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Gouk T, Nissanka-Jayasuriya E, Anushan Hiranya Jayasinghe L, Withanage S, Doumas S. Syphilitic ulcer mimicking oral cancer. Br Dent J 2023; 235:957-958. [PMID: 38102264 DOI: 10.1038/s41415-023-6696-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- T Gouk
- Speciality Doctor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust, William Harvey Hospital, Kennington Road, Willesborough, Ashford, TN24 0LZ, United Kingdom.
| | - E Nissanka-Jayasuriya
- Consultant Head and Neck Histopathologist, East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust, Kennington Road, Willesborough, Ashford, TN24 0LZ, United Kingdom.
| | - L Anushan Hiranya Jayasinghe
- Fellow in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, East Kent Hospital University Foundation, Kennington Road, Willesborough, Ashford, TN24 0LZ, United Kingdom.
| | - S Withanage
- Fellow in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust, Kennington Road, Willesborough, Ashford, TN24 0LZ, United Kingdom.
| | - S Doumas
- Consultant Maxillofacial/Head & Neck Surgeon, East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust, William Harvey Hospital, Kennington Road, Willesborough, Ashford, TN24 0LZ, United Kingdom.
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Neri DT, da Costa Miranda AL, Botelho EP, Valois RC, Dias GAR, Parente AT, da Cunha Araújo E, Ferreira GRON. Hospitalizations for congenital syphilis in children under one year old in the state of Pará, Brazilian Amazon: ecological study. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:581. [PMID: 37986154 PMCID: PMC10658822 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04409-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high incidence of congenital syphilis shows flaws in the resolution of primary health care, being a predictor of greater use of hospital services, whose regional differences in access to health actions and services may be reflected in health inequalities. OBJECTIVE to investigate hospitalizations due to congenital syphilis in children under one year of age, in the state of Pará, Brazilian Amazon. METHODS an ecological study was carried out, using hospitalization, lethality and mortality rates related to congenital syphilis in children under one year of age. Temporal analysis and mapping of hospitalization flows were carried out using Joinpoint®, version 4.7.0.0, Terraview 4.2.2, Tabwin 4.1.5. RESULTS A total of 6,487 hospitalizations were recorded. For the ten years of the study period (2009 to 2018), the lethality rate showed a decreasing trend of - 13.5% (p = 0.01). The crude hospitalization rate showed an increasing trend of 12.8% (p < 0.000. The regression analysis demonstrated that there was a change point in the trend with a significant growth of 12.8% until 2016 (p = 0.0006). In the mortality rate the trend was stable (p = 0.56). The analysis of hospitalization care flows made it possible to identify that most hospitalizations due to congenital syphilis occurred in the municipalities of residence, but 1,378 (21.2%) had to move. Two large care gaps were highlighted in Metropolitan health regions II and III, belonging to macroregion II. The hospitalizations of residents of these regions were carried out by the assistance networks of Belém (capital) and Marituba, both of which are part of Metropolitana I. Residents of macroregions III and IV had the greatest distances traveled to access hospital care. CONCLUSIONS The increase in the rate of hospitalizations with an increasing trend demonstrates the impact that syphilis still causes in Brazil, not being resolved even after national government interventions in primary health care, but there was a decreasing trend in the fatality rate. The results demonstrate a heterogeneous organization of health care networks in the state's health regions and macroregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora Talitha Neri
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Correa, 01 - Setor Saúde. Guamá, 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Amanda Loyse da Costa Miranda
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Correa, 01 - Setor Saúde. Guamá, 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Eliã Pinheiro Botelho
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Correa, 01 - Setor Saúde. Guamá, 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | | | - Geyse Aline Rodrigues Dias
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Correa, 01 - Setor Saúde. Guamá, 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Andressa Tavares Parente
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Correa, 01 - Setor Saúde. Guamá, 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Eliete da Cunha Araújo
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Correa, 01 - Setor Saúde. Guamá, 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil
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Teixeira IV, da Silva Leite MT, de Morais Melo FL, da Silva Rocha É, Sadok S, Pessoa da Costa Carrarine AS, Santana M, Pinheiro Rodrigues C, de Lima Oliveira AM, Vieira Gadelha K, de Morais CM, Kelner J, Endo PT. Predicting congenital syphilis cases: A performance evaluation of different machine learning models. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0276150. [PMID: 37267293 PMCID: PMC10237406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Communicable diseases represent a huge economic burden for healthcare systems and for society. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a concerning issue, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries, in which environmental factors and other determinants of health play a role in contributing to its fast spread. In light of this situation, machine learning techniques have been explored to assess the incidence of syphilis and contribute to the epidemiological surveillance in this scenario. OBJECTIVE The main goal of this work is to evaluate the performance of different machine learning models on predicting undesirable outcomes of congenital syphilis in order to assist resources allocation and optimize the healthcare actions, especially in a constrained health environment. METHOD We use clinical and sociodemographic data from pregnant women that were assisted by a social program in Pernambuco, Brazil, named Mãe Coruja Pernambucana Program (PMCP). Based on a rigorous methodology, we propose six experiments using three feature selection techniques to select the most relevant attributes, pre-process and clean the data, apply hyperparameter optimization to tune the machine learning models, and train and test models to have a fair evaluation and discussion. RESULTS The AdaBoost-BODS-Expert model, an Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost) model that used attributes selected by health experts, presented the best results in terms of evaluation metrics and acceptance by health experts from PMCP. By using this model, the results are more reliable and allows adoption on a daily usage to classify possible outcomes of congenital syphilis using clinical and sociodemographic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Vitor Teixeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia da Computação, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | | | - Élisson da Silva Rocha
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia da Computação, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Sara Sadok
- Master en Genética Asistencial, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marília Santana
- Secretaria de Saúde do Estado de Pernambuco, Programa Mãe Coruja Pernambucana, Recife, Brazil
| | | | | | - Keduly Vieira Gadelha
- Secretaria de Saúde do Estado de Pernambuco, Programa Mãe Coruja Pernambucana, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Judith Kelner
- Centro de Informática, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Patricia Takako Endo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia da Computação, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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Dantas JDC, Marinho CDSR, Pinheiro YT, Ferreira MÂF, da Silva RAR. Temporal trend and factors associated with spatial distribution of congenital syphilis in Brazil: An ecological study. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1109271. [PMID: 37033177 PMCID: PMC10075361 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1109271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The study aimed to analyze the temporal trend of congenital syphilis in Brazil in the period from 2008 to 2018 and its spatial distribution in the Immediate Regions of Urban Articulation, and to identify spatial correlations with socioeconomic factors and prenatal care. Methods Spatial correlations between the incidence of congenital syphilis and socioeconomic conditions and access to prenatal care were assessed. This ecological study conducted a time series analysis in Brazil and spatial analysis in 482 Immediate Regions of Urban Articulation. Cases of congenital syphilis reported in the Notifiable Diseases Information System and the Live Birth Information System from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018 were included. Socioeconomic conditions (percentage of individuals with inadequate water supply and sanitation) were extracted from the 2010 census, whereas the Live Birth Information System provided data on access to prenatal care (percentage of live births with 1-3 prenatal care appointments). The Joinpoint Regression software performed the temporal trend analysis, while the GeoDa software assessed territorial clusters using the Moran's I and Local Spatial Association Indicator. Results The incidence of congenital syphilis showed an upward trend (annual percent change 1 = 26.96; 95% CI: 18.2-36.3; annual percent change 2 = 10.25; 95% CI: 2.7-28.4) and was unevenly distributed across Immediate Regions of Urban Articulation in Brazil (Moran's I = 0.264, p ≤ 0.05). It also presented a direct spatial correlation with the percentage of individuals with inadequate water supply and sanitation (Moran's I = 0.02, p ≤ 0.05) and the percentage of live births with 1-3 prenatal care appointments (Moran's I = 0.03, p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion Agrowth trend of congenital syphilis in Brazil was observed between 2008 and 2018. Moreover, inequalities in socioeconomic conditions and access to prenatal care influenced the spatial distribution of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janmilli da Costa Dantas
- Graduate Program in Collective Health, Health Science Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- Correspondence: Janmilli da Costa Dantas
| | - Cristiane da Silva Ramos Marinho
- Graduate Program in Collective Health, Faculty of Health Sciences of Trairi, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Santa Cruz, Brazil
| | - Yago Tavares Pinheiro
- Graduate Program in Collective Health, Health Science Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Dantas JDC, Marinho CDSR, Pinheiro YT, da Silva RAR. Temporal Trend of Gestational Syphilis between 2008 and 2018 in Brazil: Association with Socioeconomic and Health Care Factors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16456. [PMID: 36554342 PMCID: PMC9778377 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The increased number of cases in recent years has turned syphilis into a global public health problem. In 2020, 115,371 cases of acquired syphilis were reported (detection rate of 54.5 cases/100,000 inhabitants) in Brazil. In that same period, the country notified 61,441 cases of gestational syphilis (detection rate of 21.6 per 1000 live births). The number of syphilis cases points to the need to reinforce surveillance, prevention, and infection control actions, which is a worrying scenario for government organizations. This study aims to describe the temporal trend of gestational syphilis from 2008 to 2018 in Brazilian regions and to associate its detection rate with socioeconomic and health care indicators. We conducted an ecological study of temporal trends using secondary data from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System. The temporal trend was analyzed using the Joinpoint Regression program. The annual percent change (APC) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated and tested; statistical significance was assessed using the Monte Carlo permutation test. Correlations were assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient, and statistical significance was calculated using Pearson's product-moment correlation. The gestational syphilis detection rate increased between 2008 and 2018. The South region showed the greatest trend, whereas the Midwest region presented the lowest trend. The following variables were significantly correlated with the gestational syphilis detection rate: Municipal Human Development Index, illiteracy rate, percentage of primary health care coverage, and proportion of doctors, nurses, and basic health units per inhabitant. Health policies are needed to mitigate social vulnerabilities and strengthen primary health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janmilli da Costa Dantas
- Postgraduate Program in Public Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-630, Brazil
| | | | - Yago Tavares Pinheiro
- Postgraduate Program in Public Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-630, Brazil
| | - Richardson Augusto Rosendo da Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Public Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-630, Brazil
- Center of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-900, Brazil
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de Brito Pinto TK, da Cunha-Oliveira ACGDP, Sales-Moioli AIL, Dantas JF, da Costa RMM, Silva Moura JP, Gómez-Cantarino S, Valentim RADM. Clinical Protocols and Treatment Guidelines for the Management of Maternal and Congenital Syphilis in Brazil and Portugal: Analysis and Comparisons: A Narrative Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10513. [PMID: 36078229 PMCID: PMC9518460 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Maternal syphilis (MS) and congenital syphilis (CS) are serious public health problems worldwide due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. (2) Objective: Evaluating the applicability of Clinical Protocols and Treatment Guidelines on case incidence trends in Brazil and Portugal. (3) Methods: The review was done through bibliographic research in two public databases and government websites from both countries, published between 2007 and 2022. All guidelines that contained CS and MS were selected. (4) Results and discussion: After evaluation, we found that Brazil and Portugal have adequate protocols for screening and treating congenital and maternal syphilis. (5) Conclusion: The results suggest that CS and MS incidence are notably higher in Brazil than in Portugal due to economic, cultural, and social disparities and the differences in territory size. Therefore, these demographic and socioeconomic factors could strongly influence efforts to fight against syphilis and thus control the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita Katiane de Brito Pinto
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59010-090, Brazil
- Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3001-901 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Aliete Cristina Gomes Dias Pedrosa da Cunha-Oliveira
- Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3001-901 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the 20th Century (CEIS-20), University of Coimbra, 3000-186 Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Jane Francinete Dantas
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59010-090, Brazil
- Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the 20th Century (CEIS-20), University of Coimbra, 3000-186 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rosângela Maria Morais da Costa
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59010-090, Brazil
- Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the 20th Century (CEIS-20), University of Coimbra, 3000-186 Coimbra, Portugal
- Municipal Health Department, Natal City Hall, Natal 59014-030, Brazil
| | - José Paulo Silva Moura
- Doctor Daniel de Matos Maternity, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, 3000-157 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-370 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sagrario Gómez-Cantarino
- Faculty of Physiotherapy and Nursing, Toledo Campus, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Ricardo Alexsandro de Medeiros Valentim
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59010-090, Brazil
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
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Increasing incidence rates of sexually transmitted infections from 2010 to 2019: an analysis of temporal trends by geographical regions and age groups from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:574. [PMID: 35754034 PMCID: PMC9233762 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07544-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background World Health Organization announced its goal of ending sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemics by 2030. To provide a reference for tailored prevention strategies, we analyzed trends and differences in STIs by geographical regions and age groups from 1990 to 2019. Methods Annual number of new infections and age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) of syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes were recorded from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. We quantified the temporal trends of STIs by calculating changes in new infections and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) of ASR. Results The ASRs of syphilis, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes increased by 1.70% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62–1.78%), 0.29% (95% CI 0.04–0.54%), 0.27% (95% CI 0.03–0.52%), and 0.40% (95% CI 0.36–0.44%) per year from 2010 to 2019 worldwide, respectively, while that of gonorrhea did not. The American regions had the greatest increase in ASR for syphilis (tropical Latin America: EAPC, 5.72; 95% CI 5.11–6.33), chlamydia (high-income North America: EAPC, 1.23; 95% CI 0.73–1.73), and gonorrhea (high-income North America: EAPC, 0.77; 95% CI 0.12–1.41). Additionally, southern sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia had the greatest increase in ASR for trichomoniasis (EAPC, 0.88; 95% CI 0.57–1.20) and genital herpes (EAPC, 1.44; 95% CI 0.83–2.06), respectively. In the most recent years, the population with the greatest incidence of syphilis tended to be younger globally (25–29 years in 2010 vs. 20–24 years in 2019) but older in North Africa and Middle East (20–24 year vs. 25–29 years); with chlamydia tended to be older in southern sub-Saharan Africa (25–29 years vs. 30–34 years) but younger in Australasia (40–44 years vs. 25–29 years); with genital herpes tended to be older in high-income North America (20–24 years vs. 25–29 years) and South Asia (25–29 years vs. 30–34 years). Conclusions Syphilis, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes showed a trend of increasing ASR from 2010 to 2019. The differences in trends by geographical regions and age groups point to the need for more targeted prevention strategies in key regions and populations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-022-07544-7.
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de Morais CM, Teixeira IV, Sadok S, Endo PT, Kelner J. Syphilis Trigram: a domain-specific visualisation to combat syphilis epidemic and improve the quality of maternal and child health in Brazil. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022; 22:379. [PMID: 35501764 PMCID: PMC9063215 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-04651-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Brazilian healthcare system is a large and complex system, specially considering its mixed public and private funding. The incidence of syphilis has increased in the last four years, in spite of the presence of an effective and available treatment. Furthermore, syphilis takes part in a group of disorders of compulsory notification to the public health surveillance. The epidemiological implications are especially important during pregnancy since it can lead to complications, related to prematurity stillbirth and miscarriage, in addition to congenital syphilis, characterized by multisystem involved in the newborn. METHODS The Action Research methodology was applied to address the complexity of the syphilis surveillance scenario in Pernambuco, Brazil. Iterative learning cycles were used, resulting in six cycles, followed by a formal validation of an operational version of the syphilis Trigram visualisation at the end of the process. The original data source was analyzed and prepared to be used without any new data or change in the ordinary procedure of the current system. RESULTS The main result of this work is the production of a Syphilis Trigram: a domain-specific infographic for presenting gestational data and birth data. The second contribution of this work is the Average Trigram, an organized pie chart which synthesizes the Syphilis Trigram relationship in an aggregated way. The visualization of both graphics is presented in an Infographic User Interface, a tool that gathers an infographic broad visualization aspect to data visualization. These interfaces also gather selections and filters tools to assist and refine the presented information. The user can experience a specific case-by-case view, in addition to an aggregated perspective according to the cities monitored by the system. CONCLUSIONS The proposed domain-specific visualization amplifies the understanding of each syphilis case and the overall characteristics of cases of a chosen city. This new information produced by the Trigram can help clarify the reinfection/relapse cases, optimize resource allocation and enhance the syphilis healthcare policies without the need of new data. Thus, this enables the health surveillance professionals to see the broad tendency, understand the key patterns through visualization, and take action in a feasible time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleber Matos de Morais
- Centro de Informática, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Departamento de Mídias Digitais, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Igor Vitor Teixeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia da Computação, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Sara Sadok
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia da Computação, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patricia Takako Endo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia da Computação, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Judith Kelner
- Centro de Informática, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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da Rocha MA, dos Santos MM, Fontes RS, de Melo ASP, Cunha-Oliveira A, Miranda AE, de Oliveira CAP, Oliveira HG, Gusmão CMG, Lima TGFMS, Pinto R, Barros DMS, Valentim RADM. The Text Mining Technique Applied to the Analysis of Health Interventions to Combat Congenital Syphilis in Brazil: The Case of the "Syphilis No!" Project. Front Public Health 2022; 10:855680. [PMID: 35433567 PMCID: PMC9005801 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.855680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital syphilis (CS) remains a threat to public health worldwide, especially in developing countries. To mitigate the impacts of the CS epidemic, the Brazilian government has developed a national intervention project called "Syphilis No." Thus, among its range of actions is the production of thousands of writings featuring the experiences of research and intervention supporters (RIS) of the project, called field researchers. In addition, this large volume of base data was subjected to analysis through data mining, which may contribute to better strategies for combating syphilis. Natural language processing is a form of knowledge extraction. First, the database extracted from the "LUES Platform" with 4,874 documents between 2018 and 2020 was employed. This was followed by text preprocessing, selecting texts referring to the field researchers' reports for analysis. Finally, for analyzing the documents, N-grams extraction (N = 2,3,4) was performed. The combination of the TF-IDF metric with the BoW algorithm was applied to assess terms' importance and frequency and text clustering. In total, 1019 field activity reports were mined. Word extraction from the text mining method set out the following guiding axioms from the bigrams: "confronting syphilis in primary health care;" "investigation committee for congenital syphilis in the territory;" "municipal plan for monitoring and investigating syphilis cases through health surveillance;" "women's healthcare networks for syphilis in pregnant;" "diagnosis and treatment with a focus on rapid testing." Text mining may serve public health research subjects when used in parallel with the conventional content analysis method. The computational method extracted intervention activities from field researchers, also providing inferences on how the strategies of the "Syphilis No" Project influenced the decrease in congenital syphilis cases in the territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella A. da Rocha
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Marquiony M. dos Santos
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Raphael S. Fontes
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Andréa S. P. de Melo
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Aliete Cunha-Oliveira
- Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA:E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Angélica E. Miranda
- Postgraduate Program in Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria, Brazil
| | - Carlos A. P. de Oliveira
- Multidisciplinary Department of Human Development With Technologies, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira
- Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra, Department of Informatics Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cristine M. G. Gusmão
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Rafael Pinto
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Daniele M. S. Barros
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ricardo A. de M. Valentim
- Laboratory of Technological Innovation in Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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