The management of polypharmacy in people living with HIV.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has modified the prognosis of HIV which has evolved into a chronic condition. People living with HIV (PLWH) are living longer presenting an increased number of comorbidities leading to polypharmacy. Literature on the prevalence, associated factors, drug-drug interactions (DDIs), effects on ART-outcomes, geriatric conditions, and nutritional status together with health-interventions aimed to reduce it is presented in this review. A literature search was conducted on the MEDLINE database for all relevant English- and Spanish-language studies since 2006. Studies providing data of interest were identified and ordered in groups: (i) prevalence and associated factors (n = 37), (ii) DDIs (n = 19), (iii) Effects on ART-outcomes (n = 12), (iv) Effects on health conditions (n = 13), and (V) Health-interventions to assess and/or reduce it (n = 9). Polypharmacy occurs in 9-91% of PLWH (2.6-19.5% affected by severe polypharmacy). Main factors associated with polypharmacy are older age, a higher number of comorbidities, frailty, deteriorated renal function, and previous hospitalizations. DDIs were present in 19.15-84% of cases (1.3-12.2% for the most severe types). Mainly involved non-ART drugs were antihypertensives, statins, antithrombotic agents, corticosteroids, divalent cations, and antiacids. Polypharmacy can affect ART selection, adherence, and outcomes and has been related to some geriatric conditions such as falls, frailty, and poor nutritional status. Potentially prescribing issues are present in up to 87.9% of cases according to the STOPP-START and Beers criteria and some pharmacist-led interventions have been shown to reduce it. Considering these findings, polypharmacy should be considered a clinical concern in this population and treatment-optimization programs are needed to reduce its burden.

Successful long-term treatment of paediatric ulcerative colitis with vedolizumab: a case report.

Biologics are recommended to treat paediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) that is chronically active or steroid-dependent despite aminosalicylic acids (5-ASA) and thiopurine treatments. Anti-tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (Anti-TNF inhibitors) are the agents of choice and vedolizumab could be considered as second-line biologic therapy.In the current case, we aim to describe a successful long-term treatment with vedolizumab in a 9-year-old boy with severe UC and primary non-response to infliximab. Concomitant azathioprine was used, and steroid refractoriness was also detected. Drug and anti-drug antibody levels were negative after infliximab induction so a switch to a 6-week-induction vedolizumab regimen followed by a maintenance regimen as a monotherapy was decided. The clinical response and tolerability to vedolizumab allowed long-term disease remission. Vedolizumab is currently non-authorised to treat paediatric patients and there is limited data on long-term treatments to date. This case contributes to the literature by adding evidence on the long-term efficacy and safety of vedolizumab in paediatric UC.

Risk factors for nosocomial bloodstream infections in COVID-19 affected patients: protocol for a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial bloodstream infection (nBSI) is an important clinical concern among COVID-19 hospitalised patients. It can cause sepsis and septic shock leading to high morbidity, mortality, and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this case-control study is to identify the risk factors associated with the nBSI development in COVID-19 hospitalised patients and its incidence. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A retrospective case-control study will be performed. Cases will include nBSI episodes of adult patients (≥18 years) admitted to Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain, from April to December 2020 with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Patients transferred from other hospitals will be excluded. Controls will include hospitalisation episodes of COVID-19 patients without nBSI. We will recruit a minimum of 74 nBSI episodes (cases) and 74 controls (according to sample size calculation). We will collect data on sociodemographics, clinical status at admission, hospital admission, in-hospital mortality, and exposure data (use of antivirals, glucocorticoids or immunomodulatory agents, length of hospitalisation, and use of medical devices such as intravenous catheters). A bivariate and a subsequent multivariate regression analysis will be performed to assess the independent effect of the associated risk factors after adjusting for confounders. The nBSI incidence rate will be estimated according to the number of nBSI episodes in admitted COVID-19 patients among the total person-month of follow-up. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol of this study was approved by the Ethical Committee for Drug Investigation of the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol. The results of this case-control study will be published in a peer reviewed journal.