Antiretroviral nonadherence and condomless sex in the HIV Outpatient Study, USA, 2007-2014.

Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces plasma HIV RNA viral load (VL) to undetectable levels and its effectiveness depends on consistent adherence. Consistent adherence and use of safe sex practices may substantially decrease the risk of HIV transmission. We sought to explore the potential association between self-reported nonadherence to ART and engaging in unsafe sexual practices capable of transmitting HIV. Using clinical and audio computer-assisted self-interview data from the prospective HIV Outpatient Study from 2007 to 2014, we assessed the frequency of self-reported ART nonadherence during the three days prior to the survey among HIV-infected persons in care and factors associated with self-reported ART nonadherence. Of 1729 patients included in this analysis (median age = 48 years, 74.3% men who have sex with men), 17% were nonadherent, 15% had a detectable VL, and 42% reported condomless anal or vaginal sex in the past six months. In multivariable analysis, self-reported nonadherence was independently associated with younger age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.8 per additional ten years, [95% CI] 0.7-1.0), non-Hispanic black race/ethnicity (aOR 1.9; 95% CI 1.4-2.6 versus white), public health insurance (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.3 compared with private), survey date in 2011-2014 versus 2007-2010 (aOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9), CD4 cell count ≥ 500 versus < 200 cells/mm3 (aOR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.5), greater number of ART regimen doses (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-2.2), and binge drinking (aOR 1.4, 95% CI, 1.1-1.9). In this analysis, self-reported nonadherence was not associated with engaging in condomless sex.

Detection of mammaglobin in the sera of patients with breast cancer.

Current procedures for the diagnosis of breast cancer are cumbersome and invasive, making detection of this disease difficult. A rapid screening test for early detection of breast cancer would allow for better management of this deadly disease. In this report, we show that, with the exception of the skin, mammaglobin mRNA is specifically expressed in mammary tissue and commonly overexpressed in breast cancer. Mammaglobin is not expressed in other types of cancer including colon, lung, ovarian, and prostate cancer. Breast-specific expression of mammaglobin protein was shown using immunohistochemical methods. Mammaglobin is secreted from both established breast cancer cell lines and primary breast carcinoma cells cultured in vitro. Using a monoclonal antibody-based assay for monitoring the presence of mammaglobin in serum, elevated levels of mammaglobin were detected in sera of patients with breast cancer, but not in healthy women. Thus, mammaglobin, which is overexpressed and secreted from breast carcinoma cells, is detectable in sera of patients with breast cancer and may provide a rapid screening test for the diagnosis and management of breast cancer.

Validation of a clinical decision aid to discontinue in-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitations.

CONTEXT: Most patients undergoing in-hospital cardiac resuscitation do not survive to hospital discharge. In a previous study, we developed a clinical decision aid for identifying all patients undergoing resuscitation who survived to hospital discharge. OBJECTIVE: To validate our previously derived clinical decision aid. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Data from a large registry of in-hospital resuscitations at a community teaching hospital in Georgia were analyzed to determine whether patients would be predicted to survive to hospital discharge (ie, whether their arrest was witnessed or their initial cardiac rhythm was either ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation or they regained a pulse during the first 10 minutes of chest compressions). Data from 2181 in-hospital cardiac resuscitation attempts in 1987-1996 involving 1884 pulseless patients were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Comparison of predictions based on the decision aid with whether patients were actually discharged alive from the hospital. RESULTS: For 327 resuscitations (15.0%), the patient survived to hospital discharge. For 324 of these resuscitations, the patients were predicted to survive to hospital discharge (sensitivity = 99.1%, 95% confidence interval, 97.1%-99.8%). In 269 resuscitations, patients did not satisfy the decision aid and were predicted to have no chance of being discharged from the hospital. Only 3 of these patients (1.1%) were discharged from the hospital (negative predictive value = 98.9%), none of whom were able to live independently following discharge from the hospital. CONCLUSION: This decision aid can be used to help physicians identify patients who are extremely unlikely to benefit from continued resuscitative efforts.

Resuscitation in the hospital: relationship of year and rhythm to outcome.

OBJECTIVE: determine the frequency of initial rhythms in in-hospital resuscitation and examine its relationship to survival. Assess changes in outcome over time. METHODS: retrospective cohort (registry) including all admissions to the Medical Center of Central Georgia in which a resuscitation was attempted between 1 January, 1987 and 31 December, 1996. RESULTS: the registry includes 3327 admissions in which 3926 resuscitations were attempted. Only the first event is reported. There were 961 hospital survivors. Survival increased from 24.2% in 1987 to 33.4% in 1996 (chi(2)=39.0, df=1, P<0.0001). Survival was affected strongly by initial rhythm (chi(2)=420.0, df=1, P<0.0001) and decreased from 63.2% for supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) to 55.3% for ventricular tachycardia (VT), 51.0% for perfusing rhythms (PER), 34.8% for ventricular fibrillation (VF), 14.3% for pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and 10.0% for asystole (ASYS). PEA was the most frequent rhythm (1180 cases) followed by perfusing (963), asystole (580), VF (459), VT (94) and SVT (38). DISCUSSION: the powerful effect of initial rhythm on survival has been reported in pre-hospital and in-hospital resuscitation. VF is considered the dominant rhythm and generally accounts for the most survivors. We report good outcome for each; however, VF represents only 13.8% of events and 16.7% of survivors. PEA accounts for more survivors (169) than does VF (160). Our improved outcome is partially explained by changes in rhythms, but other institutional variables need to be identified to fully explain the results. Further studies are needed to see if our findings can be sustained or replicated.

In-hospital resuscitation: association between ACLS training and survival to discharge.

CONTEXT: No data have been published on the relationship between advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training of the individual who initiates resuscitation efforts and survival to discharge. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients whose arrests were discovered by nurses trained in ACLS had survival rates different from those discovered by nurses not trained in ACLS. DESIGN: Cohort case-comparison. SETTING: A 550-bed, tertiary care center in central Georgia. SUBJECTS: Patients whose cardiopulmonary arrest was discovered by a nurse who activated the in-hospital resuscitation mechanism. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Patient survival to discharge. RESULTS: Initial rhythm was strongly related to survival to discharge and individually associated with 57% of the variability in survival. Nurse's training in advanced cardiac life support was also strongly related to survival and individually associated with 29% of the variability. Combining both the variables determined 62% of the variability in survival to discharge. Patients discovered by an ACLS-trained nurse (n=88) were about four times more likely to survive (33 survivors, 38%) than were patients, discovered by a nurse without training in ACLS (n=29, three survivors, 10%). CONCLUSION: Arrest discovery by nurses trained in ACLS is significantly and dramatically associated with higher survival-to-discharge rates.

Resuscitation in the hospital: differential relationships between age and survival across rhythms.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the frequency and outcome of inhospital resuscitation and determine the relationship between patient age and survival and whether it is affected by initial rhythm. DESIGN: Retrospective, single-institution, registry study of inhospital resuscitation. SETTING: A 550-bed, tertiary-care, teaching hospital in Macon, GA. PATIENTS: All admissions for which a resuscitation was attempted in the Medical Center of Central Georgia during the period of January 1, 1987 through December 31, 1993. The registry sample included 2,394 admissions, for which 2,813 resuscitation attempts were made; only the first resuscitation attempt during an admission was analyzed. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Rates of survival to discharge steadily increased from 24.4% in 1987 to 38.6% in 1993; the overall survival rate was 26.8%. Age, used as a continuous variable, was strongly related to survival (odds ratio = 0.984; p < .0001). Categorically, overall survival rates for pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients were 56.4%, 29.0%, and 24.0%, respectively. Survival rates also varied significantly (odds ratio = 0.469; p < .0001) among initial rhythms, i.e., supraventricular tachycardia (60.7%), ventricular tachycardia (57.6%), perfusing rhythms (49.84%), ventricular fibrillation (32.0%), pulseless electrical activity (14.6%), and asystole (9.1%). The relationship between age and survival did not change across the years included in the study, but did vary as a function of initial rhythm (p < .0001). Age was positively related to survival when initial rhythm was supraventricular tachycardia (p = .04), negatively related to survival when the initial rhythm was perfusing (p < .0001) or pulseless electrical activity (p = .0002), and not related to survival when the initial rhythm was ventricular tachycardia (p = .98), ventricular fibrillation (p = .14), or asystole (p = .21). CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between patient age and a successful resuscitation attempt is not as simple as reported earlier. Whether age is related to increased or decreased survival, or is unrelated to survival, depends on the rhythm extant when resuscitation attempts begin. Survival rates were higher than most reported elsewhere and improved significantly over time. Multicentered studies are needed to determine whether these results are unique to the institution studied.

The effect of regulation of high blood pressure on plasma endothelin-1 levels in blacks with hypertension.

Plasma concentrations of immunoreactive endothelin-1 (irET-1) are significantly elevated in blacks with hypertension. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the regulation of high blood pressure on plasma irET-1 levels in black hypertensive individuals. After the initial blood samples were collected from 20 black patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure (Day 1), an intensive antihypertensive treatment was initiated, and the blood pressure and plasma irET-1 levels were monitored on days 2, 8, and 22. When the high blood pressure was brought under control with commonly used antihypertensive medications, plasma irET-1 concentrations dropped dramatically, suggesting that ET-1 concentrations rise as a consequence of high blood pressure in this study group.

Sampling of tangential flow streams.

The causes and characteristics of tangential flow in industrial stacks are described. Errors induced by tangential flow in the determination of volumetric flow rate and particulate concentration are analyzed. Experiments were conducted at the outlet of a cyclone collector in order to investigate the effect of tangential flow on the determination of emission rates. Straightening vanes were found to be useful in the reduction of error in flow rate measurements.