341 Alder Hey Experience of Paediatric Virtual Fracture Clinic During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction

The SARS-CoV2/COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented emergency prompting a drive to minimise non-essential patient contact and the need for a virtual fracture clinic (VFC); an uncommon practice in paediatric units. Management of paediatric fractures requires a greater degree of vigilance to safeguard children. The current climate has created social challenges that theoretically increase the risk of harm and exploitation to children. This study investigates VFC in the management of paediatric fractures to determine the efficiency of such a process and the risk of safeguarding.

Method

A protocol was devised in affiliation with BSCOS for the immediate management and streamlining of paediatric fractures into VFC. We retrospectively audited 235 VFC consults over a 1-month period. Patient sex was roughly evenly distributed, and age ranged from 9 months to 16 years (mean 8.4 years).

Results

42% of patients were recalled for a face-to-face (F2F) review (26% expedited), primarily for clinical assessment, plaster complaints and imaging requirements. 33% were discharged and 15% continued follow-up in VFC. All clavicle fractures were discharged. Forearm, hand, foot and elbow injuries were more likely to be discharged. Lower leg, upper arm and knee presentations more frequently required a F2F review. 2.3% of cases required safeguarding reviews.

Conclusions

Given the rapid transition to VFC without the use of triage we have determined a number of non-complex fractures safely managed and discharged via VFC. The low percentage of recall due to safeguarding concern highlights this may not be a barrier to the continuation of virtual care outside of the context of a pandemic.

MTN-001: randomized pharmacokinetic cross-over study comparing tenofovir vaginal gel and oral tablets in vaginal tissue and other compartments

Background

Oral and vaginal preparations of tenofovir as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have demonstrated variable efficacy in men and women prompting assessment of variation in drug concentration as an explanation. Knowledge of tenofovir concentration and its active form, tenofovir diphosphate, at the putative vaginal and rectal site of action and its relationship to concentrations at multiple other anatomic locations may provide key information for both interpreting PrEP study outcomes and planning future PrEP drug development.

Objective

MTN-001 was designed to directly compare oral to vaginal steady-state tenofovir pharmacokinetics in blood, vaginal tissue, and vaginal and rectal fluid in a paired cross-over design.

Methods and Findings

We enrolled 144 HIV-uninfected women at 4 US and 3 African clinical research sites in an open label, 3-period crossover study of three different daily tenofovir regimens, each for 6 weeks (oral 300 mg tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, vaginal 1% tenofovir gel [40 mg], or both). Serum concentrations after vaginal dosing were 56-fold lower than after oral dosing (p<0.001). Vaginal tissue tenofovir diphosphate was quantifiable in ≥90% of women with vaginal dosing and only 19% of women with oral dosing. Vaginal tissue tenofovir diphosphate was ≥130-fold higher with vaginal compared to oral dosing (p<0.001). Rectal fluid tenofovir concentrations in vaginal dosing periods were higher than concentrations measured in the oral only dosing period (p<0.03).

Conclusions

Compared to oral dosing, vaginal dosing achieved much lower serum concentrations and much higher vaginal tissue concentrations. Even allowing for 100-fold concentration differences due to poor adherence or less frequent prescribed dosing, vaginal dosing of tenofovir should provide higher active site concentrations and theoretically greater PrEP efficacy than oral dosing; randomized topical dosing PrEP trials to the contrary indicates that factors beyond tenofovir’s antiviral effect substantially influence PrEP efficacy.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00592124

Comparative analysis of BU and CY versus CY and TBI in full intensity unrelated marrow donor transplantation for AML, CML and myelodysplasia

We retrospectively compared clinical outcomes in 1593 T-replete unrelated donor (URD) marrow transplant recipients with AML, MDS and CML who received myeloablative conditioning regimens of either BU and CY (BuCy), standard-dose Cy/TBI (1000-1260 cGy) or high-dose Cy/TBI (1320-1500 cGy). Subjects were drawn from patients transplanted between 1991 and 1999 facilitated by the National Marrow Donor Program. Patients who received high-dose Cy/TBI regimens were slightly younger, more likely to receive a mismatched transplant and to have intermediate or advanced disease compared with patients in the BuCy or standard-dose TBI group. Neutrophil recovery was significantly higher in the standard-dose CY/TBI group compared with the high-dose Cy/TBI or BuCy group. Patients who received the high-dose Cy/TBI regimen had an increased risk of developing grades III-IV aGVHD when compared with the control group who received BuCy (P = 0.011). OS, disease-free survival (DFS), TRM and relapse were not significantly different between any of the regimens. We conclude that BuCy, standard-dose and high-dose Cy/TBI regimens have equivalent efficacy profiles for OS, DFS, TRM and relapse risk in patients undergoing T-replete URD marrow transplantation for AML, CML and MDS.

The efficacy of a network intervention to reduce HIV risk behaviors among drug users and risk partners in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Philadelphia, USA

This HIV Prevention Trials Network study assessed the efficacy of a network-oriented peer education intervention promoting HIV risk reduction among injection drug users and their drug and sexual network members in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Philadelphia, USA. The study was designed to test impact on HIV infection, but the infection rate was low and the study was terminated early. This paper reports efficacy on outcomes of self-reported HIV risk behaviors. We enrolled 414 networks with 1123 participants. The experimental intervention consisted of six small group peer educator training sessions and two booster sessions delivered to the network index only. All participants in both arms received individual HIV counseling and testing. Follow-up visits occurred every six months for up to 30 months. There were 10 HIV seroconversions, 5 in each arm. The number of participants reporting injection risk behaviors dropped dramatically between baseline and follow-up in both arms at both sites. Index members in the intervention arm engaged in more conversations about HIV risk following the intervention compared to control indexes. There was no evidence of change in sexual risk as a result of the intervention. Reductions in injection risk behaviors were observed: 37%, 20%, and 26% reduction in odds of sharing cottons, rinse water and cookers, respectively, and 24% reduction in using a syringe after someone else. Analysis of the individual sites suggested a pattern of reductions in injection risk behaviors in the Philadelphia site. In both sites, the intervention resulted in index injection drug users engaging in the community role of discussing reduction in HIV injection risk behaviors. The intervention did not result in overall reductions in self-reported sexual risk behaviors, and although reductions in injection risk behaviors were observed, the overall efficacy in reducing risk was not established.

Interleukin-1 alpha genotype and outcome of unrelated donor haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for chronic myeloid leukaemia

Interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1alpha) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is implicated in the initiation/maintenance of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and the immune response to infection. A cytosine (C) to thymine (T) transition at position -889 is believed to influence gene transcription. A previous single institution study showed that the presence of at least one IL1A T allele in the donor was associated with improved survival after unrelated donor haematopoietic stem cell transplant and lower transplant-related mortality if the donor and recipient each possessed the IL1A T allele. The present study sought to confirm these results in a larger homogeneous population. Thus the study population included 426 patients older than 18 years with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), transplanted in first chronic phase and receiving a total body irradiation and cyclophosphamide preparative regimen. Donor recipient pairs were categorised into four groups according to the presence or absence of an IL1A T allele in the donor and recipient. There were no significant differences in patient, donor and transplant characteristics between the groups. We did not observe an association with IL-1alpha genotype in donor and/or recipient and transplant-outcome. These data suggest that the outcome of unrelated donor transplant for CML is not influenced by IL-1alpha genotype.

Impact of cytogenetics on outcome of matched unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia in first or second complete remission

We compared the treatment-related mortality, relapse rate, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) by cytogenetic risk group of 261 patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission (CR1) and 299 patients in CR2 in undergoing matched unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). For patients in first CR, the DFS and OS at 5 years were similar for the favorable, intermediate, and unfavorable risk groups at 29% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8%-56%) and 30% (22%-38%); 27% (19%-39%) and 29% (8%-56%); and 30% (95% CI, 22%-38%) and 30% (95% CI, 20%-41%), respectively. For patients in second CR, the DFS and OS at 5 years were 42% (95% CI, 33%-52%) and 35% (95% CI, 28%-43%); 38% (95% CI, 23%-54%) and 45% (95% CI, 35%-55%); and 37% (95% CI, 30%-45%) and 36% (95% CI, 21%-53%), respectively. Cytogenetics had little influence on the overall outcome for patients in first CR. In second CR, outcome was modestly, but not significantly, better for patients with favorable cytogenetics. The graft-versus-leukemia effect appeared effective, even in patients with unfavorable cytogenetics. However, treatment-related mortality was high. Matched unrelated donor HSCT should be considered for all patients with unfavorable cytogenetics who lack a suitable HLA-matched sibling donor.

A High Degree of HLA Disparity Arises From Limited Allelic Diversity: Analysis of 1775 Unrelated Bone Marrow Transplant Donor-Recipient Pairs

The allelic diversity and associated human leukocyte antigen (HLA) disparity of 1775 bone marrow recipients and their unrelated donors, matched for six of six (1361/1775,77%), five of six (397/1775, 22%), or four of six (17/1775, 1%) HLA-A, -B, -DR antigens, were retrospectively evaluated. The comprehensive HLA analysis included the class I (A, B, C) and II (DRB1, DQA1, DQB1, DPA1, DPB1) loci. Most (>66%) of the predominantly Caucasian study population carried one or two of five to seven common alleles at each HLA locus. In spite of this limited diversity, 29% of the six of six antigen-matched transplants carried allele mismatches at HLA-A, -B, and/or -DRB1, and 92% carried at least one allele mismatch at one of the eight HLA loci tested. Of the 968 HLA-A,-B,-DRB1 allele-matched pairs, 89% carried mismatches at other HLA loci, predominantly at DP loci. The substantially greater than expected HLA allelic disparity between donor and recipient suggests extensive haplotypic diversity and underscores the importance of enhancing approaches to mitigate the deleterious effect of HLA mismatches.

Effects of topical mitomycin C on primary trabeculectomies and combined procedures

The charts were reviewed of all patients who underwent primary trabeculectomies (group 1) or combined procedures (phacoemulsification + intraocular lens implantation + trabeculectomy--group 2) and received intraoperative mitomycin C (0.4 mg/ml) between 1991 and 1992 at Wills Eye Hospital. A total of 54 eyes of 54 patients were included: 39 in group 1 and 15 in group 2. Intraocular pressure was controlled successfully in 97.4% of eyes in group 1 (mean follow up 6.7 months), and in 93.3% in group 2 (mean follow up 6.8 months). Main complications included choroidal detachment (n = 15), shallow anterior chamber (n = 9), cataract formation (n = 8), and hypotony maculopathy (n = 3). The use of mitomycin C in primary trabeculectomies and combined procedures is associated with high success rates. However, it may be associated with unacceptable risks of vision threatening complications related to excessive filtration.

Primary trabeculectomy in young adults

BACKGROUND

Younger patients are thought to have a poor surgical prognosis after trabeculectomy. The authors investigate the surgical outcome of young adult patients after primary trabeculectomy.

METHODS

The authors reviewed the charts of all patients 15 to 40 years of age who had undergone primary trabeculectomy without the use of antimetabolites between January 1985 and January 1992 at Wills Eye Hospital. Failure was defined before the data collection as intraocular pressure (IOP) more than 25 mmHg without medication, IOP more than 21 mmHg with medication, or when further glaucoma surgery was indicated. Patients in whom preoperative IOPs were 21 mmHg or lower were classified as successes when the IOP was reduced by at least 33% of the preoperative measurement.

RESULTS

After a mean follow-up of 36.8 +/- 21.8 months, among the 31 patients with uncomplicated glaucomas (juvenile, pigmentary, low tension, chronic angle closure), 26 (83.9%) were considered successes. After a mean follow-up of 42.3 +/- 26.5 months, among the 11 patients with other types of glaucoma (inflammatory, traumatic, associated with irido-corneal endothelial syndrome or mesodermal dysgenesis), 7 (63.6%) were considered successes.

CONCLUSIONS

The success rate of the uncomplicated group compares favorably with the 75% to 90% success rates of trabeculectomy commonly cited for primary glaucomas in older patients. Primary trabeculectomy in young adults may have a favorable outcome despite no antimetabolite therapy.

Hypotony maculopathy following the use of topical mitomycin C in glaucoma filtration surgery

Intraoperative mitomycin C has been shown to be highly effective in increasing the success rate of glaucoma filtration surgery. Between October 1991 and June 1992, 169 eyes of 156 patients underwent filtration procedures with intraoperative mitomycin C. In the postoperative period, five eyes (2.9%) developed hypotony maculopathy, characterized by disc edema, vascular tortuosity, and chorioretinal folds in the macular area. Cryotherapy was applied to three eyes, and was effective in reversing the hypotony in two of them. However, the visual prognosis was poor: after a mean follow up of 5.3 months (range, 3.5 to 8 months), visual acuity returned to preoperative levels in one case. Hypotony maculopathy may develop after glaucoma filtration surgery with intraoperative mitomycin C. We suggest restricting the indication of its adjunctive use to eyes with poor surgical prognosis or those in which a very low intraocular pressure is desired. The use of extra sutures (which can be sectioned by laser) or releasable sutures to prevent excessive filtration in the postoperative period also is advisable.

Loss of visual acuity after trabeculectomy

BACKGROUND

Glaucoma filtration surgery can result in loss of visual acuity by a variety of mechanisms. The existence of "wipe-out" (loss of the central visual field in the absence of other explanation) as a cause of postoperative loss of visual acuity has been debated. This study defines the incidence and etiology of visual acuity loss within 3 months of trabeculectomy.

METHODS

The authors reviewed 508 eyes of 440 patients who underwent trabeculectomy to find cases of postoperative visual acuity loss (2 or more Snellen lines or a category change) and randomly selected a control group of 85 eyes to analyze the risk factors for each cause of visual acuity loss.

RESULTS

Forty-two eyes (8.3%) showed loss of visual acuity after 3 months, caused mainly by lens opacification (n = 16), hypotony maculopathy (n = 6), and "wipe-out" (n = 4). Older patients (P = 0.0108), those in whom the visual field preoperatively showed macular splitting (P = 0.0084) and those who had severe hypotony (intraocular pressure [IOP] < or = 2 mmHg) on the first postoperative day (P = 0.0246) were more likely to experience "wipe-out." Older age (P = 0.0495) and shallow anterior chamber (P = 0.0003) were correlated to the development of lens opacification. Hypotony maculopathy was associated with coronary artery disease (P = 0.0397) and systemic hypertension (P = 0.0118).

CONCLUSIONS

Lens opacification was the main cause of early visual acuity loss after trabeculectomy, followed by hypotony maculopathy. "Wipe-out," although rare, does exist, and older patients with advanced visual field defects are at increased risk.