Publications

Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms frequently present to primary care providers (PCPs) and are reluctant to seek out or accept referrals to specialty mental health care. Most PCPs have not been trained to assess for and manage symptoms of PTSD. Web-based programs are increasingly used for medical education, but there are no published evaluations of online PTSD trainings for PCPs. We developed a 70-min Web-based training that focused on military-related PTSD for PCPs practicing in Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, but was applicable to PCPs treating veterans and other trauma-exposed patients outside VA settings. The training consisted of four modules: (1) Detection and Assessment; (2) Comorbid Conditions and Related Problems; (3) Pharmacological Interventions; and (4) Psychotherapeutic Interventions. Clinical vignettes dramatized key training concepts. Seventy-three PCPs completed the training and assessments pre- and posttraining and 30 days later. Paired t tests compared change in PTSD-related knowledge and comfort with PTSD-related skills, and qualitative methods were used to summarize participant feedback. After the training, mean knowledge score improved from 46% to 75% items correct, with sustained improvement at 30 days. Thirty days posttraining, PCPs reported significantly greater comfort regarding PTSD-related skills assessed; 47% reported using training content in their clinical practice. Qualitatively, PCPs appreciated the flexibility of asynchronous, self-paced online modules, but suggested more interactive content. Given the numerous barriers to specialty mental health treatment, coupled with a preference among veterans with PTSD for accessing treatment through primary care, improving PTSD competency among PCPs may help better serve veterans' mental health needs.

BACKGROUND

Serum creatinine and cystatin C are used as markers of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The performance of these GFR markers relative to exogenously measured GFR (mGFR) in HIV-positive individuals is not well established.

METHODS

We assessed the performance of the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration equations based on serum concentrations of creatinine (eGFRcr), cystatin C (eGFRcys) and both biomarkers combined (eGFRcr-cys) in 187 HIV-positive and 98 HIV-negative participants. Measured GFR was calculated by plasma iohexol clearance. Bias and accuracy were defined as the difference between eGFR and mGFR and the percentage of eGFR observations within 30% of mGFR, respectively. Activated CD4 and CD8 T-cells (CD38+ HLA-DR+) were measured by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The median mGFR was >100 ml/min/1.73 m(2) in both groups. All equations tended to be less accurate in HIV-positive than in HIV-negative subjects, with eGFRcr-cys being the most accurate overall. In the HIV-positive group, eGFRcys was significantly less accurate and more biased than eGFRcr and eGFRcr_cys. Additionally eGFRcys bias and accuracy were strongly associated with use of antiretroviral therapy, HIV RNA suppression, and percentages of activated CD4 or CD8 T-cells. Hepatitis C seropositivity was associated with larger eGFRcys bias in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups. In contrast, eGFRcr accuracy and bias were not associated with HIV-related factors, T-cell activation, or hepatitis C.

CONCLUSIONS

The performance of eGFRcys relative to mGFR was strongly correlated with HIV treatment factors and markers of T-cell activation, which may limit its usefulness as a GFR marker in this population.

BACKGROUND

Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by cardiac MR (CMR) is a predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). However, these findings are limited by single-center studies, small sample sizes, and low event rates. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of LGE by CMR (LGE-CMR) imaging in patients with NICM.

METHODS AND RESULTS

PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and EMBASE were searched for studies looking at the prognostic value of LGE-CMR in patients with NICM. The primary end points included all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalization, and a composite end point of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or aborted SCD. Pooling of odds ratios was performed using a random-effect model, and annualized event rates were assessed. Data were included from 9 studies with a total of 1488 patients and a mean follow-up of 30 months. Patients had a mean age of 52 years, 67% were men, and the average left ventricular ejection fraction was 37% on CMR. LGE was present in 38% of patients. Patients with LGE had increased overall mortality (odds ratio, 3.27; P<0.00001), heart failure hospitalization (odds ratio, 2.91; P=0.02), and SCD/aborted SCD (odds ratio, 5.32; P<0.00001) compared with those without LGE. The annualized event rates for mortality were 4.7% for LGE+ subjects versus 1.7% for LGE- subjects (P=0.01), 5.03% versus 1.8% for heart failure hospitalization (P=0.002), and 6.0% versus 1.2% for SCD/aborted SCD (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

LGE in patients with NICM is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalization, and SCD. Detection of LGE by CMR has excellent prognostic characteristics and may help guide risk stratification and management in patients with NICM.