Early Treatment Success Research Articles

Diagnosis of acute hyperglycemia based on data-driven prediction models

Acute hyperglycemia is a common endocrine and metabolic disorder that seriously threatens the health and life of patients. Exploring effective diagnostic methods and treatment strategies for acute hyperglycemia to improve treatment quality and patient satisfaction is currently one of the hotspots and difficulties in medical research. This article introduced a method for diagnosing acute hyperglycemia based on data-driven prediction models. In the experiment, clinical data from 1000 patients with acute hyperglycemia were collected. Through data cleaning and feature engineering, 10 features related to acute hyperglycemia were selected, including BMI (Body Mass Index), TG (triacylglycerol), HDL-C (High-density lipoprotein cholesterol), etc. The support vector machine (SVM) model was used for training and testing. The experimental results showed that the SVM model can effectively predict the occurrence of acute hyperglycemia, with an average accuracy of 96 %, a recall rate of 84 %, and an F1 value of 89 %. The diagnostic method for acute hyperglycemia based on data-driven prediction models has a certain reference value, which can be used as a clinical auxiliary diagnostic tool to improve the early diagnosis and treatment success rate of acute hyperglycemia patients.

Self-Efficacy Effects on Symptom Experiences in Daily Life and Early Treatment Success in Anxiety Patients

Self-efficacy is a key construct in behavioral science affecting mental health and psychopathology. Here, we expand on previously demonstrated between-persons self-efficacy effects. We prompted 66 patients five times daily for 14 days before starting cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to provide avoidance, hope, and perceived psychophysiological-arousal ratings. Multilevel logistic regression analyses confirmed self-efficacy’s significant effects on avoidance in daily life (odds ratio [ OR] = 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.34, 0.84], p = .008) and interaction effects with anxiety in predicting perceived psychophysiological arousal ( OR = 0.79, 95% CI = [0.62, 1.00], p = .046) and hope ( OR = 1.21, 95% CI = [1.03, 1.42], p = .02). More self-efficacious patients also reported greater anxiety-symptom reduction early in treatment. Our findings assign a key role to self-efficacy for daily anxiety-symptom experiences and for early CBT success. Self-efficacy interventions delivered in patients’ daily lives could help improve treatment outcome.

Subcutaneous Marzeptacog Alfa (Activated) for On-Demand Treatment of Bleeding Events in Subjects With Hemophilia A or B With Inhibitors.

Marzeptacog alfa (MarzAA) is under development for subcutaneous treatment of episodic bleeds in patients with hemophilia A/B and was studied in a phase III trial evaluating MarzAA compared with standard-of-care (SoC) for on-demand use. The work presented here aimed to evaluate MarzAA and SoC treatment of bleeding events on a standardized four-point efficacy scale (poor, fair, good, and excellent). Two continuous-time Markov modeling approaches were explored; a four-state model analyzing all four categories of bleeding improvement and a two-state model analyzing a binarized outcome (treatment failure (poor/fair), and treatment success (good/excellent)). Different covariates impacting improvement of bleeding episodes as well as a putative relationship between MarzAA exposure and improvement of bleeding episodes were evaluated. In the final four-state model, higher baseline diastolic blood pressure and higher age (> 33 years of age) were found to negatively and positively impact improvement of bleeding condition, respectively. Bleeding events occurring in knees and ankles were found to improve faster than bleeding events at other locations. The covariate effects had most impact on early treatment success (≤ 3 hours) whereas at later timepoints (> 12 hours), treatment success was similar for all patients indicating that these covariates might be clinically relevant for early treatment response. A statistically significant relationship between MarzAA zero-order absorption and improvement of bleedings (P < 0.05) were identified albeit with low precision. No statistically significant difference in treatment response between MarzAA and intravenous SoC was identified, indicating the potential of MarzAA for treatment of episodic bleeding events with a favorable subcutaneous administration route.

Patient experiences in primary health care services in the JKN era: A qualitative study

Implementing JKN (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional) in primary healthcare is expected to support the accessibility and success of early treatment and reduce the burden on secondary healthcare facilities. Patient experience can provide information on the quality of health services from different perspectives to provide valuable input for improving the quality of care. This study explores patients' experiences in utilizing health services in primary healthcare services in the JKN era. This research used a qualitative approach with a case study design conducted at the Puskesmas Tangkahan Durian, Langkat Regency. The researchers collected data through oral questioning with 11 informants, following previously developed in-depth interview guidelines. Researchers have also made direct observations of the health services carried out. The study results showed that patients had a fairly positive experience accessing health services at public health center/puskesmas. There was no discrimination or difference in treatment among health workers in JKN patients or general patients. Patient complaints are only in the location of the seats in the waiting room that are not arranged to interfere with patient mobility. Another criticism is that officers do not come to the public health center on time according to predetermined operating hours. Public health center management should increase the discipline of officers regarding service operating hours and consider the seating layout in the patient waiting room.

3 Neuropsychiatric Change and Childhood Adversity Levels in an Opioid Treatment Population

Objective:Early life adversity is strongly correlated with a number of negative health outcomes, with some of the highest risks are related to later illicit drug use and substance use disorders (SUDs). Specifically, it has been found that an ACEs score of &gt;4 confers a 7-10-fold risk of substance abuse. Subsequent research has identified a number of neurobiological effects of childhood trauma, including structural and functional disruptions of the LHPA axis, the brain's primary stress-response system. It has been hypothesized that various trauma-induced neurobiological changes may lead to later physical health, mental health, and psychosocial problems in persons with early life adversity. One area that such changes might affect is a person's ability to stop abusing substances, with factors such as trauma-related mood, self-efficacy, or cognitive functioning as considerations in early treatment success. This study followed a group of participants in a residential substance abuse treatment program across their first month of abstinence, to assess natural change in cognitive performance as well as potential effect of early life adversity on changes in neuropsychiatric outcomes.Participants and Methods:Participants were 37 adults (mean age=33.9 years, SD=6.7) who had completed detoxification and were first assessed during their first week of residential treatment. Follow-up assessment was completed 4 weeks later. Participants were primarily male (62%) and white (62%). They were all in treatment for opioid abuse, with a majority of participants reporting a history of polysubstance abuse. To measure adverse and protective factors, participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences scale and Protective And Compensatory Experiences Scale at baseline. Participants also completed the NIH Toolbox cognition battery and a set of self-report measures of cognitive functioning, mood, anxiety, and self-efficacy at baseline and follow up.Results:Results of paired samples t-test comparison between baseline and follow-up testing found a significant improvement in self-reported depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and self-efficacy (all p&lt;.001). Interestingly, participants overall reported an increase in cognitive problems between baseline and retest, even though on objective cognitive testing (NIH Toolbox cognition battery) there was significant improvement in cognitive performance. Participants generally had a high level of childhood adversity (mean ACE score of 4.5), with an average level of childhood compensatory experiences. Considering the specific effect for childhood adversity, ACE score was found to be predictive in amount of anxiety and self-reported cognitive change but not for objective cognitive performance or change in other factors.Conclusions:Consistent with previous research, these patients had a high level of past trauma, which interacted with a number of other neuropsychiatric measures and support the importance of assessing for trauma history and integrating trauma-focused treatment into substance abuse treatment programs.

Study on the efficacy of brace therapy for developmental dysplasia of the hip with Graf IIc and greater severity.

To assess changes in the α and β angle with brace treatment in DDH classified as Type Graf IIc, D, III, and IV; to study the α angle threshold that can predict the treatment effect; to analyze the effective rate in different groups. A retrospective study was conducted on children from 2013 to 2018 with Graf type IIc and greater diagnosed with ultrasound (US). Brace therapy was applied to 356 patients, with 423 affected hips (Graf IIc: 202 hips; Graf D: 17 hips; Graf III: 118 hips; and Graf IV: 86 hips). For follow-up efficacy analyses using US, X-ray and clinical examination, based on the success of early treatment of the brace, the outcomes were divided into 'effective' and 'noneffective' groups. The statistical results showed that the α angle increased ( P < 0.05) and the β angle decreased ( P < 0.05). When α≥43°, the accuracy of success with early treatment was 95.95%. The overall effective rate of bracing treatment was 74.70%. Children with α ≥ 43° are recommended to receive brace therapy as soon as possible and demonstrate the best effects. The effective rate varies across different Graf types and the age at treatment initiation. Brace therapy is more effective for Graf IIc and D hips compared to Graf III and IV.

Prediction Model for Future Success of Early Orthopedic Treatment of Class III Malocclusion

This study aimed to identify predictors for successful post-treatment outcomes in early orthopedic class III malocclusion treatment with a facemask and hyrax expander appliance. The study was performed on lateral cephalograms from 37 patients at the start of treatment (T0), post-treatment (T1), and a minimum of three years after treatment (T2). The patients were grouped as stable or unstable according to the existence of a 2-mm overjet at T2. For statistical analysis, independent t-tests were used to compare the baseline characteristics and measurements of the two groups, considering a significance level of < 0.05. Thirty variables of pretreatment cephalograms were considered during logistic regression analysis to identify predictors. A discriminant equation was established using a stepwise method. The success rate and area under the curve were calculated, with AB to the mandibular plane, ANB, ODI, APDI, and A-B plane angles as predictors. The A-B plane angle was the most significantly different between the stable and unstable groups. In terms of the A-B plane angle, the success rate of early class III treatment with a facemask and hyrax expander appliance was 70.3%, and the area under the curve indicated a fair grade.

Coupling ELISA to smartphones for POCT of chronic and congenital Chagas disease

Chagas disease (CD) affects about 7 million people worldwide, presents a large prevalence in Latin America, and is growing in the rest of the world, where congenital CD is the main mode of transmission. Point-of-care testing (POCT) methods are increasingly required to ease early diagnostics and increase treatment success. This work presents the development and validation of a smartphone-integrated ELISA-based POCT system for the detection of both chronic and congenital CD. Expensive and bulky equipment used for ELISA in conventional laboratories was replaced as follows. A miniaturized device was fabricated for incubation of commercial ELISA plates, achieving ∼±1 °C uniformity and stability. The ELISA plate reader was replaced by smartphone camera and image processing, comprising algorithms to account for variability sources and spatial light non-uniformity; thus, additional hardware like a dark-box is not required. The agreement between samples classified with this novel reading method vs. ELISA plate reader was found to be 99.7% and 95.4% for chronic and congenital CD, respectively. Furthermore, a smartphone application was designed and implemented to guide the user during the assay, provide connectivity, and access databases, facilitating patient monitoring and health-policy making. The whole system is aimed to be used as a practical diagnostic tool in primary health care settings, as well as to facilitate patients’ follow-up to provide better treatment. Concerning the technology itself, the proposed POCT platform is versatile enough to be readily adapted for the detection of other infectious diseases.

Clinical characteristics of 14 cases of severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing: A case series.

Introduction:The objective of this study was to explore the clinical, laboratory, and imaging features of severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia in order to improve early diagnosis and treatment success rates.Methods:We conducted a retrospective record review of 14 cases of severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing technology in our hospital. We extracted and analyzed data on the clinical symptoms and signs, contact history, laboratory investigations, chest computed tomography, treatment, and clinical outcomes.Results:Of the 14 patients, 12 (86%) were male and two (14%) were female, with a mean age of 57 years (SD: 7 years). Eleven patients (79%) had a history of poultry contact. The main clinical manifestations were fever (n = 14, 100%), flu-like symptoms (n = 10, 71%), cough, sputum (n = 9, 64%), and dyspnea (n = 5, 36%). Blood tests revealed marked elevation of neutrophil percentage, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, brain natriuretic peptide, and creatine kinase levels; slight elevation of aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, urea, fibrinogen, and D-dimer levels; and decreased albumin, sodium, and calcium levels. Chest computed tomography showed bilateral lesions (n = 7, 50%), middle-lower lobe lesions (n = 10, 71%), lesions in multiple lobes (n = 9, 64%), consolidation shadows (n = 11, 79%), and pleural effusions (n = 11, 79%). The median time from disease onset to hospital admission was 4.5 days (interquartile range: 1–17 days); the mean length of hospital stay was 20.9 ± 8.5 days, and the mean time from admission to diagnosis was 5.1 ± 2.6 days. After diagnosis, patients were either treated with doxycycline alone or doxycycline combined with quinolones. All 14 patients developed respiratory failure and received invasive mechanical ventilation; two (14%) received veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, four (29%) received continuous renal replacement therapy, and three (21%) died.Discussion and conclusion:A poultry contact history and typical flu-like symptoms are early indicators of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia. Substantial elevations in procalcitonin, creatine kinase, and brain natriuretic peptide indicate severe disease. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing is useful for diagnosis. Early empirical antibiotic therapy with quinolones can reduce the mortality in critically ill patients.

Laparoscopic dissection in children with celiac artery compression syndrome

BACKGROUND: A cause of abdominal pain in children may be compression stenosis of the celiac trunk (Dunbars syndrome). This disease occurs when the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm compresses the celiac trunk, thereby creating compression stenosis, causing the arterial hemodynamics in the artery to suffer and provide adequate blood circulation to the abdominal cavity organs. Medical statistics indicate that 10% to 15% of children and adolescents suffering from chronic abdominal pain have compression stenosis of the celiac trunk.&#x0D; AIM: This study aims to improve the diagnostic results and identify the indications for the surgical treatment of children with compression stenosis of the celiac trunk.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2015 to 2020 at the N.F. Filatov Childrens Hospital, 64 patients, aged 4 to 17 years underwent surgical treatment for compression stenosis of the celiac trunk. There are 42 boys (66%) and 22 girls (34%). The leading clinical manifestation in all patients was abdominal pain. Associated surgical pathology was observed in 34 of them. The diagnosis was based on anamnesis, examination, ultrasound examination with Doppler and celiac trunk blood flow measurements, multispiral computed tomography, and angiography.&#x0D; RESULTS: After completing the examination, 61 patients underwent laparoscopic decompression of the celiac trunk, and three children were operated on using the laparotomic approach. In all cases, the leading cause of compression stenosis of the celiac trunk was the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm combined with the neurofibrous tissue of the celiac plexus. The average duration of the operation was 50 minutes. Intraoperative blood loss did not exceed 530 ml. One conversion completed. There were no postoperative complications in the early postoperative period. The patients were discharged in satisfactory condition. The control examination was conducted in the period from six months to three years. In 97% of patients, clinical symptoms of abdominal ischemia were not detected.&#x0D; CONCLUSION: Our experience indicates the possibility of diagnosing compression stenosis of the celiac trunk in children at early disease stages and laparoscopic treatment success of patients with this disease.

Single center retrospective analysis of fifty-two prostate cancer patients with customized MR-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA)

ObjectivesMR-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA) has primarily been investigated for whole-gland prostate ablation, even though the technology is also well-suited for partial gland treatment. The objectives were to perform a clinical service evaluation of partial to whole-gland TULSA for patients with localized prostate cancer (CaP). TULSA was also evaluated as a combined therapy for a subset of patients presenting with both cancer and concurrent benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Subjects and methodsThis retrospective, consecutive clinical service evaluation included men with histopathologically-confirmed CaP who underwent TULSA either as primary or salvage treatment. The planned ablation was dependent on the individual tumor characteristics, concurrent BPH and patient preferences. The Clavien-Dindo classification was used to record complications. Surgeon-assessed functional outcomes were reported. Early treatment success was defined by negative multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and lack of prostate specific antigen (PSA) recurrence. ResultsFifty-two consecutive patients (47 treatment-naïve and 5 salvage) were included, with median follow-up of sixteen months and a max of thirty-six months. Baseline median (IQR) age and PSA were 67 years (63–76) and 8.0 ng/ml (5.2–13), respectively. Two Grade IIIa adverse events were observed, with no bowel-related complications. For urinary continence outcomes, 1 patient worsened to 1 pad per day. All patients who were previously potent maintained erectile potency. Of the patient subgroup also seeking treatment for BPH, 83% reported symptom improvement. Median (IQR) PSA nadir after primary treatment was 1.1 ng/ml (0.5–2.1). Early treatment success was 88%. Nine patients underwent a single repeat TULSA. ConclusionCustomized prostate ablation with TULSA offers flexible ablation according to patients’ disease characteristics and treatment expectations, providing favorable safety and promising early MRI and PSA results. TULSA is a feasible combination therapy for patients with both cancer and concurrent BPH.

Usefulness of Respiratory Mechanics and Laboratory Parameter Trends as Markers of Early Treatment Success in Mechanically Ventilated Severe Coronavirus Disease: A Single-Center Pilot Study

Whether a patient with severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will be successfully liberated from mechanical ventilation (MV) early is important in the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to characterize the time course of parameters and outcomes of severe COVID-19 in relation to the timing of liberation from MV. This retrospective, single-center, observational study was performed using data from mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU between 1 March 2020 and 15 December 2020. Early liberation from ventilation (EL group) was defined as successful extubation within 10 days of MV. The trends of respiratory mechanics and laboratory data were visualized and compared between the EL and prolonged MV (PMV) groups using smoothing spline and linear mixed effect models. Of 52 admitted patients, 31 mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients were included (EL group, 20 (69%); PMV group, 11 (31%)). The patients’ median age was 71 years. While in-hospital mortality was low (6%), activities of daily living (ADL) at the time of hospital discharge were significantly impaired in the PMV group compared to the EL group (mean Barthel index (range): 30 (7.5–95) versus 2.5 (0–22.5), p = 0.048). The trends in respiratory compliance were different between patients in the EL and PMV groups. An increasing trend in the ventilatory ratio during MV until approximately 2 weeks was observed in both groups. The interaction between daily change and earlier liberation was significant in the trajectory of the thrombin–antithrombin complex, antithrombin 3, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, lymphocyte, and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) values. The indicator of physiological dead space increases during MV. The trajectory of markers of the hypercoagulation status, inflammation, and PEEP were significantly different depending on the timing of liberation from MV. These findings may provide insight into the pathophysiology of COVID-19 during treatment in the critical care setting.

Genomic Variations in Drug Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains Collected from Patients with Different Localization of Infection.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a highly studied pathogen due to public health importance. Despite this, problems like early drug resistance, diagnostics and treatment success prediction are still not fully resolved. Here, we analyze the incidence of point mutations widely used for drug resistance detection in laboratory practice and conduct comparative analysis of whole-genome sequence (WGS) for clinical M. tuberculosis strains collected from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (XPTB) localization. A total of 72 pulmonary and 73 extrapulmonary microbiologically characterized M. tuberculosis isolates were collected from patients from 2007 to 2014 in Russia. Genomic DNA was used for WGS and obtained data allowed identifying major mutations known to be associated with drug resistance to first-line and second-line antituberculous drugs. In some cases previously described mutations were not identified. Using genome-based phylogenetic analysis we identified M. tuberculosis substrains associated with distinctions in the occurrence in PTB vs. XPTB cases. Phylogenetic analyses did reveal M. tuberculosis genetic substrains associated with TB localization. XPTB was associated with Beijing sublineages Central Asia (Beijing CAO), Central Asia Clade A (Beijing A) and 4.8 groups, while PTB localization was associated with group LAM (4.3). Further, the XPTB strain in some cases showed elevated drug resistance patterns relative to PTB isolates. HIV was significantly associated with the development of XPTB in the Beijing B0/W148 group and among unclustered Beijing isolates.

Increased Neutrophil Count and Decreased Neutrophil CD15 Expression Correlate With TB Disease Severity and Treatment Response Irrespective of HIV Co-infection.

Tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death globally despite curative treatment, partly due to the difficulty of identifying patients who will not respond to therapy. Simple host biomarkers that correlate with response to drug treatment would facilitate improvement in outcomes and the evaluation of novel therapies. In a prospective longitudinal cohort study, we evaluated neutrophil count and phenotype at baseline, as well as during TB treatment in 79 patients [50 (63%) HIV-positive] with microbiologically confirmed drug susceptible TB undergoing standard treatment. At time of diagnosis, blood neutrophils were highly expanded and surface expression of the neutrophil marker CD15 greatly reduced compared to controls. Both measures changed rapidly with the commencement of drug treatment and returned to levels seen in healthy control by treatment completion. Additionally, at the time of diagnosis, high neutrophil count, and low CD15 expression was associated with higher sputum bacterial load and more severe lung damage on chest x-ray, two clinically relevant markers of disease severity. Furthermore, CD15 expression level at diagnosis was associated with TB culture conversion after 2 months of therapy (OR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.89), a standard measure of early TB treatment success. Importantly, our data was not significantly impacted by HIV co-infection. These data suggest that blood neutrophil metrics could potentially be exploited to develop a simple and rapid test to help determine TB disease severity, monitor drug treatment response, and identify subjects at diagnosis who may respond poorly to treatment.

Abstract 2430: Assessing patient navigation and support services at FQHCs

Abstract Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for Latinx followed by African Americans (CDC, 2017). Screening can increase the rate of early detection and treatment success. However, the rates of compliance for screening are typically lower among Latinx, which may contribute to decreased diagnosis and increased risk of disease in comparison to their Euro-American counterparts (ACS, 2015). Access to screening services and ability to pay are among the commonly cited barriers for screening compliance. The IDPH recommends incorporating patient navigator (PN) models in community health clinics and communitywide events to increase health literacy, knowledge, and delivery, and quality of care including compliance with screening methods. The University of Illinois (UI) Cancer Center (UICC) works in partnership with the UI Health Mile Square Health Center (MSHC) to implement a bilingual, bicultural PN model for conducting comprehensive cancer prevention and screening services among Latinx, African Americans, and underserved communities in Chicago. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the patients’ perceptions and experiences with patient navigator encounters and support services. The authors conducted a semi-structured interviews and abstracted data from patient records. Provider interviews were conducted to understand provider knowledge and attitudes of navigator services. Navigator interviews captured benefits and challenges of incorporating navigation services at the clinics. Data were entered in REDCap and analyzed using Dedoose v. 8.0.42. This paper validates the implementation of PN models at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) as an asset to patients and providers in facilitating health education, increasing patient screening compliance, and improving access to health care services. Comprehensive cancer screening maximizes resources and improves the quality of life and health outcomes of underserved Latinx and African American patients who are navigated to services. PN-provider partnerships are introduced as a hallmark of the program’s success in identifying at-risk patients and navigating them to appropriate and timely medical screening, diagnostic, and treatment services. Future directions for incorporating and evaluating culturally responsive, bilingual, bicultural PN models at FQHCs, community clinics, and school based clinics are shared to inform public policy for rapid cycle monitoring of protective health cancer interventions and early detection services for Latinx and African American patients in Chicago. Citation Format: Lisa Aponte-Soto. Assessing patient navigation and support services at FQHCs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2430.

Cognitive, Behavioral, and Situational Influences on Relapse to Smoking After Group Treatment for Tobacco Dependence.

Socioeconomic disparities in treatment failure rates for evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment are well-established. Adapted cognitive behavioral treatments are extensively tailored to meet the needs of lower socioeconomic status (SES) smokers and dramatically improve early treatment success, but there is little understanding of why treatment failure occurs after a longer period of abstinence than with standard treatment, why early treatment success is not sustained, and why long-term treatment failure rates are no different from standard treatments. We sought to understand the causes of treatment failure from the perspective of diverse participants who relapsed after receiving standard or adapted treatment in a randomized control trial. We used a qualitative approach and a cognitive-behavioral framework to examine themes in responses to a semi-structured post-relapse telephone interview. The primary causes of relapse were familiar (i.e., habit, stress, unanticipated precipitating events). The adapted treatment appeared to improve the management of habits and stress short-term, but did not adequately prepare respondents for unanticipated events. Respondents reported that they would have benefited from continued support. New therapeutic targets might include innovative methods to reduce long-term treatment failure by delivering extended relapse prevention interventions to support early treatment success.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02785536.

Tuberculosis notification and treatment outcome among migrant boat arrivals in Malta, 2007-2011.

The annual incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in Malta has remained low, at <20 per 100 000 population per year. However, TB notification among vulnerable groups is on the rise and is a matter of public health concern. We measured the TB notification rate, which ranged from 470 to 880/100 000 among migrant boat arrivals 1 year after arrival, highlighting the need to maintain high treatment success rates. Early case detection and high treatment success were observed due to post-arrival screening; however, the need for pragmatic, patient-friendly approaches that will encourage self-referral and access to treatment among migrant groups could play a significant role in preventing the re-emergence of TB in low-incidence settings.

Effect of music therapy on the anxiety levels and pregnancy rate of women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer: A randomized controlled trial

PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the effect of music therapy on the anxiety levels and pregnancy rates of women who underwent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. MethodsThis prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted with 186 infertile women who presented to the In Vitro Fertilization Unit at the American Hospital in Turkey between April 2015 and April 2016. The infertile women who met the inclusion criteria were assigned to the music therapy group or the standard therapy group through block randomization. The study data were collected using the Personal Information Form, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Early treatment success was determined by serum beta human chorionic gonadotrophin levels seven or ten days after the luteal day zero. For the analysis, descriptive statistics, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, independent sample t-test were used. ResultsAfter the embryo transfer, the mean state anxiety scores decreased in both groups, and the mean trait anxiety score decreased in the music therapy group; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Clinical pregnancy rates did not differ between the music (48.3%) and standard (46.4%) therapy groups. ConclusionAfter the two sessions of music therapy, state and trait anxiety levels decreased and pregnancy rates increased, but the difference was not significant. Therefore, larger sample sizes and more sessions are needed to evaluate whether music therapy has an effect on clinical outcomes.

Early Clinical Response as a Predictor of Late Treatment Success in Patients With Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections: Retrospective Analysis of 2 Randomized Controlled Trials.

NCT01170221; NCT01421511.

Development of a barriers scale to predict early treatment success for young children in poverty with behavior problems.

Development of a barriers scale to predict early treatment success for young children in poverty with behavior problems.