. PARTICIPANTS: Adult members before COVID-19 vaccine availability (1 February 2020-31 January 2021) with positive SARS-CoV-2 tests. INTERVENTION: Virtual programme to track and treat patients with 'CHCT programme'. OUTCOMES: The outcomes were (1) COVID-19-related emergency department visit, (2) COVID-19-related hospitalisation and (3) inpatient mortality or 30-day hospice referral. MEASURES: We estimated the average effect comparing patients who were and were not treated by CHCT. We estimated propensity scores using an ensemble super learner (random forest, XGBoost, generalised additive model and multivariate adaptive regression splines) and augmented inverse probability weighting. RESULTS: There were 98 585 patients with COVID-19. The majority were followed by CHCT (n=80 067, 81.2%). Patients followed by CHCT were older (mean age 43.9 vs 41.6 years, p<0.001) and more comorbid with COmorbidity Point Score, V.2, score ≥65 (1.7% vs 1.1%, p<0.001). Unadjusted analyses showed more COVID-19-related emergency department visits (9.5% vs 8.5%, p<0.001) and hospitalisations (3.9% vs 3.2%, p<0.001) in patients followed by CHCT but lower inpatient death or 30-day hospice referral (0.3% vs 0.5%, p<0.001). After weighting, there were higher rates of COVID-19-related emergency department visits (estimated intervention effect -0.8%, 95% CI -1.4% to -0.3%) and hospitalisation (-0.5%, 95% CI -0.9% to -0.1%) but lower inpatient mortality or 30-day hospice referral (-0.5%, 95% CI -0.7% to -0.3%) in patients followed by CHCT. CONCLUSIONS: Despite CHCT following older patients with higher comorbidity burden, there appeared to be a protective effect. Patients followed by CHCT were more likely to present to acute care and less likely to die inpatient.

Association of Glutamine and Glutamate Metabolism with Mortality among Patients at Nutritional Risk-A Secondary Analysis of the Randomized Clinical Trial EFFORT.

Glutamine and its metabolite glutamate serve as the main energy substrates for immune cells, and their plasma levels drop during severe illness. Therefore, glutamine supplementation in the critical care setting has been advocated. However, little is known about glutamine metabolism in severely but not critically ill medical patients. We investigated the prognostic impact of glutamine metabolism in a secondary analysis of the Effect of Early Nutritional Support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of Malnourished Medical Inpatients Trial (EFFORT), a randomized controlled trial comparing individualized nutritional support to usual care in patients at nutritional risk. Among 234 patients with available measurements, low plasma levels of glutamate were independently associated with 30-day mortality (adjusted HR 2.35 [95% CI 1.18-4.67, p = 0.015]). The impact on mortality remained consistent long-term for up to 5 years. No significant association was found for circulating glutamine levels and short- or long-term mortality. There was no association of glutamate nor glutamine with malnutrition parameters or with the effectiveness of nutritional support. This secondary analysis found glutamate to be independently prognostic among medical inpatients at nutritional risk but poorly associated with the effectiveness of nutritional support. In contrast to ICU studies, we found no association between glutamine and clinical outcome.

Predictors and Correlates of Positive Urine Drug Screening in a Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatients Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Youth substance use is associated with significant psychological, neurological, and medical complications. Risk factors for substance use among children and adolescents in the general population include peer and/or parental substance use, certain psychiatric illnesses (eg, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, depression), and history of maltreatment. Co-occurring substance use and psychiatric illness have been associated with increased suicidality, but few prior studies have characterized substance use among child/adolescent inpatients. As such, it remains unclear how substance use contributing to acute psychiatric presentations has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of 816 unique child/adolescent psychiatry inpatients with urine drug screening (UDS) results from a diverse urban setting. Charts of patients hospitalized between June 1, 2018 and November 30, 2021 were reviewed for sociodemographic characteristics, indication for admission, psychiatric history, hospital course, treatment plan, and discharge diagnosis. Differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, such as age, race, and diagnoses, between patients with and without positive UDS were explored throughout various periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive and comparative statistics were performed, as well as a logistic regression model to identify the predictors of positive UDS. RESULTS: Of the study sample, 18% had a positive UDS. Older age, diagnosis of impulsive or behavioral disorder, and a history of violence were found to be predictors of positive UDS. Asian/South Asian or Hispanic/LatinX race and history of a developmental or intellectual disability were found to be negative predictors. The frequency of positive UDS in this population did not change based on COVID-19. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors may predispose children and adolescents to substance use. Though no impact of COVID-19 was found in this sample, longer-term studies are needed. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies independent predictors of active substance use in the child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient population.

Australian Patient Preferences for Discussing Spiritual Issues in the Hospital Setting: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study.

While there is high patient acceptance for clinical staff discussing issues regarding spirituality with hospital inpatients, it is not clear which staff member patients prefer for these discussions. This unique exploratory study investigated inpatient preferences regarding which staff member should raise the topic of spirituality. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with inpatients at six hospitals in Sydney, Australia (n = 897), with a subset invited to participate in qualitative interviews (n = 41). Pastoral care staff (32.9%) were the preferred staff members with whom to discuss spiritual issues, followed by doctors (22.4%). Qualitative findings indicated that individual characteristics of the staff member are more important than their role.