Utility of self-report antiretroviral adherence for predicting HIV viral load among persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong Vietnam: assessing differences by methamphetamine use.

ABSTRACTIn resource-limited settings, alternatives to HIV viral load testing may be necessary to monitor the health of people living with HIV. We assessed the utility of self-report antiretroviral therapy (ART) to screen for HIV viral load among persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong Vietnam, and consider differences by recent methamphetamine use. From 2016 to 2018 we recruited PWID through cross sectional surveys and collected self-report ART adherence and HIV viral load to estimate sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) and likelihood ratios (LR+, LR-) for self-reported ART adherence as a screening test for HIV viral load. We used three HIV viral load thresholds: < 1000, 500 and 250 copies/mL; laboratory-confirmed HIV viral load was the gold standard. Among 792 PWID recruited, PPV remained above 90% regardless of recent methamphetamine use with slightly higher PPV among those not reporting recent methamphetamine use. The results remained consistent across all three HIV viral load thresholds. Our findings suggest that when HIV viral load testing is not possible, self-reported ART adherence may inform decisions about how to prioritize HIV viral load testing among PWID. The high PPV values suggest self-reported high ART adherence indicates likely HIV viral suppression, irrespective of methamphetamine use.

A study on diagnostic performance of different immunohematological diagnostic tests in assessing the prevalence of ABO Hemolytic Disease of Newborn in the antenatal O group mothers and their neonatal outcome in a tertiary care hospital in Northern India.

BACKGROUND: Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) results in the decreased lifespan of the red cells. HDN related to ABO incompatibility is mostly unnoticed because routine screening is not being done. This study was done to assess the prevalence of ABO-HDN and to compare different immunohematological tests. Methods-In this study 213 O group mothers and the 122 ABO-incompatible newborns born to them were included. Quantifying the maternal IgG anti-A/anti-B antibody titer was done by Conventional Tube Technique (CTT) using Dithiothreitol (DTT) pretreated maternal serum. Hemolysin test was performed on the mothers having titer > 256. These cases were followed up and, after delivery, were monitored for ABO HDN, along with direct antiglobulin testing and elution studies. The prevalence of ABO-HDN was calculated, and the different diagnostic parameters of the tests were calculated. Results- The prevalence of ABO-HDN in our population was estimated to be 1.7%, 6.1% & 10.6% in our population, O group mothers, and O group mothers with ABOincompatible newborns, respectively. Maternal titer≥ 512 strongly correlated with ABOHDN. DAT positivity is a good predictor of ABO-HDN, especially using sensitive techniques. Maternal IgG titers have the highest sensitivity & Negative Predictive Value, while DAT has the highest specificity & Positive Predictive Value. Conclusion - Maternal ABO antibody titration may be advocated in the centers to identify high-risk groups. It can advocate institutional delivery and dedicated follow-up of newborns with ABO-HDN. Blood grouping & DAT may be performed in all newborns born to O blood group to identify high-risk cases.

Accuracy of Ultrasound and Computed Tomography in Diagnosing Acute Cholecystitis Patients in a Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia.

Background Acute cholecystitis (AC) is a gallbladder inflammatory disease often associated with gallbladder stones. It accounts for up to 5% of emergency department visits. The majority of patients present with pain in the right upper quadrant, Murphy's sign, and fever. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia has been noted to have a significant prevalence of AC. According to the 2018 Tokyo Guidelines, imaging is an essential element, combined with local and systemic evidence of inflammation, for a confirmed diagnosis of AC. The definitive therapy is conducted surgically by cholecystectomy either urgently or electively. However, there are insufficient studies that focus on the accuracy of imaging in diagnosing AC patients in Saudi Arabia. Objective The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of ultrasound (US) versus computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing AC patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods and material A retrospective record review was conducted at KAUH during the period of June to July 2022. The study included 192 patients diagnosed with AC in the emergency department or outpatient department by US or CT or both and confirmed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy and histopathology between 2016 and 2022. Results The most common modality used was US (79.7%), followed by both US and contrast CT (10.9%). For CT, sensitivity was 81.3%, specificity was 62.5%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 59.1%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was 83.3%. For US, sensitivity was 37.9%, specificity was 81.7%, PPV was 50%, and NPV was 73.1%. A significant relationship was observed between both genders and high use of US (P = 0.0001). Conclusion We found that CT is more sensitive than US, while US is more specific in diagnosing AC.

Diagnostic accuracy of pre-operative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting axillary lymph node metastasis: variations in intrinsic subtypes, and strategy to improve negative predictive value-an analysis of 2473 invasive breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The value and utility of axillary lymph node (ALN) evaluation with MRI in breast cancer were not clear for various intrinsic subtypes. The aim of the current study is to test the potential of combining breast MRI and clinicopathologic factors to identify low-risk groups of ALN metastasis and improve diagnostic performance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with primary operable invasive breast cancer with pre-operative breast MRI and post-operative pathologic reports were retrospectively collected from January 2009 to December 2021 in a single institute. The concordance of MRI and pathology of ALN status were determined, and also analyzed in different intrinsic subtypes. A stepwise strategy was designed to improve MRI-negative predictive value (NPV) on ALN metastasis. RESULTS: 2473 patients were enrolled. The diagnostic performance of MRI in detecting metastatic ALN was significantly different between intrinsic subtypes (p = 0.007). Multivariate analysis identified tumor size and histologic type as independent predictive factors of ALN metastases. Patients with HER-2 (MRI tumor size ≤ 2 cm), or TNBC (MRI tumor size ≤ 2 cm) were found to have MRI-ALN-NPV higher than 90%, and these false cases were limited to low axillary tumor burden. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance of MRI to predict ALN metastasis varied according to the intrinsic subtype. Combined pre-operative clinicopathologic factors and intrinsic subtypes may increase ALN MRI NPV, and further identify some groups of patients with low risks of ALN metastasis, high NPV, and low burdens of axillary disease even in false-negative cases.

Evaluation of the diagnostic potential of trans abdominal ultrasonography in detecting intra-abdominal adhesions: A double-blinded cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Intra-abdominal adhesion is one of the most important complications of abdominopelvic surgery. It increases morbidity and mortality for patients. Although laparoscopy is the gold standard of adhesion diagnosis, it can cause visceral damage during the operation. Therefore, surgeons prefer to use non-invasive methods for planning the operation. We designed this study to evaluate transabdominal ultrasonography ( TAU) accuracy for diagnosing Intra-abdominal Adhesions. MATERIAL & METHODS: This double-blinded cohort study was conducted on 47 patients with previous laparotomy who undergo another surgery. Spontaneous visceral slide (SVS) and induced visceral slide (IVS) were measured during TAU. RESULTS: The mean age and BMI of 47 patients were 43.21±10.3 and 27.545±5.76. The majority of the patients were female (76%). Mean SVS and IVS in patients with intra-abdominal adhesion were 8.73±1.60 and 44.84±11.60. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of TAU in intra-abdominal diagnosis were 83.33%, 51.72%, 51.72%, 83.33%, 63.83%. CONCLUSIONS: Although TAU is an appropriate method for detecting the intra-abdominal adhesion, it isn't good enough for diagnosing free adhesion area. We recommended further researches with greater sample size and other non-invasive techniques.

Limitations of PET/CT in the Detection of Occult N1 Metastasis in Clinical Stage I(T1-2aN0) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer for Staging Prior to Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Patients receiving stereotactic body radiotherapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer are typically staged clinically with positron emission tomography-computed tomography. Currently, limited data exist for the detection of occult hilar/peribronchial (N1) disease. We hypothesize that positron emission tomography-computed tomography underestimates spread of cancer to N1 lymph nodes and that future stereotactic body radiotherapy patients may benefit from increased pathologic evaluation of N1 nodal stations in addition to N2 nodes. MATERIALS/METHODS: A retrospective study was performed of all patients with clinical stage I (T1-2aN0) non-small cell lung cancer (American Joint Committee on Cancer, 7th edition) by positron emission tomography-computed tomography at our institution from 2003 to 2011, with subsequent surgical resection and lymph node staging. Findings on positron emission tomography-computed tomography were compared to pathologic nodal involvement to determine the negative predictive value of positron emission tomography-computed tomography for the detection of N1 nodal disease. An analysis was conducted to identify predictors of occult spread. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer were included in this study, of which 8 (7.6%) patients were found to have occult N1 metastasis on pathologic review yielding a negative predictive value for N1 disease of 92.4%. No patients had occult mediastinal nodes. The negative predictive value for positron emission tomography-computed tomography in patients with clinical stage T1 versus T2 tumors was 72 (96%) of 75 versus 25 (83%) of 30, respectively ( P = .03), and for peripheral versus central tumor location was 77 (98%) of 78 versus 20 (74%) of 27, respectively ( P = .0001). The negative predictive values for peripheral T1 and T2 tumors were 98% and 100%, respectively; while for central T1 and T2 tumors, the rates were 85% and 64%, respectively. Occult lymph node involvement was not associated with primary tumor maximum standard uptake value, histology, grade, or interval between positron emission tomography-computed tomography and surgery. CONCLUSION: Our results support pathologic assessment of N1 lymph nodes in patients with stage Inon-small cell lung cancer considered for stereotactic body radiotherapy, with the greatest benefit in patients with central and T2 tumors. Diagnostic evaluation with endoscopic bronchial ultrasound should be considered in the evaluation of stereotactic body radiotherapy candidates.

PET-CT limitations in early stage non-small cell lung cancer: to whom more aggressive approach in radiotherapy and surgery should be directed?

This editorial comments on the study by Paravati et al., which reported on the incidence of occult regional lymph node metastases in PET-CT T1T2N0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. A central location and the size of the tumor were shown to be the strongest predictors of the risk of occult nodal disease. Authors comment that in view of limitations of modern imaging, as well as the reported negative predictive value (NPV) of invasive staging methods, the choice of therapeutic options as the extent of surgery (lobectomy or sublobar resection) or radiotherapy [stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or conformal radiotherapy (RT) with some forms of elective nodal irradiation (ENI)] should consider tumor's characteristics and not be based only on imaging and invasive staging modalities.

Procalcitonin as a rapid diagnostic biomarker to differentiate between culture-negative bacterial sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome: a prospective, observational, cohort study.

PURPOSE: Differentiation between culture-negative sepsis and noninfectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) remains a diagnostic challenge for clinicians, both conditions having similar clinical presentations. Therefore, a swift accurate diagnostic tool, which helps differentiate these 2 conditions would immensely aid appropriate therapeutic continuum. This prospective study was conducted to evaluate the potential diagnostic role of biomarkers, procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), in culture-negative sepsis patients. METHODS: Enrolled patients (208) included 46 noninfectious SIRS, 90 culture-negative sepsis, and 72 culture-positive sepsis. Culture, PCT, and IL-6 estimations were performed on day 1 of intensive care unit admission. RESULTS: Procalcitonin and IL-6 levels were significantly higher (P < .001) in both culture-negative and culture-positive groups as compared with SIRS group. Procalcitonin was a better predictor of sepsis in both culture-negative (area under curves 0.892 vs 0.636) and culture-positive (area under curves 0.959 vs 0.784) groups as compared with IL-6. In culture-negative group, the best cutoff point for PCT was at 1.43 ng/mL (92% sensitivity; 83% negative predictive value), best cutoff point for IL-6 was at 219.85 pg/mL (47% sensitivity and 42% negative predictive value). CONCLUSIONS: Procalcitonin can accurately differentiate culture-negative sepsis from noninfectious SIRS and thereby contribute to early diagnosis and effective management of these conditions.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Peripheral White Blood Cell Count, Fever and Acute Leukocutosis for Bacterial Meningitis in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of serum white blood cell (WBC) count, fever (>38˚C) and WBC rise (>10%) for bacterial meningitis in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shahid Rajaei hospital affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences during a 1-year period from 2013 to 2014. We included consecutively all the patients with severe TBI admitted to our center during the study period who were febrile (>38˚C orally) and underwent lumbar puncture (LP) and analysis and culture of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Laboratory analysis of CSF and blood were performed within 2 hours of LP. CSF culture was considered the gold standard for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV, NPV) of peripheral blood WBC count, fever (>38˚C) and WBC rise (>10%) was determined according to the CSF culture. RESULTS: Overall we included242 consecutive patients with severe TBI. The mean age of the participants was 32.8 ± 17.4 years. Acinetobacter was the most common organism found in the CSF cultures. The sensitivity and specificity of peripheral WBC count (>10,000)was 48.4% (95% CI: 0.42-0.56) and 47% (95% CI: 0.37-0.58) respectively. The PPV and NPV was 13.1% (95% CI: 0.33-0.52) and 84.8% (95% CI: 0.42-0.61), respectively. The AUC for WBC count was 0.478 (95% CI: 0.37-0.58) indicating low accuracy for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. The AUC for WBC rise (>10%) and temperature >38˚C was0.460 (95% CI: 0.351-0.569) and 0.517 (95% CI: 0.410-0.624) respectively, both indicating low accuracy for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study indicates that peripheral blood leukocyte count, fever (>38˚C) and WBC rise (>10%) is a non-reliable marker for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in patients with severe TBI.