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rmation to public health policy planners.BACKGROUND Consensus-orientated Delphi studies are increasingly used in various areas of medical research using a variety of different rating scales and criteria for reaching consensus. We explored the influence of using three different rating scales and different consensus criteria on the results for reaching consensus and assessed the test-retest reliability of these scales within a study aimed at identification of global treatment goals for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). selleckchem METHODS We conducted a two-stage study consisting of two surveys and consecutively included patients scheduled for TKA from five German hospitals. Patients were asked to rate 19 potential treatment goals on different rating scales (three-point, five-point, nine-point). Surveys were conducted within a 2 week period prior to TKA, order of questions (scales and treatment goals) was randomized. RESULTS Eighty patients (mean age 68 ± 10 years; 70% females) completed both surveys. Different rating scales (three-point, five-point and nine-point rals for TKA, the three-point scale proves to be the most reasonable choice, as its translation into the clinical context is the most straightforward among the scales. Researchers conducting Delphi studies should be aware that final consensus is substantially influenced by the choice of rating scale and consensus criteria.BACKGROUND We analyzed the results of a 3-year surveillance study on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of healthcare associated-infections (HAIs) in elderly inpatients in a large tertiary hospital in China. METHODS Real-time surveillance was performed from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017. All HAIs were identified by infection control practitioners and doctors. Inpatient data were collected with an automatic surveillance system. RESULTS A total of 134,637 inpatients including 60,332 (44.8%) elderly ≥60 years were included. The overall incidence of HAI was 2.0%. The incidence of HAI in elderly patients was significantly higher than that in non-elderly patients (2.6% vs. 1.5%, χ2 = 202.421, P  less then  0.01) and increased with age. The top five sites of HAIs in the elderly were the lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, blood stream, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and surgical site. The five most common pathogens detected in elderly HAI patients were Candida albicans, Klebsiella pneumoniaibuted to the higher rates of comorbidities and special medical procedures in the elderly group. The main HAI sites in elderly inpatients were the lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, and bloodstream, and the main pathogens were gram-negative bacilli and Candida albicans.BACKGROUND Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is increasingly being diagnosed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been found to possess antifungal activities. We hence aimed to investigate the association between HCQ and PCP risk among patients with SLE. METHODS Using the 1997-2013 nationwide claim data, we identified 24,343 newly-diagnosed SLE patients. We then identified 58 PCP cases and selected 348 non-PCP controls matching (16) by age, sex, disease duration and the year of PCP diagnosis date. The risk of PCP was assessed by determing odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by using multivariable conditional logistic regression. RESULTS The risk of PCP was associated with moderate to severe renal disease (OR 6.73, 95% CI 1.98-22.92), higher doses of glucocorticoids (≤5 mg/day, reference; 5-10 mg/day, OR 25.88, 95% CI 2.97-225.33; > 10 mg/day, OR 286.58, 95% CI 28.58-> 999), higher 3-month cumulative dose of cyclophosphamide (not use, reference; ≤1.4 g, OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.14-3.01; > 1.4 g, OR 11.52, 95% CI 1.97-67.39) and use of mycophenolate mofetil/mycophenolic acid (OR 50.79, 95% CI 5.32-484.77), whereas 3-month cumulative dose of HCQ was associated with a reduced risk of PCP among patients with SLE (not use, reference; ≤14 g, OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.21-2.24; > 14 g, OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.71). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated incident PCP was associated with mycophenolate mofetil/mycophenolic acid use and higher doses of cyclophosphamide or glucocorticoid, whereas the use of a higher dose of HCQ was associated with a reduced risk of PCP in lupus patients.BACKGROUND Older adults who reside in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are at particularly high risk for infection, morbidity and mortality from pneumonia and influenza (P&I) compared to individuals of younger age and those living outside institutional settings. The risk factors for P&I hospitalizations that are specific to LTCFs remain poorly understood. Our objective was to evaluate the incidence of P&I hospitalization and associated person- and facility-level factors among post-acute (short-stay) and long-term (long-stay) care residents residing in LTCFs from 2013 to 2015. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, we used Medicare administrative claims linked to Minimum Data Set and LTCF-level data to identify short-stay ( less then  100 days, index = admission date) and long-stay (100+ days, index = day 100) residents who were followed from the index date until the first of hospitalization, LTCF discharge, Medicare disenrollment, or death. We measured incidence rates (IRs) for P&I hospitalization per 1n risk factors for P&I between short- and long-stay populations suggest the importance of considering distinct profiles of post-acute and long-term care residents in infection prevention and control strategies in LTCFs. These findings can help clinicians target interventions to subgroups of LTCF residents at highest P&I risk.BACKGROUND Identifying patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and enhancing the cascade of care are essential for eliminating HCV infection. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of positive anti-HCV serology in Brasilia, Brazil, and evaluate the efficiency of the cascade of care for HCV-positive individuals. METHODS This cross-sectional study analyzed 57,697 rapid screening tests for hepatitis C in individuals aged > 40 years between June 2018 and June 2019. HCV-positive patients were contacted and scheduled to undergo the HCV RNA viral test, genotyping, and transient elastography. RESULTS The prevalence of positive serology was 0.27%. Among 161 patients with positive anti-HCV serology, 124 (77%) were contacted, 109 (67.7%) were tested for HCV RNA viral load, and 69 (42.8%) had positive results. Genotype 1 (75%) was the most prevalent genotype. Among 65 patients (94.2%) who underwent transient elastography, 30 (46.2%) presented with advanced fibrosis. Additionally, of the 161 patients, 55 (34.
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