Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Markers of Thrombosis in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) are associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Antithrombotic mechanisms may in part explain this observation. Therefore, we examined the association of n-3 FAs with D-dimer and beta-thromboglobulin (BTG), markers for activated coagulation and platelets, respectively. The n-3 FAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) were determined via gas chromatography in the whole blood of 2373 patients with AF from the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation cohort study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02105844). In a cross-sectional analysis, we examined the association of total n-3 FAs (EPA + DHA + DPA + ALA) and the association of individual fatty acids with D-dimer in patients with detectable D-dimer values (n = 1096) as well as with BTG (n = 2371) using multiple linear regression models adjusted for confounders. Median D-dimer and BTG levels were 0.340 ug/mL and 448 ng/mL, respectively. Higher total n-3 FAs correlated with lower D-dimer levels (coefficient 0.94, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.90-0.98, p = 0.004) and lower BTG levels (coefficient 0.97, Cl 0.95-0.99, p = 0.003). Likewise, the individual n-3 FAs EPA, DHA, DPA and ALA showed an inverse association with D-dimer. Higher levels of DHA, DPA and ALA correlated with lower BTG levels, whereas EPA showed a positive association with BTG. In patients with AF, higher levels of n-3 FAs were associated with lower levels of D-dimer and BTG, markers for activated coagulation and platelets, respectively. These findings suggest that n-3 FAs may exert antithrombotic properties in patients with AF.

Biomarker, Imaging, and Clinical Factors Associated With Overt and Covert Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is a major risk factor for stroke and silent brain infarcts. We studied whether a multimodal approach offers additional insights to the CHA2DS2-VASc score in predicting stroke or new brain infarcts on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over a 2-year follow-up. METHODS: Swiss-AF is a prospective, multicenter cohort study of patients with known atrial fibrillation. We included patients with available brain MRI both at enrollment and 2 years later. The dates of the baseline and follow-up visits ranged from March 2014 to November 2020. The primary outcome was assessed 2 years after baseline and was defined as a composite of clinically identified stroke or any new brain infarct on the 2-year MRI. We compared a multivariable logistic regression model including prespecified clinical, biomarker, and baseline MRI variables to the CHA2DS2-VASc score. RESULTS: We included 1232 patients, 89.8% of them taking oral anticoagulants. The primary outcome occurred in 78 patients (6.3%). The following baseline variables were included in the final multivariate model and were significantly associated with the primary outcome: white matter lesion volume in milliliters (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.91 [95% CI, 1.45-2.56]), NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide; aOR, 1.75 [95% CI, 1.20-2.63]), GDF-15 (growth differentiation factor-15; aOR, 1.68 [95% CI, 1.11-2.53]), serum creatinine (aOR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.02-2.22]), IL (interleukin)-6 (aOR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.00-1.86]), and hFABP (heart-type fatty acid-binding protein; aOR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.31-0.73]). Overall performance and discrimination of the new model was superior to that of the CHA2DS2-VASc score (C statistic, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.77-0.87] versus 0.64 [95% CI, 0.58-0.70]). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with atrial fibrillation, a model incorporating white matter lesion volume on baseline MRI and selected blood markers yielded new insights on residual stroke risk despite a high proportion of patients on oral anticoagulants. This may be relevant to develop further preventive measures.

Impact of a brochure and empathetic physician communication on patients' perception of breast biopsies.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effect of an intervention designed to reduce patients' emotional distress associated with breast biopsy. METHODS: 125 breast biopsy patients receiving standard of care (control group, CG) were compared to 125 patients (intervention group, IG) who received a brochure with information prior to the biopsy and were biopsied by physicians trained in empathic communication. Anxiety was assessed by the State-Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) at four time points (pre- and post-procedural, pre- and post-histology). All participants completed pre- and post-procedural questionnaires addressing worries, pain and comprehension. We evaluated the impact of the intervention on STAI-S levels using a log-transformed linear mixed effects model and explored patients' and physicians' perceptions of the procedure descriptively. RESULTS: Post-procedural and post-histology timepoints were associated with 13% and17% lower with STAI-S levels than at the pre-procedural timepoint on average. The histologic result had the strongest association with STAI-S: malignancy was associated with 28% higher STAI-S scores than a benign finding on average. Across all time points, the intervention did not affect patient anxiety. Nevertheless, IG participants perceived less pain during the biopsy. Nearly all patients agreed that the brochure should be handed out prior to breast biopsy. CONCLUSION: While the distribution of an informative brochure and a physician trained in empathic communication did not reduce patient anxiety overall, we observed lower levels of worry and perceived pain regarding breast biopsy in the intervention group. The intervention seemed to improve patient's understanding of the procedure. Moreover, professional training could increase physicians' empathic communication skills. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02796612 (March 19, 2014).

Factors impacting the pre-analytical quality of blood cultures-Analysis at a tertiary medical center.

BACKGROUND: Blood cultures (BC) are critical for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections, pathogen identification, and resistance testing. Guidelines recommend a blood volume of 8-10 mL per bottle as lower volumes result in decreased sensitivity. We aimed to evaluate factors for non-adherence to recommended volumes and assess the effects on diagnostic performance. METHODS: From February to April 2020, we measured collected blood volumes by weighing all BC containers from inpatient samples at the University Hospital Basel. Information on BC volumes was merged with clinical and microbiological data, as well as nursing staff schedules. We analyzed factors associated with (i) BC sampling volume, (ii) reaching recommended volumes (≥8 mL), (iii) BC positivity, and (iv) time to positivity using linear and generalized linear mixed effect models. RESULTS: We evaluated a total of 4'118 BC bottles collected from 686 patients. A total of 1'495 (36.3%) of all bottles contained the recommended filling volume of ≥8 mL. Using a central venous and arterial catheter for drawing blood resulted in an increase of filling volume by 0.26 mL (95% CI 0.10, 0.41) and 0.50 mL (95% CI 0.31, 0.69) compared to peripheral venipuncture, respectively. Each additional nursing staff working at the time of blood drawing was associated with 6% higher odds of achieving the recommended filling volume. We found no significant correlation between the filling volume and the positivity rate. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate critical pre-analytical quality markers linked to BC collection procedures to reach recommended collection volumes. No significant impact on the positivity rate was found.

Effects of remdesivir in patients hospitalised with COVID-19: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Interpretation of the evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of remdesivir in patients treated in hospital for COVID-19 is conflicting. We aimed to assess the benefits and harms of remdesivir compared with placebo or usual care in these patients, and whether treatment effects differed between prespecified patient subgroups. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane COVID-19 trial registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and preprint servers from Jan 1, 2020, until April 11, 2022, for RCTs of remdesivir in adult patients hospitalised with COVID-19, and contacted the authors of eligible trials to request individual patient data. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at day 28 after randomisation. We used multivariable hierarchical regression-adjusting for respiratory support, age, and enrollment period-to investigate effect modifiers. This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021257134. FINDINGS: Our search identified 857 records, yielding nine RCTs eligible for inclusion. Of these nine eligible RCTs, individual data were provided for eight, covering 10 480 patients hospitalised with COVID-19 (99% of such patients included in such RCTs worldwide) recruited between Feb 6, 2020, and April 1, 2021. Within 28 days of randomisation, 662 (12·5%) of 5317 patients assigned to remdesivir and 706 (14·1%) of 5005 patients assigned to no remdesivir died (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0·88, 95% CI 0·78-1·00, p=0·045). We found evidence for a credible subgroup effect according to respiratory support at baseline (pinteraction=0·019). Of patients who were ventilated-including those who received high-flow oxygen-253 (30·0%) of 844 patients assigned to remdesivir died compared with 241 (28·5%) of 846 patients assigned to no remdesivir (aOR 1·10 [0·88-1·38]; low-certainty evidence). Of patients who received no oxygen or low-flow oxygen, 409 (9·1%) of 4473 patients assigned to remdesivir died compared with 465 (11·2%) of 4159 patients assigned to no remdesivir (0·80 [0·70-0·93]; high-certainty evidence). No credible subgroup effect was found for time to start of remdesivir after symptom onset, age, presence of comorbidities, enrolment period, or corticosteroid use. Remdesivir did not increase the frequency of severe or serious adverse events. INTERPRETATION: This individual patient data meta-analysis showed that remdesivir reduced mortality in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 who required no or conventional oxygen support, but was underpowered to evaluate patients who were ventilated when receiving remdesivir. The effect size of remdesivir in patients with more respiratory support or acquired immunity and the cost-effectiveness of remdesivir remain to be further elucidated. FUNDING: EU-RESPONSE.

Perioperative management with ferric carboxymaltose and tranexamic acid to reduce transfusion rate in gynaecological carcinoma surgery (TRANAFER-Study): study protocol for a single-blind, monocentre, randomised trial.

INTRODUCTION: Radical abdominal surgery is part of the standard treatment for women with advanced gynaecological carcinoma. The surgery often leads to intraoperative blood loss frequently exceeding 1000 mL. Approximately 50% of women undergoing radical surgery require blood transfusions. Perioperative blood transfusions have been shown to increase the risk of postoperative complications, delayed wound healing, increased length of stay, increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between perioperative anaemia and surgical morbidity and mortality. By reducing transfusions and improving recovery from surgery, preoperative diagnostic and management of perioperative anaemia is a great opportunity to optimise postoperative patient outcome. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a single-blind, monocentre, randomised trial with four parallel groups (three therapeutic groups and one control group without treatment according to current standards of care) conducted in women undergoing radical gynaecological surgery. The primary study objective is to determine the effect of perioperative treatment with either intravenous iron, tranexamic acid or with a combination of both medicines on the reduction of intraoperative and postoperative red blood cell transfusions in gynaecological carcinoma patients. A total of N=126 women with gynaecological carcinoma will be recruited at the University Hospital Basel, Department of Gynaecology. Blood parameters will be measured at the recruitment, prior to surgery, 2 days after surgery and on the 21st-28th day after surgery. Recruitment started in August 2021. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study will be performed according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and is approved by the Ethics Committee for Northwest and Central Switzerland in Basel (EKNZ Protocol ID 2020-01194). The results of this study will be published and presented in various scientific forums. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03792464.

Glucagon-stimulated copeptin measurements in the differential diagnosis of diabetes insipidus: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Background: The differential diagnosis of diabetes insipidus is challenging. The most reliable approaches are copeptin measurements after hypertonic saline infusion or arginine, which is a known growth hormone secretagogue but has recently also been shown to stimulate the neurohypophysis. Similar to arginine, glucagon stimulates growth hormone release, but its effect on the neurohypophysis is poorly studied. Design: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial including 22 healthy participants, 10 patients with central diabetes insipidus, and 10 patients with primary polydipsia at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. Methods: Each participant underwent the glucagon test (s.c. injection of 1 mg glucagon) and placebo test. The primary objective was to determine whether glucagon stimulates copeptin and to explore whether the copeptin response differentiates between diabetes insipidus and primary polydipsia. Copeptin levels were measured at baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min after injection. Results: In healthy participants, glucagon stimulated copeptin with a median increase of 7.56 (2.38; 28.03) pmol/L, while placebo had no effect (0.10 pmol/L (-0.70; 0.68); P < 0.001). In patients with diabetes insipidus, copeptin showed no relevant increase upon glucagon, with an increase of 0.55 (0.21; 1.65) pmol/L, whereas copeptin was stimulated in patients with primary polydipsia with an increase of 15.70 (5.99; 24.39) pmol/L. Using a copeptin cut-off level of 4.6pmol/L had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 100-100) and a specificity of 90% (95% CI: 70-100) to discriminate between diabetes insipidus and primary polydipsia. Conclusion: Glucagon stimulates the neurohypophysis, and glucagon-stimulated copeptin has the potential for a safe, novel, and precise test in the differential diagnosis of diabetes insipidus.

Subclinical giant cell arteritis in new onset polymyalgia rheumatica A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and predictors of subclinical giant cell arteritis (GCA) in patients with newly diagnosed polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science Core Collection were systematically searched (date of last search July 14, 2021) for any published information on any consecutively recruited cohort reporting the prevalence of GCA in steroid-naïve patients with PMR without cranial or ischemic symptoms. We combined prevalences across populations in a random-effect meta-analysis. Potential predictors of subclinical GCA were identified by mixed-effect logistic regression using individual patient data (IPD) from cohorts screened with PET/(CT). RESULTS: We included 13 cohorts with 566 patients from studies published between 1965 to 2020. Subclinical GCA was diagnosed by temporal artery biopsy in three studies, ultrasound in three studies, and PET/(CT) in seven studies. The pooled prevalence of subclinical GCA across all studies was 23% (95% CI 14%-36%, I2=84%) for any screening method and 29% in the studies using PET/(CT) (95% CI 13%-53%, I2=85%) (n=266 patients). For seven cohorts we obtained IPD for 243 patients screened with PET/(CT). Inflammatory back pain (OR 2.73, 1.32-5.64), absence of lower limb pain (OR 2.35, 1.05-5.26), female sex (OR 2.31, 1.17-4.58), temperature >37° (OR 1.83, 0.90-3.71), weight loss (OR 1.83, 0.96-3.51), thrombocyte count (OR 1.51, 1.05-2.18), and haemoglobin level (OR 0.80, 0.64-1.00) were most strongly associated with subclinical GCA in the univariable analysis but not C-reactive protein (OR 1.00, 1.00-1.01) or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (OR 1.01, 1.00-1.02). A prediction model calculated from these variables had an area under the curve of 0.66 (95% CI 0.55-0.75). CONCLUSION: More than a quarter of patients with PMR may have subclinical GCA. The prediction model from the most extensive IPD set has only modest diagnostic accuracy. Hence, a paradigm shift in the assessment of PMR patients in favour of implementing imaging studies should be discussed.

Stress and Mental Health among Children/Adolescents, Their Parents, and Young Adults during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Switzerland.

The present study aimed to assess various stressful situations and the psychological impact of the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown among youths in Switzerland. We included samples of 1627 young adults aged 19-24 from the Swiss Youth Epidemiological Study on Mental Health and 1146 children and adolescents aged 12-17 years and their parents. We assessed symptoms of various mental health problems, internet use, and perceived stress during the first COVID-19 lockdown. In the analyses, data were weighted to be representative of the Swiss population. During the first lockdown in Switzerland, the most common sources of perceived stress were the disruption of social life and important activities, uncertainty about how long the state of affairs would last, and the pandemic itself. In addition, around one-fifth of the young adults met the criteria for at least one of the mental health problems (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder), while one-third of children/adolescents screened positive for at least one of the mental health problems (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, anxiety). Moreover, 30.1% of children and 21.3% of young adults met the criteria for problematic internet use. The study showed considerable stress perceived by young adults and symptoms of mental health problems, especially among females, during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland.

Mind the treatment gap: the prevalence of common mental disorder symptoms, risky substance use and service utilization among young Swiss adults.

BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders (CMDs) are highly prevalent and contribute significantly to the global burden of disease, yet there is evidence of a large treatment gap. We aimed to quantify this gap among young adults with symptoms of CMDs and examine the relationship between substance use and perceived need for care and mental health service utilization. METHODS: In a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of young Swiss adults' mental health and wellbeing, we assessed symptoms of anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with widely used screening instruments and asked about participant suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, mental health-related quality of life, alcohol and drug use, perceived need for mental health care, and mental health service utilization. We used these variables to calculate the treatment gap and weighted all analyses according to the stratified sampling plan. RESULTS: Around a quarter of young adults screened positive for at least one CMD. Participants who screened positive for anxiety and/or depression reported significantly more suicidal ideation and lifetime suicide attempts and reported worse mental health-related quality of life than participants who did not screen positive for a disorder. Women's prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms was significantly higher than men's, while men were more likely to report most types of risky drug use. Among those with a CMD, only around half perceived lifetime need for care, and less than 20% reported currently utilizing mental health services. Young adults with a CMD reporting risky weekly use of alcohol were less likely to be currently using services. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of CMD symptoms could reflect a rising prevalence of these disorders mirroring increasing trends observed in other countries. To address the large treatment gap, interventions promoting mental health literacy and more research on additional barriers to inform further interventions are needed.

Differences in predictors of permanent work disability between immigrants and natives: a cohort study of adults with sick leave due to common mental disorders.

OBJECTIVES: Immigrants with common mental disorders (CMDs) are reported to have a higher risk of disability pension (DP) compared with native residents; however, the reasons for this are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate (1) differences in morbidity (3 measures) and socioeconomic status in native Swedes, 'Western' and 'non-Western' immigrants with CMDs and (2) interactions between morbidity and socioeconomic status and immigrant status regarding subsequent DP. DESIGN: The study was a prospective population-based cohort study using national register data. Crude and multivariate HRs with 95% CIs were calculated using the Cox regression (2007-2010). PARTICIPANTS: All individuals aged 18-59 with an incident sick-leave spell due to CMDs during 2006 were included in the study (N=66 097). The study population was divided into 3 groups based on country of birth: (1) Sweden, (2) immigrants from 'Western' countries (EU25, Norway, Iceland, North America and Oceania) and (3) immigrants from 'non-Western' countries (east Europe, Africa, Asia and South America). RESULTS: Particularly, immigrants born in non-Western countries had higher levels of morbidity and lower socioeconomic status than natives (p>0.001). No significant differences in the associations between specialised psychiatric and somatic care with regard to subsequent DP were found between immigrants and native Swedes. Being prescribed more than 1 type of psychiatric medication was associated with higher HRs for DP in immigrants from Western (HR 3.34; CI 2.3 to 4.9) and non-Western countries (3.6; 1.9 to 6.4) than in native Swedes (2.55; 2.3 to 2.8) (pinteraction=0.003). Low education was a marginally stronger predictor for DP in non-Western immigrants than in native Swedes and Western immigrants (pinteraction=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity measured by medication, but not by specialised healthcare, was a stronger predictor for DP in immigrants than in native Swedes, warranting scrutiny of differences in care and treatment in immigrants and native Swedes with CMDs.