Factors Associated With Abdominal Pain in Patients With Active and Quiescent Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicohort Study.

Background: Abdominal pain can be an overlooked symptom in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with abdominal pain in active and quiescent UC.

Methods: Three study cohorts of adult UC patients were used.

A prospective evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of the point-of-care VISITECT CD4 Advanced Disease test in seven countries.

Background: CD4 measurement is pivotal in the management of advanced HIV disease. VISITECT® CD4 Advanced Disease (AccuBio Limited, Alva, UK; VISITECT) is an instrument-free, point-of-care, semi-quantitative test allowing visual identification of a CD4 ≤200 cells/µl, or >200 cells/µl from finger-prick or venous blood.

Methods: As part of a diagnostic accuracy study of FUJIFILM SILVAMP TB LAM (clinicaltrials.

Low tuberculosis treatment initiation after positive tuberculosis lipoarabinomannan results.

https://bit.ly/3VGHekC.

Barriers to the quality delivery of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in Chad and Burkina Faso: a qualitative exploration of caregivers and community distributors' perspectives.

Background: Recommended since 2012 by the World Health Organization (WHO), seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a community-based intervention to prevent malaria in children in African regions where malaria transmission follows a seasonal pattern. Following the publication of consolidated WHO guidelines for malaria, SMC is expected to reach more children in new geographies in future years. Though SMC has been shown to reduce malaria-related morbidity and mortality, there is potential for quality improvement of the intervention implementation.

Symptom profiles compatible with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) in organic gastrointestinal diseases: A global population-based study.

Background: Patients with organic gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM) can have concomitant disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI).

Objective: This study aimed to compare the global prevalence of DGBI-compatible symptom profiles in adults with and without self-reported organic GI diseases or DM.

Methods: Data were collected in a population-based internet survey in 26 countries, the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study (n = 54,127).

Risk factors and circulation pattern of respiratory syncytial virus in children under 2 years in Maputo, Mozambique.

Background: Evidence on risk factors for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in low-resource settings is limited. In Mozambican children <2 y of age with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), we explored risk factors for RSV, described its seasonal variation and assessed associations between RSV and a life-threatening condition.

Methods: We retrospectively included participants presenting in 2017-2018 in two hospitals in Maputo.

Uptake and challenges with daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men and transgender women, suburban Yangon, Myanmar.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention in risk groups. We assessed PrEP uptake and 12-month retention among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in Myanmar during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and a political crisis.

Methods: Using prospectively collected data, we assessed the proportion of persons eligible, initiated and retained 12 months on PrEP.

Correction: Psychiatric comorbidities among patients with complex drug-resistant tuberculosis in Mumbai, India.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Implementation of the advanced HIV disease care package with point-of-care CD4 testing during tuberculosis case finding: A mixed-methods evaluation.

During TB-case finding, we assessed the feasibility of implementing the advanced HIV disease (AHD) care package, including VISITECT CD4 Advanced Disease (VISITECT), a semiquantitative test to identify a CD4≤200cells/μl. Adult participants with tuberculosis symptoms, recruited near-facility in Lesotho and South-Africa between 2021-2022, were offered HIV testing (capillary blood), Xpert MTB/RIF and Ultra, and MGIT culture (sputum). People living with HIV (PLHIV) were offered VISITECT (venous blood) and Alere tuberculosis-lipoarabinomannan (AlereLAM, urine) testing.

Community-supported self-administered tuberculosis treatment combined with active tuberculosis screening: a pilot experience in Conakry, Guinea.

Directly observed treatment (DOT) for tuberculosis (TB) is recommended by the World Health Organization. However, DOT does not always meet patients' preferences, burdens health facilities, and is hard to implement in settings where access to healthcare services is regularly interrupted. A model addressing these limitations of DOT is community-supported self-administered treatment (CS-SAT), in which patients who self-administer TB treatment receive regular visits from community members.

Attrition one year after starting antiretroviral therapy before and after the programmatic implementation of HIV "Treat All" in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Evidence on the real-world effects of "Treat All" on attrition has not been systematically reviewed. We aimed to review existing literature to compare attrition 12 months after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, before and after "Treat All" was implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa and describe predictors of attrition.

Methods: We searched Embase, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science in July 2020 and created alerts up to the end of June 2023.

Near point-of-care HIV viral load testing: Cascade after high viral load in suburban Yangon, Myanmar.

Introduction: HIV viral load (VL) testing in resource-limited settings is often centralised, limiting access. In Myanmar, we assessed outcomes according to VL access and the VL cascade (case management after a first high VL result) before and after near point-of-care (POC) VL was introduced.

Methods: Routine programme data from people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) were used.

A four-drug standardized short regimen for highly resistant TB in South-West Nigeria.

Background: Patients with TB resistant to rifampicin (Rr-TB), and those with additional resistance to fluoroquinolones (pre-XDR-TB), should be treated with bedaquiline-pretomanid-linezolid-moxifloxacin and bedaquiline-pretomanid-linezolid, respectively. However, pretomanid is not yet widely available.

Methods: This is a pragmatic prospective single-arm study investigating the efficacy and safety of 9 mo of bedaquiline-delamanid-linezolid-clofazimine in patients with pre-XDR-TB or Rr-TB unresponsive to Rr-TB treatment in Nigeria.

Programmatic management of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis with standard regimen in Cameroon: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To describe treatment outcomes for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (Rr-TB) started on standard regimen and the frequency of acquired drug resistance in patients treated using the standard treatment regimen (STR) in Cameroon between 2015-2019.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. Rr-TB patients were initiated on the STR, including a fluoroquinolone (FQ), a second-line injectable drug (SLI), and companion drugs.

Psychiatric comorbidities among patients with complex drug-resistant tuberculosis in Mumbai, India.

Background: People with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) are known to suffer from many mental-health disorders. This study aims to describe the proportion of patients diagnosed with psychiatric comorbidities, the different psychiatric diagnoses made, and treatment outcomes among DR-TB patients with or without psychiatric comorbidity and initiated on DR-TB treatment between January 2012 and March 2019 at Médecins Sans Frontières independent clinic in Mumbai, India.

Methods: This is a retrospective study using routinely collected clinical data.

Feasibility of implementing the advanced HIV disease care package as part of community-based HIV/TB activities: a mixed-methods study protocol.

Introduction: Although the advanced HIV disease (AHD) care package reduces morbidity and mortality in people with AHD (defined in people living with HIV as WHO stage 3 or 4, CD4 count <200 cells/µL or age <5 years), it is barely implemented in many countries. A novel point-of-care CD4 test rapidly identifies AHD. We evaluate the feasibility of implementing the AHD care package as part of community-based HIV/tuberculosis services.

Insight in the diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease in general practice: A survey and case vignette study among 106 general practitioners.

Background: Coeliac disease (CD) is a highly prevalent (∼1%) disease that allegedly remains undiagnosed in over 80% of the cases because of atypical symptoms or silent disease. Currently, it is unknown how GPs deal with (suspected) CD.

Objectives: This study aimed to better understand the diagnostic approach and the clinical reasoning process of GPs concerning CD and concurrently address diagnostic pitfalls.

Pretomanid for tuberculosis: a systematic review.

Background: Outcomes of treatment of tuberculosis patients with regimens including pretomanid have not yet been systematically reviewed.

Objectives: To appraise existing evidence on efficacy and safety of pretomanid in tuberculosis.

Data Sources: Pubmed, clinicaltrials.

Case Report: Therapeutic Threshold for Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis in a Patient from Maputo, Mozambique.

We present a case of a patient in Mozambique, who initiated treatment for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) without proof of resistance. For this patient, we estimated the probability of RR-TB using likelihood ratios of clinical arguments. The probability of RR-TB in Mozambique, positive HIV status, and treatment failure after a first treatment and after retreatment were included as confirming arguments, and a rapid molecular test showing rifampicin susceptibility as excluding argument.

Preparedness of outpatient health facilities for ambulatory treatment with all-oral short DR-TB treatment regimens in Zhytomyr, Ukraine: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Ukraine has a high burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Mental health problems, including alcohol use disorder, are common co-morbidities. One in five DR-TB patients has human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Course of Adverse Events during Short Treatment Regimen in Patients with Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis in Burundi.

The introduction of the nine-month short-treatment regimen (STR) has drastically improved outcomes of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) treatment. Adverse events (AE) commonly occur, including injectable-induced hearing loss. In Burundi we retrospectively assessed the frequency of adverse events and treatment modifications in all patients who initiated the STR between 2013-2017.