Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:To perform a geospatial analysis of food insecurity in a rural county known to have poor health outcomes and assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:In 2020, we mailed a comprehensive cross-sectional survey to all households in Sullivan County, a rural county with the second-worst health outcomes among all counties in New York State. Surveys of households included validated food insecurity screening questions. Questions were asked in reference to 2019, prior to the pandemic, and for 2020, in the first year of the pandemic. Respondents also responded to demographic questions. Raking adjustments were performed using age, sex, race/ethnicity, and health insurance strata to mitigate non-response bias. To identify significant hotspots of food insecurity within the county, we also performed geospatial analysis. FINDINGS/UNASSIGNED:From the 28,284 households surveyed, 20% of households responded. Of 4725 survey respondents, 26% of households reported experiencing food insecurity in 2019, and in 2020, this proportion increased to 35%. In 2020, 58% of Black and Hispanic households reported experiencing food insecurity. Food insecurity in 2020 was also present in 58% of unmarried households with children and in 64% of households insured by Medicaid. The geospatial analyses revealed that hotspots of food insecurity were primarily located in or near more urban areas of the rural county. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Our countywide health survey in a high-risk rural county identified significant increases of food insecurity in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite national statistics reporting a stable rate. Responses to future crises should include targeted interventions to bolster food security among vulnerable rural populations.

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is an immune-mediated nonsuppurative complication of group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis. Approximately 470,000 new cases of ARF occur annually, with a more significant disease burden in developing countries with higher rates of untreated or inadequately treated GAS infections. Globally, over 275,000 deaths yearly are attributed to rheumatic heart disease (RHD). The most significant contributors to the spread of GAS pharyngitis are household overcrowding, poor sanitation, and inadequate access to healthcare. The pathophysiology of ARF is characterized by an aberrant immune response to GAS infection triggered by molecular mimicry between GAS antigens and self-antigens. This immune response typically manifests 2 to 4 weeks after the initial GAS infection and may lead to the development of carditis, valvulitis, Sydenham chorea, subcutaneous nodules, erythema marginatum, and polyarthritis that is usually migratory. The severity and distribution of these manifestations vary significantly between individuals making the diagnosis of ARF challenging. Early recognition of ARF using the modified Jones criteria is essential in treating acute infection and preventing complications. A major long-term consequence is RHD, which carries significant morbidity and mortality.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Antenatal lead exposure is associated with multiple adverse maternal and fetal consequences. Maternal blood lead concentrations as low as 10 µg/dL have been associated with gestational hypertension, spontaneous abortion, growth retardation, and impaired neurobehavioral development. Current treatment recommendations for pregnant women with a blood lead level (BLL) ≥ 45 µg/dL include chelation. We report a successful case of a mother with severe gestational lead poisoning treated with induction of labor in a term infant. CASE REPORT/METHODS:A 22-year-old G2P1001 female, at 38 weeks and 5 days gestation, was referred to the emergency department for an outpatient venous BLL of 53 µg/dL. The decision was made to limit ongoing prenatal lead exposure by emergent induction as opposed to chelation. Maternal BLL just prior to induction increased to 70 µg/dL. A 3510 g infant was delivered with APGAR scores of 9 and 9 at 1 and 5 min. Cord BLL at delivery returned at 41 µg/dL. The mother was instructed to avoid breastfeeding until her BLLs decreased to below 40 µg/dL, consistent with federal and local guidelines. The neonate was empirically chelated with dimercaptosuccinic acid. On postpartum day 2, maternal BLL decreased to 36 µg/dL, and the neonatal BLL was found to be 33 µg/mL. Both the mother and neonate were discharged to an alternative lead-free household on postpartum day 4.

A person's place of residence is a strong risk factor for important diagnosed chronic diseases such as diabetes. It is unclear whether neighborhood-level risk factors also predict the probability of undiagnosed disease. The objective of this study was to identify neighborhood-level variables associated with severe hyperglycemia among emergency department (ED) patients without a history of diabetes. We analyzed patients without previously diagnosed diabetes for whom a random serum glucose value was obtained in the ED. We defined random glucose values ≥ 200 mg/dL as severe hyperglycemia, indicating probable undiagnosed diabetes. Patient addresses were geocoded and matched with neighborhood-level socioeconomic measures from the American Community Survey and claims-based surveillance estimates of diabetes prevalence. Neighborhood-level exposure variables were standardized based on z-scores, and a series of logistic regression models were used to assess the association of selected exposures and hyperglycemia adjusting for biological and social individual-level risk factors for diabetes. Of 77,882 ED patients without a history of diabetes presenting in 2021, 1,715 (2.2%) had severe hyperglycemia. Many geospatial exposures were associated with uncontrolled hyperglycemia, even after controlling for individual-level risk factors. The most strongly associated neighborhood-level variables included lower markers of educational attainment, higher percentage of households where limited English is spoken, lower rates of white-collar employment, and higher rates of Medicaid insurance. Including these geospatial factors in risk assessment models may help identify important subgroups of patients with undiagnosed disease.

Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, termed eCPR, offers the prospect of improving survival with good neurological function after cardiac arrest. After death, ECMO can also be used for enhanced preservation of abdominal and thoracic organs, designated normothermic regional perfusion (NRP), before organ recovery for transplantation. To optimize resuscitation and transplantation outcomes, healthcare networks in Portugal and Italy have developed cardiac arrest protocols that integrate use of eCPR with NRP. Similar dissemination of eCPR and its integration with NRP in the USA raise novel ethical issues due to a non-nationalized health system and an opt-in framework for organ donation, as well as other legal and cultural factors. Nonetheless, eCPR investigations are ongoing, and both eCPR and NRP are selectively employed in clinical practice. This paper delineates the most pressing relevant ethical considerations and proposes recommendations for implementation of protocols that aim to promote public trust and reduce conflicts of interest. Transparent policies should rely on protocols that separate lifesaving from organ preservation considerations; robust, centralized eCPR data to inform equitable and evidence-based allocations; uniform practices concerning clinical decision-making and resource utilization; and partnership with community stakeholders, allowing patients to make decisions about emergency care that align with their values. Proactively addressing these ethical and logistical challenges could enable eCPR dissemination and integration with NRP protocols in the USA, with the potential to maximize lives saved through both improved resuscitation with good neurological outcomes and increased organ donation opportunities when resuscitation is unsuccessful or not in accordance with individuals' wishes.

CASE PRESENTATION/METHODS:We describe a case of left internal jugular central venous access with rare malpositioning into the internal mammary vein. Despite various confirmatory measures at the time of placement including ultrasonography of the internal jugular vein, as well as blood gas analysis consistent with venous blood by oxygen saturation and good venous flow in all three ports of the catheter, subsequent imaging confirmed misplacement into the internal mammary vein. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS:Central venous access is a frequently used procedure by emergency physicians for a variety of indications. Emergency physicians must be facile with both the technical process of central venous catheter placement, as well as possible pitfalls and complications of the procedure. Common complications, such as bleeding, pneumothorax, arterial injury, infection, and hematomas, are usually well known; less frequently encountered is malposition of the catheter despite seemingly appropriate placement.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Severe acetaminophen (APAP) poisoning can result in fulminant hepatic failure and abnormal tests of coagulation. Although the international normalized ratio (INR) may be elevated, the actual hemostatic status of patients with APAP-induced hepatotoxicity is unknown. Few studies exist investigating the clinical use of thromboelastography (TEG) to evaluate the hemostatic status in the setting of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:We performed a retrospective review of patients who were admitted for APAP toxicity and received TEG testing at a single transplant center. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Nine patients had detectable APAP concentrations and exhibited elevated aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities. Seven had thrombocytopenia. TEG revealed a decreased median alpha angle and maximum amplitude but other values were within the normal reference range. DISCUSSION/UNASSIGNED:Based on our study of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity, TEG showed a decreased rate of fibrin formation and cross-linking, as well as reduced clot strength. These findings suggest that patients with APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and thrombocytopenia have a theoretically increased bleeding risk as demonstrated by both elevated INR and abnormal TEG values. However, these TEG findings are more likely related to thrombocytopenia rather than directly to APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. Further studies should be performed to elucidate the potential role of TEG in various stages of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.