Analysis of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program Directors Postmatch 2023 Survey.

The 2023 United States infectious diseases (ID) fellowship match resulted in a large percentage of programs with unfilled positions. A survey was sent to ID program directors nationwide to better understand their perceptions on the match. Program directors perceived geography, a small applicant pool, and low specialty pay as contributing factors to the match results. Developing specialized fellowship tracks, increasing funding for the ID trainee pipeline, and national advocacy for higher compensation were identified as areas to focus on to increase the applicant pool. Areas of controversy, such as decreasing the number or size of fellowship programs, require further discussion.

Timing of treatment initiation of direct-acting antivirals for HIV/HCV coinfected and HCV monoinfected patients.

Direct-acting antiviral therapy is safe and cost-effective for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, variability in drug payment rules represents a barrier to treatment that may disproportionately affect certain populations. We conducted a retrospective cohort study among HIV/HCV coinfected and HCV monoinfected patients using Kaplan-Meier and Fisher's exact test to analyze the time from the prescription of a direct-acting antiviral agent to delivery to the patient. Variables with significance p < .20 in univariate analysis were included in a Cox regression model. Factors associated with faster treatment were Infectious Diseases office setting (p = .01), public insurance payer (p = .01), and initial approval of requested regimen (p = .01). The presence of other liver disease was associated with delay in treatment (p = .05). Unrestrictive Medicare and Medicaid regulations resulted in more rapid delivery of medication compared to private payers. Fibrosis level, Child-Pugh class and HIV status did not significantly change time to treatment.

Tuberculosis and interleukin blocking monoclonal antibodies: Is there risk?

Several new monoclonal antibodies that interfere with interleukin (IL) cascades have come to market in recent years. They follow a generation of drugs that block tumor necrosis factor (TNF). It has been well established that TNF is important in the containment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and that blocking this cytokine increases the risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection. Thus, judicious screening for Mtb of patients taking TNF blocking drugs has been the standard of care. It remains unclear if the newer monoclonal, interleukin blocking drugs, which affect IL-12, IL-23, and IL-17 pathways are associated with risk of Mtb reactivation. Herein we discuss what is known about the immunologic response to Mtb and discuss the data that is currently available for the new interleukin monoclonal antibody blocking medications regarding the risk of latent TB reactivation or active TB infection.

The Addition of High-Risk HPV Testing to Anal Cytology Increases the Identification of Anal Dysplasia in HIV-Infected Patients.

BACKGROUND: Anal dysplasia (AD) is prevalent in HIV-infected patients. Screening for AD is recommended for high-risk groups, including HIV-infected patients. We evaluated screening algorithms for AD using cytology, high-risk human papillomavirus (HRH) testing, or both. METHODS: HIV-infected patients were offered AD screening by both anal cytology and PCR-based detection of HRH. Patients with abnormal cytology (AC) or HRH genotypes were referred to the same oncologic surgeon for high-resolution anoscopy (HRA). RESULTS: Ninety patients underwent screening (84% men who have sex with men). Forty-four patients (52.6%) had abnormal screens (31.5% AC, 46% HRH). Twenty-six patients with AC and/or positive HRH had HRA. AC and nadir CD4+ cell count of < 200 cells/mm3 were predictors of abnormal histology on HRA by univariate analysis (OR 4.5 and 2.5, respectively). Using a log-linear model, we estimated that for every 49 cases with two normal screening tests, one case of AD would be missed. Conclusions: Universal screening for AD in an HIV+ population yielded a high percentage of abnormal findings. Addition of HRH to cytology screening increased positive screens by 24%. Larger studies are needed to determine the ideal screening method.

Proactive infectious disease approach to dermatologic patients who are taking tumor necrosis factor-alfa antagonists: Part I. Risks associated with tumor necrosis factor-alfa antagonists.

Tumor necrosis factor-alfa levels are linked to disease severity in patients with inflammatory conditions, such as psoriasis. Inhibitors of this cytokine are commonly used with significant success in the treatment of such inflammatory disorders. Their use, however, can be plagued by infectious complications. An awareness of potential infections associated with these therapies is critical in order to maximize preventive efforts both before and during therapy. This review provides a guide for dermatologists caring for patients in need of this type of biologic therapy to preemptively address the infectious risks. Part I of this continuing medical education article reviews background information on the various infectious risks associated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy and appropriate historical data to obtain in the context of pretherapy evaluations.

Proactive infectious disease approach to dermatologic patients who are taking tumor necrosis factor-alfa antagonists: Part II. Screening for patients on tumor necrosis factor-alfa antagonists.

Tumor necrosis factor-alfa levels are linked to disease severity in patients with inflammatory conditions, such as psoriasis. Inhibitors of this cytokine are commonly used with significant success in the treatment of such inflammatory disorders. Their use, however, can be plagued by infectious complications. An awareness of potential infections associated with these therapies is critical in order to maximize preventive efforts both before and during therapy. This review provides a guide for dermatologists caring for patients in need of this type of biologic therapy to preemptively address the infectious risks. Part II of this continuing medical education article reviews recommended screening methods for patients undergoing evaluations for tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy for psoriasis or other dermatologic diseases, and discusses possible prophylactic strategies to use, including the appropriate use of immunizations.

The perfect storm: hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis complicating disseminated yersiniosis.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistio-cytosis (HLH) is a rare but serious medical condition with variable clinical outcome. HLH presents real diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to the treating physician despite the major advances in molecular laboratory testing and the immune-chemotherapeutic interventions. Here we present a unique case ofHLH in the setting of hemoglobin H disease provoked by disseminated Yersinia enterocolitica infection. The hemoglobinopathy led to an iron overload state, which provided an optimal milieu for the siderophilic bacterium, Y. enterocolitica, to disseminate. This over whelming infection triggered an uncontrolled and dysregulated inflammatory cytokine cascade with resulting clinical sequelae. The patient was treated conservatively without immunosuppressive therapy and recovered quickly. The long-term outcome of such cases needs further definition.

High-Volume, High-Acuity, and High-Impact Learning: Tips and Tricks for Infectious Diseases Training Programs.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America Training Program Directors Committee met in October 2022 and discussed an observed increase in clinical volume and acuity on infectious diseases (ID) services, and its impact on fellow education. Committee members sought to develop specific goals and strategies related to improving training program culture, preserving quality education on inpatient consult services and in the clinic, and negotiating change at the annual IDWeek Training Program Director meeting. This paper outlines a presentation of ideas brought forth at the meeting and is meant to serve as a reference document for infectious diseases training program directors seeking guidance in this area.

Inclusion, Diversity, Access, and Equity in Infectious Diseases Fellowship Training: Tools for Program Directors.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has set clear priorities in recent years to promote inclusion, diversity, access, and equity (IDA&E) in infectious disease (ID) clinical practice, medical education, and research. The IDSA IDA&E Task Force was launched in 2018 to ensure implementation of these principles. The IDSA Training Program Directors Committee met in 2021 and discussed IDA&E best practices as they pertain to the education of ID fellows. Committee members sought to develop specific goals and strategies related to recruitment, clinical training, didactics, and faculty development. This article represents a presentation of ideas brought forth at the meeting in those spheres and is meant to serve as a reference document for ID training program directors seeking guidance in this area.

Evaluation of Provider Screening Practices for Fracture Risk Assessment among Patients with HIV Disease.

People living with HIV are known to have greater risk of low bone mineral density than HIV-negative peers. The reasons for this disparity are multifactorial. To address this increased risk, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) released fracture risk screening recommendations in 2015, which differ significantly from recommendations that apply to the general population. A study was conducted at the University of Connecticut to assess for provider awareness and adherence to these recommendations. Electronic surveys were sent to providers, and patients were also surveyed for risk factors and prevalence of low bone mineral density. The results of the provider survey showed low rates of awareness of the IDSA screening recommendations. A substantial proportion of patients surveyed met criteria for low BMD screening but did not have dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) ordered by their provider. As an intervention, providers were sent information via e-mail regarding current screening recommendations, as well as notifications if their patient met criteria for DXA screening. A twelve-month follow-up survey showed increased provider knowledge of screening recommendations and improved screening practices. Additionally, the results of a logistic regression analysis of patient factors showed that increasing age and male sex were positively associated with fragility fracture risk. Increased duration of antiretroviral therapy use was associated with a lower likelihood of fragility fracture.

Virtual Recruitment Is Here to Stay: A Survey of ID Fellowship Program Directors and Matched Applicants Regarding Their 2020 Virtual Recruitment Experiences.

BACKGROUND: Graduate Medical Education training programs transitioned to all-virtual recruitment in 2020. Limited data have been published regarding the consequences of this transition. We aimed to understand (1) infectious diseases (ID) fellowship programs' recruitment efforts and the effect of virtual recruitment on application and interview numbers and (2) the number of programs to which matched applicants applied and interviewed and applicants' perspectives on virtual recruitment. METHODS: In 2020-2021, we surveyed all US ID fellowship program directors (PDs) and matched applicants. Descriptive data analysis was performed on quantitative survey items. Free-text responses were analyzed through a quantitative content analysis approach. RESULTS: The PD response rate was 68/158 (43%); the applicant response rate was at least 23% (85/365). PDs reported a 27% increase in mean number of applications received and a 45% increase in mean number of applicants interviewed compared with the previous year. Applicants especially valued the online program structure information, PD program overview videos, didactic and curriculum content, and fellow testimonials and profiles. Most applicants preferred interviews lasting no more than 40 minutes and interview days lasting no more than 5 hours. Nearly all (60/64, 94%) PDs adequately learned about candidates; most (48/64, 75%) felt unable to showcase their program as well as when in-person. Most PDs (54/64, 84%) and applicants (56/73, 77%) want an option for virtual recruitment. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual recruitment enabled programs to accommodate more applicants and highlighted applicants' preferences for programs' augmented online presences and time-limited interview days. Most programs and applicants want an option for virtual interviews.

Education of Infectious Diseases Fellows During the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities.

One of the many challenges that has befallen the Infectious Diseases and Graduate Medical Education communities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the maintenance of continued effective education and training of the future leaders of our field. With the remarkable speed and innovation that has characterized the responses to this pandemic, educators everywhere have adapted existing robust and safe learning environments to meet the needs of our learners. This paper will review distinct aspects of education and training of the Infectious Diseases fellows we believe the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted most, including mentoring, didactics, and wellness. We anticipate that several strategies developed in this context and described herein will help to inform training and best practices during the pandemic and beyond.

The Struggling Infectious Diseases Fellow: Remediation Challenges and Opportunities.

Remediation of struggling learners is a challenge faced by all educators. In recognition of this reality, and in light of contemporary challenges facing infectious diseases (ID) fellowship program directors, the Infectious Diseases Society of America Training Program Directors' Committee focused the 2018 National Fellowship Program Directors' Meeting at IDWeek on "Remediation of the Struggling Fellow." Small group discussions addressed 7 core topics, including feedback and evaluations, performance management and remediation, knowledge deficits, fellow well-being, efficiency and time management, teaching skills, and career development. This manuscript synthesizes those discussions around a competency-based framework to provide program directors and other educators with a roadmap for addressing common contemporary remediation challenges.

Pulmonary artery intravascular abscess: A rare complication of incomplete infective endocarditis treatment in the setting of injection drug use.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious complication of injection drug use. Right-sided IE encompasses 5-10% of all IE cases, with the majority involving the tricuspid valve (TV). The predominant causal organism is Staphylococcus aureus. Most cases of right-sided IE can be successfully treated with antimicrobials, but approximately 5-16% require eventual surgical intervention. We report the case of a 36-year-old female with active injection drug use who developed methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus IE of the tricuspid valve. Associated with poor adherence to medical therapy as a consequence of opioid addiction, she developed septic emboli to the lungs and an intravascular abscess in the left main pulmonary artery. These long-term potentially fatal, sequelae of incompletely treated IE require surgical intervention, as medical therapy is unlikely to be sufficient. Surgical management may involve TV replacement, pulmonary artery resection, and pneumonectomy. Prevention of these complications may have been achieved by concurrent opioid addiction therapy. An intravascular pulmonary artery abscess is a novel complication of advanced IE that has not been previously reported. This complication likely arose due to incomplete IE treatment as a consequence of opioid addiction, highlighting the need for concurrent addiction management. Intravenous antimicrobial therapy is likely not adequate, and surgical intervention, including pulmonary artery resection and pneumonectomy may be necessary.

HIV/HCV Antiviral Drug Interactions in the Era of Direct-acting Antivirals.

Therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and chronic hepatitis C has evolved over the past decade, resulting in better control of infection and clinical outcomes; however, drug-drug interactions remain a significant hazard. Joint recommendations from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America regarding drug-drug interactions between HIV antiretroviral agents and direct-acting antiviral agents for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are reviewed here. This review is oriented to facilitate appropriate selection of an antiviral therapy regimen for HCV infection based on the choice of antiretroviral therapy being administered and, if necessary, switching antiretroviral regimens.

Tuberculous otitis media: report of 2 cases on Long Island, N.Y., and a review of all cases reported in the United States from 1990 through 2003.

We report 2 cases of tuberculous otitis media that were diagnosed at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York since 1999. Both patients were women, aged 30 and 31 years. One patient had grown up in Russia, the other was a native-born American who had never left the East Coast region of the United States. Both patients had been symptomaticfor many months; one complainedof chronic otorrhea, and the other reported otorrhea, hearing loss, and discomfort. Neither patient responded to medical management, and both ultimately underwent surgery. One was diagnosed after surgical pathology revealed acid-fast bacilli on frozen-section analysis. In the other, pathology revealed chronic inflammation and granulomata, butstains were negative and her diagnosis was delayed for almost 2 years. We also review 9 other cases of tuberculous otitis media in the United States that have been reported in the literature since 1990. Our review suggests that the number of cases is rising in areas where tuberculosis is most common--that is, in major U.S. cities. Although 3 of these 9 cases occurred as reactivation disease in immigrants, most might have occurred as a result of local transmission. Clinicians should maintain a high degree of suspicion for tuberculosis in patients with chronic otitis symptoms, particularly those who are at higher risk of exposure to tuberculosis.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections: a potential complication of cosmetic procedures.

Interest in surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures has increased significantly over the last few decades. Billions of dollars are spent on these procedures annually. Although the associated risk is generally low, multiple cases of skin and soft tissue infections have been reported. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), in particular M. chelonae, M. fortuitum, and M. abscessus, have been increasingly identified as causative of numerous cosmetic procedure-related infections worldwide. This has therefore become a public health concern. Delays in diagnosis and appropriate management may occur given subtleties in diagnostic methods. The purpose of this review is to highlight the NTM-related skin and soft tissue infections associated with more common cosmetic procedures, describe methods of identification, and outline best treatment practices.

HIV and aging: a clinical journey from Koch's postulate to the chronic disease model and the contribution of geriatric syndromes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With the discovery and widespread use of antiretroviral therapies, growing numbers of individuals with HIV are now able to live into advanced age. Nevertheless, growing evidence indicates that these dramatic gains in longevity have also resulted in increased prevalence among the survivors of non-AIDS morbidity and disability, together with acceleration of many underlying aging processes. As a result, individuals involved in HIV care, policy, and research have increasingly had to refocus their efforts from a traditional infectious disease emphasis toward conceptual models grounded in the management of common chronic diseases and geriatric syndromes. RECENT FINDINGS: It has been estimated that by 2015, one-half of all Americans with HIV will be 50  years or older. Such individuals are likely to develop chronic diseases typically seen in their older HIV-negative counterparts. Moreover, the presence of multiple coexisting chronic conditions together with polypharmacy and acceleration of varied age-related physiological changes renders many older HIV-positive individuals more vulnerable to becoming disabled or dying from conditions that are not immediately linked to HIV. SUMMARY: As growing numbers of individuals confront the prospect of a life with HIV, both they and their providers will need to shift their focus toward a broader and more encompassing perspective that considers the impact of multiple coexisting conditions and age-related changes on outcome measures associated with function, independence, and quality of life. To that end, there is an urgent need for increased dialog between different disciplines, ensuring that the care of older HIV-positive individuals is guided by research that incorporates relevant functional outcome measures.

Update on Hepatitis C Virus and HIV Coinfection.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has historically been difficult to treat in the HIV-infected population, owing to generally poor responses to interferon-based therapies. The recent rapid development of directly acting antiviral agents (DAAs) against HCV has the potential to revolutionize treatment of this infection in the HIV population by improving tolerability and outcome, and, ultimately, reducing the significant burden of liver-related morbidity and mortality in this population. Clinical trials to address the safety and efficacy of novel DAAs in the HCV/HIV coinfected population are ongoing, and show much promise. The rapidity of current drug discovery in the field of HCV is both impressive and daunting for clinicians who will have to master these drugs. Going forward, the inclusion of individuals from this large and growing patient population in clinical trials will be of paramount importance.