Analysis of Inner Ear Anomalies in Unilateral Congenital Aural Atresia Combined With Microtia

Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of inner ear anomalies in patients with unilateral congenital aural atresia (CAA) combined with microtia. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 61 patients with unilateral CAA combined with microtia who underwent high-resolution temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT) and hearing examination. Inner ear anomalies were analyzed using TBCT and evaluated according to the Jahrsdoerfer grading system, Marx classification, and extent of inferior displacement of the mastoid tegmen. Results Inner ear anomalies were observed in 14 patients (23.0%). Lateral semicircular canal (LSCC) dysplasia was the most common inner ear anomaly, with an incidence of 16.4%. The incidence was significantly higher on the pathologic side than on the unaffected side (P=0.002). All vascular anomalies were observed in the high-riding jugular bulb, with an incidence of 24.6%. The incidence was significantly higher on the pathologic side than on the unaffected side (P<0.001). LSCC dysplasia was significantly more common in patients with a lower Jahrsdoerfer score (odds ratio, 0.66; P=0.004). Conclusion The incidence of inner ear anomalies was relatively high in patients with unilateral CAA combined with microtia; LSCC dysplasia was the most common anomaly and the probability of coexistence was higher in patients with a lower Jahrsdoerfer score

A randomized trial of albumin infusion to prevent intradialytic hypotension in hospitalized hypoalbuminemic patients.

BackgroundIntradialytic hypotension (IDH) is a frequent complication of intermittent hemodialysis (IHD), occurring from 15 to 50% of ambulatory sessions, and is more frequent among hospitalized patients with hypoalbuminemia. IDH limits adequate fluid removal and increases the risk for vascular access thrombosis, early hemodialysis (HD) termination, and mortality. Albumin infusion before and during therapy has been used for treating IDH with the varying results. We evaluated the efficacy of albumin infusion in preventing IDH during IHD in hypoalbuminemic inpatients.MethodsA randomized, crossover trial was performed in 65 AKI or ESKD patients with hypoalbuminemia (albumin &lt; 3&nbsp;g/dl) who required HD during hospitalization. Patients were randomized to receive 100&nbsp;ml of either 0.9%sodium chloride or 25% albumin intravenously at the initiation of each dialysis. These two solutions were alternated for up to six sessions. Patients' vital signs and ultrafiltration removal rate were recorded every 15 to 30&nbsp;min during dialysis. IDH was assessed by different definitions reported in the literature. All symptoms associated with a noted hypotensive event as well as interventions during the dialysis were recorded.ResultsSixty-five patients were submitted to 249 sessions; the mean age was 58 ([Formula: see text] 12), and 46 (70%) were male with a mean weight of 76 ([Formula: see text] 18) kg. The presence of IDH was lower during albumin sessions based on all definitions. The hypotension risk was significantly decreased based on the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative definition; (15% with NS vs. 7% with albumin, p = 0.002). The lowest intradialytic SBP was significantly worse in patients who received 0.9% sodium chloride than albumin (NS 83 vs. albumin 90&nbsp;mmHg, p = 0.035). Overall ultrafiltration rate was significantly higher in the albumin therapies [NS - 8.25&nbsp;ml/kg/h (- 11.18 5.80) vs. 8.27&nbsp;ml/kg/h (- 12.22 to 5.53) with albumin, p = 0.011].ConclusionIn hypoalbuminemic patients who need HD, albumin administration before the dialysis results in fewer episodes of hypotension and improves fluid removal. Albumin infusion may be of benefit to improve the safety of HD and achievement of fluid balance in these high-risk patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04522635

Peripheral IV Administration of Hypertonic Saline: Single-Center Retrospective PICU Study.

ObjectivesTo determine the frequency and characteristics of complications of peripherally administered hypertonic saline (HTS) through assessment of infiltration and extravasation.DesignRetrospective cross-sectional study.SettingFreestanding tertiary care pediatric hospital.PatientsChildren who received HTS through a peripheral IV catheter (PIVC).InterventionsNone.Measurements and main resultsWe conducted a single-center retrospective review from January 2012 to 2019. A total of 526 patients with 1,020 unique administrations of HTS through a PIVC met inclusion criteria. The primary endpoint was PIVC failure due to infiltration or extravasation. The indication for the administration of HTS infusion was collected. Catheter data was captured, including the setting of catheter placement, anatomical location on the patient, gauge size, length of time from catheter insertion to HTS infusion, in situ duration of catheter lifespan, and removal rationale. The administration data for HTS was reviewed and included volume of administration, bolus versus continuous infusion, infusion rate, infusion duration, and vesicant medications administered through the PIVC. There were 843 bolus infusions of HTS and 172 continuous infusions. Of the bolus administrations, there were eight infiltrations (0.9%). The continuous infusion group had 13 infiltrations (7.6%). There were no extravasations in either group, and no patients required medical therapy or intervention by the wound care or plastic surgery teams. There was no significant morbidity attributed to HTS administration in either group.ConclusionsHTS administered through a PIVC infrequently infiltrates in critically ill pediatric patients. The infiltration rate was low when HTS is administered as a bolus but higher when given as a continuous infusion. However, no patient suffered an extravasation injury or long-term morbidity from any infiltration

Factors impacting adherence to an exercise-based physical therapy program for individuals with low back pain

Background/objectiveExercise-based rehabilitation is a conservative management approach for individuals with low back pain. However, adherence rates for conservative management are often low and the reasons for this are not well described. The objective of this study was to evaluate predictors of adherence and patient-reported reasons for non-adherence after ceasing a supervised exercise-based rehabilitation program in individuals with low back pain.DesignRetrospective observational study.MethodsData was retrospectively analyzed from 5 rehabilitation clinics utilizing a standardized exercise-based rehabilitation program. Baseline demographics, diagnosis and symptom specific features, visit number, and discontinuation profiles were quantified for 2,243 patients who underwent the program.ResultsForty-three percent (43%) of participants were adherent to the program, with the majority (31.7%) discontinuing treatment prior to completion due to logistic and accessibility issues. Another 13.2% discontinued prior to the prescribed duration due to clinically significant improvements in pain and/or disability without formal discharge evaluation, whereas 8.3% did not continue due to lack of improvement. Finally, 6.0% were discharged for related and unrelated medical reasons including surgery. Individuals diagnosed with disc pathology were most likely to be adherent to the program.LimitationsThis study was a retrospective chart review with missing data for some variables. Future studies with a prospective design would increase quality of evidence.ConclusionsThe majority of individuals prescribed an in-clinic exercise-based rehabilitation program are non-adherent. Patient diagnosis was the most important predictor of adherence. For those who were not adherent, important barriers include personal issues, insufficient insurance authorization and lack of geographic accessibility

Stronger control of eating 3 months after sleeve gastrectomy predicts successful weight loss outcomes at one year

BackgroundWeight loss response to sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is variable and predicting the effectiveness of surgery is challenging and elusive. The aim of our study was to assess and quantify the association between eating control and weight loss outcomes and identify the control of eating (CoE) attributes during the early postoperative period that might predict good vs. poor response to SG at one year.MethodsA prospective longitudinal cohort study using the Control of Eating Questionnaire (CoEQ) was designed as a series before and at 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-SG. Primary outcomes were changes in CoE attributes and percent of total weight loss (%TWL) 12-months post-surgery. Subjects were categorized based on %TWL as good (GR, ≥25&nbsp;%) or poor responders (PR, &lt;25&nbsp;%). A receiver operating characteristic and logistic regression analyses were performed.ResultsWe included 41 participants (80.5% females, 51.2% Hispanic, mean age 41.7±10.6, median baseline body mass index (BMI) 43.6&nbsp;kg/m2 [range 35.2-66.3]) who completed the CoEQ at all four timepoints. The "Difficulty to control eating" score at 3 months revealed the highest area under the curve (AUC) (AUC 0.711; 95%CI 0.524-0.898; p=0.032). In a trade-off between a high Youden index and high sensitivity, the "Difficulty to control eating" score of 7&nbsp;at 3 months was identified as the optimal cut-off for distinguishing between GRs and PRs. Score ≤7&nbsp;at 3 months was strongly independently associated with a successful weight loss target of 25%TWL at one-year post-SG (Relative Risk 4.43; 95%CI 1.06-18.54; p=0.042).Conclusion"Difficulty to control eating" score at 3 months post-SG is an independent early predictor of optimal response (achieving a successful TWL target of ≥25&nbsp;% at one-year post-SG). Our results support the utility of this easy-to-administer validated tool for predicting the effectiveness of SG and may assist in identifying individuals with suboptimal response early and helping them with interventions to attain optimal weight loss targets

An integrated ion-selective optode sensor cartridge for directly detecting electrolyte ions in blood plasma without pretreatment to adjust pH

We present a new integrated optode sensor cartridge that directly detects potassium, sodium, and chloride ions in blood plasma without pretreatment to adjust pH. Each optode sensor mainly consists of two separate layers, the optode and a dried buffer, which work by introducing plasma without blood cells filtered by a membrane filter. The optode layer uses a neutral ion-selective optode that is composed of an ionophore, a pH indicator dye (chromoionophore), and ionic additives incorporated in a plasticized polyvinyl chloride membrane. The dried buffer layer, which dissolves on contact with plasma, is applied to the optode layer, resulting in the constant pH of the plasma within the optode membrane. We determined the pHs of each dried buffer (potassium, sodium, and chloride) layer to be 7.0, 6.0, and 4.5, respectively, based on the pKa of their corresponding chromoionophores and effective buffer ranges. Consequently, the sensor responses varied as a function of the potassium, sodium, and chloride ion concentrations. To validate the accuracy of the ion-selective optode sensors, we investigated the correlations of potassium, sodium, and chloride ion concentrations with a commercial system (cobas® 8000) and observed comparable agreement between the two systems with correlation coefficients of 0.976, 0.955, and 0.966, respectively. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.1

The impact of sleep disordered breathing on cardiac troponin in acutely decompensated heart failure

PurposeSleep disordered breathing in decompensated heart failure has physiological consequences (e.g., intermittent hypoxemia) that may predispose to subclinical myocardial injury, yet a temporal relationship between sleep apnea and troponin elevation has not been established.MethodsWe assessed the feasibility of performing respiratory polygraphy and measuring overnight high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T change in adults admitted to the hospital with acutely decompensated heart failure. Repeat sleep apnea tests (SATs) were performed to determine response to optimal medical heart failure therapy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associations between absolute overnight troponin change and sleep apnea characteristics.ResultsAmong the 19 subjects with acutely decompensated heart failure, 92% of SATs demonstrated sleep disordered breathing (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] &gt; 5 events/h). For those with repeat SATs, AHI increased in 67% despite medical management of heart failure. Overnight troponin increase was associated with moderate to severe sleep apnea (vs. no to mild sleep apnea, odds ratio (OR = 18.4 [1.51-224.18]), central apnea index (OR = 1.11 [1.01-1.22]), and predominantly central sleep apnea (vs. obstructive, OR = 22.9 [1.29-406.32]).ConclusionsSleep apnea severity and a central apnea pattern may be associated with myocardial injury. Respiratory polygraphy with serial biomarker assessment is feasible in this population, and combining this approach with interventions (e.g., positive airway pressure) may help establish if a link exists between sleep apnea and subclinical myocardial injury

The effects of provider-prescribed obesogenic drugs on post-laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy outcomes: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundLaparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is one of the most commonly performed bariatric procedures and has proven effective in providing weight loss. However, considerable variance has been noted in the degree of weight loss. Physician prescription practices may be negatively affecting weight loss post-LSG and, thus, contributing to the broad range of weight loss outcomes. The aim of our study was to determine whether commonly prescribed obesogenic medications negatively affect weight loss outcomes post-LSG.Subjects/methodsThis single center retrospective cohort study performed at a University hospital included 323 patients (≥18 years) within the&nbsp;University California, San Diego Healthcare System who underwent LSG between 2007 and 2016. We identified a list of 32 commonly prescribed medications that have weight gain as a side effect. We compared the percent excess weight loss (%EWL) of patients divided into two groups based on post-LSG exposure to obesogenic medications. A linear regression model was used to analyze %EWL at 12 months post-LSG while controlling for age, initial body mass index (BMI), and use of leptogenic medications.ResultsA total of 150 patients (Meds group) were prescribed obesogenic medications within the one-year post-LSG follow up period, whereas 173 patients (Control group) were not prescribed obesogenic medications. The Meds group lost significantly less weight compared to the Control group (%EWL ± SEM at 12 months 53.8 ± 2.4 n = 78, 65.0 ± 2.6, n = 84 respectively, P = 0.002). This difference could not be attributed to differences in age, gender, initial BMI, co-morbidities, or prescription of leptogenic medications between the two groups.ConclusionsThe use of provider-prescribed obesogenic medications was associated with worse weight loss outcomes post-LSG. Closer scrutiny of patient medications may be necessary to help improve outcomes of weight loss treatments