Oral famotidine versus placebo in non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, data-intense, phase 2 clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed whether famotidine improved inflammation and symptomatic recovery in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19. DESIGN: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fully remote, phase 2 clinical trial (NCT04724720) enrolling symptomatic unvaccinated adult outpatients with confirmed COVID-19 between January 2021 and April 2021 from two US centres. Patients self-administered 80 mg famotidine (n=28) or placebo (n=27) orally three times a day for 14 consecutive days. Endpoints were time to (primary) or rate of (secondary) symptom resolution, and resolution of inflammation (exploratory). RESULTS: Of 55 patients in the intention-to-treat group (median age 35 years (IQR: 20); 35 women (64%); 18 African American (33%); 14 Hispanic (26%)), 52 (95%) completed the trial, submitting 1358 electronic symptom surveys. Time to symptom resolution was not statistically improved (p=0.4). Rate of symptom resolution was improved for patients taking famotidine (p<0.0001). Estimated 50% reduction of overall baseline symptom scores were achieved at 8.2 days (95% CI: 7 to 9.8 days) for famotidine and 11.4 days (95% CI: 10.3 to 12.6 days) for placebo treated patients. Differences were independent of patient sex, race or ethnicity. Five self-limiting adverse events occurred (famotidine, n=2 (40%); placebo, n=3 (60%)). On day 7, fewer patients on famotidine had detectable interferon alpha plasma levels (p=0.04). Plasma immunoglobulin type G levels to SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid core protein were similar between both arms. CONCLUSIONS: Famotidine was safe and well tolerated in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Famotidine led to earlier resolution of symptoms and inflammation without reducing anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity. Additional randomised trials are required.

Barriers to Follow Up Care in the South Asian Immigrant Population at High Risk of Acute Coronary Syndrome at Elmhurst Hospital Center.

We studied South Asian immigrant patients who did not return to Elmhurst Hospital Center (EHC) after emergent cardiac catheterization in order to propose interventions to improve follow up care. We identified 74 eligible patients, interviewed 30 about follow up practices, and analyzed findings. Most patients are Bangladeshi and 77% preferred a foreign language. Some were visiting the US during the admission without intent to follow up. Half were dissatisfied with EHC providers, complications, and inadequate care at follow up appointments. Some patients were unaware of scheduled appointments or the necessity of follow up. Most follow with private providers due to language accessibility, availability, and proximity. We found that language barriers contribute to loss to follow up and the true loss to follow up rate is lower than reported at EHC. This can inform practices at hospitals with immigrant populations, minimize resource waste, and improve quality of care.

Marijuana use among the adolescent children of high-risk drug-abusing fathers.

This study examines marijuana use among children of male drug abusers. Subjects were 83 African-American and European-American male drug abusers, of whom the majority were injection drug users, and their children. Thirty-one of the fathers were HIV-positive and 52 were HIV-negative. Using logistic regression analyses, we explored cross-sectionally the relationship between four psychosocial domains (ie, paternal attributes, adolescent problem behaviors, father-adolescent relations, and environment) and adolescent marijuana use. The father's use of illegal drugs and his failure to cope adaptively predicted adolescent marijuana use, while a close father-child bond predicted less adolescent marijuana use. Adolescent problem behaviors predicted an increased likelihood of marijuana use. Furthermore, hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that the adolescent's problem behavior mediated the associations between both the father-adolescent relationship and environmental factors with adolescent marijuana use. Reducing the risk factors and enhancing the protective factors within each of the domains could help reduce marijuana use among the adolescent children of drug-abusing fathers. Moreover, if a father is a drug abuser, it is important to help him establish a close bond with his child in order to help attenuate the influence of his drug use on the child's marijuana use.

Multicenter study to evaluate the OptiMAL test for rapid diagnosis of malaria in U.S. hospitals.

More than 1,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed each year in the United States. Reported numbers, however, may be artificially low because many clinicians fail to consider the diagnosis on presentation, U.S. hospital laboratory technologists have very limited experience in detecting and identifying malaria parasites, and reporting of malaria to state health departments is sporadic in many states. In this study, a rapid malaria diagnostic test, the OptiMAL test (DiaMed; under license from Flow Inc., Portland, Oreg.) was evaluated in six U.S. hospitals and compared with results of microscopy. The OptiMAL test is a 15-min rapid immunochromatographic test that both identifies and differentiates Plasmodium falciparum from non-P. falciparum malaria parasites on the basis of the detection of parasite lactate dehydrogenase in a drop of patient blood. A total of 216 specimens from patients suspected of having malaria were tested. Results indicated that 43 samples (20%) were positive for malaria parasites by microscopy (32 P. falciparum, 11 non-P. falciparum) while 42 (19%) were positive by OptiMAL (31 P. falciparum, 11 non-P. falciparum). The sensitivity of the OptiMAL test was 98%; its specificity was 100%, with positive and negative predictive values of 100 and 99%, respectively. Participating hospital physicians and laboratory directors independently reported that the OptiMAL rapid malaria test was accurate, easy to use, and well accepted by those working in their diagnostic laboratories. The overall conclusion was that integration of the OptiMAL rapid malaria test into the U.S. health care infrastructure would provide an important and easy-to-use tool for the timely diagnosis of malaria.