Israel Ministry of Health

About: Israel Ministry of Health is a government organization based out in Jerusalem, Israel. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 1633 authors who have published 2108 publications receiving 65387 citations.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis in Israel: risk factors and treatment outcomes.

Abstract: SUMMARY SETTING: All culture-positive tuberculosis (TB) isolates in Israel. OBJECTIVES: To outline the magnitude of drug-resistant TB in Israel, describe treatment outcomes and identify risk factors. DESIGN: Retrospective study of laboratory data of all strains of adult TB patients tested for resistance to firstand second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs between 1999 and 2010. RESULTS: Of 4652 reported TB cases, 3552 (76.3%) underwent culture (annual range 73–81%); 445 (12.5%) were resistant to one or more first-line drugs, while 207 (5.8%) had multidrug-resistant TB (MDRTB). Risk factors for MDR-TB included being male, age 30–59 years, migrants (mainly from the former Soviet Union [FSU]) who had stayed in Israel .2 years, and having pulmonary TB, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and sputum smear positivity. Of all MDR-TB patients, 71.0% achieved treatment success, while 19.8% died. Twelve Israeli citizens had extensively drug-resistant TB (5.8% of MDR-TB cases). All had emigrated from the FSU and had pulmonary TB; 1 was HIV-infected. Seven (58.4%) achieved treatment success and 5 (41.6%) died. CONCLUSIONS: Drug-resistant TB in Israel is influenced by migration, especially from the FSU, where the patients were probably infected. Rapid sputum sampling performed in the early stages of the disease, patient isolation and drug susceptibility testing should be the standard of care to avoid further transmission and improve TB control. KEY WO RDS: drug resistance; immigration; laboratory; mycobacteriology; tuberculosis

Total antioxidant capacity in the black mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Black Sea coasts

Abstract: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the total antioxidant radical scavenging capacity (TARSC) in tissue extracts for understanding biochemical adaptations involving the antioxidant defense system of a bivalve mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, sampled in polluted (Pol) and non-polluted (Npol) sites from Black Sea coasts. Antioxidant-rich polyphenol fractions were extracted from whole dry mussel tissue with methanol and water in different proportions. The extracts were screened for polyphenol content and their potential as antioxidants using various in vitro models, such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPHc), b-carotenelinoleate (b-carotene) and nitric oxide (NOc). The total polyphenol extract of the whole mussel tissue from polluted site (TPMEPol) showed the highest antioxidant capacity among all of the extracts with the tested methods and was comparable with the antioxidant capacity of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). The antioxidant capacities of this extract determined by DPPHc, b-carotene and NOc methods and polyphenol content showed the highest correlation coefficients (R 2 ) such as 0.9985, 0.9915 and 0.9895, respectively. The free polyphenol extracts (FPMEPol and FPMENPol) had lower antioxidant capacity than the two others of total polyphenols (TPMEPol and TPMENPol) with three scavenging methods. Responses were linear in all tested methods and the antioxidant capacity values of soluble antioxidants showed the following relative order: TroloxOBHAOTPMEPolOTPMENPolO FPMEPolOFPMENPol. Nutritional antioxidants, such as polyphenols, were probably the main antioxidant contribution to mussel antioxidants. The mussel extracts from the polluted site exhibited higher antioxidant capacity than from the non-polluted one. The results presented in this report indicate that the antioxidant capacity of the whole tissue of the mussel extract could possibly be a useful biomarker for aquatic environments. � 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined analysis of the prevalence of drug-resistant Hepatitis B virus in antiviral therapy-experienced patients in Europe (CAPRE)

Abstract: Background European guidelines recommend treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) with the nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) entecavir or tenofovir. However, many European CHB patients have been exposed to other NAs, which are associated with therapy failure and resistance. The CAPRE study was performed to gain insight in prevalence and characteristics of NA resistance in Europe. Methods A survey was performed on genotypic resistance testing results acquired during routine monitoring of CHB patients with detectable serum hepatitis B virus DNA in European tertiary referral centers. Results Data from 1568 patients were included. The majority (73.8%) were exposed to lamivudine monotherapy. Drug-resistant strains were detected in 52.7%. The most frequently encountered primary mutation was M204V/I (48.7%), followed by A181T/V (3.8%) and N236T (2.6%). In patients exposed to entecavir (n = 102), full resistance was present in 35.3%. Independent risk factors for resistance were age, viral load, and lamivudine exposure (P

Israel Ad Hoc COVID-19 Committee: Guidelines for Care of Older Persons During a Pandemic.

Abstract: Early on, geriatricians in Israel viewed with increasing alarm the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It was clear that this viral disease exhibited a clear predilection for and danger to older persons. Informal contacts began with senior officials from the country's Ministry of Health, the Israel Medical Association, and the country's largest health fund; this was done to plan an approach to the possible coming storm. A group was formed, comprising three senior geriatricians, a former dean, a palliative care specialist, and a lawyer/ethicist. The members made every effort to ensure that their recommendations would be practical while at the same time taking into account the tenets of medical ethics. The committee's main task was to think through a workable approach because intensive care unit/ventilator resources may be far outstripped by those requiring such care. Recommendations included the approach to older persons both in the community and in long-term care institutions, a triage instrument, and palliative care. Patient autonomy was emphasized, with a strong recommendation for people of all ages to update their advance directives or, if they did not have any, to quickly draw them up. Considering the value of distributive justice, with respect to triage, a "soft utilitarian" approach was advocated with the main criteria being function and comorbidity. Although chronological age was rejected as a sole criterion, in the case of an overwhelming crisis, "biological age" would enter into the triage considerations, but only in the case of distinguishing between people with equal non-age-related deficits. The guideline emphasized that no matter what, in the spirit of beneficence, anyone who fell ill must receive active palliative care throughout the course of a COVD-19 infection but especially at the end of life. Furthermore, in the spirit of nonmaleficence, the frail, very old, and severely demented would be actively protected from dying on ventilation. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1370-1375, 2020.