Maternal morbidity and mortality from severe sepsis: a national cohort study.

Objectives: To describe the incidence, characteristics and risk factors for critical care admission with severe maternal sepsis in the UK.

Design: National cohort study.

Setting: 198 critical care units in the UK.

Consolidated Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Multidrug- and Extensively Drug-resistant Tuberculosis in the WHO European Region 2011-2015: Cost-effectiveness analysis.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) has increased at an alarming rate in the WHO European Region. Of the 27 countries worldwide with a high burden of multidrug resistant-TB (MDR-TB), 15 are in the European Region. An estimated 78,000 new cases of MDR-TB occur annually in the Region, of which approximately 10% are extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-TB.

Tuberculosis control in prisons: current situation and research gaps.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) in penitentiary services (prisons) is a major challenge to TB control. This review article describes the challenges that prison systems encounter in TB control and provides solutions for the more efficient use of limited resources based on the three pillars of the post-2015 End TB Strategy. This paper also proposes research priorities for TB control in prisons based on current challenges.

Severe maternal sepsis in the UK, 2011-2012: a national case-control study.

Background: In light of increasing rates and severity of sepsis worldwide, this study aimed to estimate the incidence of, and describe the causative organisms, sources of infection, and risk factors for, severe maternal sepsis in the UK.

Methods And Findings: A prospective case-control study included 365 confirmed cases of severe maternal sepsis and 757 controls from all UK obstetrician-led maternity units from June 1, 2011, to May 31, 2012. Incidence of severe sepsis was 4.

The continuum of maternal sepsis severity: incidence and risk factors in a population-based cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with uncomplicated maternal sepsis and progression to severe sepsis in a large population-based birth cohort.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used linked hospital discharge and vital statistics records data for 1,622,474 live births in California during 2005-2007. Demographic and clinical factors were adjusted using multivariable logistic regression with robust standard errors.

Sepsis and maternal mortality.

Purpose Of Review: Despite global progress towards reducing maternal mortality, sepsis remains a leading cause of preventable maternal death. This review focuses on current measurement challenges, trends, causes and efforts to curb maternal death from sepsis in high and low-income countries.

Recent Findings: Under-reporting using routine registration data, compounded by misclassification and unreported deaths, results in significant underestimation of the burden of maternal death from sepsis.

Characteristics of pediatric trauma transfers to a level i trauma center: implications for developing a regionalized pediatric trauma system in california.

Background: since California lacks a statewide trauma system, there are no uniform interfacility pediatric trauma transfer guidelines across local emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in California. This may result in delays in obtaining optimal care for injured children.

Objectives: this study sought to understand patterns of pediatric trauma patient transfers to the study trauma center as a first step in assessing the quality and efficiency of pediatric transfer within the current trauma system model.

National survey of preventive health services in US emergency departments.

Study Objective: We describe the availability of preventive health services in US emergency departments (EDs), as well as ED directors' preferred service and perceptions of barriers to offering preventive services.

Methods: Using the 2007 National Emergency Department Inventory (NEDI)-USA, we randomly sampled 350 (7%) of 4,874 EDs. We surveyed directors of these EDs to determine the availability of (1) screening and referral programs for alcohol, tobacco, geriatric falls, intimate partner violence, HIV, diabetes, and hypertension; (2) vaccination programs for influenza and pneumococcus; and (3) linkage programs to primary care and health insurance.

Gender-related factors influencing tuberculosis control in shantytowns: a qualitative study.

Background: There is evidence that female gender is associated with reduced likelihood of tuberculosis diagnosis and successful treatment. This study aimed to characterize gender-related barriers to tuberculosis control in Peruvian shantytowns.

Methods: We investigated attitudes and experiences relating gender to tuberculosis using the grounded theory approach to describe beliefs amongst key tuberculosis control stakeholders.