Accuracy of Inpatient Recall of Interaction With a Pharmacist: A Validation Study From 2 Acute Care Teaching Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Research has shown that inpatients may not accurately report interacting with a pharmacist. OBJECTIVE: To determine accuracy of patients' recollection of meeting with a pharmacist at 2 acute care teaching hospitals in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. METHODS: Retrospective review of 391 surveyed patients discharged from April 2013 to March 2014. Responses to meeting a pharmacist (yes/no) were compared with 2 reference standards: pharmacist documentation in patient charts and pharmacist clinical workload data. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values were calculated. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-five (49.9%) respondents reported meeting with a pharmacist. Of these, 71 (36.4%) had corresponding pharmacist chart documentation. Of the 196 respondents who reported not speaking with a pharmacist, 73 (37.2%) had documentation present. Compared with patient charts, sensitivity and specificity were 49.3% and 49.8%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 36.4% and 62.8%, respectively. Similar results were seen in comparison with the workload data. CONCLUSIONS: Patients often inaccurately reported meeting with a pharmacist in the acute care setting. The results are useful for pharmacist training, patient education, and for refinement of the current survey question.

Genetic and Pharmacological Inhibition of Malonyl CoA Decarboxylase Does Not Exacerbate Age-Related Insulin Resistance in Mice.

Aging is associated with the development of chronic diseases such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A reduction in mitochondrial fat oxidation is postulated to be a key factor contributing to the progression of these diseases. Our aim was to investigate the contribution of impaired mitochondrial fat oxidation toward age-related disease. Mice deficient for malonyl CoA decarboxylase (MCD(-/-)), a mouse model of reduced fat oxidation, were allowed to age while life span and a number of physiological parameters (glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance, indirect calorimetry) were assessed. Decreased fat oxidation in MCD(-/-) mice resulted in the accumulation of lipid intermediates in peripheral tissues, but this was not associated with a worsening of age-associated insulin resistance and, conversely, improved longevity. This improvement was associated with reduced oxidative stress and reduced acetylation of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 2 in muscle but not the liver of MCD(-/-) mice. These findings were recapitulated in aged mice treated with an MCD inhibitor (CBM-3001106), and these mice also demonstrated improvements in glucose and insulin tolerance. Therefore, our results demonstrate that in addition to decreasing fat oxidation, MCD inhibition also has novel effects on protein acetylation. These combined effects protect against age-related metabolic dysfunction, demonstrating that MCD inhibitors may have utility in the battle against chronic disease in the elderly.

Discontinuing Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia Prophylaxis in HIV-Infected Patients With a CD4 Cell Count <200 cells/mm3.

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence for discontinuing primary and secondary Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) prophylaxis in HIV-infected patients with a CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3). DATA SOURCES: We conducted a literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and the International Aids Society Library (up to August 2015) using the following key search terms: Pneumocystis jirovecii, pneumonia, human immunodeficiency virus, primary prophylaxis, secondary prophylaxis, and discontinuation. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All English-language studies that evaluated discontinuation of primary and/or secondary PJP prophylaxis in HIV-infected patients with CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3) were included. DATA SYNTHESIS: Five studies were identified, which varied in design, sample size, outcomes, and duration of follow-up. Three studies examined discontinuation of primary and secondary PJP prophylaxis; 1 study evaluated discontinuing primary PJP prophylaxis; and 1 study evaluated stopping secondary PJP prophylaxis. Two out of the 5 studies pooled data for all opportunistic infections. Overall, there was a low incidence of PJP among HIV-infected patients who discontinued primary PJP prophylaxis and were well controlled on antiretroviral therapy (ART). CONCLUSIONS: Discontinuation of primary PJP prophylaxis appears to be safe in patients on combination ART with a suppressed HIV viral load and a CD4 count >100 cells/mm(3). Additional data are needed to support the safety of discontinuing secondary PJP prophylaxis. Decisions to discontinue PJP prophylaxis in patients with a CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3) should be done on an individual patient basis, taking into consideration clinical factors, including ongoing adherence to ART.

FOXO1-mediated upregulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 (PDK4) decreases glucose oxidation and impairs right ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension: therapeutic benefits of dichloroacetate.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) is activated in right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), causing an increase in glycolysis relative to glucose oxidation that impairs right ventricular function. The stimulus for PDK upregulation, its isoform specificity, and the long-term effects of PDK inhibition are unknown. We hypothesize that FOXO1-mediated PDK4 upregulation causes bioenergetic impairment and RV dysfunction, which can be reversed by dichloroacetate. Adult male Fawn-Hooded rats (FHR) with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH; age 6-12 months) were compared to age-matched controls. Glucose oxidation (GO) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) were measured at baseline and after acute dichloroacetate (1 mM × 40 min) in isolated working hearts and in freshly dispersed RV myocytes. The effects of chronic dichloroacetate (0.75 g/L drinking water for 6 months) on cardiac output (CO) and exercise capacity were measured in vivo. Expression of PDK4 and its regulatory transcription factor, FOXO1, were also measured in FHR and RV specimens from PAH patients (n = 10). Microarray analysis of 168 genes related to glucose or FA metabolism showed >4-fold upregulation of PDK4, aldolase B, and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase. FOXO1 was increased in FHR RV, whereas HIF-1 α was unaltered. PDK4 expression was increased, and the inactivated form of FOXO1 decreased in human PAH RV (P < 0.01). Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) inhibition in RVH increased proton production and reduced GO's contribution to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Acutely, dichloroacetate reduced RV proton production and increased GO's contribution (relative to FAO) to the TCA cycle and ATP production in FHR (P < 0.01). Chronically dichloroacetate decreased PDK4 and FOXO1, thereby activating PDH and increasing GO in FHR. These metabolic changes increased CO (84 ± 14 vs. 69 ± 14 ml/min, P < 0.05) and treadmill-walking distance (239 ± 20 vs. 171 ± 22 m, P < 0.05). Chronic dichloroacetate inhibits FOXO1-induced PDK4 upregulation and restores GO, leading to improved bioenergetics and RV function in RVH.