Infectious Disease Commons^™

Medical School Ranking And Provider Outpatient Medicare Part D Claims For Antibiotics Among Older Patients In The Usa, Mayar Al Mohajer, David Slusky, David Nix, Catia Nicodemo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Our study aimed to assess whether there was a relationship between graduating from higher-ranked medical schools and the rate of prescribing antibiotics among Medicare Part D providers in the USA.

METHODS: The study obtained data from the Medicare Part D Prescribers (FY2013-2021) and the Doctor and Clinicians National repositories. A regression model was fitted to assess the relationship between provider medical school ranking and the rate of antibiotic days supplied per 100 beneficiaries at the provider level.

RESULTS: A total of 197 540 providers were included. No association was found between the medical school ranking and the rate of …

Site-Specific Prevalence Of Human Papillomavirus Infection In Malaysian Men, Mohd Khairul Anwar Shafii

Student Works (2020-2029)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is among one of the common infections among the female population and is closely associated with cervical cancer. It has gained attention since the introduction of prophylactic HPV vaccines. However, the epidemiology of HPV infection among the male population in the Asian context remains largely unknown. The worldwide report on the prevalence of HPV infection among men varies depending on the target population and method of sampling. This study aims to determine the knowledge, and site-specific prevalence of anogenital HPV infection, and its associated factors among sexually active men in an urban middle-income Asian setting. The …

Insights Into Human Norovirus Cultivation In Human Intestinal Enteroids, Khalil Ettayebi, Gurpreet Kaur, Ketki Patil, Janam Dave, B Vijayalakshmi Ayyar, Victoria R Tenge, Frederick H Neill, Xi-Lei Zeng, Allison L Speer, Sara C Di Rienzi, Robert A Britton, Sarah E Blutt, Sue E Crawford, Sasirekha Ramani, Robert L Atmar, Mary K Estes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are a significant cause of epidemic and sporadic acute gastroenteritis worldwide. The lack of a reproducible culture system hindered the study of HuNoV replication and pathogenesis for almost a half-century. This barrier was overcome with our successful cultivation of multiple HuNoV strains in human intestinal enteroids (HIEs), which has significantly advanced HuNoV research. We optimized culture media conditions and generated genetically modified HIE cultures to enhance HuNoV replication in HIEs. Building upon these achievements, we now present new insights into this culture system, which involve testing different media, unique HIE lines, and additional virus strains. HuNoV infectivity …

The Effect Of A Structural Wellness Intervention On Id Fellows And Faculty, Michael T. Czapka, Christopher Lehmann, John Flores, Erica Mackenzie, Elizabeth Bell, Aniruddha Hazra

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Physician burnout is prevalent amongst Infectious Diseases (ID) physicians and trainees in the United States. There is limited data assessing the impact of structural interventions in reducing burnout among medical professionals.

Methods: The multifaceted intervention included increased faculty presence over the weekend and faculty support during the week. ID fellows were surveyed before and after the intervention and faculty were surveyed after the intervention using the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel and additional questions regarding wellness and time for education. Pre- and post-intervention responses were compared. Free response answers were analyzed to determine major themes. Metrics of clinical …

Early Recognition Of Sepsis-Induced Hypotension In Dsu, Rebeca Zamora

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Underutilization Of Influenza Antiviral Treatment Among Children And Adolescents At Higher Risk For Influenza-Associated Complications - United States, 2023-2024., Aaron M. Frutos, Haris M. Ahmad, Dawud Ujamaa, Alissa C. O'Halloran, Janet A. Englund, Eileen J. Klein, Danielle M. Zerr, Melanie Crossland, Holly Staten, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Natasha B. Halasa, Laura S. Stewart, Olla Hamdan, Tess Stopczynski, William Schaffner, H Keipp Talbot, Marian G. Michaels, John V. Williams, Melissa Sutton, M Andraya Hendrick, Mary A. Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Brenda L. Tesini, Christina B. Felsen, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Bridget J. Anderson, Jemma V. Rowlands, Murtada Khalifa, Marc Martinez, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Jennifer E. Schuster, Ruth Lynfield, Melissa Mcmahon, Sue Kim, Val Tellez Nunez, Patricia A. Ryan, Maya L. Monroe, Yun F. Wang, Kyle P. Openo, James Meek, Kimberly Yousey-Hindes, Nisha B. Alden, Isaac Armistead, Suchitra Rao, Shua J. Chai, Pam Daily Kirley, Ariana P. Toepfer, Fatimah S. Dawood, Heidi L. Moline, Timothy M. Uyeki, Sascha Ellington, Shikha Garg, Catherine H. Bozio, Samantha M. Olson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Annually, tens of thousands of U.S. children and adolescents are hospitalized with seasonal influenza virus infection. Both influenza vaccination and early initiation of antiviral treatment can reduce complications of influenza. Using data from two U.S. influenza surveillance networks for children and adolescents agedattended, laboratory-confirmed influenza for whom antiviral treatment is recommended, the percentage who received treatment was calculated. Trends in antiviral treatment of children and adolescents hospitalized with influenza from the 2017-18 to the 2023-2024 influenza seasons were also examined. Since 2017-18, when 70%-86% of hospitalized children and adolescents with influenza received antiviral treatment, the proportion receiving treatment notably declined. …

Flexor Tenosynovitis Of The Wrist And Hand Due To Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria, Mariafe Reyes, Tatevik Malisetyan, Skylar Harmon, Mohammadali M. Shoja Md, Gary B. Schwartz Md

HCA-NSU MD Research Day

Title: Flexor Tenosynovitis of the Wrist and Hand Due to Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria Authors: Mariafe Reyes1,Tatevik Malisetyan1, Skylar Harmon1, Mohammadali M. Shoja, MD1 Gary B. Schwartz, MD1 1Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, USA INTRODUCTION: Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a group of bacteria, including Mycobacterium marinum, Mycobacterium kansasii, and Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (MAI), that usually exist in the soil and water sources. The most common site of infection is the lungs, but extra-pulmonary involvement of the skin and rarely the musculoskeletal (MSK) system does occur, especially the hands and wrists. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old, …

Seroprevalence And Risk Factors For Cysticercosis In Mexican Americans In Starr County, Texas, Megan M Duffey, Elise M O'Connell, Morgan Jibowu, Fanny E Moron, Lauren M Leining, Nina L Tang, Craig L Hanis, Eric L Brown, Sarah M Gunter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cysticercosis is a parasitic infection and neglected tropical disease caused by Taenia solium, or the pork tapeworm. Cysticercosis with central nervous system involvement, or neurocysticercosis, is a leading cause of chronic headaches and epilepsy in endemic regions, including Latin America and Asia. In the United States, the epidemiology of cysticercosis has not been well described. We conducted a cross-section serosurvey of Mexican-American adults residing along the Texas–Mexico border (Starr County, Texas) and identified an overall seroprevalence of 7.4% (45/605) for cysticercosis. Brain imaging studies conducted on seropositive study participants identified lesions consistent with calcified neurocysticercosis in 2 of the …

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Modulates Murine Neonatal Gut Microbiota And Inflammation Caused By Pathogenic Escherichia Coli., Hao Xuan, Shahid Umar, Cuncong Zhong, Wei Yu, Ishfaq Ahmed, Joshua Wheatley, Venkatesh Sampath, Susana Chavez-Bueno

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic Escherichia coli strains produce neonatal septicemia after colonizing the neonatal gut. While the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) effectively reduces neonatal sepsis, LGG's effects on the neonatal intestinal microbiota alterations and inflammation triggered by E. coli are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that LGG significantly modulates the specific neonatal gut microbial populations changes and the inflammatory response elicited by the enteral introduction of septicemia-producing E. coli. To test this hypothesis, newborn rats were pretreated orally with LGG or placebo prior to infection with the neonatal E. coli septicemia clinical isolate SCB34. Amplicon 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on …

From Infection To Encapsulation; A Case Report On Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis, Clinical Challenges And Management, Sidra Memon Md, Jacob Seth Psomiadis Md, Syed Uzair Mahmood, Jennifer Hoffman Md

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but deadly sequlae of peritoneal dialysis resulting in intraperitoneal inflammation and fibrosis. The disease itself can present in a variety of ways and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Here we present the case of a man in his 50's with a history of chronic peritoneal aspergillus as well as end-stage renal disease on peritoneal dialysis that had multiple admissions for abdominal fluid collections as well as bowel obstruction. After a multidisciplinary approach, the patient was diagnosed with encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis and then started the recommended therapy of tamoxifen and prednisone.

An Atypical Case Of Herpes Simplex 1 Meningitis, Nadim Ojaimi, Sofia Zhang, Marcos Wolff, Christopher James Haas

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is well known to cause Central Nervous System (CNS) infections, ranging from more common HSV-2 viral meningitis to the more rare and severe HSV-1 encephalitis. Here we present an atypical case of aseptic meningitis due to HSV-1. Intriguingly, despite the potential severity of HSV-1 infections, the patient had an uncomplicated course with only mild symptoms that resolved with conservative management alone. This case report aims to provide a frame of reference for the non-specific presentation of a patient with uncommon HSV-1 meningitis.

Lack Of Detection Of Norwalk Virus In Saliva Samples From A Controlled Human Infection Model, Robert L Atmar, Frederick H Neill, Nicole M Hayes, Antone R Opekun, David Y Graham, Mary K Estes, Sasirekha Ramani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Following recent reports of norovirus replication in salivary gland cells, we examined whether the prototype norovirus strain, Norwalk virus (GI.1), could be detected in the saliva of 21 experimentally infected persons. Viral RNA was not detected in saliva 2 and 7 days after challenge despite high levels being present in feces.

A Comparison Of The Diagnostic Capability Of Kato-Katz And Real-Time Pcr For The Assessment Of Treatment Efficacy Of Ivermectin And Albendazole Combination Against T Trichiura Infections, Gabriela Matamoros, Ana Sanchez, Ruben Cimino, Alejandro Krolewiecki, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Trichuris trichiura is humans' second most prevalent soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection after Ascaris lumbricoides, affecting approximately 460 million people worldwide. Despite its sub-optimal sensitivity, especially in low prevalence and infection intensity settings, the modified Kato-Katz (K-K) is still recommended as a diagnostic method by the World Health organization (WHO) guidelines.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Within a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comprising four treatment arms with two different anthelmintics, the present study reports an important secondary research objective to determine the diagnostic agreement between K-K and real-time PCR evaluating treatment efficacy against T. trichiura. The parasitological results were analyzed, including cure rates …

Revealing Patterns Of Sars-Cov-2 Variant Emergence And Evolution Using Rbd Amplicon Sequencing Of Wastewater, Xingwen Chen, John Balliew, Cici X Bauer, Jennifer Deegan, Anna Gitter, Blake M Hanson, Anthony W Maresso, Michael J Tisza, Catherine L Troisi, Janelle Rios, Kristina D Mena, Eric Boerwinkle, Fuqing Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in the emergence of numerous variants, posing significant challenges to public health surveillance. Clinical genome sequencing, while valuable, has limitations in capturing the full epidemiological dynamics of circulating variants in the general population. This study aimed to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 variant community dynamics and evolution using receptor-binding domain (RBD) amplicon sequencing of wastewater samples.

Methods: We sequenced wastewater from El Paso, Texas, over 17 months, compared the sequencing data with clinical genome data, and performed biodiversity analysis to reveal SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics and evolution.

Results: We identified 91 variants and observed waves of …

Weight Loss In Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Before And After Sars-Cov2 Infection - A Retrospective Observational Study, Roxana Adriana Stoica, Florentina Gherghiceanu, Denisa Nedelcu, Valeria- Anca Pietrosel, Cristina Ioana Bica, Teodor Salmen, Claudiu Teodorescu, Mihaela Simona Popoviciu, Anca Pantea Stoian

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Objectives. As weight modification during the COVID-19 pandemic was reported in several circumstances, we aimed to assess the body composition changes using bio impedance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during this period. Materials and Methods. We conducted an observational, retrospective study, from January 2021- June 2021, in two outpatient clinics, enrolling all patients with T2DM and SARS-CoV2 infection that presented for evaluation after the infection. Blood tests (serum creatinine, urea, blood glucose, lipid profile, transaminases, HbA1c) were available before the onset of infection as well as at an interval of 1-3 months post-infection. Results. From a total …

Memory Impairment In Post-Covid-19 Syndrome; What Is The Evidence?, Luciano Luiz Alt, Amanda Delai Bortolini, Bruna Santin Andreis, Caroline Arais Schmidt, Giovana Rugeri, Maria Clara Tonini Pagliarin, Maria Eduarda Dupond Kindel, Maria Fernanda Almeida Costa, Nathália Lorenzoni Costa, Pedro Henrique Sarmento Dariz, Vinícius Grasselli Omizzolo

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Objectives. Although COVID-19 mainly affects the respiratory system, it can also cause neurological complications like memory impairment, which may be part of post-COVID-19 Syndrome. Identifying these impairments is challenging due to the lack of approaches and limited follow-up. This systematic review aimed to identify the effects of COVID-19 on memory. Methods. Analyzing articles from PubMed, SciELO, and VHL databases, focusing on the relationship between COVID-19 infection and memory impairment. Results. COVID-19 infection was linked to significant declines in memory function. The severity of infection correlated with the intensity of neurological sequelae, particularly memory impairment, with cognitive and executive functions most …

Acute Syphilitic Posterior Placoid Chorioretinopathy: A Case Report, Kendra R. Null Od, Danielle E. Toms Od, Elizabeth M. Phillips Od, Candice A. Law Od, Ms

Optometric Clinical Practice

Abstract

Background: Acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinopathy is a rare manifestation of ocular syphilis that can significantly impact the patient’s vision. However, it has been shown to have a good prognosis with the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of the underlying systemic syphilis infection. In addition to discussing the details of the case, this report also highlights the systemic staging, diagnosis, and treatment of syphilis. Case Report: This case features a 60-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed and treated for acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinopathy after a recent diagnosis of syphilis. Conclusion: With the incidence rates of syphilis infections increasing, it is imperative …

Nursing And Supply Chain As Critical Partners In Enterprise-Level Efforts To Prevent Hemodialysis Associated Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections: A Case Study, Dana L. Blayney, Julia Moody, James Pittman, Noah Zanville, Missy Pennington, Sarah A. Fraker, E. Jackie Blanchard

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Preventing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) remains a critical national focus for health care facilities. This notion is particularly true for patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD), where the associated mortality rates for HD-CLABSI range from 12% to 25%. Studies show that the use of central venous catheter (CVC) end caps coated with antiseptic agents, such as chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) on HD-CVCs, can reduce the incidence of CLABSIs. However, issues ranging from difficulty finding and maintaining an adequate (and fully standardized) supply of CHG-impregnated HD end caps and ensuring consistent practice by clinicians can prevent the use of this valuable tool. …

Enhancing Patient Safety: The Role Of Interdisciplinary Teams In Reducing Blood Culture Contamination, Austin Patrick Eisenberg, Fady M. Awad, Brian Watson, Mohammed Faris

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Blood cultures are vital to diagnostic workups among many hospitalized patients, providing valuable information about bloodstream infections (BSIs), which cause roughly 250 000 deaths annually between North America and Europe. Despite advances in health care, blood culture contamination remains a substantial problem, with deleterious effects on patient mortality, patient and hospital costs, and microbial resistance. This article reviews the repercussions of blood culture contamination on the health care system and delineates evidence-based strategies to decrease contamination rates.

Methods

To reduce blood culture contamination rates, our health care facility undertook a quality improvement initiative. A task force was created, consisting …

Penicillin Susceptibility Among Staphylococcus Aureus Skin And Soft Tissue Infections At A Children’S Hospital, J Chase Mcneil, Lauren M Sommer, Marritta Joseph, Kristina G Hulten, Sheldon L Kaplan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Shortly after its introduction into clinical practice, Staphylococcus aureus isolates gained resistance to penicillin via the acquisition of β-lactamases. A number of centers have recently described an increase in the proportion of invasive methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), which are also susceptible to penicillin (PSSA). Little data are available regarding the prevalence or impact of PSSA in skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). Community-acquired MSSA SSTI isolates were obtained through a surveillance study at Texas Children’s Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021. A total of 200 random isolates underwent PCR for blaZ β-lactamase; blaZ-negative isolates then underwent penicillin susceptibility …