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Introduction: Vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury (V-AKI) is a common adverse reaction; however, there is currently no method to systematically monitor its incidence. We previously developed and internally validated an electronic algorithm to identify cases of V-AKI using structured electronic health record data at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, which demonstrated excellent agreement with chart review (percent agreement 92.5%; weighted kappa coefficient 0.95), as well as excellent sensitivity (89.7%) and specificity (98.2%) in detecting at least possible V-AKI events. The objective of this study was to evaluate the generalizability of the V-AKI electronic algorithm. Methods: We identified a retrospective cohort of adult and pediatric patients who received ≥1 dose of intravenous vancomycin while admitted to University of Virginia (UVA) Medical Center from 1/2021-1/2023. An increase in creatinine (Cr) of ≥0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours or ≥50% increase in baseline Cr within 7 days, occurring after the first dose and up to 72 hours after the last dose of IV vancomycin, was considered a potential V-AKI event. The electronic algorithm was executed at UVA with only limited contextualization of hospital specific variables (e.g., procedure names). Patients were categorized as excluded/not meeting criteria, or as having an unlikely, possible or probable V-AKI event using a causality framework. A random subset of the cohort underwent chart review by a blinded reviewer for external validation. Percent agreement and a weighted kappa coefficient were calculated. The sensitivity and specificity in identifying at least possible V-AKI events was determined. Results: The electronic algorithm was validated using 200 cases and demonstrated 60.0% percent agreement with chart review (Figure). The weighted kappa coefficient was 0.75. The algorithm was 83.8% sensitive and 71.4% specific in detecting at least possible V-AKI events. Among the 80 discrepant cases, there was only a 1-category difference in 62.5% of cases. The most common reasons for discrepant assessments, which were partly due to inconsistencies in chart review, included disagreement regarding timing of AKI onset (18.6%) and whether renal function returned to baseline (16.3%). Conclusions: An electronic algorithm to identify V-AKI events was successfully implemented at another institution. Although agreement with chart review was only fair, sensitivity in detecting at least possible V-AKI events remained excellent. The electronic algorithm may be useful for systematically and reproducibly identifying V-AKI events across institutions in a scalable manner to inform stewardship interventions. However, further refinement of the algorithm and improvement in consistency of chart review assessments is needed.

Scrapie is a neurodegenerative disease that impacts sheep and goats, characterized by gradual and progressive changes in neurological function. Recent research shows that the scrapie incubation period is significantly influenced by specific variations in amino acids within the prion protein gene (PRNP). The objective of this study was to estimate the national prevalence of caprine PRNP genetic variability at codons 146, 211, and 222 in goat populations across the United States. A total of 3052 blood, ear tissue, and brain tissue samples were collected from goats from 50 states. The participating states were categorized into four Veterinary Service (VS) district regions. The samples underwent DNA extraction, and the PRNP variants corresponding to codons 146, 211, and 222 were amplified and sequenced. The analysis of PRNP variants, when compared to the PRNP reference sequence, revealed seven alleles in twelve genotypes. The homozygous 146NN, 211RR, and 222QQ alleles, which have been linked to an increased risk of scrapie, were found to be the most prevalent among all the goats. The heterozygous 222QK, 211RQ, 146SD, 146ND, and 146NS alleles and the homozygous 222KK, 146SS, and 146DD alleles, known to be associated with reduced scrapie susceptibility and a prolonged incubation period after experimental challenge, were found in 1.098% (222QK), 2.33% (211RQ), 0.58% (146SD), 3.13% (146ND), 20.68% (146NS), 0.005% (222KK), 3.31% (146SS), and 0.67% (146DD) of goats, respectively. The 222QK allele was found most frequently in goats tested from the east (VS District 1, 1.59%) and southwest (VS District 4, 1.08%) regions, whereas the 211RQ allele was found most often in goats tested from the Midwest (VS District 2, 8.03%) and east (VS District 1, 6.53%) regions. The 146NS allele was found most frequently in goats tested from the northwest (VS District 3, 29.02%) and southwest (VS District 4, 20.69%) regions. Our results showed that the prevalence of less susceptible genotypes at PRNP codon 146 may be sufficient to use genetic susceptibility testing in some herds. This may reduce the number of goats removed as part of a herd clean-up plan and may promote the selective breeding goats for less susceptible alleles in high-risk herds at the national level.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate safety and efficacy end points of a postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis protocol in liver transplant (LT) patients, which was revised to limit antibiotic use. Methods: In the routine antibiotics group (RA), patients routinely received prophylactic antibiotics for around 3 days postoperatively for a variety of rationales, versus the limited antibiotics group (LA), in which patients received antibiotics for the treatment of secondary peritonitis. Patients were included if they were 18 or older and underwent liver transplant between January 2016 and September 2019. In total, 216 patients remained after exclusion: 118 patients in the RA group and 98 patients in the LA group. Results: We detected a significant difference in the primary end point of postoperative antibiotic days of therapy. The median days of therapy was 2 for the RA group and 0 for the LA group (P < 0.005). Significantly fewer patients received only intraoperative antibiotics in the RA group versus the LA group: 42 (35.6%) versus 76 (73.5%) respectively (P < .005). There was no significant difference in secondary or safety outcomes, including surgical site infections. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that limiting the duration of prophylactic antibiotics postoperatively and treating most patients with only intraoperative antibiotics is safe.

Abstract Objective: Including and prioritising community voice in policy development means policy is more likely to reflect community values and priorities. This project trialled and evaluated a storyboard approach in a deliberative community forum to engage Australian Aboriginal people in health policy priority setting. Methods: The forum was co‐constructed with two Aboriginal community‐controlled organisations. A circle storyboard was used to centre Aboriginal community knowledge and values and encourage the group to engage with broader perspectives and evidence. The forum asked a diverse (descriptively representative) group of Aboriginal people in a rural town what governments should do to support the wellbeing of children and youth, particularly to encourage them to eat well and be active. Results: The storyboard provided a tactile device to allow shared stories and identification of community issues. The group identified policies they believed governments should prioritise, including strategies to combat racism and provide local supports and outlets for young people. Conclusions: An informed deliberative storyboard approach offers a novel way of engaging with Aboriginal communities in a culturally appropriate and inclusive manner. Implications for public health: The identification of racism as a major issue of concern in preventing children from living healthy lifestyles highlights the need for policy responses in this area.

A 64-year-old man presented with long-standing, vague, epigastric abdominal pain. History, physical examination and laboratory studies were noncontributory. However, serial computed tomography scans revealed a rapidly progressive mass in segment 2 of the liver. Surprisingly, surgical pathology revealed a well-differentiated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma associated with biliary papillomatosis (BP). BP is a rare, benign and potentially fatal disease of the intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts. It is typified by numerous multicentric papillary fronds arising from biliary columnar epithelium. Most patients present with symptoms of jaundice and cholangitis. Although a benign disease, a review of the literature demonstrated that BP often recurs after surgical resection, carries a poor prognosis and has a moderately high malignant transformation rate. Treatment options for BP include surgical resection, transplant, ablation, stenting and/or bypass.