Association between SARC-F scores and risk of adverse outcomes in older patients with cardiovascular disease: a prospective study at a tertiary hospital in the south of Vietnam.

Introduction: Older patients typically face elevated mortality rates and greater medical resource utilization during hospitalizations compared to their younger counterparts. Sarcopenia, serving as a prognostic indicator, is related to disability, diminished quality of life, and increased mortality. The SARC-F questionnaire, known for its cost-effectiveness, offers a valuable means of assessing sarcopenia. This study aims to explore the association between SARC-F scores and risk of adverse outcomes in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease at a Ho Chi Minh City hospital. Method: Participants aged 60 and above, admitted to the Department of Cardiology - Interventional and Cardiovascular Emergency of Thong Nhat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City from November 2021 to June 2022, were recruited for the prospective, single-center study. The prognostic outcomes included all-cause death and the initial occurrence of emergency re-hospitalization within 6 months' post-discharge. The Kaplan-Meier analysis compared the overall survival rates between different SARC-F score groups. Results: The study enrolled 285 patients with a median age of 74 (67, 81). During a 6-month follow-up period, there were 14 cases of mortality. A SARC-F score of 4 or higher was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, with HR of 2.02 (95% CI: 1.39-2.92, p < 0.001), and higher incidence of re-hospitalization events with RR of 1.66 (95% CI: 1.06 to 2.59, p = 0.026). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated a notably higher mortality rate in the patients with high SARC-F scores (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In elderly patients with cardiovascular disease, the SARC-F questionnaire could serve as a simple and cost-effective method for detecting mortality and the risk of re-hospitalization.

COVID-19 infection and decline in outdoor activities associated with depression in older adults: A multicenter study in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a serious global communicable disease burden. Although COVID-19 and its policy responses have significantly influenced older adults, the impact of COVID-19 on depression in the older population is not fully understood. We aimed to investigate whether a history of COVID-19 infection and a decline in outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with depression among older adults in Vietnam. METHODS: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,004 outpatients (aged ≥60 years; mean age 70.8 ± 7.3 years; men, 33.0%) visiting three hospitals for a comprehensive geriatric assessment between November 2021 and July 2022. Depression over the past week was evaluated using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. History of COVID-19 infection and decline in outdoor activities were included as binary variables. We adjusted these two factors with sociodemographic and geriatric variables and comorbidities using a logistic regression analysis in separate models. RESULTS: A total of 156 participants (15.5%) experienced depression. The proportion of mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms was 14.1%, 44.9%, and 41.0%, respectively. In the multivariate model, decline in outdoor activities (odds ratio [OR] 17.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.15-32.2, p <0.001) and history of COVID-19 infection (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.28-3.84, p = 0.004) were associated with depression. Additionally, we found that age ≥ 75 years, female sex, being underweight, limitations in functional status, poor sleep quality, and stroke were associated with depression. Of the associated factors, decline in outdoor activities had a moderate strength of association with depression (r = 0.419), while each of the remaining factors had a weak strength of association. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 had a direct and indirect impact on depression in older adults, reflecting an association between both a history of COVID-19 infection and a decline in outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and depression in the older population.

Sputum culture and antibiotic resistance in elderly inpatients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at a tertiary geriatric hospital in southern Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of positive culture sputum and related factors as well as the microorganism features and antibiotic susceptibility of pathogens in elderly inpatients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Thong Nhat Hospital, Vietnam. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included elderly patients admitted to the hospital because of exacerbation of COPD. Data of their medical history, symptoms and signs were collected, and the patients were instructed to collect sputum sample. A positive culture was identified with the growth of ≥ 105 colony-forming units per milliliter. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. RESULTS: There were 167 participants (mean age: 77.5 ± 8.8 years, 87.4% male). The culture-positive rate was 25.1%. A higher proportion of positive culture was among participants with purulent sputum (p = 0.029) and with severe and very severe airflow obstruction (p = 0.005). Three most common agents were Acinetobacter baumannii (24.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (22.2%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.6%). Despite high resistance to almost other antibiotics (> 50% resistance), Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were sensitive to colistin, tobramycin, and gentamicin (> 80% susceptibility). Klebsiella pneumoniae was highly sensitive to almost common antibiotics (> 80% susceptibility). Among Gram-positive pathogens, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was completely sensitive to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid. CONCLUSION: The sputum culture-positive rate in this study was not high. Most prevalent isolated pathogens were Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were sensitive to tobramycin, gentamicin, and colistin. Commonly used antibiotics remained effective against Klebsiella pneumoniae. MRSA was sensitive to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid.

Transition of dominant canine parvovirus genotype from 2b to 2c in Vietnamese dogs.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is one of the most important pathogens causing enteritis in dogs. Although there have been a few reports of CPV in Vietnam, recent information on CPV infection in domestic dogs in Vietnam is limited. Faecal samples collected from 30 diarrheic and 50 healthy dogs were examined by PCR for detection of CPV DNA. The prevalence of CPV in diarrheic dogs (43.3%, 13/30) was significantly higher than in healthy dogs (4.0%, 2/50), indicating that CPV was a major cause of diarrhoea in domestic dogs. Genotyping of 15 CPV strains showed that both CPV­2a and CPV­2c were circulating and that CPV­2c was a dominant CPV variant in Vietnam. Virus isolation was performed from faecal samples using A72/cSLAM cells, and nine CPV strains were successfully isolated. The dominant genotype spreading among Vietnamese dogs has changed from CPV­2b to CPV­2c.

Optimization of Oligomer Chitosan/Polyvinylpyrrolidone Coating for Enhancing Antibacterial, Hemostatic Effects and Biocompatibility of Nanofibrous Wound Dressing.

A synergistic multilayer membrane design is necessary to satisfy a multitude of requirements of an ideal wound dressing. In this study, trilayer dressings with asymmetric wettability, composed of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) base membranes coated with oligomer chitosan (COS) in various concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), are fabricated for wound dressing application. The membranes are expected to synergize the hygroscopic, antibacterial, hemostatic, and biocompatible properties of PCL and COS. The wound dressing was coated by spraying the solution of 3% COS and 6% PVP on the PCL base membrane (PVP6-3) three times, which shows good interaction with biological subjects, including bacterial strains and blood components. PVP6-3 samples confirm the diameter of inhibition zones of 20.0 ± 2.5 and 17.9 ± 2.5 mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The membrane induces hemostasis with a blood clotting index of 74% after 5 min of contact. In the mice model, wounds treated with PVP6-3 closed 95% of the area after 10 days. Histological study determines the progression of skin regeneration with the construction of granulation tissue, new vascular systems, and hair follicles. Furthermore, the newly-growth skin shares structural resemblances to that of native tissue. This study suggests a simple approach to a multi-purpose wound dressing for clinical treatment.

Impact of antimicrobial stewardship intervention in clean and clean-contaminated surgical procedures at a Vietnamese national hospital.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the characteristics of prophylactic antimicrobial use in clean and clean-contaminated surgical procedures and assessed the efficacy of a prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship intervention at Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 354 patients who underwent either clean or clean-contaminated surgical procedures at Thong Nhat Hospital. Eligible patients were classified with respect to three periods of intervention from 2017 to 2020. Data collection included surgical procedures, patient characteristics, and prophylactic antimicrobial usage. We determined the efficacy of antimicrobial stewardship intervention based on comparisons among the primary outcome (the appropriateness of prophylactic antimicrobials) and secondary outcomes (postoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis (AP) prolongation, length of postoperative hospital stay, and cost of antimicrobials). RESULTS: The mean age of patients in periods 1, 2, and 3 was 54.5 ± 16.6, 50.2 ± 16.5, and 52.8 ± 17.3 years, respectively, with an overall male/female ratio of 1.1/1. No significant differences were detected in basic patient characteristics during the three periods. Majority of the surgical procedures were clean (56%-59%) and scheduled (85%-86%). Prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship intervention enhanced AP appropriateness (by 12.7%, 12.7%, and 39.0% in periods 1, 2, and 3, respectively, p < 0.001), decreased postoperative prophylactic antimicrobial duration [3.0 (0-6), 1.5 (0-5), and 0.0 (0-1) days, respectively, p < 0.001], and reduced average antimicrobial expenses (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship interventions introduced at Thong Nhat Hospital had several positive impacts on the appropriateness of prophylactic antimicrobial use and treatment costs.

Characterization of canine coronavirus spread among domestic dogs in Vietnam.

Canine coronavirus (CCoV) is an important pathogen that causes enteritis in dogs, but there is no information on CCoV infection in Vietnam. To examine the prevalence of CCoV infection among Vietnamese dogs, 201 serum samples were analyzed by virus-neutralization (VN) test. The results showed that antibody against CCoV-II was present in 87 dogs (43.3%). To detect genes of CCoV, fecal samples collected from 30 diarrheic and 50 healthy dogs were examinated by RT-PCR, confirming that 2 diarrheic dogs and 5 healthy dogs were positive for CCoV. Nucleotide sequences of N-terminal region of spike (S) gene indicated that CCoV strains were divided into two subgenotypes, CCoV-IIa and -IIb, respectively. Furthemore, we succeeded in isolating CCoV/dog/HCM47/2015, the isolate was plaque-purified three times, and 3'-terminal one-third of the genome was analyzed. Interestingly, the plaque-purified virus had a large deletion in ORF3abc and E genes (1,165 nt), and a short deletion in ORF7b gene (60 nt), suggesting that these regions are not necessary for in vitro replication of CCoV. Next, the antigenicity between the isolated CCoV-IIb and the other CCoV-IIa was compared by VN test, revealing that antigenicty of the isolated CCoV is equal or higher than that of the other CCoV. In summary, two subgenotypes of CCoV-II are spreading among Vietnamese dogs. The isolated virus with a large deletion after in vitro passage may be useful for the development of vaccine, owing to its antigenicity and efficient viral growth in vitro.