Exploring effects of atmospheric conditions in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by recurrent epistaxis, telangiectasias, and visceral arteriovenous malformations. Individuals with HHT often identify low humidity and temperature as detrimental to epistaxis severity. We set out to assess the relationship between humidity and temperature on epistaxis severity in patients with HHT. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study at an academic hospital with an HHT center between July 1, 2014 and January 1, 2022. The primary outcome of this study was ESS. Pearson correlation analyses and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to test the association between weather variables and epistaxis severity scre (ESS). Results were reported as coefficient and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-nine patients were included in the analysis. Through a Pearson correlation analysis, neither humidity (regression coefficient = -0.01; 95% CI, -0.006 to 0.003; p = 0.50), daily low temperature (regression coefficient = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.011 to 0.016; p = 0.72), or daily high temperature (regression coefficient = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.004 to 0.013; p = 0.32) were significantly correlated with ESS. In a multiple linear regression analysis, adjusting for both daily low temperature and humidity, medications taken, demographics, and genotype, neither daily low temperature (regression coefficient = -0.02; 95% CI, -0.04 to 0.01; p = 0.14) nor humidity (regression coefficient = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.01; p = 0.64) were significantly associated with ESS. CONCLUSION: We have shown in a large clinical sample that neither humidity nor temperature were strongly correlated with HHT patient epistaxis severity.

Efficacy of topical capsaicin for the treatment of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a clinical disorder characterized by abdominal pain and intractable vomiting among patients with chronic marijuana use. We sought to assess the efficacy of capsaicin to determine whether it could reduce ED length of stay in patients with CHS. METHODS: his retrospective observational study was conducted among patients with CHS. Patients were classified based on whether they received capsaicin, which was pseudorandomized and dependent on the pharmacist available. Outcomes included time to discharge, number of medications given, bounceback rate, and admission rate. Statistical analyses included t-tests, survival analyses, and cox regressions. RESULTS: 55 patients (35 capsaicin, 20 no capsaicin) met inclusion criteria. There was no difference in time to discharge between the experimental and control groups (4.46 h vs 3.52 h, p = 0.10), rounds of medications given (2.60 vs 3.54, p = 0.09), bounceback rate within 24 h (0.11 vs 0.10, p = 0.43), or admission rate to the hospital (0.19 vs 0.05, p = 0.07). A survival analysis and cox regression showed no difference in time to discharge. A subgroup analysis between patients who received capsaicin within their first two rounds of treatment had statistically significantly shorter length of stays than patients who received capsaicin afterwards, (4.83 h vs 7.09 h, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Topical capsaicin was not associated with shorter length of stays than no capsaicin. When given earlier during an ED visit, it is associated with a shorter length of stay than when given later.