Observational study of organisational responses of 17 US hospitals over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has required significant modifications of hospital care. The objective of this study was to examine the operational approaches taken by US hospitals over time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a prospective observational study of 17 geographically diverse US hospitals from February 2020 to February 2021. OUTCOMES AND ANALYSIS: We identified 42 potential pandemic-related strategies and obtained week-to-week data about their use. We calculated descriptive statistics for use of each strategy and plotted percent uptake and weeks used. We assessed the relationship between strategy use and hospital type, geographic region and phase of the pandemic using generalised estimating equations (GEEs), adjusting for weekly county case counts. RESULTS: We found heterogeneity in strategy uptake over time, some of which was associated with geographic region and phase of pandemic. We identified a body of strategies that were both commonly used and sustained over time, for example, limiting staff in COVID-19 rooms and increasing telehealth capacity, as well as those that were rarely used and/or not sustained, for example, increasing hospital bed capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic varied in resource intensity, uptake and duration of use. Such information may be valuable to health systems during the ongoing pandemic and future ones.

Lumbar laminotomy for the intrathecal administration of nusinersen for spinal muscular atrophy: technical note and outcomes.

Nusinersen (Spinraza) is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved intrathecal medication for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Adult patients with SMA often undergo thoracolumbar fusion to treat neurogenic scoliosis, preventing thecal access. The authors report a laminotomy technique and the ease of intrathecal access in three SMA patients with prior thoracolumbar fusions.Patients were positioned in the lateral decubitus position or prone. Lumbar laminotomy was performed below the conus, between the lateral longitudinal rods, to preserve mechanical stability. Fluoroscopy provided real-time identification of instruments. Hardware was contoured with a carbide drill bit to develop the surgical window. Fiducial screws were placed along the perimeter for demarcation. Sublaminar wire removal caused dural defects that were repaired with a layer of dural substitute onlay and sealant. All patients successfully received nusinersen thecal injections via lumbar puncture by an interventional radiologist. Fluoroscopy time ranged from 6 to 36 seconds. No postoperative pseudomeningoceles, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, or wound complications occurred.For patients with SMA and posterior fusion from prior scoliosis treatment, lumbar laminotomy is an effective method for creating thecal access for the administration of nusinersen.