Association of Symptomatic Venous Thromboembolism and BMI in Patients Undergoing Sports Medicine Knee Procedures: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to characterize the prevalence of venous thromboembolism (VTE; including deep vein thrombosis [DVT] and pulmonary embolism [PE]) after sports medicine knee procedures by a single surgeon at an academic institution, identify factors associated with increased risk of VTE, and determine risk factor thresholds for beyond which VTE risk is elevated. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that the prevalence of VTE after sports medicine knee procedures is low, but that increasing weight and body mass index (BMI) would be associated with elevated risk. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study analyzing sports medicine knee surgeries from 2017 to 2020 was conducted using current procedural terminology codes to identify cases. Optimal cutoff points for specific continuous patient characteristics were calculated to determine elevated risk of postoperative VTE. Overall VTE-free survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: Among the 724 eligible patients, there were 13 postoperative VTE events (1.79% prevalence; 12 DVTs, 1 DVT/PE). Increasing weight and BMI were significant risk factors for postoperative VTE (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively), with weight >94.7 kg and BMI >27.9 kg/m2 associated with elevated risk in male patients and weight >79.1 kg and BMI >28.1 kg/m2 associated with elevated risk for female patients. Cox regression demonstrated a significantly increased risk of postoperative VTE for male patients with BMI ≥27.9 kg/m2. CONCLUSION: Patients who undergo sports medicine knee surgery with increased weight and BMI are at an elevated risk of postoperative VTE. An individualized approach should be considered for chemoprophylaxis in patients with these risk factors. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Consider chemoprophylaxis in patients with increased weight and BMI who undergo sports medicine knee surgery since they are at an elevated risk of postoperative VTE.

Gastric intestinal metaplasia development in African American predominant United States population.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer significantly contributes to cancer mortality globally. Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is a stage in the Correa cascade and a premalignant lesion of gastric cancer. The natural history of GIM formation and progression over time is not fully understood. Currently, there are no clear guidelines on GIM surveillance or management in the United States. AIM: To investigate factors associated with GIM development over time in African American-predominant study population. METHODS: This is a retrospective longitudinal study in a single tertiary hospital in Washington DC. We retrieved upper esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs) with gastric biopsies from the pathology department database from January 2015 to December 2020. Patients included in the study had undergone two or more EGDs with gastric biopsy. Patients with no GIM at baseline were followed up until they developed GIM or until the last available EGD. Exclusion criteria consisted of patients age < 18, pregnancy, previous diagnosis of gastric cancer, and missing data including pathology results or endoscopy reports. The study population was divided into two groups based on GIM status. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard induced by patient demographics, EGD findings, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) status on the GIM status. RESULTS: Of 2375 patients who had at least 1 EGD with gastric biopsy, 579 patients were included in the study. 138 patients developed GIM during the study follow-up period of 1087 d on average, compared to 857 d in patients without GIM (P = 0.247). The average age of GIM group was 64 years compared to 56 years in the non-GIM group (P < 0.001). In the GIM group, adding one year to the age increases the risk for GIM formation by 4% (P < 0.001). Over time, African Americans, Hispanic, and other ethnicities/races had an increased risk of GIM compared to Caucasians with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.12 (1.16, 3.87), 2.79 (1.09, 7.13), and 3.19 (1.5, 6.76) respectively. No gender difference was observed between the study populations. Gastritis was associated with an increased risk for GIM development with an HR of 1.62 (1.07, 2.44). On the other hand, H. pylori infection did not increase the risk for GIM. CONCLUSION: An increase in age and non-Caucasian race/ethnicity are associated with an increased risk of GIM formation. The effect of H. pylori on GIM is limited in low prevalence areas.