Coronavirus Disease 2019 Serial Testing Among Hospitalized Patients in a Midwest Tertiary Medical Center, July-September 2020.

We implemented serial coronavirus disease 2019 testing for inpatients with a negative test on admission. The conversion rate (negative to positive) on repeat testing was 1%. We identified patients during their incubation period and hospital-onset cases, rapidly isolated them, and potentially reduced exposures. Serial testing and infectiousness determination were resource intensive.

Real-Time Characterization of Diminutive Colorectal Polyp Histology Using Narrow-Band Imaging: Implications for the Resect and Discard Strategy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Narrow-band imaging (NBI) allows real-time histologic classification of colorectal polyps. We investigated whether endoscopists without prior training in NBI can achieve the following thresholds recommended by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: for diminutive colorectal polyps characterized with high confidence, a ≥90% negative predictive value for adenomas in the rectosigmoid and a ≥90% agreement in surveillance intervals. METHODS: Twenty-six endoscopists from 2 tertiary care centers underwent standardized training in NBI interpretation. Endoscopists made real-time predictions of diminutive colorectal polyp histology and surveillance interval predictions based on NBI. Their performance was evaluated by comparing predicted with actual findings from histologic analysis. Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess predictors of performance. Cumulative summation analysis was used to characterize learning curves. RESULTS: The endoscopists performed 1451 colonoscopies and made 3012 diminutive polyp predictions (74.3% high confidence) using NBI. They made 898 immediate post-procedure surveillance interval predictions. An additional 505 surveillance intervals were determined with histology input. The overall negative predictive value for high-confidence characterizations in the rectosigmoid was 94.7% (95% confidence interval: 92.6%-96.8%) and the surveillance interval agreement was 91.2% (95% confidence interval: 89.7%-92.7%). Overall, 97.0% of surveillance interval predictions would have brought patients back on time or early. High-confidence characterization was the strongest predictor of accuracy (odds ratio = 3.42; 95% confidence interval: 2.72-4.29; P < .001). Performance improved over time, however, according to cumulative summation analysis, only 7 participants (26.9%) identified adenomas with sufficient sensitivity such that further auditing is not required. CONCLUSIONS: With standardized training, gastroenterologists without prior expertise in NBI were able to meet the negative predictive value and surveillance interval thresholds set forth by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. The majority of disagreement in surveillance interval brought patients back early. Performance improves with time, but most endoscopists will require ongoing auditing of performance. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02441998.

Acid suppression medications are associated with suboptimal weight loss after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in patients older than 40 years.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery, including laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB), achieves the greatest long-term weight loss in severe obesity. Approximately 50%-60% of severely obese patients have gastroesophageal reflux disease, and a substantial proportion is taking a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or histamine-2 blocker (H2 B) at the time of LRYGB. The objective of this study was to explore the association of PPI/H2 B use before LRYGB with suboptimal percent weight loss (PWL) after LRYGB. METHODS: This was a cohort study of 472 consecutive patients who underwent LRYGB at a single center from 2004-2011. Suboptimal PWL was defined as<14% at 2 months,<25% at 6 months, and<30% at 12 months. Because of effect modification by age, stratified analyses (by median age of 40 yr) were performed. All models were adjusted for appropriate covariates, including obesity-associated co-morbidities. RESULTS: For patients aged ≤40 years, PPI/H2 B use leading up to LRYGB was not associated with suboptimal PWL at 2 months (P = .86), 6 months (P = .47), or 12 months (P = .66). However, for patients aged>40 years, PPI/H2 B use leading up to LRYGB was associated with a nonsignificant increase in suboptimal PWL at 2 months (odds ratio [OR] 2.23; P = .08) and significant increases in suboptimal PWL at 6 months (OR 7.23; P = .002) and 12 months (OR 11.1; P = .02). Results were independent of GERD. CONCLUSIONS: Mechanisms for the poorer weight loss in patients aged>40 years who were using a PPI/H2 B just before LRYGB should be explored.

The effect of Medicaid status on weight loss, hospital length of stay, and 30-day readmission after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Medicaid are much less likely to undergo bariatric surgery compared to those with commercial insurance. The aims of this study were to compare outcomes after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) for patients covered by Medicaid, other (non-Medicaid) government insurance, and commercial insurance. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of all eligible patients who underwent LRYGB between July 2004 and October 2011 at a single university hospital (n = 450). Multivariable regression analysis was used to compare percent weight loss (PWL), absolute weight loss (AWL), hospital length of stay (LOS) ≥3 days, and 30-day readmission rates. Analyses were adjusted for appropriate covariates. RESULTS: There was a nonsignificant increase in PWL in Medicaid patients at 2 months (p = 0.08), 6 months (p = 0.09), and 12 months (p = 0.17) compared to commercial insurance patients. Similarly, there was a nonsignificant increase in AWL in Medicaid patients at 2 months (p = 0.054), 6 months (p = 0.08), and 12 months (p = 0.14) compared to commercial insurance patients. Medicaid patients had similar PWL and AWL compared to those with other government insurance (p ≥ 0.29 at all time points). Medicaid patients were more likely to have a hospital LOS ≥ 3 days (OR 2.03; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.09-3.77) and a hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge (odds ratio (OR) 2.84; 95 % CI 1.15-6.96) compared to commercial insurance patients. CONCLUSIONS: These data should be considered as states expand Medicaid and make decisions regarding treatment of severe obesity. Interventions to decrease hospital LOS and the 30-day readmission rate, particularly in Medicaid patients, should be explored.

The effect of PPI use on human gut microbiota and weight loss in patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) achieves sustainable weight loss possibly by altering the gut microbiota. The effect of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) on weight loss and the gut microbiota has not been explored. PPI use and the gut microbiota were assessed before and 6 months after LRYGB in eight patients. Bacterial profiles were generated by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. Prior to LRYGB, PPI users had a higher percent relative abundance (PRA) of Firmicutes compared to nonusers. PPI users at 6 months post-LRYGB had a higher PRA of Firmicutes [48.6 versus 35.6%, p = nonsignificant (NS)] and a trend toward significantly lower percent excess weight loss (49.3 versus 61.4%, p = 0.067) compared to nonusers. PPI use post-LRYGB may impair weight loss by modifying gut microbiota.

EphA4 catalytic activity causes inhibition of RhoA GTPase in Xenopus laevis embryos.

The Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases is involved in limiting cell and tissue interactions via a repulsive mechanism. The mechanism of repulsion involves reorganizing the actin cytoskeleton, but little is known of the molecular components that connect the receptor to the actin cytoskeleton. Recent studies in retinal ganglion cells have demonstrated that EphA4 activates the small GTPase Rho. We have investigated the involvement of Rho in signaling downstream from EphA4. As a model system, we have used a chimeric receptor called EPP that we express and activate in early Xenopus embryos. Previous studies demonstrated that EPP activation leads to loss of cell-cell adhesion and change in cell shape, plus loss of aspects of cell polarity in epithelial cells, such as apical microvilli and the apical/basolateral boundary. In this study, we show that injecting inhibitors of Rho GTPases into early Xenopus embryos produces a phenotype very similar to that resulting from EPP activation. More importantly, expression of a constitutively active form of Xenopus RhoA (XRhoA) concurrent with activated EPP rescued embryos from the loss of cell-cell adhesion and change in cell shape associated with EPP. These data argue that, in contrast to the case in retinal ganglion cells, EphA4 in early Xenopus embryos acts to inhibit RhoA, suggesting that this receptor may regulate Rho differently (and therefore affect the cytoskeleton differently) in neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Furthermore, overexpression of ephexin, a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rho family GTPases, also blocks EPP-induced dissociation. This suggests that EphA4, which has been demonstrated to activate ephexin in cultured neuronal cells, may also target Rho GTPase via an ephexin-independent pathway.