Publications by authors named "Ushma C Mehta"
Article Synopsis
- Pharmacovigilance (PV) is essential for monitoring medication safety during pregnancy, particularly since clinical trials typically exclude pregnant individuals, and there's a significant lack of safety data in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- A scoping review of 31 PV publications from at least 24 LMICs revealed that most studies focus on the impacts of therapeutic and vaccine exposures related to infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria among pregnant individuals.
- The review categorized outcomes into maternal, birth, and neonatal/infant results, identifying specific relationships, such as the effects of antiretroviral therapies for HIV and antimalarial drugs during pregnancy on adverse outcomes.
Introduction: The mHealth active participant centred (MAPC) adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) surveillance is a promising area for early AEFI detection resulting in risk minimisation. Passive (spontaneous) AEFI surveillance is the backbone for vaccine pharmacovigilance, but has inherent drawbacks of under reporting, and requires strengthening with active surveillance methods.
Aim: The Zimbabwe stimulated telephone assisted rapid safety surveillance (Zm-STARSS) randomised controlled trial (RCT) sought to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of AEFI detection using a short message service (SMS) and computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) approach.
Background: Noma is a rapidly progressing infection of the oral cavity frequently resulting in severe facial disfigurement. We present a case series of noma patients surgically treated in northwest Nigeria.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of routinely collected data (demographics, diagnosis and surgical procedures undergone) and in-person follow-up assessments (anthropometry, mouth opening and quality of life measurements) were conducted with patients who had surgery >6 mo prior to data collection.
Background: In 2013, a pregnancy exposure registry and birth defects surveillance (PER/BDS) system was initiated in eThekwini District, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), to assess the impact of antiretroviral treatment (ART) on birth outcomes.
Objectives: At the end of the first year, we assessed the risk of major congenital malformations (CM) and other adverse birth outcomes (ABOs) detected at birth, in children born to women exposed to ART during pregnancy.
Method: Data were collected from women who delivered at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, Durban, from 07 October 2013 to 06 October 2014, using medicine exposure histories and birth outcomes from maternal interviews, clinical records and neonatal surface examination.