Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Vaccinated Health Care Workers Analyzed by Coronavirus Antigen Microarray.

Recent studies provide conflicting evidence on the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 immunity induced by mRNA vaccines. Here, we aim to quantify the persistence of humoral immunity following vaccination using a coronavirus antigen microarray that includes 10 SARS-CoV-2 antigens. In a prospective longitudinal cohort of 240 healthcare workers, composite SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels did not wane significantly over a 6-month study period. In the subset of the study population previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2 based on seropositivity for nucleocapsid antibodies, higher composite anti-spike IgG levels were measured before the vaccine but no significant difference from unexposed individuals was observed at 6 months. Age, vaccine type, or worker role did not significantly impact composite IgG levels, although non-significant trends towards lower antibody levels in older participants and higher antibody levels with Moderna vaccine were observed at 6 months. A small subset of our cohort were classified as having waning antibody titers at 6 months, and these individuals were less likely to work in patient care roles and more likely to have prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

Point of Care Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Necrotizing Fasciitis.

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a severe, life-threatening soft tissue infection requiring prompt diagnosis and immediate surgical debridement. Imaging, including a computed tomography (CT) scan, can often aid in the diagnosis, though it can prolong time to treatment and diagnosis. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is often used in the ED to identify soft tissue infections. The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of POCUS to identify NF in patients presenting to the emergency department. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with suspected soft tissue infection who received a computed tomography and/or surgical consult. POCUS images of the suspected site of infection were obtained by the emergency medicine physician and interpreted based on sonographic findings of NF. These findings were compared with CT scan or surgical impression. RESULTS: We enrolled 64 patients in this study. Eight were determined to be at high risk of having NF based on CT scan and/or surgical impression. All of these patients also had POCUS images interpreted as concerning for NF. Furthermore, 56 patients were classified as being low risk for having NF based on CT scan and/or surgical impression. All but one of these patients had POCUS images interpreted as not concerning for NF. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicates that POCUS can be used to identify NF with a high sensitivity and specificity.

Control of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among US Adults With Type 2 Diabetes With and Without Cardiovascular Disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains leading cause of death among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). There is a lack of recent national data on attainment of single and multiple CVD risk factor targets among adults with T2DM with and without CVD. We identified 1179 T2DM adults (projected to 19.7 million in the US population) aged ≥18 years from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2016 and examined those at target for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c <7.0%, <8.0% if CVD), blood pressure (BP <130/80 mm Hg), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C <100 mg/dL non-CVD and LDL-C <70 mg/dL CVD), nonsmoking status, and body mass index (BMI <30 kg/m2and BMI <25 kg/m2) individually and as a composite in those with versus without prior CVD. Overall, around half of T2DM adults were at target control of HbA1c (55.8%), BP (51.3%), LDL-C (49.3%), with more being nonsmokers (84.3%). The proportion at target for these factors was slightly higher among those with CVD except for LDL-C. BMI was least frequently at target control (9.1% for BMI <25 kg/m2) compared to other risk factors. Moreover, only 17.3% of T2DM patients reached composite target control of HbA1c, BP and LDL-C, with 16.0% reaching target control when nonsmoking status was included and <10% if we included BMI targets. The proportion of patients at composite control was lower in those with versus without with prior CVD. Less than one-fifth adults with T2DM are at composite CVD risk factor control for HbA1c, BP, LDL-C, and nonsmoking status.