Population-Based Study of Pertussis Incidence and Risk Factors among Persons >50 Years of Age, Australia.

Despite vaccination programs, pertussis has been poorly controlled, especially among older adults in Australia. This longitudinal, retrospective, observational study aimed to estimate the incidence and risk factors of pertussis among persons ≥50 years of age in Australia in the primary care setting, including those with underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma. We used the IQVIA general practitioner electronic medical record database to identify patients ≥50 years of age with a clinical diagnosis of pertussis during 2015-2019.

Is Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Fatty Liver Different to Non-Fatty Liver?

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent liver disease in Australia and is recognised to play a role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There are no clear guidelines regarding screening for HCC in NAFLD. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the characteristics and survival rates of NAFLD-HCC to patients with non-NAFLD-HCC to help guide future research in this area.

Young Adult Depression, Antidepressant Prescriptions, and Therapy Intensification in People With Incident Depression in the United States.

To evaluate the temporal trend in young adult depression, prescription patterns of first- and second-line antidepressants, and factors influencing therapy intensification for depression stratified by sex. A retrospective cohort of people aged ≥ 18 years with incident depression between 2006 and 2017 was extracted from the Centricity Electronic Medical Records. Among 2,201,086 people with depression (82% on antidepressants), the mean age was 47 years, 29% were male, 40% had cardiometabolic multimorbidity, and 32% were diagnosed at age < 40 years (young adult depression).

Antidepressant prescriptions and therapy intensification in men and women newly diagnosed with depression in the UK.

Background: Evidence on therapeutic interventions and factors driving treatment intensification (TI) in people with incident depression in UK are scarce.

Aims: To explore antidepressant prescribing patterns and factors influencing TI.

Design: and setting: Retrospective cohort study of adults with incident depression diagnosed between 2006 and 2017 using UK primary care database.

The epidemiology of rapid response team activation amongst patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery.

Background: Clinical deterioration requiring rapid response team (RRT) review is associated with increased morbidity amongst hospitalised patients. The frequency of and association with RRT calls in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery is unknown. Understanding the epidemiology of RRT calls might identify areas for quality improvement in this cohort.

Hospital revisits after paediatric tonsillectomy: a cohort study.

Background: Tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy, is the leading reason for paediatric unplanned hospital readmission, some of which are potentially avoidable. Reducing unplanned hospital revisits would improve patient safety and decrease use of healthcare resources. This study aimed to describe the incidence, timing and risk factors for any surgery-related hospital revisits (both emergency presentation and readmission) following paediatric tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy in a large state-wide cohort.

Angiotensin converting enzyme genotypes and mortality from COVID-19: An ecological study.

Background: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) genotypes are known to be associated with development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and resultant mortality. In the present study, we examined the association between distribution frequency of ACE genotypes and COVID-19 mortality.

Methods: We undertook an ecological study to examine the association between ACE genotypes and COVID-19 mortality across 25 countries to represent different geographical regions of the world.

Real-world adherence, persistence, and in-class switching during use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis involving 594,138 patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: Medication adherence and persistence are important determinants of treatment success in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the real-world adherence, persistence, and in-class switching among patients with T2DM prescribed dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsychINFO, and CINAHL were searched for relevant observational studies published in the English language up to 20 December 2019.

Glucose-lowering agents for treating pre-existing and new-onset diabetes in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Kidney transplantation is the preferred management for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, it is often complicated by worsening or new-onset diabetes. The safety and efficacy of glucose-lowering agents after kidney transplantation is largely unknown.

Smell and Taste Dysfunction in Patients With COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions (OGDs) among patients infected with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the preprint server MedRxiv from their inception until May 11, 2020, using the terms anosmia or hyposmia or dysosmia or olfactory dysfunction or olfaction disorder or smell dysfunction or ageusia or hypogeusia or dysgeusia or taste dysfunction or gustatory dysfunction or neurological and COVID-19 or 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV or SARS-CoV-2. The references of included studies were also manually screened.

A retrospective case-controlled cohort study of inpatient drug induced liver injury: the RIDDLE study.

Background: Identification of risk factors for drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has been hindered by the unpredictable incidence and idiosyncratic nature of DILI. The aim of this study was to identify characteristic host risk factors for DILI.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed examining all patients admitted with a diagnosis of DILI over a 5.

Cancer is associated with severe disease in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cancer patients are vulnerable to complications of respiratory viruses. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to examine the prevalence of cancer and its association with disease severity in patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Searches were performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE and ScienceDirect from their inception until 28 April 2020.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with COVID-19 infection: A systematic review.

Background: COVID-19 has created an extraordinary global health crisis. However, with limited understanding of the effects of COVID-19 during pregnancy, clinicians and patients are forced to make uninformed decisions.

Objectives: To systematically evaluate the literature and report the maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with COVID-19.

Poor adherence and persistence to sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors in real-world settings: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: Despite increasing prescription of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, there is limited insight of the patterns of use among patients with diabetes prescribed these drugs. This study aimed to summarize available real-world data on the adherence and persistence to SGLT2 inhibitors.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review for observational studies reporting the adherence and persistence to SGLT2 inhibitors was performed in Medline, Embase, and Web of Science from their inception to October 2019.

Cost-Effectiveness of Switching Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction to Sacubitril/Valsartan: The Australian Perspective.

Background: The cost-effectiveness, from the Australian health care perspective, of switching patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) stable on angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) to the angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) sacubitril/valsartan is unclear. We sought to assess the cost-effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan versus enalapril in patients with HFREF in the contemporary Australian setting.

Methods: We developed a Markov model with two health states ('Alive' and 'Dead') to assess the cost-effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan versus enalapril in patients with HFREF.

Trends in the Dispensing and Costs of Glucose-Lowering Medications Among Older Australians: Findings from National Claims Data.

Background: Temporal changes in the dispensing of glucose-lowering drugs (GLD) and their associated costs among elderly populations is unclear. This information is especially relevant to countries in which medications are partly or fully government subsidized.

Objective: Our objective was to estimate the trends in prevalence, incidence and costs associated with GLD dispensed to older Australians.

Frailty Confers High Mortality Risk across Different Populations: Evidence from an Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

We performed an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to summarize available data regarding the association between frailty and all-cause mortality. Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine) databases were searched until February 2020 for meta-analyses examining the association between frailty and all-cause mortality. The AMSTAR2 checklist was used to evaluate methodological quality.

Retrospective study of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury from infliximab in an inflammatory bowel disease cohort: the IDLE study.

Background: Infliximab therapy may be associated with drug-induced liver injury (DILI), often resembling a drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis. However, the prevalence of DILI in patients receiving infliximab is unclear. Abnormal liver biochemistry is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and definitive diagnosis may be difficult.

Global Incidence of Frailty and Prefrailty Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome of significant public health importance, yet there is limited understanding of the risk of frailty development at a population level.

Objective: To estimate the global incidence of frailty and prefrailty among community-dwelling adults 60 years or older.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL Plus, and AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database) were searched from inception to January 2019 without language restrictions using combinations of the keywords frailty, older adults, and incidence.

Prevalence and impact of non-cardiovascular comorbidities among older adults hospitalized for non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Background: There is a paucity of information on the prognostic importance of non-cardiovascular comorbidities (NCCs) among patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). This study examined the prevalence and impact of NCCs on the length of stay (LOS) and mortality among older adults hospitalized for NSTE-ACS.

Methods: Among 1,488 older adults (mean age 79.

Cost-effectiveness of first-line versus delayed use of combination dapagliflozin and metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The present study sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of first-line (immediate) versus delayed use of combination dapagliflozin and metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes, from the perspective of the Australian healthcare system. We developed a Markov model to simulate the progress of subjects with type 2 diabetes. Decision analysis was applied to assess the cost-effectiveness of first-line combination dapagliflozin and metformin versus first-line metformin monotherapy followed by gradual addition of dapagliflozin over time.

Impact of tobacco use on health and work productivity in Malaysia.

Background: The loss of productivity arising from tobacco use in low/middle-income countries has not been well described. We sought to examine the impact of cigarette smoking on population health and work productivity in Malaysia using a recently published measure, the productivity-adjusted life year (PALY).

Methods: A life table model was constructed using published Malaysian demographic and mortality data.

Impact of eplerenone on major cardiovascular outcomes in patients with systolic heart failure according to baseline heart rate.

Background: Increased resting heart rate is a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) have been shown to improve cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, reduce heart rate and attenuate left ventricular remodelling. Whether or not the beneficial effects of MRA are affected by heart rate in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) is unclear.