PRO26 Cost of illness of Sickle Cell Disease in the US, Payer's Perspective: (CRESCENT).

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. S202
Author(s):  
D. S.
Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 16-17
Author(s):  
Wally R Smith ◽  
Benjamin Jaworowski ◽  
Shirley Johnson ◽  
Thokozeni Lipato ◽  
Daniel M Sop

Background Even before the US upswing of the current COVID pandemic, the number of sickle cell disease (SCD) patients coming to hospitals and EDs appeared to fall drastically. This happened despite SCD patients having often been heavy utilizers of the ED and hospital for their iconic vaso-occlusive crises (VOC). Though ambulatory SCD clinics quick converted largely to telehealth in order to comply with stay-at-home orders designed to suppress person-to-person transmission, some SCD patients appeared to avoid care, delay care, or refuse doctors' invitations for care. Presumably patients did so out of COVID fears, but this has not been confirmed in the literature. Further, whether these patients had COVID symptoms but stayed at home has not been studied. As part of quality improvement (QI) to conduct COVID surveillance in an adult sickle cell program, we sought to explain and predict SCD health care utilization patterns we were observing, as well as to determine urgent physical and mental health needs of patients who appeared to be avoiding care. Methods Fifteen staff in the Adult Sickle Cell Medical Home at Virginia Commonwealth University, a large urban academic medical center, conducted a telephone survey ("wellness check"was used when we talked to patients) of all known adults with SCD over 19 days in 2020. A staff member confirmed the patient had SCD, asked permission to proceed, then asked about symptoms consistent with COVID-19. At the end of the telephone survey, respondents wer invited to complete an email survey of sickle cell and COVID-19 utilization attitudes (19-33 items, depending on the response pattern, either drawn from the National Health Interview Survey, from the Adult Sickle Cell Quality of Life Measurement quality of care survey, or drafted by the authors), the Sickle Cell Stress Survey-Adult (SCSS-A, a 10-item previously validated survey), and anxiety and depression (PHQ9 of the PRIME-MD). Results Of 622 adults approached by phone call, 353 responded to the following yes/no screening questions regarding the prior 14 days: fever over 100 F 0/353 (0.00%); cough 3/353(0.01%); difficulty breathing 0/353(0.00%); unexplained shortness of breath 2/353(0.01%); sore throat 2/353 (0.01%); unexplained muscle soreness 2/353(0.01%);contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 2/353(0.01%); testing for COVID 19 6/353(0.02%). For QI purposes, we set a threshold of three or more COVID-associated symptoms or the presence of fever as criteria requiring intense telephone or in-person staff monitoring for the following week. Only three patients met criteria. A total of 219/353 had email surveys sent. Of 63 patients (28.8%) who returned email surveys by June 10, 2020, 35.9% had already managed a "pain attack" at home 4 or more times in the prior 12 months, and 45.5% of these said their bad ER experiences were very or somewhat important in that decision. In the prior 14 days, although 30/64 reported a crisis for at least one day, only 4/64 had visited the Emergency Department for pain. On a 0-10 scale, 21/61 patients endorsed "0" for worry that they would be COVID-infected by going for medical care (weighted mean 3.9), but 18/59 endorsed "10" for worry they were more at risk of COVID because of SCD (weighted mean 6.31), and 22/60 endorsed "10" for worry they would fare worse than others if COVID infected (weighted mean 6.97). Many patients forwent "needed" care (16/62) or delayed "needed" care by at least a day (36/61). Eleven patients met criteria for moderately severe to severe depression on the PHQ-9, and 28/63 somewhat or strongly agreed with the statement "death is always on the back of my mind" on the SCSS-A. Conclusions In adolescents and adults with SCD, many were already reticent to come to the ED for pain, but a significant portion reported delays or avoidance of needed care during the early stages of the US COVID pandemic, and few reported using the ED despite over half reporting at least one crisis day in 14. Patients nonetheless reported very few COVID-associated symptoms. Fears of COVID infection/susceptibility may limit visits for needed sickle cell care among adults. Acknowledgements: Mica Ferlis RN, FNP, Caitlin McManus, RN, FNP, Emily Sushko, RN, FNP, Justin West, RN, Kate Osborne, RN, Stefani Vaughan-Sams, Marla Brannon, BS, Nakeiya Williams, BS Disclosures Smith: GlycoMimetics, Inc.: Consultancy; Emmaeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy; Novartis, Inc.: Consultancy, Other: Investigator, Research Funding; Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Shire, Inc.: Other: Investigator, Research Funding; NHLBI: Research Funding; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute: Other: Investigator, Research Funding; Health Resources and Services Administration: Other: Investigator, Research Funding; Incyte: Other: Investigator; Pfizer: Consultancy; Ironwood: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; Imara: Research Funding; Shire: Research Funding.


Blood ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (Suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 981-981
Author(s):  
Titilola S. Akingbola ◽  
Bamidele Tayo ◽  
Santosh L. Saraf ◽  
Binal N. Shah ◽  
Chinedu A Ezekekwu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The vast majority of births with sickle cell anemia occur in Africa 1 and early-life mortality, generally before age five years, is as high as 90% 2,3. Hydroxyurea was approved for sickle cell anemia by the US FDA in 1998 but is not commonly used in Africa due to fear of toxicity, lack of awareness and limited availability. Hemoglobin F is a protective factor that decreases severity of sickle cell anemia, and hydroxyurea treatment leads to an increase in hemoglobin F. In the US, hydroxyurea is typically initiated at a dose of 15 mg/kg followed by dose escalations of up to 35 mg/kg if tolerated with a goal of maximal tolerated dose and maximal response in hemoglobin F. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia are the usual limitations to achieving maximal dose. In the landmark Multicenter Study of Hydroxyurea, the clinical response to hydroxyurea correlated strongly with a reduction in the neutrophil count as well as an increase in the fetal hemoglobin concentration as reflected in percentage of F cells. A striking decrease in pain crises was observed in the first three months of therapy, before dose escalation and before maximal increase in hemoglobin F levels 4. Furthermore, hydroxyurea in the range of 10-15.9 mg/kg/day was reportedly effective in decreasing the frequency of pain episodes in children and adolescents in Oman 5, and hydroxyurea 10 mg/kg/day decreased pain episodes in children and adults with sickle cell anemia in India 6. From these perspectives, we reasoned that a fixed dose of hydroxyurea 10 mg/kg/day is reasonable to investigate in the African setting where the safety in relationship to the resources and infectious exposures is not known. Methods: We assigned 48 sickle cell anemia patients to hydroxyurea 500 mg/day for 24 weeks to determine safety and efficacy; 28 had high-risk disease based on hemoglobin F<8.6% and absence of alpha-thalassemia. We defined a clinically meaningful adverse outcome category as ≥10% of patients developing platelets <50,000/uL, granulocytes <500/uL, clinical malaria and/or active tuberculosis. Picking up refills every four weeks was the adherence metric. We analyzed the results on an intent-to-treat basis. Results: The median (interquartile range) age was 25 (22-27) years and the median hydroxyurea dose 9.8 (9.1-10.4) mg/kg per day. The patients complied with treatment for a median of 20 (16-24) weeks. Four (8.3%) developed a pre-specified adverse outcome: clinical malaria (N=2), thrombocytopenia in combination with malaria (N=1), pulmonary tuberculosis (N=1). During therapy the median hemoglobin increased by 9.0 g/L, mean corpuscular volume by 11.2 fL and body weight by 3.0 kg while median white blood cells declined by 2600 per uL and platelets by 127,000 per uL (P<0.001). The median hemoglobin F increased from 4.1% (2.3-6.3%) at baseline (N=27) to 8.5% (6.3-12.9%) during therapy (N=24) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that low, fixed-dose dose hydroxyurea for sickle cell anemia in Nigeria is associated with a low adverse outcome rate and with improvements in blood counts, hemoglobin F and body weight. The effects on vaso-occlusive episodes and on the risks of recrudescent tuberculosis and malaria-associated thrombocytopenia should be assessed in further studies. Acknowledgment: Supported by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation. References 1. Williams TN, Obaro SK. Sickle cell disease and malaria morbidity: a tale with two tails. Trends Parasitol 2011;27:315-20. 2. Grosse SD, Odame I, Atrash HK, Amendah DD, Piel FB, Williams TN. Sickle cell disease in Africa: a neglected cause of early childhood mortality. Am J Prev Med 2011;41:S398-405. 3. Makani J, Cox SE, Soka D, et al. Mortality in sickle cell anemia in Africa: a prospective cohort study in Tanzania. PLoS One 2011;6:e14699. 4. Charache S, Barton FB, Moore RD, et al. Hydroxyurea and sickle cell anemia. Clinical utility of a myelosuppressive "switching" agent. The Multicenter Study of Hydroxyurea in Sickle Cell Anemia. Medicine (Baltimore) 1996;75:300-26. 5. Sharef SW, Al-Hajri M, Beshlawi I, et al. Optimizing Hydroxyurea use in children with sickle cell disease: low dose regimen is effective. Eur J Haematol 2013. 6. Patel DK, Mashon RS, Patel S, Das BS, Purohit P, Bishwal SC. Low dose hydroxyurea is effective in reducing the incidence of painful crisis and frequency of blood transfusion in sickle cell anemia patients from eastern India. Hemoglobin 2012;36:409-20. Disclosures Ezekekwu: American Society of Hematology: Other: The Visitor training program was sponsored by ASH. Hsu: AstraZeneca steering committee for HESTIA trial: Research Funding. Gordeuk: Emmaus Life Sciences: Consultancy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (23) ◽  
pp. 4002-4020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann T. Farrell ◽  
Julie Panepinto ◽  
Ankit A. Desai ◽  
Adetola A. Kassim ◽  
Jeffrey Lebensburger ◽  
...  

Abstract To address the global burden of sickle cell disease and the need for novel therapies, the American Society of Hematology partnered with the US Food and Drug Administration to engage the work of 7 panels of clinicians, investigators, and patients to develop consensus recommendations for clinical trial end points. The panels conducted their work through literature reviews, assessment of available evidence, and expert judgment focusing on end points related to patient-reported outcome, pain (non–patient-reported outcomes), the brain, end-organ considerations, biomarkers, measurement of cure, and low-resource settings. This article presents the findings and recommendations of the end-organ considerations, measurement of cure, and low-resource settings panels as well as relevant findings and recommendations from the biomarkers panel.


1993 ◽  
Vol 107 (9) ◽  
pp. 790-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O. Ajulo ◽  
A. I. Osiname ◽  
H. M. Myatt

AbstractSensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) has been a well-documented complication of sickle cell disease in the literature from West Africa, West Indies, United States of America and the Middle East. We present a study of 52 patients with homozygous sickle cell disease and 36 control patients with haemoglobin genotype AA, matched for age and sex. Seven patients with sickle cell disease (13.5 per cent) were found to have sensorineural hearing loss i.e.>20 dB at two or more frequencies, while all the patients in the control group had normal hearing (p<0.05).Our study shows the incidence of SNHL in the UK to be similar to that reported in the US A and much lower than that found in malaria endemic areas of the tropics.We highlight the factors which we consider responsible for these differences and suggest that the crucial period in the development of SNHL in sickle cell disease may be intra-uterine or during the first few years of life. All sickle cell patients should be encouraged to have regular hearing assessment.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 5583-5583
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Delea ◽  
May Hagiwara ◽  
Simu K. Thomas ◽  
Jean-Francois Baladi ◽  
Pradyumna D. Phatak ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. Patients with thalassemia, sickle-cell disease (SCD), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) receiving frequent transfusions require chelation therapy to prevent complications of iron overload. Deferoxamine (DFO) is an effective iron chelator that has been shown to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with transfusional hemosiderosis. Data on the utilization and costs of DFO treatment are limited however. The objective of this study was to document the utilization and costs of DFO therapy in patients with transfusion-dependent anemias seen in typical clinical practice. Methods. Retrospective, observational study using data from large health insurance claims database spanning 1/97–12/04 (“study period”) and representing approximately 40 million members enrolled in &gt;70 health plans across the US. Study subjects included members meeting the following criteria: ≥1 claims with diagnosis of thalassemia (282.4x), SCD (282.6x ), or MDS (ICD-9-CM 238.7x); ≥8 claims (on different days) for a transfusion of whole blood or red cells; ≥2 claims (on different days) for DFO. Follow-up was defined as the period from the date of first DFO claim (“index date”) to end of study period, disenrollment, or 15 days after last claim for DFO, whichever occurred first. Outcomes included the number of claims for DFO and grams of DFO dispensed and the costs of DFO therapy, including costs of drug acquisition and administration. Outcomes were analyzed by qualifying diagnosis, numbers of transfusions received, and grams of DFO dispensed. Results. We identified 155 subjects who met all inclusion criteria, including 35 with thalassemia, 68 with SCD, and 52 with MDS. On average, patients received one transfusion every 3.4 weeks of follow-up. Mean DFO grams dispensed were 306 per year. MDS patients received the most transfusions but the least DFO. Only 38% of MDS patients received ≥3 g of DFO per week (≥156 g per year). Mean total DFO costs were $18,025 annually ($10,217 for drug and $7,808 for administration). Controlling for other factors, utilization of DFO was not associated with number of transfusions received; administration costs were only weakly associated with amount of DFO received. Thalassemia SCD MDS All Values are Mean±SD N 35 68 52 155 Follow-up, days 612 ± 481 420 ± 403 274 ± 336 414 ± 418 Age, years 19 ± 12 17 ± 11 63 ± 11 33 ± 24 Transfusions per year 15 ± 7 12 ± 4 24 ± 13 16 ± 10 DFO claims per year 29 ± 34 41 ± 46 30 ± 20 34 ± 37 DFO grams per year 311 ± 233 343 ± 243 223 ± 234 306 ± 241 Cost DFO acquisition, $ per year 10,287 ± 8,264 11,625 ± 8,339 7,293 ± 7,543 10,217 ± 8,207 Cost DFO administration, $ per year 7,674 ± 11,503 9,109 ± 8,177 5,403 ± 5,649 7808 ± 8,438 Total cost of DFO, $ per year 17,961 ± 17,047 20,734 ± 12,114 12,696 ± 10,886 18,025 ± 13,348 Conclusion: In this population of frequently transfused patients (mean 16 transfusions per year), utilization of DFO was low (mean &lt;1 gram per day) suggesting inadequate chelation. Costs of DFO administration were high, representing approximately 43% of the total cost of chelation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivani Sivasankar ◽  
An-Lin Cheng ◽  
Ira M. Lubin ◽  
Kamani Lankachandra ◽  
Mark A. Hoffman

Abstract Background The glycated hemoglobin (A1c) test is not recommended for sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. We examine ordering patterns of diabetes-related tests for SCD patients to explore misutilization of tests among this underserved population. Methods We used de-identified electronic health record (EHR) data in the Cerner Health Facts™ (HF) data warehouse to evaluate the frequency of A1c and fructosamine tests during 2010 to 2016, for 37,151 SCD patients from 393 healthcare facilities across the United States. After excluding facilities with no A1c data, we defined three groups of facilities based on the prevalence of SCD patients with A1c test(s): adherent facilities (no SCD patients with A1c test(s)), minor non-adherent facilities, major non-adherent facilities. Results We determined that 11% of SCD patients (3927 patients) treated at 393 facilities in the US received orders for at least one A1c test. Of the 3927 SCD patients with an A1c test, only 89 patients (2.3%) received an order for a fructosamine test. At the minor non-adherent facilities, 5% of the SCD patients received an A1c test while 58% of the SCD patients at the least adherent facilities had at least one A1c test. Overall, the percent of A1c tests ordered for SCD patients between 2010 and 2016 remained similar. Conclusions Inappropriate A1c test orders among a sickle cell population is a significant quality gap. Interventions to advance adoption of professional recommendations that advocate for alternate tests, such as fructosamine, can guide clinicians in test selection to reduce this quality gap are discussed. The informatics strategy used in this work can inform other largescale analyses of lab test utilization using de-identified EHR data.


Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 2369-2369
Author(s):  
Nelda Itzep ◽  
Celeste K Kanne ◽  
David Tsao ◽  
Oguzhan Atay ◽  
Vivien A Sheehan

Abstract Introduction: Over 300,000 infants are born with sickle cell disease (SCD) every year worldwide, including at least 1,000 in the US. Prenatal diagnosis by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling is available; but high cost, invasiveness, and risk of miscarriage limit their use. Recently, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has become commonplace for aneuploidies, including Trisomy 21. These non-invasive tests operate by genetic analysis of the cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) present in maternal blood. The safety and accuracy of NIPT have been key drivers for its rapid and widespread adoption. Yet, no NIPT for SCD or other hemoglobinopathies have been commercialized to date, despite the large numbers of patients affected in the US and worldwide. While de novo mutations can only be of fetal origin and can be identified by available next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods, NIPT for recessively inherited disorders is more challenging. This is because a mother who is a carrier for a recessive disorder contributes a high level of background pathogenic DNA molecules. Therefore, a key technical challenge of NIPT for recessive disorders is developing an assay sensitive enough to detect <5% deviation from 50% allele fraction. To overcome this challenge, we have developed and optimized an NIPT for SCD by assessing the relative mutation dosage of fetal SCD and beta-thalassemia DNA through a novel molecular counting strategy using NGS. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of a novel NIPT for sickle cell disease. Methods: The SCD NIPT assay and associated custom bioinformatics analysis were performed on cfDNA obtained from a training cohort of non-pregnant compound heterozygotes for SCD. The SCD NIPT assay was then performed on a validation cohort of pregnant women with either SCD or sickle cell trait (SCT). The accuracy of the SCD NIPT was evaluated by comparison with newborn screening results. Results: Non-pregnant individuals with genotype HbSE, HbSC, or HbS/beta-thalassemia were included as a training cohort to establish the precision and accuracy of the assay for measuring HbS allele fraction from cfDNA. As expected, the HbS allele fraction in these individuals was 0.500 (standard deviation = 0.011, n = 26), and there was no detectable fetal fraction in these samples. Both training and validation cohort results matched the theoretical limit of detection set by the number of cell-free HBB DNA molecules in plasma. The precision and accuracy of the HBB assay on cfDNA were then used in conjunction with >1000 pre-clinical samples (mixtures of sheared SCT and SCD genomic DNA) to determine analytical sensitivity >98% and specificity >99%, even in the absence of paternal DNA. Conclusion: We have developed an assay for non-invasive prenatal testing of sickle cell disease. The results obtained to date indicate that the assay reliably detects fetal SCD when the fetal fraction is as low as 5%, the same limit as aneuploidy NIPT. A fetus with SCD has already been identified, and follow-up is ongoing with >20 pregnancies. Since the HBB NIPT is highly targeted, sequencing cost is <$30 per sample. The ability to ascertain fetal SCD status based only on maternal blood will be valuable in clinical settings where the father is unavailable or sample collection would be inconvenient or time-consuming. Several Phase I/II and Phase III trials for curing SCD or beta-thalassemia using autologous gene-editing of stem cells are currently in progress. SCD NIPT could be particularly useful for deciding to bank umbilical cord blood as a source of stem cells for future gene-editing cures. Disclosures Tsao: BillionToOne: Employment, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Patents & Royalties. Atay:BillionToOne: Employment, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Patents & Royalties.


1997 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rifai ◽  
R. Nyman

Purpose: To demonstrate the combined use of scintigraphy and ultrasonography (US) in differentiating osteomyelitis from bone infarction in sickle cell disease. Material and Methods: Two patients with sickle cell disease were examined with a combination of bone, bone marrow, white blood cell and/or gallium scintigraphy and us. Results: The scintigraphic studies demonstrated areas of suspected osteomyelitis at the distal femur in both patients and at the proximal right tibia in one of them. US revealed subperiosteal fluid collections in these areas. Aspiration guided by US established the presence of pus at the femur in both instances, which was successfully treated with the US-guided insertion of a drainage catheter and aspiration only, respectively. Thick blood, due to bone infarction, was aspirated at the tibia. Conclusion: The scintigraphic studies were useful in locating all areas of suspected osteomyelitis. The role of US was to confirm the presence of a subperiosteal fluid collection and to guide aspiration, which can show the distinction between a haematoma and an abscess.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 2256-2256
Author(s):  
Carlton Haywood ◽  
Sophie Lanzkron

Abstract We show in a companion abstract that there has been no decrease in overall admissions for adults with sickle cell anemia (SCA) in the US for the period 1990–2002. The objective of this study was to further describe the characteristics of all adult and pediatric inpatients with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the US for this period. Methods: We examined data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) for the period 1990–2002. The NHDS is a nationally representative survey of non-federal short-stay hospitals in the U.S. which allows for the estimation of inpatient utilization data. Inclusion criteria for our analysis consisted of the following ICD-9 codes: 282.61 or 282.62 (classified as SS), and 282.60, 282.63, 282.64, and 282.69 (classified as Other/Not Specified) found in any one of seven possible patient diagnostic records. Gender and SCD genotype differences in mean length of stay (LOS) were assessed using univariate analyses, and multivariate analyses adjusting for insurance status, age, hospital bedsize, time, and region of the country. Analyses were conducted for the population in the aggregate, and stratified by adult/pediatric status (18+ years for adults, 0–17 for pediatric). Results: There were 13,221 records, which met our inclusion criteria resulting in an estimate of 1,079,523 SCD discharges over the 13 year period. (83,040 discharges/year) More than half of the adult discharges were for females, while less than half of the pediatric discharges were for females (55% vs. 44%, p < 0.0001). A greater percentage of adult than pediatric discharges were coded as SS (81% vs. 74%, p < 0.0001). Among adults, patients coded as SS were younger than patients with an Other/Not Specified SCD code (30.6 vs. 35, p < 0.001). The reverse was true for pediatric cases, where patients coded as SS were slightly older than patients coded as Other/Not Specified SCD (9.6 vs. 7.7, p < 0.001). In univariate analyses of LOS data, adult females with SS had longer mean LOS than adult males with SS (7.27 days vs. 6.29 days, p = 0.001). There were no differences in mean LOS for adult females and adult males with Other/Not Specified SCD codes (p = 0.160). Adult males with SS and adult males with Other/Not Specified SCD codes did not differ in their mean LOS (p = 0.850), while adult females with SS experienced significantly longer mean LOS than adult females with Other/Not Specified SCD codes (7.27 days vs. 5.45 days, p < 0.001). Among the pediatric cases, females with SS experienced longer LOS than females with Other/Not Specified SCD codes (4.57 days vs. 3.22 days, p < 0.001). Adult females continued to experience nearly a full day longer mean LOS than adult males in multivariate analyses (β = 0.83, p = 0.006). Among adults, 27% of men had medicare compared to 19% of the women and 17% of men compared to 25% of women had private insurance. (p < 0.0001) Conclusions: Our analysis of the characteristics of inpatients with SCD demonstrates that adult females with SCD account for a higher percentage of inpatient visits than adult males with SCD. Females with SS experience longer mean inpatient LOS than females without SS and males with or without SS, regardless of age. The reasons for these differences are unknown, but warrant further study. Of the hosptilized adults more women had private insurance than men. Whether this impacts on likelihood of admissions needs closer examination. A better understanding of patient characteristics will help guide interventions that will limit barriers to care for this patient population.


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