Determinants of Use of Biotherapeutics in sub-Saharan Africa.

Biologic drugs are reshaping clinical practice in various disciplines, even while access to them is imbalanced across global settings. In sub-Saharan Africa, biotherapeutics have potential roles to play in the treatment of a range of conditions that include infectious and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). However, the literature is scarce on guidance for addressing local access challenges, including technical, regulatory, affordability, and other healthcare delivery aspects.

Comparability of tympanic and oral mercury thermometers at high ambient temperatures.

Background: Body temperature can be measured in seconds with tympanic thermometers as opposed to minutes with mercury ones. The aim of this study was to compare tympanic and oral mercury thermometer measurements under high ambient field temperatures.

Results: Tympanic temperature (measured thrice by 3 operators) was compared to oral temperature measured once with a mercury-in-glass thermometer in 201 patients (aged ≥5 years), on the Thai-Myanmar border.

Mississippi's infectious disease hotline: a surveillance and education model for future disasters.

Introduction: The potential for outbreaks of epidemic disease among displaced residents was a significant public health concern in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In response, the Mississippi Department of Health (MDH) and the American Red Cross (ARC) implemented a novel infectious disease surveillance system, in the form of a telephone "hotline", to detect and rapidly respond to health threats in shelters.

Methods: All ARC-managed shelters in Mississippi were included in the surveillance system.