Publications by authors named "Ruth Mabel Castillo"
Article Synopsis
- - This study evaluated the effectiveness of standard treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural Colombia, using a community-based approach and the Guaral+ST mobile health app to assist in patient care and data collection from January 2018 to September 2021.
- - A total of 231 participants received varous antileishmanial treatments, with cure rates at 90 to 180 days being: 86.3% for miltefosine, 77.6% for meglumine antimoniate, and 73.1% for pentamidine; adverse drug reactions were noted in 32% of patients.
- - Findings indicate that standard treatments are effective in rural endemic areas, and that mobile health
Sensitivity and Specificity of the Remote Evaluation of Therapeutic Response in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Using Photographs from a Mobile Application.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
July 2022
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) primarily affects people in remote settings with limited access to health services. mHealth tools offer an opportunity to overcome knowledge gaps about clinical response to treatment. We evaluated the validity of the Guaral+ST mobile application for the remote assessment of therapeutic response in patients with CL, through photographs of lesions captured with the app by community health volunteers.
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- * Conducted in Tumaco, Colombia, the study evaluated the test's performance using samples from 118 patients and compared it against established diagnostic methods, finding good sensitivity (75%-87%) and specificity (86%-89%).
- * The findings suggest that RPA-LF is feasible for use in resource-limited settings, allowing community health workers to effectively identify and manage leishmaniasis cases, ultimately reducing disease burden.
Background: Detection and management of neglected tropical diseases such as cutaneous leishmaniasis present unmet challenges stemming from their prevalence in remote, rural, resource constrained areas having limited access to health services. These challenges are frequently compounded by armed conflict or illicit extractive industries. The use of mobile health technologies has shown promise in such settings, yet data on outcomes in the field remain scarce.
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