Training programs to improve identification of sick newborns and care-seeking from a health facility in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

Background: Most neonatal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Limited recommendations are available on the optimal personnel and training required to improve identification of sick newborns and care-seeking from a health facility. We conducted a scoping review to map the key components required to design an effective newborn care training program for community-based health workers (CBHWs) to improve identification of sick newborns and care-seeking from a health facility in LMICs.

Risk factors for childhood illness and death in rural Uttar Pradesh, India: perspectives from the community, community health workers and facility staff.

Background: Uttar Pradesh (UP), India continues to have a high burden of mortality among young children despite recent improvement. Therefore, it is vital to understand the risk factors associated with under-five (U5) deaths and episodes of severe illness in order to deliver programs targeted at decreasing mortality among U5 children in UP. However, in rural UP, almost every child has one or more commonly described risk factors, such as low socioeconomic status or undernutrition.

Association of identification of facility and transportation for childbirth with institutional delivery in high priority districts of Uttar Pradesh, India.

Background: Timely and skilled care is key to reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Birth preparedness involves preparation for safe childbirth during the antenatal period to reach the appropriate health facility for ensuring safe delivery. Hence, understanding the factors associated with birth preparedness and its significance for safe delivery is essential.

Readiness to provide child health services in rural Uttar Pradesh, India: mapping, monitoring and ongoing supportive supervision.

Background: In 2018, 875 000 under-five children died in India with children from poor families and rural communities disproportionately affected. Community health centres are positioned to improve access to quality child health services but capacity is often low and the systems for improvements are weak.

Methods: Secondary analysis of child health program data from the Uttar Pradesh Technical Support Unit was used to delineate how program activities were temporally related to public facility readiness to provide child health services including inpatient admissions.

Potential contributions of an on-site nurse mentoring program on neonatal mortality reductions in rural Karnataka state, South India: evidence from repeat community cross-sectional surveys.

Background: We assessed the effects of a nurse mentoring program on neonatal mortality in eight districts in India.

Methods: From 2012 to 2015, nurse mentors supported improvements in critical MNCH-related practices among health providers at primary health centres (PHCs) in northern Karnataka, South India. Baseline (n = 5240) and endline (n = 5154) surveys of randomly selected ever-married women were conducted.

'Know-Can' gap: gap between knowledge and skills related to childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia among frontline workers in rural Uttar Pradesh, India.

Objectives: In India, frontline workers (FLWs) - public accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and private rural medical providers (RMPs) - are important for early detection and treatment of childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia. This cross-sectional study aims to measure knowledge and skills, and the gap between the two ('know-can' gap), regarding assessment of childhood diarrhoea with dehydration and pneumonia among FLWs, and to explore factors associated with them.

Methods: We surveyed 473 ASHAs and 447 RMPs in six districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Determinants of scholarly project completion in a paediatric resident program in Canada.

Background: The primary aims of this study were to: 1) assess barriers and facilitators of completing scholarly projects from residents and faculty mentor perspectives, 2) determine the perceived value of new initiatives designed to support resident scholarly projects and 3) determine if these initiatives led to changes in resident publications.

Design And Methods: Between June and September 2014, we surveyed 18 paediatric residents and 41 faculty mentors regarding barriers to resident scholarly project completion and the value of new initiatives to support scholarly activity. We also tracked scientific publications by residents before and after implementation of these initiatives.

Enhancing the capacity and effectiveness of community health volunteers to improve maternal, newborn and child health: Experience from Kenya.

Objective: To determine whether a simple monitoring and tracking tool, Mwanzo Mwema Monitoring and Tracking Tool (MMATT), would enable community health volunteers (CHVs) in Kenya to 1) plan their workloads and activities, 2) identify the women, newborns and children most in need of accessing critical maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) interventions and 3) improve key MNCH indicators.

Methods: A mixed methods approach was used. Household surveys at baseline (n = 912) and endline (n = 1143) collected data on key MNCH indicators in the four subcounties of Taita Taveta County, Kenya.

A qualitative study on African immigrant and refugee families' experiences of accessing primary health care services in Manitoba, Canada: it's not easy!

Background: Immigrant and refugee families form a growing proportion of the Canadian population and experience barriers in accessing primary health care services. The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of access to primary health care by African immigrant and refugee families.

Methods: Eighty-three families originating from 15 African countries took part in multiple open ended interviews in western Canada.

Improving the knowledge of labour and delivery nurses in India: a randomized controlled trial of mentoring and case sheets in primary care centres.

Background: Birthing in health facilities in India has increased over the last few years, yet maternal and neonatal mortality rates remain high. Clinical mentoring with case sheets or checklists for nurses is viewed as essential for on-going knowledge transfer, particularly where basic training is inadequate. This paper summarizes a study of the effect of such a programme on staff knowledge and skills in a randomized trial of 295 nurses working in 108 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Karnataka, India.

Effectiveness of Onsite Nurse Mentoring in Improving Quality of Institutional Births in the Primary Health Centres of High Priority Districts of Karnataka, South India: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Background: In India, although the proportion of institutional births is increasing, there are concerns regarding quality of care. We assessed the effectiveness of a nurse-led onsite mentoring program in improving quality of care of institutional births in 24/7 primary health centres (PHCs that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) of two high priority districts in Karnataka state, South India. Primary outcomes were improved facility readiness and provider preparedness in managing institutional births and associated complications during child birth.

Development and evaluation of global child health educational modules.

Objectives: To determine if a standardized global child health (GCH) modular course for pediatric residents leads to satisfaction, learning, and behavior change.

Methods: Four 1-hour interactive GCH modules were developed addressing priority GCH topics. "Site champions" from 4 Canadian institutions delivered modules to pediatric residents from their respective programs during academic half-days.

Caulobacter species as a cause of postneurosurgical bacterial meningitis in a pediatric patient.

Caulobacter species have been rarely found to be a cause of human infection. A case of probable Caulobacter species meningitis occurring postneurosurgery in a pediatric patient is reported in the present article. Gram stain and colony morphology of the isolate were not consistent with the identification provided by commercial phenotypic identification systems.

Presentation of pediatric malaria to a Canadian children's hospital.

The aim of this study was to review the aspects of malaria at a Canadian pediatric hospital and to identify gaps in management. Thirty-eight cases were diagnosed in patients with an average age of 8.4 years, the majority of which were due to Plasmodium falciparum.

Differential time to positivity: vascular catheter drawn cultures for the determination of catheter-related bloodstream infection.

Background: Vascular access catheter-related infections are common. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of differential time to positivity (DTP) comparing 2 blood cultures drawn through different lumens of a multi-lumen central venous catheter (CVC DTP) for the diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI).

Methods: This study was performed at a single institution (Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada).

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in hospitalized children in Manitoba: nosocomial transmission and lessons learned from the first wave.

Objective: To review the experiences at Winnipeg Children's Hospital (WCH) during the 2009 influenza season, with an emphasis on nosocomial transmission and infection prevention and control responses.

Design: A case series of patients admitted to WCH who had laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza between January 1 and July 31, 2009, with a comparison of patients with seasonal influenza and those with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza; a review of the impact of infection prevention and control modifications on nosocomial transmission.

Patients And Setting: A total of 104 inpatients with influenza, 81 of whom had pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza, were reviewed at a large Canadian pediatric tertiary care center.

CD36 deficiency attenuates experimental mycobacterial infection.

Background: Members of the CD36 scavenger receptor family have been implicated as sensors of microbial products that mediate phagocytosis and inflammation in response to a broad range of pathogens. We investigated the role of CD36 in host response to mycobacterial infection.

Methods: Experimental Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection in Cd36+/+ and Cd36-/- mice, and in vitro co-cultivation of M.

Gastric lavage for the diagnosis of pulmonary blastomycosis in pediatric patients.

A case of pulmonary blastomycosis in a pediatric patient diagnosed by gastric lavage is described. Use of gastric lavage averted the need for more invasive diagnostic techniques including bronchoscopy. Further study is required to define the sensitivity of gastric lavage for recovery of Blastomyces dermatitidis from pediatric patients with pulmonary blastomycosis.

Malaria exacerbates experimental mycobacterial infection in vitro and in vivo.

Tuberculosis (Mtb) and malaria are among the most important infectious causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing an estimated 1.5 million and 1 million deaths every year, respectively. Here we demonstrate a biological interaction between malaria and mycobacteria in vitro and in vivo.

Pyruvate kinase deficiency and malaria.

Malaria that is caused by Plasmodium falciparum is a significant global health problem. Genetic characteristics of the host influence the severity of disease and the ultimate outcome of infection, and there is evidence of coevolution of the plasmodium parasite with its host. In humans, pyruvate kinase deficiency is the second most common erythrocyte enzyme disorder.

Tafenoquine: a promising new antimalarial agent.

Malaria remains an important cause of global morbidity and mortality. As antimalarial drug resistance escalates, new safe and effective medications are necessary to prevent and treat malarial infection. Tafenoquine is an 8-aminoquinoline antimalarial that is presently under development.

"I hate needles" and other factors impacting on travel vaccine uptake.

Travel vaccines comprise an essential component of pretravel health advice; however, many travelers do not take advantage of this preventive health strategy to decrease their risk of travel-related illness. Factors that impact on a traveler's decision on whether or not to be vaccinated are related to the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of the traveler regarding travel vaccines, vaccine-preventable diseases, and other factors. Further research is required to increase travelers' awareness of the need for pretravel vaccination and then to translate that awareness into positive attitudes leading to increased travel vaccine uptake.