RESUMO
Background: Respiratory distress is a leading cause of preterm infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is emerging as a potentially safe, cost-effective way of delivering noninvasive respiratory support in low-income and middle-income countries. However, without healthcare providers who are knowledgeable and skilled in the use of this technology, suboptimal neonatal care and related health disparities are likely to persist. Objective: We hypothesized that an Internet-based, blended curriculum on bubble CPAP for bedside providers in low-resource mother-baby units (MBUs) could be developed and implemented and lead to improvements in clinical knowledge, reasoning, and learner confidence in bubble CPAP. Methods: Clinical educators from Israel, Ghana, and the United States used the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) design framework to create an online curriculum for two MBUs in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Participants completed pre and post curriculum knowledge tests and completed surveys on their perspectives. Results: Fifty-four interdisciplinary health professionals from the MBUs participated in the curriculum. Median knowledge test scores improved from 64% (interquartile range [IQR] = 50-72%) to 81% (IQR = 71-89%) after participation in the curriculum (P < 0.001). Learners reported high levels of confidence with bubble CPAP after participating in the curriculum and evaluated the curricular components highly. Conclusion: An online curriculum was successfully implemented and led to changes in healthcare worker knowledge in bubble CPAP. This may be an effective way to deliver education to healthcare professionals in resource-constrained countries and warrants further study.
RESUMO
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of disability. It causes significant morbidity and disability through a plethora of symptoms, including movement disorders, sleep disturbances, and cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. The traditional pathogenesis theory of PD involves the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Classically, treatment is pursued with an assortment of medications that are directed at overcoming this deficiency with levodopa being central to most treatment plans. Patients taking levodopa tend to experience "off episodes" with decreasing medication levels, causing large fluctuations in their symptoms. These off episodes are disturbing and a source of morbidity for these patients. Opicapone is a novel, peripherally acting Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitor that is used as adjunctive therapy to carbidopa/levodopa for treatment and prevention of "off episodes." It has been approved for use as an adjunct to levodopa since 2016 in Europe and has recently (April 2020) gained FDA approval for use in the USA. By inhibiting COMT, opicapone slows levodopa metabolism and increases its availability. Several clinical studies demonstrated significant improvement in treatment efficacy and reduction in duration of "off episodes." The main side effect demonstrated was dyskinesia, mostly with the 100mg dose, which is higher than the approved, effective dose of 50mg. Post-marketing surveillance and analysis are required to further elucidate its safety profile and contribute to patient selection. This paper reviews the seminal and latest evidence in the treatment of PD "off episodes" with the novel drug Opicapone, including efficacy, safety, and clinical indications.
RESUMO
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder. It is also the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder and has more than doubled between 1990 and 2016. Parkinson's disease causes significant morbidity and disability from motor dysfunction, sleep disturbances, and cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. This paper reviews recent evidence in the treatment of PD "off" episodes with the novel drug opicapone, including its efficacy, safety, and clinical indications. Opicapone is a novel, peripherally acting catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitor used as adjunctive therapy to carbidopa/levodopa for treatment and prevention of "off" episodes. It has been approved for use as an adjunct to levodopa since 2016 in Europe and has recently (April 2020) gained FDA approval for use in the USA. By inhibiting COMT, opicapone slows levodopa metabolism and increases its availability. Several clinical studies demonstrated significant improvement in treatment efficacy and reduction in the duration of "off" episodes The main side effect demonstrated was dyskinesia, mostly with the 100 mg dose, which is higher than the approved, effective dose of 50 mg.