Respiratory Support Techniques for COVID-19-Related ARDS in a Sub-Saharan African Country: A Multicenter Observational Study.

Background: Limited data from low-income countries report on respiratory support techniques in COVID-19-associated ARDS.

Research Question: Which respiratory support techniques are used in patients with COVID-19-associated ARDS in Uganda?

Study Design And Methods: A multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted at 13 Ugandan hospitals during the pandemic and included adults with COVID-19-associated ARDS. Patient characteristics, clinical and laboratory data, initial and most advanced respiratory support techniques, and 28-day mortality were recorded.

Association between CD4 T cell counts and the immune status among adult critically ill HIV-negative patients in intensive care units in Uganda.

: Cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) T cells play a central role in regulation of adaptive T cell-mediated immune responses. Low CD4 T cell counts are not routinely reported as a marker of immune deficiency among HIV-negative individuals, as is the norm among their HIV positive counterparts. Despite evidence of mortality rates as high as 40% among Ugandan critically ill HIV-negative patients, the use of CD4 T cell counts as a measure of the immune status has never been explored among this population.