Lyme borreliosis (LB) remains a public health concern in France despite improved patient management and medical care. Stay-at-home restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected participation in outdoor recreational activities and disrupted access to health care services, may have impacted the risk of developing LB. We analyzed data from two general practitioner networks in France (Sentinel Network and an electronic medical records database [EMR]) and the national hospital discharge database to describe LB epidemiology in 2020-2021 and compare it to previous years. Google Trends' search volume was used to evaluate the association between the population's interest in LB and the evolving epidemiology. Annual LB incidence rates in primary care decreased from 104 cases/100,000 population in 2018 to 71/100,000 in 2021 and from 82/100,000 to 60/100,000 according to Sentinel Network and EMR, respectively. Google Trends' search volume for "Lyme" followed a similar trend, one year earlier. Annual hospitalizations were stable from 2012-2019 (1.6/100,000 on average) and declined to 1.3/100,000 in 2020 and 1.1/100,000 in 2021. This decline was observed primarily in adults ( 3.4/100,000 in 2017-2019 to 1.8/100,000 in 2020-2021 for 70-79 years of age). Changes in regional incidence rates in primary care from 2017-2019 to 2020-2021 ranged from -75% to 208%. Hospitalizations decreased in all regions except in Bretagne. The estimated LB incidence decreased in 2020 and 2021 compared with previous years but this change may not be related to COVID-19. The incidence decrease observed in primary care could result from reduced population interest in LB, leading to lower care-seeking behavior. The decrease in LB hospitalizations may be explained by changes in clinical practice. Surveillance systems are critical to understand the evolution of LB epidemiology. However, external factors impacting incidence estimates should be considered.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2024.0006 | DOI Listing |
JMIR Res Protoc
January 2025
INSERM, Methods in Patient-Centered Outcomes and Health Research, SPHERE, F-44000, Nantes Université, University of Tours, Nantes, France.
Background: : With more than 60 million new cases around the world each year, traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes substantial mortality and morbidity. Managing TBI is a major human, social, and economic concern. In the last 20 years, there has been an increase in clinical trials in neurocritical care, leading mostly to negative results.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPediatr Emerg Care
December 2024
Department of Women's Health, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the effect of an emergency department (ED) standardized clinical guideline for adolescent heavy menstrual bleeding on the rate of return ED visits and ED provider history-taking and management of this condition.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients less than 18 years old presenting to a single academic children's hospital ED between 2010 and 2020 with a chief complaint of heavy menstrual bleeding were included.
Noise Health
January 2025
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Background: The effect of background noise on auscultation accuracy for different lung sound classes under standardised conditions, especially at lower to medium levels, remains largely unexplored. This article aims to evaluate the impact of three levels of Gaussian white noise (GWN) on the ability to identify three classes of lung sounds.
Methods And Materials: A pre-post pilot study assessing the impact of GWN on a group of students' ability to identify lung sounds was conducted.
Wounds
December 2024
Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Background: Evidence-based medicine and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are helpful tools in the wound care field, but few studies correlating quality of life (QoL) changes with objective changes exist.
Objective: To investigate the QoL changes following the shift from primary dressings alone to elastic compression bandages in patients with a new diagnosis of vascular skin ulcer, and to evaluate a possible correlation between objective and subjective changes.
Materials And Methods: This study included 122 patients with a new diagnosis of vascular skin ulcer, who had previously used only primary dressings alone.
Background: The Wound Care Collaborative Community (WCCC) assesses shortcomings and unmet needs in wound care by partnering with key stakeholders, such as the National Institutes of Health, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), industry leaders, and expert health care providers and researchers, to advance the study of wound healing. Through this work, the WCCC has identified a few key barriers to innovation in wound care. The WCCC aims to accelerate the development of science-based, patient-centered solutions and address public policy challenges related to ensuring patients receive early access to innovative treatment options.
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