Multiple morbidities are associated with serious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between a comprehensive list of morbidities and serious infection (SI) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: This study evaluated SI risk associated with 55 comorbidities using a population-based inception cohort including all adult patients with incident RA from 1999 through 2014 with follow up through 2021. Morbidities and SI were ascertained using previously validated international classification of disease (ICD)-9 and ICD-10 codes. Conditional frailty models were utilized to analyze the association between each morbidity and SI: Model 1 adjusted for age, sex, and calendar year; Model 2 adjusted for factors in Model 1 and the Rheumatoid Arthritis Observation of Biologic Therapy (RABBIT) Risk Score of Infections; and Model 3 adjusted for factors in Model 1 and the Mayo SI Risk Score. RESULTS: 911 patients (70 % female, mean age 56 years, 66 % seropositive) were included. There were 293 SI among 155 patients (17 %), corresponding to an incidence of 3.9 SI per 100 person-years. Eighteen SI were fatal. Risk of SI was significantly increased in 27 of 55 morbidities in Model 1, 11 morbidities in Model 2, and 23 morbidities in Model 3. Additionally, several morbidities included in the RABBIT and Mayo risk scores continued to have large effect sizes despite adjustment. Serious infection risk increased by 11-16 % per morbidity in the three models. CONCLUSIONS: Several morbidities are associated with an increased risk for SI. Future risk scores may include morbidities identified in this study for improved SI risk assessment.

Assessment of endoscope reprocessing at World Gastroenterology Organisation training centers using adenosine triphosphate testing.

Background and study aims Adequacy of endoscope disinfection in resource-limited settings is unknown. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing is useful for evaluation of endoscope reprocessing, and ATP <200 relative light units (RLUs) after manual endoscope cleaning has been associated with adequacy of endoscope disinfection. Methods Consecutive endoscopes undergoing reprocessing at five World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) training centers underwent ATP testing before and after an on-site educational intervention designed to optimize reprocessing practices. Results A total of 343 reprocessing cycles of 65 endoscopes were studied. Mean endoscope age was 5.3 years (range 1-13 years). Educational interventions, based on direct observation of endoscope reprocessing practices at each site, included refinements in pre-cleaning, manual cleaning, high-level disinfection, and endoscope drying and storage. The percentage of reprocessing cycles with post-manual cleaning ATP ≧200 decreased from 21.4% prior to educational intervention to 14.8% post-intervention ( P =0.11). In multivariable logistic modelling, gastroscopes were significantly less likely (odds ratio [OR] 0.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.19; P <0.001) than colonoscopes to achieve post-manual cleaning ATP < 200. No other factor (educational intervention, study site, endoscope age) was significantly associated with improved outcomes. Endoscope ID was not significantly associated with ATP values, and sites that performed manual versus automated HLD did not have significantly different likelihood of post-manual cleaning ATP <200 (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.56-2.50; P =0.67). Conclusions In resource-limited settings, approximately 20% of endoscope reprocessing cycles may result in inadequate disinfection. This was not significantly improved by a comprehensive educational intervention. Alternative approaches to endoscope reprocessing are needed.

Serum lactate and mean arterial pressure thresholds in patients with cirrhosis and septic shock.

BACKGROUND: The Sepsis-3 guidelines have incorporated serum lactate levels of >2 mmol/L in septic shock definition to account for higher observed mortality. Further evidence is needed to support this threshold in cirrhosis, as well as target mean arterial pressure (MAP) during resuscitation. METHODS: This observational cohort study investigated the association between initial serum lactate and resuscitation MAP levels on in-hospital mortality in patients with and without cirrhosis. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit for the treatment of septic shock between 2006 and 2021 in a quaternary academic center were included. Patients with cirrhosis documented on imaging and International Classification of Disease codes (n=595) were compared to patients without cirrhosis (n=575). The association of intensive care unit admission lactate levels and median 2-hour MAP with in-hospital mortality and the need for continuous renal replacement therapy was assessed. The association between median 24-hour MAP and in-hospital mortality was analyzed post hoc. RESULTS: Within the cirrhosis group, admission lactate levels of 2-4 and >4 mmol/L were associated with increased in-hospital mortality compared to lactate <2 mmol/L [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.69, CI: 1.03-2.81, aOR: 4.02, CI: 2.53-6.52]. Median 24-hour MAP 60-65 and <60 mm Hg were also associated with increased in-hospital mortality compared with MAP >65 mm Hg (aOR: 2.84, CI: 1.64-4.92 and aOR: 7.34, CI: 3.17-18.76). In the noncirrhosis group, associations with in-hospital mortality were weaker for lactate 2-4 and >4 mmol/L (aOR: 1.32, CI: 0.77-2.27 and aOR: 2.25, CI: 1.40-3.67) and median 24-hour MAP 60-65 and <60 mm Hg (aOR: 1.70, CI: 0.65-4.14 and aOR: 4.41, CI: 0.79-29.38). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support utilizing lactate >2 mmol/L in the definition of septic shock, as well as a target MAP of >65 mm Hg during resuscitation in patients with cirrhosis.

Pancreatic Cancer is More Frequently Early Stage at Diagnosis in Surgically Resected Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms With Preoperative Surveillance.

Background and Aims: Management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) relies on clinical and imaging features to select patients for either pancreatectomy or periodic image-based surveillance. We aimed to compare outcomes in patients with IPMNs who underwent surgery at diagnosis with those who underwent surgery after a period of surveillance and identify preoperative clinical and imaging features associated with advanced neoplasia. Methods: Patients with surgically resected IPMN (n = 450) were divided into 2 groups: "immediate surgery": resection within 6 months of IPMN detection, and "surveillance surgery": resection after surveillance >6 months. Survival was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Pancreatic cancers in the surveillance surgery group (n = 135) was more frequently stage I compared with the immediate surgery group (9/13, 69.2% vs 41/110, 37.3%; P = .027). Among Fukuoka "worrisome features," only main pancreatic duct dilation 5-9 mm (odds ratio [OR] = 3.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.72-5.68; P < .001) and serum CA 19-9≥ 35 U/mL (OR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.31-6.06; P = .008) were significantly associated with advanced neoplasia. In addition, smoking history was associated with increased risk of advanced neoplasia (OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.23-3.43). Occurrence of future cancer was 16-fold higher in IPMN with high-grade dysplasia when compared with low-grade dysplasia (hazard ratio: 16.5; 95% CI: 4.19-64.7). Conclusion: Surveillance-detected pancreatic cancers in patients with IPMNs are more frequently stage I, and IPMN-HGD on surgical pathology is associated with significant risk of future pancreatic cancer. In addition to known "high-risk" features, main pancreatic duct dilation 5-9 mm, CA 19-9 elevation, and smoking history are significantly associated with advanced neoplasia.