6320 research outputs found
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- Depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among HIV-infected Gambians on antiretroviral therapy
No full textMood disorders are more frequent among people with HIV infection than among non-HIV-infected individuals of the same age, socioeconomic status, and HIV risks. They have been associated with worse adherence and clinical outcomes, yet remain underdiagnosed and undertreated in sub-Saharan Africa. We explored the relationship between mood disorders using the 10-item depression scale of the Centers for Epidemiological Studies (CES-D10) and the 22-item Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) for posttraumatic stress disorder, and a range of demographic and HIV-related variables among 252 consecutive subjects on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study was conducted in the Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinic of the Medical Research Council's Gambia Unit. These screening tests were positive in 7% and 30%, respectively, of the patients, with higher scores (more depression or more post-traumatic stress) associated with female gender, more advanced WHO clinical stage, and lower Karnofsky Perfomance Scale rating. Higher CES-D10 scores were also seen among those on their second ART regimen. No relationship was seen with age, time on ART, viral load, or CD4 cell count. Compared to an earlier study at the same site in subjects prior to starting ART, the prevalence of depression in those stabilized on ART was dramatically reduced (by 34%, from 41%) while that of PTSD dropped less (by 13%, from 43%). Integrating the CES-D10 or a similar instrument into patient preparation for ART is recommended in order to identify those who may benefit from further mental health investigations, specific therapy, or closer follow-up during early ART
Mortality and loss to programme before antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected children eligible for treatment in The Gambia, West Africa
No full textBACKGROUND: HIV infection among children, particularly those under 24 months of age, is often rapidly progressive; as a result guidelines recommend earlier access to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for HIV infected children. Losses to follow-up (LTFU) and death in the interval between diagnosis and initiation of ART profoundly limit this strategy. This study explores correlates of LTFU and death prior to ART initiation among children. METHODS: The study is based on 337 HIV-infected children enrolled into care at an urban centre in The Gambia, including those alive and in care when antiretroviral therapy became available and those who enrolled later. Children were followed until they started ART, died, transferred to another facility, or were LTFU. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to determine the hazard of death or LTFU according to the baseline characteristics of the children. RESULTS: Overall, 223 children were assessed as eligible for ART based on their clinical and/or immunological status among whom 73 (32.7%) started treatment, 15 (6.7%) requested transfer to another health facility, 105 (47.1%) and 30 (13.5%) were lost to follow-up and died respectively without starting ART. The median survival following eligibility for children who died without starting treatment was 2.8 months (IQR: 0.9, 5.8) with over half (60%) of all deaths occurring at home. ART-eligible children less than 2 years of age and those in WHO stage 3 or 4 were significantly more likely to be LTFU when compared with their respective comparison groups. The overall pre-treatment mortality rate was 25.7 per 100 child-years of follow-up (95% CI 19.9, 36.8) and the loss to programme rate was 115.7 per 100 child-years of follow-up (95% CI 98.8, 137). In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model, significant independent predictors of loss to programme were being less than 2 years of age and WHO stage 3 or 4. The Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) for loss to programme was 2.06 (95% CI 1.12 -- 3.83) for being aged less than 2 years relative to being 5 years of age or older and 1.92 (95% CI 1.05 - 3.53) for being in WHO stage 3 or 4 relative to WHO stage 1 or 2. CONCLUSIONS: Earlier enrolment into HIV care is key to achieving better outcomes for HIV infected children in developing countries. Developing strategies to ensure early diagnosis, elimination of obstacles to prompt initiation of therapy and instituting measures to reduce losses to follow-up, will improve the overall outcomes of HIV-infected children
Effect of sampling and short isolation methodologies on the recovery of human pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica from pig tonsils
No full textPositive cultures of organ preservation fluid predict postoperative infections in solid organ transplantation recipients
No full textOBJECTIVE: The significance of positive cultures of organ preservation fluid (OPF) in solid organ transplantation is not known. We sought to describe the microbiology and define the clinical impact of positive OPF cultures. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: A consecutive sample of all solid organ transplantations at our center between July 2006 and January 2009 was reviewed. A total of 331 allografts (185 kidneys, 104 livers, 31 pancreases, and 11 hearts) met the inclusion criterion of having OPF cultures taken from the transplanted allograft. METHODS: Organisms recovered from OPF were classified as high or low risk according to their virulence. Clinical outcomes were compared between recipients of organs with positive OPF cultures and recipients of organs with negative OPF cultures. RESULTS: OPF cultures were positive in 62.2% of allografts and yielded high-risk organisms in 17.8%. Normal skin flora constituted the majority of positive OPF cultures, while Enterobacteriaceae spp. and Staphylococcus aureus made up the majority of high-risk organisms. Recipients of allografts with positive OPF cultures developed more frequent bacterial infections, regardless of allograft type (relative risk, 2.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.61-3.54). Moreover, isolation of a given organism in OPF samples was associated with the development of a clinical infection with the same organism, regardless of allograft type. CONCLUSIONS: Positive cultures of OPF are common events in solid organ transplantation, frequently involve high-risk organisms, and are associated with the development of postoperative clinical bacterial infections. Further study is required to determine the optimal strategies for their prevention and management
In reply to "Can LED fluorescence microscopy replace Ziehl-Neelsen microscopy in tuberculosis detection?" [letter]
No full textMitigating the threat of artemisinin resistance in Afria: improvement of drug-resistance surveillance and response systems
No full textAssessment of desiccants and their instructions for use in rapid diagnostic tests
No full textBACKGROUND: Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are protected from humidity-caused degradation by a desiccant added to the device packaging. The present study assessed malaria RDT products for the availability, type and design of desiccants and their information supplied in the instructions for use (IFU). METHODS: Criteria were based on recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Community (CE) and own observations. Silica gel sachets were defined as selfindicating (all beads coated with a humidity indicator that changes colour upon saturation), partial-indicating (part of beads coated) and non-indicating (none of the beads coated). Indicating silica gel sachets were individually assessed for humidity saturation and (in case of partial-indicating silica gels) for the presence of indicating beads. RESULTS: Fifty malaria RDT products from 25 manufacturers were assessed, 14 (28%) products were listed by the "Global Fund Quality Assurance Policy" and 31 (62%) were CE-marked. All but one product contained a desiccant, mostly (47/50, 94%) silica gel. Twenty (40%) RDT products (one with no desiccant and 19 with non-indicating desiccant) did not meet the WHO guidelines recommending indicating desiccant. All RDT products with self- or partialindicating silica gel (n = 22 and 8 respectively) contained the toxic cobalt dichloride as humidity indicator. Colour change indicating humidity saturation was observed for 8/16 RDT products, at a median incidence of 0.8% (range 0.05%-4.6%) of sachets inspected. In all RDTs with partial-indicating silica gel, sachets with no colour indicating beads were found (median proportion 13.5% (0.6% - 17.8%) per product) and additional light was needed to assess the humidity colour. Less than half (14/30, 47%) IFUs of RDT products with indicating desiccants mentioned to check the humidity saturation before using the test. Information on properties, safety hazards and disposal of the desiccant was not included in any of the IFUs. There were no differences between Global Fund-listed and CE marked RDT products compared to those which were not. Similar findings were noted for a panel of 11 HIV RDTs that was assessed with the same checklist as the malaria RDTs. CONCLUSION: RDTs showed shortcomings in desiccant type and information supplied in the IFU
