Feasibility of Telemedicine in the Management Strategy of Patients With Lymphoma Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: On March 14, 2020, a state of alarm was declared in Spain due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Beyond this date, COVID-19 in the country changed the practice of oncologic care. OBJECTIVE: Since recurrent hospital visits were a potential risk factor for contagion, the aim of this prospective observational study was to analyze the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the health care of patients with lymphoma. METHODS: All data were obtained from the electronic medical record. Variables such as age, sex, reason of the visit, use of the patient portal, changes in management, enrollment in clinical trials, and COVID-19 infection were recorded. RESULTS: In all, 290 patients visited the lymphoma clinic, totaling 437 appointments. The median age was 66 (range 18-94) years, and 157 (54.1%) patients were male. Of them, 214 (73.8%) patients had only 1 visit to the clinic. Only 23 (7.9%) patients did not have access to the patient portal. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 78 (26.9%) patients remained in active treatment, 35 (12.1%) experienced delays in their treatments, and 6 (2.1%) experienced treatment discontinuation. During the follow-up, only 7 (2.4%) patients had a COVID-19 infection (6 cases with confirmed polymerase chain reaction test and 1 case with clinical suspicion). Despite the implementation of telemedicine strategies to avoid visits to the hospital, 66 (22.8%) patients had in-person visits at the lymphoma clinic. Patients who attended in-person consultations were younger than those who preferred telemedicine consultations (62 vs 66 years; P=.10) and had less use of the patient portal (17/224, 7.6% vs 6/66, 9%; P=.10), although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Patients who attended in-person visits were more likely to have had only 1 visit to the hospital (29/66, 43.9% vs 185/224, 82.6%; P<.001). Regarding the reason of in-person consultations, more patients were on active treatment in comparison to those using telemedicine resources (37/66, 56.1% vs 42/224, 18.3%; P<.001). Patients with a preference for telemedicine strategies had more surveillance visits (147/224, 65.6% vs 24/66, 36.4%; P<.001). Regarding treatment modifications, more treatment delays (29/224, 12.9% vs 6/66, 9.1%; P=.10) and more definite treatment discontinuations (6/224, 2.7% vs 0/66, 0%; P=.10) were seen in patients using telemedicine resources when compared to patients attending in-person visits, although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Regarding the type of therapy, patients attending in-person visits were more likely to receive an intravenous treatment rather than those using telemedicine (23/66, 62.2% vs 17/224, 40.5%; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine such as patient portals are feasible strategies in the management of patients with lymphoma during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a reduction of in-person visits to the hospital and a very low contagion rate.

Use of closed systems in the Hospital Pharmacy / Uso de los sistemas cerrados en el Servicio de Farmacia

Objective: In the setting of the increasing use of closed systems for reconstitution and preparation of these drugs, we intend to analyze the correct use of these systems in the Hospital Pharmacy, with the objective to minimize the risks of exposure not only for those professionals directly involved, but also for all the staff in the unit, taking also into account efficiency criteria. Method: Since some systems protect against aerosol formation but not from vapours, we decided to review which cytostatics should be prepared using an awl with an air inlet valve, in order to implement a new working procedure. We reviewed the formulations available in our hospital, with the following criteria: method of administration, excipients, and potential hazard for the staff handling them. We measured the diameters of the vials. We selected drugs with Level 1 Risk and also those including alcohol-based excipients, which could generate vapours. Outcomes: Out of the 66 reviewed formulations, we concluded that 11 drugs should be reconstituted with this type of awl: busulfan, cabazitaxel, carmustine, cyclophosphamide, eribulin, etoposide, fotemustine, melphalan, paclitaxel, temsirolimus and thiotepa; these represented an 18% of the total volume of formulations. Conclusions: The selection of healthcare products must be done at the Hospital Pharmacy, because the use of a system with an air valve inlet only for those drugs selected led to an outcome of savings and a more efficient use of materials. In our experience, we confirmed that the use of the needle could only be avoided when the awl could adapt to the different formulations of cytostatics, and this is only possible when different types of awls are available. Besides, connections were only really closed when a single awl was used for each vial. The change in working methodology when handling these drugs, as a result of this study, will allow us to start different studies about environmental contamination as a future line of work (AU)

Objetivo: En el contexto del auge de los sistemas cerrados para la reconstitución y preparación de estos fármacos, se propone analizar el uso correcto de estos sistemas en el servicio de farmacia, con el objetivo de minimizar los riesgos de exposición no solo de los trabajadores expuestos, sino de todos los trabajadores del servicio, atendiendo también a criterios de eficiencia. Método: Puesto que algunos sistemas protegen frente a la formación de aerosoles pero no frente a vapores, decidimos revisar qué citostáticos debían prepararse con un punzón que constase de una válvula de admisión de aire para implementar un nuevo procedimiento de trabajo. Se revisaron las presentaciones disponibles en nuestro hospital atendiendo a: vía de administración, excipientes y riesgo para el personal manipulador, y se midieron los diámetros de los viales. Se seleccionaron tanto los fármacos de riesgo 1 como aquellos cuyos excipientes incluyesen vehículos alcohólicos, susceptibles de formar vapores. Resultados: De las 66 presentaciones revisadas, un total de 11 fármacos debían reconstituirse con este tipo de punzón: busulfán, cabazitaxel, carmustina, ciclofosfamida, eribulina, etopósido, fotemustina, melfalán, paclitaxel, temsirolimús y tiotepa; representando un 18% respecto al volumen total de presentaciones. Conclusiones: La selección de los productos sanitarios debe realizarse desde los servicios de farmacia, ya que la utilización de un sistema con válvula de admisión de aire para tan solo los fármacos seleccionados supuso un ahorro y un empleo más eficiente del material. Desde nuestra experiencia comprobamos que el uso de la aguja solo podía relegarse si el punzón se adaptaba a las diferentes presentaciones de citostáticos, y esto solo se consigue disponiendo de varios tipos de punzones. Además, las conexiones solo estaban realmente cerradas si se utilizaba un punzón por cada vial. Con el cambio en la metodología de trabajo a la hora de manipular estos fármacos, producida como resultado de este estudio, se pretenden realizar estudios de contaminación ambiental en una línea de trabajo futuro (AU)

Use of closed systems in the Hospital Pharmacy.

OBJECTIVE: In the setting of the increasing use of closed systems for reconstitution and preparation of these drugs, we intend to analyze the correct use of these systems in the Hospital Pharmacy, with the objective to minimize the risks of exposure not only for those professionals directly involved, but also for all the staff in the unit, taking also into account efficiency criteria. METHOD: Since some systems protect against aerosol formation but not from vapours, we decided to review which cytostatics should be prepared using an awl with an air inlet valve, in order to implement a new working procedure. We reviewed the formulations available in our hospital, with the following criteria: method of administration, excipients, and potential hazard for the staff handling them. We measured the diameters of the vials. We selected drugs with Level 1 Risk and also those including alcohol-based excipients, which could generate vapours. OUTCOMES: Out of the 66 reviewed formulations, we concluded that 11 drugs should be reconstituted with this type of awl: busulfan, cabazitaxel, carmustine, cyclophosphamide, eribulin, etoposide, fotemustine, melphalan, paclitaxel, temsirolimus and thiotepa; these represented an 18% of the total volume of formulations. CONCLUSIONS: The selection of healthcare products must be done at the Hospital Pharmacy, because the use of a system with an air valve inlet only for those drugs selected led to an outcome of savings and a more efficient use of materials. In our experience, we confirmed that the use of the needle could only be avoided when the awl could adapt to the different formulations of cytostatics, and this is only possible when different types of awls are available. Besides, connections were only really closed when a single awl was used for each vial. The change in working methodology when handling these drugs, as a result of this study, will allow us to start different studies about environmental contamination as a future line of work.

Objetivo: En el contexto del auge de los sistemas cerrados para la reconstitución y preparación de estos fármacos, se propone analizar el uso correcto de estos sistemas en el servicio de farmacia, con el objetivo de minimizar los riesgos de exposición no solo de los trabajadores expuestos, sino de todos los trabajadores del servicio, atendiendo también a criterios de eficiencia. Método: Puesto que algunos sistemas protegen frente a la formación de aerosoles pero no frente a vapores, decidimos revisar qué citostáticos debían prepararse con un punzón que constase de una válvula de admisión de aire para implementar un nuevo procedimiento de trabajo. Se revisaron las presentaciones disponibles en nuestro hospital atendiendo a: vía de administración, excipientes y riesgo para el personal manipulador, y se midieron los diámetros de los viales. Se seleccionaron tanto los fármacos de riesgo 1 como aquellos cuyos excipientes incluyesen vehículos alcohólicos, susceptibles de formar vapores. Resultados: De las 66 presentaciones revisadas, un total de 11 fármacos debían reconstituirse con este tipo de punzón: busulfán, cabazitaxel, carmustina, ciclofosfamida, eribulina, etopósido, fotemustina, melfalán, paclitaxel, temsirolimús y tiotepa; representando un 18% respecto al volumen total de presentaciones. Conclusiones: La selección de los productos sanitarios debe realizarse desde los servicios de farmacia, ya que la utilización de un sistema con válvula de admisión de aire para tan solo los fármacos seleccionados supuso un ahorro y un empleo más eficiente del material. Desde nuestra experiencia comprobamos que el uso de la aguja solo podía relegarse si el punzón se adaptaba a las diferentes presentaciones de citostáticos, y esto solo se consigue disponiendo de varios tipos de punzones. Además, las conexiones solo estaban realmente cerradas si se utilizaba un punzón por cada vial. Con el cambio en la metodología de trabajo a la hora de manipular estos fármacos, producida como resultado de este estudio, se pretenden realizar estudios de contaminación ambiental en una línea de trabajo futuro.

Filgrastim therapy in a child with neutropenia induced by linezolid.

We describe the case of a young child with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, treated with linezolid. The child developed severe neutropenia after 5 months of treatment. Filgrastim was used, a drug that officially is not indicated for non-cytostatic drug-induced neutropenia. This allowed the fast recovery of the patient's neutrophil-count. However, more experience with the off-label use of filgrastrim is needed in the pediatric population.