Concurrent Initiation of Hepatitis C and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in People Who Inject Drugs.

BACKGROUND: People who inject drugs have a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and significant disease associated with drug use; however, HCV treatment often occurs in absence of interventions to address opioid use disorder and drug use-related harms. The impact of concurrent initiation of opioid agonist therapy (OAT) on HCV treatment and drug use outcomes is unknown. METHODS: In this prospective, open-label, observational trial at a harm reduction organization's drop-in center in Washington, DC, 100 patients with chronic HCV infection, opioid use disorder, and ongoing injection drug use were treated with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir for 12-weeks and offered buprenorphine initiation. The primary end point was sustained virologic response (SVR), and secondary end points included uptake of and retention in OAT, change in risk behavior, and determinants of SVR. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients (82%) achieved SVR, which was not associated with baseline OAT status (P = .33), on-treatment drug use (P >.99), or imperfect daily adherence (P = .35) but was significantly associated with completing 2 or more 28-pill bottles of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir (P < .001) and receiving OAT at week 24 (P = .01). Of 67 patients not already receiving OAT at baseline, 53 (79%) started OAT. At week 24, 68 (68%) patients were receiving OAT. Receipt of OAT was associated with fewer opiate-positive urine drug screens (P = .003), lower human immunodeficiency virus risk-taking behavior scores (P < .001), and lower rates of opioid overdose (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: The Novel Model of Hepatitis C Treatment as an Anchor to Prevent HIV, Initiate Opioid Agonist Therapy, and Reduce Risky Behavior study demonstrates high uptake of buprenorphine collocated with HCV treatment, and it shows that concurrent initiation of OAT with HCV treatment can result in high rates of SVR while reducing risks associated with drug use. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03221309.

Values and Limits of Telemedicine: a Case Report.

In the era of a pandemic, the utilization of telemedicine is growing at a rapid speed. This new and necessary adaption in medicine is a threat to the basics of medicine which include the physical exam. A 72-year-old woman presents for a 1-week history of cervical neck discomfort. The patient was found to be febrile with initial physical exam nonrevealing due to patient preference of not taking off hospital gown. After blood cultures grew group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus and a computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis with contrast demonstrated subtle bilateral renal hypodensities suggesting possible septic emboli, a more thorough physical exam was sought out which revealed a large rodent ulcer which the patient had been hiding from her family for 2 years. Transthoracic echocardiography was done which demonstrated a vegetation on the mitral valve confirming the diagnosis of endocarditis. The source of infection was the ulcer which was biopsied and found to be basal cell carcinoma. We present a unique case of endocarditis that was reliant on the physical exam to reveal the source of infection which was a rodent basal cell carcinoma ulcer. This case reminds physicians that at the forefront of telemedicine, the physical exam should not be forgotten.