BACKGROUND: Falls are common and linked to morbidity. Our objectives were to characterize postope... more BACKGROUND: Falls are common and linked to morbidity. Our objectives were to characterize postoperative falls, and determine whether preoperative falls independently predicted postoperative falls (primary outcome), functional dependence, quality of life, complications, and readmission. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 7982 unselected patients undergoing elective surgery. Data were collected from the medical record, a baseline survey, and follow-up surveys approximately 30days and one year after surgery. RESULTS: Fall rates (per 100 person-years) peaked at 175 (hospitalization), declined to 140 (30-day survey), and then to 97 (one-year survey). After controlling for confounders, a history of one, two, and ≥three preoperative falls predicted postoperative falls at 30days (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] 2.3, 3.6, 5.5) and one year (aOR 2.3, 3.4, 6.9). One, two, and ≥three falls predicted functional decline at 30days (aOR 1.2, 2.4, 2.4) and one year (aOR 1.3, 1.5, 3.2), along with in-hospital complications (aOR 1.2, 1.3, 2.0). Fall history predicted adverse outcomes better than commonly-used metrics, but did not predict quality of life deterioration or readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Falls are common after surgery, and preoperative falls herald postoperative falls and other adverse outcomes. A history of preoperative falls should be routinely ascertained
Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea are at increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes, s... more Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea are at increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes, such as cardiac and respiratory complications. It has been hypothesised that obstructive sleep apnoea also increases the risk for postoperative delirium and acute postoperative pain. We conducted a retrospective, observational study investigating the relationship of obstructive sleep apnoea with postoperative delirium and acute postoperative pain severity. Patients were classified as being at high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea if they had been diagnosed with this condition, or if they were positive for more than four factors using the 'STOP-BANG' screening tool. Adjusted logistic regression was used to investigate the association between obstructive sleep apnoea and postoperative delirium, and multivariable linear regression to study the relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea and postoperative pain severity. The incidence of postoperative delirium was 307 in 1441 patients (21.3%; 95%CI 19.2-23.5%). In unadjusted analysis, high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea was associated with delirium, with an odds ratio (95%CI) of 1.77 (1.22-2.57; p = 0.003). After adjustment for pre-specified variables, the association was not statistically significant with odds ratio 1.34 (0.80-2.23; p = 0.27). The mean (SD) maximum pain (resting or provoked) reported for the entire cohort was 63.8 (27.9) mm on a 0-100 mm visual analogue scale. High risk for obstructive sleep apnoea was not associated with postoperative pain severity (β-coefficient 2.82; 95%CI, -2.34-7.97; p = 0.28). These findings suggest that obstructive sleep apnoea is unlikely to be a strong risk factor for postoperative delirium or acute postoperative pain severity.
Introduction: Rising patterns of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hscTn) do not only occur duri... more Introduction: Rising patterns of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hscTn) do not only occur during acute coronary syndrome, but also following cardiovascular stress. To improve our understanding a...
Introduction: Quality improvement (QI) in healthcare results in better patient outcomes, healthca... more Introduction: Quality improvement (QI) in healthcare results in better patient outcomes, healthcare system performance, and professional development. One target of QI initiatives in the perioperative period is surgical site infections (SSI), for which several risk factors have been identified. Reliable administration of indicated surgical antibiotic prophylaxis is a modifiable factor of particular relevance. We hypothesize that a novel telemedicine-augmented quality improvement program will improve administration of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. Objectives: The objective of this QI study is to evaluate the utility of a telemedicine-augmented QI initiative on administration of timely surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. The incidence of SSI will also be reported for multiple surgical services. Methods: This will be a multi-center prospective before-and-after proof-of-concept study. Patients undergoing a surgical procedure across seven operating room facilities at four hospitals in the...
BACKGROUND Post-surgical pain that lingers beyond the initial few-week period of tissue healing i... more BACKGROUND Post-surgical pain that lingers beyond the initial few-week period of tissue healing is a major predictor of pain chronification, which leads to substantial disability and new persistent opioid analgesic use. We investigated whether postoperative medical complications increase the risk of lingering post-surgical pain. METHODS The study population consisted of patients undergoing diverse elective surgical procedures in an academic referral centre in the USA, between September 2013 and May 2017. Multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for confounding variables and patient-specific risk factors, was used to test for an independent association between any major postoperative complication and functionally limiting lingering pain 1-3 months after surgery, as obtained from patient self-reports. RESULTS The cohort included 11 986 adult surgical patients; 10 562 with complete data. At least one complication (cardiovascular, respiratory, renal/gastrointestinal, wound, thrombotic, or neural) was reported by 13.3% (95% confidence interval: 12.7-14.0) of patients, and 19.7% (19.0-20.5%) reported functionally limiting lingering post-surgical pain. After adjusting for known risk factors, the patients were twice as likely (odds ratio: 2.04; 1.78-2.35) to report lingering post-surgical pain if they also self-reported a postoperative complication. Experiencing a complication was also independently predictive of lingering post-surgical pain (odds ratio: 1.95; 1.26-3.04) when complication data were extracted from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry, instead of being obtained from patient self-report. CONCLUSIONS Medical complications were associated with a two-fold increase in functionally limiting pain 1-3 months after surgery. Understanding the mechanisms that link complications to pathological persistence of pain could help develop future approaches to prevent persistent post-surgical pain.
Aims: U.S. prescription drug use is common, second only to marijuana use. Kentucky continues with... more Aims: U.S. prescription drug use is common, second only to marijuana use. Kentucky continues with high rates of non-medical prescription use, particularly prescription opioids in Appalachian Kentucky. Prescription opioid abuse is associated with increasing arrests. However, there is little systematic examination of prescriptionopioiduse in criminal justice settings. The aimof this study is to examine prescription opioid use levels among Kentucky prisoners to understand other drug use and related behavior. Methods: The ASSIST and TCU Drug Screeners were administered to 337 prisoners. After consent, subjects entered protocols as part of the NIDA CJDATS 2 cooperative agreement. Analysis examined past 3 month drug use and problem behaviors for 3 levels of prescription opioid use: daily (n=86), some (n=91) and none (n=160). ANCOVA and logistic regressions were performed controlling for group differences in age, gender, race, and rural residence. Results: Daily prescription opioid users were younger (34.2), more female (39.5%), more white (90.7%) and more rural (58.5%). Daily users significantly reported more use of prescription sedatives (71.3% vs. 56% and 15%, p=< .000) than those in the no use or some use categories. There were no differences in other drug use patterns except for those who reported some use of prescription stimulants (p=< .003) and hallucinogens (p=< .035). Daily users weremore likely to inject drugs, rate their druguse asmore serious, rate themselves asmore dependent on drugs, and report that treatment is important. However, there was no difference in previous treatment history. Conclusions: Findings suggest that daily users of prescription opioids in the criminal justice system are at greater risk for additional substanceuseand relatedproblems. Theyarealsomore likely to report the importance of treatment. Implications for treatment planning, community re-entry and treatment will be discussed. Financial support: CJDATS 2 is funded by NIDA in collaboration with SAMSHA and DOJ.
Background: More than four million people die each year in the month following surgery, and many ... more Background: More than four million people die each year in the month following surgery, and many more experience complications such as acute kidney injury. Some of these outcomes may be prevented through early identification of at-risk patients and through intraoperative risk mitigation. Telemedicine has revolutionized the way at-risk patients are identified in critical care, but intraoperative telemedicine services are not widely used in anesthesiology. Clinicians in telemedicine settings may assist with risk stratification and brainstorm risk mitigation strategies while clinicians in the operating room are busy performing other patient care tasks. Machine learning tools may help clinicians in telemedicine settings leverage the abundant electronic health data available in the perioperative period. The primary hypothesis for this study is that anesthesiology clinicians can predict postoperative complications more accurately with machine learning assistance than without machine learn...
ABSTRACT Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can cause neurolo... more ABSTRACT Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can cause neurological sequelae after the resolution of symptomatic COVID-19 illness, but the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy symptoms and cranial nerve dysfunction is unknown. This study aimed to characterize the occurrence and severity of pain and peripheral neuropathy symptoms in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.An observational cohort study included adults tested for a SARS-CoV-2 infection at an academic medical center (assigned as CV+ or control, based on test results). 30-90 days after the index SARS-CoV-2 test, patients completed a web-based questionnaire assessing pain, peripheral neuropathy-related sensory symptoms, and symptoms in the distribution of cranial nerves (current symptoms, symptoms at testing and two weeks thereafter). Univariate analyses compared the outcomes between the groups. Multivariable analysis was used to determine the odds for neuropathy symptoms after adjusting for key baseline variables.1556 participants were included: 542 CV+ and 1014 controls. CV+ patients reported a higher occurrence of peripheral neuropathy symptoms in the extremities anytime within 90 days post-infection (28.8% vs 12.9%, OR [95%CI] =2.72 [2.10-3.54]), as well as such symptoms persisting up to 90 days after infection (6.1% vs 1.9%, OR=3.39 [1.91-6.03]). The occurrence of pain in the extremities was higher in the CV+ group (24.2% vs 9.8%, OR=2.95 [2.21-3.91]). SARS-CoV-2 infection was also associated with higher occurrence of peripheral neuropathy symptoms, after adjusting for the history of chronic pain and neuropathy (OR=3.19 [2.37-4.29]. The results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection was independently associated with an increased risk of pain and peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
BACKGROUND: Falls are common and linked to morbidity. Our objectives were to characterize postope... more BACKGROUND: Falls are common and linked to morbidity. Our objectives were to characterize postoperative falls, and determine whether preoperative falls independently predicted postoperative falls (primary outcome), functional dependence, quality of life, complications, and readmission. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 7982 unselected patients undergoing elective surgery. Data were collected from the medical record, a baseline survey, and follow-up surveys approximately 30days and one year after surgery. RESULTS: Fall rates (per 100 person-years) peaked at 175 (hospitalization), declined to 140 (30-day survey), and then to 97 (one-year survey). After controlling for confounders, a history of one, two, and ≥three preoperative falls predicted postoperative falls at 30days (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] 2.3, 3.6, 5.5) and one year (aOR 2.3, 3.4, 6.9). One, two, and ≥three falls predicted functional decline at 30days (aOR 1.2, 2.4, 2.4) and one year (aOR 1.3, 1.5, 3.2), along with in-hospital complications (aOR 1.2, 1.3, 2.0). Fall history predicted adverse outcomes better than commonly-used metrics, but did not predict quality of life deterioration or readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Falls are common after surgery, and preoperative falls herald postoperative falls and other adverse outcomes. A history of preoperative falls should be routinely ascertained
Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea are at increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes, s... more Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea are at increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes, such as cardiac and respiratory complications. It has been hypothesised that obstructive sleep apnoea also increases the risk for postoperative delirium and acute postoperative pain. We conducted a retrospective, observational study investigating the relationship of obstructive sleep apnoea with postoperative delirium and acute postoperative pain severity. Patients were classified as being at high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea if they had been diagnosed with this condition, or if they were positive for more than four factors using the 'STOP-BANG' screening tool. Adjusted logistic regression was used to investigate the association between obstructive sleep apnoea and postoperative delirium, and multivariable linear regression to study the relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea and postoperative pain severity. The incidence of postoperative delirium was 307 in 1441 patients (21.3%; 95%CI 19.2-23.5%). In unadjusted analysis, high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea was associated with delirium, with an odds ratio (95%CI) of 1.77 (1.22-2.57; p = 0.003). After adjustment for pre-specified variables, the association was not statistically significant with odds ratio 1.34 (0.80-2.23; p = 0.27). The mean (SD) maximum pain (resting or provoked) reported for the entire cohort was 63.8 (27.9) mm on a 0-100 mm visual analogue scale. High risk for obstructive sleep apnoea was not associated with postoperative pain severity (β-coefficient 2.82; 95%CI, -2.34-7.97; p = 0.28). These findings suggest that obstructive sleep apnoea is unlikely to be a strong risk factor for postoperative delirium or acute postoperative pain severity.
Introduction: Rising patterns of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hscTn) do not only occur duri... more Introduction: Rising patterns of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hscTn) do not only occur during acute coronary syndrome, but also following cardiovascular stress. To improve our understanding a...
Introduction: Quality improvement (QI) in healthcare results in better patient outcomes, healthca... more Introduction: Quality improvement (QI) in healthcare results in better patient outcomes, healthcare system performance, and professional development. One target of QI initiatives in the perioperative period is surgical site infections (SSI), for which several risk factors have been identified. Reliable administration of indicated surgical antibiotic prophylaxis is a modifiable factor of particular relevance. We hypothesize that a novel telemedicine-augmented quality improvement program will improve administration of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. Objectives: The objective of this QI study is to evaluate the utility of a telemedicine-augmented QI initiative on administration of timely surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. The incidence of SSI will also be reported for multiple surgical services. Methods: This will be a multi-center prospective before-and-after proof-of-concept study. Patients undergoing a surgical procedure across seven operating room facilities at four hospitals in the...
BACKGROUND Post-surgical pain that lingers beyond the initial few-week period of tissue healing i... more BACKGROUND Post-surgical pain that lingers beyond the initial few-week period of tissue healing is a major predictor of pain chronification, which leads to substantial disability and new persistent opioid analgesic use. We investigated whether postoperative medical complications increase the risk of lingering post-surgical pain. METHODS The study population consisted of patients undergoing diverse elective surgical procedures in an academic referral centre in the USA, between September 2013 and May 2017. Multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for confounding variables and patient-specific risk factors, was used to test for an independent association between any major postoperative complication and functionally limiting lingering pain 1-3 months after surgery, as obtained from patient self-reports. RESULTS The cohort included 11 986 adult surgical patients; 10 562 with complete data. At least one complication (cardiovascular, respiratory, renal/gastrointestinal, wound, thrombotic, or neural) was reported by 13.3% (95% confidence interval: 12.7-14.0) of patients, and 19.7% (19.0-20.5%) reported functionally limiting lingering post-surgical pain. After adjusting for known risk factors, the patients were twice as likely (odds ratio: 2.04; 1.78-2.35) to report lingering post-surgical pain if they also self-reported a postoperative complication. Experiencing a complication was also independently predictive of lingering post-surgical pain (odds ratio: 1.95; 1.26-3.04) when complication data were extracted from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry, instead of being obtained from patient self-report. CONCLUSIONS Medical complications were associated with a two-fold increase in functionally limiting pain 1-3 months after surgery. Understanding the mechanisms that link complications to pathological persistence of pain could help develop future approaches to prevent persistent post-surgical pain.
Aims: U.S. prescription drug use is common, second only to marijuana use. Kentucky continues with... more Aims: U.S. prescription drug use is common, second only to marijuana use. Kentucky continues with high rates of non-medical prescription use, particularly prescription opioids in Appalachian Kentucky. Prescription opioid abuse is associated with increasing arrests. However, there is little systematic examination of prescriptionopioiduse in criminal justice settings. The aimof this study is to examine prescription opioid use levels among Kentucky prisoners to understand other drug use and related behavior. Methods: The ASSIST and TCU Drug Screeners were administered to 337 prisoners. After consent, subjects entered protocols as part of the NIDA CJDATS 2 cooperative agreement. Analysis examined past 3 month drug use and problem behaviors for 3 levels of prescription opioid use: daily (n=86), some (n=91) and none (n=160). ANCOVA and logistic regressions were performed controlling for group differences in age, gender, race, and rural residence. Results: Daily prescription opioid users were younger (34.2), more female (39.5%), more white (90.7%) and more rural (58.5%). Daily users significantly reported more use of prescription sedatives (71.3% vs. 56% and 15%, p=< .000) than those in the no use or some use categories. There were no differences in other drug use patterns except for those who reported some use of prescription stimulants (p=< .003) and hallucinogens (p=< .035). Daily users weremore likely to inject drugs, rate their druguse asmore serious, rate themselves asmore dependent on drugs, and report that treatment is important. However, there was no difference in previous treatment history. Conclusions: Findings suggest that daily users of prescription opioids in the criminal justice system are at greater risk for additional substanceuseand relatedproblems. Theyarealsomore likely to report the importance of treatment. Implications for treatment planning, community re-entry and treatment will be discussed. Financial support: CJDATS 2 is funded by NIDA in collaboration with SAMSHA and DOJ.
Background: More than four million people die each year in the month following surgery, and many ... more Background: More than four million people die each year in the month following surgery, and many more experience complications such as acute kidney injury. Some of these outcomes may be prevented through early identification of at-risk patients and through intraoperative risk mitigation. Telemedicine has revolutionized the way at-risk patients are identified in critical care, but intraoperative telemedicine services are not widely used in anesthesiology. Clinicians in telemedicine settings may assist with risk stratification and brainstorm risk mitigation strategies while clinicians in the operating room are busy performing other patient care tasks. Machine learning tools may help clinicians in telemedicine settings leverage the abundant electronic health data available in the perioperative period. The primary hypothesis for this study is that anesthesiology clinicians can predict postoperative complications more accurately with machine learning assistance than without machine learn...
ABSTRACT Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can cause neurolo... more ABSTRACT Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can cause neurological sequelae after the resolution of symptomatic COVID-19 illness, but the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy symptoms and cranial nerve dysfunction is unknown. This study aimed to characterize the occurrence and severity of pain and peripheral neuropathy symptoms in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.An observational cohort study included adults tested for a SARS-CoV-2 infection at an academic medical center (assigned as CV+ or control, based on test results). 30-90 days after the index SARS-CoV-2 test, patients completed a web-based questionnaire assessing pain, peripheral neuropathy-related sensory symptoms, and symptoms in the distribution of cranial nerves (current symptoms, symptoms at testing and two weeks thereafter). Univariate analyses compared the outcomes between the groups. Multivariable analysis was used to determine the odds for neuropathy symptoms after adjusting for key baseline variables.1556 participants were included: 542 CV+ and 1014 controls. CV+ patients reported a higher occurrence of peripheral neuropathy symptoms in the extremities anytime within 90 days post-infection (28.8% vs 12.9%, OR [95%CI] =2.72 [2.10-3.54]), as well as such symptoms persisting up to 90 days after infection (6.1% vs 1.9%, OR=3.39 [1.91-6.03]). The occurrence of pain in the extremities was higher in the CV+ group (24.2% vs 9.8%, OR=2.95 [2.21-3.91]). SARS-CoV-2 infection was also associated with higher occurrence of peripheral neuropathy symptoms, after adjusting for the history of chronic pain and neuropathy (OR=3.19 [2.37-4.29]. The results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection was independently associated with an increased risk of pain and peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
Uploads