-
BMC Geriatrics Jul 2023Advances in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment have reduced mortality rates and consequently increased the number of individuals with HIV living into older...
BACKGROUND
Advances in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment have reduced mortality rates and consequently increased the number of individuals with HIV living into older age. Despite this, people aged 50 years and older have been left behind in recent HIV treatment and prevention campaigns, and a gold-standard model of care for this population has not yet been defined. Developing evidence-based geriatric HIV models of care can support an accessible, equitable, and sustainable HIV health care system that ensures older adults have access to care that meets their needs now and in the future.
METHODS
Guided by Arksey & O'Malley (2005)'s methodological framework, a scoping review was conducted to determine the key components of, identify gaps in the literature about, and provide recommendations for future research into geriatric models of care for individuals with HIV. Five databases and the grey literature were systematically searched. The titles, abstracts and full texts of the search results were screened independently in duplicate. Data were analyzed using a qualitative case study and key component analysis approach to identify necessary model components.
RESULTS
5702 studies underwent title and abstract screening, with 154 entering full-text review. 13 peer-reviewed and 0 grey literature sources were included. Most articles were from North America. We identified three primary model of care components that may improve the successful delivery of geriatric care to people living with HIV: Collaboration and Integration; Organization of Geriatric Care; and Support for Holistic Care. Most articles included some aspects of all three components.
CONCLUSION
To provide effective geriatric care to older persons living with HIV, health services and systems are encouraged to use an evidence-based framework and should consider incorporating the distinct model of care characteristics that we have identified in the literature. However, there is limited data about models in developing countries and long-term care settings, and limited knowledge of the role of family, friends and peers in supporting the geriatric care of individuals living with HIV. Future evaluative research is encouraged to determine the impact of optimal components of geriatric models of care on patient outcomes.
Topics: Aged; Humans; Middle Aged; Aged, 80 and over; HIV; Delivery of Health Care; HIV Infections
PubMed: 37422631
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04114-7 -
Obstetrics and Gynecology May 2020To examine the relationship between prenatal diagnostics (ultrasound examination and amniotic fluid Zika virus testing) and postnatal congenital Zika syndrome...
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between prenatal diagnostics (ultrasound examination and amniotic fluid Zika virus testing) and postnatal congenital Zika syndrome abnormalities.
DATA SOURCES
Systematic searches were performed in 27 databases, including ClinicalTrials.gov, from inception to July 1, 2019, for articles with the keywords "Zika," "prenatal," "ultrasound," and "amniocentesis."
METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION
A total of 3,049 unique records were identified. Two reviewers independently assessed titles, abstracts, and full texts for relevance; 84 articles met the inclusion criteria. These articles describe 402 mother-fetus or mother-neonate dyads; 385 were included in the review of prenatal ultrasound examination, and 56 in the review of amniocentesis (39 in both).
TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS
Among 195 fetuses with congenital Zika syndrome findings on prenatal ultrasound examination, postnatal congenital Zika syndrome abnormalities were reported for 153 (78%; 95% CI 7-84%). High proportions of microcephaly (76%; 95% CI 69-82%) and brain abnormalities (78%; 95% CI 69-86%) were confirmed postnatally. Among 190 fetuses without congenital Zika syndrome findings on prenatal ultrasound examination, 17% (95% CI 12-24%) had congenital Zika syndrome abnormalities identified postnatally. Structural congenital Zika syndrome abnormalities were identified postnatally in approximately equal proportions among dyads with and without Zika virus RNA detected in an amniotic fluid specimen (68% and 67%; 95% CI 52-82% and 95% CI 38-88%). In six pregnancies, Zika virus RNA was detected in amniotic fluid but not in a subsequent amniocentesis specimen.
CONCLUSION
Prenatal ultrasound examination frequently detects structural findings associated with Zika virus infection; however, not all abnormalities are detected, and some may represent transient findings. As with other congenital infections, prenatal detection may vary with timing of infection, timing of ultrasound examination, technical expertise, and severity of abnormalities. The detection of Zika virus RNA in amniotic fluid in the included studies did not predict the risk for congenital Zika syndrome abnormalities in these cases, and clearance of Zika virus RNA from amniotic fluid appears possible after maternal infection. Diagnostic testing for Zika virus infection remains a shared decision between patients and clinicians, and more data are needed to define clinical predictors that will inform these decisions.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO, CRD42018080959.
Topics: Adult; Amniocentesis; Female; Fetal Diseases; Humans; Pregnancy; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Young Adult; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 32282593
DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003829 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Sep 2021Research is urgently needed to reduce the morbidity and mortality of Lassa fever (LF), including clinical trials to test new therapies and to verify the efficacy and...
BACKGROUND
Research is urgently needed to reduce the morbidity and mortality of Lassa fever (LF), including clinical trials to test new therapies and to verify the efficacy and safety of the only current treatment recommendation, ribavirin, which has a weak clinical evidence base. To help establish a basis for the development of an adaptable, standardised clinical trial methodology, we conducted a systematic review to identify the clinical characteristics and outcomes of LF and describe how LF has historically been defined and assessed in the scientific literature.
METHODOLOGY
Primary clinical studies and reports of patients with suspected and confirmed diagnosis of LF published in the peer-reviewed literature before 15 April 2021 were included. Publications were selected following a two-stage screening of abstracts, then full-texts, by two independent reviewers at each stage. Data were extracted, verified, and summarised using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS
147 publications were included, primarily case reports (36%), case series (28%), and cohort studies (20%); only 2 quasi-randomised studies (1%) were found. Data are mostly from Nigeria (52% of individuals, 41% of publications) and Sierra Leone (42% of individuals, 31% of publications). The results corroborate the World Health Organisation characterisation of LF presentation. However, a broader spectrum of presenting symptoms is evident, such as gastrointestinal illness and other nervous system and musculoskeletal disorders that are not commonly included as indicators of LF. The overall case fatality ratio was 30% in laboratory-confirmed cases (1896/6373 reported in 109 publications).
CONCLUSION
Systematic review is an important tool in the clinical characterisation of diseases with limited publications. The results herein provide a more complete understanding of the spectrum of disease which is relevant to clinical trial design. This review demonstrates the need for coordination across the LF research community to generate harmonised research methods that can contribute to building a strong evidence base for new treatments and foster confidence in their integration into clinical care.
Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Lassa Fever; Lassa virus; Research Design
PubMed: 34547033
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009788 -
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Apr 2021Fibrosis is characterized by dysregulation and accumulation of extracellular matrix. Peyronie's disease and Dupuytren disease are fibroproliferative disorders of the...
INTRODUCTION
Fibrosis is characterized by dysregulation and accumulation of extracellular matrix. Peyronie's disease and Dupuytren disease are fibroproliferative disorders of the tunica albuginea of the penis and fascia of the hand, respectively. Chronic hyperglycaemia due to diabetes mellitus can also lead to tissue injury and fibrosis. A meta-analysis has shown a relationship between Dupuytren disease and diabetes (overall odds ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 2.7-3.5). This review explores commonalities in the pathogenesis of Peyronie's disease, Dupuytren disease and diabetes.
METHODS
A search of the PubMed database was conducted using the search terms "diabetes" AND "Peyronie's disease"; and "diabetes" AND "Dupuytren."
RESULTS
Genome-wide association and gene expression studies conducted with tissue from people with Peyronie's disease or Dupuytren disease identified signalling pathways associated with wingless-type mammary-tumour virus integration site signalling, extracellular matrix modulation and inflammation. Biochemical studies confirmed the importance of these pathways in the pathogenesis of fibrosis with Peyronie's disease and Dupuytren disease. Dysregulation of matrix metalloproteinase activity associated with extracellular matrix breakdown was implicated in fibroproliferative complications of diabetes and in the aetiology of Peyronie's disease and Dupuytren disease. A notable percentage of people with diabetes have comorbid Peyronie's disease and/or Dupuytren disease.
CONCLUSIONS
Studies have not been performed to identify fibroproliferative pathways that all 3 conditions might have in common, but data suggest that common pathways are involved in the fibroproliferative processes of Peyronie's disease, Dupuytren disease, and diabetes.
Topics: Chronic Disease; Diabetes Complications; Diabetes Mellitus; Dupuytren Contracture; Extracellular Matrix; Fascia; Female; Fibrosis; Genome-Wide Association Study; Hand; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Male; Matrix Metalloproteinases; Penile Induration; Penis; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 33855203
DOI: 10.1002/edm2.195 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2021Influenza is one of the most serious respiratory viral infections worldwide. Although several studies have reported that green tea catechins (GTCs) might prevent... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Influenza is one of the most serious respiratory viral infections worldwide. Although several studies have reported that green tea catechins (GTCs) might prevent influenza virus infection, this remains controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies with 5,048 participants that examined the effect of GTC administration on influenza prevention. In a random-effects meta-analysis of five RCTs, 884 participants treated with GTCs showed statistically significant effects on the prevention of influenza infection compared to the control group (risk ratio (RR) 0.67, 95%CIs 0.51-0.89, = 0.005) without evidence of heterogeneity (= 0%, = 0.629). Similarly, in three cohort studies with 2,223 participants treated with GTCs, there were also statistically significant effects (RR 0.52, 95%CIs 0.35-0.77, = 0.001) with very low evidence of heterogeneity ( = 3%, = 0.358). Additionally, the overall effect in the subgroup analysis of gargling and orally ingested items (taking capsules and drinking) showed a pooled RR of 0.62 (95% CIs 0.49-0.77, = 0.003) without heterogeneity (= 0%, = 0.554). There were no obvious publication biases (Egger's test ( = 0.138) and Begg's test ( = 0.103)). Our analysis suggests that green tea consumption is effective in the prophylaxis of influenza infections. To confirm the findings before implementation, longitudinal clinical trials with specific doses of green tea consumption are warranted.
Topics: Antiviral Agents; Catechin; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Influenza, Human; Plant Extracts; Tea
PubMed: 34209247
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26134014 -
The Indian Journal of Medical Research Nov 2023The prong 2 of 4 prong strategy introduced by the World Health Organization aims at averting unintended pregnancies among people living with HIV (PLHIV). This systematic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES
The prong 2 of 4 prong strategy introduced by the World Health Organization aims at averting unintended pregnancies among people living with HIV (PLHIV). This systematic review aimed to generate evidence on the effectuality of facility-based interventions in improving uptake of modern and dual contraception, for reducing unmet family planning (FP) needs and unintended pregnancies among PLHIV.
METHODS
Articles evaluating facility-based interventions to integrate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and FP published in English language were included. Eligible studies were identified from electronic and lateral search from three databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science) and grey literature. HIV care with no/minimal focus on FP was considered a comparator. Quality was assessed using design-appropriate tools. Descriptive analysis was presented in tables. Uptake of dual methods, unmet FP needs and unintended pregnancies were included in the meta-analysis to estimate pooled odds ratio (OR) with random effect model, P and I2 values.
RESULTS
The search yielded 2112 results. After excluding duplicates and unfit articles, 17 were found eligible for review and nine for meta-analysis. The pooled OR for uptake of dual contraception was 1.69 (1.14, 2.5) ( P =0.008; I2 =90%), for unmet FP needs was 0.58 (0487, 0.69) ( P <0.00001; I2 =0%) and for unintended pregnancies was 0.6 (0.32, 1.1) ( P =0.1, I2 =38%).
INTERPRETATION CONCLUSIONS
The results of this meta-analysis suggest that health facility-based interventions to integrate HIV and FP services do result in improved uptake of dual methods and reduce unmet need for contraception along with a protective trend on incidence of unintended pregnancies. Such facility-based integration would ensure universal access to effective contraception and facilitate in achieving Sustainable Development Goals that aim at ending epidemics like HIV.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Contraception; Family Planning Services; HIV; HIV Infections
PubMed: 38143434
DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_2471_22 -
PloS One 2024Influenza viruses pose a significant public health threat, necessitating comprehensive surveillance strategies to enhance early detection and preventive measures. This...
Influenza viruses pose a significant public health threat, necessitating comprehensive surveillance strategies to enhance early detection and preventive measures. This systematic review investigates the incidence of influenza viruses in wastewater matrices, aiming to elucidate the potential implications for public health. The study synthesizes existing literature, employing rigorous inclusion criteria to identify relevant studies conducted globally. The essence of the problem lies in the gaps of traditional surveillance methods, which often rely on clinical data and may underestimate the true prevalence of influenza within communities. Wastewater-based epidemiology offers a novel approach to supplementing these conventional methods, providing a broader and more representative assessment of viral circulation. This review systematically examines the methodologies employed in the selected studies, including virus concentration techniques and molecular detection methods, to establish a standardized framework for future research. Our findings reveal a consistent presence of influenza viruses in diverse wastewater matrices across different geographic locations and seasons. Recommendations for future research include the standardization of sampling protocols, improvement of virus concentration methods, and the integration of wastewater surveillance into existing public health frameworks. In conclusion, this systematic review contributes to the understanding of influenza dynamics in wastewater matrices, offering valuable insights for public health practitioners and policymakers. Implementation of wastewater surveillance alongside traditional methods can enhance the resilience of public health systems and better prepare communities for the challenges posed by influenza outbreaks.
Topics: Wastewater; Humans; Public Health; Influenza, Human; Incidence; Orthomyxoviridae
PubMed: 38662758
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291900 -
F1000Research 2020Geographic information science (GIS) has established itself as a distinct domain and incredibly useful whenever the research is related to geography, space, and other...
Geographic information science (GIS) has established itself as a distinct domain and incredibly useful whenever the research is related to geography, space, and other spatio-temporal dimensions. However, the scientific landscape on the integration of GIS in COVID-related studies is largely unknown. In this systematic review, we assessed the current evidence on the implementation of GIS and other geospatial tools in the COVID-19 pandemic. We systematically retrieved and reviewed 79 research articles that either directly used GIS or other geospatial tools as part of their analysis. We grouped the identified papers under six broader thematic groups based on the objectives and research questions of the study- environmental, socio-economic, and cultural, public health, spatial transmission, computer-aided modeling, and data mining. The interdisciplinary nature of how geographic and spatial analysis was used in COVID-19 research was notable among the reviewed papers. Geospatial techniques, especially WebGIS, have even been widely used to visualize the data on a map and were critical to informing the public regarding the spread of the virus, especially during the early days of the pandemic. This review not only provided an overarching view on how GIS has been used in COVID-19 research so far but also concluded that geospatial analysis and technologies could be used in future public health emergencies along with statistical and other socio-economic modeling techniques. Our review also highlighted how scientific communities and policymakers could leverage GIS to extract useful information to make an informed decision in the future. Despite the limited applications of GIS in identifying the nature and spatio-temporal pattern of this raging pandemic, there are opportunities to utilize these techniques in handling the pandemic. The use of spatial analysis and GIS could significantly improve how we understand the pandemic as well as address the underserviced demographic groups and communities.
Topics: COVID-19; Geographic Information Systems; Humans; Information Science; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 35186280
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.27544.2 -
Depression Research and Treatment 2020Low- and middle-income countries of which Ethiopia is one bears the high burden of depression among human immune deficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome...
BACKGROUND
Low- and middle-income countries of which Ethiopia is one bears the high burden of depression among human immune deficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients. Several factors have been identified as being associated with increased depression among HIV/AIDS patients including poor social support. However, studies examining the effect of poor social support on depression among HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopia have had inconsistent findings. This systematic review and meta-analysis is therefore aimed at estimating the pooled effect of poor social support on depression among HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopia.
METHODS
All relevant articles published prior to July 1, 2020, were retrieved from scientific databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar systematically. The identified studies reporting the association of depression and poor social support among HIV patients in Ethiopia were included. tests were used to assess the heterogeneity of the studies. Subgroup analysis was done based on tools to determine how pooled estimates of depression vary across tools. The pooled estimate of association between poor social support and depression was reported.
RESULTS
The aggregated meta-analysis revealed a higher odds of depression among patients with poor social support than those who had strong social support (OR: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.69, 2.93). The pooled prevalence of depression among HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopia was 38.93% (95%: CI: 32.01, 45.84); ( = 94.44%, ≤ 0.001). The subgroup analysis was performed based on tools, and the result showed that the highest pooled prevalence (44.42%) was among primary studies that used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) tool.
CONCLUSIONS
Human immune deficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients with poor social support were more likely to develop depression. The pooled prevalence of depression among HIV/AIDS patient was high in Ethiopia. The highest prevalence of depression was observed among studies that used HADS to screen depression. Therefore, we recommend integration of mental health and psychosocial support services into the HIV/AIDS care. Prevention of HIV/AIDS-related stigma for people with HIV/AIDS is also needed to reduce the impact of poor social support.
PubMed: 33489371
DOI: 10.1155/2020/6633686 -
Scientific Reports Dec 2023Childhood HBV immunization remains globally fundamental to the elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV). However, monitoring proportions of HBV vaccine seroprotection and...
Childhood HBV immunization remains globally fundamental to the elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV). However, monitoring proportions of HBV vaccine seroprotection and their determinants among African Pediatric recipients is crucial. This study sought to verify extent of immune protection accorded by the HBV vaccine in African children of up to 17 years of age by pooling the prevalence of seroprotection reported by primary studies conducted in the Northern, Western, and Southern African regions. We included 19 eligible articles out of the 197 initially downloaded, published from 1999 to 2021 from African Journals Online (AJOL), EMBASE, Scopus, and PubMed. The study protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), University of York Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, under the registration number CRD42022361277. Significantly higher (p < 0.0001) proportion of HBV vaccine seroprotection (69.07%) was found among children under 15 years of age than children 15-17 years (32.368%), 95% CI [34.2454-39.0847%]. Whereas successful integration of the HBV vaccine on the extended programs on immunizations (EPI) has been a major achievement in the reduction of HBV infection in Africa, markedly reduced HBV vaccine seroprotection is persistently demonstrated among adolescent children 15-17 years of age. Future studies are required to clarify the need for booster dose vaccination in most at risk populations and age groups.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Humans; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B Antibodies; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; Hepatitis B Vaccines; Hepatitis B virus
PubMed: 38092870
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49674-1