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Biomedical subjects

D N Rose

Publications and source records attributed to D N Rose.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Completing tuberculosis prophylaxis in jail: targeting treatment and comparison of rifampin/pyrazinamide with isoniazid regimens.

SETTING: A county jail. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the treatment of latent tuberculosis infection and the impact on treatment completion of the 2-month rifampin and pyrazinamide regimen as compared to the traditional 6- to 12-month isoniazid regimen among persons incarcerated at a county correctional facility. DESIGN: Retrospective review of tuberculosis records from January 1998 to December 2000. RESULTS: Of 2127 inmates who were tuberculin skin test positive, 146 were started on treatment. This was generally limited to those expected to remain incarcerated long enough to complete the course of treatment. Completion rates were 88% (67/76) for the 2-month and 74% (51/69) for the 6- to 12-month courses (P = 0.03), and 82% overall. The two regimens were similarly tolerated, but inmates on isoniazid were more likely to be released (despite longer projected incarceration) and not complete treatment once in the community. Thirty-seven per cent of persons for whom treatment was not indicated by the previous guidelines should have had treatment by the new guidelines. CONCLUSION: The 2-month rifampin/pyrazinamide regimen had a higher completion rate than the longer isoniazid regimen, without additional toxicity, and allowed more patients to be treated. Latent tuberculosis treatment targeted to those able to complete the regimen in jail yields high completion rates.

Antitubercular Agents↗

Benefits of screening for latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of screening for latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection are unknown for most people, because screening has not been studied in clinical trials and preventive therapy has not been tested in all risk groups for whom it is recommended. METHOD: A MEDLINE search was performed to determine tuberculosis risk. A Markov model was used to analyze tuberculin skin test screening and preventive therapy for 3-year-old and 30-year-old persons with positive test results. Outcome measures were lifetime and 10-year tuberculosis risk, including spread to others, life expectancy extension, and number needed to screen and number needed to treat to prevent 1 case and 1 death during 10 years. RESULTS: The benefits of screening and preventive therapy outweigh the risks for all groups tested, although the benefits range from large to small. The number needed to screen to prevent 1 case is 10 to 6888, and the number needed to treat is 2 to 179. Persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection, intravenous drug abuse, or end-stage renal disease treated with transplantation and children exposed to high-risk adults have the highest tuberculosis rates and the lowest number needed to screen and number needed to treat to prevent cases and deaths. The range of risks found in the literature for some risk groups, such as persons with silicosis, leukemia or lymphoma, end-stage renal disease treated with dialysis, or prolonged corticosteroid therapy, is wide and, as a result, the benefits of screening are uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of screening and preventive therapy vary widely, although the benefits outweigh the risks for all risk groups. The benefits are large for some risk groups and uncertain for others.

Adolescent↗

Tuberculosis preventive therapy for HIV-infected people in sub-Saharan Africa is cost-effective.

OBJECTIVE: Since antiretroviral therapy is largely unavailable to HIV-infected patients in developing countries and recent clinical trials have shown that tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy can reduce TB and HIV-associated morbidity and mortality, we studied the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of TB preventive therapy for HIV-infected persons in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: A Markov model that used results of clinical trials of TB preventive therapy in sub-Saharan Africa and literature-derived medical care costs was used to evaluate three preventive therapy regimens in HIV-infected, tuberculin-positive patients in Uganda: (1) daily isoniazid (INH) for 6 months, (2) daily INH and rifampin (RIF) for 3 months, and (3) twice-weekly RIF and pyrazinamide (PZA) for 2 months. RESULTS: All three regimens extend life expectancy and reduce the number of TB cases. When only medical care costs are considered, all three preventive therapy regimens cost more than not providing preventive therapy to extend life and prevent active tuberculosis. When medical care and social costs are considered together, 6-months of daily INH treatment will save money relative to no preventive therapy and when the costs associated with treating secondary infections are included, all three preventive therapy regimens are less expensive than no preventive therapy. With the inclusion of secondary infection costs, 6 months of daily INH results in savings of $24.16 per person. CONCLUSIONS: TB preventive therapy taken by HIV-infected tuberculin reactors in sub-Saharan Africa results in extended life-expectancy, reduction of the incidence of TB and monetary savings in medical care and social costs. TB control policy in sub-Saharan Africa should include preventive therapy.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Short-course prophylaxis against tuberculosis in HIV-infected persons. A decision and cost-effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND: Isoniazid prophylaxis for 12 months effectively prevents tuberculosis in HIV-infected persons and may decrease the incidence of other HIV-related disease and mortality. Recent clinical trials have found that some short-course regimens also effectively prevent tuberculosis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the benefits, risks, and cost-effectiveness of isoniazid prophylaxis and short-course prophylaxis regimens. DESIGN: Decision and cost-effectiveness analysis. SETTING: United States. PATIENTS: Hypothetical patients who are HIV-infected and have CD4 counts of 200 cells/mm3 or less and positive results on tuberculin skin tests. INTERVENTIONS: Isoniazid prophylaxis lasting 12 months and six short-course prophylaxis regimens of isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide alone or in combination. MEASUREMENTS: 5-year survival rate, life expectancy, lifetime incidence of tuberculosis, and cost per quality-adjusted life-year saved. RESULTS: Compared with no prophylaxis, the 12-month isoniazid regimen increased 5-year survival rates by 9% and life expectancy by 8.7 months, decreased incidence of tuberculosis by 27%, and saved 4 medical care dollars for every 1 spent on prophylaxis. Regimens of isoniazid for 6 months, isoniazid and rifampin for 3 months, and rifampin and pyrazinamide for 2 months had similar results: 6.2- to 8.6-month increases in life expectancy, 19% to 26% reductions in incidence of tuberculosis, and 1 to 7 medical care dollars saved for every 1 spent on prophylaxis. A 3-month regimen of isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide resulted in fewer clinical benefits and was the only regimen tested that did not save medical care dollars. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylaxis decreases the incidence of tuberculosis and increases life expectancy for HIV-infected patients. Some regimens save medical care dollars, and some short-course regimens have clinical and economic benefits similar to those of the 12-month isoniazid regimen. Short-course prophylaxis is a reasonable alternative to the 12-month isoniazid regimen.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Cost-effectiveness of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease prevention in patients with AIDS: oral ganciclovir and CMV polymerase chain reaction testing.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of strategies to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease. METHOD: Markov model and published data. PATIENTS: Hypothetical HIV-infected patients with CD4 cell counts < or = 50 x 10(6)/l and positive CMV serologies. INTERVENTIONS: Oral ganciclovir daily versus plasma CMV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing every 3 months with oral ganciclovir for patients with positive tests. OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of CMV disease cases prevented by the interventions, life expectancy, disease-free life expectancy, and the cost to extend life by 1 year. RESULTS: Oral ganciclovir preventive therapy reduces the lifetime number of CMV disease cases by 50 per 1000 cohort, extends life expectancy by 5 days and disease-free life expectancy by 18 days, and costs US$ 1,762,517 per year of life extended. Periodic PCR testing reduces the lifetime number of CMV disease cases by eight per 1000 cohort, extends life expectancy by 1 day and disease-free life expectancy by 3 days, and costs US$ 495,158 per year of life extended. The prevention strategies could be acceptably cost effective only under a combination of optimistic assumptions and reduced costs. CONCLUSIONS: Oral ganciclovir preventive therapy and periodic plasma testing for CMV PCR with oral ganciclovir for those with positive tests result in small benefits at great cost. They are not cost-effective prevention strategies for persons with advanced HIV infection and positive CMV serologies.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Interpretation of the tuberculin skin test.

OBJECTIVE: To reinterpret epidemiologic information about the tuberculin test (purified protein derivative) in terms of modern approaches to test characteristics; to clarify why different cutpoints of induration should be used to define a positive test in different populations; and to calculate test characteristics of the intermediate-strength tuberculin skin test, the probability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection at various induration sizes, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and optimal cutpoints for positivity. METHODS: Standard epidemiologic assumptions were used to distinguish M. tuberculosis-infected from -uninfected persons; also used were data from the U.S. Navy recruit and World Health Organization tuberculosis surveys; and Bayesian analysis. RESULTS: In the general U.S. population, the test's sensitivity is 0.59 to 1.0, the specificity is 0.95 to 1.0, and the positive predictive value is 0.44 to 1.0, depending on the cutpoint. Among tuberculosis patients, the sensitivity is nearly the same as in the general population; the positive predictive value is 1.0. The area under the ROC curve is 0.997. The probability of M. tuberculosis infection at each induration size varies widely, depending on the prevalence. The optimal cutpoint varies from 2 mm to 16 mm and is dependent on prevalence and the purpose for testing. CONCLUSIONS: The operating characteristics of the tuberculin test are superior to those of nearly all commonly used screening and diagnostic tests. The tuberculin test has an excellent ability to distinguish M. tuberculosis-infected from -uninfected persons. Interpretation requires consideration of prevalence and the purpose for testing. These findings support the recommendation to use different cutpoints for various populations. Even more accurate information can be gotten by interpreting induration size as indicating a probability of M. tuberculosis infection.

Adolescent↗

Tuberculosis susceptibility patterns, predictors of multidrug resistance, and implications for initial therapeutic regimens at a New York City hospital.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug resistance has complicated tuberculosis therapy. We studied antibiotic susceptibilities of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and predictors of multidrug resistance to assist in determining initial drug regimens. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study based on chart review of patients with and without multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, including outpatients and inpatients with culture-proved tuberculosis seen at a large New York, NY, hospital during 1991 and 1992. Patient characteristics studied included serologic findings for human immunodeficiency virus and the presence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Descriptive analysis considered potential initial drug regimens. A theoretically effective regimen was assumed to contain at least two drugs to which an isolate was susceptible. RESULTS: For 172 patients, 28.5% of isolates were resistant to isoniazid, at least 20.9% to rifampin, 15.7% to ethambutol, 8.1% to pyrazinamide, 18.6% to streptomycin, 9.9% to ethionamide, 8.1% to kanamycin, and none to capreomycin, cycloserine, and ciprofloxacin; 18.6% were resistant to both isoniazid and rifampin. Chart review of 159 patients showed that acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, human immunodeficiency virus seropositivity, female gender, residence in the Bronx, and race were associated with multidrug resistance. The four-drug regimen of isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide was theoretically effective for 81% to 85% of patients. No subset of patients would have a markedly better theoretical benefit from that regimen. Only five- or six-drug regimens that used the combinations of capreomycin plus ciprofloxacin, capreomycin plus cycloserine, ciprofloxacin plus cycloserine, or all three drugs together theoretically offered significantly higher effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculosis isolates at our hospital have a high frequency of multidrug resistance. Only five- or six-drug regimens are theoretically adequate as initial therapy for our patients.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination of HIV-infected patients: a policy analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the policy of vaccinating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected young adults against influenza and pneumococcal infections. METHODS: Transition state model of clinical immune deterioration of HIV infection, published data, and experts' estimates for the uncertain variables. Outcome measures are the number of influenza and pneumococcal infection hospitalizations and deaths prevented over 10 years and cost-effectiveness ratios. PATIENTS: Hypothetical cohort of HIV-infected 30-year-old patients. RESULTS: Although pneumococcal vaccine effectiveness diminishes with advanced HIV disease, the risks of pneumococcal infection rise substantially. Pneumococcal vaccination was therefore found to be a reasonable prevention strategy at all HIV disease stages: few vaccinations are needed to prevent hospitalizations and deaths, and the vaccination strategy is cost-effective. By contrast, influenza incidence is low among young adults, and HIV-related immunodeficiency increases influenza risks only minimally. Because the vaccine is administered yearly, many more vaccinations must be administered and fewer hospitalizations and deaths are prevented than with pneumococcal vaccination. The costs to extend life expectancy are high, and beyond the costs of other prevention strategies for persons with moderate to severe immunodeficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumococcal vaccination is a reasonable prevention strategy for HIV-infected patients at all stages of immunodeficiency. Fewer hospitalizations and deaths are prevented by influenza vaccination, making it a far less cost-effective prevention strategy than pneumococcal vaccination.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Survival of elderly patients with transfusion-related acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influences of age and risk group on the survival of AIDS patients. We concentrated on transfusion because it is the commonest risk factor for AIDS in patients over 70 years of age. DESIGN: Survival curve regression analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 13 years and over with AIDS acquired through transfusion, and patients 65 years or older with AIDS as a result of intravenous drug use (IVDU). Data were obtained from the New York City Department of Health. MAIN OUTCOME: The patients were divided into four groups, ages 13-40 years, 41-64 years, and 65 years and over with AIDS as a result of transfusion, and 65 years and older with AIDS as a result of IVDU. The survivals of the three transfusion-related AIDS groups were compared, as were the 65 years-and-over groups with AIDS as a result of transfusion or IVDU. AIDS-defining diagnoses between those over and under 65 years with AIDS as a result of transfusion were also compared. RESULTS: The median survival for the three transfusion-related AIDS groups were 273 days, 58 days, and 60 days, respectively. There was a significant association between shorter survival and increasing age. This was largely due to the longer survival of the patients aged 13-40 years. There was no difference in AIDS-defining diagnosis between those over and under 65 years with transfusion-related AIDS. The survival curves of the elderly with AIDS as a result of transfusion or IVDU were not different. CONCLUSION: Age over 40 years is an independent risk factor for poor survival among transfusion-related AIDS patients. Among the elderly, patients with transfusion-related AIDS have similar survivals to patients with IVDU-related AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

The epidemiology of HIV infection and AIDS in east and central Harlem, NY.

This report describes the AIDS epidemic in East and Central Harlem, among the hardest-hit communities in the nation. Information was obtained from two New York State mandatory reporting programs: anonymous HIV antibody testing of newborns, and physician and hospital reports of AIDS cases to city and county public health departments. One of 30 babies born in East Harlem and one of 46 newborns in Central Harlem are seropositive. The cumulative rate of reported AIDS cases in these communities is 10-15 times the national rate, and together, the communities reported 1.3% of all AIDS cases in the nation, although they have only 0.1% of the nation's population; 2.2% of all childhood AIDS cases have been reported from East and Central Harlem. Women, minorities, and injection drug users comprise a higher proportion of the cases than in the city, the state, and the nation. The consequences of the epidemic in these communities are enormous, including profound stresses on community institutions and exacerbation of the resurgence of tuberculosis.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗