Publications by authors named "Bijan 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.
Background: 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.
The Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in the United States.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
August 2016
Rationale: Individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) represent a reservoir of infection, many of whom will progress to tuberculosis (TB) disease. A central pillar of TB control in the United States is reducing this reservoir through targeted testing and treatment.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of LTBI in the United States using the tuberculin skin test (TST) and an IFN-γ release assay.
Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common opportunistic infection in lung transplantation. A recent multicenter, randomized trial (the AIRSAC study) comparing sirolimus to azathioprine in lung transplant recipients showed a decreased incidence of CMV events in the sirolimus cohort. To better characterize this relationship of decreased incidence of CMV events with sirolimus, we examined known risk factors and characteristics of CMV events from the AIRSAC database.
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