Importance of Driving and Potential Impact of Driving Cessation for Rural and Urban Older Adults.

PURPOSE: Analyses compared older drivers from urban, suburban, and rural areas on perceived importance of continuing to drive and potential impact that driving cessation would have on what they want and need to do. METHODS: The AAA LongROAD Study is a prospective study of driving behaviors, patterns, and outcomes of older adults. A cohort of 2,990 women and men 65-79 years of age was recruited during 2015-2017 from health systems or primary care practices near 5 study sites in different parts of the United States. Participants were classified as living in urban, surburban, or rural areas and were asked to rate the importance of driving and potential impact of driving cessation. Logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and driving-related characteristics. FINDINGS: The percentages of older drivers rating driving as "completely important" were 76.9%, 79.0%, and 83.8% for urban, suburban, and rural drivers, respectively (P = .009). The rural drivers were also most likely to indicate driving cessation would have a high impact on what they want or need to do (P < .001). After adjustment for sociodemographic and driving-related characteristics, there was a 2-fold difference for rural versus urban older drivers in odds that driving cessation would have a high impact on what they need to do (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.60-2.58). CONCLUSIONS: Older drivers from rural areas were more likely to rate driving as highly important and the prospect of driving cessation as very impactful. Strategies to enhance both the ability to drive safely and the accessibility of alternative sources of transportation may be especially important for older rural adults.

Patterns of fungal colonization in preterm infants weighing less than 1000 grams at birth.

BACKGROUND: Colonization with Candida spp. is an important risk factor for systemic infection in very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW, <1000 g) infants. ELBW infants are at a higher risk than VLBW infants for fungal sepsis and its associated mortality, but few studies have examined fungal colonization exclusively in ELBW infants. METHODS: Fungal colonization data were analyzed retrospectively in 50 high risk ELBW infants. Weekly surveillance fungal cultures of the skin, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract and umbilicus had been performed from birth through the first 6 weeks of life. Colonization was analyzed for time of initial colonization, site, species and spread of Candida from one site to another. RESULTS: Candida was isolated from surveillance cultures in 31 of 50 (62%) infants. Colonization was inversely proportional to gestational age. Initial week of both the fungal colonization of the skin [1 (0-6) week, median (range)] and gastrointestinal tract [2 (0-6)] preceded colonization of the respiratory tract [3 (1-6)] (P = 0.0001). Among infants colonized by only 1 of the species, colonization at 2 or more sites occurred similarly with Candida albicans (77%) and Candida parapsilosis (85%), whereas colonization at 3 or more sites occurred more frequently with C. albicans (69%) compared with C. parapsilosis (23%) (P = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Fungal colonization occurs on the skin and gastrointestinal tract before the respiratory tract. In addition, C. albicans is more likely than C. parapsilosis to colonize multiple sites.

Technique for intrapartum administration of surfactant without requirement for an endotracheal tube.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of administering surfactant into the nasopharynx during delivery, thus permitting the baby to aspirate the solution into the fluid-filled airway as an air-fluid interface is established. This process avoids the endotracheal intubation (ETI) and positive pressure ventilation (PPV) usually associated with prophylaxis, thus avoiding the pulmonary barotrauma associated with the conventional method of surfactant administration. STUDY DESIGN: In all, 23 neonates weighing 560 to 1804 g and born at 27 to 30 weeks had their nasopharyngeal airways suctioned and then 3.0-4.5 ml Infasurf instilled into the nasopharynx before delivery of the shoulders. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) of 10 cmH(2)O was administered by mask as the babies initiated breathing. Nasal CPAP at 6 cmH(2)O was then continued for a minimum of 48 hours. RESULTS: In all, 13 of 15 babies delivered vaginally were weaned quickly to room air and required no further surfactant or endotracheal intubation for RDS. Five of eight babies delivered by C-section required subsequent endotracheal intubation soon after birth and two received subsequent endotracheal tube surfactant. CONCLUSION: Nasopharyngeal surfactant instillation at birth appears to be relatively safe and simple to accomplish, especially for vaginal births. A large randomized clinical trial will be required to determine the efficacy of this technique when compared to prophylaxis by endotracheal intubation and to nCPAP alone.

Twice weekly fluconazole prophylaxis for prevention of invasive Candida infection in high-risk infants of <1000 grams birth weight.

OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that twice weekly prophylactic dosing of fluconazole prevents invasive candidiasis without promoting resistant Candida species in high-risk, preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: We compared our previous dosing schedule (Group A) to a less frequent dosing schedule of twice a week (Group B) of fluconazole prophylaxis for up to 6 weeks in a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial in preterm infants weighing <1000 grams at birth and with an endotracheal tube and/or central vascular catheter over a 24-month period. Weekly surveillance cultures were obtained on study patients. RESULTS: Candida colonization was documented in 5 (12%) of 41 Group A and in 4 (10%) of 40 Group B infants. Candida sepsis developed in two (5%) of Group A and one (3%) of Group B infants (risk difference, -0.02; 95% confidence interval, -0.14-0.10; P=.68). All fungal isolates remained sensitive to fluconazole, and no drug side effects were documented. CONCLUSIONS: Twice weekly dosing of prophylactic fluconazole can decrease Candida colonization and invasive infection, cost, and patient exposure in high-risk, preterm infants weighing <1000 grams at birth. We speculate that lower and less frequent dosing may delay or prevent the emergence of antifungal resistance.