Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

14 PATIENT SAFETY & OUTCOMES Many cancer survivors have underlying conditions that can worsen COVID-19 infection, study finds By Erica Carbajal A bout 56 percent of cancer survivors have an underlying medical condition associated with increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness, a study published Feb. 3 in Journal of the National Cancer Institute found. With data from the 2016-18 National Health Interview Survey, research- ers identified 6,411 cancer survivors and 77,748 adults without a cancer history. Most cancer survivors reported having at least one of the follow- ing underlying medical conditions associated with severe COVID-19 illness: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or obesity. Among adults with no cancer history, 41.6 percent had at least one of the underlying conditions. The study also showed nearly 23 percent of cancer survivors report- ed having two or more underlying conditions, compared to 10.8 percent among those without a cancer history. Obesity and heart disease were the two most commonly report- ed conditions among cancer survivors. Further, the prevalence of underlying conditions was higher among people with a history of kidney, liver and uterine cancer, as well as Black cancer survivors, people with low socioeconomic status and people with public insur- ance. "Findings highlight the need to protect survivors against COVID-19 transmission in healthcare facilities and prioritize cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and their healthcare providers in vaccine alloca- tion," the study concluded. n Cervical cancer screenings fell 80% during California's stay-at- home order, CDC finds By Mackenzie Bean C ervical cancer screening rates dropped substantially at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente's Southern California division after the state implemented a stay-at- home order last spring, the CDC said in a Jan. 29 report. Researchers examined EHR data for nearly 1.5 million female patients at Kaiser Permanente Southern California to assess screening rates before and after California implemented the stay-at-home order March 19, 2020. When the order was in effect, cervical cancer screening rates fell 78 percent compared to 2019 levels. This decline was consistent among all racial and ethnic groups. Screenings rebounded between mid-June and September 2020, after the stay-at-home order was lifted. However, screening rates were still 29 percent lower for women ages 20-29 and 24 percent lower for women ages 30-65, compared to 2019. n Heart failure drug may treat cardiac condition linked to COVID-19, study says By Erica Carbajal I vabradine, a drug used for heart failure, improved symptoms associated with pos- tural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a condition that causes rapid heart rate and lightheadedness, according to research pub- lished Feb. 15 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. e condition has surfaced in some COVID-19 long-haulers, or those who experience lasting symptoms aer the infec- tion has cleared. Researchers recruited 22 participants from cardiology clinics at UC San Diego Health from 2018-20. Participants were placed into two groups and given either ivabradine or a placebo for one month. Aer one month, all participants underwent a one-week washout period during which they did not take the drug or placebo. Participants who originally received ivabradine were then given the placebo and vice versa for another month. Prior to the study, POTS patients had elevat- ed heart rates between 100 and 115 beats per minute. Ivabradine was linked to a significant decreased standing heart rate of about 77 beats per minute compared to the placebo group. e study also found quality of life measure improvements using a health survey. No significant side effects were observed. "In our contemporary practice, we are seeing patients who have previously been infected with COVID-19 present with symptoms consistent with POTS," said Jonathan Hsu, MD, study author and cardi- ologist at UC San Diego Health. "Given the similarities, this study leads to the question whether therapy with ivabradine may help patients who experience similar symptoms aer a COVID-19 infection, and provide an important area for future study as well." Researchers also said they hope the drug, currently FDA-approved for the treatment of heart failure, will be considered as a potential treatment option for those with a POTS diagnosis. e study disclosed one of its authors worked as a consultant for Amgen, which provided part of the study's funding. n

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