Impact of COVID-19 vaccine-associated side effects on health care worker absenteeism and future booster vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Short-term side effects related to mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are frequent and bothersome, with the potential to disrupt work duties and impact future vaccine decision-making. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors more likely to lead to vaccine-associated work disruption, employee absenteeism, and future vaccine reluctance among healthcare workers (HCWs). HYPOTHESIS: Side effects related to COVID vaccination: 1- frequently disrupt HCW duties, 2- result in a significant proportion of HCW absenteeism, 3- contribute to uncertainty about future booster vaccination, 4- vary based on certain demographic, socioeconomic, occupational, and vaccine-related factors. METHODS: Using an anonymous, voluntary electronic survey, we obtained responses from a large, heterogeneous sample of COVID-19-vaccinated HCWs in two healthcare systems in Southern California. Descriptive statistics and regression models were utilized to evaluate the research questions. RESULTS: Among 2,103 vaccinated HCWs, 579 (27.5%) reported that vaccine-related symptoms disrupted their professional responsibilities, and 380 (18.1%) missed work as a result. Independent predictors for absenteeism included experiencing generalized and work-disruptive symptoms, and receiving the Moderna vaccine [OR = 1.77 (95% CI = 1.33 - 2.36), p < 0.001]. Physicians were less likely to miss work due to side effects (6.7% vs 21.2% for all other HCWs, p < 0.001). Independent predictors of reluctance toward future booster vaccination included lower education level, younger age, having received the Moderna vaccine, and missing work due to vaccine-related symptoms. CONCLUSION: Symptoms related to mRNA vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 may frequently disrupt work duties, lead to absenteeism, and impact future vaccine decision-making. This may be more common in Moderna recipients and less likely among physicians. Accordingly, health employers should schedule future booster vaccination cycles to minimize loss of work productivity.

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among Healthcare Workers in Southern California: Not Just "Anti" vs. "Pro" Vaccine.

In this study, we evaluated the status of and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination of healthcare workers in two major hospital systems (academic and private) in Southern California. Responses were collected via an anonymous and voluntary survey from a total of 2491 participants, including nurses, physicians, other allied health professionals, and administrators. Among the 2491 participants that had been offered the vaccine at the time of the study, 2103 (84%) were vaccinated. The bulk of the participants were middle-aged college-educated White (73%), non-Hispanic women (77%), and nursing was the most represented medical occupation (35%). Political affiliation, education level, and income were shown to be significant factors associated with vaccination status. Our data suggest that the current allocation of healthcare workers into dichotomous groups such as "anti-vaccine vs. pro-vaccine" may be inadequate in accurately tailoring vaccine uptake interventions. We found that healthcare workers that have yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine likely belong to one of four categories: the misinformed, the undecided, the uninformed, or the unconcerned. This diversity in vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers highlights the importance of targeted intervention to increase vaccine confidence. Regardless of governmental vaccine mandates, addressing the root causes contributing to vaccine hesitancy continues to be of utmost importance.

Evolving White Matter Injury following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury.

This study is unique in that it examines the evolution of white matter injury very early and at 12 months post-injury in pediatric patients following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was acquired at two time-points: acutely at 6-17 days and 12 months following a complicated mild (cMild)/moderate (mod) or severe TBI. Regional measures of anisotropy and diffusivity were compared between TBI groups and against a group of age-matched healthy controls and used to predict performance on measures of attention, memory, and intellectual functioning at 12-months post-injury. Analysis of the acute DTI data using tract based spatial statistics revealed a small number of regional decreases in fractional anisotropy (FA) in both the cMild/mod and severe TBI groups compared with controls. These changes were observed in the occipital white matter, anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC)/basal ganglia, and corpus callosum. The severe TBI group showed regional differences in axial diffusivity (AD) in the brainstem and corpus callosum that were not seen in the cMild/mod TBI group. By 12-months, widespread decreases in FA and increases in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and radial diffusivity (RD) were observed in both TBI groups compared with controls, with the overall number of regions with abnormal DTI metrics increasing over time. The early changes in regional DTI metrics were associated with 12-month performance IQ scores. These findings suggest that there may be regional differences in the brain's reparative processes or that mechanisms associated with the brain's plasticity to recover may also be region based.

A conservative approach to select patients with ischemic wounds is safe and effective in the setting of deferred revascularization.

OBJECTIVE: The Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection classification system has been validated to predict benefit from inmediate revascularization and major amputation risk among patients with peripheral arterial disease. Our primary goal was to evaluate wound healing, limb salvage, and survival among patients with ischemic wounds undergoing revascularization when intervention was deferred by a trial of conservative wound therapy. METHODS: All patients with peripheral arterial disease and tissue loss are prospectively enrolled into our Prevention of Amputation in Veterans Everywhere limb preservation program. Limbs are stratified into a validated pathway of care based on predetermined criteria (immediate revascularization, conservative treatment, primary amputation, and palliative care). Limbs allocated to the conservative strategy that failed to demonstrate adequate wound healing and were candidates, underwent deferred revascularization. Rates of wound healing, freedom from major amputation, and survival were compared between patients who underwent deferred revascularization with those who received immediate revascularization by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Between January 2008 and December 2017, 855 limbs were prospectively enrolled into the Prevention of Amputation in Veterans Everywhere program. A total of 203 limbs underwent immediate revascularization. Of 236 limbs stratified to a conservative approach, 185 (78.4%) healed and 33 (14.0%) underwent deferred revascularization (mean, 2.7 ± 2.6 months). The mean long-term follow-up was 51.7 ± 37.0 months. Deferred compared with immediate revascularization demonstrated similar rates of wound healing (66.7% vs 57.6%; P = .33), freedom from major amputation (81.8% vs 74.9%; P = .39), and survival (54.5% vs 50.7%; P = .69). After adjustment for overall Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection stratification stages, deferred revascularization remained similar to immediate revascularization for wound healing (hazard ratio [HR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7-3.2), freedom from major amputation (HR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.3-1.7) and survival (HR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.6-2.4). CONCLUSIONS: Limbs with mild to moderate ischemia that fail a trial of conservative wound therapy and undergo deferred revascularization achieve similar rates of wound healing, limb salvage, and survival compared with limbs undergoing immediate revascularization. A stratified approach to critical limb ischemia is safe and can avoid unnecessary procedures in selected patients.

Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus Class D Aortoiliac Lesions: A Comparison of Endovascular and Open Surgical Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical and safety outcomes between two groups of patients with Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus class D (TASC II D) aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD): those with higher-risk comorbidity who underwent endovascular reconstruction and those with lower-risk comorbidity who underwent surgical bypass. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thirty-two consecutive patients with symptomatic TASC II D AOID who underwent surgical bypass or endovascular reconstruction from 2012 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Lesion characteristics, technical approach, survival, limb salvage, patency, and change in clinical symptoms were analyzed. RESULTS. Nineteen patients with higher comorbidity underwent endovascular reconstruction, whereas 13 patients with lower comorbidity underwent surgical bypass. Patients undergoing endovascular reconstruction had an older median age (67.0 vs 62.0 years; p = 0.007), higher rates of hypertension (94.7% vs 61.5%; p = 0.018) and coronary artery disease (26.3% vs 0%; p = 0.044), and advanced renal impairment (mean [± SD] chronic kidney disease stage, 1.4 ± 1.5 vs 0.7 ± 1.3; p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in Rutherford classification between the groups. During long-term follow-up of 2.76 years, endovascular reconstruction and surgical bypass showed equivalent rates of survival (89.5% vs 84.6%; p = 0.683), limb salvage (100.0% vs 92.3%; p = 0.219), and primary or primary-assisted patency (85% vs 85%; p = 0.98). Groups showed similar clinical improvements in walking distance, rest pain, and tissue loss at 30 days (95% vs 85%; p = 0.158) and at long-term follow-up (74% vs 62%; p = 0.599). CONCLUSION. For properly selected patients, the clinical outcomes of endovascular reconstruction versus surgical bypass for TASC II D AOID may be equivalent at 2.5 years after the procedure. The decreased operative risk associated with endovascular reconstruction suggests that it is the technique of choice for high-risk patients.

Early Surgical Referral for Penetrating Aortic Ulcer Leads to Improved Outcome and Overall Survival.

BACKGROUND: The natural history of penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU) has been variably described and clear guidelines are lacking. We reviewed our experience with PAUs in a tertiary referral center. METHODS: Imaging reports from January 2010 to December 2017 were retrospectively searched for the diagnosis of "penetrating aortic ulcer." Diagnosis was confirmed by review of imaging studies. Patient demographics, presenting symptoms, and anatomic characteristics were collected and analyzed for associations with need for surgical intervention, aortic complication, and overall survival. RESULTS: One hundred six patients with PAU were identified. Locations included 57 (53.8%) aortic arch, 24 (22.6%) descending thoracic, and 25 (23.5%) abdominal aorta. Dissection was present in 12 (11.4%) and acute rupture in 4 (3.8%) cases. At presentation, 57 (53.8%) patients were symptomatic. Forty-six (43.8%) patients were evaluated by cardiothoracic or vascular surgeons. Thirteen (12.3%) underwent surgical or endovascular repair and 10 (10.4%) had a change in medical management. Long-term follow-up (LTFU) was available in 30 patients for a mean of 36.5 ± 29.2 months. Twenty-one (70%, 21/30) demonstrated disease stability or resolution and 9 (30%, 9/30) worsened with 3 undergoing surgery. No PAU ruptured during follow-up. Patient demographics, presenting symptoms, and PAU morphology did not predict disease progression. Referral to a cardiovascular surgeon at initial presentation was associated with a 40% decreased likelihood of disease progression (P = 0.046) and a 60% survival advantage at LTFU (P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: PAU disease progression occurs in 30% of patients at LTFU of 36.5 ± 29.2 months. All patients identified with PAU on diagnostic imaging should be referred for a surgical evaluation and follow-up, as referral to cardiovascular surgeon is associated with improved disease course.

Analysis of intraoperative radiation use in vascular surgery: Catalyst for quality improvement in patient and personnel safety.

OBJECTIVES: There is paucity in the literature reporting radiation usage analysis in vascular surgery. In the era of endovascular surgeries, analyzing the surgeons' use of radiation in vascular procedures can help establish quality improvement initiatives. METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of intraoperative fluoroscopic-guided vascular surgery procedures at a single institution from 2010 to 2017. Mobile C-arms were utilized to gather the six radiation usage metrics and cases were categorized into 6 anatomic surgical fields and 10 surgical procedure types. RESULTS: Three hundred and eighteen vascular surgery cases were analyzed and notable trends in all radiation usage metrics were identified both across the surgical field location and type of surgical procedure. The highest cumulative dose was identified in embolization cases with a mean of 932.5 mGy. The highest fluoroscopic time was seen in atherectomies with a mean of 2629.6 s. In terms of surgical field, the highest cumulative does and fluoroscopic time was identified in abdomen/pelvis procedures with a mean of 352.1 mGy and 1186.8 s, respectively. Analysis of dose reduction techniques also demonstrated notable trends. CONCLUSIONS: There were notable trends in the analyzed radiation usage variables both across the surgical field location and type of surgical procedure. Specifically, cases that involve the abdomen/pelvis, embolization and atherectomy have the highest radiation use. These types of cases can be targeted for future improved dose reduction techniques or staged procedures. This data can serve as baseline information for future quality improvement initiatives for patient and personnel radiation exposure safety.

Cerebral Microhemorrhage: A Frequent Magnetic Resonance Imaging Finding in Pediatric Patients after Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to estimate the incidence and burden of cerebral microhemorrhage (CM) in patients with heart disease who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), as detected on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), a magnetic resonance (MR) sequence that is highly sensitive to hemorrhagic products. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With Institutional Review Board waiver of consent, MR imaging (MRI) of a cohort of 86 consecutive pediatric patients with heart failure who underwent heart transplantation evaluation were retrospectively reviewed for CM. A nested case-control study was performed. The CPB group consisted of 23 pediatric patients with heart failure from various cardiac conditions who underwent CPB. The control group was comprised of 13 pediatric patients with similar cardiac conditions, but without CPB history. Ten patients in the CPB group were female (age: 5 days to 16 years at the time of the CPB and 6 days to 17 years at the time of the MRI). The time interval between the CPB and MRI ranged from 11 days to 4 years and 5 months. Six patients in the control group were female, age range of 2 days to 6 years old. The number of CM on SWI was counted by three radiologists (PK, EK and DK). The differences in number of CM between groups were tested for significance using Mann-Whitney U-test, α = 0.05. Using the univariate analysis of variance model, the differences in number of CM between groups were also tested with adjustment for age at MRI. RESULTS: There are statistically significant differences in CM on SWI between the CPB group and control group with more CM were observed in the CPB group without and with adjustment for age at MRI (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure of CPB is associated with increased prevalence and burden of CM among pediatric patients with heart failure.

Ultrasound demonstration of testicular microlithiasis in pediatric patients: is there an association with testicular germ cell tumors?

BACKGROUND: There is suggestion that testicular microlithiasis predicts risk of testicular malignancy, especially testicular germ cell tumors. This association remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively reviewed testicular germ cell tumor occurrence in patients with testicular microlithiasis to assess this association and determined the prevalence of testicular microlithiasis in symptomatic boys. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was IRB and HIPAA compliant. Two-thousand six-hundred twenty-five testicular US exams performed on 2,266 children (younger than 19 years of age) in our institution from 2000 through 2011 were reviewed for presence of testicular microlithiasis and masses. Testicular microlithiasis was defined as presence of five or more testicular microcalcifications on a single US image. Incidence of testicular germ cell tumors was calculated in a group of patients with testicular microlithiasis and in a control group without testicular microlithiasis. Relative risk, odds ratio, 90% and 95%CI were calculated. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients out of 2,266 had testicular microlithiasis. One child was found to have both testicular germ cell tumor and testicular microlithiasis. In 2,179 children without testicular microlithiasis, 8 had testicular germ cell tumors. Incidence of testicular microlithiasis was 3.8%. Incidence of testicular germ cell tumors in testicular microlithiasis patients was 1.2%, and 0.38% in non-testicular microlithiasis patients. Relative risk of testicular germ cell tumors in testicular microlithiasis patients vs. non-testicular microlithiasis patients was 3.13 (90%CI: 0.55-17.76; 95%CI: 0.40-24.76), odds ratio 3.16 (90%CI: 0.55-18.32; 95%CI: 0.39-25.5). CONCLUSION: There is no association between testicular microlithiasis and testicular germ cell tumors. We had hoped to do a meta-analysis, but only two studies had a sufficient case control group of non-testicular microlithiasis patients.

Predicting outcomes of traumatic brain injury by imaging modality and injury distribution.

Early prediction of outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often difficult. To improve prognostic accuracy soon after trauma, we compared different radiological modalities and anatomical injury distribution in a group of adult TBI patients. The four methods studied were computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging, and susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI). The objective of this study was to identify which modality and anatomic model best predict outcome. The patient population consisted of 38 adults admitted between February 2001 and May 2003. Early CT, T2WI, FLAIR, and SWI were obtained for each patient as well as a Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) between 0.1 and 22 months (mean 9.2 months) after injury. Using a semi-automated computer method, intraparenchymal lesions were traced, measured, and converted to lesion volumes based on slice thickness and pixel size. Lesions were assigned to zones and regions. Outcomes were dichotomized into good (GOS 4-5) and poor (GOS 1-3) outcome groups. Brain injury detected by imaging was analyzed by median total lesion volume, median volume per lesion, and median number of lesions per outcome group. T2WI and FLAIR imaging most consistently discriminated between good and poor outcomes by median total lesion volume, median volume per lesion, and median number of lesions. In addition, T2WI and FLAIR imaging most consistently discriminated between good and poor outcomes by zonal distribution. While SWI rarely discriminated by outcome, it was very sensitive to intraparenchymal injury and its optimal use in evaluating TBI is unclear. SWI and other new imaging modalities should be further studied to fully evaluate their prognostic utility in TBI evaluation.