Cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and clinical presentation in individuals exposed to endemic malaria.

Ghana and other parts of West Africa have experienced lower COVID-19 mortality rates than other regions. This phenomenon has been hypothesized to be associated with previous exposure to infections such as malaria. This study investigated the immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the influence of previous malaria exposure.

Establishing the Effectiveness of Interventions Provided to First Responders to Prevent and/or Treat Mental Health Effects of Response to a Disaster: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: This review systematically explores the current available evidence on the effectiveness of interventions provided to first responders to prevent and/or treat the mental health effects of responding to a disaster.

Methods: A systematic review of Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO, and gray literature was conducted. Studies describing the effectiveness of interventions provided to first responders to prevent and/or treat the mental health effects of responding to a disaster were included.

Lactate and hypotension as predictors of mortality after in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Aim: Guidance on post-cardiac arrest prognostication is largely based on data from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), despite clear differences between the OHCA and in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) populations. Early prediction of mortality after IHCA would be useful to help make decisions about post-arrest care. We evaluated the ability of lactate and need for vasopressors after IHCA to predict hospital mortality.

Advanced airway management during adult cardiac arrest: A systematic review.

Aim: To systematically review the literature on advanced airway management during adult cardiac arrest in order to inform the International Liaison Committee of Resuscitation (ILCOR) consensus on science and treatment recommendations.

Methods: The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines and registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018115556). We searched Medline, Embase, and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews for controlled trials and observational studies published before October 30, 2018.

Vasopressors during adult cardiac arrest: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: To systematically review the literature on the use of vasopressors during adult cardiac arrest to inform an update of international guidelines.

Methods: PRISMA guidelines were followed. We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library for controlled trials and observational studies.

Bystander Assistance for Trauma Victims in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Prevalence and Training Interventions.

Objective: Lack of organized prehospital care may contribute to the disproportionate burden of trauma-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends bystander training in basic principles of first aid and victim transport; however, prevalence of bystander or layperson assistance to trauma victims in LMICs has not been well-described, and organized reviews of existing evidence for bystander training are lacking. This systematic review aims to 1) describe the prevalence of bystander or layperson aid or transport for trauma victims in the prehospital setting in LMICs and 2) ascertain impacts of bystander training interventions in these settings.

A study of central corneal thickness in glaucoma and nonglaucoma patients in a West African population.

Purpose: To compare central corneal thickness (CCT) in high-tension glaucomatous eyes and nonglaucomatous eyes with normal intraocular pressure (IOP) and to determine if there is any correlation between CCT and severity of glaucoma, as indicated by vertical cup-to-disc ratio.

Methods: A case-control study that involved 506 subjects at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana, from August 2006 to July 2007. The cases were patients with (high tension and IOP more than 21 mm Hg) primary open-angle glaucoma, and the controls were patients with normal IOP (less than 21 mm Hg) and no evidence of glaucoma.