Respiratory pathogens and clinical outcomes in children with an asthma exacerbation: A systematic review.

Background: In asthmatic children, respiratory pathogens are identified in 60%-80% of asthma exacerbations, contributing to a significant burden of illness. The role of pathogens in the clinical evolution of exacerbations is unknown.

Objective: We systematically reviewed the association between the presence of pathogens and clinical outcomes in children with an asthma exacerbation.

Actual and predicted prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in the WHO African Region.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking during pregnancy among the general population in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region, by country.

Methods: First, a comprehensive systematic literature search was performed to identify all published and unpublished studies. Then, several meta-analyses, assuming a random-effects model, were conducted to estimate the prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking during pregnancy among the general population for countries in the WHO African Region with two or more studies available.

The effectiveness of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine 23 (PPV23) in the general population of 50 years of age and older: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Unlabelled: Two pneumococcal vaccines currently exist and have been recommended for the prevention of pneumococcal infection in adults 65 years of age and older: the 23-valent polysaccharide (PPV23) and the conjugate 13-valent (PCV13) vaccine.

Objective: To evaluate and summarize the results from all studies reporting on the vaccine effectiveness of PPV23 in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in individuals over the age of 50.

Methods: Systematic database searches were completed in PubMed, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane.