Group B Streptococcus in the urine in nonpregnant adults: Disease or distraction?

In this large, retrospective cohort study, we used administrative data to evaluate nonpregnant adults with group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteriuria. We found greater all-cause mortality in those with urinary tract infections compared to asymptomatic bacteriuria. Differences in patients' baseline characteristics and the 1-year mortality rate raise the possibility that provider practices contribute to differences observed.

Antibiotic exposure and acquisition of antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria among outpatients at a US Veterans Affairs medical center.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria (R-GNB) among patients without recent hospitalization and to examine the influence of outpatient antibiotic exposure on the risk of acquiring R-GNB in this population. Design: 2-year retrospective cohort study. Setting: Regional Veterans Affairs healthcare system. Patients: Outpatients at 13 community-based clinics. Methods: We examined the rate of acquisition of R-GNB within 90 days following an outpatient visit from 2018 to 2019. We used clinical and administrative databases to determine and summarize prescriptions for systemic antibiotics, associated infectious diagnoses, and subsequent R-GNB acquisition among patients without recent hospitalizations. We also calculated the odds ratio of R-GNB acquisition following antibiotic exposure. Results: During the 2-year study period, 7,215 patients had outpatient visits with microbiological cultures obtained within 90 days. Of these patients, 206 (2.9%) acquired an R-GNB. Among patients receiving antibiotics at the visit, 4.6% acquired a R-GNB compared to 2.7% among patients who did not receive antibiotics, yielding an unadjusted odds ratio of 1.75 (95% confidence interval, 1.18-2.52) for a R-GNB following an outpatient visit with versus without an antibiotic exposure. Regardless of R-GNB occurrence, >50% of antibiotic prescriptions were issued at visits without an infectious disease diagnosis or issued without documentation of an in-person or telehealth clinical encounter. Conclusions: Although the rate of R-GNBs was low (2.9%), the 1.75-fold increased odds of acquiring a R-GNB following an outpatient antibiotic highlights the importance of antimicrobial stewardship efforts in outpatient settings. Specific opportunities include reducing antibiotics prescribed without an infectious diagnosis or a clinical visit.

Expanding the definition beyond surveillance criteria reveals a large burden of osteomyelitis caused by group B Streptococcus in the United States Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND: Population-based surveillance studies may underestimate osteomyelitis caused by Group B Streptococcus (GBS). We analyzed cases of GBS osteomyelitis, including patients diagnosed using an expanded case definition that incorporates cultures from non-sterile sites, as well as cultures from normally sterile sites. METHODS: We retrospectively examined a cohort of veterans with the diagnosis of osteomyelitis between 2008 and 2017. Cases of definite GBS osteomyelitis required GBS isolation from normally sterile sites, (e.g., blood or bone). Cases of probable GBS osteomyelitis permitted GBS isolation from non-sterile sites (e.g., surgical sites, wounds). We compared comorbid conditions, lower extremity amputation and mortality rates in these groups. RESULTS: Among 1281 cases of GBS osteomyelitis, the median age was 63 years, 87% had diabetes mellitus and 37% had peripheral vascular disease. Similar characteristics were found in 768 (60%) cases classified as definite and 513 (40%) classified as probable GBS osteomyelitis. Polymicrobial infection was less frequent in patients with definite than with probable GBS osteomyelitis (45% vs. 85%; P < 0.001). Mortality rates within 1-year were similar for definite and probable GBS osteomyelitis (12% vs. 10%). Amputation within 1-year occurred in 21% of those with definite and 10% of those with probable GBS osteomyelitis of the lower extremity, with comparable rates in the subset with monomicrobial infection. CONCLUSIONS: Expanding the definition of GBS osteomyelitis to include cases with cultures from non-sterile sites may be warranted, increasing the estimated burden of GBS osteomyelitis. This can help guide preventive efforts to reduce the impact of GBS osteomyelitis.

Similar Mortality Among United States Veterans With Invasive and Noninvasive Pneumonia due to Group B Streptococcus.

BACKGROUND: The nosology of noninvasive pneumonia due to group B Streptococcus (GBS) is not well defined. This study compared clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with invasive pneumonia and noninvasive pneumonia caused by GBS. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare users between 2008 and 2017. Using data from electronic health records, we identified patients who had blood or respiratory cultures that grew GBS and had invasive pneumonia or noninvasive pneumonia. We analyzed patient and infection characteristics associated with all-cause mortality, including among the subset of patients with cultures that were monomicrobial for GBS. RESULTS: Among 1791 patients with GBS pneumonia, 646 (36%) cases were invasive and 1145 (64%) were noninvasive. Among those, 535 and 424 cases of invasive and noninvasive pneumonia, respectively, had cultures that were monomicrobial for GBS. All-cause 30-day mortality among those with monomicrobial GBS pneumonia was 15% for both those with invasive and noninvasive disease, respectively. Increasing age, severity of illness, healthcare exposure in the previous 90 days, and polymicrobial infection with Staphylococcus aureus were independently associated with all-cause mortality at 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort, even when considering cases for which GBS was the only pathogen recovered, >40% of GBS pneumonia cases were noninvasive. All-cause mortality was comparable for invasive and noninvasive pneumonia. These findings suggest that the burden of GBS pneumonia may be greater than previously recognized by surveillance of invasive GBS disease and may inform treatment and prevention efforts.

Data Matching to Support Analysis of Cancer Epidemiology Among Veterans Compared With Non-Veteran Populations-An Exemplar in Brain Tumors.

PURPOSE: State and national cancer registries do not systematically include Veteran data, which hinders analysis of the diagnosis patterns, treatment trajectories, and clinical outcomes of Veterans compared with non-Veteran populations. This study used data matching approaches to compare cases included in the Oncology Domain of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Corporate Data Warehouse and the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System, using brain tumors as an exemplar. METHODS: We used direct data matching, on the basis of protected health information (PHI) common to both databases, to compare primary brain tumors from Veterans and non-Veterans diagnosed from 2000 to 2016. Working with this matched data set, we used six data elements that did not contain PHI, to assess the feasibility of using deterministic data matching to compare Veterans and non-Veterans. RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2016, 223 Veterans from Ohio had a primary brain tumor; of those, 55 (25%) were not included in Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System. Direct data matching showed that Veterans experienced a greater proportion of glioblastomas (41%) compared with non-Veterans (21%). Sex did not account for this difference. Deterministic data matching within the matched data set found that 75% (126 of 168) of Veterans had exact matches for at least five of six non-PHI variables common to both databases. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that direct and deterministic data matching approaches to compare brain tumors in Veterans and in non-Veterans is feasible. This approach has the potential to promote comparisons of the distribution of tumors, the impact of chemical and environmental exposures, treatment trajectories, and clinical outcomes among Veteran and non-Veteran populations with brain tumors as well as other cancers and rare diseases.

Impact of fever thresholds in detection of COVID-19 in Department of Veterans Affairs Community Living Center residents.

BACKGROUND: Among nursing home residents, for whom age and frailty can blunt febrile responses to illness, the temperature used to define fever can influence the clinical recognition of COVID-19 symptoms. To assess the potential for differences in the definition of fever to characterize nursing home residents with COVID-19 infections as symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, or asymptomatic, we conducted a retrospective study on a national cohort of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Living Center (CLC) residents tested for SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: Residents with positive SARS-CoV-2 tests were classified as asymptomatic if they did not experience any symptoms, and as symptomatic or pre-symptomatic if the experienced a fever (>100.4°F) before or following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, respectively. All-cause 30-day mortality was assessed as was the influence of a lower temperature threshold (>99.0°F) on classification of residents with positive SARS-CoV-2 tests. RESULTS: From March 2020 through November 2020, VA CLCs tested 11,908 residents for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR, with a positivity of rate of 13% (1557). Among residents with positive tests and using >100.4°F, 321 (21%) were symptomatic, 425 (27%) were pre-symptomatic, and 811 (52%) were asymptomatic. All-cause 30-day mortality among residents with symptomatic and pre-symptomatic COVID-19 infections was 24% and 26%, respectively, while those with an asymptomatic infection had mortality rates similar to residents with negative SAR-CoV-2 tests (10% and 5%, respectively). Using >99.0°F would have increased the number of residents categorized as symptomatic at the time of testing from 321 to 773. CONCLUSIONS: All-cause 30-day mortality was similar among VA CLC residents with symptomatic or pre-symptomatic COVID-19 infection, and lower than rates reported in non-VA nursing homes. A lower temperature threshold would increase the number of residents recognized as having symptomatic infection, potentially leading to earlier detection and more rapid implementation of therapeutic interventions and infection prevention and control measures.

Risk Factors and Mortality Rates Associated With Invasive Group B Streptococcus Infections Among Patients in the US Veterans Health Administration.

Importance: The incidence of invasive infections caused by group B Streptococcus (GBS) continues to increase in the United States. Although diabetes is a key risk factor for invasive GBS, the influence of long-term glycemic control is not well characterized; other risk factors and mortality rates associated with specific types of invasive GBS infections are unknown. Objective: To investigate risk factors and mortality rates associated with specific invasive GBS infectious syndromes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used US Veterans Health Administration data to assess active users of the Veterans Affairs health care system between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2017. Data analysis was conducted from April 2018 to August 2019. Exposures: Invasive GBS infections. Main Outcomes and Measures: The specific types of infectious syndromes and comorbid conditions among patients with an invasive GBS infection were evaluated. Results: Between 2008 and 2017, 5175 patients in the Veterans Affairs health care system experienced 5497 invasive GBS infections (5027 [97.1%] men, 3737 [72.2%] white, and 4545 [87.8%] non-Latino); all-cause 30-day mortality was 8.7% (451 of 5175). The most frequently observed infections were osteomyelitis (1171 [21.3%]), bacteremia without focus (1009 [18.4%]), skin or soft-tissue infections (919 [16.7%]), and pneumonia or empyema (694 [12.6%]). All-cause 30-day mortality following the index infection for each patient was highest among patients with peritonitis (38 of 138 [27.5%]) and pneumonia or empyema (116 of 664 [17.5%]) and lowest among those with osteomyelitis (15 of 1075 [1.4%]) or joint infection (17 of 501 [3.4%]). The most common comorbid conditions among patients with invasive GBS infections were diabetes (3364 [65.0%]), obesity (2669 [51.6%]), and chronic heart conditions (1633 [31.6%]). From 2008 to 2017, the incidence of invasive GBS infections increased from 9.23 to 11.67 cases per 100 000 person-years (P = .049). Stratification by body mass index showed the highest incidence of infections among patients at the extremes of body mass index (body mass index <18.5, 25.1 cases per 100 000 person-years; body mass index ≥40, 31.0 cases per 100 000 person-years). The incidence among patients with diabetes and poor long-term glycemic control (ie, hemoglobin A1c ≥9.5%) was 4-fold greater than among patients with diabetes and good glycemic control (ie, hemoglobin A1c <7.5%) (78.3 cases vs 19.0 cases per 100 000 person-years; unadjusted incident rate ratio, 4.1; 95% CI, 3.7-4.4; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, comorbid conditions and 30-day mortality varied among types of invasive GBS infections. Obesity and poor long-term glycemic control were associated with invasive GBS infections. Efforts to reverse the trend of an increased incidence of invasive GBS infections should continue to support reducing obesity and focus on improving glycemic control.

Pilot study to assess subjective and objective reporting of potential adverse drug reactions in older versus younger HIV-infected patients using antiretroviral therapy.

Limited data exist on tolerability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in older HIV-infected patients compared to their younger counterparts. There is also concern for overlap of ART toxicities with concomitant conditions potentially leading to an increased burden of ART-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs). A prospective, descriptive-comparative study was conducted to compare incidence and severity of ADRs secondary to ART in older (≥ 50 years) versus younger (<50 years) HIV-infected patients. No differences were found in the presence or severity of subjective or objective ADRs between groups. The burden of intolerance appeared to be high for certain ADRs in both age groups. Regardless of age, subjects with certain concomitant illnesses had higher rates of potential ADRs. Providers need to be aware of patient characteristics that lead to increased rates of ART intolerance; for patients with an increased comorbidity burden, providers need to be attentive to the potential impact on ART tolerability.

An evaluation of patient area cleaning in 3 hospitals using a novel targeting methodology.

BACKGROUND: Although environmental cleaning and disinfecting practices have become a cornerstone of patient care, assessment of actual compliance with such procedures has not been reported. Using a novel methodology, we developed a means to monitor directly such activities. METHODS: A nontoxic target solution, which intensely fluoresces with a black light, was formulated to be inconspicuous yet readily removed by housekeeping products. Small volumes of material were confidentially applied to 12 target sites in patient rooms in 3 hospitals following terminal cleaning. The targets were reevaluated following terminal cleaning after several patients had occupied the room. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-seven rooms and 1404 targets were evaluated. In the 3 hospitals studied, only 45%, 42%, and 56% of targets were removed by routine terminal cleaning/disinfecting activities. The frequency with which various individual sites were cleaned varied widely but was similar in all hospitals. CONCLUSION: The use of a novel target compound to evaluate housekeeping practices confirmed high rates of cleaning of traditional sites but poor cleaning of many sites that have significant potential for harboring and transmitting microbial pathogens. This methodology has the potential for being used to evaluate objectively the cleaning/disinfecting activities in various health care settings.

Improved cleaning of patient rooms using a new targeting method.

We developed a new method using an invisible fluorescent marker to target standardized high-touch surfaces in hospital rooms. Evaluation of 1404 surface objects in 157 rooms in 3 hospitals revealed that 47% of targets had been cleaned. Educational interventions were implemented, leading to sustained improvement in cleaning of all objects and a >2-fold improvement in cleaning of surfaces previously cleaned <85% of the time (P

Modeling the effects of prior knowledge on learning incongruent features of category members.

The authors conducted 3 experiments addressing the issue of how observations and multiple sources of prior knowledge are put together in category learning. In Experiments 1 and 2, learning was faster for critical features, which were predictable on the basis of prior knowledge, than for filler features, and this advantage increased as more observations were made. In addition, learning was fastest for incongruent features that could only be predicted using knowledge from other domains. In Experiment 3, presenting contradictory features that violated prior knowledge led to rote learning rather than use of prior knowledge. The results were simulated with the Baywatch model, which addresses how observations of category members lead to recruitment and selection of sources of prior knowledge.

Joint laxity and the benign joint hypermobility syndrome in student and professional ballet dancers.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the prevalence of hypermobility and the benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS) in male and female student and professional ballet dancers, and explore whether BJHS has any effect on a dance career. METHODS: Students from the Royal Ballet School and professional dancers from the Royal Ballet Company, London, were compared with a control group of teenagers and adults from a local secondary school and The Royal Opera House, respectively. The data, examined by variance analysis, included anthropometric variables, the Beighton score, and clinical features constituting BJHS. Odds ratios for hypermobility and BJHS in dancers were calculated, and the prevalence and distribution of BJHS was examined. RESULTS: Hypermobility and BJHS were common in male and female dancers compared with controls. An OR of 11.0 (95% CI 3.3-31.8) was found for hypermobility in dancers for both the ballet school and the professional company. The prevalence of BJHS was found to decline both from student to professional and within the ballet company from corps de ballet to Principal. Odds ratios for BJHS in student dancers were significant, OR = 3.9 (95% CI 1.3-11.3), but not so in professional dancers: OR = 1.7 (95% CI 0.6-4.7). Arthralgia was common in dancers and was reported more often in males than females. In females, pain was reported most by dancers with other features of BJHS, in particular stretchy skin. CONCLUSION: Hypermobility and BJHS are common in both male and female student and professional ballet dancers. The fall in prevalence, and the greater reporting of arthralgia with other features of BJHS in young female dancers, suggests that BJHS may have an important negative influence, and this may have implications for training. The same pattern was not observed in males, suggesting that their pain-reporting and injury are related to factors other than BJHS.

Differences in symptom expression in older HIV-positive patients: The Veterans Aging Cohort 3 Site Study and HIV Cost and Service Utilization Study experience.

Symptom recognition is critical for patient care but has been little studied in older HIV-infected individuals. The authors examined differences in symptom expression between younger (younger than age 50 years) and older (older than age 50 years) HIV-infected individuals. The authors analyzed data from two cross-sectional studies of HIV-infected individuals: 2864 individuals from the HIV Cost and Service Utilization Study (HCSUS) and 881 individuals from the Veterans Aging Cohort 3 Site Study (VACS 3). The authors compared the prevalence of eight symptoms common to both studies and 10 symptoms examined only in the VACS 3 population, stratified by age and race. Disease severity was assessed by CD4 count and 18 HIV-related diseases reported. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to account for demographics and severity differences. VACS 3 versus HCSUS participants were more likely nonwhite and older. In unadjusted comparisons, older nonwhites were less likely to report experiencing symptoms than younger whites. They reported the fewest total number of symptoms and the fewest individual symptoms common to both studies (headache, fever, nausea/vomiting, and diarrhea) or in the VACS 3 only (dizziness, sleeping difficulty, fatigue, rashes, bloating, and myalgias/arthalgias). Multivariate regression estimates suggest older age predicts a greater likelihood of reporting peripheral neuropathy, weight loss, or hair loss, but a lower likelihood of reporting headaches, depressed mood, white oral patches, or diarrhea. Nonwhites appeared less likely to report symptoms. Age is a determinant of reporting certain symptoms in HIV disease but may be masked or accentuated by other factors such as race.