Internal Medicine Commons^™

Improving Telemetry Utilization In An Inpatient Hospital Setting, Kamil Sardarli, Lauren Reinhold, Ankit Arora, Sumesh Khanal, Pradeep Kaminoulu, Alexandra Halalau

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: Telemetry is a cardiac monitor that continuously records heart activity and monitors abnormal rhythms. Most current clinical indications are limited to 48 hours maximum, but telemetry monitoring service (TMS) is commonly used for a greater duration. This leads to resource exploitation that may create limitations of the resource and also comes with economic burden. Limiting usage to appropriate indications and durations can reduce overall costs and improve profit margin for the hospital and also cut down on unnecessary burden for patients. Through our study, we aim to decrease TMS overuse. Methods: The study was done at Beaumont Hospital Royal …

Granular Cell Tumor Of The Breast: A Breast Malignancy Mimicker, Emma Herrmann, Markie Zimmer, Bana Antonios, Bipin Ghimire, Mohammad Muhsin Chisti

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Granular cell tumors are soft tissue neoplasms that can arise from virtually any body site. They are thought to arise from Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system. The overwhelming majority are benign, with only 1-2% of cases being malignant. Granular cell tumors of the breast can often mimic breast malignancy. A 62-year-old female with past medical history of hypertension and prior tobacco use had abnormal screening mammography. Family history was positive for breast malignancy in 2 sisters and a maternal first cousin. Prior mammography was unremarkable, aside from one year prior which revealed a concerning 6 mm nodule in …

Metronidazole Neurotoxicity--Not Your Usual Suspect, Markie Zimmer, Bana Antonios, Emma Herrmann, Ramona Berghea

Conference Presentation Abstracts

An 85-year-old female with past medical history notable for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Stage III Merckel cell carcinoma presented to our hospital for evaluation of generalized weakness of a few weeks duration. Notably, she had a recent hospital admission for E. coli bacteremia in the setting of hepatic abscesses that underwent ultrasound guided drainage. She was discharged to inpatient rehabilitation, and ultimately home, with a planned six-week course of ceftriaxone and metronidazole, in addition to oral vancomycin for C. difficile infection. Upon readmission, she was fatigued and had progressive lower extremity weakness. She denied any bowel or bladder incontinence or …

Refractory Non-Tumor Lambert Eaton Syndrome Treated With Rituximab, Bipin Ghimire, Samiksha Pandey, Ashbina Pokharel, Emma Herrmann, Mohammad Muhsin Chisti

Conference Presentation Abstracts

With a worldwide prevalence of 3-4 per million, Lambert-Eaton syndrome is a rare entity. It often occurs as a paraneoplastic syndrome, most commonly associated with small cell lung cancer. Less frequently, it occurs as an autoimmune disease in the absence of cancer. Both entities demonstrate circulating immunoglobulins against presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels and Electromyogram (EMG) with an increase in compound muscle action potential on repetitive stimulation. A 35-year-old female with past medical history of hypothyroidism presented with bilateral lower extremity weakness, generalized fatigue, blurry vision, and slurred speech in 2010. Upon further workup, Lambert-Eaton syndrome was diagnosed after she tested …

Massive Pulmonary Embolism After Pfizer Vaccine, Samiksha Pandey, Bipin Ghimire, Emma Herrmann, Dilip Khanal

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction Vaccines against COVID -19 have been reported to cause venous thromboembolism (VTE). To our knowledge, this is the first case to report the massive, near-fatal Pulmonary Embolism (PE) associated with BNT162b2 Covid-19 (Pfizer/BioNTech) vaccine and discuss the associated risk factors for PE. Case 41-year-old, non-smoker, female on OCP, presented for syncope and seizure-like activity. Upon presentation, she was obtunded and tachypneic. Initial labs showed leukocytosis, mild anemia, and thrombocytopenia, respiratory and metabolic acidosis. She deteriorated quickly to cardiac arrest requiring Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and intubation. Tissue Plasminogen Activator administered for possible PE. Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) pulmonary confirmed sagittal pulmonary …

Late Onset Burkitt Post Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (Ptld) Following Solid Organ Transplant, Melinda Sager, Devika Aggarwal

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Post Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD) is an uncommon complication after solid organ transplant, with several different monomorphic subtypes; Burkitt Lymphoma PTLD (B-PTLD) is particularly rare and aggressive.

A 30 year old female with a history of IgA nephropathy and two renal transplants presented to the emergency room with nausea, vomiting, and diffuse abdominal distention and pain that started one week prior to presentation. CT imaging showed significant mesenteric and pelvic lymphadenopathy with moderate ascites, paracentesis was performed. Her immunosuppressive therapy was adjusted: azathioprine was held, tacrolimus was decreased for lower target level, and steroid was continued. A lymph node biopsy …

Social Determinants Of Health Correlating With Mechanical Ventilation Of Covid-19 Patients; A Multi-Center Observational Study, Alexa Giovanatti, Heba Elassar, Patrick Karabon, Tracy Wunderlich-Barillas, Alexandra Halalau

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Importance: Several studies have relayed the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on marginalized communities, however few have specifically examined the association between social determinants of health and mechanical ventilation (MV). Objective: To determine which demographics impact MV rates among COVID-19 patients. Design: This observational study included COVID-19 patient data from eight hospitals’ EMR between February 25, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Associations between demographic data and MV rates were evaluated using uni- and multivariate analyses. Setting: Multicenter (8 hospitals), largest health system in Southeast Michigan Participants: Inpatients with a positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 on nasopharyngeal swab. Exclusion criteria were missing demographic …

Intracardiac Leiomyomatosis Presenting As Syncope, Ujjwal Karki, Bijaya Thapa, Shailesh Niroula, Bipin Ghimire, Tucker Billups, Shrinjaya Thapa

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Primary cardiac tumors are rare, with incidence less than 0.1 percent. Secondary tumors are 20 times more common. Tumor thrombus extending to the right heart is commonly seen with renal cell carcinoma. Less common etiologies include intravenous leiomyoma, gynecological malignancies, Wilms tumor, hepatoma, and adrenocortical carcinoma. 46-year-old female with history of uterine fibroid presented with two episodes of syncope, lasting 30 seconds each. Echocardiogram revealed a mobile echogenic mass in right atrium extending from the inferior vena cava (IVC) and moving across the tricuspid valve, causing dynamic obstruction. Cardiac MRI showed the mass originated from the renal vein with similar …

Gallstone Ileus Complicating Rectal Cancer: A Red Herring Cause Of Abdominal Pain, Nicholas Lazar, Ovidiu Niculescu, Carol Lima, Neiberg Lima

Conference Presentation Abstracts

A 68-year-old male with a history of alcohol abuse presented with a one-week history of fatigue and weakness, and a one-year history of fecal incontinence. On admission, vital signs were stable. Physical exam revealed cachexia, skin pallor, and mild abdominal distention. Fecal occult blood testing was positive. Laboratory analysis was significant for hemoglobin of 6.8g/dL. Of note, computed tomography (CT) scans of his chest, abdomen, and pelvis done months prior for evaluation of anemia and incontinence had shown rectal wall thickening, lung nodules concerning for metastasis, and gallstones. He declined further diagnostic evaluation and was lost to follow up. During …

Outcomes Of Primary Versus Revisional Robotically Assisted Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass: A Multicenter Analysis Of Ten-Year Experience, Pouya Iranmanesh, John Fam, Thomas Nguyen, David Talarico, Kavita D Chandwani, Kulvinder S Bajwa, Melissa M Felinski, Leon V Katz, Sheilendra S Mehta, Stephan R Myers, Brad E Snyder, Peter A Walker, Todd D Wilson, Angielyn R Rivera, Connie L Klein, Shinil K Shah, Erik B Wilson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Postoperative morbidity after laparoscopic bariatric surgery is considered higher for patients undergoing revisional versus primary procedures. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to compare outcomes between patients undergoing primary versus revisional robotically assisted laparoscopic (RAL) Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

METHODS: Data of all patients who underwent RAL primary and revisional RYGB between 2009 and 2019 at two accredited, high-volume bariatric surgery centers-the Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX, and the Tower Health, Reading Hospital, Reading, PA, were analyzed. Primary outcomes were early (< 30 days) and overall postoperative complications. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative complications, operative times, conversions to laparotomy, length of hospital stay, early (< 30 days) postoperative readmissions and deaths.

RESULTS: Data of 1072 patients were analyzed, including 806 primary and 266 …

Safety, Pharmacokinetics And Antiviral Activity Of Pgt121, A Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody Against Hiv-1: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 1 Clinical Trial, Kathryn E Stephenson, Boris Julg, C Sabrina Tan, Rebecca Zash, Stephen R Walsh, Charlotte-Paige Rolle, Ana N Monczor, Sofia Lupo, Huub C Gelderblom, Jessica L Ansel, Diane G Kanjilal, Lori F Maxfield, Joseph Nkolola, Erica N Borducchi, Peter Abbink, Jinyan Liu, Lauren Peter, Abishek Chandrashekar, Ramya Nityanandam, Zijin Lin, Alessandra Setaro, Joseph Sapiente, Zhilin Chen, Lisa Sunner, Tyler Cassidy, Chelsey Bennett, Alicia Sato, Bryan Mayer, Alan S Perelson, Allan Decamp, Frances H Priddy, Kshitij Wagh, Elena E Giorgi, Nicole L Yates, Roberto C Arduino, Edwin Dejesus, Georgia D Tomaras, Michael S Seaman, Bette Korber, Dan H Barouch

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-specific broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies are currently under development to treat and prevent HIV-1 infection. We performed a single-center, randomized, double-blind, dose-escalation, placebo-controlled trial of a single administration of the HIV-1 V3-glycan-specific antibody PGT121 at 3, 10 and 30 mg kg

The Role Of Albumin And Hemoglobin As Predictors Of 28-Day Mortality In Elderly Sepsis Patients In Mohammad Hoesin Hospital Palembang, Widya Mandala Sari Gultom, Nur Riviati, Rizky Perdana, Syarif Husin

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. Sepsis is defined as organ dysfunction caused by dysregulation of the host’s response to infection. The majority of sepsis are experienced by elderly patients with high mortality rates. In the condition of sepsis, there are various body mechanisms that cause a decrease in albumin and hemoglobin. This study is to determine the predictive value of albumin and hemoglobin levels on 28-day mortality of elderly sepsis patients.

Perkembangan Terapi Hepatitis B Kronis Di Indonesia, Juferdy Kurniawan

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Indonesia merupakan salah satu negara dengan prevalensi hepatitis B yang tinggi di Asia Tenggara (kedua setelah Vietnam). Berdasarkan Riskesdas yang dilakukan oleh Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia, pada studi yang dilakukan pada sampel darah PMI, 10 dari 100 orang Indonesia terinfeksi hepatitis B atau C. Maka dari itu, dibutuhkan penanganan yang ekstra untuk penanggulangan masalah infeksi hepatitis B

Cutaneous Anthrax In Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta: A Case Report, Riswanto Riswanto, Dhani Redhono, Evi Nurhayatun

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Bacillus anthracis is an aerobic, gram-positive, and spore-forming Bacillus species. The most common form of anthrax infection is the cutaneous form. The infection usually develops several days after exposure to products of infected animals and manifest as a black sore with severe swelling on the skin. In this report, a 60-year-old man with a black and swollen lesion on her index finger presented in Gunung Kidul in December 2019. ELISA antibody anthrax serum was performed. The patient was then treated with antibiotics after diagnosis. This patient had a history of contact with the beef of a slaughtered sheep. The patient …

The Influence Of Characteristics And Behavior On The Incidence Of Pulmonary Tuberclosis In Al-Hidayah Pesantren, Kejuruan Muda Subdistric Tamiang District, Aceh Province, 2019, Indah Anggraini, Basaria Hutabarat

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. Pulmonary tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease that is a global issue. Some factors influence the occurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis, among others, the source of infection, a high amount of virulence bacilli, and decreased endurance. This study aims to determine the effect of characteristics and behavior on the incidence of pulmonary TB disease in Al-Hidayah Islamic Boarding School, Vocational School, Aceh Tamiang Regency. Method. This research is analytic with a cross-sectional research design. Data analysis uses Chi-Square test and Logistic Regression) to determine the influence of the most dominant risk factors with pulmonary TB disease incidence. Results. The results …

The Covid-19 Assessment For Survival At Admission (Casa) Index: A 12 Months Observational Study, Gianluca Bagnato, Daniela La Rosa, Carmelo Ioppolo, Alberta De Gaetano, Marianna Chiappalone, Natalia Zirilli, Valeria Viapiana, Maria Concetta Tringali, Simona Tomeo, Caterina Oriana Aragona, Francesca Napoli, Sara Lillo, Natasha Irrera, William Neal Roberts, Egidio Imbalzano, Antonio Micari, Elvira Ventura Spagnolo, Giovanni Squadrito, Sebastiano Gangemi, Antonio Giovanni Versace

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease with a high rate of progression to critical illness. However, the stratification of patients at risk of mortality is not well defined. In this study, we aimed to define a mortality risk index to allocate patients to the appropriate intensity of care.

Methods: This is a 12 months observational longitudinal study designed to develop and validate a pragmatic mortality risk score to stratify COVID-19 patients aged ≥18 years and admitted to hospital between March 2020 and March 2021. Main outcome was in-hospital mortality.

Results: 244 patients were included in the study (mortality …

In-Hospital Mortality Risk Factors Among Hospitalized Geriatric Patients: A Cohort Study On Tertiary Referral Hospital In Indonesia, Fadhil Abiyyu Yofi, Arlia Ayu Damayanti, Novira Widajanti

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. Decreasing fertility rates and increasing life expectancy cause an increase in the population of the elderly, with the number of elderly in the world is estimated to increase from 9.3% in 2020 to 16.0% in 2050. 24.35% of the elderly in Indonesia experience illness, and 8.71% have been hospitalized in one year. This study aimed to determine the risk factors for the death of elderly who were hospitalized.

Depression In Heart Failure: Psychosomatic Approachv, Rudi Putranto, Hamzah Shatri, Ika Prasetya Wijaya, Edward Faisal

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Depression is a common condition in heart failure (HF) and is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Depression disorder in patients with heart disease paradigmatically defines a psychosomatic-somatopsychic challenge to any health delivery. However, despite the devastating effects of depression, it is often underdiagnosed and receives little attention in heart failure patients. This review provides an extensive overview of HF regarding epidemiology, disease pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management from the latest literature. Based on the literature review, the prevalence of depression in heart failure in Indonesian patients was 5.3-42%. Psychological stress experienced by people suffering from depression can cause dysregulation …

Predictors Of Handgrip Strength Changes In Elderly Patients, Ummi Ulfah Madina, Siti Setiati, Purwita Wijaya Laksmi, Arif Mansjoer

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. The increasing elderly population throughout the world has been related to the increased prevalence of sarcopenia and frailty. Handgrip strength is a component of sarcopenia, one of frailty syndrome phenotypes. Previous studies have assessed the association of age, sex, nutritional status, functional status, mental status, and comorbidity, but varied results. No longitudinal study has been done to determine the correlation of handgrip strength changes with age, sex, nutritional status, functional status, mental status, and comorbidity in Indonesia. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between age, sex, nutritional status, functional status, depressive symptoms, comorbidity, and handgrip …

Nucleoside/Nucleotide Analogues For The Treatment Of Chronic Hepatitis B: A 3-Year Follow Up Study, Andri Sanityoso Sulaiman, Irsan Hasan, Cosmas Rinaldi A Lesmana, Chyntia Olivia M Jasirwan, Saut Horas H. Nababan, Kemal Fariz Kalista, Gita Aprilicia, Rino Alvani Gani

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is endemic in Indonesia, where it is usually treated with pegylated interferon and nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (NA). The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of treating CHB infection among Indonesian patients with NA (lamivudine, telbivudine, and tenofovir) for a 3-year period.Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with CHB infection attending the Hepatology Clinic Cipto Mangunkusumo during 2010-2013 period. Subjects with inclusion criteria were all patients aged above 18 years treated with NA for at least three years. The degree of liver stiffness, hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) …

Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio, Three Year Survival Of Locally Advanced And Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Rahmat Cahyanur, Hayatun Nufus, Cosphiadi Irawan

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most prevalent head and neck malignancy in Indonesia, as NPC-related mortality in Indonesia is the second-highest in Asia after China. Inflammation has been studied to be associated with cancer progression. Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio describes the balance between the unfavorable suppression of immune response against cancer by neutrophils and the beneficial effect of adaptive immunity by lymphocytes. This study aimed to determine the relationship between NLR and the survival of locally advanced and advanced NPC patients.Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the medical records of NPC patients treated at the hematology clinic RSCM …

Longitudinal Cognitive Performance Of Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathological Subtypes, Madeline Uretsky, Laura E. Gibbons, Shubhabrata Mukherjee, Emily H. Trittschuh, David W. Fardo, Patricia A. Boyle, C. Dirk Keene, Andrew J. Saykin, Paul K. Crane, Julie A. Schneider, Jesse Mez

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathological subtypes (limbic predominant [lpAD], hippocampal sparing [HpSpAD], and typical [tAD]), defined by relative neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) burden in limbic and cortical regions, have not been studied in prospectively characterized epidemiological cohorts with robust cognitive assessments.

Methods: Two hundred ninety-two participants with neuropathologically confirmed AD from the Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project were categorized by neuropathological subtype based on previously specified diagnostic criteria using quantitative regional NFT counts. Rates of cognitive decline were compared across subtypes using linear mixed-effects models that included subtype, time, and a subtype-time interaction as predictors and four cognitive …

A Case Report Of Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Harboring A Pten Loss, Zin W. Myint, Derek B. Allison, Carleton S. Ellis

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

The treatment landscape of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has dramatically improved over the last decade; however, patients with visceral metastases are still faced with poor outcomes. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss is observed in 40%–60% of mCRPC patients and is also associated with a poor prognosis. Several PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors have been studied, with disappointing anti-tumor activity. Here, we present a case of a patient with heavily treated mCRPC who had a modest tumor response to concurrent carboplatin, abiraterone acetate/prednisone, and liver-directed radiation therapy. We discuss the potential rationale supporting the use of this combination therapy …

The Dynamic Proteome Of Lyme Disease Borrelia, Anahita Fouladzadeh, Mohsen Dorraki, Kay Khine Myo Min, Michaelia P Cockshell, Emma J Thompson, Johan W Verjans, Andrew Allison, Claudine S Bonder, Derek Abbott

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The growth of solid tumours relies on an ever-increasing supply of oxygen and nutrients that are delivered via vascular networks. Tumour vasculature includes endothelial cell lined angiogenesis and the less common cancer cell lined vasculogenic mimicry (VM). To study and compare the development of vascular networks formed during angiogenesis and VM (represented here by breast cancer and pancreatic cancer cell lines) a number of in vitro assays were utilised. From live cell imaging, we performed a large-scale automated extraction of network parameters and identified properties not previously reported. We show that for both angiogenesis and VM, the characteristic network path …

Ucp3 (Uncoupling Protein 3) Insufficiency Exacerbates Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction During Angiotensin Ii-Induced Hypertension, Xu Chen, Sadia Ashraf, Nadia Ashraf, Romain Harmancey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, an early stage in the pathogenesis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, is exacerbated by joint exposure to hypertension and obesity; however, the molecular mechanisms involved remain uncertain. The mitochondrial UCP3 (uncoupling protein 3) is downregulated in the heart with obesity. Here, we used a rat model of UCP3 haploinsufficiency (ucp3

Ucp3 (Uncoupling Protein 3) Insufficiency Exacerbates Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction During Angiotensin Ii-Induced Hypertension, Xu Chen, Sadia Ashraf, Nadia Ashraf, Romain Harmancey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, an early stage in the pathogenesis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, is exacerbated by joint exposure to hypertension and obesity; however, the molecular mechanisms involved remain uncertain. The mitochondrial UCP3 (uncoupling protein 3) is downregulated in the heart with obesity. Here, we used a rat model of UCP3 haploinsufficiency (ucp3

Rapid 3d Reconstruction Guided Embolization For Catastrophic Bleeding Following Vacuum Assisted Breast Biopsy; A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Martin Halicek, Chenghao Qian, Driss Raissi, Xiaoqin Wang, Yevgen Chornenkyy, William B. Bates, Michael Winkler

Radiology Faculty Publications

The most clinically significant complication associated with stereotactic core needle biopsy of the breast is hematoma formation, which only occurs in less than 1% of biopsies and may require treatment. Cases of uncontrollable bleeding, refractory to repeated compression, resulting from biopsy are exceedingly rare. We present a case of catastrophic, uncontrollable bleeding and large hematoma formation resulting from stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy of a breast mass identified in screening mammography. Percutaneous embolization was planned and guided using 3D reconstructions from computed tomographic angiography, and bleeding was successfully controlled with micro-coil embolization.

Using Macros In Microsoft Excel To Facilitate Cleaning Of Research Data, Justin Bauzon, Caleb Murphy, Sandhya Wahi-Gururaj

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background: Retrospective chart review studies may be delayed by inability to export clean clinical data from an electronic medical record (EMR) or data repository. Macros are pre-programmed procedures that can be used in Microsoft Excel to help streamline the process of cleaning clinical datasets. Objectives: To demonstrate how macros may be useful for researchers at community hospitals and smaller academic health centers that lack informatics support. Methods: Using an intrinsic function of our institution’s EMR, vital signs and lab results from 20 individual hospitalizations were exported to a spreadsheet. Two macros were developed to sort through these datasets and output …

Pulmonary Inflammation And Injury Triggered By Spine Surgery In Recovered Covid-19 Patients Demand Consideration, Luciano Rodrigo Lopes, Silvana Kertzer Kasinski

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Hiv Infection And The Risk Of World Health Organization-Defined Sudden Cardiac Death, Matthew S. Freiberg, Meredith S. Duncan, Charles Alcorn, Chung-Chou H. Chang, Suman Kundu, Asri Mumpuni, Emily K. Smith, Sarah Loch, Annie Bedigian, Eric Vittinghoff, Kaku So-Armah, Priscilla Y. Hsue, Amy C. Justice, Zian H. Tseng

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Background

People living with HIV have higher sudden cardiac death (SCD) rates compared with the general population. Whether HIV infection is an independent SCD risk factor is unclear.

Methods and Results

This study evaluated participants from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study, an observational, longitudinal cohort of veterans with and without HIV infection matched 1:2 on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and clinical site. Baseline for this study was a participant's first clinical visit on or after April 1, 2003. Participants were followed through December 31, 2014. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we assessed whether HIV infection, CD4 cell counts, and/or HIV viral …