Multistate product traceforward investigation to link imported romaine lettuce to a US cyclosporiasis outbreak - Nebraska, Texas, and Florida, June-August 2013.

During June-August 2013, 25 US states reported 631 cyclosporiasis cases including Nebraska and Iowa where a regional investigation implicated common-source imported salad mix served in two chain restaurants. At least two common-origin growing fields were likely sources of contaminated romaine lettuce. Using producer- and distributor-provided data, we conducted a grower-specific traceforward investigation to reveal exposures of ill US residents elsewhere who reported symptom onset during 11 June-1 July 2013, the time period established in the Nebraska and Iowa investigation. Romaine lettuce shipped on 2-6 June from one of these Mexico-origin growing fields likely caused cyclosporiasis in 78 persons reporting illness onsets from 11 June to 1 July in Nebraska, Texas, and Florida. Nationwide, 97% (314/324) of persons confirmed with cyclosporiasis with symptom onset from 11 June to 1 July 2013 resided in 11 central and eastern US states receiving approximately two-thirds of romaine lettuce from this field. This grower's production practices should be investigated to determine potential sources of contamination and to develop recommendations to prevent future illnesses.

Regional investigation of a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to imported romaine lettuce - Nebraska and Iowa, June-August 2013.

A regional, multistate investigation into a June-August 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak was conducted in Nebraska, Iowa, and neighbouring states. Cases were confirmed on the basis of laboratory and clinical findings. Of 227 cases in Iowa (n = 140) and Nebraska (n = 87) residents, 162 (71%) reported dining at chain A/B restaurants - 96% reported house salad consumption. A case-control study identified chain A/B house salad as the most likely vehicle. Traceback was conducted to ascertain production lot codes of bagged salad mix (iceberg and romaine lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots) served as house salad in implicated restaurants. A single production lot code of salad mix supplied by both a common producer and distributor was linked to the majority of confirmed cases in persons reporting regional chain A/B exposure. The salad mix linked to illnesses contained imported romaine lettuce from two separate single-grower fields-of-origin and ⩾1 additional field from another grower.

Assessment of adherence with oral anticancer agents in oncology clinical trials: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Despite recommendations for adherence reporting in clinical trials involving an oral anticancer agent, the frequency and methods of adherence reporting are inconsistent. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the frequency and type of adherence measures used in oncology and hematology clinical trials of oral anticancer agents and their association with study characteristics including quality, cancer type, stage and treatment type. DESIGN: PubMed was searched of all randomized controlled clinical trials assessing self-administered pharmacological interventions in patients with cancer and published over two years, between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2012 were evaluated. RESULTS: We identified 70 publications in the PubMed database, comprising 45,118 total patients. Adherence reporting was present in 14 of 70 trials (20%); quantitative reporting was present in three of 70 trials (4%). Method of adherence assessment varied and included medication count, medication diaries and patient self-report. There was no association between adherence reporting and study quality or other study characteristics, although there was a trend towards increased reporting in breast cancer studies, with 46% of the studies reporting adherence (p = 0.0621). In a preliminary analysis, hematology studies (mean Jadad score 2.19 ± 1.47) were found to have significantly lower quality when compared to non-hematology trials (mean Jadad score 3.39 ± 1.37, p = 0.0034). CONCLUSION: This systematic review demonstrates adherence reporting in clinical trials of oral anticancer agents is infrequent. When reported, adherence was not associated with overall study quality or other study characteristics. Given the potential effects of non-adherence on study power and validity, adherence reporting should be encouraged in oncology and hematology clinical trials.

[Treat-to-target (T2T) recommendation for patients with spondyloarthritis - translation into German]. / "Treat-to-target (T2T)" Empfehlungen für die Behandlung von Patienten mit Spondyloarthritis ­ Übersetzung ins Deutsche.

The management of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) has experienced a paradigm shift in recent years. This is true for the treatment of axial as well as peripheral manifestations. International treat to target (T2T) recommendations for SpA based on the T2T strategy have now also been published, which contain 5 higher level principles (A-E) in addition to the 15 recommendations. In order to make the recommendations known and to promote national distribution, German experts have now issued a translation of the T2T recommendations for SpA into German.

[Strategies for improved healthcare of people with the endemic disease rheumatism exemplified by rheumatoid arthritis]. / Strategien zur verbesserten Versorgung von Menschen mit der Volkskrankheit "Rheuma" am Beispiel der rheumatoiden Arthritis.

New therapeutic principles and considerable diagnostic advances have made it possible to define different rheumatic diseases and especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at an early stage and by starting an early and aggressive medication a considerable proportion of patients with RA will reach the status of low disease activity or even remission. With the additional development of composite measures to estimate the disease activity of RA, it was the goal of an international working group consisting of rheumatologists and patients to develop recommendations for treating rheumatoid arthritis in a similar way as for patients with hypertension or diabetes, with the aim to achieve remission as often as possible. This treat-to-target initiative has taken off in quite a number of different countries including Germany leading to discussions on how this initiative can be integrated into the specific national healthcare systems and what possibilities would exist for its implementation. To develop strategies for an improved healthcare of people suffering from rheumatic diseases and using RA as an example, action elements and postulates were developed which will be discussed in more detail in the present manuscript.