Citations

Abstract Speech-in-noise performance is fundamental to daily communications and comprehensive characterization is needed. We studied 590 dementia-free participants aged 70-84 years, including 428 hearing-impaired participants from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study baseline (2018-19), which is a randomized controlled trial partially nested within the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, and 162 normal-hearing ARIC Visit 6/7 (2016-17/2018-19) participants. The Quick Speech-in-Noise (QuickSIN) test was used to measure speech-in-noise performance. Predictors included (1) Four-frequency better-ear pure-tone average (PTA); (2) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures (total and lobar volumes, diffusion tensor imaging, white matter hyperintensities); (3) Global and domain-specific (language, memory, executive function) cognitive performance. All predictors were standardized to Z-scores. We used multivariable-adjusted linear regression, adjusting for demographic and disease covariates. PTA and cognitive performance, but not MRI measures, were independently associated with speech-in-noise performance, with PTA explaining the largest variance, indicating the promising role of hearing aids.

Abstract Background Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP), defined as pneumonia that occurs 48 hours or more after hospital admission, is considered a part of the health care-associated infections (HAIs). HAIs are one of the top ten causes of death in the United States. Correct diagnosis of HAIs is key to reducing its impact, however, the diagnosis of HAP is challenging because clinical findings are nonspecific and there is no combination of signs, symptoms, and laboratory or imaging results that can predict this diagnosis with a good sensitivity or specificity. This study aims to clarify the prioritization of clinical elements considered in the diagnosis of HAP by physicians at our center. Methods This is a cross-sectional study at a large, tertiary care academic center in Miami, Florida. The target population included hospitalists, internal medicine residents, critical care and infectious disease fellows. REDCap was used to administer the survey and collect data. A rank individual analysis was conducted to assess for the most significant diagnostic criteria overall. Kruskal-Wallis analysis was conducted to assess for significance of the individual diagnostic criteria. Results At the end of the survey period, 130 people responded (45.8% of sent surveys). Overall Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test of the systemic factors showed significant differences between the diagnostic criteria chosen. The presence of a new or worsening infiltrate on imaging was selected as most important. After that, fever, a positive respiratory culture, worsening hypoxia and new cough and shortness of breath were in the second tier of important criteria (Figure 1). The median number of factors needed to have HAP in the differential diagnosis and start empiric treatment was 3, while the needed number to secure the diagnosis of HAP was 4. In an immunocompromised patient, the median number of factors needed was 2 (Figure 2). Color red, represents selection 1 - meaning, the larger the tab, it means that specific factor was highly considered as the first factor in the diagnosis of HAP. Color green represents second most selected factor Color blue represents third most selected factor Upper box: median number of factors needed to secure the diagnosis of HAP Mid box: median number of factors needed to include HAP as the differential diagnosis in an immunocompromised patient Lower box: media number of factors needed to have HAP in the differential and start empirical treatment Conclusion In this study, we observed that the most highly considered criteria for the diagnosis of HAP are new or worsening infiltrate on imaging, new or worsening hypoxia, and respiratory cultures with growth of a classical respiratory pathogen. Most of these criteria are part of the IDSA guidelines on the evaluation and treatment of HAP. Future directions include developing a decision support tool for diagnosing HAP. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

ImportanceLate-onset meningitis (LOM) has been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born extremely preterm.ObjectiveTo report the incidence of LOM during birth hospitalization and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 to 26 months’ corrected age.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study is a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort of children born at 22 to 26 weeks’ gestation between 2003 and 2017 with follow-up from 2004 to 2021. The study was conducted at 25 Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network centers.ExposuresCulture-confirmed LOM.Main Outcomes and MeasuresIncidence and microbiology of LOM (2003-2017); lumbar puncture (LP) performance in late-onset sepsis (LOS) evaluations (2011-2017); composite outcome of death or neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI; 2004-2021).ResultsAmong 13 372 infants (median [IQR] gestational age, 25.4 [24.4-26.1] weeks; 6864 [51%] boys), LOM was diagnosed in 167 (1%); LOS without LOM in 4564 (34%); and neither LOS nor LOM in 8641 (65%). The observed incidence of LOM decreased from 2% (95% CI, 1%-3%) in 2003 to 0.4% (95% CI, 0.7%-1.0%) in 2017 (P < .001). LP performance in LOS evaluations decreased from 36% (95% CI, 33%-40%) in 2011 to 24% (95% CI, 21%-27%) in 2017 (P < .001). Among infants with culture-confirmed LOS, LP performance decreased from 58% (95% CI, 51%-65%) to 45% (95% CI, 38%-51%; P = .008). LP performance varied by center among all LOS evaluations (10%-59%, P < .001) and among those with culture-confirmed LOS (23%-79%, P < .001). LOM occurred in the absence of concurrent LOS in 27 of 167 cases (16%). The most common LOM isolates were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (98 [59%]), Candida albicans (38 [23%]), and Escherichia coli (27 [16%]). Death or NDI occurred in 22 of 46 children (48%) with LOM due to coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, 43 of 67 (64%) due to all other bacterial pathogens, and 26 of 33 (79%) due to fungal pathogens. The adjusted relative risk of death or NDI was increased among children with LOM (aOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.04-2.25) and among those with LOS without LOM (aOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.29-1.54) compared with children with neither infection.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study, LP was performed with decreasing frequency, and the observed incidence of LOM also decreased. Both LOM and LOS were associated with increased risk of death or NDI; risk varied by LOM pathogen. The full association of LOM with outcomes of children born extremely preterm may be underestimated by current diagnostic practices.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a prothrombotic state; leading to multiple sequelae. We sought to detect whether thromboelastography (TEG) parameters would be able to detect thromboembolic events in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Methods We performed a retrospective multicenter case–control study of the Collaborative Research to Understand the Sequelae of Harm in COVID (CRUSH COVID) registry of 8 tertiary care level hospitals in the United States (US). This registry contains adult patients with COVID-19 hospitalized between March 2020 and September 2020. Results A total of 277 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were analyzed to determine whether conventional coagulation TEG parameters were associated with venous thromboembolic (VTE) and thrombotic events during hospitalization. A clotting index (CI) >3 was present in 45.8% of the population, consistent with a hypercoagulable state. Eighty-three percent of the patients had clot lysis at 30 min (LY30) = 0, consistent with fibrinolysis shutdown, with a median of 0.1%. We did not find TEG parameters (LY30 area under the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve [AUC] = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.44-0.65, P value = .32; alpha angle [α] AUC = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.47-0.69, P value = .17; K time AUC = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.46-0.69, P value = .67; maximum amplitude (MA) AUC = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.44-0.64, P value = .47; reaction time [R time] AUC = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.42-0.65, P value = .70) to be a good discriminator for VTE. We also did not find TEG parameters (LY30 AUC = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.42-0.60, P value = .84; R time AUC = 0.57, 95%CI: 0.48-0.67, P value .07; α AUC = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.51-0.68, P value = .02; K time AUC = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.53-0.70, P value = .07; MA AUC = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.57-0.74, P value < .01) to be a good discriminator for thrombotic events. Conclusions In this retrospective multicenter cohort study, TEG in COVID-19 hospitalized patients may indicate a hypercoagulable state, however, its use in detecting VTE or thrombotic events is limited in this population.

At visit 3 (1993–1995) of the ARIC Study, 1.5T brain MRI was completed in 1,881 stroke-free participants (Mean age = 62.9±4.9, 50% Black). Cox regression examined associations between infarct group [infarct-free (referent; n = 1,611), smaller only (<3 mm; n = 50), larger only (≥3 mm but <20 mm; n = 185), both (n = 35)] and up to 25-year incident dementia (n = 539). Participants with both infarcts were over 2.5 times more likely to develop dementia [HR = 2.61; 95% CI = 1.44, 4.72]. Smaller only (HR = 1.22; 95% CI = 0.70, 2.13) and larger only (HR = 1.27; 95% CI = 0.92, 1.74) groups showed associations with wide confidence intervals, unsupported statistically. A late midlife infarct profile including smaller and larger infarcts may represent particular vulnerability to dementia risk.

The course of patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) is unclear. In a retrospective review of 1,496 patients with MSA evaluated at our institutions from 1998–2021, 12 patients underwent DBS; 9 had a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at the time of surgery. Nine patients reported initial improvement in at least one symptom and 7 experienced overall worsening following DBS. All patients had at least one red flag sign or symptom suggesting atypical parkinsonism prior to surgery. Considering overall poor outcomes of DBS in MSA, we recommend careful consideration of red flags in patient selection.