Publications by authors named "Sands K"

Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of using microwave ablation (MWA) to treat solitary kidney (SK) patients with T1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database identified patients with T1a RCC with either congenital or acquired SK. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated from serum creatinine before MWA and after at 6 and 12 months post-procedure.

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Interpreting the phenotypes of alleles in genomes is complex. Whilst all strains are expected to carry a chromosomal copy conferring resistance to ampicillin, they may also carry mutations in chromosomal alleles or additional plasmid-borne alleles that have extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) activity and/or β-lactamase inhibitor (BLI) resistance activity. In addition, the role of individual mutations/a changes is not completely documented or understood.

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Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To characterize variation in dexamethasone and remdesivir use over time among hospitals.

Background: Little is known about hospital-level variation in COVID-19 drug treatments in a large and diverse network in the United States.

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Purpose: While potential harm from high doses of systemic dexamethasone for clinical management of COVID-19 is an important concern, little is known about real world dexamethasone dosing in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States.

Methods: Descriptive study to assess dexamethasone daily dose in adults with COVID-19 in a large US hospital network, overall and by respiratory support requirements, extracted using semi- structured nursing notes.

Results: Of 332 430 hospitalizations with a COVID-19 diagnosis, 201 637 (60.

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Ebselen is a drug in clinical trials for several diseases and degenerative conditions where oxidative stress is implicated. A series of novel ebselen analogues was synthesized, including hydroxy-, alkoxy- and aminomethylene derivatives, as well as hybrid species where the ebselen selenium atom is shared with other potent antioxidant structures, such as cyclic selenenyl sulfide, cyclic seleninate ester and spirodioxyselenurane moieties. Conjugates of ebselen with cholesterol, prednisolone and the radical inhibitor BHT were also prepared.

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Background: Detection and containment of hospital outbreaks currently depend on variable and personnel-intensive surveillance methods. Whether automated statistical surveillance for outbreaks of health care-associated pathogens allows earlier containment efforts that would reduce the size of outbreaks is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a cluster-randomized trial in 82 community hospitals within a larger health care system.

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Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) has become more accessible to surgeons worldwide, and descriptions of intracorporeal urinary diversion techniques, such as orthotopic neobladder construction, have increased. In this study, we aim to compare the rate of bladder neck contracture (BNC) formation between RARC and two different urinary diversion techniques. We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database for patients with bladder cancer who underwent RARC with intracorporeal neobladder (ICNB) construction (n = 11) or extracorporeal neobladder (ECNB) construction (n = 11) between 2012 and 2020.

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Importance: Pneumonia is the most common infection requiring hospitalization and is a major reason for overuse of extended-spectrum antibiotics. Despite low risk of multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infection, clinical uncertainty often drives initial antibiotic selection. Strategies to limit empiric antibiotic overuse for patients with pneumonia are needed.

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Importance: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the second most common infection leading to hospitalization and is often associated with gram-negative multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Clinicians overuse extended-spectrum antibiotics although most patients are at low risk for MDRO infection. Safe strategies to limit overuse of empiric antibiotics are needed.

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Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, inpatient electronic health records (EHRs) have been used to conduct public health surveillance and assess treatments and outcomes. Invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) and supplemental oxygen (O) use are markers of severe illness in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. In a large US system (n = 142 hospitals), we assessed documentation of MV and O use during COVID-19 hospitalization in administrative data versus nursing documentation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hospital surfaces in LMICs harbor antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), leading to nosocomial infections and contributing to mortality rates.
  • The BARNARDS study sampled neonatal ward surfaces, employing PCR and whole genome sequencing to identify dominant bacterial clones, notably Klebsiella pneumoniae, linked to neonatal sepsis in Pakistan.
  • A higher prevalence of carbapenemases was noted in certain countries, emphasizing the importance of improving Infection Prevention and Control guidelines in healthcare settings.
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A mobile colistin resistance gene mcr was first reported in 2016 in China and has since been found with increasing prevalence across South-East Asia. Here we survey the presence of mcr genes in 4907 rectal swabs from mothers and neonates from three hospital sites across Nigeria; a country with limited availability or history of colistin use clinically. Forty mother and seven neonatal swabs carried mcr genes in a range of bacterial species: 46 Enterobacter spp.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to describe nodular histiocytic iritis in dogs, focusing on its clinical presentation, histopathology, management, and outcomes.
  • Researchers reviewed the records of five dogs (four Border Collies and one crossbreed, aged 1.5-3.4 years) diagnosed with this condition through histopathology.
  • Findings revealed unilateral iris thickening resembling neoplasia but related to inflammation; enucleation or biopsies were performed, with successful outcomes and no recurrence observed in follow-ups.
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Purpose: Though controversial, alpha blockers are used widely for ureteral stone passage. However, its effects on the patient-reported Quality of life (QOL) is unknown. We compared the QoL of patients on alpha-blocker medical expulsive therapy (MET) to patients not on MET (noMET) utilizing the validated Wisconsin Stone Quality of Life (WISQOL).

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Exchange of antimicrobial resistance genes via mobile genetic elements occur in the gut which can be transferred from mother to neonate during birth. This study is the first to analyse transmissible colistin resistance gene, , in pregnant mothers and neonates. Samples were collected from pregnant mothers (rectal) and septicaemic neonates (rectal and blood) and analysed for the presence of , its transmissibility, genome diversity, and exchange of between isolates within an individual and across different individuals (not necessarily mother-baby pairs).

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Importance: Universal nasal mupirocin plus chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing in intensive care units (ICUs) prevents methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and all-cause bloodstream infections. Antibiotic resistance to mupirocin has raised questions about whether an antiseptic could be advantageous for ICU decolonization.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of iodophor vs mupirocin for universal ICU nasal decolonization in combination with CHG bathing.

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Importance: Many pulse oximeters have been shown to overestimate oxygen saturation in persons of color, and this phenomenon has potential clinical implications. The relationship between overestimation of oxygen saturation with timing of COVID-19 medication delivery and clinical outcomes remains unknown.

Objective: To investigate the association between overestimation of oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry and delay in administration of COVID-19 therapy, hospital length of stay, risk of hospital readmission, and in-hospital mortality.

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We described care received by hospitalized children with COVID-19 or multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) prior to the 2021 COVID-19 Omicron variant surge in the US. We identified hospitalized children <18 years of age with a COVID-19 or MIS-C diagnosis (COVID-19 not required), separately, from February 2020-September 2021 (n = 126 hospitals). We described high-risk conditions, inpatient treatments, and complications among these groups.

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Longitudinal studies of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) and epidemic clones of E. coli in association with New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase () in septicaemic neonates are rare. This study captured the diversity of 80 E.

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Poly-anionic compounds can chelate divalent cations and dissolve calcium oxalate stone. Our objective was to assess how much concurrent irrigation with poly-anionic chelating solutions during non-contact laser lithotripsy or popcorning could improve stone ablation rate. A popcorning model was created by lowering a ureteroscope with thulium fiber laser into a test tube calyx.

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In a survey of infection prevention programs, leaders reported frequent clinical and infection prevention practice modifications to avoid coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposure that exceeded national guidance. Future pandemic responses should emphasize balanced approaches to precautions, prioritize educational campaigns to manage safety concerns, and generate an evidence-base that can guide appropriate infection prevention practices.

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Rising rates of multidrug-resistant infections necessitate a comprehensive understanding of the major strains and plasmids driving spread of resistance elements. Here, we analysed 540 clinical, screen and environmental isolates recovered from across Wales between 2007 and 2020 using combined short- and long-read sequencing approaches. We identified resistant clones that have spread within and between hospitals including the high-risk strain sequence type (ST)307, which acquired the carbapenemase gene on a pOXA-48-like plasmid.

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Article Synopsis
  • Neonatal mortality rates have decreased globally, but bacterial sepsis, particularly from Klebsiella pneumoniae, continues to be a leading cause of death among newborns, often resistant to standard antibiotic treatments.
  • The study models the potential impact of a hypothetical maternal K. pneumoniae vaccine, estimated at 70% efficacy, to reduce neonatal infections and fatalities in low- and middle-income countries by analyzing data from comprehensive neonatal studies across various regions.
  • Researchers assessed the accumulation of antibiotic resistance in K. pneumoniae to forecast an increase in resistant cases, emphasizing the importance of maternal vaccination as a strategic public health intervention.
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Importance: Non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) is a common and deadly hospital-acquired infection. However, inconsistent surveillance methods and unclear estimates of attributable mortality challenge prevention.

Objective: To estimate the incidence, variability, outcomes, and population attributable mortality of NV-HAP.

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