Cultural consideration for cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority young people in Chinese societies: Perspectives from practitioners and target users

Although cognitive-behavioural therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in improving mental health outcomes for sexual minority young people (SMYP), existing interventions are primarily designed and evaluated in Western contexts, and their acceptability and responsiveness to culturally relevant issues in the Chinese contexts is uncertain. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring how a manualised community-based cognitive-behavioural intervention (AFFIRM) could be culturally reconsidered for SMYP in Taiwan and Hong Kong and suggest recommendations for future adaptation. Following an empirical, community-based participatory approach, qualitative data were collected between August and September 2018 through five focus groups with 15 SMYP and 18 frontline practitioners in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Thematic analysis revealed that at the surface structural level, translation and examples, and promotion strategies can be fine-tuned to better fit the Chinese context. On the deep structural level, self-differentiation and a pragmatic plan to come out to parents were identified as two concerns of cultural importance for Chinese SMYP. This study exemplifies an empirical, collaborative approach to identifying areas of cultural adaptation for mental health intervention for SMYP in the Chinese cultural milieu. The rationale and strategy for adapting existing intervention protocols to accommodate divergent cultural values are described.

Developing a Tool for Prospective Assessment of Treatment Appropriateness in Urinary Tract Infections

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious threat to global public health. Antimicrobial stewardship programs need to identify inappropriate antibiotic use patterns and offer practical recommendations to prescribers and institutions. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common syndrome for which a standardized tool would be useful when treatment appropriateness is assessed. To date, few UTI treatment assessment tools have been published, and the available tools do not support appropriateness assessment against published guidelines, or consistent adjudication from one auditor to another. Objective: To develop a tool for auditing UTI antibiotic therapy that assesses treatment appropriateness based on guideline concordance, and with high inter-rater reliability. Methods: An audit tool was developed iteratively by the local antimicrobial stewardship team. Two auditors used the tool to adjudicate treatment appropriateness in a sample of UTI cases against local treatment guidelines. Inter-rater agreement was estimated with Cohen's kappa statistic. Results: The final design of the tool had individual sections for evaluating five aspects of treatment appropriateness, depending on the stage at which a patient was in his or her course of antibiotic therapy: diagnosis, empiric therapy, culture-directed therapy, route of antimicrobial administration, and duration of therapy. A total of 50 cases were assessed; among these, the two auditors agreed on 45 cases (90% agreement). The estimated kappa was 0.8. Conclusion: A unique tool with substantial inter-rater agreement was developed for assessing appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy in UTI. The process and design features that were outlined can be adapted by other antimicrobial stewardship programs to monitor antimicrobial use and improve quality of care.

AFFIRM Online: Utilising an Affirmative Cognitive-Behavioural Digital Intervention to Improve Mental Health, Access, and Engagement among LGBTQA+ Youth and Young Adults

Digital mental health interventions may enable access to care for LGBTQA+ youth and young adults that face significant threats to their wellbeing. This study describes the preliminary efficacy of AFFIRM Online, an eight-session manualised affirmative cognitive behavioural group intervention delivered synchronously. Participants (Mage = 21.17; SD = 4.52) had a range of sexual (e.g., queer, lesbian, pansexual) and gender (e.g., non-binary, transgender, cisgender woman) identities. Compared to a waitlist control (n = 50), AFFIRM Online participants (n = 46) experienced significantly reduced depression (b = -5.30, p = 0.005, d = 0.60) and improved appraisal of stress as a challenge (b = 0.51, p = 0.005, d = 0.60) and having the resources to meet those challenges (b = 0.27, p = 0.059, d = 0.39) as well active coping (b = 0.36, p = 0.012, d = 0.54), emotional support (b = 0.38, p = 0.017, d = 0.51), instrumental support (b = 0.58, p < 0.001, d = 0.77), positive framing (b = 0.34, p = 0.046, d = 0.42), and planning (b = 0.41, p = 0.024, d = 0.49). Participants reported high acceptability. This study highlights the potential of digital interventions to impact LGBTQA+ youth mental health and explores the feasibility of digital mental health to support access and engagement of youth with a range of identities and needs (e.g., pandemic, lack of transportation, rural locations). Findings have implications for the design and delivery of digital interventions for marginalised youth and young adults.

Frequencies and patterns of adverse childhood events in LGBTQ+ youth

BACKGROUND

Trauma, specifically adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), predicts significant health and mental health disparities, yet there is a paucity of research with LGBTQ + youth.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored ACE prevalence in a large sample of LGBTQ+ youth; examined ACE patterns within and across subgroups; and compared results with the general population.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participant (n = 3,508) ages ranged between 14-18 (x̄ = 16.02) and represented a range of sexual orientations: pansexual (33.9 %), bisexual (26.6 %), and queer (16.2 %), and gender identities: female (39.9 %), non-conforming (38 %), male (14.9 %), and transgender (16.6 %).

METHODS

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with LGBTQ+ youth ages 14-18 that self-identified as LGBTQ+ and resided in the US or Canada. Descriptive statistics generated the prevalence of ACEs, and ANOVAs and post-hoc tests were run for comparisons.

RESULTS

Participants reported multiple ACEs (M = 3.14, SD = 2.44) with emotional neglect (58 %), emotional abuse (56 %), and living with a family member with mental illness (51 %) as the most prevalent. Notably, 43 % of participants experienced 4+ ACEs, considered to be a high level of trauma exposure. Compared to national samples, LGBTQ + youth demonstrated unique patterns of ACEs and were higher in 9 of 10 categories. Significantly high (all p < .001) ACEs were found in pansexual (t = 7.67), transgender and gender non-conforming (t = 5.19), American-Indian (t = 6.42), Latinx (t = 2.83) and rural youth (F = 12.12) while those with highly educated parents (F = 83.30, p < .001), lived with a parent (t = 6.02), and in Canada (t = 6.14) reported fewer ACEs.

CONCLUSION

LGBTQ+ youth experience significant childhood trauma with potential impact on their mental health. This study identifies implications for trauma-informed practice and research.

MRI Performance in Detecting pCR After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy by Molecular Subtype of Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

MRI performance in detecting pathologic complete response (pCR) post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer has been previously explored. However, since tumor response varies by molecular subtype, it is plausible that imaging performance also varies. Therefore, we performed a literature review on subtype-specific MRI performance in detecting pCR post-NAC.

METHODS

Two reviewers searched Cochrane, PubMed, and EMBASE for articles published between 2013 and 2018 that examined MRI performance in detecting pCR post-NAC. After filtering, ten primary research articles were included. Statistical metrics, such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), were extracted per study for triple negative, HR+/HER2-, and HER2+ patients.

RESULTS

Ten studies involving 2310 patients were included. In triple negative breast cancer, MRI showed NPV (58-100%) and PPV (72.7-94.7%) across 446 patients and sensitivity (45.5-100%) and specificity (49-94.4%) in 375 patients. In HR+/HER2- breast cancer patients, MRI showed NPV (29.4-100%) and PPV (21.4-95.1%) across 851 patients and sensitivity (43-100%) and specificity (45-93%) across 780 patients. In HER2+-enriched subtype, MRI showed NPV (62-94.6%) and PPV (34.9-72%) in 243 patients and sensitivity (36.2-83%) and specificity (47-90%) in 255 patients.

CONCLUSION

MRI accuracy in detecting pCR post-NAC by subtype is not as consistent, nor as high, as individual studies suggest. Larger studies using standardized pCR definition with appropriate timing of surgery and MRI need to be conducted. This study has shown that MRI is in fact not an accurate prediction of pCR, and thus, clinicians may need to rely on other approaches such as biopsies of the tumor bed.

A case report on lipofuscin deposition in a graft biopsy two years after kidney transplantation: an insignificant bystander or a pathogenic benefactor?

Background

Lipofuscin deposition is a characteristic manifestation of aging. There is very limited literature in humans and in animals describing these deposits in native kidneys. Overall, it is thought to be non-pathogenic and successful transplants from a donor with lipofuscin deposits have been reported. We present the case of a patient who underwent a kidney transplant and a for-cause biopsy post-transplantation incidentally revealed lipofuscin deposition.

Case presentation

A 48-year old gentleman with a past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and ischemic and then hemorrhagic cardiovascular accident underwent a successful kidney transplant. His donor was an expanded criteria donor with no major past medical history. Post-transplant course was complicated by delayed graft function requiring one dialysis treatment for hyperkalemia. After that he had an uneventful course and achieved a baseline creatinine of 1.2 mg/dL, with no proteinuria. On a routine 19-month follow-up he was noted to have proteinuria and an antibody against the major-histocompatibility-complex class I-related chain A. A graft biopsy revealed acute antibody-mediated rejection and impressive lipofuscin deposition. He was subsequently treated with an antibody-mediated rejection protocol that included high dose steroids, Rituximab, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulin, but responded poorly to this regimen. A 6-month follow up biopsy continued to show lipofuscin deposition, with similar microvascular injury scores and 12-months later his creatinine remained stable but his proteinuria worsened. Patient was struggling with recurrent infectious episodes requiring hospitalizations and thus no further diagnostic or therapeutic treatments were pursued.

Conclusions

Lipofuscin deposition has been reported in solid organ transplants but the significance and cause are not well understood. Several physiologic and some pathologic causes to these deposits have been reported including age, diabetes, medications and a genetic syndrome. We propose that immunologic causes such as rejection in the presence of other risk factors could potentiate the oxidative stress leading to excessive lipofuscin deposition in kidney transplants. In the case of our patient, we conclude that these deposits were likely recipient-derived, and postulate that the cumulative burden of inflammation from rejection, and underlying medical conditions led to increased lipofuscin deposition. We speculate them to be an innocent bystander.

Population-based evaluation of the effectiveness of two regimens for emergency contraception

OBJECTIVE

To estimate and compare the effectiveness of the levonorgestrel and Yuzpe regimens for hormonal emergency contraception in routine clinical practice.

METHODS

A retrospective population-based study included women who accessed emergency contraceptives for immediate use prescribed by community pharmacists in British Columbia, Canada, between December 2000 and December 2002. Linked administrative healthcare data were used to discern the timings of menses, unprotected intercourse, and any pregnancy-related health services. A panel of experts evaluated the compatibility of observed pregnancies with the timing of events. The two regimens were compared with statistical adjustments for potential confounding.

RESULTS

Among 7493 women in the cohort, 4470 (59.7%) received levonorgestrel and 3023 (40.3%) the Yuzpe regimen. There were 99 (2.2%) compatible pregnancies in the levonorgestrel group and 94 (3.1%) in the Yuzpe group (P=0.017). The estimated odds ratio for levonorgestrel compared with the Yuzpe regimen after adjusting for potential confounders was 0.64 (95% confidence interval 0.47-0.87). Against an expected pregnancy rate of approximately 5%, the relative and absolute risk reductions were 56.0% and 2.8%, respectively, for levonorgestrel and 36.7% and 1.8% for the Yuzpe regimen.

CONCLUSION

The levonorgestrel regimen is more effective than the Yuzpe regimen in routine use. The data suggest that both regimens are less effective than has been observed in randomized trials.

Assessment of clinical pharmacy interventions in the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Clinical pharmacy services have been shown to reduce adverse drug events and health care costs. However, few studies have assessed their effect on patient outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU).

OBJECTIVE

To describe characteristics of ICU patients with documented pharmacist interventions and to evaluate the relationships between patients' complexity level and pharmacists' interventions and between pharmacists' interventions and mortality rate.

METHODS

Inpatient records of admissions between January 1, 2004, and March 31, 2007, were analyzed to identify the presence of clinical pharmacy notes (CPNs). The characteristics of patients with and without CPNs were compared using descriptive statistics. For primary analysis of the association between patient complexity level and presence of CPNs, logistic regression modelling was performed to adjust for potential confounding. Logistic regression was also used to explore the possible association between CPNs and mortality. Finally, mortality analysis was carried out for patients with and without CPNs, with matching by complexity level.

RESULTS

The main study cohort comprised 1561 patients: 333 (21.3%) with CPNs and 1228 (78.7%) with no CPNs. A greater proportion of those with a CPN had the highest complexity level: 295 (88.6%) of those with CPNs versus 660 (53.7%) of those with no CPNs. After adjustment for age and sex, the odds ratio for having a CPN among patients with complexity level 4 (relative to patients with lower complexity levels) was 8.20 (95% confidence interval 5.44-12.38). Mortality rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups: 26.7% (89/333) among patients with CPNs and 27.9% (343/1228) among those without CPNs (p = 0.66). After adjustment for age, sex, complexity level, and length of stay in the ICU, the presence of a CPN was not significantly associated with mortality. Mortality rates in the matched cohort (n = 1078) were also similar between patients with and without CPNs (89/333 [26.7%] and 226/745 [30.3%], respectively; p = 0.23), and the presence of a CPN was not significantly associated with mortality after adjustments for potential confounding factors.

CONCLUSION

Documenting clinical pharmacy activities is essential for assessing pharmacists' impact on patient outcomes. These data suggest that ICU pharmacists prioritize clinical activities to care for the sickest patients.

Prevalence of use and the risk of adverse effects associated with complementary and alternative medicine in a cohort of patients receiving warfarin

BACKGROUND

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including orally administered herbals, botanicals, vitamins, and supplements, may pose a risk to patients on warfarin therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of CAM use among patients taking warfarin and evaluate the impact of CAM exposure on the risk of warfarin-related adverse effects.

METHODS

A survey was administered to hospital inpatients and clinic outpatients on drug exposure (including CAM) over the previous month, self-reported bleeding events, use of alcohol and vitamin K-rich foods, and medical conditions. Prescription medication use was verified, and laboratory records were checked for out-of-range international normalized ratios (INRs) (defined as INR >4 or <2). The use of CAM, including products with reported or theoretical interactions with warfarin, was compared between patients with and without self-reported bleeding or out-of-range INR.

RESULTS

Among the 314 patients who completed the survey, 44.3% reported using CAM at least weekly. Potentially interacting CAM was used by 34.1% of all patients, or 18.2% if vitamin E was excluded as an interacting CAM. Vitamin E was used by 24.2% of all patients and 71.0% of those who used potentially interacting CAM. There was no significant difference in CAM use or consumption of vitamin K-rich foods between patients with and without INRs greater than 4 or for patients with and without INRs less than 2.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of potentially interacting CAM in this cohort was higher than the use previously reported among patients on warfarin therapy. However, exposure to CAM was not associated with an increase in the risk of self-reported bleeding or out-of-range INR.

Acute clenbuterol overdose resulting in supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVE

We are presenting a case illustrating the complex metabolic and rhythm disturbances associated with acute clenbuterol intoxication.

BACKGROUND

Clenbuterol is a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist primarily used in veterinary medicine in the United States. It has become a common drug of abuse by body builders because of its reported anabolic and lipolytic properties. In this case report, a body builder using veterinary clenbuterol developed significant electrolyte and cardiac manifestations.

CASE REPORT

A 31-year-old man presented to the emergency department approximately 30 minutes after ingesting 1.5 ml (a tenfold dosing error) of Ventipulmin syrup (72.5 mcg/ml clenbuterol HCl). The product was brought to the emergency department (ED) by the patient. He reported no current use of anabolic steroids. He presented in an anxious state with complaints of palpitations and shortness of breath. Vital signs upon examination were as follows: BP, 122/77 mmHg (16.3/10.3 kPa); HR 254 bpm; RR, 22 bpm; Temperature, 97.1 degrees F (36 degrees C); and oxygen saturation, 100% on ambient air. His electrocardiogram (ECG) demonstrated supraventricular tachycardia with a ventricular rate of 254 bpm. Esmolol was recommended for rate control after the unsuccessful use of adenosine and diltiazem. Laboratory studies showed potassium, 2.1 mmol/L; magnesium, 1.3 mg/dL (0.54 mmol/L); phosphorus, 1.0 mg/dL (0.32 mmol/L); serum glucose, 209 mg/dL (11.6 mmol/L); creatinine, 0.8 mg/dL (70.7 micromol/L); AST, 20 U/L; ALT, 55 U/L; hemoglobin, 12.6 g/dL (126 g/L); CPK total, 87 U/L; and troponin I, 0.23 mug/L. The patient's urine was negative for any drugs of abuse. Clenbuterol levels were not obtained. A second ECG, 16 hours post ingestion, reflected atrial fibrillation with a ventricular rate of 125 to 147 bpm. On hospital day 3, he was electively cardioverted to sinus rhythm; heart rate and rhythm returned to normal, and he was discharged with oral metoprolol.

DISCUSSION

Clenbuterol is approved for use in countries outside the U.S. as a bronchodilator for the treatment of acute asthma exacerbations in humans. Although clenbuterol is not a steroid hormone, it possesses anabolic properties that increase muscle mass. Its longer duration of action compared to other beta2-agonists (such as albuterol) make it a desired agent for body-building because of its high and prolonged serum level. The mechanism for the short and long-term cardiovascular complications of clenbuterol is complex. The anabolic effects of clenbuterol are associated with its beta2-adrenoreceptor agonist activity on striated skeletal muscles. In addition, clenbuterol promotes lipolysis through adipocyte beta3-adrenoreceptors.

CONCLUSION

Considering the significant number of body-building enthusiasts, physicians will continue to encounter clenbuterol abuse in their clinical practices.

Switching from abciximab to eptifibatide for percutaneous coronary interventions: a local analysis (SWAP study)

BACKGROUND

Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) are recommended as adjunctive therapy with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Before October 2000, abciximab (AB) was the only GPI available at the authors' institution. Eptifibatide (EP) was added to the formulary in October 2000 and became the preferred agent primarily due to lower cost.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the impact of switching from AB to EP in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and compare clinical and practice-related outcomes of these agents following PCI.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review was performed on patients who received PCI for all indications except as primary therapy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The AB group consisted of all consecutive patients within the six months preceding formulary addition of EP in October 2000. A matching number of consecutive patients following this date were included in the EP group.

RESULTS

A total of 160 patients were included (80 per group). Use of adjunctive GPI increased from 11% to 25% of PCI within three months of adding EP to the formulary (P<0.001). The composite of in-hospital death, myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemia and repeat revascularization occurred in 12.5% of EP- and 2.5% of AB-treated patients (P<0.025). Minor bleeding was more common in the EP group than in the AB group at 8.8% and 2.5%, respectively (not significant). Premature GPI discontinuation was significantly more common in the EP group (46.3% versus 7.5%, P<0.001). The mean +/- SD length of stay post-PCI was 44.4+/-51.2 h for EP and 25.1+/-12.3 h for AB (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Adjunctive GPI usage more than doubled following the introduction of EP to the formulary. The present results suggest that EP may be associated with inferior clinical outcomes compared with AB for PCI patients.