Malaria, Urogenital Schistosomiasis, and Anaemia in Pregnant Ghanaian Women.

Background: Anaemia is common in sub-Saharan Africa, and parasitic infections could worsen its burden during pregnancy. Moreover, women become susceptible to malaria during pregnancy. We investigated () and () infections and determined their association with anaemia during pregnancy.

Proposals of guidance values for surface contamination by antineoplastic drugs based on long term monitoring in Czech and Slovak hospitals and pharmacies.

Introduction: The exposures to hazardous antineoplastic drugs (AD) represent serious risks for health care personnel but the exposure limits are not commonly established because of the no-threshold effects (genotoxic action, carcinogenicity) of many ADs. In this study, we discussed and derived practically applicable technical guidance values (TGV) suitable for management of AD risks.

Methods: The long-term monitoring of surface contamination by eight ADs was performed in pharmacies and hospitals in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic in 2008-2021; in total 2,223 unique samples were collected repeatedly in 48 facilities.

Racial differences in patient-reported outcomes among men treated with radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

Background: Real-world data on racial differences in the side effects of radical prostatectomy on quality of life (QoL) are lacking. We aimed to evaluate differences in patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) among non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) men using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite for Clinical Practice (EPIC-CP) questionnaire to measure health-related QoL after radical prostatectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed prospectively collected PROMs using EPIC-CP scores at a tertiary care center between 2015 and 2021 for men with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy.

Risk of Malnutrition in Adults Who Have Undergone Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Retrospective Study.

Sleeve gastrectomy achieves long-term weight control by reducing gastric volume. However, postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms and insufficient nutritional intake are likely to occur, which are not conducive to physical health. A retrospective study aimed to investigate changes in nutritional status and associated factors in patients after sleeve gastrectomy.

Association Among Race, Ethnicity, Insurance Type, and Postpartum Permanent Contraception Fulfillment.

Objective: To evaluate the association among race, ethnicity, insurance type, and fulfillment of permanent contraception requests.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort of patients who delivered at 20 or more gestational weeks in a 2-year time period at four hospitals across the United States: University of California San Francisco, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, and University of Alabama at Birmingham. All patients included had permanent contraception documented as their postpartum contraceptive plan.

Phase 3 CLEAR study in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: outcomes in subgroups for the lenvatinib-plus-pembrolizumab and sunitinib arms.

Introduction: The phase 3 CLEAR study demonstrated that lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab significantly improved efficacy versus sunitinib as first-line treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Prognostic features including presence and/or site of baseline metastases, prior nephrectomy, and sarcomatoid features have been associated with disease and treatment success. This subsequent analysis explores outcomes in patients with or without specific prognostic features.

Evaluating circulating soluble markers of endothelial dysfunction and risk factors associated with PE: A multicentre longitudinal case control study in northern Ghana.

Serpin E1/PAI-1, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTpro-BNP) and neuropilin-1 are markers which have been associated with endothelial dysfunction. However, data on the levels of these markers in PE is limited. The limited data on the pathophysiology of PE in relation to these markers necessitated the study.

Development and validation of osteoporosis risk assessment score in patients with heart failure: comparison with the osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians.

Aims: Osteoporosis is prevalent and is associated with poor prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF). However, bone mineral density measurement by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan is not always available in a daily clinical setting or large-scale population-based studies.

Methods And Results: A single-centre, cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 387 patients [median age: 77 years (interquartile range: 68-83 years); 37% women].

Urinogenital schistosomiasis knowledge, attitude, practices, and its clinical correlates among communities along water bodies in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District, Ghana.

Background: Adequate knowledge and proper practices coupled with knowledge of the burden of disease are necessary for the eradication of Schistosoma infection. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) as well as health outcomes related to Schistosoma haematobium infection at Kwahu Afram Plains North District (KAPND).

Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was carried out among 140 participants from four local communities in KAPND in August 2021.

Identifying optimal ranges of weight gain at the end of the second trimester result from a population-based cohort study.

Objective: To identify the optimal weight gain at the end of the second trimester.

Design: This was a population-based cohort study from the antenatal care system in Tianjin, China. We calculated gestational weight gain (GWG) based on the weight measured in the first trimester and the end of the second trimester.

The prevalence and economic burden of treatment-resistant depression in Thailand.

Background: The objectives of this study were to investigate the proportion of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) among patients with diagnosed major depressive disorder (MDD) and undergoing antidepressant treatment, to estimate the economic cost of MDD, TRD, and non-treatment-resistant depression (non-TRD), and to examine the differences between TRD and non-TRD MDD in a Thai public tertiary hospital.

Methods: This was a combined study between retrospective review of medical records and a cross-sectional survey. The sample size was 500 dyads of antidepressant-treated MDD patients and their unpaid caregivers.

General Anesthetic Care of Obese Patients Undergoing Surgery: A Review of Current Anesthetic Considerations and Recent Advances.

Obesity has long been linked to adverse health effects over time. As the prevalence of obesity continues to rise, it is important to anticipate and minimize the complications that obesity brings in the anesthesia setting during surgery. Anesthetic departments must recognize the innumerable risks when managing patients with obesity undergoing surgery, including anatomical and physiological changes as well as comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and malignancies.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Dyslipidemia Among People Living with HIV/AIDS on Follow-Up Care at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Despite its importance as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia remains poorly characterized in the African population.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with dyslipidemia in people with HIV/AIDS in follow-up at Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Materials And Methods: A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated the charts of 288 people living with HIV/AIDS who had received Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment for at least six months at Zewditu Memorial Hospital from July to September 2021.

Factors associated with insomnia symptoms over three years among premenopausal women with breast cancer.

Purpose: We examined longitudinal trends and factors associated with insomnia over 3 years in a cohort of young breast cancer patients.

Methods: Women with stage I-III breast cancer at ≤ 45 years were recruited at five institutions from New York, Texas, and North Carolina, within 8 months of diagnosis (n = 836). Participants completed questionnaires every 6 months for 3 years.

Core Warming of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation: A Pilot Study.

Fever is a recognized protective factor in patients with sepsis, and growing data suggest beneficial effects on outcomes in sepsis with elevated temperature, with a recent pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) showing lower mortality by warming afebrile sepsis patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The objective of this prospective single-site RCT was to determine if core warming improves respiratory physiology of mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), allowing earlier weaning from ventilation, and greater overall survival. A total of 19 patients with mean age of 60.

The First Exploratory Personalized Medicine Approach to Improve Bariatric Surgery Outcomes Utilizing Psychosocial and Genetic Risk Assessments: Encouraging Clinical Research.

It is predicted that by 2030, globally, an estimated 2.16 billion adults will be overweight, and 1.12 billion will be obese.

A Social Care System Implemented in Pediatric Primary Care: A Cluster RCT.

Objectives: To assess the implementation and effectiveness of the augmented WE CARE social care system on low-income children's health care utilization and child maltreatment outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized controlled trial at 6 community health centers. Full-term infants were followed from birth to age 3.

Coverage for Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Treated with Nonintensive Therapies: An Evidence-Based Approach to Policymaking.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the clinical benefits of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) who are treated with intensive insulin regimens. Based on this evidence, CGM is now a standard of care for individuals within these diabetes populations and widely covered by commercial and public insurers. Moreover, recent clinical guidelines from the American Diabetes Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinology now endorse CGM use in individuals treated with nonintensive insulin regimens.

Factors Affecting Psychosocial Adjustment in Persons With a Recent Ostomy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the influence of personal and clinical factors on psychosocial adjustment in persons living with an ostomy for less than 1 year.

Design: A cross-sectional survey.

Subjects And Setting: The study sample comprised 183 adult individuals who had a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy for less than 1 year, residing in the Northeastern United States.

Practical considerations for accurate determination of free thyroxine by equilibrium dialysis.

Background: Free thyroxine (FT4) measurement is one of the most requested tests in patient care for diagnosing and treating thyroid-related illnesses. Equilibrium dialysis (ED) is considered the "gold standard" for FT4 measurement; however, several factors have a profound effect on the reliability of FT4 assays and require special consideration.

Methods: In the current study, we focused on evaluating critical factors that could contribute to reporting errors, such as adsorption of thyroxine (T4) to labware surfaces, stability of serum samples, stock solutions, and calibrator storage conditions, as well as the solvents used to prepare T4 solutions.