Alison Smith

Journal Article Clin Infect Dis · October 15, 2024 BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases (ID) physicians are increasingly faced with the challenge of caring for patients with terminal illnesses or incurable infections. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort of all patients with an ID consult within an academic ... Full text Link to item Cite

Time to Positive Blood Cultures among Critically Ill Children Admitted to the PICU

Journal Article Critical Care Explorations · July 5, 2024 OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to assess the time to positivity (TTP) of clinically significant blood cultures in critically ill children admitted to the PICU. DESIGN: Retrospective review of positive blood cultures in patients admitted or transferred to the ... Full text Cite

Combined cerebrospinal fluid metabolomic and cytokine profiling in tuberculosis meningitis reveals robust and prolonged changes in immunometabolic networks.

Journal Article Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland) · January 2024 Much of the high mortality in tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) is attributable to excessive inflammation, making it imperative to identify targets for host-directed therapies that reduce pathologic inflammation and mortality. In this study, we investigate how ... Full text Cite

Inpatient clinicians' approach to diagnosis of urinary tract infections in older adults using the COM-B model: a qualitative assessment.

Journal Article Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol · 2024 Our interviews of inpatient clinicians (physicians, physician assistants) modeled after the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Model of Behavior model revealed opportunity and motivation as important drivers for overdiagnosis and overprescribing for a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Evidence gaps among systematic reviews examining the relationship of race, ethnicity, and social determinants of health with adult inpatient quality measures.

Journal Article Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol · 2024 BACKGROUND: The field of healthcare epidemiology is increasingly focused on identifying, characterizing, and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) to address inequities in healthcare quality. To identify evidence gaps, we examined recent systemat ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of fluoroquinolones and carbapenems in tuberculosis meningitis

Journal Article Frontiers in Pharmacology · December 12, 2022 Background: Tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) is the most lethal form of TB. It is difficult to treat in part due to poor or uncertain drug penetration into the central nervous system (CNS). To help fill this knowledge gap, we evaluated the cerebrospinal fluid ... Full text Cite

A 24-Hour Waste Audit of the Neuro ICU during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Opportunities for Diversion.

Journal Article The journal of climate change and health · October 2022 We conducted a series of 24-hour waste audits in a 20-bed pod of a Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit (Neuro ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic to 1) determine the unit's waste generation practices, 2) calculate associated downstream greenhouse gas emissions ... Full text Cite

Cycloserine and Linezolid for Tuberculosis Meningitis: Pharmacokinetic Evidence of Potential Usefulness.

Journal Article Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · September 2022 BackgroundThe ability of antituberculosis drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the central nervous system is critical to their effectiveness in treating tuberculosis meningitis (TBM). We sought to fill a critical knowledge gap by provi ... Full text Cite

The Impact of Diabetes and Prediabetes on Prevalence of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection Among Household Contacts of Active Tuberculosis Cases in Ethiopia.

Journal Article Open forum infectious diseases · July 2022 BackgroundIt is uncertain whether diabetes affects the risk of developing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) following exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We assessed the relationship of diabetes or prediabetes and LTBI a ... Full text Cite

Low rates of antibiotic use among ambulatory patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Journal Article Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · January 2022 We assessed the prevalence of antibiotic prescriptions among ambulatory patients tested for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a large public US healthcare system and found a low overall rate of antibiotic prescriptions (6.7%). Only 3.8% of positive se ... Full text Cite

Long term outcomes of patients with tuberculous meningitis: The impact of drug resistance.

Journal Article PloS one · January 2022 BackgroundLittle is known about the impact of drug-resistance on clinical outcomes among patients with tuberculosis meningitis (TBM).MethodsA retrospective cohort study among patients treated for TBM in Tbilisi, Georgia. We performed medi ... Full text Cite

Retropharyngeal Edema and Neck Pain in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-c).

Journal Article Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society · October 2021 We defined the prevalence of neck pain, trismus, or dysphagia (28.4%) and retropharyngeal edema (2.9%) among 137 patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-c). Retropharyngeal edema or phlegmon has been documented radiologically in at ... Full text Cite

Intent to Vaccinate SARS-CoV-2 Infected Children in US Households: A Survey.

Journal Article Vaccines · September 2021 A paucity of data exists evaluating a guardian's intent to vaccinate their child against COVID-19 in the United States. We administered 102 first (April-November 2020) and 45 second (December-January 2020-2021) surveys to guardians of children (<18 years) ... Full text Cite

Clinical outcomes among patients with tuberculous meningitis receiving intensified treatment regimens.

Journal Article The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease · August 2021 SETTING: National Center for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NCTLD), Tbilisi, Georgia.OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical outcomes of patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) treated with an intensified regimen including a fluoroquinolone (FQ) ... Full text Cite

Global, regional, and national burden of congenital heart disease, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

Journal Article The Lancet. Child & adolescent health · March 2020 BackgroundPrevious congenital heart disease estimates came from few data sources, were geographically narrow, and did not evaluate congenital heart disease throughout the life course. Completed as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, a ... Full text Cite

Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors in Child and Adolescent Health, 1990 to 2017: Findings From the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2017 Study.

Journal Article JAMA pediatrics · June 2019 ImportanceUnderstanding causes and correlates of health loss among children and adolescents can identify areas of success, stagnation, and emerging threats and thereby facilitate effective improvement strategies.ObjectiveTo estimate morta ... Full text Cite

Developmental disabilities among children younger than 5 years in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

Journal Article The Lancet. Global health · October 2018 BackgroundThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mandate systematic monitoring of the health and wellbeing of all children to achieve optimal early childhood development. However, global epidemiological data on children with developmental disabi ... Full text Cite

Measuring performance on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational locations: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

Journal Article Lancet · June 2, 2018 BACKGROUND: A key component of achieving universal health coverage is ensuring that all populations have access to quality health care. Examining where gains have occurred or progress has faltered across and within countries is crucial to guiding decisions ... Full text Link to item Cite

Adolescent health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the global burden of disease 2015 study.

Journal Article Int J Public Health · May 2018 OBJECTIVES: The 22 countries of the East Mediterranean Region (EMR) have large populations of adolescents aged 10-24 years. These adolescents are central to assuring the health, development, and peace of this region. We described their health needs. METHOD ... Full text Link to item Cite

Danger ahead: the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990-2015.

Journal Article International journal of public health · May 2018 ObjectivesThe Eastern Mediterranean Region faces several health challenges at a difficult time with wars, unrest, and economic change.MethodsWe used the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study to present the burden of diseases, injuries, and ... Full text Cite

Neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality and morbidity burden in the Eastern Mediterranean region: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study.

Journal Article International journal of public health · May 2018 ObjectivesAlthough substantial reductions in under-5 mortality have been observed during the past 35 years, progress in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) has been uneven. This paper provides an overview of child mortality and morbidity in the ... Full text Cite

Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

Journal Article Lancet · September 16, 2017 BACKGROUND: The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are grounded in the global ambition of "leaving no one behind". Understanding today's gains and gaps for the health-related SDGs is essential for decision makers as they aim to improve the health of ... Full text Link to item Cite

Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

Journal Article Lancet · September 16, 2017 BACKGROUND: Monitoring levels and trends in premature mortality is crucial to understanding how societies can address prominent sources of early death. The Global Burden of Disease 2016 Study (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of cause-specific ... Full text Link to item Cite

AgRP Neurons Can Increase Food Intake during Conditions of Appetite Suppression and Inhibit Anorexigenic Parabrachial Neurons.

Journal Article The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · September 2017 To maintain energy homeostasis, orexigenic (appetite-inducing) and anorexigenic (appetite suppressing) brain systems functionally interact to regulate food intake. Within the hypothalamus, neurons that express agouti-related protein (AgRP) sense orexigenic ... Full text Cite

Healthcare Access and Quality Index based on mortality from causes amenable to personal health care in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2015: a novel analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

Journal Article Lancet · July 15, 2017 BACKGROUND: National levels of personal health-care access and quality can be approximated by measuring mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care (ie, amenable mortality). Previous analyses of mortality ... Full text Link to item Cite

Child and Adolescent Health From 1990 to 2015: Findings From the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2015 Study.

Journal Article JAMA Pediatr · June 1, 2017 IMPORTANCE: Comprehensive and timely monitoring of disease burden in all age groups, including children and adolescents, is essential for improving population health. OBJECTIVE: To quantify and describe levels and trends of mortality and nonfatal health ou ... Full text Link to item Cite

Global, Regional, and National Prevalence, Incidence, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for Oral Conditions for 195 Countries, 1990-2015: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors.

Journal Article Journal of dental research · April 2017 The Global Burden of Disease 2015 study aims to use all available data of sufficient quality to generate reliable and valid prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) estimates of oral conditions for the period of 1990 to 2015. Since d ... Full text Cite

GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 (vol 388, pg 1545, 2016)

Journal Article LANCET · 2017 Cite

Health metrics priorities: a perspective from young researchers.

Journal Article Lancet (London, England) · November 2016 Full text Cite

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

Journal Article Lancet · October 8, 2016 BACKGROUND: Healthy life expectancy (HALE) and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) provide summary measures of health across geographies and time that can inform assessments of epidemiological patterns and health system performance, help to prioritise i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

Journal Article Lancet · October 8, 2016 BACKGROUND: Non-fatal outcomes of disease and injury increasingly detract from the ability of the world's population to live in full health, a trend largely attributable to an epidemiological transition in many countries from causes affecting children, to ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lack of Intrinsic GABAergic Connections in the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus of the Mouse.

Journal Article The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · July 2016 UnlabelledIt is generally thought that neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) form GABAergic synapses with other TRN neurons and that these interconnections are important for the function of the TRN. However, the existence of such intrins ... Full text Cite

UPBEAT study patients' perceptions of the effect of coronary heart disease on their lives: a cross-sectional sub-study.

Journal Article International journal of nursing studies · November 2014 BackgroundPatients can report positive effects of myocardial infarction. It is unknown whether these effects are sustained or what factors influence adaptation.ObjectivesTo explore primary care patients' perceptions of the effect of coron ... Full text Cite

A pilot randomised controlled trial of personalised care for depressed patients with symptomatic coronary heart disease in South London general practices: the UPBEAT-UK RCT protocol and recruitment.

Journal Article BMC psychiatry · June 2012 BackgroundCommunity studies reveal people with coronary heart disease (CHD) are twice as likely to be depressed as the general population and that this co-morbidity negatively affects the course and outcome of both conditions. There is evidence fo ... Full text Cite

Up-beat UK: a programme of research into the relationship between coronary heart disease and depression in primary care patients.

Journal Article BMC family practice · May 2011 BackgroundCoronary heart disease and depression are both common health problems and by 2020 will be the two leading causes of disability worldwide. Depression has been found to be more common in patients with coronary heart disease but the nature ... Full text Cite