Using a telemedicine-assisted airway model to improve the communication and teamwork of tracheal intubation during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Isolated spaces impair communication and teamwork during tracheal intubation (TI) in suspected coronavirus disease 2019 patients. We thus aimed to evaluate the telemedicine-assisted airway model (TAM) to improve communication and teamwork during the pandemic. METHODS: This two-stage prospective study included adult patients intubated in the emergency department of the National Taiwan University Hospital between 1 August 2020 and 31 July 2021. First, we randomised patients receiving TI in the standard setting into the conventional group (Con-G) and the isolation area into the isolation group (Iso-G). We evaluated the obstacles to communication and teamwork in an isolation scenario. Second, we developed the TAM to facilitate communication and teamwork between staff in separate spaces during TI and assigned patients to the TAM group (TAM-G). Communication and teamwork were evaluated using the Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM). Subjective evaluations were conducted using a questionnaire administered to medical staff. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients were enrolled: 17, 34, and 38 in the Con-G, Iso-G, and TAM-G, respectively. The communication frequency (CF) of the Con-G and Iso-G was the highest and lowest, respectively. The CF of the TAM-G increased and approached that of the Con-G. The overall TEAM score was the highest in the Con-G and the lowest in the Iso-G, while the overall score in the TAM-G was comparable to that of the Con-G. DISCUSSION: The TAM may improve communication and teamwork for TIs without compromising efficacy during the pandemic. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov; registration numbers: NCT04479332 and NCT04591873.

Immunogenicity and safety of homologous and heterologous ChAdOx1-S and mRNA-1273 vaccinations in healthy adults in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: In Taiwan, the vaccination program started in March 2021, with ChAdOx1-S being the first available WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine, followed by Moderna vaccine. This study aimed to investigate the immunogenicity and safety of homologous and heterologous prime-boost regimens with ChAdOx1-S and mRNA-1273. METHODS: From March to November 2021, homologous or heterologous regimens with ChAdOx1-S and mRNA-1273 vaccination (ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1-S, mRNA-1273/mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1-S/mRNA-1273) were given to 945 healthy participants. Serum samples were collected at designated time points. The anti-RBD/S1 antibody titers and neutralizing ability were measured by three different immunoassays: Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany), AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgG II (Abbott Diagnostics Division, Sligo, Ireland), and cPass™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit (GenScript, New Jersey, USA). RESULTS: We found that heterologous vaccination with ChAdOx1-S/mRNA-1273 had an acceptable safety profile and induced higher total anti-RBD/S1 antibody production (p < 0.0001), yet lower anti-RBD/S1 IgG titer (p < 0.0001) and neutralizing ability (p = 0.0101) than mRNA-1273/mRNA-1273 group. Both regimens showed higher antibody titers and superior neutralizing abilities than ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1-S. An age-dependent antibody response to ChAdOx1-S/mRNA-1273 was shown after both the priming and the booster doses. Younger age was associated with higher antibody production and neutralizing ability. CONCLUSIONS: Heterologous ChAdOx1-S/mRNA-1273 vaccination regimen is generally safe and induces a robust humoral immune response that is non-inferior to that of mRNA-1273/mRNA-1273.

Seroprevalence Surveys for Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody in Different Populations in Taiwan With Low Incidence of COVID-19 in 2020 and Severe Outbreaks of SARS in 2003.

Accurate detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies provides a more accurate estimation of incident cases, epidemic dynamics, and risk of community transmission. We conducted a cross-sectional seroprevalence study specifically targeting different populations to examine the performance of pandemic control in Taiwan: symptomatic patients with epidemiological risk and negative qRT-PCR test (Group P), frontline healthcare workers (Group H), healthy adult citizens (Group C), and participants with prior virologically-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infection in 2003 (Group S). The presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 total and IgG antibodies in all participants were determined by Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 test and Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay, respectively. Sera that showed positive results by the two chemiluminescent immunoassays were further tested by three anti-SARS-CoV-2 lateral flow immunoassays and line immunoassay (MIKROGEN recomLine SARS-CoV-2 IgG). Between June 29 and July 25, 2020, sera of 2,115 participates, including 499 Group P participants, 464 Group H participants, 1,142 Group C participants, and 10 Group S participants, were tested. After excluding six false-positive samples, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence were 0.4, 0, and 0% in Groups P, H, and C, respectively. Cross-reactivity with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was observed in 80.0% of recovered SARS participants. Our study showed that rigorous exclusion of false-positive testing results is imperative for an accurate estimate of seroprevalence in countries with previous SARS outbreak and low COVID-19 prevalence. The overall SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was extremely low among populations of different exposure risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in Taiwan, supporting the importance of integrated countermeasures in containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 before effective COVID-19 vaccines available.

Multicenter evaluation of four immunoassays for the performance of early diagnosis of COVID-19 and assessment of antibody responses of patients with pneumonia in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Our study goals were to evaluate the diagnostic performance of four anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies tests and the differences in dynamic immune responses between COVID-19 patients with and without pneumonia. METHODS: We collected 184 serum samples from 70 consecutively qRT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients at four participating hospitals from 23 January 2020 to 30 September 2020. COVID-19 pneumonia was defined as the presence of new pulmonary infiltration. Serum samples were grouped by the duration after symptom onset on a weekly basis for antibody testing and analysis. The four immunoassays: Beckman SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM (Beckman Test), Siemens (ADVIA Centaur®) SARS-CoV-2 Total (COV2T) (Siemens Test), SBC COVID-19 IgG ELISA (SBC Test) and EliA SARS-CoV-2-Sp1 IgG/IgM/IgA P2 Research (EliA Test) were used for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies. RESULTS: The sensitivity of all tests reached 100% after 42 days of symptom onset. Siemens Test, the only test detecting total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, had the best performance in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 infection (day 0-7: 77%; day 8-14: 95%) compared to the other 3 serological tests. All tests showed 100% specificity except SBC Test (98%). COVID-19 patients with pneumonia had significantly higher testing signal values than patients without pneumonia (all p values < 0.05, except EliA IgM Test). However, Siemens Test and SBC Test had highest probability in early prediction of the presence of COVID-19 pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Chronological analysis of immune response among COVID-19 patients with different serological tests provides important information in the early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and prediction of the risk of pneumonia after infection.

Multicenter evaluation of two chemiluminescence and three lateral flow immunoassays for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and assessment of antibody dynamic responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Taiwan.

This multicenter, retrospective study included 346 serum samples from 74 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 194 serum samples from non-COVID-19 patients to evaluate the performance of five anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody tests, i.e. two chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIAs): Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Test (Roche Test) and Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG (Abbott Test), and three lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs): Wondfo SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test (Wondfo Test), ASK COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test (ASK Test), and Dynamiker 2019-nCoV IgG/IgM Rapid Test (Dynamiker Test). We found high diagnostic sensitivities (%, 95% confidence interval [CI]) for the Roche Test (97.4%, 93.4-99.0%), Abbott Test (94.0%, 89.1-96.8%), Wondfo Test (91.4%, 85.8-94.9%), ASK Test (97.4%, 93.4-99.0%), and Dynamiker Test (90.1%, 84.3-94.0%) after >21 days of symptom onset. Meanwhile, the diagnostic specificity was 99.0% (95% CI, 96.3-99.7%) for the Roche Test, 97.9% (95% CI, 94.8-99.2%) for the Abbott Test, and 100.0% (95% CI, 98.1-100.0%) for the three LFIAs. Cross-reactivity was observed in sera containing anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG/IgM antibodies and autoantibodies. No difference was observed in the time to seroconversion detection of the five serological tests. Specimens from patients with COVID-19 pneumonia demonstrated a shorter seroconversion time and higher chemiluminescent signal than those without pneumonia. Our data suggested that understanding the dynamic antibody response after COVID-19 infection and performance characteristics of different serological test are crucial for the appropriate interpretation of serological test result for the diagnosis and risk assessment of patient with COVID-19 infection.

Four point-of-care lateral flow immunoassays for diagnosis of COVID-19 and for assessing dynamics of antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the role of rapid serological tests in the management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 16 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-confirmed symptomatic patients with COVID-19 and 58 COVID-19 negative patients at a medical center in Taiwan over a 3-month period. Serial serum samples were collected and tested for antibody response using four point-of-care (POC) lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) (ALLTEST 2019-nCoV IgG/IgM Rapid Test, Dynamiker 2019-nCoV IgG/IgM Rapid Test, ASK COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test, and Wondfo SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test). Time-dependent detection sensitivity and timeliness of seroconversion were determined and compared between the four POC rapid tests. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity and specificity of the four tests for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after 3 weeks of symptom onset were 100% and 100%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the rapid tests used for detection of IgM and IgG separately and those used for detection of combined total antibody (mainly IgM/IgG). There was no significant difference between the four POC rapid tests in terms of time required for determining seroconversion of COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 with pneumonia demonstrated shorter seroconversion time than those without pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Though the POC antibody rapid tests based on LFIA showed reliable performance in the detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, the results of these tests should be interpreted and applied appropriately in the context of antibody dynamic of COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 patients complicated with pneumonia exhibited earlier anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response than COVID-19 patients without pneumonia.

A Double Triage and Telemedicine Protocol to Optimize Infection Control in an Emergency Department in Taiwan During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: Frontline health care workers, including physicians, are at high risk of contracting coronavirus disease (COVID-19) owing to their exposure to patients suspected of having COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits and feasibility of a double triage and telemedicine protocol in improving infection control in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: In this retrospective study, we recruited patients aged ≥20 years referred to the ED of the National Taiwan University Hospital between March 1 and April 30, 2020. A double triage and telemedicine protocol was developed to triage suggested COVID-19 cases and minimize health workers' exposure to this disease. We categorized patients attending video interviews into a telemedicine group and patients experiencing face-to-face interviews into a conventional group. A questionnaire was used to assess how patients perceived the quality of the interviews and their communication with physicians as well as perceptions of stress, discrimination, and privacy. Each question was evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. Physicians' total exposure time and total evaluation time were treated as primary outcomes, and the mean scores of the questions were treated as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: The final sample included 198 patients, including 93 cases (47.0%) in the telemedicine group and 105 cases (53.0%) in the conventional group. The total exposure time in the telemedicine group was significantly shorter than that in the conventional group (4.7 minutes vs 8.9 minutes, P<.001), whereas the total evaluation time in the telemedicine group was significantly longer than that in the conventional group (12.2 minutes vs 8.9 minutes, P<.001). After controlling for potential confounders, the total exposure time in the telemedicine group was 4.6 minutes shorter than that in the conventional group (95% CI -5.7 to -3.5, P<.001), whereas the total evaluation time in the telemedicine group was 2.8 minutes longer than that in the conventional group (95% CI -1.6 to -4.0, P<.001). The mean scores of the patient questionnaire were high in both groups (4.5/5 to 4.7/5 points). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the double triage and telemedicine protocol in the ED during the COVID-19 pandemic has high potential to improve infection control.

Risk for subsequent infection and mortality after hospitalization among patients with multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria colonization or infection.

Background: Risks for subsequent multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB) infection and long-term outcome after hospitalization among patients with MDRGNB colonization remain unknown. Methods: This observational study enrolled 817 patients who were hospitalized in the study hospital in 2009. We defined MDRGNB as a GNB resistant to at least three different antimicrobial classes. Patients were classified into MDRGNB culture-positive (MDRGNB-CP; 125 patients) and culture-negative (MDRGNB-CN; 692 patients) groups based on the presence or absence of any MDRGNB identified from either active surveillance or clinical cultures during index hospitalization. Subsequent MDRGNB infection and mortality within 12 months after index hospitalization were recorded. We determined the frequency and risk factors for subsequent MDRGNB infection and mortality associated with previous MDRGNB culture status. Results: In total, 129 patients had at least one subsequent MDRGNB infection (MDRGNB-CP, 48.0%; MDRGNB-CN, 10.0%), and 148 patients died (MDRGNB-CP, 31.2%; MDRGNB-CN, 15.9%) during the follow-up period. MDR Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii were the predominant colonization microorganisms; patients with Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa had the highest hazard risk for developing subsequent infection. After controlling for other confounders, MDRGNB-CP during hospitalization independently predicted subsequent MDRGNB infection (hazard ratio [HR], 5.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.72-7.71), all-cause mortality (HR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.67-3.50), and subsequent MDRGNB infection-associated mortality (HR, 4.88; 95% CI, 2.79-8.52) after hospitalization. Conclusions: Harboring MDRGNB significantly increases patients' risk for subsequent MDRGNB infection and mortality after hospitalization, justifying the urgent need for developing effective strategies to prevent and eradicate MDRGNB colonization.

Utility of a blood culture time to positivity-incorporated scoring model in predicting vascular infections in adults with nontyphoid Salmonella bacteremia.

BACKGROUND: Vascular infections (VI) are potentially catastrophic complications of nontyphoid Salmonella (NTS). We aimed to develop a scoring model incorporating information from blood culture time to positivity (TTP-NTSVI) and compared the prediction capability for VI among adults with NTS bacteremia between TTP-NTSVI and a previously published score (Chen-NTSVI). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 217 adults with NTS bacteremia ≧ 50 years old. We developed a TTP-NTSVI score by multiple logistic regression modeling to identify independent predictors for imaging-confirmed VI and assigned a point value weighting by the corresponding natural logarithm of the odds ratio for each model predictor. Chen-NTSVI score includes hypertension, male sex, serogroup C1, coronary arterial disease (CAD) as positive predictors, and malignancy and immunosuppressive therapy as negative predictors. The prediction capability of the two scores was compared by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: The mean age was 68.3 ± 11.2 years-old. Serogroup D was the predominant isolate (155/217, 71.4%). Seventeen (7.8%) patients had VI. Four independent predictors for VI were identified: male sex (24.9 [2.59-239.60]; 6) (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]; assigned score point), peripheral arterial occlusive disease (9.41 [2.21-40.02]; 4), CAD (4.0 [1.16-13.86]; 3), and TTP <10 h (4.67 [1.42-15.39]; 3). Youden's index showed best cutoff value of ≧7 with 70.6% sensitivity and 82.5% specificity. TTP-NTSVI score had higher AUC than Chen-NTSVI (0.851 vs 0.741, P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: While the previously reported scoring model performed well, a TTP-incorporated scoring model was associated with improved capability in predicting NTSVI.

Value of blood culture time to positivity in identifying complicated nontyphoidal Salmonella bacteremia.

Few studies analyzed the association between blood culture time to positivity (TTP) and risk of complicated nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) bacteremia. We conducted a retrospective study of 206 patients (aged 60.4 ± 17.4 years) with NTS bacteremia during a 30-month period. Complicated NTS bacteremia was defined as the presence of 30-day mortality, complicated infection requiring surgery or abscess drainage, or requirement of intensive care unit admission. Serogroup D (75.7%) was the predominant isolates. Malignancy (44.7%) was the most prevalent comorbidity. Patients with rapid TTP (<10 h) were more likely to have thrombocytopenia, septic shock, persistent bacteremia, complicated infection, and a higher intensive care unit admission rate. In multivariate logistic regression model, a TTP <10 h was an independent predictor for complicated NTS bacteremia (adjusted odd ratio, 5.683, 95% confidence interval, 2.396-13.482). Our study showed that blood culture TTP provides important diagnostic and prognostic information in the treatment of NTS bacteremia patients.

Predicting Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacterial Colonization and Associated Infection on Hospital Admission.

OBJECTIVE Isolation of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) from patients in the community has been increasingly observed. A prediction model for MDR-GNB colonization and infection risk stratification on hospital admission is needed to improve patient care. METHODS A 2-stage, prospective study was performed with 995 and 998 emergency department patients enrolled, respectively. MDR-GNB colonization was defined as isolates resistant to 3 or more classes of antibiotics, identified in either the surveillance or early (≤48 hours) clinical cultures. RESULTS A score-assigned MDR-GNB colonization prediction model was developed and validated using clinical and microbiological data from 995 patients enrolled in the first stage of the study; 122 of these patients (12.3%) were MDR-GNB colonized. We identified 5 independent predictors: age>70 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.84 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-3.17]; 1 point), assigned point value in the model), residence in a long-term-care facility (OR, 3.64 [95% CI, 1.57-8.43); 3 points), history of cerebrovascular accidents (OR, 2.23 [95% CI, 1.24-4.01]; 2 points), hospitalization within 1 month (OR, 2.63 [95% CI, 1.39-4.96]; 2 points), and recent antibiotic exposure (OR, 2.18 [95% CI, 1.16-4.11]; 2 points). The model displayed good discrimination in the derivation and validation sets (area under ROC curve, 0.75 and 0.80, respectively) with the best cutoffs of<4 and ≥4 points for low- and high-risk MDR-GNB colonization, respectively. When applied to 998 patients in the second stage of the study, the model successfully stratified the risk of MDR-GNB infection during hospitalization between low- and high-risk groups (probability, 0.02 vs 0.12, respectively; log-rank test, P<.001). CONCLUSION A model was developed to optimize both the decision to initiate antimicrobial therapy and the infection control interventions to mitigate threats from MDR-GNB. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1216-1225.

Occult Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in adult emergency department patients: rare but important.

BACKGROUND: We sought to elaborate the epidemiology and outcomes of adult patients with occult Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia who were inadvertently discharged from the emergency department (ED) before positive blood culture results were obtained. METHODS: Between 2001 and 2010, 759 true occult bacteremia cases were identified, including 65 patients with S. aureus bacteremia. Sixty-two patients were enrolled (case group) and analyzed using two 1:2 case-control strategies. Control group I patients were selected from among 997 S. aureus bacteremia patients directly admitted from the ED. Control group II patients were selected from 694 ED patients with occult bacteremia other than S. aureus. Cox regression analyses were used to assess the independent effect of occult S. aureus bacteremia on patient mortality. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the case group and control group I with respect to organ failure, septic shock, intensive care unit (ICU) admission proportion, length of ICU stay, and 30-day mortality. However, compared with control group II, the case group had significantly higher rates of hospital admission, organ failure, septic shock, ICU admission, and 30-day mortality. Age, endocarditis, and S. aureus infection were independent predictors of mortality among adult occult bacteremia patients. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with occult bacteremia, S. aureus infections had significantly greater adverse impacts on a variety of outcome variables than other bacterial infections. Because S. aureus bacteremia is frequently associated with endovascular or deep-seated infection, it is imperative that first-line clinicians perform prudent evaluations of cases with nonapparent infection foci before discharging febrile patients from EDs.

Tracheal rapid ultrasound exam (T.R.U.E.) for confirming endotracheal tube placement during emergency intubation.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy and timeliness of using tracheal ultrasound to examine endotracheal tube placement during emergency intubation. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study, conducted at the emergency department of a national university teaching hospital. Patients received emergency intubation because of impending respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, or severe trauma. The tracheal rapid ultrasound exam (T.R.U.E.) was performed during emergency intubation with the transducer placed transversely at the trachea over the suprasternal notch. Quantitative waveform capnography was used as the criterion standard for confirmation of tracheal intubation. The main outcome was the concordance between the T.R.U.E. and the capnography. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients were included in the analysis, and 17 (15.2%) had esophageal intubations. The overall accuracy of the T.R.U.E. was 98.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 93.7-99.5%). The kappa (κ) value was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.84-1.00), indicating a high degree of agreement between the T.R.U.E. and capnography. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the T.R.U.E. were 98.9% (95% CI: 94.3-99.8%), 94.1% (95% CI: 73.0-99.0%), 98.9% (95% CI: 94.3-99.8%) and 94.1% (95% CI: 73.0-99.0%). The median operating time of the T.R.U.E. was 9.0s (interquartile range [IQR]: 6.0, 14.0). CONCLUSIONS: The application of the T.R.U.E. to examine endotracheal tube placement during emergency intubation is feasible, and can be rapidly performed.