Silver Cross Hospital

Treatment satisfaction is an increasingly popular outcome measure in pain management. While it is a subjective variable, it may nonetheless reflect the quality of care and it may predict other important patient behaviors. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate predictors of satisfaction with treatment for chronic pain. Subjects included 62 adults seeking treatment for pain at a community-based, specialty clinic. Treatment included combinations of analgesic medications (e.g., opioids, tricyclic antidepressants) and procedures performed by anesthesiologists (e.g., epidural steroid injections, facet joint blocks). Subjects completed measures of pain severity, depression, disability, and pain-related anxiety, prior to treatment and at a 6-month follow-up. Follow-up assessment also included measures of treatment satisfaction and characteristics of the patient's clinic experience and a chart review to assess medications, procedures, and number of visits. Comparison of baseline and follow-up data showed statistically significant reductions in pain (25%) and depression. Most patients were satisfied (45.6%) or extremely satisfied (43.9%) with the treatment they received (10.5% was somewhat satisfied, none were dissatisfied). Correlation analyses showed that patient demographic variables did not predict treatment satisfaction. Changes in pain, depression, and pain-related anxiety were associated with treatment satisfaction but change in pain was a relatively weak predictor. Nine of the 16 characteristics of the patient's clinic experience correlated with treatment satisfaction. Regression analyses showed that the strongest unique predictors of treatment satisfaction were the patients feeling their evaluation was complete, believing they received an explanation for clinic procedures, and finding that treatment helped them improve their daily activity.

This study compared a two-layer (Coban 2 Layer) and a four-layer (Profore) compression bandage system in venous leg ulcer patients. Participants (n = 81) were enrolled into an 8-week, randomised, open-label, ten-centre, crossover clinical trial. The primary endpoint was bandage slippage measured at each dressing change. Secondary endpoints included wound healing, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient preference. Mean slippage estimated from a mixed analysis of variance model (697 visits) was 2.48 cm for the two-layer system and 4.17 cm for the four-layer system (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in percent of wounds that healed (Fisher's exact test, P = 0.30), in wound area reduction (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, P = 0.88) or in linear healing rate (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, P = 0.94). The HRQoL Physical Symptoms and Daily Living scores were significantly higher with the two-layer system (pooled two-sample t-test, P < 0.05). Patients had a strong preference for the two-layer system (72%) than the four-layer system (22%), with 6% having no preference. In conclusion, the two-layer system exhibited significantly less bandage slippage than the four-layer system. While less bandage slippage did not appear to impact wound healing, there was indication that it may have influenced patient preference in favour of the two-layer system and potentially impacted patients' HRQoL.

We evaluated 29 consecutive patients in whom gross or microscopic hematuria developed while they were on heparin or warfarin anticoagulant therapy. Patients who had bleeding as a result of anticoagulant overdosage and/or from an additional organ system(s) other than the urinary tract were excluded from this review. Significant pathological findings consisting of carcinoma, calculi, renal infarction, infection, benign prostatic hyperplasia and/or adult polycystic renal disease were identified in 17 patients. Insignificant or incidental pathological findings classified as posterior urethritis, simple renal cyst or renal scarring were noted in 6 patients. No pathological condition was found in the remaining 6 patients. We conclude that a thorough and appropriate evaluation of the urinary tract should be conducted in patients on anticoagulant therapy who have gross or microscopic hematuria, since a pathological lesion of variable clinical significance often is discovered.

Sharon Baranoski, MSN, RN, CWOCN, APN, is the Administrative Director of Clinical Programs and Development and Administrator of Home Health, Silver Cross Hospital, Joliet, IL. She is the founder and symposium director for the annual Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care: The Conference for Prevention and Healing. This article is adapted from Baranoski S. Skin tears: The enemy of frail skin. Adv Skin Wound Care 2000;13:123–6.

INTRODUCTION: The study aims to assess the feasibility of dosimetrically sparing the limbic circuit during whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We contoured the brain/brainstem on fused MRI and CT as the target volume (PTV) in 11 patients, excluding the hippocampus and the rest of the limbic circuit, which were considered organs at risk (OARs). PCI and WBRT helical tomotherapy plans were prepared for each patient with a 1.0-cm field width, pitch = 0.285, initial modulation factor = 2.5. We attempted to spare the hippocampus and the rest of the limbic circuit while treating the rest of the brain to 30 Gy in 15 fractions (PCI) or 35 Gy in 14 fractions (WBRT) with V(100) >or= 95%. The quality of the plans was assessed by calculating mean dose and equivalent uniform dose (EUD) for OARs and the % volume of the PTV receiving the prescribed dose, V(100). RESULTS: In the PCI plans, mean doses/EUD were: hippocampus 12.5 Gy/14.23 Gy, rest of limbic circuit 17.0 Gy/19.02 Gy. In the WBRT plans, mean doses/EUD were: hippocampus 14.3 Gy/16.07 Gy, rest of limbic circuit 17.9 Gy/20.74 Gy. The mean V(100) for the rest of the brain (PTV) were 94.7% (PCI) and 95.1% (WBRT). Mean PCI and WBRT treatment times were essentially identical (mean 15.23 min, range 14.27-17.5). CONCLUSIONS: It is dosimetrically feasible to spare the hippocampus and the rest of the limbic circuit using helical tomotherapy while treating the rest of the brain to full dose.

A long-standing case of severe dysesthesia due to a supraclavicular glomus tumor is presented. Chronic pain caused by a subcutaneous glomus (non-chemodectoma) tumor is rare and usually misdiagnosed. The supraclavicular location, presentation, and coincidence of trauma history are unique in this case. A 62-year-old male complained of 20 years of intractable right shoulder and supraclavicular region pain, which started 6 months after a fall. The pain was unrelieved by repeated and extensive physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, local steroid injections, and two shoulder operations. The cause of the condition remained undiagnosed and obscure. Local surgical exploration revealed a subcutaneous grayish mass with pathologically proven glomus tumor. Immediate alleviation of the pain and tenderness followed complete resection of the mass. The patient remained free of pain at a 2-year follow-up. Subcutaneous glomus (non-chemodectoma) tumors can occur in unusual sites, and should be considered in chronic regional pain syndromes. Immediate cure is generally achieved by local resection. Pertinent literature is reviewed.

BACKGROUND: FOLFIRINOX (5-fluorouracil [5-FU], leucovorin, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) is an effective but toxic therapy for pancreatic cancer. UGT1A1 (UDP glucuronosyltransferase 1A1) eliminates the active metabolite of irinotecan. Polymorphisms reduce UGT1A1 activity, leading to toxicity. The primary objective was to determine the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rate in cycle 1 of modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) using genotype-guided dosing of irinotecan for the most common UGT1A1 genotypes (*1/*1, *1/*28) in advanced gastrointestinal malignancies, with expansion in pancreatic and biliary tract cancers. METHOD: were administered for UGT1A1 genotypes *1/*1, *1/*28, and *28/*28, respectively. Prophylactic pegfilgrastim was omitted in cycle 1 for cohort 1 (tolerability by genotype), but was given in cohort 2 (tolerability by tumor type). Doses were tolerable if the upper limit of a 2-sided 80% confidence interval for DLT rate was ≤33%. RESULTS: In cohort 1, DLTs (most commonly febrile neutropenia, fatigue, diarrhea) occurred in 2/15 (13%), 3/16 (19%), and 4/10 (40%) patients with *1/*1, *1/*28, and *28/*28 genotypes, respectively. In cohort 2, 6/19 (32%) pancreatic and 4/19 (21%) biliary tract cancer patients experienced DLTs (most commonly fatigue, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting). In cohort 2, upper confidence limits of DLT rates exceeded 33%. Response rates were 38% in pancreatic and 21% in biliary tract cancers. CONCLUSION: On the basis of our prespecified criteria, tolerability of UGT1A1 genotype-guided mFOLFIRINOX was not established in pancreatic and biliary tract cancers. However, this regimen was effective.

The elderly, whom are vulnerable to the physical, mental and chronic diseases of aging, are the fastest growing segment of the US population. Dementia is of particular concern in this population, and caregivers of people with dementia are subjected to psychological, physical, emotional and functional stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of caregiving for dementia patients on health care services utilization of caregivers and to examine if caregivers utilize more healthcare services than the control group. The study recruited a total of 143 people in control and non-control groups through non-probability convenience sampling. The control group (non-caregivers) comprised of 71 people, whereas the experimental group (caregivers) consisted of 72 participants. The focus of the study was the health care utilization questionnaire, asking the caregiver about the frequency of specific health care services utilization-including medication use in the last six months, on the scale from 0 to 10. Results were statistically significant for each of the healthcare service utilization when comparing caregivers to the control group. By providing adequate support and assistance in form of support groups, we can alleviate caregivers' burden and more effectively address the needs of caregivers-thereby reducing the utilization of healthcare services.

Skin tears are a serious, painful problem for older patients. Find out how your staff can recognize patients at risk, what they can do to prevent skin tears, and how to manage them effectively if they occur.

The results of a controlled clinical trial of two currently recommended methods of abdominal closure have been reported here. OUt of 160 patients, 80 cases were randomised to have their abdominal wall closed in single layer mass closure with monofilament nylon and 80 cases in layer closure with chromic catgut. Eighteen patients (22.5%) in the former and 38 (47.5%) in the latter had wound infection (p < 0.001). Sinus formation occurred in 2 patients (2.5%) in the mass and 20 (25%) in the layered group (p < 0.001). Three cases (3.75%) of burst abdomen occurred in layer closure and none in mass closure. Wound infection was the most important denominator next to suture material influencing wound healing. There was a significant association between the rate of infection and sinus formation. Minimal complication and good patient compliance seem to justify the use of mass closure in place of layer closure in all types of abdominal operations.

In Brief Skin tears are a serious, painful problem for your older patients. Find out how to recognize patients at risk, what you can do to prevent skin tears, and how to manage them effectively if they occur.

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin plus ketoconazole has exhibited significant activity in patients with advanced prostate cancer. However, overall and cardiac-specific toxicity was reported to be high. Mitoxantrone has activity similar to that of doxorubicin, is less cardiotoxic, and is widely used to treat prostate cancer. The current study sought to evaluate the toxicity and activity of mitoxantrone plus ketoconazole in a cohort of patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. METHODS: Progression after medical or surgical castration and, for those patients receiving antiandrogens, progression after withdrawal was required, as was objective evidence of metastasis, castrate levels of testosterone, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 2, and intact cardiac function. After enrollment onto a multicenter local consortium study, subjects were treated with mitoxantrone at a dose of 12 mg/m2 intravenously every 3 weeks plus continuous oral ketoconazole at a dose of 400 mg 3 times daily and ascorbic acid at a dose of 250 mg. Replacement doses of hydrocortisone were given. RESULTS: For 40 enrolled subjects, the median prostate-specific antigen and ECOG performance status were 68 and 1, respectively, 53% had Gleason scores of 8 to 10, and all had metastasis. Predominant Grade 3/4 toxicities were: neutropenia in 13%, neutropenic fever in 10%, and anemia in 13%. Of 37 evaluable patients, 8% achieved a complete remission (CR) and 62% achieved a partial remission (PR), for a CR plus PR rate of 70%. For soft tissue and bone disease, overall response rates were 13% and 8%, respectively. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 10 months and 18 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mitoxantrone plus ketoconazole is well tolerated, is active in hormone-refractory prostate cancer, and should be studied further.

Lavery, Lawrence A. DPM, MPH; Baranoski, Sharon MSN, RN, CWOCN, APN, FAAN; Ayello, Elizabeth A. PhD, RN, APRN,BC, CWOCN, FAANAuthor Information

Abstract Purpose: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin, irinotecan, and nab-paclitaxel are all active agents in gastrointestinal cancers; the combination, FOLFIRABRAX, has not been previously evaluated. UDP Glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) clears SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan. UGT1A1*28 polymorphism reduces UGT1A1 enzymatic activity and predisposes to toxicity. We performed a trial to assess the safety and tolerability of FOLFIRABRAX with UGT1A1 genotype–guided dosing of irinotecan. Patients and Methods: Patients with previously untreated, advanced gastrointestinal cancers received FOLFIRABRAX with prophylactic pegfilgrastim every 14 days. UGT1A1 *1/*1, *1/*28, and *28/*28 patients received initial irinotecan doses of 180, 135, and 90 mg/m2, respectively. 5-FU 2,400 mg/m2 over 46 hours, leucovorin 400 mg/m2, and nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2 were administered. Doses were deemed tolerable if the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rate during cycle 1 was ≤35% in each genotype group. DLTs were monitored using a sequential procedure. Results: Fifty patients enrolled, 30 pancreatic, 9 biliary tract, 6 gastroesophageal, and 5 others. DLTs occurred in 5 of 23 (22%) *1/*1 patients, 1 of 19 (5%) *1/*28 patients, and 0 of 7 *28/*28 patients. DLTs were all grade 3: diarrhea (3 patients), nausea (2 patients), and febrile neutropenia (1 patient). The overall response rate was 31%. Response rates in pancreatic, gastroesophageal, and biliary tract cancers were 34%, 50%, and 11%, respectively. Eighteen patients (36%) received therapy for at least 24 weeks. Conclusions: FOLFIRABRAX with genotype-guided dosing of irinotecan is tolerable in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer and UGT1A1*1*1 or UGT1A1*1*28 genotypes. Too few *28/*28 patients were enrolled to provide conclusive results. Responses occurred across multiple tumor types.

Sharon Baranoski, MSN, RN, CWOCN, APN, DAPWCA, FAAN, is Administrative Director of Clinical Programs and Development and Administrator of Home Health at Silver Cross Hospital, Joliet, IL. She is the Symposium Director for the annual Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care.

Cervical spine infection is a term used to encompass osteomyelitis, discitis and epidural abscess. Most cases are caused by Staphylococcus aureus but other organisms have been isolated. The most frequent source is hematogenous spread from a nearby or distant source. Diagnosis is often confusing. The most common symptom is worsening back or neck pain that increases with movement. Patients may have motor or sensory changes if there is compression of the nerve roots or spinal cord. If the condition is not treated promptly, it may progress to irreversible neurologic deficit. Positive blood cultures and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) may be seen. Radiologic findings may include a paravertebral swelling, a destruction of the vertebral end plates and adjacent portions of the bodies and disc space and the presence of an epidural mass. Treatment includes radical surgical intervention for debridement and decompression to stabilize the spine in conjunction with 8-12 weeks of intravenous antibiotics. Closed continuous local antibiotic irrigation with a gravity control outflow system has been used.

Choosing the appropriate wound dressing is critical to positive patient outcomes. This article helps the nurse choose dressings based on wound care principles and the comprehensive assessment. Tools are provided to choose the different products that can be used as the wound progresses through the stages of healing.

In Brief Heparin, an anticoagulant that is widely used for cardiac patients, has been studied to determine its effects on wound healing. The role of heparin in wound healing has been demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo studies. In cell culture studies, heparin and growth factors are associated with rapid and effective endothelial cell repair. In clinical studies, patients with burns and those with diabetic foot ulcers showed an increase in capillary circulation and decreased healing time. In contrast, heparin may not be beneficial in populations with ischemia, malnourishment, and vascular problems, although research in these populations is limited. Nevertheless, heparin continues to have therapeutic advantages for wound healing in carefully selected patients. A review of existing literature demonstrates potential benefits of heparin therapy in selected patients with chronic wounds.

TPS198 Background: Targeted therapies (tx) in GEA have had limited efficacy despite recognition of numerous ‘targetable’ molecular events. This may be due to the molecular heterogeneity (MH) that exists between patients (pts), within the primary tumor (PT), between PT and synchronous metastatic lesions (MLs), and in lesions over time. Current biomarker profiling (BP) is performed on one site, usually the PT, yet this fails to capture the MH of GEA, with likely major clinical implications. Classic trial designs are challenged by MH, low frequency oncogenic drivers, and scarcity of tissue. There is need for novel trial designs and BP technologies that address these concerns, provide tx algorithms for pts with multiple aberrations, and have access to several txs. Methods: This phase IIa, open-label, non-randomized ‘platform trial’ enrolls pts with newly diagnosed metastatic GEA or recurrent disease after curative-intent surgery. Baseline tumor BP is performed on PT/ML along with circulating free (cf)DNA. Pts receive first line (1L) mFOLFOX6 + biologic tx based on BP of the ML using a prioritized tx algorithm (HER2+: trastuzumab; MET+: none; FGFR2+: none; EGFR+: ABT806; MSI-H: nivolumab; ‘RAS-like’: ramucirumab). MET/FGFR2 arms (~10% of all pts) are tx’d with cytotoxics only and followed for natural outcome until/if tx becomes available on study. At first progression (PD1), pts undergo biopsy of growing ML and change to 2L FOLFIRI + biologic agent as assigned in 1L tx. Upon results of PD1 biopsy, pts change to a new biologic tx if the molecular category evolves. At PD2, pts change to 3L FOLTAX + biologic as determined after PD1, and switch biologic tx from PD2 biopsy result. All PD1/PD2 tumor/cfDNA samples undergo BP to assess evolution and resistance mechanisms. Co-primary endpoints: safety, feasibility, and overall survival (OS) of this personalized treatment strategy (excluding MET/FGFR2) compared to historical controls (HR 0.66). Secondary endpoints include rate of baseline MH between PT and ML leading to new treatment assignment; utility of cfDNA; overall progression-free survival (PFS)/response rate (RR); OS/PFS/RR in each targetable group. Since 8/2015, 38 of 68 planned pts have been accrued. Clinical trial information: NCT02213289.

CONTEXT.—: More people receive a diagnosis of skin cancer each year in the United States than all other cancers combined. Many patients around the globe do not have access to highly trained dermatopathologists, whereas some biopsy diagnoses of patients who do have access result in disagreements between such specialists. Mechanomind has developed software based on a deep-learning algorithm to classify 40 different diagnostic dermatopathology entities to improve diagnostic accuracy and to enable improvements in turnaround times and effort allocation. OBJECTIVE.—: To assess the value of machine learning for microscopic tissue evaluation in dermatopathology. DESIGN.—: A retrospective study comparing diagnoses of hematoxylin and eosin-stained glass slides rendered by 2 senior board-certified pathologists not involved in algorithm creation with the machine learning algorithm's classification was conducted. A total of 300 glass slides (1 slide per patient's case) from 4 hospitals in the United States and Africa with common variations in tissue preparation, staining, and scanning methods were included in the study. RESULTS.—: The automated algorithm demonstrated sensitivity of 89 of 91 (97.8%), 107 of 107 (100%), and 101 of 102 (99%), as well as specificity of 204 of 209 (97.6%), 189 of 193 (97.9%), and 198 of 198 (100%) while identifying melanoma, nevi, and basal cell carcinoma in whole slide images, respectively. CONCLUSIONS.—: Appropriately trained deep learning image analysis algorithms demonstrate high specificity and high sensitivity sufficient for use in screening, quality assurance, and workload distribution in anatomic pathology.