National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Antibiotics (1)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (1)
- Children/Adolescents (3)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Emergency Preparedness (1)
- Genetics (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
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- (-) Infectious Diseases (9)
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- Outcomes (1)
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- Respiratory Conditions (2)
- Skin Conditions (1)
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 9 of 9 Research Studies DisplayedLi JC, Silverberg JI
Varicella infection is not associated with increasing prevalence of eczema: a U.S. population-based study.
The investigators sought to understand the impact of declining rates of chickenpox infection on the prevalence of eczema. Using National Health Interview Survey data, they found that eczema was inversely associated with chickenpox. They concluded that lower rates of chickenpox infection secondary to widespread vaccination against varicella zoster virus are not contributing to higher rates of childhood eczema in the U.S.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Li JC, Silverberg JI .
Varicella infection is not associated with increasing prevalence of eczema: a U.S. population-based study.
Br J Dermatol 2015 Nov;173(5):1169-74. doi: 10.1111/bjd.14028.
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Keywords: Infectious Diseases, Skin Conditions, Skin Conditions, Vaccination
Shaffer SM, Joshi RP, Chambers BS
Multiplexed detection of viral infections using rapid in situ RNA analysis on a chip.
The authors demonstrated that rapid RNA FISH is a viable alternative method to RT-PCR or ELISA. They concluded that their results established RNA FISH as a methodology with potential for viral point-of-care diagnostics.
AHRQ-funded; HS020939.
Citation: Shaffer SM, Joshi RP, Chambers BS .
Multiplexed detection of viral infections using rapid in situ RNA analysis on a chip.
Lab Chip 2015 Aug 7;15(15):3170-82. doi: 10.1039/c5lc00459d.
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Keywords: Genetics, Imaging, Infectious Diseases
Feemster KA
Remembering the benefits of vaccination.
This commentary discussed the issue of vaccination and tightening exemptions for school entry. The author pointed out that events show that the success of vaccines can be fragile, as the measles cases associated with Disneyland were preceded by 644 cases in 2014. And 2012 saw more than 40,000 cases of pertussis, the largest number since 1960. These events provided a dramatic reminder that vaccines remain an important and necessary public health tool.
AHRQ-funded; HS020939.
Citation: Feemster KA .
Remembering the benefits of vaccination.
JAMA Pediatr 2015 Jul;169(7):624-6. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0647.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Infectious Diseases, Patient Safety, Policy, Vaccination
Hamilton KW, Gerber JS, Moehring R
Point-of-prescription interventions to improve antimicrobial stewardship.
The purpose of this review was to discuss interventions focusing on antimicrobial prescribing at the point of prescription as well as a pilot project to engage unit-based healthcare providers in antimicrobial stewardship.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Hamilton KW, Gerber JS, Moehring R .
Point-of-prescription interventions to improve antimicrobial stewardship.
Clin Infect Dis 2015 Apr 15;60(8):1252-8. doi: 10.1093/cid/civ018.
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Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Infectious Diseases, Medication, Patient Safety, Prevention
Gauguet S, Ahmed AA, Zhou J
Group A streptococcal bacteremia without a source is associated with less severe disease in children.
The authors analyzed characteristics of 86 Group A streptococcal bacteremia cases at Boston Children's Hospital from 1992 to 2012. They found that children with bacteremia without a source (30% of cases) were less likely to have severe disease than children with focal infections.
AHRQ-funded; HS013908.
Citation: Gauguet S, Ahmed AA, Zhou J .
Group A streptococcal bacteremia without a source is associated with less severe disease in children.
Pediatr Infect Dis J 2015 Apr;34(4):447-9. doi: 10.1097/inf.0000000000000587.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Infectious Diseases, Outcomes
Linder JA
Sore throat: avoid overcomplicating the uncomplicated.
In this editorial, the author described issues involving sore throat diagnosis and delineated various points concerning an article within the same journal issue, concluding that physicians should remember that the prevalence of group A streptococcus in adults with a sore throat is approximately 10%; and that they should use the Centor scoring criteria; selectively use rapid antigen-detection testing; limit antibiotic treatment to patients most likely to have group A streptococcus; and most of the time when prescribing antibiotics, use penicillin.
AHRQ-funded; HS018419.
Citation: Linder JA .
Sore throat: avoid overcomplicating the uncomplicated.
Ann Intern Med 2015 Feb 17;162(4):311-2. doi: 10.7326/m14-2899.
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Keywords: Antibiotics, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Infectious Diseases, Medication, Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Practice Patterns
Bartsch SM, Gorham K, Lee BY
The cost of an Ebola case.
The researchers developed a mathematical model to estimate the cost of an Ebola virus disease (EVD) case from the provider and societal perspectives in the three most affected countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Their model estimates the total societal cost of an EVD case with full recovery ranges from $480 to $912, while that of an EVD case not surviving ranges from $5,929 to $18,929, varying by age and country.
AHRQ-funded; HS023317.
Citation: Bartsch SM, Gorham K, Lee BY .
The cost of an Ebola case.
Pathog Glob Health 2015 Feb;109(1):4-9. doi: 10.1179/2047773214y.0000000169..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Mortality, Public Health, Infectious Diseases
Pitzer VE, Viboud C, Alonso WJ
AHRQ Author: Steiner CA
Environmental drivers of the spatiotemporal dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus in the United States.
The authors examined the association between environmental variables and state-specific measures of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) seasonality. They found that states with low mean vapor pressure and the largest seasonal variation in potential evapotranspiration tended to experience biennial patterns of RSV activity, with alternating years of "early-big" and "late-small" epidemics. Their results successfully connected environmental drivers to the epidemic dynamics of RSV; however, the results do not fully explain why RSV activity begins in Florida, one of the warmest states, when RSV is a winter-seasonal pathogen.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Pitzer VE, Viboud C, Alonso WJ .
Environmental drivers of the spatiotemporal dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus in the United States.
PLoS Pathog 2015 Jan;11(1):e1004591. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004591.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Newborns/Infants, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Conditions
Matthews Pillemer F, Blendon RJ, Zaslavsky AM
Predicting support for non-pharmaceutical interventions during infectious outbreaks: a four region analysis.
Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as quarantines and face masks are socially and economically disruptive, and usually require compliance by a significant proportion of the population to be effective. The researchers investigated the predictors of NPI support in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. They found NPI support varies widely by region, possibly because of cultural variation and prior experience.
AHRQ-funded; HS000055; HS017587.
Citation: Matthews Pillemer F, Blendon RJ, Zaslavsky AM .
Predicting support for non-pharmaceutical interventions during infectious outbreaks: a four region analysis.
Disasters 2015 Jan;39(1):125-45. doi: 10.1111/disa.12089..
Keywords: Public Health, Prevention, Infectious Diseases, Emergency Preparedness