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To conduct a pilot study implementing combined genomic and epidemiologic surveillance for hospital-acquired multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) to predict transmission between patients and to estimate the local burden of MDRO transmission.
Design:
Pilot prospective multicenter surveillance study.
Setting:
The study was conducted in 8 university hospitals (2,800 beds total) in Melbourne, Australia (population 4.8 million), including 4 acute-care, 1 specialist cancer care, and 3 subacute-care hospitals.
Methods:
All clinical and screening isolates from hospital inpatients (April 24 to June 18, 2017) were collected for 6 MDROs: vanA VRE, MRSA, ESBL Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-Kp), and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPa) and Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb). Isolates were analyzed and reported as routine by hospital laboratories, underwent whole-genome sequencing at the central laboratory, and were analyzed using open-source bioinformatic tools. MDRO burden and transmission were assessed using combined genomic and epidemiologic data.
Results:
In total, 408 isolates were collected from 358 patients; 47.5% were screening isolates. ESBL-Ec was most common (52.5%), then MRSA (21.6%), vanA VRE (15.7%), and ESBL-Kp (7.6%). Most MDROs (88.3%) were isolated from patients with recent healthcare exposure.
Combining genomics and epidemiology identified that at least 27.1% of MDROs were likely acquired in a hospital; most of these transmission events would not have been detected without genomics. The highest proportion of transmission occurred with vanA VRE (88.4% of patients).
Conclusions:
Genomic and epidemiologic data from multiple institutions can feasibly be combined prospectively, providing substantial insights into the burden and distribution of MDROs, including in-hospital transmission. This analysis enables infection control teams to target interventions more effectively.
This is the first report on the association between trauma exposure and depression from the Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA(AURORA) multisite longitudinal study of adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae (APNS) among participants seeking emergency department (ED) treatment in the aftermath of a traumatic life experience.
Methods
We focus on participants presenting at EDs after a motor vehicle collision (MVC), which characterizes most AURORA participants, and examine associations of participant socio-demographics and MVC characteristics with 8-week depression as mediated through peritraumatic symptoms and 2-week depression.
Results
Eight-week depression prevalence was relatively high (27.8%) and associated with several MVC characteristics (being passenger v. driver; injuries to other people). Peritraumatic distress was associated with 2-week but not 8-week depression. Most of these associations held when controlling for peritraumatic symptoms and, to a lesser degree, depressive symptoms at 2-weeks post-trauma.
Conclusions
These observations, coupled with substantial variation in the relative strength of the mediating pathways across predictors, raises the possibility of diverse and potentially complex underlying biological and psychological processes that remain to be elucidated in more in-depth analyses of the rich and evolving AURORA database to find new targets for intervention and new tools for risk-based stratification following trauma exposure.
This study employs network analysis and microhistory to challenge the standard narrative about architecture and patronage in Baroque Rome, that of celebrity patron-artist relationships. It investigates the artists and artisans below this elite team and the plurality of relationships that developed among them. The subject is Innocent X Pamphilj's monumental works of art and architecture, at the Vatican, Piazza Navona, Campidoglio, Lateran, and Janiculum Hill, commissioned for the 1650 Holy Year. It argues that competent artisans and their relationships influenced the operation of building sites and presents Innocent X as the patron of an industrious architectural enterprise.
Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) populations resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides and glyphosate are fairly common throughout the state of North Carolina (NC). This has led farm managers to rely more heavily on herbicides with other sites of action (SOA) for A. palmeri control, especially protoporphyrinogen oxidase and glutamine synthetase inhibitors. In the fall of 2016, seeds from A. palmeri populations were collected from the NC Coastal Plain, the state’s most prominent agricultural region. In separate experiments, plants with 2 to 4 leaves from the 110 populations were treated with field use rates of glyphosate, glufosinate-ammonium, fomesafen, mesotrione, or thifensulfuron-methyl. Percent visible control and survival were evaluated 3 wk after treatment. Survival frequencies were highest following glyphosate (99%) or thifensulfuron-methyl (96%) treatment. Known mutations conferring resistance to ALS inhibitors were found in populations surviving thifensulfuron-methyl application (Ala-122-Ser, Pro-197-Ser, Trp-574-Leu, and/or Ser-653-Asn), in addition to a new mutation (Ala-282-Asp) that requires further investigation. Forty-two populations had survivors after mesotrione application, with one population having 17% survival. Four populations survived fomesafen treatment, while none survived glufosinate. Dose–response studies showed an increase in fomesafen needed to kill 50% of two populations (LD50); however, these rates were far below the field use rate (less than 5 g ha−1). In two populations following mesotrione dose–response studies, a 2.4- to 3.3-fold increase was noted, with LD90 values approaching the field use rate (72.8 and 89.8 g ha−1). Screening of the progeny of individuals surviving mesotrione confirmed the presence of resistance alleles, as there were a higher number of survivors at the 1X rate compared with the parent population, confirming resistance to mesotrione. These data suggest A. palmeri resistant to chemistries other than glyphosate and thifensulfuron-methyl are present in NC, which highlights the need for weed management approaches to mitigate the evolution and spread of herbicide-resistant populations.
Overreliance on herbicides for weed control has led to the evolution of herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth populations. Farm managers should consider the long-term consequences of their short-term management decisions, especially when considering the soil weed seedbank. The objectives of this research were to (1) determine how soybean population and POST herbicide application timing affects in-season Palmer amaranth control and soybean yield, and (2) how those variables influence Palmer amaranth densities and cotton yields the following season. Soybeans were planted (19-cm row spacing) at a low-, medium-, and high-density population (268,000, 546,000, and 778,000 plants ha–1, respectively). Fomesafen and clethodim (280 and 210 g ai ha–1, respectively) were applied at the VE, V1, or V2 to V3 soybean growth stage. Nontreated plots were also included to assess the effect of soybean population alone. The following season, cotton was planted into these plots so as to understand the effects of soybean planting population on Palmer amaranth densities in the subsequent crop. When an herbicide application occurred at the V1 or V2 to V3 soybean stage, weed control in the high-density soybean population increased 17% to 23% compared to the low-density population. Economic return was not influenced by soybean population and was increased 72% to 94% with herbicide application compared to no treatment. In the subsequent cotton crop, Palmer amaranth densities were 24% to 39% lower 3 wk after planting when following soybean sprayed with herbicides compared to soybean without herbicides. Additionally, Palmer amaranth densities in cotton were 19% lower when soybean was treated at the VE stage compared to later stages. Thus, increasing soybean population can improve Palmer amaranth control without adversely affecting economic returns and can reduce future weed densities. Reducing the weed seedbank and selection pressure from herbicides are critical in mitigating resistance evolution.
To verify the main advantages and drawbacks of mechanical suturing for pharyngeal closure after total laryngectomy versus a manual suturing technique.
Methods
A retrospective review was carried out of 126 total laryngectomies performed between 2008 and 2018. Manual closure was performed in 80 cases (63.5 per cent) and mechanical suturing was performed in 46 cases (36.5 per cent).
Results
Mechanical suturing was used significantly more frequently in patients with: glottic tumours (p = 0.008), less local tumour extension (p = 0.017) and less pre-operative morbidity (p = 0.014). There were no significant differences in the incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistula between the manual suture group (16.3 per cent) and the mechanical suture group (13.0 per cent) (p = 0.628). None of the patients treated with mechanical suturing had positive surgical margins. Cancer-specific survival for the mechanical suture group was higher than that for the manual suture group (p = 0.009).
Conclusion
Mechanical suturing of the pharynx after total laryngectomy is an oncologically safe technique if used in suitable cases.
Introduction: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a potent risk factor for kidney failure, cardiovascular events and all cause hospitalizations. In addition to higher outpatient resource use, patients with CKD may present more frequently to the emergency department (ED) and may be more likely to be admitted for hospitalization. In Manitoba, we previously demonstrated an 8-fold increase in the frequency of ED presentations by patients on dialysis as compared to a non-dialysis population. Comparable data on ED visits remain sparse for patients with CKD G3-G5, not on dialysis. Here, we aim to describe the frequency of ED visits and highlight differences in reasons for visit in patients with CKD stages G3-G5 and those on dialysis when compared to a non-CKD population. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using administrative health data from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Canada. We included all adults (≥ 18 years) with CKD stages G3-G5 and patients undergoing dialysis between January 1st, 2010 and December 31, 2014. Secular trends in the in the rates of ED visits were calculated for those with CKD, those on dialysis and in the non-CKD population. Results: Over the study period, patients undergoing dialysis had the highest incidence of ED visits, followed by patients with CKD and those with normal kidney function (150 vs 106 vs 34 per 100 persons per year respectively). These rates were stable over the period studied. Among the non-CKD population, the most common reasons for an ED visit were musculoskeletal complaints (25.6%), followed by gastrointestinal (11.04%) and cardiovascular complaints (10.26%). In the CKD and dialysis cohort, ED visits were more commonly secondary to cardiovascular complaints (21.54% and 18.99% respectively), followed by respiratory and gastrointestinal complaints. . Admission to hospital was higher in CKD and dialysis populations than in the non-CKD population (29.56%, 26.07% vs 10.61%, respectively). Conclusion: Patients with CKD present frequently to the ED, and are often admitted after presentation. Cardiovascular and respiratory complaints are more common in the CKD population when compared to the general population.
To investigate the frequency of bradykinesia in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to see whether patients with OCD who also have bradykinesia display distinctive neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric features.
Methods
We studied 23 antipsychotic-free patients with OCD and 13 healthy controls. Bradykinesia was assessed with section III of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale. The Wechsler Adult Intelligent Scales-Revised (WAIS-R) was used to assess the Full Scale IQ and to measure visuospatial, visuoconstructional ability and psychomotor speed/mental slowness.
Results
Of the 23 patients with OCD studied, 8 (34%) had mild symptoms of bradykinesia. No relationship was found between bradykinesia and the sociodemographic variables assessed but this motor symptom was significantly associated with the severity of compulsions. Patients with bradykinesia differed from those without: they had a higher frequency of repeating compulsions, and lower IQ scores, performance scores, and WAIS-R subtest scores for similarities and picture completion. No significant differences were found between patients without bradykinesia and healthy controls in any test.
Conclusions
Clinical assessment of motor symptoms in adult patients with OCD often discloses mild bradykinesia sometimes associated with repeating compulsions and poor WAIS-R performance scores.
The effect of methylphenidate (MPH) on inhibitory control as assessed by the stop task in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be influenced by task difficulty and may be mediated by attention.
Subjects and methods
Fifteen children with ADHD performed the stop and the change task after placebo, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg MPH in a within-subject design.
Results
Linear-trend analysis showed a similar effect of MPH in both tasks and a stronger effect for inhibitory control than for attention. Furthermore, a correlation was found between blood serum metabolites of norepinephrine and dopamine for attentional measures and inhibitory control measures, respectively.
Discussion and conclusion
In children with ADHD MPH could act primarily on inhibitory control, and is not influenced by task difficulty. Also, attention and inhibitory control could have differential pharmacological profiles.
We describe a fronto-temporal paroxysmal rhythmic activity registered by magnetoencephalography (MEG) in two patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) without SSRIs treatment. The localization of the activity involves cingulate cortex and frontal areas. We think that these MEG findings are related to the disease itself, rather than representing pharmacological SSRIs effect.
To know prevalence of depression in Spanish nursing home(NH) by analysing the clinical profile of residents from RESYDEM study (Identification of patients with cognitive deterioration and dementia in NH).
Design/methods
A multicentral, transversal, observational study was carried out in April 2005. 71 geriatrician from 54 NH representing the Spanish state participated. Depression was analysed in patient´s history and determined by NPI of Cummings, NH version.
Results:
1037 residents were randomized, 1020 were used by clinical data analysis. 941 were used to determine depression prevalence. Median age 83,4yo, 66.6% were women, 70.9% with basic educational level, 57.4% widows, 25.7% single, 41.5% had some degree of functional deterioration, 22.1% had delirium. In 26.4% were documented Stroke(17,9% TIA). 61.7% had dementia.
Depression appears in 31.4% of elderly institutionalized with the only diagnosis of depression or independent of others. There were no significant differences in age groups. However, was most frequent in women. 95.7% of patients with diagnosis of dementia had at least one drug for depression. Most used anti-depressants were trazadone (23%), citalopram (20.9%), sertraline (15.8%), fluoxetine (10.1%). No tricyclical anti-depressant reached 1% of consumption.
Conclusions:
Depression affects practically one in three institutionalized elderly in Spain
Institutionalized elderly with depression are largely treated with ISRS. It is believed that the use of trazadone is linked with the effects on sleep and anxiety.
The high prevalence of depression, its overlapping with other processes and the comorbility of residents requires a careful search and approach in NH which implies a challenge for professionals in order to treat it.
A higher prevalence of toxic substances consumption is considered to be under schizophrenia states.These patients are also considered to have a higher possibility than general population of developing different disorders due to the use of substances being the risk above 3 regarding alcohol,5 for cannabis, 6 for opiates, and 13 for cocaine.Two hypotheses were used for explaining this comorbidity: for alleviating its symptomatology and the adverse effects of the antipsychotic treatment, and on the other hand, the use of toxic substances as causal and predisposing effect of psychotic episodes in patients with personal vulnerability.
Objectives:
Sociodemographic description of patients diagnosed as having psychotic disorders with abuse of toxic substances. Establishment of connections between the toxic substance consumption and development of his/her mental disorder.
Methodology: Open retrospective study of two years in which patients diagnosed as having schizophrenia admitted into the University Hospital in Valladolid, Spain: consumers/no consumers.Scales (SAPS, SANS).Hospital Reports(sociodemographic and clinical data).
Results:
Preliminary results show the prevalence of the schizophrenic patients with toxic abuse.Predominance of young males that had their first admissions into hospital at very early ages and a higher frequency of hospital readmissions. Likewise in this group positive symptomatology shows a higher predominance and a higher connection with affective disorders. These patients show a better premorbid adaptation, a higher frequency of violent and impulsive behaviours, treatment guidelines with higher doses and higher frequency of resistance to treatment.The order consumption of toxics is tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, stimulants, and opiates.However it is not rare to find consumption of multiple drugs.
Self-perceived health is a well-recognised predictor of later health outcomes and mortality, but its relationship to incident dementia has been scarcely explored.
Objective:
To analyze self- perceived health as a risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD) in a population- based survey of the elderly (NEDICES) Study.
Methods:
Participants were evaluated at baseline (1994-1995) with a standardized questionnaire that included subjective and objective (chronic disorders) health status and screening questions for depression and neurologic disorders. At follow-up (a median of 3.2 years later in 1997-1998) an analogous protocol and neurological assessment were performed.
Results:
Of 5,278 participants evaluated at baseline there were 306 prevalent dementia cases, and 161 incident dementia cases were identified among 3,891 individuals assessed at follow-up (D: 115).
Cox hazard ratio analyses showed that age, stroke and illiteracy were independent risk factors for dementia and AD. Aggregation of vascular risk factors was related to a higher risk of both dementia and AD. Good (and very good) versus less than good (fair, bad and very bad) self-perceived health was an independent risk factor for dementia (CI 95% 1.13- 2.16; p= .006) and AD (CI 95% 1.02- 2.18; p= .038) after adjusting by age, sex education and vascular risk factors.
Discussion:
Self-perceived health increased the risk for incident dementia and AD in the NEDICES cohort as it was previously described in the United Kindom MRC- CFA Study of dementia incidence. Global health measurements (self-perceived health, quality of life) needs farther studies as risk for dementia and AD.
Determine the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), using the NPI-NH(Neuropsychiatric Inventory Nursing Home(NH) Version),in order to provide a multidimensional profile in behavioural symptoms in residents and to calculate its prevalence in Spanish NH.
Design/ Methods
From randomized population of RESYDEM study (Identification of patients with cognitive deterioration and dementia in NH) a multi-central, cross-sectional and observational study was carried out. 71 geriatrician from 54 NH representative the Spanish state participated.NPS was determinated by NPI Cummings NH version. This version includes upsets in sleep and feeding patterns.
992 residents were examined (Median age 83.4yo, 66.6% women, 91.8% received at least one type of treatment, 61.7% with dementia). 523 (52.7%) presented at least one type of NPS. In order of greatest frequency, the following were noted: alterations in sleep patterns (41.7%), depression/disphoria (31.4%), anxiety (31.2%), agitation/aggressiveness (29.6%), apathy/indifference (25.8%), delirious ideas (23.7%), irritability (22.4%), feeding/appetite upsets (18.5%), anomalous motor behaviour (15.3%), hallucinations (13.8%), desinhibition (11.1%), euphoria (4.4%).
35.9% of residents received benzodiapines, 26.7% antidepressants. Atypical neuroleptics were used in 15.8%, in contrast with 7.4% of the use of classic ones.
Conclusions:
NPS ´s reached a high prevalence in NH and it is usual that more than one co-exists in the patients.
Alterations in sleep patterns, depression, anxiety, agitation/aggressiveness affect approximately one in three residents.
It is useful and recommendable to evaluate the 12 behavioural areas from the NH version of the NPI scale. This instrument was chosen as a sifting measure to establish neuropyschiatric symptomology in residences.
Ageing is part of a continuum which is characterized by developmental and emotional changes as well as cognitive losses and gains. There is evidence that the perception of life quality in the elders is influenced by the level of efficiency of cognitive functions and personal beliefs on the senescence (e.g., De Beni, 2009). Indeed, when the early cognitive decline is negatively perceived, the late adults tend to show low self-esteem, social retirement, depression, low general life satisfaction. Overall, in geriatric studies scales designed to detect subjective psychological well-being are usually administrated ignoring the disturbing effect of several factors, such as the socially desirable responding, a construct referring to the attitude to project favorable images of themselves on questionnaires or during social interaction (e.g., Knauper et al., 2004). The present study was aimed to investigate whether social desirability is related to several measures of memory and metacognitive efficiencies. Forty-eight young (i.e., 20–30 years old) and old (i.e., 65–74 years aged) participants recruited in Ogliastra (e.g., an area in Sardinia known for the high prevalence of centenarians) were individually administrated a battery of tests including the Italian version of the Crowne-Marlowe Social Desirability Scale (Saggino and Perfetti, 2003) together with a measure of subjective mnestic efficiency for daily life facts (Questionnaire on Cognitive Failures, De Beni et al., 2008) and a self-report memory beliefs questionnaire (Cornoldi and De Beni, 2003). The results show that the measurement of the perceived mnestic and metacognitive efficiencies are susceptible to socially desirable responding.
Clinical and experimental findings suggest that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is due to an abnormality of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit. Bradykinesia and mental slowness can be present in patients with basal ganglia disorders affecting the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit. Aim of this study is to investigate whether bradykinesia and mental slowness are present in patients with OCD.
Methods:
Participants comprised 19 non-depressed anti-psychotic free patients with OCD.
Bradykinesia was assessed with the motor section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Mental slowness was investigated with the WAIS-R and the Y-BOCS. Psychiatric evaluation was performed with: SCID-I, Y-BOCS, HAMD, HAM-A, and MMPI. Cognitive functions were assessed with the WAIS-R.
Results:
Bradykinesia and mental slowness were present respectively in the 39% and 89% of the patients. Bradykinesia was positively correlated to Y-BOCS mental slowness score (rho=0.48, p< 0.05), and inversely related to the WAIS-R Performance IQ score (rho=-0.65, p< 0.01). Patients with bradykinesia scored significantly lower in the Similarities and Digit symbol coding WAIS-R subscales as compared to non-bradykinetic patients. in our sample pathological doubt was not associated with IQ measures nor with bradykinesia. Twelve out of 19 patients (63%) showed impairments in the nonverbal function scores.
Conclusions:
The novel findings of this study is that bradykinesia can be present in patients with OCD, and it is correlated with mental slowness and nonverbal performance impairment. These preliminary data support the notion that dysfunction of basal ganglia is possibly present in OCD patients.
Patients with anxiety disorders are more vulnerable to develop other comorbid conditions. In particular, large epidemiological studies show a strong association between different anxiety disorders and substance use disorders.
Objectives
To show the prevalence of major anxiety disorders and the consumption of different substances. As well as the particular characteristics of this dual diagnosis and treatments that have proven more effective.
Methods
Exhaustive review of all the material published on this topic in the recent years.
Conclusions
Nearly 24% of patients with anxiety disorder suffer from a comorbid substance disorder use in their lifetime (17.9% diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence diagnosis and 11.9% of abuse or dependence on other drugs). Dual patients show a number of distinctive features, such as more frequency in males, family history of alcohol or other substances abuse and behavioral problems, early parental loss among others.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
The theory of self-medication in patients with severe mental illness has been exposed for years but to date has not been confirmed or ruled out. With this study, we intend to show the latest available evidence regarding this context.
Methods
An exhaustive literature research in Medline and the latest forth in APA 2015.
Results
More and more evidence refute the veracity of this theory deeply rooted among some professionals.
Conclusion
There are theoretical alternatives that relate more sustained manner the relationship between consumption and toxic psychosis.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Between 25–50% of psychiatric patients are non-compliant with their pharmacological treatment. When differences between compliant and non-compliant patients were analyzed, differences were found in relation to their beliefs and feelings about medication. The Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) was created to measure attitudes towards medication in adults. It predicted adherence in schizophrenia and depression studies.
Objective
Determine if psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational activities – during a partial hospitalization at the Psychiatric Day Hospital – can improve aspects related to feelings and thoughts about medication.
Method
We gathered retrospectively a sample of 151 patients hospitalized at the Psychiatric Day Hospital, from September 2013 to June 2015. Their thoughts and feelings about medication were measured with the DAI before and after the hospitalization. From the sample of 151 patients, 94 completed both tests, excluding who did not have the final DAI score. Differences between initial and final scores were statistically analyzed with the Wilcoxon test for paired samples.
Results
Of the 94 patients who completed the study, 52 showed an improvement in their DAI score, whereas the remaining 27 showed an equal or decreased final DAI compared to initial evaluation. The difference was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05).
Conclusion
It seems that psychoeducational activities related to medication are important in order to reconsider or modify feelings and thoughts about treatment. Information on medication provided to psychiatric patients (to those who need psychopharmacological treatment), carried out in a group context, which facilitates an open and sincere communication, can be a useful strategy to improve compliance with treatment.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.