Medical and Research Library News
DSHS Medical and Research Library publishes MRL News, a monthly newsletter that highlights training opportunities, trending topics, and journal articles for public health professionals.
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HHS employees may email the Medical and Research Library to receive research assistance, learn how to access electronic resources featured in the newsletter, or obtain the full text of articles mentioned in this month’s news.
External links to other sites are intended to be informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State Health Services. These sites may also not be accessible to people with disabilities. The links were working at the time they were created.
Medical and Research Library News By Month
Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note
Training opportunities
The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are in Central Time.
March 6, 2024; 2–3 p.m. More Green Time, Less Screen Time.
This webinar from Texas Children in Nature will begin with a brief discussion about the “biophilia - biophobia” spectrum and its influence on nature exposure, before pivoting to practical interventions for increasing green time, and finishing with a conversation about establishing sustainable ways to access nature in order to improve health and wellbeing. By the end of the session, participants will be able to appreciate the “biophilia - biophobia” spectrum and its influence on nature exposure, practice forms of noticing, nature journaling, and logging, recall and reproduce demonstrated sensory awareness activities, and apply the green time session framework in their own communities, practices, and classrooms.
March 13, 2024; 10–11 a.m. 2-1-1 Texas Overview.
This presentation from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) will cover what 211 Texas is, how to reach 211 Texas, the resources listed with 211, how 211 provides information and resources for disaster events, The State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, and how to use the 211texas.org website.
March 21, 2024; 1–2 p.m. Quality Counts, Safety Matters: Prioritizing Patient Safety Through Quality Measurement.
In recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 10-16, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting a session that will explore how quality measures and policies are being implemented to improve the patient experience. Speakers will share insights on using quality measurement to drive patient safety improvement and explore how CMS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) are addressing preventable harms.
March 27, 2024; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. DSHS Grand Rounds.
This webinar is offered by the DSHS Office of Practice and Learning Grand Rounds program. DSHS Grand Rounds explores the science and evidence-based practice of population health and awards continuing education credits/contact hours for various disciplines. Visit the Grand Rounds calendar to see information on upcoming sessions. Held monthly on the fourth Wednesday, sessions last 90 minutes with the final 20 minutes for Q&A.
Websites and reports on trending topics
National Health Statistics Surveys and Reports - This resource from the National Center for Health Statistics provides annual data summaries and analyses on many health topics. These reports provide annual data summaries, present analyses of health topics, or present new information
on methods or measurement issues. This list of all National Health Statistics Reports (NHSR) that have been released to date is presented in an interactive, searchable, and sortable data tables format.
Plague of the South: Yellow Fever Turmoil in Texas, 1839-1905 - This StoryMap from the Texas General Land Office follows key outbreaks in Galveston and other Texas cities from 1839 to 1905. Interactive maps of the disease’s spread across Texas and land use changes related to public health in Galveston, chart yellow fever’s progression across the state and efforts taken to contain the disease. Taken together, this project demonstrates the impacts of yellow fever on Texas: exacerbating racial and class divides, inflaming municipal rivalries, invading military encampments during both the U.S.-Mexico War and the American Civil War, and disrupting tourism and economic output until new sanitation measures and medical breakthroughs emerged at the close of the nineteenth century.
PsycInfo - This database, provided by the DSHS library, is the American Psychological Association’s (APA) resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations. It is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health,
and contains records and summaries dating as far back as the 1600s.
To access remotely, enter user id: librarydshs and password: dshs1! to login. For use by HHS enterprise employees only.
PubChem - PubChem is the National Library of Medicine’s open chemistry database and the largest freely accessible reference tool for chemical information. Search chemicals by name, molecular formula, structure, and other identifiers. Find chemical and physical properties, biological activities, safety and toxicity information, patents, literature citations, and more.
Journal articles of note
Benjamin RH, Marengo LK, Scheuerle AE, Agopian AJ, Mitchell LE. Prevalence and descriptive epidemiology of choanal atresia and stenosis in Texas, 1999-2018. Am J Med Genet A. Published online February 5, 2024. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.63549
Abstract
Choanal atresia and stenosis are common causes of congenital nasal obstruction, but their epidemiology is poorly understood. Compared to bilateral choanal atresia/stenosis, unilateral choanal atresia/stenosis is generally diagnosed later and might be under-ascertained in birth defect registries. Data from the population-based Texas Birth Defects Registry and Texas vital records, 1999-2018, were used to assess the prevalence of choanal atresia/stenosis. Poisson regression models were used to evaluate associations with infant and maternal characteristics in two analytic groups: isolated choanal atresia/stenosis (n = 286) and isolated, bilateral choanal atresia/stenosis (n = 105). The overall prevalence of choanal atresia/stenosis was 0.92/10,000, and the prevalence of isolated choanal atresia/stenosis was 0.37/10,000 livebirths. Variables associated with choanal atresia/stenosis in one or both analytic groups included infant sex, pregnancy plurality, maternal race/ethnicity, maternal age, and maternal residence on the Texas-Mexico border. In general, adjusted prevalence ratios estimated from the two analytic groups were in the same direction but tended to be stronger in the analyses restricted to isolated, bilateral defects. Epidemiologic studies of isolated choanal atresia/stenosis should consider focusing on cases with bilateral defects, and prioritizing analyses of environmental, social, and structural factors that could account for the association with maternal residence on the Texas-Mexico border.
Dang G, Marsh S, Victoroff T, et al. Descriptive summary of fatal work-related injuries, Western States, 2011-2017. J Occup Environ Hyg. Published online February 26, 2024. doi:10.1080/15459624.2024.2302470
Abstract
Work-related deaths are a persistent occupational health issue that can be prevented. However, prevention opportunities can be hampered by a lack of adequate public health resources. The Western States Occupational Network (WestON) is a network of federal, state, and local occupational health professionals that includes a 19-state region of the United States. To encourage public health collaboration, WestON partners examined work-related fatalities within the region. Fatality counts (numerators) were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries restricted-access research files for all workers ages ≥15 years and fatally injured in WestON states from 2011 through 2017. Estimates of full-time equivalent hours worked (FTE) (denominators) were retrieved from the BLS Current Population Survey. Annual average fatality rates were calculated as number of fatalities per 100,000 FTE over the study period. Rates were stratified by state, select demographics, industry sector, and event/exposure types. Pearson chi-squared tests and rate ratios with 95% confidence probability limits were used to assess rate differences. All analyses were conducted using SAS v.9.4. From 2011 through 2017, the annual average overall occupational fatality rate for the WestON region was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 FTE, comparable to the overall U.S. fatality rate. Male workers had a fatality rate almost 10 times higher than female workers in the region. Fatality rates increased with successive age groups. Alaska and New Mexico had significantly higher fatality rates for all racial/ethnic groups compared to respective regional rates. Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana had the three highest occupational fatality rates among foreign-born workers. Agriculture/forestry/fishing, mining/oil/gas extraction, and transportation/warehousing/utilities were industry sector groups with the three highest fatality rates regionally. Transportation-related incidents were the most frequent event type associated with occupational fatalities for all 19 states. Work-related fatalities are a crosscutting occupational public health priority. This analysis can be an impetus for collaborative multistate initiatives among a dynamic and varied occupational public health network to better meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce.
Feldkamp ML, Canfield MA, Krikov S, et al. Gastroschisis prevalence patterns in 27 surveillance programs from 24 countries, International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, 1980-2017. Birth Defects Res. 2024;116(2):e2306. doi:10.1002/bdr2.2306
Abstract
Background: Gastroschisis is a serious birth defect with midgut prolapse into the amniotic cavity. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and time trends of gastroschisis among programs in the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research (ICBDSR), focusing on regional variations and maternal age changes in the population.
Methods: We analyzed data on births from 1980 to 2017 from 27 ICBDSR member programs, representing 24 countries and three regions (Europe+ (includes Iran) , Latin America, North America). Cases were identified using diagnostic codes (i.e., 756.7, 756.71, or Q79.3). We excluded cases of amniotic band syndrome, limb-body wall defect, and ruptured omphalocele. Programs provided annual counts for gastroschisis cases (live births, stillbirths, and legally permitted pregnancy terminations for fetal anomalies) and source population (live births, stillbirths), by maternal age.
Results: Overall, gastroschisis occurred in 1 of every 3268 births (3.06 per 10,000 births; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.01, 3.11), with marked regional variation. European+ prevalence was 1.49 (95%CI: 1.44, 1.55), Latin American 3.80 (95%CI: 3.69, 3.92) and North American 4.32 (95%CI: 4.22, 4.42). A statistically significant increasing time trend was observed among six European+ , four Latin American, and four North American programs. Women <20 years of age had the highest prevalence in all programs except the Slovak Republic.
Conclusions: Gastroschisis prevalence increased over time in 61% of participating programs, and the highest increase in prevalence was observed among the youngest women. Additional inquiry will help to assess the impact of the changing maternal age proportions in the birth population on gastroschisis prevalence.
Goodman DC, Stuchlik P, Ganduglia-Cazaban C, et al. Hospital-level NICU capacity, utilization, and 30-day outcomes in Texas. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(2):e2355982. Published 2024 Feb 5. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.55982
Abstract
Importance: Risk-adjusted neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) utilization and outcomes vary markedly across regions and hospitals. The causes of this variation are poorly understood.
Objective: To assess the association of hospital-level NICU bed capacity with utilization and outcomes in newborn cohorts with differing levels of health risk.
Design, setting, and participants: This population-based retrospective cohort study included all Medicaid-insured live births in Texas from 2010 to 2014 using linked vital records and maternal and newborn claims data. Participants were Medicaid-insured singleton live births (LBs) with birth weights of at least 400 g and gestational ages between 22 and 44 weeks. Newborns were grouped into 3 cohorts: very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g), late preterm (LPT; 34-36 weeks' gestation), and nonpreterm newborns (NPT; ≥37 weeks' gestation). Data analysis was conducted from January 2022 to October 2023.
Exposure: Hospital NICU capacity measured as reported NICU beds/100 LBs, adjusted (ie, allocated) for transfers.
Main outcomes and measures: NICU admissions and special care days; inpatient mortality and 30-day post discharge adverse events (ie, mortality, emergency department visit, admission, observation stay).
Results: The overall cohort of 874 280 single LBs included 9938 VLBW (5054 [50.9%] female; mean [SD] birth weight, 1028.9 [289.6] g; mean [SD] gestational age, 27.6 [2.6] wk), 63 160 LPT (33 684 [53.3%] female; mean [SD] birth weight, 2664.0 [409.4] g; mean [SD] gestational age, 35.4 [0.8] wk), and 801 182 NPT (407 977 [50.9%] female; mean [SD] birth weight, 3318.7 [383.4] g; mean [SD] gestational age, 38.9 [1.0] wk) LBs. Median (IQR) NICU capacity was 0.84 (0.57-1.30) allocated beds/100 LB/year. For VLBW newborns, NICU capacity was not associated with the risk of NICU admission or number of special care days. For LPT newborns, birth in hospitals with the highest compared with the lowest category of capacity was associated with a 17% higher risk of NICU admission (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.17; 95% CI, 1.01-1.33). For NPT newborns, risk of NICU admission was 55% higher (aRR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.22-1.97) in the highest- vs the lowest-capacity hospitals. The number of special care days for LPT and NPT newborns was 21% (aRR, 1.21; 95% CI,1.08-1.36) and 37% (aRR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.08-1.74) higher in the highest vs lowest capacity hospitals, respectively. Among LPT and NPT newborns, NICU capacity was associated with higher inpatient mortality and 30-day post discharge adverse events.
Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study of Medicaid-insured newborns in Texas, greater hospital NICU bed supply was associated with increased NICU utilization in newborns born LPT and NPT. Higher capacity was not associated with lower risk of adverse events. These findings raise important questions about how the NICU is used for newborns with lower risk.
For more information, employees may email the Medical and Research Library at library@dshs.texas.gov to receive research assistance, learn how to access electronic materials, or to obtain the full text of articles mentioned in this month’s news.
Fine print section: The Medical and Research Library News is sent out once a month or when important library news or events occur. Recent issues of the MRL News are online. If any of the links do not open for you, please email library@dshs.texas.gov and we will send you what you need. Thank you!
If you would like to subscribe, please send an email to library@dshs.texas.gov with Subscribe in the subject line.
Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note
The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are in Central Time.
Investing in Public Health Infrastructure: Indiana's Success Story.
February 6, 2024; 12–1 p.m.
In 2023, Indiana passed State Bill 4 (SB 4), dramatically increasing the state's investment in public health, and reimaging how the state delivered core public health services. Join this webinar from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) for a discussion on how Indiana worked with their community and policymakers to enact SB 4.
Lessons with the State of Washington on Medicaid Data and Tobacco Use.
February 14, 2024; 12–1 p.m.
This presentation from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) will share the learnings from a CDC-funded project in partnership with Public Health Seattle & King County and the University of Washington, where we looked to identify Medicaid Enrolled Tobacco Users and their associated utilization of care. The learnings from this project are transferrable to topics beyond tobacco and point more toward Medicaid and public health partnerships around Medicaid data.
Integrating Research, Publishing, and Presenting Into Your Career.
February 21, 2024; 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
This presentation from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) will discuss strategies for getting started in research and the pros and perils of publishing your work and navigating such factors as open access, predatory publishers, and research metrics. Finally, we will discuss ways to submit and present your work effectively and with confidence.
DSHS Grand Rounds.
February 28, 2024; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
This webinar is offered by the DSHS Office of Practice and Learning Grand Rounds program. DSHS Grand Rounds explores the science and evidence-based practice of population health and awards continuing education credits/contact hours for various disciplines. Visit the Grand Rounds calendar to see information on upcoming sessions. Held monthly on the fourth Wednesday, sessions last 90 minutes with the final 20 minutes for Q&A.
Websites and reports on trending topics
ClinicalTrials.gov – This resource from the National Library of Medicine is a registry and results database of publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants conducted around the world. Learn more about clinical studies and about this site, including relevant history, policies, and laws.
LactMed - This database from the National Library of Medicine contains information on drugs and other chemicals to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. It includes information on levels of substances in breast milk and infant blood, and the possible adverse effects in the nursing infant. Suggested therapeutic alternatives to those drugs are provided, where appropriate. All data are derived from the scientific literature and fully referenced.
PrePubMed - In academic publishing, a preprint is a version of a scholarly or scientific paper that precedes formal peer review and publication in a peer-reviewed scholarly or scientific journal. The preprint may be available, often as a non-typeset version available free, before and/or after a paper is published in a journal. PrePubMed indexes preprints from arXiv q-bio, PeerJ Preprints, bioRxiv, F1000Research, preprints.org, The Winnower, Nature Precedings, and Wellcome Open Research. Articles are not stored on PrePubMed, but you will be linked to the article at the respective site.
Ryon MG, Langan LM, Brennan C, et al. Influences of 23 different equations used to calculate gene copies of SARS-CoV-2 during wastewater-based epidemiology. Sci Total Environ. Published online January 23, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170345
Abstract
Following the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019, the use of wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has increased dramatically along with associated infrastructure globally. However, due to the global nature of its application, and various workflow adaptations (e.g., sample collection, water concentration, RNA extraction kits), numerous methods for back-calculation of gene copies per volume (gc/L) of sewage have also emerged. Many studies have considered the comparability of processing methods (e.g., water concentration, RNA extraction); however, for equations used to calculate gene copies in a wastewater sample and subsequent influences on monitoring viral trends in a community and its association with epidemiological data, less is known. Due to limited information on how many formulas exist for the calculation of SARS-CoV-2 gene copies in wastewater, we initially attempted to quantify how many equations existed in the referred literature. We identified 23 unique equations, which were subsequently applied to an existing wastewater dataset. We observed a range of gene copies based on use of different equations, along with variability of AUC curve values, and results from correlation and regression analyses. Though a number of individual laboratories appear to have independently converged on a similar formula for back-calculation of viral load in wastewater, and share similar relationships with epidemiological data, differential influences of various equations were observed for variation in PCR volumes, RNA extraction volumes, or PCR assay parameters. Such observations highlight challenges when performing comparisons among WBS studies when numerous methodologies and back-calculation methods exist. To facilitate reproducibility among studies, the different gc/L equations were packaged as an R Shiny app, which provides end users the ability to investigate variability within their datasets and support comparisons among studies.
Sabour S, Bantle K, Bhatnagar A, et al. Descriptive analysis of targeted carbapenemase genes and antibiotic susceptibility profiles among carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii tested in the Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network-United States, 2017-2020. Microbiol Spectr. Published online January 4, 2024.
doi:10.1128/spectrum.02828-23
Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified CRAB as an urgent public health threat. In this paper, we used a collection of >6,000 contemporary clinical isolates to evaluate the phenotypic and genotypic properties of CRAB detected in the United States. We describe the frequency of specific carbapenemase genes detected, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, and the distribution of CRAB isolates categorized as multidrug resistant, extensively drug-resistant, or difficult to treat. We further discuss the proportion of isolates showing susceptibility to Food and Drug Administration-approved agents. Of note, 84% of CRAB tested harbored at least one class A, B, or D carbapenemase genes targeted for detection and 83% of these carbapenemase gene-positive CRAB were categorized as extensively drug resistant. Fifty-four percent of CRAB isolates without any of these carbapenemase genes detected were still extensively drug-resistant, indicating that infections caused by CRAB are highly resistant and pose a significant risk to patient safety regardless of the presence of one of these carbapenemase genes.
Wortham JM, Haddad MB, Stewart RJ, et al. Second nationwide tuberculosis outbreak caused by bone allografts containing live cells - United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;72(5253):1385-1389. Published 2024 Jan 5.
doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm725253a1
Abstract
During July 7-11, 2023, CDC received reports of two patients in different states with a tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis following spinal surgical procedures that used bone allografts containing live cells from the same deceased donor. An outbreak associated with a similar product manufactured by the same tissue establishment (i.e., manufacturer) occurred in 2021. Because of concern that these cases represented a second outbreak, CDC and the Food and Drug Administration worked with the tissue establishment to determine that this product was obtained from a donor different from the one implicated in the 2021 outbreak and learned that the bone allograft product was distributed to 13 health care facilities in seven states. Notifications to all seven states occurred on July 12. As of December 20, 2023, five of 36 surgical bone allograft recipients received laboratory-confirmed TB disease diagnoses; two patients died of TB. Whole-genome sequencing demonstrated close genetic relatedness between positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures from surgical recipients and unused product. Although the bone product had tested negative by nucleic acid amplification testing before distribution, M. tuberculosis culture of unused product was not performed until after the outbreak was recognized. The public health response prevented up to 53 additional surgical procedures using allografts from that donor; additional measures to protect patients from tissue-transmitted M. tuberculosis are urgently needed.
For more information, employees may email the Medical and Research Library at library@dshs.texas.gov to receive research assistance, learn how to access electronic materials, or to obtain the full text of articles mentioned in this month’s news.
Fine print section: The Medical and Research Library News is sent out once a month
or when important library news or events occur. Recent issues of the MRL News are online. If any of the links do not open for you, please email library@dshs.texas.gov and we will send you what you need. Thank you!
If you would like to subscribe, please send an email to library@dshs.texas.gov with Subscribe in the subject line.
Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note
Training opportunities
The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are in Central Time.
January 10, 2024; 10–11 a.m. NaNDA: An Open Data Resource for Health Science Researchers.
This webinar from the Network of the National Library of Medicine will provide an overview of the National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA) and discuss how neighborhoods operate as a social determinant of health. NaNDA is a publicly available data archive containing measures of the physical, economic, built, and social environment at the “neighborhood” level. Each NaNDA dataset covers all or most of the entire nation (including both rural and urban areas) and represents a set of measures on a single topic of interest, including socioeconomic disadvantage, healthcare, housing, political partisanship, and public transit, with temporal coverage dating back to at least 2000. Anyone with research questions that address "place" – researchers, students, clinicians, policymakers, public health departments, and community organizations, among others – can download NaNDA measures at the census tract, zip code, or country level, and link them with other data sources such as survey data, cohort studies, electronic medical records, and other microdata. A “tour” of the NaNDA archive and its data holdings will be provided.
January 18, 2024; 12–1:30 p.m. The State of State-level Public Health Advocacy.
The challenges surrounding public health advocacy are profound, yet many opportunities to strengthen it exist in every environment. Attend this webinar from The Network for Public Health Law to hear about the findings of the recently released report, The State of State-level Public Health Advocacy, which examines specific markers of advocacy capacity and interviews with advocates in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
January 24, 2024; 12–1 p.m. The Employer Pathway to Diabetes Prevention.
Join The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for a presentation on diabetes prevention and work. Parul Rahbari from the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation will cover the importance of diabetes prevention and the role of businesses. Sara Hanlon of Empower Outcomes will explain their work with businesses to develop a tool that employers can use to support workers. Finally, David Shapiro of the Center for Health, Work & Environment will present his experience supporting businesses as they implement these practices. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.
January 31, 2024; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. DSHS Grand Rounds: Diabetes and Pathways to Health Management.
This webinar is offered by the DSHS Office of Practice and Learning Grand Rounds program. DSHS Grand Rounds explores the science and evidence-based practice of population health and awards continuing education credits/contact hours for various disciplines. Visit the Grand Rounds calendar to see information on upcoming sessions. Held monthly on the fourth Wednesday, sessions last 90 minutes with the final 20 minutes for Q&A.
Websites and reports on trending topics
The Cochrane Library - This library resource consists of a collection of evidence-based medicine databases, including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. It provides up-to-date information on the effects of interventions in health care and evidence to support decisions taken in health care and to inform those receiving care. Search for systematic reviews, protocols, trials, methods studies, and more.
eBooks at EBSCOhost – This TexShare resource offers full-text of thousands fiction and nonfiction books on a variety of topics. It also hosts the ebook titles that the DSHS Library has purchased. When logged in through DSHS, you will find the Library’s ebooks on public health and management topics in addition to the titles TexShare provides. Please contact the Library for remote access options.
DSHS Library TDNet site – Use this site to access journals and other DSHS Library subscription resources. As an example, here are the top 10 most accessed DSHS Library journal titles for 2023:
1. American Journal of Public Health
2. JAMA
3. Pediatrics
4. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
5. Nursing Management
6. Obstetrics and Gynecology
7. Lancet
8. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
9. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
10. Breastfeeding Medicine
Ahmed M, Shumate C, Bojes H, Patel K, Agopian AJ, Canfield M. Racial and ethnic differences in infant survival for hydrocephaly-Texas, 1999-2017. Birth Defects Res. Published online December 18, 2023. doi:10.1002/bdr2.2285
Abstract
Background: Congenital hydrocephaly, an abnormal accumulation of fluid within the ventricular spaces at birth, can cause disability or death if untreated. Limited information is available about survival of infants born with hydrocephaly in Texas. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to calculate survival estimates among infants born with hydrocephaly without spina bifida in Texas.
Methods: A cohort of live-born infants delivered during 1999-2017 with congenital hydrocephaly without spina bifida was identified from the Texas Birth Defects Registry. Deaths within 1 year of delivery were identified using vital and medical records. One-year infant survival estimates were generated for multiple descriptive characteristics using the Kaplan-Meier method. Crude hazard ratios (HRs) for one-year survival among infants with congenital hydrocephaly by maternal and infant characteristics and adjusted HRs for maternal race and ethnicity were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models.
Results: Among 5709 infants born with congenital hydrocephaly without spina bifida, 4681 (82%) survived the first year. The following characteristics were associated with infant survival: maternal race and ethnicity, clinical classification (e.g., chromosomal or syndromic), preterm birth, birth weight, birth year, and maternal education. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, differences in survival were observed by maternal race and ethnicity after adjustment for other maternal and infant characteristics. Infants of non-Hispanic Black (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04-1.58) and Hispanic (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.12-1.54) women had increased risk for mortality, compared with infants of non-Hispanic White women.
Conclusions: This study showed infant survival among a Texas cohort differed by maternal race and ethnicity, clinical classification, gestational age, birth weight, birth year, and maternal education in infants with congenital hydrocephaly without spina bifida. Findings confirm that mortality continues to be common among infants with hydrocephaly without spina bifida. Additional research is needed to identify other risk factors of mortality risk.
McDougal AN, DeMaet MA, Garcia B, et al. A cluster investigation of Candida auris among hospitalized incarcerated patients. Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol. 2023;3(1):e244. Published 2023 Dec 19. doi:10.1017/ash.2023.520
Abstract
Objective: Investigate and mitigate a cluster of Candida auris cases among incarcerated patients in a maximum-security prison hospital utilizing contact tracing, screening, whole genome sequencing, and environmental sampling and decontamination
Design: Outbreak investigation.
Setting: Inpatient prison hospital affiliated with an academic tertiary referral center.
Patients: Inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Methods: Epidemiologic and environmental investigations were conducted including contact tracing, point prevalence surveys, and environmental sampling. Whole genome sequencing was performed on positive patient isolates.
Results: Following a clinical case of C. auris fungemia, 344 patients underwent C. auris surveillance screening. Eight (2.3%) patients were identified with C. auris colonization. All patients were male. Our index patient was the only clinical case and death. Whole genome sequencing was performed on the nine patient isolates. All isolates were clade III (Africa) and clustered together with the largest SNP difference being 21. Environmental cultures from 7 of 61 rooms (11.5%) were positive following terminal disinfection with bleach. Sites nearest to the patient were most often positive including the hospital bed rails and bedside table. The transmission cluster was successfully mitigated within 60 days of identification.
Conclusions: Implementation of an aggressive surveillance and decontamination program resulted in mitigation of a C. auris transmission cluster among our incarcerated patients. This investigation provides valuable insight into C. auris transmission in the incarcerated population, which is not considered a classic high-risk population as well as the challenges faced to stop transmission in a facility that requires the use of shared patient environments.
Nyachoti DO, Fwelo P, Springer AE, Kelder SH. Association between Gross National Income per capita and COVID-19 vaccination coverage: a global ecological study. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):2415. Published 2023 Dec 4. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-17241-y
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has claimed over six million lives and infected more than 650 million people globally. Public health agencies have deployed several strategies, including rolling out vaccination campaigns to curb the pandemic, yet a significant proportion of the global population has not received the COVID-19 vaccine. We assessed differences in COVID-19 vaccination coverage by Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of WHO members (i.e., countries, areas, and territories, n = 192) and by WHO member regions (n = 6).
Methods: Using an ecological study design, we analyzed publicly available data from the WHO website merged with the World Bank's GNI per capita data. We included a total of 192 WHO members and six WHO regions in the analysis. We utilized negative binomial regression to assess the associations between the GNI per capita and COVID-19 vaccination coverage (cumulative number of persons fully vaccinated and/or received at least one dose of the vaccine per 100 population), and ANOVA test to assess the differences in vaccination coverage per WHO regions.
Results: Low GNI per capita WHO members had significantly lower full vaccination coverage (aRR 0.30, 95% CI 0.22-0.40) compared to high GNI per capita WHO members. These members were also 66% less likely to receive at least one dose of the vaccine (aRR 0.34, 0.26-0.44) relative to high GNI per capita WHO members. Africa region had a significantly lower fully vaccination coverage (aRR 0.71, 95% CI 0.36-0.54) and received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (aRR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.99) than Europe region. Conversely, the Western Pacific region had significantly higher fully vaccination coverage (aRR 1.40 95% CI 1.12-1.74) and received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines (aRR 1.40 95% CI 1.14-1.73) relative to European region.
Conclusion: WHO members with low GNI per capita and the African region reported significantly lower COVID-19 vaccination coverage than those with high GNI per capita or other regions. Efforts to strengthen and promote COVID-19 vaccination in low-income WHO countries and African region should be scaled up.
Williford EM, Yang W, Howley MM, et al. Factors associated with infant sex and preterm birth status for selected birth defects from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2011. Birth Defects Res. Published online December 28, 2023. doi:10.1002/bdr2.2294
Abstract
Background: Birth defects and preterm birth co-occur, with some overlapping risk factors. Many birth defects and preterm births tend to have a male preponderance. We explored potential risk factors impacting sex and preterm (<37 weeks of gestation) birth differences among infants with selected birth defects delivered from 1997 to 2011 using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS).
Methods: The NBDPS was a large multisite, population-based case-control study. Using random forests, we identified important predictors of male preterm, female preterm, and male term, each compared with female term births for each birth defect. Using logistic regression, we estimated odds ratios for associations between important predictors and sex-preterm birth status by birth defect.
Results: We examined 11,379 infants with nine specific birth defects. The top 10 most important predictors of sex-preterm birth status from the random forests varied greatly across the birth defects and sex-preterm comparisons within a given defect group, with several being novel factors. However, one consistency was that short interpregnancy interval was associated with sex-preterm birth status for many of the studied birth defects. Although obesity has been identified as a risk factor for preterm birth and birth defects in other research, it was not associated with sex-preterm birth status for any of the examined defects.
Conclusions: We confirmed expected associations for sex-preterm birth status differences and found new potential risk factors for further exploration among the studied birth defects.
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