Seroprevalence of Dengue and Chikungunya Virus Infections in Children Living in Sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Dengue and chikungunya viruses are frequent causes of malarial-like febrile illness in children. The rapid increase in virus transmission by mosquitoes is a global health concern. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the childhood prevalence of dengue and chikungunya in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane Library (Wiley) databases was conducted on 28 June 2019, and updated on 12 February 2022. The search strategy was designed to retrieve all articles pertaining to arboviruses in SSA children using both controlled vocabulary and keywords. The pooled (weighted) proportion of dengue and chikungunya was estimated using a random effect model. The overall pooled prevalence of dengue and chikungunya in SSA children was estimated to be 16% and 7%, respectively. Prevalence was slightly lower during the period 2010-2020 compared to 2000-2009. The study design varied depending on the healthcare facility reporting the disease outbreak. Importantly, laboratory methods used to detect arbovirus infections differed. The present review documents the prevalence of dengue and chikungunya in pediatric patients throughout SSA. The results provide unprecedented insight into the transmission of dengue and chikungunya viruses among these children and highlight the need for enhanced surveillance and controlled methodology.

Verbal Autopsy to Assess Postdischarge Mortality in Children With Suspected Sepsis in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Reducing child mortality in low-income countries is constrained by a lack of vital statistics. In the absence of such data, verbal autopsies provide an acceptable method to determining attributable causes of death. The objective was to assess potential causes of pediatric postdischarge mortality in children younger than age 5 years (under-5) originally admitted for suspected sepsis using verbal autopsies. METHODS: Secondary analysis of verbal autopsy data from children admitted to 6 hospitals across Uganda from July 2017 to March 2020. Structured verbal autopsy interviews were conducted for all deaths within 6 months after discharge. Two physicians independently classified a primary cause of death, up to 4 alternative causes, and up to 5 contributing conditions using the Start-Up Mortality List, with discordance resolved by consensus. RESULTS: Verbal autopsies were completed for 361 (98.6%) of the 366 (5.9%) children who died among 6191 discharges (median admission age: 5.4 months [interquartile range, 1.8-16.7]; median time to mortality: 28 days [interquartile range, 9-74]). Most deaths (62.3%) occurred in the community. Leading primary causes of death, assigned in 356 (98.6%) of cases, were pneumonia (26.2%), sepsis (22.1%), malaria (8.5%), and diarrhea (7.9%). Common contributors to death were malnutrition (50.5%) and anemia (25.7%). Reviewers were less confident in their causes of death for neonates than older children (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Postdischarge mortality frequently occurred in the community in children admitted for suspected sepsis in Uganda. Analyses of the probable causes for these deaths using verbal autopsies suggest potential areas for interventions, focused on early detection of infections, as well as prevention and treatment of underlying contributors such as malnutrition and anemia.

Child Death in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Simulation Case for Pediatric Residents to Prepare for Global Health Electives.

Introduction: Pediatric residents are increasingly pursuing global health electives. Differences in cultural norms and management around pediatric deaths in resource-limited settings can be emotionally overwhelming for residents. Educational resources are needed to better equip them for handling these stressful situations. We developed a predeparture simulation child death case to prepare pediatric residents for their global health elective. Methods: The simulation module included a clinical case followed by a multidisciplinary structured debriefing. The case featured a 5-year-old, malnourished child in hypovolemic shock who clinically deteriorates and dies. After obtaining a history and performing a physical examination, residents were expected to diagnose severe malnutrition, treat hypovolemic shock, and decide how far to extend resuscitation with the limited resources. Upon returning from abroad, residents were invited to complete a survey on the utility of the simulation case module in preparing for their elective. Results: Twenty-nine residents participated in the simulation case module, and 18 completed the survey. Seventeen agreed or strongly agreed that the simulation module was a useful tool for preparation (Mdn = 4.5 on a 5-point Likert scale). Residents reflected that the simulation module helped manage expectations and provided them with an understanding of the cross-cultural differences in managing pediatric deaths in a resource-limited setting. Discussion: Pediatric residents trained in resource-rich countries do not encounter death often. Postgraduate training programs could consider simulations like this one to prepare such residents for cross-cultural differences in managing pediatric deaths and build resiliency to operate in resource-limited settings.

Linkage to Care Intervention to Improve Post-Hospital Outcomes Among Children with Sickle Cell Disease in Tanzania: A Pilot Study.

We conducted a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of a linkage to care intervention with social workers to improve 12-month post-hospital mortality for children in Tanzania with sickle cell disease. Comparison was done with a historical cohort. Mortality was 6.7% in the interventional cohort compared with 19.2% (adjusted Hazard Ratio, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.08-0.83).

Diabetic Microvascular Complications Among Children and Adolescents in Northwestern Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Africa is experiencing a rapid increase in morbidity and mortality related to diabetes mellitus (DM). Contemporary data are needed to guide efforts to improve prevention and treatment for microvascular complications in children and adolescents in Africa. This study was conducted to assess prevalence of diabetic microvascular complications in northwestern Tanzania, including nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy, as well as associated risk factors. Objectives: 1) To determine the prevalence of microvascular complications and the overlap of nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy and 2) to determine factors associated with the development of microvascular complications. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 155 children and adolescents with DM consecutively attending all three health centers providing diabetes care for children in the Mwanza region of Tanzania. Participants were examined for microvascular complications and possible risk factors. Results: Fifty-one of 155 participants (age: 5-19 years) had diabetic nephropathy (32.9%), 16 had diabetic retinopathy (10.3%), and 21 had diabetic neuropathy (13.6%). Risk factors for development of a microvascular complication included age, duration of DM, and poor glycemic control. Of the participants, 107 had poor levels of glycemic control (69%) with HbA1C levels >10%. Conclusion: The prevalence of microvascular complications, especially that of nephropathy, was disturbingly high. Risk factors for microvascular complications were similar to other studies from Africa and included poor glycemic control, older age, and longer duration of DM. Innovative, locally appropriate systems for optimizing glycemic control are urgently needed.

Very severe anemia and one year mortality outcome after hospitalization in Tanzanian children: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Africa has the highest rates of child mortality. Little is known about outcomes after hospitalization for children with very severe anemia. OBJECTIVE: To determine one year mortality and predictors of mortality in Tanzanian children hospitalized with very severe anemia. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study enrolling children 2-12 years hospitalized from August 2014 to November 2014 at two public hospitals in northwestern Tanzania. Children were screened for anemia and followed until 12 months after discharge. The primary outcome measured was mortality. Predictors of mortality were determined using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 505 children, 90 (17.8%) had very severe anemia and 415 (82.1%) did not. Mortality was higher for children with very severe anemia compared to children without over a one year period from admission, 27/90 (30.0%) vs. 59/415 (14.2%) respectively (Hazard Ratio (HR) 2.42, 95% Cl 1.53-3.83). In-hospital mortality was 11/90 (12.2%) and post-hospital mortality was 16/79 (20.2%) for children with very severe anemia. The strongest predictors of mortality were age (HR 1.01, 95% Cl 1.00-1.03) and decreased urine output (HR 4.30, 95% Cl 1.04-17.7). CONCLUSIONS: Children up to 12 years of age with very severe anemia have nearly a 30% chance of mortality following admission over a one year period, with over 50% of mortality occurring after discharge. Post-hospital interventions are urgently needed to reduce mortality in children with very severe anemia, and should include older children.

Post-hospital mortality in children aged 2-12 years in Tanzania: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of child mortality worldwide. Little is known about post-hospital outcomes after an index hospitalization for older children. We determined 12-month post-hospital mortality rate and identified factors associated with higher mortality. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we enrolled children 2-12 years of age admitted to the pediatric wards of two public hospitals in northwestern Tanzania. Participants or proxies were contacted at 3, 6 and 12 months post-hospitalization. The primary outcome measured was mortality. Factors associated with mortality were determined using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 506 participants were enrolled. In-hospital mortality rate was 7.7% (39/506). Of the 467 participants discharged, the post-hospital mortality rate was 10.1% (47/467). Sickle cell disease (Hazard Ratio (HR) 3.32, 95% CI 1.44-7.68), severe malnutrition (HR 3.19, 95% CI 1.18-8.57), neurologic diseases (HR 3.51, 95% CI 1.35-9.11), heart disease (HR 7.11, 95% CI, 2.89-17.51), cancer (HR 11.79, 95% CI 4.95-28.03), and septic shock (HR 4.64, 95% CI 1.42-15.08) had higher association with mortality compared to other diagnoses. The risk factors significantly associated with mortality included older age (HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.08), lower hemoglobin level (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.90), lower Glasgow Coma Scale (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.59-0.74), history of decreased urine output (HR 2.87, 95% CI 1.49-5.53), higher respiratory rate (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03), estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 ml/min/1.73m2 (binary) (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.10-3.10), and lower oxygen saturation (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Post-hospital mortality is disturbingly high among children 2-12 years of age in Tanzania. Post-hospital interventions are urgently needed especially for older children with chronic illnesses.

Global health training among U.S. residency specialties: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Interest in global health training during residency is increasing. Global health knowledge is also becoming essential for health-care delivery today. Many U.S. residency programs have been incorporating global health training opportunities for their residents. We performed a systematic literature review to evaluate global health training opportunities and challenges among U.S. residency specialties. METHODS: We searched PubMed from its earliest dates until October 2015. Articles included were survey results of U.S. program directors on global health training opportunities, and web-based searches of U.S. residency program websites on global health training opportunities. Data extracted included percentage of residency programs offering global health training within a specialty and challenges encountered. RESULTS: Studies were found for twelve U.S. residency specialties. Of the survey based studies, the specialties with the highest percentage of their residency programs offering global health training were preventive medicine (83%), emergency medicine (74%), and surgery (71%); and the lowest were orthopaedic surgery (26%), obstetrics and gynecology (28%), and plastic surgery (41%). Of the web-based studies, the specialties with the highest percentage of their residency programs offering global health training were emergency medicine (41%), pediatrics (33%), and family medicine (22%); and the lowest were psychiatry (9%), obstetrics and gynecology (17%), and surgery (18%). The most common challenges were lack of funding, lack of international partnerships, lack of supervision, and scheduling. CONCLUSION: Among U.S. residency specialties, there are wide disparities for global health training. In general, there are few opportunities in psychiatry and surgical residency specialties, and greater opportunities among medical residency specialties. Further emphasis should be made to scale-up opportunities for psychiatry and surgical residency specialties.

Global health training during residency: the weill cornell Tanzania experience.

BACKGROUND: In 2007, Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) began annually to send approximately 30 residents in internal medicine and pediatrics to Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania, where they were supervised and mentored by 2 full-time WCMC faculty physicians. OBJECTIVE: To describe the components of the WCMC global health elective and to evaluate the experiences of the participants. METHODS: Subjects were WCMC residents in internal medicine and pediatrics from the graduating classes of 2007-2009. Electronic surveys were sent to all participants (n  = 57) and to a group of nonparticipants (n  =  57). RESULTS: Overall response rate was 58%. The most-selected, primary reasons for participation in the program were an interest in global health and a desire to serve an underprivileged population. Participants rated use of routine laboratory tests in the United States as more overused than did nonparticipants (P  =  .01). After the elective, 62% of participants reported a reduced use of laboratory and/or radiologic tests. All participants (100%; 39 of 39) reported the elective as having a positive effect on their knowledge of international health and tropical medicine. More than 90% of participants (36 of 39) reported the elective as having a positive effect on their physical examination skills. CONCLUSIONS: Participants of the WCMC global health elective report positive experiences from our multidimensional global health collaboration.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation of "typical" atrial flutter in a patient with Kartagener's syndrome.

Kartagener's syndrome and radiofrequency catheter ablation for the treatment of atrial flutter have been well described in separate reports. This case report includes both in describing a patient with Kartagener's syndrome who had medically refractory atrial flutter that was successfully treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation.