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Heart, Lung & Circulation Jun 2024Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE). However, the incidence, predictors,...
BACKGROUND
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE). However, the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of clinical thrombosis for inpatients with COVID-19 are not well known. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of clinical thrombosis in COVID-19, its associated factors, and mortality outcomes.
METHOD
Hospitalised adult (≥18 years of age) patients with COVID-19 in 2020 were retrospectively identified from the US National Inpatient Sample database. Clinical characteristics, incident VTE, ATE, and in-hospital mortality outcomes were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify clinical factors associated with thrombosis and in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 inpatients.
RESULTS
A total of 1,583,135 adult patients with COVID-19 in the year 2020 were identified from the National Inpatient Sample database; patients with thrombosis were 41% females with a mean age of 65.4 (65.1-65.6) years. The incidence of thrombosis was 6.1% (97,185), including VTE at 4.8% (76,125), ATE at 3.0% (47,790), and the in-hospital mortality rate was 13.4% (212,785). Patients with thrombosis were more likely to have respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 (76.7% vs 75%, p<0.001) compared with patients without thrombosis. The main factors associated with overall thrombosis, VTE, and ATE were paralysis, ventilation, solid tumours without metastasis, metastatic cancer, and acute liver failure. Although all thrombosis categories were associated with higher in-hospital mortality for COVID-19 inpatients in univariable analyses (p<0.001), they were not in multivariable analyses-thrombosis (odds ratio [OR] 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90-1.70; p=0.19), VTE (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.52-1.00; p=0.05), and ATE (OR 1.07; 95% CI 0.92-1.25; p=0.36).
CONCLUSIONS
The association of COVID-19 with thrombosis and VTE increases with increasing severity of the COVID-19 disease. Risk stratification of thrombosis is crucial in COVID-19 patients to determine the necessity of thromboprophylaxis.
PubMed: 38942623
DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2024.04.167 -
BMJ Paediatrics Open Jun 2024Limited evidence exists regarding children receiving home healthcare devices (HHDs). This study aimed to describe the range and type of HHD use by children with chronic...
BACKGROUND
Limited evidence exists regarding children receiving home healthcare devices (HHDs). This study aimed to describe the range and type of HHD use by children with chronic medical conditions in Japan and explore factors leading to increased use of these devices.
METHODS
This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan. Children receiving HHD aged ≤18 years between April 2011 and March 2019 were included. Children newly administered HHD between 2011 and 2013 were followed up for 5 years, and logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between increased HHD use and each selected risk factor (comorbidity or types of HHD). The models were adjusted for age category at home device introduction, sex and region.
RESULTS
Overall, 52 375 children receiving HHD were identified. The number (proportion) of children receiving HHD increased during the study period (11 556 [0.05%] in 2010 and 25 593 [0.13%] in 2018). The most commonly administered HHD was oxygen (51.0% in 2018). Among the 12 205 children receiving HHD followed up for 5 years, 70.4% and 68.3% who used oxygen or continuous positive airway pressure, respectively, were released from the devices, while only 25.8% who used mechanical ventilation were released from the device. The following diagnosis/comorbidities were associated with increased HHD use: other neurological diseases (OR): 2.85, 95% CI): 2.54-3.19), cerebral palsy (OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.87 to 2.49), congenital malformations of the nervous system (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.34 to 2.13) and low birth weight (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.41 to 2.00).
CONCLUSIONS
This study provides nationwide population-based empirical data to clarify the detailed information regarding children receiving HHD in Japan. This information could assist healthcare professionals in improving the quality of life of these children and their families and help health policymakers consider measures.
Topics: Humans; Japan; Retrospective Studies; Female; Male; Child; Home Care Services; Child, Preschool; Infant; Adolescent; Chronic Disease; Infant, Newborn
PubMed: 38942589
DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002685 -
Experimental Neurology Jun 2024Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to changes in the neural circuitry of the hippocampus that result in chronic learning and memory deficits. However, effective...
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to changes in the neural circuitry of the hippocampus that result in chronic learning and memory deficits. However, effective therapeutic strategies to ameliorate these chronic learning and memory impairments after TBI are limited. Two pharmacological targets for enhancing cognition are nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and GABA receptors (GABARs), both of which regulate hippocampal network activity to form declarative memories. A promising compound, 522-054, both allosterically enhances α7 nAChRs and inhibits α5 subunit-containing GABARs. Administration of 522-054 enhances long-term potentiation (LTP) and cognitive functioning in non-injured animals. In this study, we assessed the effects of 522-054 on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and learning and memory deficits in the chronic post-TBI recovery period. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats received moderate parasagittal fluid-percussion brain injury or sham surgery. At 12 wk. after injury, we assessed basal synaptic transmission and LTP at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapse of the hippocampus. Bath application of 522-054 to hippocampal slices reduced deficits in basal synaptic transmission and recovered TBI-induced impairments in LTP. Moreover, treatment of animals with 522-054 at 12 wk. post-TBI improved cue and contextual fear memory and water maze acquisition and retention without a measurable effect on cortical or hippocampal atrophy. These results suggest that dual allosteric modulation of α7 nAChR and α5 GABAR signaling may be a potential therapy for treating cognitive deficits during chronic recovery from TBI.
PubMed: 38942266
DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114879 -
Journal of Clinical Neuroscience :... Jun 2024Patients with spinal meningioma may present preoperatively with paralysis and sensory deficits. However, there is a paucity of detailed evaluations and a lack of...
BACKGROUND
Patients with spinal meningioma may present preoperatively with paralysis and sensory deficits. However, there is a paucity of detailed evaluations and a lack of consensus regarding imaging findings that are predictive of neurological symptoms in patients with spinal meningioma.
METHODS
Herein, a total of 55 patients who underwent surgical resection of spinal meningiomas in eight hospitals between 2011 and 2021 were enrolled. Patient characteristics, degree of muscle weakness, sensory disturbances, and the presence of bowel/bladder dysfunction (BBD) before surgical treatment were evaluated using medical records. Patients with American Spinal Injury Impairment Scale grades A-C and the presence of BBD were classified into the paralysis (+) group. Patients with sensory disturbances were assigned to the sensory disturbance (+) group. Based on magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography images, the tumor location was classified according to the spinal level and its attachment to the dura mater. To evaluate tumor size, the tumor occupation ratio (OR) was calculated using the area and distance measurement method in horizontal MR images, and the maximum length and area of the tumor in the sagittal plane were measured.
RESULTS
Of all patients, 85 % were women. The mean age of patients at surgery was 69.7 years. Twenty-eight (51 %) and 41 (75 %) patients were classified into the paralysis (+) and sensory disturbance (+) groups, respectively. The average tumor length and area in the sagittal plane were 19.6 mm and 203 mm, respectively; OR-area and diameters were 70.3 % and 72.3 %, respectively. In univariate analyses, tumor length and area in the sagittal plane were significant risk factors for paralysis. OR-diameter, symptom duration, and a low MIB-1 index correlated with sensory disturbances. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the area and length of the tumor in the sagittal plane were significantly correlated with paralysis, whereas the OR-diameter and symptom duration significantly correlated with sensory disturbances. The cut-off values for the area and length of the tumor in the sagittal plane to predict paralysis were 243 mm and 20.1 mm, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative paralysis in patients with spinal meningiomas was significantly associated with sagittal tumor size than with high tumor occupancy in the horizontal plane. Sensory disturbances were associated with high occupancy in the horizontal plane. Patients with spinal meningiomas > 20 mm in length or 243 mm in area in the sagittal plane are at risk of developing paralysis and could be considered for surgery even in the absence of paralysis.
PubMed: 38941916
DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2024.06.021 -
Journal of Biomechanics Jun 2024Walking requires precise movement between body segments, referred to as intersegmental coordination, which is an important factor in efficient motor performance. For...
Walking requires precise movement between body segments, referred to as intersegmental coordination, which is an important factor in efficient motor performance. For children with cerebral palsy (CP), who often demonstrate an impaired neuromuscular system, intersegmental coordination has been shown to be different when compared to their typically developed (TD) peers. However, how intersegmental coordination changes over time in these children is unclear. The aim of this study was to quantify age-related changes in intersegmental coordination in children with bilateral CP without a history of surgical intervention and to compare to control groups of children with TD of similar age, weight, and height. A retrospective analysis of 162 children with bilateral CP who had a baseline and follow-up 3D gait assessment, and no history of surgical intervention, was conducted. Two age, weight, and height control groups of children with TD were included. A full 3-dimensional kinematic analysis was performed, and continuous relative phase analysis of the thigh-shank and shank-foot, while walking at a self-selected walking speed, was used to measure intersegmental coordination. Differences were present for children with CP compared to children with TD at baseline for thigh-shank intersegmental coordination. However, children with CP demonstrated a change over time with a move towards TD patterns at follow-up assessment. This study provides insights into the acquisition and stabilisation of intersegmental coordination between children with CP and TD.
PubMed: 38941841
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.112206 -
Seizure Jun 2024The purpose of this study was to describe intellectual disability and its association with epilepsy and brain imaging, in a population-based group of children with...
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to describe intellectual disability and its association with epilepsy and brain imaging, in a population-based group of children with hemiplegic (unilateral) cerebral palsy, previously investigated and published in 2020.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty-seven children of school age in northern Stockholm, fulfilling the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe-criteria of hemiplegic (unilateral spastic) cerebral palsy, were invited to participate in the study. Twenty-one children consented to participate. A WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children)-test was performed by an experienced psychologist.
RESULTS
In the study population of twenty-one children, 57 % (n 12) displayed uneven cognitive profiles, 38 % (n 8) intellectual disability and 62 % (n 13) had a normal IQ. 43 % (n 9) developed epilepsy. Children with extensive brain lesions had more severe intellectual disability.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study intellectual disability and/or epilepsy were associated with the type and extent of the underlying brain lesion. Intellectual disability and uneven cognitive profiles were common. We therefore recommend individual cognitive assessment to ensure an optimal school start.
PubMed: 38941801
DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2024.06.012 -
Pediatric Research Jun 2024Preterm white matter injury (PWMI) is the most common cause of brain injury in premature neonates. PWMI involves a differentiation arrest of oligodendrocytes, the...
BACKGROUND
Preterm white matter injury (PWMI) is the most common cause of brain injury in premature neonates. PWMI involves a differentiation arrest of oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cells of the central nervous system. Clemastine was previously shown to induce oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination in mouse models of PWMI at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day. The minimum effective dose (MED) of clemastine is unknown. Identification of the MED is essential for maximizing safety and efficacy in neonatal clinical trials. We hypothesized that the MED in neonatal mice is lower than 10 mg/kg/day.
METHODS
Mouse pups were exposed to normoxia or hypoxia (10% FiO2) from postnatal day 3 (P3) through P10. Vehicle or clemastine at one of four doses (0.5, 2, 7.5 or 10 mg/kg/day) was given to hypoxia-exposed pups. Myelination was assessed at age P14 and 10 weeks to determine the MED. Clemastine pharmacokinetics were evaluated at steady-state on day 8 of treatment.
RESULTS
Clemastine rescued hypoxia-induced hypomyelination with a MED of 7.5 mg/kg/day. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the MED revealed C 44.0 ng/mL, t 4.6 h, and AUC 280.1 ng*hr/mL.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on these results, myelination-promoting exposures should be achievable with oral doses of clemastine in neonates with PWMI.
IMPACT
Preterm white matter injury (PWMI) is the most common cause of brain injury and cerebral palsy in premature neonates. Clemastine, an FDA-approved antihistamine, was recently identified to strongly promote myelination in a mouse model of PWMI and is a possible treatment. The minimum effective dose in neonatal rodents is unknown and is critical for guiding dose selection and balancing efficacy with toxicity in future clinical trials. We identified the minimum effective dose of clemastine and the associated pharmacokinetics in a murine chronic hypoxia model of PWMI, paving the way for a future clinical trial in human neonates.
PubMed: 38942888
DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03326-w -
Boletin Medico Del Hospital Infantil de... 2024Transverse myelitis (TM) is a demyelinating inflammatory disease that presents with motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction, which may be acute or subacute....
BACKGROUND
Transverse myelitis (TM) is a demyelinating inflammatory disease that presents with motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction, which may be acute or subacute. COVID-19-associated TM has been described in a scarce number of patients.
CLINICAL CASE
A 15-year-old previously healthy male patient with respiratory disease before his neurological deterioration presented to the emergency room after developing a complete medullary syndrome located at the cervical-dorsal level, with ascending and symmetric paraparesis that rapidly progressed to paraplegia, with sensory dysfunction from the T3 level, sphincter dysfunction and sudden ventilatory deterioration that required mechanical ventilation. Magnetic resonance imaging was compatible with acute TM. Inflammatory and non-inflammatory etiologies were discarded. In addition, a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 test was obtained. Treatment included steroid pulses and plasmapheresis, with an insidious evolution.
CONCLUSION
COVID-19 is an infrequent cause of TM and should be suspected when other etiologies have been ruled out.
Topics: Humans; Myelitis, Transverse; COVID-19; Male; Adolescent; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Plasmapheresis; Respiration, Artificial; Paraplegia; Paraparesis
PubMed: 38941642
DOI: 10.24875/BMHIM.23000179 -
Journal of Neurosurgery Jun 2024The objective of this study was to develop a nomogram to predict long-term facial nerve (FN) function after vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to develop a nomogram to predict long-term facial nerve (FN) function after vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection.
METHODS
A retrospective cohort study of two tertiary academic skull base referral centers was performed. Consecutive adults > 18 years of age with sporadic unilateral VS who underwent resection between September 2016 and May 2021 were included. FN function in the immediate postoperative period and at the most recent evaluation was measured.
RESULTS
A total of 306 patients (mean age 49 years, 63% female) were included, with a mean follow-up of 18 months. The mean maximum tumor diameter was 19 mm (range 1-50 mm), and 80 (26.1%) tumors were > 25 mm. Overall, 85% of patients showed good immediate postoperative FN function (House-Brackmann [HB] grade I or II) and 89% maintained good FN function at > 12 months of follow-up. An intraoperative FN electromyographic (EMG) response ≥ 100 µV to 0.05 mA of stimulation (OR 18.6, p < 0.001) was the strongest predictor of good HB grade in the immediate postoperative period. EMG response ≥ 100 µV (OR 5.70, p < 0.001), tumor size ≤ 25 mm (OR 3.09, p < 0.05), and better immediate postoperative HB grade (OR 1.48, p = 0.005) predicted good long-term FN function on multivariable analysis. A point-of-care nomogram based on these data predicted long-term FN function with a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 69%.
CONCLUSIONS
Better immediate postoperative HB grade, intraoperative FN EMG response ≥ 100 µV, and tumor size ≤ 25 mm strongly predicted good long-term FN function after VS resection. A point-of-care nomogram based on these variables could serve as a useful tool for postoperative counseling and prognosis of long-term FN recovery.
PubMed: 38941635
DOI: 10.3171/2024.4.JNS232208 -
The Neurodiagnostic Journal Jun 2024Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is shown to be useful in surgeries when the nervous system is at risk. Its success in part relies upon proper setup...
Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is shown to be useful in surgeries when the nervous system is at risk. Its success in part relies upon proper setup of often dozens of electrodes correctly placed and secured upon patients and inserted in specific stimulating and recording receptacles. Given the complicated setups and the demanding operating room environment, errors in setup are bound to occur. These have led to false negatives associated with new patient morbidities including, at times, paralysis. No studies quantify the prevalence of these types of setup errors. Approximately 800,000 operations annually utilize intraoperative neuromonitoring in the US alone, so even a small percentage of errors suggests clinical significance. In addition, these types of errors hinder the overall effectiveness of IONM and may result in lower reported sensitivities and lower cost-effectiveness of this important service. We sought to discover through a prospective study and verification through chart review the prevalence of "electrode-swap" errors (when recording and/or stimulating electrodes are incorrectly placed on the patient or in the IONM equipment during setup) across all procedures monitored. We found recording and/or stimulating electrode set up errors in 24 of 454 cases (5.3%). These data and examples of how errors were discovered intraoperatively are reported. We also offer techniques to help reduce this error rate. This study demonstrates a significant potential avoidable error in IONM diagnostic utility, patient outcome, and sensitivity/specificity of alert criteria. The value of identifying and correcting these errors is consequential, multifaceted, and far-reaching.
PubMed: 38941588
DOI: 10.1080/21646821.2024.2366563