Retrospective Study Research Articles

Vasopressor Requirements in Antipsychotic Overdose: A Poison Center Observational Study.

The antipsychotic class of medications has a varying degree of peripheral alpha antagonism resulting vasodilation and potentially hypotension. These hemodynamic changes may require treatment with crystalloids and vasopressors. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of hypotension after antipsychotic overdose and characterize vasopressor use. A retrospective cohort study was conducted by chart review of electronic records from 2 regional poison centers from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2020. Inclusion criteria were single acute antipsychotic exposures evaluated in a health care facility and age >15. Exclusion criteria included missing data, minor or no effect outcomes, and polypharmacy overdose. The primary outcome was hypotension, which was defined as systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg and/or MAP <65. There were 4488 single acute antipsychotic overdoses that presented to a healthcare facility after the initial search was conducted. After exclusions, there were 2070 cases with moderate or severe outcomes. The mean age was 42 (SD = 16), and 70% were female. There were 169 cases with hypotension. Of the hypotensive cases, 92% involved atypical antipsychotics, with quetiapine being the most common (n = 128, 76%). Vasopressor therapy was administered in 16/169 cases (9.9%). In the cases where vasopressor use was recorded, norepinephrine was used 12 times, dopamine 3 times, and phenylephrine once. No deaths were reported. In antipsychotic overdoses that presented to a healthcare facility, hypotension was present in n = 169 (3.8%). Among patient reports to 2 regional poison centers, we found that hypotension following acute antipsychotic overdose was infrequent and vasopressors are rarely administered.

Cannabis use is associated with a lower likelihood of presence of HIV drug resistance mutations in a retrospective cohort of adults with HIV

Cannabis use is associated with a lower likelihood of presence of HIV drug resistance mutations in a retrospective cohort of adults with HIV

Environmental and geographical determinants of tuberculosis distribution in Sidi Kacem province, Morocco: a three-year retrospective study (2018–2020)

ABSTRACT This retrospective study analysed 1,506 tuberculosis cases (2018–2020) in Sidi Kacem province, Morocco, to investigate environmental and geographical determinants of disease distribution. Results revealed higher prevalence in rural areas (55%) than in urban settings (45%), with significant seasonal variations. Environmental factors, including housing conditions and geographical location, strongly correlated with disease patterns. Findings emphasise the need for environment-specific interventions in tuberculosis control strategies.

Adverse drug event profile of pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorder: a retrospective pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis study.

ABSTRACT Background Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) significantly affects global health, leading to physical deterioration and impacting personal and social relationships. This study aims to evaluate the adverse event profiles (AEP) of three USFDA-approved medications for AUD, acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone, using data from the USFDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS). Research designs and methods Reports related to acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone from March 2004 to March 2024 were extracted from the USFDA AERS database. Data were verified, and disproportionality analysis was conducted using frequentist and Bayesian methods. Adverse reactions were assessed based on reporting odds ratio, proportional reporting ratio, and Bayesian measures. Outcomes such as death, life-threatening events, and hospitalization were also analyzed. Results A total of 19,177 unique reports were analyzed (naltrexone: n = 18,544; acamprosate: n = 249; disulfiram: n = 384). Common adverse reactions included hepatobiliary, nervous system, and psychiatric disorders. Disulfiram was associated with coagulopathy and drug interactions, while naltrexone was linked to injection site reactions and hypersensitivity. Naltrexone had higher mortality reports, and disulfiram had more hospitalizations. Conclusion The study underscores the diverse AEPs of these medications, highlighting the need for careful monitoring and individualized treatment to ensure safety and efficacy in managing AUD.

Large-scale prospective serum metabolomic profiling reveals candidate predictive biomarkers for suspected preeclampsia patients

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy complication that contributes to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Understanding its pathogenesis and revealing predictive biomarkers are essential for guiding treatment decisions. In order to explore the global changes of serum metabolites in PE patients and identify potential predictive biomarkers for suspected PE patients (pregnant women who had already shown PE-related symptoms in the middle to late stages of pregnancy, but were not yet confirmatively diagnosed as PE.), a large-scale serum metabolomic analysis was conducted in this study with a prospective cohort of 328 suspected PE patients in the middle or late pregnancy stages, as well as a retrospective cohort of 30 healthy pregnant women and 30 PE patients. Using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC − MS), serum metabolomic profiling revealed that the development of PE was closely associated with disturbed amino acid metabolism. Moreover, a panel of seven predictive biomarkers including 2-methyl-3-hydroxy-5-formylpyridine-4-carboxylate, gamma-glutamyl-leucine, 2-hydroxyvaleric acid, LysoPC(16:1(9Z)/0:0), PC(DiMe(13,5)/MonoMe(13,5)), ADP-D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose and phenylalanyl-tryptophan were identified for PE development by performing multiple statistical analysis and LASSO regression analysis. The combination of these biomarkers showed promise in the prediction of PE development for suspected PE patients, with an AUC of 0.753 and 0.885 for the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of large-scale prospective metabolomic studies combined with machine learning algorithms in identifying key biomarkers for predicting PE development, while retrospective metabolomics studies provide insights into the pathogenesis of PE.

Emerging burden of post-cancer therapy complications on unplanned hospitalisation and costs among Australian cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study over 14 years

Cancer treatment using systemic therapy and radiotherapy may cause post-therapy complications, resulting in increased unplanned hospitalisation. The evidence on such complications, their impact on unplanned hospitalisations, and associated costs is scant in Australia. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of post-therapy complications, evaluate their impact on unplanned hospitalisation, length of stay (LOS) and investigate the associated medical costs. A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 8,633 cancer patients (1.03 million emergency hospital admissions) in Victoria, Australia from July 2006 to June 2020, from the Australian healthcare system perspective. Multivariate generalised linear regression models were employed to estimate the adjusted association between post-therapy complications and clinical characteristics with hospital LOS and associated hospitalisation medical costs. Approximately 52% of patients were male with an average patient age of 59.9 years. Annually, post-therapy complications leading to unplanned hospitalisations increased by 7.25%, outpacing the growth in overall hospitalisation admissions, which was 5.66% for overall hospitalisation admissions. A significant proportion of patients (71%) experienced multiple complications, with the most common being anemia (26%), sepsis (15%), nausea and vomiting (14%), and neutropenia (11%). Patients undergoing combined systemic and radiotherapy exhibited higher odds of post-therapy complications (OR = 8.24, 95%CI: 7.48 to 9.08) compared with those who only received systemic therapy. Mean hospital stay among patients who experienced post-therapy complications was 2.23 days per admission (360 days per patient), an extra 1.72 days per admission [95%CI: 1.68 to 1.76; 354 days per patient, 95%CI: 336 to 371 days] longer than patients without complications (0.51 days per admission and 6.48 days per patients). Overall, per-admission medical hospitalisation costs among patients with post-therapy complications were $8,791 higher than for patients who did not experience complications ($11,418 vs. $2,627 per admission, 95%CI: $8,685 to $8,897). Per-patient costs for unplanned hospitalisation due to post-therapy complications were significantly $1.82 million higher among patients than those without complications ($1.86 million vs. $33,599 per patient, 95%CI: $1.71 million to $1.94 million). The cost and hospitalisation stay (in days) varied by the type of therapy and cancer type. The study results indicate that post-therapy complications in cancer patients varied by the type of cancer and increased over the study period, leading to longer unplanned hospital stays and higher hospitalisation medical costs. The results highlight the need for better-customized treatment delivery strategies to address this burden and optimise resources in cancer care.

Impact of repeat testing in tuberculosis patients with a trace call on Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra: a retrospective cohort study.

This study aimed to see if rifampicin susceptibility can be determined on repeat sampling in pulmonary tuberculosis with a trace call on the first GeneXpert Ultra report. This retrospective cohort study included adults with a GeneXpert Ultra trace call in the first respiratory sample from January 2021 to June 2024. Of the 27 patients with repeat sampling done after the initial trace call, rifampicin susceptibility could be determined in 37% (n=10) of patients. Repeating GeneXpert Ultra testing in patients with an initial trace call is valuable for determining rifampicin susceptibility.

Effect of prenatal alcohol consumption on maternal anemia among pregnant women in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to multiple health, social and behavioral problems for both the mother and the offspring. Anemia is one of the major public health concerns and causes of morbidity and mortality among pregnant women with poor maternal and fetal outcomes in developing countries. This study aimed to identify the link between prenatal alcohol consumption and anemia among pregnant women in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. A facility-based retrospective cohort study was conducted among 1669 pregnant women who were booked in for antenatal care in Gondar town. We used a two-stage random sampling technique to recruit and include study participants in the cohort. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multivariable analysis was performed to examine the association between reported prenatal alcohol exposure (non-hazardous and hazardous) and anemia in pregnancy using log-binomial regression modeling. The burden of anemia in pregnancy was reported using the adjusted risk ratio (ARR) and population-attributable risk. The prevalence of anemia during pregnancy was 14.86% (95% CI 13.23 to 16.65%). Hazardous alcohol consumption during pregnancy was significantly associated with anemia in pregnancy (ARR=2.24; 95% CI 1.60, 3.15). The adjusted population-attributable risk of anemia in pregnancy related to hazardous alcohol consumption during pregnancy was 7.68%. This study revealed that anemia during pregnancy continues to be a public health concern. Regardless of timing, there is a clear association between prenatal alcohol consumption and anemia during pregnancy that suggests a need for targeted prenatal alcohol use screening, and ongoing intervention for alcoholic pregnant women.

Comparative analysis of polypropylene and dual mesh incisional hernia repair methods in open surgery following organ transplantation: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Transplant patients face a risk of developing incisional hernias. Establishing a reliable and secure incisional hernia repair method for this patient population remains a challenge. In this retrospective cohort study, we gathered data from patients who had undergone liver and kidney transplantations and subsequently had developed postoperative incisional hernias. Patient follow-up was extended for a minimum of 18 months. Primary outcomes focused on recurrence, hematoma, and infection rates, comparing the complication profiles of propylene mesh and Dual Mesh incisional hernia repair methods. 122 transplant patients with incisional hernias were included. The incidence of recurrence and infection after incisional hernia repair surgery was 20.6% and 5.9% for Dual Mesh and 22.2% and 9.9% for polypropylene mesh (P = 0.721 and 1.000). In liver recipients, the Dual Mesh method showed a slightly lower incidence of recurrence (17.9% vs. 23.3%) and infection (3.6% vs. 10.0%) compared to polypropylene mesh (P = 0.782, 0.423). Kidney recipients exhibited insignificant higher recurrence (33.3% vs. 19%) and infection rates (16.7% vs. 9.5%) with Dual Mesh (P = 0.588, 0.545). The results suggest that while trends indicate a lower recurrence and infection rate with Dual Mesh in liver transplant patients and a slightly higher recurrence and infection rate with Dual Mesh in kidney transplant patients, these differences were not statistically significant. Therefore, no definitive advantage of one mesh type over the other can be concluded from the data.

Fluid balance and clinical outcomes in patients with aortic dissection: a retrospective case-control study based on ICU databases

ObjectivesAortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening condition that requires intensive care and management. This paper explores the role of fluid management in the clinical care of AD patients, which has...

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the prevalence of cutaneous melanoma: a retrospective observational study of NHANES statistics spanning 1999 to 2018.

This study aimed to investigated the association between the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (NLR) and cutaneous melanoma (CM) and to determine the association between the NLR and the prevalence of CM. A retrospective observational study involving 62,102 individuals over the age of 18, drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was carried out over the period from 1999 to 2018. NLR derived from laboratory data, while CM diagnosis was based on participants' self-reports. The relationship between the NLR and CM was assessed using weighted logistic regression analyses, complemented by restricted cubic spline analyses. The study encompassed a total of 336 adults afflicted with CM and 49,621 adults free from CM. The findings exposed a correlation between the NLR and the occurrence of CM, having an odds ratio (OR) of 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07 to 2.48; p = 0.022). Moreover, the restricted cubic spline model showed a non-linear pattern between the NLR and CM. Overall, we found that the NLR was positively associated with the prevalence of CM. Our findings highlight that NLR may be a systemic inflammation waring marker for CM in US individuals.

Duplex Ultrasound in Evaluating Transplanted Renal Artery In-Stent Restenosis.

To evaluate the diagnosis performance of duplex ultrasound (DUS) in predicting transplanted renal artery (TRA) in-stent restenosis (ISR). In this retrospective study, 112 consecutive patients underwent stenting due to TRA stenosis. DUS were performed within 1 week after stenting for baseline value, and after ≥3 months follow-up for surveillance of ISR. The DUS measurements included peak systolic velocity (PSV) and PSV ratio of renal artery stent to iliac artery (RIR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to evaluate the diagnosis performance of DUS parameters in predicting ISR. There were 69 patients (28 men; age, 38.3 ± 15.1 years) who obtained 92 adequate paired DUS and CTA after stenting, which were classified as ISR group (26 TRAs) and non-ISR group (66 TRAs). There was no difference between the two groups for baseline DUS features, including PSVB and RIRB. The late DUS features including stent PSVL (475.5 vs 261.9 cm/s), RIRL (4.10 vs 2.18), and stent PSVL/PSVB (2.72 vs 1.14) were significantly higher in the ISR group than the non-ISR group (all P < .0001). Stent PSVL, RIRL, and PSVL/PSVB demonstrated comparable AUCs in predicting ISR. However, the sensitivity and specificity of PSVL/PSVB in predicting ISR were 92.3 and 93.5%, respectively, demonstrating higher specificity with equivalent sensitivity than PSVL and higher sensitivity with equivalent specificity than RIRL. DUS is an accurate technique to identify TRA-ISR. We suggest all patients should undergo DUS immediately after stenting to establish baseline value and aid in evaluating ISR at late follow-up.

Lumboperitoneal shunts in children: a retrospective study

BackgroundLumboperitoneal shunts have been used as a valuable CSF diversion tool in the pediatric age group. This retrospective study reports the indications, outcomes, and possible complications of lumboperitoneal shunts placed in children.ResultsA total of 19 patients are included in our study. 12 children were males (63.2%) and 7 were females (36.8%). The mean age at LP shunt placement was 5.7 years (6 months–12 years), and most of the children were in the school-age group 11 (57.9%). Idiopathic intracranial hypertension was the most identifiable cause in 9 cases (47.4%), and headache was the most common presenting symptom in 6 patients. The mean follow-up was 36.1 months (17–61 months). Two patients underwent shunt revision due to catheter migration, and three patients (15.8%) developed acquired Chiari malformation for whom the lumboperitoneal shunt was removed and replaced with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt; all the patients are doing well till the last follow-up.ConclusionLumboperitoneal shunt insertion is a safe and valuable CSF diversion tool in children for various indications on the top of it is idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Long-term follow-up is required for the possibility of acquired Chiari malformation, and the presence of a horizontal–vertical valve could avoid this possible problem.

One stage transanal versus one stage laparoscopic-assisted transanal endorectal pull-through in managing Hirschsprung’s disease in pediatric age group; a retrospective study

BackgroundThe management of Hirschsprung’s disease has evolved from the conventional route to the minimally invasive route in one stage either from the pure transanal route or with the assistance of laparoscopy. Our study compared the surgical and functional outcomes of both approaches.MethodsOur retrospective study included 72 pediatric patients presented with Hirschsprung’s Disease to Elshatby University Hospital, 40 patients were treated by TAERPT (Group A) and 32 patients were treated by LAERPT (Group B). The two groups were compared as regards the personal data, the operative data, and the post-operative outcomes including the time of passage of stools, time of tolerating oral feeding, the duration of hospital stay, and the development of any early postoperative complications. Moreover, the frequency of defecation, constipation, enterocolitis, anastomotic stricture, and continence were assessed.ResultsThe age at operation was significantly lower (p < 0.001*) in patients of Group A (13.95 ± 18.18) than in patients of Group B (32.03 ± 16.20). The total operative duration was not different between the two groups, however, a significantly shorter duration of the anal part (p < 0.001*) in Group B (47.81 ± 18) than in Group A (96.50 ± 38.60) was recorded. A significantly longer colonic segment (p < 0.001*) was resected in Group A (28 ± 4.05) than in Group B (22.70 ± 8.12). The hospital stay was significantly shorter in Group B (5.78 ± 2.41) than in Group A (7.20 ± 2.78). (p = 0.001*) The excised segment revealed a proximal aganglionic zone in four patients denoting a missed segment; three in Group B and only one patient in Group A. There were no differences as regards the early and late follow-up parameters.ConclusionsEndorectal pull-through for the treatment of Hirschsprung’s disease could be approached either completely transanal or with the assistance of laparoscopy with nearly similar surgical and functional outcomes, however a longer operative duration with a shorter anal stage is recorded with the laparoscopic assistance. Furthermore, a shorter hospital stay could be achieved with the aid of laparoscopy.Trial registrationProtocol ID: 0306356, Registration number: NCT06419998, 20/05/2024 - Retrospectively registered

The impact of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease on activities of daily living in home care patients.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) causes narrowing of the lower extremity arteries and impacts daily living activities. This retrospective study (April 2023 - April 2024) examined 171home care patients, with 31.6% diagnosed with PAD. Of these, 37.4% were fully dependent, 36.3% (n = 62) were severely dependent, 16.4% (n = 28) were moderately dependent, 7.0% (n = 12) were mildly dependent, 2.9% (n = 5) were independent, and PAD prevalence was higher among severely dependent patients. Dementia was identified as a significant risk factor for PAD. The high prevalence of PAD among severely dependent individuals suggests a potential link between lifestyle factors and PAD risk. The study highlights the need for further research on whether modifying PAD risk factors can enhance patient independence.

Predicting axillary residual disease after neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer using baseline MRI and ultrasound.

To predict axillary node residual disease in women treated for node-positive breast cancer (BC) by neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), using breast BI-RADS MRI features and axillary ultrasound at baseline. In this single-center, retrospective study, women with node-positive BC who underwent NAT between 2016 and 2021 were included. Pre-treatment axillary US and breast MRIs were evaluated using the BI-RADS lexicon and T2 features, including Breast Edema Score. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for the prediction of axillary residual disease (ARD). A multivariable model based on logistic regression was trained and evaluated on randomly split train and test sets (7:3 ratio). Out of the 141 women, 41% had post-NAT ARD. Axillary metastasis was independently associated with luminal subtype (odds ratio (OR), 25.5; p < 0.001), anterior tumor location (OR, 14.1; p = 0.008), and cortical thickening ≥ 7 mm (OR, 6.09; p = 0.002). Intratumoral T2 high signal intensity was protective (OR, 0.16; p = 0.006), while Ki67 had a marginal association (p = 0.064). In the training and test sets, the model, which is available online, achieved AUCs of 0.860 (95% CI: 0.783-0.936) and 0.843 (95% CI: 0.714-0.971), respectively. Anterior depth location and cortical thickening greater than 7 mm were also independently associated with post-NAT axillary burden. Adjusting for BC subtype and KI-67 index, the anterior third location of BC, a cortical thickness greater than 7 mm, and the absence of intratumoral T2 hyperintensity is predictive of ARD after NAT. Question What baseline imaging-based predictive models can identify patients at risk of persistent nodal disease after neoadjuvant therapy? Findings Baseline US cortical thickness superior to 7 mm, anterior tumor location, and absence of an intratumoral high signal on T2-weighted MRI predict residual axillary disease. Clinical relevance Our predictive model, available online at: litoic.shinyapps.io/LNPred_Apps , including breast cancer subtype, Ki-67 index level, breast cancer location, intratumoral signal intensity on T2WI, and initial lymph node thickness, could guide post-NAT axillary management.

Insulin resistance surrogates are associated with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in population with metabolic syndrome: a retrospective cohort study of NHANES

The study aimed to assess the association of five insulin resistance surrogates, namely HOMA-β (Homeostasis Model Assessment of Beta-cell Function), QUICKI (Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index), IGR (Insulin Glucose Ratio), e-IS (Estimated Insulin Sensitivity), and Bennett ISI(Bennett’s insulin sensitivity index) with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in respondents with metabolic syndrome(MetS). The prospective cohort of 6662 participants aged 18 years and older with metabolic syndrome was extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES 1999–2016). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model, Kaplan-Meier survival curve, and log-rank tests were applied to determine the association between the five indices and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in the MetS population. Restricted cubic splines, a two-piece segmented Cox proportional hazards model, and threshold effect analyses were performed to evaluate the nonlinear relationship. Sensitivity analyses were then conducted by removing individuals with CKD, CHF, CAD, stroke, or cancer, respectively. All five insulin resistance (IR) surrogates displayed a negative association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in participants with metabolic syndrome. Restricted cubic spline curves showed QUICKI, IGR, and e-IS had a nonlinear relationship with statistical significance. MetS population at the highest quartile of HOMA-β or IGR exhibited lower all-cause and cardiovascular event probabilities compared with those at the lowest quartile, and e-IS had a similar correlation with cardiovascular events. Threshold effect analyses showed that there were inflection points of IGR for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. As IGR gradually approached inflection points, the two types of mortality risks descended by 15%[HR 0.85(0.80,0.91)] and 19%[HR 0.81(0.71,0.92)], respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicated most results were robust, but Bennett ISI did not exhibit significant outcomes in participants without CKD. Our study provides evidence that HOMA-β, QUICKI, IGR, e-IS, and Bennett ISI displayed a reverse correlation with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in participants with metabolic syndrome. The five IR surrogates should be given more attention during the follow-up of MetS population.

Early MRI changes in status epilepticus: Associations with seizure characteristics, EEG findings, and prognosis in patients without large lesions.

To investigate the role, frequency, and pattern of signal changes in cranial MRI associated with status epilepticus (SE) and their correlation with EEG and clinical findings in patients with large lesions, such as tumors, strokes, or major space-occupying anomalies. This retrospective cohort study included 44 patients diagnosed with SE between January 2013 and June 2019. Data on demographic and clinical characteristics, seizure semiology, SE features (type and prognosis), and EEG and MRI findings were collected from hospital records. The relationships between periictal MRI abnormalities, MRI lateralization, clinical semiology, EEG findings, SE prognosis, and outcome at discharge were analyzed. The median age of participants was 61.5 years, with 65.91% being female. Bilateral MRI signals were significantly more common in patients with generalized convulsive SE. Patients with SWI signal changes had a significantly lower median age and a higher percentage of previous epilepsy history. Increased signal intensity on DWI and T2-FLAIR sequences was observed in 86.4% and 22.7% of patients, respectively. Among those with increased DWI signals, the neocortex was a common localization (45.45%). The group with T2-FLAIR signal increases had a significantly lower median age, a higher percentage of generalized convulsive SE, and a lower percentage of non-convulsive SE. Poor prognosis was observed in 40.91% of patients, with generalized EEG findings significantly more frequent in this group. Periictal MRI findings in SE patients demonstrated significant associations with clinical presentation but showed no correlation with EEG or prognosis. Further research is needed to explore the link between MRI findings and SE prognosis in the acute phase.

Bacterial resistance profile and its association with poor outcome among cirrhosis patients attending a tertiary care referral center in northern India.

The epidemiological connections, predisposing factors and clinical outcomes of infections by drug-resistant bacteria in cirrhosis are poorly documented. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the risk factors, complications and patterns of bacterial resistance among these patients. This retrospective observational study was conducted from March 1, 2021, to July 31, 2023, at a tertiary care centre in Uttar Pradesh. Patients of cirrhosis aged ≥ 18years with microbial infection were included in the study. Samples, as indicated, were sent to the microbiology lab for culture and sensitivity. The patient's clinical history, details regarding bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity results were extracted from the hospital information system (HIS) and entered into an excel sheet. Univariate analysis of the variables was done and the statistical significance of these variables was determined using the p-value. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. During the study period, 765 patients were diagnosed with cirrhosis, of which 248 (32%) had a positive bacterial culture report. Among them, 206 (83.1%) patients recovered and were discharged in stable condition. Among the cirrhotic patients, the most common infection was spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (49.5%), followed by bacteremia (39.1%), lower respiratory tract infections (6.4%), urinary tract infections (2.9%) and skin and soft tissue infections (2%). Escherichia coli (28%) was the most common gram-negative bacteria. Multidrug-resistant organism infections were seen in 134 (54%) patients. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) infection (31.4%) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) infection (22.6%) were significantly associated with poor outcomes among these patients. Carbapenem-resistant organisms (22.6%) were the predominant resistant patterns seen among the gram-negative isolates in cirrhosis patients. The mortality rate among these cirrhotic patients with bacterial infection was 16.9%. MDR and XDR bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients are an emerging threat that has a detrimental effect on prognosis. Thus, it is critical to assess strategies to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance in cirrhosis.

Development of the pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary vascular resistance, six minute walk distance, B-type natriuretic peptide, age (PVD-B65) risk score for patients with chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension

BackgroundPulmonary hypertension (PH) confers increased mortality in patients with chronic lung disease, yet there remains a lack of validated risk assessment tools to prognosticate these patients. We aimed to create a risk assessment tool to stratify patients with chronic lung disease and PH by risk of one-year mortality from time of PH diagnosis.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of patients with chronic lung disease and PH. We identified predictors of one-year mortality via multivariable Cox regression and assigned point values to the identified predictors based on their hazard ratios to comprise the risk score. Patients were stratified into low, intermediate, and high-risk based on total scores. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis comparing the stratified groups was performed. Internal statistical validation was performed via Cox regression with bootstrapping.ResultsThe identified predictors of one-year mortality that comprised our risk assessment tool were pulmonary fibrosis without emphysema, pulmonary vascular resistance > 5 WU, six-minute walk distance < 150 m, BNP > 200 pg/mL, and age > 65 years (PVD-B65). Once patients were stratified into the three risk groups, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated significant differences in one-year survival between the subgroups (logrank p = 0.002). The risk assessment model demonstrated internal validation via bootstrapping (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe PVD-B65 risk assessment tool is a novel, internally validated one-year mortality risk calculator for patients with chronic lung disease and PH that encompasses factors related to pulmonary parenchymal and vascular remodeling. It may help risk stratify and guide therapeutic interventions in patients with chronic lung disease and PH.