Infections
08 Jan C. difficile Infection Rates May Vary With Diagnostic Techniques
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52674" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Marra[/caption]
Alexandre R. Marra, MD PhD
Iowa Infection Prevention Research Group
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Division of Medical Practice, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein
São Paulo, Brazil
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: This is a comprehensive systematic literature review evaluating the burden of C. difficile infections in the U.S healthcare system. The literature has diverse studies with variable outcomes. Thus, we only included incidence estimates derived from multicenter studies. In our meta-analysis to calculate incidence, data were pooled only with denominators using the same unit (patient-days) to avoid comparisons with different denominators. For length of stay (LOS), we only included studies that used advanced statistical methods (e.g., propensity score matching).
20 Dec Domesticated Animals Facilitate Spread of Viruses from Wildlife to Humans
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52559" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Wells[/caption]
Konstans Wells, PhD
Lecturer in Biosciences
Swansea University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Cross‐species transmission of harmful viruses between animals and humans is a major source of infectious diseases and a considerable global public health burden. We assessed patterns of virus sharing among a large diversity of mammals, including humans and domestic species.
20 Dec Asymptomatic Patients Carry C. difficile Bacteria for Deadly Diarrhea Into Hospital
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52518" align="alignleft" width="125"] Dr. Baron[/caption]
Sarah W. Baron, M.D
Assistant Professor
Division of Hospital Medicine
Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, New York
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: We know that C. difficile can be a deadly and highly infectious disease but that it has been difficult to control. We also know that some people carry C. difficile in their body without symptoms but can still spread the organism or become sick with it themselves at some point in the future.
This study attempted to answer two main questions:
1. First, how many patients coming into a large, urban academic medical center carried the organism C. difficile without any symptoms and
2. How many of those carriers without symptoms then went on to have the symptoms of C. difficile within 6 months?
11 Dec STD Infections Common Among Those Starting or Staying on PReP for HIV Prevention
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52403" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Jason Ong[/caption]
Jason Ong, PhD, MMed, MBBS, FAChSHM, FRACGP
Twitter: @DrJasonJOng
Sexual Health Physician, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health
Associate Professor (Hon), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
Central Clinical School, Monash University, Australia
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
Associate Editor, Sexually Transmitted Infections
Special Issues Editor, Sexual Health
Board Director, ASHM
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is being rolled out globally. This will protect many people from HIV, however PrEP does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STI). So we wanted to quantify how much STIs are in PrEP users as a means to advocate to strengthen sexual health services in these settings where PrEP is being offered.
04 Dec Study Refutes “Sterile Womb Dogma”: How the Cold Virus Can Spread to Fetus from Mother
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52348" align="alignleft" width="145"] Dr. Piedimonte[/caption]
Giovanni Piedimonte, MD, FAAP, FCCP
Vice President for Research
Institutional Official
Professor of Pediatrics
Tulane University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: We have been testing the hypothesis that, when a pregnant woman catches a common cold with a virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), viral particles can spread from the mother’s respiratory tract to the unborn child via the placenta. Preliminary data in animal models suggest that this is possible, and might cause changes in lung growth predisposing the offspring to develop asthma after birth. Recently, also human data have supported this theory.
However, an essential step to conclusively demonstrate vertical transmission of respiratory viruses was the confirmation that human placentas can be infected and allow the transmission of such germs, which is the main finding of this study.
20 Nov Anal Cancer Rates Rise Sharply
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52225" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Deshmukh[/caption]
Ashish Deshmukh, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor
UTHealth School of Public Health
Houston
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Anal cancer is one of the six human papillomavirus associated cancers. Rates of anal cancer are increasing in the US, but no prior study quantified the contemporary trends (i.e., increase in rates over time) in anal cancer incidence. It was unknown whether the rise is real or driven by increased screening in some high-risk populations. Incidence trends according to age and stage at diagnosis was also never comprehensively studied. Furthermore, it was unknown whether the rise in incidence has led to a rise in mortality. Our objective was to answer these questions.
09 Nov STD Patients Increasingly Seek Crowd Diagnosis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52020" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Nobles[/caption]
Alicia Nobles, PhD, MS
Research Fellow
Department of Medicine
UC San Diego
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are at record-high rates according to the Centers for Disease Control. Between STDs being highly stigmatized infections and people lacking access to health care, people may elect to turn to social media to connect with others. This is precisely why social media sites are so popular - because they do allow for people to talk with others rapidly.
Reddit, a social media site that rivals Twitter with 330 million active users and is the 6th most visited website in the United States, is organized into online communities, many of which discuss health topics. We monitored all r/STD (www.reddit.com/r/STD/) posts, where users can find “anything and everything STD related,” from its inception in November 2010 through February 2019.
07 Nov Mailed HPV Kits Improved Cervical Cancer Screening
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:Rachel L. Winer, PhD
Professor Department of Epidemiology
School of Public Health HPV Research Group
University of Washington Seattle, WA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In the U.S., 25% of women do not receive recommended cervical cancer screening. Increasing screening participation is a high priority, because over half of the 12,000 cervical cancers diagnosed each year in the U.S. are in women who are underscreened.
Currently available options for cervical cancer screening in the U.S. include Pap testing or HPV testing, either alone or in combination. HPV self-sampling is an emerging option for screening because HPV tests – unlike Pap tests – can be performed on either clinician- or self-collected samples, with similar accuracy. Internationally, several countries (including Australia and the Netherlands) include HPV self-sampling as a cervical cancer screening option for underscreened women.
30 Oct Genomic Data Maps Spread of Deadly Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Strain
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52005" align="alignleft" width="165"] Dr. Mathema[/caption]
Barun Mathema PhD
Assistant Professor,Epidemiology
Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In 2005 a major outbreak of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) causing over 90% mortality was reported in rural town of Tugela Ferry, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The strain that caused the outbreak was resistant to all first and most second line antibiotics. This strain has since been recovered throughout the district and accounts for over 79% of all XDR-TB. We were interested in understanding the basic epidemiological and evolutionary forces that enabled this strain to proliferate. More simply, when and where this strain emerged, and how and why it became dominant.
14 Oct Significant PReP Gap Remains Among MSM in EU and Central Asia
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51848" align="alignleft" width="200"] Rosalie Hayes[/caption]
Rosalie Hayes
Senior Policy & Campaigns Officer
NAT (National AIDS Trust)
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The international community has committed to the Sustainable Development Goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 (SDG 3.3). Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection involves the use of antiretroviral drugs by people at high risk of acquiring HIV, and its efficacy of PrEP is well-documented. To help achieve SDG 3.3, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has recommended as one of its global targets that 3 million people access PrEP by 2020.
For this paper, we examined European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and UNAIDS monitoring data from Europe and Central Asia (the 53 countries of the WHO European Region plus Kosovo* and Liechtenstein) to identify what progress has been made in implementing PrEP in these countries. We also used data on self-reported PrEP use and expressed need for PrEP among men who have sex with men (MSM) from the European MSM Internet Survey (EMIS-2017) to calculate an estimate of the level of unmet need for PrEP in each country, what we term the ‘PrEP gap’.
13 Oct Do Statins Raise Risk of Skin Infections?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Hean Teik Humphrey Ko PhD candidate School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University Perth, Western Australia, Australia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Bacterial skin infections consume precious healthcare resources because such infections are common and may sometimes be severe. Statins are relatively affordable and extensively prescribed worldwide to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the safety/adverse effects of statins have been well documented. Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of bacterial skin infections, and statins have been separately reported to exert antibacterial effects against S. aureus, as well as reduce the risk of S. aureus related blood infections. As such, it seemed plausible that statins may prove beneficial in S. aureus related skin infections. However, statins may also induce new-onset diabetes mellitus, a condition which in turn, is a risk factor for skin infections. Therefore, in order to determine if statins could potentially serve as a novel therapeutic agent for skin infections to reduce healthcare costs, this study was conducted to examine the interrelationships between statins, diabetes, and skin infections.
05 Oct Unnecessary Antibiotics For Dental Prophylaxis Cause Significant Adverse Events
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51763" align="alignleft" width="157"] Dr. Gross[/caption]
Alan E. Gross, PharmD
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Illinois
Chicago, IL
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Dentists prescribe 10% of all outpatient antibiotics. Most of this prescribing is for infection prophylaxis prior to dental procedures.
Our prior research has found that 80% of prescriptions for dental prophylaxis is unnecessary. Although antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures is often for a short course (e.g. one time amoxicillin dose), there may be patient harm associated with this.
05 Oct MSM: Grindr™ Users More Likely to Use or Initiate PrEP, But Frequently Engage in High Risk Behavior
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51649" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Hoenigl[/caption]
Martin Hoenigl, MD
Assistant Professor
UCSD
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Technology has changed the way men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) seek sex. Over 60% of MSM in the US use the internet and/or smartphone-based geospatial networking apps to find sex partners. Grindr™, a sophisticated geosocial networking app, is the most frequently used dating app among MSM in the United States. Previous research has shown that MSM who use Grindr™ have a greater frequency risky sexual behavior, and more sexual partners, but little is known about the association between Grindr™ use and prevention behavior such as the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
We evaluated risk behavior, PrEP use, and Grindr™ usage among MSM receiving community-based HIV and bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening in central San Diego. Participants who tested negative for HIV and who were not on PrEP were offered immediate PrEP.
04 Oct Rotavirus Vaccination Reduced Severe Illness and Hospitalizations in Young Children
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51743" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Payne[/caption]
Daniel C. Payne, PhD, MSPH
Senior Scientific Advisor
Viral Gastroenteritis Branch
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Rotavirus vaccines have been recommended for US infants for more than 10 years. This study used seven years of active surveillance data from seven hospitals around the US to evaluate the effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines in the US.
01 Oct USPSTF Recommends Clinicians Screen All Pregnant Women for Asymptomatic Bacteriuria
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_44364" align="alignleft" width="170"] Dr. Simon[/caption]
Melissa A. Simon, M.D., M.P.H.
Member, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
George H. Gardner professor of clinical gynecology, Vice chair of clinical research
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Professor of preventive medicine and medical social sciences
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Asymptomatic bacteriuria, or ASB, is when someone has bacteria in their urine but does not have any signs or symptoms of a urinary tract infection. For pregnant people, this can be a major health concern resulting in severe, even life-threatening, infections that can lead to serious harms for both the mother and the baby.
The Task Force’s primary finding in updating its recommendation on this topic was that screening for ASB continues to be beneficial in preventing complications and preserving the health of mothers and their babies during pregnancy.
23 Sep Penn Researchers Developing Vaccine To Prevent Genital Herpes Infection
Posted at 21:45h
in Author Interviews, Herpes Viruses, Science, University of Pennsylvania, Vaccine Studies
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_51550" align="alignleft" width="148"] Prof. Friedman[/caption]
Harvey M. Friedman, MD
Professor of Medicine/Infectious Diseases
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6073
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Mice and guinea pigs are the animal models used to evaluate candidate vaccines for preventing genital herpes. My lab has been working on such a vaccine.
Our candidate vaccine contains 3 immunogens. One immunogen is a protein on the virus that is required for the virus to enter cells (viruses need to enter cells to replicate). The other two immunogens are proteins on the virus that help the virus escape immune attack.
Our intent is to produce antibodies to these 3 proteins by immunization and that the antibodies will bind to the proteins on the virus and block the protein functions. The virus then will not be able to enter cells and will not be able to use its evasion strategies to avoid the immune responses generated by the vaccine. Our vaccine aimed at preventing immune evasion is novel as a component of a genital herpes vaccine.
21 Sep Dengue Can Outsmart Vaccines By Mutating When Patient Has Fever
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51442" align="alignleft" width="142"] Dr. Shee-Mei Lok[/caption]
Dr Shee-Mei Lok, PhD
Professor in the Emerging Infectious Disease program
Duke-NUS, a school of National University of Singapore
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Dengue virus consists of four different serotypes (DENV1-4) and within each serotypes, there are multiple strains. In terms of the viral particle shape, our previous research work using some laboratory adapted strains showed these DENV2 strains are very interesting in that it can change shape from the smooth spherical surface particles when grown at mosquito physiological temperature (29oC) and then becomes bumpy surfaced particles when incubated at human physiological temperature (37oC). This ability to transform into different virus surface structures helps the virus to escape from the immune system of the human host. Hence understanding the mechanism of how this occur is important for therapeutics and vaccine development. Here we also identified a laboratory adapted virus strain that do not showed this structural changes.
[caption id="attachment_51443" align="alignleft" width="720"]
Micrographs of DENV2 with different distribution of smooth and bumpy surfaced particles when incubated at different temperatures to mimic the physiological temperature in the mosquitoes (29°C, left panel), human host (37°C, middle panel) and when humans are experiencing high fever (40°C, right panel). Colour gradient from blue to red shows the rise in temperature.Xin-Ni Lim, Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School[/caption] We showed some differences in their amino acid sequences and We showed some differences in their amino acid sequences and mutating these residues coupled with observing their surface structures showed which residues are important for this temperature induced structural change. Results showed that subtle mutations at different places on the envelope protein can destabilize the virus allowing them to change in structure when temperature is elevated. Due to the poor selection pressure of the artificial laboratory tissue culture system, gradual mutations of the virus is accumulated causing the virus to have bumpy surface morphology.
18 Sep Single Tick Bite Can Transmit More Than Just Lyme Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51382" align="alignleft" width="130"]
Dr. Benach[/caption]
Jorge Benach, PhD
Distinguished Toll Professor
Molecular Genetics & Microbiology and Pathology
Renaissance School of Medicine
Stony Brook University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The increases in the numbers of cases of tick-borne diseases in the nation, and the increases in the number of cases in our area were the catalysts to document the levels of infection with a number of pathogens in the vector ticks. In addition, there were indications that an invasive tick species, the lone star tick, had taken a foothold in our area and had brought new tick-borne pathogens. Identification of the multiple pathogens was made possible by the molecular probes developed by Dr Rafal Tokarz, another corresponding author of our study
17 Sep Does PCSK9 Genetic Variation Help Predict Risk of Sepsis?
Posted at 11:24h
in Author Interviews, Critical Care - Intensive Care - ICUs, Genetic Research, Infections, JAMA
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_51330" align="alignleft" width="142"] Dr. QiPing Feng[/caption]
QiPing Feng, PhD
Division of Clinical Pharmacology
Department of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Sepsis is one of the leading causes of hospital mortality. Yet, there are no specific effective treatments for it. Recent information suggests that drugs that inhibit proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) could have potential as a new treatment for sepsis.
We used a genetic approach to test if variation in PCSK9 affected the risk of sepsis.
In patients admitted to hospital with infection, neither variants in the PCSK9 gene nor predicted expression of PCSK9 were associated with risk of sepsis or poorer outcomes after sepsis.
16 Sep Most Americans Unaware that HPV Causes Oral and Genital Cancers
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51273" align="alignleft" width="149"] Dr. Deshmukh[/caption]
Dr. Ashish A. Deshmukh
UT Health School of Public Health
Houston
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The HPV vaccination is recommended for females and males for prevention of 6 cancers (cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, penile, vaginal, and vulvar). Nearly 43,000 HPV-associated cancer cases are diagnosed every year in the US. Yet, it is extremely unfortunate and something that continues to bother us that HPV vaccination coverage remains low (50% in 2018) in the US and completion rate is nearly 5% lower in boys. Different from some industrialized nations where vaccination policy is school-based, vaccination policy in the US is clinic-based and parents are generally responsible for making vaccination decisions for their children. Generally, there are two main factors that drive parents’ decision-making:
(1) how much knowledge they have of HPV and (2) recommendation from a healthcare professional.
We analyzed the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trend Survey (HINTS) of over 6000 participants focusing on their knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccination and whether participants received any vaccination recommendation from their health care provider.
16 Sep Atopic Dermatitis: Antibiotic Choice in Pediatric Superinfections
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51322" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Coughlin[/caption]
Carrie C. Coughlin, MD
Member of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology
Assistant Professor, Dermatology
Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics
Washington University School of Medicine / St. Louis Children's Hospital
[caption id="attachment_51323" align="alignleft" width="125"]
Dr. Briscoe[/caption]
Cristopher C. Briscoe, MD
Dermatology Resident, PGY-2
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Briscoe: Superinfection of atopic dermatitis (AD) in pediatric patients is a common complication. Our study sought to determine the best empiric antibiotic choice for these patients while a bacterial culture is pending. We retrospectively analyzed 182 skin cultures from pediatric atopic dermatitis patients seen in the outpatient setting over five years and found that 170 (93.4%) grew Staphylococcus aureus. Of these, 130 (76.5%) grew methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), 37 (21.8%) grew methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and 3 (1.8%) grew both MSSA and MRSA. There was no statistically significant relationship between age, sex, race, or dilute bleach bath usage and MRSA infection. Interestingly, as compared to a separate group of pediatric atopic dermatitis patients seen in the emergency room, our patients had lower rates of MSSA susceptibility to doxycycline and MRSA susceptibility to TMP-SMX.
13 Sep H.pylori Treatment Linked to Decreased Gastric Cancer Mortality
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51239" align="alignleft" width="120"] Prof. Kai-feng Pan[/caption]
Prof. Kai-feng Pan
Director. Department of Cancer Epidemiology
Peking University School of Oncology
Beijing Cancer Hospital & Institute
Peking University Cancer Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Based on a high-risk population in China, we have conducted a large randomized factorial-designed intervention trial (Shandong Intervention Trial) to examine the effect of short-term Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment and 7.3-year vitamin and garlic supplementation on gastric cancer. During 14.7-years’ follow-up in the trial, 2-week treatment for H. pylori resulted in statistically significant reduction in gastric cancer incidence. Results for gastric cancer mortality and for the effects of garlic and vitamin supplementation, though promising, were not statistically significant. Longer follow-up was needed to determine whether the reductions in gastric cancer incidence from H. pylori treatment would persist and lead to a demonstrable reduction in gastric cancer mortality. It also remained unknown whether vitamin and garlic supplementation would yield a statistically significant reduction in gastric cancer incidence and mortality with additionally extended follow-up. In addition, the entire spectrum of effects of these interventions needs to be understood.
10 Sep Some Influenza Complications May Be Due to Genetic Lack of an Immune Protein
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51221" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Yount[/caption]
Jacob S. Yount, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity
The Ohio State University, College of Medicine
Co-Director, Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program
OSU Infectious Diseases Institute
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Genetic defects in a human protein known as IFITM3 are linked to hospitalization and death upon influenza virus infections. IFITM3 is an immune system protein that can inhibit virus entry into cells and it is produced as an early response to virus infections. In order to better study the role of IFITM3 during infections, we engineered a mouse model that lacks this protein.
05 Sep Zinc Deficiency May Increase Risk of Strep Pneumonia
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51132" align="alignleft" width="153"] Dr. McDevitt[/caption]
Christopher A. McDevitt B.Sc. (Hons) Ph.D , Associate Professor
Group Leader, ARC Future Fellow
The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Melbourne | Victoria | Australia
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Zinc-deficiency affects nearly one-third of the world’s population and is associated with an increased susceptibility to respiratory and enteric infections. The foremost global respiratory disease is pneumonia, which kills more than 1 million people per year with young children and the elderly being at greatest risk. This study investigated how zinc-deficiency affected Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, the primary bacterial cause of pneumonia.
22 Aug Transplanted Lung Stem Cells May Aid in Recovery from Severe Flu
Posted at 22:03h
in Author Interviews, Flu - Influenza, Pulmonary Disease, Stem Cells, University of Pennsylvania
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_51034" align="alignleft" width="148"] Dr. Vaughan[/caption]
Andrew E. Vaughan, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Severe respiratory infections, including influenza, can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), wherein barrier function and gas exchange are compromised. It’s a very life threatening scenario. This is due in part to loss of alveolar type 2 (surfactant producing) and type 1 cells (gas exchanging). Interestingly alveolar type 2 cells are also stem cells in the lung. We wondered whether transplant of these cells might aid in recovery from severe influenza infection, and sure enough, it did!
21 Aug US Pediatric Tuberculosis Rates Higher in Children Born in Endemic Countries
Posted at 23:54h
in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Global Health, Infections, Lancet, Pediatrics
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_51012" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Tori Cowger[/caption]
Tori Cowger, MPH
Ph.D Student | Population Health Sciences
Department of Epidemiology
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Globally, approximately one million cases of tuberculosis disease (TB) and 233,000 TB-related deaths occurred among children aged younger than 15 years during 2018. TB in children and adolescents is clinically and epidemiologically heterogeneous, making diagnosis, care, and prevention challenging. Understanding this heterogeneity can inform TB care and prevention efforts, and efforts to eliminate disparities in TB incidence and mortality in these groups.
In this study, we describe the epidemiology of TB among children and adolescents in the United States, and report TB incidence rates for US territories and freely associated states and by parental country of birth, which have not been previously described.
20 Aug Many Contact Lens Wearers Don’t Recall Receiving Care Instructions
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_50953" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Nuadum Konne[/caption]
Nuadum Konne
Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch
CDC
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: An estimated 45 million Americans enjoy the benefits of contact lens wear. Most of them practice some behaviors that put them at risk for serious eye infections.
Surveys of contact lens wearers and eye care providers were conducted in 2018. One third of lens wearers recalled never hearing any lens care recommendations.
Most eye care providers reported sharing recommendations always or most of the time.
20 Aug Single-Patient Rooms Did Not Decrease MRSA or C.Diff Infections
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_50892" align="alignleft" width="176"] Dr. Todd Lee[/caption]
Todd Campbell Lee MD MPH FACP FIDSA
Consultant in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases
Director, MI4 Clinical Trials Platform
Associate Professor of Medicine, McGill University
Montreal, Quebec
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: For a number of years people have been advocating for a move towards single-patient rooms in hospital design. This was articulately argued for in an opinion piece by Detsky and Etchells in 2008 (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/182433) as being important for a move to safe and patient-centered design.
One of the major selling points has always been a reduction in the risk of nosocomial, or hospital-associated, infections given reduced opportunities for contamination between patients; however, only a few studies have specifically looked at this issue. Overall, despite some strong work, many of these studies were limited by only looking at specific units, over limited periods of time, and using before-after comparisons which did not account for change over time either within or outside of the institution.
We knew that in 2015 our old hospital would close and within the same day all patients would be moved to a brand new hospital with 100% single patient rooms -- most of which have a private bathroom for patients and a separate hand-washing sink for staff. So in 2014, we designed this study, obtained ethics review, and then waited patiently for several years to pass after the move so that we could rigorously evaluate the impact. We looked at monthly rates of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonizations and infections, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization and infections, and Clostridium (now Clostrideroides) difficile infections (CDI).
We chose these because we had good long term data on their rates and because we could compare the rates over time before and after the move and contrast them with the province of Quebec as a whole.
