Infection prevention and control for COVID-19 response in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh: an intra-action review.

Background: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is critical in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and is one of the pillars of the WHO COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan 2020. We conducted an Intra-Action Review (IAR) of IPC response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, to identify best practices, challenges, and recommendations for improvement of the current and future responses.

Methods: We conducted two meetings with 54 participants purposively selected from different organizations and agencies involved in the frontline implementation of IPC in Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh 2020: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The study aimed to determine the seroprevalence, the fraction of asymptomatic infections, and risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infections among the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs).

Design: It was a population-based two-stage cross-sectional study at the level of households.

Setting: The study was conducted in December 2020 among household members of the FDMN population living in the 34 camps of Ukhia and Teknaf Upazila of Cox's Bazar district in Bangladesh.

Epidemiological modelling in refugee and internally displaced people settlements: challenges and ways forward.

The spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 presents many challenges to healthcare systems and infrastructures across the world, exacerbating inequalities and leaving the world's most vulnerable populations at risk. Epidemiological modelling is vital to guiding evidence-informed or data-driven decision making. In forced displacement contexts, and in particular refugee and internally displaced people (IDP) settlements, it meets several challenges including data availability and quality, the applicability of existing models to those contexts, the accurate modelling of cultural differences or specificities of those operational settings, the communication of results and uncertainties, as well as the alignment of strategic goals between diverse partners in complex situations.

The World Health Organization's Actions Within the United Nations System to Facilitate a Whole-of-Society Response to COVID-19 at Country Level.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted that managing health emergencies requires more than an effective health response, but that operationalizing a whole-of-society approach is challenging. The World Health Organization (WHO), as the lead agency for health within the United Nations (UN), led the UN response at the global level through the Crisis Management Team, and at the country level through the UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in accordance with its mandate. Three case studies-Mali, Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan-provide examples of how WHO contributed to the whole-of-society response for COVID-19 at the country level.

Building operational readiness for responding to emergencies in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has an essential role to play in supporting Member States to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies with public health consequences. Operational readiness for known and unknown hazards and emergencies requires a risk-informed and structured approach to building capacities within organizations such as WHO offices and national ministries of health. Under the flagship priority programme on emergency risk management of the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, a readiness training programme consisting of four modules was implemented during 2017-2018, involving staff from WHO country offices as well as from the regional office.

Strengthening emergency preparedness through the WHO emergency medical team mentorship and verification process: experience from Thailand.

The World Health Organization (WHO) emergency medical team (EMT) mentorship and verification process is an important mechanism for providing quality assurance for EMTs that are deployed internationally during medical emergencies. To be recommended for classification, an organization must demonstrate compliance with guiding principles and core standards for international EMTs and all technical standards for their declared type, in accordance with a set of globally agreed minimum standards. A rigorous peer review of a comprehensive documentary evidence package, combined with a 2-day verification site visit by WHO and independent experts, is conducted to assess an EMT's capacity.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery.

Background And Aim: Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level may be increased in patients with valvular disease. Recent studies have suggested that in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement, an increased preoperative BNP is associated with a worse operative outcome. Little is known about the perioperative value of BNP in patients undergoing mitral valve (MV) surgery.

Increased neointimal formation after surgical vein grafting in a murine model of type 2 diabetes.

Background: Diabetes is an independent risk factor for the development of neointimal hyperplasia and subsequent vein graft failure after coronary or peripheral artery bypass grafting. We evaluate a new mouse model of surgical vein grafting to investigate the mechanisms of neointimal formation in the setting of type 2 diabetes.

Methods And Results: Surgical vein grafts were created by inserting vein segments from age-matched C57BL/KsJ wild-type mice into the infra-renal aorta of lepr(db/db) diabetic and C57BL/KsJ wild-type mice.

High-risk mitral valve surgery: perioperative hemodynamic optimization with nesiritide (BNP).

Background: Nesiritide is a recombinant brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), which decreases pulmonary arterial (PA) pressures and myocardial oxygen consumption while increasing coronary flow and urine output. Mitral valve (MV) surgery in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR), impaired left ventricular function, and pulmonary hypertension is associated with a high operative mortality. We hypothesized that the perioperative use of Nesiritide is safe, and may improve surgical outcomes.

Normalization of high pulmonary vascular resistance with LVAD support in heart transplantation candidates.

Objective: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) lead to poor outcome after heart transplantation due to postoperative failure of the non-conditioned right ventricle. The role of continuous flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support in the reduction of elevated PVR was evaluated in a series of clinical implants.

Methods: Among 17 patients with terminal heart failure receiving a MicroMed DeBakey LVAD as bridge to transplant, there were six patients with pulmonary hypertension (mean systolic PAP 47 mmHg) and high PVR (398 dynes/cm5), previously not considered suitable for heart transplantation, who underwent serial right heart catheters during their LVAD support period.