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Background We examined the cost-effectiveness of providing systematic smoking cessation interventions to oncology patients at point-of-care. Methods A decision analytic model was completed from the healthcare payer’s perspective and included all incident cancer cases involving patients who smoke in New Brunswick, Canada ( n  = 1040), cancer site stratifications, and risks of mortality, continued smoking, and cancer treatment failure over one year. Usual care (no cessation support) was compared to the standard Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation (OMSC) intervention, and to OMSC plus unlimited cost-free stop smoking medication (OMSC + SSM), including nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, or bupropion. Primary outcomes were incremental cost per quit (ICQ) and incremental cost per cancer treatment failure avoided (ICTFA). Results The ICQ was $C143 and ICTFA $C1193 for standard OMSC. The ICQ was $C503 and ICTFA was $C5952 for OMSC + SSM. The number needed to treat (NNT) to produce one quit was 9 for standard OMSC and 4 for OMSC + SSM, and the NNT to avoid one first-line treatment failure was 78 for OMSC and 45 for OMSC + SSM. Both were cost-effective in 100% of 1000 simulations. Conclusions Given the high clinical benefits and low incremental costs, systematic smoking cessation interventions should be a standard component of first-line cancer treatment.

We examined the cost-effectiveness of providing systematic smoking cessation interventions to oncology patients at point-of-care. A decision analytic model was completed from the healthcare payer's perspective and included all incident cancer cases involving patients who smoke in New Brunswick, Canada (n = 1040), cancer site stratifications, and risks of mortality, continued smoking, and cancer treatment failure over one year. Usual care (no cessation support) was compared to the standard Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation (OMSC) intervention, and to OMSC plus unlimited cost-free stop smoking medication (OMSC + SSM), including nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, or bupropion. Primary outcomes were incremental cost per quit (ICQ) and incremental cost per cancer treatment failure avoided (ICTFA). The ICQ was $C143 and ICTFA $C1193 for standard OMSC. The ICQ was $C503 and ICTFA was $C5952 for OMSC + SSM. The number needed to treat (NNT) to produce one quit was 9 for standard OMSC and 4 for OMSC + SSM, and the NNT to avoid one first-line treatment failure was 78 for OMSC and 45 for OMSC + SSM. Both were cost-effective in 100% of 1000 simulations. Given the high clinical benefits and low incremental costs, systematic smoking cessation interventions should be a standard component of first-line cancer treatment.

Abstract Background Clinical and molecular subcategories of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are needed to discover mechanisms of disease and predictors of response and disease relapse. We aimed to develop a study of a prospective adult research cohort with IBD (SPARC IBD) including longitudinal clinical and patient-reported data and biosamples. Methods We established a cohort of adults with IBD from a geographically diverse sample of patients across the United States with standardized data and biosample collection methods and sample processing techniques. At enrollment and at time of lower endoscopy, patient-reported outcomes (PRO), clinical data, and endoscopy scoring indices are captured. Patient-reported outcomes are collected quarterly. The quality of clinical data entry after the first year of the study was assessed. Results Through January 2020, 3029 patients were enrolled in SPARC, of whom 66.1% have Crohn’s disease (CD), 32.2% have ulcerative colitis (UC), and 1.7% have IBD-unclassified. Among patients enrolled, 990 underwent colonoscopy. Remission rates were 63.9% in the CD group and 80.6% in the UC group. In the quality study of the cohort, there was 96% agreement on year of diagnosis and 97% agreement on IBD subtype. There was 91% overall agreement describing UC extent as left-sided vs extensive or pancolitis. The overall agreement for CD behavior was 83%. Conclusion The SPARC IBD is an ongoing large prospective cohort with longitudinal standardized collection of clinical data, biosamples, and PROs representing a unique resource aimed to drive discovery of clinical and molecular markers that will meet the needs of precision medicine in IBD.

Purpose Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by premature aging. Cerebral hypoperfusion and stroke have been described in HGPS however revascularization techniques have not been reported from a neurosurgical perspective in HGPS patients. Methods We present a case of a pediatric patient with HGPS who underwent cerebral bypass along with a review of the literature. Results Cerebral hypoperfusion and resulting ischemic strokes have been reported in children with HGPS, as early as 4 years old. Medical treatment, including antiplatelet agents, following standard ischemic stroke guidelines has been commonly reported. There is a paucity of literature regarding surgical management of cerebral hypoperfusion in HGPS patients. As an illustrative case we report a 4-year-old boy with HGPS who presented with acute left ischemic stroke from ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis and arteriopathy. He underwent encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis for indirect cerebral artery bypass, with neoangiogenesis on follow up imaging and with good clinical status. Wound healing in this patient became a challenging complication, with multidisciplinary input required for successful resolution. Conclusion Children with HGPS can present with cerebral hypoperfusion due to cerebral flow deficits and indirect bypass can be cautiously considered as an option to restore cerebral blood flow. Neoangiogenesis and collateralization can occur in patients with HGPS following indirect bypass, though tissue fragility in this population makes them at high risk for wound healing issues. We discuss preoperative and perioperative considerations, as well as medical and surgical maneuvers undertaken to achieve successful healing.

Abstract BACKGROUND Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been shown to decrease length of hospital stay and opioid use. OBJECTIVE To identify whether surgery for epilepsy mapping via MIS stereotactically placed electroencephalography (SEEG) electrodes decreased overall opioid use when compared with craniotomy for EEG grid placement (ECoG). METHODS Patients who underwent surgery for epilepsy mapping, either SEEG or ECoG, were identified through retrospective chart review from 2015 through 2018. The hospital stay was separated into specific time periods to distinguish opioid use immediately postoperatively, throughout the rest of the stay and at discharge. The total amount of opioids consumed during each period was calculated by transforming all types of opioids into their morphine equivalents (ME). Pain scores were also collected using a modification of the Clinically Aligned Pain Assessment (CAPA) scale. The 2 surgical groups were compared using appropriate statistical tests. RESULTS The study identified 43 patients who met the inclusion criteria: 36 underwent SEEG placement and 17 underwent craniotomy grid placement. There was a statistically significant difference in median opioid consumption per hospital stay between the ECoG and the SEEG placement groups, 307.8 vs 71.5 ME, respectively (P = .0011). There was also a significant difference in CAPA scales between the 2 groups (P = .0117). CONCLUSION Opioid use is significantly lower in patients who undergo MIS epilepsy mapping via SEEG compared with those who undergo the more invasive ECoG procedure. As part of efforts to decrease the overall opioid burden, these results should be considered by patients and surgeons when deciding on surgical methods.

Abstract Background Disease location, behavior, and average activity over time vary significantly amongst patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite this heterogeneity patients are often subjected to a “one size fits all” treatment plan. Clinical and multi-omic profiles which predict responsiveness to treatment are needed given the expanding range of therapeutic options for IBD. Methods The Study of Prospective Adult Research Cohort of IBD (SPARC IBD) is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of patients with IBD ages 18 and older managed according to local standards at 17 academic medical centers in the US. Demographic data, disease-related data, and patient-reported outcomes are collected at baseline, during routine GI office visits, and quarterly by data abstraction from the electronic health record, patient surveys, and highly structured electronic case report forms (eCRF) created with Epic Systems (IBD SmartForm). Biosamples are collected at baseline (blood and stool), at the time colonoscopy (stool and tissue), and after key medication changes (blood and stool). Clinical data is transferred from sites on a periodic basis and stored in the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s exchange platform called IBD Plexus. A portion of the biosamples are analyzed and the rest are banked for future use. Results Between November 2016 and October 2019, 2582 patients have enrolled in SPARC IBD (66% Crohn’s disease [CD], 33% ulcerative colitis (UC), and 1% IBD-U). Females comprise 52.5% of the cohort. Median age at enrollment is 37 years (range18-85). The majority of patients are white (80.5%) and non-Hispanic or Latino (84.5%). Median disease duration is 12 years (range 0–53). Distribution of disease location in the CD sub-group is 44% with small bowel and colonic disease, 28% with isolated small bowel disease, and 15% with isolated colonic disease. In the UC sub-group, 50.5% of patients have extensive colitis, followed by 23.5% with left-sided colitis, and 8.8% with proctitis. Among CD patients, 17.6% have stricturing disease, 12.5% have penetrating disease, 5.8% have both stricturing and penetrating disease and 16.2% have perianal involvement. At time of study enrollment 60% of CD patients, 41% of UC patients and 37% of IBD-U patients were on a biologic. The majority of patients with CD (88%) and UC (89%) were in remission. Conclusions SPARC IBD is a prospective cohort study of adult IBD patients which combines high-resolution phenotyping with biosample collection at multiple points in time. The unique aspects of this study including the multiple modalities for clinical data collection, the geographic diversity of patients enrolled, as well as the biosample procurement at multiple time points position SPARC IBD to aid in the discovery of novel biomarkers which can predict therapeutic responsiveness.

This issue in the series Current Topics in Military Tropical Medicine focuses on Q Fever. Q fever is a zoonotic infection caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Over 150 confirmed cases have occurred among U.S. military personnel deployed to Iraq since 2007. Acute Q fever is underdiagnosed because of a myriad of possible clinical presentations but typically presents as a flu-like illness. The most common chronic manifestation is endocarditis. Most providers are not familiar with the diagnosis, treatment, or appropriate follow-up of this disease. In order to facilitate the care of patients infected with C. burnetii, the Armed Forces Infectious Diseases Society convened a panel of experts in the field to develop practical guidelines for those caring for infected patients. The recommendations and rationale are reviewed in this article.

On January 30, 2009, nursing staff at a military hospital in Texas reported that single-patient use insulin pens were used on multiple patients. An investigation was initiated to determine if patient-to-patient bloodbome transmission occurred from the practice. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing was offered to patients hospitalized from August 2007 to January 2009 and prescribed insulin pen injections. Virus from HCV-infected patients' sera was sequenced and compared for relatedness. An anonymous survey was administered to nurses. Of 2,113 patients prescribed insulin pen injections, 1,501 (71%) underwent testing; 6 (0.4%) were HIV positive, 6 (0.4%) were hepatitis B surface antigen positive, and 56 (3.7%) had HCV antibody. No viral sequences from 10 of 28 patients with newly diagnosed and 12 of 28 patients with preexisting HCV infection were closely related. Of 54 nurses surveyed, 74% reported being trained on insulin pen use, but 24% believed nurses used insulin pens on more than one patient. We found no clear evidence of bloodborne pathogen transmission. Training of hospital staff on correct use of insulin pens should be prioritized and their practices evaluated. Insulin pens should be more clearly labeled for single-patient use.

We present 90 mas (37 pc) resolution ALMA imaging of Arp 220 in the CO (1-0) line and continuum at \\(\\lambda = 2.6\\) mm. The internal gas distribution and kinematics of both galactic nuclei are well-resolved for the first time. In the West nucleus, the major gas and dust emission extends out to 0.2\\arcsec radius (74 pc); the central resolution element shows a strong peak in the dust emission but a factor 3 dip in the CO line emission. In this nucleus, the dust is apparently optically thick (\\(\\tau_{\\rm 2.6mm} \\sim1\\)) at \\(\\lambda = 2.6\\) mm with a dust brightness temperature \\(\\sim147\\) K. The column of ISM at this nucleus is \\(\\rm N_{H2} \\geq 2\\times10^{26}\\) cm\\(^{-2}\\), corresponding to \\(\\sim\\)900 gr cm\\(^{-2}\\). The East nucleus is more elongated with radial extent 0.3\\arcsec or \\(\\sim111\\) pc. The derived kinematics of the nuclear disks provide a good fit to the line profiles, yielding the emissivity distributions, the rotation curves and velocity dispersions. In the West nucleus, there is evidence of a central Keplerian component requiring a central mass of \\(8\\times10^8\\) \\msun. The intrinsic widths of the emission lines are \\(\\Delta \\rm v (FWHM)\\) = 250 (West) and 120 (East) \\kms. Given the very short dissipation timescales for turbulence (\\(\\lesssim10^5\\) yrs), we suggest that the line widths may be due to semi-coherent motions within the nuclear disks. The symmetry of the nuclear disk structures is impressive -- implying the merger timescale is significantly longer than the rotation period of the disks.