HIV Testing of Tuberculosis Patients by Public and Private Providers in New York City

Thirty percent of tuberculosis (TB) patients in New York City in 2007 were not tested for HIV, which may be attributable to differential testing behaviors between private and public TB providers. Adult TB cases in New York City from 2001 to 2007 (n = 5,172) were evaluated for an association between TB provider type (private or public) and HIV testing. Outcomes examined were offers of HIV tests and patient refusal of HIV testing, using multivariate logistic and binomial regression, respectively. HIV test offers were less frequent among patients who visited only private providers than patients who visited only public providers [males: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.33, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.15–0.74; females: aOR 0.26, 95 % CI 0.12–0.57]. Changing from private to public providers was associated with an increase in HIV tests offered among male patients (aOR 1.96, 95 % CI 1.04–3.70). Among patients who did not use substances, those who visited only private providers were more likely to refuse HIV testing than those who visited only public providers [males: adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.26, 95 % CI 0.99–1.60; females: aPR 1.78, 95 % CI 1.43–2.22]. Patients of private providers were less likely to have an HIV test performed during their TB treatment. Education of TB providers should emphasize HIV testing of all TB patients, especially among patients who are traditionally considered low-risk.     

Dapagliflozin and measures of cardiovascular autonomic function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D)

AimsSodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors reduce blood pressure without compensatory heart rate elevation, possibly by modulating sympathetic/parasympathetic activity. This may contribute to their cardiovascular benefits in type 2 diabetes (T2D). We evaluated the effects of dapagliflozin (DAPA) on measures of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN), cardiac function, and glucose variability (GV) in T2D.MethodsPilot, randomized, two-period crossover trial comparing 12-week DAPA versus 12-week glimepiride treatment on CAN measures (cardiovascular autonomic reflex tests and heart rate variability), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and GV (Abbott's Libre Pro devices) using signed rank tests and mixed models from baseline to 12 weeks within and between each period.ResultsForty-five T2D participants on metformin monotherapy (mean age 57 ± 8 years, duration 7 ± 6 years, HbA1c 7.8 ± 1.3%) were enrolled with 41 completing the trial. There were no differences in CAN indices or BNP with each drug compared to baseline and each other. Participants on DAPA demonstrated greater weight loss, reduced time in hypoglycemia, and improved GV compared to glimepiride.ConclusionsShort term treatment with DAPA did not affect CAN measures or BNP in uncomplicated and relatively healthy T2D participants. Longer prospective studies in patients with advanced disease are needed to better understand relationships between SGLT-2 inhibitors and CAN.Clinical trial registration: NCT02973477     

DECREASING PREVALENCE OF THE ACUTE/SUBACUTE CLINICAL FORM OF PARACOCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL STATE,BRAZIL

With the objective to evaluate the behavior of paracoccidioidomycosis in the last three decades, clinical and epidemiological data of 595 patients admitted to clinical services of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul from 1980 to 2009 were investigated. Gender, age distribution, clinical form, comorbidity with tuberculosis or AIDS, and mortality were compared by decades of clinical admission. It was shown that during the three decades there was a decrease in women percentage, and the same manner occurred a reduction in participants in the age group of 20 to 39 years. Moreover, the acute/subacute forms have been diminished in the period. These fluctuations are closely related and can be simultaneously analyzed. Increased AIDS co-infection prevalence from the first to the second decade was also revealed, coinciding with the appearance of the retroviral epidemic and stabilizing during the third decade. No change in the tuberculosis co-infection rate was observed (overall = 6.9%). It reinforces the importance of this co-morbidity. The overall mortality rate remained steady at 6.7%, not varying significantly from one decade to another. The persistent mortality rate calls attention to the importance of this neglected disease.     

继续医学教育活动的有效性

继续医学教育的目的是通过向医生提供最新的医学知识和技能,使医生在其整个职业生涯中,一直保持较高的医疗水平.但目前还没有充足的证据能证明继续医学教育活动的有效性,以及在继续医学教育活动中哪些教育方法和技术能最有效地传播和记忆医学知识.为了全面、系统地评估继续医学教育活动的有效性,以及了解不同的教育手段对医生知识、态度、技能、临床表现和临床效果的作用.美国约翰·霍普金斯大学医学院、美国医疗保健研究与质量管理署和美国胸科医师学会的专家共同进行了一项系统回顾性研究.     

Prognostic Implications of Declining Hemoglobin Content in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Coronary Syndromes

BackgroundContemporary definitions of bleeding endpoints are restricted mostly to clinically overt events. Whether hemoglobin drop per se, with or without overt bleeding, adversely affects the prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains unclear.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine in the MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and Systemic Implementation of Angiox) trial the incidence, predictors, and prognostic implications of in-hospital hemoglobin drop in patients with ACS managed invasively stratified by the presence of in-hospital bleeding.MethodsPatients were categorized by the presence and amount of in-hospital hemoglobin drop on the basis of baseline and nadir hemoglobin values and further stratified by the occurrence of adjudicated in-hospital bleeding. Hemoglobin drop was defined as minimal (<3 g/dl), minor (≥3 and <5 g/dl), or major (≥5 g/dl). Using multivariate Cox regression, we modeled the association between hemoglobin drop and mortality in patients with and without overt bleeding.ResultsAmong 7,781 patients alive 24 h after randomization with available hemoglobin data, 6,504 patients (83.6%) had hemoglobin drop, of whom 5,756 (88.5%) did not have overt bleeding and 748 (11.5%) had overt bleeding. Among patients without overt bleeding, minor (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32 to 4.24; p = 0.004) and major (HR: 2.58; 95% CI: 0.98 to 6.78; p = 0.054) hemoglobin drop were independently associated with higher 1-year mortality. Among patients with overt bleeding, the association of minor and major hemoglobin drop with 1-year mortality was directionally similar but had wider CIs (minor: HR: 3.53 [95% CI: 1.06 to 11.79]; major: HR: 13.32 [95% CI: 3.01 to 58.98]).ConclusionsAmong patients with ACS managed invasively, in-hospital hemoglobin drop ≥3 g/dl, even in the absence of overt bleeding, is common and is independently associated with increased risk for 1-year mortality. (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and Systemic Implementation of Angiox; NCT01433627)     

Purified murine hematopoietic stem cells function longer on nonirradiated W41/Wv than on +/+ irradiated stroma

Mouse bone marrow (BM) was separated into low-density, lineage- negative, wheat germ agglutinin-positive (WGA+), Rhodamine-123 bright (Rhbright) or dim (Rhdim) cells to obtain populations that were highly enriched for committed progenitors (Rhbright cells) or for more primitive stem cells (Rhdim). When 2,500 Rhbright or Rhdim cells were seeded onto 6-week-old irradiated (20 Gy) long-term BM cultures (LTBMC), the nonadherent cell production from Rhbright cells was transient and ended after 5 weeks. Production from Rhdim cells did not begin until week 3, peaked at week 5, and ended at week 8, when the irradiated stroma seemed to fail. Termination of cell production from Rhdim cells did not occur in nonirradiated LTBMC from W41/Wv mice. During peak nonadherent cell production, 25% to 30% of the cells in the nonirradiated LTBMC from W41/Wv mice had donor cell markers. Two approaches were tested to try to enhance the proportion or number of donor cells. Addition of Origen-HGF at the time of seeding Rhdim cells caused a nonspecific increase in both host and donor cell production, but a specific increase in production of donor cells was obtained by seeding the cultures at 2 weeks rather than 6 weeks. Limiting dilution of Rhdim cells gave the same frequency of wells producing cells on both irradiated +/+ and nonirradiated W41/Wv or W/Wv cultures.     

Immediate response of 5-methoxytryptophol in the circulation to hypoglycaemic stress induced by insulin.

Pineal indoles have been shown to affect the release of anterior pituitary hormones but details of the interrelationships are lacking. Using a new gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (g.c.-m.s.) assay the concentration of 5-methoxytryptophol (ML) was measured in plasma samples obtained from 16 children undergoing investigation of pituitary function for delayed growth. All the children received an insulin tolerance test (ITT) to study their endocrine response to stress. Some children received luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH-RH) and/or thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH). The change in concentration of ML during an ITT was similar to the change in concentration of blood sugar; a drop at 20 min followed by a rise at 30 min. This was not significantly altered by the administration of LH-RH or TRH, nor was there a different pattern of response in children who were deficient in growth hormone as opposed to those with idiopathic delayed growth. The fall in concentration of ML with stress may mediate the increased secretion of pituitary hormones. Alternatively, the pineal gland may respond directly to insulin.