Mental health disorders and substance use among people living with HIV in Nepal: their influence on non-adherence to anti-retroviral therapy.

People living with HIV often experience mental health disorders and engage in substance use. Evidence, however, is limited about the influence of mental health disorders and substance use on non-adherence to ART. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 682 HIV-positive people on ART in Nepal. We measured their depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress levels, substance use, and non-adherence to ART. We developed logistic regression models to examine the association of mental health disorders and substance use with non-adherence to ART. Experiencing depressive symptoms was positively associated with ART non-adherence among HIV-positive people (men: AOR = 2.77, p = .001; women: AOR = 3.69, p = .001). Additionally, both men and women were more likely to have non-adherence to ART when they had anxiety (men: AOR = 2.19, p = .022; women AOR = 2.83, p = .001) and higher stress scores (men: AOR = 1.11, p = .001; women: AOR = 1.08, p = .001). While substance use was associated with non-adherence only in HIV-positive men (AOR = 3.12, p < .001). Depressive symptoms, anxiety, and high level of stress had negative roles on adherence in HIV-positive men and women. While substance use had a negative role on ART adherence among men only. Results highlight that the HIV-positive people should be screened and provided treatment and psychosocial support while providing ART services to improve their medication adherence.

Investigating the impact of a community home-based care on mental health and anti-retroviral therapy adherence in people living with HIV in Nepal: a community intervention study.

BACKGROUND: HIV-positive people often experience mental health disorders and engage in substance use when the disease progresses. In resource limited settings, mental health services are not integrated into HIV services. In Nepal, HIV-positive people do receive psychosocial support and other basic health care services from a community home-based care intervention; however, the effects of the intervention on health outcomes is not yet known. Therefore, we examined the impact of the intervention on mental health and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. METHODS: We conducted an intervention study to identify the effects of a community home-based care intervention on mental health disorders, substance use, and non-adherence to ART among HIV-positive people in Nepal from March to August 2015. In total, 344 participated in the intervention and another 338 were in the control group. The intervention was comprised of home-based psychosocial support and peer counseling, adherence support, basic health care, and referral services. We measured the participants' depression, anxiety, stress, substance use, and non-adherence to ART. We applied a generalized estimating equation to examine the effects of intervention on health outcomes. RESULTS: The intervention had positive effects in reducing depressive symptoms [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.44, p < 0.001)], anxiety (AOR = 0.54, p = 0.014), stress (ß = - 3.98, p < 0.001), substance use (AOR = 0.51, p = 0.005), and non-adherence to ART (AOR = 0.62, p = 0.025) among its participants at six-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention was effective in reducing mental health disorders, substance use, and non-adherence to ART among HIV-positive people. Community home-based care intervention can be applied in resource limited setting to improve the mental health of the HIV-positive people. Such intervention should be targeted to include more HIV-positive people in order to improve their ART adherence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03505866 , Released Date: April 20, 2018.

Predicting health-related quality of life in people living with HIV in Nepal: mental health disorders and substance use determinants.

HIV-positive people often experience mental health disorders and engage in substance use. Such conditions tend to impair their health-related quality of life (QOL). Evidence, however, is limited about the influence of mental health disorders and substance use on QOL by gender. Also, little is known about the influences of anxiety and high levels of stress on QOL. We recruited 682 HIV-positive people in Nepal and measured their depression, anxiety, stress levels, substance use, and QOL. Multiple linear regressions assessed the association of mental health disorders and substance use with QOL. Presence of depressive symptoms was negatively associated with all domains of QOL including the physical (men: ß = -0.68, p = 0.037; women: ß = -1.37, p < 0.001) and the psychological (men: ß = -1.08, p < 0.001; women: ß = -1.13, p < 0.001). Those who experienced anxiety had lower scores in the physical (ß = -0.89, p = 0.027) and psychological (ß = -1.75, p = 0.018) QOL domains among men and in the spiritual QOL domain (ß = -0.061, p = 0.043) among women. High stress levels were associated with lower scores across all QOL domains including the physical (men: ß = -0.16, p < 0.001; women: ß = -0.14, p < 0.001) and the psychological (men: ß = -0.09, p < 0.001; women: ß = -0.10, p < 0.001). Substance-using men were more likely to have lower scores in physical (ß = -0.70, p = 0.039) and psychological (ß = -0.073, p = 0.002) domains. Among women, meanwhile, substance use was negatively associated with the psychological domain only (ß = -0.77, p = 0.005). In conclusion, mental health disorders and substance use had negative associations with QOL. Attention should be given to addressing the mental health care needs of HIV-positive people to improve their QOL.

Cross-cultural gene- environment interactions in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the cortisol awakening response: FKBP5 polymorphisms and childhood trauma in South Asia.

Despite increased attention to global mental health, psychiatric genetic research has been dominated by studies in high-income countries, especially with populations of European descent. The objective of this study was to assess single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FKBP5 gene in a population living in South Asia. Among adults in Nepal, depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), and childhood maltreatment with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). FKBP5 SNPs were genotyped for 682 participants. Cortisol awakening response (CAR) was assessed in a subsample of 118 participants over 3 days. The FKBP5 tag-SNP rs9296158 showed a main effect on depressive symptoms (p = 0.03). Interaction of rs9296158 and childhood maltreatment predicted adult depressive symptoms (p = 0.02) but not PTSD. Childhood maltreatment associated with endocrine response in individuals homozygous for the A allele, demonstrated by a negative CAR and overall hypocortisolaemia in the rs9296158 AA genotype and childhood maltreatment group (p < 0.001). This study replicated findings related to FKBP5 and depression but not PTSD. Gene-environment studies should take differences in prevalence and cultural significance of phenotypes and exposures into account when interpreting cross-cultural findings.

Does active dissemination of evidence result in faster knowledge transfer than passive diffusion?: An analysis of trends of the management of pediatric asthma and croup in US emergency departments from 1995 to 2009.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare knowledge transfer (KT) in the emergency department (ED) management of pediatric asthma and croup by measuring trends in corticosteroid use for both conditions in EDs. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data between 1995 and 2009 of corticosteroid use at ED visits for asthma or croup was conducted. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using logistic regression. Trends over time were compared using an interaction term between disease and year and were adjusted for all other covariates in the model. We included children aged 2 to 18 years with asthma who received albuterol and were triaged emergent/urgent. Children aged between 3 months to 6 years with croup were included. The main outcome measure was the administration of corticosteroids in the ED or as a prescription at the ED visit. RESULTS: The corticosteroid use in asthma visits increased from 44% to 67% and from 32% to 56% for croup. After adjusting for patient and hospital factors, this trend was significant both for asthma (OR, 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.10) and croup (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.12). There was no statistical difference between the 2 trends (P = 0.69). Hospital location in a metropolitan statistical area was associated with increased corticosteroid use in asthma (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.10-2.82). Factors including sex, ethnicity, insurance, or region of the country were not significantly associated with corticosteroid use. CONCLUSIONS: During a 15-year period, knowledge transfer by passive diffusion or active guideline dissemination resulted in similar trends of corticosteroid use for the management of pediatric asthma and croup.

Food is Medicine Initiative for Mitigating Food Insecurity in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: While several food assistance programs in the United States tackle food insecurity, a relatively new program, "Food is Medicine," (FIM) initiated in some cities not only addresses food insecurity but also targets chronic diseases by customizing the food delivered to its recipients. This review describes federal programs providing food assistance and evaluates the various sub-programs categorized under the FIM initiative. METHODS: A literature search was conducted from July 7, 2023 to November 9, 2023 using the search term, "Food is Medicine", to identify articles indexed within three major electronic databases, PubMed, Medline, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Eligibility criteria for inclusion were: focus on any aspect of the FIM initiative within the United States, and publication as a peer-reviewed journal article in the English language. A total of 180 articles were retrieved; publications outside the eligibility criteria and duplicates were excluded for a final list of 72 publications. Supporting publications related to food insecurity, governmental and organizational websites related to FIM and other programs discussed in this review were also included. RESULTS: The FIM program includes medically tailored meals, medically tailored groceries, and produce prescriptions. Data suggest that it has lowered food insecurity, promoted better management of health, improved health outcomes, and has, therefore, lowered healthcare costs. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this umbrella program is having a positive impact on communities that have been offered and participate in this program. Limitations and challenges that need to be overcome to ensure its success are discussed.

Hysterectomy Techniques and Outcomes for Benign Large Uteri: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the optimal hysterectomy approach for large uteri in gynecologic surgery for benign indications from a perioperative morbidity standpoint. DATA SOURCES: PubMed and Embase databases were searched from inception through September 19, 2022. Meta-analyses were conducted as feasible. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: This review included studies that compared routes of hysterectomy with or without bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for large uteri (12 weeks or more or 250 g or more) and excluded studies with any concurrent surgery for pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, gynecologic malignancy, or any obstetric indication for hysterectomy. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: The review included 25 studies comprising nine randomized trials, two prospective, and 14 retrospective nonrandomized comparative studies. Studies were at high risk of bias. There was lower operative time for total vaginal hysterectomy compared with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) (mean difference 39 minutes, 95% CI, 18-60) and total vaginal hysterectomy compared with total laparoscopic hysterectomy (mean difference 50 minutes, 95% CI, 29-70). Total laparoscopic hysterectomy was associated with much greater risk of ureteral injury compared with total vaginal hysterectomy (odds ratio 7.54, 95% CI, 2.52-22.58). There were no significant differences in bowel injury rates between groups. There were no differences in length of stay among the laparoscopic approaches. For LAVH compared with total vaginal hysterectomy, randomized controlled trials favored total vaginal hysterectomy for length of stay. When rates of blood transfusion were compared between these abdominal hysterectomy and robotic-assisted total hysterectomy routes, abdominal hysterectomy was associated with a sixfold greater risk of transfusion than robotic-assisted total hysterectomy (6.31, 95% CI, 1.07-37.32). Similarly, single studies comparing robotic-assisted total hysterectomy with LAVH, total laparoscopic hysterectomy, or total vaginal hysterectomy all favored robotic-assisted total hysterectomy for reduced blood loss. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive routes are safe and effective and have few complications. Minimally invasive approach (vaginal, laparoscopic, or robotic) results in lower blood loss and shorter length of stay, whereas the abdominal route has a shorter operative time. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42021233300.

Assessing perspectives of a global health area of concentration within the PharmD curriculum.

INTRODUCTION: While global health education in pharmacy expands, limited research has described the outcome of completing a global health area of concentration on career decisions, perceptions on cultural sensitivity, health disparity awareness, and global health competencies among pharmacists and students. METHODS: This mixed methods study enrolled 21 graduates and 17 student pharmacists who participated in a global health concentration at one school of pharmacy in the United States. Data sources included graduate interviews and surveys, student pharmacist focus groups, and global health competency self-assessments. RESULTS: Five themes emerged among graduates: (1) skills were applicable to diverse settings, (2) early exposure to underserved care prepared graduates for current practice, (3) participation impacted the lens through which graduates viewed careers, (4) participation influenced patient care in current practice, and (5) graduates gained insight on complex global health issues. Three themes were identified among student pharmacists: (1) the program provided opportunities to personalize education, (2) participants gained insight through hands-on experience, and (3) participants developed new perspectives on approaching underserved care. Many graduates (77.4%) currently practiced in an underserved setting. Graduates and fourth professional year students reported improvement in all seven global health competency domains. CONCLUSIONS: A global health concentration in pharmacy curricula can facilitate skills and global health competencies that are applicable across a wide variety of patient care contexts. This concentrated experience provided opportunities to further develop career interests and personalize education, creating a cadre of pharmacists dedicated towards addressing health disparities and serving the underserved.

Changes in Pelvic Floor Symptoms After Procedural Interventions for Uterine Leiomyomas: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effect of procedural interventions for leiomyomas on pelvic floor symptoms. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to January 12, 2023, searching for leiomyoma procedures and pelvic floor disorders and symptoms, restricted to primary study designs in humans. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Double independent screening for studies of any study design in all languages that reported pelvic floor symptoms before and after surgical (hysterectomy, myomectomy, radiofrequency volumetric thermal ablation) or radiologic (uterine artery embolization, magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasonography, high-intensity focused ultrasonography) procedures for management of uterine leiomyomas. Data were extracted, with risk-of-bias assessment and review by a second researcher. Random effects model meta-analyses were conducted, as feasible. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials, one nonrandomized comparative study, and 25 single-group studies met criteria. The overall quality of the studies was moderate. Only six studies, reporting various outcomes, directly compared two procedures for leiomyomas. Across studies, leiomyoma procedures were associated with decreased symptom distress per the UDI-6 (Urinary Distress Inventory, Short Form) (summary mean change -18.7, 95% CI -25.9 to -11.5; six studies) and improved quality of life per the IIQ-7 (Incontinence Impact Questionnaire, Short Form) (summary mean change -10.7, 95% CI -15.8 to -5.6; six studies). There was a wide range of resolution of urinary symptoms after procedural interventions (7.6-100%), and this varied over time. Urinary symptoms improved in 19.0-87.5% of patients, and the definitions for improvement varied between studies. Bowel symptoms were inconsistently reported in the literature. CONCLUSION: Urinary symptoms improved after procedural interventions for uterine leiomyomas, although there is high heterogeneity among studies and few data on long-term outcomes or comparing different procedures. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42021272678.

Political violence and mental health in Nepal: prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Post-conflict mental health studies in low-income countries have lacked pre-conflict data to evaluate changes in psychiatric morbidity resulting from political violence. AIMS: This prospective study compares mental health before and after exposure to direct political violence during the People's War in Nepal. METHOD: An adult cohort completed the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory in 2000 prior to conflict violence in their community and in 2007 after the war. RESULTS: Of the original 316 participants, 298 (94%) participated in the post-conflict assessment. Depression increased from 30.9 to 40.6%. Anxiety increased from 26.2 to 47.7%. Post-conflict post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was 14.1%. Controlling for ageing, the depression increase was not significant. The anxiety increase showed a dose-response association with conflict exposure when controlling for ageing and daily stressors. No demographic group displayed unique vulnerability or resilience to the effects of conflict exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Conflict exposure should be considered in the context of other types of psychiatric risk factors. Conflict exposure predicted increases in anxiety whereas socioeconomic factors and non-conflict stressful life events were the major predictors of depression. Research and interventions in post-conflict settings therefore should consider differential trajectories for depression v. anxiety and the importance of addressing chronic social problems ranging from poverty to gender and ethnic/caste discrimination.

Telehealth Technologies in Diabetes Self-management and Education.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) forced worldwide recognition and implementation of telehealth as a means of providing continuity of care by varied health care institutions. Diabetes is a global health threat with rates that continue to accelerate, thereby causing an increased need for clinicians to provide diabetes care and education to keep up with demand. Utilizing technology to provide education via phone/smartphone, video/audio, web, text message, mobile apps, or a combination of these methods can help improve patient access and clinical outcomes, cut costs, and close gaps in care. METHODS: While numerous publications have summarized the various tools and technologies available for capturing remote clinical data and their relevance to diabetes care and self-management, this review focuses on self-educational telehealth tools available for diabetes self-management, their advantages and disadvantages, and factors that need to be considered prior to implementation. Recent relevant studies indexed by PubMed were included. RESULTS: The widespread use and popularity of phones/smartphones, tablets, computers, and the Internet by patients of all age groups, cultures, socioeconomic and geographic areas allow for increased outreach, flexibility, and engagement with diabetes education, either in combination or as an adjunct to traditional in-person visits. Demonstrated benefits of using health technologies for diabetes self-management education include improved lifestyle habits, reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, decreased health care costs, and better medication adherence. Potential drawbacks include lack of regulation, need for staff training on methodologies used, the requirement for patients to be tech savvy, privacy concerns, lag time with technology updates/glitches, and the need for more long-term research data on efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Telehealth technologies for diabetes self-education improve overall clinical outcomes and have come a long way. With increasing numbers of patients with diabetes, it is expected that more optimal and user-friendly methodologies will be developed to fully engage and help patients communicate with their physicians.

State-level child health system performance and the likelihood of readmission to children's hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between children's hospital readmission and the performance of child health systems in the states in which hospitals are located. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 197,744 patients 2 to 18 years old from 39 children's hospitals located in 24 states in the United States in 2005. Subjects were observed for a year after discharge for readmission to the same hospital. The odds of readmission were modeled on the basis of patient-level characteristics and state child health system performance as ranked by the Commonwealth Fund. RESULTS: A total of 1.8% of patients were readmitted within a week, 4.8% within a month, and 16.3% within 365 days. After adjustment for patient-level characteristics, the probability of readmission varied significantly between states (P=.001), and the likelihood of readmission during the ensuing year increased as the states' health system performance ranking improved. States in the best ranking quartile had a 2.03% higher readmission rate than states in the lowest quartile (P=.02); the same directional relationship was observed for readmission intervals from 1 to 365 days after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital readmission rates are significantly related to the performance of the surrounding health care system.

Seasonal variation in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis.

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has been reported to occur in a sporadic manner and in clusters of cases. We hypothesized that variations in the incidence of NEC were random, without clustering. In order to define the pattern of NEC in the United States, we analyzed the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database to evaluate whether NEC cases are distributed randomly or exhibit temporal clustering or periodicity. METHODS: After obtaining IRB approval, we queried the PHIS database for all patients with NEC (ICD-9 code of 777.5) over a 13-year period. Sixteen children's hospitals were studied, and individual institutional and aggregate data were reviewed. Fisher's Kappa and Bartlett's Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were used to identify periodicity. RESULTS: During the study interval, there were 2,93,076 neonatal admissions, and 4,559 (1.6%) infants were diagnosed with NEC. Statistical analysis demonstrates a periodicity of 6 months in the occurrence of NEC. Fisher's Kappa was 16.924 and Bartlett's Kolmogorov-Smirnov was 0.281, which translates to a P value of <0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of a national database analysis it appears a temporally non-random distribution of NEC cases does exist.

Benchmarks for the emergency department care of children with asthma, bronchiolitis, and croup.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were (1) to measure the 2005 performance of freestanding children's hospital emergency departments (EDs) in the care of children with asthma, bronchiolitis, and croup (ABC) using 5 clinical quality indicators and (2) to construct achievable benchmarks for 7 clinical quality indicators of ED care for children with ABC for 2005. METHODS: This was a retrospective review using the Pediatric Health Information System database containing information on 1,468,607 (2005) discharges. Performance on 5 established clinical quality indicators for ABC was determined in patients younger than 19 years at 27 hospital EDs in the United States. Benchmarks were computed for 7 clinical quality indicators. RESULTS: Corticosteroids were administered in 65.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 65.2%-66.2%) of visits for moderate to severe asthma and in 82.5% (95% CI, 82.0%-83.0%) of visits for croup. Physicians ordered an x-ray in 28.6% (95% CI, 28.1%-29.0%) of asthma visits, 37.3% (95% CI, 36.7%-37.9%) of bronchiolitis visits, and in 9.1% (95% CI, 8.7%-9.5%) of croup visits. Benchmarks for corticosteroid administration were 79% and 92% for asthma and croup, respectively; benchmarks for ordering x-rays were 17% for both asthma and bronchiolitis and 2% for croup. Additional benchmarks for antibiotic administration in the ED for asthma and bronchiolitis were 1% and 2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Variation exists among freestanding children's hospitals in the ED care for ABC, but the performance is better than previously reported national averages. We report achievable benchmarks for ED care based on objective clinical quality indicators.

A qualitative assessment of diabetes care access and disease management in Central America.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a growing concern in low-and middle-income countries. Medical missions play a role in increasing access to care and medicines, but often ignore non-communicable disease prevention and advanced management. Increased knowledge of local community needs and resources can lead to the development and implementation of pharmacist-supported interventions to improve diabetes management in rural areas. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to 1) understand the availability of monitoring for diabetes locally; and 2) describe knowledge and health beliefs regarding diabetes management for those with diabetes, and prevention among those at high risk of developing diabetes. METHODS: This qualitative evaluation used semi-structured interviews with key informants in a community in rural Honduras. Participants included those with diabetes, those at-risk for developing diabetes, and community leaders. Data was analyzed using thematic content analysis through an iterative process of coding and theme development. RESULTS: A total of 35 interviews were conducted with five resulting themes: 1) participants identified multiple barriers to diabetes management including access to monitoring, access to certain medications, and access to advanced levels of care; 2) participants acknowledge the relationship between lifestyle choices and diabetes control, but struggled with adherence to a healthy lifestyle; 3) participants identify that they have limited knowledge of diabetes pathophysiology, diabetes management, and strategies to prevent diabetes; 4) participants felt that opportunities existed within the community to support diabetes education and prevention, and 5) providers should integrate culture, societal norms, and religion in diabetes management. CONCLUSION: This research identifies challenges and resulting opportunities for managing diabetes in rural Honduras. Health care providers including pharmacy personnel should consider strategies to engage communities around self-care and diabetes education. Further, strategies are needed to enhance access to resources and essential medicines for diabetes management. These themes can guide clinicians in supporting communities to enhance diabetes care.

Culture in psychiatric epidemiology: using ethnography and multiple mediator models to assess the relationship of caste with depression and anxiety in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: The causes of ethnic and caste-based disparities in mental health are poorly understood. AIM: The study aimed to identify mediators underlying caste-based disparities in mental health in Nepal. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A mixed methods ethnographic and epidemiological study of 307 adults (Dalit/Nepali, n=75; high caste Brahman and Chhetri, n=232) was assessed with Nepali versions of Beck Depression (BDI) and Anxiety (BAI) Inventories. RESULTS: One-third (33.7%) of participants were classified as depressed: Dalit/Nepali 50.0%, high caste 28.4%. One quarter (27.7%) of participants were classified as anxious: Dalit/Nepali 50.7%, high caste 20.3%. Ethnographic research identified four potential mediators: Stressful life events, owning few livestock, no household income, and lack of social support. The direct effect of caste was 1.08 (95% CI -1.10-3.27) on depression score and 4.76 (95% CI 2.33-7.19) on anxiety score. All four variables had significant indirect (mediation) effects on anxiety, and all but social support had significant indirect effects on depression. CONCLUSION: Caste-based disparities in mental health in rural Nepal are statistically mediated by poverty, lack of social support, and stressful life events. Interventions should target these areas to alleviate the excess mental health burden born by Dalit/Nepali women and men.

Harmful alcohol drinking among HIV-positive people in Nepal: an overlooked threat to anti-retroviral therapy adherence and health-related quality of life.

BACKGROUND: People living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) often suffer from alcohol-use disorders resulting in their poor health and treatment outcomes. Little is known about the association of harmful alcohol drinking with their adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and health-related quality of life (QOL) in low-resource settings. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate associations between harmful alcohol drinking, adherence to ART and health-related QOL in HIV-positive people, stratified by gender, in Nepal. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 682 HIV-positive people on ART to measure their self-reported harmful alcohol drinking and non-adherence to ART in the previous month of data collection. We also measured health-related QOL using a WHOQOL-HIV BREF scale. The association between harmful alcohol drinking and non-adherence to ART was examined using multiple logistic regressions. Additionally, multiple linear regressions examined association between harmful alcohol drinking and QOL. RESULTS: Harmful alcohol drinking was associated with non-adherence to ART among men (AOR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.50, 4.11, p < 0.001) and women (AOR: 2.52, 95% CI: 1.32, 4.80, p = 0.005). Men were more likely to have lower score for the psychological (ß = -0.55, p = 0.021) and level of independence (ß = -0.68, p = 0.018) domains when they had harmful alcohol drinking. Moreover, women were more likely to have lower scores for the physical (ß = -1.01, p = 0.015), social relations (ß = -0.82, p = 0.033), environmental (ß = -0.88, p = 0.011), and spiritual (ß = -1.30, p = 0.005) domains of QOL when they had harmful alcohol drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Harmful alcohol drinking had a negative association with ART adherence and QOL in both HIV-positive men and women in Nepal. Screening for alcohol-use disorders and community-based counseling services should be provided while delivering ART services to improve treatment adherence and QOL.

Resource utilization and expenditures for overweight and obese children.

OBJECTIVES: To compare health care utilization and expenditures for healthy-weight patients, overweight patients, and patients with diagnosed and undiagnosed obesity and to examine factors associated with a diagnosis of obesity. DESIGN: Retrospective study using claims data from a large pediatric integrated delivery system. SETTING: An urban academic children's hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 5 to 18 years who presented to a primary care clinic for well-child care visits during the calendar years 2002 and 2003 and who were followed up for 12 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnosis of obesity, primary care visits, emergency department visits, laboratory use, and health care charges. RESULTS: Of 8404 patients, 57.9% were 10 years or older, 61.2% were African American, and 72.9% were insured by Medicaid. According to the criteria of body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters), 17.8% were overweight and 21.9% were obese. Of the obese children, 42.9% had a diagnosis of obesity. Increased laboratory use was found in both children with diagnosed obesity (odds ratio [OR], 5.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.65-6.48) and children with undiagnosed obesity (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.97-2.74), relative to the healthy-weight group. Health care expenditures were significantly higher for children with diagnosed obesity (adjusted mean difference, $172; 95% CI, $138-$206) vs the healthy-weight group. Factors associated with the diagnosis of obesity were age 10 years and older (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 2.0-3.4), female sex (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-1.8), and having Medicaid (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3). CONCLUSIONS: Increased health care utilization and charges reported in obese adults are also present in obese children. Most children with obesity had not been diagnosed as having obesity in this administrative data set.

Off-label drug use in hospitalized children.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the magnitude of off-label drug use, to identify drugs most commonly used off-label, and to identify factors associated with off-label drug use in children hospitalized in the United States. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Administrative database containing inpatient resource utilization data from January 1 to December 31, 2004, from 31 tertiary care pediatric hospitals in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Hospitalized patients 18 years or younger. MAIN EXPOSURES: Institution and patient characteristics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Off-label drug use was defined as use of a specific drug in a patient younger than the Food and Drug Administration-approved age range for any indication of that drug. RESULTS: At least 1 drug was used off-label in 297 592 (78.7%) of 355 409 patients discharged during the study. Off-label use accounted for $270 275 849 (40.5%) of the total dollars spent on these medications. Medications classified as central or autonomic nervous system agents or as fluids or nutrients, or gastrointestinal tract agents were most commonly used off-label, whereas antineoplastic agents were rarely used off-label. Factors associated with off-label use in multivariate analysis were as follows: undergoing a surgical procedure, age older than 28 days, greater severity of illness, and all-cause in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients hospitalized at tertiary care pediatric institutions receive at least 1 medication outside the terms of the Food and Drug Administration product license. Substantial variation in the frequency of off-label use was observed across diagnostic categories and drug classes. Despite the frequent off-label use of drugs, using an administrative database, we cannot determine which of these treatments are unsafe or ineffective and which treatments result in substantial benefit to the patient.

Impact of rapid influenza testing at triage on management of febrile infants and young children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of an emergency department (ED) triage protocol for rapid influenza testing of febrile infants and children on additional diagnostic testing, ED charges and patient time in the ED. METHODS: A trial of triage-based rapid influenza A and B testing of febrile infants and children 3 to 36 months of age presenting to an urban ED during December 2002 to March 2003 was performed. Children with a temperature of 39 degrees C or higher or history of fever 102 degrees F or higher at home were included. Those with obvious focal infection, potential immunodeficiency, and indwelling medical devices were excluded. The intervention group, tested for influenza at triage (TT) was compared with a nonintervention group consisting of those receiving usual care (SP). A subanalysis comparing influenza-positive children was performed. RESULTS: Of 1007 eligible subjects a total of 719 (71%) patients were in the SP group and 288 in the TT group. There were significant differences in respiratory syncytial virus rapid test (RSV; 18%-7%) and chest radiographs (CXRs; 26%-20%) tests in the TT group. In addition, significant increases in obtaining a complete blood count (relative risk [RR] 12.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.9-49), blood culture (RR, 12.0; 95% CI, 3.0-51.0), RSV testing (RR, 0.9.2; 95% CI, 3.4-25.0), urinalysis (RR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.0-16.0), CXR (RR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.04-4.5), time in the ED (195 vs 156 minutes; 95% CI, of the difference 19-60), and medical charges ($666 vs $393; 95% CI, of the difference 153-392) were seen among those testing positive for influenza in the SP group. CONCLUSIONS: A triage protocol for rapid influenza testing for febrile infants and children appears to significantly decrease additional testing, time in the ED, and charges in children testing positive for influenza.