Chronic musculoskeletal pain is associated with neurobiological, physiological, and cellular measures. Importantly, we have previously demonstrated that a biobehavioral and psychosocial resilience index appears to have a protective relationship on the same biomarkers. Less is known regarding the relationships between chronic musculoskeletal pain, protective factors, and brain aging. This study investigates the relationships between clinical pain, a resilience index, and brain age. We hypothesized that higher reported chronic pain would correlate with older appearing brains, and the resilience index will attenuate the strength of the relationship between chronic pain and brain age.

Participants were drawn from an ongoing observational multisite study and included adults with chronic pain who also reported knee pain (N = 135; age = 58.3 ± 8.1; 64% female; 49% non-Hispanic Black, 51% non-Hispanic White; education Mdn = some college; income level Mdn = $30,000 - $40,000; MoCA M = 24.27 ± 3.49). Measures included the Graded Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS), characteristic pain intensity (CPI) and disability, total pain body sites; and a cognitive screening (MoCA). The resilience index consisted of validated biobehavioral (e.g., smoking, waist/hip ratio, and active coping) and psychosocial measures (e.g., optimism, positive affect, negative affect, perceived stress, and social support). T1-weighted MRI data were obtained. Surface area metrics were calculated in FreeSurfer using the Human Connectome Project's multi-modal cortical parcellation scheme. We calculated brain age in R using previously validated and trained machine learning models. Chronological age was subtracted from predicted brain age to generate a brain age gap (BAG). With higher scores of BAG indicating predicated age is older than chronological age. Three parallel hierarchical regression models (each containing one of three pain measures) with three blocks were performed to assess the relationships between chronic pain and the resilience index in relation to BAG, adjusting for covariates. For each model, Block 1 entered the covariates, Block 2 entered a pain score, and Block 3 entered the resilience index.

GCPS CPI (R2 change = .033, p = .027) and GCPS disability (R2 change = 0.038, p = 0.017) significantly predicted BAG beyond the effects of the covariates, but total pain sites (p = 0.865) did not. The resilience index was negatively correlated and a significant predictor of BAG in all three models (p < .05). With the resilience index added in Block 3, both GCPS CPI (p = .067) and GCPS disability (p = .066) measures were no longer significant in their respective models. Additionally, higher education/income (p = 0.016) and study site (p = 0.031) were also significant predictors of BAG.

In this sample, higher reported chronic pain correlated with older appearing brains, and higher resilience attenuated this relationship. The biobehavioral and psychosocial resilience index was associated with younger appearing brains. While our data is cross-sectional, findings are encouraging that interventions targeting both chronic pain and biobehavioral and psychosocial factors (e.g., coping strategies, positive and negative affect, smoking, and social support) might buffer brain aging. Future directions include assessing if chronic pain and resilience factors can predict brain aging over time.

Pediatric patients transferred by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from urgent care (UC) and office-based physician practices to the emergency department (ED) following activation of the 9-1-1 EMS system are an under-studied population with scarce literature regarding outcomes for these children. The objectives of this study were to describe this population, explore EMS level-of-care transport decisions, and examine ED outcomes.

This was a retrospective review of patients zero to <15 years of age transported by EMS from UC and office-based physician practices to the ED of two pediatric receiving centers from January 2017 through December 2019. Variables included reason for transfer, level of transport, EMS interventions and medications, ED medications/labs/imaging ordered in the first hour, ED procedures, ED disposition, and demographics. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, X2 test, point biserial correlation, two-sample z test, Mann-Whitney U test, and 2-way ANOVA.

A total of 450 EMS transports were included in this study: 382 Advanced Life Support (ALS) runs and 68 Basic Life Support (BLS) runs. The median patient age was 2.66 years, 60.9% were male, and 60.7% had private insurance. Overall, 48.9% of patients were transported from an office-based physician practice and 25.1% were transported from UC. Almost one-half (48.7%) of ALS patients received an EMS intervention or medication, as did 4.41% of BLS patients. Respiratory distress was the most common reason for transport (46.9%). Supplemental oxygen was the most common EMS intervention and albuterol was the most administered EMS medication. There was no significant association between level of transport and ED disposition (P = .23). The in-patient admission rate for transported patients was significantly higher than the general ED admission rate (P <.001).

This study demonstrates that pediatric patients transferred via EMS after activation of the 9-1-1 system from UC and medical offices are more acutely ill than the general pediatric ED population and are likely sicker than the general pediatric EMS population. Paramedics appear to be making appropriate level-of-care transport decisions.

Globally, burns are responsible for around 11 million injuries and 180 000 burn-related deaths yearly. Unfortunately, 9 of 10 burn injuries and deaths happen in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Pakistan. One in three people admitted to hospitals with burn injuries die within three weeks, and survivors face serious lifelong physical, emotional and psychosocial problems. This may result in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, increased mortality and social disintegration. This study aims to evaluate if implementation of a culturally adapted multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme for burn survivors is clinically and cost-effective, sustainable and scalable across Pakistan.

• - To understand lived experiences of burn survivors, families, and other stakeholders including the experience of care and impact of burns To work together with key stakeholders (such as burn survivors, family members) to adapt a culturally appropriate affordable burn rehabilitation programme

• - To undertake social media campaigns to promote burn prevention and risk assessment at communities, workplaces/industries/households; improve first aid; and address burn related stigma

• - To work with policy makers/parliamentarians to develop national guidelines for burns care and prevention in Pakistan

There are 6 work-packages (WPs). WP1 is to co-adapt a culturally appropriate burn care and rehabilitation programme. WP2 will develop and implement national burn registry on WHO’s initiative. WP3 is a cluster randomised controlled trial to determine clinical and cost-effectiveness in Pakistan. WP4 will evaluate social media campaigns for burn prevention and reduce stigma. WP5 involves working with key-stakeholders for burns-related care and policy and WP6 offers sustainable capacity and capability for burns treatment and rehabilitation.

A clinical and cost-effective burn care quality and rehabilitation programme may have a huge potential to save lives and contribute health and socio-economic benefits for patients, families, and the healthcare system in Pakistan. The nation-wide implementation and involvement of burn centres across all provinces offer an excellent opportunity to overcome the problem of burn care access experienced in LMICs.

To date, burns prevention, care and rehabilitation have not received sufficient attention in policy initiatives in Pakistan and other LMICs. This study is an excellent opportunity to evaluate culturally adapted burn care and rehabilitation programmes that can be implemented across LMICs. We will disseminate our findings widely, using a variety of approaches, supported by our stakeholder and patient advisory groups.

None Declared