Impact of Antipseudomonal Antibiotics in Patients with Bronchiectasis Who Experienced Exacerbation or Developed Pneumonia: A Nationwide Study in Japan.

: Although chronic infection by among patients with bronchiectasis is associated with poor prognosis, the impact of antibiotics with coverage in patients with bronchiectasis who experienced bacterial pneumonia or exacerbation of bronchiectasis has not been fully investigated. : This study targeted patients with bronchiectasis who were admitted to hospitals because of bacterial pneumonia or exacerbation of bronchiectasis between April 2018 and March 2020 using a national inpatient database in Japan. The association of antipseudomonal antibiotic treatment with in-hospital mortality was assessed after propensity score matching to adjust the patients' backgrounds.

Chest X-Ray Features in 130 Patients with Bronchiectasis.

The prevalence of bronchiectasis is increasing globally, and early detection using chest imaging has been encouraged to improve its prognosis. However, the sensitivity of a chest X-ray as a screening tool remains unclear. This study examined the chest X-ray features predictive of bronchiectasis.

Preferences of people living with HIV for features of tuberculosis preventive treatment regimens in Uganda: a discrete choice experiment.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment (TPT) is recommended for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in high TB burden settings. While 6 months of daily isoniazid remains widely used, shorter regimens are now available. However, little is known about preferences of PLHIV for key features of TPT regimens.

Adverse Events Reported During Weekly Isoniazid-Rifapentine (3HP) Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment Among People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Uganda.

Background: Short-course tuberculosis (TB) prevention regimens, including 12 weeks of isoniazid and rifapentine (3HP), are increasingly used in high-TB-burden countries. Despite established safety and tolerability in efficacy trials, 3HP-related adverse events (AEs) could differ in routine settings. Real-world data on AE type, frequency, and timing are crucial for health systems considering 3HP programmatic scale-up.

Evaluating the implementation of weekly rifapentine-isoniazid (3HP) for tuberculosis prevention among people living with HIV in Uganda: A qualitative evaluation of the 3HP Options Trial.

Three months of isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) is being scaled up for tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment (TPT) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in high-burden settings. More evidence is needed to identify factors influencing successful 3HP delivery. We conducted a qualitative assessment of 3HP delivery nested within the 3HP Options Trial, which compared three optimized strategies for delivering 3HP: facilitated directly observed therapy (DOT), facilitated self-administered therapy (SAT), and patient choice between facilitated DOT and facilitated SAT at the Mulago HIV/AIDS clinic in Kampala, Uganda.

Comparison of High-Dose versus Low-Dose Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole for Treating Pneumonia among Hemodialysis Patients: A Nationwide Database Study in Japan.

Hemodialysis patients are at high risk for developing pneumonia (PJP), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is the first-line agent for treating this disease. However, there is a lack of consensus on the required dosage of TMP-SMX for hemodialysis patients. This study used the nationwide Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database to review hemodialysis patients hospitalized for PJP from April 2014 to March 2022.

Prevention of adverse HIV treatment outcomes: machine learning to enable proactive support of people at risk of HIV care disengagement in Tanzania.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) model to predict disengagement from HIV care, high viral load or death among people living with HIV (PLHIV) with the goal of enabling proactive support interventions in Tanzania. The algorithm addressed common challenges when applying ML to electronic medical record (EMR) data: (1) imbalanced outcome distribution; (2) heterogeneity across multisite EMR data and (3) evolving virological suppression thresholds.

Design: Observational study using a national EMR database.

Evaluating the implementation of weekly rifapentine-isoniazid (3HP) for tuberculosis prevention among people living with HIV in Uganda: A qualitative evaluation of the 3HP Options Trial.

Three months of isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) is being scaled up for tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment (TPT) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in high-burden settings. More evidence is needed to identify factors influencing successful 3HP delivery. We conducted a qualitative assessment of 3HP delivery nested within the 3HP Options Trial, which compared three optimized strategies for delivering 3HP: facilitated directly observed therapy (DOT), facilitated self-administered therapy (SAT), and patient choice between facilitated DOT and facilitated SAT at the Mulago HIV/AIDS clinic in Kampala, Uganda.

Association between the cardiothoracic ratio on chest X-rays and the respiratory function in patients with interstitial lung diseases: A cross-sectional study.

Objective Patients with advanced interstitial lung disease (ILD) struggle to undergo spirometry to evaluate the respiratory function. The cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) on chest radiography can potentially reflect the lung volume; however, this has not yet been fully established. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the CTR and the respiratory function in patients with interstitial lung diseases.

Adverse events reported during weekly isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) tuberculosis preventive treatment among people living with HIV in Uganda.

Background: Short-course tuberculosis (TB) prevention regimens, including 12 weeks of isoniazid and rifapentine (3HP), are increasingly used in high TB-burden countries. Despite established safety and tolerability in efficacy trials, 3HP-related adverse events (AE) could differ in routine settings. Real-world data on AE type, frequency, and timing is crucial for health systems considering 3HP programmatic scale-up.

Preference for daily (1HP) vs. weekly (3HP) isoniazid-rifapentine among people living with HIV in Uganda.

Background: Both 1 month of daily (1HP) and 3 months of weekly (3HP) isoniazid-rifapentine are recommended as short-course regimens for TB prevention among people living with HIV (PLHIV). We aimed to assess acceptability and preferences for 1HP vs. 3HP among PLHIV.

Medical Causes of Hospitalisation among Patients with Bronchiectasis: A Nationwide Study in Japan.

Purpose: Although the international guidelines for managing bronchiectasis are centred on preventing the exacerbation of bronchiectasis, the medical causes of admissions to hospital among patients with bronchiectasis have not been fully investigated.

Methods: This study targeted patients with bronchiectasis who were admitted to hospitals between April 2018 and March 2020 using the national inpatient database in Japan. The causes of hospitalisation and types of antibiotics used for hospitalised patients were recorded.

Treatment strategy for older patients with pneumonia independent of the risk of drug resistance in the world's top country for longevity.

The number of older people with impaired swallowing function increases with aging population. Aspiration pneumonia is one of the most cases of pneumonia developing among older people. As aspiration pneumonia may develop as a result of age-related deterioration, it is crucial to consider it as an unavoidable event with aging.

Impact of Antibiotics Used for Acute Aspiration Bronchitis on the Prevention of Pneumonia.

Backgrounds: It remains unclear if antibiotics should be used for the treatment of acute aspiration bronchitis to prevent the development of pneumonia. This study aimed to assess the associations between the use of antibiotics and the development of pneumonia among patients with acute aspiration bronchitis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with acute aspiration bronchitis aged ≥75 years.

Comparison of 3 optimized delivery strategies for completion of isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) for tuberculosis prevention among people living with HIV in Uganda: A single-center randomized trial.

Background: Expanding access to shorter regimens for tuberculosis (TB) prevention, such as once-weekly isoniazid and rifapentine taken for 3 months (3HP), is critical for reducing global TB burden among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Our coprimary hypotheses were that high levels of acceptance and completion of 3HP could be achieved with delivery strategies optimized to overcome well-contextualized barriers and that 3HP acceptance and completion would be highest when PLHIV were provided an informed choice between delivery strategies.

Methods And Findings: In a pragmatic, single-center, 3-arm, parallel-group randomized trial, PLHIV receiving care at a large urban HIV clinic in Kampala, Uganda, were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive 3HP by facilitated directly observed therapy (DOT), facilitated self-administered therapy (SAT), or informed choice between facilitated DOT and facilitated SAT using a shared decision-making aid.

Rudi Kundini, Pamoja Kundini (RKPK): study protocol for a hybrid type 1 randomized effectiveness-implementation trial using data science and economic incentive strategies to strengthen the continuity of care among people living with HIV in Tanzania.

Background: Economic incentives can improve clinical outcomes among in-care people living with HIV (PLHIV), but evidence is limited for their effectiveness among out-of-care PLHIV or those at risk of disengagement. We propose a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study to advance global knowledge about the use of economic incentives to strengthen the continuity of HIV care and accelerate global goals for HIV epidemic control.

Methods: The Rudi Kundini, Pamoja Kundini study will evaluate two implementation models of an economic incentive strategy for supporting two groups of PLHIV in Tanzania.

Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in a Patient With Localized Mycosis Fungoides Not Receiving Immunosuppressive Treatment.

pneumonia (PCP) is the most common opportunistic infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but it may develop in patients without HIV, whose immune system is suppressed by anticancer or immunosuppressive agents even when indicating normal counts of CD4+ T cells. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which is believed not to cause immunosuppressive conditions unless it develops leukosis or metastasis or is treated with anticancer drugs or systemic immunosuppressants. Here, we report a case of PCP in a patient with localized MF not receiving immunosuppressive treatment.

Rudi Kundini, Pamoja Kundini (RKPK): study protocol for a hybrid type 1 randomized effectiveness-implementation trial using data science and economic incentive strategies to strengthen the continuity of care among people living with HIV in Tanzania.

Background: Economic incentives can improve clinical outcomes among in-care people living with HIV (PLHIV), but evidence is limited for their effectiveness among out-of-care PLHIV or those at-risk of disengagement. We propose a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study to advance global knowledge about the use of economic incentives to strengthen the continuity of HIV care and accelerate global goals for HIV epidemic control.

Methods: The Rudi Kundini, Pamoja Kundini study will evaluate two implementation models of an economic incentive strategy for supporting two groups of PLHIV in Tanzania.

Feasibility of a social protection linkage program for individuals at-risk for tuberculosis in Uganda.

Social protection interventions have the potential to accelerate progress towards global tuberculosis (TB) targets. We piloted a screening and linkage program at four community health centers (HC) to enroll adults seeking TB diagnostic evaluation services into existing government-supported social protection programs in Uganda. From May-December 2021, health center staff were asked to screen adults being evaluated for TB for eligibility for government-supported social protection programs, and to refer eligible people to a sub-county community development office (CDO) responsible for enrolling community members into government-supported social protection programs.

The socioeconomic burden of pediatric tuberculosis and role of child-sensitive social protection.

Background: Households of children with tuberculosis (TB) experience financial and social hardships, but TB-specific social protection initiatives primarily focus on adults.

Methods: We conducted a single-arm, pilot study of multi-component supportive benefits for children with pulmonary TB in Kampala, Uganda. At diagnosis, participants received in-kind coverage of direct medical costs, a cash transfer, and patient navigation.

A Systematic Review of Factors Associated with Mortality among Patients with Complex Lung Disease.

Purpose: As the number of patients with complex lung disease is significantly increasing worldwide, several studies have focused on the prognostic factors associated with the disease. This systematic review investigated the factors associated with mortality among patients with complex lung disease.

Methods: Two investigators independently identified studies that were designed to determine risk factors for mortality in patients with complex lung disease from PubMed, the Cochrane Register of Control Trial database, and EMBASE (accessed on 25 November 2022).

Factors Associated With Swallowing Function Among Physicians in Their 50s and 60s: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Individuals with swallowing dysfunction in their 50s and 60s may be at risk for aspiration pneumonia as they age. The association of background and lifestyle with swallowing dysfunction for those in their 50s and 60s has not been fully studied. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between lifestyle and swallowing function in this group.

Factors associated with changes in activities of daily living from admission to discharge among older patients with pneumonia.

Introduction: It has not been fully elucidated that nutritional parameters affect the change of activities of daily living (ADL) during pneumonia treatment. This study assessed the impact of nutritional status, including erector spinae muscle (ESM) size on ADL changes from admission to discharge among older patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: We retrospectively included patients (age: ≥65 years) who were admitted to the hospital for CAP and underwent chest computed tomography (CT) on admission.