Long-term outcomes after tuberculosis for people with HIV in eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND: Eastern Europe has a high burden of tuberculosis (TB)/HIV coinfection with high mortality shortly after TB diagnosis. This study assesses TB recurrence, mortality rates and causes of death among TB/HIV patients from Eastern Europe up to 11 years after TB diagnosis. METHODS: A longitudinal cohort study of TB/HIV patients enrolled between 2011 and 2013 (at TB diagnosis) and followed-up until end of 2021. A competing risk regression was employed to assess rates of TB recurrence, with death as competing event. Kaplan-Meier estimates and a multivariable Cox-regression were used to assess long-term mortality and corresponding risk factors. The Coding Causes of Death in HIV (CoDe) methodology was used for adjudication of causes of death. RESULTS: Three hundred and seventy-five TB/HIV patients were included. Fifty-three (14.1%) were later diagnosed with recurrent TB [incidence rate 3.1/100 person-years of follow-up (PYFU), 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4-4.0] during a total follow-up time of 1713 PYFU. Twenty-three of 33 patients with data on drug-resistance (69.7%) had multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB. More than half with recurrent TB ( n  = 30/53, 56.6%) died. Overall, 215 (57.3%) died during the follow-up period, corresponding to a mortality rate of 11.4/100 PYFU (95% CI 10.0-13.1). Almost half of those (48.8%) died of TB. The proportion of all TB-related deaths was highest in the first 6 ( n  = 49/71; 69%; P  < 0.0001) and 6-24 ( n  = 33/58; 56.9%; P  < 0.0001) months of follow-up, compared deaths beyond 24 months ( n  = 23/85; 26.7%). CONCLUSION: TB recurrence and TB-related mortality rates in PWH in Eastern Europe are still concerningly high and continue to be a clinical and public health challenge.

National medical specialty guidelines of HIV indicator conditions in Europe lack adequate HIV testing recommendations: a systematic guideline review.

BackgroundAdequate identification and testing of people at risk for HIV is fundamental for the HIV care continuum. A key strategy to improve timely testing is HIV indicator condition (IC) guided testing.AimTo evaluate the uptake of HIV testing recommendations in HIV IC-specific guidelines in European countries.MethodsBetween 2019 and 2021, European HIV experts reviewed guideline databases to identify all national guidelines of 62 HIV ICs. The proportion of HIV IC guidelines recommending HIV testing was reported, stratified by subgroup (HIV IC, country, eastern/western Europe, achievement of 90-90-90 goals and medical specialty).ResultsOf 30 invited European countries, 15 participated. A total of 791 HIV IC guidelines were identified: median 47 (IQR: 38-68) per country. Association with HIV was reported in 69% (545/791) of the guidelines, and 46% (366/791) recommended HIV testing, while 42% (101/242) of the AIDS-defining conditions recommended HIV testing. HIV testing recommendations were observed more frequently in guidelines in eastern (53%) than western (42%) European countries and in countries yet to achieve the 90-90-90 goals (52%) compared to those that had (38%). The medical specialties internal medicine, neurology/neurosurgery, ophthalmology, pulmonology and gynaecology/obstetrics had an HIV testing recommendation uptake below the 46% average. None of the 62 HIV ICs, countries or medical specialties had 100% accurate testing recommendation coverage in all their available HIV IC guidelines.ConclusionFewer than half the HIV IC guidelines recommended HIV testing. This signals an insufficient adoption of this recommendation in non-HIV specialty guidelines across Europe.

How to follow-up a patient who received tocilizumab in severe COVID-19: a case report.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is characterized by fast deterioration in the mechanism of cytokine storm. Therefore, treatment with immunomodulating agents should be initiated as soon as hyperinflammation is established. Evidence for the use of tocilizumab (TCZ) in COVID-19 is emerging, but the drug in this setting is used "off label" with limited data on both effectiveness and safety. Therefore, Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw established a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the use of TCZ in severe COVID-19 cases. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we present a case of 27-year-old, otherwise healthy man, who was successfully treated with chloroquine, azithromycin, tocilizumab and a standard of care. Initially the magnitude of lung devastation, clinical deterioration and the need for mechanical ventilation suggested unfavorable prognosis. However, we observed complete regression in radiological changes and rapid clinical improvement. Irrespective of this, patient's serum interleukin 6 and aminotransferases remained elevated even after a month from treatment. CONCLUSIONS: An overlapping effect of hyperinflammation, hypoxic organ injury and drug-related toxicity warrants a long-term follow-up for COVID-19 survivors. In addition, residual IL-6 receptors blockage may mask new infections. A standardized approach to follow-up for COVID-19 survivors is urgently needed. Current and future research should also investigate the impact of experimental therapies on lung tissue healing and regeneration, as well as long-term treatment toxicities.