Differentiation of Active Corneal Infections from Healed Scars Using Deep Learning.

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate an automated, portable algorithm to differentiate active corneal ulcers from healed scars using only external photographs. DESIGN: A convolutional neural network was trained and tested using photographs of corneal ulcers and scars. PARTICIPANTS: De-identified photographs of corneal ulcers were obtained from the Steroids for Corneal Ulcers Trial (SCUT), Mycotic Ulcer Treatment Trial (MUTT), and Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University. METHODS: Photographs of corneal ulcers (n = 1313) and scars (n = 1132) from the SCUT and MUTT were used to train a convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN was tested on 2 different patient populations from eye clinics in India (n = 200) and the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University (n = 101). Accuracy was evaluated against gold standard clinical classifications. Feature importances for the trained model were visualized using gradient-weighted class activation mapping. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Accuracy of the CNN was assessed via F1 score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to measure the precision-recall trade-off. RESULTS: The CNN correctly classified 115 of 123 active ulcers and 65 of 77 scars in patients with corneal ulcer from India (F1 score, 92.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 88.2%-95.8%]; sensitivity, 93.5% [95% CI, 89.1%-97.9%]; specificity, 84.42% [95% CI, 79.42%-89.42%]; ROC: AUC, 0.9731). The CNN correctly classified 43 of 55 active ulcers and 42 of 46 scars in patients with corneal ulcers from Northern California (F1 score, 84.3% [95% CI, 77.2%-91.4%]; sensitivity, 78.2% [95% CI, 67.3%-89.1%]; specificity, 91.3% [95% CI, 85.8%-96.8%]; ROC: AUC, 0.9474). The CNN visualizations correlated with clinically relevant features such as corneal infiltrate, hypopyon, and conjunctival injection. CONCLUSIONS: The CNN classified corneal ulcers and scars with high accuracy and generalized to patient populations outside of its training data. The CNN focused on clinically relevant features when it made a diagnosis. The CNN demonstrated potential as an inexpensive diagnostic approach that may aid triage in communities with limited access to eye care.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Neuro-Ophthalmology Office Visits and Adoption of Telemedicine Services.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) has significantly changed medical practice in the United States, including an increase in the utilization of telemedicine. Here, we characterize change in neuro-ophthalmic care delivery during the early COVID-19 PHE, including a comparison of care delivered via telemedicine and in office. METHODS: Neuro-ophthalmology outpatient encounters from 3 practices in the United States (4 providers) were studied during the early COVID-19 PHE (March 15, 2020-June 15, 2020) and during the same dates 1 year prior. For unique patient visits, patient demographics, visit types, visit format, and diagnosis were compared between years and between synchronous telehealth and in-office formats for 2020. RESULTS: There were 1,276 encounters for 1,167 patients. There were 30% fewer unique patient visits in 2020 vs 2019 (477 vs 670) and 55% fewer in-office visits (299 vs 670). Compared with 2019, encounters in 2020 were more likely to be established, to occur via telemedicine and to relate to an efferent diagnosis. In 2020, synchronous telehealth visits were more likely to be established compared with in-office encounters. CONCLUSIONS: In the practices studied, a lower volume of neuro-ophthalmic care was delivered during the early COVID-19 public health emergency than in the same period in 2019. The type of care shifted toward established patients with efferent diagnoses and the modality of care shifted toward telemedicine.

Evolution of Disparities in Outpatient Ophthalmic Care at a Tertiary Care Center in California at the Beginning of and One Year into the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

PURPOSE: To compare disparities in outpatient ophthalmic care during early and later periods of the COVID-19 public health emergency. METHODS: This cross-sectional study compared non-peri-operative outpatient ophthalmology visits by unique patients at an adult ophthalmology practice affiliated with a tertiary-care academic medical center in the Western US during three time periods: pre-COVID (3/15/19-4/15/19), early-COVID (3/15/20-4/15/20), and late-COVID (3/15/21-4/15/21). Differences in participant demographics, barriers to care, visit modality (telehealth, in person), and subspeciality of care were studied using unadjusted and adjusted models. RESULTS: There were 3095, 1172 and 3338 unique patient-visits during pre-COVID, early-COVID and late-COVID (overall age 59.5 ± 20.5 years, 57% female, 41.8% White, 25.9% Asian, 16.1% Hispanic). There were disparities in patient age (55.4 ± 21.8 vs. 60.2 ± 19.9 years), race (21.9% vs. 26.9% Asian), ethnicity (18.3% Hispanic vs. 15.2% Hispanic), and insurance (35.9% vs. 45.1% Medicare) as well as changes in modality (14.2% vs. 0% telehealth) and subspecialty (61.6% vs. 70.1% internal exam specialty) in early-COVID vs. pre-COVID (p < .05 for all). In late-COVID, only insurance (42.7% vs. 45.1% Medicare) and modality of care (1.8% vs. 0% telehealth) persisted as differences compared to pre-COVID. CONCLUSIONS: There were disparities in patients receiving outpatient ophthalmology care during early-COVID that returned close to pre-COVID baseline one year later. These results suggest that there has not been a lasting positive or negative disruptive effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on disparities in outpatient ophthalmic care.

Intravitreal brolucizumab as treatment of early onset radiation retinopathy secondary to plaque brachytherapy for choroidal melanoma.

Purpose: To describe the efficacy and safety of brolucizumab (Beovu®, Novartis Pharmaceuticals) in a case of cystoid macular edema associated with radiation retinopathy as a result of iodine-125 plaque brachytherapy (PBT) for choroidal melanoma, resistant to treatment with other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents. Observations: A 67-year-old woman with choroidal melanoma in the right eye and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/20, underwent uncomplicated PBT. On post-operative month 7, the patient developed early onset radiation retinopathy. She failed to improve significantly with sub-tenon triamcinolone and 3 injections of intravitreal bevacizumab; BCVA was 20/200. Intravitreal brolucizumab was administered, and one month after, macular edema had resolved completely on optical coherence tomography, and BCVA improved to 20/50. At last follow up, 1 month after the third brolucizumab injection, BCVA was 20/60 and there was sustained resolution of intraretinal fluid. There were no signs of intraocular inflammation, progressive RR or optic neuropathy on exam or fluorescein angiography. Conclusions: This case suggests a positive effect of brolucizumab in the management of radiation retinopathy following PBT refractory to other anti-VEGF agents. However, one must consider the risk of severe vision loss associated with retinal vasculitis from use of brolucizumab.

Evaluation of Interventions Targeting Follow-up Appointment Scheduling After Emergency Department Referral to Ophthalmology Clinics Using A3 Problem Solving.

Importance: Many patients seen for eye-related issues in the emergency department do not receive recommended follow-up care. Prior evidence supports that scheduling appointments is a barrier to accomplishing the transition to outpatient ophthalmology care. Objective: To evaluate time until appointment scheduling following emergency department discharge with urgent outpatient ophthalmology referral. Design, Setting, and Participants: The A3 problem solving process was implemented by a multidisciplinary team as part of a structured quality improvement program with the goal of reducing the mean time between urgent referral placement in the emergency department and outpatient ophthalmology appointment scheduling. The study was conducted at Stanford Health Care, an academic medical center in Palo Alto, California, affiliated with Stanford University School of Medicine. Using medical center administrative records, all patients discharged from the adult emergency department with an urgent outpatient referral to the Stanford Department of Ophthalmology from August 9 to September 19, 2020 (baseline; n = 43), and from October 26 to November 29, 2020 (after implementation of all interventions; n = 21), were included. Interventions: Interventions developed to target the workflow of the ophthalmology resident, emergency department, ophthalmology clinic, and health system schedulers to address key drivers of the referral-scheduling process included medical record documentation guidelines, identification of responsible parties, preidentified appointment slots, patient education materials, and education of stakeholders, and were implemented by October 25, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures: Mean time between urgent referral placement (ie, emergency department discharge) and appointment scheduling with outpatient ophthalmology at baseline vs postintervention. Results: At baseline, appointments were scheduled a mean (range) 2.8 (0-7) days after referral placement. In the 5 weeks following implementation of interventions, the mean (range) decreased to 1.3 (0-4) days, a difference of 1.5 days (95% CI, 0.20-2.74; P = .02). This corresponds to 642 (95% CI, 86-1173) days of reduced patient wait time annually. In addition, there was less variability in the number of days between referral and appointment scheduling after intervention compared with baseline. Conclusions and Relevance: The results suggest improvement in efficiency of outpatient ophthalmology appointment scheduling of urgent emergency department referrals could be achieved through application of a quality improvement methodology by a multidisciplinary team representing key stakeholders in the process.

Effectiveness of Netarsudil as an Additional Therapy for Glaucoma in Patients Already on Maximally Tolerated Medical Therapy.

PURPOSE: This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of netarsudil (Rhopressa) in patients with inadequately controlled IOP on otherwise maximally tolerated medical therapy. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients started on netarsudil at Stanford University. Exclusion criteria included glaucoma surgery or laser within 6 months of starting netarsudil and other modifications to the baseline medication regimen within 4 weeks of starting netarsudil. The primary outcome was treatment success, defined as IOP reduction meeting a predetermined target, and no further medication, laser, or surgery recommended subsequent to starting netarsudil. RESULTS: Sixty-two eyes were included, and 36 (58%) achieved treatment success at first follow-up. Mean baseline IOP was 19.5 ± 5.6 mmHg on a mean of 3.5 ± 0.7 ocular hypotensive medications. The mean change in IOP from baseline to first follow-up was -3.53 mmHg (-17%). In patients who achieved treatment success, mean IOP change was -5.22 mmHg (-28.0%). Of the eyes with baseline IOP ≤ 20 mmHg, 69% achieved treatment success, compared to only 17% of eyes with baseline IOP ≥ 21 mmHg (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Netarsudil is effective in lowering IOP for patients on otherwise maximally tolerated medical therapy, for which glaucoma laser or surgery would have been the only remaining therapeutic options. Treatment success was more likely in eyes with baseline IOP under 20 mmHg.

Sepsis Screening: Current Evidence and Available Tools.

BACKGROUND: Early recognition of sepsis is challenging, especially in the surgical patient. Because of the non-specific nature of the initial signs and symptoms, delays in recognition are all too common. To improve the early identification of sepsis, screening tools have been developed, and several papers have described their results. This article reviews the available sepsis screening tools. METHODS: A PubMed search was performed using the search terms "sepsis" and "shock," "electronic alert," "clinical decision support," and "early warning systems." The papers found were reviewed to determine their relevance to the topic of sepsis screening, and outcome data were extracted from appropriate papers. RESULTS: Multiple sepsis screening tools were identified with differing performance characteristics. These tools are reviewed individually along with a summary of their sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. CONCLUSIONS: Clearly, sepsis screening has the potential to improve patient outcomes by aiding clinicians in the early recognition of the condition, enabling early implementation of evidence-based therapies. However, significant challenges remain, including identifying an optimal screening tool. Continued research is needed into the development and integration of automated screening tools that will be effective in a variety of clinical settings.

Multitargeted Feeding Strategies Improve Nutrition Outcome and Are Associated With Reduced Pneumonia in a Level 1 Trauma Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Factors impeding delivery of adequate enteral nutrition (EN) to trauma patients include delayed EN initiation, frequent surgeries and procedures, and postoperative ileus. We employed 3 feeding strategies to optimize EN delivery: (1) early EN initiation, (2) preoperative no nil per os feeding protocol, and (3) a catch-up feeding protocol. This study compared nutrition adequacy and clinical outcomes before and after implementation of these feeding strategies. METHODS: All trauma patients aged ≥18 years requiring mechanical ventilation for ≥7 days and receiving EN were included. Patients who sustained nonsurvivable injuries, received parenteral nutrition, or were readmitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were excluded. EN data were collected until patients received an oral diet or were discharged from the ICU. The improvement was quantified by comparing nutrition adequacy and outcomes between April 2014-May 2015 (intervention) and May 2012-June 2013 (baseline). RESULTS: The intervention group (n = 118) received significantly more calories (94% vs 75%, P < .001) and protein (104% vs 74%, P < .001) than the baseline group (n = 121). The percentage of patients receiving EN within 24 and 48 hours of ICU admission increased from 41% to 70% and from 79% to 96% respectively after intervention (P < .001). Although there were fewer 28-ay ventilator-free days in the intervention group than in the baseline group (12 vs 16 days, P = .03), receipt of the intervention was associated with a significant reduction in pneumonia (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.89; P = .017) after adjusting sex and Injury Severity Score. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of multitargeted feeding strategies resulted in a significant increase in nutrition adequacy and a significant reduction in pneumonia.