What Is the Role for Metronidazole in the Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection? Results From a National Cohort Study of Veterans With Initial Mild Disease

Abstract Background Metronidazole may still be an appropriate therapeutic option for mild Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in select patients, but data are limited to guide clinicians in identifying these patients. Methods Our 2-stage study included a national cohort of Veterans with a first episode of mild CDI (2010–2014). First, among those treated with metronidazole, we identified predictors of success, defined as absence of all-cause mortality or recurrence 30 days posttreatment, using multivariable unconditional logistic regression. Second, among a subgroup of patients with characteristics predictive of success identified in the first stage, we compared clinical outcomes among those treated with metronidazole compared with vancomycin, using Cox proportional hazards models for time to 30-day all-cause mortality, CDI recurrence, and failure. Results Among 3656 patients treated with metronidazole, we identified 3282 patients with success and 374 patients without success (failure). Younger age was the only independent predictor of success. Age ≤65 years was associated with an odds of success 1.63 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29–2.06) than age >65 years. Among 115 propensity score–matched pairs ≤65 years of age, no significant differences were observed between metronidazole and vancomycin (reference) for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.29 [95% CI, .06–1.38]), CDI recurrence (HR, 0.62 [95% CI, .26–1.49]), or failure (HR, 0.50 [95% CI, .23–1.07]). Conclusions Among patients ≤65 years of age with initial mild CDI, clinical outcomes were similar with metronidazole and vancomycin. These data suggest that metronidazole may be considered for the treatment of initial mild CDI among patients 65 years of age or younger.

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Predictors of Mortality Among a National Cohort of Veterans With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofy175 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (8) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Haley J Appaneal ◽

Aisling R Caffrey ◽

Maya Beganovic ◽

Sanja Avramovic ◽

Kerry L LaPlante

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Difficile ◽

Clostridium Difficile Infection ◽

Control Analysis ◽

Predictors Of Mortality ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

The Third ◽

Recurrent Clostridium Difficile Infection ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

National Cohort ◽

First Recurrence

Abstract Background Though recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is common and poses a major clinical concern, data are lacking regarding mortality among patients who survive their initial CDI and have subsequent recurrences. Risk factors for mortality in patients with recurrent CDI are largely unknown. Methods Veterans Affairs patients with a first CDI (stool sample with positive C. difficile toxin(s) and ≥2 days CDI treatment) were included (2010–2014). Subsequent recurrences were defined as additional CDI episodes ≥14 days after the stool test date and within 30 days of the end of treatment. A matched (1:4) case–control analysis was conducted using multivariable conditional logistic regression to identify predictors of all-cause mortality within 30 days of the first recurrence. Results Crude 30-day all-cause mortality rates were 10.6% for the initial CDI episode, 8.3% for the first recurrence, 4.2% for the second recurrence, and 5.9% for the third recurrence. Among 110 cases and 440 controls, 6 predictors of mortality were identified: use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs; odds ratio [OR], 3.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.14–6.96), any antibiotic (OR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.79–6.17), respiratory failure (OR, 8.26; 95% CI, 1.71–39.92), congitive dysfunction (OR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.02–5.72), nutrition deficiency (OR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.37–6.21), and age (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.07). Conclusions In our national cohort of Veterans, crude mortality decreased by 44% from the initial episode to the third recurrence. Treatment with antibiotics, use of PPIs, and underlying comorbidities were important predictors of mortality in recurrent CDI. Our study assists health care providers in identifying patients at high risk of death after CDI recurrence.

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High School Quality and 56-Year All-Cause Mortality Risk Across Race and Ethnicity

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1632 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 505-506

Author(s):

Dominika Seblova ◽

Kelly Peters ◽

Susan Lapham ◽

Laura Zahodne ◽

Tara Gruenewald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Mortality Risk ◽

Race And Ethnicity ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

School Quality ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

School Level ◽

Lower Mortality ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Race Ethnicity

Abstract Having more years of education is independently associated with lower mortality, but it is unclear whether other attributes of schooling matter. We examined the association of high school quality and all-cause mortality across race/ethnicity. In 1960, about 5% of US high schools participated in Project Talent (PT), which collected information about students and their schools. Over 21,000 PT respondents were followed for mortality into their eighth decade of life using the National Death Index. A school quality factor, capturing term length, class size, and teacher qualifications, was used as the main predictor. First, we estimated overall and sex-stratified Cox proportional hazards models with standard errors clustered at the school level, adjusting for age, sex, composite measure of parental socioeconomic status, and 1960 cognitive ability. Second, we added an interaction between school quality and race/ethnicity. Among this diverse cohort (60% non-Hispanic Whites, 23% non-Hispanic Blacks, 7% Hispanics, 10% classified as another race/s) there were 3,476 deaths (16.5%). School quality was highest for Hispanic respondents and lowest for non-Hispanic Blacks. Non-Hispanic Blacks also had the highest mortality risk. In the whole sample, school quality was not associated with mortality risk. However, higher school quality was associated with lower mortality among those classified as another race/s (HR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.56-0.99). For non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites, the HR point estimates were unreliable, but suggest that higher school quality is associated with increased mortality. Future work will disentangle these differences in association of school quality across race/ethnicity and examine cause-specific mortality.

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Association of mushroom consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among American adults: prospective cohort study findings from NHANES III

Nutrition Journal ◽

10.1186/s12937-021-00691-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Djibril M. Ba ◽

Xiang Gao ◽

Joshua Muscat ◽

Laila Al-Shaar ◽

Vernon Chinchilli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Risk ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Total Mortality ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Dietary Factors ◽

Mortality Data ◽

Nhanes Iii ◽

Dietary Recall ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Specific Mortality

Abstract Background Whether mushroom consumption, which is rich in several bioactive compounds, including the crucial antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione, is inversely associated with low all-cause and cause-specific mortality remains uncertain. This study aimed to prospectively investigate the association between mushroom consumption and all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk. Methods Longitudinal analyses of participants from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) extant data (1988–1994). Mushroom intake was assessed by a single 24-h dietary recall using the US Department of Agriculture food codes for recipe foods. All-cause and cause-specific mortality were assessed in all participants linked to the National Death Index mortality data (1988–2015). We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Results Among 15,546 participants included in the current analysis, the mean (SE) age was 44.3 (0.5) years. During a mean (SD) follow-up duration of 19.5 (7.4) years , a total of 5826 deaths were documented. Participants who reported consuming mushrooms had lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with those without mushroom intake (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.73–0.98) after adjusting for demographic, major lifestyle factors, overall diet quality, and other dietary factors including total energy. When cause-specific mortality was examined, we did not observe any statistically significant associations with mushroom consumption. Consuming 1-serving of mushrooms per day instead of 1-serving of processed or red meats was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.50–0.84). We also observed a dose-response relationship between higher mushroom consumption and lower risk of all-cause mortality (P-trend = 0.03). Conclusion Mushroom consumption was associated with a lower risk of total mortality in this nationally representative sample of US adults.

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Impact of Pathological Stratification on the Clinical Outcomes of Advanced Well-Differentiated/Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma Treated with Trabectedin

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13061453 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1453

Author(s):

Chiara Fabbroni ◽

Giovanni Fucà ◽

Francesca Ligorio ◽

Elena Fumagalli ◽

Marta Barisella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Case Series ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Low Grade ◽

High Grade ◽

Retrospective Case ◽

Well Differentiated ◽

The Impact

Background. We previously showed that grading can prognosticate the outcome of retroperitoneal liposarcoma (LPS). In the present study, we aimed to explore the impact of pathological stratification using grading on the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced well-differentiated LPS (WDLPS) and dedifferentiated LPS (DDLPS) treated with trabectedin. Patients: We included patients with advanced WDLPS and DDLPS treated with trabectedin at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori between April 2003 and November 2019. Tumors were categorized in WDLPS, low-grade DDLPS, and high-grade DDLPS according to the 2020 WHO classification. Patients were divided in two cohorts: Low-grade (WDLPS/low-grade DDLPS) and high-grade (high-grade DDLPS). Results: A total of 49 patients were included: 17 (35%) in the low-grade cohort and 32 (65%) in the high-grade cohort. Response rate was 47% in the low-grade cohort versus 9.4% in the high-grade cohort (logistic regression p = 0.006). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 13.7 months in the low-grade cohort and 3.2 months in the high-grade cohort. Grading was confirmed as an independent predictor of PFS in the Cox proportional-hazards regression multivariable model (adjusted hazard ratio low-grade vs. high-grade: 0.45, 95% confidence interval: 0.22–0.94; adjusted p = 0.035). Conclusions: In this retrospective case series, sensitivity to trabectedin was higher in WDLPS/low-grade DDLPS than in high-grade DDLPS. If confirmed in larger series, grading could represent an effective tool to personalize the treatment with trabectedin in patients with advanced LPS.

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Elevated Serum Trimethylamine N-Oxide Levels Are Associated with Mortality in Male Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

Blood Purification ◽

10.1159/000512962 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Dongying Fu ◽

Jiani Shen ◽

Wei Li ◽

Yating Wang ◽

Zhong Zhong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Peritoneal Dialysis ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Elevated Serum ◽

Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Entire Cohort ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Male Patients

Background: Elevated levels of serum trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) have been previously linked to adverse cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients. However, the clinical significance of serum TMAO levels in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) is unclear. Methods: A total of 1,032 PD patients with stored serum samples at baseline were enrolled in this prospective study. Serum concentrations of TMAO were quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Cox proportional hazards and competing-risk regression models were performed to examine the association of TMAO levels with all-cause and CV mortality. Results: The median level of serum TMAO in our study population was 34.5 (interquartile range (IQR), 19.8–61.0) μM. During a median follow-up of 63.7 months (IQR, 43.9–87.2), 245 (24%) patients died, with 129 (53%) deaths resulting from CV disease. In the entire cohort, we observed an association between elevated serum TMAO levels and all-cause mortality (adjusted subdistributional hazard ratio [SHR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.01–1.48; p = 0.039) but not CV mortality. Further analysis revealed such association differed by sex; the elevation of serum TMAO levels was independently associated with increased risk of both all-cause (SHR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.07–1.76; p = 0.013) and CV mortality (SHR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.02–1.94; p = 0.038) in men but not in women. Conclusions: Higher serum TMAO levels were independently associated with all-cause and CV mortality in male patients treated with PD.

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Suicide in prison and after release: a 17-year national cohort study

European Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1007/s10654-021-00782-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anne Bukten ◽

Marianne Riksheim Stavseth

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Cause Of Death ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Prison Population ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Crude Mortality ◽

Icd 10 ◽

National Cohort ◽

National Register Data

Abstract Background People in prison have an extremely high risk of suicide. The aim of this paper is to describe all suicides in the Norwegian prison population from 2000 to 2016, during and following imprisonment; to investigate the timing of suicides; and to investigate the associations between risk of suicide and types of crime. Methods We used data from the Norwegian Prison Release study (nPRIS) including complete national register data from the Norwegian Prison Register and the Norwegian Cause of Death Register in the period 1.1.2000 to 31.12.2016, consisting of 96,856 individuals. All suicides were classified according to ICD-10 codes X60-X84. We calculated crude mortality rates (CMRs) per 100,000 person-years and used a Cox Proportional-Hazards regression model to investigate factors associated with suicide during imprisonment and after release reported as hazard ratios (HRs). Results Suicide accounted for about 10% of all deaths in the Norwegian prison population and was the leading cause of death in prison (53% of in deaths in prison). The CMR per 100,000 person years for in-prison suicides was 133.8 (CI 100.5–167.1) and was ten times higher (CMR = 1535.0, CI 397.9–2672.2) on day one of incarceration. Suicides after release (overall CMR = 82.8, CI 100.5–167.1) also peaked on day one after release (CMR = 665.7, CI 0–1419.1). Suicide in prison was strongly associated with convictions of homicide (HR 18.2, CI 6.5–50.8) and high-security prison level (HR 15.4, CI 3.6–65.0). Suicide after release was associated with convictions of homicide (HR 3.1, CI 1.7–5.5). Conclusion There is a high risk of suicide during the immediate first period of incarceration and after release. Convictions for severe violent crime, especially homicide, are associated with increased suicide risk, both in prison and after release.

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Abstract 15330: Association Between Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Appropriateness and Publicly Reported Outcomes

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.15330 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Vinay Kini ◽

Paul Hess ◽

Wenhui Liu ◽

Gary Grunwald ◽

Michael Ho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Coronary Intervention ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Veterans Administration ◽

Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ◽

Percutaneous Coronary ◽

National Cohort ◽

Risk Patients ◽

Facility Level

Introduction: Public reporting of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) outcomes such as readmission and mortality may cause harm by adversely affecting patient selection for PCI. Little is known about the relationship between these outcomes and elective PCI appropriateness - a validated metric of PCI quality. Methods: We identified all patients in the national Veterans Administration healthcare system who underwent elective PCI for stable coronary disease between 2013 and 2015. We defined PCI appropriateness using 2012 criteria. The primary outcome was 90-day all-cause hospitalization or mortality. We used hierarchical Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for patient- and facility-level covariates to compare outcomes across PCI appropriateness categories, and a joint survival/logistic model to compare facility-level variation in inappropriate PCI and 90-day outcomes. Results: Among 2,561 patients (mean age 66 years, 99% men) undergoing PCI across 59 sites, 29.6% were classified as appropriate, 10.4% as inappropriate, and 60% as uncertain. The proportion of patients who were readmitted or died were 15.6%, 16.4%, and 15.3% among patients who received appropriate, inappropriate, and uncertain PCI respectively. There were no significant differences in 90-day outcomes between the groups (hazard ratio for appropriate compared to inappropriate PCI 0.82 [CI 0.57 to 1.17; p=0.28]). The site level covariance between inappropriate PCI and 90-day outcomes was -0.033 (95% CI -0.117 to 0.047), indicating no site-level correlation between appropriateness and 90-day outcomes (Figure). Conclusion: We found no association between elective PCI appropriateness and 90-day outcomes among a national cohort of Veterans. Including appropriateness in public reports may 1) characterize PCI quality more fully and 2) potentially mitigate the harms of reporting outcomes by empowering providers to perform appropriate PCI in higher-risk patients.

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Fidaxomicin vs Vancomycin for the Treatment of a First Episode of Clostridium Difficile Infection: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review

Cureus ◽

10.7759/cureus.2778 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Laith A Al Momani ◽

Omar Abughanimeh ◽

Boonphiphop Boonpherg ◽

Joseph Gabriel Gabriel ◽

Mark Young

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clostridium Difficile ◽

Clostridium Difficile Infection ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

First Episode

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Risk of schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disorders by migrant status, region of origin, and age-at-migration: a national cohort study of 1.8 million people

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291718003227 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 (14) ◽

pp. 2354-2363 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jennifer Dykxhoorn ◽

Anna-Clara Hollander ◽

Glyn Lewis ◽

Cecelia Magnusson ◽

Christina Dalman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychotic Disorders ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Bipolar Disorders ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Migrant Status ◽

Region Of Origin ◽

Related Factors ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Age At Migration ◽

National Cohort

AbstractBackgroundWe assessed whether the risk of various psychotic disorders and non-psychotic bipolar disorder (including mania) varied by migrant status, a region of origin, or age-at-migration, hypothesizing that risk would only be elevated for psychotic disorders.MethodsWe established a prospective cohort of 1 796 257 Swedish residents born between 1982 and 1996, followed from their 15th birthday, or immigration to Sweden after age 15, until diagnosis, emigration, death, or end of 2011. Cox proportional hazards models were used to model hazard ratios by migration-related factors, adjusted for covariates.ResultsAll psychotic disorders were elevated among migrants and their children compared with Swedish-born individuals, including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]migrants: 2.20, 95% CI 1.96–2.47; aHRchildren : 2.00, 95% CI 1.79–2.25), affective psychotic disorders (aHRmigrant1.42, 95% CI 1.25–1.63; aHRchildren: 1.22 95% CI 1.07–1.40), and other non-affective psychotic disorders (aHRmigrant: 1.97, 95% CI 1.81–2.14; aHRchildren: 1.68, 95% CI 1.54–1.83). For all psychotic disorders, risks were generally highest in migrants from Africa (i.e. aHRschizophrenia: 5.24, 95% CI 4.26–6.45) and elevated at most ages-of-migration. By contrast, risk of non-psychotic bipolar disorders was lower for migrants (aHR: 0.58, 95% CI 0.52–0.64) overall, and across all ages-of-migration except infancy (aHR: 1.20; 95% CI 1.01–1.42), while risk for their children was similar to the Swedish-born population (aHR: 1.00, 95% CI 0.93–1.08).ConclusionsIncreased risk of psychiatric disorders associated with migration and minority status may be specific to psychotic disorders, with exact risk dependent on the region of origin.

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