Effectiveness and evolution of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein titers after three doses of COVID-19 vaccination in people with HIV.

BACKGROUND: Real-world vaccine effectiveness following the third dose of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 remains less investigated among people with HIV (PWH). METHODS: PWH receiving the third dose of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 (either 50- or 100-µg) were enrolled. Participants were followed for 180 days until the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection, seroconversion of anti-nucleocapsid IgG, death, or loss to follow-up. Anti-spike IgG was determined every 1-3 months. RESULTS: Of 1427 participants undergoing the third-dose COVID-19 vaccination, 632 (44.3%) received 100-µg mRNA-1273, 467 (32.8%) 50-µg mRNA-1273, and 328 (23.0%) BNT162b2 vaccine and the respective rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection or seroconversion of anti-nucleocapsid IgG was 246.1, 280.8 and 245.2 per 1000 person-months of follow-up (log-rank test, p = 0.28). Factors associated with achieving anti-S IgG titers >1047 BAU/mL included CD4 count <200 cells/mm3 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04-0.31), plasma HIV RNA >200 copies/mL (aOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.09-0.80), having achieved anti-spike IgG >141 BAU/mL within 3 months after primary vaccination (aOR, 3.69; 95% CI, 2.68-5.07), receiving BNT162b2 vaccine as the third dose (aOR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.10-0.41; reference, 100-µg mRNA-1273), and having previously received two doses of mRNA vaccine in primary vaccination (aOR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1,75-3.45; reference, no exposure to mRNA vaccine). CONCLUSIONS: PWH receiving different types of the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine showed similar vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection. An additional dose with 100-µg mRNA-1273 could generate a higher antibody response than with 50-µg mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 vaccine.

Effect of early dexamethasone on outcomes of COVID-19: A quasi-experimental study using propensity score matching.

BACKGROUND: The RECOVERY trial demonstrated that the use of dexamethasone is associated with a 36% lower 28-day mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 on invasive mechanical ventilation. Nevertheless, the optimal timing to start dexamethasone remains uncertain. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental study at National Taiwan University Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan) using propensity score matching to simulate a randomized controlled trial to receive or not to receive early dexamethasone (6 mg/day) during the first 7 days following the onset of symptoms. Treatment was standard protocol-based, except for the timing to start dexamethasone, which was left to physicians' decision. The primary outcome is 28-day mortality. Secondary outcomes include secondary infection within 60 days and fulfilling the criteria of de-isolation within 20 days. RESULTS: A total of 377 patients with COVID-19 were enrolled. Early dexamethasone did not decrease 28-day mortality in all patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-1.10) or in patients who required O2 for severe/critical disease at admission (aOR, 1.05; 95%CI, 0.94-1.18); but is associated with a 24% increase in superinfection in all patients (aOR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.12-1.37) and a 23% increase in superinfection in patients of O2 for several/critical disease at admission (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02-1.47). Moreover, early dexamethasone is associated with a 42% increase in likelihood of delayed clearance of SARS-CoV-2 virus (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.01-1.98). CONCLUSION: An early start of dexamethasone (within 7 days after the onset of symptoms) could be harmful to hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

The Interpretation of Standard Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test Indices of Cardiac Function in Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: As there is growing interest in the application of cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX) in chronic kidney disease (CKD), it is important to understand the utility of conventional exercise test parameters in quantifying the cardiopulmonary fitness of patients with CKD. Merely extrapolating information from heart failure (HF) patients would not suffice. In the present study, we evaluated the utility of CPX parameters such as the peak O2-pulse and the estimated stroke volume (SV) in assessing the peak SV by comparing with the actual measured values. Furthermore, we compared the anaerobic threshold (AT), peak circulatory power, and ventilatory power with that of the measured values of the peak cardiac power (CPOpeak) in representing the cardiac functional reserve in CKD. We also performed such analyses in patients with HF for comparison. METHOD: A cross sectional study of 70 asymptomatic male CKD patients [CKD stages 2-5 (pre-dialysis)] without primary cardiac disease or diabetes mellitus and 25 HF patients. A specialized CPX with a CO2 rebreathing technique was utilized to measure the peak cardiac output and peak cardiac power output. The peak O2 consumption (VO2peak) and AT were also measured during the test. Parameters such as the O2-pulse, stroke volume, arteriovenous difference in O2 concentration [C(a-v)O2], peak circulatory power, and peak ventilatory power were all calculated. Pearson's correlation, univariate, and multivariate analyses were applied. RESULTS: Whereas there was a strong correlation between the peak O2-pulse and measured peak SV in HF, the correlation was less robust in CKD. Similarly, the correlation between the estimated SV and the measured SV was less robust in CKD compared to HF. The AT only showed a modest correlation with the CPOpeak in HF and only a weak correlation in CKD. A stronger correlation was demonstrated between the peak circulatory power and CPOpeak, and the ventilatory power and CPOpeak. In HF, the central cardiac factor was the predominant determinant of the standard CPX-derived surrogate indices of cardiac performance. By contrast, in CKD both central and peripheral factors played an equally important role, making such indices less reliable markers of cardiac performance per se in CKD. CONCLUSION: The results highlight that the standard CPX-derived surrogate markers of cardiac performance may be less reliable in CKD, and that further prospective studies comparing such surrogate markers with directly measured cardiac hemodynamics are required before adopting such markers into clinical practice or research in CKD.

The Impact of Sinus Floor Elevation Techniques on Sinus Membrane Perforation: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

Purpose: To compare the risk of sinus membrane perforation (SMP) among lateral window sinus floor elevation (LSFE) and transcrestal sinus floor elevation (TSFE) techniques in prospective and retrospective studies for patients who underwent sinus augmentation for dental implant placement. Materials and Methods: A database search was conducted to screen the literature published from January 1960 to August 2021. The associations between SMP and surgical techniques as well as other clinical factors were evaluated via network meta-analysis. The impact of SMP on vertical ridge gain and implant survival was also evaluated. Results: Eighty-five studies with 5,551 SFE procedures were included. In LSFE techniques, using rotary burs showed the highest risk of SMP (surface under the cumulative ranking area [SUCRA] = 0.0745). In TSFE techniques, using reamers had the lowest risk of SMP (SUCRA = 0.9444). Increased SMP prevalence was significantly associated with reduced implant survival rate (odds ratio [OR] = 0.45 per 10% increase of SMP rate [95% credible interval (CreI): 0.21, 0.71], P < .001). Conclusions: With the inherent limitations, this network meta-analysis suggested that some techniques within either the LSFE or TSFE group may reduce SMP risk. Additional randomized controlled trials and better assessment of SMP are required to directly compare the risk of SMP between LSFE and TSFE.

Graphical evaluation of evidence structure within a component network meta-analysis.

Component network meta-analysis (CNMA) compares treatments comprising multiple components and estimates the effects of individual components. For network meta-analysis, a standard network plot with nodes for treatments and edges for direct comparisons between treatments is drawn to visualize the evidence structure and the connections between treatments. However, the standard network plot does not effectively illustrate the connections between components for a CNMA. For example, the comparison between linear combinations of components within a trial is not shown directly in a standard network plot, and whether all components are identifiable cannot be deduced directly from the plot. Therefore, we need a new approach to visualizing the evidence structure of a CNMA. In this article, we proposed a new graph, a modified signal-flow graph representing a system of equations, to evaluate the evidence structure for CNMA. In our new graph, each node represents a component, and arrows are used to show linear relationships between components. We used two examples to demonstrate how to draw and interpret the graph and how to use it to identify components that require more evidence.

Bias propagation in network meta-analysis models.

Network meta-analysis combines direct and indirect evidence to compare multiple treatments. As direct evidence for one treatment contrast may be indirect evidence for other treatment contrasts, biases in the direct evidence for one treatment contrast may affect not only the estimate for this particular treatment contrast but also estimates of other treatment contrasts. Because network structure determines how direct and indirect evidence are combined and weighted, the impact of biased evidence will be determined by the network geometry. Thus, this study's aim was to investigate how the impact of biased evidence spreads across the whole network and how the propagation of bias is influenced by the network structure. In addition to the popular Lu & Ades model, we also investigate bias propagation in the baseline model and arm-based model to compare the effects of bias in the different models. We undertook extensive simulations under different scenarios to explore how the impact of bias may be affected by the location of the bias, network geometry and the statistical model. Our results showed that the structure of a network has an important impact on how the bias spreads across the network, and this is especially true for the Lu & Ades model. The impact of bias is more likely to be diluted by other unbiased evidence in a well-connected network. We also used a real network meta-analysis to demonstrate how to use the new knowledge about bias propagation to explain questionable results from the original analysis.

Score-based prediction model for severe vitamin D deficiency in patients with critical illness: development and validation.

BACKGROUND: Severe vitamin D deficiency (SVDD) dramatically increases the risks of mortality, infections, and many other diseases. Studies have reported higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with critical illness than general population. This multicenter retrospective cohort study develops and validates a score-based model for predicting SVDD in patients with critical illness. METHODS: A total of 662 patients with critical illness were enrolled between October 2017 and July 2020. SVDD was defined as a serum 25(OH)D level of < 12 ng/mL (or 30 nmol/L). The data were divided into a derivation cohort and a validation cohort on the basis of date of enrollment. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) was performed on the derivation cohort to generate a predictive model for SVDD. Additionally, a score-based calculator (the SVDD score) was designed on the basis of the MLR model. The model's performance and calibration were tested using the validation cohort. RESULTS: The prevalence of SVDD was 16.3% and 21.7% in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The MLR model consisted of eight predictors that were then included in the SVDD score. The SVDD score had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.848 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.781-0.914] and an area under the precision recall curve of 0.619 (95% CI 0.577-0.669) in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This study developed a simple score-based model for predicting SVDD in patients with critical illness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov protocol registration ID: NCT03639584. Date of registration: May 12, 2022.

Single cell characterization of myeloma and its precursor conditions reveals transcriptional signatures of early tumorigenesis.

Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell malignancy almost always preceded by precursor conditions, but low tumor burden of these early stages has hindered the study of their molecular programs through bulk sequencing technologies. Here, we generate and analyze single cell RNA-sequencing of plasma cells from 26 patients at varying disease stages and 9 healthy donors. In silico dissection and comparison of normal and transformed plasma cells from the same bone marrow biopsy enables discovery of patient-specific transcriptional changes. Using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization, we discover 15 gene expression signatures which represent transcriptional modules relevant to myeloma biology, and identify a signature that is uniformly lost in abnormal cells across disease stages. Finally, we demonstrate that tumors contain heterogeneous subpopulations expressing distinct transcriptional patterns. Our findings characterize transcriptomic alterations present at the earliest stages of myeloma, providing insight into the molecular underpinnings of disease initiation.

Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Associated with Improved Overall Survival in Resected Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Era.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of patients with resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is particularly poor in those who were staged as ypT3/T4 and/or ypN+. This study investigated whether adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was associated with improved clinical outcomes in these patients. METHODS: we identified patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who were staged as ypT3/T4 and/or ypN+ after being treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by esophagectomy between the years 2013 and 2019. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression modeling were performed for survival analyses and multivariable analysis, respectively. RESULTS: 76 eligible patients were included in the analyses. The median follow-up for the study cohort was 43.4 months. On Kaplan-Meier analyses of the overall population, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was associated with significantly improved median overall survival (31.7 months vs. 16.3 months, p = 0.036). On Kaplan-Meier analyses of the 35 matched pairs generated by propensity score matching, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was associated with significantly longer median overall survival (31.7 months vs. 14.3 months; p = 0.004) and median recurrence-free survival (18.9 months vs. 11.7 months; p = 0.020). In multivariable analysis, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was independently associated with a 60% reduction in mortality (p = 0.003) and a 48% reduction in risk of recurrence (p = 0.035) after adjusting for putative confounders. In addition, microscopic positive resection margin and Mandard tumor regression grade 3-4 were independently associated with increased mortality and risk of recurrence. While a greater number of lymph nodes dissected was independently associated with significantly improved overall survival, the number of positive lymph nodes was independently associated with significantly worse overall survival and a trend (p = 0.058) towards worse recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that adjuvant CRT was independently associated with a significantly improved survival and lower risk of recurrence than observation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients staged as ypT3 and/or ypN+ after receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and radical surgery. The results of this study have implications for the design of future clinical trials and may improve treatment outcomes of patients in this setting who cannot afford or are without access to adjuvant nivolumab.

Complications of sinus floor elevation procedure and management strategies: A systematic review.

AIM: This systematic review aimed to investigates the types and incidences of complications following sinus floor elevations (SFE) along with their prevention and management strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic database and hand search were conducted to screen the literature published from January 1960 to June 2021. The selected studies had to report well-described SFE techniques, complications during, and post-SFE. Data extraction included types of SFE techniques, complications, and their treatment strategies. RESULTS: A total of 74 studies with 4411 SFE procedures met the inclusion criteria. Different SFE techniques demonstrated varying patterns for both complications and complication rates. Postoperative pain, swelling, and edema were widely reported. The most common complications that required intervention following Lateral SFE (LSFE) were sinus membrane perforation (SMP), wound dehiscence, graft exposure and failure, and sinusitis. LSFE had more SMPs and sinusitis cases compared with a transcrestal SFE (TSFE). The presence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo following TSFE was significant in certain selected studies. CONCLUSION: Given the inherent limitations, this systematic review showed distinct features of complications in SFE using varying techniques. Treatment planning for these procedures should incorporate strategies to avoid complication occurrence.

Ultrasound-Guided Femoral Nerve Block in Geriatric Patients with Hip Fracture in the Emergency Department.

Background and Objectives: Systemic analgesics, including opioids, are commonly used for acute pain control in traumatic hip fracture patients in the emergency department (ED). However, their use is associated with high rates of adverse reactions in the geriatric population. As such, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of lidocaine-based single-shot ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block (USFNB) on the standard care for acute pain management in geriatric patients with traumatic hip fracture in the ED. Methods: This retrospective, single-center, observational study included adult patients aged ≥60 years presenting with acute traumatic hip fracture in the ED between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2020. The primary outcome measure was the difference in the amount of opioid use, in terms of morphine milligram equivalents (MME), between lidocaine-based single-shot USFNB and standard care groups. The obtained data were evaluated through a time-to-event analysis (time to meaningful pain relief), a time course analysis, and a multivariable analysis. Results: Overall, 607 adult patients (USFNB group, 66; standard care group, 541) were included in the study. The patients in the USFNB group required 80% less MME than those in the standard care group (0.52 ± 1.47 vs. 2.57 ± 2.53, p < 0.001). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models showed that patients who received USFNB achieved meaningful pain relief 2.37-fold faster (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.37, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.73−3.24, p < 0.001). Conclusions: In geriatric patients with hip fractures, a lidocaine-based single-shot USFNB can significantly reduce opioid consumption and provide more rapid and effective pain reduction.

Effect of lateral bone augmentation procedures in correcting peri-implant bone dehiscence and fenestration defects: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the effect of different lateral bone augmentation (LBA) procedures on the complete correction of a peri-implant bone dehiscence (BD) or fenestration (BF) from implant placement to implant surgical uncovering. METHODS: Electronic (Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane databases) and hand literature searches were performed for studies including at least one treatment arm where any LBA had been applied to correct a BD/BF at implant placement (T0). Studies where BD/BF was left untreated were also retrieved as negative control. Data from 24 selected articles were used to perform a network meta-analysis. Based on the proportion of nonresolved BD/BF at implant surgical uncovering (T1), a hierarchy of LBA procedures, and was determined. Spontaneous healing (i.e., exposed implant surface covered by a full-thickness flap; SELF) was also included in the hierarchy. Resorbable membrane + bone graft (RM + BG) was used as reference group. An analysis on the effect of nonhuman (NHBS) vs human (HBS) derived bone substitutes was also performed. NHBS was used as the reference group. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found among treatments for the proportion of nonresolved BD/BF. SELF performed substantially worse compared to RM + BG (OR: 5.78 × 10, CI: 4.83 × 10 - 1.3 × 1086 ). Treatment based on a combination of a graft material and membrane/periosteum appeared to perform slightly better than treatments using graft material or membrane alone. NHBS appeared to perform better than HBS. SELF had the worst effect among all treatments for both BD/BF height reduction (BDH) and BD/BF width reduction (BDW). Nonresorbable membrane (NRM) and patient's own periosteum (PERI) + BG showed greater increases in buccal bone thickness than RM + BG. CONCLUSION: Reconstructive treatment (including use of graft alone, membrane alone, or combinations of grafts and either membrane or patient's own periosteum) of a BD/BF at implant placement favorably and significantly impacts on the probability to obtain complete correction of the BD/BF at implant uncovering when compared to full-thickness flap repositioning on the BD/BF. When using a bone substitute, a nonhuman derived one may be suggested.

USING DENTAL PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES (dPROs) IN META-ANALYSES: A SCOPING REVIEW AND METHODOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION.

Many studies use dental patient-reported outcomes (dPROs) to evaluate treatments and interventions. However, the consensus on the methodology for combining results of dPROs for meta-analysis has not yet been fully established or widely discussed. The aim of this study is to conduct a scoping review for the methodological issues and difficulties specific to meta-analysis of dPROs and to put forward recommendations for improving quality of meta-analyses of dPRO. We searched the Google Scholar and PubMed databases and identified meta-analysis with dPROs in English. A total of 22 meta-analyses were included in our scoping review, and their characteristics, such as reported outcomes, questionnaires, and effect measures, were extracted. We identified several methodological issues within current literature: (1) synthesizing results from studies with different rating scales; (2) meta-analyses with few studies; (3) the interpretation of standardized mean difference; (4) including studies of different cut-off values in a meta-analysis; and (5) systematic errors due to different instruments. According to each issue mentioned, we provided guidance and recommendations on how to resolve those issues, including using the same Likert scale, conducting an overall and subgroup meta-analysis, using a random-effects model in a meta-analysis, etc. More efforts are required to improve the conduct and interpretation of meta-analyses on dPROs.

To Treat or Not to Treat? Effect of Urate-Lowering Therapy on Renal Function, Blood Pressure and Safety in Patients with Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Hyperuricemia is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Because patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia (AH) experience no immediate discomfort and there are possible side effects of urate-lowering drugs, treatment for AH is controversial. We aimed to perform a network meta-analysis (NMA) to investigate the effects of different urate-lowering therapies (ULTs) on serum uric acid level, renal function, blood pressure (BP), and safety in AH patients. METHODS: This NMA focused on AH patients. The intervention group (patients receiving urate-lowering drugs) was compared with others using other types of drugs, placebo, or usual care. We undertook a NMA under the frequentist framework by R. RESULTS: Thirteen eligible trials were identified. The interventions included allopurinol, febuxostat, and benzbromarone, which are not approved in the United States. Benzbromarone and allopurinol had the best efficacy on lowering serum uric acid level in short-term and long-term follow-up (mean difference [MD] = -3.05; 95% CI, -5.19 to -0.91 vs MD = -3.17; 95% CI, -5.19 to -1.15). Patients using allopurinol had significantly higher eGFR than using placebo in both short-term and long-term follow-up (MD = 3.07; 95% CI, 0.18 to 5.95 vs MD = 4.10; 95% CI, 2.66 to 5.54). No difference in BP was found between groups, except for febuxostat to diastolic BP after long-term treatment (MD = -1.47; 95% CI, -2.91 to -0.04). No statistically increased odds of safety events were found with the use of ULT. CONCLUSIONS: Our result showed that in AH patients, allopurinol has a renoprotective effect. Febuxostat has a significant impact in lowering diastolic BP. ULT does not result in a higher risk of safety events.

Factors affecting outcomes in patients with cardiac arrest who receive target temperature management: The multi-center TIMECARD registry.

BACKGROUND: Target temperature management (TTM) is a recommended therapy for patients after cardiac arrest (PCA). The TaIwan Network of Targeted Temperature ManagEment for CARDiac Arrest (TIMECARD) registry was established for PCA who receive TTM therapy in Taiwan. We aim to determine the variables that may affect neurologic outcomes in PCA who undergo TTM. METHODS: We retrieved demographic variables, resuscitation variables, and cerebral performance category (CPC) scale score at hospital discharge from the TIMECARD registry. The primary outcome was a favorable neurologic outcome, defined as a CPC scale of 1 or 2 at discharge. A total of 540 PCA treated between January 2014 and September 2019 were identified from the registry. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify significant variables. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 58.1% (314/540). Favorable neurologic outcomes were noted in 117 patients (21.7%). The factors significantly influencing the neurologic outcome (p < 0.05) were the presence of an initial shockable rhythm or pulseless electric activity, a witnessed cardiac-arrest event, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a smaller total dose of epinephrine, the diastolic blood pressure value at return of spontaneous circulation, a pre-arrest CPC score of 1, coronary angiography, new-onset seizure, and new-onset serious infection. Older patients and those with premorbid diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, malignancy, obstructive lung disease, or cerebrovascular accident were more likely to have an unfavorable neurologic outcome. CONCLUSION: In the TIMECARD registry, some PCA baseline characteristics, cardiac arrest events, cardiopulmonary resuscitation characteristics, and post-arrest management characteristics were significantly associated with neurologic outcomes.

Routine HIV Testing and Outcomes: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan.

INTRODUCTION: Routine HIV testing is expected to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. Nevertheless, to date, limited data are available on the presumed benefit of early detection with improved outcomes through routine HIV testing. METHODS: This study was based on the Taiwan national HIV/AIDS registry, with follow-up data validated through December 31, 2014. Outcomes of people diagnosed with HIV infection through the routine (routinely offered in specific settings, opt-out) versus through nonroutine (individual risk-based) testing were compared. The main outcomes of the study were late diagnosis, HIV-related mortality, and all-cause mortality. Individuals were matched by year of HIV diagnosis and adjusted for age, sex, transmission routes, and SES. Analyses were conducted in 2019-2020. RESULTS: This study included all 28,674 people diagnosed with HIV infection during 1986-2014 (8,431 [29%] by routine testing, 18,305 [64%] by individual risk-based testing) with a mean follow-up time of 6.2 years. Routine testing was associated with an 80% lower likelihood of late HIV diagnosis (AOR=0.20, 95% CI=0.18, 0.23, p<0.001), a 37% lower HIV-related mortality (adjusted hazard ratio=0.63, 95% CI=0.53, 0.75, p<0.001), and a 27% lower all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio=0.73, 95% CI=0.67, 0.79, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Routine HIV testing was associated with highly favorable outcomes, including decreased late diagnosis, lower HIV-related mortality, and lower all-cause mortality, among people diagnosed with HIV infection. Under universal health coverage, expanding routine HIV testing in well-targeted settings may improve both HIV epidemic control for society and clinical outcomes for people living with HIV.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Immunocompromised Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Although the negative impact of immunosuppression on survival in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) treated by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is well known, short-term outcomes such as successful weaning rate from ECMO and subgroups benefit most from ECMO remain to be determined. The aims of this study were (1) to identify the association between immunocompromised status and weaning from ECMO in patients of ARDS, and (2) to identify subgroups of immunocompromised patients who may benefit from ECMO. Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients who received ECMO for ARDS from 2010 to 2020. Immunocompromised status was defined as having a hematological malignancy, active solid tumor, solid organ transplant, or autoimmune disease. Results: This study enrolled 256 ARDS patients who received ECMO, of whom 68 were immunocompromised. The multivariable analysis showed that immunocompromised status was not independently associated with failure to wean from ECMO. In addition, the patients with an autoimmune disease (14/24, 58.3%) and organ transplantation (3/3, 100%) had a numerically higher weaning rate from ECMO than other immunocompromised patients. For causes of ARDS, most patients with pulmonary hemorrhage (6/8, 75%) and aspiration (5/9, 55.6%) could be weaned from ECMO, compared to only a few of the patients with interstitial lung disease (2/9, 22.2%) and sepsis (1/4, 25%). Conclusions: Immunocompromised status was not an independent risk factor of failure to wean from ECMO in patients with ARDS. For patients with pulmonary hemorrhage and aspiration-related ARDS, ECMO may be beneficial as bridge therapy.

Impact of Comorbidities on Beneficial Effect of Lactated Ringers vs. Saline in Sepsis Patients.

Background: Lactated Ringers reduced mortality more than saline in sepsis patients but increased mortality more than saline in traumatic brain injury patients. Method: This prospective cohort study was conducted in a medical intensive care unit (ICU) in central Taiwan. We applied standard sepsis evaluation protocol and identified heart, lung, liver, kidney, and endocrine comorbidities. We also evaluated resuscitation response with central venous pressure, central venous oxygen saturation, and serum lactate level simultaneously. Propensity-score matching and Cox regression were used to estimate mortality. The competing risk model compared the lengths of hospital stays with the subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR). Results: Overall, 938 patients were included in the analysis. The lactated Ringers group had a lower mortality rate (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI 0.43-0.81) and shorter lengths of hospital stay (SHR, 1.39; 95% C.I. 1.15-1.67) than the saline group; the differences were greater in patients with chronic pulmonary disease and small and non-significant in those with chronic kidney disease, moderate to severe liver disease and cerebral vascular disease. The resuscitation efficacy was the same between fluid types, but serum lactate levels were significantly higher in the lactated Ringers group than in the saline group (0.12 mg/dl/h; 95% C.I.: 0.03, 0.21), especially in chronic liver disease patients. Compared to the saline group, the lactated Ringers group achieved target glucose level earlier in both diabetes and non-diabetes patients. Conclusion: Lactate Ringer's solution provides greater benefits to patients with chronic pulmonary disease than to those with chronic kidney disease, or with moderate to severe liver disease. Comorbidities are important in choosing resuscitation fluid types.

Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Associated Factors in Critically Ill Patients: A Multicenter Observational Study.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common in the general population worldwide, and the prevalence and severity of vitamin D deficiency increase in critically ill patients. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a community-based cohort in Northern Taiwan was 22.4%. This multicenter cohort study investigated the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and associated factors in critically ill patients in Northern Taiwan. Methods: Critically ill patients were enrolled and divided into five groups according to their length of stay at intensive care units (ICUs) during enrolment as follows: group 1, <2 days with expected short ICU stay; group 2, <2 days with expected long ICU stay; group 3, 3-7 days; group 4, 8-14 days; and group 5, 15-28 days. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level < 20 ng/ml, and severe vitamin D deficiency was defined as a 25(OH)D level < 12 ng/ml. The primary analysis was the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. The exploratory analyses were serial follow-up vitamin D levels in group 2, associated factors for vitamin D deficiency, and the effect of vitamin D deficiency on clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Results: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 59% [95% confidence interval (CI) 55-62%], and the prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency was 18% (95% CI 15-21%). The median vitamin D level for all enrolled critically ill patients was 18.3 (13.7-23.9) ng/ml. In group 2, the median vitamin D levels were <20 ng/ml during the serial follow-up. According to the multivariable analysis, young age, female gender, low albumin level, high parathyroid hormone (PTH) level, and high sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were significantly associated risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Patients with vitamin D deficiency had longer ventilator use duration and length of ICU stay. However, the 28- and 90-day mortality rate were not associated with vitamin D deficiency. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high in critically ill patients. Age, gender, albumin level, PTH level, and SOFA score were significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency in these patients.