Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Eduardo R. Nunez, Tanner J. Caverly, Sanqian Zhang, Mark E. Glickman, Shirley X. Qian, Jacqueline H. Boudreau, Donald R. Miller, Christopher G. Slatore, Renda Soylemez Wiener
Summary: Older veterans with serious comorbidities were more likely to decline LCS, while Black and Hispanic veterans were more likely to accept it. The variation in LCS decisions was accounted for more by the facility and physician offering LCS than by patient factors.
Article
Immunology
Geneva M. Wilson, Katie J. Suda, Margaret A. Fitzpatrick, Brian Bartle, Christopher D. Pfeiffer, Makoto Jones, Michael A. Rubin, Eli Perencevich, Martin Evans, Charlesnika T. Evans
Summary: Among US veterans with CP-CRE, African Americans, patients with congestive heart failure, and those with gastroesophageal reflux disease were more likely to have CP-CRE cultures. Roughly one in four patients with CP-CRE had no known antibiotic exposure in the year before their positive culture.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rania Kanchi, Priscilla Lopez, Pasquale E. Rummo, David C. Lee, Samrachana Adhikari, Mark D. Schwartz, Sanja Avramovic, Karen R. Siegel, Deborah B. Rolka, Giuseppina Imperatore, Brian Elbel, Lorna E. Thorpe
Summary: This national cohort study of US veterans found that the risk of type 2 diabetes in different community types is associated with the neighborhood food environment, with the relative density of fast-food restaurants positively correlated with risk, while the relative density of supermarkets is associated with lower risk in suburban and rural areas. This suggests that tailored interventions targeting supermarkets availability may help reduce diabetes risk, particularly in suburban and rural communities, while restrictions on fast-food restaurants could be beneficial in all community types.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Eimear Kitt, Molly Hayes, Morgan Congdon, Lance Ballester, Kgotlaetsile B. Sewawa, Unami Mulale, Loeto Mazhani, Tonya Arscott-Mills, Andrew Steenhoff, Susan Coffin
Summary: This study investigated risk factors for mortality in high-risk hospitalized neonates in Botswana, finding that sepsis, critical illness, and being born at home were associated with an increased risk of death, while low birth weight status was associated with a decreased risk of death.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lova Sun, Ravi B. Parikh, Rebecca A. Hubbard, John Cashy, Samuel U. Takvorian, David J. Vaughn, Kyle W. Robinson, Vivek Narayan, Bonnie Ky
Summary: The study found that there are significant gaps in the assessment and management of cardiovascular risk factors in prostate cancer patients initiating ADT, highlighting the need for interventions to improve this situation.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Sarah Herzog, Jack Tsai, Brandon Nichter, Lorig Kachadourian, Ilan Harpaz-Rotem, Robert H. Pietrzak
Summary: A study of 2291 U.S. veterans found that most denied suicidal ideation, with some experiencing new onset, chronic, or remitted suicidal ideation. Chronic SI was associated with childhood trauma, baseline MDD/PTSD, physical health difficulties, and recent stressors. Remitted SI had high rates of prior suicide attempts and MDD/PTSD. Social connectedness may be a key target for suicide prevention efforts.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Respiratory System
Jake G. Natalini, Joshua F. Baker, Namrata Singh, Tina D. Mahajan, Punyasha Roul, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Brian C. Sauer, Cheilonda R. Johnson, Steven M. Kawut, Ted R. Mikuls, Bryant R. England
Summary: The study found that combined RF/ACPA seropositivity and higher individual autoantibody concentrations were strongly associated with prevalent RA-ILD, but not with incident RA-ILD. Patients with RF concentrations greater than 90 IU/ml were observed to be at higher risk of developing incident RA-ILD.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
J. Daniel Kelly, Dawn M. Bravata, Stephen Bent, Charlie M. Wray, Samuel J. Leonard, W. John Boscardin, Laura J. Myers, Salomeh Keyhani
Summary: In an integrated health system like the VA, social and behavioral risk factors were not associated with mortality from COVID-19. Further research is needed to confirm the potential of an integrated health system to provide support services for households with COVID-19 and populations at risk for the disease.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mimi C. Tan, Niharika Mallepally, Quynh Ho, Yan Liu, Hashem B. El-Serag, Aaron P. Thrift
Summary: In this study, high carbohydrate intake, fruit intake, and fiber intake were found to be associated with an increased risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) in the US population, especially in non-White patients.
DIGESTIVE DISEASES AND SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Brandon Nichter, Murray B. Stein, Lindsey L. Monteith, Sarah Herzog, Ryan Holliday, Melanie L. Hill, Sonya B. Norman, John H. Krystal, Robert H. Pietrzak
Summary: The study examined risk factors for suicide attempts among veterans, finding that loneliness, dispositional gratitude, thoughts of self-harm, and new-onset traumas were the strongest predictors. Veterans with multiple co-occurring risk factors had substantially greater risk for suicide attempts, highlighting the importance of targeting these factors in prevention efforts.
SUICIDE AND LIFE-THREATENING BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sarah Leavitt, C. Robert Horsburgh, Robyn S. Lee, Andrew M. Tibbs, Laura F. White, Helen E. Jenkins
Summary: This study investigates the association between risk factors and genetic relatedness in tuberculosis transmission. By simulating a TB-like outbreak and modifying the genetic links, the study improves the accuracy of using genetic relatedness as a proxy for transmission. The findings suggest that pairs with closer proximity, shorter time between observations, and shared ethnicity, social risk factors, drug resistance, or genotypes are more likely to be transmission links.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yinong Young-Xu, Ethan Powell, Gabrielle M. Zwain, Mona T. Yazdi, Jiang Gui, Brian Shiner
Summary: This study investigated the association between symptomatic herpes simplex virus infection and dementia risk in a large US Veteran population and found that HSV infection was not associated with an increased risk of dementia. However, the use of antiherpetic medication was found to be significantly associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia, suggesting a potential protective effect. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm and explore this effect.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jason J. Sico, Suman Kundu, Kaku So-Armah, Samir K. Gupta, Chung-Chou H. Chang, Adeel A. Butt, Cynthia L. Gibert, Vincent C. Marconi, Stephen Crystal, Hilary A. Tindle, Matthew S. Freiberg, Jesse C. Stewart
Summary: This study found that depression is associated with an increased risk of stroke among HIV-positive individuals. Depression serves as an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke, particularly among younger individuals in the HIV population.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Angela L. Mazul, Christine M. Hartman, Yvonne M. Mowery, Jennifer R. Kramer, Donna L. White, Kathryn E. Royse, Suchismita Raychaudhury, Vlad C. Sandulache, Sarah T. Ahmed, Jose P. Zevallos, Peter A. Richardson, Andrew G. Sikora, Elizabeth Y. Chiao
Summary: The study indicates that persons living with HIV/AIDS have a higher risk of developing oropharyngeal and nonoropharyngeal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma compared to HIV-negative individuals. Additionally, HIV may play a role in both virally mediated and nonvirally mediated HNSCC.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Alyssa Chan-Cuzydlo, Dustin J. Harrison, Brian L. Pike, Bart J. Currie, Mark Mayo, Mark G. Salvador, William R. Hulsey, Joseph Azzarello, Jeffrey Ellis, Daniel Kim, William King-Lewis, Jessica Nicole Smith, Barbara Rodriguez, Ryan C. Maves, James Lawler, Kevin L. Schully
Summary: The study describes a cohort of US Marines and Sailors who participated in joint training exercises in Australia between 2016-2020. The participants were predominantly white males under 24 years old, with most being junior enlisted and non-commissioned officers, particularly from infantry occupational specialties. Future plans include screening for various infectious diseases endemic in Australia and characterizing immune responses in the participants.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Katie J. Suda, Alfredo Traversa, Ursula Patel, Linda Poggensee, Margaret A. Fitzpatrick, Geneva M. Wilson, Charlesnika T. Evans
Summary: This study assessed the treatment trends for patients with CRE from 2012 to 2018. The findings revealed a decrease in the utilization of aminoglycosides and colistin, while there was an increase in the use of extended-spectrum cephalosporins and ceftazidime-avibactam. Moreover, significant uptake of ceftazidime-avibactam, a newly approved antibiotic, was observed for treating CRE infections.
INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Michael S. Leapman, Kimberly Stone, Roxanne Wadia, Lesley S. Park, Cynthia L. Gibert, Matthew B. Goetz, Roger Bedimo, Maria Rodriguez-Barradas, Fatma Shebl, Amy C. Justice, Sheldon T. Brown, Kristina Crothers, Keith M. Sigel
Summary: The risk of prostate cancer among individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is not well understood. This study found that when accounting for less prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing among HIV-positive individuals, the incidence of prostate cancer was similar to that of HIV-negative individuals.
JOURNAL OF UROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Christopher J. Graber, Alissa R. Simon, Yue Zhang, Matthew Bidwell Goetz, Makoto M. Jones, Jorie M. Butler, Ann F. Chou, Peter A. Glassman
Summary: This study assessed physician attitudes and knowledge regarding antibiotic prescribing and found differences in performance among different clinical scenarios. Particularly, significant differences were observed in the management of cellulitis and asymptomatic bacteriuria, suggesting the potential for targeted stewardship interventions.
INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Keith Sigel, Rafael E. de la Hoz, Steven B. Markowitz, Chung Yin Kong, Kimberly Stone, Andrew C. Todd, Juan P. Wisnivesky
Summary: This study investigates the impact of toxic inhalable particles exposure on lung cancer risk among World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers. The results suggest that there is no significant elevation in lung cancer incidence among WTC RRWV compared to an unexposed cohort. Age, smoking intensity, and mineral dust work are found to be associated with lung cancer risk.
Article
Immunology
Yuxin Liu, Kevin Weiss, Andres Ramirez Zamudio, Monica Prasad Hayes, Mona Saleh, Michael M. Gaisa, Keith Sigel
Summary: Anal HPV disease was highly prevalent in this primary screening cohort of WWH, and genital screening results predicted anal disease. Universal anal cancer screening is recommended for this population.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Carlie Sigel, Xiao-Jun Wei, Narasimhan Agaram, Keith Sigel, Roshan Raza, Rebecca Andrade, Rema Rao, Pari Shah, Kevin Soares, Abha Goyal
Summary: This study describes the cytological features of low- and high-grade mucinous neoplasms (MNs) and compares them with gastrointestinal contaminants. Colloid-like features, >20% smear area, and histiocytes were found to be correlated with MN. Testing for greater than or equal to four of eight high-grade features had low sensitivity and high specificity for high-grade MN.
CANCER CYTOPATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Cassie Cunningham Goedken, Jorie M. M. Butler, Joshua Judd, Nui Brown, Michael Rubin, Matthew Bidwell Goetz
Summary: We examined the experiences and perceptions of the Self-Stewardship Time-Out Program (SSTOP) intervention in different implementation sites to enhance antimicrobial use. Through semistructured qualitative interviews with Antibiotic Stewardship physicians and pharmacists, five key themes were identified. SSTOP has the potential to promote sustainable improvements in antibiotic use.
INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Celine Yeh, Mengxi Zhou, Keith Sigel, Gayle Jameson, Ruth White, Rachael Safyan, Yvonne Saenger, Elizabeth Hecht, John Chabot, Stephen Schreibman, Beata Juzyna, Marc Ychou, Thierry Conroy, Tito Fojo, Gulam A. Manji, Daniel Von Hoff, Susan E. Bates
Summary: In this study, a tumor growth model was used to estimate pancreatic cancer growth rates based on radiographic tumor measurements and serum CA 19-9 values. The growth rate was found to be inversely associated with overall survival and could differentiate between different therapies and metastatic sites. The findings highlight the importance of using growth rates to inform go/no go decisions in drug development.
Article
Immunology
Alexandra N. Lea, Wendy A. Leyden, Oleg Sofrygin, Ben J. Marafino, Jacek Skarbinski, Sonia Napravnik, Deana Agil, Michael Augenbraun, Lorie Benning, Michael A. Horberg, Celeena Jefferson, Vincent C. Marconi, Lesley S. Park, Kirsha S. Gordon, Lisa Bastarache, Srushti Gangireddy, Keri N. Althoff, Sally B. Coburn, Kelly A. Gebo, Raynell Lang, Carolyn Williams, Michael J. Silverberg
Summary: This study examined the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes in people with HIV and whether the antiretroviral drug tenofovir provided protection. The results showed that people with HIV were at a higher risk for hospitalization and severe outcomes compared to those without HIV. However, prior use of tenofovir was associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization in both groups.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Keith Sigel, Michael J. Silverberg, Kristina Crothers, Lesley Park, Inna Lishchenko, Xuesong Han, Wendy Leyden, Minal Kale, Kimberly Stone, Carlie Sigel, Juan Wisnivesky, Chung Yin Kong
Summary: The optimal treatment pathways for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer in persons living with HIV are unclear. A simulation model was created using large HIV datasets, which showed that less aggressive treatment approaches were projected to be noninferior for some groups of people living with HIV.
CLINICAL LUNG CANCER
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Maria Tjilos, Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Shana A. B. Burrowes, Jorie M. Butler, Laura J. Damschroder, Matthew Bidwell Goetz, Karl Madaras-Kelly, Caitlin M. Reardon, Matthew H. Samore, Jincheng Shen, Edward A. Stenehjem, Yue Zhang, Tamar F. Barlam
Summary: This study examined the perspectives of non-steward clinicians who interact with antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) in their role as frontline healthcare workers. The analysis identified four primary perspectives regarding ASPs: non-ASP pharmacists considered ASP activities a high priority; nurses acknowledged limited understanding and involvement with ASPs; physicians criticized ASPs for their restrictions on clinical autonomy; and hospital leaders expressed support for ASPs and recognized the challenges faced by non-ASP clinical staff.
INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Alwiya Ahmed, Daniel S. Hippe, Madison Snidarich, Kristina Crothers, Matthew Triplette
Summary: This study aims to evaluate delays in follow-up in patients with positive lung cancer screening findings and to examine the impact of delay on lung cancer staging.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Guang-Shing Cheng, Kristina Crothers, Stefano Aliberti, Anne Bergeron, Michael Boeckh, Jason W. Chien, Catia Cilloniz, Keira Cohen, Nathan Dean, Charles S. Dela Cruz, Robert P. Dickson, Alexander L. Greninger, Chadi A. Hage, Tobias M. Hohl, Steven M. Holland, Barbara E. Jones, Joseph Keane, Mark Metersky, Rachel Miller, Anne Puel, Julio Ramirez, Marcos Restrepo, Ajay Sheshadri, Bashar Staitieh, Jeffrey Tarrand, Kevin L. Winthrop, Richard G. Wunderink, Scott E. Evans
Summary: Pneumonia poses a clinical burden on immunocompromised individuals, who are often excluded from clinical guidelines and trials. The lack of a widely accepted definition for immunocompromised host pneumonia hampers consistent care and research. To address this, the American Thoracic Society convened a workshop to define immunocompromised host pneumonia and its diagnostic criteria.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Marcia Lange, Carin Caroll, Emma Rosenbluth, Rachel Meislin, Keith Sigel, Scott L. Friedman, Norah Terrault, Rhoda Sperling, Tatyana Kushner
Letter
Health Care Sciences & Services
Zahed Shahmoradi, Haluk Damgacioglu, Jane Montealegre, Elizabeth Y. Chiao, Keith Sigel, Kalyani Sonawane, Ashish A. Deshmukh