Factors associated with provision of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate to adolescents by US health care providers

ObjectiveIdentify factors associated with healthcare providers' frequency of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) provision to adolescents.Study designWe analyzed data from surveys mailed to a nationally representative sample of public-sector providers and office-based physicians (n=1984). We estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of factors associated with frequent DMPA provision to adolescents in the past year.ResultsAlthough most providers (>95%) considered DMPA safe for adolescents, fewer reported frequent provision (89% of public-sector providers; 64% of office-based physicians). Among public-sector providers, factors associated with lower odds of frequent provision included working in settings without Title X funding (aOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.30–0.64), reporting primary care as their primary clinical focus versus reproductive or adolescent health (aOR 0.42, 95% CI 0.28–0.61), and providing fewer patients with family planning services. Among office-based physicians, factors associated with lower odds of frequent provision included specializing in obstetrics/gynecology (aOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.27–0.91) and family medicine (aOR 0.21, 95% CI 0.09–0.47) versus adolescent medicine, completing training ≥15 versus <5 years ago (aOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.09–0.83), and reporting that 0–24% of patients pay with Medicaid or other government healthcare assistance versus ≥50% (aOR 0.23, 95% CI 0.09–0.61). The reason most commonly reported by providers for infrequent DMPA provision was patient preference for another method.ConclusionsWhile most providers reported frequently providing DMPA to adolescents, training on evidence-based recommendations for contraception, focused on subgroups of providers with lower odds of frequent DMPA provision, may increase adolescents' access to contraception.ImplicationsAlthough >95% of providers considered depot medroxyprogesterone (DMPA) a safe contraceptive for adolescents, only 89% of public-sector providers and 64% of office-based physicians reported frequently providing DMPA to adolescents. Provider training on evidence-based recommendations for contraception counseling and provision may increase adolescents' access to DMPA and all methods of contraception.     

Electromyographic and affective responses of episodic tension-type headache patients and headache-free controls during stressful task performance

Thirty-four subjects meeting diagnostic criteria for episodic tension-type headache and 42 who rarely experienced headaches participated in two laboratory sessions in which cephalic electromyographic (EMG) activity, electrodermal activity, heart rate, and finger temperature were recorded. Subjects performed relaxation, choice reaction time, psychomotor tracking, voluntary muscle contraction, and cold pressor tasks. Headache subjects showed significantly greater EMG activity than controls during baseline and stressful task performance. During relaxation, both groups reduced EMG activity from baseline levels, and there was no significant difference in EMG level between the groups during relaxation. Headache subjects reported higher levels of subjective anxiety, depression, anger, and stress than controls. Headache subjects also reported higher levels of pain than controls, and headache subjects reported greater pain during stressful task performance relative to baseline and recovery periods.This research was supported by NIH Grant R01-NS-25114.     

Systemic hormonal contraception initiation after abortion: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundImmediate contraceptive initiation, including start of a method before abortion completion, is a convenient option for women seeking abortion care.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effect of systemic hormonal contraception initiation on medical abortion effectiveness and the safety of hormonal contraceptive methods following abortion.Data sourcesPubMed, Popline, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov.Study eligibility criteriaStudies that assessed medical abortion effectiveness after systemic hormonal contraception initiation and the safety of hormonal contraception initiation after abortion.ParticipantsPregnant persons undergoing or who had recently undergone an abortion.InterventionsInitiation of systemic hormonal contraception post abortion or on the day of the first pill of the medical abortion.Study appraisal and synthesis methodsWe assessed study quality using the US Preventive Services Task Force evidence grading system. We created narrative summaries and calculated pooled relative risks when appropriate.ResultsWe identified 16 studies for inclusion, 7 randomized controlled trials, and 9 cohorts. Nine studies assessed medical abortion effectiveness with hormonal contraception initiation and generally found no decreased risk of abortion success or increased risk of additional treatment. One fair-quality study reported a small increase in ongoing pregnancy rate with immediate depot medroxyprogesterone (DMPA) compared with delayed DMPA initiation (3.6% vs 0.9%, risk difference 2.7%, 90% confidence interval 0.4–5.6). We identified no bleeding-related safety concerns following hormonal contraception initiation after medical or surgical abortion. Pooled results were too imprecise to draw firm conclusions.LimitationsIncluded studies were poor or fair quality and primarily in high-income or upper-middle-income settings.ConclusionsAbortion effectiveness did not differ between immediate vs delayed initiation of most systemic hormonal contraceptive methods after a first trimester medical abortion. However, immediate DMPA initiation did show increased ongoing pregnancy. Bleeding effects with hormonal contraception initiation postabortion appeared minimal.ImplicationsInitiating a hormonal contraceptive method after an abortion and as early as the same day as the first pill of the medical abortion is an option if contraception is desired. The slight increase in ongoing pregnancy with immediate DMPA initiation highlights the importance of information provision during contraceptive counseling.     

Constant Transmission Properties of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in 5 Countries

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) has been reported in 12 countries. We hypothesized that a common strain of agent is responsible for all vCJD cases, regardless of geographic origin. To test this hypothesis, we inoculated strain-typing panels of wild-type mice with brain material from human vCJD case-patients from France, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United States. Mice were assessed for clinical disease, neuropathologic changes, and glycoform profile; results were compared with those for 2 reference vCJD cases from the United Kingdom. Transmission to mice occurred from each sample tested, and data were similar between non-UK and UK cases, with the exception of the ranking of mean clinical incubation times of mouse lines. These findings support the hypothesis that a single strain of infectious agent is responsible for all vCJD infections. However, differences in incubation times require further subpassage in mice to establish any true differences in strain properties between cases.     

Recent US Case of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease—Global Implications

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a rare, fatal prion disease resulting from transmission to humans of the infectious agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. We describe the clinical presentation of a recent case of vCJD in the United States and provide an update on diagnostic testing. The location of this patient’s exposure is less clear than those in the 3 previously reported US cases, but strong evidence indicates that exposure to contaminated beef occurred outside the United States more than a decade before illness onset. This case exemplifies the persistent risk for vCJD acquired in unsuspected geographic locations and highlights the need for continued global surveillance and awareness to prevent further dissemination of vCJD.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Gyrase Inhibitors as a New Class of Antitubercular Drugs

One way to speed up the TB drug discovery process is to search for antitubercular activity among compound series that already possess some of the key properties needed in anti-infective drug discovery, such as whole-cell activity and oral absorption. Here, we present MGIs, a new series of Mycobacterium tuberculosis gyrase inhibitors, which stem from the long-term efforts GSK has dedicated to the discovery and development of novel bacterial topoisomerase inhibitors (NBTIs). The compounds identified were found to be devoid of fluoroquinolone (FQ) cross-resistance and seem to operate through a mechanism similar to that of the previously described NBTI GSK antibacterial drug candidate. The remarkable in vitro and in vivo antitubercular profiles showed by the hits has prompted us to further advance the MGI project to full lead optimization.     

Visceral leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne parasitic disease targeting tissue macrophages. It is among the most neglected infectious diseases. Classical manifestations of VL include chronic fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia. Most cases can be detected through serologic and molecular testing. Although therapy has historically relied on antimonials, newer therapeutic options include conventional or liposomal amphotericin B, paromomycin and miltefosine. Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasingly reported and comes with additional diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This article provides an up-to-date clinical review of VL focusing on clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and issues related to HIV coinfection.     

Investigation of a possible iatrogenic case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after a neurosurgical procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) possibly acquired from contaminated neurosurgical instruments. DESIGN: Retrospective review of medical records, hospital databases, service log books, and state vital statistics. SETTING: A tertiary care hospital (hospital A) in Missouri. PATIENTS: The case patient was a 38-year-old African American woman with a 9-month history of progressive memory loss, visual disturbances, and dementia. She underwent neurosurgery in November 1996. CJD was confirmed in April 2004 by immunodiagnostic testing of brain biopsy samples. All patients who underwent neurosurgery at the same hospital within 6 months before or after the case patient's procedure were identified and investigated for preoperative or postoperative evidence of CJD. RESULTS: We reviewed data on 268 neurosurgical procedures, 84 pathology log entries, and 60 death certificates for neurosurgical patients at hospital A and identified 2 suspected cases of CJD. Clinical features and definitive prion testing of stored brain biopsy samples excluded a diagnosis of CJD. Standard operating room procedures were in place, but specific protocols for handling instruments potentially contaminated with prions were not used. CONCLUSIONS: Neurosurgical instruments were not implicated as the source exposure for CJD in the case patient. The 2 patients with suspected CJD were identified from different data sources, suggesting good internal consistency in data collection. The key elements of this investigation are suggested for use in future investigations into potential cases of iatrogenic CJD.     

Barriers to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease autopsies, California

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) surveillance relies on autopsy and neuropathologic evaluation. The 1990-2000 CJD autopsy rate in California was 21%. Most neurologists were comfortable diagnosing CJD (83%), but few pathologists felt comfortable diagnosing CJD (35%) or performing autopsy (29%). Addressing obstacles to autopsy is necessary to improve CJD surveillance.     

Evaluation of antiretroviral treatment in two private medical centers in Addis, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the countries affected severely by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is gradually fatal without antiretroviral therapy (ARV). The experience with antiretroviral therapy is limited in this country. This study is the first of its kind that has evaluated the status and implication of the clinical use of ARV drugs in Ethiopia. The guidelines for the initiation of treatment, the strengths and weaknesses of such treatment and the implications of similar intervention in a wider scale were assessed. Clinical records of 33 patients under follow-up and treatment with ARV in Hayat Hospital and Bethezatha Medical Center were identified. Data were collected from the medical records using a tool designed for the purpose. All 33 patients were receiving ARV for a mean duration of about 4 months. Twenty- three (69.7%) were males and 10 (30.3%) were females and the mean age was 38 years. Fifteen (45.5%) were married, fourteen (40.7%) were single, one (3%) divorced and there was no record for three (9.1%). Fifteen (45.5%) were businessmen, seven (21.2%) were private employees, four (12.1%) civil servants and in the remaining seven (21.2%) their occupation was not recorded. The decision to initiate ARV therapy was entirely based on the presence of symptomatic HIV disease. CD4+ lymphocyte count was done in 24 (72.7%) and basic hematological tests were done for all. However, biochemical investigations were incomplete in all of them. Triple therapy was started for all patients and the cost of the drugs was covered by their family in eleven (33.3%), by the patients in twenty-two (66.7%). Side effects of the drugs were noted in ten (30.3%) that resulted in change of the regimen in two and drug interruption in one. Response to treatment was entirely based on clinical parameters only. Twenty-three patients (69.7%) were noted to improve while nine (27.3%) remained the same and death occurred in one (3%). Standard triple therapy was used in all patients in this study and symptomatic HIV disease was the reason for the initiation of treatment. The improvement observed was not substantiated by immunological or virological parameters. Thus, the impacts of ARVs cannot be measured and the response documented in this study can be due to the effective treatment of opportunistic infections. Hence a standard protocol should be developed based on the minimum set-up required for the initiation of ARV therapy.