Demographics and outcomes of hemoglobin genotype in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and sickle cell disease in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with poor outcomes in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. However, there is a paucity of data comparing hemoglobin (Hb) genotypes in SCD and infection outcomes. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify the record of hospitalizations with COVID-19 and SCD in 2020 using the International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision codes. Study outcomes (invasive mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, shock, vasopressor use, measures of resource utilization, and in-hospital mortality) were compared between hemoglobin SS, SC, and S-beta thalassemia (Sß). RESULTS: Of the 102 975 COVID-19 hospitalizations with SCD, 87.26% had HbSS, 7.16% had HbSC, and 5.58% had HbSß. Younger patients were more likely to have HbSS, while older patients were likely to have HbSC and HbSß. HbSS was more frequent with Blacks, while HbSß was more prevalent with Whites and Hispanics. Though measures of resource utilization were higher in HbSS, there was no significant difference in in-hospital outcomes between the three genotypes. CONCLUSION: There is no difference in COVID-19 outcomes among Hb genotypes in SCD. Further studies are needed to explore the reasons for this observation.

Prevalence and outcomes of pulmonary embolism with sickle cell disease: Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2016-2020.

INTRODUCTION: The outcomes of pulmonary embolism (PE) in sickle cell disease (SCD) are poorly established in the literature. This study examined the prevalence and outcomes of patients with PE and SCD. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify patients' data with a diagnosis of PE and SCD in the United States from 2016 to 2020 using the International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision codes. Logistic regression was used to compare outcomes between those with and without SCD. RESULTS: Of the 405 020 patients with PE, 1504 (0.4%) had SCD, and 403 516 (99.6%) did not have SCD. The prevalence of PE with SCD was stable. Patients in the SCD group were more likely to be female (59.5% vs. 50.6%; p < .0001), Black (91.7% vs. 54.4%; p < .0001), with a lower rate of comorbidities. The SCD group had higher in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.08-1.84; p = .012) but lower catheter-directed thrombolysis (OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.08-0.64; p = .005), mechanical thrombectomy (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.41-0.64; p < .0029), and inferior vena cava filter placement (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.33-0.66; p < .001). CONCLUSION: In-hospital mortality remains high in PE with SCD. A proactive approach, including maintaining a high index of suspicion for PE, is needed to reduce in-hospital mortality.

Outcomes of COVID-19 hospitalizations in patients with sickle cell disease: A nationwide analysis.

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of data on the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the United States. We examined the outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and SCD. METHODS: We utilized the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to identify the data of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and SCD in 2020 using the International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision codes. In-hospital outcomes (invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality) were compared between SCD and non-SCD groups. RESULTS: Of the 1 057 550 COVID-19 hospitalizations, 2870 (0.3%) had SCD. The median age of the SCD group was 42 (IQR: 31) vs. 66 (IQR: 23) in the non-SCD group (p < .0001). Patients with SCD were likely to be females (62.02% vs. 37.98%, p < .0001), Blacks (87.81% vs. 12.19%, p < .0001), and in the lowest income quartile (50.62% vs. 11.15%, p < .0001). There was no difference in the outcomes between the two groups. There were increased odds of invasive mechanical ventilation and in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 in Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Blacks (except for in-hospital mortality) compared to Whites. CONCLUSION: In-hospital mortality and invasive mechanical ventilation outcomes in SCD are comparable to that in non-SCD patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Pituitary Metastases From Differentiated Thyroid Cancers: A Systematic Review.

Background: Pituitary metastasis (PM) from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is extremely rare and may adversely affect outcomes. We aimed to assess the characteristics and outcomes of patients with PM from DTC. Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature on publications on PM and the different DTC histologic types (papillary, follicular, and Hurthle cell cancers). Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) were searched for articles published from 1967 to 2022. Survival time was estimated as the period from the first treatment of PM to the time of death or last follow-up. Results: Twenty-five articles comprising 27 cases that met the eligibility criteria were identified using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The median age of the patients was 60 years (23 - 86). A preponderance of females (66.7%) with PM most commonly reported papillary thyroid cancer (55.6%). This was followed by follicular thyroid cancer (37.0%) and Hurthle cell cancer (7.4%). The most common presentations were headache, nausea, and vomiting, with visual symptoms in 44.4%. Diabetes insipidus was an infrequent finding (7.4%). The median time from diagnosis or first treatment of DTC to the diagnosis of PM was 3 years (0 - 25). The most common endocrine abnormality was hyperprolactinemia (63.2%), while the most frequently deficient hormone was luteinizing hormone (50%). The most common treatment modality for PM was a combination of radiotherapy and surgery with or without radio-iodine. At the end of the follow-up, 30% of the patients died. Only 33.3% of the patients achieved complete resolution of symptoms. The overall median survival time was 12 months (3 - 108). There was a moderate inverse correlation between the age of patients and survival, which was, however, not statistically significant (rs = -0.45, P = 0.103). Conclusion: PM from DTC is extremely rare, and Hurtle cell cancer appears to be the least associated with PM. Diabetes insipidus is a rare initial manifestation of PM from DTC. Complete resolution of symptoms is less likely to be achieved in PM from DTC. Older age may confer an increased survival tendency, probably due to more intracranial space volume in older people compared to the younger population. Larger studies are needed to examine the relationship between age and survival in PM from DTC. Also, more observational data are required to determine the predictors of survival and compare the efficacy of the different treatment modalities in patients with PM from DTC.

Acute separate and combined effects of cannabinoid and nicotinic receptor agonists on MMN-indexed auditory deviance detection in healthy humans.

The high prevalence of concomitant cannabis and nicotine use has implications for sensory and cognitive processing. While nicotine tends to enhance function in these domains, cannabis use has been associated with both sensory and cognitive impairments, though the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Additionally, the interaction of the nicotinic (nAChR) and cannabinoid (CB1) receptor systems has received limited study in terms of sensory/cognitive processes. This study involving healthy volunteers assessed the acute separate and combined effects of nabilone (a CB1 agonist) and nicotine on sensory processing as assessed by auditory deviance detection and indexed by the mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related potential. It was hypothesized that nabilone would impair auditory discriminability as shown by diminished MMN amplitudes, but not when administered in combination with nicotine. 20 male non-smokers and non-cannabis-users were assessed using a 5-stimulus 'optimal' multi-feature MMN paradigm within a randomized, placebo controlled design (placebo; nabilone [0.5 mg]; nicotine [6 mg]; and nicotine + nabilone). Treatment effects were region- and deviant-dependent. At the temporal regions (mastoid sites), MMN was reduced by nabilone and nicotine separately, whereas co-administration resulted in no impairment. At the frontal region, MMN was enhanced by co-administration of nicotine and nabilone, with no MMN effects being found with separate treatment. These neural effects have relevance for sensory/cognitive processes influenced by separate and simultaneous use of cannabis and tobacco and may have treatment implications for disorders associated with sensory dysfunction and impairments in endocannabinoid and nicotinic cholinergic neurotransmission.