Analysing Monday discharges to identify lost opportunities for weekend discharge.

Lower rates of hospital discharge occur on weekends compared with weekdays. The authors performed a retrospective chart review of Monday discharges from the Hospital Medicine service at an academic hospital over a 3-month period to identify reasons for delayed discharge despite medical stability. Of 202 eligible patients, 81 (40%) had documentation indicating stability for earlier discharge. Common causes included bed availability or insurance authorisation at a skilled nursing facility, home care services and patient/family disagreement with discharge.

A retrospective analysis of the epidural use of bupivacaine 0.0625-0.125% with opioids in bitches undergoing cesarean section.

Epidural anesthesia, often used during cesarean surgery, can exacerbate hypotension from general anesthesia and delay discharge due to motor block. Decreasing the local anesthetic dose might reduce those complications. Cases of dogs undergoing cesarean section that were anesthetized without epidural (n = 29) (control) and dogs with low-dose epidural bupivacaine with fentanyl or buprenorphine (n = 37) were reviewed. The incidence of hypotension was equal between groups. Intraoperative opioids were administered more to control (93%) than to treated dogs (18%; P < 0.0001). Epidural bupivacaine 0.0625-0.125% combined with an opioid reduced the use of intraoperative opioids and did not exacerbate arterial hypotension during cesarean section in anesthetized dogs.

Analyse rétrospective de l'utilisation de bupivacaine 0,0625­0,125 % avec des opioïdes lors d'épidurale chez des chiennes soumises à une césarienne. L'anesthésie épidurale, souvent utilisée lors d'une césarienne, peut exacerber l'hypotension due à l'anesthésie générale et retarder le congé à cause d'un bloc moteur. Une diminution de la dose d'anesthésique local pourrait réduire ces complications. Une revue fut effectuée des cas de chiennes soumises à une césarienne et anesthésiées sans épidurale (n = 29) (témoin) et des chiennes avec une épidurale en utilisant une faible dose de bupivacaine avec du fentanyl ou de la buprenorphine (n = 37). L'incidence d'hypotension était égale entre les groupes. Des opioïdes intra-opératoires furent administrés plus fréquemment chez les témoins (93 %) que chez les animaux traités (18 %; P < 0,001). De la bupivacaine 0,0625­0,125 % en épidurale combinée à un opioïde réduisit l'utilisation d'opioïdes intra-opératoires et n'a pas exacerbé l'hypotension artérielle durant la césarienne chez des chiennes anesthésiées.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Lower levels of human milk adiponectin predict offspring weight for age: a study in a lean population of Filipinos.

Prior studies have reported a significant, inverse association between adiponectin in human milk and offspring growth velocity. Less is known about this association in populations characterised by a loss of weight for age z-scores (WAZs) in early life. We investigated the association between maternal body composition and milk adiponectin in a sample of Filipino mothers. We then tested for an association between milk adiponectin and size for age in their infants. A total of 117 Filipino mothers nursing infants from 0 to 24 months were recruited from Cebu, Philippines. Anthropometrics, interviews and milk samples were collected and analysed using standard protocols. Mean milk adiponectin in this sample was 7.47 ± 5.75 ng mL(-1) . Mean infant WAZ and weight for length (WLZ) decreased with age. Maternal body composition was not associated with milk adiponectin content. Milk adiponectin had a significant, positive association with infant WAZ and WLZ. Prior reports have found an inverse association between milk adiponectin and infant WAZ. Here, we report that in lean populations with lower milk adiponectin, there is a positive association with infant WAZ, possibly reflecting pleiotropic biological functions of adiponectin for post-natal growth. This study increases the understanding of normal biological variation in milk adiponectin and the consequences of low levels of milk adiponectin for offspring growth.

Evaluating Immune-Related Adverse Events Using PRO-CTCAE in a Phase II Study of Ipilimumab for Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer.

Introduction: Use of the Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) during chemotherapy is associated with decreased hospitalization rates, improved quality of life, and longer survival. Limited data exist on the benefit of this symptom assessment tool for monitoring immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Methods: We incorporated irAE-related items from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) PRO-CTCAE in a trial evaluating ipilimumab in combination with androgen deprivation therapy in 16 patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. For comparison, NCI's CTCAE version 4.0 was used by clinicians. Results: IrAE-related PRO-CTCAE surveys and matched CTCAEs (184 pairs) reporting abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, rash, and pruritus were collected at each treatment administration and during follow-up. Fatigue, diarrhea, rash, and pruritus were the symptoms most frequently reported by both patients and clinicians. Agreement was lowest for pruritus (κ = 0.10) and highest for rash (κ = 0.64). IrAEs were more commonly reported and of higher grade with PRO-CTCAE scores compared with CTCAE grades. Conclusion: PRO-CTCAEs focused on irAEs capture the patient's immunotherapy experience while complementing the clinician's toxicity assessment measures. Further study is needed to assess PRO-CTCAE's utility in identifying and managing irAEs.

Safety and Efficacy of BIND-014, a Docetaxel Nanoparticle Targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen for Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Phase 2 Clinical Trial.

Importance: Preferential delivery of docetaxel to tumors by prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted nanoparticles is clinically effective, and the selective reduction of PSMA-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) after treatment has implications for patient selection and disease monitoring. Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of BIND-014, a PSMA-directed docetaxel-containing nanoparticle, in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Design, Setting, and Participants: A multicenter open-label, phase 2 clinical trial of 42 chemotherapy-naive patients with progressing mCRPC after treatment with abiraterone acetate and/or enzalutamide was conducted from June 24, 2013, to June 10, 2016. Intervention: Treatment with BIND-014 at a dosage of 60 mg/m2 was given intravenously on day 1 of 21-day cycles in combination with prednisone until disease progression or unacceptable toxic effects occurred. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was radiographic progression-free survival according to Prostate Cancer Working Group 2 recommendations and Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1. Secondary end points included prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response (≥50% reduction from baseline) and changes in CTC number (from ≥5 to <5 cells per 7.5 mL of blood) (CellSearch). Changes in CTC number based on PSMA expression levels on CTCs were also evaluated (Epic Sciences). Results: Among the 42 patients (81% white), the median age was 66 (range, 50-85) years, and median number of doses received was 6 (range, 1-21). A PSA response was observed in 12 of 40 patients (30%; 95% CI, 18%-45%), measurable disease response in 6 of 19 (32% [95% CI, 15%-54%]), and CTC conversions in 13 of 26 (50%; 95% CI, 32%-68%). Median radiographic progression-free survival was 9.9 (95% CI, 7.1-12.6) months. With use of the Epic Sciences non-EPCAM-based CTC detection platform, CTCs were detected in 16 of 18 patients (89%); 11 of 18 (61%) had CTCs with PSMA expression above the analytical threshold level (PSMA positive) at baseline (range, 0.4-72.4 CTCs/mL). After treatment, PSMA-positive CTCs were preferentially reduced. Treatment-related adverse events included grade 1 or 2 fatigue (29 of 42 patients [69%]), nausea (23 [55%]), neuropathy (14 [33%]), and neutropenic fever (1 [2%]). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that treatment with BIND-014 is active and well tolerated in patients with chemotherapy-naive mCRPC. Antitumor activity may be related to PSMA expression levels on CTCs, which suggests that patients who are likely to benefit from this treatment can be identified before treatment is initiated. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01812746.