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Factors Influencing Time to Disposition in Obstetric Triage: A Clinical, Operational, and Patient-Specific Analysis
Geraci, Sebastian J; Espino, Kevin; Vertichio, Rosanne; Akerman, Meredith; Greco, Filomena; Suhag, Anju; Rekawek, Patricia; Wat, Karyn
This study aimed to assess factors impacting obstetric triage time to disposition. The primary and secondary hypotheses were that high-risk patients and patients evaluated during periods with less staffing would experience prolonged length of stay (LOS), respectively.This single-site, retrospective cohort study analyzed 9,704 obstetric triage visits of 6,182 patients between January 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. Inclusion criteria included patients 18 years or older with one or more evaluations. Exclusion criteria included scheduled admissions, unknown chief complaints, triage time under 10 minutes, and patients under 18 years old. A total of 6,612 visits representing 4,390 patients were included. The visits were stratified by disposition: admission versus nonadmission (transfer or discharge). Descriptive statistics analyze continuous variables. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. SAS was used for chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and the two-sample t-test or Mann-Whitney test for continuous data. Statistical significance was p-value < 0.05.Of 6,612 visits, 3,475 admissions, and 3,137 nonadmissions occurred. The most common chief complaints were contractions (42%), amniotic fluid index evaluation (18%), and preeclampsia evaluation (8%). Admitted compared with nonadmitted patients had shorter LOS (64 minutes vs. 185 minutes, p < 0.001). Admitted compared with nonadmitted patients had shorter LOS by chief complaint, gestational age, high-risk maternal-fetal medicine status, time of day, and day of the week (all p < 0.001).Nonadmitted, maternal-fetal medicine and preterm patients evaluated during daytime and weekdays had significantly longer LOS. Vulnerable populations and target times for triage workflow improvement were identified. · Patient and unit factors influenced LOS.. · Nonadmitted patients had triple the LOS.. · High-risk patients had longer LOS.. · Daytime and weekday visits had longer LOS..
PMID: 40239695
ISSN: 1098-8785
CID: 5828342
Measurement of 11-Oxo-Androgens, A Novel Biomarker, in Females with Clinical Signs of Premature Adrenarche
Gabriel, Liana; Mejia-Corletto, Jorge; Blinov, Beatriz; Akerman, Meredith; Frank, Jacklyn; Saenger, Paul
BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Endocrine findings in premature adrenarche have been characterized by elevated DHEAS levels in the past. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:We reviewed 44 female patients, aged 4 to 8 years, with premature adrenarche who were seen at our center between 2019 and 2023. Data were collected on the traditional androgens (DHEA and DHEAS) and novel 11-oxo-androgens. 11-oxo-androgens, DHEAS, and DHEA levels were measured using Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) assays in commercial laboratories (Lab Corp). RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:The majority, 89% of patients from the youngest group (4-5year olds), presented with apocrine odor as the only symptom of premature adrenarche. We have demonstrated that DHEA and DHEAS levels were within the normal range in many girls with premature adrenarche, whereas 11-oxo-androgens, particularly 11-hydroxyandrostenedione and 11β-hydroxytestosterone, were elevated. Out of those with normal DHEAS, 75 % had elevated 11-hydroxyandrostenedione, and 77.8% of those patients with normal DHEA had the same elevated oxo-adrogen. Additionally, advanced bone age greater than 1 year compared to chronological age was positively associated with 11-ketotestosterone (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.01-0.57, p=0.0429) and 11β-hydroxy testosterone (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.32, 95% CI: 0.01-0.58, p=0.0395). CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:We propose that 11-oxoandrogens are a more sensitive steroid to be measured in premature adrenarche.
PMID: 41090402
ISSN: 1308-5735
CID: 5954762
Pregnancy outcomes are compromised in obese women with PCOS after transfer of a single frozen-thawed euploid embryo
Kuokkanen, Satu; Geraci, Sebastian; Akerman, Meredith; Pal, Lubna
PMID: 40127713
ISSN: 1556-5653
CID: 5814792
Developing a Computable Phenotype for Identifying Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With Diabetes Using Electronic Health Records in the DiCAYA Network
Shao, Hui; Thorpe, Lorna E; Islam, Shahidul; Bian, Jiang; Guo, Yi; Li, Piaopiao; Bost, Sarah; Dabelea, Dana; Conway, Rebecca; Crume, Tessa; Schwartz, Brian S; Hirsch, Annemarie G; Allen, Katie S; Dixon, Brian E; Grannis, Shaun J; Lustigova, Eva; Reynolds, Kristi; Rosenman, Marc; Zhong, Victor W; Wong, Anthony; Rivera, Pedro; Le, Thuy; Akerman, Meredith; Conderino, Sarah; Rajan, Anand; Liese, Angela D; Rudisill, Caroline; Obeid, Jihad S; Ewing, Joseph A; Bailey, Charles; Mendonca, Eneida A; Zaganjor, Ibrahim; Rolka, Deborah; Imperatore, Giuseppina; Pavkov, Meda E; Divers, Jasmin; ,
OBJECTIVE:The Diabetes in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults (DiCAYA) network seeks to create a nationwide electronic health record (EHR)-based diabetes surveillance system. This study aimed to develop a DiCAYA-wide EHR-based computable phenotype (CP) to identify prevalent cases of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS/METHODS:We conducted network-wide chart reviews of 2,134 youth (aged <18 years) and 2,466 young adults (aged 18 to <45 years) among people with possible diabetes. Within this population, we compared the performance of three alternative CPs, using diabetes diagnoses determined by chart review as the gold standard. CPs were evaluated based on their accuracy in identifying diabetes and its subtype. RESULTS:The final DiCAYA CP requires at least one diabetes diagnosis code from clinical encounters. Subsequently, diabetes type classification was based on the ratio of type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis codes in the EHR. For both youth and young adults, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV, respectively) in finding diabetes cases were >90%, except for the specificity and NPV in young adults, which were slightly lower at 83.8% and 80.6%, respectively. The final DiCAYA CP achieved >90% sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV in classifying T1D, and demonstrated lower but robust performance in identifying T2D, consistently maintaining >80% across metrics. CONCLUSIONS:The DiCAYA CP effectively identifies overall diabetes and T1D in youth and young adults, though T2D misclassification in youth highlights areas for refinement. The simplicity of the DiCAYA CP enables broad deployment across diverse EHR systems for diabetes surveillance.
PMID: 40163581
ISSN: 1935-5548
CID: 5818772
Real-world evaluation of therapeutic anticoagulation for cancer-associated thromboembolism: A retrospective analysis
Chung, Juri; Park, Joshua; Chin-Hon, Jamie; Akerman, Meredith; Hindenburg, Alexander
BackgroundThrombosis is the second leading cause of death in cancer patients and treatment for thrombosis and prevention for secondary prophylaxis is anticoagulation. Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is more effective than vitamin K antagonists for the treatment of cancer-associated thromboembolism (CAT). Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are non-inferior to dalteparin in treating CAT with similar major bleeding risks. Major guidelines recommend DOACs for CAT; however, data comparing individual DOACs to enoxaparin is lacking. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DOACs compared to LMWH for CAT.MethodsA multi-site retrospective review was conducted in adult cancer patients with a CAT history who received either a DOAC (apixaban or rivaroxaban) or LMWH (enoxaparin). Primary efficacy and safety endpoints were recurrent thromboembolism and major bleeding occurrences. Secondary endpoints included time to subsequent CAT occurrence, time to first bleed event post initial CAT, and incidence of clinically relevant non-major and minor bleeding.ResultsA total of 102 patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference among the groups with respect to time to subsequent CAT (p = 0.5625). However, patients who received apixaban and rivaroxaban had a 2.39 times and 3.26 times higher risk of subsequent CAT respectively compared to those who received enoxaparin. Major bleeding rates were also not statistically significant (p = 0.465), despite enoxaparin having the highest rate at 8.8% and no rivaroxaban patients experiencing major bleeding.ConclusionNo differences were observed between rivaroxaban, apixaban, and enoxaparin in rates of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) and bleeding.
PMID: 40170464
ISSN: 1477-092x
CID: 5819032
Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Sjogren's Disease Compared to Controls: An Interdisciplinary Approach with Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Tesoriero, Lauren; Kidd, Jennifer; Piccione, Julie; Izmirly, Peter; Akerman, Meredith; Carsons, Steven; Rekawek, Patricia; Nusbaum, Julie
OBJECTIVES/UNASSIGNED:Outside of the association of SS-A antibody with congenital heart block, little is known about adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, in patients with Sjogren's disease (SjD). Our study involved collaboration with maternal-fetal medicine (MFM). METHODS/UNASSIGNED:-test and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:48 patients were included: 12 SjD patients and 36 controls. APO was significantly increased in SjD with one preterm birth, one fetal growth restriction, and one limb anomaly; non-SjD had one cardiac anomaly. There were no cases of CHB. SjD patients were more likely to be delivered by cesarean delivery. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:There was an increased risk of APO in SjD patients compared with controls. No significant difference in neonatal outcomes was found. We speculate that placental pathology may play a role in pathophysiology and future studies should be performed. KEY POINTS/UNASSIGNED:There was an increased risk of APO in SjD patients compared with controls.No significant difference in neonatal outcomes was found.We speculate that placental pathology may play a role in pathophysiology, prompting future studies.
PMCID:12020534
PMID: 40291586
ISSN: 2157-6998
CID: 5833052
Serum bicarbonate concentration is inversely associated with bone density in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: African American-Diabetes Heart Study
Khatri, Minesh; Rao, Kishan; Akerman, Meredith; Ancion, Jean; Freedman, Barry I; Divers, Jasmin
BACKGROUND:Osteoporosis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the aging population. Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) typically have higher bone density yet also a higher rate of fractures. Blacks, meanwhile, have a lower incidence of osteoporosis compared to European Americans. Serum bicarbonate may be a risk factor for bone loss, but studies are conflicting, and little is known about this relationship in T2D or Blacks. METHODS:We examined the longitudinal relationship between serum bicarbonate and change in bone density in 300 participants with T2D in the African American-Diabetes Heart Study (AA-DHS). Serum bicarbonate was measured at baseline, and bone density was assessed using CT volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) scans of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae at baseline and after five years of follow-up. Multivariate linear regression models assessed associations between baseline serum bicarbonate and longitudinal change in vBMD, adjusted for multiple confounders. RESULTS:, p < 0.001), without a clear threshold effect or differences by sex. CONCLUSIONS:In this cohort of Blacks with T2D, higher baseline serum bicarbonate levels were associated with improved changes in bone density over time. Further studies are needed to determine if alkali supplementation would ameliorate loss of bone density in this population.
PMID: 40157565
ISSN: 1873-2763
CID: 5818022
Impact of phenobarbital when used in combination with benzodiazepines for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: A retrospective analysis
Cheng, Xian Jie Cindy; Chung, Juri; Yoo, Noah; Akerman, Meredith; Bender, Michael; Chan, Kathryn; Meier, Erin; Nunnally, Mark
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE/OBJECTIVE:Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a serious complication of alcohol use disorder. Although benzodiazepines are the mainstay of treatment, some patients may be resistant to them, requiring rapidly escalating doses. Phenobarbital has emerged as an effective adjunct therapy in severe alcohol withdrawal, but studies have yielded inconsistent results and carry safety risks. The purpose of our study was to examine the effectiveness and the potential harm of phenobarbital in AWS. METHODS:In this multi-center, retrospective cohort study, patients who were admitted for AWS and received phenobarbital with benzodiazepine were compared to patients who received benzodiazepine monotherapy. The primary outcome was time to AWS resolution. Other secondary and safety outcomes included length of stay (LOS), rate of mechanical ventilation, and incidence of aspiration pneumonia. RESULTS:The phenobarbital group received significantly higher doses of benzodiazepines compared to the benzodiazepine monotherapy group (660 mg vs 340 mg, p < 0.0001). After adjustment, the use of phenobarbital was associated with significantly reduced time to AWS resolution (141.65 h vs 165.72 h, p < 0.0001). However, the use of phenobarbital was associated with the likelihood of mechanical ventilation (19.42 %vs. 0.96 %, p < 0.0001), aspiration pneumonia (22.33 % vs 5.77 %, p = 0.0006), and increased hospital LOS (8 days vs. 6 days, p = 0.0197). In the combination group, earlier phenobarbital initiation (within 24 h) was associated with significantly lower cumulative benzodiazepine dose (530 mg vs 887.50 mg, p = 0.002) and hospital LOS (6 days vs 10 days, p = 0.0017). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE/CONCLUSIONS:In our study, patients who received phenobarbital in combination with benzodiazepines had a quicker resolution of AWS but also had a higher incidence of mechanical ventilation, prolonged hospital LOS, and an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia. For patients at high risk of severe alcohol withdrawal, earlier initiation of phenobarbital appeared to yield the most optimal benefit.
PMID: 40080990
ISSN: 1532-8171
CID: 5808812
Efficacy of docusate in the treatment of constipation in pediatric patients
Saif, Hamsah; Maddula, Tanay; Mendelsohn, Kerry; Akerman, Meredith; Sweeney, Nicole; Noyola, Estela; El-Chaar, Gladys
OBJECTIVES/UNASSIGNED:We hypothesized that docusate is effective in the treatment of constipation in pediatric patients. Secondary outcomes included the safety and acceptance of docusate as well as the efficacy, safety and acceptance of PEG-3350 in the treatment of constipation. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:This multicenter retrospective study included children 1 month to 18 years of age who received either oral docusate or PEG-3350 during their hospital admission. We documented the occurrence of bowel movements within the first 72 h of drug administration. We also evaluated time to first bowel movement, frequency of bowel movements per 24-hour periods, adverse effects and acceptance of docusate/PEG-3350 by the patients, concomitant medications, and response according to medical history. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED: = 0.3283). There were no differences in adverse effects or acceptance between groups. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:This is the first study that proves the efficacy of oral docusate in the treatment of hospitalized pediatric patients with acute constipation. It is also the first study that shows no difference in efficacy between docusate and PEG-3350 in pediatric patients. We hope a prospective trial would further confirm our findings.
PMCID:12549281
PMID: 41141999
ISSN: 2296-2360
CID: 5960912
Frequency of Genetic Testing Among Patients With Epithelial Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Peritoneal Cancers: A Strategy to Improve Compliance
Nawlo, Jude; Espino, Kevin; Gerber, Deanna; Akerman, Meredith; Chan, Kent; Jimenez, Edward; Chalas, Eva
PMCID:11991803
PMID: 40226356
ISSN: 2314-4378
CID: 5827302