Timothy Heeren

Influence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection on the Course of Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Meta-Analysis

Studies have shown that rates of liver disease are higher in persons who are coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) than they are in persons with HCV alone, but estimates of risk vary widely and are based on data for dissimilar patient populations. We performed a meta-analysis to quantify the effect of HIV coinfection on progressive liver disease in persons with HCV. Eight studies were identified that included outcomes of histological cirrhosis or decompensated liver disease. These studies yielded a combined adjusted relative risk (RR) of 2.92 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70-5.01). Of note, studies that examined decompensated liver disease had a combined RR of 6.14 (95% CI, 2.86-13.20), whereas studies that examined histological cirrhosis had a pooled RR of 2.07 (95% CI, 1.40-3.07). There is a significantly elevated RR of severe liver disease in persons who are coinfected with HIV and HCV. This has important implications for timely diagnosis and consideration of treatment in coinfected persons.

Beliefs about AIDS, Use of Alcohol and Drugs, and Unprotected Sex among Massachusetts Adolescents.

In August 1988, 1,773 Massachusetts 16-19-year-olds were surveyed by telephone using anonymous random digit dialing; response rate 82 percent. Logistic regression tested whether alcohol and drug use, perceived susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), severity of HIV if infected, effectiveness of condoms in preventing infection, barriers to condom use, and behavioral cues such as exposure to media or personal communication about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were independently related to condom use. Among sexually active respondents, (61 percent of those interviewed) 31 percent reported always using condoms. Respondents who believed condoms are effective in preventing HIV transmission and worried they can get AIDS were 3.1 and 1.8 times, respectively, more likely to use condoms all the time. Respondents who carried condoms and who had discussed AIDS with a physician were 2.7 and 1.7 times, respectively, more likely to use them. Those who believed condoms do not reduce sexual pleasure and would not be embarrassed if asked to use them were 3.1 and 2.4 times, respectively, more likely to use condoms. Teens who averaged five or more drinks daily or used marijuana in the previous month were 2.8 and 1.9 times, respectively, less likely to use condoms. Among respondents who drink and use drugs, 16 percent used condoms less often after drinking and 25 percent after drug use. Those counseling adolescents about HIV should assess and discuss beliefs outlined in the Health Belief Model, as well as their alcohol and drug use.

IDENTIFYING COMPLICATIONS OF CARE USING ADMINISTRATIVE DATA

The Complications Screening Program (CSP) is a method using standard hospital discharge abstract data to identify 27 potentially preventable in-hospital complications, such as post-operative pneumonia, hemorrhage, medication incidents, and wound infection. The CSP was applied to over 1.9 million adult medical/surgical cases using 1988 California discharge abstract data. Cases with complications were significantly older and more likely to die, and they had much higher average total charges and lengths of stay than other cases (P < 0.0001). For most case types, 13 chronic conditions, defined using diagnosis codes, increased the relative risks of having a complication after adjusting for patient age. Cases at larger hospitals and teaching facilities generally had higher complication rates. Logistic regression models to predict complications using demographic, administrative, clinical, and hospital characteristics variables, had modest power (C statistics = 0.64 to 0.70). The CSP requires further evaluation before using it for purposes other than research.

A Randomized Trial of Treatment Options for Alcohol-Abusing Workers

BACKGROUND Employee-assistance programs sponsored by companies or labor unions identify workers who abuse alcohol and refer them for care, often to inpatient rehabilitation programs. Yet the effectiveness of inpatient treatment, as compared with a variety of less intensive alternatives, has repeatedly been called into question. In this study, anchored in the work site, we compared the effectiveness of mandatory in-hospital treatment with that of required attendance at the meetings of a self-help group and a choice of treatment options. METHODS We randomly assigned a series of 227 workers newly identified as abusing alcohol to one of three rehabilitation regimens: compulsory inpatient treatment, compulsory attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, and a choice of options. Inpatient backup was provided if needed. The groups were compared in terms of 12 job-performance variables and 12 measures of drinking and drug use during a two-year follow-up period. RESULTS All three groups improved, and no significant differences were found among the groups in job-related outcome variables. On seven measures of drinking and drug use, however, we found significant differences at several follow-up assessments. The hospital group fared best and that assigned to AA the least well; those allowed to choose a program had intermediate outcomes. Additional inpatient treatment was required significantly more often (P less than 0.0001) by the AA group (63 percent) and the choice group (38 percent) than by subjects assigned to initial treatment in the hospital (23 percent). The differences among the groups were especially pronounced for workers who had used cocaine within six months before study entry. The estimated costs of inpatient treatment for the AA and choice groups averaged only 10 percent less than the costs for the hospital group because of their higher rates of additional treatment. CONCLUSIONS Even for employed problem drinkers who are not abusing drugs and who have no serious medical problems, an initial referral to AA alone or a choice of programs, although less costly than inpatient care, involves more risk than compulsory inpatient treatment and should be accompanied by close monitoring for signs of incipient relapse.

Maternal Depression, Changing Public Assistance, Food Security, and Child Health Status

OBJECTIVE To examine the association of positive report on a maternal depression screen (PDS) with loss or reduction of welfare support and foods stamps, household food insecurity, and child health measures among children aged < or =36 months at 6 urban hospitals and clinics. METHODS A convenience sample of 5306 mothers, whose children <36 months old were being seen in hospital general clinics or emergency departments (EDs) at medical centers in 5 states and Washington, District of Columbia, were interviewed from January 1, 2000 until December 31, 2001. Questions included items on sociodemographic characteristics, federal program participation and changes in federal benefits, child health status rating, childs history of hospitalizations since birth, household food security status, and a 3-question PDS. For a subsample interviewed in the ED, whether the child was admitted to the hospital that day was recorded. RESULTS PDS status was associated with loss or reduction of welfare support and food stamps, household food insecurity, fair/poor child health rating, and history of child hospitalization since birth but not low child growth status measures or admission to the hospital at the time of ED visit. After controlling for study site, maternal race, education, and insurance type as well as child low birth weight status, mothers with PDS were more likely to report fair/poor child health (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-1.88) and hospitalizations during the childs lifetime (AOR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.03-1.39), compared with mothers without PDS. Controlling for the same variables, mothers with PDS were more likely to report decreased welfare support (AOR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.03-2.25), to have lost food stamps (AOR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.06-2.30), and reported more household food insecurity (AOR: 2.69; 95% CI: 2.33-3.11) than mothers without PDS. CONCLUSION Positive maternal depression screen status noted in pediatric clinical samples of infants and toddlers is associated with poorer reported child health status, household food insecurity, and loss of federal financial support and food stamps. Although the direction of effects cannot be determined in this cross-sectional survey, child health providers and policy makers should be aware of the potential impact of maternal depression on child health in the context of welfare reform.

Reducing alcohol-impaired driving in Massachusetts: the Saving Lives Program.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study ws to assess whether a community program begun in March 1988 that organized multiple city departments and private citizens could reduce alcohol-impaired driving, related driving risks, and traffic deaths and injuries. METHODS Trends in fatal crashes and injuries per 100 crashes were compared in Saving Lives Program cities and the rest of Massachusetts from March 1984 through February 1993. In annual roadside surveys conducted at randomly selected locations, safety belt use among occupants of 54577 vehicles and travel speeds of 118442 vehicles were observed. Four statewide telephone surveys (n = 15188) monitored self-reported driving after drinking. RESULTS In program cities relative to the rest of Massachusetts during the 5 program years in comparison with the previous 5 years, fatal crashes declined 25%, from 178 to 120, and fatal crashes involving alcohol decreased 42%, from 69 to 36. Visible injuries per 100 crashes declined 5%, from 21.1 to 16.6. The proportions of vehicles observed speeding and teenagers who drove after drinking were cut in half. CONCLUSIONS Interventions organized by multiple city departments and private citizens can reduce driving after drinking, related driving risks, and traffic deaths and injuries.

PTSD Symptom Increases in Iraq-Deployed Soldiers: Comparison With Nondeployed Soldiers and Associations With Baseline Symptoms, Deployment Experiences, and Postdeployment Stress

This prospective study examined: (a) the effects of Iraq War deployment versus non-deployment on pre- to postdeployment change in PTSD symptoms and (b) among deployed soldiers, associations of deployment/postdeployment stress exposures and baseline PTSD symptoms with PTSD symptom change. Seven hundred seventy-four U.S. Army soldiers completed self-report measures of stress exposure and PTSD symptom severity before and after Iraq deployment and were compared with 309 soldiers who did not deploy. Deployed soldiers, compared with non-deployed soldiers, reported increased PTSD symptom severity from Time 1 to Time 2. After controlling for baseline symptoms, deployment-related stressors contributed to longitudinal increases in PTSD symptoms. Combat severity was more strongly associated with symptom increases among active duty soldiers with higher baseline PTSD symptoms.

Antimicrobials for acute otitis media? a review from the international primary care network

Increasing worldwide resistance of bacteria to antimicrobial drugs is causing a crisis, manifested by higher morbidity, mortality, and costs.1 In 1992 the Institute of Medicine in the United States warned of the growing threat posed by resistant bacteria,2 and in 1994 the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta initiated a prevention strategy,3 linked to a global plan by the World Health Organisation.4 Proposed remedies include development of new antimicrobials, improved sanitation, and educating patients not to ask for antimicrobials when they are not useful and physicians to prescribe them conservatively.5 About 30% of British children under the age of 3 visit their general practitioner for acute otitis media each year6 and 97% receive antimicrobials.7 In America it is the most common reason for outpatient antimicrobial use. Because this use has uncertain benefits, it merits reconsideration. Increasing resistance to antimicrobial agents has been reported for the three most common bacterial causes of otitis media ( Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis ), but rates differ between countries.8 9 In England and Wales in 1990-5, resistance to penicillin by S pneumoniae increased from 1.5% to 3.9% and to erythromycin from 2.8% to 8.6%.10 Except in the Netherlands, antimicrobials are standard treatment for acute otitis media in most developed countries.7 11 Although type and duration vary between countries, generally ampicillin, amoxycillin, or co-amoxiclav (amoxycillin-clavulanate) are preferred, with co-trimoxazole a low cost alternative.7 In the Netherlands, treatment of symptoms without antimicrobials has been adopted as routine initial treatment for otitis media,12 and this policy is associated with decreased emergence of resistance among organisms commonly found in otitis media.13 14 This approach also is being adopted in Iceland.15 Seven randomised blinded studies have compared antimicrobials with placebo in patients with acute otitis …

Multiple Testing of Hypotheses in Comparing Two Groups

Researchers frequently encounter studies that compare two groups on many variables. We discourage the use of multiple tests of hypotheses on individual variables, an approach that ignores the correlation among the variables and increases the chance of a type I error. Instead of examining each variable separately, we recommend using multivariate procedures that integrate all measures on a person into a unified analysis of the differences between the two groups. We describe three multivariate procedures: Hotellings T2, discriminant analysis, and logistic regression. We also discuss the use of Bonferronis adjustment to preserve the overall chance of a type I error in conducting individual tests on each variable after doing the multivariate procedures. We review the underlying assumptions and relative merits and disadvantages of the three multivariate methods and recommend which method to use in various circumstances.

Validation of the late-life function and disability instrument

Objectives: To assess the concurrent and predictive validity of the Late‐Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI).