Elevated Troponins and Diagnosis of Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the Emergency Department.

Background In the emergency department (ED), the diagnosis of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is primarily based on the presence or absence of elevated cardiac troponin levels, ECG changes, and clinical presentation. However, limited data exist regarding the incidence, clinical characteristics, and predictive value of different cardiac diagnostic tests and outcomes in patients with non-acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-related troponin elevation. Our study aimed to determine the percentage of patients with elevated troponin levels who had true ACS and identify various risk factors associated with true ACS in these patients. Methodology This was a single-center retrospective study. We performed a chart review of patients who presented to the ED from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2017, and were admitted to the hospital with an elevated cardiac troponin I level in the first 12 hours after ED presentation with a diagnosis of NSTEMI. True ACS was defined as (a) patients with typical symptoms of ischemia and ECG ischemic changes and (b) patients with atypical symptoms of myocardial ischemia or without symptoms of ischemia and new segmental wall motion abnormalities on echocardiogram or evidence of culprit lesion on angiography. A logistic regression model was used to determine the association between risk factors and true ACS. Results A total of 204 patients were included in this study. The mean age of the study group was 67.4 ± 14.5 years; 53.4% (n = 109) were male, and 57.4% (n = 117) were Caucasian. In our study, 51% of patients were found to have true ACS, and the remaining 49% had a non-ACS-related elevation in troponins. Most patients without ACS had alternate explanations for elevated troponin levels. The presence of chest pain (odds ratio (OR) = 3.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.8-7.7, p = 0.001), tobacco smoking (OR = 4, 95% CI = 1.06-3.8, p = 0.032), and wall motion abnormalities on echocardiogram (OR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.8-6.5, p = 001) were associated with increased risk of true ACS in patients with elevated troponins. Conclusions Cardiac troponin levels can be elevated in hospitalized patients with various medical conditions, in the absence of ACS. The diagnosis of ACS should not be solely based on elevated troponin levels, as it can lead to expensive workup and utilization of hospital resources.

Predictors of prolonged length of stay in adult patients with respiratory syncytial virus infections - a multi-center historical cohort study.

Objectives: Several studies have reported risk factors for severe disease and mortality in hospitalized adults with RSV infections. There is limited information available regarding the factors that affect the duration of a patient's hospital length of stay (LOS). Methods: This was a multicenter historical cohort study of adult patients hospitalized for laboratory-confirmed RSV in Southeast Michigan between January 2017 and December 2021. Hospitalized patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision 10 codes for RSV infection. Mean LOS was computed; prolonged LOS was defined as greater than the mean. Results: We included 360 patients with a mean age (SD) of 69.9 ± 14.7 years, 63.6% (229) were female and 63.3% (228) of white race. The mean hospital LOS was 7.1 ± 5.4 days. Factors associated with prolonged LOS in univariable analysis were old age, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, Charlson Weighted Index of Comorbidity (CWIC), home oxygen, abnormal chest x-ray (CXR), presence of sepsis, use of oxygen, and antibiotics at the time of presentation. Predictors for prolonged LOS on admission in multivariable analysis were age on admission (p < 0.001), smoking status (p = 0.001), CWIC (p = 0.038) and abnormal CXR (p = 0.043). Interpretation: Our study found that age on admission, smoking history, higher CWIC and abnormal CXR on admission were significantly associated with prolonged LOS among adult patients hospitalized with RSV infection. These findings highlight the significance of promptly recognizing and implementing early interventions to mitigate the duration of hospitalization for adult patients suffering from RSV infection.

Determining if the prognostic nutritional index can predict outcomes in community acquired bacterial pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) uses albumin levels and total lymphocyte count to predict the relationship between immune-nutritional state and prognosis in a variety of diseases, however it has not been studied in community acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). We conducted a historical cohort study to determine if there was an association between PNI and clinical outcomes in patients with CABP. METHODS: We reviewed 204 adult patients with confirmed CABP, and calculated admission PNI and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR). A comparative analysis was performed to determine the association of these values, as well as other risk factors, with the primary outcomes of 30-day readmissions and death. RESULTS: Of the 204 patients, 56.9% (116) were male, 48% (98) were black/African American and the mean age was 63.2 ± 16.1 years. The NLR was neither associated with death nor 30-day readmission. The mean PNI in those who survived was 34.7 ± 4.5, compared to 30.1 ± 6.5, in those who died, p < 0.001. From multivariable analysis after controlling for the Charlson score and age, every one-unit increase in the PNI decreased the risk of death by 13.6%. The PNI was not associated with readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that poor immune and nutritional states, as reflected by PNI, both contribute to mortality, with a significant negative correlation between PNI and death in CABP. PNI was predictive of mortality in this patient cohort; NLR was not. Monitoring of albumin and lymphocyte count in CABP can provide a means for prevention and early intervention.

Epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 by vaccination status: a multicenter historical cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 disease resulted in over six million deaths worldwide. Although vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated efficacy, breakthrough infections became increasingly common. There is still a lack of data regarding the severity and outcomes of COVID-19 among vaccinated compared to unvaccinated individuals. METHODS: This was a historical cohort study of adult COVID-19 patients hospitalized in five Ascension hospitals in southeast Michigan. Electronic medical records were reviewed. Vaccine information was collected from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test, analysis of variance, the chi-squared test, the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 341 patients, the mean age was 57.9 ± 18.3 years, 54.8% (187/341) were female, and 48.7% (166/341) were black/African American. Most patients were unvaccinated, 65.7%, 8.5%, and 25.8% receiving one dose or at least two doses, respectively. Unvaccinated patients were younger than fully vaccinated (p = 0.001) and were more likely to be black/African American (p = 0.002). Fully vaccinated patients were 5.3 times less likely to have severe/critical disease (WHO classification) than unvaccinated patients (p < 0.001) after controlling for age, BMI, race, home steroid use, and serum albumin levels on admission. The case fatality rate in fully vaccinated patients was 3.4% compared to 17.9% in unvaccinated patients (p = 0.003). Unvaccinated patients also had higher rates of complications. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated had more in-hospital complications, severe disease, and death as compared to fully vaccinated patients. Factors associated with severe COVID-19 disease included advanced age, obesity, low serum albumin, and home steroid use.

Using the Electronic Medical Record to Address Code Status Documentation: A Quality Improvement Project.

ABSTRACT: Code status (CS) is often overlooked while admitting patients to the hospital. This is important for patients with end-stage disease. This quality improvement project investigated whether a CS pop-up alert in the electronic medical record, combined with provider education, improved addressing CS. The project consisted of a baseline chart review, implementation of the alert and physician education, and a postintervention chart review. We reviewed 1828 charts at baseline and 1,775 at postintervention. From univariable analysis, there were improvements in addressing CS, being full code, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intubation, use of vasopressors, and cardioversion technique categories (all p < .001). Documentation of do not resuscitate did not change. From logistic regression, after controlling for age, race, end-stage liver disease, stroke, cancer, hospital unit, and sepsis, patients in the postintervention period were two times more likely to have CS addressed (odds ratio [OR] = 2.04, p < .001). There was a significant improvement in CS documentation from our interventions.

Clinical predictors and outcomes for Legionnaire's disease versus bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Legionnaires' disease (LD) is a serious sometimes fatal pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila. The clinical manifestations of LD may be similar to those by caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. As both conditions can be serious illnesses but requiring different antimicrobial therapies, factors that can help differentiate these types of pneumonias can be helpful in the clinical management of hospitalized patients with bacterial pneumonia. This study aimed to compare clinical features and indicators of disease progression in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia caused by L. pneumophila and bacteremic S. pneumoniae. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case comparison study of adult patients hospitalized with LD or S. pneumoniae. Data collected included demographic, clinical characteristics, and comorbidities, and outcomes. Data were analyzed using SPS vs 24.0. Multivariable analysis was done using logistic regression with a forward stepwise algorithm. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients met study criteria. The incidence of LD peaked in summer months and S. pneumoniae peaked in the winter quarter. From multivariable analysis predictors of LD were male gender (OR=21.6, p < 0.001), diarrhea (OR=4.5, p = 0.04), body mass index (BMI) (OR=1.13, p = 0.02), hyponatremia (OR=5.6, p = 0.03 and Charlson weighted index of comorbidity (CWIC) score (OR=0.61, p = 0.01). Patients with S. pneumoniae had higher rates of mechanical ventilation, septic shock, and death than those with LD. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that variables that may distinguish LD from S. pneumoniae include male gender, diarrhea, hyponatremia, higher temperature on admission, higher BMI and fewer comorbidities. Bacteremic S. pneumoniae was associated with poorer outcomes than LD including higher rates of septic shock, mechanical ventilation, ICU admission, and death.

A comparison of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) versus influenza during the pandemic: Can we distinguish COVID-19 from flu?

We conducted a retrospective chart review examining the demographics, clinical history, physical findings, and comorbidities of patients with influenza and patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Older patients, male patients, patients reporting fever, and patients with higher body mass indexes (BMIs) were more likely to have COVID-19 than influenza.

Tocilizumab: A retrospective multi-center cohort study of critically ill patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) can have a severe presentation characterized by a dysregulated immune response requiring admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Immunomodulatory treatments like tocilizumab were found to improve inflammatory markers and lung injury over time. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of tocilizumab treatment on critically ill patients with severe COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a multi-center retrospective cohort study of 154 adult patients admitted to the ICU for severe COVID-19 pneumonia between March 15 and May 8, 2020. Data were obtained by electronic medical record (EMR) review. The primary outcome of interest was mortality. RESULTS: Of 154 patients, 34 (21.4%) received tocilizumab. Compared to the non-treated group, the treated group was significantly younger, had fewer comorbidities, lower creatinine and procalcitonin levels, and higher alanine aminotransferase levels on admission. The treated group was more likely to receive supportive measures in the context of critical illness. The overall case fatality rate was 71.4%, and it was significantly lower in the treated than the non-treated (52.9 vs. 76.7%, p = 0.007). In multivariable survival analysis, tocilizumab treatment was associated with a 2.1 times lower hazard of mortality when compared to those who were not treated (hazard ratio: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.83; p = 0.009). The prevalence of secondary infection was higher in the treated group compared to the non-treated without significant difference (p = 0.17). CONCLUSION: Tocilizumab treatment for critically ill patients with COVID-19 resulted in a lower likelihood of mortality.

Predicting QT interval prolongation in patients diagnosed with the 2019 novel coronavirus infection.

INTRODUCTION: 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients frequently develop QT interval prolongation that predisposes them to Torsades de Pointes and sudden cardiac death. Continuous cardiac monitoring has been recommended for any COVID-19 patient with a Tisdale Score of seven or more. This recommendation, however, has not been validated. METHODS: We included 178 COVID-19 patients admitted to a non-intensive care unit setting of a tertiary academic medical center. A receiver operating characteristics curve was plotted to determine the accuracy of the Tisdale Score to predict QT interval prolongation. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify additional predictors. RESULTS: The area under the curve of the Tisdale Score was 0.60 (CI 95%, 0.46-0.75). Using the cutoff of seven to stratify COVID-19, patients had a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 7.6%. Risk factors independently associated with QT interval prolongation included a history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (OR, 6.42; CI 95%, 1.28-32.13), QTc ≥450 ms on admission (OR, 5.90; CI 95%, 1.62-21.50), and serum potassium ≤3.5 mmol/L during hospitalization (OR, 4.97; CI 95%, 1.51-16.36). CONCLUSION: The Tisdale Score is not a useful tool to stratify hospitalized non-critical COVID-19 patients based on their risks of developing QT interval prolongation. Clinicians should initiate continuous cardiac monitoring for patients who present with a history of ESRD, QTc ≥450 ms on admission or serum potassium ≤3.5 mmol/L.

Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in an outpatient setting.

BACKGROUND: The use of cisplatin is limited by the development of nephrotoxicity, with an incidence approaching 30%. It is unclear if a risk prediction score can effectively predict the development of nephrotoxicity throughout all cycles of cisplatin therapy among outpatients. METHODS: Retrospective, observational study evaluating adult patients receiving cisplatin in outpatient infusion centers from January 2009 to November 2019 (n = 186). A risk prediction score consisting of patient age, cisplatin dose, hypertension, and serum albumin was calculated to predict the risk of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. RESULTS: The incidence of nephrotoxicity was 23.7% overall, with 8.1% of patients developing cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity after the first dose. Patients who developed nephrotoxicity had a higher mean risk prediction score compared to patients who did not have nephrotoxicity (4.0 ± 2.0 versus 2.9 ± 2.1, p = 0.004, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated each 1-point increase in the risk prediction score increased the odds of nephrotoxicity by 26.5% (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.02-1.57, p = 0.034). Presence of diabetes mellitus increased the odds of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity (OR 3.66; 95% CI: 1.43-9.33, p = 0.007), whereas receipt of greater than or equal to 1 liter of 0.9% sodium chloride was protective, decreasing the odds of developing nephrotoxicity by 25%. CONCLUSION: By identifying patients at the highest risk of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, providers can individualize risk reduction strategies. The use of a risk prediction model successfully predicted the risk of nephrotoxicity throughout all cycles of cisplatin in an outpatient setting.

Pre-Operative Predictors of Concurrent Choledocholithiasis in Patients With Acute Calculus Cholecystitis: An External Validity Analysis.

Introduction Patients that are presented with acute calculus cholecystitis (AC) and elevated liver enzymes markers (LEM), often require evaluation for concurrent choledocholithiasis (CDL). Currently, evaluation guidelines follow the American Society of Gastroenterology Endoscopy (ASGE) recommendations. Objectives The aim of the study was to externally validate both ASGE and the Chisholm predictors in a community hospital patient cohort. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of patients who presented to Ascension Saint John hospital with AC and elevated LEM over a period of two years. Sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were used to test the external validity of ASGE and Chisholm algorithms. Results A total of 132 patients' charts were reviewed, and 87 patients included. Chisholm predictors SEN, SP, PPV and NPV were 50%, 82%, 18%, and 95% respectively versus 100%, 19%, 8%, 100% for the ASGE predictors model. In the ASGE module, SP and PPV can be significantly improved to 60% and 13%, respectively, by changing a few risk categories including age and LEM range. Conclusions External validation of the Chisholm module in our patient cohort showed that it would lead to a low referral rate for unnecessary imaging and thus might be more cost-effective, especially when compared to current ASGE recommendations which would have a higher referral rate. On the other hand, current ASGE recommendations successively labeled all the patients with CDL, while the Chisholm module missed around 50 percent. We also observed that with the current ASGE module, the referral rate for further imaging and diagnostic tests can be possibly improved by adjusting a few of the predictors including the age and the abnormal liver transaminases range, but this observation is arbitrary and will need to be validated in a larger cohort study.

A 90-second magnetocardiogram using a novel analysis system to assess for coronary artery stenosis in Emergency department observation unit chest pain patients.

BACKGROUND: Magnetocardiography (MCG) has been shown to non-invasively detect coronary artery stenosis (CAS). Emergency department (ED) patients with possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are commonly placed in an observation unit (OU) for further evaluation. Our objective was to compare a novel MCG analysis system with stress testing (ST) and/or coronary angiography (CA) in non-high risk EDOU chest pain patients. METHODS: This is a prospective pilot study of non-high risk EDOU chest pain patients evaluated with ST and/or CA that underwent a resting 90-second MCG scan between August 2017 and February 2018. A positive MCG scan was defined as having current dipole deviations with dispersion or splitting during the repolarization phase. ST, CA and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) 30 days and 6 months post-discharge assessed. RESULTS: Of 101 study patients, mean age was 56 years and 53.6% were male. MCG scan sensitivity with 95% CI was 27.3% [7.3%, 60.7%], specificity 77.8% [67.5%, 85.6%], PPV 13.0% [3.4%, 34.7%] and NPV 89.7% [80.3%, 95.2%] compared to ST, and 33.3% [7.5%, 70.7%], 78.3% [68.4%, 86.2%], 13% [5.2%, 29.0%] and 92.3% [88.2%, 95.1%] respectively compared to ST and CA. No patients had positive ST, CA or MACE 30 days and 6 months post-discharge. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests a resting 90-second MCG scan shows promise in evaluating EDOU chest pain patients for CAS and warrants further study as an alternative testing modality to identify patients safe for discharge. Larger studies are needed to assess accuracy of MCG using this novel analysis system.

Are Blacks at Higher Risk for Vancomycin-Related Acute Kidney Injury?

BACKGROUND: Black individuals have a higher lifetime risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease than whites. Vancomycin has a potential for nephrotoxicity. The objective of this study was to determine whether the incidence of AKI among patients being treated with vancomycin differs by race. METHODS: Retrospective study of adult (3 ≥18 years) inpatients who were on vancomycin for 348 hours between January 2012 and December 2014. Data on demographics, comorbid conditions, clinical characteristics, vancomycin dose, duration, and nephrotoxic drugs were collected. Patients with a creatinine clearance <30 mL/min or undergoing dialysis were excluded. RESULTS: We identified 1130 patients during the study period; 48.1% (544) were black. The overall incidence of AKI was 8.2% (10.1% blacks, 6.5% whites; P = .03). Independent predictors of AKI included black race (P = .011); higher Charlson score (P = .006); higher body mass index (BMI; P = .002); higher vancomycin trough level (P < .0001); and sepsis/systemic inflammatory response syndrome (<.0001), pneumonia (P = .001) or gastrointestinal/genitourinary (P = .025) as the source of infection. CONCLUSION: The incidence of vancomycin-related AKI was higher in blacks, independent of other risk factors. Based on our study, vancomycin trough levels and renal function need to be closely monitored in blacks.

Efficacy and Safety of Lumen-Apposing Stents for Management of Pancreatic Fluid Collections in a Community Hospital Setting.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided transmural drainage and necrosectomy employing lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) are used for treating pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) with excellent results from academic centers. Herein, we report the efficacy and safety of LAMS in the treatment of PFCs at a community hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the etiology of pancreatitis, type and size of PFCs, length of procedure, technical success, clinical success, adverse events, and stent removal. The primary outcome was the rate of clinical success, and secondary outcomes were technical success and adverse events. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients with a mean age of 54.1±6.5 years were included, 44% of which were men. The mean size of the PFCs was 9.7±5.0 cm (range, 3-21). The most common etiology of pancreatitis was alcohol (44%) followed by idiopathic causes (30%) and presence of gallstones (22%). The diagnosis was pseudocyst in 44.4% (12/27) and walled off necrosis in 55.6% (15/27) of patients. There was 100% technical success without any complications. Clinical success was achieved in 22 of 27 patients (81.5%) who underwent stent removal. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first to report that endoscopic therapy of PFCs using LAMS is safe and effective even in a community hospital setting with limited resources and support compared to large academic centers.

Real-world use of telavancin in the treatment of osteomyelitis.

This is a retrospective analysis of patients with osteomyelitis who received telavancin at some time during their treatment course. The primary outcome was the percent of patients cured or improved at the end of telavancin therapy (EOTT). The secondary outcome was the percent of patients cured or improved three months after discontinuation of telavancin therapy. There were 32 cases of osteomyelitis with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus identified in 17 (56.7%), methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus 2(6.6%), coagulase negative staphylococci 6 (20.0%) and other pathogens, 5 (16.7%). At EOTT, 87.5% of patients had their osteomyelitis cured and 94.6% had the infection cured at three months after telavancin was completed. The most common adverse events associated with telavancin were gastrointestinal in nature (nausea (25.8%), vomiting (9.7%) and diarrhea (3.2%)) followed by metallic taste (6.5%). A favorable outcome was achieved for many patients receiving the antimicrobial regimen that included telavancin for the treatment of osteomyelitis.

The association of psychiatric medication use with adherence in patients with HIV.

Over two million new cases of HIV infection will occur annually, worldwide. Triple drug anti-retroviral therapy (ART) decreases the viral load in patients with HIV, helping to stop progression of HIV infection to AIDs. Our study assessed how pharmacologic treatment for mental health issues affects medication adherence and viral load in patients with HIV. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 163 patients with HIV who had at least 2 visits at the HIV-clinic at Ascension St. John Hospital. Data were collected on demographics, medications, CD4 counts and viral loads. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test, the χ2 test, the Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression. "Poor Compliance" was defined as at least 2 consecutive visits with a CD4 count <200 µL and/or with viral load ≥100 IU/ml. Patients taking antidepressants were less likely to have poor compliance than those not on anti-depressants (6.3% vs. 22.3%, p = 0.04). A similar association was found for patients taking any psychiatric drug (7.0% vs. 23.5%, p = 0.02). On multivariable analysis, the odds of poor compliance were 6.3 times higher in patients who stopped HIV therapy for greater than one week between visits (p = 0.004) and 3.6 times lower in patients taking any psychiatric medication (p = 0.05).

Training Internal Medicine Residents to Provide Care and Treatment for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1-Infected Patients.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is now considered a chronic infection manageable on antiretroviral therapy. If trained in HIV care, primary care physicians would be well suited to work in consultation with infectious disease specialists to provide care for HIV patients. METHODS: Human immunodeficiency virus training was incorporated into our internal medicine residency program. All residents were given an internally developed preprogram survey about HIV infection to establish a baseline level of HIV knowledge; at the end of 1 year, a postprogram survey was distributed. These results were compared. Human immunodeficiency virus didactic lectures were mandatory for attendance. Human immunodeficiency virus training included methods of testing, treatment including all classes of antiretroviral therapy, and prevention methods. Additional, mandatory online training modules were used. All program year-2 residents were assigned to an outpatient HIV clinical rotation. RESULTS: Eighty-three residents participated. Residents received either 1 or 2 years of training. Results of preprogram scores and postprogram scores were calculated for each resident. Year 1-test scores preprogram were 52.2% vs postprogram 87.1%; year 2-test scores preprogram were 56.3% vs postprogram 89.8% (both P < .0001). There was no difference in posttest scores among residents who attended a clinical rotation. CONCLUSIONS: Residents showed significant improvement in HIV knowledge between preprogram and postprogram test scores. Postgraduate surveys showed among those who completed the survey, and most found the program helpful to in their current practice.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio: A prognostic tool in patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) portends a poor prognosis and survival to discharge rate. Prognostic markers such as interleukin-6, S-100 protein and high sensitivity C reactive protein have been studied as predictors of adverse outcomes after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC); however; these variables are not routine laboratory tests and incur additional cost making them difficult to incorporate and less attractive in assessing patient's prognosis. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker of adverse prognosis for many cardiovascular conditions and certain types of cancers and sepsis. We hypothesize that an elevated NLR is associated with poor outcomes including mortality at discharge in patients with IHCA. AIM: To determine the prognostic significance of NLR in patients suffering IHCA who achieve ROSC. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on all patients who had IHCA with the advanced cardiac life support protocol administered in a large urban community United States hospital over a one-year period. Patients were divided into two groups based on their NLR value (NLR < 4.5 or NLR ≥ 4.5). This cutpoint was derived from receiving operator characteristic curve analysis (area under the curve = 0.66) and provided 73% positive predictive value, 82% sensitivity and 42% specificity for predicting in-hospital death after IHCA. The primary outcome was death or discharge at 30 d, whichever came first. RESULTS: We reviewed 153 patients with a mean age of 66.1 ± 16.3 years; 48% were female. In-hospital mortality occurred in 65%. The median NLR in survivors was 4.9 (range 0.6-46.5) compared with 8.9 (0.28-96) in non-survivors (P = 0.001). A multivariable logistic regression model demonstrated that an NLR above 4.55 [odds ratio (OR) = 5.20, confidence interval (CI): 1.5-18.3, P = 0.01], older age (OR = 1.03, CI: 1.00-1.07, P = 0.05), and elevated serum lactate level (OR = 1.20, CI: 1.03-1.40, P = 0.02) were independent predictors of death. CONCLUSION: An NLR ≥ 4.5 may be a useful marker of increased risk of death in patients with IHCA.

Culturing practices and the care of the urinary catheter in reducing NHSN-defined catheter-associated urinary tract infections: The tale of two teaching hospitals.

We compared interventions to improve urinary catheter care and urine culturing in adult intensive care units of 2 teaching hospitals. Compared to hospital A, hospital B had lower catheter utilization, more compliance with appropriate indications and maintenance, but higher urine culture use and more positive urine cultures per 1,000 patient days.

Radiation Exposure in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients: How Much Is Too Much?

We aimed to determine median cumulative radiation exposure in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients, proportion of patients with high radiation exposure (above annual average radiation per person of 6.2 mSv), and determine risk factors for high exposure. This was a retrospective chart review of PICU patients up to 18 years of age admitted to a large community hospital over 2 years. Radiologic studies and radiation exposure were determined for each patient, and total hospital radiation exposure was classified as high (>6.2 mSv) or not (≤6.2 mSv). Median radiation exposure per patient was 0.2 mSv (interquartile range = 2.1) and 11.7% of patients received >6.2 mSv radiation during their hospitalization. Factors associated with high radiation exposure included admission for trauma or surgery, number of computed tomography scans, age, and PICU length of stay (all P < .0001). We concluded that subsets of PICU patients are at risk of high radiation exposure. Policies and protocols may help minimize radiation exposure among PICU patients.