Psychosocial Factors and 30-Day Hospital Readmission among Individuals Receiving Maintenance Dialysis: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND: Thirty-day hospital readmissions are common among maintenance dialysis patients. Prior studies have evaluated easily measurable readmission risk factors such as comorbid conditions, laboratory results, and hospital discharge day. We undertook this prospective study to investigate the associations between hospital-assessed depression, health literacy, social support, and self-rated health (separately) and 30-day hospital readmission among dialysis patients. METHODS: Participants were recruited from the University of North Carolina Hospitals, 2014-2016. Validated depression, health literacy, social support, and self-rated health screening instruments were administered during index hospitalizations. Multivariable logistic regression models with 30-day readmission as the dependent outcome were used to examine readmission risk factors. RESULTS: Of the 154 participants, 58 (37.7%) had a 30-day hospital readmission. In unadjusted analyses, individuals with positive screening for depression, lower health literacy, and poorer social support were more likely to have a 30-day readmission (vs. negative screening). Positive depression screening and poorer social support remained significantly associated with 30-day readmission in models adjusted for race, heart failure, admitting service, weekend discharge day, and serum albumin: adjusted OR (95% CI) 2.33 (1.02-5.15) for positive depressive symptoms and 2.57 (1.10-5.91) for poorer social support. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the multivariable model adjusted for social support status was significantly greater than the AUC of the multivariable model without social support status (test for equality; p value = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Poor social support and depressive symptoms identified during hospitalizations may represent targetable readmission risk factors among dialysis patients. Our findings suggest that hospital-based assessments of select psychosocial factors may improve readmission risk prediction

Oxygen Saturation of Retinal Vessels in All Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy and Correlation to Ultra-Wide Field Fluorescein Angiography

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine retinal hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2) in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) using retinal oximetry (RO) and to correlate the degree of retinal ischemia using intravenous fluorescein angiography (IVFA). Methods: This is a single-center cross-sectional cohort study. Twenty-seven controls and 60 adult patients with diabetes mellitus (16 without DR and 44 with DR) were enrolled. Patients were stratified according to DR severity. Using RO, SO2 was measured in major retinal arterioles (SaO2) and venules (SvO2). Using IVFA, the percentage of retinal ischemia in 31 patients with DR was calculated and correlated with RO. Results: Pairwise one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant increase in SaO2 and SvO2 in patients with proliferative DR (PDR) compared with controls (SaO2: PDR, 100 ± 7% vs. controls, 91 ± 4% [P = 0.003]; SvO2: PDR, 66 ± 11% vs. controls, 53 ± 6% [P < 0.00001]). The percentage of retinal ischemia also increased with DR severity: ANOVA showed a significant difference in retinal ischemia between all categories of nonproliferative DR vs. PDR: 2.31 ± 2% vs. 7.92 ± 9% (P = 0.017), respectively. Pearson two-tailed correlation showed significant correlation between SaO2 and ischemia (R = 0.467, P = 0.011). Conclusions: Hemoglobin oxygen saturation of retinal arterioles and venules increases with DR severity; SaO2 correlates with increasing ischemia measured by IVFA. Retinal oximetry may complement current imaging strategies to noninvasively augment the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with diabetes

Uterine Lipoleiomyoma: a rare variant of benign uterine neoplasm

The lipomatous tumors are very rare benign neoplasms of the uterus. Lipoleiomyoma is a benign tumor which is variant of leiomyoma. It has similar clinical course and presentation like uterine leiomyoma and is typically found in postmenopausal women. Authors report a case of 45 years female presented with a complaint of increased frequency of menstrual cycles and generalized weakness since 5- 6 months. On ultrasonography abdomen - pelvis a single large lobulated hyperechoic mass was noted in the fundal myometrium measuring 5 x 4.6 cm. The finding was suggestive of fibroid uterus. On histopathological examination showed variable proportions of lobules of mature adipocytes and interlacing bundles of benign smooth muscle cells which was diagnostic of lipoleiomyoma. Authors are presenting this case for its rarity, clinical presentation, imaging and histopathological finding with differential diagnosis

A Person-Centered Interdisciplinary Plan-of-Care Program for Dialysis: Implementation and Preliminary Testing

RATIONALE &amp; OBJECTIVE: Despite growing interest in individualizing care, routine dialysis processes, including the interdisciplinary plan of care, often fail to account for patient-identified priorities. To better align dialysis care with patient priorities and improve care planning experiences, we implemented a person-centered care plan program at a single clinic. We also sought to gain insight into key implementation considerations and areas for program improvement. STUDY DESIGN: 6-month quality improvement project with research substudy. SETTING &amp; PARTICIPANTS: 49 hemodialysis patients and 14 care team members at a North Carolina dialysis clinic. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES: Implementation of My Dialysis Plan, a person-centered care plan program. OUTCOMES: Participant perspectives and care plan meeting characteristics (quality improvement); pre- to postprogram change in patient-reported autonomy support, patient-centeredness of care, and dialysis care individualization (research). ANALYTICAL APPROACH: We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to guide implementation and evaluation. We conducted pre-, intra-, and post-project interviews with clinic stakeholders (patients, clinic personnel, and medical providers) to identify implementation barriers, facilitators, and perceptions. We compared pre- and post-project care plan meeting content and patient-reported outcome survey scores. RESULTS: We conducted 54 care plans with 49 patients. Overall, care teams successfully used My Dialysis Plan to elicit and link patient priorities to actionable aspects of dialysis care. Participants identified interdisciplinary team commitment, accountability, and the structured yet flexible meeting approach as key implementation elements. Throughout the project, stakeholder input guided program modifications (eg, implementation practices and resources) to better meet clinic needs, but follow-up on care plan-identified action items remained challenging. Among the 28 substudy participants, there was no difference in pre- to post-project patient-reported outcome survey scores. LIMITATIONS: Single clinic implementation. CONCLUSIONS: My Dialysis Plan has the potential to enhance dialysis care individualization and care plan experiences. Evaluation of program impact on patient-reported and clinical outcomes is needed

Predictors of 30-Day Hospital Readmission among Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients: A Hospitals Perspective

Over 35% of patients on maintenance dialysis are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of hospital discharge. Outpatient dialysis facilities often assume responsibility for readmission prevention. Hospital care and discharge practices may increase readmission risk. We undertook this study to elucidate risk factors identifiable from hospital-derived data for 30-day readmission among patients on hemodialysis

Disordered aldosterone-volume relationship in end-stage kidney disease

Sodium loading, and subsequent volume expansion, suppresses aldosterone levels in individuals with normal renal function. We hypothesised that loss of renal function impairs this volume-aldosterone relationship

Development of a person-centered interdisciplinary plan-of-care program for dialysis

BACKGROUND: Dialysis care often focuses on outcomes that are of lesser importance to patients than to clinicians. There is growing international interest in individualizing care based on patient priorities, but evidence-based approaches are lacking. The objective of this study was to develop a person-centered dialysis care planning program. To achieve this objective we performed qualitative interviews, responsively developed a novel care planning program and then assessed program content and burden. METHODS: We conducted 25 concept elicitation interviews with US hemodialysis patients, care partners and care providers, using thematic analysis to analyze transcripts. Interview findings and interdisciplinary stakeholder panel input informed the development of a new care planning program, My Dialysis Plan. We then conducted 19 cognitive debriefing interviews with patients, care partners and care providers to assess the program's content and face validities, comprehensibility and burden. RESULTS: We identified five themes in concept elicitation interviews: feeling boxed in by the system, navigating dual lives, acknowledging an evolving identity, respecting the individual as a whole person and increasing individualization to enhance care. We then developed a person-centered care planning program and supporting materials that underwent 32 stakeholder-informed iterations. Data from subsequent cognitive interviews led to program revisions intended to improve contextualization and understanding, decrease burden and facilitate implementation. CONCLUSIONS: My Dialysis Plan is a content-valid, person-centered dialysis care planning program that aims to promote care individualization. Investigation of the program's capacity to improve patient experiences and outcomes is needed

Trends and Variations in Intravenous Vitamin D Use among Hemodialysis Patients in the United States

Injectable vitamin D agents are commonly used to manage secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients. Yet, there are few data documenting the trends and geographic variations in the use of these agents in large, representative samples. We sought to describe patterns and variations in the use of vitamin D formulations (calcitriol, paricalcitol, and doxercalciferol) in hemodialysis patients. We studied patients in the United States Renal Data System between January1999 and December 2008 with Medicare as a primary payer. Annual percentages of patients treated with each type of formulation were tabulated by race, sex, and age at dialysis initiation. The geographical distribution of vitamin D dose per patient was mapped at the state level. Intravenous vitamin D use has increased sharply from 1999 to 2008 with 83.9% of patients treated with any vitamin D formulation in 2008. The use of calcitriol has declined since 1999, going from being administered in 58.6% of patients in 1999 to 1.8% in 2008. Paricalcitol was found to be the overwhelmingly preferred formulation during the study years. In 2008, the average dose among black patients was 84% greater than among white patients (136 mcg vs. 73.6 mcg). Higher doses of vitamin D were administered to patients in the southern region of the country. Vitamin D use has increased and parallels the rise in use of paricalcitol and doxercalciferol. Given the variations in use and known pharmacologic differences in vitamin D formulations, future research should focus on whether the formulations differentially affect patient outcomes

Nonlinearities in Conservative Growth Equations

Using the dynamic renormalization group (DRG) technique, we analyze general nonlinearities in a conservative nonlinear growth equation with non-conserved gaussian white noise. We show that they fall in two classes only: the Edwards-Wilkinson and Lai-Das Sarma types, by explicitly computing the associated amputated two and three point functions at the first order in perturbation parameter(s). We further generalize this analysis to higher order nonlinearities and also suggest a physically meaningful geometric interpretation of the same.Comment: REVTEX, will appear in Phys Rev E Rapid Comm. February 1996, .ps figure file available upon request to [email protected]