Nelson, Darlene R.

Abstract Background The medical intensive care unit (MICU) offers rich resident learning opportunities, but traditional teaching strategies can be difficult to employ in this fast-paced, high-acuity environment. Resident perspectives of learning within this environment may improve our understanding of the common challenges residents face and inform novel approaches to transform the MICU educational experience. Objective We conducted a qualitative study of internal medicine residents to better understand their approach to learning the critical care activities that they are entrusted to perform in the MICU. Methods Using a thematic analysis approach, we conducted six focus group interviews with 15 internal medicine residents, separated by postgraduate year. A trained investigator led each interview, which was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Our diverse research team, representing different career stages across the continuum of learning to minimize interpretive bias, identified codes and subsequent themes inductively. We refined these themes through group discussion and sensitizing social learning theory concepts using Wenger’s community of practice and organized them to create learner archetypes and a conceptual framework of resident learning in the MICU. Results We identified three thematic resident learning categories: learning goals and motivation, clinical engagement, and interprofessional collaboration. We distinguished three learner archetypes, the novice, experiential learner, and practicing member, to describe progressive resident development within the interprofessional MICU team, the challenges they frequently encounter, and potential teaching strategies to facilitate learning. Conclusion We developed a conceptual framework that describes the resident’s journey to becoming a trusted, collaborating member of the interprofessional MICU team. We identified common developmental challenges residents face and offer educational strategies that may support their progress. These findings should inform future efforts to develop novel teaching strategies to promote resident learning in the MICU.

Background: Prescription opioids are a major cause of the opioid epidemic. Despite the minimally invasive nature of medical thoracoscopy (MT), data on the efficacy of non-opioid-based pain control after MT is lacking. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a non-opioid-based pain management strategy in patients who underwent MT. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent MT in the Mayo Clinic (Minnesota and Arizona) outpatient setting. We assessed their pain level and the need for analgesia post-MT from August 1, 2019, to May 24, 2021. Results: Forty patients were included. In the first 24 hours, 5/40 (12.5%) reported no pain. Twenty-eight patients out of 40 (70%) reported minor pain (pain scale 1-3), and 7/40 (17.5%) reported moderate pain (pain scale 4-6). No patients reported severe pain. Twenty-two out of 35 patients who experienced discomfort (63%) required acetaminophen, 6/35 patients (17%) required nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and 7/35 patients (20%) did not require analgesia. Of the 7 patients who had moderate pain, 5 (71%) reported that the moderate pain improved to mild at 72 hours post-MT. Zero patients required opioids, and none reported contacting any provider to manage the pain post-MT. Fourteen patients (78%) who had both parietal pleural biopsies and tunneled pleural catheter placed reported minor pain, 3 patients (17%) reported moderate pain, and 1 patient (6%) experienced no discomfort. Conclusion: MT is well-tolerated by patients with non-opioid-based pain management strategy as needed if there is no absolute contraindication.

Objective Proteinase 3 (PR3) is the major antigen for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) in the systemic autoimmune vasculitis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). PR3‐targeting ANCAs (PR3‐ANCAs) recognize different epitopes on PR3. This study was undertaken to study the effect of mutations on PR3 antigenicity. Methods The recombinant PR3 variants, iPR3 (clinically used to detect PR3‐ANCAs) and iHm5 (containing 3 point mutations in epitopes 1 and 5 generated for epitope mapping studies) immunoassays and serum samples from patients enrolled in ANCA‐associated vasculitis (AAV) trials were used to screen for differential PR3‐ANCA binding. A patient‐derived monoclonal ANCA 518 (moANCA518) that selectively binds to iHm5 within the mutation‐free epitope 3 and is distant from the point mutations of iHm5 was used as a gauge for remote epitope activation. Selective binding was determined using inhibition experiments. Results Rather than reduced binding of PR3‐ANCAs to iHm5, we found substantially increased binding of the majority of PR3‐ANCAs to iHm5 compared to iPR3. This differential binding of PR3‐ANCA to iHm5 is similar to the selective moANCA518 binding to iHm5. Binding of iPR3 to monoclonal antibody MCPR3‐2 also induced recognition by moANCA518. Conclusion The preferential binding of PR3‐ANCAs from patients, such as the selective binding of moANCA518 to iHm5, is conferred by increased antigenicity of epitope 3 on iHm5. This can also be induced on iPR3 when captured by monoclonal antibody MCPR2. This previously unrecognized characteristic of PR3‐ANCA interactions with its target antigen has implications for studying antibody‐mediated autoimmune diseases, understanding variable performance characteristics of immunoassays, and design of potential novel treatment approaches. image