Exploring patients' perspectives: a mixed methods study on Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) experiences.

BACKGROUND: Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT), an alternative to inpatient intravenous antibiotic therapy, has shown benefits in international studies such as increased patient satisfaction. Because OPAT has been used only sporadically in Germany so far, no structured results on patients' experiences and concerns regarding OPAT have yet been available. This study therefore aims to explore the experiences of OPAT patients in a pilot region in Germany. METHODS: This is an observational study in a German pilot region, including a survey of 58 patients on their experiences with OPAT, and in-depth interviews with 12 patients (explanatory-sequential mixed-methods design). RESULTS: Patients reported that they were satisfied with OPAT. That a hospital discharge was possible and anti-infective therapy could be continued in the home environment was rated as being particularly positive. In the beginning, many patients in the interviews were unsure about being able to administer the antibiotic therapy at home on their own. However, healthcare providers (doctors and pharmacy service provider staff) were able to allay these concerns. Patients appreciated regular contact with care providers. There were suggestions for improvement, particularly concerning the organization of the weekly check-up appointments and the provision of information about OPAT. CONCLUSIONS: Patients were generally satisfied with OPAT. However, the treatment structures in Germany still need to be expanded to ensure comprehensive and high-quality OPAT care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04002453, https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ , (registration date: 2019-06-21).

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in Germany: insights and clinical outcomes from the K-APAT cohort study.

PURPOSE: Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) offers several key advantages, including enhanced patient quality of life, reduced healthcare costs, and a potential reduction of nosocomial infections. It is acknowledged for its safety and effectiveness. This study provides the first systematic clinical data for Germany, where OPAT has not yet been widely adopted. The aim is to establish a foundational reference point for further research and integration of OPAT into the German healthcare system. METHODS: This prospective observational study descriptively analyses data obtained from a cohort of patients receiving OPAT. Both in- and outpatients from all medical specialties could be recruited. Patients administered the anti-infective medications themselves at home using elastomeric pumps. RESULTS: 77 patients received OPAT, with a median duration of 15 days and saving 1782 inpatient days. The most frequently treated entities were orthopaedic infections (n = 20, 26%), S. aureus bloodstream infection (n = 16, 21%) and infectious endocarditis (n = 11, 14%). The most frequently applied drugs were flucloxacillin (n = 18, 23%), penicillin G (n = 13, 17%) and ceftriaxone (n = 10; 13%). Only 5% of patients (n = 4) reported to have missed more than one outpatient dose (max. 3 per patient). Only one catheter-related adverse event required medical intervention, and there were no catheter-related infections. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that OPAT can be safely conducted in Germany. In preparation for its broader implementation, crucial next steps include creating medical guidelines, fostering interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral communication, as well as creating financial and structural regulations that facilitate and encourage the adoption of OPAT. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04002453.

Personalized, interdisciplinary patient pathway for cross-sector care of multimorbid patients (eliPfad trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbid and frail elderly patients often carry a high burden of treatment. Hospitalization due to the onset of an acute illness can disrupt the fragile balance, resulting in further readmissions after hospital discharge. Current models of care in Germany do not meet the needs of this patient group. Rather lack of coordination and integration of care combined with a lack of interdisciplinary approaches result in fragmented and inadequate care and increase the burden of treatment even more. METHODS: eliPfad is a randomized controlled trial conducted in 6 hospitals in Germany. Multimorbid elderly patients aged 55 or older are randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Patients in the intervention group receive the eliPfad intervention additional to standard care. The core components of eliPfad are: Early assessment of patients' individual treatment burden and support through a specially trained case manager Involvement of the patient's general practitioner (GP) right from the beginning of the hospital stay Preparation of an individual, cross-sectoral treatment plan through the interdisciplinary hospital team with the involvement of the patient's GP Establishment of a cross-sectoral electronic patient record (e-ePA) for documentation and cross-sectoral exchange Support/Promote patient adherence Tailored early rehabilitation during the hospital stay, which is continued at home Close-tele-monitoring of medically meaningful vital parameters through the use of tablets, digital devices, and personal contacts in the home environment The intervention period begins in the hospital and continues 6 weeks after discharge. Patients in the control group will be treated according to standard clinical care and discharged according to current discharge management. The primary aim is the prevention/reduction of readmissions in the first 6 months after discharge. In addition, the impact on health-related quality of life, the burden of treatment, survival, self-management, medication prescription, health literacy, patient-centered care, cost-effectiveness, and process evaluation will be examined. Nine hundred forty-eight patients will be randomized 1:1 to intervention and control group. DISCUSSION: If eliPfad leads to fewer readmissions, proves (cost-)effective, and lowers the treatment burden, it should be introduced as a new standard of care in the German healthcare system. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Registry (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (DRKS)) on 08/14/2023 under the ID DRKS00031500 .

Feasibility and impact of ketogenic dietary interventions in polycystic kidney disease: KETO-ADPKD-a randomized controlled trial.

Ketogenic dietary interventions (KDIs) are beneficial in animal models of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). KETO-ADPKD, an exploratory, randomized, controlled trial, is intended to provide clinical translation of these findings (NCT04680780). Sixty-six patients were randomized to a KDI arm (ketogenic diet [KD] or water fasting [WF]) or the control group. Both interventions induce significant ketogenesis on the basis of blood and breath acetone measurements. Ninety-five percent (KD) and 85% (WF) report the diet as feasible. KD leads to significant reductions in body fat and liver volume. Additionally, KD is associated with reduced kidney volume (not reaching statistical significance). Interestingly, the KD group exhibits improved kidney function at the end of treatment, while the control and WF groups show a progressive decline, as is typical in ADPKD. Safety-relevant events are largely mild, expected (initial flu-like symptoms associated with KD), and transient. Safety assessment is complemented by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) lipid profile analyses.

A Low-Cost Sequencing Platform for Rapid Genotyping in ADPKD and its Impact on Clinical Care.

Introduction: Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic cause of kidney failure. Because of the heterogeneity in disease progression in ADPKD, parameters predicting future outcome are important. The disease-causing genetic variant is one of these parameters. Methods: A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based panel (MPP) was established for analysis of 6 polycystic kidney disease (PKD) genes (PKD1, PKD2, HNF1B, GANAB, DZIP1L, and PKHD1) in 441 patients with ADPKD. Selected patients were additionally sequenced using Sanger sequencing or a custom enrichment-based gene panel. Results were combined with clinical characteristics to assess the impact of genetic data on clinical decision-making. Variants of unclear significance (VUS) were considered diagnostic based on a classic ADPKD clinical phenotype. Results: Using the MPP, disease-causing variants were detected in 65.3% of patients. Sanger sequencing and the custom gene panel in 32 patients who were MPP-negative revealed 20 variants missed by MPP, (estimated overall false negative rate 24.6%, false-positive rate 9.4%). Combining clinical and genetic data revealed that knowledge of the genotype could have impacted the treatment decision in 8.2% of patients with a molecular genetic diagnosis. Sequencing only the PKD1 pseudogene homologous region in MPP-negative patients resulted in an acceptable false-negative rate of 3.28%. Conclusion: The MPP yields rapid genotype information at lower costs and allows for simple extension of the panel for new disease genes. Additional sequencing of the PKD1 pseudogene homologous region is required in negative cases. Access to genotype information even in settings with limited resources is important to allow for optimal patient counseling in ADPKD.

RESET-PKD: a pilot trial on short-term ketogenic interventions in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Ketogenic dietary interventions (KDI) have been shown to be effective in animal models of polycystic kidney disease (PKD), but data from clinical trials are lacking. METHODS: Ten autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD) patients with rapid disease progression were enrolled at visit V1 and initially maintained a carbohydrate-rich diet. At V2, patients entered one of the two KDI arms: a 3-day water fast (WF) or a 14-day ketogenic diet (KD). At V3, they resumed their normal diet for 3-6 weeks until V4. At each visit, magnetic resonance imaging kidney and liver volumetry was performed. Ketone bodies were evaluated to assess metabolic efficacy and questionnaires were used to determine feasibility. RESULTS: All participants [KD n = 5, WF n = 5; age 39.8 ± 11.6 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate 82 ± 23.5 mL/min/1.73 m2; total kidney volume (TKV) 2224 ± 1156 mL] were classified as Mayo Class 1C-1E. Acetone levels in breath and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) blood levels increased in both study arms (V1 to V2 average acetone: 2.7 ± 1.2 p.p.m., V2 to V3: 22.8 ± 11.9 p.p.m., P = .0006; V1 to V2 average BHB: 0.22 ± 0.08 mmol/L, V2 to V3: 1.88 ± 0.93 mmol/L, P = .0008). Nine of 10 patients reached a ketogenic state and 9/10 evaluated KDIs as feasible. TKV did not change during this trial. However, we found a significant impact on total liver volume (ΔTLV V2 to V3: -7.7%, P = .01), mediated by changes in its non-cystic fraction. CONCLUSIONS: RESET-PKD demonstrates that short-term KDIs potently induce ketogenesis and are feasible for ADPKD patients in daily life. While TLV quickly changed upon the onset of ketogenesis, changes in TKV may require longer-term interventions.

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy in Germany: a prospective cohort study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) means intravenous administration of antibiotics outside the hospital. The antibiotics are administered at the patient's home. The advantages are the shortening of the inpatient stay, which means that patients can remain in their familiar environment, the reduction of nosocomial infections as well as the reduction of hospital and therapy costs. Nevertheless, OPAT is rarely performed in Germany, despite its international application. Therefore, systematic data on OPAT are not available in Germany. The project objective is to investigate the medical care using OPAT under medical, epidemiological and economic aspects within the framework of the Cologne Network of Infectious Diseases. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Observational study with mixed-methods approach, qualitative analysis to identify physician-side factors to assess the attitude of general practitioners in Cologne with regard to possible implementation barriers of an OPAT. Longitudinal analysis of an OPAT patient cohort with respect to clinical and patient-relevant outcomes using descriptive and conclusive statistics. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Cologne, Germany (19-1284-1). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at one or more scientific conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04002453.

Resolving and Rescuing Developmental Miswiring in a Mouse Model of Cognitive Impairment.

Cognitive deficits, core features of mental illness, largely result from dysfunction of prefrontal networks. This dysfunction emerges during early development, before a detectable behavioral readout, yet the cellular elements controlling the abnormal maturation are still unknown. Here, we address this open question by combining in vivo electrophysiology, optogenetics, neuroanatomy, and behavioral assays during development in mice mimicking the dual genetic-environmental etiology of psychiatric disorders. We report that pyramidal neurons in superficial layers of the prefrontal cortex are key elements causing disorganized oscillatory entrainment of local circuits in beta-gamma frequencies. Their abnormal firing rate and timing relate to sparser dendritic arborization and lower spine density. Administration of minocycline during the first postnatal week, potentially acting via microglial cells, rescues the neuronal deficits and restores pre-juvenile cognitive abilities. Elucidation of the cellular substrate of developmental miswiring causing later cognitive deficits opens new perspectives for identification of neurobiological targets amenable to therapies.

From Shortage to Surge: A Developmental Switch in Hippocampal-Prefrontal Coupling in a Gene-Environment Model of Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Cognitive deficits represent a major burden of neuropsychiatric disorders and result in part from abnormal communication within hippocampal-prefrontal circuits. While it has been hypothesized that this network dysfunction arises during development, long before the first clinical symptoms, experimental evidence is still missing. Here, we show that pre-juvenile mice mimicking genetic and environmental risk factors of disease (dual-hit GE mice) have poorer recognition memory that correlates with augmented coupling by synchrony and stronger directed interactions between prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The network dysfunction emerges already during neonatal development, yet it initially consists in a diminished hippocampal theta drive and consequently, a weaker and disorganized entrainment of local prefrontal circuits in discontinuous oscillatory activity in dual-hit GE mice when compared with controls. Thus, impaired maturation of functional communication within hippocampal-prefrontal networks switching from hypo- to hyper-coupling may represent a mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Spindle Activity Orchestrates Plasticity during Development and Sleep.

Spindle oscillations have been described during early brain development and in the adult brain. Besides similarities in temporal patterns and involved brain areas, neonatal spindle bursts (NSBs) and adult sleep spindles (ASSs) show differences in their occurrence, spatial distribution, and underlying mechanisms. While NSBs have been proposed to coordinate the refinement of the maturating neuronal network, ASSs are associated with the implementation of acquired information within existing networks. Along with these functional differences, separate synaptic plasticity mechanisms seem to be recruited. Here, we review the generation of spindle oscillations in the developing and adult brain and discuss possible implications of their differences for synaptic plasticity. The first part of the review is dedicated to the generation and function of ASSs with a particular focus on their role in healthy and impaired neuronal networks. The second part overviews the present knowledge of spindle activity during development and the ability of NSBs to organize immature circuits. Studies linking abnormal maturation of brain wiring with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders highlight the importance to better elucidate neonatal plasticity rules in future research.

Complex Multiplexing of Reward-Cue- and Licking-Movement-Related Activity in Single Midline Thalamus Neurons.

Midline thalamus is implicated in linking visceral and exteroceptive sensory information with behavior. However, whether neuronal activity is modulated with temporal precision by cues and actions in real time is unknown. Using single-neuron recording and a Pavlovian visual-cue/liquid-reward association task in rats, we discovered phasic responses to sensory cues, appropriately timed to modify information processing in output targets, as well as tonic modulations within and between trials that were differentially reward modulated, which may have distinct arousal functions. Many of the cue-responsive neurons also responded to repetitive licks, consistent with sensorimotor integration. Further, some lick-related neurons were activated only by the first rewarded lick and only if that lick were also part of a conditioned response sequence initiated earlier, consistent with binding action decisions to their ensuing outcome. This rich repertoire of responses provides electrophysiological evidence for midline thalamus as a site of complex information integration for reward-mediated behavior. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Disparate brain circuits are involved in sensation, movement, and reward information. These must interact in order for the relationships between cues, actions, and outcomes to be learned. We found that responses of single neurons in midline thalamus to sensory cues are increased when associated with reward. This output may amplify similar signals generated in parallel by the dopamine system. In addition, some neurons coded a three-factor decision in which the neuron fired only if there was a movement, if it was the first one after the reward becoming available, and if it was part of a sequence triggered in response to a preceding cue. These data highlight midline thalamus as an important node integrating multiple types of information for linking sensation, actions, and rewards.

Neuronal activity in the medial associative-limbic and lateral motor part of the rat subthalamic nucleus and the effect of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions of the dorsolateral striatum.

Lesions of the rat nigrostriatal dopamine system by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lead to abnormal neuronal activity in the basal ganglia (BG) motor loop similar to that found in Parkinson's disease (PD). In the BG motor loop the subthalamic nucleus (STN) represents an important structure, which, however, also comprises areas of the BG associative and limbic loops. We were interested whether neuronal activity would differ between the STN medial associative-limbic and lateral motor part, and whether selective 6-OHDA-induced lesions of the dorsolateral striatum, the entrance region of the BG motor loop, would differently affect these subregions. In male Sprague-Dawley rats 6-OHDA (n = 12) or vehicle (n = 10) was bilaterally injected in the dorsolateral striatum. Four weeks later extracellular single-unit activity and local field potentials were recorded in medial and lateral STN neurons of urethane-anesthetized rats. In sham-lesioned rats the discharge rate and burst activity were higher in the lateral compared to the medial STN. Similar differences were found for other neuronal activity measures (coefficient of variation of interspike interval, skewness, kurtosis, approximate entropy). After 6-OHDA injection neuronal burst activity was enhanced, while the discharge rate was not affected. In addition, in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats ß-band oscillatory activity was enhanced, with no difference between STN subregions. We found important differences of neuronal activity between STN subregions, indicating functional segregation. However, selective 6-OHDA lesions of the dorsolateral striatum also had a pronounced effect on the medial STN subregion, indicating interaction between BG loops.

Intraocular lens calculation for aspheric intraocular lenses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the possible benefits of biometry and ray-tracing intraocular lens (IOL) calculation for aspheric aberration-correcting IOLs. SETTING: Private eye clinic in Germany. DESIGN: Retrospective consecutive case series. METHODS: Eyes with 3 different aberration-correcting IOLs were reviewed. Before surgery, the axial length, corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, crystalline lens thickness, and corneal radii were measured with the Lenstar biometer. Subjective refraction was taken 1 month after surgery. Okulix ray-tracing software (version 8.79) and the Hoffer Q, Holladay, and SRK/T formulas were used to calculate a prediction error based on preoperative biometry data, the given IOL, and the manifest refraction. RESULTS: The study evaluated 308 eyes of 185 patients. The median absolute error was 0.28 diopters (D) for the Hoffer Q, 0.27 D for the Holladay, 0.28 D for the SRK/T, and 0.24 D for ray-tracing calculation. Using ray-tracing calculation, 95% of eyes were within ±0.71 D of the predicted refraction as opposed to ±0.85 D with the Hoffer Q, ±0.82 D with the Holladay, and ±0.84 D with the SRK/T. CONCLUSIONS: Ray tracing based on biometry data improved IOL prediction accuracy over conventional formulas in normal eyes implanted with aberration-correcting IOLs. The number of outliers can also be reduced significantly. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Neither author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in the 6-hydroxydopamine rat model of Parkinson's disease: effects on sensorimotor gating.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is effectively used to treat motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently more attention has been paid to behavioral disturbances caused by PD itself and by STN DBS. In the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) PD rat model we investigated the effect of STN DBS on deficient prepulse inhibition (PPI) induced by the dopamine (DA) receptor agonist apomorphine, which is an operative measure for disturbed sensorimotor gating seen in certain neuropsychiatric disturbances. Male Sprague Dawley rats with bilateral lesions of the nigrostriatal DA system (striatal injection of 6-OHDA or vehicle for sham-lesion) were bilaterally implanted with electrodes for DBS into the STN. After determination of individual thresholds rats were stimulated (130Hz, 80µs pulse width) or sham-stimulated for epochs of six days. On the sixth day of each epoch rats were tested for PPI of the acoustic startle response after apomorphine or vehicle injection in a within randomized cross-over design. Stimulation of the STN improved PPI in vehicle-treated (control) rats, but deteriorated PPI after apomorphine treatment. This effect was more pronounced in sham-lesioned rats. Furthermore, in lesioned rats the startle reaction was marginally enhanced without effect of stimulation or apomorphine treatment. These data suggest that STN DBS interacts with dopaminergic action. With respect to functional neurosurgery, STN DBS alone may improve certain aspects of psychiatric disturbances, but may have a different impact when combined with dopaminergic medication.

Female Wistar rats obtained from different breeders vary in anxiety-like behavior and epileptogenesis.

Outbred rats are widely used in biomedical research studies. The genotypic variation, different housing and handling conditions during development, and gender of used rats can be expected to cause variations in behavior and epileptogenesis. We tested the hypothesis that adult female Wistar rats from different breeders vary in anxiety-like behavior, seizure susceptibility, and epileptogenesis in the kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy. In female Wistar rats from three different commercial breeders ([HsdCpb:WU], [Crl:WI(Han)], and [RjHan:WI]), anxiety-like behavior was monitored in the open field and the elevated plus maze. Wistar rats from Charles River showed lower locomotor activity and higher anxiety-like behavior compared to Wistar rats from Harlan-Winkelmann and Janvier. Female Wistar rats from Harlan-Winkelmann showed the lowest anxiety-like behavior and the highest exploratory behavior. Subsequently, rats were kindled by daily electrical stimulation of the right amygdala as a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Wistar rats from Charles River exhibited significantly increased cumulative motor seizure duration and cumulative afterdischarge duration until seizure generalization compared to Harlan-Winkelmann and Janvier rats. In other words, Wistar rats from Charles River showed a longer time of focal seizures until generalization, reflecting a slower epileptogenesis in these rats. The initial afterdischarge threshold did not differ significantly between Wistar rats from the three breeders, indicating that baseline seizure susceptibility is not different between the three groups. In conclusion, female Wistar outbred rats from different breeders showed variations in anxiety-like behavior and epileptogenesis. Decisions about appropriate commercial colonies used for biomedical research should be taken with caution.

Topology of intrastriatal dopaminergic grafts determines functional and emotional outcome in neurotoxin-lesioned rats.

Many Parkinson's disease (PD) patients suffer from anxiety disorders, which often precede the onset of classical motor symptoms. So far, there is no evidence from randomized, placebo-controlled trials for successful treatment of anxiety in patients with PD. Grafts of fetal nigral neurons are currently explored as a restorative cell therapy for PD. In PD animal models, intrastriatal transplantations of embryonic dopaminergic neurons have been shown to ameliorate behavioral defects. In our previous study we showed that expanded and differentiated neural progenitors improved drug-induced rotation behavior and posture balance as a more complex motor task. However, it is not clear whether grafting of these cells affected spontaneous locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior in 6-OHDA lesioned rats. Therefore, we analyzed behavior of control, lesioned, sham-transplanted, and transplanted rats using open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM). After unilateral 6-OHDA lesion of the medial forebrain bundle, we observed reduced locomotor activity in the EPM (wall-rearing, entries in closed arms) in lesioned and sham-transplanted rats, which correlated with the loss of dopaminergic neurons and apomorphine-induced rotation behavior. Furthermore, anxiety-like behavior in the EPM (entries and time in open arms) was increased in lesioned and sham-transplanted rats. Although exogenous cell replacement improved apomorphine-induced rotation behavior, locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior was not reconstituted in transplanted rats. However, we provided evidence for an interaction of locomotor activity/anxiety-like behavior with graft localization in the host striatum. These results emphasize the crucial role of graft localization for benefit of restorative cell therapy for PD.