scholarly journals High class filtering facepiece (FFP) are fundamental and effective in protection of emergency health care workers: an observational cohort study in a German community

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lier ◽  
Stefan Nessler ◽  
Christine Stadelmann ◽  
Meike Pressler ◽  
Leif Saager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Positive Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
High Class ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
Personal Belief ◽  
History Of ◽  
Observational Cohort

Abstract Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly contagious airborne virus inducing pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This is most relevant for medical staff working under harmful conditions in emergencies often dealing with patients and an undefined SARS-CoV-2 status. We aimed to measure the effect of high-class filtering facepieces (FFP) in emergency medical service (EMS) staff by analyzing seroprevalence and history of positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for SARS-CoV-2. Method This observational cohort study included workers in EMS, who were compared with hospital staff (HS) and staff, which was not directly involved in patient care (NPC). All direct patient contacts of EMS workers were protected by FFP2/N95 (filtering face piece protection class 2/non-oil-based particulates filter efficiency 95%) masks, whereas HS was protected by FFP2/N95 exclusively when a patient had a proven or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. NPC was not protected by higher FFP. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was analyzed by immunoassay by end of 12/2020 together with the history of a positive PCR. In addition, a self-assessment was performed regarding the quantity of SARS-CoV-2 positive contacts, about flu symptoms and personal belief of previous COVID-19 infections. Results The period in which contact to SARS-CoV-2 positive patients has been possible was 10 months (March to December 2020)—with 54,681 patient contacts documented for EMS—either emergencies (n = 33,241) or transportation services (n = 21,440). Seven hundred-thirty (n = 730) participants were included into the study (n = EMS: 325, HS: 322 and NPC: 83). The analysis of the survey showed that the exposure to patients with an unknown and consecutive positive SARS-CoV-2 result was significantly higher for EMS when compared to HS (EMS 55% vs. HS 30%, p = 0.01). The incidence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in our cohort was 1.2% (EMS), 2.2% (HS) and 2.4% (NPC) within the three groups (ns) and lowest in EMS. Furthermore, the belief of previous COVID-19 was significant higher in EMS (19% vs. 10%), Conclusion The consistent use of FFP2/N95 in EMS is able to prevent work-related SARS-CoV-2 infections in emergency situations. The significance of physical airway protection in exposed medical staff is still relevant especially under the aspect of new viral variants and unclear effectiveness of new vaccines. Graphical Abstract

scholarly journals Safety of hydroxychloroquine and darunavir or lopinavir in COVID-19 infection

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Etienne Meriglier ◽  
Claire Rivoisy ◽  
Mojgan Hessamfar ◽  
Noelle Bernard ◽  
Ines Aureau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Potential Drug ◽  
Clinical Evaluations ◽  
History Of ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
Ecg Abnormalities

Abstract Background Combination therapy with hydroxychloroquine and darunavir/ritonavir or lopinavir/ritonavir has been suggested as an approach to improve the outcome of patients with moderate/severe COVID-19 infection. Objectives To examine the safety of combination therapy with hydroxychloroquine and darunavir/ritonavir or lopinavir/ritonavir. Methods This was an observational cohort study of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia treated with hydroxychloroquine and darunavir/ritonavir or lopinavir/ritonavir. Clinical evaluations, electrocardiograms and the pharmacokinetics of hydroxychloroquine, darunavir and lopinavir were examined according to clinical practice and guidelines. Results Twenty-one patients received hydroxychloroquine with lopinavir/ritonavir (median age 68 years; 10 males) and 25 received hydroxychloroquine with darunavir/ritonavir (median age 71 years; 15 males). During treatment, eight patients (17.4%) developed ECG abnormalities. Ten patients discontinued treatment, including seven for ECG abnormalities a median of 5 (range 2–6) days after starting treatment. All ECG abnormalities reversed 1–2 days after interrupting treatment. Four patients died within 14 days. ECG abnormalities were significantly associated with age over 70 years, coexisting conditions (such as hypertension, chronic cardiovascular disease and kidney failure) and initial potential drug interactions, but not with the hydroxychloroquine concentration. Conclusions Of the patients with COVID-19 who received hydroxychloroquine with lopinavir or darunavir, 17% had ECG abnormalities, mainly related to age or in those with a history of cardiovascular disease.

scholarly journals Genetic and pharmacological relationship between P-glycoprotein and increased cardiovascular risk associated with clarithromycin prescription: An epidemiological and genomic population-based cohort study in Scotland, UK

PLoS Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. e1003372
Author(s):  
Ify R. Mordi ◽  
Benjamin K. Chan ◽  
N. David Yanez ◽  
Colin N. A. Palmer ◽  
Chim C. Lang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Major Pathway ◽  
P Glycoprotein ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Observational Cohort

Background There are conflicting reports regarding the association of the macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin with cardiovascular (CV) events. A possible explanation may be that this risk is partly mediated through drug–drug interactions and only evident in at-risk populations. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined whether this association might be mediated via P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a major pathway for clarithromycin metabolism. The aim of this study was to examine CV risk following prescription of clarithromycin versus amoxicillin and in particular, the association with P-gp, a major pathway for clarithromycin metabolism. Methods and findings We conducted an observational cohort study of patients prescribed clarithromycin or amoxicillin in the community in Tayside, Scotland (population approximately 400,000) between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2014 and a genomic observational cohort study evaluating genotyped patients from the Genetics of Diabetes Audit and Research Tayside Scotland (GoDARTS) study, a longitudinal cohort study of 18,306 individuals with and without type 2 diabetes recruited between 1 December 1988 and 31 December 2015. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with P-gp activity were evaluated (rs1045642 and rs1128503 –AA genotype associated with lowest P-gp activity). The primary outcome for both analyses was CV hospitalization following prescription of clarithromycin versus amoxicillin at 0–14 days, 15–30 days, and 30 days to 1 year. In the observational cohort study, we calculated hazard ratios (HRs) adjusted for likelihood of receiving clarithromycin using inverse proportion of treatment weighting as a covariate, whereas in the pharmacogenomic study, HRs were adjusted for age, sex, history of myocardial infarction, and history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The observational cohort study included 48,026 individuals with 205,227 discrete antibiotic prescribing episodes (34,074 clarithromycin, mean age 73 years, 42% male; 171,153 amoxicillin, mean age 74 years, 45% male). Clarithromycin use was significantly associated with increased risk of CV hospitalization compared with amoxicillin at both 0–14 days (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.17–1.46, p < 0.001) and 30 days to 1 year (HR 1.13; 95% CI 1.06–1.19, p < 0.001), with the association at 0–14 days modified by use of P-gp inhibitors or substrates (interaction p-value: 0.029). In the pharmacogenomic study (13,544 individuals with 44,618 discrete prescribing episodes [37,497 amoxicillin, mean age 63 years, 56% male; 7,121 clarithromycin, mean age 66 years, 47% male]), when prescribed clarithromycin, individuals with genetically determined lower P-gp activity had a significantly increased risk of CV hospitalization at 30 days to 1 year compared with heterozygotes or those homozygous for the non-P-gp–lowering allele (rs1045642 AA: HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.20–1.60, p < 0.001, GG/GA: HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.89–1.10, p = 0.85, interaction p-value < 0.001 and rs1128503 AA 1.41, 95% CI 1.18–1.70, p < 0.001, GG/GA: HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.95–1.14, p = 0.43, interaction p-value < 0.001). The main limitation of our study is its observational nature, meaning that we are unable to definitively determine causality. Conclusions In this study, we observed that the increased risk of CV events with clarithromycin compared with amoxicillin was associated with an interaction with P-glycoprotein.

scholarly journals Design and Baseline Demographics of a Five-Year, Multi-National Observational Cohort Study of Children With Achondroplasia (ACHieve Study)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A712-A712
Author(s):  
Leanne M Ward ◽  
Josep Maria de Bergua ◽  
Marie-Eve Robinson ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Carl Decker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Natriuretic Peptide ◽  
Skeletal Dysplasia ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Endochondral Bone Formation ◽  
Precise Timing ◽  
History Of ◽  
Observational Cohort

Abstract Background: Achondroplasia (ACH) is the most common form of dwarfism occurring in 1 in 22,000 births (95% CI 18,500 to 26,000). This skeletal dysplasia is caused by a gain-of-function mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene located on chromosome 4p16.3 and results in sustained activation of the FGFR3 pathway leading to impaired chondrogenesis and endochondral bone formation. Both typical childhood growth patterns and the impaired linear growth of ACH are modulated by the delicate balance between growth-inhibiting FGFR3/mitogen-activated phosphokinase and growth-promoting c-type natriuretic peptide/natriuretic peptide receptor B. Individuals with ACH frequently develop clinically significant comorbidities, many with onset during childhood. Currently, there are no therapies addressing the underlying pathology. Most available treatments are surgical with goals to alleviate the symptoms from specific comorbidities (i.e. foramen magnum and spinal stenosis or recurrent otitis media). Since the available therapies do not address the underlying etiology, individuals with ACH often undergo multiple surgeries and myriad other forms of supportive care throughout their lives. The precise timing of comorbidity onset and the natural history of many of the skeletal dysplasia features are incompletely defined. This information is needed to inform the design and conduct of pathology-targeted intervention studies. Aim: The purpose of this study is to gather information about the precise timing of comorbidity onset, the longitudinal growth trajectory, and the evolution of body proportionality in children with ACH. Methods and Future Results: The ACHieve study (NCT03875534) is a multi-center, longitudinal, observational cohort study in children with ACH from birth up to 8 years at enrollment. In this non-therapeutic study, children are evaluated every six months for up to 5 years in 25 centers from North America, Europe and Oceania. The first patient was enrolled in 2019 and a total of 84 children have been enrolled to date. At each assessment, children undergo comprehensive anthropometric studies, (including body proportionality measurements and recumbent or standing height) and information on the timing and nature of ACH-related comorbidities and their treatments are collected. Additional information about the baseline demographics, including sex, age distribution, race/ethnicity, and height standard deviation scores will be presented at the time of conference. Conclusions: The ACHieve study will provide additional insight into the natural history of growth, body proportionality, and comorbidities in children with ACH. These observations will serve as a benchmark for future intervention trials targeting the pathology of the underlying skeletal dysplasia.

scholarly journals Predisposing and Precipitating Risk Factors for Delirium in Elderly Patients Admitted to a Cardiology Ward: An Observational Cohort Study in 1,042 Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Moritz Zipser ◽  
Florian Freimut Hildenbrand ◽  
Bernhard Haubner ◽  
Jeremy Deuel ◽  
Jutta Ernst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Valvular Heart Disease ◽  
Pressure Ulcers ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Cardiac Diseases ◽  
History Of ◽  
Observational Cohort

Aim: Although the risk factors for delirium in general medicine are well-established, their significance in cardiac diseases remains to be determined. Therefore, we evaluated the predisposing and precipitating risk factors in patients hospitalized with acute and chronic heart disease.Methods and Results: In this observational cohort study, 1,042 elderly patients (≥65 years) admitted to cardiology wards, 167 with and 875 without delirium, were included. The relevant sociodemographic and cardiac- and medical-related clusters were assessed by simple and multiple regression analyses and prediction models evaluating their association with delirium. The prevalence of delirium was 16.0%. The delirious patients were older (mean 80 vs. 76 years; p &lt; 0.001) and more often institutionalized prior to admission (3.6 vs. 1.4%, p = 0.05), hospitalized twice as long (12 ± 10 days vs. 7 ± 7 days; p &lt; 0.001), and discharged more often to nursing homes (4.8 vs. 0.6%, p &lt; 0.001) or deceased (OR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.53–5.85; p = 0.003). The most relevant risk factor was dementia (OR, 18.11; 95% CI, 5.77–56.83; p &lt; 0.001), followed by history of stroke (OR, 6.61; 95% CI 1.35–32.44; p = 0.020), and pressure ulcers (OR, 3.62; 95% CI, 1.06–12.35; p = 0.040). The predicted probability for developing delirium was highest in patients with reduced mobility and institutionalization prior to admission (PP = 31.2%, p = 0.001). Of the cardiac diseases, only valvular heart disease (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.01–2.44; p = 0.044) significantly predicted delirium. The patients undergoing cardiac interventions did not have higher rates of delirium (OR, 1.39; 95% CI 0.91–2.12; p = 0.124).Conclusion: In patients admitted to a cardiology ward, age-related functional and cognitive impairment, history of stroke, and pressure ulcers were the most relevant risk factors for delirium. With regards to specific cardiological factors, only valvular heart disease was associated with risk for delirium. Knowing these factors can help cardiologists to facilitate the early detection and management of delirium.

scholarly journals RADAR study: protocol for an observational cohort study to identify early warning signals on the pathways to alcohol use disorder

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. e018256
Author(s):  
Tim Slade ◽  
Wendy Swift ◽  
Louise Mewton ◽  
Kypros Kypri ◽  
Michael T Lynskey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorder ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Ethical Approval ◽  
History Of ◽  
Observational Cohort

IntroductionHarmful alcohol consumption, particularly alcohol use disorder (AUD), is a worldwide health priority, contributing substantially to global morbidity and mortality. The peak age of onset of AUD is 18–24, thus a deeper understanding of the young adult experience is vital if we are to identify modifiable risk factors and intervene early in the developmental course of this disabling disorder. Critical unanswered questions include: How soon after drinking initiation do AUD symptoms begin to emerge? Which symptoms come first? Do the symptoms unfold in a predictable pattern? In what ways do the emerging symptoms interact with individual, peer, family and environmental risk factors to impact on the transition to disorder?Methods and analysisThe proposed RADAR study will examine the prospective development of AUD symptoms over the young adulthood (18–24) years. We will capitalise on an existing cohort of 1911 community-based adolescents who were recruited at age 13 and have completed a baseline and five annual follow-up assessments as part of an observational cohort study. We will interview these adolescents every 6 months between the ages of 19 and 23 to derive monthly histories of both alcohol use and AUD symptomatology, along with a comprehensive battery of risk and protective factor scales hypothesised to predict the emergence and course of AUD. The results of this study will inform the natural history of AUD and will be used to identify specific targets for prevention and early intervention of AUD.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has already been granted for the study (UNSW HREC 10144). We will disseminate the results of the study through published manuscripts, conferences and seminar presentations. Data used in published manuscripts will be made available through a suitable online repository (eg, Dryad–datadryad.org).

Sex Differences in the Incidence and Clearance of Anogenital Human Papillomavirus Infection in Liuzhou, China: An Observational Cohort Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feixue Wei ◽  
Meng Guo ◽  
Shoujie Huang ◽  
Mingqiang Li ◽  
Xuelian Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Human Papillomavirus ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Hpv Infection ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
History Of ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
Oncogenic Hpv

Abstract Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes anogenital warts and cancers in men and women. However, little is known about sex differences regarding the natural history of anogenital HPV infection. Methods Starting in May 2014, an observational cohort study including 2309 men and 2378 women aged 18–55 years was conducted in Liuzhou, China. Samples from anogenital sites were tested for HPV genotypes by multicolor real-time polymerase chain reaction and melting curve analysis biannually for ~1 year. Results The incidence of oncogenic HPV infection was similar in men and women (10.3 and 11.5/1000 person-months; P = .275), whereas the incidence of HPV-6/11 infection was higher in men than in women (2.0 vs 1.1; P = .018). The incidence of both oncogenic HPV and HPV-6/11 infections was significantly higher in women in the 18- to 25-year age group than in the older age groups (P = .006 and .011, respectively), whereas it did not vary by age among men (P = .552 and .425, respectively). Additionally, men were more likely than women to clear oncogenic infections (101.5 vs 58.6/1000 person-months; P &lt; .001), but no significant difference was found in the clearance of HPV-6/11 by sex (111.7 vs 84.8; P = .266). The median time to clearance of oncogenic type and type 6/11 infections was not age dependent for either sex (all P &gt; .05). Conclusions The natural history of oncogenic and nononcogenic HPV infection differs by sex, which implies that sex-specific vaccination strategies should be considered for oncogenic and nononcogenic HPV. Clinical Trials Registration NCT02188004.

scholarly journals Hydroxychloroquine and Tocilizumab Therapy in COVID-19 Patients – An Observational Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Ip ◽  
Donald A. Berry ◽  
Eric Hansen ◽  
Andre H. Goy ◽  
Andrew L Pecora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Hospitalized Patients ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Positive Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Retrospective Observational Cohort Study

AbstractBackgroundHydroxychloroquine has been touted as a COVID-19 treatment. Tocilizumab, an inhibitor of IL-6, has been proposed as a treatment of critically ill patients.ObjectiveTo describe the association between mortality and hydroxychloroquine or tocilizumab therapy among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.DesignRetrospective observational cohort study of electronic health records Setting: 13-hospital network spanning the state of New Jersey.ParticipantsPatients hospitalized between March 1, 2020 and April 22, 2020 with positive polymerase chain reaction results for SARS-CoV-2. Follow up was through May 5, 2020.Main OutcomesThe primary outcome was death.ResultsAmong 2512 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 there have been 547 deaths (22%), 1539 (61%) discharges and 426 (17%) remain hospitalized. 1914 (76%) received at least one dose of hydroxychloroquine and 1473 (59%) received hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin. After adjusting for imbalances via propensity modeling, compared to receiving neither drug, there were no significant differences in associated mortality for patients receiving any hydroxychloroquine during the hospitalization (HR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.80-1.22]), hydroxychloroquine alone (HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.83-1.27]), or hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin (HR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.75-1.28]). The 30-day unadjusted mortality for patients receiving hydroxychloroquine alone, azithromycin alone, the combination or neither drug was 25%, 20%, 18%, and 20%, respectively. Among 547 evaluable ICU patients, including 134 receiving tocilizumab in the ICU, an exploratory analysis found a trend towards an improved survival association with tocilizumab treatment (adjusted HR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.57-1.00]), with 30 day unadjusted mortality with and without tocilizumab of 46% versus 56%.ConclusionsThis observational cohort study suggests hydroxychloroquine, either alone or in combination with azithromycin, was not associated with a survival benefit among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Tocilizumab demonstrated a trend association towards reduced mortality among ICU patients. Our findings are limited to hospitalized patients and must be interpreted with caution while awaiting results of randomized trials.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT04347993

Influence of vitamin D on outcomes following burn injury: An observational cohort study

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Al-Tarrah ◽  
Carl Jenkinson ◽  
Martin Hewison ◽  
Naiem Moiemen ◽  
Janet Lord
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Burn Injury ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
Observational Cohort
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