Large measles outbreak introduced by asylum seekers and spread among the insufficiently vaccinated resident population, Berlin, October 2014 to August 2015.

The largest measles outbreak in Berlin since 2001 occurred from October 2014 to August 2015. Overall, 1,344 cases were ascertained, 86% (with available information) unvaccinated, including 146 (12%) asylum seekers. Median age was 17 years (interquartile range: 4-29 years), 26% were hospitalised and a 1-year-old child died. Measles virus genotyping uniformly revealed the variant 'D8-Rostov-Don' and descendants. The virus was likely introduced by and initially spread among asylum seekers before affecting Berlin's resident population. Among Berlin residents, the highest incidence was in children aged < 2 years, yet most cases (52%) were adults. Post-exposure vaccinations in homes for asylum seekers, not always conducted, occurred later (median: 7.5 days) than the recommended 72 hours after onset of the first case and reached only half of potential contacts. Asylum seekers should not only have non-discriminatory, equitable access to vaccination, they also need to be offered measles vaccination in a timely fashion, i.e. immediately upon arrival in the receiving country. Supplementary immunisation activities targeting the resident population, particularly adults, are urgently needed in Berlin.

[Health care provisions for asylum-seekers : A nationwide survey of public health authorities in Germany]. / Die gesundheitliche Versorgungssituation von Asylsuchenden : Bundesweite Bestandsaufnahme über die Gesundheitsämter.

BACKGROUND: Nation-wide studies on the health care situation of asylum-seekers in Germany are lacking, but decision-makers increasingly need such information. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess structures, processes and needs related to the health care provision for asylum-seekers along the continuum of reception centres to community dwellings from the perspective of the German public health authorities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A nation-wide cross-sectional mixed-methods survey was carried out. All heads of public health authorities in Germany (N = 389) were invited to complete a standardized questionnaire related to: (1) medical procedures and screening; (2) prevention and health promotion; (3) communication; (4) documentation and information; (5) coordination; (6) structural resources and needs. The quantitative survey was complemented by qualitative semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: In total, 123 heads of public health authorities (response rate: 31,6 %) completed the questionnaire, and 29 were interviewed. Priority areas to improve the health care situation were better coordination and standardisation of care, enhancing vaccination capacities, standardised documentation, better health information exchange (in line with data protection laws), and a stronger focus on a few relevant infectious diseases in the scope of compulsory health entry examinations. CONCLUSION: The instruments proved useful to assess the health care situation of asylum-seekers in a decentralized health care system. Repeated surveys with a focus on selected domains of the questionnaire could help monitor the health care situation on a regular basis.

[Polio vaccination and stool screening in German reception centers for asylum seekers, November 2013-January 2014 : What was implemented?]. / Polioimpfung und Stuhlscreening in deutschen Erstaufnahmeeinrichtungen für Asylsuchende, November 2013-Januar 2014 : Was wurde umgesetzt?

BACKGROUND: Following the polio outbreak in Syria and the rising number of Syrian asylum seekers in Germany in 2013, the Robert Koch Institute recommended - within the context of existing vaccination recommendations for asylum seekers - on 01/11/2013 to prioritize polio vaccination of Syrian asylum seekers and stool screening in a target group of Syrian asylum seekers aged less than three years. OBJECTIVES: The article evaluates the implementation of this recommendation in German asylum seeker reception centres (RC) to gain further knowledge on the vaccination practices in RCs and to identify opportunities for improving future recommendations. METHODS: The electronic questionnaire was sent by email to all German RCs, asking for general information on the RC, existing vaccination efforts, the main obstacles for implementation of the recommendations, the number of incoming and vaccinated asylum seekers, and asylum seekers screened for poliovirus in the period from 01/11/2013 to 31/01/2014. The RCs rated the feasibility of the recommendation and the provided multilingual information material. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All of the 20 identified RCs responded. During the study period, 33.874 asylum seekers arrived in the RCs. Of those with available information about possession of a vaccination record, on average 1.6 % did have one. All RCs offered timely vaccination to Syrian asylum seekers younger than three years. In this target group, eight RC achieved vaccination coverages of ≥ 80 %. Stool screening coverage was ≥ 80 % in five of 19 RCs. Eleven RCs rated the recommendation as very well/well implementable. Staff shortages and language barriers were mentioned as the main implementation obstacles. Similar future recommendations for asylum seekers in RCs should be accompanied by informational material in additional languages. Staff shortages hampering implementation could be overcome through collaborations with non-governmental organizations.

HIV testing in re-education through labour camps in Guangxi Autonomous Region, China (a cross-sectional survey).

OBJECTIVE: HIV testing is mandatory in re-education-through-labour camps (laojiaosuo) in China yet no studies have reported on the process. METHODS: The survey response rate was 100% although 29 detainees were excluded because they were under 18 years of age. A cross-sectional face-to-face survey was conducted in three labour camps in Guangxi, located in the south-western region of China. RESULTS: Of the 755 detainees surveyed, 725 (96%) reported having a blood test in the labour camps of whom 493 (68%) thought this included an HIV test. 61 detainees self-reported they were HIV infected, their status confirmed by medical records, if available. Of these, 53 (87%) recalled receiving post-test HIV education, and 15 (25%) were currently receiving HIV antiretroviral therapy. Pretest education on HIV was provided to 233/725 (32%) detainees. The study further reports on detainees' reactions and feelings towards non-disclosure and disclosure of their HIV test results in the labour camps. CONCLUSIONS: Mandatory testing is almost universal in the labour camps although a proportion of detainees were unaware that this included an HIV test. HIV test results should be disclosed to all labour camp detainees to reduce their distress of not knowing and prevent misconceptions about their HIV status. Labour camps provide another opportunity to implement universal treatment ('Test and Treat') to prevent the spread of HIV.

The effectiveness of screening history, physical exam, and ECG to detect potentially lethal cardiac disorders in athletes: a systematic review/meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The optimal cardiovascular preparticipation screen is debated. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review/meta-analysis of evidence comparing screening strategies. METHODS: PRIMSA guidelines were followed. Electronic databases were searched from January 1996 to November 2014 for articles examining the efficacy of screening with history and physical exam (PE) based on the American Heart Association (AHA) or similar recommendations and electrocardiogram (ECG). Pooled data was analyzed for sensitivity, specificity, false positive rates and positive and negative likelihood ratios. Secondary outcomes included rate of potentially lethal cardiovascular conditions detected with screening and the etiology of pathology discovered. RESULTS: Fifteen articles reporting on 47,137 athletes were reviewed. After meta-analysis the sensitivity and specificity of ECG was 94%/93%, history 20%/94%, and PE 9%/97%. The overall false positive rate of ECG (6%) was less than that of history (8%), or physical exam (10%). Positive likelihood ratios were ECG 14.8, history 3.22 and PE 2.93 and negative likelihood ratios were ECG 0.055, history 0.85, and PE 0.93. There were a total of 160 potentially lethal cardiovascular conditions detected for a rate of 0.3% or 1 in 294. The most common pathology was Wolff-Parkinson-White (67, 42%), Long QT Syndrome (18, 11%), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (18, 11%), dilated cardiomyopathy (11, 7%), coronary artery disease or myocardial ischemia (9, 6%) and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (4, 3%). CONCLUSIONS: The most effective strategy for screening for cardiovascular disease in athletes is ECG. It is 5 times more sensitive than history, 10 times more sensitive than physical exam, has higher positive likelihood ratio, lower negative likelihood ratio and a lower false positive rate. 12-lead ECG interpreted using modern criteria should be considered best practice in screening for cardiovascular disease in athletes while the use of history and physical alone as a screening tool should be reevaluated.

Cardiac preparticipation screening for the young athlete: why the routine use of ECG is not necessary.

The addition of an electrocardiogram (ECG) to the current United States athlete preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) as a screening tool has dominated the PPE discussion over the past decade despite the lack of demonstrable outcomes data supporting the routine use of the diagnostic study for reduction of sudden cardiac death (SCD). A good screening test should influence a disease or health outcome that has a significant impact on public health and the population screened must have a high prevalence of the disease to justify the screening intervention. While SCD is publicly remarkable and like any death, tragic, the prevalence of SCD in young athletes is very low and the potential for false positive results is high. While ECG screening appears to have made an impact on SCD in Italian athletes, the strategy has made no impact on Israeli athletes, and the overall impact of ECG screening on American athletes is unclear. Until outcomes studies show substantial SCD reduction benefit, the addition of routine ECG PPE screening in young athletes should not be instituted.

T wave inversions in athletes: a variety of scenarios.

Athletic intensive exercise is associated with repolarization changes affecting the ST-segment and T-wave morphology. The prevalence and distribution of these alterations are influenced by several demographic factors. One of the most challenging conundrums for both the cardiologist and the sports medicine physician is the correct interpretation of these repolarization changes to prevent an erroneous diagnosis with potentially serious consequences. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) demonstrating inverted T-waves may represent the first and only sign of such inherited heart muscle diseases, and may precede the detection of any structural changes in the heart, however, T-wave inversion in leads V1-V4 in black athletes may represent ethnic variation which is exaggerated by exercise.

Characteristics of "malignant" vs. "benign" electrocardiographic patterns of early repolarization.

The electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern of early repolarization (ER) has historically been regarded as a benign ECG variant, but during the past few years, this concept has been challenged based on multiple reports linking the ER pattern with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Although the mechanistic basis of ventricular arrhythmogenesis in patients with ER pattern is still incompletely understood, there is increasing information about the ECG and phenotype characteristics of "malignant" vs. "benign" patterns of ER. This review presents the current evidence of markers of "benign" and a more severe nature of ER.

Computerized Q wave dimensions in athletes and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding Q wave criteria for assessing risk for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in young athletes. METHODS: The 12-lead ECGs from Preparticipation screening in healthy athletes and patients with HCM were studied retrospectively. All 12 leads were measured using the same automated ECG analysis program. RESULTS: There were a total of 225 HCM patients and 1124 athletes with 12-lead electrocardiograms available for analysis. Athletes were on average 20 years of age, 65% were male and 24% were African-American. Patients with HCM were on average 51 years of age, 56% were male and 5.8% were African-American. Q waves by either amplitude, duration or area criteria were more prevalent in males than females, in lateral leads than inferior and in HCM patients than athletes. The most striking difference in Q waves between the groups was in Limb lead I and in the females. Tall, skinny Q waves were rare in athletes and had the highest prevalence of only 3.7% in male HCM patients. CONCLUSION: Q waves are more common in males compared to females and in patients with HCM compared to athletes. Q waves of 30 ms or more in limb lead I appear to offer the greatest discriminatory value for separating patients with HCM from athletes.

Stages of psychological impact after diagnosis with serious or potentially lethal cardiac disease in young competitive athletes: a new model.

IMPORTANCE: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in sports is a tragic event. Pre-participation cardiovascular screening is required before participation in high school and college athletic programs and is universally endorsed by major medical societies. The medical impact of a diagnosis may be life-saving; however, the detection of disease should not be the sole endpoint of care. Physicians have an obligation to attend to both the medical and psychological well-being of their patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine the psychological impact of being diagnosed with cardiac disease in young competitive athletes. DESIGN: Athletes diagnosed with cardiac conditions were recruited to participate in a semi-structured interview, which was analyzed by sport psychology experts using qualitative research. Individuals shared reactions and experiences regarding diagnosis, lifestyle implications, coping strategies, major concerns, and overall impact on psychosocial functioning. SETTING: Young competitive athletes from across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 25 athletes (52% male, 80% Caucasian, median age 17.7) participated. Diagnoses included: 5 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 8 Wolff Parkinson White, 4 long QT syndrome, 3 atrial septal defect, 2 supraventricular tachycardia, and 3 other. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Interviews were analyzed using consensual qualitative research (CQR) to identify domains, categories, and core ideas. RESULTS: Athletes progressed through 4 stages of psychological impact including: 1) immediate reactions and challenge to athlete identity, 2) grief/coping, 3) adaptation, and 4) acceptance. Risk factors for increased psychological morbidity included: higher level of competition, permanent disqualification from sports, persistent reminders (e.g. daily medication, monitoring heart rate during activity), and unanticipated outcomes (e.g. failed procedures). Those undergoing simple corrective procedures came to terms with their diagnosis quickly with little impact on daily life. Few athletes described emotional support mechanisms provided by medical programs. Diagnosis often led to new goals such as mentoring or coaching. All athletes diagnosed through advanced cardiovascular screening stated they would repeat the process. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Athletes diagnosed with cardiac disease represent an emotionally vulnerable population and experience 4 stages of psychological adjustment not previously described. This proposed model of psychological impact should be used to develop improved support mechanisms, awareness, and education to assist athletes diagnosed with serious or potentially lethal cardiac disease.

Electrocardiographic right and left bundle branch block patterns in athletes: prevalence, pathology, and clinical significance.

Differentiating benign electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns in athletes from those representative of underlying cardiac pathology is both clinically relevant and challenging. Complete right (RBBB) and left (LBBB) bundle branch block are relatively rare in asymptomatic athletic populations, and current expert consensus guidelines recommend further clinical investigation upon detection of either ECG pattern. However, present data suggest that typical RBBB is not associated with structural cardiac pathology and may alternatively represent an ECG marker of exercise-induced right ventricular remodeling. In accordance with current guidelines, the presence of asymptomatic LBBB in athletes is not associated with normal exercise physiology and more likely indicative of underlying cardiac pathology. While long-term outcomes for asymptomatic athletes with RBBB or LBBB remain unknown, current evidence regarding these ECG patterns should be considered to improve the specificity of future athlete-specific ECG interpretation guidelines.

Prevalence and significance of isolated T wave inversion in 1755 consecutive American collegiate athletes.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the prevalence of isolated T-wave inversions (TWI) in American athletes using contemporary ECG criteria. Ethnic and gender disparities including the association of isolated TWI with underlying abnormal cardiac structure are evaluated. METHODS: From 2004 to 2014, 1755 collegiate athletes at a single American university underwent prospective collection of medical history, physical examination, 12-lead ECG, and 2-dimensional echocardiography. ECG analysis was performed to evaluate for isolated TWI as per contemporary ECG criteria. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of isolated TWI is 1.3%. Ethnic and gender disparities are not observed in American athletes (black vs. white: 1.7% vs. 1.1%; p=0.41) (women vs. men: 1.5% vs. 1.1; p=0.52). No association was found with underlying cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSION: A lower prevalence of isolated TWI in American athletes than previously reported. Isolated TWI was not associated with an abnormal echocardiogram. No ethnic or gender disparity is seen in American college athletes.

Clinical significance of J-wave in elite athletes.

The J-wave pattern on 12-lead ECG is traditionally defined as a positive deflection at junction between the end of the QRS and the beginning of the ST-segment. This pattern has recently been associated with increased risk for idiopathic ventricular fibrillation in the absence of cardiovascular disease. The interest for the clinical significance of J-wave pattern as a potential ECG hallmark of high risk for cardiac arrest has recently been reinforced by the growing practice of ECG screening, such as occurs in large population of young competitive athletes. The available scientific evidence shows that the J-wave pattern is relatively common in trained athletes (ranging from 14% to 44%) and, differently from subjects who suffered from ventricular fibrillation, commonly localized in lateral leads while it is relatively rare to be found in inferior leads. Furthermore the J-wave pattern has been demonstrated to be a dynamic phenomenon related to the training status, with the larger prominence at the peak of training and with an inverse relation between magnitude of J-wave and heart rate. In addition the J-wave pattern is usually associated with other ECG changes, such as increased QRS voltages and ST-segment elevation, as well as LV remodeling, suggesting that it likely represents another expression of the physiologic athlete's heart. Finally the scientific data available demonstrated that during a medium follow-up period the J-wave pattern does not convey risk for adverse cardiac events, including sudden death or ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Are the QRS duration and ST depression cut-points from the Seattle criteria too conservative?

BACKGROUND: Screening athletes with ECGs is aimed at identifying "at-risk" individuals who may have a cardiac condition predisposing them to sudden cardiac death. The Seattle criteria highlight QRS duration greater than 140 ms and ST segment depression in two or more leads greater than 50 µV as two abnormal ECG patterns associated with sudden cardiac death. METHODS: High school, college, and professional athletes underwent 12 lead ECGs as part of routine pre-participation physicals. Prevalence of prolonged QRS duration was measured using cut-points of 120, 125, 130, and 140 ms. ST segment depression was measured in all leads except leads III, aVR, and V1 with cut-points of 25 µV and 50 µV. RESULTS: Between June 2010 and November 2013, 1595 participants including 297 (167 male, mean age 16.2) high school athletes, 1016 (541 male, mean age 18.8) college athletes, and 282 (mean age 26.6) male professional athletes underwent screening with an ECG. Only 3 athletes (0.2%) had a QRS duration greater than 125 ms. ST segment depression in two or more leads greater than 50 µV was uncommon (0.8%), while the prevalence of ST segment depression in two or more leads increased to 4.5% with a cut-point of 25 µV. CONCLUSION: Changing the QRS duration cut-point to 125 ms would increase the sensitivity of the screening ECG, without a significant increase in false-positives. However, changing the ST segment depression cut-point to 25 µV would lead to a significant increase in false-positives and would therefore not be justified.

Screening, testing, and reporting for drug and alcohol use on labor and delivery: a survey of Maryland birthing hospitals.

Recent amendments to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act tie the receipt of federal block grants to mandatory reporting of substance-exposed newborns. To determine rates of screening, testing, and reporting of drug and alcohol use at the time of delivery, we administered a telephone survey of nursing managers and perinatal social workers at Maryland birthing hospitals. Of the 34 hospitals, 31 responded (response rate 91%). Although 97% of hospitals reported universal screening, only 6% used a validated instrument. Testing was reported by 94% with 45% reporting universal maternal testing and 7% universal newborn testing. Only 32% reported obtaining maternal consent prior to testing. There is significant heterogeneity in screening and testing for substance use in birthing hospitals. Given federal reporting mandates, state-level practices need to be standardized.

Is there a benefit to a routine preoperative screening of infectivity for HIV, hepatitis B and C virus before elective orthopaedic operations?

PURPOSE: Before elective operations, particularly orthopaedic surgery, national guidelines in Germany recommend testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus through a needlestick or cutting injury. Such testing is expensive. The number of new and unknown diagnoses of viral infections that can be detected by routine screening has not yet been evaluated. METHODS: The aim of our department of orthopaedic surgery is to screen every adult patient listed for an operation for HBV, HCV and HIV. We retrospectively analysed the number of operations in this single centre from 2001 to 2010, correlated this number with the total number of screens and calculated the number of newly diagnosed infections. An additional cost:benefit ratio was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 20,869 operations were performed by the department between 2001 and 2010. After exclusion of all interventions in children and all patients who had multiple operations, 15,482 patients remained. Test results were found for 10,011 of these patients during this period (screening rate 65 %). Of those screened, in only four cases (0.4 ‰) was a previously unknown infection detected. CONCLUSIONS: Two-thirds of the patients included in our study actually underwent screening; this rate was lower than expected. The incidence of newly detected infections was low, putting the benefit of a routine preoperative screening for HBV, HCV and HIV into question. From an economic point of view the low detection rate is a strong argument in favour of omitting routine preoperative screening. Screening only those patients with risk factors may be as safe as screening every patient and would help reduce costs.

Effectiveness of mandatory alcohol testing programs in reducing alcohol involvement in fatal motor carrier crashes.

Mandatory alcohol testing programs for motor carrier drivers were implemented in the United States in 1995 and have not been adequately evaluated. Using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System during 1982-2006, the authors assessed the effectiveness of mandatory alcohol testing programs in reducing alcohol involvement in fatal motor carrier crashes. The study sample consisted of 69,295 motor carrier drivers and 83,436 non-motor-carrier drivers who were involved in 66,138 fatal multivehicle crashes. Overall, 2.7% of the motor carrier drivers and 19.4% of the non-motor-carrier drivers had positive blood alcohol concentrations. During the study period, the prevalence of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes decreased by 80% among motor carrier drivers and 41% among non-motor-carrier drivers. With adjustment for driver age, sex, history of driving while intoxicated, and survival status, implementation of the mandatory alcohol testing programs was found to be associated with a 23% reduced risk of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes by motor carrier drivers (odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.62, 0.94). Results from this study indicate that mandatory alcohol testing programs may have contributed to a significant reduction in alcohol involvement in fatal motor carrier crashes.

Experience of mandatory nucleic acid test (NAT) screening across all blood organizations in Germany: NAT yield versus breakthrough transmissions.

BACKGROUND: Mandatory nucleic acid test (NAT) blood screening was introduced in Germany in 1999 for hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and in 2004 for human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) RNA. Minimal sensitivity limits of 5000 IU HCV RNA/mL and 10,000 IU HIV-1 RNA/mL were defined for the individual donation facilitating testing of minipools (MPs). The NAT yield obtained from all blood organizations is summarized. Transfusion-associated virus transmissions despite NAT screening ("breakthrough transmissions") are analyzed. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In Germany, a variety of NAT assays is applied for NAT screening pool sizes of up to 96 donations. Subsets of NAT yield cases were characterized with regard to viral loads by quantitative NAT and with regard to viral genotypes. Confirmed breakthrough transmissions were analyzed using different molecular and serologic assays. RESULTS: Ninety-two HCV NAT yield cases among 40.8 million and 11 HIV-1 NAT yield cases among 17.1 million donations were identified. During this period, one transmission case was confirmed for HCV and one for HIV-1. The two incidents escaped NAT detection because of low-level viremia and/or suboptimal amplification efficiency. Evidence was obtained for a case of HIV-1 nontransmission by a low-level HIV-1 contaminated red blood cell unit. CONCLUSION: NAT screening of MPs identified the vast majority of window-phase donations. A significant number of transmission cases was interdicted; breakthrough transmissions may still occur as rare events, even with individual-donation NAT in place. Sensitivity limits might be adapted to the current "state of the art" taking account of viral dynamics during early infection, incidence rates, and costs.

Implementation of the French nationwide cystic fibrosis newborn screening program.

OBJECTIVES: To describe optimization of a nationwide newborn screening program for cystic fibrosis (CF) that combines an immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) assay and DNA mutation analysis in dried blood samples at day 3. STUDY DESIGN: Data from regional screening laboratories and CF care centers were centralized and periodically analyzed to allow adaptation, thus limiting the number of false-positive cases. RESULTS: A total of 2717905 infants were screened between 2002 and 2005. Flow chart protocol was modified twice. First, the IRT d3 cutoff value increased from 60 to 65 microg/L, thus decreasing the percentage of samples requiring mutation analysis from 0.82% to 0.64%. Second, for infants with no mutations using the screening panel, a recall for IRT was performed only if IRT d3 was > 100 microg/L; the percentage of recalls decreased from 0.51% to 0.12%, and the percentage of infants requiring a sweat test decreased from 0.14% to 0.01%. No significant change in the CF detection rate was observed after these 2 modifications. A total of 625 CF cases were detected, and 22 false-negative findings (3.4%) were observed, most of them inevitable, with a low initial IRT. CONCLUSIONS: The centralized data analysis led to changes in the screening strategy to optimise the newborn screening program.