Population-Based Precision Cancer Screening: A Symposium on Evidence, Epidemiology, and Next Steps.
Marcus PM , Pashayan N , Church TR , Doria-Rose VP , Gould MK , Hubbard RA , Marrone M , Miglioretti DL , Pharoah PD , Pinsky PF , Rendle KA , Robbins HA , Roberts MC , Rolland B , Schiffman M , Tiro JA , Zauber AG , Winn DM , Khoury MJ . Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016 25 (11) 1449-1455 Precision medicine, an emerging approach for disease treatment that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle, is under consideration for preventive interventions, including cancer screening. On September 29, 2015, the National Cancer Institute sponsored a symposium entitled "Precision Cancer Screening in the General Population: Evidence, Epidemiology, and Next Steps". The goal was two-fold: to share current information on the evidence, practices, and challenges surrounding precision screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers, and to allow for in-depth discussion among experts in relevant fields regarding how epidemiology and other population sciences can be used to generate evidence to inform precision screening strategies. Attendees concluded that the strength of evidence for efficacy and effectiveness of precision strategies varies by cancer site, that no one research strategy or methodology would be able or appropriate to address the many knowledge gaps in precision screening, and that issues surrounding implementation must be researched as well. Additional discussion needs to occur to identify the high priority research areas in precision cancer screening for pertinent organs and to gather the necessary evidence to determine whether further implementation of precision cancer screening strategies in the general population would be feasible and beneficial. |
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus: a phase III, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of a short course of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in women with hepatitis B virus e-antigen
Jourdain G , Ngo-Giang-Huong N , Cressey TR , Hua L , Harrison L , Tierney C , Salvadori N , Decker L , Traisathit P , Sirirungsi W , Khamduang W , Bowonwatanuwong C , Puthanakit T , Siberry GK , Watts DH , Murphy TV , Achalapong J , Hongsiriwon S , Klinbuayaem V , Thongsawat S , Chung RT , Pol S , Chotivanich N . BMC Infect Dis 2016 16 393 BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is complicated by cirrhosis and liver cancer. In Thailand, 6-7 % of adults are chronically infected with HBV. The risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HBV has been estimated to be about 12 % when mothers have a high hepatitis B viral load, even if infants receive passive-active prophylaxis with HBV immunoglobulin (HBIg) and initiate the hepatitis B vaccine series at birth. We designed a study to assess the efficacy and safety of a short course of maternal tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) among women with a marker of high viral load for the prevention of MTCT of HBV. METHODS: The study is a phase III, multicenter (17 sites in Thailand), placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized 1:1, two-arm clinical trial of TDF 300 mg once daily versus placebo among pregnant women from 28 weeks' gestation through 2-month post-partum. All infants receive HBIg at birth, and a hepatitis B (HB) vaccination series according to Thai guidelines: birth, and age 1, 2, 4 and 6 months. Participant women at study entry must be age ≥18 years, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and e-antigen (HBeAg) positive, have alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level < 30 IU/L at screening (confirmed < 60 IU/L pre-entry), negative hepatitis C serology, creatinine clearance >50 mL/min, and no history of anti-HBV antiviral treatment. The target sample size of 328 mother/infant pairs assumed 156 evaluable cases per arm to detect a ≥9 % difference in MTCT transmission (3 % experimental arm versus 12 % placebo arm) with 90 % power. Mothers and infants are followed until 12 months after delivery. The primary infant endpoint is detection of HBsAg, confirmed by detection of HBV DNA at six months of age. Secondary endpoints are maternal and infant adverse events, acute exacerbations of maternal hepatitis B disease (ALT >300 IU/L, defined as a "flare") following discontinuation of study treatment, infant HBV infection status and growth up to 12 months of age. DISCUSSION: The results of this randomized trial will clarify the efficacy and safety of a short course of antiviral treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV and inform international guidelines. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01745822 . |
Epilepsy or seizure disorder? The effect of cultural and socioeconomic factors on self-reported prevalence
Kroner BL , Fahimi M , Gaillard WD , Kenyon A , Thurman DJ . Epilepsy Behav 2016 62 214-217 Self-reported epilepsy may be influenced by culture, knowledge, and beliefs. We screened 6420 residents of the District of Columbia (DC) for epilepsy to investigate whether socio-demographics were associated with whether they reported their diagnosis as epilepsy or as seizure disorder. Lifetime and active prevalence rates were 0.54% and 0.21%, respectively for 'epilepsy' and 1.30% and 0.70%, respectively for 'seizure disorder'. Seizure disorder was reported significantly more often than epilepsy among blacks, females, respondents≥50years, those with lower level education, respondents who lived alone and in low income neighborhoods, and those who resided in DC for at least five years. Clinicians should assure that patients and caregivers understand that epilepsy is synonymous with seizure disorder and other culturally appropriate terms, in order to optimize compliance with treatment, disease management instructions, and utilization of other resources targeted at persons with epilepsy. Furthermore, education and awareness campaigns aimed at improving access-to-care, reducing stigma, and increasing awareness of adverse events, such as SUDEP, should include a more diverse definition of epilepsy in their messages. |
Association of sugar-sweetened beverage intake frequency and asthma among U.S. adults, 2013
Park S , Akinbami LJ , McGuire LC , Blanck HM . Prev Med 2016 91 58-61 OBJECTIVES: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among U.S. adults is associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. An association between SSB intake and asthma has been shown among U.S. children and Australian adults, but scant published information exists for U.S. adults. We examined associations between SSB intake and current asthma among U.S. adults, and the role of obesity in this association. METHODS: We analyzed 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data for 146,990 adults (≥18years) from 23 states and the District of Columbia. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate associations between current asthma and frequency (none, <1 time/day, once/day, ≥2 times/day) of SSB intake (soda, fruit drink, sweet tea, and sports/energy drink). SSB intake was measured using two questions. Covariates included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and smoking. Obesity, based on self-reported height and weight, was assessed as an effect modifier. RESULTS: Overall, 9.1% of adults reported current asthma: 8.5% of adults who did not consume SSBs had current asthma vs 12.1% of adults who consumed SSBs ≥2 times/day. There was no difference in asthma prevalence with SSB intake <1 time/day (8.7%) or once/day (8.7%). Among non-obese adults, the odds of having current asthma were higher among those who consumed SSBs ≥2 times/day (aOR=1.66, 95%CI=1.39, 1.99) than non-SSB consumers. However, SSB intake frequency was not associated with asthma among obese adults. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent SSB consumption was associated with asthma among non-obese adults. Research on asthma prevention should further consider the potential adverse effects of high SSB intake among U.S. adults. |
Maternal and Breastmilk Viral Load: Impacts of Adherence on Peripartum HIV Infections Averted-The Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals, and Nutrition Study.
Davis NL , Miller WC , Hudgens MG , Chasela CS , Sichali D , Kayira D , Nelson JA , Fiscus SA , Tegha G , Kamwendo DD , Rigdon J , Stringer JS , Juliano JJ , Ellington SR , Kourtis AP , Jamieson DJ , Van Der Horst C . J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2016 73 (5) 572-580 BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral interventions are used to reduce HIV viral replication and prevent mother-to-child transmission. Viral suppression relies on adherence to antiretrovirals. METHODS: A two-phase study was conducted using data from the Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals and Nutrition study. We included mothers randomized to 28 weeks of postpartum antiretrovirals with ≥1 plasma or breastmilk specimen. All mothers who transmitted HIV to their infants from 2-28 weeks (n=31) and 15% of mothers who did not (n=232) were included. Adherence was measured by pill count [categorized as poor (0-80%), partial (81-98%) and near perfect (>98%)]. Associations between adherence and breastmilk RNA were assessed using mixed effects models. Cox models were used to estimate associations between breastmilk RNA and HIV transmission. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we estimated the number of transmissions that would occur had everyone randomized to maternal ARVs been 90% and 100% adherent. RESULTS: Partial or near perfect antiretroviral adherence significantly reduced the odds of having detectable (≥40 copies/ml) breastmilk RNA, compared to poor adherence (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.08-0.67; OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16-0.81, respectively). Detectable breastmilk RNA was associated with increased breastmilk transmission, compared to undetectable breastmilk RNA (HR 3.8, 95% CI 1.2-12.1). All transmitting mothers had ≥1 plasma viral load specimen >100 copies/ml. An estimated similar number of transmissions would occur with 90% adherence compared with 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Helping patients adhere to antiretrovirals throughout breastfeeding is important for realizing the full potential of recommended antiretroviral interventions to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. Maintaining plasma viral load <100 copies/ml may prevent breastmilk transmission. |
Transitioning to country ownership of HIV programs in Rwanda
Binagwaho A , Kankindi I , Kayirangwa E , Nyemazi JP , Nsanzimana S , Morales F , Kadende-Kaiser R , Scott KW , Mugisha V , Sahabo R , Baribwira C , Isanhart L , Asiimwe A , El-Sadr WM , Raghunathan PL . PLoS Med 2016 13 (8) e1002075 Agnes Binagwaho and colleagues describe how Rwanda achieved country ownership of its HIV programs. |
An updated systematic review of epidemiological evidence on hormonal contraceptive methods and HIV acquisition in women
Polis CB , Curtis KM , Hannaford PC , Phillips SJ , Chipato T , Kiarie JN , Westreich DJ , Steyn PS . AIDS 2016 30 (17) 2665-2683 OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Some studies suggest that specific hormonal contraceptive (HC) methods (particularly depot medroxyprogesterone acetate [DMPA]) may increase women's HIV acquisition risk. We updated a systematic review to incorporate recent epidemiological data. METHODS: We searched for articles published between 1/15/2014-1/15/2016, and hand-searched reference lists. We identified longitudinal studies comparing users of a specific HC method against either (1) non-users of HC, or (2) users of another specific HC method. We added newly identified studies to those in the previous review, assessed study quality, created forest plots to display results, and conducted a meta-analysis for data on DMPA versus no HC. RESULTS: We identified ten new reports: five were considered "unlikely to inform the primary question". We focus on the other five reports, along with 9 from the previous review, considered "informative but with important limitations". The preponderance of data for oral contraceptive pills, injectable norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN), and levonorgestrel implants do not suggest an association with HIV acquisition, though data for implants are limited. The new, higher-quality studies on DMPA (or non-disaggregated injectables), which had mixed results in terms of statistical significance, had hazard ratios (HR) between 1.2 and 1.7, consistent with our meta-analytic estimate for all higher-quality studies of HR 1.4. CONCLUSIONS: While confounding in these observational data cannot be excluded, new information increases concerns about DMPA and HIV acquisition risk in women. If the association is causal, the magnitude of effect is likely ≤HR 1.5. Data for other hormonal contraceptive methods, including NET-EN, are largely reassuring. |
Using CD4 data to estimate HIV incidence, prevalence, and percent of undiagnosed infections in the United States
Song R , Hall HI , Green TA , Szwarcwald CL , Pantazis N . J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2016 74 (1) 3-9 INTRODUCTION: The incidence and prevalence of HIV infection are important measures of HIV trends; however, they are difficult to estimate because of the long incubation period between infection and symptom development and the relative infrequency of HIV screening. A new method is introduced to estimate HIV incidence, prevalence and the number of undiagnosed infections in the United States using data from the HIV case surveillance system and CD4 test results. METHODS: Persons with HIV diagnosed during 2006-2013 and their CD4 test results were used to estimate the distribution of diagnosis delay from HIV infection to diagnosis based on a well characterized CD4 depletion model. This distribution was then used to estimate HIV incidence, prevalence, and the number of undiagnosed infections. RESULTS: Applying this method, we estimated that the annual number of new HIV infections decreased after 2007, from 48,300 (95% confidence interval [CI] 47,300, 49,400) to 39,000 (95% CI 36,600, 41,400) in 2013. Prevalence increased from 923,200 (95% CI 914,500, 931,800) in 2006 to 1,104,600 (95% CI 1,084,300, 1,124,900) in 2013, while the proportion of undiagnosed infections decreased from 21.0% in 2006 (95% CI 20.2%, 21.7%) to 16.4% (95% CI 15.7%, 17.2%) in 2013. CONCLUSIONS: HIV incidence, prevalence, and undiagnosed infections can be estimated using HIV case surveillance data and information on first CD4 test result after diagnosis. Similar to earlier findings, the decreases in incidence and undiagnosed infections are encouraging but intensified efforts for HIV testing and treatment are needed to meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. |
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients lost to follow-up: self-reported readiness to restart treatment
Mangan JM , Tupasi TE , Garfin AM , Lofranco V , Orillaza-Chi R , Basilio R , Naval LC , Balane GI , Joson ES , Burt D , Lew WJ , Mantala M , Pancho S , Sarol JN , Golubkov A , Kurbatova EV . Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2016 20 (9) 1205-11 SETTING: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients lost to follow-up (LTFU) from Programmatic Management of Drug-resistant Tuberculosis facilities in the Philippines. OBJECTIVES: To gain insight into patients' readiness to return to treatment. METHODS: MDR-TB patients who initiated treatment and were categorized as LTFU were identified using TB registers, contacted, and asked to consent to an interview and medical record review. At the conclusion of the interview, patients' readiness to restart treatment was assessed and examined in relation to demographic, clinical, and interview data. Odds ratios were calculated. RESULTS: When asked if they would consider restarting MDR-TB treatment, 3% of the 89 participating patients reported that they had already restarted, 34% indicated that they wanted to restart, 33% had not considered restarting, 28% were undecided, and 2% had decided against restarting. Patients who wanted to restart treatment were more likely to report having borrowed money for TB-related expenses (OR 5.97, 95%CI 1.27-28.18), and were less likely to report being self-employed (OR 0.08, 95%CI 0.01-0.67), or perceive themselves at low or no risk for TB relapse (OR 0.30, 95%CI 0.08-0.96) than patients who did not indicate an interest in restarting treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to re-engage LTFU patients in care should consider financial barriers, knowledge gaps, and personal adherence challenges in patients. |
Enterovirus D68 in critically ill children: A comparison with pandemic H1N1 influenza
Rao S , Messacar K , Torok MR , Rick AM , Holzberg J , Montano A , Bagdure D , Curtis DJ , Oberste MS , Nix WA , de Masellis G , Robinson CC , Dominguez SR . Pediatr Crit Care Med 2016 17 (11) 1023-1031 OBJECTIVE: In 2014, the Unites States experienced an outbreak of enterovirus D68 associated with severe respiratory illness. The clinical characteristics associated with severe illness from enterovirus D68 during this outbreak compared with those associated with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus outbreak are unknown. DESIGN AND SETTING: In this retrospective cohort study, we characterized the clinical features of children with enterovirus D68 admitted to the PICU between August 1, 2014, and November 1, 2014, and compared them with critically ill children infected with H1N1 influenza during the pandemic admitted between May 1, 2009, and January 31, 2010. PATIENTS: PICU patients. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ninety-seven severely ill children with enterovirus D68 infections were compared with 68 children infected with H1N1 influenza during the 2009 pandemic. Children with enterovirus D68 were more likely to have asthma (62% vs 23%; p < 0.001) and present with reactive airway disease exacerbations, with greater receipt of albuterol (94% vs 49%) and steroids (89% vs 40%; p < 0.0001 for both). Although more children with enterovirus D68 were admitted to the ICU compared with those with H1N1 influenza, they had a shorter hospital length of stay (4 vs 7 d; p < 0.0001), with lower intubation rates (7% vs 44%), vasopressor use (3% vs 32%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (3% vs 24%), shock (0% vs 16%), and death (0% vs 12%; p < 0.05 for all). Compared with children with other enteroviruses and rhinoviruses, children with enterovirus D68 were more likely to have a history of asthma (64% vs 45%) or multiple prior wheezing episodes (54% vs 34%; p < 0.01 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill children with enterovirus D68 were more likely to present with reactive airway disease exacerbations, whereas children with H1N1 influenza were more likely to present with pneumonia. Compared with the pandemic H1N1 influenza outbreak, the enterovirus D68 outbreak resulted in more children requiring admission to the ICU, but was associated with less severe outcomes. |
Epidemiology, seasonality and factors associated with rotavirus infection among children with moderate-to-severe diarrhea in rural western Kenya, 2008-2012: The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS)
Omore R , Tate JE , O'Reilly CE , Ayers T , Williamson J , Moke F , Schilling KA , Awuor AO , Jaron P , Ochieng JB , Oundo J , Parashar UD , Parsons MB , Bopp CC , Nasrin D , Farag TH , Kotloff KL , Nataro JP , Panchalingam S , Levine MM , Laserson KF , Nuorti JP , Mintz ED , Breiman RF . PLoS One 2016 11 (8) e0160060 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate factors associated with rotavirus diarrhea and to describe severity of illness among children <5 years old with non-dysenteric, moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) in rural western Kenya. METHODS: We analyzed data from children <5 years old with non-dysenteric MSD enrolled as cases in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) in Kenya. A non-dysenteric MSD case was defined as a child with ≥3 loose stools in 24 hrs. and one or more of the following: sunken eyes, skin tenting, intravenous rehydration, or hospitalization, who sought care at a sentinel health center within 7 days of illness onset. Rotavirus antigens in stool samples were detected by ELISA. Demographic and clinical information was collected at enrollment and during a single follow-up home visit at approximately 60 days. We analyzed diarrhea severity using a GEMS 17 point numerical scoring system adapted from the Vesikari score. We used logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with rotavirus infection. RESULTS: From January 31, 2008 to September 30, 2012, among 1,637 (92%) non-dysenteric MSD cases, rotavirus was detected in stools of 245 (15.0%). Rotavirus-positive compared with negative cases were: younger (median age, 8 vs. 13 months; p<0.0001), had more severe illness (median severity score, 9 vs 8; p<0.0001) and had to be hospitalized more frequently (37/245 [15.1%] vs. 134/1,392 [9.6%]), p <0.013). Independent factors associated with rotavirus infection included age 0-11 months old (aOR = 5.29, 95% CI 3.14-8.89) and presenting with vomiting ≥3 times/24hrs (aOR = 2.58, 95% CI [1.91-3.48]). Rotavirus was detected more commonly in warm and dry months than in the cool and rainy months (142/691 [20%] vs 70/673 [10%]) p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Diarrhea caused by rotavirus is associated with severe symptoms leading to hospitalization. Consistent with other settings, infants had the greatest burden of disease. |
Evaluation of sexual risk behavior among study participants in the TDF2 PrEP study among heterosexual adults in Botswana
Gust DA , Soud F , Hardnett F , Malotte CK , Rose C , Kebaabetswe P , Makgekgenene L , Henderson F , Paxton L , Segolodi T , Kilmarx PH . J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2016 73 (5) 556-563 OBJECTIVE: Among participants of a clinical trial to test the efficacy of tenofovir/emtricitabine in protecting heterosexual men and women living in Botswana from HIV infection, determine 1) if sexual risk behavior, specifically condomless sex acts and number of sex partners, changed over time, 2) factors associated with condomless sex acts and number of sex partners and 3) the effect of participant treatment arm perception on risk behavior to address the possibility of risk compensation. METHODS: A longitudinal modeling of rates of risk behaviors was used to determine if the rate of condomless sex acts (#acts/person) and rate of sex partners (#partners/person) changed over time and which factors were associated with behavior change. RESULTS: 1200 participants were analyzed over 1 year. There was a 25% decrease in the rate of sex partners among participants sexually active in the last 30 days. The rate of reported condomless sex acts was greater for males (RR=1.34, CI=1.07-1.67) and participants whose sexual debut in years was ≤ 15 years of age (RR=1.65, CI=1.14-2.38) and 16-17 (RR=1.68, CI=1.22-2.31) compared to ≥20 years. Rate of reported sex partners was greater for males (RR=3.67, CI=2.86-4.71) and participants whose age at sexual debut in years was ≤15 (RR=2.92, CI=2.01-4.22) and 16-17 (RR=2.34, CI=1.69-3.24) compared to ≥20. There was no effect of participant treatment arm perception on risk behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Our study of PrEP to prevent HIV infection found no evidence of risk compensation which may have been due to participants' motivations to reduce their risk behaviors and risk-reduction counseling. |
Facilitators and barriers to inkage to HIV care among female sex workers receiving HIV testing services at a community-based organization in Periurban Uganda: A qualitative study
Nakanwagi S , Matovu JK , Kintu BN , Kaharuza F , Wanyenze RK . J Sex Transm Dis 2016 2016 7673014 INTRODUCTION: While four in ten female sex workers (FSWs) in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV, only a small proportion is enrolled in HIV care. We explored facilitators and barriers to linkage to HIV care among FSWs receiving HIV testing services at a community-based organization in periurban Uganda. METHODS: The cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted among 28 HIV positive FSWs from May to July 2014. Key informant interviews were conducted with five project staff and eleven peer educators. Data were collected on facilitators for and barriers to linkage to HIV care and manually analyzed following a thematic framework approach. RESULTS: Facilitators for linkage to HIV care included the perceived good quality of health services with same-day results and immediate initiation of treatment, community peer support systems, individual's need to remain healthy, and having alternative sources of income. Linkage barriers included perceived stigma, fear to be seen at outreach HIV clinics, fear and myths about antiretroviral therapy, lack of time to attend clinic, and financial constraints. CONCLUSION: Linkage to HIV care among FSWs is influenced by good quality friendly services and peer support. HIV service delivery programs for FSWs should focus on enhancing these and dealing with barriers stemming from stigma and misinformation. |
Frequency of and factors associated with receipt of liver-related specialty care among patients with hepatitis C in the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study
Foster MA , Xing J , Moorman AC , Boscarino J , Gordon SC , Lu M , Rupp L , Schmidt MA , Trinacty CM , Xu F , Holmberg SD , Spradling PR . Dig Dis Sci 2016 61 (12) 3469-3477 BACKGROUND: Linking persons with hepatitis C virus (HCV) to care and treatment is critical to reduction in disease burden; typically, this entailed referral to a specialist. However, data regarding the frequency and factors associated with referral among patients in healthcare organizations (HCOs) are lacking. METHODS: Among persons in four US HCOs with newly diagnosed HCV during 2006-2011, we determined the frequency of liver-related specialist care after diagnosis. We also identified sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with such care by multivariate analysis, adjusted for all variables. RESULTS: Among 3592 patients with newly diagnosed HCV, 57 % (range among sites 45-90 %) received specialist care; of these, 57 % received care within 90 days of diagnosis. Patient characteristics associated with receipt of specialist care included: affiliation with one of the study sites [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.8 vs. the referent site); having Medicare plus private insurance (aOR 1.6 vs. Medicaid); and having elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (aOR 1.6 vs. normal ALT) or lower platelet values (aOR 1.4 vs. normal platelet level). Specialist care within 90 days of diagnosis was associated with private insurance (aOR 1.5 vs. Medicaid), elevated ALT levels (aOR 1.3-2.3 vs. normal), and having ≥2 comorbid conditions (aOR 1.4 vs. no comorbid conditions). Compared to patients not referred, those referred were more likely to be treated (aOR 3.5). CONCLUSIONS: Receipt of specialist care among persons with newly diagnosed HCV varied among HCOs. Clinical evidence of liver disease and having private insurance were associated with prompt receipt of specialist care and HCV treatment. |
HIV testing among internet-using MSM in the United States: Systematic review
Noble M , Jones AM , Bowles K , DiNenno EA , Tregear SJ . AIDS Behav 2016 21 (2) 561-575 Regular HIV testing enables early identification and treatment of HIV among at-risk men who have sex with men (MSM). Characterizing HIV testing needs for Internet-using MSM informs development of Internet-facilitated testing interventions. In this systematic review we analyze HIV testing patterns among Internet-using MSM in the United States who report, through participation in an online study or survey, their HIV status as negative or unknown and identify demographic or behavioral risk factors associated with testing. We systematically searched multiple electronic databases for relevant English-language articles published between January 1, 2005 and December 16, 2014. Using meta-analysis, we summarized the proportion of Internet-using MSM who had ever tested for HIV and the proportion who tested in the 12 months preceding participation in the online study or survey. We also identified factors predictive of these outcomes using meta-regression and narrative synthesis. Thirty-two studies that enrolled 83,186 MSM met our inclusion criteria. Among the studies reporting data for each outcome, 85 % (95 % CI 82-87 %) of participants had ever tested, and 58 % (95 % CI 53-63 %) had tested in the year preceding enrollment in the study, among those for whom those data were reported. Age over 30 years, at least a college education, use of drugs, and self-identification as being homosexual or gay were associated with ever having tested for HIV. A large majority of Internet-using MSM indicated they had been tested for HIV at some point in the past. A smaller proportion-but still a majority-reported they had been tested within the year preceding study or survey participation. MSM who self-identify as heterosexual or bisexual, are younger, or who use drugs (including non-injection drugs) may be less likely to have ever tested for HIV. The overall findings of our systematic review are encouraging; however, a subpopulation of MSM may benefit from targeted outreach. These findings indicate unmet needs for HIV testing among Internet-using MSM and identify subpopulations that might benefit from targeted outreach, such as provision of HIV self-testing kits. |
HIV testing services in Africa: are they sustainable?
Marum E , Conkling M , Kanyanda J , Gandi SB , Byaruhanga R , Alwano MG . Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2016 13 (5) 263-8 HIV testing services (HTS) are an essential component of a national response to the HIV epidemic, and in lower and middle income countries, at least 150 million persons are tested annually. HIV testing is necessary to identify persons in need of antiretroviral treatment, which has been documented to be highly effective not only for treatment but also for prevention of HIV transmission to both adults and children. An assessment of the recent literature on sustainability of health and HIV services suggests that organizational performance, flexibility, and integration with other health interventions contribute to sustainability of HIV services and programs. This article describes the experiences of two HIV testing service providers in Uganda and Zambia as well as the track record of services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission to illustrate the factors of performance, flexibility, adaptability, and integration which are key to the sustainability of HIV testing services. |
Implementation of birth-cohort testing for hepatitis C virus: lessons learned from three primary care sites
Kruger DL , Rein DB , Kil N , Jordan C , Brown KA , Yartel A , Smith BD . Health Promot Pract 2016 18 (2) 283-289 Hepatitis C virus infection affects approximately 2.2 to 3.2 million Americans. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a one-time antibody test of all persons belonging to the 1945-1965 birth cohort. Efforts to implement this recommendation in clinical settings are in their infancy; this case study report therefore seeks to share the experiences of three sites that implemented interventions to increase birth-cohort testing through participation in the Birth-cohort Evaluation to Advance Screening and Testing for Hepatitis C. At each site, project managers completed standardized questionnaires about their implementation experiences, and a qualitative analysis was conducted of the responses. The testing interventions used in-person recruitment, mail recruitment, and an electronic health record prompt. Sites reported that early efforts to obtain stakeholder buy-in were critical to effectively implement and sustain interventions and that the intervention required additional staffing resources beyond those being used for risk-based testing. In each case, administrative barriers were more extensive than anticipated. For the electronic health record-based intervention, technological support was critical in achieving study goals. Despite these barriers, interventions in all sites were successful in increasing rates of testing and case identification, although future studies will need to evaluate the relative costs and benefits of each intervention. |
The burden of hepatitis C infection-related liver fibrosis in the United States
Klevens RM , Canary L , Huang X , Denniston MM , Yeo AE , Pesano RL , Ward JW , Holmberg S . Clin Infect Dis 2016 63 (8) 1049-55 BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the estimated proportion of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected persons with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis is critical to estimating healthcare needs. METHODS: We analyzed HCV-related testing conducted by Quest Diagnostics from January 2010 through December 2013. Tests included hepatitis C antibody, HCV RNA, HCV genotype (nucleic acid tests [NAT]), liver function tests, and platelet counts; patient age was also determined. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-platelet ratio (APRI) was calculated as = 100*(aspartate aminotransferase [AST]/upper limit of AST)/platelet. Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) was calculated as (age x AST)/(platelet x radical alanine aminotransferase [ALT]). Persons were "currently infected" if they had ≥1 positive HCV NAT; "in care" if a positive RNA test was followed <6 months by ≥1 additional NAT(s), or ALT, AST, and platelets <90 days, or any test ordered by an infectious diseases or gastroenterology specialist; and "evaluated for treatment" if they had a genotype test. RESULTS: Approximately 10 million HCV test results were analyzed, representing 5.6 million unique patients. Of the 2.6 million patients with data to estimate liver disease, 5% were currently infected. Among those currently infected, APRI and FIB-4 scores indicated that 23% overall-and 27% among the cohort born during 1945-1965-had advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis at first diagnosis. A total of 54% of infected were in care and 51% of infected with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis were evaluated for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Testing from a large US commercial laboratory indicates that about 1 in 4 HCV-infected persons have levels of liver disease put them at highest risk for complications and could benefit from immediate antiviral therapy. |
Bisphenol A exposure and symptoms of anxiety and depression among inner city children at 10-12 years of age
Perera F , Nolte EL , Wang Y , Margolis AE , Calafat AM , Wang S , Garcia W , Hoepner LA , Peterson BS , Rauh V , Herbstman J . Environ Res 2016 151 195-202 BACKGROUND: Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest that gestational exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), an ubiquitous endocrine disrupting chemical, may lead to neurobehavioral problems in childhood; however, not all results have been consistent. We previously reported a positive association between prenatal BPA exposure and symptoms of anxiety/depression reported by the mother at child age 7-9 years in boys, but not girls. OBJECTIVES: Here, in the same birth cohort, we investigated the association of prenatal BPA exposure with symptoms of depression and anxiety self-reported by the 10-12 year olds, hypothesizing that we would observe sex-specific differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms. METHODS: African-American and Dominican women living in Northern Manhattan and their children were followed from mother's pregnancy through children's age 10-12 years. BPA was quantified in maternal urine collected during the third trimester of pregnancy and in child urine collected at ages 3 and 5 years. Children were evaluated using the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) and Children's Depression Rating Scale (CDRS). We compared the children in the highest tertile of BPA concentration to those in the lower two tertiles. Associations between behavior and prenatal (maternal) BPA concentration or postnatal (child) BPA concentration were assessed in regression models stratified by sex. RESULTS: Significant positive associations between prenatal BPA and symptoms of depression and anxiety were observed among boys. Postnatal BPA exposure was not significantly associated with outcomes. There was substantial co-occurrence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in this sample. CONCLUSION: These results provide evidence that prenatal BPA exposure is associated with more symptoms of anxiety and depression in boys but not in girls at age 10-12 years. |
Vibriosis, not cholera: toxigenic Vibrio cholerae non-O1, non-O139 infections in the United States, 1984-2014
Crowe SJ , Newton AE , Gould LH , Parsons MB , Stroika S , Bopp CA , Freeman M , Greene K , Mahon BE . Epidemiol Infect 2016 144 (15) 1-7 Toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae serogroups O1 and O139 have caused cholera epidemics, but other serogroups - such as O75 or O141 - can also produce cholera toxin and cause severe watery diarrhoea similar to cholera. We describe 31 years of surveillance for toxigenic non-O1, non-O139 infections in the United States and map these infections to the state where the exposure probably originated. While serogroups O75 and O141 are closely related pathogens, they differ in how and where they infect people. Oysters were the main vehicle for O75 infection. The vehicles for O141 infection include oysters, clams, and freshwater in lakes and rivers. The patients infected with serogroup O75 who had food traceback information available ate raw oysters from Florida. Patients infected with O141 ate oysters from Florida and clams from New Jersey, and those who only reported being exposed to freshwater were exposed in Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, and Texas. Improving the safety of oysters, specifically, should help prevent future illnesses from these toxigenic strains and similar pathogenic Vibrio species. Post-harvest processing of raw oysters, such as individual quick freezing, heat-cool pasteurization, and high hydrostatic pressurization, should be considered. |
MLST and Whole-Genome-Based Population Analysis of Cryptococcus gattii VGIII Links Clinical, Veterinary and Environmental Strains, and Reveals Divergent Serotype Specific Sub-populations and Distant Ancestors.
Firacative C , Roe CC , Malik R , Ferreira-Paim K , Escandon P , Sykes JE , Castanon-Olivares LR , Contreras-Peres C , Samayoa B , Sorrell TC , Castaneda E , Lockhart SR , Engelthaler DM , Meyer W . PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016 10 (8) e0004861 The emerging pathogen Cryptococcus gattii causes life-threatening disease in immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts. Of the four major molecular types (VGI-VGIV), the molecular type VGIII has recently emerged as cause of disease in otherwise healthy individuals, prompting a need to investigate its population genetic structure to understand if there are potential genotype-dependent characteristics in its epidemiology, environmental niche(s), host range and clinical features of disease. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of 122 clinical, environmental and veterinary C. gattii VGIII isolates from Australia, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, USA and Venezuela, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 60 isolates representing all established MLST types identified four divergent sub-populations. The majority of the isolates belong to two main clades, corresponding either to serotype B or C, indicating an ongoing species evolution. Both major clades included clinical, environmental and veterinary isolates. The C. gattii VGIII population was genetically highly diverse, with minor differences between countries, isolation source, serotype and mating type. Little to no recombination was found between the two major groups, serotype B and C, at the whole and mitochondrial genome level. C. gattii VGIII is widespread in the Americas, with sporadic cases occurring elsewhere, WGS revealed Mexico and USA as a likely origin of the serotype B VGIII population and Colombia as a possible origin of the serotype C VGIII population. Serotype B isolates are more virulent than serotype C isolates in a murine model of infection, causing predominantly pulmonary cryptococcosis. No specific link between genotype and virulence was observed. Antifungal susceptibility testing against six antifungal drugs revealed that serotype B isolates are more susceptible to azoles than serotype C isolates, highlighting the importance of strain typing to guide effective treatment to improve the disease outcome. |
Knockdown Resistance Mutations in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) From Puerto Rico.
Ponce-Garcia G , Del Rio-Galvan S , Barrera R , Saavedra-Rodriguez K , Villanueva-Segura K , Felix G , Amador M , Flores AE . J Med Entomol 2016 53 (6) 1410-1414 Permethrin resistance is widespread in Aedes aegypti (L.), the main dengue, zika, and chikungunya virus vector in Latin America and the Caribbean. A common mechanism of resistance to pyrethroids-knockdown resistance (kdr)-is conferred through mutations in the insect's voltage-dependent sodium channel. In this mosquito, around 10 replacement substitutions in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (vgsc) have been reported in pyrethroid-resistant strains. Two of these mutations, named Ile1,016 and Cys1,534, are widespread in mosquito populations from Latin America and the Caribbean. This study assessed the levels of permethrin resistance and the frequency of two kdr mutations in eight Ae. aegypti populations collected in Puerto Rico in 2013. Permethrin resistance factors ranged from 33-214-fold relative to the New Orleans reference strain. The frequency of kdr mutation Ile1,016 ranged from 0.65 to fixation (1.0), and for Cys1,534 frequencies varied from 0.8 to fixation. Alarmingly, two populations-Carolina and Caguas-reached fixation at both loci. Our results suggest that permethrin effectiveness for Ae. aegypti control is compromised in these collections from Puerto Rico. |
It's not only what you say, it's also how you say it: Communicating nipah virus prevention messages during an outbreak in Bangladesh
Parveen S , Islam MS , Begum M , Alam MU , Sazzad HM , Sultana R , Rahman M , Gurley ES , Hossain MJ , Luby SP . BMC Public Health 2016 16 726 BACKGROUND: During a fatal Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in Bangladesh, residents rejected biomedical explanations of NiV transmission and treatment and lost trust in the public healthcare system. Field anthropologists developed and communicated a prevention strategy to bridge the gap between the biomedical and local explanation of the outbreak. METHODS: We explored residents' beliefs and perceptions about the illness and care-seeking practices and explained prevention messages following an interactive strategy with the aid of photos showed the types of contact that can lead to NiV transmission from bats to humans by drinking raw date palm sap and from person-to-person. RESULTS: The residents initially believed that the outbreak was caused by supernatural forces and continued drinking raw date palm sap despite messages from local health authorities to stop. Participants in community meetings stated that the initial messages did not explain that bats were the source of this virus. After our intervention, participants responded that they now understood how NiV could be transmitted and would abstain from raw sap consumption and maintain safer behaviours while caring for patients. CONCLUSIONS: During outbreaks, one-way behaviour change communication without meaningful causal explanations is unlikely to be effective. Based on the cultural context, interactive communication strategies in lay language with supporting evidence can make biomedical prevention messages credible in affected communities, even among those who initially invoke supernatural causal explanations. |
Cost-of-illness models for venous thromboembolism: One size does not fit all
Grosse SD . Thromb Res 2016 145 65-66 I appreciate this opportunity to respond to comments by Mahan and colleagues [1] on our recent review of US estimates of medical costs attributable to venous thromboembolism (VTE) [2]. Prior to the publication of that article, Dr. Mahan, provided helpful comments on our draft manuscript. He and his colleagues have made important contributions to raising awareness of the economic burden of VTE. | I would like to clarify that our article was not intended as a comprehensive cost-of-illness (COI) study. Our article sought to generate consensus estimates of direct medical costs attributable to VTE in order to project benefits of VTE prevention in the United States. This study, initiated during 2011–2013, was one part of a health economics research agenda on VTE for the Division of Blood Disorders at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other studies were initiated to provide information to improve estimates of the indirect costs of VTE, including a cohort study in Norway of permanent work disability secondary to incident VTE [3]. | In order to facilitate the inclusion of productivity costs in COI studies, I have published “human capital” estimates of annual and lifetime present values of market and nonmarket productivity in the United States [4]. Some economists argue that the conventional human capital approach overstates the economic impact of removing people from the work force and recommend a “friction cost” method that only includes the transition cost of replacing a disabled or deceased worker with a new worker [5]. |
Incidence and characteristics of ventilator-associated events reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network in 2014
Magill SS , Li Q , Gross C , Dudeck M , Allen-Bridson K , Edwards JR . Crit Care Med 2016 44 (12) 2154-2162 OBJECTIVE: Ventilator-associated event surveillance was introduced in the National Healthcare Safety Network in 2013, replacing surveillance for ventilator-associated pneumonia in adult inpatient locations. We determined incidence rates and characteristics of ventilator-associated events reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: We analyzed data reported from U.S. healthcare facilities for ventilator-associated events that occurred in 2014, the first year during which ventilator-associated event surveillance definitions were stable. We used negative binomial regression modeling to identify healthcare facility and inpatient location characteristics associated with ventilator-associated events. We calculated ventilator-associated event incidence rates, rate distributions, and ventilator utilization ratios in critical care and noncritical care locations and described event characteristics. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 1,824 healthcare facilities reported 32,772 location months of ventilator-associated event surveillance data to the National Healthcare Safety Network in 2014. Critical care unit pooled mean ventilator-associated event incidence rates ranged from 2.00 to 11.79 per 1,000 ventilator days, whereas noncritical care unit rates ranged from 0 to 14.86 per 1,000 ventilator days. The pooled mean proportion of ventilator-associated events defined as infection-related varied from 15.38% to 47.62% in critical care units. Pooled mean ventilator utilization ratios in critical care units ranged from 0.24 to 0.47. CONCLUSIONS: We found substantial variability in ventilator-associated event incidence, proportions of ventilator-associated events characterized as infection-related, and ventilator utilization within and among location types. More work is needed to understand the preventable fraction of ventilator-associated events and identify patient care strategies that reduce ventilator-associated events.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially. |
Biomedical informatics advancing the national health agenda: The AMIA 2015 year-in-review in clinical and consumer informatics
Roberts K , Boland MR , Pruinelli L , Dcruz J , Berry A , Georgsson M , Hazen R , Sarmiento RF , Backonja U , Yu KH , Jiang Y , Brennan PF . J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 24 e185-e190 The field of biomedical informatics experienced a productive 2015 in terms of research. In order to highlight the accomplishments of that research, elicit trends, and identify shortcomings at a macro level, a 19-person team conducted an extensive review of the literature in clinical and consumer informatics. The result of this process included a year-in-review presentation at the American Medical Informatics Association Annual Symposium and a written report (see supplemental data). Key findings are detailed in the report and summarized here. This article organizes the clinical and consumer health informatics research from 2015 under 3 themes: the electronic health record (EHR), the learning health system (LHS), and consumer engagement. Key findings include the following: (1) There are significant advances in establishing policies for EHR feature implementation, but increased interoperability is necessary for these to gain traction. (2) Decision support systems improve practice behaviors, but evidence of their impact on clinical outcomes is still lacking. (3) Progress in natural language processing (NLP) suggests that we are approaching but have not yet achieved truly interactive NLP systems. (4) Prediction models are becoming more robust but remain hampered by the lack of interoperable clinical data records. (5) Consumers can and will use mobile applications for improved engagement, yet EHR integration remains elusive. |
The safety assessment measure for persons with traumatic brain injury: Item pool development and content validity
Seel RT , Macciocchi S , Velozo CA , Shari K , Thompson N , Heinemann AW , Sander AM , Sleet D . NeuroRehabilitation 2016 39 (3) 371-87 BACKGROUND: Persons with moderate to severe TBI are at increased risk for unintentional injury or harm in the home and community; however, there is currently no standard measure of safety risk they face now and in the future. OBJECTIVE: To develop comprehensive and content valid scales and item pools for assessing safety and risk for persons with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries. METHOD: Qualitative psychometric methods for developing scales and items were used including literature review, item development and revision, focus groups with interdisciplinary rehabilitation staff (n = 26) for rating content validity, and cognitive interviewing of TBI family members (n = 9) for assuring item clarity. RESULTS: The Safety Assessment Measure is comprised of 6 primary scales-Cognitive Capacity, Visuomotor Capacity, Wheelchair Use, Risk Perception, Self-Regulation, and Compliance Failures with Safety Recommendations-in which family caregivers or clinicians rate the risk for unintentional injury or harm in adults who have sustained moderate or severe TBI. The scale item pools encompass a broad spectrum of everyday activities that pose risk in the home and community and were rated as having excellent levels of content validity. CONCLUSIONS: The Safety Assessment Measure scales and items cover a broad range of instrumental activities of daily living that can increase the risk of unintentional injuries or harm. Empirical evidence suggests that the Safety Assessment Measure items have excellent content validity. Future research should use modern psychometric methods to examine each scale unidimensionality, model fit, and precision. |
Population structure of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates among Alaskan children in the conjugate vaccine era, 2001 to 2013.
Miernyk KM , Bulkow LR , Case SL , Zulz T , Bruce MG , Harker-Jones M , Hurlburt DA , Hennessy TW , Rudolph KM . Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2016 86 (2) 224-30 Here we describe the relationships between serotypes, genotypes, and antimicrobial susceptibility among isolates causing invasive pneumococcal disease in Alaskan children during the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) era. From 2001 to 2013 we received 271 isolates representing 33 serotypes. The most common serotypes were 19A (29.5%, n= 80), 7F (12.5%, n= 34), 15B/C (6.3%, n= 17), and 22F (4.8%, n= 13). Multilocus sequence typing identified 11 clonal complexes (CC) and 45 singletons. Five CCs accounted for 52% (141/271) of the total: CC199 (21% [n= 57], serotypes 19A, 15B/C), CC191 (12.2% [n= 33], serotype 7F), CC172 (10.3% [n= 28], serotypes 19A, 23A, 23B), CC433 (4.4% [n= 12], serotype 22F), and CC100 (4.4% [n= 12], serotype 33F). The proportion of isolates nonsusceptible to erythromycin and tetracycline increased after 13-valent PCV use (14% [n= 30] versus 29% [n= 14]; P= 0.010) and (4% [n= 9] versus 22% [n= 11]; P< 0.001), respectively. The genetic diversity also increased after 13-valent PCV use (Simpson's diversity index =0.95 versus 0.91; P= 0.022). |
Assuring the Quality of Next-Generation Sequencing in Clinical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratories.
Gargis AS , Kalman L , Lubin IM . J Clin Microbiol 2016 54 (12) 2857-2865 Clinical microbiology and public health laboratories are beginning to utilize next-generation sequencing (NGS) for a range of applications. This technology has the potential to transform the field by providing approaches that will complement, or even replace, many conventional laboratory tests. While the benefits of NGS are significant, the complexities of these assays require an evolving set of standards to assure testing quality. Regulatory and accreditation requirements, professional guidelines, and best practices that help to assure the quality of NGS-based tests are emerging. This review will highlight currently available standards and guidelines for the implementation of NGS in the clinical and public health laboratory setting, and includes considerations for NGS test validation, quality control procedures, proficiency testing, and reference materials. |
Seroprevalence of poliovirus antibodies in the United States population, 2009-2010
Wallace GS , Curns AT , Weldon WC , Oberste MS . BMC Public Health 2016 16 721 BACKGROUND: Polio is eliminated in the United States, with the last indigenous transmission occurring in 1979. However, global eradication of polio has not yet been completed, so importation of poliovirus into the U.S. is still possible. Specimens from the 2009-10 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed to evaluate population seroprevalence and assess overall risk from a poliovirus importation. METHODS: We evaluated prevalence of serum antibodies to all three poliovirus types using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey during 2009-2010. RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence to poliovirus was 93.9 % for type 1, 97.0 % for type 2, and 83.1 % for type 3. Seroprevalence was higher for type 2 compared to the other types (p < 0.001) and lower for type 3 compared to the other types (p < 0.001). There was a tendency for higher seroprevalence in the younger age groups, but this varied by serotype. CONCLUSIONS: Seroprevalence was high (83.1 %-97.0 %) for all three types of poliovirus in the US population during 2009-2010. While there were observed differences by serotype with type 2 having the highest seroprevalence and type 3 having the lowest, consistent with previous observations, no large immunity gaps to poliovirus suggesting an imminent substantial population risk from a poliovirus importation were observed at a population level. |
Survey of the anti-factor IX immunoglobulin profiles in patients with hemophilia B using a fluorescence-based immunoassay
Boylan B , Rice AS , Neff AT , Manco-Johnson MJ , Kempton CL , Miller CH . J Thromb Haemost 2016 14 (10) 1931-1940 BACKGROUND: Hemophilia B (HB) is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by the absence or dysfunction of coagulation factor IX (FIX). A subset of patients who have HB develop neutralizing alloantibodies (inhibitors) against FIX following infusion therapy. HB prevalence and the proportion of patients who develop inhibitors are much lower than that of hemophilia A (HA), which makes studies of inhibitors in patients with HB challenging due to the limited availability of samples. As a result, there is a knowledge gap regarding HB inhibitors. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the largest group of inhibitor positive HB patients studied to date to assess the relationship between anti-FIX antibody profiles and inhibitor formation METHODS: A fluorescence immunoassay (FLI) was used to detect anti-FIX antibodies in plasma samples from 37 patients with HB RESULTS: Assessments of antibody profiles showed that anti-FIX IgG1-4 , IgA, and IgE were detected significantly more often in patients with a positive Nijmegen-Bethesda Assay (NBA). All NBA-positive samples were positive for IgG4 . Anti-FIX IgG4 demonstrated a strong correlation with the NBA, while correlations were significant, yet more moderate, for anti-FIX IgG1-2 and IgA CONCLUSIONS: The anti-FIX antibody profile in HB patients who develop inhibitors is diverse and correlates well with the NBA across immunoglobulin (sub)class, and anti-FIX IgG4 is particularly relevant to functional inhibition. The anti-FIX FLI may serve as a useful tool to confirm the presence of antibodies in patients who have low positive NBA results and to more clearly define, predict, and treat alloantibody formation against FIX. |
Feasibility of collecting 24-h urine to monitor sodium intake in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Terry AL , Cogswell ME , Wang CY , Chen TC , Loria CM , Wright JD , Zhang X , Lacher DA , Merritt RK , Bowman BA . Am J Clin Nutr 2016 104 (2) 480-8 BACKGROUND: Twenty-four-hour urine sodium excretion is recommended for monitoring population sodium intake. Because of concerns about participation and completion, sodium excretion has not been collected previously in US nationally representative surveys. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the feasibility of implementing 24-h urine collections as part of a nationally representative survey. DESIGN: We selected a random half sample of nonpregnant US adults aged 20-69 y in 3 geographic locations of the 2013 NHANES. Participants received explicit instructions, started and ended the urine collection in a urine study mobile examination center, and answered questions about their collection. Among those with a complete 24-h urine collection, a random one-half were asked to collect a second 24-h urine sample. Sodium, potassium, chloride, and creatinine excretion were analyzed. RESULTS: The final NHANES examination response rate for adults aged 20-69 y in these 3 study locations was 71%. Of those examined (n = 476), 282 (59%) were randomly selected to participate in the 24-h urine collection. Of these, 212 persons [75% of those selected for 24-h urine collection; 53% (equal to 71% x 75% of those selected for the NHANES)] collected a complete initial 24-h specimen and 92 persons (85% of 108 selected) collected a second complete 24-h urine sample. More men than women completed an initial collection (P = 0.04); otherwise, completion did not vary by sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, education, or employment status for either collection. Mean 24-h urine volume and sodium excretion were 1964 +/- 1228 mL and 3657 +/- 2003 mg, respectively, for the first 24-h urine sample, and 2048 +/- 1288 mL and 3773 +/- 1891 mg, respectively, for the second collection. CONCLUSION: Given the 53% final component response rate and 75% completion rate, 24-h urine collections were deemed feasible and implemented in the NHANES 2014 on a subsample of adults aged 20-69 y to assess population sodium intake. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02723682. |
In vitro growth of multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates is inhibited by ETX0914, a novel spiropyrimidinetrione
Papp JR , Lawrence K , Sharpe S , Mueller J , Kirkcaldy RD . Int J Antimicrob Agents 2016 48 (3) 328-30 Antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae has severely limited the number of treatment options, and the emergence of extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance threatens the effectiveness of the last remaining recommended treatment regimen. This study assessed the in vitro susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to ETX0914, a novel spiropyrimidinetrione that inhibits DNA biosynthesis. In vitro activity was determined by agar dilution against 100 N. gonorrhoeae isolates collected from men presenting with urethritis in the USA during 2012-2013 through the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) that inhibited growth in 50% (MIC50) and 90% (MIC90) of isolates was calculated for each antimicrobial agent. ETX0914 demonstrated a high level of antimicrobial activity against N. gonorrhoeae, including isolates with decreased susceptibility or resistance to currently available agents. The ability of ETX0914 to inhibit the growth of N. gonorrhoeae was similar to ceftriaxone, which is currently recommended in combination with azithromycin to treat gonorrhoea. The data presented in this study strongly suggest that ETX0914 should be evaluated in a clinical trial for the treatment of N. gonorrhoeae. |
Internal short circuit and accelerated rate calorimetry tests of lithium-ion cells: Considerations for methane-air intrinsic safety and explosion proof/flameproof protection methods
Dubaniewicz TH Jr , DuCarme JP . J Loss Prev Process Ind 2016 43 575-584 Researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studied the potential for lithium-ion cell thermal runaway from an internal short circuit in equipment for use in underground coal mines. In this third phase of the study, researchers compared plastic wedge crush-induced internal short circuit tests of selected lithium-ion cells within methane (CH4)-air mixtures with accelerated rate calorimetry tests of similar cells. Plastic wedge crush test results with metal oxide lithium-ion cells extracted from intrinsically safe evaluated equipment were mixed, with one cell model igniting the chamber atmosphere while another cell model did not. The two cells models exhibited different internal short circuit behaviors. A lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) cell model was tolerant to crush-induced internal short circuits within CH4-air, tested under manufacturer recommended charging conditions. Accelerating rate calorimetry tests with similar cells within a nitrogen purged 353-mL chamber produced ignitions that exceeded explosion proof and flameproof enclosure minimum internal pressure design criteria. Ignition pressures within a 20-L chamber with 6.5% CH4-air were relatively low, with much larger head space volume and less adiabatic test conditions. The literature indicates that sizeable lithium thionyl chloride (LiSOCl2) primary (non rechargeable) cell ignitions can be especially violent and toxic. Because ignition of an explosive atmosphere is expected within explosion proof or flameproof enclosures, there is a need to consider the potential for an internal explosive atmosphere ignition in combination with a lithium or lithium-ion battery thermal runaway process, and the resulting effects on the enclosure. |
Blood pressure cuff comparability study
Ostchega Y , Nwankwo T , Zhang G , Chiappa M . Blood Press Monit 2016 21 (6) 345-351 BACKGROUND: Manufacturer-supplied blood pressure (BP) cuffs are part of the automatic oscillometric BP devices algorithm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study assessed the differences in BP values using the Omron HEM 907-XL (Omron) device with two types of cuffs: the Baum cuff (BC) and the supplied Omron cuff (OC). A sample of 102 adults participated in the study, 34 per cuff size (adult, large, and extra-large). After a 5-min resting period, three pairs of BP determinations (systolic and diastolic) were taken simultaneously on both arms. One arm was cuffed with a BC and the other arm was cuffed with an OC. The cuffs were switched to opposite arms after 5 min of rest. The order was decided randomly as to which cuff was applied to which arm first. RESULTS: The BP readings were highly correlated between the cuffs (systolic BP, r=0.98; diastolic BP, r=0.98). The overall mean differences (BC-OC) were 2.66 mmHg (SD=3.9 mmHg) for systolic BP (P<0.05) and 0.33 mmHg (SD=2.03 mmHg) for diastolic BP (P>0.05). Increased cuff size corresponded to increased differences in systolic BP values (adult: 1.51 mmHg; large: 2.56 mmHg; and extra-large: 3.9 mmHg; P<0.05). For diastolic BP values, a statistically significant difference was observed only for adult cuff size (difference=1.31 mmHg, SD=1.34 mmHg, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Using a BC with the Omron could result in higher systolic BP readings and higher diastolic BP readings with the adult cuff size. |
Smoking before and during pregnancy among women reporting depression or anxiety
Tong VT , Farr SL , Bombard J , D'Angelo D , Ko JY , England LJ . Obstet Gynecol 2016 128 (3) 562-70 OBJECTIVE: To describe prepregnancy smoking, prenatal smoking, and prenatal cessation among women reporting and not reporting depression or anxiety. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the 2009-2011 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a population-based survey of women with live births (N=34,633). Smoking status was defined as self-reported prepregnancy smoking (during the 3 months before pregnancy), prenatal smoking (during the last 3 months of pregnancy), and prenatal cessation (no smoking by the last 3 months among prepregnancy smokers). Depression and anxiety status was self-reported of having either condition or both during the 3 months before pregnancy. We compared smoking prevalence by self-reported depression and anxiety status using chi tests and adjusted prevalence ratios. RESULTS: Overall, 16.9% of women in our sample reported depression, anxiety, or both during the 3 months before pregnancy. Compared with those who did not report, women who reported depression or anxiety had significantly higher prepregnancy (46.7% compared with 22.5%, P<.01) and prenatal smoking (27.5% compared with 10.5%, P<.01). A lower proportion of prepregnancy smokers who reported depression or anxiety quit smoking by the last 3 months of pregnancy than those who did not report (41.4% compared with 53.8%, P<.01). In adjusted analyses, women reporting depression or anxiety were 1.5 and 1.7 times more likely to smoke prepregnancy and prenatally, respectively, and less likely to quit smoking (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.80-0.92). CONCLUSION: Women who reported depression, anxiety, or both were more likely to smoke before and during pregnancy and less likely to quit smoking during the prenatal period. Screening recommendations for perinatal depression and anxiety provide an opportunity to identify a subpopulation of women who may have a higher prevalence of smoking and to provide effective tobacco cessation interventions and mental health care. |
Neonatal infections: Case definition and guidelines for data collection, analysis, and presentation of immunisation safety data
Vergnano S , Buttery J , Cailes B , Chandrasekaran R , Chiappini E , Clark E , Cutland C , de Andrade SD , Esteves-Jaramillo A , Guinazu JR , Jones C , Kampmann B , King J , Kochhar S , Macdonald N , Mangili A , de Menezes Martins R , Munoz CV , Padula M , Munoz FM , Oleske J , Sanicas M , Schlaudecker E , Spiegel H , Subelj M , Sukumaran L , Tagbo BN , Top KA , Tran D , Heath PT . Vaccine 2016 34 (49) 6038-6046 Maternal vaccination is an important area of research and requires appropriate and internationally comparable definitions and safety standards. The GAIA group, part of the Brighton Collaboration was created with the mandate of proposing standardised definitions applicable to maternal vaccine research. This study proposes international definitions for neonatal infections. The neonatal infections GAIA working group performed a literature review using Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane collaboration and collected definitions in use in neonatal and public health networks. The common criteria derived from the extensive search formed the basis for a consensus process that resulted in three separate definitions for neonatal blood stream infections (BSI), meningitis and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). For each definition three levels of evidence are proposed to ensure the applicability of the definitions to different settings. Recommendations about data collection, analysis and presentation are presented and harmonized with the Brighton Collaboration and GAIA format and other existing international standards for study reporting. |
The Ohio Gestational Diabetes Postpartum Care Learning Collaborative: Development of a quality improvement initiative to improve systems of care for women
Shellhaas C , Conrey E , Crane D , Lorenz A , Wapner A , Oza-Frank R , Bouchard J . Matern Child Health J 2016 20 71-80 Objectives To improve clinical practice and increase postpartum visit Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) screening rates in women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods We recruited clinical sites with at least half of pregnant patients enrolled in Medicaid to participate in an 18-month quality improvement (QI) project. To support clinical practice changes, we developed provider and patient toolkits with educational and clinical practice resources. Clinical subject-matter experts facilitated a learning network to train sites and promote discussion and learning among sites. Sites submitted data from patient chart reviews monthly for key measures that we used to provide rapid-cycle feedback. Providers were surveyed at completion regarding toolkit usefulness and satisfaction. Results Of fifteen practices recruited, twelve remained actively engaged. We disseminated more than 70 provider and 2345 patient toolkits. Documented delivery of patient education improved for timely GDM prenatal screening, reduction of future T2DM risk, smoking cessation, and family planning. Sites reported toolkits were useful and easy to use. Of women for whom postpartum data were available, 67 % had a documented postpartum visit and 33 % had a postpartum T2DM screen. Lack of information sharing between prenatal and postpartum care providers was are barriers to provision and documentation of care. Conclusions for Practice QI and toolkit resources may improve the quality of prenatal education. However, postpartum care did not reach optimal levels. Future work should focus on strategies to support coordination of care between obstetrical and primary care providers. |
Full-term small-for-gestational-age newborns in the U.S.: Characteristics, trends, and morbidity
Ewing AC , Ellington SR , Shapiro-Mendoza CK , Barfield WD , Kourtis AP . Matern Child Health J 2016 21 (4) 786-796 Objectives The magnitude, characteristics, and morbidity of term (≥37 weeks gestation) newborns that are small-for-gestational-age (SGA) in the U.S. are underexplored. We sought to examine characteristics and trends for SGA-coded term newborns in the U.S. Methods Data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a nationally representative database of hospital stays in the U.S. from 2002 to 2011. Term, singleton newborns with SGA codes were identified and examined over the study period. Demographic characteristics were compared for term newborns according to presence of SGA codes using chi2 tests. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to compare morbidities between the two groups, adjusting for relevant demographic and clinical variables. Results In 2011, 15 per 1000 term newborns in the U.S. were coded as SGA, a 29.9 % increase since 2002. Compared with other term newborns, SGA term newborns were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely to be female, receive public insurance, and reside in lower income zip codes. Comorbidities, including perinatal complications, metabolic disorders, central nervous system diseases, infection, and neonatal abstinence syndrome were more common among SGA-coded term newborns. These newborns also had higher odds of in-hospital death (OR = 3.0 95 % confidence interval: 2.0, 4.4), longer mean length of stay (3.7 vs. 2.3 days, p < 0.001), and higher mean hospital charges ($12,621 vs. $5012, p < 0.001). Conclusions for practice Term newborns coded as SGA have higher morbidity, mortality, and incur higher hospital charges than other term newborns. More research is needed to understand causes of SGA so its incidence and effects can be reduced. |
Brief report: The prevalence of neurofibromatosis type 1 among children with autism spectrum disorder identified by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network
Bilder DA , Bakian AV , Stevenson DA , Carbone PS , Cunniff C , Goodman AB , McMahon WM , Fisher NP , Viskochil D . J Autism Dev Disord 2016 46 (10) 3369-76 Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an inherited neurocutaneous disorder associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The frequency of ASD/NF1 co-occurrence has been subject to debate since the 1980s. This relationship was investigated in a large population-based sample of 8-year-old children identified with ASD (N = 12,271) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Twenty-two (1-in-558) children with ASD had diagnosed NF1, exceeding NF1 general population estimates by four to five fold. Children with ASD/NF1 versus ASD without NF1 were significantly less likely to receive a community-based ASD diagnosis (p = 0.04) and understand non-verbal communication (p = 0.001). These findings underscore the importance of including social-communication ability among relevant developmental concerns in children with NF1. |
Sleep disturbance in female flight attendants and teachers
Grajewski B , Whelan EA , Nguyen MM , Kwan L , Cole RJ . Aerosp Med Hum Perform 2016 87 (7) 638-45 BACKGROUND: Flight attendants (FAs) may experience circadian disruption due to travel during normal sleep hours and through multiple time zones. This study investigated whether FAs are at higher risk for sleep disturbance compared to teachers, as assessed by questionnaire, diary, and activity monitors. METHODS: Sleep/wake cycles of 45 FAs and 25 teachers were studied. For one menstrual cycle, participants wore an activity monitor and kept a daily diary. Sleep metrics included total sleep in the main sleep period (MSP), sleep efficiency (proportion of MSP spent sleeping), and nocturnal sleep fraction (proportion of sleep between 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. home time). Relationships between sleep metrics and occupation were analyzed with mixed and generalized linear models. RESULTS: Both actigraph and diary data suggest that FAs sleep longer than teachers. However, several actigraph indices of sleep disturbance indicated that FAs incurred significant impairment of sleep compared to teachers. FAs were more likely than teachers to have poor sleep efficiency [adjusted odds ratio (OR) for lowest quartile of sleep efficiency = 1.9, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.2 - 3.0] and to have a smaller proportion of their sleep between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. home time (adjusted OR for lowest quartile of nocturnal sleep fraction = 3.1, CI 1.1 -9.0). DISCUSSION: Study FAs experienced increased sleep disturbance compared to teachers, which may indicate circadian disruption. |
A new dual-collimation batch reactor for determination of ultraviolet inactivation rate constants for microorganisms in aqueous suspensions
Martin SB Jr , Schauer ES , Blum DH , Kremer PA , Bahnfleth WP , Freihaut JD . J Photochem Photobiol B 2016 162 674-680 We developed, characterized, and tested a new dual-collimation aqueous UV reactor to improve the accuracy and consistency of aqueous k-value determinations. This new system is unique because it collimates UV energy from a single lamp in two opposite directions. The design provides two distinct advantages over traditional single-collimation systems: 1) real-time UV dose (fluence) determination; and 2) simple actinometric determination of a reactor factor that relates measured irradiance levels to actual irradiance levels experienced by the microbial suspension. This reactor factor replaces three of the four typical correction factors required for single-collimation reactors. Using this dual-collimation reactor, Bacillus subtilis spores demonstrated inactivation following the classic multi-hit model with k=0.1471cm2/mJ (with 95% confidence bounds of 0.1426 to 0.1516). |
Investigating a persistent odor at an aircraft seat manufacturer
Broadwater K , de Perio MA , Roberts J , Burton NC , Lemons AR , Green BJ , Brueck SE . J Occup Environ Hyg 2016 13 (10) D159-65 An aircraft seat manufacturing company requested a NIOSH health hazard evaluation to help identify a strong odor that had persisted throughout the facility for over a year. Employees reported experiencing health effects thought to be related to the odor. We collected and analyzed area air samples for volatile organic compounds, endotoxin, bacterial and fungal metagenome, and metalworking fluid aerosol. Bulk metalworking fluid samples were analyzed for endotoxin, bacterial and fungal metagenome, and viable bacteria and fungus. We also evaluated the building ventilation systems and water diversion systems. Employees underwent confidential medical interviews about work practices, medical history, and health concerns. Based on our analyses, the odor was likely 2-methoxy-3,5-dimethylpyrazine. This pyrazine was found in air samples across the facility and originated from bacteria in the metalworking fluid. We did not identify bacteria known to produce the compound but bacteria from the same Proteobacteria order were found as well as bacteria from orders known to produce other pyrazines. Chemical and biological contaminants and odors could have contributed to health symptoms reported by employees, but it is likely that the symptoms were caused by several factors. We provided several recommendations to eliminate the odor including washing and disinfecting the metalworking machines and metalworking fluid recycling equipment, discarding all used metalworking fluid, instituting a metalworking fluid maintenance program at the site, and physically isolating the metalworking department from other departments. |
Off-road truck-related accidents in U.S. mines
Dindarloo SR , Pollard JP , Siami-Irdemoos E . J Safety Res 2016 58 79-87 Introduction Off-road trucks are one of the major sources of equipment-related accidents in the U.S. mining industries. A systematic analysis of all off-road truck-related accidents, injuries, and illnesses, which are reported and published by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), is expected to provide practical insights for identifying the accident patterns and trends in the available raw database. Therefore, appropriate safety management measures can be administered and implemented based on these accident patterns/trends. Methods A hybrid clustering-classification methodology using K-means clustering and gene expression programming (GEP) is proposed for the analysis of severe and non-severe off-road truck-related injuries at U.S. mines. Using the GEP sub-model, a small subset of the 36 recorded attributes was found to be correlated to the severity level. Results Given the set of specified attributes, the clustering sub-model was able to cluster the accident records into 5 distinct groups. For instance, the first cluster contained accidents related to minerals processing mills and coal preparation plants (91%). More than two-thirds of the victims in this cluster had less than 5 years of job experience. This cluster was associated with the highest percentage of severe injuries (22 severe accidents, 3.4%). Almost 50% of all accidents in this cluster occurred at stone operations. Similarly, the other four clusters were characterized to highlight important patterns that can be used to determine areas of focus for safety initiatives. Conclusions The identified clusters of accidents may play a vital role in the prevention of severe injuries in mining. Further research into the cluster attributes and identified patterns will be necessary to determine how these factors can be mitigated to reduce the risk of severe injuries. Practical application Analyzing injury data using data mining techniques provides some insight into attributes that are associated with high accuracies for predicting injury severity. |
Macracanthorhynchus ingens infection in an 18-month-old child in Florida: a case report and review of acanthocephaliasis in humans
Mathison BA , Bishop HS , Sanborn CR , Souza SD , Bradbury R . Clin Infect Dis 2016 63 (10) 1357-1359 A case of acanthocephaliasis in an 18-month-old child caused by Macracanthorhynchus ingens is reported from Florida. This represents only the third documented case of this species in a human host. An overview of human cases of acanthocephaliasis in the literature is presented, along with a review of the biology, clinical manifestations and pathology in the human host, morphology, and diagnosis. |
Economic analysis of the impact of overseas and domestic treatment and screening options for intestinal helminth infection among US-bound refugees from Asia
Maskery B , Coleman MS , Weinberg M , Zhou W , Rotz L , Klosovsky A , Cantey PT , Fox LM , Cetron MS , Stauffer WM . PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016 10 (8) e0004910 BACKGROUND: Many U.S.-bound refugees travel from countries where intestinal parasites (hookworm, Trichuris trichuria, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Strongyloides stercoralis) are endemic. These infections are rare in the United States and may be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, leading to potentially serious consequences. This evaluation examined the costs and benefits of combinations of overseas presumptive treatment of parasitic diseases vs. domestic screening/treating vs. no program. METHODS: An economic decision tree model terminating in Markov processes was developed to estimate the cost and health impacts of four interventions on an annual cohort of 27,700 U.S.-bound Asian refugees: 1) "No Program," 2) U.S. "Domestic Screening and Treatment," 3) "Overseas Albendazole and Ivermectin" presumptive treatment, and 4) "Overseas Albendazole and Domestic Screening for Strongyloides". Markov transition state models were used to estimate long-term effects of parasitic infections. Health outcome measures (four parasites) included outpatient cases, hospitalizations, deaths, life years, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). RESULTS: The "No Program" option is the least expensive ($165,923 per cohort) and least effective option (145 outpatient cases, 4.0 hospitalizations, and 0.67 deaths discounted over a 60-year period for a one-year cohort). The "Overseas Albendazole and Ivermectin" option ($418,824) is less expensive than "Domestic Screening and Treatment" ($3,832,572) or "Overseas Albendazole and Domestic Screening for Strongyloides" ($2,182,483). According to the model outcomes, the most effective treatment option is "Overseas Albendazole and Ivermectin," which reduces outpatient cases, deaths and hospitalization by around 80% at an estimated net cost of $458,718 per death averted, or $2,219/$24,036 per QALY/life year gained relative to "No Program". DISCUSSION: Overseas presumptive treatment for U.S.-bound refugees is a cost-effective intervention that is less expensive and at least as effective as domestic screening and treatment programs. The addition of ivermectin to albendazole reduces the prevalence of chronic strongyloidiasis and the probability of rare, but potentially fatal, disseminated strongyloidiasis. |
Recognition and response to opioid overdose deaths-New Mexico, 2012
Levy B , Spelke B , Paulozzi LJ , Bell JM , Nolte KB , Lathrop S , Sugerman DE , Landen M . Drug Alcohol Depend 2016 167 29-35 PURPOSE: Drug overdose deaths are epidemic in the U.S. Prescription opioid pain relievers (OPR) and heroin account for the majority of drug overdoses. Preventing death after an opioid overdose by naloxone administration requires the rapid identification of the overdose by witnesses. This study used a state medical examiner database to characterize fatal overdoses, evaluate witness-reported signs of overdose, and identify opportunities for intervention. METHODS: We reviewed all unintentional drug overdose deaths that occurred in New Mexico during 2012. Data were abstracted from medical examiner records at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. We compared mutually exclusive groups of OPR and heroin-related deaths. RESULTS: Of the 489 overdose deaths reviewed, 49.3% involved OPR, 21.7% involved heroin, 4.7% involved a mixture of OPR and heroin, and 24.3% involved only non-opioid substances. The majority of OPR-related deaths occurred in non-Hispanic whites (57.3%), men (58.5%), persons aged 40-59 years (55.2%), and those with chronic medical conditions (89.2%). Most overdose deaths occurred in the home (68.7%) and in the presence of bystanders (67.7%). OPR and heroin deaths did not differ with respect to paramedic dispatch and CPR delivery, however, heroin overdoses received naloxone twice as often (20.8% heroin vs. 10.0% OPR; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: OPR overdose deaths differed by age, health status, and the presence of bystanders, yet received naloxone less often when compared to heroin overdose deaths. These findings suggest that naloxone education and distribution should be targeted in future prevention efforts. |
Design and methods of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study
Hyland A , Ambrose BK , Conway KP , Borek N , Lambert E , Carusi C , Taylor K , Crosse S , Fong GT , Cummings KM , Abrams D , Pierce JP , Sargent J , Messer K , Bansal-Travers M , Niaura R , Vallone D , Hammond D , Hilmi N , Kwan J , Piesse A , Kalton G , Lohr S , Pharris-Ciurej N , Castleman V , Green VR , Tessman G , Kaufman A , Lawrence C , van Bemmel DM , Kimmel HL , Blount B , Yang L , O'Brien B , Tworek C , Alberding D , Hull LC , Cheng YC , Maklan D , Backinger CL , Compton WM . Tob Control 2016 26 (4) 371-378 BACKGROUND: This paper describes the methods and conceptual framework for Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study data collection. The National Institutes of Health, through the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is partnering with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products to conduct the PATH Study under a contract with Westat. METHODS: The PATH Study is a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of 45 971 adults and youth in the USA, aged 12 years and older. Wave 1 was conducted from 12 September 2013 to 15 December 2014 using Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing to collect information on tobacco-use patterns, risk perceptions and attitudes towards current and newly emerging tobacco products, tobacco initiation, cessation, relapse behaviours and health outcomes. The PATH Study's design allows for the longitudinal assessment of patterns of use of a spectrum of tobacco products, including initiation, cessation, relapse and transitions between products, as well as factors associated with use patterns. Additionally, the PATH Study collects biospecimens from consenting adults aged 18 years and older and measures biomarkers of exposure and potential harm related to tobacco use. CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative, population-based data generated over time by the PATH Study will contribute to the evidence base to inform FDA's regulatory mission under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act and efforts to reduce the Nation's burden of tobacco-related death and disease. |
Effect of a dengue clinical case management course on physician practices in Puerto Rico
Han GS , Gregory CJ , Biggerstaff BJ , Horiuchi K , Perez C , Soto-Gomez E , Matos D , Margolis HS , Tomashek KM . Clin Infect Dis 2016 63 (10) 1297-1303 BACKGROUND: Prior to 2010, the clinical management of dengue in Puerto Rico was shown to be inconsistent with World Health Organization guidelines. A four-hour classroom-style course on dengue clinical management was developed in 2009 and mandated in 2010 for Puerto Rico medical licensure. Fifty physicians were trained as 'master trainers' and gave this course to 7,638 physicians. This study evaluated the effect of the course on the clinical management of hospitalized dengue patients. METHODS: Pre- and post-course test responses were analyzed. Changes in physician practices were assessed by reviewing the medical records of 430 adult and 1075 pediatric dengue patients at the 12 hospitals in Puerto Rico that reported the most cases during 2008-2009 (pre-intervention) and 2011 (post-intervention). Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to compare key indicators of dengue management. RESULTS: Physician test scores increased from 48% correct to 72% after the course. Medical record review showed that the percentage of adult patients who did not receive corticosteroids increased from 30% to 68% (OR 5.9, 95% CI 3.7-9.5) and from 91% to 96% in pediatric patients (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.5-4.9). Usage of isotonic intravenous saline solutions during the critical period increased from 57% to 90% in adult patients (OR 6.2, 95% CI 1.9-20.4) and from 25% to 44% in pediatric patients (OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.2-5.3). CONCLUSIONS: The management of hospitalized dengue patients improved significantly following implementation of a classroom-style physician training course taught by master trainers. An online version of the course was launched in 2014 to expand its reach and sustainability. |
Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus and Alkhurma (Alkhumra) virus in ticks in Djibouti
Horton KC , Fahmy NT , Watany N , Zayed A , Mohamed A , Ahmed AA , Rollin PE , Dueger EL . Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2016 16 (10) 680-2 Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus and Alkhumra virus, not previously reported in Djibouti, were detected among 141 (infection rate = 15.7 per 100, 95% CI: 13.4-18.1) tick pools from 81 (37%) cattle and 2 (infection rate = 0.2 per 100, 95% CI: 0.0-0.7) tick pools from 2 (1%) cattle, respectively, collected at an abattoir in 2010 and 2011. |
Content Index (Achived Edition)
- Chronic Diseases and Conditions
- Communicable Diseases
- Environmental Health
- Food Safety
- Genetics and Genomics
- Health Communication and Education
- Health Economics
- Healthcare Associated Infections
- Informatics
- Injury and Violence
- Laboratory Sciences
- Maternal and Child Health
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Occupational Safety and Health - Mining
- Parasitic Diseases
- Substance Use and Abuse
- Zoonotic and Vectorborne Diseases
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