Beverage consumption in patients with metabolic syndrome and its association with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Previous research has examined the association between coffee and tea consumption and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Preclinical studies have indicated the potential hepatoprotective properties of cocoa/chocolate. However, clinical research on the consumption of cocoa/chocolate and soft drinks and their relation to NAFLD, particularly among individuals with metabolic syndrome, is limited. This study primarily aimed to assess the association between beverage consumption and NAFLD in these patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled adult patients with metabolic syndrome visited the Medicine Outpatient Department at Siriraj Hospital, Thailand, from November 2011 to January 2013. The exclusion criteria were secondary causes of hepatic steatosis, such as excessive alcohol use, viral hepatitis, or drug-induced hepatitis. Participants completed a 23-item self-administered questionnaire covering their beverage consumption habits, including type, frequency, volume, duration, and additives in drinks, namely, coffee, tea, cocoa/chocolate, and soft drinks. To ensure accurate responses, these questionnaires were supplemented by face-to-face interviews. Ultrasonography was employed early in the methodology to diagnose NAFLD. Univariable analyses were used to compare the beverage consumption behaviors of participants with and without NAFLD. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders, including total beverage energy intake, age, anthropometric data, laboratory results, and comorbidities. Results: This study included 505 patients with metabolic syndrome. Of these, 341 (67.5%, 95%CI: 63.2-71.6%) were diagnosed with NAFLD. The consumption rates of coffee, cocoa/chocolate, and soft drinks were similar between the two groups. However, tea consumption was significantly more common in patients with NAFLD (68.3% vs. 51.8%, p < 0.001). The groups had no significant differences in caffeine intake or total energy intake from beverages. Notably, daily intake of three or more cups of coffee was correlated with a reduced prevalence of NAFLD, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.35 (95%CI: 0.14-0.89). Conclusion: This study revealed that patients with metabolic syndrome, irrespective of NAFLD status, exhibited similar patterns of beverage consumption. While no definitive associations were identified between the intake of coffee, tea, cocoa/chocolate, or soft drinks and NAFLD, a notable exception was observed. A higher consumption of coffee (≥3 cups daily) was associated with a lower prevalence of NAFLD.

Cost-utility and budget impact analyses of cervical cancer screening using self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing in Thailand.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer ranks as the third most prevalent cancer among women in Thailand. However, the effectiveness of cervical cancer screening programs is limited by several factors that impede the screening rate. The utilization of self-collected samples for screening purposes has the potential to alleviate barriers to screening in Thai women. This study assessed the cost-utility and budget impact of implementing cervical cancer screening using self-collected samples for human papillomavirus (HPV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing in Thailand. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed a decision tree integrated with a Markov model to estimate the lifetime costs and health benefits associated with the cervical cancer screening program for women aged 25-65. The analysis was conducted from a societal perspective. Four screening policy options were compared: (1) additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing, (2) clinician-collected samples for HPV DNA testing only, (3) clinician-collected samples for cytology test (i.e., status quo), and (4) no screening. The model inputs were based on unvaccinated women. The screening strategies and management in those with positive results were assumed followed to the Thai clinical practice guideline. Costs were reported in 2022 Thai baht. Sensitivity analyses were conducted. The ten-year budget impacts of the additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing were calculated from a payer perspective. RESULTS: All screening policies were cost-saving compared to no screening. When comparing the additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing with the clinician-collected samples policy, it emerged as the dominant strategy. The incremental benefit in cervical cancer prevention achieved by incorporating self-collected samples for screening was observed at any additional screening rate that could be achieved through their use. Sensitivity analyses yielded consistently favorable results for the screening policies. The average annual budget impact of the additional self-collected samples for screening policy amounted to 681 million Thai baht. This budget allocation could facilitate cervical cancer screening for over 10 million women. CONCLUSIONS: An addition of self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing into the cervical cancer screening program is cost-saving. The benefits of this screening policy outweigh the associated incremental costs. Policymakers should consider this evidence during the policy optimization process.

Clinical Predictive Score for Identifying Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Individuals with Prediabetes Using Transient Elastography.

Scoring systems for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in individuals with prediabetes have not been extensively explored. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of MASLD and to develop predictive tools for its detection in high cardiometabolic people with prediabetes. A cross-sectional study was conducted using baseline data from the prediabetes cohort. All participants underwent transient elastography to assess liver stiffness. MASLD was defined using a controlled attenuation parameter value > 275 dB/m and/or a liver stiffness measurement ≥ 7.0 kPa. Cases with secondary causes of hepatic steatosis were excluded. Out of 400 participants, 375 were included. The observed prevalence of MASLD in individuals with prediabetes was 35.7%. The most effective predictive model included FPG ≥ 110 mg/dL; HbA1c ≥ 6.0%; sex-specific cutoffs for HDL; ALT ≥ 30 IU/L; and BMI levels. This model demonstrated good predictive performance with an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.73-0.86). At a cutoff value of 4.5, the sensitivity was 70.7%, the specificity was 72.3%, the PPV was 58.8%, and the NPV was 81.5%. Our predictive model is practical, easy to use, and relies on common parameters. The scoring system should aid clinicians in determining when further investigations of MASLD are warranted among individuals with prediabetes, especially in settings with limited resources.

Long-term multiple metabolic abnormalities among healthy and high-risk people following nonsevere COVID-19.

Few studies have identified the metabolic consequences of the post-acute phase of nonsevere COVID-19. This prospective study examined metabolic outcomes and associated factors in nonsevere, RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19. The participants' metabolic parameters, the prevalence of long-term multiple metabolic abnormalities (≥ 2 components), and factors influencing the prevalence were assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months post-onset. Six hundred individuals (mean age 45.5 ± 14.5 years, 61.7% female, 38% high-risk individuals) with nonsevere COVID-19 attended at least one follow-up visit. The prevalence of worsening metabolic abnormalities was 26.0% for BMI, 43.2% for glucose, 40.5% for LDL-c, 19.1% for liver, and 14.8% for C-reactive protein. Except for lipids, metabolic-component abnormalities were more prevalent in high-risk hosts than in healthy individuals. The prevalence of multiple metabolic abnormalities at the 6-month follow-up was 41.3% and significantly higher in high-risk than healthy hosts (49.2% vs 36.5%; P = 0.007). Factors independently associated with a lower risk of these abnormalities were being female, having dyslipidemia, and receiving at least 3 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. These findings suggest that multiple metabolic abnormalities are the long-term consequences of COVID-19. For both high-risk and healthy individuals with nonsevere COVID-19, healthcare providers should monitor metabolic profiles, encourage healthy behaviors, and ensure complete vaccination.

Dynamics of Antibody Responses after Asymptomatic and Mild to Moderate SARS-CoV-2 Infections: Real-World Data in a Resource-Limited Country.

The dynamics of humoral immune responses of patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection is unclear. This study prospectively observed changes in anti-receptor binding domain immunoglobulin G (anti-RBD IgG) and neutralizing antibodies against the Wuhan and Delta strains at 1, 3, and 6 months postinfection between October 2021 and May 2022. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, baseline parameters, and blood samples of participants were collected. Of 5059 SARS-CoV-2 infected adult patients, only 600 underwent assessment at least once between 3 and 6 months after symptom onset. Patients were categorized as immunocompetent (n = 566), immunocompromised (n = 14), or reinfected (n = 20). A booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was strongly associated with maintained or increased COVID-19 antibody levels. The booster dose was also more strongly associated with antibody responses than the primary vaccination series. Among patients receiving a booster dose of a mRNA vaccine or a heterologous regimen, antibody levels remained steady or even increased for 3 to 6 months after symptom onset compared with inactivated or viral vector vaccines. There was a strong correlation between anti-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibodies against the Delta variant. This study is relevant to resource-limited countries for administering COVID-19 vaccines 3 to 6 months after infection.

Early antiviral and supervisory dexamethasone treatment improve clinical outcomes of nonsevere COVID-19 patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of early antiviral treatment in preventing clinical deterioration in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infected (COVID-19) patients in home isolation and to share our experiences with the ambulatory management of nonsevere COVID-19 patients. This retrospective study included mild COVID-19 adult patients confirmed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. They received care via an ambulatory management strategy between July 2021 and November 2021. Demographic data, clinical progression, and outcomes were collected. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to illustrate the cohort's characteristic and outcomes of the study. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were employed to investigate the associations between clinical factors and disease progression. A total of 1940 patients in the Siriraj home isolation system met the inclusion criteria. Their mean age was 42.1 ±â€…14.9 years, with 14.2% older than 60 years, 54.3% female, and 7.1% with a body weight ≥ 90 kg. Only 115 patients (5.9%) had deterioration of clinical symptoms. Two-thirds of these could be managed at home by dexamethasone treatment under physician supervision; however, 38 of the 115 patients (2.0% of the study cohort) needed hospitalization. Early favipiravir outpatient treatment (≤ 5 days from onset of symptoms) in nonsevere COVID-19 patients was significantly associated with a lower rate of symptom deterioration than late favipiravir treatment (50 [4.6%] vs 65 [7.5%] patients, respectively; P = .008; odds ratio 1.669; 95% confidence interval, 1.141-2.441). The unfavorable prognostic factors for symptom deterioration were advanced age, body weight ≥ 90 kg, unvaccinated status, higher reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold, and late favipiravir treatment. The early delivery of essential treatment, including antiviral and supervisory dexamethasone, to ambulatory nonsevere COVID-19 patients yielded favorable outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.

Fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels predict the risk of type 2 diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in a Thai high-risk population with prediabetes.

Introduction: The incidences of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Thai high-risk individuals with prediabetes have not been identified. This study compared diabetes and DR incidences among people at risk with different glycemic levels, using fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c). Materials and methods: A historical cohort study estimating risk of type 2 diabetes and DR was conducted among outpatients, using FPG and HbA1c measurements at recruitment and monitored for ≥5 years. High-risk participants (defined as having metabolic syndrome or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) were categorized by glycemic level into 4 groups: 1) impaired fasting glucose (IFG)-/HbA1c- (FPG <110 mg/dl; HbA1c < 6.0%); 2) IFG+/HbA1c- (FPG 110-125 mg/dl; HbA1c < 6.0%); 3) IFG-/HbA1c+ (FPG <110 mg/dl; HbA1c 6.0%-6.4%); and 4) IFG+/HbA1c+ (FPG 110-125 mg/dl; HbA1c 6.0%-6.4%). The incidences of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and DR were obtained and estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox regression models explored hazard ratios (HRs). Results: We recruited 8,977 people at risk (metabolic syndrome, 89.9%; atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, 16.9%). The baseline cohort consisted of 1) IFG-/HbA1c- (n = 4,221; 47.0%); 2) IFG+/HbA1c- (n = 1,274; 14.2%); 3) IFG-/HbA1c+ (n = 2,151; 24.0%); and 4) IFG+/HbA1c+ (n = 1,331; 14.8%). Their 5-year T2DM incidences were 16.0%, 26.4%, 30.8%, and 48.5% (p < 0.001). The median DR follow-up was 7.8 years (interquartile range, 7.0-8.4 years). The DR incidences were 0.50, 0.63, 1.44, and 2.68/1,000 person-years (p < 0.001) for IFG-/HbA1c-, IFG+/HbA1c-, IFG-/HbA1c+, and IFG+/HbA1c+, respectively. Compared with IFG-/HbA1c-, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for incident diabetes were 1.94 (1.34-2.80), 2.45 (1.83-3.29), and 4.56 (3.39-6.15) for IFG+/HbA1c-, IFG-/HbA1c+, and IFG+/HbA1c+, respectively. As for incident DR, the corresponding HRs were 0.67 (0.08-5.76), 4.74 (1.69-13.31), and 5.46 (1.82-16.39), respectively. Conclusion: The 5-year incidence of T2DM in Thai high-risk participants with prediabetes was very high. The incidences of diabetes and DR significantly increased with higher degrees of dysglycemia. High-risk people with FPG 110-125 mg/dl and HbA1c 6.0%-6.4% were more likely to develop T2DM and DR. Such individuals should receive priority lifestyle and pharmacological management.

Long-Term Outcomes Associated with NAFLD, ASCVD, and All-Cause Mortality of Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients are at higher risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), and death. Given a lack of longitudinal data on patients with MetS in Southeast Asia, this study investigated the incidence of NAFLD and ASCVD and the all-cause mortality rate during a 10-year follow-up of Thai patients with MetS. Retrospective data were collected on 496 MetS patients with ultrasonography or transient elastography results. The patients had been followed up continuously by a university hospital between October 2011 and November 2021, and their mean age was 61.0 ± 10.9 years. Patients with secondary causes of hepatic steatosis were excluded. Cox proportional hazards regression models with time-varying covariates were adopted. During the 10-year follow-up, 17 patients (11.2%) developed NAFLD, and 27 (6.4%) developed ASCVD. The NAFLD and ASCVD incidence rates were 21.7 and 10.9 events per 1000 person years, respectively. The mortality rate was 14.2 deaths per 1000 person years. The prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, ASCVD, NAFLD, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis at baseline was significantly higher in the nonsurvival group. The NAFLD incidence and mortality rate of patients with MetS were lower than those in previous studies. Intensive, holistic, and continuous care should be considered for better outcomes.

SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Response against Mild-to-Moderate Breakthrough COVID-19 in Home Isolation Setting in Thailand.

Background: In December 2021, Omicron replaced Delta as the dominant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) variant in Thailand. Both variants embody diverse epidemiological trends and immunogenicity. We investigated whether Delta and Omicron patients' biological and clinical characteristics and immunogenicity differed post-COVID-19 infection. Methods: This retrospective cohort study investigated the clinical outcomes and laboratory data of 5181 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 (Delta, 2704; Omicron, 2477) under home isolation. We evaluated anti-receptor-binding domain immunoglobulin G (anti-RBD IgG) and surrogate viral neutralizing (sVNT) activity in 495 individuals post-COVID-19 infection during the Delta pandemic. Results: Approximately 84% of all patients received favipiravir. The median cycle threshold (Ct) values were lower for Omicron patients than Delta patients (19 vs. 21; p < 0.001), regardless of vaccination status. Upper respiratory tract symptoms were more frequent with Omicron patients than Delta patients. There were no significant associations between Ct and Omicron symptoms (95% confidence interval 0.98−1.02). A two-dose vaccine regimen reduced hospital readmission by 10% to 30% and death by under 1%. Anti-RBD IgG and sVNT against Delta were higher among older individuals post-COVID-19 infection. Older individuals expressed anti-RBD IgG and sVNT for a more extended period after two-dose vaccination than other age groups. Conclusions: After a full vaccination course, breakthrough mild-to-moderate Delta and Omicron infections have limited immunogenicity. Prior infections exert reduced protection against later reinfection or infection from novel variants. However, this protection may be sufficient to prevent hospitalization and death, particularly in countries where vaccine supplies are limited.

Early diagnosis by antigen test kit and early treatment by antiviral therapy: An ambulatory management strategy during COVID-19 crisis in Thailand.

This study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics of patients who registered at the Siriraj Favipiravir Clinic and to share our experiences in this comparatively unique clinical setting. This retrospective study included patients who registered at the Siriraj Favipiravir Clinic during August 11, 2021 to September 14, 2021. Included adult patients were those with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) infection confirmed by antigen test kit (ATK) or real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, no favipiravir contraindication, no prior COVID-19 treatment, and not receiving care from another medical facility. Demographic data and outcomes were collected and analyzed. Of the 1168 patients (mean age: 44.8 ± 16.4 years, 55.7% female) who registered at the clinic, 117 (10%) did not meet the treatment criteria, and 141 (12%) patients did not pick up their medication. One-third of patients had at least 1 symptom that indicated severe disease. Higher proportion of unvaccinated status (56.7% vs 47.5%, P = .005), higher proportion of persons with risk factors for disease progression (37.7% vs 31.3%, P = .028), and longer duration between the date of clinic registration and the date of positive diagnostic test (3 vs 2 days, P = .004) were significantly more commonly observed in the severe disease group compared to the nonsevere disease group. The duration between symptom onset and the date of clinic registration was significantly longer in the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction group than in the ATK group (6 vs 4 days, P < .001). Most patients (90.0%) had completed favipiravir treatment regimen. The improvement and mortality rates were 86.7% and 1.2%, respectively. COVID-19 severity is associated with vaccination status, baseline risk factors, and timing between disease detection and treatment. The use of ATK influences patients to seek treatment significantly earlier in ambulatory setting. Our early diagnosis and antiviral treatment strategy yielded favorable results in an outpatient setting during a COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand.

Clinical Differences and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-Related Factors of Lean and Non-Lean Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.

This study investigated differences in the clinical data and prevalence of lean and non-lean patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Data on patients with MetS who had results of ultrasonography or transient elastography were collected from a Thai university hospital database. Patients with exclusion criteria for NAFLD diagnosis were excluded. Patients' clinical characteristic and the performances of three non-invasive scoring systems (fatty liver index [FLI], fibrosis-4 [FIB-4] index, and NAFLD fibrosis score [NFS]) were evaluated. The 743 subjects were classified into two groups: lean MetS (131 patients) and non-lean MetS (612 patients). The NAFLD prevalence in the non-lean group (62.6%) was higher than that in the lean group (31.3%). The age-adjusted odds ratio was 3.43. Advanced fibrosis was detected in 7.6% of lean patients and 10.8% of non-lean patients. FLI was not sensitive enough to detect NAFLD in the lean group at a high cutoff, but it performed acceptably at a low cutoff. FIB-4 performed better than NFS in determining advanced fibrosis. NAFLD was more common in non-lean than lean patients. Lean patients with MetS had a relatively higher risk of NAFLD than the general population. FLI and FIB-4 index performed acceptably in both groups.

Clinical predictive score for detecting nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with significant fibrosis in patients with metabolic syndrome.

ABSTRACT: Patients with metabolic syndrome are at a higher risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fibrosis than the general population. Still, accessibility of screening method for NAFLD with significant fibrosis, such as transient elastography (FibroScan) are limited in some settings. This study aimed to develop a simple clinical predictive score for detecting NAFLD with significant fibrosis in patients with metabolic syndrome.A cross-sectional study was designed to obtain the data from medical records of all relevant patients who underwent transient elastography between January 2011 and December 2020 at Siriraj Hospital, Thailand. A liver stiffness cutoff value of 7.0 kilopascal was used to define the presence of significant liver fibrosis. To examine potential predictors, medical history and clinical data commonly assessed in routine practice were selected by following expert opinions and univariable statistical analysis. Backward and forward stepwise logistic regression was performed to acquire a final prediction model. To simplify the model, a weighted score was assigned for each categorized predictor. In addition, eligible cutoff values of the score and their predictive performances were determined.A total of 745 medical records were reviewed. The prevalence of NAFLD with significant fibrosis in patients with metabolic syndrome was 12.6%. Most clinical characteristics of patients with NAFLD with significant fibrosis and those non-NAFLD and NAFLD with no/mild fibrosis were quite disparate. The most practical model comprised globulin, aspartate transaminase, platelet count, and type 2 diabetes. It provided a good predictive performance with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.828 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.782, 0.874). At the proper cutoff value, sensitivity and specificity were 76.6% (95% CI: 66.7%, 84.7%) and 72.4% (95% CI: 68.7%, 75.8%), respectively. The likelihood ratio of testing positive for NAFLD with significant fibrosis was 2.8 (95% CI: 2.34, 3.27) among patients with scores above the cutoff value.The first score for detecting of NAFLD with significant fibrosis in patients with metabolic syndrome was developed. This practical score, providing a good predictive performance, should be useful to help clinicians prioritize needs for further investigations among high-risk patients, especially in resource-limited settings.

Care maps are an effective tool for optimizing quality of care of infectious diseases in a resource-constrained short-stay ambulatory care setting.

ABSTRACT: Care maps (CMs), which are innovative, comprehensive, educational, and simple medical tools, were developed for 6 common diseases, including heart failure, stroke, hyperglycemia, urinary tract infection, dengue infection, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding, were implemented in a short-stay ambulatory ward. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of and level of clinician satisfaction with CMs in an ambulatory care setting.A retrospective chart review study comparing the quality of care between before and after CM implementation was conducted. The medical records of patients who were admitted to a short-stay ambulatory ward in a tertiary referral center were reviewed. Demographic data, severity of disease, quality of care, length of stay (LOS), admission cost, and CM user satisfaction were collected and recorded.The medical records of 1116 patients were evaluated. Of those, 589 and 527 patients were from before (non-CM group) and after CM (CM group) implementation, respectively. There were no significant differences between groups for age, gender, or disease-specific severity the median (interquartile range) total and essential quality scores were significantly higher in the CM group than in the non-CM group [total quality score 85.3 (75.0-92.9) vs 61.1 (50.0-75.0); P < .001, and essential quality scores 90.0 (75.0-100.0) vs 60.0 (40.6-80.0); P < .0001, respectively]. All aspects of quality of care were significantly improved between before and after CM implementation. Overall median LOS was significantly decreased from 3.8 (2.5-5.7) to 3.0 (2.0-4.9) days, but there was no significant decrease for admission cost. However, CMs were able to significantly reduce both LOS and admission cost in the infectious disease-related subgroup. Most CM users reported satisfaction with CMs.CMs were shown to be an effective tool for improving the quality of care in patients with ambulatory infectious diseases. In that patient subgroup, LOS and admission cost were both significantly reduced compared to pre-CM implementation.

The survival analysis of tunnel-cuffed central venous catheter versus arteriovenous hemodialysis access among elderly patients: A retrospective single center study.

BACKGROUND: There is currently a controversy for the optimal vascular access option in the elderly, regarding their multiple comorbidities and life expectancies. Our study aimed to compare the survival of tunneled cuff venous catheter (CVC) and arteriovenous access (AV access) in elderly patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed by electronic medical record review. All hemodialysis patients aged 65 years and over who firstly initiated dialysis from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016 at Siriraj hospital, Thailand, were included. The primary outcomes are to compare a 2-year period of survival between CVC and AV access in terms of abandonment, death, and combined outcome. Propensity score covariate and Charlson Comorbidity Score (CCI) were used for multivariable analysis adjustment. RESULTS: A total of 359 patients were included; 216 (60.2%) patients had initiated hemodialysis via CVC while the rest used AV access. The patients' average ages were 76.7 ± 7.0 and 74.0 ± 5.8 years (p-value<0.001) in the CVC and AV access group, respectively. The 2-year mortality rates of CVC and AV access groups were 24.1% and 15.4%, respectively (p-value = 0.038). Multivariable analyses showed that the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of combined endpoints, i.e., vascular access abandonment and death, was statistically different only in the CCI-adjusted model (aHR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.46-0.99). Mortality from infection cause was more common in the CVC group than the AV access group. CONCLUSION: CVC access maybe considers an alternative option for frail elderly patients. However, the patient selection is a crucial issue, given higher infection-related mortality in patients using CVC.

Neck circumference as a predictor of metabolic syndrome: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Data relating to the association between neck circumference (NC) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Southeast Asian population are scarce. AIMS: We aimed to investigate association between NC and MetS in Thai adults, and to determine gender-specific NC cutoff values for predicting MetS. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled patients aged ≥18years that attended the health examination center at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) during February 2016 to January 2017. Demographic, clinical, anthropometric data, and biochemical investigations for diagnosing MetS were collected. RESULTS: 390 patients (age 35.5±9.7years with range 20-73years; 81.3% women) were included. Mean NC was significantly higher in MetS than in non-MetS (p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed NC ≥38cm and ≥33cm to be the optimal cutoff points for MetS in men and women, respectively. Body mass index and anthropometric indices were positively correlated with NC in both men and women. Among women, all components of MetS were significantly associated with NC. CONCLUSIONS: Using the identified gender-specific cutoff values, NC is a useful tool for predicting MetS in Thais. NC was found to be well-correlated with almost all of the metabolic risk factors, anthropometric indices, and MetS components evaluated in this study.

Epidemiology of infections caused by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria in adult hospitalized patients at Siriraj Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics, risk factors, outcomes, antibiotic treatment and complications of hospitalized patients infected with multi-drug resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria in Siriraj Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A cross sectional study was performed in all hospitalized patients at Siriraj Hospital who had positive culture for Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii during February to May 2012. Clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcomes of MDR gram-negative bacteria were analyzed. RESULTS: The prevalence of overall MDR gram-negative bacteria was 48.8%. The percentage of MDR organism was 37.8% for Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobactericeae, 39.3% for carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa and 88.7% for MDR A. baumannii. Infections caused by MDR organisms were associated with admission to medical wards, respiratory tract origin and hospital onset of infection. The significant risk factor of overall MDR organism infection was previous antibiotic use within 1 year (adjusted odd ratio 6.818, 95% CI = 1.337-34.770). Rate of inappropriate antibiotic use was 56.7% for initial empirical regimen and under treatment was significantly higher in MDR group. The 30-day and 90-day survival rates of MDR group were significant lower than non-MDR group (58.8% vs. 75.0%, p = 0.013 at 30th day and 43% vs. 63%, p = 0.012 at 90th day). Antibiotic associated adverse effect found 42.9% in MDR group and 20.0% in non-MDR group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The strongest risk factor for acquiring MDR gram-negative infection was previous antibiotic use. Inadequate empirical antimicrobial treatment was common in patients infected with MDR pathogens, resulting in unfavorable outcome and mortality.

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium and recurrent Salmonella group D infection in a patient with autoantibodies to interferon-gamma.

We reported a case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with prolonged fever for 1 month, left sternoclavicular arthritis, anemia, multiple cervical lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. She had a previous history of recurrent Salmonella group D septicemia. Computed tomography of her chest and abdomen revealed left sternoclavicular (SC) arthritis, left subscapular collections, hepatosplenomegaly, and multiple hypodensed lesions in the spleen. Blood, synovial fluid and bone marrow for mycobacterial cultures identified Mycobacterium avium by real-time PCR and reverse hybridization. Cell mediated immunodeficiency investigations were strongly positive for autoantibodies to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) by ELISA technique. During the third week of antimycobacterial therapy, she developed an acute generalized pustular eruption. Skin biopsy showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis; drug allergy was suspected. The pustular eruption resolved with steroid treatment and discontinuation of levofloxacin and clarithromycin. She was discharged home after 8 weeks of hospitalization with azithromycin, rifampicin and ethambutol.