Epidemiologic and Clinical Features of Mpox-Associated Deaths - United States, May 10, 2022-March 7, 2023.

As of March 7, 2023, a total of 30,235 confirmed and probable monkeypox (mpox) cases were reported in the United States, predominantly among cisgender men who reported recent sexual contact with another man (1). Although most mpox cases during the current outbreak have been self-limited, cases of severe illness and death have been reported (2-4). During May 10, 2022-March 7, 2023, 38 deaths among persons with probable or confirmed mpox (1.

Care Facilitation Advances Movement Along the Hepatitis C Care Continuum for Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis C, and Substance Use: A Randomized Clinical Trial (CTN-0064).

Background: Direct-acting antivirals can cure hepatitis C virus (HCV). Persons with HCV/HIV and living with substance use are disadvantaged in benefiting from advances in HCV treatment.

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, participants with HCV/HIV were randomized between February 2016 and January 2017 to either care facilitation or control.

Assessing the use of HIV surveillance data to help gauge patient retention-in-care.

Background: Improved retention-in-care may enhance health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Although laboratory surveillance data may be used to gauge retention, no previous reports have compared laboratory surveillance vs. clinic visit-based measures of retention-in-care.

Transmission clustering among newly diagnosed HIV patients in Chicago, 2008 to 2011: using phylogenetics to expand knowledge of regional HIV transmission patterns.

Introduction: HIV transmission cluster analyses can inform HIV prevention efforts. We describe the first such assessment for transmission clustering among HIV patients in Chicago.

Methods: We performed transmission cluster analyses using HIV pol sequences from newly diagnosed patients presenting to Chicago's largest HIV clinic between 2008 and 2011.

Scaling up routine HIV testing at specialty clinics: assessing the effectiveness of an academic detailing approach.

Introduction: Scaling up routine HIV testing represents a key component of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Barriers to routine HIV testing have limited widespread adoption. Although many patients visit specialty care providers, few efforts to increase routine HIV testing in specialty care settings have been made.

Routine, rapid HIV testing of medicine service admissions in the emergency department.

Objective: We identify undiagnosed HIV among adult emergency department (ED) patients awaiting medicine admission through rapid testing, expedite their redirection to the inpatient HIV service, and improve linkage to ambulatory HIV care.

Methods: Two ED health educators offered rapid testing to patients aged 18 to 64 years from the high-acuity ED area from which most medicine admissions originate. Heath educators obtained consent, obtained fingerstick blood, and performed point-of-care testing.

Early development of non-hodgkin lymphoma following initiation of newer class antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected patients - implications for immune reconstitution.

Background: In the HAART era, the incidence of HIV-associated non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is decreasing. We describe cases of NHL among patients with multi-class antiretroviral resistance diagnosed rapidly after initiating newer-class antiretrovirals, and examine the immunologic and virologic factors associated with potential IRIS-mediated NHL.

Methods: During December 2006 to January 2008, eligible HIV-infected patients from two affiliated clinics accessed Expanded Access Program antiretrovirals of raltegravir, etravirine, and/or maraviroc with optimized background.

Reliability at the lower limits of HIV-1 RNA quantification in clinical samples: a comparison of RT-PCR versus bDNA assays.

Introduction: To explore whether an assay change was responsible for an increasing proportion of patients with undetectable HIV viral loads at our urban HIV clinic, we selected highly stable patients, examining their viral loads before and after changing assays. We compared the proportion with detectable viremia during RT-PCR vs. bDNA periods.

The role of rapid vs conventional human immunodeficiency virus testing for inpatients: effects on quality of care.

Background: Rapid testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has improved HIV screening in the outpatient and perinatal settings, but few data report how it may be used to improve the quality of inpatient care. We compared quality of care for inpatients diagnosed in the emergency department via rapid testing vs patients whose conditions were diagnosed via conventional testing during their hospital admission.

Methods: We reviewed medical records to identify patients with first-time positive HIV tests and concurrent hospital admission who were tested via either rapid testing in the emergency department or conventional testing during their hospital admission.