Is neonatal phototherapy associated with an increased risk for hospitalized childhood bronchial asthma?

This population-based register study examined if factors during the fetal and neonatal period influence the risk for the child to develop bronchial asthma (asthma). From the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register we identified children, born between 1987 and 1999, who had been hospitalized for asthma up to 2001. Thus, the outcome measure contains only hospitalized cases, not all children with asthma. Children younger than 2 yr at admission were excluded because of the uncertainty about the diagnosis of asthma in younger children. The remaining 14,803 children were compared with all children born the same years, recorded in the Swedish Medical Birth Registry, for information on pre- and perinatal characteristics. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated with Mantel-Haenszel technique and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with Miettinen's test-based method. The presence of various maternal and neonatal confounders were identified and adjusted for in the analyses. The association between some known factors and childhood asthma were confirmed: young maternal age, maternal smoking, period of unwanted childlessness, low maternal level of education, maternal diabetes, preterm birth, low birth weight, small-for-gestational age, caesarean section, and instrumental vaginal delivery. A number of neonatal characteristics were shown to be independent risk factors: sepsis or pneumonia, neonatal respiratory problems and treatments, neonatal icterus, and/or neonatal phototherapy. The association with icterus and phototherapy remained after exclusion of cases showing other neonatal risk factors and after adjustment for maternal factors (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.08-1.50), and increased to 1.5 if the children had been hospitalized for asthma more than once. In conclusion, our results suggest an association between neonatal icterus and/or treatment with neonatal phototherapy and hospitalized childhood asthma. This association needs further exploration

More Aroused, Less Fatigued: Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Gene Polymorphisms Influence Acute Response to Amphetamine

Amphetamine is a stimulant drug that enhances attention and feelings of alertness. Amphetamine's effects are known to be modulated by endogenous cannabinoids, which are degraded by the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). In this study we investigated inter-individual differences in mood response to amphetamine in relation to four polymorphisms in the FAAH gene, including the FAAH missense variant rs324420C → A (Pro129Thr), which was previously found to be associated with street drug use and addictive traits. One hundred and fifty-nine healthy Caucasian volunteers participated in a three-session, double-blind crossover study receiving either placebo or oral d-amphetamine (10 and 20 mg). Associations between individual genotypes and levels of self-reported Arousal (Profile of Mood States) after d-amphetamine ingestion were investigated using two-way ANOVAs/ANCOVAs. Association analyses for haplotypes were performed using the adaptive permutation approach implemented in PLINK. Genotypes at rs3766246 and rs2295633 were significantly associated with increased ratings of Arousal (p<0.05) and Fatigue (p<0.01) after the 10-mg dose. Fatigue levels were also found to be associated with the haplotypes CCC and TAT formed from rs3766246, rs324420, and rs2295633 (p<0.05). These data suggest that the endocannabinoid system influences variation in subjective response to amphetamine. This has important implications for understanding the role of endogenous cannabinoids in response to amphetamine, studies of poly-substance abuse, and understanding the genetic determinants of inter-individual differences in stimulant effects and risk of abuse

Head and neck cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: An international, multicenter, observational cohort study

Background: The aims of this study were to provide data on the safety of head and neck cancer surgery currently being undertaken during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This international, observational cohort study comprised 1137 consecutive patients with head and neck cancer undergoing primary surgery with curative intent in 26 countries. Factors associated with severe pulmonary complications in COVID-19–positive patients and infections in the surgical team were determined by univariate analysis. Results: Among the 1137 patients, the commonest sites were the oral cavity (38%) and the thyroid (21%). For oropharynx and larynx tumors, nonsurgical therapy was favored in most cases. There was evidence of surgical de-escalation of neck management and reconstruction. Overall 30-day mortality was 1.2%. Twenty-nine patients (3%) tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within 30 days of surgery; 13 of these patients (44.8%) developed severe respiratory complications, and 3.51 (10.3%) died. There were significant correlations with an advanced tumor stage and admission to critical care. Members of the surgical team tested positive within 30 days of surgery in 40 cases (3%). There were significant associations with operations in which the patients also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within 30 days, with a high community incidence of SARS-CoV-2, with screened patients, with oral tumor sites, and with tracheostomy. Conclusions: Head and neck cancer surgery in the COVID-19 era appears safe even when surgery is prolonged and complex. The overlap in COVID-19 between patients and members of the surgical team raises the suspicion of failures in cross-infection measures or the use of personal protective equipment. Lay Summary: Head and neck surgery is safe for patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic even when it is lengthy and complex. This is significant because concerns over patient safety raised in many guidelines appear not to be reflected by outcomes, even for those who have other serious illnesses or require complex reconstructions. Patients subjected to suboptimal or nonstandard treatments should be carefully followed up to optimize their cancer outcomes. The overlap between patients and surgeons testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is notable and emphasizes the need for fastidious cross-infection controls and effective personal protective equipment

Preoperative nasopharyngeal swab testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Surgical services are preparing to scale up in areas affected by COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative SARS-CoV-2 testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective cancer surgery. METHODS: This international cohort study included adult patients undergoing elective surgery for cancer in areas affected by SARS-CoV-2 up to 19 April 2020. Patients suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection before operation were excluded. The primary outcome measure was postoperative pulmonary complications at 30 days after surgery. Preoperative testing strategies were adjusted for confounding using mixed-effects models. RESULTS: Of 8784 patients (432 hospitals, 53 countries), 2303 patients (26.2 per cent) underwent preoperative testing: 1458 (16.6 per cent) had a swab test, 521 (5.9 per cent) CT only, and 324 (3.7 per cent) swab and CT. Pulmonary complications occurred in 3.9 per cent, whereas SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 2.6 per cent. After risk adjustment, having at least one negative preoperative nasopharyngeal swab test (adjusted odds ratio 0.68, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.68 to 0.98; P = 0.040) was associated with a lower rate of pulmonary complications. Swab testing was beneficial before major surgery and in areas with a high 14-day SARS-CoV-2 case notification rate, but not before minor surgery or in low-risk areas. To prevent one pulmonary complication, the number needed to swab test before major or minor surgery was 18 and 48 respectively in high-risk areas, and 73 and 387 in low-risk areas. CONCLUSION: Preoperative nasopharyngeal swab testing was beneficial before major surgery and in high SARS-CoV-2 risk areas. There was no proven benefit of swab testing before minor surgery in low-risk areas