We analyzed the cycle threshold (CT) of PCR surveillance MRSA swabs obtained from veterans. Lower CT on admission was associated with a positive culture from nasal swabs at discharge. Compared to PCR, direct plating of nasal swabs performed poorly, especially for patients with an elevated CT. The CT is strongly correlated with quantitative nasal cultures. Clinical and infection control applications of the CT have yet to be defined and warrant further evaluation.

Background: FRAX is a validated, computer-based clinical fracture risk calculator that estimates the 10-year risk of major osteoporotic (clinical spine, forearm, hip, or shoulder) fracture, and hip fracture alone. It is widely used for decision making in fracture prevention, but it may underestimate the risk in HIV-infected individuals. Some experts recommend considering HIV as a cause of secondary osteoporosis when calculating FRAX in HIV-infected individuals. Methods: From the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Virtual Cohort, we included 24,451 HIV-infected and uninfected men aged 50-70 years with complete data in the year 2000 to approximate all but 2 factors (ie, history of secondary osteoporosis and parental hip fracture) for modified-FRAX calculation without bone density and 10-year observational data for incident fragility fracture. The accuracy of the modified-FRAX calculation was compared by the observed/estimated (O/E) ratios of fracture by HIV status. Results: The accuracy of modified-FRAX was less for HIV-infected [O/E 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45 to 1.81] than uninfected men (O/E 1.29, 95% CI: 1.19 to 1.40), but improved when HIV was included as a cause of secondary osteoporosis (O/E 1.20, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.34). However, only 3%-6% of men with incident fractures were correctly identified by the modified-FRAX using accepted FRAX thresholds for pharmacologic therapy. Conclusions: Modified-FRAX underestimated the fracture rates more in older HIV-infected than in otherwise similar uninfected men. The accuracy improved when HIV was included as a cause of secondary osteoporosis, but it still performed poorly for case finding. Further studies are necessary to determine how to use FRAX or define an HIV-specific index to risk stratify for screening and treatment in older HIV-infected individuals.

Background: Both HIV and depression are associated with increased heart failure (HF) risk. Depression, a common comorbidity, may further increase the risk of HF among HIV+ adults. We assessed the association between HIV, depression and incident HF. Methods and Results: Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) participants free from cardiovascular disease at baseline (N = 81,427; 26,908 HIV+, 54,519 HIV-) were categorized into four groups: HIV- without major depressive disorder (MDD) [reference]; HIV- with MDD; HIV+ without MDD; and HIV+ with MDD. ICD-9 codes from medical records were used to determine MDD and the primary outcome, HF. After 5.8 follow-up years, HF rates per 1000 person-years were highest among HIV+ participants with MDD (9.32; 95% CI, 8.20–10.6). In Cox proportional hazards models, HIV+ participants with MDD had significantly higher risk of HF [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.68; 95% CI, 1.45–1.95] compared to HIV- participants without MDD. MDD was associated with HF in separate fully adjusted models for HIV- and HIV+ participants (aHR = 1.21; 1.06–1.37 and 1.29; 1.11–1.51, respectively). Among those with MDD, baseline antidepressant use was associated with lower risk of incident HF events (aHR = 0.76; 0.58–0.99). Conclusions: Our study is the first to suggest MDD is an independent risk factor for HF in HIV+ adults. These results reinforce the importance of identifying and managing MDD among HIV+ patients. Future studies must clarify mechanisms linking HIV, MDD, antidepressants, and HF; and identify interventions to reduce HF morbidity and mortality in those with both HIV and MDD.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus- (HIV-) infected persons have a higher risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) than HIV-uninfected persons. Earlier studies suggest that HIV viral load, CD4+ T-cell count, and antiretroviral therapy are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Whether CD8+ T-cell count is associated with CVD risk is not clear. We investigated the association between CD8+ T-cell count and incident AMI in a cohort of 73,398 people (of which 97.3% were men) enrolled in the U.S. Veterans Aging Cohort Study-Virtual Cohort (VACS-VC). Compared to uninfected people, HIV-infected people with high baseline CD8+ T-cell counts (>1065 cells/mm3) had increased AMI risk (adjusted HR=1.82, P<0.001, 95% CI: 1.46 to 2.28). There was evidence that the effect of CD8+ T-cell tertiles on AMI risk differed by CD4+ T-cell level: compared to uninfected people, HIV-infected people with CD4+ T-cell counts ≥200 cells/mm3 had increased AMI risk with high CD8+ T-cell count, while those with CD4+ T-cell counts <200 cells/mm3 had increased AMI risk with low CD8+ T-cell count. CD8+ T-cell counts may add additional AMI risk stratification information beyond that provided by CD4+ T-cell counts alone.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is known to increase in-hospital mortality, but little is known about its association with long-term health. Two hundred and thirty-seven deaths occurred among 707 patients with MRSA infection at the time of hospitalization and/or nasal colonization followed for almost 4 years after discharge from the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA. The crude mortality rate in patients with an infection and colonization (23·57/100 person-years) was significantly higher than the rate in patients with only colonization (15·67/100 person-years, P = 0·037). MRSA infection, hospitalization within past 6 months, and histories of cancer or haemodialysis were independent risk factors. Adjusted mortality rates in patients with infection were almost twice as high compared to patients who were only colonized: patients infected and colonized [hazard ratio (HR) 1·93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·31-2·84]; patients infected but not colonized (HR 1·96, 95% CI 1·22-3·17). Surviving MRSA infection adversely affects long-term mortality, underscoring the importance of infection control in healthcare settings. Copyright © 2012 Cambridge University Press.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization burden has been identified as a risk factor for infection. This study evaluates methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) nasal burden, as defined by the cycle threshold (Ct) and risk of subsequent infection. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, United States veterans were classified into 3 MRSA nasal colonization groups: noncarriers, low burden (Ct > 24 cycles), and high burden (Ct ≤ 24 cycles). MRSA infections were identified prospectively, and clinical information was obtained by chart review. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the association of MRSA nasal burden and risk of MRSA infection. Results: During 4-years of follow-up, 4.3% of noncarriers, 18.5% of low burden, and 17.2% of high burden developed a MRSA infection. In multivariate analysis, MRSA nasal colonization was a risk factor for MRSA infection (P =.008) with low burden (risk ratio [RR], 3.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47-8.93) and high burden (RR, 2.71; 95% CI: 0.95-7.72) associated with subsequent MRSA infection when compared with noncarriers. When compared with low burden, high burden nasal carriers were not at increased risk of infection (RR, 0.75; 95% CI 0.36-1.55). Conclusion: MRSA nasal colonization was a risk factor for MRSA infection. High nasal burden of MRSA did not increase the risk of infection.

OBJECTIVES: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected (HIV+) patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are living longer but have increased risk for aging-associated disease which may lead to increasing critical care requirements. We compare medical ICU admission characteristics and outcomes among HIV infected and demographically similar uninfected patients (uninfected) and considered whether an index which combines routine clinical biomarkers (the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index) predicts 30-day medical ICU mortality. DESIGN: Observational data analyses (Veterans Aging Cohort Study). SETTING: Eight Veterans Affairs medical centers nationwide. PATIENTS: HIV infected and uninfected with a medical ICU admission between 2002 and 2010. INTERVENTION: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Medical ICU admission was determined using bedsection (Veterans Affairs) and revenue center codes (Medicare). For Veterans Affairs admissions, we used clinical data to calculate Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index scores and multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with 30-day mortality. Overall, 539 of 3,620 (15%) HIV infected and 375 of 3,639 (10%) uninfected had a medical ICU admission; 72% and 78%, respectively, were Veterans Affairs based. HIV+ patients were younger at admission (p < 0.0001). Although most HIV+ patients were on antiretroviral therapy (71%) with undetectable HIV-1 RNA (54%), compared with uninfected they were more commonly admitted with respiratory diagnoses or infections (21% vs. 12%), were more likely to require mechanical ventilation (17% vs. 9%; p = 0.001), and had a higher mortality rate (18.6% vs. 11.2%, p = 0.003). Cardiovascular diagnoses were less common among HIV infected (18% vs. 29%; p < 0.0001). In logistic regression (c-statistic 0.87), a 5-point increment in Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index was associated with an odds ratio of death of 1.22 (95% confidence interval 1.14-1.30) among HIV infected and of 1.50 (95% confidence interval 1.29-1.76) among uninfected; infection/sepsis and respiratory diagnoses were also associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Medical ICU admission was frequent, 30-day mortality higher, and mechanical ventilation more common in HIV infected compared with uninfected. The Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index calculated at medical ICU admission predicted 30-day mortality for HIV infected and uninfected. As more individuals age with HIV, their requirements for medical ICU care may be greater than demographically similar uninfected individuals.

An estimated 179 million acute gastroenteritis (AGE) illnesses occur annually in the United States. The role of noroviruses in hospital-related AGE has not been well-documented in the U. S. We estimated the population incidence of community- acquired outpatient and inpatient norovirus AGE encounters, as well as hospital-acquired inpatient norovirus AGE among inpatients at four Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers (VAMCs). Fifty (4%) of 1,160 stool specimens collected ≤7 days from symptom onset tested positive for norovirus. During a one year period, the estimated incidence of outpatient, community- and hospital-acquired inpatient norovirus AGE was 188 cases, 11 cases, and 54 cases/ 100,000 patients, respectively. This study demonstrates the incidence of outpatient and community- and hospital-acquired inpatient norovirus AGE among the VA population seeking care at these four VAMCs.

Background: It is unclear whether the elevated rate of lung cancer among HIV-infected persons is due to biological effects of HIV, surveillance bias, or excess smoking. We compared the incidence of lung cancer between HIV-infected and demographically similar HIV-uninfected patients, accounting for smoking and stage of lung cancer at diagnosis. Design: Data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Virtual Cohort were linked to data from the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry, resulting in an analytic cohort of 37 294 HIV-infected patients and 75 750 uninfected patients. Methods: We calculated incidence rates of pathologically confirmed lung cancer by dividing numbers of cases by numbers of person-years at risk. We used Poisson regression to determine incidence rate ratios (IRRs), adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking prevalence, previous bacterial pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Results: The incidence rate of lung cancer in HIV-infected patients was 204 cases per 100 000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 167-249] and among uninfected patients was 119 cases per 100 000 person-years (95% CI 110-129). The IRR of lung cancer associated with HIV infection remained significant after multivariable adjustment (IRR 1.7; 95% CI 1.5-1.9). Lung cancer stage at presentation did not differ between HIV-infected and uninfected patients. Conclusion: In our cohort of demographically similar HIV-infected and uninfected patients, HIV infection was an independent risk factor for lung cancer after controlling for potential confounders including smoking. The similar stage distribution between the two groups indicated that surveillance bias was an unlikely explanation for this finding.

Black and Hispanic (minority) MSM have a higher incidence of HIV than white MSM. Multiple sexual partners, being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol during sex, having a detectable HIV-1 RNA, and non-condom use are factors associated with HIV transmission. Using data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study, we consider minority status and sexual orientation jointly to characterize and compare these factors. White non-MSM had the lowest prevalence of these factors (p  <  0.001) and were used as the comparator group in calculating odds ratios (OR). Both MSM groups were more likely to report multiple sex partners (white MSM OR 7.50; 95 % CI 5.26, 10.71; minority MSM OR 10.24; 95 % CI 7.44, 14.08), and more likely to be under the influence during sex (white MSM OR 2.15; 95 % CI 1.49, 3.11; minority MSM OR 2.94; 95 % CI 2.16, 4.01). Only minority MSM were more likely to have detectable HIV-1 RNA (OR 1.87; 95 % CI 1.12, 3.11). Both MSM groups were more likely to use condoms than white non-MSM. These analyses suggest that tailored interventions to prevent HIV transmission among minority MSM are needed, with awareness of the potential co-occurrence of risk factors.