Geographical Pathology of Helicobacter pylori Infection: Is There More than One Gastritis?

Helicobacter pylori is the aetiological agent of chronic gastritis and a major causative factor in duodenal and gastric peptic ulcer disease; a strong association also exists with gastric cancer and primary gastric lymphoma. The prevalence of infection in adults ranges from less than 15% in developed countries to virtually 100% in less developed areas. If H. pylori infection alone was responsible for the development of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric carcinoma and primary gastric lymphoma, one would expect the frequency of all these conditions to parallel closely the prevalence of H. pylori infection. This is clearly not the case: therefore, genetic, environmental and cultural factors must act in concert with H. pylori to induce different outcomes of the infection.

This paper outlines the geographic approach to the study of disease and discusses the possible application of this methodology to the inquiry into the relationship between H. pylori, atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer. Preliminary results of a study showing great variation in the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in duodenal ulcer patients from different geographic origin are presented and briefly discussed.     

Helicobacter pylori Infection in Estonian Population: Is It a Health Problem?

The role of Helicobacter pylori infection In traditionally noncommunicable diseases as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric carcinoma became more evident during the first decade of H. pylori studies. To analyse and evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Estonia as a population health problem, the data of three randomly selected samples of Estonian population aged over 15 years were used. The infection rate assessments in two representative samples of the population (Kambja 157 persons and Kuressaare 224 persons) were based on H. pylori colonization in the gastric mucosa, and in one sample (Karksi-Nula 1467 persons) on seroconversion of H. pylori IgG antibodies. The persons studied were divided into groups according to birth cohorts. The population studies in Estonia showed a high prevalence of H. pylori infection among Estonians: 73% in the Kuressaare sample, 78% in the Kambja sample, and 87% in the Karksi-Nuia sample. From the Kuressaare population sample 38 families with 290 persons were included in a family H. pylori infection study and 92.5% of the persons in these families were found to be H. pylori positive. H. pylori infection was frequent in persons who were born at the beginning of this century as well as in those born after World War II up to 30 years ago. It was concluded that H. pylori infection is common in Estonia, both in random persons and their families. It is probable that the infection rate of H. pylori depends to a great extent on the socioeconomic conditions of this country and that acquisition of H. pylori in Estonia starts at an early age.     

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in a Pediatric Patient Population

Very little is known about the prevalence and composition of various types of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) in pediatric patients. The aims of this study were the following: (i) to determine the prevalence of ESBLs among Enterobacteriaceae in a tertiary-care pediatric population; (ii) to characterize the genetic composition of the identified ESBL enzymes; and (iii) to determine the relative prevalence of CTX-M enzymes and Escherichia coli ST131 strains among ESBL-producing isolates in the same pediatric patient population. Among the 1,430 Enterobacteriaceae isolates screened for elevated MICs to cefotaxime and/or ceftazidime from pediatric patients during a 1-year period, 94 isolates possessed at least one ESBL gene. CTX-M was the most commonly isolated ESBL type, consisting of 74% of all ESBLs versus 27% TEM and 24% SHV enzymes. Sequence analysis and probe-specific real-time PCR revealed that the majority (80%) of the CTX-M-type ESBLs were CTX-M-15 enzymes, followed by CTX-M-14 (17%) and CTX-M-27(2.8%). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and repetitive PCR analyses revealed that the relative prevalence of ST131 among ESBL-producing E. coli isolates is 10.2%. This study highlights the growing problem of ESBL resistance in pediatric Enterobacteriaceae isolates and demonstrates a transition toward the predominance of CTX-M-type enzymes among ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae organisms causing pediatric infections.     

Vaccine Preventable Diseases in Pediatric Palliative Care – A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

ContextVaccine preventable diseases lead to distressful symptoms and complications among pediatric patients receiving specialized home palliative care. There was no data on the vaccination compliance.ObjectivesThe objective was to determine the vaccination coverage, discuss the relevance of vaccinations and provide vaccination recommendations in pediatric palliative care.MethodsVaccination data were compared in a multicenter cross-sectional study. Expert interviews were conducted to evaluate symptom burden. The vaccination status of patients treated by six German pediatric specialized home palliative care teams was recorded from January 2019 to December 2019. The data were compared to the national immunization schedule and the vaccination rate of a representative German pediatric cohort. Onset of missed vaccination was compared to the date of diagnosis of the life-limiting condition. A risk score was calculated to evaluate the relevance of each individual vaccinations.ResultsVaccination rates of Tdpa, haemophilus influenzae type B, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal diseases type C, and MMR were lower compared to healthy controls. There were no significant differences in varicella. In most cases the discontinuation of recommended immunizations occurred after diagnosis of the palliative condition. Influenza had the highest risk score and was the most frequent vaccine preventable disease in retrospective data. This paper includes a pragmatic proposal for the management of vaccination in this vulnerable population.ConclusionChildren and adolescents with life-limiting conditions are at increased risk of vaccine preventable diseases. Individual vaccination counselling is recommended.     

Patient participation in decision-making about cardiovascular preventive drugs – resistance as agency

Objective: The aim of the study was to describe and explore patient agency through resistance in decision-making about cardiovascular preventive drugs in primary care.

Design: Six general practitioners from the southeast of Sweden audiorecorded 80 consultations. From these, 28 consultations with proposals from GPs for cardiovascular preventive drug treatments were chosen for theme-oriented discourse analysis.

Results: The study shows how patients participate in decision-making about cardiovascular preventive drug treatments through resistance in response to treatment proposals. Passive modes of resistance were withheld responses and minimal unmarked acknowledgements. Active modes were to ask questions, contest the address of an inclusive we, present an identity as a non-drugtaker, disclose non-adherence to drug treatments, and to present counterproposals. The active forms were also found in anticipation to treatment proposals from the GPs. Patients and GPs sometimes displayed mutual renouncement of responsibility for decision-making. The decision-making process appeared to expand both beyond a particular phase in the consultations and beyond the single consultation.

Conclusions: The recognition of active and passive resistance from patients as one way of exerting agency may prove valuable when working for patient participation in clinical practice, education and research about patient–doctor communication about cardiovascular preventive medication. We propose particular attentiveness to patient agency through anticipatory resistance, patients’ disclosures of non-adherence and presentations of themselves as non-drugtakers. The expansion of the decision-making process beyond single encounters points to the importance of continuity of care.

• KEY POINTS

• Guidelines recommend shared decision-making about cardiovascular preventive treatment. We need an understanding of how this is accomplished in actual consultations.This paper describes how patient agency in decision-making is displayed through different forms of resistance to treatment proposals.

• ?The decision-making process expands beyond particular phases in consultations and beyond single encounters, implying the importance of continuity of care.

• ?Attentiveness to patient participation through resistance in treatment negotiations is warranted in clinical practice, research and education about prescribing communication.

     

Spinal Motion Restriction in the Trauma Patient – A Joint Position Statement

The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT), American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) have previously offered varied guidance on the role of backboards and spinal immobilization in out-of-hospital situations. This updated consensus statement on spinal motion restriction in the trauma patient represents the collective positions of the ACS-COT, ACEP and NAEMSP. It has further been formally endorsed by a number of national stakeholder organizations. This updated uniform guidance is intended for use by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, EMS medical directors, emergency physicians, trauma surgeons, and nurses as they strive to improve the care of trauma victims within their respective domains.     

Serum Metabolome Analysis Identified Amino-Acid Metabolism Associated With Pain in People With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis – A Cross-Sectional Study

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common arthritis affecting synovial joints such as knees and hips of millions of people globally. Usage-related joint pain and reduced function are the most common symptoms experienced by people with OA. To improve pain management, there is a need to identify validated biomarkers predicting therapeutic responses in targeted clinical trials. Our study aimed to identify the metabolic biomarkers for pain and pressure pain detection thresholds (PPTs) in participants with knee pain and symptomatic OA using metabolic phenotyping. Metabolite and cytokine measurements were done on serum samples using LC-MS/MS (liquid gas chromatography integrated magnetic resonance mass spectrometry) and Human Proinflammatory panel 1 kit respectively. Regression analysis was done in a test (n = 75) and replication study (n = 79) to investigate the metabolites associated with current knee pain scores and pressure pain detection thresholds (PPTs). Meta-analysis and correlation were done estimating precision of associated metabolites and identifying relationship between significant metabolites and cytokines respectively. Acyl ornithine, carnosine, cortisol, cortisone, cystine, DOPA, glycolithocholic acid sulphate (GLCAS), phenylethylamine (PEA) and succinic acid were found to be significantly (FDR <.1) associated with pain scores in meta-analysis of both studies. IL-10, IL-13, IL-1β, IL2, IL8 and TNF-α were also found to be associated with the significant metabolites. Significant associations of these metabolites and inflammatory markers with knee pain suggests that targeting relevant pathways of amino acid and cholesterol metabolism may modulate cytokines and these could be targeted as novel therapeutics development to improve knee pain and OA management.PerspectiveForeseeing the global burden of knee pain in Osteoarthritis (OA) and adverse effects of current pharmacological therapies, this study is envisaged to investigate serum metabolites and molecular pathways involved in knee pain. The replicated metabolites in this study suggests targeting amino-acid pathways for better management of OA knee pain.     

Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Chronic Neuropathic Pain Clinical Trials – A Systematic Literature Review

In neuropathic pain clinical trials, the patient's perspective is often insufficiently reflected focusing mainly on pain intensity. Comparability of outcome assessment is limited due to heterogenous patient reported outcome measures (PROMs).The MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and Embase databases and reference lists of published meta-analyses were searched. Randomized controlled studies assessing treatment efficacy of drugs for chronic neuropathic pain were included. PROMs were assigned to recommended IMMPACT/NeuPSIG domains: pain intensity, pain other aspects, physical functioning, emotional functioning, global improvement and satisfaction, adverse events, participant disposition. Domains and PROMs were compared regarding the publication year and methodological quality of the studies.Within the 251 included studies 200 PROMs were used with 27 being recommended by IMMPACT/NeuPSIG. The number of domains was higher in high/moderate quality studies. The (sub-) domains ‘physical functioning’, ‘global improvement and satisfaction’, and ‘neuropathic pain quality’ were assessed more frequently in high/moderate quality studies and those published after 2011. Recent studies and those of better quality more often used the recommended PROMs.Although neuropathic assessment via PROMs has improved, there is still a high heterogeneity. A standardized core set of outcome domains and should be defined to improve neuropathic pain treatment and to achieve better comparability of clinical trials.PerspectiveThis systematic literature review assesses the use of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in chronic neuropathic pain. The results show that there is still a high heterogeneity, highlighting the need for a standardized core set of outcome domains and PROMs to improve comparability of clinical trials and neuropathic pain treatment.     

Patient participation in emergency care – A phenomenographic study based on patients’ lived experience

International guidelines promote patient participation in health care. When patients participate in their care they experience greater satisfaction. Studies have shown that patients in emergency departments express dissatisfaction with their care, and it was therefore important to study how patients understand and conceptualize their participation. The aim of this study was to describe patients’ qualitatively different conceptions of patient participation in their care in an emergency department. Based on a lifeworld perspective, nine interviews were performed with patients in an emergency department. The phenomenographic analysis shows that participation by patients means contact with the emergency department staff in three categories of conceptions: being acknowledged; struggling to become involved; and having a clear space. The different conceptions of patient participation give us a deeper understanding of how patients may experience their care, and this result may provide a foundation for developing nursing practice and the quality of health care in line with international guidelines.     

Feedback Facility−Assisted Balance Training in a Patient With Multiple System Atrophy: A Case Presentation

Multiple system atrophy is a rare neurodegenerative disease with a poor prognosis. Furthermore, there are no pharmacological or notable rehabilitation strategies available to prevent the worsening of the disease. This case presentation assessed the outcome of feedback facility?assisted balance training in combination with physical therapy in a 61-year-old man. The patient participated in 30 training sessions over 6 weeks for 30 minutes each that involved balance training. His static and dynamic balance abilities were improved on the Berg Balance Scale, Trunk Impairment Scale, Functional Independence Measure, and Functional Reach. Although this patient’s gait speed and muscle strength did not show improvement after training, feedback facility?assisted balance training might be a potential strategy to help reduce the rate of symptom deterioration in patients with multiple system atrophy.

Valganciclovir Use Among Commercially and Medicaid-insured Infants With Congenital CMV Infection in the United States, 2009–2015

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics and trends in valganciclovir use among infants diagnosed with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in the United States.