Global epidemiology of septic shock: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Septic shock is a life-threatening infection frequently responsible for hospital admissions or may be acquired as nosocomial infection in hospitalized patients with resultant significant morbidity and mortality . There is a dearth of data on a résumé and meta-analysis on the global epidemiology of this potentially deadly condition. Therefore, we propose the first systematic review to synthesize existing data on the global incidence, prevalence and case fatality rate of septic shock worldwide. METHODS: We will include cross-sectional, case-control and cohort studies reporting on the incidence, and case fatality rate of septic shock. Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, WHO Global Health Library and Web of Science will be searched for relevant records published between 1 January 2000 and 31 August 2019. Independents reviewers will perform study selection and data extraction, as well as assessment of methodological quality of included studies. Appropriate meta-analysis will then be used to pool studies judged to be clinically homogenous. Egger's test and funnel plots will be used to detect publication bias. Findings will be reported and compared by human development level of countries. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Being a review, ethical approval is not required as it was obtained in the primary study which will make up the review. This review is expected to provide relevant data to help in evaluating the burden of septic shock in the general population. The overall findings of this research will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019129783.

Atrio-ventricular Block Following Neostigmine-Glycopyrrolate Reversal in Non-heart Transplant Patients: Case Report.

Neostigmine is the anticholinesterase drug most commonly used to reverse blockade or speed up recovery from neuromuscular blockade from nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs. Because of its cardiac muscarinic effects, prior or simultaneous administration of glycopyrrolate or atropine is usually recommended. There have been a few case reports of bradycardia, atrio-ventricular (AV) block, and cardiac arrest following neostigmine/glycopyrrolate administration to reverse neuromuscular block affecting several patients. In this report, we describe a case of 21-year-old with a history of seizure disorder and developmental delay that presented for dental surgery under general anesthesia and developed type I AV block following the simultaneous administration of neostigmine and glycopyrrolate to reverse a nondepolarizing neuromuscular block with rocuronium at the end of his surgery. We suggest that the chronic use of antiepileptic drugs in this patient in combination with neostigmine and glycopyrrolate lead to AV block in this patient. We also review similar cases reported in the literature and suggest an explanation for this observed phenomenon.

The neglected burden of snakebites in Cameroon: a review of the epidemiology, management and public health challenges.

OBJECTIVES: Snakebite is an underestimated medical and surgical emergency in developing countries responsible for a high disease burden. Optimal management of snake envenomation in these resource-limited settings is precluded by several public health challenges. In this review, we discuss the disease burden of snakebites in Cameroon and the public health challenges of its management in view of making recommendations essential for policy-making. MEDLINE, African Journals Online and Google Scholar were searched from January 1990 to February 2017 for studies addressing snakebite in Cameroon. Our search extended to include grey literature from book chapters, conference proceedings, theses and documents from organizations. RESULTS: Our results suggest that snakebites pose a significant health and economic burden in Cameroon. A composite of factors contributes to the challenge of managing snakebites in Cameroon and include: inadequate disease surveillance; poor health-seeking behaviours of patients; under-production and scarcity of anti-venom serum and the relatively high cost of anti-venom serum. There is an urgent need to revamp the current health policies through health education, promotion and building of sustainable health systems. Disease surveillance and management can be improved by providing refresher courses for healthcare providers and subsidization of the prices of anti-venom serum in pharmacies in the country.

Global incidence and case fatality rate of pulmonary embolism following major surgery: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition common after major surgery. Although the high incidence (0.3-30%) and mortality rate (16.9-31%) of PE in patients undergoing major surgical procedures is apparent from findings of contemporary observational studies, there is a lack of a summary and meta-analysis data on the epidemiology of postoperative PE in this same regard. Hence, we propose to conduct the first systematic review to summarise existing data on the global incidence, determinants and case fatality rate of PE following major surgery. METHODS: Electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, WHO global health library (including LILACS), Web of Science and Google scholar from inception to April 30, 2017, will be searched for cohort studies reporting on the incidence, determinants and case fatality rate of PE occurring after major surgery. Data from grey literature will also be assessed. Two investigators will independently perform study selection and data extraction. Included studies will be evaluated for risk of bias. Appropriate meta-analytic methods will be used to pool incidence and case fatality rate estimates from studies with identical features, globally and by subgroups of major surgical procedures. Random-effects and risk ratio with 95% confidence interval will be used to summarise determinants and predictors of mortality of PE in patients undergoing major surgery. DISCUSSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide the most up-to-date epidemiology of PE in patients undergoing major surgery to inform health authorities and identify further research topics based on the remaining knowledge gaps. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42017065126.

Treatment failure in a typhoid patient infected with nalidixic acid resistant S. enterica serovar Typhi with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin: a case report from Cameroon.

BACKGROUND: Fluoroquinolones or third generation cephalosporins are the drugs of choice for the treatment of typhoid fever. Treatment failure with fluoroquinolones has been reported in Asia and Europe. We report a case of ciprofloxacin treatment failure in typhoid fever in Cameroon. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-year-old female patient with suspected typhoid fever from Kumba, Cameroon, yielded growth of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi in blood culture. The isolate was resistant to nalidixic acid but sensitive to ciprofloxacin by disc diffusion test. However, the patient did not respond to treatment with ciprofloxacin, although the isolate was apparently susceptible to ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSION: Treatment failure with ciprofloxacin in our case indicates the presence of nalidixic acid resistant S. enterica serovar Typhi (NARST) with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin in Cameroon (Central Africa).