Results on this and a second study on opioid testing to be
discussed at ADLM 2024
CHICAGO, July 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Breaking research shows that
rates of cannabis use during pregnancy are far higher than
previously thought, a finding that could improve efforts to
identify pregnant cannabis users and inform them of potential
risks. This study will be presented today at ADLM 2024 (formerly
the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo), along
with a second study on a machine learning model that predicts the
duration of opioid use after surgery.
Cannabis use during pregnancy
Cannabis is rapidly becoming legalized in more and more states
across the U.S. and its recreational use is skyrocketing, but its
effects on the developing fetus are not fully understood. Current
recommendations advise against cannabis use and exposure during
pregnancy due to its association with negative outcomes, such as
preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, and
developmental deficits.
A research team from NMS Labs led by Dr. Alexandria Reinhart sought to investigate the
prevalence of cannabinoid exposure in utero during 2019-2023 by
analyzing umbilical cord samples submitted for testing. Of the
90,384 samples tested, 44% were positive for at least one of
approximately 60 analytes included in the testing panel, and
cannabinoids accounted for 59%-63% of all positive results, making
them the most common drug found.
"The sheer amount of cannabinoid positivity we found in
comparison to all the drugs that we run on our umbilical cord
toxicity testing was pretty astounding," Dr. Reinhart said.
As the effects of cannabinoids on health continue to be studied,
the clinical laboratory should be vigilant in testing for them in
pregnant individuals, according to Dr. Reinhart. This, in turn,
will enable clinicians to educate these patients about the
potential harm that cannabis can do to a fetus.
Predicting duration of opioid use
Hydrocodone is the most commonly prescribed opioid in the U.S.
and is often used for pain management following surgery. It is a
known potential drug of abuse and can result in dependence and
addiction. There is significant variability in patients' response
to hydrocodone therapy, though, including how long after surgery
they require the drug to manage their pain.
Dr. Hunter Miller along with
colleagues from the University of
Louisville and a researcher from ARUP Institute for Clinical
and Experimental Pathology, evaluated whether machine learning
models could predict postoperative hydrocodone use duration in
patients who had undergone orthopedic surgery. They developed two
different models — a fast and frugal tree (FFTree) and a second
that used an extreme gradient boosting approach (xgBoost) — that
incorporated patient demographics, genetic test results,
concurrently prescribed medications, and other clinical laboratory
test results.
The researchers evaluated the two models by using them to
predict the duration of hydrocodone use for 79 patients for whom
they already had hydrocodone use duration information. Both models
demonstrated good to excellent performance when classifying
patients as either "short" or "long" duration users. Specifically,
the FFTree model classified patients with 0.80 sensitivity and 0.76
specificity, while the xgBoost model achieved a sensitivity and
specificity of 0.87 and 0.63, respectively.
"Currently, when it comes to pain management, most clinicians
are kind of just taking a shot in the dark, because they don't
really know how a patient is going to respond to a drug," Dr.
Miller said. In the future, "a physician could theoretically put a
patient's information into the model, estimate a probability for
how long a patient is going to be on hydrocodone, and potentially
switch them to a different therapeutic strategy if they have a high
risk of prolonged use."
Session information
ADLM 2024 registration is free for
members of the media. Reporters can register online here:
https://xpressreg.net/register/adlm0824/media/landing.asp
Abstract B-259: Cannabinoid prevalence in umbilical cord tissue
toxicity testing will be presented during:
Scientific poster session
Wednesday, July 31
9:30 a.m. – 5
p.m. (presenting authors in attendance from 1:30 –
2:30 p.m.)
Poster Hall on the Expo show floor
Abstract B-123: Prediction of opioid use duration in
post-surgical orthopedic patients using CYP2D6 inhibitor index and
routine laboratory markers will be presented during the
following two sessions:
Session 33109 Academy Distinguished Abstracts: Innovations in
bedside-to-bench and back again
Tuesday, July 30
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Room S504abc
Scientific poster session
Wednesday, July 31
9:30 a.m. – 5
p.m. (presenting authors in attendance from 1:30 –
2:30 p.m.)
Poster Hall on the Expo show floor
All sessions will take place at McCormick Place, Chicago.
About ADLM 2024
ADLM 2024 (formerly the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting &
Clinical Lab Expo) offers 5 days packed with opportunities to learn
about exciting science from July 28-August
1 in Chicago. Plenary
sessions will explore the projected consequences of ending abortion
protection, new HIV prevention options, lymphoma biomarkers and
therapeutic targets, pharmacogenetic testing in precision health,
and the need for clinical trials of laboratory tests.
At the ADLM 2024 Clinical Lab Expo, more than 900 exhibitors
will fill the show floor of the McCormick Place Convention Center
in Chicago, with displays of the
latest diagnostic technology, including but not limited to
artificial intelligence, point-of-care, and automation.
About the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory
Medicine (ADLM)
Dedicated to achieving better health through laboratory
medicine, ADLM (formerly AACC) brings together more than 70,000
clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists,
and business leaders from around the world focused on clinical
chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational
medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory
science. Since 1948, ADLM has worked to advance the common
interests of the field, providing programs that advance scientific
collaboration, knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more
information, visit www.myadlm.org.
Christine DeLong
ADLM
Associate Director, Communications & PR
(p) 202.835.8722
cdelong@myadlm.org
Molly Polen
ADLM
Senior Director, Communications & PR
(p) 202.420.7612
(c) 703.598.0472
mpolen@myadlm.org
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SOURCE Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine
(ADLM)