The impact of the housing status on clinical outcomes and health care utilization among individuals living with HIV

ABSTRACT

The lack of stable housing can impair access and continuity of care for patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study investigated the relationship between housing status assessed at multiple time points and several core HIV-related outcomes within the same group of HIV patients experiencing homelessness. Patients with consistently stable housing (CSH) during the year were compared to patients who lacked CSH (non-CSH group). The study outcomes included HIV viral load (VL), CD4 counts, and health care utilization. Multivariable and propensity weighted analyses were used to assess outcomes adjusting for potential group differences. Of 208 patients, 88 (42%) had CSH and 120 (58%) were non-CSH. Patients with CSH had significantly higher proportion of VL suppression and higher mean CD4 counts. The frequency of nurse visits in the CSH group was less than a half of that in the non-CSH group. Patients with CSH were less likely to be admitted to the medical respite facility, and if admitted, their length of stay was about a half of that for the non-CSH group. Our study findings show that patients with CSH had significantly better HIV virologic control and immune status as well as improved health care utilization.     

Dynamic LVOT Obstruction and Aortic Stenosis in the Same Patient: A Case of Challenging Doppler Hemodynamics

We present a patient with both dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and valvular aortic stenosis. The aortic valve was calcified, and velocities and gradients measured by continuous‐wave Doppler met standard criteria for severe aortic stenosis. The increased subvalvular velocities invalidated assumptions of the simplified Bernoulli equation; correction using the longer form of the Bernoulli equation suggested a lower but still significant gradient. The complex shape of the subvalvular spectral Doppler envelope indicated supranormal systolic function and dynamic left ventricular outflow obstruction. Left heart catheterization with an end‐hole catheter was required to determine the subvalvular and valvular components of the obstruction.     

Neuroendocrine,epigenetic, and intergenerational effects of general anesthetics

The progress of modern medicine would be impossible without the use of general anesthetics (GAs). Despite advancements in refining anesthesia approaches, the effects of GAs are not fully reversible upon GA withdrawal. Neurocognitive deficiencies attributed to GA exposure may persist in neonates or endure for weeks to years in the elderly. Human studies on the mechanisms of the long-term adverse effects of GAs are needed to improve the safety of general anesthesia but they are hampered not only by ethical limitations specific to human research, but also by a lack of specific biological markers that can be used in human studies to safely and objectively study such effects. The latter can primarily be attributed to an insufficient understanding of the full range of the biological effects induced by GAs and the molecular mechanisms mediating such effects even in rodents, which are far more extensively studied than any other species. Our most recent experimental findings in rodents suggest that GAs may adversely affect many more people than is currently anticipated. Specifically, we have shown that anesthesia with the commonly used GA sevoflurane induces in exposed animals not only neuroendocrine abnormalities (somatic effects), but also epigenetic reprogramming of germ cells (germ cell effects). The latter may pass the neurobehavioral effects of parental sevoflurane exposure to the offspring, who may be affected even at levels of anesthesia that are not harmful to the exposed parents. The large number of patients who require general anesthesia, the even larger number of their future unexposed offspring whose health may be affected, and a growing number of neurodevelopmental disorders of unknown etiology underscore the translational importance of investigating the intergenerational effects of GAs. In this mini review, we discuss emerging experimental findings on neuroendocrine, epigenetic, and intergenerational effects of GAs.     

Agenesis of the Gallbladder Revisited Laparoscopically

Gallbladder agenesis is an extremely rare disease. Necropsy incidence has been reported to be 0.016%. Failure lo locate the gallbladder at the time of a planned cholecystectomy can be very challenging. We report such a case during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The indication for surgery in these patients are complaints of gallbladder symptoms along with a false-positive ultrasound study. During exploration, an abnormal location of the gallbladder has to be excluded. Ectopic gallbladder locations include intrahepatic, lesser omentum, retroperitoneal, retrohepatic, within the falciform ligament, retroduodenal, and retrohepatic areas. Thorough exploration and cholangiography are essential. Embryologically, the gallbladder and cystic duct arise from the caudal portion of the hepatic bud. All of the previously reported cases of gallbladder agenesis have shown an absence of both the gallbladder and cystic duct. We report an embryological oddity wherein a patent cystic duct was found along with an agenetic gallbladder. This is the first case report of this finding, along with this being the first absent gallbladder discovered laparoscopically.     

Effect of albumin on neonatal serum ionized magnesium in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Human serum albumin (HAS) is used to treat hypoproteinaemia in neonates and as a volume expander. The aim of this study was to quantify the decrease in serum concentration of ionized magnesium ([Mg2+]) when human serum albumin is added to neonatal serum in vitro. METHODS: Human serum albumin was added to 20 cord serum samples of term infants to reach incremental concentrations of 0 to 20.0 g/l and [Mg2+] were measured. RESULTS: Serum [Mg2+] decreased significantly with the addition of serum albumin. At incremental serum albumin concentration of 10 to 20 g/l, which is within the range of the desired aim in the treatment of hypoalbuminaemia, the magnitude of the decrease in serum [Mg2+] was approximately 0.041 to 0.052 mmol/l (10 to 13 per cent) from the average baseline value. CONCLUSION: The addition of albumin causes a decrease in [Mg2+]. From this in vitro study we speculate that fast infusion of albumin in human neonates may potentially cause a clinically significant decrease in serum [Mg2+].