Crystal Run Healthcare

To describe obstetric outcomes based on COVID-19 vaccination status, in women with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) who developed COVID-19 during pregnancy. Data regarding pregnant women entered into the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance registry from 24 March 2020-25 February 2022 were analysed. Obstetric outcomes were stratified by number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received prior to COVID-19 infection in pregnancy. Descriptive differences between groups were tested using the chi-squared or Fisher's exact test. There were 73 pregnancies in 73 women with RMD and COVID-19. Overall, 24.7% (18) of pregnancies were ongoing, while of the 55 completed pregnancies, 90.9% (50) of pregnancies resulted in livebirths. At the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, 60.3% (n = 44) of women were unvaccinated, 4.1% (n = 3) had received one vaccine dose while 35.6% (n = 26) had two or more doses. Although 83.6% (n = 61) of women required no treatment for COVID-19, 20.5% (n = 15) required hospital admission. COVID-19 resulted in delivery in 6.8% (n = 3) of unvaccinated women and 3.8% (n = 1) of fully vaccinated women. There was a greater number of preterm births (PTB) in unvaccinated women compared with fully vaccinated 29.5% (n = 13) vs 18.2% (n = 2). In this descriptive study, unvaccinated pregnant women with RMD and COVID-19 had a greater number of PTB compared with those fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Additionally, the need for COVID-19 pharmacological treatment was uncommon in pregnant women with RMD regardless of vaccination status. These results support active promotion of COVID-19 vaccination in women with RMD who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

The rapid transmission of the highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), led to widespread infection throughout the world. Concerns and challenges regarding COVID-19 illness have emerged for patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as spondyloarthritis (SpA), who receive treatment with biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), because this population is vulnerable to infections and has a high prevalence of risk factors associated with severe COVID-19 illness. Available data on COVID-19 indicate that patients with SpA who are treated with DMARDs have SARS-CoV-2 infection rates comparable with those in the general population, with similar increased risk associated with older age and comorbidities. Novel vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are approved or authorized for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration, and others are in development to prevent infection and serious illness. This review provides an overview of SpA, the mechanism of action for the SARS-CoV-2 infection, the clinical course of COVID-19, and the vaccines approved for, or in development against, SARS-CoV-2. Detailed information on the use of established vaccines in patients with SpA receiving DMARDs is provided, along with recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination. Available evidence has shown COVID-19 vaccination in patients with SpA, among other rheumatic diseases, to be safe and effective with most DMARD use; however, there is evidence of potential interference with some therapies used in SpA. Healthcare providers should educate patients to provide the knowledge and confidence to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, since the potential benefit outweighs the low risk of vaccine-related adverse events.

ObjectivesMedical cannabis formulations with cannabidiol (CBD) and delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are widely used to treat epilepsy. We studied the safety and efficacy of two formulations.MethodsWe prospectively observed 29 subjects (12 to 46 years old) with treatment‐resistant epilepsies (11 Lennox–Gastaut syndrome; 15 with focal or multifocal epilepsy; three generalized epilepsy) were treated with medical cannabis (1THC:20CBD and/or 1THC:50CBD; maximum of 6 mg THC/day) for ≥24 weeks. The primary outcome was change in convulsive seizure frequency from the pre‐treatment baseline to the stable optimal dose phase.ResultsThere were no significant differences during treatment on stable maximal doses for convulsive seizure frequency, seizure duration, postictal duration, or use of rescue medications compared to baseline. No benefits were seen for behavioral disorders or sleep duration; there was a trend for more frequent bowel movements compared to baseline. Ten adverse events occurred in 6/29 patients, all were transient and most unrelated to study medication. No serious adverse events were related to study medication.InterpretationOur prospective observational study of two high‐CBD/low‐THC formulations found no evidence of efficacy in reducing seizures, seizure duration, postictal duration, or rescue medication use. Behavioral disorders or sleep duration was unchanged. Study medication was generally well tolerated. The doses of CBD used were lower than prior studies. Randomized trials with larger cohorts are needed, but we found no evidence of efficacy for two CBD:THC products in treating epilepsy, sleep, or behavior in our population.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of telemedicine use during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic on rheumatology trainees.MethodsA voluntary, anonymous, web‐based survey was administered in English, Spanish, or French from August 19 to October 5, 2020. Adult and pediatric rheumatology trainees were invited to participate via social media and email. Using multiple‐choice questions and Likert scales, the survey assessed prior and current telemedicine use, impact on training, and supervision after COVID‐19 prompted rapid telemedicine implementation.ResultsSurveys were received from 302 trainees from 33 countries, with 83% in adult rheumatology training programs. Reported telemedicine use increased from 13% before the pandemic to 82% during the pandemic. United States trainees predominantly used video visits, whereas outside the United States telemedicine was predominantly audio only. Most (65%) evaluated new patients using telemedicine. More respondents were comfortable using telemedicine for follow‐up patients (69%) than for new patients (25%). Only 39% of respondents reported receiving telemedicine‐focused training, including instruction on software, clinical skills, and billing, whereas more than half of United States trainees (59%) had training. Postconsultation verbal discussion was the most frequent form of supervision; 24% reported no supervision. Trainees found that telemedicine negatively impacted supervision (50%) and the quality of clinical teaching received (70%), with only 9% reporting a positive impact.ConclusionsDespite widespread uptake of telemedicine, a low proportion of trainees received telemedicine training, and many lacked comfort in evaluating patients, particularly new patients. Inadequate supervision and clinical teaching were areas of concern. If telemedicine remains in widespread use, ensuring appropriate trainee supervision and teaching should be prioritized.

BackgroundWe describe the early experiences of adults with systemic rheumatic disease who received the COVID-19 vaccine.MethodsFrom 2 April to 30 April 2021, we conducted an online, international survey of adults with systemic rheumatic disease who received COVID-19 vaccination. We collected patient-reported data on clinician communication, beliefs and intent about discontinuing disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) around the time of vaccination, and patient-reported adverse events after vaccination.ResultsWe analysed 2860 adults with systemic rheumatic diseases who received COVID-19 vaccination (mean age 55.3 years, 86.7% female, 86.3% white). Types of COVID-19 vaccines were Pfizer-BioNTech (53.2%), Oxford/AstraZeneca (22.6%), Moderna (21.3%), Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (1.7%) and others (1.2%). The most common rheumatic disease was rheumatoid arthritis (42.3%), and 81.2% of respondents were on a DMARD. The majority (81.9%) reported communicating with clinicians about vaccination. Most (66.9%) were willing to temporarily discontinue DMARDs to improve vaccine efficacy, although many (44.3%) were concerned about rheumatic disease flares. After vaccination, the most reported patient-reported adverse events were fatigue/somnolence (33.4%), headache (27.7%), muscle/joint pains (22.8%) and fever/chills (19.9%). Rheumatic disease flares that required medication changes occurred in 4.6%.ConclusionAmong adults with systemic rheumatic disease who received COVID-19 vaccination, patient-reported adverse events were typical of those reported in the general population. Most patients were willing to temporarily discontinue DMARDs to improve vaccine efficacy. The relatively low frequency of rheumatic disease flare requiring medications was reassuring.

Optimism and pessimism can be easily measured and are potentially modifiable mindsets that may be associated with cardiovascular risk and all-cause mortality. To conduct a meta-analysis and systematic review of the association between optimism and risk for future cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO electronic databases were systematically searched from inception through July 2, 2019, to identify all cohort studies investigating the association between optimism and pessimism and cardiovascular events and/or all-cause mortality by using the following Medical Subject Heading terms: optimism, optimistic explanatory style, pessimism, outcomes, endpoint, mortality, death, cardiovascular events, stroke, coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease, ischemic heart disease, and cardiovascular disease. Data were screened and extracted independently by 2 investigators (A.R. and C.B.). Adjusted effect estimates were used, and pooled analysis was performed using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random-effects model. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the findings. The Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) reporting guideline was followed. Cardiovascular events included a composite of fatal cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and/or new-onset angina. All-cause mortality was assessed as a separate outcome. The search yielded 15 studies comprising 229 391 participants of which 10 studies reported data on cardiovascular events and 9 studies reported data on all-cause mortality. The mean follow-up period was 13.8 years (range, 2-40 years). On pooled analysis, optimism was significantly associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular events (relative risk, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.51-0.78; P < .001), with high heterogeneity in the analysis (I2 = 87.4%). Similarly, optimism was significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (relative risk, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80-0.92; P < .001), with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 73.2%). Subgroup analyses by methods for assessment, follow-up duration, sex, and adjustment for depression and other potential confounders yielded similar results. The findings suggest that optimism is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Future studies should seek to better define the biobehavioral mechanisms underlying this association and evaluate the potential benefit of interventions designed to promote optimism or reduce pessimism.

To generate a summative report on the most commonly diagnosed illnesses in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) athletes with specific attention to their impact based on time out of play. Retrospective analysis. Injury and illness data from the MLB Health and Injury Tracking System. All MLB and MiLB athletes active between 2011 and 2016. Illnesses were defined as atraumatic medical diagnoses that occurred during the MLB or MiLB season and resulted in at least 1 day out of play. Incidence of illness diagnoses and resulting time out play. Eight thousand eight hundred thirty-four illnesses were reported, representing 14.7% of all diagnoses resulting in time out of play. Total days missed (DM) due to illness were 39 614, with a mean of 4.6 (SD 9.9 days) and median 2 DM per diagnosis. The annual incidence of illness per season was 20.3 per 100 athletes. The most common diagnosis was nonspecific viral illness (15.3%), followed by gastroenteritis (13.6%), other gastrointestinal illness (8.3%), influenza (7.0%), and upper respiratory infection (6.2%). Appendicitis (15.2%) and Epstein-Barr virus/cytomegalovirus (9.1%) were the most common season-ending diagnoses. Illnesses represent a significant cause of time out of play in MLB and MiLB. Prevention efforts should focus on limiting the spread of communicable viral, respiratory, and gastrointestinal disease among players, as the majority of diagnoses fell into these categories. This work may be used to guide future research into illness treatment and prevention in professional baseball.

The visualized soft tissues on chest CT include the breast tissue, muscles, and subcutaneous tissue and should be viewed on mediastinal window settings on axial images (Level 40, Window 400). I recommend beginning with the right side and scrolling from superior to inferior and then left side inferior to superior. Women are having fewer mammograms currently. The indications for chest CT are increasing as lung cancer screening received approval for reimbursement by Medicare (www.Medicare.gov). Therefore, the only opportunity we may have to diagnose breast cancer early is on a CT scan of the chest. It is imperative that the scanned breast be included on the images provided to the radiologist for interpretation and they are often not included so that the field of view for evaluating the lung parenchyma is not compromised. A viable solution is to include the entire breast on soft tissue windows only and allow lung windows to be optimized for evaluation of the lung.

Assess effectiveness of multi-modal interventions on Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia, and vascular risk scales. Secondary outcomes include overall and differential effectiveness of interventions on blood biomarkers and cognition (based on genotype and physician/patient reported adherence).