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    A Delphi study to obtain consensus on medical emergency team (MET) stand-down decision making.
    Kondos, NA ; Barrett, J ; McDonall, J ; Bucknall, T (Wiley, 2023-11)
    AIM: A medical emergency team (MET) stand-down decision is the decision to end a MET response and hand responsibility for the patient back to ward staff for ongoing management. Little research has explored this decision. This study aimed to obtain expert consensus on the essential elements required to make optimal MET call stand-down decisions and the communication required before MET departure. DESIGN: A Delphi design was utilised. METHODS: An expert panel of 10 members were recruited based on their expert knowledge and recent clinical MET responder experience in acute hospital settings. Participants were emailed a consent form and an electronic interactive PDF for each survey. Two rounds were conducted with no attrition between rounds. The CREDES guidance on conducting and reporting Delphi studies was used to report this study. RESULTS: Consensus by an expert panel of 10 MET responders generated essential elements of MET stand-down decisions. Essential elements comprised of two steps: (1) the stand-down decision that was influenced by both the patient situation and the ward/organisational context; and (2) the communication required before actioning stand-down. Communication after the decision required both verbal discussions and written documentation to hand over patient responsibility. Specific patient information, a management plan and an escalation plan were considered essential. CONCLUSION: The Delphi surveys reached consensus on the actions and communication required to stand down a MET call. Passing responsibility back to ward staff after a MET call requires both patient and ward safety assessments, and a clearly articulated patient plan for ward staff. Observation of MET call stand-down decision-making is required to validate the essential elements. IMPLICATION FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT/OR PATIENT CARE: In specifying the essential elements, this study offers clinical and MET staff a process to support the handing over of clinical responsibility from the MET to the ward staff, and clarification of management plans in order to reduce repeat MET calls and improve patient outcomes. IMPACT: Minimal research has been focussed on the decision to hand responsibility back to ward staff so the MET may leave the ward with safety plan in place. This study provided expert consensus to optimise MET stand-down decision-making and the ultimate decision to end a MET call. Communication of agreed patient treatment and escalation plans is recommended before leaving the ward. This study can be used as a checklist for MET responder staff making these decisions and ward staff responsible for post-MET call care. The aim being to reduce the likelihood of potentially preventable repeat deterioration in the MET patient population. REPORTING METHOD: The CREDES guidance on conducting and reporting Delphi studies. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: None.
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    Suction bucket performance in sand under vertical cyclic loading: Numerical modelling using SANISAND-MS
    Roy, A ; Liu, H ; Bienen, B ; Chow, SH ; Diambra, A (Elsevier BV, 2024-09)
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    Everyday Bribery in North Korea as Moral Economy
    Song, J ; Yoon, B ; Kim, S ; Zulawnik, A (University of California Press, 2024-02-01)
    This study investigates how bribery is defined, negotiated, and practiced in the everyday lives of ordinary North Koreans. Reflecting on interviews spanning over two decades with North Korean migrants in South Korea and China, a team of North Korea experts has identified the patterns of micro-level bribery in everyday life in North Korea that differ, to some extent, from those of other post-communist states in Eastern Europe and Asia. By carefully examining the accounts of ten former North Korean residents, the researchers find that the traditional socialist economy, once prevalent in workplaces, schools, and hospitals, has now been supplanted by individual-to-individual private market interactions. Moreover, bribery serves not only as an informal practice but also as a “moral economy,” which differs from the more organized forms of corruption seen at the elite and enterprise levels.
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    Validation of Formulae to Estimate Insulin Sensitivity in Type 1 Diabetes
    Januszewski, AS ; Niedzwiecki, P ; Sachithanandan, N ; Ward, GM ; Karschimkus, C ; O'Neal, DN ; Zozulinska-Ziolkiewicz, D ; Uruska, A ; Jenkins, A (AMER DIABETES ASSOC, 2021-06)
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    Cytoreductive Surgery of the Primary Tumor in Metastatic Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Impact on Patients' Survival
    Srougi, V ; Bancos, I ; Daher, M ; Lee, JE ; Graham, PH ; Karam, JA ; Henriquez, A ; Mckenzie, TJ ; Sada, A ; Bourdeau, I ; Poirier, J ; Vaidya, A ; Abbondanza, T ; Kiernan, CM ; Rao, SN ; Hamidi, O ; Sachithanandan, N ; Hoff, AO ; Chambo, JL ; Almeida, MQ ; Habra, MA ; Fragoso, MCB (ENDOCRINE SOC, 2022-03-24)
    CONTEXT: The role of cytoreduction of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of cytoreductive surgery of the primary tumor in patients with metastatic ACC. DESIGN AND SETTING: We performed a multicentric, retrospective paired cohort study comparing the overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic ACC who were treated either with cytoreductive surgery (CR group) or without cytoreductive surgery (no-CR group) of the primary tumor. Data were retrieved from 9 referral centers in the American-Australian-Asian Adrenal Alliance collaborative research group. PATIENTS: Patients aged ≥18 years with metastatic ACC at initial presentation who were treated between January 1, 1995, and May 31, 2019. INTERVENTION: Performance (or not) of cytoreductive surgery of the primary tumor. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: A propensity score match was done using age and the number of organs with metastasis (≤2 or >2). The main outcome was OS, determined from the date of diagnosis until death or until last follow-up for living patients. RESULTS: Of 339 patients pooled, 239 were paired and included: 128 in the CR group and 111 in the no-CR group. The mean follow-up was 67 months. Patients in the no-CR group had greater risk of death than did patients in the CR group (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.18; 95% CI, 2.34-4.32). Independent predictors of survival included age (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03), hormone excess (HR = 2.56; 95% CI, 1.66-3.92), and local metastasis therapy (HR = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.47-0.65). CONCLUSION: Cytoreductive surgery of the primary tumor in patients with metastatic ACC is associated with prolonged survival.
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    Independent euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp studies validate clinically applicable formulae to estimate insulin sensitivity in people with type 1 diabetes
    Januszewski, AS ; Niedzwiecki, P ; Sachithanandan, N ; Ward, GM ; Karschimkus, CS ; O'Neal, DN ; Zozulinska-Ziolkiewicz, DA ; Uruska, AA ; Jenkins, AJ (ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2023-01)
    BACKGROUND AND AIM: Low insulin sensitivity (IS) increases Type 1 diabetes (T1D) complication risk and can be estimated by simple formulae developed from complex euglycemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp studies. We aimed to validate these formulae using independent clamp data. METHODS: Clamps were performed in 104 T1D adults. Measured glucose disposal rate (GDR) was correlated with eGDR and eLog10 M/I calculated by five IS formulae. RESULTS: Correlations ranged between 0.23-0.40. Two IS formulae (by the authors), using age, sex, HDL-C, HbA1c, pulse pressure, BMI, and waist-hip-ratio had the highest correlation with measured GDR and the best performance in detecting low IS.
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    Independent euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp studies validate clinically applicable formulae to estimate insulin sensitivity in people with type 1 diabetes (vol 17, 102691, 2023)
    Januszewski, AS ; Niedzwiecki, P ; Sachithanandan, N ; Ward, GM ; Karschimkus, CS ; O'Neal, DN ; Zozulinska-Ziolkiewicz, DA ; Uruska, AA ; Jenkins, AJ (ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2023-01)
    The authors regret that in the original article, on the second page, in the section with eGDR equations, variables “sex” and “hypertension” were missing categorical values indicators (“F = 0, M = 1”; “Yes = 1, No = 0”, respectively) required to calculate eGDR. It should be corrected by adding “F = 0, M = 1” in two instances and “Yes = 1, No = 0” in one instance. Also, please note that Miller at al. defined “hypertension” as BP ≥140/90mmHg or use of any anti-hypertensive (drug) treatment. The authors apologise for any inconvenience caused.
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    Imaging for assessment of cancer treatment response to immune checkpoint inhibitors can be complementary in identifying hypophysitis
    Galligan, A ; Iravani, A ; Lasocki, A ; Wallace, R ; Weppler, AM ; Sachithanandan, N ; Chiang, C ; Colman, PG ; Wentworth, J ; Spain, L ; Au-Yeung, G ; Lee, B ; Kay, TWH ; Hicks, RJ ; Sandhu, S ; Krishnamurthy, B (FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2023-11-29)
    INTRODUCTION: Hypophysitis is reported in 8.5%-14% of patients receiving combination immune checkpoint inhibition (cICI) but can be a diagnostic challenge. This study aimed to assess the role of routine diagnostic imaging performed during therapeutic monitoring of combination anti-CTLA-4/anti-PD-1 treatment in the identification of hypophysitis and the relationship of imaging findings to clinical diagnostic criteria. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study identified patients treated with cICI between January 2016 and January 2019 at a quaternary melanoma service. Medical records were reviewed to identify patients with a documented diagnosis of hypophysitis based on clinical criteria. Available structural brain imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) of the brain and 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) were assessed retrospectively. The main radiological outcome measures were a relative change in pituitary size or FDG uptake temporally attributed to cICI. RESULTS: There were 162 patients (median age 60 years, 30% female) included. A total of 100 and 134 had serial CT/MRI of the brain and FDG-PET/CT, respectively. There were 31 patients who had a documented diagnosis of hypophysitis and an additional 20 who had isolated pituitary imaging findings. The pituitary gland enlargement was mild, and the largest absolute gland size was 13 mm, with a relative increase of 7 mm from baseline. There were no cases of optic chiasm compression. Pituitary enlargement and increased FDG uptake were universally transient. High-dose glucocorticoid treatment for concurrent irAEs prevented assessment of the pituitary-adrenal axis in 90% of patients with isolated imaging findings. CONCLUSION: Careful review of changes in pituitary characteristics on imaging performed for assessment of therapeutic response to iICI may lead to increased identification and more prompt management of cICI-induced hypophysitis.
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    Interactive Calculator to Estimate Insulin Sensitivity (IS) in Type 1 Diabetes
    Januszewski, AS ; Niedzwiecki, P ; Sachithanandan, N ; Ward, GM ; O'Neal, DN ; Zozulinska-Ziolkiewicz, D ; Uruska, A ; Jenkins, A (AMER DIABETES ASSOC, 2023-06)
    Introduction: Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps, although costly, time- and labor-intensive, are “gold standard” in measuring insulin sensitivity (IS). Several formulae to estimate IS in people with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) exist (DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-81303-1_18-1), using various routine and research assays, and with wide ranging IS results. Aim: To develop a free online tool to estimate IS using different metrics and existent formulae and compare estimated IS with measured glucose disposal rate (GDR) from 104 clamp studies. Methods: We prepared an online tool for calculating IS using 17 formulae. Suitable formula(e) are suggested based on available (clinical and research) data. We also compare calculated IS with measured IS (GDR) from clamp studies in 104 adults with T1D (mean±SD) age 34±7 yrs, T1D duration 10±4 yrs, HbA1c 7.7±1.5%, 33 with microvascular complications). Logistic regression was used to infer probability of calculated IS being below GDR=4.45 mg/kg/min or above GDR=6.5 mg/kg/min, which represent respectively the median and 75th percentile of measured GDR values. Results: A calculator is available at www.bit.ly/estimated-GDR and an example result in the Figure 1. Estimated IS varied widely, but results interpretation is generally consistent. Conclusion: We developed an interactive tool to estimate IS in T1D for clinical and research use. Disclosure A.S.Januszewski: None. P.Niedzwiecki: None. N.Sachithanandan: None. G.M.Ward: None. D.N.O'neal: None. D.Zozulinska-ziolkiewicz: Advisory Panel; Abbott, Lilly, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Medtronic, Speaker's Bureau; Abbott, Ascensia Diabetes Care, Novo Nordisk, Medtronic, Boehringer-Ingelheim, AstraZeneca. A.Uruska: Other Relationship; Lilly, Boehringer-Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Ascensia Diabetes Care, Sanofi. A.Jenkins: Advisory Panel; Insulet Corporation, Board Member; Insulin for Life, Research Support; Abbott Diabetes, Medtronic, Hemsley Charitable Trust, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), National Institutes of Health.