High-dose pulse methylprednisolone vs. dexamethasone standard therapy for severe and critical COVID-19 pneumonia: Efficacy assessment in a retrospective single-centre experience from Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION: The use of dexamethasone (DXM) has been associated with decreased mortality in the patients with hypoxemia during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while the outcomes with methylprednisolone (MTP) have been mixed. This real-life study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of patients with severe respiratory failure due to COVID-19 who were treated with high doses of MTP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled hospitalised patients between May 2021 and August 2021, aged 18 years and above, with severe respiratory failure defined by a ratio of oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen (SF ratio) of less than 235. The treatment protocol involved administering high-dose MTP for 3 days, followed by DXM, and the outcomes were compared with those of patients who received DXM alone (total treatment duration of 10 days for both groups). RESULTS: A total of 99 patients were enrolled, with 79 (79.8%) receiving pulse MTP therapy and 20 (20.2%) being treated with DXM only. The SF ratio significantly improved from a mean of 144.49 (±45.16) at baseline to 208 (±85.19) at 72 hours (p < 0.05), with a mean difference of 63.51 (p < 0.001) in patients who received ≤750 mg of MTP. Additionally, in patients who received >750 mg of MTP, the SF ratio improved from a baseline mean of 130.39 (±34.53) to 208.44 (±86.61) at 72 hours (p < 0.05), with a mean difference of 78.05 (p = 0.001). In contrast, patients who received DXM only demonstrated an SF ratio of 132.85 (±44.1) at baseline, which changed minimally to 133.35 (±44.4) at 72 hours (p = 0.33), with a mean difference of 0.50 (p = 0.972). The incidence of nosocomial infection was higher in the MTP group compared with the DXM group (40.5% vs. 35%, p = 0.653), with a relative risk of 1.16 (95% CI: 0.60-2.23). CONCLUSION: MTP did not demonstrate a significant reduction in intubation or intensive care unit admissions. Although a high dose of MTP improved gas exchange in patients with severe and critical COVID-19, it did not provide an overall mortality benefit compared to standard treatment.

Elevated risk of multimorbidity post-COVID-19 infection: protective effect of vaccination.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear how the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has affected multimorbidity incidence among those with one pre-existing chronic condition, as well as how vaccination could modify this association. AIM: To examine the association of Covid-19 infection with multimorbidity incidence among people with one pre-existing chronic condition, including those with prior vaccination. DESIGN: Nested case-control study. METHODS: We conducted a territory-wide nested case-control study with incidence density sampling using Hong Kong electronic health records from public healthcare facilities and mandatory Covid-19 reports. People with one listed chronic condition (based on a list of 30) who developed multimorbidity during 1 January 2020-15 November 2022 were selected as case participants and randomly matched with up to 10 people of the same age, sex and with the same first chronic condition without having developed multimorbidity at that point. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of multimorbidity. RESULTS: In total, 127 744 case participants were matched with 1 230 636 control participants. Adjusted analysis showed that there were 28%-increased odds of multimorbidity following Covid-19 [confidence interval (CI) 22% to 36%] but only 3% (non-significant) with prior full vaccination with BNT162b2 or CoronaVac (95% CI -2% to 7%). Similar associations were observed in men, women, older people aged 65 or more, and people aged 64 or younger. CONCLUSIONS: We found a significantly elevated risk of multimorbidity following a Covid-19 episode among people with one pre-existing chronic condition. Full vaccination significantly reduced this risk increase.

The impact of a complex school nutrition intervention on double burden of malnutrition among Thai primary school children: a 2-year quasi-experiment.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the impacts of the Dekthai Kamsai programme on overweight/obesity, underweight and stunting among male and female primary school students. STUDY DESIGN: A quasi-experiment was conducted in 16 intervention and 19 control schools across Thailand in 2018 and 2019. In total, 896 treated and 1779 control students from grades 1 to 3 were recruited. In intervention schools, a set of multifaceted intervention components were added into school routine practices. Anthropometric outcomes were measured at baseline and at the beginning and end of every school term. METHODS: Propensity score matching with linear and Poisson difference-in-difference analyses were used to adjust for the non-randomisation and to analyse the intervention's effects over time. RESULTS: Compared with controls, the increases in mean BMI-for-age Z-score (BAZ) and the incidence rate of overweight/obesity were lower in the intervention schools at the 3rd, 4th and 8th measurements and the 3rd measurement, respectively. The decrease in mean height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) was lower at the 4th measurement. The decrease in the incidence rate of wasting was lower at the 5th, 7th and 8th measurements. The favourable impacts on BAZ and HAZ were found in both sexes, while the favourable impact on overweight/obesity and unfavourable impact on wasting were found in girls. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention might be effective in reducing BAZ, overweight/obesity, poor height gain, but not wasting. These findings highlight the benefits of a multifaceted school nutrition intervention and a need to incorporate tailor-made interventions for wasting to comprehensively address the double burden of malnutrition.

Refractory Psychosis After Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: a Case Report.

We report a case of refractory psychosis after carbon monoxide poisoning in a 65-year-old woman who attempted suicide by charcoal burning in 2018. On discharge from hospital, she was bedbound, tube-fed, and had limited verbal output. In early 2019, she was able to resume oral feeding and her physical condition improved. However, she started to have paranoid ideas and auditory hallucinations. She was diagnosed as having organic brain syndrome and was prescribed with quetiapine 300 mg every night. Because of the poor clinical response, quetiapine was switched to olanzapine 20 mg every night and augmented with amisulpride and valproate sodium. However, she remained distressed, psychotic, and suicidal. She was then prescribed with clozapine 300 mg every night. Her symptoms improved despite residual auditory hallucinations remained, but she was less distressed about them.

Is heritability of alopecia areata sex-specific? A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Previous studies have demonstrated the heritability of alopecia areata (AA). However, whether the heritability of AA is sex-specific has not been examined. A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study was performed using the Taiwan Maternal and Child Health Database from 2004 to 2017. We examined the heritability of AA in offspring of parents with and without AA, and determined whether the transmission of AA from parents to the next generation may occur in opposite directions depending on sex. We found that the risk ratio (RR) for heritability of AA between parents with and without AA was approximately two-fold. In addition, for fathers with AA, the risk of AA in offspring tended to be higher in girls than in boys (RR: 2.97; 95% confidence interval: 0.94, 9.31). Therefore, the present study confirms the heritability of AA, and further studies examining the sex-specific heritability of AA with a larger sample are warranted.

Host inflammatory response is the major marker of severe respiratory syncytial virus infection in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: We aim to study the viral kinetics and host inflammatory response of RSV infection in older adults, and their correlation with disease severity. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study in adults with RSV infection. We serially collected nasal-throat swabs for quantification of RSV-A and RSV-B viral load, and peripheral blood samples for measurement of cytokine/chemokine concentrations. The study endpoints were (i) requiring supplemental oxygen therapy, and (ii) non-invasive ventilation, intensive care, or died within 30 days of admission. We performed multivariable logistic regression models to identify independent variables for severe disease. RESULTS: We enrolled 71 hospitalized patients and 10 outpatients treated for RSV infection (median age 75 years, 51% male, and 74% with comorbidities). Among hospitalized patients, 61% required supplemental oxygen therapy, and 18% had severe disease requiring non-invasive ventilation or intensive care, or died within 30 days. Inflammatory cytokine/chemokines IL-6, CXCL8/IL-8, CXCL9/MIG and CXCL10/IP-10 increased significantly during the acute phase of illness. IL-6 concentration was independently associated with severe disease after adjusting for confounding factors. RSV viral load was not associated with disease severity throughout the course of illness. CONCLUSION: Host inflammatory response is a major marker of severe disease in older adults with RSV infection.

Changes of the intestinal microbiota along the gut of Japanese Eel (Anguilla japonica).

Fish intestine contains different types of microbiomes, and bacteria are the dominant microbiota in fishes. Studies have identified various core gut bacteria in fishes. However, little is known about the composition and their relative functions of gut microbial community along the intestine. To explore this, the current study investigated the microbial community distribution along the gut in Anguilla japonica. By 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we profiled the gut microbiota in eel along the three regions (anterior intestine (AI), the middle intestine (MI) and the posterior intestine (PI)). Results suggested that the three regions did not have significant differences on the observed species and diversities. The cluster tree analysis showed that the bacteria community in MI was closer to PI than the AI. The dominant bacteria in AI were the Proteobacteria, in which the majority was graduated replaced by Bacteroidetes along the gut to PI region. Through PICRUSt analysis, shifts in the bacterial community along the gut were found to affect the genetic information processing pathways. Higher levels of translation and transcriptional pathway activities were found in MI and PI than in AI. The dominant bacterial species were different among the regions and contributed to various biological functions along the gut.

Bariatric surgery is expensive but improves co-morbidity: 5-year assessment of patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery can be effective in weight reduction and diabetes remission in some patients, but is expensive. The costs of bariatric surgery in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were explored here. METHODS: Population-based retrospectively gathered data on patients with obesity and T2DM from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (2006-2017) were evaluated. Direct medical costs from baseline up to 60 months were calculated based on the frequency of healthcare service utilization and dispensing of diabetes medication. Charlson Co-morbidity Index (CCI) scores and co-morbidity rates were measured to compare changes in co-morbidities between surgically treated and control groups over 5 years. One-to-five propensity score matching was applied. RESULTS: Overall, 401 eligible surgical patients were matched with 1894 non-surgical patients. Direct medical costs were much higher for surgical than non-surgical patients in the index year (€36 752 and €5788 respectively; P < 0·001) mainly owing to the bariatric procedure. The 5-year cumulative costs incurred by surgical patients were also higher (€54 135 versus €28 603; P < 0·001). Although patients who had bariatric surgery had more visits to outpatient and allied health professionals than those who did not across the 5-year period, surgical patients had shorter length of stay in hospitals than non-surgical patients in year 2-5. Surgical patients had significantly better CCI scores than controls after the baseline measurement (mean 3·82 versus 4·38 at 5 years; P = 0·016). Costs of glucose-lowering medications were similar between two groups, except that surgical patients had significantly lower costs of glucose-lowering medications in year 2 (€973 versus €1395; P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery in obese patients with T2DM is expensive, but leads to an improved co-morbidity profile, and reduced length of hospitalization.

Non-invasive spectroscopic and imaging systems for prediction of beef quality in a meat processing pilot plant.

This study evaluated a range of diffuse reflectance spectroscopic (Vis-NIR spectrophotometers) and imaging (Hyperspectral imaging cameras) instruments for predicting pH, IMF and shear force values of beef in a meat processing pilot plant. A total of 364 beef striploin samples were evaluated and prediction models were developed using PLSR. Models for pH and IMF (except Vis snapshot camera) showed good fit with high Rcv2 (0.29-0.92) and low SECV values. Good prediction accuracy with high Rp2 (0.44-0.90), RPD and low SEP values was also observed. While low values of Rp2 for shear force was observed, the expected curvilinear relationship between predicted values of shear force and predicted values of pH was observed suggesting that spectroscopic measurements were able detect biophysical factors associated to these two attributes. Overall, it can be concluded that diffuse reflectance spectroscopy combined with chemometrics has a great potential to be used as an on/in-line quality monitoring system for the meat processing industry.

SGLT2i as fourth-line therapy and risk of mortality, end-stage renal diseases and cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: Current guideline recommends insulin as fourth-line glucose-lowering medications. However, treatment effects of sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on the risk of complications are uncertain. This study examines risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and end-stage renal diseases (ESRD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients on triple oral glucose-lowering medications initiating SGLT2i, insulin or other oral medications. METHODS: A population-based retrospective cohort of patients with T2DM between 2006-2017 was extracted from Hong Kong Hospital Authority database. Patients who were initiated a fourth-line therapy with SGLT2i, insulin or other oral medications were included. Hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality, CVD and ESRD were assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up period of 18.5 months with 63,122 person-years, SGLT2i and insulin group had the lowest and highest incidence rate of all-cause mortality, CVD and ESRD (1.06, 0.65 and 0.61 vs 4.25, 5.58 and 4.39/100 person-years), respectively. Initiating SGLT2i as fourth-line medication had more benefits on CVD, in particular coronary heart disease and stroke. Insulin users had higher risks of CVD (HR=8.04, 95%CI=3.06-21.12) than SGLT2i users. SGLT2i was associated with insignificant reduction in ESRD (HR=4.62, 95%CI=0.73-29.09) and all-cause mortality (HR=3.06, 95%CI=0.75-12.45), and HF (HR=2.99, 95%CI=0.37-24.42) among patients without established HF. CONCLUSION: Among T2DM patients initiating fourth-line therapy, SGLT2i users had significant benefits in lowering risk of CVD, and potential benefits in lowering risks of ESRD and all-cause mortality. SGLT2i was the preferred fourth-line glucose-lowering medication least likely to be associated with complication risks.

Prediction models for the risk of cardiovascular diseases in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious public health issue worldwide, and DM patients have higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which is the leading cause of DM-related deaths. China has the largest DM population, yet a robust model to predict CVDs in Chinese DM patients is still lacking. This systematic review is carried out to summarize existing models and identify potentially important predictors for CVDs in Chinese DM patients. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Medline and Embase were searched for data from April 1st, 2011 to May 31st, 2018. A study was eligible if it developed CVD (defined as total CVD or any major cardiovascular component) risk prediction models or explored potential predictors of CVD specifically for Chinese people with type 2 DM. Standardized forms were utilized to extract information, appraise applicability, risk of bias, and availabilities. RESULTS: Five models and 29 studies focusing on potential predictors were identified. Models for a primary care setting, or to predict total CVD, are rare. A number of common predictors (e.g. age, sex, diabetes duration, smoking status, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure, lipid profile, and treatment modalities) were observed in existing models, in which urine albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are highly recommended for the Chinese population. Variability of blood pressure (BP) and HbA1c should be included in prediction model development as novel factors. Meanwhile, interactions between age, sex, and risk factors should also be considered. CONCLUSIONS: A 10-year prediction model for CVD risk in Chinese type 2 DM patients is lacking and urgently needed. There is insufficient evidence to support the inclusion of other novel predictors in CVDs risk prediction functions for routine clinical use.

A case of co-infection: First reported case of severe plasmodium knowlesi malaria and dengue co-infection in Sabah, Malaysia.

We report a rare case of severe Plasmodium knowlesi malaria and dengue co-infection in a 36-year-old lady with hyperparasitaemia, metabolic acidosis, haemolysis and acute kidney injury. She was in shock requiring inotropic support and elective intubation. She had pericardial tamponade which necessitate pericardiocentesis to allow for haemodynamic stability during haemodialysis. She underwent haemodialysis, was ventilated for six days and stayed in hospital for 29 days. She was discharged home well with almost complete renal recovery. Physicians must have a high degree of suspicion for dengue co-infection in malaria patients with plasma leakage such as pericardial effusion to allow for prompt management.