Chronic pain occurs in as many as 85% of individuals with HIV and is associated with substantial functional impairment. Little guidance is available for HIV providers seeking to address their patients’ chronic pain. We conducted a systematic review to identify clinical trials and observational studies that examined the impact of pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic interventions on pain and/or functional outcomes among HIV-infected individuals with chronic pain in high-development countries. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria and were mostly low or very low quality. Seven examined pharmacologic interventions (gabapentin, pregabalin, capsaicin, analgesics including opioids) and four examined non-pharmacologic interventions (cognitive behavioral therapy, self-hypnosis, smoked cannabis). The only controlled studies with positive results were of capsaicin and cannabis, and had short-term follow-up (≤12 weeks). Among the seven studies of pharmacologic interventions, five had substantial pharmaceutical industry sponsorship. These findings highlight several important gaps in the HIV/chronic pain literature that require further research.

ObjectiveOur objective was to compare the clinical effectiveness of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) on blood pressure (BP) control and patient outcomes.DesignA systematic review was conducted. We also appraised the methodological quality of studies.Data sourcesPubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Control Trials (CENTRAL).Inclusion criteriaRandomized control trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, observational studies, and case-control studies published in English from any year to present that describe HBPM and 24-hour ABPM and report on systolic and/or diastolic BP and/or heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and/or all-cause mortality for adult patients. Due to the nature of the question, studies with only untreated patients were not considered.ResultsOf 1,742 titles and abstractions independently reviewed by two reviewers, 137 studies met predetermined criteria for evaluation. Nineteen studies were identified as relevant and included in the paper. The common themes were that HBPM and ABPM correlated with cardiovascular events and mortality, and targeting HBPM or ABPM resulted in similar outcomes. Associations between BP measurement type and mortality differed by study population. Both the low sensitivity of office blood pressure monitoring (OBPM) to detect optimal BP control by ABPM and the added association of HBPM with cardiovascular mortality supported the routine use of HBPM in clinical practice. There was insufficient data to determine the benefit of using HBPM as a measurement standard for BP control.ConclusionHBPM encourages patient-centered care and improves BP control and patient outcomes. Given the limited number of studies with both HBPM and ABPM, these measurement types should be incorporated into the design of randomized clinical trials within hypertensive populations.

Alcoholic hepatitis occurs in about one third of individuals reporting long term heavy alcohol use. It is associated with high short-term mortality, economic burden, and hospital resources utilization. We performed this systematic review to a) describe clinical characteristics and genomics associated with the risk of alcoholic hepatitis; b) discuss role and limitations of liver biopsy and prognostic scoring systems; c) summarize evidence regarding the currently available therapies including liver transplantation; and d) outline emerging therapies with areas of unmet need. Literature search was performed for studies published in English language (January 1971 through - March 2016). Following search engines were used: Pubmed, Elsevier Embase, PsychINFO, and Cochrane Library. For the treatment section, only randomized controlled studies were included for this review. A total of 138 studies (59 randomized, 22 systematic reviews or meta-analyses, 7 surveys or guidelines, 7 population based, and 43 prospective cohort) were cited. There are over 325,000 annual admissions with alcoholic hepatitis contributing to about 0.8% of all hospitalizations in the US. Liver biopsy may be required in about 25–30% cases for uncertain clinical diagnosis. Corticosteroids with or without N-acetylcysteine remains the only available therapy for severe episode. Data are emerging on the role of liver transplantation as salvage therapy for select patients. Abstinence remains the most important factor impacting long-term prognosis. Results from the ongoing clinical trials within the National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism funded consortia are awaited for more effective and safer therapies. Alcoholic hepatitis is a potentially lethal condition with a significant short-term mortality. A high index of suspicion is required. There remains an unmet need for non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis, and predicting prognosis and response to therapy.

BRIEF COMMUNICATIONSTable 1 Spanish Access to Literature/Uso Directo (SALUD) Public Health Information Pilot Project objectives 1. Develop a cadre of community health nursing students who are knowledgeable in accessing and evaluating health education materials and who would use and share these skills in practice in the community 2. Develop a pilot project, based on the needs assessment, to increase patient health education by improving access to quality reading-level and language-appropriate materials in two Chicago Department of Public Health public health clinics serving inner-city, low-income, predominately Latino populations 3. Increase access to and knowledge about quality health information resources for health care practitioners working in two inner city clinics

Librarians are using social networking sites as one means of sharing information and connecting with users from diverse groups. Usage statistics and other metrics compiled in 2011 for the library's Facebook page, representative library blogs, and the library YouTube channel were analyzed in an effort to understand how patrons use the library's social networking sites. Librarians also hoped to get a sense of these tools' effectiveness in reaching users at the point of need and engaging them in different ways.

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