Abhimanyu Mahajan

Dialysis Requiring Acute Kidney Injury in Acute Cerebrovascular Accident Hospitalizations

Background and Purpose— The epidemiology of dialysis requiring acute kidney injury (AKI-D) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) admissions is poorly understood with previous studies being from a single center or year. Methods— We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to evaluate the yearly incidence trends of AKI-D in hospitalizations with AIS and ICH from 2002 to 2011. We also evaluated the trend of impact of AKI-D on in-hospital mortality and adverse discharge using adjusted odds ratios (aOR) after adjusting for demographics and comorbidity indices. Results— We extracted a total of 3 937 928 and 696 754 hospitalizations with AIS and ICH, respectively. AKI-D occurred in 1.5 and 3.5 per 1000 in AIS and ICH admissions, respectively. Incidence of admissions complicated by AKI-D doubled from 0.9/1000 to 1.7/1000 in AIS and from 2.1/1000 to 4.3/1000 in ICH admissions. In AIS admissions, AKI-D was associated with 30% higher odds of mortality (aOR, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–1.48; P<0.001) and 18% higher odds of adverse discharge (aOR, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.37; P<0.001). Similarly, in ICH admissions, AKI-D was associated with twice the odds of mortality (aOR, 1.95; 95% confidence interval, 1.61–2.36; P<0.01) and 74% higher odds of adverse discharge (aOR, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.34–2.24; P<0.01). Attributable risk percent of mortality was high with AKI-D (98%–99%) and did not change significantly over the study period. Conclusions— Incidence of AKI-D complicating hospitalizations with cerebrovascular accident continues to grow and is associated with increased mortality and adverse discharge. This highlights the need for early diagnosis, better risk stratification, and preparedness for need for complex long-term care in this vulnerable population.

The Evolution and Application of Cardiac Monitoring for Occult Atrial Fibrillation in Cryptogenic Stroke and TIA

Opinion statementThe evaluation of the stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) patient has been historically predominated by the initial evaluation in the hospital setting. As the etiology of stroke has eluded us in approximately one third of all acute events, the medical community has been eager to seek the answer to this mystery. In recent years, we have seen an explosion of innovations and trends allowing for a more detailed post stroke assessment strategy aimed at the identification of occult atrial fibrillation as the etiologic cause for the cryptogenic event. This has been achieved through the evolution and aggressive application and study of prolonged and advanced cardiac monitoring. This review is aimed to clarify and elucidate the standard and novel cardiac monitoring methods that have become available for use by the medical community and expected in the higher level care of cryptogenic stroke and TIA patients. These cardiac monitoring methods and devices are as heterogeneous as our patient population and have their own advantages and disadvantages. Many factors may be taken into consideration in choosing the appropriate cardiac monitoring method and are highlighted for consideration in this review. With a judicious approach to investigating the cryptogenic stroke population, and applying a wealth of novel treatment options, we may move forward into a new era of stroke prevention.

A National Perspective of Do-Not-Resuscitate Order Utilization Predictors in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders are linked to poorer outcomes in patients with ICH, possibly due to less active management. Demographic, regional, and social factors, not related to ICH severity, have not been adequately looked at as significant predictors of DNR utilization. We reviewed the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database in 2011 for adult ICH admissions and DNR status. We generated hierarchical 2-level multivariate regression models to estimate adjusted odds ratios. We analyzed 25 768 ICH hospitalizations, 18% of which (4620 hospitalizations) had DNR orders, corresponding to national estimates of 126 254 and 22 668, respectively. In multivariable regression, female gender, white or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, no insurance coverage, and teaching hospitals were significantly associated with increased DNR utilization after adjusting for confounders. There was also significantly more interhospital variability in the lowest quartile of hospital volume. In conclusion, demographic factors and insurance status are significantly associated with increased DNR utilization, with more individual hospital variability in low-volume hospitals. The reasons for this are likely qualitative and linked to patient, provider, and hospital practices.

A Nationwide Analysis of Outcomes of Weekend Admissions for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Shows Disparities Based on Hospital Teaching Status

Background and Purpose: With the “weekend effect” being well described, the Brain Attack Coalition released a set of “best practice” guidelines in 2005, with the goal to uniformly provide standard of care to patients with stroke. We attempted to define a “weekend effect” in outcomes among patients with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) over the last decade, utilizing the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. We also attempted to analyze the trend of such an effect. Materials and Methods: We determined the association of ICH weekend admissions with hospital outcomes including mortality, adverse discharge, length of stay, and cost compared to weekday admissions using multivariable logistic regression. We extracted our study cohort from the NIS, the largest all-payer data set in the United States. Results: Of 485 329 ICH admissions from 2002 to 2011, 27.5% were weekend admissions. Overall, weekend admissions were associated with 11% higher odds of in-hospital mortality. When analyzed in 3-year groups, excess mortality of weekend admissions showed temporal decline. There was higher mortality with weekend admissions in nonteaching hospitals persisted (odds ratios 1.16, 1.13, and 1.09, respectively, for 3-year subgroups). Patients admitted during weekends were also 9% more likely to have an adverse discharge (odds ratio 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.11; P < .001) with no variation by hospital status. There was no effect of a weekend admission on either length of stay or cost of care. Conclusion: Nontraumatic ICH admissions on weekends have higher in-hospital mortality and adverse discharge. This demonstrates need for in-depth review for elucidating this discrepancy and stricter adherence to standard-of-care guidelines to ensure uniform care.

Epidemiology of inpatient stay in Parkinson's disease in the United States: Insights from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample

The total number of people living with Parkinsons disease (PD) worldwide is expected to double by 2030. The risk factors for emergency department visits in PD patients have been described before, however, there is limited data on inpatient hospitalizations of PD patients. We derived our study cohort from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2002-2011. The NIS is a stratified 20% sample of discharges from all U.S. hospitals. We extracted causes of hospitalization using International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes and calculated inpatient mortality, length of stay and cost. Further, the significance of trends over 10 years was assessed. A total of 3,015,645 (weighted) admissions of PD patients were documented from 2002-2011. Pneumonia, urinary tract infection (UTI), septicemia and aspiration pneumonitis were the most common causes of admission, of which incidence of sepsis and UTI was trending up. Of all causes, 3.9% of the admissions resulted in inpatient mortality. Inpatient mortality for PD patients decreased from 4.9% in 2002 to 3.3% in 2011 (p<0.001). The median length of stay has also steadily declined from 3.6days in 2002 to 2.3days in 2011. However, the inflation-adjusted cost of care has been steadily rising, from

Sensory Trick in a Patient with Cervical Dystonia: Insights from Magnetoencephalography

22,250 per hospitalization in 2002 to

Interventions in Parkinson's disease: Role of executive function.

37,942 in 2011. We conclude that the epidemiology of inpatient admissions in PD has changed significantly over the last decade. Our study underscores the need for future, in-depth prospective studies to explore this changing disease spectrum to design preventive measures and targeted interventions.

Levodopa Responsive Parkinsonism in Patients with Hemochromatosis: Case Presentation and Literature Review

Background: The proposed mechanisms for the sensory trick include peripheral sensory feedback to aid in correcting abnormal posture or movement. Case report: A 53-year-old woman with cervical dystonia underwent magnetoencephalography pre- and post-botulinum toxin injection and sensory trick, which was described as yawning. Study revealed connectivity between the left frontal and inferior frontal gyrus before yawning, which changed to the visual cortex and right middle frontal gyrus with yawning. Beta frequencies reduced and gamma frequencies increased after yawning. Discussion: The increase in gamma frequency bands may indicate increased GABAergic activity. Increase in connectivity in the right cerebellar region underscores the importance of cerebellum in pathogenesis of dystonia.

REM Sleep Behavior and Motor Findings in Parkinson’s Disease: A Cross-sectional Analysis

The cortico-striatal network plays a major role in executive functions (EF), and is believed to play a role in the pathophysiology of Parkinsons disease (PD). However, the tools to assess EF are limited. This review assesses the impact of all PD interventions, namely, pharmacotherapy, physical exercise and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery on EF. The effect of PD pharmacotherapy varies with the drug class, neuropsychological test used and the affected dopamine receptor family. There appears to be a benefit of aerobic exercise on EF, including judgment and attention. The effect of Deep Brain Stimulation on EF might vary with site of brain stimulation, the neuropsychological test performed and the pre-operative cognitive state. The effect of EF on underlying manifestations and as a factor in the pathway to the motor benefit needs to be better assessed with more accurate tests that focus on motor component of EF.

Cervical dystonia and substance abuse

Hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disorder which leads to abnormal iron deposition in the parenchyma of multiple organs causing tissue damage. Accumulation of iron in the brain has been postulated to be associated with several neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinsons disease. The excess iron promotes Parkin and α-synuclein aggregation in the neurons. Excess iron has also been noted in substantia nigra on MRI especially using susceptibility weighted imaging in patients with Parkinsons disease. We present a case of a young male with alleles for both C282Y and H63D who presented with signs of Parkinsonism and demonstrated significant improvement with levodopa treatment.