Potential drug-drug interactions between antiretroviral drugs and comedications, including dietary supplements, among people living with HIV: A clinical survey.

OBJECTIVE: Age-related comorbidities, polypharmacy and thereby the risk of potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) among people living with HIV (PLWH) have increased over the years. We estimated the prevalence of comedications, including dietary supplements, and evaluated PDDIs among PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Denmark in an outpatient setting. METHODS: Information on prescription medication, over-the-counter medication and dietary supplements was obtained from adult PLWH receiving ART attending two outpatient clinics in Denmark. The PDDIs were identified using the University of Liverpool's drug interaction database. Associations between PDDIs and relevant variables were compared using logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 337 PLWH receiving ART with a median age of 53 years (interquartile range: 45-61) were included; 77% were male and 96% had a HIV-RNA viral load < 50 copies/mL. Twenty-six per cent of participants received five or more comedications and 56% consumed dietary supplements. Co-administration of drugs requiring dose adjustment or monitoring was identified in the medication lists of 52% of participants, and 4.5% were on drugs that should not be co-administered. Male sex [odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0-3.4], being on a protease inhibitor (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.9-9.7), receiving five or more comedications (OR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.5-7.2), taking over-the-counter medications (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1-3.3) and dietary supplements (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.3) were independent predictors of PDDIs. CONCLUSION: Potential drug-drug interactions were common among our study population Our study confirms that polypharmacy and being on a protease inhibitor-based regimen increase the risk of PDDIs considerably and highlights the importance of questioning PLWH about dietary supplement intake.

Do-not-resuscitate orders in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the use of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and the association with mortality. METHODS: We assembled a cohort of 1317 adults hospitalized with radiographically confirmed CAP in three Danish hospitals. Patients were grouped into no DNR order, early DNR order (≤48 h after admission), and late DNR order (> 48 h after admission). We tested for associations between a DNR order and mortality using a cox proportional hazard model adjusted for patient and disease related factors. RESULTS: Among 1317 patients 177 (13%) patients received a DNR order: 107 (8%) early and 70 (5%) late, during admission. Patients with a DNR order were older (82 years vs. 70 years, p < 0.001), more frequently nursing home residents (41% vs. 6%, p < 0.001) and had more comorbidities (one or more comorbidities: 73% vs. 59%, p < 0.001). The 30-day mortality was 62% and 4% in patients with and without a DNR order, respectively. DNR orders were associated with increased risk of 30-day mortality after adjustment for age, nursing home residency and comorbidities. The association was modified by the CURB-65 score Hazard ratio (HR) 39.3 (95% CI 13.9-110.6), HR 24.0 (95% CI 11.9-48,3) and HR 9.4 (95% CI: 4.7-18.6) for CURB-65 score 0-1, 2 and 3-5, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this representative Danish cohort, 13% of patients hospitalized with CAP received a DNR order. DNR orders were associated with higher mortality after adjustment for clinical risk factors. Thus, we encourage researcher to take DNR orders into account as potential confounder when reporting CAP associated mortality.

Characteristics of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia at Hvidovre Hospital, March-April 2020.

INTRODUCTION: The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 occurred in Denmark on 27 February 2020. On 10 March, the first case of COVID-19 pneumonia was admitted to Hvidovre Hospital. METHODS: Retrospective case review of individuals 18 years or older who were admitted consecutively to Hvidovre Hospital from 10 March through 23 April 2020. RESULTS: A total of 175 individuals were admitted with COVID-19 pneumonia. The median age was 71 years, 48.6% were male and 71% had at least one co-morbidity. The most commonly presenting symptoms were dyspnoea, dry cough, and fever. The majority of patients had lymphopenia, elevated liver function tests and C-reactive protein. Nearly two in three presented with multilobar infiltration by chest X-ray. Respiratory failure leading to invasive mechanical ventilation developed in 27 patients (15.4%). By 20 April, 23 of 175 (13.1%) patients remained hospitalised, 43 (24.6%) had died and 109 (62.3%) had been discharged. CONCLUSIONS: The manifestations of COVID-19 at presentation were similar to those seen in other reports. Our population was older, slightly overrepresented by women and had a high level of co-morbidity. COVID-19 admittance was associated with frequent need of intensive care and mechanical ventilation that was associated with a very high mortality. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Penicillin treatment for patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Denmark: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a severe infection, with high mortality. Antibiotic strategies for CAP differ across Europe. The objective of the study was to describe the epidemiology of CAP in Denmark and evaluate the prognosis of patients empirically treated with penicillin-G/V monotherapy. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study including hospitalized patients with x-ray confirmed CAP. We calculated the population-based incidence, reviewed types of empiric antibiotics and duration of antibiotic treatment. We evaluated the association between mortality and treatment with empiric penicillin-G/V using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: We included 1320 patients. The incidence of hospitalized CAP was 3.1/1000 inhabitants. Median age was 71 years (IQR; 58-81) and in-hospital mortality was 8%. Median duration of antibiotic treatment was 10 days (IQR; 8-12). In total 45% were treated with penicillin-G/V as empiric monotherapy and they did not have a higher mortality compared to patients treated with broader-spectrum antibiotics (OR 0.92, CI 95% 0.55-1.53). CONCLUSION: The duration of treatment exceeded recommendations in European guidelines. Empiric monotherapy with penicillin-G/V was commonly used and not associated with increased mortality in patients with mild to moderate pneumonia. Our results are in agreement with current conservative antibiotic strategy as outlined in the Danish guidelines.

Undergoing Diagnostic Evaluation for Possible Cancer Affects the Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Presenting with Non-Specific Symptoms.

AIM: Undergoing diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer can affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aims of this study were to examine the HRQoL in patients undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer due to non-specific symptoms and further to investigate the impact of socio-demographic and medical factors associated with HRQoL at the time of diagnosis. METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter survey study that included patients who were referred for a diagnostic evaluation due to non-specific cancer symptoms. Participants completed the EORTC-QLQ-C30 quality of life scale before and after completing the diagnostic evaluation. The baseline and follow-up EORTC-QLQ-C30 scores were compared with reference populations. The impact of socio-demographic and medical factors on HRQoL at follow-up was explored by bootstrapped multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: A total of 838 patients participated in the study; 680 (81%) also completed follow-up. Twenty-two percent of the patients received a cancer diagnosis at the end of follow-up. Patients presented initially with a high burden of symptoms, less role and emotional functioning and a lower global health/QoL. Most domains improved after diagnosis and no clinically important difference between baseline and follow-up scores was found. Patients reported effects on HRQoL both at baseline and at follow-up compared with the Danish reference population and had similar scores as a cancer reference population. Co-morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with non-specific symptoms reported an affected HRQoL while undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer. Morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis.

Efficacy of a minimal home-based psychoeducative intervention versus usual care for managing anxiety and dyspnoea in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: In its final stages, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a severely disabling condition that is characterised by dyspnoea, which causes substantial anxiety. Anxiety is associated with an impaired quality of life and increased hospital admissions. Untreated comorbid anxiety can have devastating consequences for both patients and their relatives. Non-pharmacological interventions, including cognitive-behavioural therapy, have been effective in managing anxiety and dyspnoea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the majority of existing interventions have tested the efficacy of relatively intensive comprehensive programmes and primarily targeted patients who have moderate pulmonary disease. We present the rationale and design for a trial that focused on addressing the challenges experienced by severe pulmonary disease populations. The trial investigates the efficacy of a minimal home-based psychoeducative intervention versus usual care for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The trial is a randomised controlled trial with a 4-week and 3-month follow-up. 66 patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and associated anxiety will be randomised 1:1 to either an intervention or control group. The intervention consists of a single psychoeducative session in the patient's home in combination with a telephone booster session. The intervention is based on a manual, with a theoretical foundation in cognitive-behavioural therapy and psychoeducation. The primary outcome is patient-reported anxiety as assessed by the Hospital and Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial complies with the latest Declaration of Helsinki, and The Ethics Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark (number H-1-2013-092) was queried for ethical approval. Trial results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and presented at scientific conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02366390.

[Noninvasive estimation of fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis]. / Noninvasiv vurdering af fibrose ved kronisk viral hepatitis.

In chronic viral hepatitis the liver biopsy helps the clinician to decide when to start treatment and plan follow-up. However, the execution of a liver biopsy is associated with discomfort, and sampling error can lead to misinterpretation. Serum markers and transient elastography (TE) are being considered as surrogates to the liver biopsy. The noninvasive tests are considered equal in identifying significant fibrosis, but TE is superior in identifying cirrhosis.

[A Cochrane meta-analysis regarding procalcitonin is in accordance with international goals for the use of antibiotics]. / Cochraneanalyse i tråd med internationale mål for antibiotikaforbrug ­ en gennemgang af et Cochranereview

Antimicrobial resistance towards antibiotics is an increasing issue for the international society. A Cochrane meta-analysis regarding procalcitonin (PCT) as guidance for initiating and discontinuation of antibiotic treatment in respiratory tract infections in a total of 4,221 patients in various care settings has shown promising results for guiding treatment with a PCT cut-off of 0.25 ng/ml, although more research is needed to clarify possible risks to the approach, especially in intensive care units.

[A procalcitonin-guided algorithm for pneumonia may reduce antibiotic use and treatment duration]. / Måling af prokalcitonin kan muligvis begrænse antibiotikaforbruget ved pneumoni.

Reduction of antimicrobial resistance in microorganisms is imperative. Pneumonia is important in this matter because of its high incidence, subjective diagnostic criteria, and variations in aetiology. Research has focused on the use of a procalcitonin-guided algorithm for antimicrobial stewardship with promising reductions in antibiotic use and treatment duration, but more research is needed in order to draw a final conclusion. Lack of objective diagnostic criteria, methodological challenges in research, a future focus on primary care, and the need for a cost-benefit analysis should be considered.

The role of procalcitonin in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia--a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Promising results in relation to severity assessment and treatment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have recently been presented from the study of procalcitonin (PCT) levels in these patients. METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed and the Cochrane Library was conducted. Articles in English, German and Swedish were searched to investigate the role of PCT in adults with CAP. RESULTS: The most thoroughly studied topic is the prediction of complications and death during hospital stay. PCT has predictive properties comparable to those of the Pneumonia Severity Index and the CURB65 scoring systems, and it may represent an addition to these indices. Furthermore, PCT levels may indicate aetiology as patients with typical bacterial infection have higher PCT levels than patients with atypical and viral aetiologies. The literature also indicates that PCT can distinguish CAP from asthma and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Several studies and a meta-analysis have shown that administration of antibiotics according to a PCT algorithm in a hospital setting reduced the use of antibiotics with no evidence of an increased risk. CONCLUSION: PCT should only be an adjunct to the clinical examination and should be regarded a prognostic rather than diagnostic factor. PCT may help to safely reduce anti-biotic use, but more research is required. Limitations of the present study include the heterogeneity of the literature with regard to setup and quality, differences in biochemical methods and diagnostic criteria of CAP and, finally, the risk of publication bias.

[Hearing disorders and rock music]. / Høreskader og rockmusik.

Only few studies have investigated the frequency of hearing disorders in rock musicians. Performing rock music is apparently associated with a hearing loss in a fraction of musicians. Tinnitus and hyperacusis are more common among rock musicians than among the background population. It seems as if some sort of resistance against further hearing loss is developed over time. The use of ear protection devices have not been studied systematically but appears to be associated with diminished hearing loss.

[Acute hepatitis C virus infection--clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment]. / Akut hepatitis C-virus-infektion--klinik, diagnostik og behandling.

Acute infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) usually runs a mild or asymptomatic course and therefore often goes undiagnosed. In the individual patient, acute hepatitis C (AHC) cannot clinically be distinguished from other forms of viral hepatitis. The diagnosis is based on rising serum alanine aminotransferase level, anti-HCV IgG seroconversion and detection of HCV-RNA in serum. In recent years there has been an increase in our understanding of the natural course of AHC, and progress has been made in its treatment. In this article we describe the clinical manifestations and diagnosis of AHC and review recent developments in its treatment.

[Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with concurrent human immunodeficiency virus infection]. / Behandling af hepatitis C-virus-infektion hos patienter med hiv-infektion.

Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is frequent. While it is still unclear whether HCV affects the course of HIV infection, there is ample evidence that concurrent HIV infection accelerates the progression of fibrosis and liver-related morbidity and mortality in HCV-infected patients. The treatment of HCV infection in patients with HIV/HCV coinfection has improved during the last few years, but the outcome appears to be poorer than the outcome in HCV monoinfected patients. In this article the epidemiological and clinical aspects of HCV/HIV coinfection are described, and the four major treatment trials are reviewed.

[Sexual transmission of hepatitis C among HIV-positive men]. / Seksuel transmission af hepatitis C-virus hos hiv-inficerede maend.

Infections with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) occur primarily through percutaneous transmission, while sexual transmission seems to be rare. Recently, in some European cities, an increasing incidence of sexually transmitted HCV infection among HIV-infected homosexual males has been reported. We describe four cases of acute HCV infection among HIV-infected homosexual males, where sexual transmission was likely.