Publications by authors named "N E Palmateer"
Background: In the context of an outbreak of HIV among people who inject drugs in Glasgow, Scotland, identified in 2015, our objectives were to: (1) develop epidemiological methods to estimate HIV incidence using data linkage, and (2) examine temporal changes in HIV incidence to inform public health responses.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study involving data linkage of laboratory HIV testing data to identify individuals with a history of drug use. Person-years (PY) and Poisson regression were used to estimate incidence by time period (pre-outbreak: 2000-2010 and 2011-2013; early outbreak: 2014-2016; ongoing outbreak: 2017-2019).
Background: There is limited empirical work assessing the effectiveness of treatment as prevention (TasP) in reducing HCV prevalence among people who inject drugs (PWID). Here, we used survey data from the UK during 2010-2020, to evaluate the impact of direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA) treatment scale-up, which started in 2015, on HCV prevalence among PWID.
Methods: We fitted a logistic regression to time/location specific data on prevalence from the Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative in Scotland and Unlinked Anonymous Monitoring programme in England.
Objectives: Among people receiving opioid-agonist treatment (OAT), the risk of COVID-19 infection and disease may be higher owing to underlying health problems and vulnerable social circumstances. We aimed to determine whether recent OAT, when compared with past exposure, affected the risk of (i) testing for SARS-CoV-2, (ii) testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, and (iii) being hospitalized or dying with COVID-19 disease.
Methods: We included individuals prescribed OAT in Scotland from 2015 to 2020.
Background: Prescribing of gabapentinoids and Z-drug-hypnotics has increased in the population and among people receiving opioid-agonist treatment (OAT) for opioid dependence. Evidence is mixed on whether co-prescribing of sedatives such as gabapentinoids and Z-drugs during OAT increases risk of drug-related death (DRD).
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of individuals prescribed OAT between 2011 and 2020 in Scotland.
Article Synopsis
- * Using national Scottish data, the study finds that individuals with five or more conditions are significantly more likely to test negative for antibodies post-vaccination and have a much higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization or death.
- * There's a clear link showing that lower antibody levels after vaccination are associated with increased risks of severe outcomes, including hospitalization and death, indicating the importance of monitoring antibody levels in vaccinated individuals.