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Biomaterials Research 2024The management of infected wounds poses a significant challenge due to the growing issue of antibiotic resistance, underscoring the urgent necessity to innovate and...
The management of infected wounds poses a significant challenge due to the growing issue of antibiotic resistance, underscoring the urgent necessity to innovate and implement alternative therapeutic strategies. These strategies should be capable of eliminating bacterial infections in infected wounds while circumventing the induction of multi-drug resistance. In the current study, we developed an easily prepared and injectable fibrin gel (FG) loaded with nanoparticles (NPs) that exhibit antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties to facilitate the healing of infected wounds. Initially, a novel type of NP was generated through the electrostatic interaction between the photothermal agent, mPEG-modified polydopamine (MPDA), and the nitric oxide (NO) donor, S-nitrosocysteamine (SNO). This interaction resulted in the formation of NPs referred to as SNO-loaded MPDA (SMPDA). Subsequently, the SMPDA was encapsulated into the FG using a double-barreled syringe, thereby producing the SMPDA-loaded FG (SMPDA/G). Experimental results revealed that SMPDA/G could effectively eliminate bacterial infections and alter the immune microenvironment. This efficacy is attributed to the synergistic combination of NO therapy and photothermal therapy, along with the role of SMPDA in facilitating M2 macrophage polarization within the gel. Accordingly, these findings suggest that the SMPDA/G holds substantial promise for clinical application in infected wound healing.
PubMed: 38938648
DOI: 10.34133/bmr.0019 -
Preventive Medicine Reports Jul 2024To estimate risk of being unvaccinated against COVID-19 by experience of intimate partner violence (IPV).
OBJECTIVE
To estimate risk of being unvaccinated against COVID-19 by experience of intimate partner violence (IPV).
METHODS
Among 3,343 partnered individuals in a community-based U.S. cohort, we quantified emotional and physical IPV experienced between March and December 2020 and estimated risk of being unvaccinated against COVID-19 through June 2021 by experience of IPV. Experience of recent IPV was defined as endorsement of more frequent or severe IPV since the start of the pandemic or report of any past-month IPV in at least one of four follow-up surveys conducted by the end of December 2020. We created a three-level composite variable - no experience of IPV, experience of emotional but not physical IPV, and experience of physical IPV.
RESULTS
Cisgender women, non-binary, or transgender individuals who reported experiencing emotional, but not physical, IPV and those who reported experiencing physical IPV were both at significantly higher risk of being unvaccinated for COVID-19 compared to those who reported experiencing no IPV (ARR: 1.28 [95 % CI: 1.09 - 1.51]; ARR: 1.70 [95 % CI: 1.41 - 2.05]). Cisgender men who reported experiencing physical IPV were also at significantly higher risk of being unvaccinated for COVID-19 (ARR: 1.52 [95 % CI: 1.15 - 2.02]).
CONCLUSIONS
IPV may increase the risk of low vaccine uptake. Results highlight the need to incorporate IPV prevention and support into public health responses, with targeted resources and consideration for reducing barriers to public health interventions among those impacted.
PubMed: 38938628
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102784 -
PeerJ 2024Ongoing military conflict in Sudan has had significant repercussions on the health and well-being of the population, particularly among women of reproductive age. This...
OBJECTIVES
Ongoing military conflict in Sudan has had significant repercussions on the health and well-being of the population, particularly among women of reproductive age. This study aimed to investigate the impact of conflict on maternal health by employing a mixed qualitative and quantitative research approach.
METHODS
Through in-depth interviews and survey questionnaires (388 women), this study examined the experiences and challenges faced by pregnant women and new mothers and the availability and accessibility of maternal healthcare services in conflict-affected areas. Using a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 35 women who had recently given birth or were pregnant in regions affected by the Khartoum State-Sudan conflict. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected from the interviews.
RESULT
Most women did not have access to healthcare services (86.6%), and out of the total sample, 93 (24%) experienced adverse outcomes. The factors associated with adverse effects were parity (OR 1.78, CI [1.15-2.75], -value 0.010), gestational age (OR 2.10, CI [1.36-3.25], -value 0.002), access to healthcare (OR 2.35, CI [1.48-3.72], -value 0.001), and delivery mode (OR 1.68, CI [1.05-2.69], = 0.030). Factors significantly associated with accessibility to maternal healthcare services included age (OR, 1.28; = 0.042) and higher conflict levels (1.52 times higher odds, = 0.021). The narratives and experiences shared by women exposed the multifaceted ways in which the conflict-affected maternal health outcomes.
CONCLUSION
The significance of this study lies in its potential to contribute to the existing literature on maternal health in conflict-affected areas, especially in Sudan, and to help us understand how women can receive maternal health services.
Topics: Humans; Female; Sudan; Pregnancy; Adult; Health Services Accessibility; Maternal Health; Maternal Health Services; Qualitative Research; Young Adult; Armed Conflicts; Surveys and Questionnaires; Interviews as Topic; Adolescent
PubMed: 38938615
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17484 -
PeerJ 2024To determine the association between lipid metabolism and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), and explore the value of maternal alanine...
Evaluation of alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase ratio and high-density lipoprotein for predicting neonatal adverse outcomes associated with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.
BACKGROUND
To determine the association between lipid metabolism and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), and explore the value of maternal alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in predicting adverse neonatal outcomes in women with ICP.
METHODS
A total of 147 pregnant women with ICP admitted to The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang and 120 normal pregnant women in the same period were selected in this study. The Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in clinical data. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between ALT/AST and the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with ICP. The combined predictive value of ALT/AST and HDL was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
RESULTS
Among 147 women with ICP, 122 women had total bile acid (TBA) levels of 10-39.9 µmol/L, and 25 had TBA ≥ 40 µmol/L. There was significantly lower gestational age in patients with severe ICP than in those with mild and control groups (all < 0.05), and the weight of newborns in the maternal ICP group was significantly lower than in the control group ( < 0.05). Increasing TBA levels was associated with higher AST, ALT, ALT/AST, and lower HDL level (all < 0.05). Meanwhile, higher levels of ALT/AST was positively associated with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.019, 95% CI [1.757-9.194, = 0.001] and cardiac injury [AOR = 3.500, 95% CI [1.535-7.987], = 0.003]. HDL was a significant protective factor for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and cardiac injury [AOR = 0.315, 95% CI [0.126-0.788], = 0.014; AOR = 0.134 (0.039-0.461), = 0.001]. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for prediction of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia by ALT/AST combined with HDL was 0.668 [95% CI [56.3-77.3%], = 0.002], and the sensitivity and specificity were 47.1% and 84.0%, respectively. To predict neonatal cardiac injury, the AUC value was 0.668 [95% CI [56.4-77.1%], = 0.002], with sensitivity and specificity were 41.2% and 87.1%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The levels of higher ALT/AST and lower HDL were significantly associated with the risk of ICP-related adverse neonatal outcomes. Moreover, ALT/AST combined with HDL has moderate clinical value in predicting the adverse outcomes of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and cardiac injury.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Cholestasis, Intrahepatic; Pregnancy Complications; Alanine Transaminase; Adult; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Infant, Newborn; Lipoproteins, HDL; Pregnancy Outcome; ROC Curve; Predictive Value of Tests; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies
PubMed: 38938614
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17613 -
JACC. Advances Oct 2023
PubMed: 38938364
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100620 -
JACC. Advances Oct 2023Substance use and cardiovascular (CV) events are increasing among pregnant women in the United States, but association between substance use in pregnancy and CV events...
BACKGROUND
Substance use and cardiovascular (CV) events are increasing among pregnant women in the United States, but association between substance use in pregnancy and CV events remains unknown.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between substance use and acute CV events in pregnancy.
METHODS
We identified all women with a delivery hospitalization between 2004 and 2018 in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, stratified on the presence or absence of substance use. The primary outcome was any acute CV event, defined as the presence of: acute myocardial infarction, stroke, arrhythmia, endocarditis, acute cardiomyopathy or heart failure, or cardiac arrest. Secondary outcomes were individual acute CV events, major adverse cardiac events, and maternal mortality. The association between substance use and outcomes were examined using multivariable logistical regression.
RESULTS
A total of 60,014,368 delivery hospitalizations occurred from 2004 to 2018, with substance use complicating 955,531 (1.6%) deliveries. Substance use was independently associated with CV events (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.53-1.70; < 0.001), major adverse cardiac events (aOR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.46-1.61; < 0.001), and maternal mortality (aOR: 2.65; 95% CI: 2.15-3.25; < 0.001) during delivery hospitalization. All individual substances had an increased association with CV events; however, amphetamine/methamphetamine had the strongest association (aOR: 2.71; 95% CI: 2.35-3.12; < 0.001). All substances other than cocaine and cannabis had a significant association with maternal death.
CONCLUSIONS
Substance use has a strong association with acute CV events and maternal mortality during hospitalization for delivery and women with substance use warrant increased surveillance for CV events during this time.
PubMed: 38938361
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100619 -
JACC. Advances Oct 2023Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) have a higher incidence of arrhythmias during pregnancy, yet the utility of mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT) to predict...
BACKGROUND
Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) have a higher incidence of arrhythmias during pregnancy, yet the utility of mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT) to predict adverse outcomes is unknown.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study is to determine whether arrhythmias on screening MCT correlate with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
METHODS
Patients with CHD prospectively enrolled in the Standardized Outcomes in Reproductive Cardiovascular Care initiative underwent 24-hour MCT (within 18 months prior to pregnancy). Positive findings on MCT were defined as episodes of bradyarrhythmia, symptomatic atrioventricular block, ectopic atrial or ventricular activity, and supraventricular or ventricular tachycardia. Clinically significant arrhythmia events (CSAEs) were those requiring medical or device intervention or an emergency room visit. Clinical events during the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods were compared using Fisher's exact test. Analyses were performed using Stata version 16.
RESULTS
In 141 pregnancies in 118 patients with CHD, MCT detected positive findings in 17%. Adverse cardiac outcomes occurred in 11% of pregnancies, of which CSAE occurred in 3.5%. Positive MCT was significantly associated with subsequent CSAE (21% vs 0%, < 0.001) and cumulative adverse maternal cardiac outcomes (33% vs 7%, = 0.001) but did not correlate with obstetric (46% vs 41%, = 0.660) or neonatal outcomes (33% vs 31%, = 0.810). Of the patients with CSAE, 75% had ≥moderate CHD complexity.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with CHD had a high rate of positive MCT findings. This was associated with CSAE and adverse maternal cardiac outcomes. Patients with ≥moderate CHD complexity may benefit from screening MCT to improve preconceptual counseling and planning.
PubMed: 38938332
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100593 -
JACC. Advances Jun 2023Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects 8 in 1,000 live births with significant postnatal implications including growth failure, neurodevelopmental delay, and mortality....
BACKGROUND
Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects 8 in 1,000 live births with significant postnatal implications including growth failure, neurodevelopmental delay, and mortality. The placenta develops concomitantly with the fetal heart. High rates of placental pathology and discordant growth in pregnancies affected by CHD highlight the significance of the fetal-placental-cardiac axis.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to characterize the relationship between neonatal birthweight (BW), head circumference, placental weight (PW), and placental pathology in pregnancies affected by CHD. PW:BW provides a surrogate to assess placental efficiency, or nutrient exchange and delivery by the placenta, across CHD phenotypes.
METHODS
Retrospective cohort of 139 live-born singletons with postnatally confirmed CHD with placental pathology. Placental examination, infant BW, head circumference, and CHD categories (septal defects, right-sided defects, left-sided defects, conotruncal anomalies, and others) were included. Chi-square, Fisher's exact, or Kruskall-Wallis tests and multinomial logistic regressions, as appropriate.
RESULTS
Median birthweight and head circumference percentile was 33 and 35, respectively. Placental pathology was documented in 37% of cases. PW to BW ratios were <10th percentile for 78% and <3rd percentile for 54% of the cohort, with no difference between CHD categories ( = 0.39 and = 0.56, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
Infants with CHD have preserved BW and head circumferences in the setting of small placentas and increased prevalence of placental pathology, suggesting placental efficiency. Detection of abnormal placental growth could add prenatal diagnostic value. Placental and neonatal discordant growth may allude to a vascular anomaly predisposing fetuses to developing CHD. Further studies are needed to explore fetal nutrient delivery and utilization efficiency.
PubMed: 38938228
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100383 -
Journal of Preventive Medicine and... Jun 2024A substantial proportion of women experience mental health challenges during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Common mental disorders (CMDs), including depression,...
OBJECTIVES
A substantial proportion of women experience mental health challenges during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Common mental disorders (CMDs), including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, are prevalent. Identifying causes and associated risk factors is imperative for early intervention and the prevention of mental health issues.
METHODS
This study utilized data from the 2018 Basic Health Research, which was conducted nationwide in Indonesia, using a cross-sectional approach. We focused on women aged 13-49 years who were currently or previously married, and had experienced pregnancy, including 8,889 pregnant women and 77,012 women who had delivered between January 1, 2013, and August 31, 2018. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 was employed to assess CMDs. Multivariate logistic regression was performed.
RESULTS
The prevalence of CMDs in pregnant women was 12.6%, while postpartum mothers exhibited a prevalence of 10.1%. Poor health status displayed the strongest impact on CMDs during both pregnancy (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 12.23, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 9.06-16.60) and the postpartum period (AOR: 16.72, 95% CI: 14.85-18.82). Additional significant factors for both group include young maternal age, lack of education, unemployment, hystory of hypertension, and smoking status. Among pregnant women, CMDs was also associated with first-trimester pregnancy, previous pregnancy complications, and small upper arm circumference. For postpartum mothers, significant factors include history of abortion, unwanted pregnancy, pregnancy complications, lack of antenatal care, spontaneous delivery, postpartum complications and contraceptive use.
CONCLUSIONS
CMDs can impact in pregnant and postpartum women. Early diagnosis and management must be seamlessly integrated into primary healthcare practices.
PubMed: 38938048
DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.24.082 -
Contraception and Reproductive Medicine Jun 2024Unintended pregnancies pose significant health risks, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where millions of cases are recorded annually, disproportionately affecting...
BACKGROUND
Unintended pregnancies pose significant health risks, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where millions of cases are recorded annually, disproportionately affecting adolescent women. Utilization of modern contraceptives is crucial in managing fertility and reducing unintended pregnancies, abortions, and associated health complications. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, distribution and factors associated with modern contraceptives utilization among women aged 15-49 in Uganda.
METHODS
The study used secondary data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS). The study sample comprise of 9,235 women aged 15-49 who used any method to prevent pregnancy in the five years preceding 2016 UDHS survey. The outcome variable for this study is utilization of modern contraceptives. Univariate, bivariate, and multilevel binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between individual and contextual factors on the modern contraceptive use among women aged 15-49 in Uganda. Choropleth mapping and network analysis in ArcGIS 10.8.2 was used to visualize spatial distribution of modern contraceptive use and measure community access to health facilities respectively.
RESULTS
The prevalence of modern contraceptive use was 53.19% (n = 4,919) in Uganda, with significant spatial variation by district. Higher prevalence (23.18%) was observed among women aged 20-29 compared to adolescents (4.1%). Only 21.9% of married women reported using modern contraceptives. At the individual-level, the factors that positively influenced use of modern contraceptives included: women's marital status, wealth index and level of education while sex of the household head, ever terminated a pregnancy and religion negatively affected the use of modern contraceptives. At community-level, community access to health facilities was found to have negative influence on the use of modern contraceptives among women. In communities where women frequently visited health facilities in the 12 months preceding the survey, the use of modern contraceptives reduced by 3.9%. Accessibility analysis revealed challenges, with women in northeastern districts (rural districts) facing travel times exceeding four hours to reach health facilities.
CONCLUSION
Utilization of modern contraceptives are essential for promoting women's health and well-being, particularly concerning maternal healthcare. This study highlights disparities in modern contraceptive use across age groups and the districts, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Policymakers and stakeholders must prioritize strategies that promote utilization of modern contraceptives and maternal healthcare services to address these disparities effectively. Such efforts are crucial for improving reproductive health outcomes and reducing the burden of unintended pregnancies and related complications in Uganda.
PubMed: 38937845
DOI: 10.1186/s40834-024-00288-6