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The aim of this review is to present the current options for cardiac output (CO) monitoring in children undergoing cardiac surgery. Current technologies for monitoring identified were a range of invasive, minimally invasive, and non-invasive technologies. These include pulmonary artery catheter, transoesophageal echocardiography, pulse contour analysis, electrical cardiography, and thoracic bioreactance. A literature search was conducted using evidence databases which identified two current guidelines; the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde guideline and Royal College of Anaesthetics Guideline. These were appraised using the AGREE II tool and the evidence identified was used to create an overview summary of each technological option for CO monitoring. There is limited evidence regarding the accuracy of modalities available for CO monitoring in paediatric patients during cardiac surgery. Each technology has advantages and disadvantages; however, none could be championed as the most beneficial. Furthermore, a gold standard for CO monitoring has not yet been identified for paediatric populations, nor is it apparent whether one modality is preferable based on the available evidence. Additional evidence using a standardised method for comparing CO measurements should be conducted in order to determine the best option for CO monitoring in paediatrics. Furthermore, cost-effectiveness assessment of each modality should be conducted. Only then will it be possible for clear, evidence-based guidance to be written.
With the exception of near-occlusion, CEA is of overall benefit for selected patients with recent symptomatic carotid stenosis =50% (NASCET method), provided surgical stroke/death risk is low. The benefit is greater with greater stenosis, men, the elderly (aged =75y), most recent ischaemic event within 2w, irregular plaque surface, and impaired cerebral perfusion reserve. Patients with recent symptomatic carotid territory ischaemic events should be screened by Doppler ultrasonography, MRA, or CTA, confirming substantial stenosis with a second non-invasive investigation. Catheter angiography may be required to confirm uncertain results. The surgical peri-operative stroke and death rate (7% in RCTs) is higher in women, hypertension, peripheral arterial disease, and occlusion of the contralateral ICA or ipsilateral ECA. The experience of the surgeon and hospital are crucial, and audited peri-operative complication rates should be publically available. Carotid stenting is less invasive than CEA and causes fewer local complications (cranial neuropathy and neck haematoma), but carries a higher procedural risk of stroke. Stenting should be considered in younger patients, or those at increased risk from CEA. While stenting is of high risk for intracranial vertebral artery stenosis, risk is low for extracranial stenosis and should be considered for recurrent symptoms despite optimal medical therapy.
To assess the effect on hearing of non-functioning ventilation tubes due to blockage during the first six months post-operatively, using UK national guidelines.
Method
A prospective, observational study was conducted on 37 children who underwent bilateral ventilation tube insertion. Air and bone conduction thresholds were measured before and following surgery, and at one, three and six months post-operatively. Tube non-function was assessed by tympanometry supported by otoscopy.
Results
Post-operatively, an average of 21 per cent of ventilation tubes were non-functioning. Ears with non-functioning tubes had significantly (p = 0.0001) poorer mean air conduction thresholds than functioning tubes, with a magnitude of 6 dB HL. Ears with otorrhoea were most affected (15 per cent). At any one visit, the air–bone gap was closed to 10 dB or less in 76 per cent of ears. Non-functioning tubes reduced this to 56 per cent. Compared with tympanometry, otoscopy underdiagnosed tube non-function due to blockage by 22 per cent.
Conclusion
Non-functioning of ventilation tubes occurs frequently and can be missed on otoscopy. Although it is associated with poorer air conduction thresholds, the magnitude of this difference is unlikely to warrant further intervention unless there is otorrhoea or recurrence of bilateral hearing impairment.
Experiencing poverty increases vulnerability for dysregulated hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning and compromises long-term health. Positive parenting buffers children from HPA axis reactivity, yet this has primarily been documented among families not experiencing poverty. We tested the theorized power of positive parenting in 124 parent–child dyads recruited from Early Head Start (Mage = 25.21 months) by examining child cortisol trajectories using five samples collected across a standardized stress paradigm. Piecewise latent growth models revealed that positive parenting buffered children's stress responses when controlling for time of day, last stress task completed, and demographics. Positive parenting also interacted with income such that positive parenting was especially protective for cortisol reactivity in families experiencing greater poverty. Findings suggest that positive parenting behaviors are important for protecting children in families experiencing low income from heightened or prolonged physiologic stress reactivity to an acute stressor.
Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common postprocedure complication that may be prevented by adhering to established recommendations, including administration of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Patients with a β-lactam allergy (BLA) label have an increased risk of SSI. We sought to evaluate the appropriateness of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in patients labeled with a BLA compared those without a BLA.
Methods:
This was a single-center, retrospective, matched cohort study of adult patients who underwent a clean or clean-contaminated knee replacement, abdominal hysterectomy, colorectal surgery, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Patients with a BLA label were matched to patients without a BLA label based on procedure, age, and body mass index (BMI). The primary end point was the rate of appropriate preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis, including antibiotic selection and timing prior to incision.
Results:
In total, 260 patients were included. Knee replacement (38%) was the most common procedure, followed by abdominal hysterectomy (25%), colorectal surgery (18%), and CABG (18%). Appropriate preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis was higher among patients without a BLA (76% vs 37%; P < .001). Among patients with a mild-to-moderate reaction or intolerance, 29 (53%) received antibiotics that would have been appropriate only if the patient had had a severe BLA. Patients with a BLA were more likely to have had an antibiotic omitted from the prophylactic regimen (44% vs 4%; P < .001).
Conclusion:
Patients with a BLA were more likely to receive inappropriate preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis, attributed to misinterpretation of BLA labels and antibiotic omissions. Optimizing antibiotic prophylaxis among patients with BLAs remains an area of opportunity to prevent SSIs.
Typical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (tEPEC) infection is a major cause of diarrhoea and contributor to mortality in children <5 years old in developing countries. Data were analysed from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study examining children <5 years old seeking care for moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) in Kenya. Stool specimens were tested for enteric pathogens, including by multiplex polymerase chain reaction for gene targets of tEPEC. Demographic, clinical and anthropometric data were collected at enrolment and ~60-days later; multivariable logistic regressions were constructed. Of 1778 MSD cases enrolled from 2008 to 2012, 135 (7.6%) children tested positive for tEPEC. In a case-to-case comparison among MSD cases, tEPEC was independently associated with presentation at enrolment with a loss of skin turgor (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37–3.17), and convulsions (aOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.12–7.14). At follow-up, infants with tEPEC compared to those without were associated with being underweight (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3–3.6) and wasted (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.3–4.6). Among MSD cases, tEPEC was associated with mortality (aOR 2.85, 95% CI 1.47–5.55). This study suggests that tEPEC contributes to morbidity and mortality in children. Interventions aimed at defining and reducing the burden of tEPEC and its sequelae should be urgently investigated, prioritised and implemented.
Few options are available for controlling bermudagrass invasion of seashore paspalum. Bermudagrass and seashore paspalum tolerance to topramezone, triclopyr, or the combination of these two herbicides were evaluated in both greenhouse and field conditions. Field treatments included two sequential applications of topramezone (15.6 g ai ha−1) alone and five rates of topramezone + triclopyr (15.6 + 43.2, 15.6 + 86.3, 15.6 + 172.6, 15.6 + 345.2, or 15.6 g ai ha−1 + 690.4 g ae ha−1). Secondary greenhouse treatments included a single application of topramezone (20.8 g ha−1) or triclopyr (258.9 g ha−1) alone, or in combination at 20.8 + 258.9 or 20.8 + 517.8 g ha−1, respectively. Greenhouse and field results showed that topramezone applications in combination with triclopyr present opposite responses between bermudagrass and seashore paspalum. Topramezone increased bermudagrass injury and decreased seashore paspalum bleaching injury compared to topramezone alone. In field evaluations, topramezone + triclopyr at 15.6 + 690.4 g ha−1 used in sequential applications resulted in >90% injury to bermudagrass, however, injury decreased over time. Furthermore, sequential applications of topramezone + triclopyr at 15.6 + 690.4 g ha−1 resulted in >50% injury to seashore paspalum. Application programs including topramezone plus triclopyr should increase bermudagrass suppression and reduce seashore paspalum injury compared to topramezone alone. However, additional studies are needed because such practices will likely require manipulation of topramezone rate, application timing, application interval, and number of applications in order to maximize bermudagrass control and minimize seashore paspalum injury.
Gravitational waves from coalescing neutron stars encode information about nuclear matter at extreme densities, inaccessible by laboratory experiments. The late inspiral is influenced by the presence of tides, which depend on the neutron star equation of state. Neutron star mergers are expected to often produce rapidly rotating remnant neutron stars that emit gravitational waves. These will provide clues to the extremely hot post-merger environment. This signature of nuclear matter in gravitational waves contains most information in the 2–4 kHz frequency band, which is outside of the most sensitive band of current detectors. We present the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimised to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars. The concept uses high-circulating laser power, quantum squeezing, and a detector topology specifically designed to achieve the high-frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves. Above 1 kHz, the proposed strain sensitivity is comparable to full third-generation detectors at a fraction of the cost. Such sensitivity changes expected event rates for detection of post-merger remnants from approximately one per few decades with two A+ detectors to a few per year and potentially allow for the first gravitational-wave observations of supernovae, isolated neutron stars, and other exotica.
To identify risk factors for asymptomatic Clostridioides difficile colonization among hospitalized adults utilizing a meta-analysis, which may enable early identification of colonized patients at risk of spreading C. difficile.
Design:
Meta-analysis and systematic review.
Methods:
We systematically searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE from January 1, 1975, to February 15, 2020, for articles related to C. difficile colonization among hospitalized adults. Studies with multivariable analyses evaluating risk factors for asymptomatic colonization were eligible.
Results:
Among 5,506 studies identified in the search, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. Included studies reported 20,334 adult patients of whom 1,588 were asymptomatically colonized with C. difficile. Factors associated with an increased risk of colonization were hospitalization in the previous 6 months (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.86–2.56; P < .001), use of gastric acid suppression therapy within the previous 8 weeks (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.17–1.73; P < .001), tube feeding (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.06–3.85; P = .03), and corticosteroid use in the previous 8 weeks (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.14–2.17; P = .006). Receipt of antibiotics in the previous 3 months (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 0.94–2.01; P = .10) was not associated with statistically significant effects on risk of colonization.
Conclusions:
C. difficile colonization was significantly associated with previous hospitalization, gastric acid suppression, tube feeding, and corticosteroid use. Recognition of these risk factors may assist in identifying asymptomatic carriers of C. difficile and taking appropriate measures to reduce transmission.
Adipocytokines, which are secreted during fetal development by both mothers and fetuses, may influence fetal lung development, but little human data are available. We used data from the HOME Study to investigate the associations of cord blood adipocytokine concentrations with children’s lung forced expiratory volume (FEV1; N = 160) and their risk of wheeze (N = 281). We measured umbilical cord serum adipocytokine concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and FEV1 using a portable spirometer at ages 4 and 5 to calculate the percent predicted FEV1 (%FEV1). Parents completed standardized questionnaires of their child’s wheeze symptoms every 6 months from birth to age 5, then again at ages 6 and 8. We used multivariable linear mixed models and modified Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations to estimate associations of adipocytokine concentrations (log2-transformed) with children’s %FEV1 and the risk of wheeze, respectively, adjusting for sociodemographic, perinatal, and child factors. Cord serum leptin was not associated with children’s %FEV1. Higher cord serum adiponectin concentrations were associated with higher %FEV1 in girls (β = 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6, 5.6), but not in boys (β = −1.3, 95% CI: −5.9, 3.3) (sex × adiponectin p-value = 0.05). Higher leptin was associated with lower risk of wheeze in girls (RR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.84), but not boys (RR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.69, 1.11) (sex × leptin p-value = 0.01). In contrast, higher adiponectin concentrations were associated with lower risk of wheeze (RR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.96) in both boys and girls. These data suggest that fetal adipocytokines may impact lung development and function in early childhood. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore the mechanisms underlying these associations.
Background: With an aging population, increasingly complex care, and frequent re-admissions, prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in nursing homes (NHs) is a federal priority. However, few contemporary sources of HAI data exist to inform surveillance, prevention, and policy. Prevalence surveys (PSs) are an efficient approach to generating data to measure the burden and describe the types of HAI. In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) performed its first large-scale HAI PS through the Emerging Infections Program (EIP) to measure the prevalence and describe the epidemiology of HAI in NH residents. Methods: NHs from several states (CA, CO, CT, GA, MD, MN, NM, NY, OR, & TN) were randomly selected and asked to participate in a 1-day HAI PS between April and October 2017; participation was voluntary. EIP staff reviewed available medical records for NH residents present on the survey date to collect demographic and basic clinical information and infection signs and symptoms. HAIs with onset on or after NH day 3 were identified using revised McGeer infection definitions applied to data collected by EIP staff and were reported to the CDC through a web-based system. Data were reviewed by CDC staff for potential errors and to validate HAI classifications prior to analysis. HAI prevalence, number of residents with >1 HAI per number of surveyed residents ×100, and 95% CIs were calculated overall (pooled mean) and for selected resident characteristics. Data were analyzed using SAS v9.4 software. Results: Among 15,296 residents in 161 NHs, 358 residents with 375 HAIs were identified. The most common HAI sites were skin (32%), respiratory tract (29%), and urinary tract (20%). Cellulitis, soft-tissue or wound infection, symptomatic UTI, and cold or pharyngitis were the most common individual HAIs (Fig. 1). Overall HAI prevalence was 2.3 per 100 residents (95% CI, 2.1–2.6); at the NH level, the median HAI prevalence was 1.8 and ranged from 0 to 14.3 (interquartile range, 0–3.1). At the resident level (Fig. 2), HAI prevalence was significantly higher in persons admitted for postacute care with diabetes, with a pressure ulcer, receiving wound care, or with a device. Conclusions: In this large-scale survey, 1 in 43 NH residents had an HAI on a given day. Three HAI types comprised >80% of infections. In addition to identifying characteristics that place residents at higher risk for HAIs, these findings provide important data on HAI epidemiology in NHs that can be used to expand HAI surveillance and inform prevention policies and practices.
It is no exaggeration to say that American health policy is frequently subordinated to budgetary policies and procedures. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was undeniably ambitious, reaching health care services and underlying health as well as health insurance. Yet fiscal politics determined the ACA’s design and guided its implementation, as well as sometimes assisting and sometimes constraining efforts to repeal or replace it. In particular, the ACA’s vulnerability to litigation has been the price its drafters paid in exchange for fiscal-political acceptability. Future health care reformers should consider whether the nation is well served by perpetuating such an artificial relationship between financial commitments and health returns.
Individuals who experience serious mental health disorders are at an increased risk of physical illness co-morbidity and early intervention is crucial. Recommendations to embed an exercise physiologist service into a mental health service have not been fully evaluated.
Objectives
This study aimed to determine (i) demographics and clinical characteristics of the young people referred to exercise physiology, (ii) adherence to metabolic monitoring, (iii) baseline physical health and (iv) level of engagement after referral.
Methods
This is a naturalistic cohort study and included all young people referred to the exercise physiology service between 2015 and 2019 at Orygen, a specialist youth mental health service in the north-western region of Melbourne.
Results
During the study period of 45 months, 312 young people were referred to exercise physiology, and of those, 51.3% were male. The mean age was 19.8 years. In regard to primary diagnoses, 47.4% had a psychotic disorder and 33.7% an affective disorder. Baseline weight measurements were completed for 71.8% of young people. The proportion of young people who were classified as overweight or obese increased from 55.1% to 70.4% (p < 0.001). For those referred, 61.5% attended either an individual session or a group session. A total of 29.5% did not attend their appointment following referral.
Conclusions
As over half of young people had poor physical health at presentation, integrating an exercise physiology service into a youth mental health service is a novel and needed intervention. However, there still needs to be an emphasis on metabolic monitoring and engagement.
The radiocarbon (14C) calibration curve so far contains annually resolved data only for a short period of time. With accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) matching the precision of decay counting, it is now possible to efficiently produce large datasets of annual resolution for calibration purposes using small amounts of wood. The radiocarbon intercomparison on single-year tree-ring samples presented here is the first to investigate specifically possible offsets between AMS laboratories at high precision. The results show that AMS laboratories are capable of measuring samples of Holocene age with an accuracy and precision that is comparable or even goes beyond what is possible with decay counting, even though they require a thousand times less wood. It also shows that not all AMS laboratories always produce results that are consistent with their stated uncertainties. The long-term benefits of studies of this kind are more accurate radiocarbon measurements with, in the future, better quantified uncertainties.
Previous genetic association studies have failed to identify loci robustly associated with sepsis, and there have been no published genetic association studies or polygenic risk score analyses of patients with septic shock, despite evidence suggesting genetic factors may be involved. We systematically collected genotype and clinical outcome data in the context of a randomized controlled trial from patients with septic shock to enrich the presence of disease-associated genetic variants. We performed genomewide association studies of susceptibility and mortality in septic shock using 493 patients with septic shock and 2442 population controls, and polygenic risk score analysis to assess genetic overlap between septic shock risk/mortality with clinically relevant traits. One variant, rs9489328, located in AL589740.1 noncoding RNA, was significantly associated with septic shock (p = 1.05 × 10–10); however, it is likely a false-positive. We were unable to replicate variants previously reported to be associated (p < 1.00 × 10–6 in previous scans) with susceptibility to and mortality from sepsis. Polygenic risk scores for hematocrit and granulocyte count were negatively associated with 28-day mortality (p = 3.04 × 10–3; p = 2.29 × 10–3), and scores for C-reactive protein levels were positively associated with susceptibility to septic shock (p = 1.44 × 10–3). Results suggest that common variants of large effect do not influence septic shock susceptibility, mortality and resolution; however, genetic predispositions to clinically relevant traits are significantly associated with increased susceptibility and mortality in septic individuals.
This study explores parliamentary reforms related to the financial accountability of banks following the 1825–6 and 1836–7 financial crises in England. An appraisal of nineteenth-century parliamentary Hansard transcripts reveals early banking legislative pursuits. The study observes the laissez-faire and interventionist approaches towards the banking enactments of 1826, 1833 and 1844 that underpin the transformation of financial accountability during this era. The Bank Notes Act 1826 imposed financial accountability on the Bank of England by requiring the mandatory disclosure of notes issued. The Bank Notes Act 1833 extended this requirement to all other banks. The Bank Charter Act 1833 increased the financial accountability of the Bank of England by requiring it to provide an account of bullion and securities belonging to the governor and company, as well as deposits held by the bank. Thereafter, the Joint Stock Banks Act 1844 pioneered the regular publication of assets and liabilities and communication of the balance sheet and profit and loss account to shareholders. State intervention in the financial accountability of banks during the period from 1825 to 1845 appears to have been cumulative.
This chapter provides an overview of economic and behavioral economic approaches to behavior change. The chapter begins with a description of the traditional or neoclassical economic view of decision-making using expected utility theory as its basis. Attempts by an external party (e.g., a government or agency) to change behavior are viewed as justifiable in a limited number of circumstances, such as when there are externalities or coordination failures. When behavior change is warranted, neoclassical economics has focused on four options: provide information, increase incentives, reduce prices, or increase subsidies, or impose regulations. To be successful, the approach must change the net benefits of the promoted behavior. The chapter then describes the rationale behind behavioral economic approaches to behavior change, emphasizing the role that “nudges” play in behavior change. Examples are provided of common heuristics and associated decision errors that can result, and how nudges are designed to overcome these decision errors. The underlying rationale and steps for developing nudges are summarized. Current evidence suggests that some nudges can be effective in changing behavior, but more research is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of many nudge strategies. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the likely long-term impact of nudges in the field of behavior change.
The Fontan Outcomes Network was created to improve outcomes for children and adults with single ventricle CHD living with Fontan circulation. The network mission is to optimise longevity and quality of life by improving physical health, neurodevelopmental outcomes, resilience, and emotional health for these individuals and their families. This manuscript describes the systematic design of this new learning health network, including the initial steps in development of a national, lifespan registry, and pilot testing of data collection forms at 10 congenital heart centres.