Inhaled Fluticasone Furoate for Outpatient Treatment of Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of inhaled glucocorticoids in shortening the time to symptom resolution or preventing hospitalization or death among outpatients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is unclear. METHODS: We conducted a decentralized, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled platform trial in the United States to assess the use of repurposed medications in outpatients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Nonhospitalized adults 30 years of age or older who had at least two symptoms of acute infection that had been present for no more than 7 days before enrollment were randomly assigned to receive inhaled fluticasone furoate at a dose of 200 µg once daily for 14 days or placebo. The primary outcome was the time to sustained recovery, defined as the third of 3 consecutive days without symptoms. Key secondary outcomes included hospitalization or death by day 28 and a composite outcome of the need for an urgent-care or emergency department visit or hospitalization or death through day 28. RESULTS: Of the 1407 enrolled participants who underwent randomization, 715 were assigned to receive inhaled fluticasone furoate and 692 to receive placebo, and 656 and 621, respectively, were included in the analysis. There was no evidence that the use of fluticasone furoate resulted in a shorter time to recovery than placebo (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% credible interval, 0.91 to 1.12; posterior probability of benefit [defined as a hazard ratio >1], 0.56). A total of 24 participants (3.7%) in the fluticasone furoate group had urgent-care or emergency department visits or were hospitalized, as compared with 13 participants (2.1%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.9; 95% credible interval, 0.8 to 3.5). Three participants in each group were hospitalized, and no deaths occurred. Adverse events were uncommon in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with inhaled fluticasone furoate for 14 days did not result in a shorter time to recovery than placebo among outpatients with Covid-19 in the United States. (Funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and others; ACTIV-6 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04885530.).

Recurrence and Survival After Minimally Invasive and Open Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: A Post Hoc Analysis of the Ensure Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of operative approach [open (OE), hybrid minimally invasive (HMIE), and total minimally invasive (TMIE) esophagectomy] on operative and oncologic outcomes for patients treated with curative intent for esophageal and junctional cancer. BACKGROUND: The optimum oncologic surgical approach to esophageal and junctional cancer is unclear. METHODS: This secondary analysis of the European multicenter ENSURE study includes patients undergoing curative-intent esophagectomy for cancer between 2009 and 2015 across 20 high-volume centers. Primary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and the incidence and location of disease recurrence. Secondary endpoints included among others R0 resection rate, lymph node yield, and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: In total, 3199 patients were included. Of these, 55% underwent OE, 17% HMIE, and 29% TMIE. DFS was independently increased post-TMIE [hazard ratio (HR): 0.86 (95% CI: 0.76-0.98), P = 0.022] compared with OE. Multivariable regression demonstrated no difference in absolute locoregional recurrence risk according to the operative approach [HMIE vs OE, odds ratio (OR): 0.79, P = 0.257; TMIE vs OE, OR: 0.84, P = 0.243]. The probability of systemic recurrence was independently increased post-HMIE (OR: 2.07, P = 0.031), but not TMIE (OR: 0.86, P = 0.508). R0 resection rates ( P = 0.005) and nodal yield ( P < 0.001) were independently increased after TMIE, but not HMIE ( P = 0.424; P = 0.512) compared with OE. OS was independently improved following both HMIE (HR: 0.79, P = 0.009) and TMIE (HR: 0.82, P = 0.003) as compared with OE. CONCLUSION: In this European multicenter study, TMIE was associated with improved surgical quality and DFS, whereas both TMIE and HMIE were associated with improved OS as compared with OE for esophageal cancer.

The Prognostic Impact of Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy on Survival after Esophagectomy following a Delayed Interval after Chemoradiotherapy; A Secondary Analysis of the DICE Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prognostic differences between minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) and open esophagectomy (OE) in patients with surgery after a prolonged interval (>12 wk) following chemoradiotherapy (CRT). BACKGROUND: Previously, we established that a prolonged interval after CRT prior to esophagectomy was associated with poorer long-term survival. METHODS: This was an international multi-center cohort study involving seventeen tertiary centers, including patients who received CRT followed by surgery between 2010-2020. Patients undergoing MIE were defined as thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approach. RESULTS: 428 patients (145 MIE and 283 OE) had surgery between 12 weeks and two years after CRT. Significant differences were observed in ASA grade, radiation dose, clinical T stage, and histological subtype. There were no significant differences between the groups in age, sex, BMI, pathological T or N stage, resection margin status, tumor location, surgical technique, or 90-day mortality. Survival analysis showed MIE was associated with improved survival in univariate (P=0.014), multivariate analysis after adjustment for smoking, T and N stage, and histology (HR=1.69; 95% CI 1.14 to 2.5) and propensity matched analysis (P=0.02). Further subgroup analyses by radiation dose and interval after CRT showed survival advantage for MIE, in 40-50Gy dose groups (HR=1.9; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.0), and in patients having surgery within six months of CRT (HR=1.6; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.2). CONCLUSION: MIE was associated with an improved overall survival compared to OE in patients with a prolonged interval from CRT to surgery. The mechanism for this observed improvement in survival remains unknown, with potential hypotheses including a reduction in complications and improved functional recovery after MIE.

Combining Thermal Desorption with Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry for Analyses of Breath Volatile Organic Compounds.

An instrument integrating thermal desorption (TD) to selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) is presented, and its application to analyze volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human breath is demonstrated for the first time. The rationale behind this development is the need to analyze breath samples in large-scale multicenter clinical projects involving thousands of patients recruited in different hospitals. Following adapted guidelines for validating analytical techniques, we developed and validated a targeted analytical method for 21 compounds of diverse chemical class, chosen for their clinical and biological relevance. Validation has been carried out by two independent laboratories, using calibration standards and real breath samples from healthy volunteers. The merging of SIFT-MS and TD integrates the rapid analytical capabilities of SIFT-MS with the capacity to collect breath samples across multiple hospitals. Thanks to these features, the novel instrument has the potential to be easily employed in clinical practice.

The anti-proliferative effects of a frankincense extract in a window of opportunity phase ia clinical trial for patients with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Boswellic acids, active components of frankincense, suppress tumor proliferation in vitro with a strong clinical trial safety profile in patients with inflammatory diseases. We performed a Phase Ia window of opportunity trial of Boswellia serrata (B. serrata) in patients with breast cancer to evaluate its biologic activity and safety. METHODS: Patients with invasive breast cancer were treated pre-operatively with B. Serrata (2400 mg/day PO) until the night before surgery for a median of 11 days (SD 6 days; range: 5-23 days). Paraffin-embedded sections from pretreatment diagnostic core biopsies and post-treatment surgical excisions were evaluated using a tunnel assay and immunohistochemistry staining with Ki-67 antibodies. A non-intervention retrospective control arm consisting of core and surgical tissue specimens from untreated patients was used to compare patients treated with B. Serrata. The change in proliferation and apoptosis between diagnostic core specimens and surgical specimens was compared between the control and treatment groups using a two-tailed paired t-test. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were enrolled, of which 20 received treatment, and 18 had sufficient tissue for IHC. There was an increase in percent change in proliferation from core biopsy to surgical excision in the control group (n = 18) of 54.6 ± 21.4%. In the B. serrata-treated group there was a reduction in proliferation between core biopsy and excision (n = 18) of 13.8 ± 11.7%. This difference was statistically significant between the control and B. serrata-treated groups (p = 0.008). There was no difference in change in apoptosis. There were no serious adverse events related to the drug. CONCLUSION: Boswellia serrata inhibited breast cancer proliferation and was well-tolerated in a Phase Ia window of opportunity trial.

Informatics and Computational Approaches for the Discovery and Optimization of Natural Product-Inspired Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 2'-O-Methyltransferase.

The urgent need for new classes of orally available, safe, and effective antivirals─covering a breadth of emerging viruses─is evidenced by the loss of life and economic challenges created by the HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 pandemics. As frontline interventions, small-molecule antivirals can be deployed prophylactically or postinfection to control the initial spread of outbreaks by reducing transmissibility and symptom severity. Natural products have an impressive track record of success as prototypic antivirals and continue to provide new drugs through synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and optimization decades after discovery. Here, we demonstrate an approach using computational analysis typically used for rational drug design to identify and develop natural product-inspired antivirals. This was done with the goal of identifying natural product prototypes to aid the effort of progressing toward safe, effective, and affordable broad-spectrum inhibitors of Betacoronavirus replication by targeting the highly conserved RNA 2'-O-methyltransferase (2'-O-MTase). Machaeriols RS-1 (7) and RS-2 (8) were identified using a previously outlined informatics approach to first screen for natural product prototypes, followed by in silico-guided synthesis. Both molecules are based on a rare natural product group. The machaeriols (3-6), isolated from the genus Machaerium, endemic to Amazonia, inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 2'-O-MTase more potently than the positive control, Sinefungin (2), and in silico modeling suggests distinct molecular interactions. This report highlights the potential of computationally driven screening to leverage natural product libraries and improve the efficiency of isolation or synthetic analog development.

Feasibility and safety of a surgical training program in total laparoscopic hysterectomy: Results of a pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: It is widely accepted total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) and vaginal hysterectomy are less invasive procedures compared to total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). However, rates of TAH remain unreasonably high. AIM: To pilot-test a model of training for practising obstetricians and gynaecologists (O&Gs) in TLH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Training of participating O&Gs was conducted across four hospitals in Queensland, Australia, while other O&Gs were observed as contemporary controls. Type of hysterectomy, details of the surgery, including adverse events, were collected from hospital medical records. RESULTS: Eleven O&Gs completed the pre-intervention and intervention training periods, and nine completed the post-intervention follow-up. TLH rates increased from 24% prior to 75% during and 68% after intervention. Overall, the uptake rate of TLH showed a two-fold increase during the intervention period (2.08, 95% CI: 1.16-8.56, P < 0.001) and a 12% increase was retained during the follow-up period (1.12, 95% CI: 0.54-4.02, P = 0.427). Pre-intervention, across all sites, 24% of hysterectomies were performed via TAH by the participating specialist trainees, which decreased to 13% during the intervention and 14% during follow-up. The rate of adverse events decreased from 13.5% at pre-intervention, to 6.4% during and 4.2% post-intervention. By comparison, no change in surgical approach or rate of adverse events was observed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a formal and structured surgical training program teaching TLH resulted in important benefits to trainees, patients and society in the four trial hospitals.

An International Multicenter Study Exploring Whether Surveillance After Esophageal Cancer Surgery Impacts Oncological and Quality of Life Outcomes (ENSURE).

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of surveillance on recurrence pattern, treatment, survival and health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) following curative-intent resection for esophageal cancer. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Although therapies for recurrent esophageal cancer may impact survival and HRQL, surveillance protocols after primary curative treatment are varied and inconsistent, reflecting a lack of evidence. METHODS: European iNvestigation of SUrveillance after Resection for Esophageal cancer was an international multicenter study of consecutive patients undergoing surgery for esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancers (2009-2015) across 20 centers (NCT03461341). Intensive surveillance (IS) was defined as annual computed tomography for 3 years postoperatively. The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS), secondary outcomes included treatment, disease-specific survival, recurrence pattern, and HRQL. Multivariable linear, logistic, and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Four thousand six hundred eighty-two patients were studied (72.6% adenocarcinoma, 69.1% neoadjuvant therapy, 45.5% IS). At median followup 60 months, 47.5% developed recurrence, oligometastatic in 39%. IS was associated with reduced symptomatic recurrence (OR 0.17 [0.12-0.25]) and increased tumor-directed therapy (OR 2.09 [1.58-2.77]). After adjusting for confounders, no OS benefit was observed among all patients (HR 1.01 [0.89-1.13]), but OS was improved following IS for those who underwent surgery alone (HR 0.60 [0.47-0.78]) and those with lower pathological (y)pT stages (Tis-2, HR 0.72 [0.58-0.89]). IS was associated with greater anxiety ( P =0.016), but similar overall HRQL. CONCLUSIONS: IS was associated with improved oncologic outcome in select cohorts, specifically patients with early-stage disease at presentation or favorable pathological stage post neoadjuvant therapy. This may inform guideline development, and enhance shared decision-making, at a time when therapeutic options for recurrence are expanding.

Multicenter, Prospective Cohort Study of Oesophageal Injuries and Related Clinical Outcomes (MUSOIC study).

OBJECTIVE: To identify prognostic factors associated with 90-day mortality in patients with oesophageal perforation (OP), and characterize the specific timeline from presentation to intervention, and its relation to mortality. BACKGROUND: OP is a rare gastro-intestinal surgical emergency with a high mortality rate. However, there is no updated evidence on its outcomes in the context of centralized esophago-gastric services; updated consensus guidelines; and novel non-surgical treatment strategies. METHODS: A multi-center, prospective cohort study involving eight high-volume esophago-gastric centers (January 2016 to December 2020) was undertaken. The primary outcome measure was 90-day mortality. Secondary measures included length of hospital and ICU stay, and complications requiring re-intervention or re-admission. Mortality model training was performed using random forest, support-vector machines, and logistic regression with and without elastic net regularisation. Chronological analysis was performed by examining each patient's journey timepoint with reference to symptom onset. RESULTS: The mortality rate for 369 patients included was 18.9%. Patients treated conservatively, endoscopically, surgically, or combined approaches had mortality rates of 24.1%, 23.7%, 8.7%, and 18.2%, respectively. The predictive variables for mortality were Charlson comorbidity index, haemoglobin count, leucocyte count, creatinine levels, cause of perforation, presence of cancer, hospital transfer, CT findings, whether a contrast swallow was performed, and intervention type. Stepwise interval model showed that time to diagnosis was the most significant contributor to mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Non-surgical strategies have better outcomes and may be preferred in selected cohorts to manage perforations. Outcomes can be significantly improved through better risk-stratification based on afore-mentioned modifiable risk factors.

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Versus Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Locally Advanced Esophageal Adenocarcinoma in the European Multicenter ENSURE Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare clinicopathologic, oncologic, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes following neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) and chemotherapy (nCT) in the ENSURE international multicenter study. BACKGROUND: nCT and nCRT are the standards of care for locally advanced esophageal cancer (LAEC) treated with curative intent. However, no published randomized controlled trial to date has demonstrated the superiority of either approach. METHODS: ENSURE is an international multicenter study of consecutive patients undergoing surgery for LAEC (2009-2015) across 20 high-volume centers (NCT03461341). The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS), secondary outcomes included histopathologic response, recurrence pattern, oncologic outcome, and HRQL in survivorship. RESULTS: A total of 2211 patients were studied (48% nCT, 52% nCRT). pCR was observed in 4.9% and 14.7% ( P <0.001), with R0 in 78.2% and 94.2% ( P <0.001) post nCT and nCRT, respectively. Postoperative morbidity was equivalent, but in-hospital mortality was independently increased [hazard ratio (HR)=2.73, 95% CI: 1.43-5.21, P= 0.002] following nCRT versus nCT. Probability of local recurrence was reduced (odds ratio=0.71, 95% CI: 0.54-0.93, P =0.012), and distant recurrence-free survival time reduced (HR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.37, P =0.023) after nCRT versus nCT, with no difference in OS among all patients (HR=1.10, 95% CI: 0.98-1.25, P =0.113). On subgroup analysis, patients who underwent R0 resection following nCT as compared with nCRT had improved OS (median: 60.7 months, 95% CI: 49.5-71.8 vs 40.8 months, 95% CI: 42.8-53.4, P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this European multicenter study, nCRT compared with nCT was associated with reduced probability of local recurrence but reduced distant recurrence-free survival for patients with LAEC, without differences in OS. These data support tailored patient-specific decision-making in the overall approach to achieving optimum outcomes in LAEC.

Delayed Surgical Intervention After Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Cancer: (DICE) Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of delayed surgical intervention following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on survival from esophageal cancer. BACKGROUND: CRT is a core component of multimodality treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer. The timing of surgery following CRT may influence the probability of performing an oncological resection and the associated operative morbidity. METHODS: This was an international, multicenter, cohort study, including patients from 17 centers who received CRT followed by surgery between 2010 and 2020. In the main analysis, patients were divided into 4 groups based upon the interval between CRT and surgery (0-50, 51-100, 101-200, and >200 days) to assess the impact upon 90-day mortality and 5-year overall survival. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression provided hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs adjusted for relevant patient, oncological, and pathologic confounding factors. RESULTS: A total of 2867 patients who underwent esophagectomy after CRT were included. After adjustment for relevant confounders, prolonged interval following CRT was associated with an increased 90-day mortality compared with 0 to 50 days (reference): 51 to 100 days (HR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.04-2.29), 101 to 200 days (HR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.37-3.35), and >200 days (HR=3.06, 95% CI: 1.64-5.69). Similarly, a poorer 5-year overall survival was also observed with prolonged interval following CRT compared with 0 to 50 days (reference): 101 to 200 days (HR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.17-1.70), and >200 days (HR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.24-2.17). CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged interval following CRT before esophagectomy is associated with increased 90-day mortality and poorer long-term survival. Further investigation is needed to understand the mechanism that underpins these adverse outcomes observed with a prolonged interval to surgery.

Global Urinary Volatolomics with (GC×)GC-TOF-MS.

Urinary volatolomics offers a noninvasive approach for disease detection and monitoring. Herein we present an improved methodology for global volatolomic profiling. Wide coverage was achieved by utilizing a multiphase sorbent for volatile organic compound (VOC) extraction. A single, midpolar column gas chromatography (GC) assay yielded substantially higher numbers of monitored VOCs compared to our previously reported single-sorbent method. Multidimensional GC (GC×GC) enhanced further biomarker discovery while data analysis was simplified by using a tile-based approach. At the same time, the required urine volume was reduced 5-fold from 2 to 0.4 mL. The applicability of the methodology was demonstrated in a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cohort where previous findings were confirmed while a series of additional VOCs with diagnostic potential were discovered.

A Complete Pipeline for Untargeted Urinary Volatolomic Profiling with Sorptive Extraction and Dual Polar and Nonpolar Column Methodologies Coupled with Gas Chromatography Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Volatolomics offers an opportunity for noninvasive detection and monitoring of human disease. While gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) remains the technique of choice for analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), barriers to wider adoption in clinical practice still exist, including: sample preparation and introduction techniques, VOC extraction, throughput, volatolome coverage, biological interpretation, and quality control (QC). Therefore, we developed a complete pipeline for untargeted urinary volatolomic profiling. We optimized a novel extraction technique using HiSorb sorptive extraction, which exhibited high analytical performance and throughput. We achieved a broader VOC coverage by using HiSorb coupled with a set of complementary chromatographic methods and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we developed a data preprocessing strategy by evaluating internal standard normalization, batch correction, and we adopted strict QC measures including removal of nonlinearly responding, irreproducible, or contaminated metabolic features, ensuring the acquisition of high-quality data. The applicability of this pipeline was evaluated in a clinical cohort consisting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients (n = 28) and controls (n = 33), identifying four urinary candidate biomarkers (2-pentanone, hexanal, 3-hexanone, and p-cymene), which can successfully discriminate the cancer and noncancer subjects. This study presents an optimized, high-throughput, and quality-controlled pipeline for untargeted urinary volatolomic profiling. Use of the pipeline to discriminate PDAC from control subjects provides proof of principal of its clinical utility and potential for application in future biomarker discovery studies.

The Biomarker Toolkit - an evidence-based guideline to predict cancer biomarker success and guide development.

BACKGROUND: An increased number of resources are allocated on cancer biomarker discovery, but very few of these biomarkers are clinically adopted. To bridge the gap between Biomarker discovery and clinical use, we aim to generate the Biomarker Toolkit, a tool designed to identify clinically promising biomarkers and promote successful biomarker translation. METHODS: All features associated with a clinically useful biomarker were identified using mixed-methodology, including systematic literature search, semi-structured interviews, and an online two-stage Delphi-Survey. Validation of the checklist was achieved by independent systematic literature searches using keywords/subheadings related to clinically and non-clinically utilised breast and colorectal cancer biomarkers. Composite aggregated scores were generated for each selected publication based on the presence/absence of an attribute listed in the Biomarker Toolkit checklist. RESULTS: Systematic literature search identified 129 attributes associated with a clinically useful biomarker. These were grouped in four main categories including: rationale, clinical utility, analytical validity, and clinical validity. This checklist was subsequently developed using semi-structured interviews with biomarker experts (n=34); and 88.23% agreement was achieved regarding the identified attributes, via the Delphi survey (consensus level:75%, n=51). Quantitative validation was completed using clinically and non-clinically implemented breast and colorectal cancer biomarkers. Cox-regression analysis suggested that total score is a significant driver of biomarker success in both cancer types (BC: p>0.0001, 95.0% CI: 0.869-0.935, CRC: p>0.0001, 95.0% CI: 0.918-0.954). CONCLUSIONS: This novel study generated a validated checklist with literature-reported attributes linked with successful biomarker implementation. Ultimately, the application of this toolkit can be used to detect biomarkers with the highest clinical potential and shape how biomarker studies are designed/performed.

The Influence of Social Determinants on Receiving Outpatient Treatment with Monoclonal Antibodies, Disease Risk, and Effectiveness for COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Limited research has studied the influence of social determinants of health (SDoH) on the receipt, disease risk, and subsequent effectiveness of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nMAbs) for outpatient treatment of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of SDoH variables on receiving nMAb treatments and the risk of a poor COVID-19 outcome, as well as nMAb treatment effectiveness across SDoH subgroups. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study utilizing electronic health record data from four health systems. SDoH variables analyzed included race, ethnicity, insurance, marital status, Area Deprivation Index, and population density. PARTICIPANTS: COVID-19 patients who met at least one emergency use authorization criterion for nMAb treatment. MAIN MEASURE: We used binary logistic regression to examine the influence of SDoH variables on receiving nMAb treatments and risk of a poor outcome from COVID-19 and marginal structural models to study treatment effectiveness. RESULTS: The study population included 25,241 (15.1%) nMAb-treated and 141,942 (84.9%) non-treated patients. Black or African American patients were less likely to receive treatment than white non-Hispanic patients (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.82-0.91). Patients who were on Medicaid, divorced or widowed, living in rural areas, or living in areas with the highest Area Deprivation Index (most vulnerable) had lower odds of receiving nMAb treatment, but a higher risk of a poor outcome. For example, compared to patients on private insurance, Medicaid patients had 0.89 (95% CI = 0.84-0.93) times the odds of receiving nMAb treatment, but 1.18 (95% CI = 1.13-1.24) times the odds of a poor COVID-19 outcome. Age, comorbidities, and COVID-19 vaccination status had a stronger influence on risk of a poor outcome than SDoH variables. nMAb treatment benefited all SDoH subgroups with lower rates of 14-day hospitalization and 30-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Disparities existed in receiving nMAbs within SDoH subgroups despite the benefit of treatment across subgroups.

Research protocol for the Paraesophageal hernia symptom tool, a prospective multi-center cohort study to identify the need and threshold for surgery and assess the symptom response to surgery.

Large hiatus hernias with a significant paraesophageal component (types II-IV) have a range of insidious symptoms. Management of symptomatic hernias includes conservative treatment or surgery. Currently, there is no paraesophageal hernia disease-specific symptom questionnaire. As a result, many clinicians rely on the health-related quality of life questionnaires designed for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GORD) to assess patients with hiatal hernias pre- and postoperatively. In view of this, a paraesophageal hernia symptom tool (POST) was designed. This POST questionnaire now requires validation and assessment of clinical utility. Twenty-one international sites will recruit patients with paraesophageal hernias to complete a series of questionnaires over a five-year period. There will be two cohorts of patients-patients with paraesophageal hernias undergoing surgery and patients managed conservatively. Patients are required to complete a validated GORD-HRQL, POST questionnaire, and satisfaction questionnaire preoperatively. Surgical cohorts will also complete questionnaires postoperatively at 4-6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and then annually for a total of 5 years. Conservatively managed patients will repeat questionnaires at 1 year. The first set of results will be released after 1 year with complete data published after a 5-year follow-up. The main results of the study will be patient's acceptance of the POST tool, clinical utility of the tool, assessment of the threshold for surgery, and patient symptom response to surgery. The study will validate the POST questionnaire and identify the relevance of the questionnaire in routine management of paraesophageal hernias.

Breath Testing in the Surgical Setting: Applications, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: The potential for exhaled breath to be a valuable diagnostic tool is often overlooked as it can be difficult to imagine how a barely visible sample of breath could hold such a rich source of information about the state of our health. However, technological advances over the last 50 years have enabled us to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in exhaled breath, and this provides the key to understanding the wealth of information contained within these readily available samples. SUMMARY: VOCs are produced as a by-product of metabolism; hence, changes in the underlying physiological processes will be reflected in the exact composition of VOCs in exhaled breath. It has been shown that characteristic changes occur in the breath VOC profile associated with certain diseases including cancer, which may enable the non-invasive detection of cancer at primary care level for patients with vague symptoms. The use of breath testing as a diagnostic tool has many advantages. It is non-invasive and quick, and the test is widely accepted by patients and clinicians. However, breath samples provide a snapshot of the VOCs present in a particular patient at a given point in time, so this can be heavily influenced by external factors such as diet, smoking, and the environment. These must all be accounted for when attempting to draw conclusions about disease status. This review focuses on the current applications for breath testing in the field of surgery, as well as discussing the challenges encountered with developing a breath test in a clinical environment. The future of breath testing in the surgical setting is also discussed, including the translation of breath research into clinical practice. KEY MESSAGES: Analysis of VOCs in exhaled breath can identify the presence of underlying disease including cancer as well as other infectious or inflammatory conditions. Despite the patient factors, environmental factors, storage, and transport considerations that must be accounted for, breath testing demonstrates ideal characteristics for a triage test, being non-invasive, simple, and universally acceptable to patients and clinicians. Many novel biomarkers and diagnostic tests fail to translate into clinical practice because their potential clinical application does not align with the requirements and unmet needs of the healthcare sector. Non-invasive breath testing, however, has the great potential to revolutionise the early detection of diseases, such as cancer, in the surgical setting for patients with vague symptoms.

The Influence of Mechanical Bowel Preparation on Volatile Organic Compounds for the Detection of Gastrointestinal Disease-A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: Colorectal cancer is the second commonest cause of cancer deaths worldwide; recently, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been proposed as potential biomarkers of this disease. In this paper, we aim to identify and review the available literature on the influence of mechanical bowel preparation on VOC production and measurement. (2) Methods: A systematic search for studies was carried out for articles relevant to mechanical bowel preparation and its effects on volatile organic compounds. A total of 4 of 1349 papers initially derived from the search were selected. (3) Results: Two studies with a total of 134 patients found no difference in measured breath VOC profiles after bowel preparation; one other study found an increase in breath acetone in 61 patients after bowel preparation, but no other compounds were affected. Finally, the last study showed the alteration of urinary VOC profiles. (4) Conclusions: There is limited data on the effect of bowel preparation on VOC production in the body. As further studies of VOCs are conducted in patients with symptoms of gastrointestinal disease, the quantification of the effect of bowel preparation on their abundance is required.

Effect of Fluvoxamine vs Placebo on Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The effectiveness of fluvoxamine to shorten symptom duration or prevent hospitalization among outpatients with mild to moderate symptomatic COVID-19 is unclear. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of low-dose fluvoxamine (50 mg twice daily) for 10 days compared with placebo for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in the US. Design, Setting, and Participants: The ongoing Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV-6) platform randomized clinical trial was designed to test repurposed medications in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19. A total of 1288 participants aged 30 years or older with test-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and experiencing 2 or more symptoms of acute COVID-19 for 7 days or less were enrolled between August 6, 2021, and May 27, 2022, at 91 sites in the US. Interventions: Participants were randomized to receive 50 mg of fluvoxamine twice daily for 10 days or placebo. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was time to sustained recovery (defined as the third day of 3 consecutive days without symptoms). There were 7 secondary outcomes, including a composite outcome of hospitalization, urgent care visit, emergency department visit, or death through day 28. Results: Among 1331 participants who were randomized (median age, 47 years [IQR, 38-57 years]; 57% were women; and 67% reported receiving ≥2 doses of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine), 1288 completed the trial (674 in the fluvoxamine group and 614 in the placebo group). The median time to sustained recovery was 12 days (IQR, 11-14 days) in the fluvoxamine group and 13 days (IQR, 12-13 days) in the placebo group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.96 [95% credible interval, 0.86-1.06], posterior P = .21 for the probability of benefit [determined by an HR >1]). For the composite outcome, 26 participants (3.9%) in the fluvoxamine group were hospitalized, had an urgent care visit, had an emergency department visit, or died compared with 23 participants (3.8%) in the placebo group (HR, 1.1 [95% credible interval, 0.5-1.8], posterior P = .35 for the probability of benefit [determined by an HR <1]). One participant in the fluvoxamine group and 2 participants in the placebo group were hospitalized; no deaths occurred in either group. Adverse events were uncommon in both groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Among outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19, treatment with 50 mg of fluvoxamine twice daily for 10 days, compared with placebo, did not improve time to sustained recovery. These findings do not support the use of fluvoxamine at this dose and duration in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04885530.

Effect of Higher-Dose Ivermectin for 6 Days vs Placebo on Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients With COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: It is unknown whether ivermectin, with a maximum targeted dose of 600 µg/kg, shortens symptom duration or prevents hospitalization among outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of ivermectin at a maximum targeted dose of 600 µg/kg daily for 6 days, compared with placebo, for the treatment of early mild to moderate COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: The ongoing Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines 6 (ACTIV-6) platform randomized clinical trial was designed to evaluate repurposed therapies among outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19. A total of 1206 participants older than 30 years with confirmed COVID-19 experiencing at least 2 symptoms of acute infection for less than or equal to 7 days were enrolled at 93 sites in the US from February 16, 2022, through July 22, 2022, with follow-up data through November 10, 2022. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to receive ivermectin, with a maximum targeted dose of 600 µg/kg (n = 602) daily, or placebo (n = 604) for 6 days. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was time to sustained recovery, defined as at least 3 consecutive days without symptoms. The 7 secondary outcomes included a composite of hospitalization, death, or urgent/emergent care utilization by day 28. Results: Among 1206 randomized participants who received study medication or placebo, the median (IQR) age was 48 (38-58) years, 713 (59.1%) were women, and 1008 (83.5%) reported receiving at least 2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses. The median (IQR) time to sustained recovery was 11 (11-12) days in the ivermectin group and 11 (11-12) days in the placebo group. The hazard ratio (posterior probability of benefit) for improvement in time to recovery was 1.02 (95% credible interval, 0.92-1.13; P = .68). Among those receiving ivermectin, 34 (5.7%) were hospitalized, died, or had urgent or emergency care visits compared with 36 (6.0%) receiving placebo (hazard ratio, 1.0 [95% credible interval, 0.6-1.5]; P = .53). In the ivermectin group, 1 participant died and 4 were hospitalized (0.8%); 2 participants (0.3%) were hospitalized in the placebo group and there were no deaths. Adverse events were uncommon in both groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Among outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19, treatment with ivermectin, with a maximum targeted dose of 600 µg/kg daily for 6 days, compared with placebo did not improve time to sustained recovery. These findings do not support the use of ivermectin in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04885530.