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Our objective was to estimate the association of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep latency among retired firefighters.Baseline health survey data collected from retried career Florida firefighters participating in an ongoing prospective cohort study from 2017 to 2021 were analyzed. Risk for PTSD was assessed using a four-item primary care PTSD screening construct, and sleep onset latency was assessed by self-reported length of time to fall asleep.Among the 500 participants, 8.0% screened positive for PTSD risk and 37.6% had prolonged sleep onset latency (≥20 minutes to fall asleep). Retired firefighters with PTSD risk were 2.7 times more likely (adjusted odds ratio, 2.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-5.75) to have prolonged sleep latency compared with those without PTSD risk while controlling for covariates.Retired firefighters who screen positive for PTSD risk are three times more likely to report delayed sleep onset latency.

From December 2020 to July 2021, $700,000 was distributed in direct cash transfers to residents of Immokalee, FL who tested positive for COVID-19. The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of this cash transfer program. We conducted 157 structured interviews with program beneficiaries via phone call or home visit and asked about sociodemographic variables, how the money was used, whether the money was sufficient for two weeks’ financial needs, and participant ability to self-isolate. A logit regression model was then used to explore the relationships between sociodemographic variables and whether the respondent thought the money was enough for two weeks of financial needs. A majority of respondents (83.7%) reported spending the check exclusively on living expenses, and 99.3% reported that the money helped them stay home and quarantine while having COVID-19. Offering direct cash transfers of $800-$1200 to residents of Immokalee, FL who tested positive for COVID-19 was effective in reducing COVID-associated financial burden, and this money was most likely to be spent on living necessities rather than temptation goods. People with housing insecurity and without a high school degree were significantly less likely to report that the money was enough for two weeks’ financial needs, indicating that these characteristics mark those in the population who may have needed more support. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing health disparities, it is important to understand the role of cash transfers as a public health tool and their potential impact on community mitigation efforts.

To assess provider attitudes and practices regarding vaccination in pregnancy to discern strategies to increase vaccination rates in pregnancy, given that in the USA, various healthcare organizations recommend that pregnant individuals be vaccinated against influenza, pertussis, and SARS-CoV-2, but vaccination rates among gravidas remain suboptimal across these vaccines.An Institutional Review Board-approved survey was disseminated to obstetric healthcare providers by email from June through October 2021. Questions assessed provider demographics, attitudes, and practices surrounding vaccination in pregnancy. A total of 192 providers consented, 179 initiated the survey, and 153 completed it entirely. Statistical software (SAS) was used to perform descriptive statistics.All providers strongly agreed/agreed that all pregnant individuals should receive vaccines in pregnancy. Following patient vaccination consent, 13% reported needing to refer patients to alternative sites for vaccine administration. Following patient vaccination decline, 13% did not determine reasons for refusal, 30% did not re-counsel at subsequent visits, and 92% did not ask another staff member to counsel the patient.Despite provider support for maternal immunization, uptake of vaccines in gravidas remains suboptimal, demonstrating a gap between provider recommendations and patient uptake. These data highlight opportunities for intervention regarding counseling and vaccine availability to increase vaccine uptake in pregnancy.

To address the public health needs of the 21 st century, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine implemented a four-year MD/ MPH program in 2011 with a mission to graduate public health physician leaders. The first cohort of students graduated in 2015. In the summer of 2020, a survey was sent to graduates to gather information on their early career involvement in the areas of leadership, research, and public health. In addition to several multiple-choice questions, the survey included an open-ended question on the impact of public health training in their careers. Content analysis was used to analyze the responses to the open-ended question. Eighty-two graduates completed the survey; 80 of whom had participated in residency training. Forty-nine (61%) joined a residency in a primary care field. Many graduates had leadership roles in their early careers, including 35 (44%) who were selected as chief residents. Fifty-seven (71%) participated in research, most commonly in quality improvement (40, 50%), clinical (34, 43%) and community based (19, 24%). Over one third (30, 38%) chose to do work in public health during residency. Themes that emerged regarding the impact of public health training on their careers were: 1) Shift in perspective, 2) Value of specific skills related to public health, 3) Steppingstone for professional opportunities 4) Focus on health disparities, social determinants, and inadequacies of the healthcare system, 5) Status as leaders and mentors for peers, and 6) Self-efficacy during the pandemic. Graduates self-reported significant commitment and involvement in leadership, research, and public health as well as towards addressing some of our most pressing public health needs. Although long-term career outcomes need to be determined over time, currently graduates report significant benefits of their public health training for their professional outcomes.

Background Hospitalizations are common among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We investigated the impact of hospitalizations on outcomes in patients with IPF. Methods The IPF-PRO Registry is an observational US registry that enrolled patients with IPF that was diagnosed or confirmed at the enrolling center in the previous 6 months. Associations between patient characteristics and hospitalization, and between hospitalization and mortality, were analyzed using Cox regression models. Results A total of 1002 patients with IPF were enrolled into the IPF-PRO Registry. Over a median follow-up time of 23.7 months (maximum: 67.0 months), 568 patients (56.7%) had at least one hospitalization. Of these patients, 319 (56.2%) had at least one respiratory-related hospitalization and 120 (21.1%) had at least one hospitalization with ventilatory support. Younger age (HR 0.68 [95% CI 0.55, 0.84] per 5-year increase for patients Conclusions Data from the IPF-PRO Registry demonstrate that hospitalizations are common among patients with IPF. The risk of mortality during hospitalization or within 90 days of discharge was high, particularly among patients who were hospitalized for a respiratory cause or received ventilatory support. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01915511. Registered 5 August 2013, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01915511

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine sleep quality and presence of sleep disorders in participants with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: A web-based survey, available online from February 2011 to July 2013, using validated sleep questionnaires, advertised via the internet and locally through SCI consumer organizations in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, was designed to evaluate sleep in adults with self-reported SCI. Demographic characteristics and medical history were obtained from participant self-report. RESULTS: In our study population, 70% of the 304 participants were male with a mean age of 45 ± 13 years. The mean duration of injury was 16 ± 12 years. Cervical injuries were reported by 49% and thoracic injuries noted in 40% of participants. Increased sleep apnea risk was noted in 31% of participants, with 66% reporting snoring. Insomnia symptoms were reported by 54% of the respondents. Almost 40% of participants ranked their sleep quality as “fairly bad” to “very bad” in the previous month, 29% reported “often” or “almost always” waking up because of pain, and 22% had difficulty falling asleep because of leg cramps. In the past year, 27% of the respondents reported daily uncomfortable leg sensations and 28% found these leg symptoms to be “moderately to extremely distressing.” CONCLUSIONS: This study increases the awareness that insomnia, sleep apnea, and poor sleep quality are common in individuals with chronic SCI; often coexisting. There is a need for increased screening for sleep problems by healthcare providers taking care of individuals living with SCI. CITATION: Shafazand S, Anderson KD, Nash MS. Sleep complaints and sleep quality in spinal cord injury: a web-based survey. J Clin Sleep Med. 2019;15(5):719–724.

The American Thoracic Society Core Curriculum updates clinicians annually in adult and pediatric pulmonary disease, medical critical care, and sleep medicine, in a 3-4-year recurring cycle of topics. These topics will be presented at the 2020 Virtual Conference. Below is the adult sleep medicine core that includes topics pertinent to sleep-disordered breathing and insomnia.

Rationale Two antifibrotic medications, nintedanib and pirfenidone, have been approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the US. Few data have been published on the use of these medications in clinical practice. Objective To investigate patterns of use of antifibrotic medications in the US. Methods The IPF-PRO Registry, a multicenter US registry, has enrolled patients with IPF that was diagnosed or confirmed at the enrolling center in the past 6 months. Data from patients enrolled from 5 June 2014 to 4 March 2018 were used to determine antifibrotic medication use ("treatment") in the enrollment window and a follow-up window approximately 6 months later. Associations between patient characteristics and treatment status were tested using logistic regression. Results Overall, 551 of 782 eligible patients (70.5%) were treated in the enrollment window. Younger age, lower FVC % predicted, oxygen use with activity, worse self-rated health based on the Short Form-12 (SF-12) or St George's Respiratory Questionnaire score, referral to the enrolling center by a pulmonologist, use of lung biopsy in diagnosis, and carrying a diagnosis of IPF to the enrolling center were associated with being treated. Among 534 patients treated at enrollment who had follow-up data, 94.0% remained treated in follow-up. Better self-rated health based on the SF-12 mental component score or EuroQoL score, and not using oxygen with activity at enrollment, were associated with continuing treatment in follow-up. Among 172 patients who were untreated at enrollment and had follow-up data, 29.7% started treatment in follow-up. Lower DLco % predicted, a family history of ILD, a history of sleep apnea, and a definite diagnosis of IPF at enrollment were associated with starting treatment in follow-up. Conclusions The majority of patients in the IPF-PRO Registry were receiving an approved medication for IPF at enrollment. Treatment at enrollment was associated with greater disease severity, more compromised quality of life and the use of oxygen with activity. Clinical trial registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01915511).

There is limited information on the association between pre-treatment insomnia symptoms and dysfunctional sleep beliefs with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence in veterans with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Our aims were to describe demographic and sleep characteristics of veterans with and without comorbid insomnia and determine whether pre-treatment insomnia symptoms and dysfunctional sleep beliefs predict CPAP use after 6 months of therapy. Hispanic veterans attending the Miami VA sleep clinic were recruited and completed the insomnia severity index, the dysfunctional sleep belief and attitude scale (DBAS), and other questionnaires. Participants were asked to return after 7 days and 1 and 6 months to repeat questionnaires and for objective CPAP adherence download. Hierarchical regression models were performed to determine adjusted associations of pre-treatment insomnia symptoms and DBAS sub-scores on 6-month mean daily CPAP use. Fifty-three participants completed the 6-month follow-up visit with a mean CPAP use of 3.4 ± 1.9 h. Veterans with comorbid insomnia had lower mean daily CPAP use (168 ± 125 vs 237 ± 108 min, p = 0.04) and lower percent daily CPAP use ≥ 4 h (32 ± 32 vs 51 ± 32%, p = 0.05) compared to participants without insomnia. In adjusted analyses, pre-treatment insomnia symptoms (early, late, and aggregated nocturnal symptoms) and sleep dissatisfaction were predictive of lower CPAP use at 6 months. Pre-treatment dysfunctional sleep beliefs were not associated with CPAP adherence. Pre-treatment nocturnal insomnia symptoms and sleep dissatisfaction predicted poorer 6- month CPAP use. Insomnia treatment preceding or concurrent with CPAP initiation may eliminate a barrier to regular use.

First Place Award Submission - CA147Category: Clinical ApplicationManagement of obesity after spinal cord injury: a systematic reviewMir Hatef Shojaei1, Mohammad Alavinia1, B. Catharine Craven1,21N...

Background Despite Food and Drug Administration approval of 2 new drugs for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), curative therapies remain elusive and mortality remains high. Preclinical and clinical data support the safety of human mesenchymal stem cells as a potential novel therapy for this fatal condition. The Allogeneic Human Cells (hMSC) in patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis via Intravenous Delivery (AETHER) trial was the first study designed to evaluate the safety of a single infusion of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Methods Nine patients with mild to moderate IPF were sequentially assigned to 1 of 3 cohorts and dosed with a single IV infusion of 20, 100, or 200 × 10 6 human bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells per infusion from young, unrelated, men. All baseline patient data were reviewed by a multidisciplinary study team to ensure accurate diagnosis. The primary end point was the incidence (at week 4 postinfusion) of treatment-emergent serious adverse events, defined as the composite of death, nonfatal pulmonary embolism, stroke, hospitalization for worsening dyspnea, and clinically significant laboratory test abnormalities. Safety was assessed until week 60 and additionally 28 days thereafter. Secondary efficacy end points were exploratory and measured disease progression. Results No treatment-emergent serious adverse events were reported. Two nontreatment-related deaths occurred because of progression of IPF (disease worsening and/or acute exacerbation). By 60 weeks postinfusion, there was a 3.0% mean decline in % predicted FVC and 5.4% mean decline in % predicted diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide. Conclusions Data from this trial support the safety of a single infusion of human mesenchymal stem cells in patients with mild-moderate IPF. Trial Registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT02013700; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Sleep disorders are prevalent in Parkinson's disease but underreported in clinical settings. The contribution of sleep disorders to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients with this degenerative neurological disease are not well known.To evaluate the impact of insomnia symptoms, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and poor sleep quality on HRQOL in a cohort of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.We enrolled a convenience sample of 66 adults seen in the University of Miami Movement Disorders Clinic between July 2011 and June 2013. Participants completed validated questionnaires to determine insomnia symptoms, OSA risk, depression, anxiety, and HRQOL. All patients underwent unattended polysomnography to confirm OSA. Results were compared for those with and without insomnia symptoms. Principal component and regression analyses were performed to evaluate determinants of HRQOL.Participants were predominately Hispanic males with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease. Insomnia symptoms were reported for 46% of the study subjects. OSA (apnea-hypopnea index, ≥5) was noted in 47%, with a mean apnea-hypopnea index of 8.3 ± 11.0. Fairly bad to very bad sleep quality was reported by 21% of the participants. Insomnia (r = 0.71; P 0.001), daytime sleepiness (r = 0.36; P = 0.003), depression symptoms (r = 0.44; P 0.001), and anxiety symptoms (r = 0.33; P = 0.006) were significant correlates of poor sleep quality. OSA, severity of Parkinson's disease, and dopaminergic therapy were not. In the principal component analysis, sleep quality was a significant component of the "psychological factor" that in turn was a significant determinant of overall HRQOL.Insomnia symptoms, OSA, and subsequent poor sleep quality are prevalent in Parkinson's disease. In this single-center, exploratory study, we found that insomnia and poor sleep quality, but not OSA, play important roles in determining overall quality of life for patients with this disease. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02034357).

Introduction While sleep disturbances and depression often co-occur, these associations are understudied among Hispanics/Latinos. We examined the associations of sleep disturbances and sleep burden with depressive symptoms among Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States. Methods We used cross-sectional data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sueño Ancillary study (2010-2013). The study enrolled 2072 adults (ages 18-64; 51.5% females) who completed one-week wrist-actigraphy and sleep questionnaires. Sleep burden was operationalized as the total count of sleep disturbances across six domains (duration, efficiency, midpoint, variability, insomnia, sleepiness). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CESD-10). We used weighted survey linear regressions to evaluate the association of sleep disturbances and sleep burden with elevated depressive symptoms (CESD≥10) in individual models adjusted for age, gender, site, heritage, nativity, education, income, and employment. Sensitivity analyses further adjusted for behavioral health risk factors and apnea-hypopnea index. Results An estimated 28.3% had elevated depressive symptoms, 8.0% had short sleep duration (9 hours), 45.2% exhibited a later sleep midpoint (≥4:00AM), 38.4% had high sleep timing variability (upper third tertile for between day sleep midpoint), 15.3% had insomnia (ISI≥10), 17.3% had excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS ≥10), 21.5% had poor sleep efficiency ( Conclusion Multiple inter-related sleep disturbances, particularly those pertaining to sleep quality and timing, are associated with depression and may be targets for future interventions aimed at improving mood among Hispanics/Latinos. Support HL127307, HL098927, HL125748

BackgroundObstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is highly prevalent in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold-standard diagnostic test for OSA, however PSG is expensive and frequently inaccessible, especially in SCI. A two-stage model, incorporating a questionnaire followed by oximetry, has been found to accurately detect moderate to severe OSA (MS-OSA) in a non-disabled primary care population. This study investigated the accuracy of the two-stage model in chronic tetraplegia using both the original model and a modified version for tetraplegia.MethodsAn existing data set of 78 people with tetraplegia was used to modify the original two-stage model. Multivariable analysis identified significant risk factors for inclusion in a new tetraplegia-specific questionnaire. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses of the questionnaires and oximetry established thresholds for diagnosing MS-OSA. The accuracy of both models in diagnosing MS-OSA was prospectively evaluated in 100 participants with chronic tetraplegia across four international SCI units.ResultsInjury completeness, sleepiness, self-reported snoring and apnoeas were included in the modified questionnaire, which was highly predictive of MS-OSA (ROC area under the curve 0.87 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.95)). The 3% oxygen desaturation index was also highly predictive (0.93 (0.87–0.98)). The two-stage model with modified questionnaire had a sensitivity and specificity of 83% (66–93) and 88% (75–94) in the development group, and 77% (65–87) and 81% (68–90) in the validation group. Similar results were demonstrated with the original model.ConclusionImplementation of this simple alternative to full PSG could substantially increase the detection of OSA in patients with tetraplegia and improve access to treatments.Trial registration numberResults, ACTRN12615000896572 (The Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry) and pre-results, NCT02176928 (clinicaltrials.gov).

Source Citation Bibbins-Domingo K, Grossman DC, Curry SJ, et al. Screening for obstructive sleep apnea in adults: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2017;317:407-14. ...

Source Citation Drager LF, Brunoni AR, Jenner R, et al. Effects of CPAP on body weight in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: a meta-analysis of randomised trials. Thorax. 2014 Nov 28. [Epub ah...