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Beagle AJ, Sunwoo BY, Olin RL, Schwartz BS, Block BL. It's All in the Timing. N Engl J Med 2023; 389:940-947. [PMID: 37672698 DOI: 10.1056/nejmcps2307176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Beagle
- From the Department of Medicine (A.J.B.), Divisions of Hematology and Oncology (R.L.O.), Infectious Diseases (B.S.S.), and Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine (B.L.B.), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, and the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (B.Y.S.)
| | - Bernie Y Sunwoo
- From the Department of Medicine (A.J.B.), Divisions of Hematology and Oncology (R.L.O.), Infectious Diseases (B.S.S.), and Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine (B.L.B.), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, and the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (B.Y.S.)
| | - Rebecca L Olin
- From the Department of Medicine (A.J.B.), Divisions of Hematology and Oncology (R.L.O.), Infectious Diseases (B.S.S.), and Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine (B.L.B.), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, and the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (B.Y.S.)
| | - Brian S Schwartz
- From the Department of Medicine (A.J.B.), Divisions of Hematology and Oncology (R.L.O.), Infectious Diseases (B.S.S.), and Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine (B.L.B.), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, and the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (B.Y.S.)
| | - Brian L Block
- From the Department of Medicine (A.J.B.), Divisions of Hematology and Oncology (R.L.O.), Infectious Diseases (B.S.S.), and Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine (B.L.B.), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, and the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (B.Y.S.)
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Langer AL, Block BL, Schwartzstein RM, Richards JB. Building upon the foundational science curriculum with physiology-based grand rounds: a multi-institutional program evaluation. Med Educ Online 2021; 26:1937908. [PMID: 34114945 PMCID: PMC8204959 DOI: 10.1080/10872981.2021.1937908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Vertically integrating physiology into patient care has the potential to improve clinical reasoning. Clinical Physiology Grand Rounds (CPGR) is a case-based teaching method that brings together students from all years of medical school to focus on linking clinical presentations to core basic science concepts including anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. In this study, we describe the implementation of CPGR at two different institutions in the United States and assess student-reported outcomes.Methods: We survey students who participated in CPGR at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons (P&S) and Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Subjects were queried across three domains: the benefits of attending, the impact of concept maps, and the impact of the mixed-learner environment.Results: Despite differences in session leadership and the underlying medical school curricula, conference attendees reported similar benefits at the two schools included in this study. Students overwhelmingly (92.9%) reported that remembering clinical presentations was easier when they understood the underlying physiology. They also reported gaining a true understanding of concepts that were previously memorized (87.5%). Both clinical (92.5%) and preclinical students (93.1%) valued the mixed-learner environment as a component of the conference.Discussion: By assuring a mixed-learner environment with near-peer interactions, using concept maps as a teaching tool, and rigorously linking clinical presentation and management to physiological concepts, we found that the key benefits of CPGR were replicable across different institutions, despite several local differences in how CPGR was implemented, led, and conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle L. Langer
- Division of Hematology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian L. Block
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Richard M. Schwartzstein
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy B. Richards
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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3
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Block BL, Martin TM, Boscardin WJ, Covinsky KE, Mourad M, Hu LL, Smith AK. Variation in COVID-19 Mortality Across 117 US Hospitals in High- and Low-Burden Settings. J Hosp Med 2021; 16:215-218. [PMID: 33734977 PMCID: PMC8025591 DOI: 10.12788/jhm.3612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Some hospitals have faced a surge of patients with COVID-19, while others have not. We assessed whether COVID-19 burden (number of patients with COVID-19 admitted during April 2020 divided by hospital certified bed count) was associated with mortality in a large sample of US hospitals. Our study population included 14,226 patients with COVID-19 (median age 66 years, 45.2% women) at 117 hospitals, of whom 20.9% had died at 5 weeks of follow-up. At the hospital level, the observed mortality ranged from 0% to 44.4%. After adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities, the adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital death in the highest quintile of burden was 1.46 (95% CI, 1.07-2.00) compared to all other quintiles. Still, there was large variability in outcomes, even among hospitals with a similar level of COVID-19 burden and after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian L Block
- Division of Pulmonary Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Corresponding Author: Brian L Block, MD; ; Twitter: @brianlblock
| | | | - W John Boscardin
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Kenneth E Covinsky
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Michele Mourad
- Division of Hospital Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Alexander K Smith
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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4
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Shaw JA, Sethi N, Block BL. Five things every clinician should know about AI ethics in intensive care. Intensive Care Med 2020; 47:157-159. [PMID: 33078241 PMCID: PMC7571864 DOI: 10.1007/s00134-020-06277-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James A Shaw
- Research Director of Artificial Intelligence, Ethics & Health, Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. .,Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, 76 Grenville Street, Toronto, ON, M5S1B2, Canada.
| | - Nayha Sethi
- Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Brian L Block
- Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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5
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E Gantzer
- Park Nicollet Clinic, Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park, Minnesota (H.E.G.)
| | - Brian L Block
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (B.L.B.)
| | - Lacy C Hobgood
- Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina (L.C.H.)
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6
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Block BL. Getting Neighborly in 2030: A Shared Fellow Workspace Improves Communication, Teaching, and Burnout. J Grad Med Educ 2020; 12:358-360. [PMID: 32595866 PMCID: PMC7301954 DOI: 10.4300/jgme-d-19-00820.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brian L. Block
- Fellow, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Allergy and Critical Care, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
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Block BL, Smith AK, Sudore RL. During COVID-19, Outpatient Advance Care Planning Is Imperative: We Need All Hands on Deck. J Am Geriatr Soc 2020; 68:1395-1397. [PMID: 32359075 PMCID: PMC7267338 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian L Block
- Division of Pulmonary Allergy and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Alexander K Smith
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.,San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Rebecca L Sudore
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.,San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California
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Block BL, Jeon SY, Sudore RL, Matthay MA, Boscardin WJ, Smith AK. Patterns and Trends in Advance Care Planning Among Older Adults Who Received Intensive Care at the End of Life. JAMA Intern Med 2020; 180:786-789. [PMID: 32119031 PMCID: PMC7052782 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.7535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian L. Block
- Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Sun Young Jeon
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Rebecca L. Sudore
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Michael A. Matthay
- Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
- Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Francisco
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco
| | - W. John Boscardin
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Alexander K. Smith
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California
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9
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Block BL. Does the Term Intensive Care Unit Promote Aggressive Treatment? JAMA Intern Med 2018; 178:1579-1580. [PMID: 30422219 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.5400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian L Block
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
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10
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Nouri SN, Block BL. Triple Oral Antithrombotic Therapy: A Teachable Moment. JAMA Intern Med 2016; 176:1433-1434. [PMID: 27532936 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.4415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shayan Nabavi Nouri
- Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Brian L Block
- Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
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11
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Laracy
- Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Ricky Regalbuto
- Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Brian L Block
- Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
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Pereyra F, Palmer S, Miura T, Block BL, Wiegand A, Rothchild AC, Baker B, Rosenberg R, Cutrell E, Seaman MS, Coffin JM, Walker BD. Persistent low-level viremia in HIV-1 elite controllers and relationship to immunologic parameters. J Infect Dis 2009; 200:984-90. [PMID: 19656066 DOI: 10.1086/605446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) elite controllers are able to control virus replication to levels below the limits of detection by commercial assays, but the actual level of viremia in these individuals is not well defined. Here, we quantify plasma HIV-1 RNA in elite controllers and correlate this with specific immunologic parameters. METHODS Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were quantified in 90 elite controllers with use of a real time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay with a sensitivity of 0.2 copies/mL. HIV-1-specific immune responses and longitudinal CD4(+) T cell counts were examined. RESULTS The median plasma HIV-1 RNA level was 2 copies/mL (interquartile range, 0.2-14 copies/mL). A longitudinal analysis of 31 elite controllers demonstrated 2-5-fold fluctuations in viremia in the majority of individuals; 6 had persistent levels below 1 copy/mL. Viremia correlated directly with HIV-1-specific neutralizing antibodies and Western blot reactivity but not with CD8(+) T cell responses. Absolute CD4(+) T cell decrease was more common among individuals with detectable viremia (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Low-level viremia is present in the majority of elite controllers and is associated with higher HIV-1-specific antibody responses. Absolute CD4(+) T cell loss is more common among viremic individuals, suggesting that even very low-level viremia has negative consequences over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Pereyra
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard, 149 13th St, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND 'Elite controllers' are rare HIV-infected individuals who are able to spontaneously control HIV replication without medication, maintaining viral loads that are consistently below the limits of detection by currently available commercial assays. OBJECTIVE To examine studies of elite controllers that may elucidate mechanisms of HIV immune control useful in designing a vaccine. METHODS Recent literature on HIV controllers and studies that have evaluated aspects of viral and host immunology that correlate with viral control are examined. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Although many elements of innate and adaptive immunity are associated with control of HIV infection, the specific mechanism(s) by which elite controllers achieve control remain undefined. Ongoing studies of elite controllers, including those examining host genetic polymorphisms, should facilitate the definition of an effective HIV-specific immune response and guide vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Baker
- Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Division of AIDS, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
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14
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Miura T, Brockman MA, Brumme ZL, Brumme CJ, Pereyra F, Trocha A, Block BL, Schneidewind A, Allen TM, Heckerman D, Walker BD. HLA-associated alterations in replication capacity of chimeric NL4-3 viruses carrying gag-protease from elite controllers of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. J Virol 2009; 83:140-9. [PMID: 18971283 PMCID: PMC2612337 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01471-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2008] [Accepted: 10/16/2008] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected persons who maintain plasma viral loads of <50 copies RNA/ml without treatment have been termed elite controllers (EC). Factors contributing to durable control of HIV in EC are unknown, but an HLA-dependent mechanism is suggested by overrepresentation of "protective" class I alleles, such as B*27, B*51, and B*57. Here we investigated the relative replication capacity of viruses (VRC) obtained from EC (n = 54) compared to those from chronic progressors (CP; n = 41) by constructing chimeric viruses using patient-derived gag-protease sequences amplified from plasma HIV RNA and inserted into an NL4-3 backbone. The chimeric viruses generated from EC displayed lower VRC than did viruses from CP (P < 0.0001). HLA-B*57 was associated with lower VRC (P = 0.0002) than were other alleles in both EC and CP groups. Chimeric viruses from B*57(+) EC (n = 18) demonstrated lower VRC than did viruses from B*57(+) CP (n = 8, P = 0.0245). Differences in VRC between EC and CP were also observed for viruses obtained from individuals expressing no described "protective" alleles (P = 0.0065). Intriguingly, two common HLA alleles, A*02 and B*07, were associated with higher VRC (P = 0.0140 and 0.0097, respectively), and there was no difference in VRC between EC and CP sharing these common HLA alleles. These findings indicate that cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) selection pressure on gag-protease alters VRC, and HIV-specific CTLs inducing escape mutations with fitness costs in this region may be important for strict viremia control in EC of HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Miura
- Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th St., Room 5212, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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Walensky RP, Arbelaez C, Reichmann WM, Walls RM, Katz JN, Block BL, Dooley M, Hetland A, Kimmel S, Solomon JD, Losina E. Revising expectations from rapid HIV tests in the emergency department. Ann Intern Med 2008; 149:153-60. [PMID: 18678842 PMCID: PMC3260470 DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-149-3-200808050-00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expanded HIV screening efforts in the United States have increased the use of rapid HIV tests in emergency departments. The reported sensitivity and specificity of rapid HIV tests exceed 99%. OBJECTIVE To assess whether a reactive rapid oral HIV test result correctly identifies adults with HIV infection in the emergency department. DESIGN Diagnostic test performance assessment within the framework of a randomized, clinical trial. SETTING Brigham and Women's Hospital emergency department (Boston, Massachusetts) from 7 February to 1 October 2007. PATIENTS 849 adults with valid rapid oral HIV test results. INTERVENTION Rapid HIV testing with the OraQuick ADVANCE Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test (OraSure Technologies, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania). Patients with reactive rapid test results were offered enzyme-linked immunoassay, Western blot, and plasma HIV-1 RNA testing for confirmation. MEASUREMENTS Specificity and positive likelihood ratio. RESULTS 39 patients had reactive results (4.6% [95% CI, 3.2% to 6.0%]). On confirmation, 5 patients were HIV-infected (prevalence, 0.6% [CI, 0.1% to 1.1%]) and 26 were non-HIV-infected (8 patients declined confirmation). The estimated rapid test specificity was 96.9% (CI, 95.7% to 98.1%). Sensitivity analyses of the true HIV status of unconfirmed cases and test sensitivity resulted in a positive likelihood ratio of 8 to 32. Western blot alone as a confirmation test provided conclusive HIV status in only 50.0% (CI, 30.8% to 69.2%) of patients at first follow-up. The addition of HIV-1 RNA testing to the confirmation protocol improved this rate to 96.2% (CI, 88.8% to 100.0%). LIMITATION Test sensitivity cannot be assessed because nonreactive OraQuick test results were not confirmed. CONCLUSION Although patients with a reactive oral OraQuick HIV screening test in the emergency department had an 8- to 32-fold increased odds of HIV infection compared with the pretest odds, the specificity of the test was lower than anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle P Walensky
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
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Beckstead JA, Block BL, Bielicki JK, Kay CM, Oda MN, Ryan RO. Combined N- and C-terminal truncation of human apolipoprotein A-I yields a folded, functional central domain. Biochemistry 2005; 44:4591-9. [PMID: 15766290 DOI: 10.1021/bi0477135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A combined N- and C-terminal truncation variant of human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) was designed, expressed in Escherichia coli, isolated, and characterized. Hydrodynamic experiments yielded a weight average molecular weight of 34000, indicating apoA-I-(44-186) exists in solution predominantly as a dimer. An axial ratio of 4.2 was calculated for the dimer based on sedimentation velocity experiments. Far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy of apoA-I-(44-186) in buffer indicated the presence of 65% alpha-helix secondary structure. Guanidine hydrochloride denaturation experiments yielded a transition midpoint of 0.5 M for apoA-I-(44-186). ApoA-I-(44-186) induced solubilization of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles at a rate comparable to that of full-length apoA-I, displayed lipoprotein binding ability, and was an acceptor of ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux from cultured macrophages. Fluorescence quenching studies with KI indicate that the three Trp residues in apoA-I-(44-186) are shielded from the aqueous environment. Taken together, the data indicate that lipid-free apoA-I-(44-186) adopts a folded conformation in solution that possesses lipid binding capability. The central region of apoA-I appears to adopt a globular amphipathic alpha-helix bundle organization that is stabilized by intramolecular and/or intermolecular helix-helix interactions. Lipid association likely results in a conformational adaptation wherein helix-helix contacts are substituted for helix-lipid interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Beckstead
- Lipid Biology in Health and Disease Research Group, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, 5700 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland, California 94609, USA
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Abstract
Tracheal obstruction and superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome are rare complications of retrosternal goiter. These two conditions present a difficult diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Malignancy is the most common cause of SVC syndrome. Determining whether SVC syndrome is due to a benign or malignant process is imperative before instituting treatment, but this determination may be difficult. We present a case of a patient presenting with upper airway obstruction and SVC syndrome with a large mediastinal mass. The mass was determined to be a multinodular goiter. The patient was managed by surgical removal of the goiter with complete resolution of symptoms. This case illustrates the need for careful preoperative evaluation and the importance of establishing a histologic diagnosis prior to initiating treatment for SVC syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P McKellar
- Department of Surgery, Wright Patterson USAF Medical Center, Ohio 45433-5529
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Block BL, Spiegel JC, Chami RG. The treatment of papillary and follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 1990; 23:403-11. [PMID: 2195430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of patients with differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid is a controversial subject. This article discusses the authors' approach in the clinical practice. A description of the various types of papillary and follicular carcinoma is presented. Diagnostic tests, biologic behavior, and management are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- B L Block
- Department of Otolaryngology, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio
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Abstract
Synchronous parotid neoplasms are rare. Unilateral, synchronous neoplasms of two separate and histologically distinct types are extremely unusual. Our review of the literature revealed 31 previously reported cases. We add two additional cases found in 291 parotid neoplasms seen in our institutions over the last 10 years; both including a pleomorphic adenoma and a Warthin's tumor. This combination was found in 15 of 33 cases, while Warthin's tumors were found in association with another tumor in 24 of 33 reported cases (82%).
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Schilling
- Department of Surgery, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
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Abstract
We report the sixth known case of a pleomorphic adenoma of the external auditory canal. It manifested as an aural polyp, and the diagnosis was made only after microscopic pathologic examination. Complete removal was accomplished after a total parotidectomy (with preservation of the facial nerve) provided access to the parapharyngeal space surrounding the internal carotid artery, where it is postulated that the tumor originated. A thorough knowledge of the developmental anatomy of this area greatly enhances operative success.
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