Citations

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that profoundly impacts the lives of people with the condition and their family caregivers. Little is known about the experiences of care at home among individuals with ALS and their family caregivers. This qualitative study explored these experiences in 14 in-depth interviews that included seven persons with ALS and 13 family caregivers. The findings were organized based on the Salutogenic Model of Health. The main sources of stress reported included the overwhelming nature of getting an ALS diagnosis, inadequacy of health care teams in providing emotional support and promoting shared decision-making in regard to the management of ALS, high level of illness acuity, the intense nature of caregiving involved in ALS, high cost of treatments and equipment, difficulties navigating the healthcare system, unavailability of suitable medical equipment, scarcity of paid caregivers competent in managing ALS, and lack of adequate training for family caregivers. Perspectives on positive coping included mental toughness, maintaining a positive outlook about life and the future, being proactive in seeking support to maintain function and quality of life, proactively communicating with care teams, advanced care planning, having a sense of control over ALS management plan of care, and taking a break from caregiving. Instrumental and emotional support from family, friends, community organizations, and healthcare teams, as well as sufficient insurance and financial coverage for ALS treatments, facilitated better coping. Future research and policies should focus on identifying effective multisectoral strategies for supporting people with ALS and their caregivers.

AbstractIntroduction/AimsMost persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) live at home with support of family caregivers, with escalating complexity of care over the trajectory of the disease requiring resources and support to mitigate negative physical, social, and emotional outcomes.MethodsThis scoping review identifies the home health/home care needs of persons with ALS and their caregivers as a basis for creating a home health medical standard. We used the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐ScR) to examine studies describing home care needs published between 2011 and 2021.ResultsOur search yielded 481 articles, of which 44 were included with a total of 3592 (9–273) participants. Most studies used a cross‐sectional design and 20 (45%) were rated as high quality. We grouped the needs identified as emotional/psychological, assistive devices and technology, information and education, and human resources and professional services. Most studies demonstrated persistent unmet needs and that available interventions were helpful while needs generally were not met proactively, despite the predictable trajectory.DiscussionThis review describes biopsychosocial and equipment interventions over the trajectory of ALS with implications for anticipatory planning by clinicians, as well as policy for coverage of necessary services and supports. Interdisciplinary expert teams could develop consensus around needs across the trajectory and recommended services and supports. To make knowledge more accessible, encourage availability of services, and clarify the need for coverage of services, we aim to develop an expert consensus‐based ALS home health medical standard guidance document in collaboration with the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.

TPS213 Background: Regorafenib (R) is an oral multikinase inhibitor that blocks several protein kinases involved in angiogenesis and oncogenesis; it has a survival benefit in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The current standard (std) treatment in patients (pts) with RAS wildtype (WT) mCRC is sequential treatment with an anti-EGFR antibody (AEA) followed by R. However, R, which is orally administered once daily, may be more convenient and thus preferable for pts than AEA. REVERCE, a Japanese trial, demonstrated a significant 5.8 month (mo.) survival benefit with regorafenib administered prior to AEA compared to the std sequence. Based off these findings, the proposed phase II trial is to confirm the observed survival benefit from regorafenib sequencing prior to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody therapy in REVERCE in a US patient population. Methods: REVERCEII is an Academic and Community Cancer Research United (ACCRU) network-led randomized phase II study of R (dose escalation from 80mg to 160mg based on tolerance) prior to AEA (R+AEA) compared to standard sequencing (AEA+R) in pts with refractory RAS WT mCRC. Patients are randomized 1:1 to receive R (Arm A) vs. AEA (with or without irinotecan per investigator choice) (Arm B). At the time of disease progression or intolerance, patients will receive sequential treatment until disease progression. Eligibility criteria include histologically confirmed mCRC, ECOG ≤ 2, acceptable organ function, and patients must have had prior fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan, and no prior AEA nor R. The primary objective is to compare the overall survival (OS), the primary endpoint, between evaluable patients (eligible, consented, started protocol treatment) who were randomized to R+AEA (arm A) and AEA+R (arm B). With 83 OS events, we have 87% power to detect an improvement in median OS from 9 months to 14.5 mo., assuming 1-sided significance level of 0.15, and exponential distribution. The total sample size is 124 patients. Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, objective response, and adverse events. The total study duration is expected to be 3 years. Clinical trial information: NCT04117945. Clinical trial information: 04117945.

AbstractThis international multidisciplinary document intends to provide clinicians with evidence‐based practical patient‐centered recommendations for evaluating patients and decedents with (aborted) sudden cardiac arrest and their families. The document includes a framework for the investigation of the family allowing steps to be taken, should an inherited condition be found, to minimize further events in affected relatives. Integral to the process is counseling of the patients and families, not only because of the emotionally charged subject, but because finding (or not finding) the cause of the arrest may influence management of family members. The formation of multidisciplinary teams is essential to provide a complete service to the patients and their families, and the varied expertise of the writing committee was formulated to reflect this need. The document sections were divided up and drafted by the writing committee members according to their expertise. The recommendations represent the consensus opinion of the entire writing committee, graded by Class of Recommendation and Level of Evidence. The recommendations were opened for public comment and reviewed by the relevant scientific and clinical document committees of the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS); the document underwent external review and endorsement by the partner and collaborating societies. While the recommendations are for optimal care, it is recognized that not all resources will be available to all clinicians. Nevertheless, this document articulates the evaluation that the clinician should aspire to provide for patients with sudden cardiac arrest, decedents with sudden unexplained death, and their families.

Sudden unexpected death is typically diagnosed in infants, children, teenagers, and young adults following completion of an autopsy that fails to identify a cause of death or when autopsy suggests a potentially genetic cause of death in an individual less than 40, such as cardiomyopathy or aneurysm. Such deaths may be a result of genetic abnormalities that are unable to be diagnosed by gross or microscopic inspection, but may be detectable by molecular studies. Unfortunately, the ability to perform postmortem genetic testing is frequently hindered by lack of an appropriate specimen following completion of an autopsy. This paper provides recommendations developed by the National Association of Medical Examiners with the assistance of genetic counselors. The recommendations establish procedures to facilitate postmortem genetic testing and DNA banking by health care professionals assisting families who have experienced sudden death in young relatives by clarifying proper sample acquisition and storage. Additionally, recommendations for discussion with surviving family members and test planning are provided. The objective of these recommendations is to ensure that postmortem samples suitable for DNA banking are retained, allowing at risk family members improved detection of potentially treatable genetic diseases.