Showing papers by "Saint Francis University published in 2019"
Harvard University1, University of Michigan2, PinnacleHealth System3, St. Luke's Hospital4, Spectrum Health5, Mount Sinai Hospital6, Scripps Research Institute7, University of Kansas8, Yale University9, Johns Hopkins University10, Alfred Hospital11, McGill University12, Saint Francis University13, University of Pittsburgh14, Mayo Clinic15, Medtronic plc16, Paradigm17
TL;DR: In patients with severe aortic stenosis who were at low surgical risk, TAVR with a self‐expanding supraannular bioprosthesis was noninferior to surgery with respect to the composite end point of death or disabling stroke at 24 months.
Abstract: Background Transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) is an alternative to surgery in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at increased risk for death from surgery; less is know...
2,240 citations
Harvard University1, University of Göttingen2, Leibniz Association3, Nazarbayev University4, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention5, Saint Francis University6, American University of Beirut7, University of Geneva8, National Institute for Medical Research9, University of the East10, University of Porto11, Stellenbosch University12, Tribhuvan University13, National University of Benin14, Makerere University15, Eduardo Mondlane University16, University of Lausanne17, Kathmandu18, Boston University19, University of Birmingham20, University of the Witwatersrand21, Heidelberg University22, Public Health Foundation of India23
TL;DR: Given the high disease burden caused by hypertension in LMICs, nationally representative hypertension care cascades, as constructed in this study, are an important measure of progress towards achieving universal health coverage.
276 citations
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai1, Utrecht University2, St. Joseph Hospital3, Saint Francis University4, Carlos III Health Institute5, University of Colorado Denver6, University of Michigan7, National University of Singapore8, University of Washington Medical Center9, Brigham and Women's Hospital10, Northwestern University11, Mayo Clinic12, King's College London13
TL;DR: This guideline is to give guidance to practicing health care providers that will benefit patients with diabetes (both type 1 and type 2), paying particular attention to avoiding unnecessary and/or harmful adverse effects.
Abstract: Objective: The objective is to formulate clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of diabetes in older adults. Conclusions: Diabetes, particularly type 2, is becoming more prevalent in the general population, especially in individuals over the age of 65 years. The underlying pathophysiology of the disease in these patients is exacerbated by the direct effects of aging on metabolic regulation. Similarly, aging effects interact with diabetes to accelerate the progression of many common diabetes complications. Each section in this guideline covers all aspects of the etiology and available evidence, primarily from controlled trials, on therapeutic options and outcomes in this population. The goal is to give guidance to practicing health care providers that will benefit patients with diabetes (both type 1 and type 2), paying particular attention to avoiding unnecessary and/or harmful adverse effects.
263 citations
TL;DR: Nearly half of patients with breast cancer with a P/LP variant with clinically actionable and/or management guidelines in development are missed by current testing guidelines, suggesting that all patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer undergo expanded panel testing.
Abstract: PurposeAn estimated 10% of breast and ovarian cancers result from hereditary causes. Current testing guidelines for germ line susceptibility genes in patients with breast carcinoma were developed to identify carriers of BRCA1/2 variants and have evolved in the panel-testing era. We evaluated the capability of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines to identify patients with breast cancer with pathogenic variants in expanded panel testing.MethodsAn institutional review board–approved multicenter prospective registry was initiated with 20 community and academic sites experienced in cancer genetic testing and counseling. Eligibility criteria included patients with a previously or newly diagnosed breast cancer who had not undergone either single- or multigene testing. Consecutive patients 18 to 90 years of age were consented and underwent an 80-gene panel test. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant electronic case report forms collected information on patient demogr...
237 citations
TL;DR: Addition of PEGPH20 to mFOLFIRINOX seems to be detrimental in patients unselected for tumor HA status and can be considered for patients with good PS.
Abstract: PURPOSEPegylated recombinant human hyaluronidase (PEGPH20) degrades hyaluronan (HA) and, in combination with chemotherapy, prolongs survival in preclinical models. The activity of PEGPH20 with modi...
188 citations
Harvard University1, Kathmandu2, The Fred Hollows Foundation3, Makerere University4, National University of Benin5, Partners In Health6, National Institute for Medical Research7, Stellenbosch University8, University of the East9, Saint Francis University10, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention11, Boston University12, University of Göttingen13, University of the Witwatersrand14, University of Birmingham15, Heidelberg University16, Public Health Foundation of India17
TL;DR: Health system performance for management of diabetes showed large losses to care at the stage of being tested, and low rates of diabetes control along the care cascade, indicating large unmet need for diabetes care across 28 LMICs.
Abstract: CITATION: Manne-Goehler, J., et al. 2019. Health system performance for people with diabetes in 28 low- and middle-income countries : a cross-sectional study of nationally representative surveys. PLoS Medicine, 16(3):e1002751, doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002751.
155 citations
TL;DR: This research presents a novel probabilistic approach that allows us to assess the importance of knowing the carrier and removal status of canine coronavirus as a source of infection for other animals.
Abstract: Objectives To provide a concise review of the literature and data pertaining to the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, collectively called advanced practice providers, in ICU and acute care settings. Data sources Detailed search strategy using the databases PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature for the time period from January 2008 to December 2018. Study selection Studies addressing nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or advanced practice provider care in the ICU or acute care setting. Data extraction Relevant studies were reviewed, and the following aspects of each study were identified, abstracted, and analyzed: study population, study design, study aims, methods, results, and relevant implications for critical care practice. Data synthesis Five systematic reviews, four literature reviews, and 44 individual studies were identified, reviewed, and critiqued. Of the research studies, the majority were retrospective with others being observational, quasi-experimental, or quality improvement, along with two randomized control trials. Overall, the studies assessed a variety of effects of advanced practice provider care, including on length of stay, mortality, and quality-related metrics, with a majority demonstrating similar or improved patient care outcomes. Conclusions Over the past 10 years, the number of studies assessing the impact of advanced practice providers in acute and critical care settings continue to increase. Collectively, these studies identify the value of advanced practice providers in patient care management, continuity of care, improved quality and safety metrics, patient and staff satisfaction, and on new areas of focus including enhanced educational experience of residents and fellows.
86 citations
TL;DR: In black patients in sub-Saharan Africa, amlodipine plus either hydrochlorothiazide or perindopril was more effective at lowering blood pressure at 6 months, and differential effects on office and ambulatory diastolic blood pressures, along with blood-pressure control and response rates were apparent.
Abstract: Background The prevalence of hypertension among black African patients is high, and these patients usually need two or more medications for blood-pressure control. However, the most effect...
84 citations
TL;DR: Two years after Medicare began providing coverage for PR, participation rates after hospitalization were extremely low and highlights the need for strategies to increase participation.
Abstract: Rationale: Current guidelines recommend pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) after hospitalization for a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation, but little is known about its adoption o...
83 citations
TL;DR: Estimating an optimal dosing range for RT found a proposed mechanism by which RT mitigates inflammation and facilitates healing is via the polarization of macrophages to an anti-inflammatory or M2 phenotype.
Abstract: During the early part of the past century, hundreds of clinical studies involving more than 37,000 patients were conducted that showed radiotherapy (RT) to be a successful and safe alternative to drug therapy for the treatment of many diverse inflammatory conditions and diseases (e.g. tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis, and serious inflammatory lung conditions). Data from these studies were collected and analyzed with the intent of estimating an optimal dosing range for RT that would induce an efficacious treatment response. RT was reported to be frequently effective after only a single treatment, with a rapid (within 24 h) and often long-lasting (from months to years) relief from symptoms. Over a two-decade span from the 1920s to the 1940s, the therapeutic responses to a single RT treatment consistently improved as the dosing for multiple ailments decreased over time to between 30 roentgen (r) and 100 r. These findings are significant and in agreement with a number of contemporary reports from Germany where RT has been commonly and successfully employed in treating ailments with an inflammatory origin. A proposed mechanism by which RT mitigates inflammation and facilitates healing is via the polarization of macrophages to an anti-inflammatory or M2 phenotype.
74 citations
TL;DR: Permeability is a critical parameter for understanding subsurface fluid flow behavior, managing reservoirs, enhancing hydrocarbon recovery, and sequestering carbon dioxide as mentioned in this paper, and it is the most common parameter for underground fluid flow.
Abstract: Permeability is a critical parameter for understanding subsurface fluid flow behavior, managing reservoirs, enhancing hydrocarbon recovery, and sequestering carbon dioxide. In general, perm...
TL;DR: Offering preclinical orientation, distributing and clarifying clinical learning objectives to students, and frequent visits and supervision of students in clinical area may improve student learning experience in clinical placement.
Abstract: There is an increased call for improving the environment in which nursing students learn the clinical skills. Clinical practice in the clinical placement sites should allow students to apply their theoretical knowledge in a real environment, develop nursing skills and clinical reasoning, and observe and adapt the professional role. This study aimed at identifying the factors influencing performance in clinical practice among preservice diploma nursing students in Northern Tanzania. This study relied on a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from nursing schools in Northern Tanzania in which 208 (123 nursing students and 85 nurse tutors) participants were recruited in the study. Data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire which collected information on sociodemographic characteristics and factors influencing clinical practice categorized in students’ factors, hospital based factors, social-economic factors, and nurse tutors opinions assessed. Descriptive analyses and chi-square test were employed to understand the background information of the sample and association between variables. Majority of the nursing students (84.4%) agreed that clinical placement offers students adequate opportunity for clinical practical learning. Barriers to effective clinical learning was reported by 70.1% of the participants and the barriers include student factors such as lack of self-confidence and absenteeism, school factors such as improper supervision, and poor preparation of clinical instructors or clinical facility factors. We found a significant association between type of barrier and gender (chi-square 0.786, p=0.020). More male nursing students (62.1%) significantly reported unsupportive environment as a barrier and anxiety was more common in female nursing students (48.9%) (p=0.020). Reporting of barriers to effective clinical learning by students from different schools of nursing was not significant (P=0.696). In addition, age of participants did not have significant association with effective clinical practice (p=0.606). Student’s factors and placement based factors played an important role to influence clinical learning experiences. Offering preclinical orientation, distributing and clarifying clinical learning objectives to students, and frequent visits and supervision of students in clinical area may improve student learning experience in clinical placement. In addition, tailoring the interventions to gender may improve learning experiences.
TL;DR: Within a multimodal analgesic protocol, addition of IPACK blocks decreased the lowest pain scores on postoperative day (POD) 0, suggesting a role for new opioid-sparing analgesic techniques, and changing clinical practice change can occur rapidly.
Abstract: Background The Infiltration between the Popliteal Artery and Capsule of the Knee (IPACK) block is a new anesthesiologist- administered analgesic technique for controlling posterior knee pain that has not yet been well studied in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. We compared pain outcomes in TKA patients before and after implementation of the IPACK with the hypothesis that patients receiving IPACK blocks will report lower pain scores on postoperative day (POD) 0 than non-IPACK patients. Methods With Institutional Review Board approval, we retrospectively reviewed data for consecutive TKA patients by a single surgeon 4 months before (PRE) and after (POST) IPACK implementation. All TKA patients received adductor canal catheters and peri-operative multimodal analgesia. The primary outcome was pain on POD 0. Other outcomes were daily pain scores, opioid consumption, ambulation distance, length of stay, and adverse events within 30 days. Results Post-implementation, 48/50 (96%) of TKA patients received an IPACK block, and they were compared with 32 patients in the PRE group. On POD 0, the lowest pain score (median [10th-90th percentiles]) was significantly lower for the POST group compared to the PRE group (0 [0-4.3] vs. 2.5 [0-7]; P = 0.003). The highest patient-reported pain scores on any POD were similar between groups with no differences in other outcomes. Conclusions Within a multimodal analgesic protocol, addition of IPACK blocks decreased the lowest pain scores on POD 0. Although other outcomes were unchanged, there may be a role for new opioid-sparing analgesic techniques, and changing clinical practice change can occur rapidly.
American College of Surgeons1, University of Kentucky2, University of Connecticut3, University of Missouri4, University of South Dakota5, Saint Francis University6, Baylor College of Medicine7, United States Air Force Academy8, University of California, Irvine9, University of Oklahoma10, University of Wisconsin-Madison11, West Virginia University12, University of California, San Francisco13, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill14, University of Nevada, Las Vegas15, University of Washington16, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio17
TL;DR: The East Africa Diabetes Study Group sought to seek consensus on some of the contextual issues pertaining to insulin therapy within the East African region, specifically focusing on scarcity of resources and its adverse effect on the quality of care.
Abstract: To date, insulin therapy remains the cornerstone of diabetes management; but the art of injecting insulin is still poorly understood in many health facilities. To address this gap, the Forum for Injection Technique and Therapy Expert Recommendations (FITTER) published recommendations on injection technique after a workshop held in Rome, Italy in 2015. These recommendations are generally applicable to the majority of patients on insulin therapy, athough they do not explore alternative details that may be suitable for low- and middle-income countries. The East Africa Diabetes Study Group sought to address this gap, and furthermore to seek consensus on some of the contextual issues pertaining to insulin therapy within the East African region, specifically focusing on scarcity of resources and its adverse effect on the quality of care. A meeting of health care professionals, experts in diabetes management and patients using insulin, was convened in Kigali, Rwanda on 11 March 2018, and the following recommendations were made: (1) insulin should be transported safely, without undue shaking and exposure to high (> 32 °C) temperature environments. (2) Insulin should not be transported below 0 °C. (3) If insulin is to be stored at home for over 2 months, it should be stored at the recommended temperature of 2–8 °C. (4) Appropriate instructions should be given to patients while dispensing insulin. (5) Insulin in use should be kept at room temperature and should never be kept immersed under water. Immersing insulin under water after the vial has been pierced carries a high risk of contamination, leading to loss of potency and likelihood of causing injection abscesses. (6) The shortest available needles (4 mm for pen and 6 mm for insulin syringe) should be preferred for all patients. (7) In routine care, intramuscular injections should be avoided, especially with long-acting insulins, as it may result in severe hypoglycaemia. (8) The practice of slanting the needle excessively should be avoided as it results in sub-epidermal injection of insulin which leads to poor absorption and may cause “tattooing” of the skin and scarring. (9) In patients presenting in a wasted state, with “paper-like skin”, injections should, if possible, be initiated with pen injection devices, so as to utilise the 4-mm needle without lifting a skin fold (pinching the skin); otherwise lifting of a skin fold is required, if longer needles are utilised. (10) Reuse of needles and syringes is not recommended. However, as the reuse of syringes and needles is practiced for various reasons, and by many patients, individuals should not be given alarming messages; and usage should be limited to discarding when injections become more painful; but at any rate not to exceed reusing a needle more than 5 times.
TL;DR: The study is expected to inform policy on the implementation of DHFF within decentralised health system government machinery, with particular regard to health system strengthening through quality healthcare delivery, and generate robust data for evidence-based policy decisions in a low-income setting.
Abstract: Globally, good health system performance has resulted from continuous reform, including adaptation of Decentralisation by Devolution policies, for example, the Direct Health Facility Financing (DHFF). Generally, the role of decentralisation in the health sector is to improve efficiency, to foster innovations and to improve quality, patient experience and accountability. However, such improvements have not been well realised in most low- and middle-income countries, with the main reason cited being the poor mechanism for disbursement of funds, which remain largely centralised. The introduction of the DHFF programme in Tanzania is expected to help improve the quality of health service delivery and increase service utilisation resulting in improved health system performance. This paper describes the protocol, which aims to evaluate the effects of DHFF on health system performance in Tanzania. An evaluation of the effect of the DHFF programme will be carried out as part of a nationwide programme rollout. A before and after non-controlled concurrent mixed methods design study will be employed to examine the effect of the DHFF programme implementation on the structural quality of maternal health, health facility governing committee governance and accountability, and health system responsiveness as perceived by the patients’ experiences. Data will be collected from a nationally representative sample involving 42 health facilities, 422 patient consultations, 54 health workers, and 42 health facility governing committees in seven regions from the seven zones of the Tanzanian mainland. The study is grounded in a conceptual framework centered on the Theory of Change and the Implementation Fidelity Framework. The study will utilise a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools (questionnaires, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and documentary review). The study will collect information related to knowledge, acceptability and practice of the programme, fidelity of implementation, structural qualities of maternal and child health services, accountability, governance, and patient perception of health system responsiveness. This evaluation study will generate evidence on both the process and impact of the DHFF programme implementation, and help to inform policy improvement. The study is expected to inform policy on the implementation of DHFF within decentralised health system government machinery, with particular regard to health system strengthening through quality healthcare delivery. Health system responsiveness assessment, accountability and governance of Health Facility Government Committee should bring autonomy to lower levels and improve patient experiences. A major strength of the proposed study is the use of a mixed methods approach to obtain a more in-depth understanding of factors that may influence the implementation of the DHFF programme. This evaluation has the potential to generate robust data for evidence-based policy decisions in a low-income setting.
TL;DR: SAGES endorses the professional use of medical and surgical CSMG platforms for education, patient care optimization, and dissemination of clinical information and issues of informed consent still exist and remain the responsibility of the physician contributor.
Abstract: Closed social media groups (CSMG), including closed Facebook® groups, are online communities providing physicians with platforms to collaborate privately via text, images, videos, and live streaming in real time and optimize patient care. CSMG platforms represent a novel paradigm in online learning and education, so it is imperative to ensure that the public and patients trust the physicians using these platforms. Informed consent is an essential aspect of establishing this trust. With the launch of several of its own CSMG, Society of Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) sought to define its position on CSMG platforms and provide an informed consent template for educating and protecting patients, surgeons, and institutions. A review of the literature (2012–2018) discussing the informed consent process for posting clinical scenarios, photography, and/or videography on social media was performed. Pertinent articles and exemplary legal counsel-approved CSMG policies and informed consent forms were reviewed by members of the SAGES Facebook® Task Force. Eleven articles and two institutional CSMG policies discussing key components of the informed consent process, including patient transparency and confidentiality, provider-patient partnerships, ethics, and education were included. Using this information and expert opinion, a SAGES-approved statement and informed consent template were formulated. SAGES endorses the professional use of medical and surgical CSMG platforms for education, patient care optimization, and dissemination of clinical information. Despite the growing use of social media as an integral tool for surgical practice and education, issues of informed consent still exist and remain the responsibility of the physician contributor. Responsible, ethical, and compliant use of CSMG platforms is essential. Surgeons and patients embracing CSMG for quality improvement and optimized outcomes should be legally protected. SAGES foresees the use of this type of platform continuing to grow.
TL;DR: Curcumin is shown to commonly induce biphasic dose responses in a broad range of cell types, with particular emphasis on neural cells, including neuronal stem cells, which reflect the broadly general occurrence of hormetic dose responses that consistently appear to be independent of biological model, endpoint, inducing agent and mechanism.
TL;DR: The results indicate that this novel combination of plerixafor and bortezomib is safe and that the objective response rate is high even in patients with relapsed/refractory MM.
Abstract: We tested the hypothesis that using CXCR4 inhibition to target the interaction between the tumor cells and the microenvironment leads to sensitization of the tumor cells to apoptosis. Eligibility criteria included multiple myeloma (MM) patients with 1-5 prior lines of therapy. The purposes of the phase I study were to evaluate the safety and maximal-tolerated dose (MTD) of the combination. The treatment-related adverse events and response rate of the combination were assessed in the phase II study. A total of 58 patients were enrolled in the study. The median age of the patients was 63 years (range, 43-85), and 78% of them received prior bortezomib. In the phase I study, the MTD was plerixafor 0.32 mg/kg, and bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 . The overall response rate for the phase II study was 48.5%, and the clinical benefit rate 60.6%. The median disease-free survival was 12.6 months. The CyTOF analysis demonstrated significant mobilization of plasma cells, CD34+ stem cells, and immune T cells in response to plerixafor. This is an unprecedented study that examines therapeutic targeting of the bone marrow microenvironment and its interaction with the tumor clone to overcome resistance to therapy. Our results indicate that this novel combination is safe and that the objective response rate is high even in patients with relapsed/refractory MM. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00903968.
TL;DR: A review of evidence from current literature and expert opinion on key elements known to be relevant in preserving brain health as people age concluded that each of these areas offer opportunities for aging individuals to make lifestyle adjustments to positively impact brain health.
Abstract: This article is largely based on the recommendations of the AARP's Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) and aims to provide an overview of evidence from current literature and expert opinion on key elements known to be relevant in preserving brain health as people age. Although we realize that there may be other lifestyle choices of importance to brain health, the GCBH has decided to initially focus on the issues below based on the preferences and concerns of its members. The areas to be discussed are: mental well-being, exercise, cognitively stimulating activities, sleep, nutrition, and social connectedness. Our review concluded that each of these areas offer opportunities for aging individuals to make lifestyle adjustments to positively impact brain health.
TL;DR: Water–fat separation is a postprocessing technique most commonly applied to multiple‐gradient‐echo magnetic resonance (MR) images to identify fat, provide images with fat suppression, and to measure fat tissue concentration.
Abstract: BACKGROUND Water-fat separation is a postprocessing technique most commonly applied to multiple-gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) images to identify fat, provide images with fat suppression, and to measure fat tissue concentration. Recently, Numerous advancements have been reported. In contrast to early methods, the process of water-fat separation has become complicated due to multiparametric analytic models, optimization methods, and the absence of a unified framework for diverse source data. PURPOSE To determine the feasibility and performance of MRI water-fat separation and parametric mapping via deep learning (DL) with a range of inputs. STUDY TYPE Retrospective data usage. POPULATION/SUBJECTS Ninety cardiac MR examinations from normal control, acute, subacute, and chronic myocardial infarction subjects were obtained, providing 1200 multiple gradient-echo acquisitions. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 1.5 T/2D multiple gradient-echo pulse sequence ASSESSMENT: Ground-truth training and validation water-fat separation were obtained using a graph cut method with R2 *, off-resonance correction, and a multipeak fat spectrum. U-Net DL training with single and multiecho, complex, and magnitude inputs were compared using quantitative and three-observer subjective analysis. STATISTICAL TESTS DL methods' image structural similarity, and quantitative proton density fat fraction (PDFF), R2 *, and off-resonance quantitative values were statistically compared with the GraphCut reference standard using Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS Myocardial fat deposition in chronic myocardial infarction and intramyocardial hemorrhage in acute myocardial infarction were well visualized in the DL results. Predicted values for R2 *, off-resonance, water, and fat signal intensities were well correlated with a conventional model-based water fat separation (R2 ≥ 0.97, P < 0.001) with appropriate inputs. DL parameter maps had a 14% higher signal-to-noise ratio (P < 0.001) when compared with a conventional method. DATA CONCLUSION DL water-fat separation is feasible with a wide range of inputs, while R2 * and off-resonance mapping requires multiple echoes and complex images. With appropriate inputs, DL provides quantitative and subjective results comparable to conventional model-based methods. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 Technical Efficacy Stage: 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:655-665.
TL;DR: Fruit and vegetable consumption in Uganda is low and does not differ significantly across social and demographic characteristics, except marital status and geographical region of residence.
Abstract: Adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables has protective benefits against development of coronary heart disease, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, approximately 2.7 million deaths annually can be attributed to inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption. We analyzed data from a countrywide survey in Uganda, to estimate the prevalence of adequate fruit and/ or vegetable consumption, and identify associated factors. Data were collected using the World Health Organization STEPwise approach to surveillance, a standard approach to surveillance of risk factors for Non Communicable Diseases. Fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed by asking participants the number of days in a typical week they eat fruits or vegetables and the number of servings eaten in one of those days. Adequate fruit and/ or vegetable consumption was defined as consuming 5 or more servings of fruits and/ or vegetables per day in a typical week. We used modified Poisson regression analysis to estimate prevalence risk ratios (PRRs) and identify factors associated with eating 5 or more servings of fruits and/ or vegetables per day, per week. Of 3962 participants, 484 (12.2%) consumed 5 or more servings of fruits and/ or vegetables per day in a typical week. Participants who were married or cohabiting were more likely to consume at least 5 servings of fruits and/ or vegetables per day in a typical week compared with those who had never been married PRR = 1.51 [95% CI 1.07–2.14]. Compared with participants from Western region, those from Central region were more likely to consume 5 or more servings of fruits and/ or vegetables per day in a typical week, PRR = 3.54 [95% CI 2.46–5.10] as were those from Northern, PRR = 2.90 [95% CI 2.00–4.23] and Eastern regions PRR = 1.60 [95% CI 1.04–2.47]. Fruit and vegetable consumption in Uganda is low and does not differ significantly across social and demographic characteristics, except marital status and geographical region of residence. There is a need to develop and strengthen policies that promote adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables in the Ugandan population.
30 Jan 2019
TL;DR: The strengthening of contraception services in Ghana is recommended in order to address the various age specific needs and women within the different socio-demographic sects so as to reduce unmet need.
Abstract: Documentary evidence points to high unmet need for family planning across sub-Saharan Africa. Modern contraceptive use has been staggering over decades with unacceptable marginal increases given that one in three women still report unmet need in Ghana. This study sought to re-examine through a further analysis on the prevalence and determinants of unmet need for family planning in Ghana using married women extracted from the recent 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Data was analyzed using univariate, bivariate, logistic and multinomial logistic regression models. Of the 4527 women, more than a third (35.17%) experienced unmet need of which 20.19% had unmet need for spacing while 14.98% reported unmet need for limiting. The logistic results showed that older aged women, being employed and women with higher ideal number of children were less likely to experience unmet need. However, women who did not know the couples’ preferred number of children, women who had more than one union and those with higher number of living biological children were more likely to report unmet need. From the multinomial model, an increase in age, residing in a rural area, and being employed were associated with lower risk of unmet need for spacing. Additionally, Women who did not know the couples’ ideal number of children, women who had higher age when they got married, and women with higher number of biological children were more likely to report unmet need for spacing. Women who had a higher number of ideal children, women who had secondary or higher education, women from higher socio-economic households, were less likely to report unmet need for limiting. . We recommend the strengthening of contraception services in order to address the various age specific needs and women within the different socio-demographic sects so as to reduce unmet need. Addressing the needs of women with increasing number of living biological children is equally paramount.
TL;DR: Almost 1 in 7 patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge, with symptomatic atrial fibrillation being the most common cause, and a predictive model for increased risk of readmissions and treatment expense was identified.
Abstract: Background Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia worldwide. Data regarding 30‐day readmission rates after discharge for atrial fibrillation remain poorly reported. Methods and Results T...
TL;DR: Discrepancies exist between prenatal intent and postpartum receipt of LARC among pregnant women with OUD on MAT, and the provision of immediate post-partum LARC services may reduce barriers to postpartums LARC receipt such as poor attendance at the post partum visit.
TL;DR: Use of TEG-guided transfusion in the critically-ill trauma patient conserved blood product utilization and appears to offer similar outcomes when compared to traditional coagulation tests.
Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine if thromboelastography (TEG) is associated with reduced blood product utilization for trauma patients undergoing massive transfusion protocol (MTP) compared to traditional coagulation tests. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on an intent-to-treat basis of trauma patients undergoing MTP (Pre-TEG = Period I vs. Post-TEG = Period II). Traditional coagulation tests guided transfusion during Period I (n = 20) and the intent was that TEG guided transfusions during Period II (n = 47). Blood product administration and outcomes were compared. Results Intent-to-treat analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in red blood cell transfusions (11 vs. 6 units, P = 0.001), number of patients receiving fresh frozen plasma (85.0 vs. 17.0%, P Conclusion Use of TEG-guided transfusion in the critically-ill trauma patient conserved blood product utilization and appears to offer similar outcomes when compared to traditional coagulation tests.
TL;DR: There are several contradictory recommendations regarding breast cancer screening, and familiarity with these recommendations will allow physicians to counsel their patients and ensure well-informed shared decision making.
Abstract: Screening mammography and evolving treatments have improved mortality over the last 25 years. However, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality for women in the United States. There are several contradictory recommendations regarding breast cancer screening. Familiarity with these recommendations will allow physicians to counsel their patients and ensure well-informed shared decision making.
TL;DR: The findings point to the importance of collecting more evidence on social cohesion and sexual behaviors in different settings and designing interventions that enhance social cohesion among adolescents in order to reinforce positive sexual behaviors.
Abstract: Social cohesion, defined as a glue holding society together, has been found to influence several aspects of human behavior. Social cohesion, being composed of social trust and social participation, is a social factor that may influence sexual behaviors. Unfortunately, studies investigating the influence of social cohesion on sexual behaviors among young people are scarce. This study examined the influence of social cohesion on safe sexual behavior among adolescents in rural Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 school adolescents of the Newala district, between May and August 2010. Socio-demographic characteristics, social cohesion (social trust and social participation) and sexual behavior (age at sexual debut, intention to use and reported condom use, number of sexual partners) were obtained through self-administered questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Sexual debut at under 13 years of age was reported by 12% of the respondent. A majority (71%) reported multiple sexual partnerships and half of the participants reported to have used a condom at their last sexual encounter. The intention to use a condom was reported by 77% of the respondents. Having multiple sexual partnerships was associated with social trust only (odds ratio: 3.5, 95% CI 1.01–12.3) whereas reported condom use was related with social cohesion (odds ratio 4.8 95% CI 1.66–14.06). Social cohesion, trust or participation was not associated with young age at sexual debut or intention to use a condom. Being a female (odds ratio 2.07 95% CI 1.04–4.12.) was associated with intention to use a condom. This study indicates that social cohesion and socio-demographic factors influence actual behavior performance and behavioral intentions. The findings point to the importance of collecting more evidence on social cohesion and sexual behaviors in different settings and designing interventions that enhance social cohesion among adolescents in order to reinforce positive sexual behaviors.
TL;DR: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of high‐dose gabapentin on benzodiazepine requirements, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and hospital length of stay in patients hospitalized with AWS.
Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVE Gabapentin has been proved to be beneficial in promoting abstinence, decreasing alcohol cravings, and improving mood and sleep quality when given at higher doses; however, data are limited regarding the efficacy and safety of using high-dose gabapentin as part of the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of high-dose gabapentin on benzodiazepine requirements, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and hospital length of stay in patients hospitalized with AWS. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Large academic medical center. PATIENTS All adults presenting to the emergency department between January 2015 and April 2018 with a diagnosis of severe AWS (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Scale, Revised [CIWA-Ar] score ≥ 15) and prescribed the institution's alcohol withdrawal agitated delirium protocol were eligible for inclusion in the study. Of these, 50 patients who received high-dose gabapentin (≥ 1800 mg/day) in the first 48 hours of hospital admission (treatment group) were propensity score-matched to 50 patients who did not receive gabapentin (control group). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Patients who received high-dose gabapentin required a significantly lower overall amount of benzodiazepines (mean ± SD 109.5 ± 53.4 mg vs 88.5 ± 35.6 mg [lorazepam equivalents], p=0.023) and had a significantly lower mean CIWA-Ar score (10.1 ± 4.7 vs 7.7 ± 3.9, p=0.010) and maximum CIWA-Ar score (16.0 ± 7.0 vs 12.6 ± 6.1, p=0.016) on day 3 of hospitalization. The high-dose gabapentin regimen was well tolerated, without an increased risk of oversedation, compared with the control group (Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale score < -1: 34% in the treatment group vs 20% in the control group, p=0.115). Patients receiving high-dose gabapentin had a shorter length of hospital stay (7.4 ± 4.0 days vs 6.0 ± 2.6 days, p=0.034) and increased likelihood of being discharged home (66% vs 88%, p=0.009) compared with the control group. CONCLUSION Early initiation of high-dose gabapentin was associated with a significant reduction in benzodiazepine exposure, faster stabilization of alcohol withdrawal-related symptoms, and shorter hospital length of stay. Future studies evaluating gabapentin's effect on long-term safety and hospital readmission are warranted.
TL;DR: The aim was to evaluate the frequency of different diagnoses made in a new emergency department to define relevant healthcare requirements; and to find out if in-hospital mortality rates would decrease after the implementation of the emergency department.
Abstract: Background Information on diagnoses made in emergency departments situated in rural sub-Saharan Africa is scarce. The aim was: to evaluate the frequency of different diagnoses made in a new emergency department to define relevant healthcare requirements; and to find out if in-hospital mortality rates would decrease after the implementation of the emergency department. Methods In this observational study, we prospectively collated diagnoses of all patients presenting to the emergency department of the St Francis Referral Hospital in Ifakara, Tanzania during 1 year. In addition, we compared in-hospital mortality rates before and after the implementation of the emergency department. Results From July 2016 through to June 2017, a total of 35,903 patients were included. The median age was 33.6 years (range 1 day to 100 years), 57% were female, 25% were children l5 years, 4% were pregnant and 9% were hospitalised. The most common diagnoses were respiratory tract infection (12.6%), urinary tract infection (11.4%), trauma (9.8%), undifferentiated febrile illness (5.4%), and malaria (5.2%). The most common clinical diagnoses per age group were: lower respiratory tract infection (16.1%) in children l5 years old; trauma (21.6%) in 5- to 17-year-olds; urinary tract infection (13.5%) in 18- to 50-year-olds; and hypertensive emergency (12.4%) in g50-year-olds. Respiratory tract infections peaked in April during the rainy season, whereas malaria peaked 3 months after the rainy season. In-hospital mortality rates did not decrease during the study period (5.6% in 2015 vs 7.6% in 2017). Conclusions The majority of diagnosed disorders were of infectious or traumatic origin. The majority of febrile illnesses were poorly defined because of the lack of diagnostic methods. Trauma systems and inexpensive accurate diagnostic methods for febrile illnesses are needed in rural sub-Saharan Africa.