Publications by authors named "Elizabeth Dufort"
This article examines lessons learned from previous pandemics, including the 2009 H1N1 influenza and the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Pediatric providers have a unique and important role and strategies to improve collaboration and communication between public health and pediatric providers are essential during public health emergencies. A robust network of communication channels, effective public health messaging, and pediatric-focused disease related, and program outcome data are key to supporting a coordinated response to future pandemics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This pilot project implemented admission screening for Candida auris (C. auris) using real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) in select high-risk units within health care facilities in New York City.
Methods: An admission screening encounter consisted of collecting 2 swabs, to be tested by rt-PCR, and a data collection form for individuals admitted to ventilator units at 2 nursing homes (NHA and NHB), and the ventilator/pulmonary unit, intensive care unit, and cardiac care unit at a hospital (Hospital C) located in New York City from November 2017 to November 2019.
Importance: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is associated with recent or current SARS-CoV-2 infection. Information on MIS-C incidence is limited.
Objective: To estimate population-based MIS-C incidence per 1 000 000 person-months and to estimate MIS-C incidence per 1 000 000 SARS-CoV-2 infections in persons younger than 21 years.
Article Synopsis
- A study analyzed hospitalized COVID-19 cases from March to June 2020 and found that 42.5% of patients received at least one investigational treatment for the virus.
- The antibiotics hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin were commonly administered, but their usage decreased over time.
- In contrast, the antiviral drug remdesivir saw an increase in use during the same period.
Article Synopsis
- Since February 2020, the U.S. has reported about 6.5 million COVID-19 cases and approximately 190,000 deaths, with a focus on individuals under 21 years old.
- Among the 121 deaths in this age group during the early pandemic, 63% were males, and most were aged between 10-20 years, with a significant percentage being Hispanic and Black.
- About 75% of those who died had underlying medical conditions, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and effective prevention strategies as schools reopen.
Background: Influenza may contribute to the burden of acute cardiovascular events during annual influenza epidemics.
Objective: To examine acute cardiovascular events and determine risk factors for acute heart failure (aHF) and acute ischemic heart disease (aIHD) in adults with a hospitalization associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Background: A multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is associated with coronavirus disease 2019. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) established active, statewide surveillance to describe hospitalized patients with the syndrome.
Methods: Hospitals in New York State reported cases of Kawasaki's disease, toxic shock syndrome, myocarditis, and potential MIS-C in hospitalized patients younger than 21 years of age and sent medical records to the NYSDOH.
Innovative monitoring approaches are needed to track the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic and potentially assess the impact of community mitigation interventions. We present temporal data on influenza-like illness, influenza diagnosis, and COVID-19 cases for all 4 regions of New York State through the first 6 weeks of the outbreak.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: Hydroxychloroquine, with or without azithromycin, has been considered as a possible therapeutic agent for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, there are limited data on efficacy and associated adverse events.
Objective: To describe the association between use of hydroxychloroquine, with or without azithromycin, and clinical outcomes among hospital inpatients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Background: The US' coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has grown extensively since February 2020, with substantial associated hospitalizations and mortality; New York State has emerged as the national epicenter. We report on the extent of testing and test results during the month of March in New York State, along with risk factors, outcomes, and household prevalence among initial cases subject to in-depth investigations.
Methods: Specimen collection for COVID-19 testing was conducted in healthcare settings, community-based collection sites, and by home testing teams.
Importance: Seasonal influenza virus infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and may be associated with respiratory and nonrespiratory diagnoses.
Objective: To examine the respiratory and nonrespiratory diagnoses reported for adults hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza between 2010 and 2018 in the United States.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used data from the US Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET) from October 1 through April 30 of the 2010-2011 through 2017-2018 influenza seasons.
is a multidrug-resistant yeast which has emerged in health care facilities worldwide; however, little is known about identification methods, patient colonization, environmental survival, spread, and drug resistance. Colonization on both biotic (patients) and abiotic (health care objects) surfaces, along with travel, appear to be the major factors for the spread of this pathogen across the globe. In this investigation, we present laboratory findings from an ongoing outbreak in New York (NY) from August 2016 through 2018.
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- Between 2014-2017, there was a significant increase in invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections among injection drug users aged 18-49 in Monroe County, NY, with rates doubling during this period.
- Surveillance data showed rising occurrences of bloodstream infections caused by Candida spp. and invasive group A Streptococcus (GAS) among this group across New York.
- A CDC assessment found that while nearly all infected individuals reported opioid use (97%), many were not offered medication-assisted treatment, despite S. aureus being the most common pathogen found (80%).
Zika Virus-Associated Guillain-Barré Syndrome in a Returning US Traveler.
Infect Dis Clin Pract (Baltim Md)
November 2018
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has been associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Roughly 60% of people in countries such as the U.S.
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- Group B Streptococcus (GBS) remains a significant cause of severe illness and death in infants under 90 days old in the U.S., even though early-onset disease rates have declined due to better antibiotic use during labor.
- The study analyzed data from 2006 to 2015 to assess the incidence of early-onset and late-onset GBS disease in infants, focusing on case characteristics, antimicrobial resistance, and the types of GBS strains present.
- Results showed a drop in early-onset disease cases but stable rates for late-onset; many mothers with infants who had early-onset disease did not receive the recommended antibiotic prophylaxis.
Objectives: To better understand patient satisfaction and perceived engagement with traditional hospital-based communication and to elicit patient preferences for health information technologies that would lead to improved satisfaction and engagement.
Study Design: We performed a mixed-methods study involving qualitative interviews followed by a survey of hospitalized patients and their family members at a single large academic medical center.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 41 patients and surveyed 267 patients or family members to elicit their perspectives on satisfaction with traditional hospital communication methods, information needed to more fully engage in the patients' medical care, and potential solutions for improved hospital-based communication.
Rubella was declared eliminated in the United States in 2004. During 2013-2015, 2 infants with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) were born in New York State. Both mothers were foreign born and traveled to Yemen during their pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe performance and interpretation of laboratory tests for Zika virus (ZKV) continue to be evaluated. Serology is cross-reactive, laborious, and frequently difficult to interpret, and serum was initially solely recommended for molecular diagnosis. ZKV testing was initiated in January 2016 in New York State for symptomatic patients, pregnant women, their infants, and patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome who had traveled to areas with ZKV transmission.
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- Sepsis is a severe and potentially lethal condition caused by infections, indicating a need for more information on patient demographics and risk factors to improve prevention and treatment.!
- A study reviewed medical records of 246 adults and 79 children from four New York hospitals, finding that 72% had health care factors or chronic conditions prior to sepsis, with pneumonia being the most common infection identified.!
- The findings led to the conclusion that better infection prevention strategies, such as vaccinations and effective management of chronic diseases, could significantly reduce the incidence of sepsis, prompting the CDC to launch a campaign focusing on these issues and early recognition of sepsis for improved patient safety.!
Article Synopsis
- * The data was collected from the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry and defined prolonged detection as lasting 14 or more days post-symptom onset or 21 days after exposure for asymptomatic cases.
- * Among the five pregnancies studied, there were varying outcomes, including one confirmed case of fetal infection, three healthy live births, and one ongoing pregnancy.