Examining the feasibility of assisted index case testing for HIV case-finding: a qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Assisted index case testing (ICT), in which health care workers take an active role in referring at-risk contacts of people living with HIV for HIV testing services, has been widely recognized as an evidence-based intervention with high potential to increase status awareness in people living with HIV. While the available evidence from eastern and southern Africa suggests that assisted ICT can be an effective, efficient, cost-effective, acceptable, and low-risk strategy to implement in the region, it reveals that feasibility barriers to implementation exist. This study aims to inform the design of implementation strategies to mitigate these feasibility barriers by examining "assisting" health care workers' experiences of how barriers manifest throughout the assisted ICT process, as well as their perceptions of potential opportunities to facilitate feasibility. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 lay health care workers delivering assisted ICT in Malawian health facilities. Interviews explored health care workers' experiences counseling index clients and tracing these clients' contacts, aiming to inform development of a blended learning implementation package. Transcripts were inductively analyzed using Dedoose coding software to identify and describe key factors influencing feasibility of assisted ICT. Analysis included multiple rounds of coding and iteration with the data collection team. RESULTS: Participants reported a variety of barriers to feasibility of assisted index case testing implementation, including sensitivities around discussing ICT with clients, privacy concerns, limited time for assisted index case testing amid high workloads, poor quality contact information, and logistical obstacles to tracing. Participants also reported several health care worker characteristics that facilitate feasibility (knowledge, interpersonal skills, non-stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors, and a sense of purpose), as well as identified process improvements with the potential to mitigate barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Maximizing assisted ICT's potential to increase status awareness in people living with HIV requires equipping health care workers with effective training and support to address and overcome the many feasibility barriers that they face in implementation. Findings demonstrate the need for, as well as inform the development of, implementation strategies to mitigate barriers and promote facilitators to feasibility of assisted ICT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05343390. Date of registration: April 25, 2022.

Coevolution of Adeno-associated Virus Capsid Antigenicity and Tropism through a Structure-Guided Approach.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are composed of nonenveloped, icosahedral protein shells that can be adapted to package and deliver recombinant therapeutic DNA. Approaches to engineer recombinant capsids for gene therapy applications have focused on rational design or library-based approaches that can address one or two desirable attributes; however, there is an unmet need to comprehensively improve AAV vector properties. Such cannot be achieved by utilizing sequence data alone but requires harnessing the three-dimensional (3D) structural properties of AAV capsids. Here, we solve the structures of a natural AAV isolate complexed with antibodies using cryo-electron microscopy and harness this structural information to engineer AAV capsid libraries through saturation mutagenesis of different antigenic footprints. Each surface loop was evolved by infectious cycling in the presence of a helper adenovirus to yield a new AAV variant that then serves as a template for evolving the next surface loop. This stepwise process yielded a humanized AAV8 capsid (AAVhum.8) displaying nonnatural surface loops that simultaneously display tropism for human hepatocytes, increased gene transfer efficiency, and neutralizing antibody evasion. Specifically, AAVhum.8 can better evade neutralizing antisera from multiple species than AAV8. Further, AAVhum.8 displays robust transduction in a human liver xenograft mouse model with expanded tropism for both murine and human hepatocytes. This work supports the hypothesis that critical properties, such as AAV capsid antibody evasion and tropism, can be coevolved by combining rational design and library-based evolution for clinical gene therapy.IMPORTANCE Clinical gene therapy with recombinant AAV vectors has largely relied on natural capsid isolates. There is an unmet need to comprehensively improve AAV tissue tropism, transduction efficiency, and antibody evasion. Such cannot be achieved by utilizing capsid sequence data alone but requires harnessing the 3D structural properties of AAV capsids. Here, we combine rational design and library-based evolution to coevolve multiple, desirable properties onto AAV by harnessing 3D structural information.

Modulation of Sialic Acid Dependence Influences the Central Nervous System Transduction Profile of Adeno-associated Viruses.

Central nervous system (CNS) transduction by systemically administered recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors requires crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We recently mapped a structural footprint on the AAVrh.10 capsid, which, when grafted onto the AAV1 capsid (AAV1RX), enables viral transport across the BBB; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we establish through structural modeling that this footprint overlaps in part the sialic acid (SIA) footprint on AAV1. We hypothesized that altered SIA-capsid interactions may influence the ability of AAV1RX to transduce the CNS. Using AAV1 variants with altered SIA footprints, we map functional attributes of these capsids to their relative SIA dependence. Specifically, capsids with ablated SIA binding can penetrate and transduce the CNS with low to moderate efficiency. In contrast, AAV1 shows strong SIA dependency and does not transduce the CNS after systemic administration and, instead, transduces the vasculature and the liver. The AAV1RX variant, which shows an intermediate SIA binding phenotype, effectively enters the brain parenchyma and transduces neurons at levels comparable to the level of AAVrh.10. In corollary, the reciprocal swap of the AAV1RX footprint onto AAVrh.10 (AAVRX1) attenuated CNS transduction relative to that of AAVrh.10. We conclude that the composition of residues within the capsid variable region 1 (VR1) of AAV1 and AAVrh.10 profoundly influences tropism, with altered SIA interactions playing a partial role in this phenotype. Further, we postulate a Goldilocks model, wherein optimal glycan interactions can influence the CNS transduction profile of AAV capsids.IMPORTANCE Understanding how viruses cross the blood-brain barrier can provide insight into new approaches to block infection by pathogens or the ability to exploit these pathways for designing new recombinant viral vectors for gene therapy. In this regard, modulation of virus-carbohydrate interactions by mutating the virion shell can influence the ability of recombinant viruses to cross the vascular barrier, enter the brain, and enable efficient gene transfer to neurons.

Dipole modeling of multispectral signal for detecting metallic biopsy markers during MRI-guided breast biopsy: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: During MRI-guided breast biopsy, a metallic biopsy marker is deployed at the biopsy site to guide future interventions. Conventional MRI during biopsy cannot distinguish such markers from biopsy site air, and a post-biopsy mammogram is therefore performed to localize marker placement. The purpose of this pilot study is to develop dipole modeling of multispectral signal (DIMMS) as an MRI alternative to eliminate the cost, inefficiency, inconvenience, and ionizing radiation of a mammogram for biopsy marker localization. METHODS: DIMMS detects and localizes the biopsy marker by fitting the measured multispectral imaging (MSI) signal to the MRI signal model and marker properties. MSI was performed on phantoms containing titanium biopsy markers and air to illustrate the clinical challenge that DIMMS addresses and on 20 patients undergoing MRI-guided breast biopsy to assess DIMMS feasibility for marker detection. DIMMS was compared to conventional MSI field map thresholding, using the post-procedure mammogram as the reference standard. RESULTS: Biopsy markers were detected and localized in 20 of 20 cases using MSI with automated DIMMS post-processing (using a threshold of 0.7) and in 18 of 20 cases using MSI field mapping (using a threshold of 0.65 kHz). CONCLUSION: MSI with DIMMS post-processing is a feasible technique for biopsy marker detection and localization during MRI-guided breast biopsy. With a 2-min MSI scan, DIMMS is a promising MRI alternative to the standard-of-care post-biopsy mammogram.

Performance of 2D Synthetic Mammography Versus Digital Mammography in the Detection of Microcalcifications at Screening.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of 2D synthetic mammography (SM) to that of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) in the detection of microcalcifications and to evaluate radiologists' preference between the two imaging modalities for assessing calcifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A fully crossed, mode-balanced, paired-case (n = 160), retrospective, multireader (n = 3) performance study was implemented to compare screening mammograms acquired with digital breast tomosynthesis and both FFDM and SM between 2015 and 2017. The study cohort included 70 patients with mammograms recalled for microcalcifications (35 with malignant findings and 35 with benign findings) and was supplemented with 90 patients with mammograms with negative findings. In separate sessions, readers interpreted SM or FFDM images by recording a BI-RADS assessment and the probability of malignancy. In a final session that included 70 mammograms with microcalcifications, readers recorded their subjective assessment of microcalcification conspicuity and diagnostic confidence. RESULTS. There was no difference in diagnostic accuracy as assessed by comparing the likelihood of malignancy based on the AUC of plotted ROCs, with AUCs of 91% (95% CI, 83-97%) and 88% (95% CI, 79-95%) observed for SM and FFDM, respectively (p = 0.392), and with noninferiority of SM compared with FFDM (p = 0.011). No significant difference was observed between SM and FFDM in terms of sensitivity (77% vs 73%, respectively; p = 0.366) or negative predictive value (84% vs 82%, respectively; p = 0.598). The specificity and positive predictive value of SM were lower than those of FFDM (91% vs 98%, respectively [p = 0.034], and 87% vs 96%, respectively [p = 0.034]). All readers found calcifications to be more conspicuous on SM (p < 0.0001); however, no significant difference in subjective diagnostic confidence was seen. CONCLUSION. SM is noninferior to FFDM in the detection of microcalcifications. Despite the increased conspicuity of microcalcifications on SM, the subjective diagnostic confidence in the two modalities is comparable.

Accuracy of Synthetic 2D Mammography Compared With Conventional 2D Digital Mammography Obtained With 3D Tomosynthesis.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of synthetic 2D imaging generated from 3D tomosynthesis (DBT) with traditional 2D full-field digital mammography (FFDM) by use of the most up-to-date software algorithm in an urban academic radiology practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The records of patients undergoing screening mammography with DBT, synthetic 2D imaging, and FFDM between August 13, 2014, and January 31, 2016, were retrospectively collected. The cohort included all biopsy-proven breast cancers detected with screening mammography during the study period (n = 89) and 100 cases of negative or benign (BI-RADS category 1 or 2) findings after 365 days of follow-up. In separate sessions, three readers blinded to outcome reviewed DBT plus synthetic 2D or DBT plus FFDM screening mammograms and assigned a BI-RADS category and probability of malignancy to each case. The diagnostic performance of each modality was assessed by calculating sensitivity and specificity. Reader performance was assessed by ROC analysis to estimate the AUC of the likelihood of malignancy. RESULTS. No statistically significant difference was found in diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, or negative predictive value) between DBT plus synthetic 2D mammography and DBT plus FFDM. There was no statistically significant difference between the AUC of DBT plus synthetic 2D mammography and the AUC of DBT plus FFDM for any reader. CONCLUSION. DBT plus synthetic 2D mammography performs as well as and not worse than DBT plus FFDM in measures of diagnostic accuracy and may be a viable alternative for decreasing radiation dose without sacrificing diagnostic performance.

Small Changes or Big Ones? The Case of Limits on Prescription Drug Copayments in California.

Despite standardization, advocates for various industries and certain patient needs continue to propose changes in coverage rules. Much of the advocacy is occurring at the state level with a focus on pharmaceutical coverage, such as equalizing cost sharing between oral and infused oncology drugs or setting limits on cost sharing for prescriptions.

Improving Communication During Cardiac ICU Multidisciplinary Rounds Through Visual Display of Patient Daily Goals.

OBJECTIVES: To improve communication during daily cardiac ICU multidisciplinary rounds. DESIGN: Quality improvement methodology. SETTING: Twenty-five-bed cardiac ICUs in an academic free-standing pediatric hospital. PATIENTS: All patients admitted to the cardiac ICU. INTERVENTIONS: Implementation of visual display of patient daily goals through a write-down and read-back process. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The Rounds Effectiveness Assessment and Communication Tool was developed based on the previously validated Patient Knowledge Assessment Tool to evaluate comprehension of patient daily goals. Rounds were assessed for each patient by the bedside nurse, nurse practitioner or fellow, and attending physician, and answers were compared to determine percent agreement per day. At baseline, percent agreement for patient goals was only 62%. After initial implementation of the daily goal write-down/read-back process, which was written on paper by the bedside nurse, the Rounds Effectiveness Assessment and Communication Tool survey revealed no improvement. With adaptation of the intervention so goals were written on whiteboards for visual display during rounds, the percent agreement improved to 85%. Families were also asked to complete a survey (1-6 Likert scale) of their satisfaction with rounds and understanding of daily goals before and after the intervention. Family survey results improved from a mean of 4.6-5.7. Parent selection of the best possible score for each question was 19% at baseline and 75% after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Visual display of patient daily goals via a write-down/read-back process improves comprehension of goals by all team members and improves parent satisfaction. The daily goal whiteboard facilitates consistent development of a comprehensive plan of care for each patient, fosters goal-directed care, and provides a checklist for providers and parents to review throughout the day.

A randomized, controlled clinical trial demonstrates improved owner-assessed cognitive function in senior dogs receiving a senolytic and NAD+ precursor combination.

Age-related decline in mobility and cognition are associated with cellular senescence and NAD + depletion in dogs and people. A combination of a novel NAD + precursor and senolytic, LY-D6/2, was examined in this randomized controlled trial. Seventy dogs with mild to moderate cognitive impairment were enrolled and allocated into placebo, low or full dose groups. Primary outcomes were change in cognitive impairment measured with the owner-reported Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Rating (CCDR) scale and change in activity measured with physical activity monitors. Fifty-nine dogs completed evaluations at the 3-month primary endpoint, and 51 reached the 6-month secondary endpoint. There was a significant difference in CCDR score across treatment groups from baseline to the primary endpoint (p = 0.02) with the largest decrease in the full dose group. No difference was detected between groups using in house cognitive testing. There were no significant differences between groups in changes in measured activity. The proportion of dogs that improved in frailty and owner-reported activity levels and happiness was higher in the full dose group than other groups, however this difference was not significant. Adverse events occurred equally across groups. All groups showed improvement in cognition, frailty, and activity suggesting placebo effect and benefits of trial participation. We conclude that LY-D6/2 improves owner-assessed cognitive function over a 3-month period and may have broader, but more subtle effects on frailty, activity and happiness as reported by owners.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in senior and geriatric dogs.

Advancements in veterinary medicine have resulted in increased life spans for dogs, necessitating a better understanding of quality of life for older dogs. This study aimed to evaluate quality of life (QoL) progression and its potential association with mortality in senior and geriatric dogs. The Canine Owner-Reported Quality of Life Questionnaire (CORQ), consisting of 17 questions across four domains (vitality, companionship, pain, and mobility) was employed. Higher scores indicated better quality of life, with 7 as the highest potential score for each question. In a cross-sectional analysis including 92 dogs, we found an inverse correlation between overall CORQ (and all domain scores) and fractional lifespan. The domain of vitality demonstrated the lowest scores, while companionship exhibited the highest. A longitudinal analysis, including 34 dogs, revealed that when dogs reach the geriatric stage (100% of their calculated lifespan), their expected overall CORQ is 5.95 out of 7, and dogs are expected to have a monthly decline of 0.05 units in the score. Cox proportional hazard analysis demonstrated a significant association between overall CORQ scores and mortality, with dogs scoring below 5.35 being at a higher risk of mortality. This study underscores the association between aging, declining quality of life, and increased mortality risk in aging dogs.

Phone-based psychosocial counseling for people living with HIV: Feasibility, acceptability and impact on uptake of psychosocial counseling services in Malawi.

People living with HIV experience psychosocial needs that often are not addressed. We designed an innovative low-resource model of phone-based psychosocial counseling (P-PSC). We describe cohort characteristics, acceptability, feasibility and utilization of P-PSC at health facilities supported by Baylor Foundation Malawi. Staff were virtually oriented at 120 sites concurrently. From facility-based phones, people with new HIV diagnosis, high viral load, treatment interruption or mental health concerns were referred without identifiable personal information to 13 psychosocial counselors via a WhatsApp group. Routine program data were retrospectively analyzed using univariate approaches and regressions with interrupted time series analyses. Clients utilizing P-PSC were 63% female, 25% youth (10-24 y) and 9% children (<10 y). They were referred from all 120 supported health facilities. Main referral reasons included new HIV diagnosis (32%), ART adherence support (32%) and treatment interruption (21%). Counseling was completed for 99% of referrals. Counseling sessions per month per psychosocial counselor increased from 77 before P-PSC to 216 in month 1 (95% CI = 82, 350, p = 0.003). Total encounters increased significantly to 31,642 in year 1 from ~6,000 during the 12 prior months, an over fivefold increase. P-PSC implementation at 120 remote facilities was acceptable and feasible with immediate, increased utilization despite few psychosocial counselors in Malawi.

Does a blended learning implementation package enhance HIV index case testing in Malawi? A protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Index case testing (ICT) is an evidence-based approach that efficiently identifies persons in need of HIV treatment and prevention services. In Malawi, delivery of ICT has faced challenges due to limited technical capacity of healthcare workers (HCWs) and clinical coordination. Digitisation of training and quality improvement processes presents an opportunity to address these challenges. We developed an implementation package that combines digital and face-to-face modalities (blended learning) to strengthen HCWs ICT skills and enhance quality improvement mechanisms. This cluster randomised controlled trial will assess the impact of the blended learning implementation package compared with the standard of care (SOC) on implementation, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study was conducted in 33 clusters in Machinga and Balaka districts, in Southern Malawi from November 2021 to November 2023. Clusters are randomised in a 2:1 ratio to the SOC versus blended learning implementation package. The SOC is composed of: brief face-to-face HCW ICT training and routine face-to-face facility mentorship for HCWs. The blended learning implementation package consists of blended teaching, role-modelling, practising, and providing feedback, and blended quality improvement processes. The primary implementation outcome is HCW fidelity to ICT over 1 year of follow-up. Primary service uptake outcomes include (a) index clients who participate in ICT, (b) contacts elicited, (c) HIV self-test kits provided for secondary distribution, (d) contacts tested and (e) contacts identified as HIV-positive. Service uptake analyses will use a negative binomial mixed-effects model to account for repeated measures within each cluster. Cost-effectiveness will be assessed through incremental cost-effectiveness ratios examining the incremental cost of each person tested. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Malawi National Health Science Research Committee, the University of North Carolina and the Baylor College of Medicine Institutional Review Boards approved the trial. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05343390.

Comparative Effectiveness of Second-Line Antihyperglycemic Agents for Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Multinational, Federated Analysis of LEGEND-T2DM.

BACKGROUND: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, their effectiveness relative to each other and other second-line antihyperglycemic agents is unknown, without any major ongoing head-to-head clinical trials. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the cardiovascular effectiveness of SGLT2is, GLP-1 RAs, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is), and clinical sulfonylureas (SUs) as second-line antihyperglycemic agents in T2DM. METHODS: Across the LEGEND-T2DM (Large-Scale Evidence Generation and Evaluation Across a Network of Databases for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) network, 10 federated international data sources were included, spanning 1992 to 2021. In total, 1,492,855 patients with T2DM and cardiovascular disease (CVD) on metformin monotherapy were identified who initiated 1 of 4 second-line agents (SGLT2is, GLP-1 RAs, DPP4is, or SUs). Large-scale propensity score models were used to conduct an active-comparator target trial emulation for pairwise comparisons. After evaluating empirical equipoise and population generalizability, on-treatment Cox proportional hazards models were fit for 3-point MACE (myocardial infarction, stroke, and death) and 4-point MACE (3-point MACE plus heart failure hospitalization) risk and HR estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Over 5.2 million patient-years of follow-up and 489 million patient-days of time at risk, patients experienced 25,982 3-point MACE and 41,447 4-point MACE. SGLT2is and GLP-1 RAs were associated with lower 3-point MACE risk than DPP4is (HR: 0.89 [95% CI: 0.79-1.00] and 0.83 [95% CI: 0.70-0.98]) and SUs (HR: 0.76 [95% CI: 0.65-0.89] and 0.72 [95% CI: 0.58-0.88]). DPP4is were associated with lower 3-point MACE risk than SUs (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79-0.95). The pattern for 3-point MACE was also observed for the 4-point MACE outcome. There were no significant differences between SGLT2is and GLP-1 RAs for 3-point or 4-point MACE (HR: 1.06 [95% CI: 0.96-1.17] and 1.05 [95% CI: 0.97-1.13]). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with T2DM and CVD, comparable cardiovascular risk reduction was found with SGLT2is and GLP-1 RAs, with both agents more effective than DPP4is, which in turn were more effective than SUs. These findings suggest that the use of SGLT2is and GLP-1 RAs should be prioritized as second-line agents in those with established CVD.

Comparative Effectiveness of Second-line Antihyperglycemic Agents for Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Large-scale, Multinational, Federated Analysis of the LEGEND-T2DM Study.

Background: SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) reduce major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, their effectiveness relative to each other and other second-line antihyperglycemic agents is unknown, without any major ongoing head-to-head trials. Methods: Across the LEGEND-T2DM network, we included ten federated international data sources, spanning 1992-2021. We identified 1,492,855 patients with T2DM and established cardiovascular disease (CVD) on metformin monotherapy who initiated one of four second-line agents (SGLT2is, GLP1-RAs, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor [DPP4is], sulfonylureas [SUs]). We used large-scale propensity score models to conduct an active comparator, target trial emulation for pairwise comparisons. After evaluating empirical equipoise and population generalizability, we fit on-treatment Cox proportional hazard models for 3-point MACE (myocardial infarction, stroke, death) and 4-point MACE (3-point MACE + heart failure hospitalization) risk, and combined hazard ratio (HR) estimates in a random-effects meta-analysis. Findings: Across cohorts, 16·4%, 8·3%, 27·7%, and 47·6% of individuals with T2DM initiated SGLT2is, GLP1-RAs, DPP4is, and SUs, respectively. Over 5·2 million patient-years of follow-up and 489 million patient-days of time at-risk, there were 25,982 3-point MACE and 41,447 4-point MACE events. SGLT2is and GLP1-RAs were associated with a lower risk for 3-point MACE compared with DPP4is (HR 0·89 [95% CI, 0·79-1·00] and 0·83 [0·70-0·98]), and SUs (HR 0·76 [0·65-0·89] and 0·71 [0·59-0·86]). DPP4is were associated with a lower 3-point MACE risk versus SUs (HR 0·87 [0·79-0·95]). The pattern was consistent for 4-point MACE for the comparisons above. There were no significant differences between SGLT2is and GLP1-RAs for 3-point or 4-point MACE (HR 1·06 [0·96-1·17] and 1·05 [0·97-1·13]). Interpretation: In patients with T2DM and established CVD, we found comparable cardiovascular risk reduction with SGLT2is and GLP1-RAs, with both agents more effective than DPP4is, which in turn were more effective than SUs. These findings suggest that the use of GLP1-RAs and SGLT2is should be prioritized as second-line agents in those with established CVD. Funding: National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Beta-Lactam Allergy Association with Surgical Site Infections in Pediatric Procedures: A Matched Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about surgical site infection (SSI) risk among pediatric patients with reported beta-lactam allergy (BLA). METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study at a quaternary children's hospital and compared procedures in patients ages 1-19 years old with and without BLA that required antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) during 2010-2017. Procedures were matched 1:1 by patient age, complex chronic conditions, year of surgery, and National Surgical Quality Improvement Program current procedural terminology category. The primary outcome was SSI as defined by National Healthcare Safety Network. The secondary outcome was AMP protocol compliance as per American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. RESULTS: Of the 11 878 procedures identified, 1021 (9%) had a reported BLA. There were 35 (1.8%) SSIs in the matched cohort of 1944 procedures with no significant difference in SSI rates in BLA procedures (1.8%) compared to no-BLA (1.9%) procedures. Tier 3 AMP was chosen more frequently among BLA procedures (P < .01). Unmatched analysis of all procedures showed that 23.7% of BLA procedures received beta-lactam-AMP (vs. 93.7% of procedures without BLA). There were no major differences in SSI on sensitivity analysis of BLA procedures that did not receive beta-lactam AMP (1.4%) compared to no-BLA procedures with beta-lactam AMP (1.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective matched analysis of 1944 pediatric procedures found no increase in SSIs in procedures with reported BLA, which differs from studies in adults. We observed that the choice of beta-lactam-AMP was common, even in BLA procedures. More data are needed to delineate an association between non-beta-lactam AMP and SSI in children.

Examining the feasibility of assisted index case testing for HIV case-finding: a qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation in Malawi.

Background: Assisted index case testing, in which health care workers take an active role in referring at-risk contacts of people living with HIV for HIV testing services, has been widely recognized as an evidence-based intervention with high potential to increase PLHIV status awareness. Promising evidence for the approach has led to several attempts to scale assisted index case testing throughout eastern and southern Africa in recent years. However, despite effective implementation being at the heart of any assisted index case testing strategy, there is limited implementation science research from the perspective of the HCWs who are doing the "assisting". This study examines the feasibility of assisted index case testing from the perspective of health care workers implementing the approach in Malawi. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 lay health care workers delivering assisted index case testing in Malawian health facilities. Interviews explored health care workers' experiences counselling index clients and tracing these clients' contacts, aiming to inform development of a blended learning implementation package. Transcripts were inductively analyzed using Dedoose coding software to identify and describe key factors influencing feasibility of assisted index case testing. Analysis included multiple rounds of coding and iteration with the data collection team. Results: Participants reported a variety of barriers to feasibility of assisted index case testing implementation, including privacy concerns, limited time for assisted index case testing amid high workloads, poor quality contact information, logistical obstacles to tracing, and challenges of discussing sexual behavior with clients. Participants also reported several health care worker characteristics that facilitate feasibility: robust understanding of assisted index case testing's rationale and knowledge of procedures, strong interpersonal skills, positive attitudes towards clients, and sense of purpose in their work. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate that maximizing assisted index case testing's potential to increase HIV status awareness requires adequately equipping health care workers with appropriate knowledge, skills, and support to address and overcome the many feasibility challenges that they face in implementation. Trial Registration Number: NCT05343390 Date of registration: April 25, 2022.

Virological Findings and Treatment Outcomes of Cases That Developed Dolutegravir Resistance in Malawi's National HIV Treatment Program.

Millions of Africans are on dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART), but few detailed descriptions of dolutegravir resistance and its clinical management exist. We reviewed HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) testing application forms submitted between June 2019 and October 2022, data from the national HIVDR database, and genotypic test results. We obtained standardized ART outcomes and virological results of cases with dolutegravir resistance, and explored associations with dolutegravir resistance among individuals with successful integrase sequencing. All cases were on two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)/dolutegravir, and had confirmed virological failure, generally with prolonged viremia. Among 89 samples with successful integrase sequencing, 24 showed dolutegravir resistance. Dolutegravir resistance-associated mutations included R263K (16/24), E138K (7/24), and G118R (6/24). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, older age and the presence of high-level NRTI resistance were significantly associated with dolutegravir resistance. After treatment modification recommendations, four individuals (17%) with dolutegravir resistance died, one self-discontinued ART, one defaulted, and one transferred out. Of the 17 remaining individuals, 12 had follow-up VL results, and 11 (92%) were <1000 copies/mL. Twenty-four cases with dolutegravir resistance among 89 individuals with confirmed virological failure suggests a considerable prevalence in the Malawi HIV program. Successful management of dolutegravir resistance was possible, but early mortality was high. More research on the management of treatment-experienced individuals with dolutegravir resistance is needed.

Reproducible variability: assessing investigator discordance across 9 research teams attempting to reproduce the same observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies can impact patient care but must be robust and reproducible. Nonreproducibility is primarily caused by unclear reporting of design choices and analytic procedures. This study aimed to: (1) assess how the study logic described in an observational study could be interpreted by independent researchers and (2) quantify the impact of interpretations' variability on patient characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine teams of highly qualified researchers reproduced a cohort from a study by Albogami et al. The teams were provided the clinical codes and access to the tools to create cohort definitions such that the only variable part was their logic choices. We executed teams' cohort definitions against the database and compared the number of subjects, patient overlap, and patient characteristics. RESULTS: On average, the teams' interpretations fully aligned with the master implementation in 4 out of 10 inclusion criteria with at least 4 deviations per team. Cohorts' size varied from one-third of the master cohort size to 10 times the cohort size (2159-63 619 subjects compared to 6196 subjects). Median agreement was 9.4% (interquartile range 15.3-16.2%). The teams' cohorts significantly differed from the master implementation by at least 2 baseline characteristics, and most of the teams differed by at least 5. CONCLUSIONS: Independent research teams attempting to reproduce the study based on its free-text description alone produce different implementations that vary in the population size and composition. Sharing analytical code supported by a common data model and open-source tools allows reproducing a study unambiguously thereby preserving initial design choices.