Julie R. Gaither

Using US Data to Estimate the Incidence of Serious Physical Abuse in Children

BACKGROUND There are limited data on the epidemiology of serious injuries due to physical abuse of children. METHODS: We used the 2006 Kids’ Inpatient Database to estimate the incidence of hospitalizations due to serious physical abuse among children <18 years of age. Abuse was defined by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes for injuries (800–959) and for physical abuse (995.50, 995.54, 995.55, or 995.59), selected assault codes (E960-966, 968), or child battering (E967). We examined demographic characteristics, mean costs, and length of stay in 3 groups of hospitalized children: abusive injuries, nonabusive injuries, and all other reasons for hospitalization. Incidence was calculated using the weighted number of cases of physical abuse and the number of children at risk based on 2006 intercensal data. RESULTS: The weighted number of cases due to abuse was 4569; the incidence was 6.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.5–6.9) per 100 000 children <18 years of age. The incidence was highest in children <1 year of age (58.2 per 100 000; 95% CI: 51.0–65.3) and even higher in infants covered by Medicaid (133.1 per 100 000; 95% CI: 115.2–151.0 [or 1 in 752 infants]). Overall, there were 300 children who died in the hospital due to physical abuse. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to provide national US data on the occurrence of serious injuries due to physical abuse in hospitalized children. Data from the 2006 Kids’ Inpatient Database on hospitalizations due to serious physical abuse can be used to track trends over time and the effects of prevention programs on serious physical abuse.

Incidence of Serious Injuries Due to Physical Abuse in the United States: 1997 to 2009

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although US child protective services data showed a 55% decrease in the national incidence of substantiated physical abuse from 1992 to 2009, no study has tracked the occurrence of serious injuries due to physical abuse. This study examined changes in the incidence of serious injuries due to physical abuse in hospitalized children from 1997 to 2009. METHODS: The Kids’ Inpatient Database, a sample of discharges from hospitals in the United States, includes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis and external cause of injury codes; it was prepared every 3 years from 1997 to 2009. Cases of serious physical abuse (eg, abusive head injury) were identified by using injury codes (800–959) and codes for abuse (995.50, 0.54, 0.55, and 0.59), selected assault codes (E960–966, 968), or perpetrator of abuse (E967). The weighted number of hospitalizations due to serious physical abuse was used to calculate the national incidence, and χ2 for linear trend compared over time the incidence for children <18 years and <1 year of age. RESULTS: The incidence per 100 000 children <18 years of age increased 4.9%: 6.1 (95% confidence interval = 5.4–6.8) for 1997, 6.0 (5.2–6.7) for 2000, 6.0 (5.3–6.7) for 2003, 6.1 (5.3–6.8) for 2006, and 6.4 (5.7–7.2) for 2009 (P < .01). The incidence for children <1 year of age increased 10.9% (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Over 12 years, when substantiated physical abuse was declining, there was a small increase in the incidence of serious physical abuse in children <18 and <1 year of age.

Hospitalizations Due to Firearm Injuries in Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Despite recent national attention on deaths from firearms, little information exists about children and adolescents who are hospitalized for firearm injuries. The objective was to determine the national frequency of firearm-related hospitalizations in the United States in children, compare rates by cause and demographics, and describe hospitalized cases. METHODS: We used the 2009 Kids’ Inpatient Database to identify hospitalizations from firearm-related injuries in young people <20 years of age; International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, and external-cause-of injury codes were used to categorize the injuries and the causes as follows: assault, suicide attempt, unintentional, or undetermined. Incidences were calculated by using the weighted number of cases and the intercensal population. Risk ratios compared incidences. RESULTS: In 2009, 7391 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6523–8259) hospitalizations were due to firearm-related injuries. The hospitalization rate was 8.87 (95% CI: 7.83–9.92) per 100 000 persons <20 years of age. Hospitalizations due to assaults were most frequent (n = 4559) and suicide attempts were least frequent (n = 270). Of all hospitalizations, 89.2% occurred in males; the hospitalization rate for males was 15.22 per 100 000 (95% CI: 13.41–17.03) and for females was 1.93 (95% CI: 1.66–2.20). The rate for black males was 44.77 (95% CI: 36.69–52.85), a rate more than 10 times that for white males. Rates were highest for those aged 15 to 19 years (27.94; 95% CI: 24.42–31.46). Deaths in the hospital occurred in 453 (6.1%); of those hospitalized after suicide attempts, 35.1% died. CONCLUSIONS: On average, 20 US children and adolescents were hospitalized each day in 2009 due to firearm injuries. Public health efforts are needed to reduce this common source of childhood injury.

Long-term Prescription of Opioids and/or Benzodiazepines and Mortality Among HIV-Infected and Uninfected Patients.

Background: Increased long-term prescription of opioids and/or benzodiazepines necessitates evaluating risks associated with their receipt. We sought to evaluate the association between long-term opioids and/or benzodiazepines and mortality in HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy and uninfected patients. Methods: Prospective analysis of all-cause mortality using multivariable methods and propensity score matching among HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy and uninfected patients. Results: Of 64,602 available patients (16,989 HIV-infected and 47,613 uninfected), 27,128 (exposed and unexposed to long-term opioids and/or benzodiazepines) were 1:1 matched by propensity score. The hazard ratio for death was 1.40 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22 to 1.61] for long-term opioid receipt, 1.26 (95% CI: 1.08 to 1.48) for long-term benzodiazepine receipt, and 1.56 (95% CI: 1.26 to 1.92) for long-term opioid and benzodiazepine receipt. There was an interaction (P = 0.01) between long-term opioid receipt and HIV status with mortality. For long-term opioid receipt, the hazard ratio was 1.46 (95% CI: 1.15 to 1.87) among HIV-infected patients, and 1.25 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.49) among uninfected patients. Mortality risk was increased for patients receiving both long-term opioids and benzodiazepines when opioid doses were ≥20 mg morphine-equivalent daily dose and for patients receiving long-term opioids alone when doses were ≥50 mg morphine-equivalent daily dose. Conclusions: Long-term opioid receipt was associated with an increased risk of death; especially with long-term benzodiazepine receipt, higher opioid doses, and among HIV-infected patients. Long-term benzodiazepine receipt was associated with an increased risk of death regardless of opioid receipt. Strategies to mitigate risks associated with these medications, and caution when they are coprescribed, are needed particularly in HIV-infected populations.

Drinking trajectories among HIV-infected men who have sex with men: a cohort study of United States veterans.

BACKGROUND Although high rates of alcohol consumption and related problems have been observed among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM), little is known about the long-term patterns of and factors associated with hazardous alcohol use in this population. We sought to identify alcohol use trajectories and correlates of hazardous alcohol use among HIV-infected MSM. METHODS Sexually active, HIV-infected MSM participating in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study were eligible for inclusion. Participants were recruited from VA infectious disease clinics in Atlanta, Baltimore, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC. Data from annual self-reported assessments and group-based trajectory models were used to identify distinct alcohol use trajectories over an eight-year study period (2002-2010). We then used generalized estimate equations (GEE) to examine longitudinal correlates of hazardous alcohol use (defined as an AUDIT-C score ≥4). RESULTS Among 1065 participants, the mean age was 45.5 (SD=9.2) and 606 (58.2%) were African American. Baseline hazardous alcohol use was reported by 309 (29.3%). Group-based trajectory modeling revealed a distinct group (12.5% of the sample) with consistently hazardous alcohol use, characterized by a mean AUDIT-C score of >5 at every time point. In a GEE-based multivariable model, hazardous alcohol use was associated with earning <

The epidemiology of substance use disorders in US Veterans: a systematic review and analysis of assessment methods

6000 annually, having an alcohol-related diagnosis, using cannabis, and using cocaine. CONCLUSIONS More than 1 in 10 HIV-infected MSM US veterans reported consistent, long-term hazardous alcohol use. Financial insecurity and concurrent substance use were predictors of consistently hazardous alcohol use, and may be modifiable targets for intervention.

The Association Between Receipt of Guideline-Concordant Long-Term Opioid Therapy and All-Cause Mortality

BACKGROUND Substance use disorders (SUDs), which encompass alcohol and drug use disorders (AUDs, DUDs), constitute a major public health challenge among US veterans. SUDs are among the most common and costly of all health conditions among veterans. OBJECTIVES This study sought to examine the epidemiology of SUDs among US veterans, compare the prevalence of SUDs in studies using diagnostic and administrative criteria assessment methods, and summarize trends in the prevalence of SUDs reported in studies sampling US veterans over time. METHODS Comprehensive electronic database searches were conducted. A total of 3,490 studies were identified. We analyzed studies sampling US veterans and reporting prevalence, distribution, and examining AUDs and DUDs. RESULTS Of the studies identified, 72 met inclusion criteria. The studies were published between 1995 and 2013. Studies using diagnostic criteria reported higher prevalence of AUDs (32% vs. 10%) and DUDs (20% vs. 5%) than administrative criteria, respectively. Regardless of assessment method, both the lifetime and past year prevalence of AUDs in studies sampling US veterans has declined gradually over time. CONCLUSION The prevalence of SUDs reported in studies sampling US veterans are affected by assessment method. Given the significant public health problems of SUDs among US veterans, improved guidelines for clinical screening using validated diagnostic criteria to assess AUDs and DUDs in US veteran populations are needed. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE These findings may inform VA and other healthcare systems in prevention, diagnosis, and intervention for SUDs among US veterans.

Quality of HIV Care and Mortality Rates in HIV-Infected Patients

ABSTRACTPurposeFor patients receiving long-term opioid therapy (LtOT), the impact of guideline-concordant care on important clinical outcomes—notably mortality—is largely unknown, even among patients with a high comorbidity and mortality burden (e.g., HIV-infected patients). Our objective was to determine the association between receipt of guideline-concordant LtOT and 1-year all-cause mortality.MethodsAmong HIV-infected and uninfected patients initiating LtOT between 2000 and 2010 through the Department of Veterans Affairs, we used Cox regression with time-updated covariates and propensity-score matched analyses to examine the association between receipt of guideline-concordant care and 1-year all-cause mortality.ResultsOf 17,044 patients initiating LtOT between 2000 and 2010, 1048 patients (6%) died during 1 year of follow-up. Patients receiving psychotherapeutic co-interventions (hazard ratio [HR] 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51–0.75; P < 0.001) or physical rehabilitative therapies (HR 0.81; 95% CI 0.67–0.98; P = 0.03) had a decreased risk of all-cause mortality compared to patients not receiving these services, whereas patients prescribed benzodiazepines concurrent with opioids had a higher risk of mortality (HR 1.39; 95% CI 1.12–1.66; P < 0.001). Among patients with a current substance use disorder (SUD), those receiving SUD treatment had a lower risk of mortality than untreated patients (HR 0.47; 95% CI 0.32–0.68; P = < 0.001). No association was found between all-cause mortality and primary care visits (HR 1.12; 95% CI 0.90–1.26; P = 0.32) or urine drug testing (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.78–1.17; P = 0.67).ConclusionsProviders should use caution in initiating LtOT in conjunction with benzodiazepines and untreated SUDs. Patients receiving LtOT may benefit from multi-modal treatment that addresses chronic pain and its associated comorbidities across multiple disciplines.

Guideline-Concordant Management of Opioid Therapy Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected and Uninfected Veterans

BACKGROUND The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act encourages healthcare systems to track quality-of-care measures; little is known about their impact on mortality rates. The objective of this study was to assess associations between HIV quality of care and mortality rates. METHODS A longitudinal survival analysis of the Veterans Aging Cohort Study included 3038 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients enrolled between June 2002 and July 2008. The independent variable was receipt of ≥80% of 9 HIV quality indicators (QIs) abstracted from medical records in the 12 months after enrollment. Overall mortality rates through 2014 were assessed from the Veterans Health Administration, Medicare, and Social Security National Death Index records. We assessed associations between receiving ≥80% of HIV QIs and mortality rates using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. Results were stratified by unhealthy alcohol and illicit drug use. RESULTS The majority of participants were male (97.5%) and black (66.8%), with a mean (standard deviation) age of 49.0 (8.8) years. Overall, 25.9% reported past-year unhealthy alcohol use and 28.4% reported past-year illicit drug use. During 24 805 person-years of follow-up (mean [standard deviation], 8.2 [3.3] years), those who received ≥80% of QIs experienced lower age-adjusted mortality rates (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, .65-.86). Adjustment for disease severity attenuated the association. CONCLUSIONS Receipt of ≥80% of select HIV QIs is associated with improved survival in a sample of predominantly male, black, HIV-infected patients but was insufficient to overcome adjustment for disease severity. Interventions to ensure high-quality care and address underlying chronic illness may improve survival in HIV-infected patients.

Long-term alcohol use patterns and HIV disease severity

UNLABELLED Whether patients receive guideline-concordant opioid therapy (OT) is largely unknown and may vary based on provider and patient characteristics. We assessed the extent to which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and uninfected patients initiating long-term (≥ 90 days) OT received care concordant with American Pain Society/American Academy of Pain Medicine and Department of Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense guidelines by measuring receipt of 17 indicators during the first 6 months of OT. Of 20,753 patients, HIV-infected patients (n = 6,604) were more likely than uninfected patients to receive a primary care provider visit within 1 month (52.0% vs 30.9%) and 6 months (90.7% vs 73.7%) and urine drug tests within 1 month (14.8% vs 11.5%) and 6 months (19.5% vs 15.4%; all P < .001). HIV-infected patients were also more likely to receive OT concurrent with sedatives (24.6% vs 19.6%) and a current substance use disorder (21.6% vs 17.2%). Among both patient groups, only modest changes in guideline concordance were observed over time: urine drug tests and OT concurrent with current substance use disorders increased, whereas sedative coprescriptions decreased (all Ps for trend < .001). Over a 10-year period, on average, patients received no more than 40% of recommended care. OT guideline-concordant care is rare in primary care, varies by patient/provider characteristics, and has undergone few changes over time. PERSPECTIVE The promulgation of OT clinical guidelines has not resulted in substantive changes over time in OT management, which falls well short of the standard recommended by leading medical societies. Strategies are needed to increase the provision of OT guideline-concordant care for all patients.