Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Upper Extremity Rehabilitation for Chronic Ischemic Stroke: Contribution of Dosage Parameters.

BACKGROUND: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) combined with rehabilitation is a Food and Drug Administration approved intervention for moderate to severe upper extremity deficits in chronic ischemic stroke patients. Previous studies demonstrated that VNS improves upper extremity motor impairments, using the Fugl Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity (FMA-UE); however, delineating where these improvements occur, and the role of VNS dosage parameters were not reported. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the relationship between dosing (time over which task repetitions were executed and number of VNS stimulations) and changes within proximal and distal components of the FMA-UE. METHODS: Participants underwent VNS implantation, with 1 group receiving VNS paired with rehabilitation (Active VNS) and the other group receiving rehabilitation with sham stimulation (Controls). Both groups received 6 weeks of in-clinic therapy followed by a 90-day at-home, self-rehabilitation program. Participants who completed at least 12 of 18 in-clinic sessions were included in the analyses (n = l06). Pearson correlations and analysis of covariance were used to investigate the relationship between dosing and FMA-UE outcome change along with the effect of covariates including baseline severity, time since stroke, age, and paretic side. RESULTS: Compared to Controls, active VNS favorably influenced distal function with sustained improvement after the home program. Significant improvements were observed in only distal components (FMdist) at both post day-1 (1.80 points, 95% Cl [0.85, 2.73], P < .001) and post-day 90 (1.62 points, 95% CI [0.45, 2.80], P < .007). CONCLUSIONS: VNS paired with rehabilitation resulted in significant improvements in wrist and hand impairment compared to Controls, despite similar in-clinic dosing across both groups.NCT03131960.

Short versus long duration of ceftaroline combination therapy and outcomes in persistent or high-grade MRSA bacteremia: A retrospective single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with high mortality rates. Despite antibiotic therapy, persistent bacteremia is challenging to treat. Combination therapy with ceftaroline has emerged as a potential treatment option; however, the optimal duration and clinical implications after bacteremia clearance are unknown. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study examined patients with high-grade or persistent MRSA bacteremia who were treated with ceftaroline combination therapy at the University of New Mexico Hospital between January 2014 and June 2021. Patients were categorized into short- (<7 days) or long-duration (≥7 days) groups based on the duration of combination therapy after bacteremia clearance. Outcomes included 30-day all-cause mortality, bacteremia recurrence, post-bacteremia clearance length of stay, and adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients were included in this study. The most common sources of bacteremia were bone/joint and endovascular (28.1%, 9/32 each). The median duration of combination therapy after clearance was seven days (IQR 2.8, 11). Patients in the long-duration group had a lower Charlson comorbidity index (1.0 vs 5.5, p = 0.017) than those in the short-duration group. After adjusting for confounders, there was no significant difference in the 30-day all-cause mortality between the groups (AOR 0.17, 95% CI 0.007-1.85, p = 0.18). No association was found between combination therapy duration and recurrence (OR 2.53, 95% CI 0.19-inf, p = 0.24) or adverse drug events (OR 3.46, 95% CI 0.39-74.86, p = 0.31). After controlling for total hospital length of stay, there was no significant difference in the post-bacteremia clearance length of stay between the two groups (p = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Prolonging ceftaroline combination therapy after bacteremia clearance did not significantly improve outcomes in patients with persistent or high-grade MRSA bacteremia. The limitations of this study warrant cautious interpretation of its results. Larger studies are needed to determine the optimal duration and role of combination therapy for this difficult-to-treat infection.

A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing Dual Therapy With Ceftaroline With Vancomycin or Daptomycin Monotherapy for High-Grade or Persistent MRSA Bacteremia.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia is a serious clinical infection associated with a high risk of mortality. Dual therapy is often used in patients with persistent bacteremia. Objective: This study aimed to compare the outcomes of vancomycin or daptomycin monotherapy with those of dual therapy with ceftaroline in high-grade or persistent MRSA bacteremia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a university teaching hospital between January 2014 and June 2021, involving adults initially treated with vancomycin or daptomycin. Patients were categorized into monotherapy and dual therapy groups. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included microbiological relapse and antibiotic-related adverse events. Results: In a group of 155 patients, 30-day mortality rates were similar between the monotherapy (23.4%) and dual therapy (22.6%) groups, with comparable microbiological relapse rates (6.5%). In inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis, we found no significant association between dual therapy and mortality (adjusted risk ratio [ARR] 1.38, 95% CI 0.64-2.41, P = 0.38) or microbiological relapse (ARR 0.95, 95% CI 0.31-2.73, P = 0.93). Dual therapy was associated with a lower risk of antibiotic-related adverse events (ARR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21-0.89, P = 0.02). Infectious diseases (ID) consultation was associated with a reduced mortality risk (ARR 0.27, 95% CI 0.07-0.95, P = 0.04). Conclusions: Dual therapy with ceftaroline did not reduce mortality risk compared with monotherapy in patients with MRSA bacteremia. However, patients with ID consultations showed a 73% reduction in mortality rates. Large-scale, prospective, and randomized controlled trials are needed to provide conclusive evidence regarding the potential benefits of dual therapy with ceftaroline for MRSA bacteremia.

The influence of continuous renal replacement therapy on 1,3-ß-d-glucan levels in critically ill patients: a single-center retrospective propensity score study.

1,3-ß-d-Glucan (BDG) is commonly used for diagnosing invasive fungal infections (IFIs). While exposure to cellulose-based hemodialyzers is known to cause false-positive BDG results, the impact of modern hemofilters used in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) remains unclear. This retrospective, single-center cohort study aimed to evaluate the effect of CRRT on BDG levels in critically ill patients. We included adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients with ≥1 BDG measurement between December 2019 and December 2020. The primary outcome was the rate of false-positive BDG results in patients exposed to CRRT compared to unexposed patients. Propensity score analysis was performed to control for confounding factors. A total of 103 ICU patients with ≥1 BDG level were identified. Most (72.8%) were medical ICU patients. Forty patients underwent CRRT using hemofilter membranes composed of sodium methallyl sulfonate copolymer (AN 69 HF) (82.5%) and of polyarylethersulfone (PAES) (17.5%). Among the 91 patients without proven IFI, 31 (34.1%) had false-positive BDG results. Univariable analysis showed an association between CRRT exposure and false-positive BDG results. However, the association between CRRT exposure and false-positive BDG results was no longer significant across three propensity score models employed: 1:1 match (n = 32) (odds ratio (OR) 1.65, p = .48), model-adjusted (n = 91) (OR 1.75, p = .38), quintile-adjusted (n = 91) (OR 1.78, p = .36). In this single-center retrospective analysis, exposure to synthetic CRRT membranes did not independently increase the risk of false-positive BDG results. Larger prospective studies are needed to further evaluate the association between CRRT exposure and false-positive BDG results in critically ill patients with suspected IFI.

Treatment management of M. simiae infection complicated by severe immune reconstitution syndrome in two patients living with HIV.

Nontuberculosis mycobacterium are increasingly being identified as sources of disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients. These infections can be challenging to identify and treat due complexities of diagnosis and inherent resistance to many medications. We present two cases of patients with human immunodeficiency virus who had Mycobacterium simiae infections, complicated by immune reconstruction inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). We also present a review of the English literature surrounding the disease, including reported resistance patterns to antimicrobial therapy, which can be highly variable.

Empagliflozin-induced Diabetic Ketoacidosis Unmasking a Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis.

Empagliflozin is a sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor that inhibits renal glucose reabsorption through an insulin-independent mechanism. This class of drugs is used in the management of type 2 diabetes. A 49-year-old female with type 2 diabetes treated with empagliflozin presented to the emergency department in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This case report details the series of events leading to the diagnosis of drug-induced DKA, which led to a change in the patient's diagnosis from type 2 diabetes to type 1 diabetes.