Pattern of Buprenorphine Treatment Retention Among Youth Aged 10 to 18 Years-US, 2015 to 2021.

This cohort study investigates patterns of buprenorphine treatment retention among US youth aged 10 to 18 years from 2015 to 2021.

Characteristics of Alcohol, Marijuana, and Other Drug Use Among Persons Aged 13-18 Years Being Assessed for Substance Use Disorder Treatment - United States, 2014-2022.

Substance use often begins during adolescence, placing youths at risk for fatal overdose and substance use disorders (SUD) in adulthood. Understanding the motivations reported by adolescents for using alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs and the persons with whom they use these substances could guide strategies to prevent or reduce substance use and its related consequences among adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents being assessed for SUD treatment in the United States during 2014-2022, to examine self-reported motivations for using substances and the persons with whom substances were used. The most commonly reported motivation for substance use was "to feel mellow, calm, or relaxed" (73%), with other stress-related motivations among the top reasons, including "to stop worrying about a problem or to forget bad memories" (44%) and "to help with depression or anxiety" (40%); one half (50%) reported using substances "to have fun or experiment." The majority of adolescents reported using substances with friends (81%) or using alone (50%). These findings suggest that interventions related to reducing stress and addressing mental health concerns might reduce these leading motivations for substance use among adolescents. Education for adolescents about harm reduction strategies, including the danger of using drugs while alone and how to recognize and respond to an overdose, can reduce the risk for fatal overdose.

Out-of-Pocket Costs and Payer Types for Buprenorphine Among US Youth Aged 12 to 19 Years.

This cross-sectional study examines out-of-pocket costs and payer types for buprenorphine prescriptions filled for youth aged 12 to 19 years at US retail pharmacies.

Buprenorphine Dispensing Among Youth Aged ≤19 Years in the United States: 2015-2020.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Opioid related overdose among adolescents and young adults in the United States is rising. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine can reduce the risk of overdose, however they are underutilized. A better understanding of buprenorphine prescribing to youth will help inform interventions to expand access to treatment. METHODS: We used IQVIA data to examine buprenorphine dispensing trends among youth aged ≤19 years from 2015 to 2020. Dispensing was examined by prescriber specialty, age, and sex. Data were weighted to provide national estimates. RESULTS: The rate of buprenorphine dispensed to youth decreased 25% over the study period, from 0.84 to 0.63 prescriptions per 1000 youth per year. The proportion of youth dispensed buprenorphine also decreased 45%, from 7.6 to 4.2 persons per 100 000 per year. Over the same time, the proportion of adults aged ≥20 years dispensed buprenorphine increased 47%, from 378 to 593 persons per 100 000. Differences in dispensing by sex and temporal trends were also noted. Pediatricians accounted for less-than 2% of all prescriptions dispensed. CONCLUSIONS: Buprenorphine dispensing to youth is low and declining in recent years. Given rates of opioid use disorder among youth, these findings suggest that many youth who could benefit from MOUD are not receiving it. Pediatricians could play a role in expanding access to MOUD for this high-risk population. Efforts to expand access to MOUD for adolescents could include improving training in opioid use disorder treatment of pediatricians and encouraging all clinicians who care for adolescents and young adults to obtain waivers to prescribe buprenorphine for MOUD.

Vaccine effectiveness of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine during a pertussis outbreak in Maine.

BACKGROUND: Multiple school-associated pertussis outbreaks were reported in Maine from 2010 to 2011. These outbreaks were associated with an overall increase in pertussis cases statewide. Waning of protection in students recently vaccinated with tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) has been implicated in the increase in reported rates of pertussis nationally. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate Tdap vaccine effectiveness (VE) among students aged 11-19 years in two schools reporting outbreaks in 2011. All pertussis cases reported from August through November, 2011 at the two schools were included. Vaccination history was verified using provider information, state vaccine registry data, and parental verification. Attack rates (AR) were calculated. VE and duration of protection was calculated as VE=1-(ARvaccinated/ARunvaccinated)×100% using a log binomial regression model. RESULTS: Of 416 students enrolled, 314 were included in the analyses. Twenty-nine cases collectively in Schools A and B. Tdap coverage was 65% at School A and 42% at School B before the start of the outbreak. Among students enrolled in the study, attack rates were 11.9% and 7.7% at Schools A and B, respectively. Overall VE was 68.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 37.7-86.2). VE was 70.4% (95% CI 17.5-89.4) for School A and 65.2% (95% CI -19.2 to 89.9) for School B. VE <2 years versus ≥2 years from outbreak onset was not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Tdap was moderately effective in preventing disease among vaccinated students. Vaccine coverage of 65% or less was suboptimal and might contribute to outbreaks. Waning VE was not demonstrated. Increased vaccination coverage rates as well as further evaluation of the role of acellular vaccine on VE is needed.

The Emergence of Zoonotic Onchocerca lupi Infection in the United States--A Case-Series.

This case-series describes the 6 human infections with Onchocerca lupi, a parasite known to infect cats and dogs, that have been identified in the United States since 2013. Unlike cases reported outside the country, the American patients have not had subconjunctival nodules but have manifested more invasive disease (eg, spinal, orbital, and subdermal nodules). Diagnosis remains challenging in the absence of a serologic test. Treatment should be guided by what is done for Onchocerca volvulus as there are no data for O. lupi. Available evidence suggests that there may be transmission in southwestern United States, but the risk of transmission to humans is not known. Research is needed to better define the burden of disease in the United States and develop appropriately-targeted prevention strategies.

Pregnancy dose Tdap and postpartum cocooning to prevent infant pertussis: a decision analysis.

BACKGROUND: Infants <2 months of age are at highest risk of pertussis morbidity and mortality. Until recently, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended protecting young infants by "cocooning" or vaccination of postpartum mothers and other close contacts with tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis, adsorbed (Tdap) booster vaccine. ACIP recommends pregnancy vaccination as a preferred and safe alternative to postpartum vaccination. The ACIP cocooning recommendation has not changed. METHODS: We used a cohort model reflecting US 2009 births and the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis schedule to simulate a decision and cost-effectiveness analysis of Tdap vaccination during pregnancy compared with postpartum vaccination with or without vaccination of other close contacts (ie, cocooning). We analyzed infant pertussis cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, as well as direct disease, indirect, and public health costs for infants in the first year of life. All costs were updated to 2011 US dollars. RESULTS: Pregnancy vaccination could reduce annual infant pertussis incidence by more than postpartum vaccination, reducing cases by 33% versus 20%, hospitalizations by 38% versus 19%, and deaths by 49% versus 16%. Additional cocooning doses in a father and 1 grandparent could avert an additional 16% of cases but at higher cost. The cost per quality-adjusted life-year saved for pregnancy vaccination was substantially less than postpartum vaccination ($414 523 vs $1 172 825). CONCLUSIONS: Tdap vaccination during pregnancy could avert more infant cases and deaths at lower cost than postpartum vaccination, even when postpartum vaccination is combined with additional cocooning doses. Pregnancy dose vaccination is the preferred alternative to postpartum vaccination for preventing infant pertussis.

Epidemiologic and laboratory features of a large outbreak of pertussis-like illnesses associated with cocirculating Bordetella holmesii and Bordetella pertussis--Ohio, 2010-2011.

BACKGROUND: During 9 May 2010-7 May 2011, an outbreak of pertussis-like illness (incidence, 80 cases per 100 000 persons) occurred in Franklin County, Ohio. The majority of cases were identified by IS481-directed polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which does not differentiate among Bordetella species. We sought to determine outbreak etiology and epidemiologic characteristics. METHODS: We obtained demographic, clinical, and vaccination-related data from the Ohio Disease Reporting System and Impact Statewide Immunization Information System. We tested sera from 14 patients for anti-pertussis toxin (PT) antibodies and used species-specific PCR on 298 nasopharyngeal specimens. RESULTS: Reported cases totaled 918. IS481 results were available for 10 serologically tested patients; 5 of 10 had discordant anti-PT antibody and IS481 results, suggestive of Bordetella holmesii, which lacks PT and harbors IS481. We identified specific Bordetella species in 164 of 298 specimens tested with multitarget PCR; B. holmesii and Bordetella pertussis were exclusively detected among 48 (29%) and 112 (68%), respectively; both were detected in 4 (2%). Among 48 patients with B. holmesii infections, 63% were aged 11-18 years, compared with 35% of 112 patients with B. pertussis infections (P = .001). Symptoms were similar among B. holmesii- and B. pertussis-infected patients. Adolescent pertussis ("Tdap") booster vaccinations were more effective against B. pertussis than B. holmesii (effectiveness: 67% and 36%, respectively; 95% confidence intervals, 38%-82% and -33% to 69%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We report the first documented mixed outbreak of B. pertussis and B. holmesii infections. Bordetella holmesii particularly affected adolescents. Although laboratory capacity limitations might inhibit routine use of multitarget PCR for clinical diagnosis, focused testing and enhanced surveillance might improve understanding the burden of B. holmesii infection.

Practice patterns of infectious disease physicians for management of meningococcal disease.

BACKGROUND: Although empiric treatment regimens for acute bacterial meningitis are well established, there are many uncertainties regarding management of meningococcal disease. A survey was conducted among infectious disease specialists to assess meningococcal disease practice patterns and availability of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Neisseria menigitidis. METHODS: An online survey was distributed to 1342 pediatric and adult infectious disease specialists to assess common practices and opinions regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of meningococcal disease. Specialists were also asked about the availability of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Neisseria meningitidis at their clinical microbiology laboratory. RESULTS: Six hundred fifty members responded to the survey (48%). Pediatric infectious disease specialists were more likely than adult specialists to use penicillin as definitive therapy for meningococcal disease (56% versus 46%; P = 0.038). Most pediatric specialists who would narrow therapy report that they would only switch to penicillin upon confirmation of penicillin susceptibility (55%), although 44% would narrow therapy based on a N. meningitidis species confirmation alone. More than one third of respondents reported that susceptibility testing for N. meningitidis is not routinely performed. There was also wide variation in complement deficiency screening criteria and meningococcal disease chemoprophylaxis practices among respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Infectious disease specialists vary significantly in their practices regarding several aspects of meningococcal disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for N. meningitidis is not routinely performed in many practices. Consideration of these variations would be useful when developing treatment and prevention recommendations.

Meningococcal conjugate vaccines: optimizing global impact.

Meningococcal conjugate vaccines have several advantages over polysaccharide vaccines, including the ability to induce greater antibody persistence, avidity, immunologic memory, and herd immunity. Since 1999, meningococcal conjugate vaccine programs have been established across the globe. Many of these vaccination programs have resulted in significant decline in meningococcal disease in several countries. Recent introduction of serogroup A conjugate vaccine in Africa offers the potential to eliminate meningococcal disease as a public health problem in Africa. However, the duration of immune response and the development of widespread herd immunity in the population remain important questions for meningococcal vaccine programs. Because of the unique epidemiology of meningococcal disease around the world, the optimal vaccination strategy for long-term disease prevention will vary by country.