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Hermans LE, Centner CM, Morel CM, Mbamalu O, Bonaconsa C, Ferreyra C, Lindahl O, Mendelson M. Point-of-care diagnostics for infection and antimicrobial resistance in sub-Saharan Africa: A narrative review. Int J Infect Dis 2024; 142:106907. [PMID: 38141961 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries are severely impacted by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Due to gaps in access to diagnostics in SSA, the true extent of AMR remains unknown. This diagnostic gap affects patient management and leads to significant antimicrobial overuse. This review explores how point-of-care (POC) testing for pathogen identification and AMR may be used to close the diagnostic gap in SSA countries. METHODS A narrative review exploring current clinical practice and novel developments in the field of POC testing for infectious diseases and AMR. RESULTS POC assays for identification of various pathogens have been successfully rolled out in SSA countries. While implementation studies have mostly highlighted impressive test performance of POC assays, there is limited data on the impact of implementation on clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness. We did not encounter local studies of host-directed POC assays relevant to AMR. Novel POC assays using real-time polymerase chain reaction, isothermal amplification, microfluidics, and other technologies are in various stages of development. CONCLUSIONS Available literature shows that POC testing for AMR applications is implementable in SSA and holds the potential to reduce the diagnostic gap. Implementation will require effective regulatory pathways, incorporation of POC testing in clinical and laboratory guidelines, and adequate value capture in existing health financing models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Etienne Hermans
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Chad M Centner
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chantal M Morel
- Department of Business Studies, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, Bonn University Hospital, Bonn, Germany; University of Bern, KPM Center for Public Management, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Oluchi Mbamalu
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Candice Bonaconsa
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Cecilia Ferreyra
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olof Lindahl
- Department of Business Studies, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marc Mendelson
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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2
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Gomes C, Varo R, Duran-Frigola M, Sitoe A, Bila R, Machevo S, Mayor A, Bassat Q, Rodriguez A. Endothelial transcriptomic analysis identifies biomarkers of severe and cerebral malaria. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e172845. [PMID: 37788095 PMCID: PMC10721316 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.172845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria can quickly progress from an uncomplicated infection into a life-threatening severe disease. However, the unspecificity of early symptoms often makes it difficult to identify patients at high risk of developing severe disease. Additionally, one of the most feared malaria complications - cerebral malaria - is challenging to diagnose, often resulting in treatment delays that can lead to adverse outcomes. To identify candidate biomarkers for the prognosis and/or diagnosis of severe and cerebral malaria, we have analyzed the transcriptomic response of human brain microvascular endothelial cells to erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium falciparum. Candidates were validated in plasma samples from a cohort of pediatric patients with malaria from Mozambique, resulting in the identification of several markers with capacity to distinguish uncomplicated from severe malaria, the most potent being the metallopeptidase ADAMTS18. Two other biomarkers, Angiopoietin-like-4 and Inhibin-βE were able to differentiate children with cerebral malaria within the severe malaria group, showing increased sensitivity after combination in a biomarker signature. The validation of the predicted candidate biomarkers in plasma of children with severe and cerebral malaria underscores the power of this transcriptomic approach and indicates that a specific endothelial response to P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes is linked to the pathophysiology of severe malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Gomes
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Rosauro Varo
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic — University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Antonio Sitoe
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Rubão Bila
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Sonia Machevo
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic — University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
- Spanish Consortium for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Physiologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic — University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
- Spanish Consortium for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain
- Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Rodriguez
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
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3
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Bressan CDS, Teixeira MDLB, Gouvêa MIFDS, de Pina-Costa A, Santos HFP, Calvet GA, Lupi O, Siqueira AM, Valls-de-Souza R, Valim C, Brasil P. Challenges of acute febrile illness diagnosis in a national infectious diseases center in Rio de Janeiro: 16-year experience of syndromic surveillance. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011232. [PMID: 37011087 PMCID: PMC10101631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute febrile illnesses (AFI) are a frequent chief complaint in outpatients. Because the capacity to investigate the causative pathogen of AFIs is limited in low- and middle-income countries, patient management may be suboptimal. Understanding the distribution of causes of AFI can improve patient outcomes. This study aims to describe the most common etiologies diagnosed over a 16-years period in a national reference center for tropical diseases in a large urban center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS From August 2004-December 2019, 3591 patients > 12 years old, with AFI and/or rash were eligible. Complementary exams for etiological investigation were requested using syndromic classification as a decision guide. Results. Among the 3591 patients included, endemic arboviruses such as chikungunya (21%), dengue (15%) and zika (6%) were the most common laboratory-confirmed diagnosis, together with travel-related malaria (11%). Clinical presumptive diagnosis lacked sensitivity for emerging diseases such as zika (31%). Rickettsia disease and leptospirosis were rarely investigated and an infrequent finding when based purely on clinical features. Respiratory symptoms increased the odds for the diagnostic remaining inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS Numerous patients did not have a conclusive etiologic diagnosis. Since syndromic classification used for standardization of etiological investigation and presumptive clinical diagnosis had moderate accuracy, it is necessary to incorporate new diagnostic technologies to improve diagnostic accuracy and surveillance capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria de Lourdes Benamor Teixeira
- Laboratory of Epidemiology Research and Social Determinants of Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Anielle de Pina-Costa
- Acute Febrile Illnesses Service, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Guilherme Amaral Calvet
- Acute Febrile Illnesses Service, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Otilia Lupi
- Acute Febrile Illnesses Service, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Andre Machado Siqueira
- Acute Febrile Illnesses Service, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rogério Valls-de-Souza
- Acute Febrile Illnesses Service, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Clarissa Valim
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Patrícia Brasil
- Acute Febrile Illnesses Service, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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4
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Stefanova V, Ngai M, Weckman AM, Wright JK, Zhong K, Richard-Greenblatt M, McDonald CR, Conroy AL, Namasopo S, Opoka RO, Hawkes M, Kain KC. Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor as a Prognostic Marker of Ugandan Children at Risk of Severe and Fatal Malaria. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 76:e1079-e1086. [PMID: 35675322 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current malaria diagnostic tests do not reliably identify children at risk of severe and fatal infection. Host immune and endothelial activation contribute to malaria pathogenesis. Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a marker of these pathways. We hypothesized that measuring suPAR at presentation could risk-stratify children with malaria. METHODS Plasma suPAR levels were determined in consecutive febrile children with malaria at presentation to hospital in Jinja, Uganda. We evaluated the accuracy of suPAR in predicting in-hospital mortality, and whether suPAR could improve a validated clinical scoring system (Lambaréné Organ Dysfunction Score [LODS]). RESULTS Of the 1226 children with malaria, 39 (3.2%) died. suPAR concentrations at presentation were significantly higher in children who went on to die than in those who survived (P < .0001). suPAR levels were associated with disease severity (LODS: 0 vs 1, P = .001; 1 vs 2, P < .001; 2 vs 3, 0 vs 2, 1 vs 3, and 0 vs 3, P < .0001). suPAR concentrations were excellent predictors of in-hospital mortality (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC], 0.92 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .91-.94]). The prognostic accuracy of LODS (AUROC, 0.93 [95% CI, .91-.94]) was improved when suPAR was added (AUROC, 0.97 [95% CI, .96-.98]; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS Measuring suPAR at presentation can identify children at risk of severe and fatal malaria. Adding suPAR to clinical scores could improve the recognition and triage of children at risk of death. suPAR can be detected with a point-of-care test and can now be evaluated in prospective trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veselina Stefanova
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Ngai
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea M Weckman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julie K Wright
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kathleen Zhong
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melissa Richard-Greenblatt
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Public Health Ontario Laboratory, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chloe R McDonald
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Sophie Namasopo
- Department of Pediatrics, Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, Jinja, Uganda
| | | | | | - Kevin C Kain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Tan R, Cobuccio L, Beynon F, Levine GA, Vaezipour N, Luwanda LB, Mangu C, Vonlanthen A, De Santis O, Salim N, Manji K, Naburi H, Chirande L, Matata L, Bulongeleje M, Moshiro R, Miheso A, Arimi P, Ndiaye O, Faye M, Thiongane A, Awasthi S, Sharma K, Kumar G, Van De Maat J, Kulinkina A, Rwandarwacu V, Dusengumuremyi T, Nkuranga JB, Rusingiza E, Tuyisenge L, Hartley MA, Faivre V, Thabard J, Keitel K, D’Acremont V. ePOCT+ and the medAL-suite: Development of an electronic clinical decision support algorithm and digital platform for pediatric outpatients in low- and middle-income countries. PLOS DIGITAL HEALTH 2023; 2:e0000170. [PMID: 36812607 PMCID: PMC9931356 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Electronic clinical decision support algorithms (CDSAs) have been developed to address high childhood mortality and inappropriate antibiotic prescription by helping clinicians adhere to guidelines. Previously identified challenges of CDSAs include their limited scope, usability, and outdated clinical content. To address these challenges we developed ePOCT+, a CDSA for the care of pediatric outpatients in low- and middle-income settings, and the medical algorithm suite (medAL-suite), a software for the creation and execution of CDSAs. Following the principles of digital development, we aim to describe the process and lessons learnt from the development of ePOCT+ and the medAL-suite. In particular, this work outlines the systematic integrative development process in the design and implementation of these tools required to meet the needs of clinicians to improve uptake and quality of care. We considered the feasibility, acceptability and reliability of clinical signs and symptoms, as well as the diagnostic and prognostic performance of predictors. To assure clinical validity, and appropriateness for the country of implementation the algorithm underwent numerous reviews by clinical experts and health authorities from the implementing countries. The digitalization process involved the creation of medAL-creator, a digital platform which allows clinicians without IT programming skills to easily create the algorithms, and medAL-reader the mobile health (mHealth) application used by clinicians during the consultation. Extensive feasibility tests were done with feedback from end-users of multiple countries to improve the clinical algorithm and medAL-reader software. We hope that the development framework used for developing ePOCT+ will help support the development of other CDSAs, and that the open-source medAL-suite will enable others to easily and independently implement them. Further clinical validation studies are underway in Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, and India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Tan
- Digital and Global Health Unit, Unisanté, Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Ludovico Cobuccio
- Digital and Global Health Unit, Unisanté, Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fenella Beynon
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gillian A. Levine
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nina Vaezipour
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Chacha Mangu
- National Institute of Medical Research–Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Alan Vonlanthen
- Information Technology & Digital Transformation sector, Unisanté, Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olga De Santis
- Digital and Global Health Unit, Unisanté, Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nahya Salim
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Karim Manji
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Helga Naburi
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Lulu Chirande
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Lena Matata
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Robert Moshiro
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | | | - Peter Arimi
- College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Ousmane Ndiaye
- Department of Pediatrics, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Moctar Faye
- Department of Pediatrics, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Aliou Thiongane
- Department of Pediatrics, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Shally Awasthi
- Department of Pediatrics, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, India
| | | | - Gaurav Kumar
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Josephine Van De Maat
- Radboudumc, Department of Internal Medicine and Radboudumc Center for Infectious Diseases, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Alexandra Kulinkina
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Victor Rwandarwacu
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Théophile Dusengumuremyi
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Emmanuel Rusingiza
- University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | | | - Mary-Anne Hartley
- Intelligent Global Health, Machine Learning and Optimization Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Faivre
- Information Technology & Digital Transformation sector, Unisanté, Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Thabard
- Information Technology & Digital Transformation sector, Unisanté, Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kristina Keitel
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Paediatric Emergency Department, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Berne, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Valérie D’Acremont
- Digital and Global Health Unit, Unisanté, Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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6
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Stefanova V, Crowley VM, Weckman AM, Kain KC. suPAR to Risk-Stratify Patients With Malaria. Front Immunol 2022; 13:931321. [PMID: 35757694 PMCID: PMC9226448 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.931321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe malaria (SM) is a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, particularly in children in sub-Saharan Africa. However, existing malaria diagnostic tests do not reliably identify children at risk of severe and fatal outcomes. Dysregulated host immune and endothelial activation contributes to the pathogenesis of SM. Current research suggests that measuring markers of these pathways at presentation may have clinical utility as prognostic indicators of disease progression and risk of death. In this review, we focus on the available evidence implicating soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) as a novel and early predictor of severe and fatal malaria and discuss its potential utility for malaria triage and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veselina Stefanova
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Valerie M Crowley
- Sandra A. Rotman (SAR) Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea M Weckman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sandra A. Rotman (SAR) Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kevin C Kain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sandra A. Rotman (SAR) Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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7
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Chandna A, Chew R, Shwe Nwe Htun N, Peto TJ, Zhang M, Liverani M, Brummaier T, Phommasone K, Perrone C, Pyae Phyo A, Sattabongkot J, Roobsoong W, Nguitragool W, Sen A, Ibna Zaman S, Sandar Zaw A, Batty E, Waithira N, Abdad MY, Blacksell SD, Bodhidatta L, Callery JJ, Fagnark W, Huangsuranun W, Islam S, Lertcharoenchoke S, Lohavittayavikant S, Mukaka M, Moul V, Kumer Neogi A, Nedsuwan S, Pongvongsa T, Ponsap P, Richard-Greenblatt M, Schilling WH, Thaipadungpanit J, Tripura R, Dondorp AM, Mayxay M, White NJ, Nosten F, Smithuis F, Ashley EA, Maude RJ, Day NP, Lubell Y. Defining the burden of febrile illness in rural South and Southeast Asia: an open letter to announce the launch of the Rural Febrile Illness project. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 6:64. [PMID: 34017924 PMCID: PMC8080974 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16393.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In rural areas of South and Southeast Asia malaria is declining but febrile illnesses still account for substantial morbidity and mortality. Village health workers (VHWs) are often the first point of contact with the formal health system, and for patients with febrile illnesses they can provide early diagnosis and treatment of malaria. However, for the majority of febrile patients, VHWs lack the training, support and resources to provide further care. Consequently, treatable bacterial illnesses are missed, antibiotics are overused and poorly targeted, and patient attendance wanes along with declining malaria. This
Open Letter announces the start of a new initiative, the Rural Febrile Illness (RFI) project, the first in a series of projects to be implemented as part of the South and Southeast Asian Community-based Trials Network (SEACTN) research programme. This multi-country, multi-site project will run in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Myanmar. It will define the epidemiological baseline of febrile illness in nine remote and underserved areas of Asia where malaria endemicity is declining and access to health services is limited. The RFI project aims to determine the incidence, causes and outcomes of febrile illness; understand the opportunities, barriers and appetite for adjustment of the role of VHWs to include management of non-malarial febrile illnesses; and establish a network of community healthcare providers and facilities capable of implementing interventions designed to triage, diagnose and treat patients presenting with febrile illnesses within these communities in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Chandna
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Cambodia Oxford Medical Research Unit, Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Cambodia
| | - Rusheng Chew
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nan Shwe Nwe Htun
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thomas J. Peto
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Meiwen Zhang
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Marco Liverani
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tobias Brummaier
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Koukeo Phommasone
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Carlo Perrone
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Aung Pyae Phyo
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Aninda Sen
- Communicable Diseases Programme, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sazid Ibna Zaman
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Elizabeth Batty
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Naomi Waithira
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mohammad Yazid Abdad
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Stuart D. Blacksell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ladaporn Bodhidatta
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - James J. Callery
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Watcharintorn Fagnark
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Witchayoot Huangsuranun
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Shayla Islam
- Communicable Diseases Programme, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sanchai Lertcharoenchoke
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Salisa Lohavittayavikant
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Vanna Moul
- Communicable Diseases Programme, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Tiengkham Pongvongsa
- Savannakhet Provincial Health Department, Savannakhet, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Pimsiri Ponsap
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - William H.K. Schilling
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Janjira Thaipadungpanit
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rupam Tripura
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Arjen M. Dondorp
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mayfong Mayxay
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Institute of Research and Education Development, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Nicholas J. White
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - François Nosten
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Frank Smithuis
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Elizabeth A. Ashley
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Richard J. Maude
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA
- The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Nicholas P.J. Day
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Yoel Lubell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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8
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Taremwa IM, Ashaba S, Kyarisiima R, Ayebazibwe C, Ninsiima R, Mattison C. Treatment-seeking and uptake of malaria prevention strategies among pregnant women and caregivers of children under-five years during COVID-19 pandemic in rural communities in South West Uganda: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:373. [PMID: 35189865 PMCID: PMC8860364 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12771-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite efforts to avert the negative effects of malaria, there remain barriers to the uptake of prevention measures, and these have hindered its eradication. This study explored the factors that influence uptake of malaria prevention strategies among pregnant women and children under-five years and the impact of COVID-19 in a malaria endemic rural district in Uganda. Methods This was a qualitative case study that used focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews involving pregnant women, caregivers of children under-five years, traditional birth attendants, village health teams, local leaders, and healthcare providers to explore malaria prevention uptake among pregnant women and children under-five years. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and data were analyzed using thematic content approach. Results Seventy-two participants were enrolled in the Focus Group Discussions, 12 in the in-depth interviews, and 2 as key informants. Pregnant women and caregivers of children under-five years were able to recognize causes of malaria, transmission, and symptoms. All participants viewed malaria prevention as a high priority, and the use of insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets (ITNs) was upheld. Participants' own experiences indicated adverse effects of malaria to both pregnant women and children under-five. Home medication and the use of local herbs were a common practice. Some participants didn’t use any of the malaria prevention methods due to deliberate refusal, perceived negative effects of the ITNs, and family disparity. The Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) control measures did not abate the risk of malaria infection but these were deleterious to healthcare access and the focus of malaria prevention. Conclusions Although pregnant women and caregivers of children under-five years recognized symptoms of malaria infection, healthcare-seeking was not apt as some respondents used alternative approaches and delayed seeking formal healthcare. It is imperative to focus on the promotion of malaria prevention strategies and address drawbacks associated with misconceptions about these interventions, and promotion of health-seeking behaviors. As COVID-19 exacerbated the effect of malaria prevention uptake and healthcare seeking, it’s critical to recommit and integrate COVID-19 prevention measures in normative living and restrict future barriers to healthcare access. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-12771-3.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scholastic Ashaba
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Rose Kyarisiima
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda
| | | | - Ruth Ninsiima
- Rwamanja Refugee Settlement, Kamwenge District, Uganda
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9
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Chandna A, Shwe Nwe Htun N, Peto TJ, Liverani M, Brummaier T, Phommasone K, Ibna Zaman S, Sandar Zaw A, Batty E, Waithira N, Richard-Greenblatt M, Blacksell SD, Bodhidatta L, Callery JJ, Fagnark W, Islam S, Lertcharoenchoke S, Mukaka M, Pongvongsa T, Schilling WH, Thaipadungpanit J, Tripura R, Dondorp AM, Mayxay M, White NJ, Nosten F, Smithuis F, Ashley EA, Maude RJ, Day NP, Lubell Y. Defining the burden of febrile illness in rural South and Southeast Asia: an open letter to announce the launch of the Rural Febrile Illness project. Wellcome Open Res 2021; 6:64. [PMID: 34017924 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16393.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In rural areas of South and Southeast Asia malaria is declining but febrile illnesses still account for substantial morbidity and mortality. Village health workers (VHWs) are often the first point of contact with the formal health system, and for patients with febrile illnesses they can provide early diagnosis and treatment of malaria. However, for the majority of febrile patients, VHWs lack the training, support and resources to provide further care. Consequently, treatable bacterial illnesses are missed, antibiotics are overused and poorly targeted, and patient attendance wanes along with declining malaria. This Open Letter announces the start of a new initiative, the Rural Febrile Illness (RFI) project, the first in a series of projects to be implemented as part of the South and Southeast Asian Community-based Trials Network (SEACTN) research programme. This multi-country, multi-site project will begin in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar and will define the epidemiological baseline of febrile illness in five remote and underserved areas of Asia where malaria endemicity is declining and access to health services is limited. The RFI project aims to determine the incidence, causes and outcomes of febrile illness; understand the opportunities, barriers and appetite for adjustment of the role of VHWs to include management of non-malarial febrile illnesses; and establish a network of community healthcare providers and facilities capable of implementing interventions designed to triage, diagnose and treat patients presenting with febrile illnesses within these communities in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Chandna
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Cambodia Oxford Medical Research Unit, Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Cambodia
| | - Nan Shwe Nwe Htun
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thomas J Peto
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Marco Liverani
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tobias Brummaier
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Koukeo Phommasone
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Sazid Ibna Zaman
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Elizabeth Batty
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Naomi Waithira
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Stuart D Blacksell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ladaporn Bodhidatta
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - James J Callery
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Watcharintorn Fagnark
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Shayla Islam
- Health Nutrition and Population Programme, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sanchai Lertcharoenchoke
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mavuto Mukaka
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tiengkham Pongvongsa
- Savannakhet Provincial Health Department, Savannakhet, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - William Hk Schilling
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Janjira Thaipadungpanit
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rupam Tripura
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mayfong Mayxay
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic.,Institute of Research and Education Development, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Nicholas J White
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Francois Nosten
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Frank Smithuis
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Elizabeth A Ashley
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Richard J Maude
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA.,The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Nicholas Pj Day
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Yoel Lubell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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10
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Chandna A, Aderie EM, Ahmad R, Arguni E, Ashley EA, Cope T, Dat VQ, Day NPJ, Dondorp AM, Illanes V, De Jesus J, Jimenez C, Kain K, Suy K, Koshiaris C, Lasry E, Mayxay M, Mondal D, Perera R, Pongvongsa T, Rattanavong S, Rekart M, Richard-Greenblatt M, Shomik M, Souvannasing P, Tallo V, Turner C, Turner P, Waithira N, Watson JA, Yosia M, Burza S, Lubell Y. Prediction of disease severity in young children presenting with acute febrile illness in resource-limited settings: a protocol for a prospective observational study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e045826. [PMID: 33495264 PMCID: PMC7839891 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In rural and difficult-to-access settings, early and accurate recognition of febrile children at risk of progressing to serious illness could contribute to improved patient outcomes and better resource allocation. This study aims to develop a prognostic clinical prediction tool to assist community healthcare providers identify febrile children who might benefit from referral or admission for facility-based medical care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This prospective observational study will recruit at least 4900 paediatric inpatients and outpatients under the age of 5 years presenting with an acute febrile illness to seven hospitals in six countries across Asia. A venous blood sample and nasopharyngeal swab is collected from each participant and detailed clinical data recorded at presentation, and each day for the first 48 hours of admission for inpatients. Multianalyte assays are performed at reference laboratories to measure a panel of host biomarkers, as well as targeted aetiological investigations for common bacterial and viral pathogens. Clinical outcome is ascertained on day 2 and day 28.Presenting syndromes, clinical outcomes and aetiology of acute febrile illness will be described and compared across sites. Following the latest guidance in prediction model building, a prognostic clinical prediction model, combining simple clinical features and measurements of host biomarkers, will be derived and geographically externally validated. The performance of the model will be evaluated in specific presenting clinical syndromes and fever aetiologies. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study has received approval from all relevant international, national and institutional ethics committees. Written informed consent is provided by the caretaker of all participants. Results will be shared with local and national stakeholders, and disseminated via peer-reviewed open-access journals and scientific meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT04285021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Chandna
- Angkor Hospital for Children, Cambodia Oxford Medical Research Unit, Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Endashaw M Aderie
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Riris Ahmad
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakart, Indonesia
| | - Eggi Arguni
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakart, Indonesia
| | - Elizabeth A Ashley
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Microbiology Department, Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Vientiane, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Tanya Cope
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Nicholas P J Day
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Victor Illanes
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joanne De Jesus
- Clinical Trials, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
| | - Carolina Jimenez
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kevin Kain
- Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Keang Suy
- Angkor Hospital for Children, Cambodia Oxford Medical Research Unit, Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Cambodia
| | | | - Estrella Lasry
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mayfong Mayxay
- Microbiology Department, Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Vientiane, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Dinesh Mondal
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Security (CNFS), icddr,b, Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rafael Perera
- Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tiengkham Pongvongsa
- Microbiology Department, Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Vientiane, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Savannakhet Provincial Health Department, Savannakhet, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Sayaphet Rattanavong
- Microbiology Department, Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Vientiane, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Michael Rekart
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mohammad Shomik
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Security (CNFS), icddr,b, Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Veronica Tallo
- Clinical Trials, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
| | - Claudia Turner
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Cambodia
| | - Paul Turner
- Angkor Hospital for Children, Cambodia Oxford Medical Research Unit, Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Naomi Waithira
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - James A Watson
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mikhael Yosia
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sakib Burza
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yoel Lubell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
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11
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Richard-Greenblatt M, Boillat-Blanco N, Zhong K, Mbarack Z, Samaka J, Mlaganile T, Kazimoto T, D'acremont V, Kain KC. Prognostic Accuracy of Soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells (sTREM-1)-based Algorithms in Febrile Adults Presenting to Tanzanian Outpatient Clinics. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 70:1304-1312. [PMID: 31102510 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The inability to identify individuals with acute fever at risk of death is a barrier to effective triage and management of severe infections, especially in low-resource settings. Since endothelial and immune activation contribute to the pathogenesis of various distinct life-threatening infections, we hypothesized that measuring mediators of these pathways at clinical presentation would identify febrile adults at risk of death. METHODS Plasma concentrations of markers of endothelial (angiopoetin-1/2, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1) and immune (soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells [sTREM-1], interleukin-6, interleukin-8, chitinase-3-like protein-1, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1, procalcitonin [PCT], C-reactive protein [CRP]) activation pathways were determined in consecutive adults with acute fever (≥38°C) at presentation to outpatient clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We evaluated the accuracy of these mediators in predicting all-cause mortality and examined whether markers could improve the prognostic accuracy of clinical scoring systems, including the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and Glasgow coma scale (GCS). RESULTS Of 507 febrile adults, 32 died (6.3%) within 28 days of presentation. We found that sTREM-1 was the best prognostic marker for 28-day mortality (area under the receiver operating characteristic [AUROC] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81-0.92) and was significantly better than CRP (P < .0001) and PCT (P = .0001). The prognostic accuracy of qSOFA and the GCS were significantly enhanced when sTREM-1 was added (0.80 [95% CI 0.76-0.83] to 0.91 [95% CI 0.88-0.94; P < .05] and 0.72 [95% CI 0.63-0.80] to 0.94 [95% CI 0.91-0.97; P < .05], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Measuring sTREM-1 at clinical presentation can identify febrile individuals at risk of all-cause febrile mortality. Adding severity markers such as sTREM-1 to simple clinical scores could improve the recognition and triage of patients with life-threatening infections in resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kathleen Zhong
- Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Canada
| | - Zainab Mbarack
- Mwananyamala Hospita, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzanial
| | - Josephine Samaka
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Tarsis Mlaganile
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Thekla Kazimoto
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Valerie D'acremont
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel.,University Centre of General Medicine and Public Health, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kevin C Kain
- Tropical Disease Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Canada
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12
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Chandna A, Tan R, Carter M, Van Den Bruel A, Verbakel J, Koshiaris C, Salim N, Lubell Y, Turner P, Keitel K. Predictors of disease severity in children presenting from the community with febrile illnesses: a systematic review of prognostic studies. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:e003451. [PMID: 33472837 PMCID: PMC7818824 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Early identification of children at risk of severe febrile illness can optimise referral, admission and treatment decisions, particularly in resource-limited settings. We aimed to identify prognostic clinical and laboratory factors that predict progression to severe disease in febrile children presenting from the community. METHODS We systematically reviewed publications retrieved from MEDLINE, Web of Science and Embase between 31 May 1999 and 30 April 2020, supplemented by hand search of reference lists and consultation with an expert Technical Advisory Panel. Studies evaluating prognostic factors or clinical prediction models in children presenting from the community with febrile illnesses were eligible. The primary outcome was any objective measure of disease severity ascertained within 30 days of enrolment. We calculated unadjusted likelihood ratios (LRs) for comparison of prognostic factors, and compared clinical prediction models using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). Risk of bias and applicability of studies were assessed using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool and the Quality In Prognosis Studies tool. RESULTS Of 5949 articles identified, 18 studies evaluating 200 prognostic factors and 25 clinical prediction models in 24 530 children were included. Heterogeneity between studies precluded formal meta-analysis. Malnutrition (positive LR range 1.56-11.13), hypoxia (2.10-8.11), altered consciousness (1.24-14.02), and markers of acidosis (1.36-7.71) and poor peripheral perfusion (1.78-17.38) were the most common predictors of severe disease. Clinical prediction model performance varied widely (AUROC range 0.49-0.97). Concerns regarding applicability were identified and most studies were at high risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS Few studies address this important public health question. We identified prognostic factors from a wide range of geographic contexts that can help clinicians assess febrile children at risk of progressing to severe disease. Multicentre studies that include outpatients are required to explore generalisability and develop data-driven tools to support patient prioritisation and triage at the community level. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42019140542.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Chandna
- Cambodia-Oxford Medical Research Unit, Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rainer Tan
- Unisanté Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
| | - Michael Carter
- Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ann Van Den Bruel
- Academic Centre of General Practice, University of Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Jan Verbakel
- Academic Centre of General Practice, University of Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Nahya Salim
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Yoel Lubell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Paul Turner
- Cambodia-Oxford Medical Research Unit, Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kristina Keitel
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Inselpital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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13
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Bassat Q. The Perks of Prognostic Biomarkers: A Paradigm Shift in the Triage of Sick Febrile Patients. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 70:1313-1315. [PMID: 31102517 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Quique Bassat
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats.,Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Buss I, Genton B, D'Acremont V. Aetiology of fever in returning travellers and migrants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Travel Med 2020; 27:5955503. [PMID: 33146395 PMCID: PMC7665639 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taaa207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous publications focus on fever in returning travellers, but there is no known systematic review considering all diseases, or all tropical diseases causing fever. Such a review is necessary in order to develop appropriate practice guidelines. OBJECTIVES Primary objectives of this review were (i) to determine the aetiology of fever in travellers/migrants returning from (sub) tropical countries as well as the proportion of patients with specific diagnoses, and (ii) to assess the predictors for specific tropical diseases. METHOD Embase, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were searched with terms combining fever and travel/migrants. All studies focusing on causes of fever in returning travellers and/or clinical and laboratory predictors of tropical diseases were included. Meta-analyses were performed on frequencies of etiological diagnoses. RESULTS 10 064 studies were identified; 541 underwent full-text review; 30 met criteria for data extraction. Tropical infections accounted for 33% of fever diagnoses, with malaria causing 22%, dengue 5% and enteric fever 2%. Non-tropical infections accounted for 36% of febrile cases, with acute gastroenteritis causing 14% and respiratory tract infections 13%. Positive likelihood ratios demonstrated that splenomegaly, thrombocytopenia and hyperbilirubinemia were respectively 5-14, 3-11 and 5-7 times more likely in malaria than non-malaria patients. High variability of results between studies reflects heterogeneity in study design, regions visited, participants' characteristics, setting, laboratory investigations performed and diseases included. CONCLUSION Malaria accounted for one-fifth of febrile cases, highlighting the importance of rapid malaria testing in febrile returning travellers, followed by other rapid tests for common tropical diseases. High variability between studies highlights the need to harmonize study designs and to promote multi-centre studies investigating predictors of diseases, including of lower incidence, which may help to develop evidence-based guidelines. The use of clinical decision support algorithms by health workers which incorporate clinical predictors, could help standardize studies as well as improve quality of recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imogen Buss
- Centre for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Blaise Genton
- Centre for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valérie D'Acremont
- Centre for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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15
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Fomba S, Koné D, Doumbia B, Diallo D, Druetz T, Florey L, Eisele TP, Eckert E, Mihigo J, Ashton RA. Management of uncomplicated malaria among children under five years at public and private sector facilities in Mali. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:1888. [PMID: 33298011 PMCID: PMC7724888 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09873-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prompt and effective malaria diagnosis and treatment is a cornerstone of malaria control. Case management guidelines recommend confirmatory testing of suspected malaria cases, then prescription of specific drugs for uncomplicated malaria and for severe malaria. This study aims to describe case management practices for children aged 1–59 months seeking treatment with current or recent fever from public and private, rural and urban health providers in Mali. Methods Data were collected at sites in Sikasso Region and Bamako. Health workers recorded key information from the consultation including malaria diagnostic testing and result, their final diagnosis, and all drugs prescribed. Children with signs of severe diseases were ineligible. Consultations were not independently observed. Appropriate case management was defined as both 1) tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic test or microscopy, and 2) receiving artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) and no other antimalarials if test-positive, or receiving no antimalarials if test-negative. Results Of 1602 participating children, 23.7% were appropriately managed, ranging from 5.3% at public rural facilities to 48.4% at community health worker sites. The most common reason for ‘inappropriate’ management was lack of malaria diagnostic testing (50.4% of children). Among children with confirmed malaria, 50.8% received a non-ACT antimalarial (commonly artesunate injection or artemether), either alone or in combination with ACT. Of 215 test-negative children, 44.2% received an antimalarial drug, most commonly ACT. Prescription of multiple drugs was common: 21.7% of all children received more than one type of antimalarial, while 51.9% received an antibiotic and antimalarial. Inappropriate case management increased in children with increasing axillary temperatures and those seeking care over weekends. Conclusions Multiple limitations in management of febrile children under five were identified, including inconsistent use of confirmatory testing and apparent use of severe malaria drugs for uncomplicated malaria. While we cannot confirm the reasons for these shortcomings, there is a need to address the high use of non-ACT antimalarials in this context; to minimize potential for drug resistance, reduce unnecessary expense, and preserve life-saving treatment for severe malaria cases. These findings highlight the challenge of managing febrile illness in young children in a high transmission setting. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-020-09873-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seydou Fomba
- Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme, Bamako, Mali
| | - Diakalia Koné
- Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme, Bamako, Mali
| | | | | | - Thomas Druetz
- Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lia Florey
- President's Malaria Initiative, United States Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Thomas P Eisele
- Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Erin Eckert
- President's Malaria Initiative, United States Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA.,RTI International, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jules Mihigo
- President's Malaria Initiative, United States Agency for International Development, Bamako, Mali
| | - Ruth A Ashton
- MEASURE Evaluation, Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather N. Colvin
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Regina Joice Cordy
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Varo R, Erice C, Johnson S, Bassat Q, Kain KC. Clinical trials to assess adjuvant therapeutics for severe malaria. Malar J 2020; 19:268. [PMID: 32709257 PMCID: PMC7382078 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03340-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite potent anti-malarial treatment, mortality rates associated with severe falciparum malaria remain high. To attempt to improve outcome, several trials have assessed a variety of potential adjunctive therapeutics, however none to date has been shown to be beneficial. This may be due, at least partly, to the therapeutics chosen and clinical trial design used. Here, we highlight three themes that could facilitate the choice and evaluation of putative adjuvant interventions for severe malaria, paving the way for their assessment in randomized controlled trials. Most clinical trials of adjunctive therapeutics to date have been underpowered due to the large number of participants required to reach mortality endpoints, rendering these study designs challenging and expensive to conduct. These limitations may be mitigated by the use of risk-stratification of participants and application of surrogate endpoints. Appropriate surrogate endpoints include direct measures of pathways causally involved in the pathobiology of severe and fatal malaria, including markers of host immune and endothelial activation and microcirculatory dysfunction. We propose using circulating markers of these pathways to identify high-risk participants that would be most likely to benefit from adjunctive therapy, and further by adopting these biomarkers as surrogate endpoints; moreover, choosing interventions that target deleterious host immune responses that directly contribute to microcirculatory dysfunction, multi-organ dysfunction and death; and, finally, prioritizing where possible, drugs that act on these pathways that are already approved by the FDA, or other regulators, for other indications, and are known to be safe in target populations, including children. An emerging understanding of the critical role of the host response in severe malaria pathogenesis may facilitate both clinical trial design and the search of effective adjunctive therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosauro Varo
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | - Clara Erice
- Sandra-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique.,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.,Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (University of Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.,Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kevin C Kain
- Sandra-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Disease Unit, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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18
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In-vitro diagnostic point-of-care tests in paediatric ambulatory care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235605. [PMID: 32628707 PMCID: PMC7337322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Paediatric consultations form a significant proportion of all consultations in ambulatory care. Point-of-care tests (POCTs) may offer a potential solution to improve clinical outcomes for children by reducing diagnostic uncertainty in acute illness, and streamlining management of chronic diseases. However, their clinical impact in paediatric ambulatory care is unknown. We aimed to describe the clinical impact of all in-vitro diagnostic POCTs on patient outcomes and healthcare processes in paediatric ambulatory care. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Pubmed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science from inception to 29 January 2020 without language restrictions. We included studies of children presenting to ambulatory care settings (general practice, hospital outpatient clinics, or emergency departments, walk-in centres, registered drug shops delivering healthcare) where in-vitro diagnostic POCTs were compared to usual care. We included all quantitative clinical outcome data across all conditions or infection syndromes reporting on the impact of POCTs on clinical care and healthcare processes. Where feasible, we calculated risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) by performing meta-analysis using random effects models. RESULTS We included 35 studies. Data relating to at least one outcome were available for 89,439 children of whom 45,283 had a POCT across six conditions or infection syndromes: malaria (n = 14); non-specific acute fever 'illness' (n = 7); sore throat (n = 5); acute respiratory tract infections (n = 5); HIV (n = 3); and diabetes (n = 1). Outcomes centred around decision-making such as prescription of medications or hospital referral. Pooled estimates showed that malarial-POCTs (Plasmodium falciparum) better targeted antimalarial treatment by reducing over-treatment by a third compared to usual care (RR 0.67; 95% CI [0.58 to 0.77], n = 36,949). HIV-POCTs improved initiating earlier antiretroviral therapy compared to usual care (RR, 3.11; 95% CI [1.55 to 6.25], n = 912). Across the other four conditions, there was limited evidence for the benefit of POCTs in paediatric ambulatory care except for acute respiratory tract infections (RTI) in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), where POCT C-Reactive Protein (CRP) may reduce immediate antibiotic prescribing by a third (risk difference, -0.29 [-0.47, -0.11], n = 2,747). This difference was shown in randomised controlled trials in LMICs which included guidance on interpretation of POCT-CRP, specific training or employed a diagnostic algorithm prior to POC testing. CONCLUSION Overall, there is a paucity of evidence for the use of POCTs in paediatric ambulatory care. POCTs help to target prescribing for children with malaria and HIV. There is emerging evidence that POCT-CRP may better target antibiotic prescribing for children with acute RTIs in LMIC, but not in high-income countries. Research is urgently needed to understand where POCTs are likely to improve clinical outcomes in paediatric settings worldwide.
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19
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Gelband H, Bogoch II, Rodriguez PS, Ngai M, Peer N, Watson LK, Jha P. Is Malaria an Important Cause of Death among Adults? Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 103:41-47. [PMID: 32314692 PMCID: PMC7356479 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A long-held assumption has been that nearly all malaria deaths in high-transmission areas are of children younger than 5 years and pregnant women. Most global malaria mortality estimates incorporate this assumption in their calculations. In 2010, the Indian Million Death Study, which assigns cause of death by verbal autopsy (VA), challenged the reigning perception, producing a U-shaped mortality age curve, with rates rising after age 45 years in areas of India with substantial malaria transmission. Similar patterns are seen in Africa in the International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH) network, also relying on VA. Whether these results are accurate or are misidentified deaths can be resolved by improving the evidence for assigning causes for adult acute infectious deaths in high malaria transmission areas. The options for doing so include improving the accuracy of VA and adding postmortem biological evidence, steps we believe should be initiated without delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hellen Gelband
- Centre for Global Health Research, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Isaac I Bogoch
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Peter S Rodriguez
- Centre for Global Health Research, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michelle Ngai
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nazia Peer
- Centre for Global Health Research, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Leah K Watson
- Global Strategy Lab, Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Prabhat Jha
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Centre for Global Health Research, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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20
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Balanza N, Erice C, Ngai M, Varo R, Kain KC, Bassat Q. Host-Based Prognostic Biomarkers to Improve Risk Stratification and Outcome of Febrile Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Front Pediatr 2020; 8:552083. [PMID: 33072673 PMCID: PMC7530621 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.552083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fever is one of the leading causes for pediatric medical consultation and the most common symptom at clinical presentation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Most febrile episodes are due to self-limited infections, but a small proportion of children will develop life-threatening infections. The early recognition of children who have or are progressing to a critical illness among all febrile cases is challenging, and there are currently no objective and quantitative tools to do so. This results in increased morbidity and mortality among children with impending life-threatening infections, whilst contributing to the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics, overwhelming health care facilities, and harm to patients receiving avoidable antimicrobial treatment. Specific fever origin is difficult to ascertain and co-infections in LMICs are common. However, many severe infections share common pathways of host injury irrespective of etiology, including immune and endothelial activation that contribute to the pathobiology of sepsis (i.e., pathogen "agnostic" mechanisms of disease). Importantly, mediators of these pathways are independent markers of disease severity and outcome. We propose that measuring circulating levels of these factors can provide quantitative and objective evidence to: enable early recognition of severe infection; guide patient triage and management; enhance post-discharge risk stratification and follow up; and mitigate potential gender bias in clinical decisions. Here, we review the clinical and biological evidence supporting the clinical utility of host immune and endothelial activation biomarkers as components of novel rapid triage tests, and discuss the challenges and needs for developing and implementing such tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Balanza
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Erice
- Sandra-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle Ngai
- Sandra-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rosauro Varo
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | - Kevin C Kain
- Sandra-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique.,ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.,Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (University of Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.,Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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21
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Lubell Y, Chandna A, Smithuis F, White L, Wertheim HFL, Redard-Jacot M, Katz Z, Dondorp A, Day N, White N, Dittrich S. Economic considerations support C-reactive protein testing alongside malaria rapid diagnostic tests to guide antimicrobial therapy for patients with febrile illness in settings with low malaria endemicity. Malar J 2019; 18:442. [PMID: 31878978 PMCID: PMC6933672 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-3059-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is no longer a common cause of febrile illness in many regions of the tropics. In part, this success is a result of improved access to accurate diagnosis and effective anti-malarial treatment, including in many hard-to-reach rural areas. However, in these settings, management of other causes of febrile illness remains challenging. Health systems are often weak and other than malaria rapid tests no other diagnostics are available. With millions of deaths occurring annually due to treatable bacterial infections and the ever increasing spread of antimicrobial resistance, improvement in the management of febrile illness is a global public health priority. Whilst numerous promising point-of-care diagnostics are in the pipeline, substantial progress can be made in the interim with existing tools: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a highly sensitive and moderately specific biomarker of bacterial infection and has been in clinical use for these purposes for decades, with dozens of low-cost devices commercially available. This paper takes a health-economics approach to consider the possible advantages of CRP point-of-care tests alongside rapid diagnostic tests for malaria, potentially in a single multiplex device, to guide antimicrobial therapy for patients with febrile illness. Three rudimentary assessments of the costs and benefits of this approach all indicate that this is likely to be cost-effective when considering the incremental costs of the CRP tests as compared with either (i) the improved health outcomes for patients with bacterial illnesses; (ii) the costs of antimicrobial resistance averted; or (iii) the economic benefits of better management of remaining malaria cases and shorter malaria elimination campaigns in areas of low transmission. While CRP-guided antibiotic therapy alone cannot resolve all challenges associated with management of febrile illness in remote tropical settings, in the short-term a multiplexed CRP and malaria RDT could be highly cost-effective and utilize the well-established funding and distribution systems already in place for malaria RDTs. These findings should spark further interest amongst industry, academics and policy-makers in the development and deployment of such diagnostics, and discussion on their geographically appropriate use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoel Lubell
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. .,Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Arjun Chandna
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. .,Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Frank Smithuis
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Lisa White
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Heiman F L Wertheim
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maël Redard-Jacot
- Foundation of Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Zachary Katz
- Foundation of Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Arjen Dondorp
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas Day
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas White
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sabine Dittrich
- Foundation of Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
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22
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Erice C, Kain KC. New insights into microvascular injury to inform enhanced diagnostics and therapeutics for severe malaria. Virulence 2019; 10:1034-1046. [PMID: 31775570 PMCID: PMC6930010 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1696621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe malaria (SM) has high mortality and morbidity rates despite treatment with potent antimalarials. Disease onset and outcome is dependent upon both parasite and host factors. Infected erythrocytes bind to host endothelium contributing to microvascular occlusion and dysregulated inflammatory and immune host responses, resulting in endothelial activation and microvascular damage. This review focuses on the mechanisms of host endothelial and microvascular injury. Only a small percentage of malaria infections (≤1%) progress to SM. Early recognition and treatment of SM can improve outcome, but we lack triage tools to identify SM early in the course of infection. Current point-of-care pathogen-based rapid diagnostic tests do not address this critical barrier. Immune and endothelial activation have been implicated in the pathobiology of SM. We hypothesize that measuring circulating mediators of these pathways at first clinical presentation will enable early triage and treatment of SM. Moreover, that host-based interventions that modulate these pathways will stabilize the microvasculature and improve clinical outcome over that of antimalarial therapy alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Erice
- Sandra-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin C Kain
- Sandra-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Ma Y, Sudfeld CR, Kim H, Lee J, Cho Y, Awoonor-Williams JK, Degley JK, Cha S. Evaluating the impact of community health volunteer home visits on child diarrhea and fever in the Volta Region, Ghana: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med 2019; 16:e1002830. [PMID: 31199792 PMCID: PMC6568387 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although there is mounting evidence demonstrating beneficial effects of community health workers (CHWs), few studies have examined the impact of CHW programs focused on preventing infectious diseases in children through behavior changes. We assessed the preventive effects of community health volunteers (CHVs), who receive no financial incentive, on child diarrhea and fever prevalence in Ghana. METHODS AND FINDINGS We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial in 40 communities in the Volta Region, Ghana. Twenty communities were randomly allocated to the intervention arm, and 20 to the control arm, using a computer-generated block randomization list. In the intervention arm, CHVs were deployed in their own community with the key task of conducting home visits for health education and community mobilization. The primary outcomes of the trial were diarrhea and fever prevalence at 6 and 12 months among under-5 children based on caregivers' recall. Secondary outcomes included oral rehydration treatment and rapid diagnostic testing for malaria among under-5 children, and family planning practices of caregivers. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) with a log link and exchangeable correlation matrix were used to determine the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for diarrhea, fever, and secondary outcomes adjusted for clustering and stratification. Between April 18 and May 4, 2015, 1,956 children were recruited and followed up until September 20, 2016. At 6 and 12 months post-randomization, 1,660 (85%) and 1,609 (82%) participants, respectively, had outcomes assessed. CHVs' home visits had no statistically significant effect on diarrhea or fever prevalence at either time point. After a follow-up of 12 months, the prevalence of diarrhea and fever was 7.0% (55/784) and 18.4% (144/784), respectively, in the control communities and 4.5% (37/825) and 14.7% (121/825), respectively, in the intervention communities (12-month RR adjusted for clustering and stratification: diarrhea, RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.37-1.45, p = 0.37; fever, RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.51-1.14, p = 0.20). However, the following were observed: improved hand hygiene practices, increased utilization of insecticide-treated bed nets, and greater participation in community outreach programs (p-values < 0.05) in the intervention group. In a post hoc subgroup analysis, the prevalence of diarrhea and fever at 6 months was 3.2% (2/62) and 17.7% (11/62), respectively, in the intervention communities with ≥70% coverage and a ≥30-minute visit duration, and 14.4% (116/806) and 30.2% (243/806) in the control communities (RR adjusted for clustering, stratification, baseline prevalence, and covariates: diarrhea, RR 0.23, 95% CI 0.09-0.60, p = 0.003; fever, RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.52-0.92, p = 0.01). The main limitations were the following: We were unable to investigate the longer-term effects of CHVs; the trial may have been underpowered to detect small to moderate effects due to the large decline in diarrheal and fever prevalence in both the intervention and control group; and caregivers' practices were based on self-report, and the possibility of caregivers providing socially desirable responses cannot be excluded. CONCLUSIONS We found no effect of CHVs' home visits on the prevalence of child diarrhea or fever. However, CHV programs with high community coverage and regular household contacts of effective duration may reduce childhood infectious disease prevalence. TRIAL REGISTRATION International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Registry, ISRCTN49236178.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeunji Ma
- Independent Consultant, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Christopher R. Sudfeld
- Global Health and Population Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Heunghee Kim
- Korea International Development Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeeun Lee
- Korea International Cooperation Agency, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Yinseo Cho
- Korea International Cooperation Agency, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Seungman Cha
- Global Health and Population Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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