Availability of information needed to evaluate algorithmic fairness - A systematic review of publicly accessible critical care databases.

BACKGROUND: Machine learning (ML) may improve clinical decision-making in critical care settings, but intrinsic biases in datasets can introduce bias into predictive models. This study aims to determine if publicly available critical care datasets provide relevant information to identify historically marginalized populations. METHOD: We conducted a review to identify the manuscripts that report the training/validation of ML algorithms using publicly accessible critical care electronic medical record (EMR) datasets. The datasets were reviewed to determine if the following 12 variables were available: age, sex, gender identity, race and/or ethnicity, self-identification as an indigenous person, payor, primary language, religion, place of residence, education, occupation, and income. RESULTS: 7 publicly available databases were identified. Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC) reports information on 7 of the 12 variables of interest, Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Gripe (SIVEP-Gripe) on 7, COVID-19 Mexican Open Repository on 4, and eICU on 4. Other datasets report information on 2 or fewer variables. All 7 databases included information about sex and age. Four databases (57%) included information about whether a patient identified as native or indigenous. Only 3 (43%) included data about race and/or ethnicity. Two databases (29%) included information about residence, and one (14%) included information about payor, language, and religion. One database (14%) included information about education and patient occupation. No databases included information on gender identity and income. CONCLUSION: This review demonstrates that critical care publicly available data used to train AI algorithms do not include enough information to properly look for intrinsic bias and fairness issues towards historically marginalized populations.

Yield of pleural biopsy in different types of tubercular effusions.

INTRODUCTION: The yield of mycobacteria is shown to be very low in pleural effusions as it is a pauci-bacillary disease. The present study looked at the yield of mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in terms of GeneXpert for acid fast bacilli (AFB) and culture using a medical thoracoscopy guided biopsy and analysed whether the yield increases in more complicated effusions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent medical thoracoscopy for tubercular pleural effusions at our institute over the last 5-years. Patients who had no or minimal thin septations were considered as simple effusions and were subjected to semi-rigid thoracoscopy (n = 61). While patients who had multiple loculations and thick septations were considered as complicated effusions and were subjected to rigid thoracoscopy (n = 64). We considered granuloma on a biopsy as the standard for diagnosis of Tuberculosis (TB). Xpert MTB/RIF and The BACTEC MGIT was used for culture. RESULTS: Out 125 patients with granulomatous inflammation on biopsy, 56 (44.8%) were positive for either GeneXpert or culture for MTB. Only GeneXpert was positive in 43 and only culture was positive in 13. Amongst 61 patients with simple effusion, 14 had either GeneXpert for AFB or AFB culture being positive and 9 out of these patients had GeneXpert for MTB detected on biopsy sample. Only culture was positive in 5 patients. In complicated pleural effusion group either GeneXpert or culture for mycobacterium was positive in 42 (65.6%) out of 64 patients. Only GeneXpert was positive in 34 and culture alone was positive in 8 patients. CONCLUSION: The yield of MTB increases as the pleural effusion becomes more complicated. GeneXpert in a biopsy sample is a useful marker for MTB yield especially in a complicated effusion.

Investigation into a community outbreak of Salmonella Typhi in Bengaluru, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Outbreaks of infection due to Salmonella enterica servovar Typhi (S. Typhi) are a great threat to public health. A rapid molecular typing method to characterize strains implicated in an outbreak is critical in implementing appropriate control measures. This study was done to demonstrate the power of a PCR-based method to provide rapid insights into the genetic relatedness amongst the Salmonella isolates implicated in a suspected typhoid fever outbreak. METHODS: Forty two S. Typhi isolates originating from three geographically distinct areas, with one area suspected to have a single-source outbreak were included in the study. The genetic fingerprint of all isolates was generated using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence based-PCR (ERIC-PCR). The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were also evaluated. RESULTS: ERIC-PCR was found to be rapid and reproducible with a discriminatory index of 0.766. The dendrogram constructed based on ERIC-PCR fingerprinting revealed the existence of 12 distinct genotypes. The location suspected to have an outbreak displayed two genotypes amongst the 24 isolates. The other two locations (18 isolates) displayed genetic heterogeneity. The clonality of the outbreak isolates from the time-matched control isolates was established. The observed antimicrobial susceptibility profiles did not have any discriminatory power to subtype the isolates compared to the genetic fingerprints. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated the discriminatory power and value of ERIC-PCR in the typing of S. Typhi isolates and providing valuable epidemiological insights.

Discriminatory power of three typing techniques in determining relatedness of nosocomial Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from a tertiary hospital in India.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the discriminatory power of two DNA-based technique and a protein-based technique for the typing of nosocomial isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. A second objective was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and characterise the presence of genes encoding extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six K. pneumoniae isolates from patients with bloodstream infections at a tertiary care hospital in India between December 2014 and December 2015 were studied. All isolates were typed using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR), randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and ESBLs were detected using the BD Phoenix system. The types of ESBL and carbapenemase genes present were detected using PCR. RESULTS: Isolates were subtyped into 31, 30 and 33 distinct genotypes by ERIC-PCR, RAPD and MALDI-TOF, respectively. Several isolates displaying identical DNA fingerprints were binned into different branches based on their proteomic fingerprint. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed that 33/46 strains were multidrug resistant (MDR); a majority of the strains (83%) were sensitive to colistin. PCR-based analysis demonstrated 19 strains to harbour two or more ESBL and carbapenemase genes. CONCLUSION: ERIC-PCR was the most reproducible method for typing K. pneumoniae isolates and could not be substituted by MALDI-TOF for clonality analysis. A high degree of genetic diversity and the presence of MDR genes highlight the challenges in treating K. pneumoniae-associated infections.

Deep subfascial approach to the temporal area.

PURPOSE: Surgical access to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and zygomatic arch is a challenge even to the experienced maxillofacial surgeon. The conventional subfascial approach to these structures carries the potential risk of transient paralysis of the frontalis and orbicularis oculi muscles. This article discusses the use of a deep subfascial approach to access the TMJ and zygomatic arch. This surgical technique provides a safe operating field without jeopardizing the branches of the facial nerve. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A study was carried out on 12 patients, wherein 15 surgical exposures were made, to access the TMJ and zygomatic arch. A deep subfascial approach was used that preserved the structural and functional integrity of the temporal and zygomatic branches. RESULTS: Postoperatively, no functional deficit was noted in either the temporal or zygomatic branches of the facial nerve as ascertained by clinical examination. CONCLUSIONS: The deep subfascial approach preserves and protects the branches of the facial nerve. It relies on distinct anatomic planes that are easily identified during surgery; and hence, the technique becomes relatively simple and easy to use.

Congenital fusion of jaw and ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum: malformation and multiple systems anomaly.

Congenital fusion of jaw and its association with ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum is reported but is a quite rare congenital benign anomaly. It may be unilateral or bilateral and can present with a single system or multiple systems involvement. This report concentrates on describing the clinical features of above disease, likely aetiological causes, and embryogenesis with classification, diagnostic, and, treatment modality, anesthesia problems and review of literature.