624 Background: Cancer is a well-established risk factor for the development of pulmonary embolism (PE), especially the. gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. While multiple studies have reported the burden of PE in cancer patients, recent data comparing in-hospital outcomes among different types of cancer patients are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and healthcare utilization outcomes of hospitalized patients with acute PE in the context of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020). International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes were employed to identify hospitalized patients admitted with primary diagnosis acute PE. Data regarding GI cancer diagnosis along with demographic information, baseline clinical characteristics, and outcome variables, including mortality, hospital length of stay, total hospital charges, complications and risk factors were collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the survey procedures function in STATA v.17, with statistical significance defined by the t-test at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Among the 181,060 patients admitted with primary diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism, 550 (0.3%) had underlying gastric cancer, 1,790 (0.98%) had pancreatic cancer, 875 (0.48%) had hepatobiliary cancer, and 2,600 (1.61%) had small intestine and colorectal cancer. Mortality was found to be significantly higher in all types of GI cancer, with gastric cancer demonstrating the highest mortality rate (10%). After adjusting for age, sex, race, payment category, comorbidities, and risk factors of PE, gastric cancer (OR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.1-6.2) and pancreatic cancer (OR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4-3.4) were found as independent risk factors for mortality. There was no significant difference in mean length of hospital stays and mean total hospital charges in patients with or without cancer. Similarly, no significant differences were observed in complications such as requirement for mechanical ventilation, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, need for vasopressor and thrombolysis. Conclusions: In-hospital mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism is significantly higher in all types of GI cancer, however; there is no significant differences in hospital length of stay and total hospital charges in patients with or without cancer.
Gallstone disease is the common cause of acute pancreatitis. The role of early endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in biliary pancreatitis without cholangitis is not well-established. Thus, this study aims to compare the outcome of early ERCP with conservative management in patients with acute biliary pancreatitis without acute cholangitis. An online search of PubMed, PubMed Central, Embase, Scopus, and Clinicaltrials.gov databases was performed for relevant studies published till December 15, 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan v 5.4 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen). Odds Ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval was used for outcome estimation. Among 2700 studies from the database search, we included four studies in the final analysis. Pooling of data showed no significant reduction in mortality (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.09; p=0.09); overall complications (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.30 to 1.01; p=0.05); new-onset organ failure (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.75; p=0.81); pancreatic necrosis (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.32; p=0.38); pancreatic pseudo-cyst (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.16 to 1.24; p=0.12); ICU admission (OR 1.64, 95% CI 0.97 to 2.77; p=0.06); and pneumonia development (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.65; p=0.56) by urgent ERCP comparing with conventional approach for acute biliary pancreatitis without cholangitis. Henceforth, early ERCP in acute biliary pancreatitis without cholangitis did not reduce mortality, complications, and other adverse outcomes compared to the conservative treatment.
e21600 Background: Merkel cell carcinoma [MCC] is a rare, aggressive skin cancer with a high rate of recurrence, metastasis, and poor prognosis. It commonly involves the head and neck (HN) region (41% of diagnosed cases), followed by the upper and lower extremities and trunk in decreasing frequency. We used the Survival, Epidemiology, and End Results [SEER] November 2021 database to assess the incidence, cause-specific survival, and the association between the primary site of disease and the stage at diagnosis for primary MCC. Methods: Using the SEER-November 2021 (17 registry) database, a retrospective analysis was performed on the 4120 cases of pathologically confirmed MCC (ICD-O-3 code 8247), diagnosed between 2004-2015. Baseline characteristics were assessed using the Chi-squared test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association, with alpha at 0.05. Analysis was performed using SEERStat and SAS 9.4. Results: The overall age-adjusted incidence rate (IR) of MCC was 0.4 cases per 100,000 with an observed 5-year survival [OS] of 47.8% and cause-specific 5-year survival [CSS] of 68.7%. The median age at diagnosis was 79 years (interquartile range - 66,83) with a male preponderance (60.4%). At baseline, males had higher odds of being diagnosed at stages III or IV (p < 0.001). The odds of being diagnosed at stages II, III, or IV were significantly higher in patients with the trunk as the primary site compared to the HN region with an OR 3.8 (p < 0.001), 2.4 (p < 0.001), and 2.2 (p = 0.001), respectively. For patients with the upper limb as the primary site, the odds of being diagnosed at stage II were 1.4 times higher than the HN region (p = 0.0095), and stage IV was 0.4 times (p = 0.03) higher. For the lower limb and hip, the odds of being diagnosed at stages II, III, or IV were significantly higher than the HN region with an OR 2.6 (p < 0.001), 1.6 (p < 0.0005), and 1.5 (p = 0.04), respectively. Conclusions: While less prevalent than the MCC of the HN region, patients with MCC of the trunk, upper or lower extremities had a higher probability of being diagnosed with an advanced-stage malignancy compared to the former. Additional prospective studies are required to investigate this association further and explore its significance in site-specific treatment approaches and survival factors. [Table: see text]
Introduction: Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology is a relatively simple, inexpensive and rapid diagnostic procedure for identifying cause of lymphadenopathy without need for surgical procedures. This study aims to explain the pattern of lymphadenopathy seen on fine needle aspiration cytology in a tertiary level hospital in KathmanduMaterials and Methods: This study was conducted at Shree Birendra Hospital Nepal. Cases of lymph node FNAC done in the years 2073 and 2074 BS were included in the study. The cases were classified into reactive lymphadenitis, granulomatous lymphadenitis, tubercular lymphadenitis, lymphomas, leukemias, and metastases.Results: A total of 215 patients were included in the study, ranging in age from 2 to 84 years, out of which 98 were female and 117 were male. Reactive lymphadenitis was the most common diagnosis (n=126; 58.6%), followed by granulomatous lymphadenitis (n=34; 15.8%) and tubercular lymphadenitis (n=18; 8.4%). There were 18 cases of metastatic malignancies, 15 cases of suppurative lymphadenitis, and 2 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma and 2 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Conclusions: Reactive lymphadenitis is the most common type of lymphadenopathy encountered in FNAC, while in the elderly, metastases are more common.
11040 Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is another paradigm-shifting advancement for hematologic malignancies, creating unprecedented treatment options. However, there is still a lack of knowledge and understanding among patients regarding this novel therapy. Most patients turn to online resources, ranging from social media to federal websites, to gather health information to supplement decision-making. Given that the average American adult reads between the sixth- and eighth-grade levels, national organizations recommend that patient resources be written at the sixth-grade level or below. The purpose of this study was to evaluate web-based patient educational material on CAR -T cell therapy resources using measures of readability and compare it to national guidelines. Methods: Online patient information on CAR-T cell therapy from the top 20 U.S Cancer center as per US news ranking was collected. We analyzed the content by six of the most common readability tests- Flesch Reading Ease score (FRE), Gunning Fog (GF), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index, and the Automated Readability Index (ARI). The text from each article was carefully reviewed and analyzed using the software Readable, and the readability scores with standard deviation (SD) were obtained. Results: The mean score FRE score was 48.5 (SD: 6.7), which corresponds to college level and is difficult to read. The mean GF score was 8.7(SD: 1.5), which represents the writing of an 8th grader. The FKGL score was 8.6 (SD: 1.1), which represents a level of 8th grade or above. The mean CLI score was 11.5(SD: 1.3), which is the text level for high school juniors. The mean SMOG index was 10.9 (SD: 1), which is the level of a 12th grader. The ARI score was 7.8 (SD: 1.3), indicating a 7th-grade level. Conclusions: Overall, web-based CAR- T cell therapy patient educational materials scored poorly and does not meet the national recommendations. Authors of patient resources should incorporate readability criteria and prompt a revision or creation of new educational materials including videos and audio to support general patient understanding. By making CAR-T therapy information easily understandable, internet users can be better informed about their treatment decisions.
Introduced in the 1970s to meet the academic needs of a growing number of students with relatively stagnant faculty, team-based learning (TBL) has revolutionized the modern classroom structure. Contrary to the traditional didactic model where the teacher assumes the central role and students are passive listeners, TBL participants are actively involved in the learning process. Teachers act as facilitators while the TBL participants work in groups to solve problems through engagement with their peers. The objective of the article is to conduct a systematic review on team-based learning using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. The studies were searched in databases like PubMed®, Scopus®, Embase®, and PubMed Central® using appropriate keywords. Two authors screened the papers, and a third author resolved the conflicts. This was followed by a bibliographic review based on the references of the selected study and bias assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool. The team-based learning model is increasingly being used by different institutions globally. TBL and traditional lecture-based teaching outcomes revealed that TBL participants performed better in academic, clinical, and communication domains. In addition, TBL enhanced learners' engagement, collaborative spirit, and satisfaction. Our study results are similar to the prior meta-analysis and systematic review. Nevertheless, this systematic review remains more comprehensive, up-to-date, and inclusive thus far. Team-based learning is a pragmatic and superior approach to learning among health care professionals. It has resulted in better academic, clinical, and communication outcomes. This finding spans all the medical and allied professions studied in this systematic review.