Clinical Zoom meeting snippets - May 2024

(i)  ACC has launched the Integrated Care Pathways Musculoskeletal (ICPMSK) described as an innovative way of supporting people with injuries that require multiple rehabilitation services, designed for kiritaki/clients needing more integrated, specialised and coordinated treatment. Services may include physical rehabilitation, assistance with return to work, specialist opinion and navigation through the ACC and health system via a team of health providers called the ICPMSK interdisciplinary team. 

(ii)  Referral into the programme require the following criteria: 

• Accepted cover for a non-permanent musculoskeletal injury to their lower back, shoulder and/ or knee. 
• Intend to reside in Aotearoa New Zealand for the duration of the programme. 
• The injury happened within the last 12 months at time of referral 
• [Exceptions:  If the time between the date of the accident on a claim and the date of the referral to ICPMSK is greater than 12 months, entry to ICPMSK will only be appropriate for kiritaki with these suspected or confirmed diagnoses: 
  • ligament rupture with conservative management 
  • post-traumatic osteoarthritis (for example, ACL rupture ≥ 15 years ago) 
  • dislocation of shoulder 
  • previous surgery with internal fixation where removal of metalware is being applied for. 

• The injury carries a high chance of needing surgery. 
• The injury must be of a level of complexity that is likely to require specialist oversight and interdisciplinary treatment to achieve a return to work or return to independence. For example, in the shoulder this might be a full-thickness tear of the rotator cuff, or an AC joint dislocation. In the knee it could be a rupture of the ACL. In the lower back it could be a lumbar disc prolapse that causes pain in the leg. 

(iii)  To refer (with patient knowledge and consent):  

• Contact the ICPMSK supplier in your region. A list of suppliers can be found on the ACC website.  Ease of referral varies but e-referrals are possible with many.  Request ICPMSK pre-screen and provide the relevant claim number.    

• A member of the supplier’s ICPMSK team contacts the kiritaki to discuss the injury and their recovery so far. This pre-screen will help establish if they’re likely to meet the service entry criteria.  Kiritaki that pass the pre-screen will go through further assessment (such as a physical exam, x-ray/CT, and/or medical specialist review) to determine suitability for the programme.   

(i)  A recent article in the European Journal of Pediatrics reviewed in Issue 27 of NZ Child Health Research Review compared the  efficacy and tolerance of amoxicillin administered twice and three times daily in children with acute otitis media. The clinical course of acute otitis media was favourable in 92% of children who received amoxicillin twice daily and in 95% of those who received amoxicillin three times daily (not significant).  

(ii) Overall, 31% of those who were prescribed amoxicillin three times daily reported difficulties with the dosing schedule, and 9.6% found it difficult to take the specified volume of medication, compared with 5.8% and 25% of those who were prescribed the twice-daily regimen, respectively. 

(iii)  The reviewer’s comment: I’m sure this finding applies to many drugs used in childhood where the evidence for three times daily administration is based on scant evidence. Linking dosages to when the child brushes their teeth morning and night may not only assist with successful treatment with oral medications but may possibly also benefit oral hygiene!  

(i) A study published in the NEJM in March reported on a prospective, multicenter, observational study involving patients who were undergoing carotid endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid artery disease. The excised carotid plaque specimens were analyzed for the presence of MNPs. The primary end point was a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from any cause among patients who had evidence of MNPs in plaque as compared with patients with plaque that showed no evidence of MNPs over approximately three years of follow-up.   

(ii) 58% of patients had polyethylene had MNPs detected in carotid plaque and 12% also had polyvinyl chloride MNPs detected. Electron microscopy revealed visible, jagged-edged foreign particles among plaque macrophages and scattered in the external debris. Patients in whom MNPs were detected within the atheroma were at higher risk for a primary end-point event than those in whom these substances were not detected with a hazard ratio of 4.53.   

Stop drinking bottled water! 

(i)  A large Danish study reviewed in Issue 219 of Respiratory Research Review evaluated the risk of VTE while receiving hormonal contraception and NSAIDs in 2 million women aged 15–49 years, living in Denmark from 1996 to 2017. All women were free of known arterial or venous thrombotic conditions and did not have cancer or thrombophilia, and investigators excluded periods during which the women might have been put at higher VTE risk from other causes, including pregnancy and related events, surgeries requiring hospitalization, and the use of other drugs that carry a risk of thrombosis. Over 21 million person-years of follow-up, 8710 VTE events occurred.   

(ii)  With the use of NSAIDs, the risk of VTE was seven times higher than in non-users, among women who were not on hormonal contraception (HC).  Compared with non-NSAID users, the risk of VTE in women taking an NSAID was 11 times higher in women on high-risk HC1, eight times higher in those on medium-risk HC and 4.5 time higher in those on low/no risk HC. The corresponding numbers of extra venous thromboembolic events per 100,000 women over the first week of NSAID treatment compared with non-use of NSAIDs were 4 (3 to 5) in women not using hormonal contraception, 23 (19 to 27) in women using high risk hormonal contraception, 11 (7 to 15) in those using medium risk hormonal contraception, and 3 (0 to 5) in users of low/no risk hormonal contraception. 

(iii) The authors concluded: NSAID use was positively associated with the development of VTE in women of reproductive age. The number of extra VTEs with NSAID use compared with non-use was significantly larger with concomitant use of high/medium risk hormonal contraception compared with concomitant use of low/no risk hormonal contraception. Women needing both hormonal contraception and regular use of NSAIDs should be advised accordingly.  The authors point out that the absolute risk of VTE remains low despite the increase in risk over the first week of NSAID use. 

(i)  Issue 95 of the Best Practice Bulletin refers to the New Zealand Dementia Foundation release of Māori Assessment of Neuropsychological Abilities (MANA), a suite of diagnostic tools for evaluating mate wareware (dementia) in Māori. MANA is intended to facilitate comprehensive assessment that is sensitive to Māori cultural needs, and is thought to be the first dementia assessment in the world incorporating a wairua (spiritual) evaluation. It is encouraged that these resources are considered when assessing dementia in Māori, and they may be particularly useful for clinicians wanting to increase their cultural competency skills and knowledge. 

(ii)  The MANA tool has four key components.

• A history-taking tool that guides you through taking a comprehensive history when seeing a person and their whānau for an assessment of possible dementia mate wareware. 
• A wairua and well-being tool. This component covers areas such as wairua (spirit), role, and identity that were identified as important in the preparatory research. 
• A cognitive tool, that is scored, with lower scores suggestive of dementia mate wareware. 
• A whānau or family tool that assesses symptoms and signs from a whānau, friend, or care-giver perspective. This component is also scored. 

(iii)  The MANA suite may take up to an hour to work through, in much the same way as the whole of the general Cognitive Impairment Community Health Pathway may take an hour to work through. Similarly, splitting the MANA process into sections and involving more than one clinician may be essential, especially in the primary care setting. 

(iv)  The website includes training videos, tips on the hui process and a manual in addition to links to each of the tools.  For general information on diagnosing dementia, including special considerations for Māori, see: “Recognising and managing early dementia” bpacnz, 2020. 

(i) A recent Tools for Practice from the Canadian College of Family looked at evidence for efficacy of medications for apathy in dementia.  Specifically, in patients with dementia, how safe and effective are stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics for treating apathy?  The bottom line was that methylphenidate (10mg BD immediate release) may improve apathy scores by a small but potentially clinically meaningful amount compared to placebo (example: 5 points more on a 72-point scale) at ~12 weeks. Methylphenidate does not impact cognition in randomized, controlled trials (RCTs). Antipsychotics and antidepressants do not improve apathy compared to placebo  

(ii)  Additional referenced context is provided.

• No improvement in apathy with cholinesterase inhibitors alone versus placebo, but 60-100% of RCT methylphenidate patients used cholinesterase inhibitors. 
• Methylphenidate associated with weight loss, behavioural changes, insomnia, and cardiovascular harms. 
• Depression and apathy often overlap and can be difficult to distinguish in practice. 
• Non-pharmacologic options include sensory stimulation (example music therapy) and pet therapy based on low-quality evidence of benefit. 

(i)  GSK has registered their adult RSV vaccine Arexvy in New Zealand from 1 May 2024. A funding application for Arexvy has also been submitted to Pharmac for their assessment.  The Medsafe data sheet notes Arexvy is indicated for active immunisation for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by respiratory syncytial virus RSV-A and RSV-B subtypes in adults 60 years of age and older.   

(ii)  Further information regarding the vaccine is available on the IMAC website. This notes Arexvy is a recombinant protein vaccine that causes the immune system to produce RSV antibodies. It includes an adjuvant that enhances the immune response to the vaccination. A single dose of Arexvy is highly effective at preventing serious respiratory illness from RSV for at least two seasons (around 80% effective overall, 94% effective against severe RSV illness), including in those aged over 70 and those with at least one underlying health condition. Getting a second dose a year later offered little additional benefit compared to just one dose for two seasons and research is ongoing regarding optimal revaccination timing. 

(iii) Those adults aged 60 years and older who are at higher risk of severe RSV disease include: 

• people with chronic medical conditions including: respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, haematological conditions, diabetes, or liver or kidney disorders 
• people with moderate or severe immune compromise 
• people who are frail 
• people aged over 80 years* 
• people living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities 
• older people of Maori and Pacific ethnicity, especially if living in areas of high deprivation. 

*The risk of severe RSV among adults increases with age, with the highest rates of hospitalisation among those aged 75 years and older. Although age may be considered in determining an older adult patient’s risk for severe RSV-associated disease, there is no specific age threshold at which RSV vaccination is universally recommended within the age group of adults ages 60 years and older. 

(iv) The vaccine press release (picked up by several newspapers at the start of the month) concluded: The Arexvy vaccine will be available for private purchase from GP clinics from 1 May 2024. The most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain.  The vaccine is currently unsubsidised. I have been unable to confirm a NZ price for the vaccine but in the US the list price is $US280 ($NZ470).

(v)  An unrelated aside: Astra Zeneca announced yesterday that it is withdrawing its Covid vaccine, Vaxzevria, from the European market and likely globally citing reduced demand with sales not generating a profit since mid-2023.  IMAC notes Vaxzevria has not been available in NZ since September 2022 when exiting supplies expired. Novavax’s Nuvaxovid remains as the non-mRNA option for those not wanting or not being able to have a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. However, Pharmac have advised changes to the availability of Nuvaxovid from 1 May 2024. The current supply of this vaccine has expired. The latest Novavax XBB vaccine application is currently being considered by Medsafe and the assessment is in its final stages.  This means there will be no Novavax XBB vaccine available from 1 May until the new vaccine is approved. Supply of the Pfizer XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine (branded as Comirnaty) is unaffected, and continues to be available in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

(i)  Issue 232 of GP Research Review reported on a paper ‘ Does cycle commuting reduce the risk of mental ill-health?’. The paper reported on data from almost 400,00 individuals in Scotland, detailing their mode of transport to work according to the 2011 population census, and their prescriptions for mental health as per national records. In Glasgow and Edinburgh, 1.85% and 4.8% of commuters cycled to work, respectively. A lower proportion of cyclists received a prescription for mental health than non-cyclists (9% vs. 14%), and cyclists were estimated to receive 15% fewer prescriptions for antidepressants or anxiolytics over the following 5 years. 

(ii)  The reviewer noted there are many potential variables that are not addressed or acknowledged in the research such as is there a specific advantage in cycling as exercise, social or socioeconomic differences between the two groups and age loading. In the meantime cycle commuting may be beneficial for your mental health provided you wear a helmet and don’t fall off!