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OBJECTIVES & METHODS: CINtec PLUS and cobas HPV tests were compared for triaging patients referred to colposcopy with a history of LSIL cytology in a 2-year prospective study. Cervical specimens were tested once at enrollment, and test positivity rates determined. Test performance was ascertained with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) and CIN3 or worse (CIN3+) serving as clinical endpoints. RESULTS: In all ages, (19–76 years, n= 598), 44.3% tested CINtec PLUS positive vs. 55.4% HPV positive (p< 0.001). To detect CIN2+ (n= 99), CINtec PLUS was 81.8% sensitive vs. 93.9% for HPV testing (p= 0.009); genotype 16/18-specific sensitivity was 46.5%. Specificity was 52.9% vs. 36.6%, respectively (p< 0.001). In all ages, to detect CIN3+ (n= 44), sensitivity was 93.2% for both tests; genotype 16/18-specific sensitivity was 52.3%. Specificity was 48.4% for CINtec PLUS vs. 31.1% for HPV testing (p< 0.001). In patients < 30 years, CINtec was 91.7% sensitive vs 95.8% for HPV testing (p= 0.549). CONCLUSIONS: CINtec PLUS or cobas HPV test could serve as a predictor of CIN3+ with high sensitivity in patients referred to colposcopy with a history of LSIL regardless of age while significantly reducing the number of LSIL referral patients requiring further investigations and follow-up in colposcopy clinics.

Objective:To determine whether modified reporting of positive urine cultures collected from indwelling catheters improved treatment decisions without causing harm.Design:Prospective, unblinded, randomized control trial.Setting:Two tertiary-care hospitals.Participants:Overall, 100 consecutive positive urine cultures collected from catheterized inpatients were randomized between standard and modified laboratory reporting between November 2018 and June 2019. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy, current antibiotic treatment, ICU or urology admission, or neutropenia.Intervention:The modified report included significant growth without providing identification, quantification, or susceptibility. The standard report included identification, quantitation and susceptibility. Diagnosis of catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria (CA-ASB) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CA-UTI) followed published criteria, using prospective chart review. The appropriate antibiotic treatment was defined as treatment of CA-UTI, and no treatment of CA-ASB. Patients were followed for 7 days.Results:Of 543 urine cultures, 443 (82%) were excluded. Of 100 patients, 75 (75%) had CA-ASB and 25 (25%) had CA-UTI. Treatment was given to 45 of 75 CA-ASB patients (60%) and all 25 CA-UTI patients (100%). Appropriate treatment rate was higher in the modified reporting arm than in the standard reporting arm: 57% vs 50% (+7.4%; relative risk [RR], 1.15; P = .45). Untreated CA-ASB was higher in the modified reporting arm: 45% vs 33% (+12%; RR, 1.36; P = .30). The standard report was requested for 33% of modified reports. Furthermore, 4 deaths and 26.9% adverse events occurred in the modified reporting arm, and 3 deaths and 41.3% adverse events occurred in the standard reporting arm.Conclusions:Modified reporting increased the appropriateness of treatment, and may be safe.Clinical trials identifier: ClinicalTrials.gov#NCT03488355.

The ability to detect antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently under investigation with various performance characteristics and indications for use. In this article, we analyzed the ability of the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin class G (IgG), EuroImmun SARS-CoV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) IgG, and EuroImmun SARS-CoV-2 ELISA immunoglobulin class A (IgA) kits to detect evidence of previous infection with SARS-CoV-2. We tested 49 known coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients and 111 prepandemic stored serology specimens. This resulted in a sensitivity of 95.9%, 100.0%, and 91.3% and a specificity of 98.2%, 98.2%, and 90.8% respectively, using manufacturer recommended cutoffs after inconclusive results (one for EuroImmun IgG and five for EuroImmun IgA) being excluded in the final statistical analyses. Cross-reactivity of hepatitis C virus seropositive specimens was observed resulting in false positives (p < 0.05). If a two-tiered algorithmic approach was applied, that is, testing with Abbott SARS-CoV-2 assay followed by EuroImmun SARS-CoV-2 IgG, 100% specificity and sensitivity could be obtained after six inconclusive results were excluded from data set before statistical analyses. Performance characteristics presented demonstrate the superior performance of IgG class antibodies for investigating previous infections. In addition, utilizing a second antibody test for supplementary testing may significantly enhance performance, particularly in lower prevalence settings.

Background Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of childhood motor disability. However, there is limited guidance on training of child neurologists and neurodevelopmental disability specialists in the care of individuals with cerebral palsy. We sought to determine training program directors’ impressions of the importance and adequacy of training in the diagnosis and management of cerebral palsy. Methods In this cross-sectional study, all 82 child neurology and neurodevelopmental disability program directors were asked to complete a survey querying program characteristics, aspects of training in cerebral palsy, importance of cerebral palsy training, and perceived competence at graduation in cerebral palsy care. Results There were 35 responses (43% response rate). Nearly all program directors (91%) reported “learning to diagnose cerebral palsy” as very important, and most (71%) felt that “learning to manage cerebral palsy” was very important. Although most program directors reported trainees to be very or extremely competent in cerebral palsy diagnosis (77%), only 43% of program directors felt that trainees were very or extremely competent in cerebral palsy management. Time spent with cerebral palsy faculty was associated with higher reported competence in cerebral palsy diagnosis ( P = .03) and management ( P Conclusions Child neurology and neurodevelopmental disability program directors reported that training in cerebral palsy is important for residents; however, a significant proportion felt that residents were not very well prepared to manage cerebral palsy. The development of cerebral palsy curricula and exposure to cerebral palsy clinics may improve training, translating to better care of individuals with cerebral palsy.

Aim To determine the features cited by motor phenotyping experts when identifying dystonia in people with cerebral palsy (CP). Method Dystonia identification in CP, particularly when comorbid with spasticity, can be difficult. The dystonia diagnostic criterion standard remains subjective visual identification by expert consensus. For this qualitative study, we conducted an inductive thematic analysis of consensus-building discussions between three pediatric movement disorder physicians as they identified the presence or absence of dystonia in gait videos of 40 participants with spastic CP and periventricular leukomalacia. Results Unanimous consensus about the presence or absence of dystonia was achieved for 34 out of 40 videos. Two main themes were present during consensus-building discussions as videos were evaluated for dystonia: (1) unilateral leg or foot adduction that was variable over time, and (2) difficulty in identifying dystonia. Codes contributing to the first theme were more likely to be cited by a discussant when they felt dystonia was present (as opposed to absent) in a video (χ2 test, p=0.004). Discussion These results describe the gait features cited by experts during consensus-building discussion as they identify dystonia in ambulatory people with CP. Qualitative thematic analysis of these discussions could help codify the subjective process of dystonia diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood motor disability. The emergence of genetic CP etiologies, variable inclusion of hypotonic CP in international registries, and involvement of different medical disciplines in CP diagnosis can promote diagnostic variability. This variability could adversely affect patients’ understanding of their symptoms and access to care. Therefore, we sought to determine the presence and extent of practice variability in CP diagnosis. METHODS: We surveyed physicians in the United States and Canada interested in CP on the basis of membership in the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine or the Child Neurology Society Neonatal Neurology, Movement Disorders, or Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Special Interest Groups. The survey included the 2007 consensus definition of CP and 4 hypothetical case scenarios. RESULTS: Of 695 contacted physicians, 330 (47%) completed the survey. Two scenarios yielded consensus: (1) nonprogressive spastic diplegia after premature birth with periventricular leukomalacia on brain MRI (96% would diagnose CP) and (2) progressive spastic diplegia (92% would not diagnose CP). Scenarios featuring genetic etiologies or hypotonia as the cause of nonprogressive motor disability yielded variability: only 46% to 67% of practitioners would diagnose CP in these settings. CONCLUSIONS: There is practice variability in whether a child with a nonprogressive motor disability due to a genetic etiology or generalized hypotonia will be diagnosed with CP. This variability occurred despite anchoring questions with the 2007 consensus definition of CP. On the basis of these results, we have suggested ways to reduce diagnostic variability, including clarification of the consensus definition.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the influx of immunoassays for the detection of antibodies towards severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into the global market. The Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network Serology Task Force undertook a nationwide evaluation of twelve laboratory and 6 point-of-care based commercial serological assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We determined that there was considerable variability in the performance of individual tests and that an orthogonal testing algorithm should be prioritized to maximize the accuracy and comparability of results across the country. The manual enzyme immunoassays and point-of-care tests evaluated had lower specificity and increased coefficients of variation compared to automated enzyme immunoassays platforms putting into question their utility for large-scale sero-surveillance. Overall, the data presented here provide a comprehensive approach for applying accurate serological assays for longitudinal sero-surveillance and vaccine trials while informing Canadian public health policy.

In the antiretroviral therapy era, herpes zoster incidence continued to decline in people living with HIV (PLWH). However, at 0.9 cases/100 person-years, rates in PLWH are substantially higher than the general US population; emphasizing the needs for studies of the subunit vaccine in PLWH.

Aromatic l‐amino acid decarboxylase deficiency (AADCD) is a rare, autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired synthesis of dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline and serotonin, leading to a complex syndrome of motor, behavioral, and autonomic symptoms. This retrospective study assessed the symptoms and developmental outcome of a large international cohort of patients with AADCD via physician and/or caregiver responses to a detailed, standardized questionnaire. Sixty‐three patients (60% female; ages 6 months‐36 years, median 7 years; 58 living) from 23 individual countries participated. Common symptoms at onset (median age 3 months, range 0‐12 months) were hypotonia, developmental delay, and/or oculogyric crises. Oculogyric crises were present in 97% of patients aged 2 to 12 years, occurred in the majority of patients in all age groups, and tended to be most severe during early childhood. Prominent non‐motor symptoms were sleep disturbance, irritable mood, and feeding difficulties. The majority of subjects (70%) had profound motor impairment characterized by absent head control and minimal voluntary movement, while 17% had mild motor impairment and were able to walk independently. Dopamine agonists were the medications most likely to produce some symptomatic benefit, but were associated with dose‐limiting side effects (dyskinesia, insomnia, irritability, vomiting) that led to discontinuation 25% of the time. The age distribution of our cohort (70% of subjects under age 13 years) and the observation of a greater proportion of patients with a more severe disease phenotype in the younger compared to the older patients, both suggest a significant mortality risk during childhood for patients with severe disease.

International audience; Background The work is aimed at the development of a methodology to characterize the tactile properties of topical products during application. Specific attention was paid to the study of the residual properties left at the surface of the skin. This approach was interestingly used to better understand the formulation factors governing the skinfeel of topical preparations. Materials and Methods Cosmetic and pharmaceutical topical products were selected based on their various texture, galenic form (gel or emulsion), and composition (polymer used as texturing agent). Key texture attributes namely Firmness, Stickiness, Spreadability, and Amount of residue were objectively evaluated using sensory analysis. Additionally, texture analysis (compression test), rheology (flow test), and tribology (in vivo friction test) were carried out. Results Sensory evaluations highlighted a great diversity of tactile properties among products when applied to skin. For example, assessors perceived an important amount of residue left by emulsions whereas gels were not leaving any residue after application to the skin. These results were confirmed by in vivo tactile friction measurements with two distinct evolutions in time of the residual film properties. Conclusion The present investigation shows how the tactile properties of topical gels and emulsions are studied using complementary tests in order to understand and improve the skinfeel of topical preparations. © 2019 John Wiley and Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd

CINtec PLUS and cobas HPV tests were assessed for triaging women referred to colposcopy with a history of LSIL cytology. Both tests were performed at baseline using ThinPrep cervical specimens and biopsy confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) served as the clinical endpoint.In all ages, (19-76 years, n = 600), 44.3% (266/600) tested CINtec PLUS positive vs. 55.2% (331/600) HPV positive (p = 0.000). Based on 224 having biopsies, sensitivity to detect CIN2+ (n = 54) was 81.5% (44/54) for CINtec PLUS vs. 94.4% (51/54) for HPV testing (p = 0.039); specificities were, 52.4% (89/170) vs. 44.1% (75/170), respectively (p = 0.129). In women ≥30 years (n = 386), 41.2% (159/386) tested CINtec PLUS positive vs. 50.8% (196/386) HPV positive (p = 0.008). Based on 135 having biopsies, sensitivity to detect CIN2+ (n = 24) was 95.8% (23/24) for both CINtec PLUS and HPV tests; specificities were, 55.0% (61/111) vs. 50.5% (56/111), respectively (p = 0.503).For women referred to colposcopy with a history of LSIL cytology, CINtec PLUS or cobas HPV test could serve as a predictor of CIN2+ with high sensitivity, particularly in women ≥30 years. Either test can significantly reduce the number of women requiring further investigations and follow up in colposcopy clinics.

There is a growing interest in leadership development within the field of medicine both within the military and the larger medical community. Recognition of the importance of leadership training during graduate medical education has grown, but many residents and faculty still argue that residency training should focus on clinical skills and medical knowledge. Most graduates of training programs in the military quickly find themselves in formal leadership positions or they must informally lead in their clinical practice. As these new graduates enter practice, they quickly realize the need to be able to effectively lead. In order to highlight some of the leadership challenges that junior military physicians face, Military Medicine is starting a new column called "Leadership Lessons from the Field." This article is the first in the series and discusses a recent graduate's experience in dealing with an underperforming corpsman. The article reviews the importance of emotional intelligence, feedback, and goal setting.

As a result of increasing demand in the face of reducing resources, technology has been implemented in many social and health care services to improve service efficiency. This paper outlines the experiences of deploying a 'Software as a Service' application in the UK social and health care sectors. The case studies demonstrate that every implementation is different, and unique to each organisation. Technology design and integration can be facilitated by ongoing engagement and collaboration with all stakeholders, flexible design, and attention to interoperability to suit services and their workflows.

The Canadian Cervical Cancer Screening Trial was a randomized controlled trial comparing the performance of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and Papanicolaou cytology to detect cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grades 2 or worse (CIN2+) among women aged 30-69 years attending routine cervical cancer screening in Montreal and St. John's, Canada (n = 10,154). We examined screening and prognostic values of enrollment cytologic and HPV testing results. Extended follow-up data were available for St. John's participants (n = 5,754; 501,682.6 person-months). HPV testing detected more CIN2+ than cytology during protocol-defined (82.9 vs. 44.4%) and extended (54.2 vs. 19.3%) follow-up periods, respectively. Three-year risks ranged from 0.87% (95% CI: 0.37-2.05) for HPV-/Pap- women to 35.77% (95% CI: 25.88-48.04) for HPV+/Pap+ women. Genotype-specific risks ranged from 0.90% (95% CI: 0.40-2.01) to 43.84% (95% CI: 32.42-57.24) among HPV- and HPV16+ women, respectively, exceeding those associated with Pap+ or HPV+ results taken individually or jointly. Ten-year risks ranged from 1.15% (95% CI: 0.60-2.19) for HPV-/Pap- women to 26.05% (95% CI: 15.34-42.13) for HPV+/Pap+ women and genotype-specific risks ranged from 1.13% (95% CI: 0.59-2.14) to 32.78% (95% CI: 21.15-48.51) among women testing HPV- and HPV16+, respectively. Abnormal cytology stratified risks most meaningfully for HPV+ women. Primary HPV testing every 3 years provided a similar or greater level of reassurance against disease risks as currently recommended screening strategies. HPV-based cervical screening may allow for greater disease detection than cytology-based screening and permit safe extensions of screening intervals; genotype-specific testing could provide further improvement in the positive predictive value of such screening.

Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a rare systemic disease, often unrecognised in the primary care setting. POEMS syndrome is associated with plasma cell dyscrasias and upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor leading to systemic oedema, papilloedema and pulmonary hypertension. A wide constellation of presenting symptoms often leads to late diagnosis. Unrecognised and untreated disease rapidly leads to death from neuropathic exhaustion or cardiopulmonary failure. Treatment is extrapolated from other plasma cell dyscrasias such as multiple myeloma. Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) is often an important component of treatment. There is no established standard of care for POEMS syndrome. Therapies include lenalidomide, bortezomib and targeted monoclonal antibodies. We present a patient with POEMS syndrome who achieved rapid complete response to triple therapy consisting of lenalidomide, cyclophosphamide and prednisone, followed by high-dose chemotherapy and PBSCT.

Prior studies have demonstrated high rates of colonization and infection with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB) in injured military personnel. Our analysis shows that injuries inflicted during peak combat periods, massive blood transfusion requirement, and post-trauma cefazolin prophylaxis (additive effect with fluoroquinolones) were risk factors for MDR-GNB colonization.

The stability of cervical specimens in SurePath preservative fluid for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing with Roche cobas 4800 was determined using a panel of 308 pooled specimens from a colposcopy referral population. The SurePath specimens appeared to be stable for up to 10 weeks at ambient temperature for HPV testing with cobas 4800.

An educational visit was made by a group of students representing all eight professional pathways on an interprofessional learning programme in health and social care at Canterbury Christ Church University to a hospital in Kerala, India. Interprofessional clinical supervision groups were organised in order to support the students, many of whom had little experience of foreign travel, in an environment they were anticipated to find emotionally challenging. At the close of the visit, following informal observation of a degree of interprofessional learning that had not been anticipated, qualitative data were collected by means of an opportunistically administered questionnaire that yielded insights into the quality of the learning – cultural, interprofessional and personal – that had resulted. This data indicated multiple benefits, some quite unexpected, for all involved; the aim of this paper is to present and discuss these. There are significant implications for health and social care education, including the value of international visits and interprofessional clinical supervision.