1,720,983 research outputs found
Randomised controlled trial comparing molecular Point-of-Care testing for gastrointestinal pathogens with standard clinical care, in adults presenting to secondary care with suspected infectious gastroenteritis (GastroPOC Trial) [Trial Protocol]
No full textTreatment of influenza with neuraminidase inhibitors
No full textPURPOSE OF REVIEW: Seasonal and pandemic influenza are major causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) are the only class of antiviral agent recommended for the treatment of currently circulating strains of influenza. There has previously been controversy over the level of evidence for patient benefit with NAIs. We review here the current evidence base for the clinical impact of treatment of influenza with NAIs.RECENT FINDINGS: Meta-analysis of pharma-sponsored studies (including previously unpublished data) shows that NAIs reduce the duration of illness in influenza-infected patients, and suggest a possible reduction in the rate of complications and hospitalization. Meta-analysis of observational studies examining oseltamivir use during the H1N1 2009 pandemic, suggest a reduction in hospitalization rate in community-dwelling patients and a reduction in mortality in hospitalized adults treated with NAIs. Current NAI use in the community and hospitals varies widely but in general they are underutilized.SUMMARY: Although there has been controversy over the level of evidence for patient benefit, a growing body of evidence suggests that treatment of influenza with NAIs is associated with improved outcomes for both patients in the community and more severely unwell patients in hospital. Clinical outcomes are optimal with earlier use and strategies to improve early widespread NAI utilization are needed.<br/
1717. The impact of routine molecular point-of-care testing for gastrointestinal pathogens in adults hospitalized with suspected gastroenteritis: results of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (GastroPOC)
No full textBackground: adults hospitalised with diarrhoea are routinely isolated as an infection control measure, but many have non-infectious etiology. Side room facilities are a limited resource in hospitals. Routine laboratory testing takes several days to generate results but rapid molecular platforms can test comprehensively for GI pathogens and generate a result in 1 hour, making them deployable as point-of-care tests (POCT). POCT could reduce unnecessary isolation facility use in addition to other benefits.Methods: in this pragmatic, pilot randomised controlled trial, adults hospitalised with suspected gastroenteritis were recruited and randomised 1:1 to receive either POCT (using the FilmArray GI panel) or routine clinical care. Results of POCT were communicated directly to clinical and infection control teams. The primary outcome was duration of time in a side room and secondary outcomes included turnaround time, proportion of patients with a pathogen detected, proportion of patients correctly de-isolated, time to de-isolation, antibiotic use and length of hospital stay.Results: 140 patients were recruited. Groups (n = 70) were well matched in terms of baseline characteristics. The median [IQR] turnaround time for results was 1.7 [1.6–2.3] hours in the POCT group and 61 [49–84] hours in the control group, P < 0.0001. Pathogens were detected in 44% of patients in the POCT group and 23% in the control group; P = 0.012. Overall the duration of side room isolation was 1.9 [1.0–2.9] days in the POCT group compared with 2.7 [1.8–5.1] days in the control group; P = 0.001. For those testing negative for pathogens this was 1.3 [0.8–2.5] days in the POCT group versus 2.7 [1.8–5.0] days in the control group, P < 0.0001. 63% of pathogen-negative patients were correctly de-isolated in the POCT group versus 28% in the control group, P = 0.0012. Antibiotic use and length of stay data will be available subsequently.Conclusion: POCT using the FilmArray GI panel resulted in a substantially reduced turnaround time for results and an increase in the proportion of patients with pathogens correctly detected. POCT was associated with a reduction in the duration of unnecessary side room use. If these benefits are confirmed in further studies and cost effectiveness is demonstrated, molecular POCT for GI pathogens should replace current diagnostic pathways
654. Evaluation of the febridx host response point-of-care test to differentiate viral from bacterial etiology in adults hospitalized with acute respiratory illness during influenza season
No full textBackground: antibiotics are overused in patients hospitalized with acute respiratory illness (ARI). Diagnostic uncertainty regarding microbial etiology contributes to this practice and so a host response test that can distinguish between viral and bacterial infection has the potential to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. The FebriDx is a low cost, rapid, host response POCT that uses fingerpick blood samples to distinguish between viral and bacterial infection but has not been evaluated in hospitalized adults with ARI.Methods: we took fingerpick blood samples from adult patients with ARI, hospitalized during influenza season, and tested them on the FebriDx. Respiratory samples were tested for viruses on the FilmArray Respiratory Panel (FARP). The FebriDx was evaluated for ease of use, failure rate and accuracy of the results (Viral, Bacterial, Negative).Results: 149 patients were approached and 10 patients declined fingerpick testing. A valid result was obtained from 124/139 (89%) overall. Common user comments included test failure due to difficulty of getting blood to fill the capillary tube and difficulty in interpreting the results lines due to the variability of color change. 111/124 (89%) were tested for viruses by FARP. 69/111 (62%) had viruses detected. Of 69 patients with viruses detected, 41 (59%) had influenza, 12 (17%) rhino/enterovirus and 16 (23%) other viruses. 44/69 (64%) had a viral FebriDx result. For influenza-positive patients 34/41 (83%) had a viral FebriDx result, 1/12(8%) of rhinovirus-positive patients had a viral FebriDx result and 9/16 (56%) of patients with other viruses detected had a viral FebriDx result. These are interim results. Full results for 200 patients will be available at presentation.Conclusion: the use of the FebriDx POC was associated with a failure rate of ~10% and problems with the interpretation of result lines. FebriDx was not sufficiently accurate in differentiating viral and bacterial infection when using detection of virus by PCR as the definition of viral infection; however, FebriDx had a high PPV for all viral detection and for influenza detection in this cohort and could have utility in hospital emergency departments
Impact of turnaround time on outcome with point-of-care testing for respiratory viruses: a post hoc analysis from a randomised controlled trial
No full textSARS-CoV-2 Viral load at presentation to hospital is independently associated with the risk of death
No full textObjectives Previous studies have suggested that SARS-CoV-2 viral load, measured on upper respiratory tract samples at presentation to hospital using PCR Cycle threshold (Ct) value, has prognostic utility. However, these studies have not comprehensively adjusted for factors known to be intimately related to viral load. We aimed to evaluate the association between Ct value at admission and patient outcome whilst adjusting carefully for covariates. Methods We evaluated the association between Ct value at presentation and the outcomes of ICU admission and death, in patients hospitalised during the first wave of the pandemic in Southampton, UK. We adjusted for covariates including age, duration of illness and antibody sero-status, measured by neutralisation assay. Results 185 patients were analysed, with a median [IQR] Ct value of 27.9 [22.6–32.1]. On univariate analysis the Ct value at presentation was associated with the risk of both ICU admission and death. In addition, Ct value significantly differed according to age, the duration of illness at presentation and antibody sero-status. On multivariate analysis, Ct value was independently associated with risk of death (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72–0.96; p = 0.011) but not ICU admission (aOR 1.04, 95% CI 0.93–1.16; p = 0.507). Neutralising antibody status at presentation was not associated with mortality or ICU admission (aOR 10.62, 95% CI 0.47–889; p = 0.199 and aOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.10–2.00; p = 0.302, respectively). Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 Ct value on admission to hospital was independently associated with mortality, when comprehensively adjusting for other factors and could be used for risk stratification.</p
Hospitalised adults with pneumonia are frequently misclassified as another diagnosis
No full textUsing data from a large randomised controlled trial of adults hospitalised with acute respiratory illness, we examined the reliability of pneumonia diagnosis on discharge documentation. 50 (28.2%) of 177 patients with a pneumonia diagnosis had no radiological evidence of pneumonia. 67 (34.9%) of 192 patients with clinico-radiological evidence of pneumonia did not have a diagnosis of pneumonia listed; ‘COPD exacerbation’ or ‘lower respiratory tract infection’ was often listed instead. These patients more frequently had a respiratory comorbidity and lower oxygen saturations, CRP and temperature at presentation. Pneumonia diagnoses misclassification on discharge documentation may have clinical, financial, and research data implications
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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