Factors Associated With Inpatient Endoscopy Delay and its Impact on Hospital Length-of-Stay and 30-Day Readmission.

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS: Inpatient endoscopy delay (IED) negatively impacts the delivery of high-quality care. We aimed to identify factors associated with IED and evaluate its effect on hospital length-of-stay (LOS) and readmission. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of all inpatient endoscopies performed between November 2017 and November 2019 at a tertiary care center. IED was defined as the number of days elapsed between anticipated versus actual procedure day. Data were extracted from the endoscopy documentation software and via electronic chart review. Multivariate logistic regressions were modeled to determine variables associated with IED and hospital readmission. RESULTS: A total of 4239 inpatients (mean age, 58.3 years; 50.3% women) underwent endoscopic procedures during the study period of which 819 patients (19.3%) experienced a delay. IED resulted in a median prolonged LOS of 2 days (interquartile range, 1-2 days). Patients with IED were less likely to have an etiology identified on endoscopy (odds ratio [OR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63-0.86; P < .001). The 2 most common causes for delays were poor bowel preparation (n = 218; 27%) and lack of endoscopy personnel/unit availability (n = 197; 24.4%). Independent predictors of IED included: older age (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03; P = .03), female sex (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.03-1.40; P = .02), use of antithrombotics (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.08-1.57; P = .006), opioids (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.04-1.44; P = .012), being on contact isolation (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.09-1.75; P = .008), and colonoscopy (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.27-1.77; P < .001). Conversely, inpatients admitted to a dedicated GI medicine service were less likely to have IED (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.96; P = .02). IED was the only independent predictor of 30-day readmission (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.02-1.47; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: IED occurred frequently, unfavorably prolonged LOS, and was an independent risk factor for 30-day readmission. We provide a comprehensive analysis of actionable variables associated with IED that can be targeted to improve inpatient endoscopy delivery.

Clinical Characteristics and Adverse Impact of Hepatotoxicity due to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

INTRODUCTION: We conducted this study to characterize the incidence, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) hepatotoxicity. METHODS: Patients who received ICIs (with either single-agent or combination regimens) from January 1, 2010, to March 31, 2018, were identified. Hepatotoxicity was defined as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), in the absence of an alternate cause, and categorized as grade 3 (ALT 5-20× ULN) or grade 4 (ALT >20× ULN), according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 4.03. RESULTS: Among 5,762 patients, 100 (2%) developed hepatotoxicity, occurring in a higher proportion of recipients of combination therapy (9.2%) compared with monotherapy (up to 1.7%, P < 0.001). ICIs were discontinued permanently in 69 and temporarily in 31 patients. Sixty-seven patients received steroids, 10 of whom (14%) had recurrent hepatotoxicity after the steroid taper. Thirty-one patients resumed ICIs after ALT improvement, 8 of whom (26%) developed recurrent hepatotoxicity. Characteristics of liver injury, response to steroids, and outcomes were similar between 38 individuals with and 62 without possible pre-existing liver disease. The severity and outcome of hepatotoxicity due to combination therapy were not significantly different from monotherapy. There were 36 deaths. Two had liver failure at the time of death, both with progression of liver metastases and grade 3 hepatotoxicity. DISCUSSION: Clinically significant ICI-related hepatotoxicity was uncommon but led to permanent ICI discontinuation in the majority. ICIs were restarted in a sizable proportion of patients, most of whom did not experience recurrent hepatotoxicity.

Humanism Rounds: A Multifaceted "Back to Bedside" Initiative to Improve Meaning at Work for Internal Medicine Residents.

Introduction: Burnout is an increasingly prevalent problem among resident physicians. To address this problem, the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) created the Back to Bedside initiative, supporting resident-driven projects focused on increasing direct interactions with patients. In 2017, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Internal Medicine Residency received a Back to Bedside grant to develop and implement "Humanism Rounds," a multifaceted program which sought to promote personal connections between residents and patients and foster reflection about patients' non-clinical stories, with the hopes of reducing burnout and increasing residents' sense of meaning at work. Materials and Methods: Between 2018 and 2020, internal medicine residents were instructed on and encouraged to participate in Humanism Rounds. The program included three components: taking a "human history," bedside rounds focused on non-clinical concerns, and sharing patient stories with colleagues ("celebrations"). Residents were surveyed using institutional and ACGME surveys regarding burnout, meaning at work, and the clinical learning environment. Results: Three hundred eleven institutional (response rate, 74%) and 328 AGCME (response rate, 78%) surveys were completed and analyzed. Residents who actively engaged with Humanism Rounds reported more meaning and fulfillment at work (p < 0.001). During the period of this project, ratings of the learning environment and personal callousness improved among subgroups of residents. Conclusions: Baylor College of Medicine Internal Medicine residents who engaged with Humanism Rounds reported more meaning and fulfillment in their work. This program describes a low-cost model for other specialties and institutions to strengthen human connections and improve residents' experience during training. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02017-9.

Nutrition in Alcoholic Liver Disease: An Update.

Malnutrition is a change in body composition owing to disordered nutrition associated with a decrease in function and poor clinical outcomes. Malnutrition can result from overnutrition, undernutrition and inflammatory activity. Patients with alcoholic liver disease are at increased risk for malnutrition. In this article, we discuss the different methods used to assess malnutrition, prevalence of malnutrition, potential mechanisms underlying malnutrition, and its treatments in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Unexpected High Rates of Angiography and Angioembolization for Isolated Low-grade Renal Trauma: Results From a Large, Statewide, Trauma Database.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate usage of diagnostic angiography (DA) and renal angioembolization (RAE) for isolated renal injuries while assessing differences in utilization based on trauma-level designation. METHODS: Isolated renal injuries from 2000 to 2013 were identified in the prospectively maintained Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study database and stratified by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma kidney injury grade. Therapeutic intervention and International Classification of Diseases-9 codes identified DA and/or RAE performance, whereas renal injury was designated through Abbreviated Injury Scale codes. Univariate and multivariate models identified factors associated with utilization of DA or RAE. RESULTS: Of 449,422 patients entered into the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study from 2000 to 2013, 1628 (0.4%) isolated kidney injuries were identified. The majority of patients (1190/1628, 73.1%) experienced low-grade (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma I-III) renal trauma. Although isolated grade IV (41/350, 11.7%) or grade V (10/88, 11.4%) renal trauma patients underwent DA or RAE at a greater rate (P < .001), low-grade patients still underwent DA or RAE 4.3% (51/1190) of the time. Patients with grade I injuries were significantly more likely to undergo DA or RAE at level 1 trauma centers (odds ratio 5.4, 95% confidence interval 1.2-23.8, P = .03). CONCLUSION: Despite overwhelming evidence supporting conservative management for patients with isolated, low-grade traumatic renal injuries, contemporary utilization of DA and RAE in such patients treated at trauma centers is surprisingly high. Factors accounting for a significant increase in utilization at Level 1 trauma centers need to be further elucidated.

Collecting Duct Renal Cell Carcinoma Found to Involve the Collecting System During Partial Nephrectomy: A Case Report.

Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) is a rare and aggressive form of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) arising from the principal cells of the collecting duct. One third of cases present with metastatic disease, but many present in a manner similar to conventional RCC or urothelial carcinoma (UC). We discuss a case of CDC which presented as a small mass at the cortico-medullary junction, and was discovered at robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) to be grossly involving the collecting system. A 62-year-old man presented with a small renal mass suspicious for RCC, which was found on computed tomography (CT) after an episode of gross hematuria. After thorough workup, RPN was attempted; however, intraoperatively the mass was found to be involving the collecting system. Radical nephroureterectomy was performed, and the pathology report revealed CDC. CDC is a rare and aggressive form of RCC. While many cases are metastatic at diagnosis, most patients present with the incidental finding of a small renal mass. There are no reports of a CDC involving the collecting system at RPN after negative ureteroscopy preoperatively. The adjuvant therapeutic options for CDC are limited, and long term survival is poor.