Bethesda Hospital

About: Bethesda Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Ambur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Helicobacter pylori. The organization has 386 authors who have published 472 publications receiving 15193 citations.

Impaired response to treatment with tumour necrosis factor α inhibitors in smokers with axial spondyloarthritis

Abstract: Objectives To investigate the impact of smoking on the response to treatment with a first tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in a real-life cohort. Methods Patients fulfilling the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) classification criteria for axSpA in the Swiss Clinical Quality Management Cohort were included in this study. The potential association between smoking status and differential response to TNFi in terms of the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) was analysed using multiple adjusted longitudinal mixed effect models. Binary response rates at 1 year were assessed with multiple adjusted logistic analyses. Results A first TNFi was initiated in 698 patients with axSpA with available smoking status and a baseline or follow-up BASDAI assessment, of which 490 (70%) had complete covariate data. In comparison to non-smokers, current smokers demonstrated significantly smaller reductions in BASDAI and ASDAS scores upon treatment with TNFi (0.75 BASDAI units and 0.69 ASDAS units less, p=0.005 and 0.001, respectively) for patients with elevated baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) level. This effect was numerically smaller in patients with normal CRP. The odds for reaching a 50% improvement in BASDAI response or the ASAS criteria for 40% improvement after 1 year were significantly lower in current smokers than in non-smokers (0.54, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.95, p=0.03 and 0.43, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.76, p=0.004, respectively). Conclusions Current smoking is associated with an impaired response to TNFi in axSpA.

Positive impact of a therapeutic drug-monitoring program on total aminoglycoside dose and cost of hospitalization

Abstract: A prospective evaluation was undertaken to assess the impact of an aminoglycoside therapeutic drug-monitoring (TDM) program on the total dose of aminoglycoside antibiotics, the duration of therapy, the number of serum concentrations determined, the length of hospital stay, and the potential cost reduction in 221 patients with proven or suspected gram-negative infections. The patients were allocated to a group that received individualized aminoglycoside doses (study) or to a group that did not (control). The mean total dose of gentamicin or tobramycin per patient course of therapy was 1,258 mg in the study group and 1,981 mg in the control group (p less than 0.0001). The mean duration of therapy was 5.9 and 10.3 days per patient in the study and control group, respectively (p less than 0.0001). The mean length of hospital stay was 8.4 days in the study group and 11.8 days for the control (p less than 0.005). The type and site of infection, number of serum concentration determinations, and mortality were not statistically different for the groups. These data indicate that a TDM program can markedly reduce the total dose of aminoglycoside, which can potentially reduce tissue accumulation and toxicity. In addition, the hospital costs were $725 less per patient in the study group, which would produce a savings of approximately $640,000 per year at our institution.

Review article: nitroimidazole resistance in Helicobacter pylori

Abstract: The efficacy of a nitroimidazole-containing regimen for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection is decreased by nitroimidazole resistance. Nitroimidazoles are meta- bolized by H. pylori by several nitro-reductases of which an oxygen-insensitive NADPH nitroreductase encoded by the rdxA gene is the most important. Null mutations in this gene are associated with resistance. Susceptibility testing to nitroimidazoles may give variable results. This is not only related to the slow growth under specific conditions, but also to variability in the activity of the other nitroreductases and the ability to deactivate toxic metabolites of an NI and to repair DNA damage. Moreover, co-infections with resistant and susceptible bacteria are frequently found. The presence of nitroimidazole resistance is related to the previous use of this drug. The prevalence of resistance is rising and nowadays 10-50% of the isolates are resistant. Resistance reduces the efficacy of a treatment regimen to a variable degree. This is related to efficacy of the other components of the regimen and the treatment duration. Whether a nitroimidazole is still effective in resistant strains remains unresolved. When nitroimidazole resistance is present, a nitro-imidazole-containing regimen should be avoided or a regimen with other highly effective components should be used.