C-reactive protein and procalcitonin use in adults in low- and middle-income countries: a narrative review.

Objectives: C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) are widely used biomarkers in high-income countries. However, evidence for their use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is scant. Because many factors, including rates of endemic disease, comorbidities and genetics, may influence biomarkers' behaviour, we aimed to review available evidence generated in LMICs.

Prevention of common healthcare-associated infections in humanitarian hospitals.

Purpose Of Review: Humanitarian medical organizations focus on vulnerable patients with increased risk for healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and are obligated to minimize them in inpatient departments (IPDs). However, in doing so humanitarian groups face considerable obstacles. This report will focus on approaches to reducing common HAIs that the authors have found to be helpful in humanitarian settings.

Challenges of respondent driven sampling to assess sexual behaviour and estimate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Singapore.

There is a lack of representative samples to provide reliable and accurate seroprevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as well as behavioural information among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Singapore. We used respondent driven sampling (RDS) to recruit MSM. Participants completed a survey used by Asian Internet MSM Sex Survey (AIMSS) and were tested for HIV and syphilis.

Older age at initial presentation to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care and treatment at the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) in Singapore, 2006 to 2011.

Introduction: The incidence of newly diagnosed older patients diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has increased worldwide in recent years. In this study, we compared the demographics and clinical presentation of younger and older patients in our HIV sentinel cohort.

Materials And Methods: Among all HIV patients presenting to the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), Singapore from 2006 to 2011, 793 were randomly included in our cohort, representing about 50% of the patients seen during that period.

Causes of death in hospitalised HIV-infected patients at a National Referral Centre in Singapore: a retrospective review from 2008 to 2010.

Introduction: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved outcomes for individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study describes the causes of death in hospitalised HIV-positive patients from 2008 to 2010 in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the national referral centre for HIV management in Singapore.

Materials And Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from HIV-positive patients who died in Tan Tock Seng Hospital from January 2008 to December 2010.

Renal safety of tenofovir containing antiretroviral regimen in a Singapore cohort.

Background: Tenofovirdisoproxilfumarate (TDF) is a nucleotide analogue widely recommended in international HIV treatment guidelines. The association of TDF and renal dysfunction has remained an area of interest.

Findings: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients on TDF from July 2007 to December 2009 in our institution and evaluated their renal function.

Opt-out of voluntary HIV testing: a Singapore hospital's experience.

Introduction: Since 2008, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) has expanded HIV testing by increasing anonymous HIV test sites, as well as issuing a directive to hospitals to offer routine voluntary opt out inpatient HIV testing. We reviewed this program implemented at the end of 2008 at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), the second largest acute care general hospital in Singapore.

Methods And Findings: From January 2009 to December 2010, all inpatients aged greater or equal than 21 years were screened for HIV unless they declined or were not eligible for screening.

Severe community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia: an emerging highly lethal infectious disease in the Asia-Pacific.

Background And Objective: Patients with community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) pneumonia have been reported from subtropical countries. We investigated the epidemiology, clinical and microbiological characteristics of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) due to AB in Singapore.

Method: A retrospective case series was performed over a 21-month period at two institutions.