Cervical cancer screening outcomes for HIV-positive women in the Lubombo and Manzini regions of Eswatini-Prevalence and predictors of a positive visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screen

This study aimed to describe the prevalence and predictors of a positive VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid) cervical cancer screening test in women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We retrospectively analysed data from women aged ≥15 who accessed VIA screening from health facilities in the Lubombo and Manzini regions of Eswatini. Sociodemographic and clinical data from October 2020 to June 2023 were extracted from the client management information system (CMIS). VIA screening outcome was categorised into negative, positive, or suspicious. A logistic regression model estimated the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of the predictors of a positive VIA screen at p<0.05 with 95% confidence intervals. Of 23,657 participants, 60.8% (n = 14,397) were from the Manzini region. The mean age was 33.3 years (standard deviation 7.0), and 33% (n = 7,714) were first-time screens. The prevalence of a positive VIA was 2.6% (95% CI: 2.2%, 3.0%): 2.8% (95% CI: 2.2%, 3.5%) in Lubombo and 2.4% (95% CI: 2.0%, 2.9%) in Manzini (p = 0.096). Screening at mission-owned (AOR 1.40; p = 0.001), NGO-owned (AOR 3.08; p<0.001) and industrial/workplace-owned health facilities (AOR 2.37; p = 0.044) were associated with increased odds of a positive VIA compared to government-owned health facilities. Compared to those aged 25-34, the odds of a positive VIA increased by 1.26 for those in the 35-44 age group (AOR 1.26; p = 0.017). Predictors with lower odds for a positive VIA test were: being on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for 5-9 years (AOR 0.76; p = 0.004) and ≥10 years (AOR 0.66; p = 0.002) compared to <5 years; and having an undetectable viral load (AOR 0.39; p<0.001) compared to unsuppressed. Longer duration on ART and an undetectable viral load reduced the odds, while middle-aged women and screening at non-public health facilities increased the odds of a positive VIA screen.

Secondary syphilis presenting with alopecia and leukoderma in a stable HIV-positive patient in a resource-limited setting: a case report

BACKGROUND

Syphilis is an infection caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. It is mainly transmitted through oral, vaginal and anal sex, in pregnancy and through blood transfusion. Syphilis develops in primary, secondary, latent and tertiary stages and presents with different clinical features at each stage. Infected patients can remain asymptomatic for several years and, without treatment, can, in extreme cases, manifest as damage in several organs and tissues, including the brain, nervous tissue, eyes, ear and soft tissues. In countries with a high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden, syphilis increases the risk of HIV infections. We report the case of a young HIV-positive black woman who presented with alopecia and hypopigmentation as features of secondary syphilis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A virologically suppressed 29-year-old woman on Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) presented with a short history of generalized hair loss associated with a non-itchy maculopapular rash and skin depigmentation on the feet. Limited laboratory testing confirmed a diagnosis of secondary syphilis. She was treated with Benzathine Penicillin 2.4MU. After receiving three doses of the recommended treatment, the presenting features cleared, and the patient recovered fully.

CONCLUSION

This case demonstrates the importance of a high index of clinical suspicion and testing for syphilis in patients presenting with atypical clinical features of secondary syphilis, such as hair loss and hypopigmentation. It also highlights the challenges in diagnosing and clinically managing syphilis in a resource-limited setting.

Corrigendum: Diabetes-Tuberculosis Care in Eswatini: A Qualitative Study of Opportunities and Recommendations for Effective Services Integration

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605551.].

Tuberculosis services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study on the impact of COVID-19 and practices for continued services delivery in Eswatini

Objectives

To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis services and the different approaches healthcare workers adopted to ensure continued tuberculosis service delivery in Eswatini.

Study design

This is a qualitative study with a cross-sectional design.

Methods

Thirteen nurses and 9 doctors who provide tuberculosis care from 10 health facilities participated in an in-depth interview to describe how the COVID-19 pandemic affected tuberculosis services and the approaches adopted to ensure continued patient care. Twenty in-person and 2 telephone interviews were conducted. The participating facilities were selected based on a ranking criterion of the number of patients seen. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. NVivo 12 software was used for qualitative analysis, and the Consolidated Criteria guided the study for Reporting Qualitative research (COREQ).

Results

Two major themes emerged: COVID-19 impacted services delivery and access; and best practices that ensured healthcare services delivery. Six sub-themes describe how COVID-19 impacted services: all attention focused on COVID-19; COVID worsened the health system challenges; COVID hindered patients from accessing care; patients defaulted due to the lockdown; COVID impacted the quality of care and increased the risk of infection among healthcare workers. Five sub-themes describe best practices that ensure continued service delivery: Home-based care, Patient support, Patient Education, Integrated Services, and Staff rotation.

Conclusion

While various strategies were adopted globally to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, these strategies need contextualization to be effective and sustainably incorporated into routine care to ensure continuity of and access to TB and other healthcare services.

Implementation of the Automated Medication Dispensing System-Early Lessons From Eswatini

Objectives: This article describes the implementation of an automated medication dispensing system (AMDS) in Eswatini to increase medication access and presents the early lessons from this implementation. Methods: The AMDS was installed at four health facilities across two regions through collaborative stakeholder engagement. Healthcare workers were trained, and clients who met the inclusion criteria accessed their medications from the system. Each step of the implementation was documented and summarised in this article. Results: Early lessons suggest that implementation of the AMDS is acceptable and feasible to clients and healthcare workers and that phased introduction of medication classes, commencing with antiretroviral therapy (ART) and incorporating other medications in later phases is feasible. Additionally, improved client-centred messaging and communication, consistent power supply and internet network connectivity, and scheduling medication pickup with other services increase AMDS system utilisation. Conclusion: Eswatini has many clients living with HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Easy, convenient, quick, non-stigmatising and client-centred access to ART and medication for NCDs is critical in addressing retention in care and achieving optimal treatment outcomes.

Did the UK's public health shielding policy protect the clinically extremely vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales? Results of EVITE Immunity, a linked data retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

The UK shielding policy intended to protect people at the highest risk of harm from COVID-19 infection. We aimed to describe intervention effects in Wales at 1 year.

METHODS

Retrospective comparison of linked demographic and clinical data for cohorts comprising people identified for shielding from 23 March to 21 May 2020; and the rest of the population. Health records were extracted with event dates between 23 March 2020 and 22 March 2021 for the comparator cohort and from the date of inclusion until 1 year later for the shielded cohort.

RESULTS

The shielded cohort included 117,415 people, with 3,086,385 in the comparator cohort. The largest clinical categories in the shielded cohort were severe respiratory condition (35.5%), immunosuppressive therapy (25.9%) and cancer (18.6%). People in the shielded cohort were more likely to be female, aged ≥50 years, living in relatively deprived areas, care home residents and frail. The proportion of people tested for COVID-19 was higher in the shielded cohort (odds ratio [OR] 1.616; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.597-1.637), with lower positivity rate incident rate ratios 0.716 (95% CI 0.697-0.736). The known infection rate was higher in the shielded cohort (5.9% vs 5.7%). People in the shielded cohort were more likely to die (OR 3.683; 95% CI: 3.583-3.786), have a critical care admission (OR 3.339; 95% CI: 3.111-3.583), hospital emergency admission (OR 2.883; 95% CI: 2.837-2.930), emergency department attendance (OR 1.893; 95% CI: 1.867-1.919) and common mental disorder (OR 1.762; 95% CI: 1.735-1.789).

CONCLUSION

Deaths and healthcare utilisation were higher amongst shielded people than the general population, as would be expected in the sicker population. Differences in testing rates, deprivation and pre-existing health are potential confounders; however, lack of clear impact on infection rates raises questions about the success of shielding and indicates that further research is required to fully evaluate this national policy intervention.

Diabetes-Tuberculosis Care in Eswatini: A Qualitative Study of Opportunities and Recommendations for Effective Services Integration

Objective: This study describes the availability of basic services, equipment, and commodities for integrated DM-TB services, best practices by healthcare workers, and opportunities for better integration of DM-TB care in Eswatini. Methods: A qualitative design was used. Twenty-three healthcare workers participated in a survey and key informant interview. Results: Most respondents indicated DM and TB care are integrated and clients access blood pressure and fasting/random blood glucose assessment. Few respondents indicated they provide visual assessment, hearing assessment, and HbA1c testing. Respondents experienced stockouts of urinalysis strips, antihypertensive drugs, insulin, glucometer strips, and DM drugs in the previous 6 months before the interview. Four main themes emerged from the qualitative interviews-quality and current standards of care, best practices, opportunities, and recommendations to improve integrated services delivery. Conclusion: While DM care is provided for TB patients, the implementation of integrated DM-TB services is suboptimal as the quality and current standards of care vary across health facilities due to different patient-level and health system challenges. Some identified opportunities must be utilized for a successful DM-TB integration.

Utility of healthcare-worker-targeted antimicrobial stewardship interventions in hospitals of low- and lower-middle-income countries: a scoping review of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives in hospitals often include the implementation of clustered intervention components to improve the surveillance and targeting of antibiotics. However, impacts of the individual components of AMS interventions are not well known, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs).

OBJECTIVE

A scoping review was conducted to summarize evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) on the impact of common hospital-implemented healthcare-worker-targeted components of AMS interventions that may be appropriate for LLMICs.

METHODS

Major databases were searched systematically for SRs of AMS interventions that were evaluated in hospitals. For SRs to be eligible, they had to report on at least one intervention that could be categorized according to the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care taxonomy. Clinical and process outcomes were considered. Primary studies from LLMICs were consulted for additional information.

RESULTS

Eighteen SRs of the evaluation of intervention components met the inclusion criteria. The evidence shows that audit and feedback, and clinical practice guidelines improved several clinical and process outcomes in hospitals. An unintended consequence of interventions was an increase in the use of antibiotics. There was a cumulative total of 547 unique studies, but only 2% (N=12) were conducted in hospitals in LLMICs. Two studies in LLMICs reported that guidelines and educational meetings were effective in hospitals.

CONCLUSION

Evidence from high- and upper-middle-income countries suggests that audit and feedback, and clinical practice guidelines have the potential to improve various clinical and process outcomes in hospitals. The lack of evidence in LLMIC settings prevents firm conclusions from being drawn, and highlights the need for further research.

Tuberculosis treatment and resulting abnormal blood glucose: a scoping review of studies from 1981 - 2021

BACKGROUND

Hyperglycaemia is a risk factor for tuberculosis. Evidence of changes in blood glucose levels during and after tuberculosis treatment is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To compile evidence of changes in blood glucose during and after tuberculosis treatment and the effects of elevated blood glucose changes on treatment outcomes in previously normoglycaemic patients.

METHODS

Original research studies (1980 to 2021) were identified in PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL and Embase databases.

RESULTS

Of the 1,277 articles extracted, 14 were included in the final review. All the studies were observational and 50% were prospective. Fasting blood sugar was the most common clinical test (64%), followed by the glycated haemoglobin test and the oral glucose tolerance test (each 50%). Most tests were conducted at baseline and in the third month of treatment. Twelve studies showed that the prevalence of hyperglycaemia in previously normoglycaemic patients decreased from baseline to follow-up and end of treatment. Three studies showed successful treatment outcomes of 64%, 75% and 95%. Patients with hyperglycaemia at baseline were more likely to develop cavitary lung lesions and poor treatment outcomes and had higher post-treatment mortality. There was no difference in outcomes by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status.

CONCLUSION

Elevated blood glucose in normoglycaemic patients receiving treatment for tuberculosis decreased by the end of treatment. Positive HIV status did not affect glucose changes during treatment. Further research is needed to investigate post-treatment morbidity in patients with baseline hyperglycaemia and the effects of HIV on the association between blood glucose and tuberculosis.

Systematic review and meta-analysis on the etiology of bacterial pneumonia in children in sub-Saharan Africa

Introduction

Before the introduction of vaccination to protect children from pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type B (HiB) were the most frequent aetiological agents causing bacterial pneumonia in children under five years old. However, the etiology of childhood pneumonia appears to be changing and nonvaccine- type S. pneumoniae, non-typeable H. influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus are becoming more relevant.

Objective

We conducted a systematic review aimed at identifying the common causes of bacterial pneumonia in children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Web of Science and African Index Medicus and included primary studies conducted since January 2010 that reported on the bacterial causes of pneumonia in children under five from sub-Saharan Africa. We extracted data items (about the study setting, pneumonia diagnosis, sampling, microbiological methods, and etiological agents) as well as study quality indicators.

Results

Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common bacteria in blood cultures from children with pneumonia (8%, 95% CI: 4-14%), and H. influenzae was second (3%, 95% CI: 1-17%). Children’s nasopharynx commonly contained S. pneumoniae (66%), Moraxella catarrhalis (62%), and H. influenzae (44%).

Conclusion

S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae cause bacterial pneumonia in sub-Saharan African children. Our review also highlights the prevalence of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the nasopharynx of children under five and calls for more research into how nasopharyngeal colonization causes pneumonia.

GeneXpert rollout in three high-burden tuberculosis countries in Africa: A review of pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis and outcomes from 2001 to 2019

Background

The rollout of GeneXpert aimed at increasing early diagnosis of tuberculosis to improve treatment outcomes and global tuberculosis targets.

Objective

This study evaluated trends in tuberculosis diagnosis and outcomes pre- and post-introduction of GeneXpert in three African countries – the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria and South Africa.

Methods

Data from 2001 to 2019 were extracted from the World Health Organization’s data repository. Descriptive analysis, paired t-tests and interrupted time series models were used.

Results

Estimated tuberculosis incidence decreased from 327/100 000 to 324/100 000 in the DRC, and from 1220/100 000 to 988/100 000 in South Africa. Incidence remained at 219/100 000 in Nigeria. The tuberculosis case notification rate did not change significantly. Increases in the new case treatment success rates were statistically significant (DRC: p = 0.0201; Nigeria: p = 0.0001; South Africa: p = 0.0017); decreases in mortality were also statistically significant (DRC: p = 0.0264; Nigeria: p = 0.0001; South Africa: p < 0.0001). Time series models showed insignificant increases in new tuberculosis cases in DRC (n = 1856, p = 0.085) and Nigeria (n = 785, p = 0.555) from 2011 to 2019; and a statistically significant decrease in South Africa (n = 15 269, p = 0.006).

Conclusion

Improvements in tuberculosis treatment outcomes were achieved, but little progress has been made in new case notification due to varied implementation and scale-up of GeneXpert across the three countries. Implementation barriers need to be addressed to achieve the required tuberculosis targets.

Creating a Collaborative Trauma-Informed Interdisciplinary Citywide Victim Services Model Focused on Health Care for Survivors of Human Trafficking

Although human trafficking is recognized as a public health issue, research on the health effects of human trafficking and best intervention practices is limited. We describe 2 citywide collaborative victim services models, the THRIVE (Trafficking, Healthcare, Resources, and Interdisciplinary Victim Services and Education) Clinic at the University of Miami and Jackson Health System in Miami, Florida, and the Greater Houston Area Pathways for Advocacy-based, Trauma-Informed Healthcare (PATH) Collaborative at Baylor College of Medicine, CommonSpirit Health, and San Jose Clinic in Houston, Texas, funded in part by the Office for Victims of Crime, which focus on trauma-informed health care delivery for victims of human trafficking. From June 2015 through September 2021, the THRIVE Clinic served 214 patients with an average age of 28.7 years at the time of their first visit. From October 2017 through September 2021, the PATH Collaborative received 560 suspected trafficking referrals, 400 of which screened positive for labor or sex trafficking. These models serve as a framework for replication of interdisciplinary practices to provide health care for this unique population and preliminary information about the strategies put in place to assist victims during their recovery. Key lessons include the importance of a citywide needs assessment, patient navigators, interdisciplinary care, and building community partnerships to ensure safe housing, transportation, identification, health insurance, vocation services, input from survivors, peer-to-peer mentorship, and medical-legal services. Further research is needed to understand the detrimental health effects of trafficking and the health care needs of victims. In addition, a need exists to develop optimal models of care for recovery and reintegration for this patient population and to address public health, legal, and medical policies to ensure access to and sustainability of comprehensive, trauma-informed, interdisciplinary victim services.

Epidemiology and Control of diabetes - tuberculosis comorbidity in Eswatini: protocol for the prospective study of tuberculosis patients on predictive factors, treatment outcomes and patient management practices

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies indicate people with diabetes mellitus (DM) may have varying treatment outcomes when receiving treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and that TB infection or its treatment may predispose them to develop an abnormal blood glucose or type 2 DM. This has implications for Eswatini which is a high TB burden country and with increasing cases of non-communicable diseases including DM. This study will describe the epidemiology of DM-TB comorbidity in a prospective cohort of patients receiving TB treatment and identify best practices for integration of care for non-communicable diseases into TB services in Eswatini.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study will employ a mixed-methods approach. Data from a prospective cohort of newly enrolled patients with TB at 12 health facilities from 1 June 2022 to 30 September 2022, and followed up to 30 April 2023, will be used. For the qualitative, key informants who provide TB services at the health facilities will be interviewed. Quantitative data from patients will be analysed descriptively and by tests of association and multivariate modelling. Key informant interviews from healthcare workers will be analysed using content analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This research has been approved by the Eswatini Health and Human Research Review Board and participant confidentiality will be maintained. COVID-19 safety measures to reduce the risk of infection or transmission by researchers and participants have been instituted. Key programmatic findings and how they can impact healthcare delivery and access will be presented to the specific programme in the Eswatini Ministry of Health and other relevant stakeholders.

Training undergraduate students for rapid on-site evaluation of fine needle aspiration cytology samples using a simulation based education activity

INTRODUCTION

Demand for rapid onsite evaluation (ROSE) of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is rising and the role is increasingly being performed by non-medical cytologists. Undergraduate training for cytologists has traditionally focused on laboratory-based procedural activities and their theoretical underpinning, with minimal attention given to communication and other skills required to operate in an interprofessional setting. We evaluated the effectiveness and student reaction to a simulation-based education (SBE) exercise in ROSE designed to fill this void.

METHODS

We designed and evaluated a SBE exercise based on FNA ROSE across two tertiary institutions with 79 students. The exercise accurately reproduced the demands on cytologists operating as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a time- pressured environment.

FINDINGS

Pre- and post-simulation questionnaires indicated an improvement in technical knowledge related to the procedure. Students' perception of their competence and confidence in their role also improved significantly post simulation. Students uniformly found the exercise engaging and a valuable addition to their curriculum.

DISCUSSION

The simulation successfully provided a pseudo-clinical environment that highlighted the realities of practising technical and diagnostic tasks under time- pressure and interacting with other health professionals to provide an optimal patient outcome. The exercise is useful supplement to on-the-job training for ROSE.

COVID-19-related research in Africa: a cross-sectional review of the International Clinical Trial Registration Platform (ICTRP)

Objective

The declaration of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a pandemic in early 2020, has seen an upsurge in research globally to fill gaps in the epidemiology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus impact on health care and clinical management, as well as possible prevention and treatment modalities. Published literature on the different types of COVID-19 research conducted globally is varied and is particularly limited in Africa. This study sets out to describe the COVID-19-related research registered and conducted on the African continent.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study of all COVID-19-related studies available in the WHO’s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) repository. We extracted studies registered from March 1, 2020, to July 15, 2021. A descriptive analysis of the extracted data was performed, and the findings were presented.

Results

At extraction, a total of 12,533 COVID-19-related studies were listed on the ICTRP portal. We included 9803 studies, after excluding 2060 duplicate records and 686 records without a site/country. While 9347 studies (96%) were conducted outside of Africa, only 456 studies (4%) were conducted in the African continent, of which 270 (59.2%) were interventional studies, and 184 (40.4%) were observational studies. About 80% of the studies were conducted in Egypt and South Africa, and most of these involved testing of drugs and biologicals.

Conclusion

The African continent hosts considerably fewer COVID-19-related research compared to other parts of the world. This may have implications on scientific evidence available for implementing COVID-19 control efforts. There is, therefore, a need for local funding and ownership of research projects and north-south collaboration in research.

Trends in clinical trial registration in sub-Saharan Africa between 2010 and 2020: a cross-sectional review of three clinical trial registries

OBJECTIVE

Prospective registration of clinical trials is an ethical, scientific, and legal requirement that serves several functions, including minimising research wastage and publication bias. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasingly hosting clinical trials over the past few years, and there is limited literature on trends in clinical trial registration and reporting in SSA. Therefore, we set out to determine the trends in clinical trials registered in SSA countries between 2010 and July 2020.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study design was used to describe the type of clinical trials that are conducted in SSA from 1 January 2010 to 31 July 2020. The registries searched were ClinicalTrials.gov (CTG), the Pan African Clinical Trials Register (PACTR), and the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN). Data were extracted into Excel and imported into STATA for descriptive analysis.

RESULTS

CTG had the highest number of registered trials at 2622, followed by PACTR with 1501 and ISRCTN with 507 trials. Trials were observed to increase gradually from 2010 and peaked at 2018-2019. Randomised trials were the commonest type, accounting for at least 80% across the three registries. Phase three trials investigating drugs targeted at infections/infestations were the majority. Few completed trials had their results posted: 58% in ISRCTN and 16.5% in CTG, thus suggesting reporting bias.

CONCLUSION

Despite the gradual increase in clinical trials registered during the period, recent trends suggest a drop in the number of trials registered across the region. Strengthening national and regional regulatory capacity will improve clinical trial registration and minimise reporting bias in completed clinical trials.

Considerations for Establishing Successful Coronavirus Disease Vaccination Programs in Africa

The accelerated development of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) candidate vaccines is intended to achieve worldwide immunity. Ensuring COVID-19 vaccination is crucial to stemming the pandemic, reclaiming everyday life, and helping restore economies. However, challenges exist to deploying these vaccines, especially in resource-limited sub-Saharan Africa. In this article, we highlight lessons learned from previous efforts to scale up vaccine distribution and offer considerations for policymakers and key stakeholders to use for successful COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Africa. These considerations range from improving weak infrastructure for managing data and identifying adverse events after immunization to considering financing options for overcoming the logistical challenges of vaccination campaigns and generating demand for vaccine uptake. In addition, providing COVID-19 vaccination can be used to promote the adoption of universal healthcare, especially in sub-Saharan Africa countries.

Healthcare-associated infections and the prescribing of antibiotics in hospitalized patients of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states: a mixed-methods systematic review

BACKGROUND

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and variation in antibiotic prescribing pose a significant public health challenge in hospitals of low-resource countries.

AIM

To critically appraise and synthesize the evidence on HCAI and the prescribing of antibiotics in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states.

METHODS

All primary qualitative and quantitative studies that addressed HCAI, and the prescribing of antibiotics in hospitalized patients of CARICOM states were included. Ovid Medline, Embase, Global Health, and regional databases were searched. Risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Findings were presented in narrative and table formats.

FINDINGS

Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria for this mixed-methods systematic review (MMSR). Studies were from four different CARICOM states: Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, and Antigua and Barbuda. Intensive care units (ICUs) had the highest rate of infections (67% over four years). Surgical site infections were discussed by seven studies and ranged from 1.5% to 7.3%. For inpatients with contaminated or infected wounds, rates ranged from 29% to 83%. Empiric and prophylactic therapies were common and inappropriately prescribed. Resources and training for healthcare workers in infection control and antimicrobial stewardship were insufficient. Few qualitative studies existed, so it was not possible to integrate evidence from qualitative and quantitative paradigms.

CONCLUSION

Evidence from CARICOM states shows high rates of HCAI and inappropriately prescribed antibiotics, primarily in ICUs. Disease surveillance, infection control, and antimicrobial stewardship programmes require urgent evidence-based improvements.

PSVII-13 Mineral feeder design impacts frequency of use in grazing beef cattle

Trace minerals are essential for many biological and metabolic processes and often supplemented ad libitum to grazing beef cattle. However, research has shown large variations in individual intakes. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of mineral feeder design on visitations and intake. In a crossover experimental design, beef cattle operations (n = 5) were randomly assigned to treatment sequence (lid status) and each evaluation period occurred for 5 – 7 days. Browning game trail cameras (Prometheus Group LLC, Birmingham, AL) were used to record time lapse pictures at 2-minute intervals from sunrise to sunset. Time was categorized as morning (≤10:00), mid-day (10:01 – 14:00), afternoon (14:01 – 18:00) and evening (&gt;18:00). Activity was categorized as eating mineral, standing, lying or other within 0.5 m of feeder. Effects of farm, treatment, and time were analyzed using the GENMOD procedures of SAS 9.4 and mineral intake data were analyzed using PROC GLM. There were significant effects of farm (P &lt; 0.001), treatment (P &lt; 0.007), time (P &lt; 0.001), and the treatment by time interaction (P &lt; 0.001) for the numbers of cows and calves eating. Different herd sizes likely contributed to the significance of farm. Data were further analyzed using PROC FREQ. Of the animals eating, more cows and calves were observed eating with the lid removed (59.1% and 61.7%, respectively). However, average mineral disappearance did not differ (P = 0.57) by treatment (50.4 kg vs. 42.0 kg). Regardless of treatment, more cows were observed eating during the morning and afternoon (35% and 34.8%, respectively) than in the evening (10.3%). Similarly, more calves were categorized as eating in the morning and afternoon (29.3% and 41.3%, respectively) than in the evening (14.1%). These preliminary results indicate that feeder design may impact visitation of cows and calves but not average mineral disappearance.

Factors associated with COVID-19 infections and mortality in Africa: a cross-sectional study using publicly available data

INTRODUCTION

The current COVID-19 pandemic is a global threat. This elicits questions on the level of preparedness and capacity of health systems to respond to emergencies relative to other parts of the world.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study uses publicly available core health data for 53 African countries to determine risk factors for cumulative COVID-19 deaths and cases per million in all countries in the continent. Descriptive statistics were determined for the indicators, and a negative binomial regression was used for modelling the risk factors.

RESULTS

In sub-Saharan Africa, an increase in the number of nursing and midwifery personnel decreased the risk of COVID-19 deaths (p=0.0178), while a unit increase in universal healthcare (UHC) index of service coverage and prevalence of insufficient physical activity among adults increased the risk of COVID-19 deaths (p=0.0432 and p=0.0127). An increase in the proportion of infants initiating breast feeding reduced the number of cases per million (p<0.0001), while an increase in higher healthy life expectancy at birth increased the number of cases per million (p=0.0340).

CONCLUSION

Despite its limited resources, Africa's preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be improved by identifying and addressing specific gaps in the funding of health services delivery. These gaps impact negatively on service delivery in Africa, which requires more nursing personnel and increased UHC coverage to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.

Associations between Cross‐Sector Collaboration and Family Outcomes in Evidence‐Based Nurse Home Visiting

Home‐visiting prevention programs must coordinate with other community providers to be most effective. However, the associations between collaboration and program outcomes are not well understood. This study aimed to examine the associations between cross‐sector collaboration in Nurse‐Family Partnership (NFP), a model home‐visiting program, and client‐level outcomes.

We used 2018 survey data with NFP supervisors that assessed agency‐level collaboration, as measured by relational coordination and structural integration with nine community provider types (including obstetrics care, substance use treatment, and child welfare). We paired the collaboration survey data with NFP program implementation data from 2014 to 2019 (n = 36,901) to examine outcomes including client retention, client smoking cessation, and childhood injury. We used random‐intercept models with nurse‐level random effects, controlling for client‐level demographics and health, nurse‐level demographics, and agency‐level administrative and geographic factors.

NFP is an evidence‐based prenatal and early infancy home‐visitation program delivered by nurses to low‐income, first‐time mothers. NFP is implemented by over 250 agencies across the United States by public health departments, nonprofit organizations, and health care systems. Sample NFP clients were on average 23 years old and predominately single. Of sample clients, 47.5% were white, 33% were African American, 11.5% reported another race, and 8% declined reporting; 31% of clients identified as Hispanic.

Consistent with past research, we found unmarried women and those visited by nurses who ceased employment with NFP prior to the client’s child’s birth were more likely to drop out of the NFP program, while older women and high school graduates were more likely to remain in NFP. Greater relational coordination with substance use treatment providers (OR: 1.148, P  < .001) and stronger structural integration with CPS (OR: 1.056, P  < .001) were associated with improved client retention at birth, even after adjusting for multilevel factors. Structural integration with CPS remains significantly associated with client retention at 12‐months postpartum. Greater nurse coordination with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children—WIC (OR: 1.090, P  < .05) as well as with substance use treatment providers (OR: 1.115, P  < .05) was associated with increased prenatal smoking cessation. Stronger nurse coordination with WIC (OR: 0.875, P  < .01) and greater integration with mental health providers (OR: 0.969, P  < .01) were associated with decreased probability of self‐reported emergency department (ED) use for childhood injury, while greater structural integration with WIC (OR: 1.022, P  < .05) was associated with increased probability of ED use.

Improving health care through relationships with other care providers is necessary to enhance the experience and outcomes of patients, particularly among high‐need complex populations. This study provides early results suggesting cross‐sector collaboration in a home‐visiting setting that bridges health care and addresses social determinants of health has potential to improve the retention of clients. More research is needed to understand how collaboration may improve maternal‐reported behaviors like smoking cessation and ED use for childhood injury.

Our findings inform efforts to increase efficient delivery of prevention programs like NFP through intentional collaboration with cross‐sectors, as well as for future agency development for NFP expansion, especially as the program moves toward integration with health care delivery systems.

Blue Meridian Partners.

Estimating the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on childhood pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review

Background: This study aimed to summarise the evidence on the impact of routine administration of 10-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on pneumonia in children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted including primary research reporting on the impact of 10- or 13-valent pneumococcal vaccines on childhood pneumonia in a sub-Saharan African country. Case-control, cohort, pre-post and time-series study designs were eligible for inclusion. Thematic narrative synthesis was carried out to summarise the findings. Results: Eight records were included in the final analysis, 6 records were pre-post or time-series studies, 1 was a case-control study and 1 report combined pre-post and case-control studies. Vaccine impact on clinical pneumonia measured as percentage reduction in risk (%RR) was mostly non-significant. The reduction in risk was more consistent in radiological and pneumococcal pneumonia. Conclusions: Evidence of the positive impact of routine infant pneumococcal vaccination on clinical pneumonia incidence in sub-Saharan Africa is inconclusive. Ongoing surveillance and further research is required to establish the long term trend in pneumonia epidemiology and aetiology after PCV introduction. PROSPERO registration: CRD42019142369 30/09/19.

Estimating the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on childhood pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review

Background: This study aimed to summarise the evidence on the impact of routine administration of 10-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on pneumonia in children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted including primary research reporting on the impact of 10- or 13-valent pneumococcal vaccines on childhood pneumonia in a sub-Saharan African country. Case-control, cohort, pre-post and time-series study designs were eligible for inclusion. Thematic narrative synthesis was carried out to summarise the findings. Results: Eight records were included in the final analysis, 6 records were pre-post or time-series studies, 1 was a case-control study and 1 report combined pre-post and case-control studies. Vaccine impact on clinical pneumonia measured as percentage reduction in risk (%RR) was mostly non-significant. The reduction in risk was more consistent in radiological and pneumococcal pneumonia. Conclusions: Evidence of the positive impact of routine infant pneumococcal vaccination on clinical pneumonia incidence in sub-Saharan Africa is inconclusive. Ongoing surveillance and further research is required to establish the long term trend in pneumonia epidemiology and aetiology after PCV introduction. PROSPERO registration: CRD42019142369 30/09/19.

How point-of-care HbA1c testing changes the behaviour of people with diabetes and clinicians - a qualitative study

AIM

To explore adults with diabetes and clinician views of point-of-care HbA_1c testing.

METHODS

Adults with diabetes and HbA_1c ≥ 58 mmol/mol (7.5%) receiving HbA_1c point-of-care testing in primary care were invited to individual interviews. Participants were interviewed twice, once prior to point-of-care testing and once after 6 months follow-up. Clinicians were interviewed once. A thematic framework based on an a priori framework was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

Fifteen participants (eight women, age range 30-70 years, two Asians, 13 white Europeans) were interviewed. They liked point-of-care testing and found the single appointment more convenient than usual care. Receiving the test result at the appointment helped some people understand how some lifestyle behaviours affected their control of diabetes and motivated them to change behaviours. Receiving an immediate test result reduced the anxiety some people experience when waiting for a result. People thought there was little value in using point-of-care testing for their annual review. Clinicians liked the point-of-care testing but expressed concerns about costs.

CONCLUSIONS

This work suggests that several features of point-of-care testing may encourage behavioural change. It helped some people to link their HbA_1c result to recent lifestyle behaviours, thereby motivating behavioural change and reinforcing healthy lifestyle choices.

Microfluidic Enabling Platform for Cell-based Assays

We have developed proprietary technologies for executing continuous flow assays in biochips which mimic human capillaries. Such technologies are integral to the rapidly growing laboratory instrumentation sector for applications in drug discovery, biotechnology, medical diagnostics and environmental studies. A common link between all sectors is the movement toward miniaturization to increase throughput, accuracy and efficiency in the development of new drugs. The miniaturization process itself leads to a demand for new instruments and tools capable of handling microlitre quantities of biological fluids and reagents, thus, we present an instrument which is capable of doing so in the form of a microfluidic enabling platform.

Implications for women of Louisiana's law requiring abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges

BACKGROUND

In 2014, Louisiana passed a law requiring abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges. This law is temporarily on hold while a court case challenging it continues. We aimed to describe the population who would be affected if the law goes into effect and how closures of between three and five Louisiana abortion facilities would affect the distance Louisiana women would need to travel for an abortion.

STUDY DESIGN

We abstracted patient data from three of the five Louisiana abortion care facilities in the year before the law was scheduled to take effect. We then estimated distance traveled and distances women would need to travel if clinics close.

FINDINGS

Half (53%) of women who had an abortion had no education beyond high school, most were black (62%) or white (30%), three fourths (73%) had a previous live birth, and most (89%) were having a first-trimester abortion. Seventy-nine percent resided in Louisiana and 15% in Texas. The parishes in which abortion patients resided had lower median income and higher percentage poverty than the Louisiana average. Abortion patients residing in Louisiana traveled a mean distance of 58 miles each way for an abortion. If all Louisiana facilities close, the mean distance women would need to travel would more than triple to 208 miles, and the proportion of Louisiana women of reproductive age who live more than 150 miles from an abortion facility would increase from 1% to 72%.

CONCLUSION

The admitting privileges law will likely significantly increase the distance Louisiana women need to travel for an abortion. This burden is likely to disproportionately affect Louisiana's more vulnerable residents.

IMPLICATIONS

If all Louisiana abortion facilities close due to Louisiana's hospital admitting privileges law, the mean distance women would need to travel for an abortion would more than triple from 58 to 208 miles. Louisiana's law would thus present a considerable burden on many Louisiana women, particularly those who are more vulnerable.

Is the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms changing in Canadian hospitals? Comparison of point-prevalence survey results in 2010 and 2012

A national point-prevalence survey for infection or colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) was done in Canadian hospitals in 2010. A follow-up survey was done in November 2012 to determine whether there were any changes in the prevalence of these organisms; we also determined the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CREs). Associations between prevalence and infection prevention and control policies were evaluated in logistic regression models. A total of 143 (67% of eligible facilities) hospitals with 29 042 adult inpatients participated in the survey, with representation from all 10 provinces; 132 hospitals participated in 2010 and 2012. There were no significant changes in the median prevalence of MRSA in 2010 (4.3%) compared to 2012 (3.9%), or of CDI in 2010 (0.8%) compared to 2012 (0.9%). A higher median prevalence of VRE was identified in 2012 (1.3%) compared to 2010 (0.5%) (p 0.04), despite decreased VRE screening in 2012. The median prevalence of ESBLs was 0.7% and was 0 for CREs; CREs were reported from only 10 hospitals (7.0%). A policy of routinely caring for patients with MRSA or VRE in a private isolation room was associated with lower prevalence of these organisms. Targeted screening of high-risk patients at admission was associated with lower MRSA prevalence; better hand hygiene compliance was associated with lower VRE prevalence. These data provide national prevalence rates for antibiotic-resistant organisms among adults hospitalized in Canadian hospitals. Certain infection prevention and control policies were associated with prevalence.

The contribution of nurses to a multi-disciplinary approach to patient care in Tomsk, Russia

The Tomsk Oblast Tuberculosis (TB) services have accumulated unique experience in the area of TB detection, care and control through their collaboration with various international partners since 1994. Nurses account for about one half of all health care personnel in both in-patient and out-patient care sectors in Tomsk TB services, and they have been involved throughout in the planning and delivery of care. The authors believe that a holistic approach to service provision has led to positive results in TB programme outcomes, which are better than many in Russia, even with historically high rates of drug-resistant TB.

Nurse-managed care for health care workers in southern Africa

In Swaziland, the health care system is experiencing severe scarcity of health care workers (HCWs) due to difficult working conditions, migration and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic. Nurses and other HCWs in Swaziland are personally as affected by communicable diseases as the general population. High levels of HIV and TB co-infection bring added complexity to care. The loss of skilled staff in key positions has had a particularly negative impact on the quality of care and service delivery. The Swaziland Nurses Association (SNA) has established a Centre for Comprehensive Wellness for HCWs in the public and private sector and their immediate families to support the health workforce.

Root Cause Analysis: Using Theory of Constraints Application to Measure the Impact of Employee Demographics on the Adoption of Information Technology Equipment

This paper uses Theory of Constraints (TOC) improvement questions to measure how employees' demographics influence their adoption of various Information Technology Equipments (ITEs) in organisations. Survey questions in the form of a Likert scale are prepared to address these possible effects. The number of total participants was 216 and they were from two universities: Argosy University, Atlanta campus; and Brigham Young University, Provo campus. The research question for this study asked how the factors of age, gender, race, and education level positively or negatively influence employees' attitudes toward ITE adoption at their place of employment. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was computed to assess the relationships and the Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare the independent groups. The results suggested that there was a correlation among age, race and education level and indicated that age negatively correlates with employees' level of comfort with ITE use. There was a statistically significant difference at the 0.01 level between White and Black participants.