Try a new search

Format these results:

Searched for:

person:lightj03

in-biosketch:true

Total Results:

62


SARS-CoV-2 Among Infants <90 Days of Age Admitted for Serious Bacterial Infection Evaluation

Paret, Michal; Lalani, Karim; Hedari, Carine; Jaffer, Annum; Narayanan, Nisha; Noor, Asif; Lighter, Jennifer; Madan, Rebecca Pellett; Shust, Gail F; Ratner, Adam J; Raabe, Vanessa N
PMID: 34193619
ISSN: 1098-4275
CID: 4926782

Dominance of Alpha and Iota variants in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine breakthrough infections in New York City

Duerr, Ralf; Dimartino, Dacia; Marier, Christian; Zappile, Paul; Wang, Guiqing; Lighter, Jennifer; Elbel, Brian; Troxel, Andrea B; Heguy, Adriana
The efficacy of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is high, but breakthrough infections still occur. We compared the SARS-CoV-2 genomes of 76 breakthrough cases after full vaccination with BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech), mRNA-1273 (Moderna), or JNJ-78436735 (Janssen) to unvaccinated controls (February-April 2021) in metropolitan New York, including their phylogenetic relationship, distribution of variants, and full spike mutation profiles. The median age of patients in the study was 48 years; 7 required hospitalization and 1 died. Most breakthrough infections (57/76) occurred with B.1.1.7 (Alpha) or B.1.526 (Iota). Among the 7 hospitalized cases, 4 were infected with B.1.1.7, including 1 death. Both unmatched and matched statistical analyses considering age, sex, vaccine type, and study month as covariates supported the null hypothesis of equal variant distributions between vaccinated and unvaccinated in χ2 and McNemar tests (P > 0.1), highlighting a high vaccine efficacy against B.1.1.7 and B.1.526. There was no clear association among breakthroughs between type of vaccine received and variant. In the vaccinated group, spike mutations in the N-terminal domain and receptor-binding domain that have been associated with immune evasion were overrepresented. The evolving dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 variants requires broad genomic analyses of breakthrough infections to provide real-life information on immune escape mediated by circulating variants and their spike mutations.
PMCID:8439605
PMID: 34375308
ISSN: 1558-8238
CID: 5010772

COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy: early experience from a single institution [Letter]

Trostle, Megan E; Limaye, Meghana A; Avtushka, Valeryia; Lighter, Jennifer L; Penfield, Christina A; Roman, Ashley S
OBJECTIVE:Vaccination presents an important strategy to mitigate illness in this population. However, there is a paucity of data on vaccination safety and pregnancy outcomes because pregnant women were excluded from the initial phase III clinical trials. Our objective was to describe the maternal, neonatal, and obstetrical outcomes of women who received a messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccination while pregnant during the first 4 months of vaccine availability. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:This was an institutional review board-approved descriptive study of pregnant women at New York University Langone Health who received at least 1 dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccination approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) from the time of the FDA Emergency Use Authorization to April 22, 2021. Eligible women were identified via search of the electronic medical record (EMR) system. Vaccine administration was ascertained via immunization records from the New York State Department of Health. Women were excluded if they were vaccinated before conception or during the postpartum period. Charts were reviewed for maternal demographics and pregnancy outcomes. Descriptive analyses were performed using the R software version 4.0.2 (The R Foundation, Boston, MA). RESULTS:We identified 424 pregnant women who received an mRNA vaccination. Of those, 348 (82.1%) received both doses and 76 (17.9%) received only 1 dose. The maternal characteristics and vaccination information are shown in Table 1. Of the included women, 4.9% had a history of a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis before vaccination. After vaccination, no patient in our cohort was diagnosed with COVID-19. In terms of the pregnancy outcomes, 9 women had spontaneous abortions, 3 terminated their pregnancies, and 327 have ongoing pregnancies. Of the women included, 85 delivered liveborn infants. There were no stillbirths in our population. Of the 9 spontaneous abortions, 8 occurred during the first trimester at a range of 6 to 13 weeks' gestation. There was 1 second trimester loss. The rate of spontaneous abortion among women vaccinated in the first trimester was 6.5%. The 327 women with ongoing pregnancies have been followed for a median of 4.6 weeks (range, 0-17 weeks) following their most recent dose. A total of 113 (34.6%) women, initiated vaccination during the first trimester, 178 (54.4%) initiated vaccination during the second trimester, and 36 (11.0%) during the third trimester. Following the vaccination, 2 fetuses (0.6%) developed intrauterine growth restriction, whereas 5 (1.5%) were diagnosed with anomalies. Outcomes for the 85 women who delivered are shown in Table 2. Of the women who delivered, 18.8% were diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. The rate of preterm birth was 5.9%. One preterm delivery was medically indicated, whereas the remaining 3 were spontaneous. A total of 15.3% of neonates required admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Of the NICU admissions, 61.5% were because of hypoglycemia or an evaluation for sepsis. Other reasons for admission included prematurity, hypothermia, and transient tachypnea of the newborn. Of all the neonates, 12.2% were small for gestational age (SGA) per the World Health Organization standards. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Our rate of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders is higher than our baseline institutional rate of 9.5%, however, this may be because of the underlying characteristics of our study population or skewing of our small sample size. Our 12.2% rate of SGA neonates is near the expected value based on the definition that 10% of neonates will be SGA at birth. The NICU admission rate is at par with our institutional rate of 12%. To date, most women in this series have had uncomplicated pregnancies and have delivered at-term. Strengths of this study include using the EMR system to identify subjects and gather data. We did not rely on self-enrollment and self-report, thereby reducing selection and recall bias. By performing manual chart reviews, we obtained detailed and reliable information about individual patients. One limitation of this study is the lack of a matched control group consisting of unvaccinated pregnant women and therefore direct conclusions could not be drawn about the relative risks of complications. In addition, our cohort is small and may not be generalizable. Finally, many women included are healthcare workers who had early access to vaccinations. As more pregnant women become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccinations, there is an urgent need to report on the maternal, neonatal, and obstetrical outcomes of COVID-19 vaccinations during pregnancy. The results of this study can be used to counsel and reassure pregnant patients facing this decision.
PMCID:8366042
PMID: 34411758
ISSN: 2589-9333
CID: 5012972

Oral Vancomycin as Secondary Prophylaxis for Clostridioides difficile Infection

Bao, Hongkai; Lighter, Jennifer; Dubrovskaya, Yanina; Merchan, Cristian; Siegfried, Justin; Papadopoulos, John; Jen, Shin-Pung
OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:infection (CDI) while receiving systemic antibiotics to prevent CDI recurrence. However, this practice has not been studied in pediatric patients. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of secondary OVP in pediatric patients with previous CDI who received subsequent antibiotic exposure. METHODS:A multicampus, retrospective cohort evaluation was conducted among patients aged ≤18 years with any history of clinical CDI and receiving systemic antibiotics in a subsequent encounter from 2013-2019. Patients who received concomitant OVP with antibiotics were compared with unexposed patients. The primary outcome was CDI recurrence within 8 weeks after antibiotic exposure. Infection with vancomycin-resistant enterococci and risk factors for CDI recurrence were assessed. RESULTS:= .04). CONCLUSIONS:Secondary OVP while receiving systemic antibiotics reduces the risk of recurrent CDI in pediatric patients with a history of CDI.
PMID: 34330867
ISSN: 1098-4275
CID: 4994232

Retapamulin Activity Against Pediatric Strains of Mupirocin-resistant Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Patel, Ami B; Lighter, Jennifer; Fulmer, Yi; Copin, Richard; Ratner, Adam J; Shopsin, Bo
Retapamulin activity against 53 isolates obtained from a mupirocin-resistant community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pediatric disease cluster was evaluated using broth microdilution. All strains were susceptible to retapamulin with minimum inhibitory concentrations ≤ 0.5 μg/mL. DNA sequence analysis of rplC and cfr identified one rplC strain variant that did not demonstrate reduced phenotypic susceptibility to retapamulin. These results demonstrate that retapamulin may be a useful alternative therapy for mupirocin-resistant community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus, especially in disease clusters.
PMID: 33657598
ISSN: 1532-0987
CID: 4905682

Development and validation of a machine learning model to predict mortality risk in patients with COVID-19

Stachel, Anna; Daniel, Kwesi; Ding, Dan; Francois, Fritz; Phillips, Michael; Lighter, Jennifer
New York City quickly became an epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. An ability to triage patients was needed due to a sudden and massive increase in patients during the COVID-19 pandemic as healthcare providers incurred an exponential increase in workload,which created a strain on the staff and limited resources. Further, methods to better understand and characterise the predictors of morbidity and mortality was needed. METHODS: We developed a prediction model to predict patients at risk for mortality using only laboratory, vital and demographic information readily available in the electronic health record on more than 3395 hospital admissions with COVID-19. Multiple methods were applied, and final model was selected based on performance. A variable importance algorithm was used for interpretability, and understanding of performance and predictors was applied to the best model. We built a model with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 83-97 to identify predictors and patients with high risk of mortality due to COVID-19. Oximetry, respirations, blood urea nitrogen, lymphocyte per cent, calcium, troponin and neutrophil percentage were important features, and key ranges were identified that contributed to a 50% increase in patients' mortality prediction score. With an increasing negative predictive value starting 0.90 after the second day of admission suggests we might be able to more confidently identify likely survivors DISCUSSION: This study serves as a use case of a machine learning methods with visualisations to aide clinicians with a better understanding of the model and predictors of mortality. CONCLUSION: As we continue to understand COVID-19, computer assisted algorithms might be able to improve the care of patients.
PMCID:8108129
PMID: 33962987
ISSN: 2632-1009
CID: 4866902

Cerebrospinal fluid in COVID-19: A systematic review of the literature

Lewis, Ariane; Frontera, Jennifer; Placantonakis, Dimitris G; Lighter, Jennifer; Galetta, Steven; Balcer, Laura; Melmed, Kara R
OBJECTIVE:We sought to review the literature on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing in patients with COVID-19 for evidence of viral neuroinvasion by SARS-CoV-2. METHODS:We performed a systematic review of Medline and Embase between December 1, 2019 and November 18, 2020 to identify case reports or series of patients who had COVID-19 diagnosed based on positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or serologic testing and had CSF testing due to a neurologic symptom. RESULTS:We identified 242 relevant documents which included 430 patients with COVID-19 who had acute neurological symptoms prompting CSF testing. Of those, 321 (75%) patients had symptoms that localized to the central nervous system (CNS). Of 304 patients whose CSF was tested for SARS-CoV-2 PCR, there were 17 (6%) whose test was positive, all of whom had symptoms that localized to the central nervous system (CNS). The majority (13/17, 76%) of these patients were admitted to the hospital because of neurological symptoms. Of 58 patients whose CSF was tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibody, 7 (12%) had positive antibodies with evidence of intrathecal synthesis, all of whom had symptoms that localized to the CNS. Of 132 patients who had oligoclonal bands evaluated, 3 (2%) had evidence of intrathecal antibody synthesis. Of 77 patients tested for autoimmune antibodies in the CSF, 4 (5%) had positive findings. CONCLUSION:Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in CSF via PCR or evaluation for intrathecal antibody synthesis appears to be rare. Most neurological complications associated with SARS- CoV-2 are unlikely to be related to direct viral neuroinvasion.
PMCID:7833669
PMID: 33561753
ISSN: 1878-5883
CID: 4799772

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children: Survey of Protocols for Early Hospital Evaluation and Management

Dove, Matthew L; Jaggi, Preeti; Kelleman, Michael; Abuali, Mayssa; Ang, Jocelyn Y; Ballan, Wassim; Basu, Sanmit K; Campbell, M Jay; Chikkabyrappa, Sathish M; Choueiter, Nadine F; Clouser, Katharine N; Corwin, Daniel; Edwards, Amy; Gertz, Shira J; Ghassemzadeh, Rod; Jarrah, Rima J; Katz, Sophie E; Knutson, Stacie M; Kuebler, Joseph D; Lighter, Jennifer; Mikesell, Christine; Mongkolrattanothai, Kanokporn; Morton, Ted; Nakra, Natasha A; Olivero, Rosemary; Osborne, Christina M; Panesar, Laurie E; Parsons, Sarah; Patel, Rupal M; Schuette, Jennifer; Thacker, Deepika; Tremoulet, Adriana H; Vidwan, Navjyot K; Oster, Matthew E
OBJECTIVE:To describe the similarities and differences in the evaluation and treatment of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) at hospitals in the United States. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:We conducted a cross-sectional survey from June 16 to July 16, 2020 of U.S. children's hospitals regarding protocols for management of patients with MIS-C. Elements included characteristics of the hospital, clinical definition of MIS-C, evaluation, treatment, and follow up. We summarized key findings and compared results from centers in which >5 patients had been treated vs those in which <5 patients had been treated. RESULTS:In all, 40 centers of varying size and experience with MIS-C participated in this protocol survey. Overall 21 of 40 centers required only one day of fever for MIS-C to be considered. In the evaluation of patients, there was often a tiered approach. Intravenous immunoglobulin was the most widely recommended medication to treat MIS-C (98% of centers). Corticosteroids were listed in 93% of protocols primarily for moderate or severe cases. Aspirin was commonly recommended for mild cases, whereas heparin or low molecular weight heparin were to be used primarily in severe cases. In severe cases, anakinra and vasopressors were frequently recommended; 39 of 40 centers recommended follow up with cardiology. There were similar findings between centers in which >5 patients vs. <5 patients had been managed. Supplemental materials containing hospital protocols are provided. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:There are many similarities yet key differences between hospital protocols for MIS-C. These findings can help healthcare providers learn from others regarding options for managing MIS-C.
PMCID:7566788
PMID: 33075369
ISSN: 1097-6833
CID: 4646132

A Modern Measles Outbreak: Understanding maternal immunity and impact on postpartum vaccination uptake

Hirschberg, Carly I; Limaye, Meghana; Roman, Ashley; Friedman, Steven; Lighter, Jennifer L; Deeb, Jessica; Schweizer, William; Wei, Lili; Mehta-Lee, Shilpi S
OBJECTIVE:In October 2018, a measles (rubeola) outbreak was identified in New York City (NYC) & Rockland County (RC) and a public health campaign and hospital policy changes were made to increase awareness of the importance of vaccination and increase vaccination rates. We describe the prevalence of rubeola immunity in pregnant women and the change in uptake of postpartum MMR vaccination before and during the measles outbreak. METHODS:A multi-pronged intervention was developed by the health system with the intent of raising awareness of the outbreak, identifying patients at risk of contracting measles during pregnancy, and limiting exposure of inpatients to the disease. This was a quality improvement study to assess the impact of the intervention and public health policy on the rates of documentation of rubeola immunity and rubeola vaccination rates in non-immune women. Women who delivered at NYU Langone Health prior to the outbreak (7/1/2016 to 7/1/2017) were compared to women who delivered during the outbreak (7/1/18 to 7/1/19). The primary outcome was acceptance of MMR vaccination in non-immune women during the postpartum period. Analysis was conducted using logistic regression and chi-square tests, and alpha was set at 0.05. RESULTS:19585 patients were analyzed. 9,162 women delivered prior to outbreak and 10,423 delivered during the outbreak. Of these, 2589 (13.2%) were documented as living in a high-risk ZIP code, which were areas at the epicenter of the measles outbreak. 14,731 women (75.2%) were tested for rubeola immunity and 3270 (22.2%) of those tested were not immune. In the year of the outbreak, a higher proportion of women had rubeola immunity documented with serum titers than in the year prior to the outbreak (81% vs. 69%, p<0.001). Inpatient compliance with postpartum MMR administration was greater during the outbreak than prior to it (76% vs 59%, p <.001) for patients from both low risk and high-risk ZIP codes. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The NYC & RC measles outbreak, together with implementation of a health system wide education program and a change in public health policy led to an increase in the proportion of pregnant women being screened for rubeola immunity. It also led to an increase in uptake of the immediate postpartum MMR vaccine.
PMID: 33453442
ISSN: 2589-9333
CID: 4760102

A Case of Pott's Puffy Tumor Associated With Barosinusitis From Scuba Diving

Patel, Ami; Vuppula, Sharon; Hayward, Harrison; Lakhani, Anisa; Lighter, Jennifer
Barosinusitis, or sinus barotrauma, is a well-described condition associated with changes in barometric pressure during flight and diving that can result in sinonasal mucosal injury. In this case report, we present an adolescent who experienced barosinusitis during scuba diving and subsequently developed Pott's puffy tumor (PPT), characterized by frontal sinusitis, frontal bone osteomyelitis, and overlying subperiosteal abscess. This unique case of PPT following scuba diving provides the opportunity to review the pathophysiology of both barotrauma-induced sinus disease and PPT, a rare and unreported serious complication of barosinusitis. Furthermore, we discuss how scuba diving and associated barosinusitis can be considered a risk factor in the development of PPT.
PMID: 30601343
ISSN: 1535-1815
CID: 4044382