Publications by authors named "B Ghassemieh"
Implementation of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, and Linezolid in the United States: Experience Using a Novel All-Oral Treatment Regimen for Treatment of Rifampin-Resistant or Rifampin-Intolerant Tuberculosis Disease.
Clin Infect Dis
October 2023
Article Synopsis
- Rifampin-resistant tuberculosis is a major global health issue, with treatment initiation rates low and often poor outcomes; a 6-month BPaL regimen shows high efficacy but initial high doses of linezolid led to significant side effects.
- Data collected from patients treated with BPaL between October 2019 and April 2022 revealed that 97.1% completed treatment, with only a small percentage experiencing relapse or significant adverse effects, largely due to careful dose adjustments of linezolid.
- The study concludes that the BPaL regimen, especially with individualized linezolid dosing and monitoring, has significantly improved treatment for rifampin-resistant tuberculosis, allowing for shorter treatment durations compared to past guidelines.
TB risk by time since U.S. entry among non-U.S.-born residents of Washington State, USA.
Int J Tuberc Lung Dis
July 2021
Progress towards TB elimination in the United States will require improved detection and treatment of latent TB infection among non-U.S.-born residents who remain at disproportionate risk of TB disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Community transmission of coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) was detected in the state of Washington in February 2020.
Methods: We identified patients from nine Seattle-area hospitals who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with confirmed infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Clinical data were obtained through review of medical records.
Background: Inhaled therapies are the cornerstone of pharmacologic management for COPD. Each device requires a unique series of steps to be most effective, making appropriate instruction in inhaler technique a key part of the management of COPD.
Objectives: Examine characteristics of patients and devices associated with poor technique among patients with COPD.
Rationale: Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) test discordance is poorly understood.
Objectives: To determine the frequency and predictors of tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT) discordance in the U.S.