Effects of the timing of maternal antiretroviral therapy initiation, CD4 count, and HIV viral load on birth outcomes in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa: A secondary data analysis.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) use during pregnancy is essential to prevent vertical transmission of HIV, but it may also increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes. This study investigated the impact of both maternal HIV infection and the timing of ART initiation on birth outcomes in women living with HIV in South Africa.

Methods: This secondary data analysis examined the dataset from an earlier cohort study involving 1709 pregnant women living with HIV who delivered their babies at three major maternity centres in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa between September 2015 and May 2018.

Colistin utilization at a tertiary hospital in South Africa: an opportunity for antimicrobial stewardship practices.

Colistin (polymyxin E) has emerged as a last-resort treatment option for multidrug-resistant infections. Studies on the use, safety and efficacy of colistin in South Africa are limited..

Evaluation of health-related quality of life in patients receiving outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in a UK setting.

Background: Studies assessing the benefits of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) have paid less attention to patient-centered factors such as patients' experiences and their health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Research Design And Methods: Prospective before-and-after quasi-experimental study enrolled adult patients receiving OPAT at a tertiary hospital in Derbyshire, UK, between October 2022 and October 2023. Consenting patients completed paired EQ-5D-3 L questionnaires before OPAT initiation and upon completion of therapy or 30 days after its commencement (whichever occurred first).

Effectiveness and safety of a disposable elastomeric continuous infusion pump for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in a UK setting.

We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of continuous antimicrobial infusion using a disposable elastomeric device in an outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) setting. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients who received either flucloxacillin ( = 131 episodes) or piperacillin/tazobactam ( = 301 episodes) as continuous infusion elastomeric devices over 5 years (January 2018-December 2022) at a tertiary referral hospital in Derbyshire, UK. Overall, 81 adverse events were recorded in 77 (18%; 77/432) patient-episodes.

Risk of venous thromboembolism in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is not fully understood and the optimal strategy for thromboprophylaxis remains unclear. This systematic review investigated the incidence of VTE in OPAT settings (PROSPERO CRD42022381523). MEDLINE, CINAHL, Emcare, Embase, Cochrane Library and grey literature were searched from earliest records to 18 January 2023.