Diagnostic accuracy of a high-sensitivity troponin I assay and external validation of 0/3 h rule out strategies.

AIMS: The timely diagnosis and exclusion of acute coronary syndromes in the Emergency Department (ED) remains a challenge. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay (Siemens TNIH) on serial sampling for ED patients as standalone test and in rule-out algorithms as recommendations remain assay specific. METHODS AND RESULTS: This secondary analysis from a prospective diagnostic accuracy study at 14 centres included ED patients presenting with chest pain of suspected cardiac nature. Serum drawn on arrival and 3 h later was batchtested for TNIH. The target condition was an adjudicated diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of absolute and relative delta criteria and four rule-out strategies. Of 802 included patients, 13.8% had AMI. Absolute delta criteria had superior accuracy to relative criteria (C-statistic 0.94 vs. 0.76, P < 0.001). However, no delta criteria achieved >95.5% sensitivity for AMI when used alone. Ruling out AMI with TNIH below the 99th percentile at 0 and 3 h had 88.3% (95% confidence interval 80.8-93.6%) sensitivity. The adapted European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/2 h algorithm had higher sensitivity (98.2%) than both High-STEACS (93.7%, P = 0.03) and the ESC 0/3 h algorithm (79.3%, P < 0.001). These pathways ruled out 63%, 74%, and 88% patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: With serial sampling over 3 h, the Siemens TNIH assay should be used with a validated algorithm incorporating bespoke cut-offs and absolute delta criteria. In our analysis, the adapted ESC 0/2 h algorithm had greatest sensitivity. 'Ruling out' AMI using the 99th percentile of the assay cannot be recommended.

The prognostic value of emergency department measured hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to assess the prognostic value of hypertension detected in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: The ED presents a unique opportunity to predict long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes with its potential for high-footfall, and large-scale routine data collection applied to underserved patient populations. A systematic review and meta-analyses were conducted to assess the prognostic performance and feasibility of ED-measured hypertension as a risk factor for long-term CVD outcomes. We searched MEDLINE and Embase databases and gray literature sources. The target populations were undifferentiated ED patients. The prognostic factor of interest was hypertension. Feasibility outcomes included prevalence, reliability, and follow-up attendance. Meta-analyses were performed for feasibility using a random effect and exact likelihood. RESULTS: The searches identified 1072 studies after title and abstract review, 53 studies had their full text assessed for eligibility, and 26 studies were included. Significant heterogeneity was identified, likely due to the international populations and differing study design. The meta-analyses estimate of prevalence for ED-measured hypertension was 0.31 (95% confidence interval  0.25-0.37). ED hypertension was persistent outside the ED (FE estimate of 0.50). The proportion of patients attending follow-up was low with an exact likelihood estimate of 0.41. Three studies examined the prognostic performance of hypertension and demonstrated an increased risk of long-term CVD outcomes. CONCLUSION: Hypertension can be measured feasibly in the ED and consequently used in a long-term cardiovascular risk prediction model. There is an opportunity to intervene in targeted individuals, using routinely collected data.

A diagnostic evaluation of single screen testing for malaria in the returning traveler: A large retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Screening for malaria in the returning traveler has often required repeat testing; however, audit data suggest that patients have not been reattending. We sought to ascertain if this was safe by examining the diagnostic efficacy of a single screen consisting of a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and a thin film. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with suspected malaria who attended in the past 5 years from two large teaching hospitals. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of a single screen, reporting measures of sensitivity and specificity. To establish a reference standard, we cross-linked data with the national malaria registry held at Public Health England and regional centers. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 1365 patients, of whom 33 opted out of the research and one did not have a complete initial screen. Of those 1331 screens there were 74 cases of Plasmodium falciparum (prevalence of 5.6%) and 104 of any malaria species (prevalence of 7.8%). Sensitivity for the detection of P. falciparum was 100.00% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 95.1 to 100), with a specificity of 99.4% (95% CI = 98.9 to 99.8). For the detection of any species of malaria the sensitivity was slightly lower due to the presence of one false negative; sensitivity was 99.0% (95% CI = 94.8 to 100) and specificity was 99.5% (95% CI = 98.9 to 99.8). CONCLUSIONS: A single thin film and RDT is likely to be sufficient as a first screen for falciparum malaria in the returning traveler with important caveats. For those sent home from emergency departments, appropriate safety netting must be provided. Further prospective study is required to investigate this approach.

Systematic literature search, review and dissemination methodology for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the study: SARS-CoV-2 has caused healthcare systems globally to reorganise. A pandemic paradox emerged; while clinicians were desperate for information on a new disease, they had less time to find and evaluate the vast volume of publications at times of significant strain on healthcare systems.A multidisciplinary team undertook a weekly literature search capturing all COVID-19 publications. We also monitored free open access medical education (FOAMed) sources for emerging themes. Title and abstract screening pooled the most relevant papers for emergency medicine. Three summary types were created, a 'Top 5 Flash Update', a journal club and a rapid response to emerging FOAMed themes. From these summaries, three modes of dissemination were used: short written summaries, blogs and podcasts. These were amplified through social media. Study design: A retrospective review was conducted assessing the impact of this knowledge dissemination strategy for the period of March to September 2020. Results: In total, 64 687 papers were identified and screened. Of the papers included in the 'Top 5', 28.3% were on epidemiology, 23.6% treatment, 16.7% diagnostics, 12% prognosis, 8.7% pathophysiology with the remaining 10.7% consisting of PPE, public health, well-being and 'other'. We published 37 blogs, 17 podcasts and 18 Top 5 Flash Updates. The blogs were read 138 343 times, the Top 5 Flash Updates 68 610 times and the podcasts had 72 501 listens. Conclusion: A combination of traditional academic and novel social media approaches can address the pandemic paradox clinicians are facing.

The HEART score for early rule out of acute coronary syndromes in the emergency department: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: The objective of this systematic review was to summarise the current evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of the HEART score for predicting major adverse cardiac events in patients presenting with undifferentiated chest pain to the emergency department. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two investigators independently searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases between 2008 and May 2016 identifying eligible studies providing diagnostic accuracy data on the HEART score for predicting major adverse cardiac events as the primary outcome. For the 12 studies meeting inclusion criteria, study characteristics and diagnostic accuracy measures were systematically extracted and study quality assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. After quality assessment, nine studies including data from 11,217 patients were combined in the meta-analysis applying a generalised linear mixed model approach with random effects assumption (Stata 13.1). In total, 15.4% of patients (range 7.3-29.1%) developed major adverse cardiac events after a mean of 6 weeks' follow-up. Among patients categorised as 'low risk' and suitable for early discharge (HEART score 0-3), the pooled incidence of 'missed' major adverse cardiac events was 1.6%. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of the HEART score for predicting major adverse cardiac events were 96.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 94.0-98.2%) and 47.0% (95% CI 41.0-53.5%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a HEART score of 0-3 are at low risk of incident major adverse cardiac events. As 3.3% of patients with major adverse cardiac events are 'missed' by the HEART score, clinicians must ask whether this risk is acceptably low for clinical implementation.

Association Between Health Beliefs and Gestational Weight Gain.

BACKGROUND: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) provides recommendations for optimal weight gain during pregnancy to minimize complications associated with obesity and excessive weight gain. The Health Belief Model and prior research suggest knowledge of health recommendations and associated risks motivate health behaviors. This study determined whether knowledge of maternal and infant obesity risks during pregnancy (ORDP) and knowledge of IOM gestational weight gain (GWG) recommendations were associated with total GWG and likelihood of adhering to IOM recommendations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective survey study, healthy women with a singleton pregnancy were recruited from prenatal clinic waiting rooms of a university medical center to complete a one-time survey of prepregnancy weight and height, demographic variables, knowledge of infant-related ORDP (e.g., large for gestational age), knowledge of maternal-related ORDP (e.g., Cesarean delivery), and knowledge of IOM GWG recommendations. Total GWG was obtained from clinic medical records. Logistic and multiple regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 159 women with average age of 25 and prepregnancy body mass index of 28. Women in the sample were predominantly African American (57%) and from low socioeconomic conditions. Results showed (1) knowledge of GWG recommendations was inversely related to total GWG among normal and underweight women and (2) knowledge of infant-related ORDP was positively related to total GWG among overweight and obese women and the likelihood of exceeding recommendations among normal and underweight women. Knowledge of maternal-related ORDP was not related to GWG. CONCLUSION: As the Health Belief Model suggests, knowledge appears to be a modifiable factor in preventing excess GWG. However, there may be misinformation regarding how to adhere to clinical recommendations.

Feasibility of the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (MACS) decision rule to safely reduce unnecessary hospital admissions: a pilot randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies suggest that the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (MACS) decision rule can effectively 'rule out' and 'rule in' acute coronary syndromes (ACS) following a single blood test. In a pilot randomised controlled trial, we aimed to determine whether a large trial is feasible. METHODS: Patients presenting to two EDs with suspected cardiac chest pain were randomised to receive care guided by the MACS decision rule (intervention group) or standard care (controls). The primary efficacy outcome was a successful discharge from the ED, defined as a decision to discharge within 4 hours of arrival providing that the patient did not have a missed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or develop a major adverse cardiac event (MACE: death, AMI or coronary revascularisation) within 30 days. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment and attrition rates. RESULTS: In total, 138 patients were included between October 2013 and October 2014, of whom 131 (95%) were randomised (66 to intervention and 65 controls). Nine (7%) patients had prevalent AMI and six (5%) had incident MACE within 30 days. All 131 patients completed 30-day follow-up and were included in the final analysis with no missing data for the primary analyses. Compared with standard care, a significantly greater proportion of patients whose care was guided by the MACS rule were successfully discharged within 4 hours (26% vs 8%, adjusted OR 5.45, 95% CI 1.73 to 17.11, p=0.004). No patients in either group who were discharged within 4 hours had a diagnosis of AMI or incident MACE within 30 days (0.0%, 95% CI 0% to 20.0% in the intervention group). CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot trial, use of the MACS rule led to a significant increase in safe discharges from the ED but a larger, fully powered trial remains necessary. Our findings seem to support the feasibility of that trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN 86818215. RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE REFERENCE: 13/NW/0081. UKCRN REGISTRATION ID: 14334.

An exploration of patients' experiences of participation in a randomised controlled trial of the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (MACS) decision rule.

BACKGROUND: As an important part of a pilot study to determine the feasibility of a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing use of the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (MACS) decision rule with standard care, we aimed to explore patient attitudes and potential barriers to participation in a trial of this nature. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study nested within a pilot RCT comparing use of the MACS rule (which could enable some patients with chest pain to be discharged earlier) with standard care. Semi-structured interviews with consenting participants were conducted with reference to a bespoke topic guide. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the Framework method with an inductive approach. RESULTS: The 10 interviewees expressed that participation in the trial was generally acceptable. All but one recommended participation to others. Participants who were in pain or anxious at the time of arrival reported that the initial invitation to participate in the trial was sometimes made too early. The approach was welcome, providing they had been given time to settle. Interviewees welcomed the opportunity that trial participation offered for them to play a more active role in their healthcare and to reduce unnecessary waiting time. Participants appeared to like the fact that participation in the trial might mean they could return home sooner and welcomed the provision of follow-up. Although several participants described being generally sceptical of medical research, they were amenable to participation in this trial. This appears to be because they agreed with the need for research in this field and perceived the intervention as non-invasive. CONCLUSIONS: Patients were positive about their participation in this RCT comparing the MACS rule with standard care. A number of areas for improving trial design were identified and should be considered in the planning of future large trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 86818215 RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE REFERENCE: 13/NW/0081 UKCRN REGISTRATION ID: 14334.

Does Body Satisfaction Help or Harm Overweight Teens? A 10-Year Longitudinal Study of the Relationship Between Body Satisfaction and Body Mass Index.

PURPOSE: This study examines the relationship between body satisfaction of overweight adolescents and 10-year changes in body mass index (BMI). METHODS: Participants who were overweight as adolescents (n = 496) were drawn from Project Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults (Project EAT), a 10-year longitudinal study. RESULTS: Among overweight girls, a significant difference in 10-year BMI change across baseline body satisfaction quartiles was observed. Overweight girls with the lowest body satisfaction at baseline had a nearly three unit greater increase in BMI at follow-up, compared with overweight girls in the high body satisfaction quartile; this difference has important clinical significance. Among overweight boys, no significant associations between body satisfaction quartile and change in BMI were not observed. CONCLUSION: Overall, findings indicate that among overweight adolescents, a high level of body satisfaction during adolescence was not harmful, and in fact may be beneficial for girls, in terms of long-term weight management. These findings refute the commonly held notion that overweight young people should be dissatisfied with their bodies to motivate positive change.

Factors associated with knowledge of personal gestational weight gain recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: Excess adiposity (obesity and excess gestational weight gain, GWG) during pregnancy (EADP) increases risk for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and child and maternal obesity. Personal GWG goals predict total GWG. Some estimates suggest only 30% of pregnant women have personal GWG goals that are congruent with Institute of Medicine GWG recommendations. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which perceived pre-pregnancy weight status, healthcare provider advice, knowledge of EADP risks, and value for healthy GWG predicted knowledge of GWG recommendations. The secondary purpose was to determine sources of GWG information among pregnant women. METHODS: Pregnant women with a confirmed singleton pregnancy completed a one-time survey in obstetric clinic waiting rooms. Logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: 246 predominantly African American, low income, overweight/obese women completed surveys. Average age was 25 (SD 5.3) and gestation age ranged from 7 to 40 weeks. Knowledge of pre-pregnancy weight status was the only unique predictor of GWG recommendation knowledge (B = .642, p = .03). The top three sources of GWG information were physicians, internet, and books. The least frequently reported sources of GWG information were other healthcare providers, community programs, and television. CONCLUSION: In low income diverse overweight/obese pregnant women, accurate pre-pregnancy weight status perception was the only significant unique predictor of knowledge of GWG recommendations. Physicians were the preferred source of GWG information. Clinicians should have frequent, ongoing conversations about weight status with women before, during, and after pregnancy.

Brief report: Teen sexting and psychosocial health.

The current study examines whether adolescents who report sexting exhibit more psychosocial health problems, compared to their non-sexting counterparts. Participants included 937 ethnically diverse male and female adolescents recruited and assessed from multiple high schools in southeast Texas. Measures included self-report of sexting, impulsivity, alcohol and drug use, and depression and anxiety symptoms. Teen sexting was significantly associated with symptoms of depression, impulsivity, and substance use. When adjusted for prior sexual behavior, age, gender, race/ethnicity, and parent education, sexting was only related to impulsivity and substance use. While teen sexting appears to correlate with impulsive and high-risk behaviors (substance use), we did not find sexting to be a marker of mental health.

Weight-related teasing from adolescence to young adulthood: longitudinal and secular trends between 1999 and 2010.

OBJECTIVE: To examine longitudinal trends from 1999-2010 in weight-related teasing as adolescents transition to young adulthood and to examine secular trends in teasing among early and middle adolescents over the same time period. DESIGN AND METHODS: To examine longitudinal changes we used data from 2,287 participants in Project EAT-III, an ongoing cohort that followed two age cohorts of adolescents from 1999 to 2010. Over the study period the younger cohort transitioned from early adolescence to early young adulthood and the older cohort transitioned from middle adolescence to middle young adulthood. To examine how levels of teasing among early and middle adolescents changed from 1999-2010 (secular trends), we compared baseline data from EAT-I to cross-sectional data from a new cohort of early and middle adolescents that was established in 2010. RESULTS: In 1999, 29% of early adolescent and 23% of middle adolescent females reported being teased. Approximately 18% of males in both age groups reported being teased in 1999. Longitudinal trends suggest that weight-related teasing remained stable among all subgroups as they transitioned to young adulthood, except among early adolescent males where teasing increased to 27% in early young adulthood. Analyses of age-matched secular trends show that teasing decreased by 10.4% among early adolescent females and by 7.6% among middle adolescent males from 1999-2010. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that interventions that focus on reducing weight-based discrimination are needed throughout adolescence and young adulthood. The secular decrease in weight-related teasing is promising, but the high prevalence of teasing remains a public health concern.

Impact of obesity on body image dissatisfaction and social integration difficulty in adolescent and young adult burn injury survivors.

Burn injury deformities and obesity have been associated with social integration difficulty and body image dissatisfaction. However, the combined effects of obesity and burn injury on social integration difficulty and body image dissatisfaction are unknown. Adolescent and young adult burn injury survivors were categorized as normal weight (n = 47) or overweight and obese (n = 21). Burn-related and anthropometric information were obtained from patients' medical records, and validated questionnaires were used to assess the main outcomes and possible confounders. Analysis of covariance and multiple linear regressions were performed to evaluate the objectives of this study. Obese and overweight burn injury survivors did not experience increased body image dissatisfaction (12 ± 4.3 vs 13.1 ± 4.4; P = .57) or social integration difficulty (17.5 ± 6.9 vs 15.5 ± 5.7; P = .16) compared with normal weight burn injury survivors. Weight status was not a significant predictor of social integration difficulty or body image dissatisfaction (P = .19 and P = .24, respectively). However, mobility limitations predicted greater social integration difficulty (P = .005) and body image dissatisfaction (P < .001), whereas higher weight status at burn was a borderline significant predictor of body image dissatisfaction (P = .05). Obese and overweight adolescents and young adults, who sustained major burn injury as children, do not experience greater social integration difficulty and body image dissatisfaction compared with normal weight burn injury survivors. Mobility limitations and higher weight status at burn are likely more important factors affecting the long-term social integration difficulty and body image dissatisfaction of these young people.

Teen sexting and its association with sexual behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of sexting behaviors as well as their relation to dating, sex, and risky sexual behaviors using a large school-based sample of adolescents. DESIGN: Data are from time 2 of a 3-year longitudinal study. Participants self-reported their history of dating, sexual behaviors, and sexting (sent, asked, been asked, and/or bothered by being asked to send nude photographs of themselves). SETTING: Seven public high schools in southeast Texas. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 948 public high school students (55.9% female) participated. The sample consisted of African American (26.6%), white (30.3%), Hispanic (31.7%), Asian (3.4%), and mixed/other (8.0%) teens. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Having ever engaged in sexting behaviors. RESULTS: Twenty-eight percent of the sample reported having sent a naked picture of themselves through text or e-mail (sext), and 31% reported having asked someone for a sext. More than half (57%) had been asked to send a sext, with most being bothered by having been asked. Adolescents who engaged in sexting behaviors were more likely to have begun dating and to have had sex than those who did not sext (all P < .001). For girls, sexting was also associated with risky sexual behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that teen sexting is prevalent and potentially indicative of teens' sexual behaviors. Teen-focused health care providers should consider screening for sexting behaviors to provide age-specific education about the potential consequences of sexting and as a mechanism for discussing sexual behaviors.

Teen dating violence and substance use following a natural disaster: does evacuation status matter?

OBJECTIVES: In September 2008, the Texas coast was directly hit by Hurricane Ike. Galveston Island was flooded by 4.25 m of storm surge, affecting most of the island's housing and infrastructure. The purpose of this study is to examine whether youth who did not evacuate (11 percent), and subsequently were exposed to Hurricane Ike, exhibit higher rates of substance use and physical and sexual teen dating violence (TDV; both perpetration and victimization) when compared with adolescents who did evacuate. SETTING: Public high school in southeast Texas that was in the direct path of Hurricane Ike. PARTICIPANTS: An anonymous survey was conducted in March 2009 to 1,048 high school students who returned to the Galveston Island post-storm (41 percent Hispanic, 23 percent African American, and 27 percent White). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Teen dating violence and substance use. RESULTS: Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios, adjusting for age and ethnicity, were computed. When compared with boys who evacuated, nonevacuating boys were more likely to perpetrate physical dating violence and sexual assault and to be a victim of sexual assault. Nonevacuating boys and girls were more likely to report recent use of excessive alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine than those who did evacuate. CONCLUSIONS: School personnel, medical personnel, and mental health service providers should consider screening for evacuation status in seeking to identify those adolescents who most need services after a natural disaster. In addition to addressing internalized emotions and psychological symptoms associated with experiencing trauma, intervention programs should focus on reducing externalized behavior such as substance use and TDV.

Obesity, body dissatisfaction, and emotional well-being in early and late adolescence: findings from the project EAT study.

PURPOSE: We tested the hypothesis that, at two different stages of adolescence, impairment in emotional well-being associated with obesity is mediated by body dissatisfaction (BD). METHODS: Self-reported measures of BD, emotional well-being (self-esteem, depressive mood), height and weight, and socio-demographic information were completed by the same female (n = 366) and male (n = 440) participants during early (mean age = 12.8 years) and late (17.3 years) adolescence. For each measure and at each time point, the hypothesis of mediation was tested using the methods suggested by Baron and Kenny (1986). RESULTS: The conditions of complete mediation were satisfied in all the six cases for which an effect of obesity on emotional well-being was observed. That is, in each of these cases, obesity was no longer associated with lower self-esteem or with higher depressive mood after the effects of BD were statistically controlled. Among females, there was no association between obesity and depressive mood at either time point. CONCLUSION: Impairment in the emotional well-being of overweight adolescents, where this is observed, may be primarily due to the effects of weight-related BD. This appears to be the case for both boys and girls and during both early and late adolescence. The findings are consistent with the view that BD is central to the health and well-being of children and adolescents who are overweight and that distress associated with negative body image may warrant greater attention in the context of obesity prevention and treatment programs.

Identifying correlates of young adults' weight behavior: survey development.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and psychometric properties of survey measures relevant to eating, physical activity, and weight-related behaviors among young adults. METHODS: Focus groups and reliability testing guided the development of the Project EAT-III survey. The final survey was completed by 2287 young adults. RESULTS: The systematic process employed led to a psychometrically sound and developmentally appropriate survey. Test-retest reliabilities for items included on the final survey were mostly moderate to good, and Cronbach alphas were >0.7 for 83% of developed scales. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies may find the systematic process used to be helpful in creating other weight-related surveys.