Meningococcal ACWYX Conjugate Vaccine in 2-to-29-Year-Olds in Mali and Gambia.

BACKGROUND: An effective, affordable, multivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine is needed to prevent epidemic meningitis in the African meningitis belt. Data on the safety and immunogenicity of NmCV-5, a pentavalent vaccine targeting the A, C, W, Y, and X serogroups, have been limited. METHODS: We conducted a phase 3, noninferiority trial involving healthy 2-to-29-year-olds in Mali and Gambia. Participants were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive a single intramuscular dose of NmCV-5 or the quadrivalent vaccine MenACWY-D. Immunogenicity was assessed at day 28. The noninferiority of NmCV-5 to MenACWY-D was assessed on the basis of the difference in the percentage of participants with a seroresponse (defined as prespecified changes in titer; margin, lower limit of the 96% confidence interval [CI] above -10 percentage points) or geometric mean titer (GMT) ratios (margin, lower limit of the 98.98% CI >0.5). Serogroup X responses in the NmCV-5 group were compared with the lowest response among the MenACWY-D serogroups. Safety was also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 1800 participants received NmCV-5 or MenACWY-D. In the NmCV-5 group, the percentage of participants with a seroresponse ranged from 70.5% (95% CI, 67.8 to 73.2) for serogroup A to 98.5% (95% CI, 97.6 to 99.2) for serogroup W; the percentage with a serogroup X response was 97.2% (95% CI, 96.0 to 98.1). The overall difference between the two vaccines in seroresponse for the four shared serogroups ranged from 1.2 percentage points (96% CI, -0.3 to 3.1) for serogroup W to 20.5 percentage points (96% CI, 15.4 to 25.6) for serogroup A. The overall GMT ratios for the four shared serogroups ranged from 1.7 (98.98% CI, 1.5 to 1.9) for serogroup A to 2.8 (98.98% CI, 2.3 to 3.5) for serogroup C. The serogroup X component of the NmCV-5 vaccine generated seroresponses and GMTs that met the prespecified noninferiority criteria. The incidence of systemic adverse events was similar in the two groups (11.1% in the NmCV-5 group and 9.2% in the MenACWY-D group). CONCLUSIONS: For all four serotypes in common with the MenACWY-D vaccine, the NmCV-5 vaccine elicited immune responses that were noninferior to those elicited by the MenACWY-D vaccine. NmCV-5 also elicited immune responses to serogroup X. No safety concerns were evident. (Funded by the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03964012.).

Feasibility, safety, and impact of the RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine when implemented through national immunisation programmes: evaluation of cluster-randomised introduction of the vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.

BACKGROUND: The RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine (RTS,S) was introduced by national immunisation programmes in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi in 2019 in large-scale pilot schemes. We aimed to address questions about feasibility and impact, and to assess safety signals that had been observed in the phase 3 trial that included an excess of meningitis and cerebral malaria cases in RTS,S recipients, and the possibility of an excess of deaths among girls who received RTS,S than in controls, to inform decisions about wider use. METHODS: In this prospective evaluation, 158 geographical clusters (66 districts in Ghana; 46 sub-counties in Kenya; and 46 groups of immunisation clinic catchment areas in Malawi) were randomly assigned to early or delayed introduction of RTS,S, with three doses to be administered between the ages of 5 months and 9 months and a fourth dose at the age of approximately 2 years. Primary outcomes of the evaluation, planned over 4 years, were mortality from all causes except injury (impact), hospital admission with severe malaria (impact), hospital admission with meningitis or cerebral malaria (safety), deaths in girls compared with boys (safety), and vaccination coverage (feasibility). Mortality was monitored in children aged 1-59 months throughout the pilot areas. Surveillance for meningitis and severe malaria was established in eight sentinel hospitals in Ghana, six in Kenya, and four in Malawi. Vaccine uptake was measured in surveys of children aged 12-23 months about 18 months after vaccine introduction. We estimated that sufficient data would have accrued after 24 months to evaluate each of the safety signals and the impact on severe malaria in a pooled analysis of the data from the three countries. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) by comparing the ratio of the number of events in children age-eligible to have received at least one dose of the vaccine (for safety outcomes), or age-eligible to have received three doses (for impact outcomes), to that in non-eligible age groups in implementation areas with the equivalent ratio in comparison areas. To establish whether there was evidence of a difference between girls and boys in the vaccine's impact on mortality, the female-to-male mortality ratio in age groups eligible to receive the vaccine (relative to the ratio in non-eligible children) was compared between implementation and comparison areas. Preliminary findings contributed to WHO's recommendation in 2021 for widespread use of RTS,S in areas of moderate-to-high malaria transmission. FINDINGS: By April 30, 2021, 652 673 children had received at least one dose of RTS,S and 494 745 children had received three doses. Coverage of the first dose was 76% in Ghana, 79% in Kenya, and 73% in Malawi, and coverage of the third dose was 66% in Ghana, 62% in Kenya, and 62% in Malawi. 26 285 children aged 1-59 months were admitted to sentinel hospitals and 13 198 deaths were reported through mortality surveillance. Among children eligible to have received at least one dose of RTS,S, there was no evidence of an excess of meningitis or cerebral malaria cases in implementation areas compared with comparison areas (hospital admission with meningitis: IRR 0·63 [95% CI 0·22-1·79]; hospital admission with cerebral malaria: IRR 1·03 [95% CI 0·61-1·74]). The impact of RTS,S introduction on mortality was similar for girls and boys (relative mortality ratio 1·03 [95% CI 0·88-1·21]). Among children eligible for three vaccine doses, RTS,S introduction was associated with a 32% reduction (95% CI 5-51%) in hospital admission with severe malaria, and a 9% reduction (95% CI 0-18%) in all-cause mortality (excluding injury). INTERPRETATION: In the first 2 years of implementation of RTS,S, the three primary doses were effectively deployed through national immunisation programmes. There was no evidence of the safety signals that had been observed in the phase 3 trial, and introduction of the vaccine was associated with substantial reductions in hospital admission with severe malaria. Evaluation continues to assess the impact of four doses of RTS,S. FUNDING: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and Unitaid.

Factors associated with meningitis vaccine awareness and engagement among Latino men who have sex with men in South Florida.

Awareness and uptake of the meningitis vaccine remains low among marginalized groups, such as Latino men who have sex with men (LMSM), potentially due to structural and psychosocial barriers in accessing preventative healthcare. The current study explored awareness and uptake of meningitis vaccines among a group of LMSM (N = 99) living in South Florida. A three-pronged variable selection approach was utilized prior to conducting regression models (linear and logistic). Overall, 48.5% of the participants reported little to no knowledge about meningitis vaccines, and 20.2% reported being vaccinated. Living with HIV (OR = 10.48) and time since outbreak (OR = 1.03) were significant predictors of meningitis vaccine uptake. No significant correlates of meningitis vaccine awareness were identified. More research is needed to identify other important factors associated with meningitis vaccine awareness and uptake among LMSM, a multiple marginalized group.

Comparison of prophylactic antibiotics for endonasal transsphenoidal surgery using a national inpatient database in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The choice of prophylactic antibiotics for use in endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) lacks universal standards. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cefazolin, ampicillin and third-generation cephalosporins for preventing postoperative meningitis and secondary outcomes (in-hospital death and the combination of pneumonia and urinary tract infection) in patients who have undergone ETSS. METHODS: The study used data from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database in Japan. Data from 10 688 patients who underwent ETSS between April 2016 and March 2021 were included. Matching weight analysis based on propensity scores was conducted to compare the outcomes of patients receiving cefazolin, ampicillin or third-generation cephalosporins as prophylactic antibiotics. RESULTS: Of the 10 688 patients, 9013, 102 and 1573 received cefazolin, ampicillin and third-generation cephalosporins, respectively. The incidence of postoperative meningitis did not significantly differ between the cefazolin group and the ampicillin group (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.14-7.43) or third-generation cephalosporins group (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.10-6.44). Similarly, in-hospital death and the composite incidence of pneumonia and urinary tract infection did not differ between the cefazolin group and the ampicillin or third-generation cephalosporins group. CONCLUSIONS: Cefazolin, ampicillin and third-generation cephalosporins as perioperative prophylactic antibiotics for ETSS do not differ significantly in terms of preventing meningitis.

Google search behavior for meningitis and its vaccines: an infodemiological study.

BACKGROUND: The internet has made significant contributions towards health education. Analyzing the pattern of online behavior regarding meningitis and vaccinations may be worthwhile. It is hypothesized that the online search patterns in meningitis are correlated with its number of cases and the search patterns of its related vaccines. METHODS: This was an infodemiological study that determined the relationship among online search interest in meningitis, its worldwide number of cases and its associated vaccines. Using Google Trends™ Search Volume Indices (SVIs), we evaluated the search queries "meningitis," "pneumococcal vaccine," "BCG vaccine," "meningococcal vaccine" and "influenza vaccine" in January 2021, covering January 2008 to December 2020. Spearman rank correlation was used to determine correlations between these queries. RESULTS: The worldwide search interest in meningitis from 2008 to 2020 showed an average SVI of 46 ± 8.8. The most searched topics were symptoms, vaccines, and infectious agents with SVIs of 100, 52, and 39, respectively. The top three countries with the highest search interest were Ghana, Kazakhstan, and Kenya. There were weak, but statistically significant correlations between meningitis and the BCG (ρ = 0.369, p < 0.001) and meningococcal (ρ = 0.183, p < 0.05) vaccines. There were no statistically significant associations between the number of cases, influenza vaccine, and pneumococcal vaccine. CONCLUSION: The relationships among the Google SVIs for meningitis and its related vaccines and number of cases data were inconsistent and remained unclear. Future infodemiological studies may expand their scopes to social media, semantics, and big data for more robust conclusions.

Development of a chitosan-modified PLGA nanoparticle vaccine for protection against Escherichia coli K1 caused meningitis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli K1 (E. coli K1) caused neonatal meningitis remains a problem, which rises the urgent need for an effective vaccine. Previously, we rationally designed and produced the recombinant protein OmpAVac (Vo), which elicited protective immunity against E. coli K1 infection. However, Vo has limited stability, which hinders its future industrial application. METHOD: Chitosan-modified poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles were prepared and used as carried for the recombinant Vo. And the safety, stability and immunogenicity of Vo delivered by chitosan-modified PLGA nanoparticles were tested in vitro and in a mouse model of bacteremia. RESULTS: We successfully generated chitosan-modified PLGA nanoparticles for the delivery of recombinant Vo (VoNP). In addition, we found that a freeze-drying procedure increases the stability of the VoNPs without changing the shape, size distribution and encapsulation of the Vo protein. Unlike aluminum adjuvant, the nanoparticles that delivered Vo were immunoprotective in mice even after storage for as long as 180 days. CONCLUSIONS: We identified an effective strategy to improve the stability of Vo to maintain its immunogenicity, which will contribute to the future development of vaccines against E. coli K1.

Ultra-short antibiotic prophylaxis guided by preoperative microbiological nasal swabs in endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery.

PURPOSE: Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (EESBS) is a clean-contaminated procedure. Guidelines regarding the antibiotic prophylaxis in EESBS have not been developed yet, and today, there are no universally accepted protocols. In this article, we investigated the efficacy of our new ultra-short antibiotic prophylaxis protocol for EESBS guided by the cultural results of preoperative microbiological nasal swabs. METHODS: We defined as "nasal swab-related antibiotic protocol" the administration of a first-generation cephalosporin (cefazolin 2 g) in patients whose nasal swabs revealed the presence of normal nasal flora or methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), and the administration of vancomycin 1 g intravenously in patients whose nasal swabs revealed the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or with reported cephalosporin/penicillin allergy. This case-control study included 120 patients who underwent EESBS. The case group included 60 cases who received the "nasal swab-related antibiotic protocol," while the control group included 60 cases who received the "standard hospital antibiotic protocol" used in neurosurgery (cefazolin 2 g plus metronidazole 500 mg at induction, and 2 g of cefazolin repeated after 180 min). RESULTS: The preoperative microbiological nasal swabs showed normal nasal flora in 42 patients (70%), MSSA in 17 patients (28.3%), and MRSA in 1 patient (1.6%). During the study period, no cases of meningitis or sinusitis occurred in the case group ("nasal swab-related antibiotic protocol"), while two infections (3.3%, 1 sinusitis and 1 meningitis) were reported in the control group ("standard hospital antibiotic protocol"). Mean length of hospitalization was 6.5 days for the case group and 8.5 days in the control group. "Standard hospital antibiotic protocol" is less expensive (range, 2.88-5.42 euros) compared with our new "nasal swab-related antibiotic protocol" (range, 10.02-32.56 euros), but in line with other antibiotic prophylaxis protocols reported in literature. DISCUSSION: The low complication rates of our case series (0%) is comparable to complication rates reported in literature (1.6% for meningitis and 8% for sinusitis). Compared with other perioperative antibiotic regimens reported in literature, the "nasal swab-related antibiotic protocol" is cheap and at least equally effective. We discuss the rationale on which we based the choice of chemoprophylaxis, the timing, and the length of our regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed the safety and efficacy of our easily applicable and low-cost antibiotic prophylaxis protocol.

Community-acquired acute meningitis and encephalitis: a narrative review.

Meningitis and encephalitis are medical emergencies. Patients need prompt evaluation and immediate empiric therapy to reduce the likelihood of fatal outcomes and chronic neurological sequelae. Conjugate bacterial vaccines have significantly reduced the incidence of bacterial meningitis, especially in children. As the results of changes in patterns of bacterial drug sensitivity, ceftriaxone is now part of the recommended empiric treatment for bacterial meningitis and should be administered as early as possible. Neuroimaging delays the treatment of meningitis and is not needed in most cases. Adjunctive corticosteroid therapy is of benefit for many patients with meningitis and should be initiated in most adults before antibiotic therapy. Molecular testing can assist the specific diagnosis of encephalitis and should be based on the exposure history and geographic risk factors relevant to the patient, but non-infectious causes of encephalitis are also common. Empiric therapy for encephalitis should be directed at the most frequently identified infectious pathogen, herpes simplex virus type 1 (ie, intravenous aciclovir). Vaccines can protect against the major pathogens of childhood infections (measles, mumps, rubella, polio, varicella viruses), influenza viruses, and exotic pathogens that cause meningitis and encephalitis (rabies, Japanese encephalitis, dengue, yellow fever, tick-borne encephalitis viruses, Mycobacterium tuberculosis).

The Role of the Anesthesiologist in Preventing Severe Maternal Morbidity and Mortality.

Anesthesiologists are responsible for the safe and effective provision of analgesia for labor and anesthesia for cesarean delivery and other obstetric procedures. In addition, obstetric anesthesiologists often have a unique role as the intensivists of the obstetric suite. The anesthesiologist is frequently the clinician with the greatest experience in the acute bedside management of a hemodynamically unstable patient and expertise in life-saving interventions. This review will discuss (1) risks associated with neuraxial and general anesthesia for labor and delivery, and (2) clinical scenarios in which the obstetric anesthesiologist is commonly called upon to function as a "peridelivery intensivist."

Randomized Controlled Trial of Talactoferrin Oral Solution in Preterm Infants.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and explore the efficacy of recombinant human lactoferrin (talactoferrin [TLf]) to reduce infection. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial in infants with birth weight of 750-1500 g. Infants received enteral TLf (n = 60) or placebo (n = 60) on days 1 through 28 of life; the TLf dose was 150 mg/kg every 12 hours. Primary outcomes were bacteremia, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, meningitis, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Secondary outcomes were sepsis syndrome and suspected NEC. We recorded clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings, along with diseases and adverse events, in a database used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Demographic data were similar in the 2 groups of infants. We attributed no enteral or organ-specific adverse events to TLf. There were 2 deaths in the TLf group (1 each due to posterior fossa hemorrhage and postdischarge sudden infant death), and 1 death in the placebo group, due to NEC. The rate of hospital-acquired infections was 50% lower in the TLf group compared with the placebo group (P < .04), including fewer blood or line infections, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia. Fourteen infants in the TLf group weighing <1 kg at birth had no gram-negative infections, compared with only 3 of 14 such infants in the placebo group. Noninfectious outcomes were not statistically significantly different between the 2 groups, and there were no between-group differences in growth or neurodevelopment over a 1-year posthospitalization period. CONCLUSION: We found no clinical or laboratory toxicity and a trend toward less infectious morbidity in the infants treated with TLf. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00854633.

Microsurgical resection of vestibular schwannomas: complication avoidance.

Vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery requires appropriate patient selection, meticulous microsurgical technique and optimal post-operative care. Focused radiation is an effective alternative for the treatment of smaller VSs. For VS surgery to remain a reasonable option, surgery must be performed with a limited number of complications. Complication rates for VS surgery have increased over the last decade. This is likely due to (1) decreased surgical volume and as a result decreased microsurgical experience, (2) larger tumors undergoing surgery while smaller tumors are reserved for radiation, and (3) surgery for previously radiated tumors resulting in more difficult anatomic dissection. Appropriate management of complications is paramount. Herein, we discuss complications related to VS microsurgery and methods of avoidance. Specifically, we discuss the most frequently encountered complications, intraoperative monitoring and finally, methods of addressing these complications. With meticulous microsurgical technique, careful intraoperative monitoring and vigilant perioperative care one will ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Protective effect of vaccination against mumps complications, Czech Republic, 2007-2012.

BACKGROUND: In the Czech Republic, two-dose immunization against mumps achieves 98% coverage. The routine reporting detects mumps cases, clinical complications, and hospital admissions in unvaccinated but also in vaccinated individuals. Using surveillance data of patients with mumps we assessed the effectiveness of mumps vaccination on mumps clinical complications and hospitalization need. We also investigated the effect of the time since immunization. METHODS: We analysed data on incident mumps cases reported to the Czech national surveillance system in 2007-2012. Using a logistic regression model with adjustment for age, sex, year of onset, and the administrative region, the association between vaccination and the most frequent mumps complications and hospitalization was evaluated. The adjusted odds ratios (ORa) for mumps complications were compared between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups, reflecting the vaccine effectiveness (VEa) computed as VEa = (1-ORa) × 100. We estimated the risk of mumps complications by the time from vaccination. RESULTS: From total of 9663 mumps analysed cases 5600 (58%) occurred in males. The mean age at the disease onset was 17.3, median 16 years. Ninety percent of the study patients had no complications, while 1.6% developed meningitis, 0.2% encephalitis, and 0.6% pancreatitis. Mumps orchitis occurred in 659 (11.8%) male cases. In total, 1192 (12.3%) patients required hospitalization. Two doses of vaccine received by 81.8% cases significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization: ORa 0.29 (95% CI: 0.24, 0.35). Two doses showed statistically significant VEa 64% (95% CI: 46, 79) for meningitis, 93% (95% CI: 66, 98) for encephalitis in all cases, and 72% (95% CI: 64, 78) for orchitis in males. Vaccine effectiveness for orchitis declined from 81 to 74% and 56% in the most affected age groups 10-14, 15-19, and 20-24 years, respectively. Among 7850 two-dose recipients, the rate of complications rose from below 1 to 16% in categories up to 6 years and 24 and more years after the second dose, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a significant preventive effect of two-dose vaccination against mumps complications (orchitis, meningitis, or encephalitis) and hospitalization for mumps. The risk of complications increases with time interval from vaccination. Teenagers and young adults were the most affected age groups.

Reducing external drainage-related cerebrospinal fluid infections through implementation of a multidisciplinary protocol: experience in a paediatric hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of external cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drain-related CNS infections before and after implementation of a protocol for their prevention. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study, with comparison of incidence before and after the implementation of the intervention. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome, Italy. Children receiving an external cerebrospinal fluid drain from 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Drain-related infections. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients were included in the study. Before protocol implementation, cumulative incidence was 14 per 100 drains. Incidence rate was 8/1,000 catheter-days. After protocol implementation, cumulative incidence and incidence rate were 6.7 per 100 drains and 4.6 per 1,000 catheter-days (p=0.61 and p=0.2 versus the pre-intervention period, respectively). Infected patients were significantly younger (median age: 16.5 days vs 13.4 months; p=0.026), had a significantly higher number of procedures (5 vs 1 procedure per patient; p <0.0001) and were most frequently affected by post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus of premature newborns (50% vs 16.7%; p=0.039), compared to non-infected patients. CONCLUSIONS: After protocol implementation, we observed a reduction of incidence of CSF drain-related infections, though the short post-intervention period limited the power of the study to detect a significant difference. Patients <1 year of age, with multiple interventions and post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus had higher risk of CSF drain-related infections.

Successful reconstruction of irradiated anterior skull base defect using the dual flap technique involving local pericranial flap and radial forearm free flap.

Skull base reconstruction presents a challenging therapeutic problem requiring a multispecialty surgical approach and close cooperation between the neurosurgeon, head and neck surgeon, as well as plastic and reconstructive surgeon during all stages of treatment. The principal goal of skull base reconstruction is to separate the intracranial space from the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cavities, creating support for the brain and providing a water-tight barrier against cerebrospinal fluid leakage and ascending infection. We present a case involving a 58-year-old man with anterior skull base defects (2.5 cm × 3 cm) secondary to the removal of olfactory neuroblastoma. The patient received conventional radiation therapy at 6000 cGy in 30 fractions approximately a month before tumor removal. The patient had radiation therapy before surgery and was planned to have postoperative radiation therapy, which would lead to a higher complication rate of reconstruction. Artificial dura was used for the packing of the dural defect, which was also suspected to increase the complication rate of reconstruction. For these reasons, we chose to apply the dual flap technique, which uses both local pericranial flap and de-epithelized radial forearm free flap for anterior skull base defect to promote wound healing. During 28 months of follow-up after coverage of the anterior skull base defect, the dual flap survived completely, as confirmed through follow-up magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was free of cerebrospinal fluid leakage, meningitis, and abscess, and there was minimal donor-site morbidity of the radial forearm free flap. Reconstruction of anterior skull base defects using the dual flap technique is safe, reliable, and associated with low morbidity, and it is ideal for irradiated wounds and low-volume defects.

Reduction of the use of antimicrobial drugs following the rapid detection of Streptococcus agalactiae in the vagina at delivery by real-time PCR assay.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the determination of the presence of group B streptococci (GBS) in the vagina using a rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay at delivery was able to spare useless antimicrobial treatments, as compared with conventional culture at 34-38 weeks of gestation. DESIGN: Practical evaluation and prospective cost-effectiveness analysis. SETTING: A university hospital in France. POPULATION: A cohort of 225 women in labour at the University-Hospital of Saint-Etienne. METHODS: Each woman had a conventional culture performed at 34-38 weeks of gestation. At the beginning of labour, two vaginal swabs were sampled for rapid PCR testing and culture. The decision to prescribe a prophylactic antimicrobial treatment or not was taken according to the result of the PCR test. A comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of the two diagnostic strategies was carried out. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of women receiving inadequate prophylactic antimicrobial drugs following each testing strategy, costs of PCR testing and culture, frequency of vaginal GBS, and diagnostic performance of the PCR test at delivery. RESULTS: The percentage of unnecessarily treated women was significantly reduced using the rapid test versus conventional culture (4.5 and 13.6%, respectively; P < 0.001). The rate of vaginal GBS at delivery was 12.5%. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for each inadequate management avoided was €36 and €173 from the point of view of the healthcare system and hospital, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The PCR assay reduced the number of inadequate antimicrobial treatments aimed to prevent the early onset of GBS disease. However, this strategy generates extra costs that must be put into balance with its clinical benefits.

[Anthropology of medical research in developing countries: a Senegalese experience]. / Anthropologie de la recherche médicale au Sud - Réflexion à partir d'une étude sénégalaise.

Medical research is an essential tool of biomedicine that raises many social and ethical questions especially in resource-poor countries where the number of clinical trials has increased significantly over the past two decades. This article presents the way anthropology of medical research critically examines medical research in non-western countries without questioning its strategic importance for advances in scientific knowledge and in public health improvement. This article draws on observations conducted in Senegal in 2007 during a vaccine trial against meningitis and discusses, more broadly, medical research in non western-countries related to: the presence and management of medical research sites, the impact of medical research benefits on its representations and the questions raised by blood-stealing rumours regarding medical research practice itself.

Leukocyte-Rich and Platelet-Rich Fibrin for Skull Base Reconstruction After Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is one of the most common complications after endoscopic endonasal approach to the skull base. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of leukocyte-rich and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) as part of a standardized endonasal skull base repair protocol on postoperative infection and CSF leak rate. METHODS: One hundred three patients who underwent an endoscopic endonasal approach and were reconstructed using a standard technique (Group A) were compared with 139 patients using the same protocol with the addition of L-PRF (Group B). Postoperative intracranial infection and CSF leak at 6 months were analyzed. RESULTS: In patients with intraoperative CSF leak, postoperative leak occurred in 10.8% in Group A and 2.6% in Group B ( P .024), and in patients with intraoperative high-flow leaks, the incidences were 11.7% and 3.1%, respectively ( P .048). L-PRF reduced postoperative CSF leak by 76% in cases with intraoperative CSF leak (relative risk 0.24, 95% CI 0.06-0.87) and by 73% of patients with high-flow leak (relative risk 0.27, 95% CI 0.07-0.99). In patients undergoing surgery for diagnoses other than adenomas, there were no cases of postoperative leak in Group B, whereas in Group A occurred in 13.4% of those with intraoperative leaks ( P .047) and 15.8% with high-flow intraoperative leaks ( P .033). No significant differences were found in patients with pituitary adenoma. Meningitis occurred in 0.97% in Group A vs 2.16% in Group B ( P .639), without differences between subgroups. CONCLUSION: L-PRF reduced the rate of postoperative CSF leaks in patients with intraoperative leaks, without differences on postoperative meningitis.

Mathematical model analysis and numerical simulation for codynamics of meningitis and pneumonia infection with intervention.

In this paper, we have considered a deterministic mathematical model to analyze effective interventions for meningitis and pneumonia coinfection as well as to make a rational recommendation to public healthy, policy or decision makers and programs implementers. We have introduced the epidemiology of infectious diseases, the epidemiology of meningitis, the epidemiology of pneumonia, and the epidemiology of infection of meningitis and pneumonia. The positivity and boundedness of the sated model was shown. Our model elucidate that, the disease free equilibrium points of each model are locally asymptotically stable if the corresponding reproduction numbers are less than one and globally asymptotically stable if the corresponding reproduction numbers are greater than one. Additionally, we have analyzed the existence and uniqueness of the endemic equilibrium point of each sub models, local stability and global stability of the endemic equilibrium points for each model. By using standard values of parameters we have obtained from different studies, we found that the effective reproduction numbers of meningitis [Formula: see text] and effective reproduction numbers of pneumonia [Formula: see text] that lead us to the effective reproduction number of the meningitis and pneumonia co-infected model is [Formula: see text]. Applying sensitivity analysis, we identified the most influential parameters that can change the behavior of the solution of the meningitis pneumonia coinfection dynamical system are [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Biologically, decrease in [Formula: see text] and increasing in [Formula: see text] is a possible intervention strategy to reduce the infectious from communities. Finally, our numerical simulation has shown that vaccination against those diseases, reducing contact with infectious persons and treatment have the great effect on reduction of these silent killer diseases from the communities.