Faculty Bibliography

INTRODUCTION:The management of psoriasis can include oral medications and injectable biologics. Safety data of these various treatment options are important to consider when choosing the right treatment for the patient. AREAS COVERED:This review evaluates the safety of newer treatments approved for psoriasis, including interleukin-(IL)-17 inhibitors, IL-23/p19 inhibitors, ustekinumab, certolizumab pegol and apremilast, using phases III and IV clinical trial data. EXPERT OPINION:Even as treatment of psoriasis becomes safer, it is important to recognize both common and uncommon adverse effects of treatment. Common adverse effects are similar across treatment options, including upper respiratory infection and injection-site reaction. Serious adverse effects occur less frequently and specific to the psoriasis treatment option, such as inflammatory bowel disease and candida infections with IL-17 inhibitors, tuberculosis with certolizumab pegol, and psychiatric events with apremilast. While IL-23/p19 inhibitors may have a slightly better safety profile than other biologics, long-term data are limited. The conclusions that can be drawn from clinical trial safety data are limited given that many clinical trials are not large enough to detect rare safety events. Data from registries provide important complementary information on long-term safety but there are limitations including a lack of randomized assignment between drug treatments.

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:Despite a decline, smoking rates have remained high, especially in communities with lower income, education, and limited insurance options. Evidence shows that physician-initiated counseling on smoking cessation is effective and saves lives, and that specific skills are needed to appropriately lead this type of patient-physician communication. Residency is a critical moment for future physicians and may be the optimal time to learn, practice, and refine this skillset. Unannounced Standardized Patients (USPs) have been found to be effective, incognito evaluators of resident practices. Methods/UNASSIGNED:This study introduced rigorously trained actors (USPs) into two urban, safety-net clinics to assess resident ability to engage, activate, and counsel a pre-contemplative smoker. A complementary chart review assessed appropriate documentation in the patient's electronic health record (EHR) and its relationship to counseling style and prescribing practices. Results/UNASSIGNED:Resident scores (% well done) on patient education and engagement were low (33% and 23%, respectively). Residents who coupled cessation advice with an open discussion style activated their patients more than those who solely advised cessation across all comparable measures. On EHR documentation, residents who accurately documented smoking history were more likely to directly advise their patient to quit smoking when compared to residents who did not document (t(97) = 2.828, p = .006, Cohen's D = 0.56). Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:Results highlight the need to reinforce training in patient-centered approaches including motivational interviewing, counseling, and shared decision-making. Future research should focus on the effects of smokers in pre-contemplation on physician counseling style and examine the relationship between medical training and provider communication to guide interventions.

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused unprecedented flooding and devastation to the Houston metropolitan area (1). Mold exposure was a serious concern because investigations after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005) had documented extensive mold growth in flood-damaged homes (2,3). Because mold exposure can cause serious illnesses known as invasive mold infections (4,5), and immunosuppressed persons are at high risk for these infections (6,7), several federal agencies recommend that immunosuppressed persons avoid mold-contaminated sites (8,9). To assess the extent of exposure to mold and flood-damaged areas among persons at high risk for invasive mold infections after Hurricane Harvey, CDC and Texas health officials conducted a survey among 103 immunosuppressed residents in Houston. Approximately half of the participants (50) engaged in cleanup of mold and water-damaged areas; these activities included heavy cleanup (23), such as removing furniture or removing drywall, or light cleanup (27), such as wiping down walls or retrieving personal items. Among immunosuppressed persons who performed heavy cleanup, 43% reported wearing a respirator, as did 8% who performed light cleanup. One participant reported wearing all personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended for otherwise healthy persons (i.e., respirator, boots, goggles, and gloves). Immunosuppressed residents who are at high risk for invasive mold infections were exposed to mold and flood-damaged areas after Hurricane Harvey; recommendations from health care providers to avoid exposure to mold and flood-damaged areas could mitigate the risk to immunosuppressed persons.

Asthma control is suboptimal among World Trade Center Health Registry (WTCHR) enrollees. Air pollution/irritants have been reported as the most prevalent trigger among World Trade Center responders. We examined the relationship between air pollution/irritants and asthma control. We also evaluated the association of asthma control with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We included 6202 enrollees age ≥18 with a history of asthma who completed the WTCHR asthma survey between 2015 and 2016. Based on modified National Asthma Education and Prevention Program criteria, asthma was categorized as controlled, poorly-controlled, or very poorly-controlled. HRQoL indicators include ≥14 unhealthy days, ≥14 activity limitation days, and self-rated general health. We used multinomial logistic regression for asthma control, and unconditional logistic regression for HRQoL, adjusting for covariates. Overall, 27.1% had poorly-controlled and 32.2% had very poorly-controlled asthma. Air pollution/irritants were associated with poorly-controlled (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.45-1.99) and very poorly-controlled asthma (AOR = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.83-2.53). Poor asthma control in turn worsened the HRQoL of asthmatic patients. Very poorly-controlled asthma was significantly associated with ≥14 unhealthy days (AOR = 3.60; 95% CI = 3.02-4.30), ≥14 activity limitation days (AOR = 4.37; 95% CI = 3.48-5.50), and poor/fair general health status (AOR = 4.92; 95% CI = 4.11-5.89). Minimizing World Trade Center (WTC) asthmatic patients' exposure to air pollution/irritants may improve their disease management and overall well-being.

Pinworm infections are usually under the spectrum of the Infectious Diseases department, however, they can fall into a gastroenterologist's lap when found incidentally during a screening colonoscopy. This case expands on the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of pinworms in the patient and household.

Patient management is not based on a single decision. Rather it is dynamic, based on a sequence of decisions with therapeutic adjustments made over time. Adjustments are personalized, tailored to individual patients as new information becomes available. However strategies allowing for such adjustments are infrequently studied. Traditional antibiotic trials are often nonpragmatic, comparing drugs for definitive therapy when drug susceptibilities are known. COMparing Personalized Antibiotic StrategieS (COMPASS) is a trial design that compares strategies consistent with clinical practice, decision-rules that guides empiric and definitive therapy decisions. Sequential multiple assignment randomized (SMART) COMPASS allows evaluation when there are multiple definitive therapy options. SMART COMPASS is pragmatic, mirroring clinical antibiotic treatment decision-making and addressing the most relevant issue for treating patients: identification of the patient-management strategy that optimizes ultimate patient outcomes. SMART COMPASS is valuable in the setting of antibiotic resistance when therapeutic adjustments may be necessary due to resistance.

In acute pancreatitis, the most crucial aspect of management falls within the first 48-72 hours, which should be approached in a step-wise order. When steps are skipped or rushed, such as the early use of computed tomography (CT) with contrast in the setting of poor oral intake, the risk of morbidity increases. This is a case when the deleterious effects of contrast worsened the severity of the clinical course, resulting in a higher rate of mortality and longer hospital stay, and escalated the healthcare cost burden.

Background/UNASSIGNED:Overcoming-lactam resistance in pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major clinical challenge. Rapid molecular diagnostics (RMDs) have the potential to inform selection of empiric therapy in patients infected by P. aeruginosa. Methods/UNASSIGNED:In this study, we used a heterogeneous collection of 197 P. aeruginosa that included multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates to investigate whether two representative RMDs (Acuitas Resistome Test and VERIGENE Gram-Negative Blood Culture Test) could identify susceptibility to two newer -lactam/-lactamase inhibitor (BL-BLI) combinations, ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA) and ceftolozane/tazobactam (TOL/TAZO). Results/UNASSIGNED:We found that the studied RMD platforms were able to correctly identify BL-BLI susceptibility [susceptibility sensitivity 100% (95% CI: 97%, 100%)] for both BL-BLIs. However, their ability to detect resistance to these BL-BLIs was lower [resistance sensitivity 66% (95% CI: 52%, 78%) for TOL/TAZO and 33% (95% CI: 20%, 49%) for CZA]. Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:The diagnostic platforms studied showed the most potential in scenarios where a resistance gene was detected or in scenarios where a resistance gene was not detected and the prevalence of resistance to TOL/TAZO or CZA is known to be low. Clinicians need to be mindful of the benefits and risks resulting from empiric treatment decisions based on resistance gene detection in P.aeruginosa, acknowledging that such decisions are impacted by the prevalence of resistance which varies temporally and geographically.