The association of antidepressant drug usage with cognitive impairment or dementia, including Alzheimer disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if antidepressant drug usage is associated with cognitive impairment or dementia, including Alzheimer disease (AD). METHOD: We conducted a systematic search of Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. An initial screen by abstracts and titles was performed, and relevant full articles were then reviewed and assessed for their methodologic quality. Crude effect estimates were extracted from the included articles and a pooled estimate was obtained using a random effects model. RESULTS: Five articles were selected from an initial pool of 4,123 articles. Use of antidepressant drugs was associated with a significant twofold increase in the odds of some form of cognitive impairment or dementia (OR = 2.17). Age was identified as a likely modifier of the association between antidepressant use and some form of cognitive impairment or AD/dementia. Studies that included participants with an average age equal to or greater than 65 years showed an increased odds of some form of cognitive impairment with antidepressant drug usage (OR = 1.65), whereas those with participants less than age 65 revealed an even stronger association (OR = 3.25). CONCLUSIONS: Antidepressant drug usage is associated with AD/dementia and this is particularly evident if usage begins before age 65. This association may arise due to confounding by depression or depression severity. However, biological mechanisms potentially linking antidepressant exposure to dementia have been described, so an etiological effect of antidepressants is possible. With this confirmation that an association exists, clarification of underlying etiologic pathways requires urgent attention.

Lean interventions in healthcare: do they actually work? A systematic literature review.

PURPOSE: Lean is a widely used quality improvement methodology initially developed and used in the automotive and manufacturing industries but recently expanded to the healthcare sector. This systematic literature review seeks to independently assess the effect of Lean or Lean interventions on worker and patient satisfaction, health and process outcomes, and financial costs. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a systematic literature review of Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, ABI/Inform, ERIC, EMBASE and SCOPUS. STUDY SELECTION: Peer reviewed articles were included if they examined a Lean intervention and included quantitative data. Methodological quality was assessed using validated critical appraisal checklists. Publically available data collected by the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses were also analysed and reported separately. DATA EXTRACTION: Data on design, methods, interventions and key outcomes were extracted and collated. RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS: Our electronic search identified 22 articles that passed methodological quality review. Among the accepted studies, 4 were exclusively concerned with health outcomes, 3 included both health and process outcomes and 15 included process outcomes. Our study found that Lean interventions have: (i) no statistically significant association with patient satisfaction and health outcomes; (ii) a negative association with financial costs and worker satisfaction and (iii) potential, yet inconsistent, benefits on process outcomes like patient flow and safety. CONCLUSION: While some may strongly believe that Lean interventions lead to quality improvements in healthcare, the evidence to date simply does not support this claim. More rigorous, higher quality and better conducted scientific research is required to definitively ascertain the impact and effectiveness of Lean in healthcare settings.

Correction: Exploring factors influencing patient mortality and loss to follow-up in two paediatric hospital wards in Zamfara, North-West Nigeria, 2016-2018.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262073.].

Exploring factors influencing patient mortality and loss to follow-up in two paediatric hospital wards in Zamfara, North-West Nigeria, 2016-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Child mortality has been linked to infectious diseases, malnutrition and lack of access to essential health services. We investigated possible predictors for death and patients lost to follow up (LTFU) for paediatric patients at the inpatient department (IPD) and inpatient therapeutic feeding centre (ITFC) of the Anka General Hospital (AGH), Zamfara State, Nigeria, to inform best practices at the hospital. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort review study using routinely collected data of all patient admissions to the IPD and ITFC with known hospital exit status between 2016 and 2018. Unadjusted and adjusted rate ratios (aRR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using Poisson regression to estimate the association between the exposure variables and mortality as well as LTFU. RESULTS: The mortality rate in IPD was 22% lower in 2018 compared to 2016 (aRR 0.78; 95% CI 0.66-0.93) and 70% lower for patients coming from lead-affected villages compared to patients from other villages (aRR 0.30; 95% CI 0.19-0.48). The mortality rate for ITFC patients was 41% higher during rainy season (aRR 1.41; 95% CI 1.2-1.6). LTFU rates in ITFC increased in 2017 and 2018 when compared to 2016 (aRR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2-2.0 and aRR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.8) and patients in ITFC had 2.5 times higher LTFU rates when coming from a lead-affected village. CONCLUSIONS: Our data contributes clearer understanding of the situation in the paediatric wards in AGH in Nigeria, but identifying specific predictors for the multifaceted nature of mortality and LTFU is challenging. Mortality in paediatric patients in IPD of AGH improved during the study period, which is likely linked to better awareness of the hospital, but still remains high. Access to healthcare due to seasonal restrictions contributes to mortalities due to late presentation. Increased awareness of and easier access to healthcare, such as for patients living in lead-affected villages, which are still benefiting from an MSF lead poisoning intervention, decreases mortalities, but increases LTFU. We recommend targeted case audits and qualitative studies to better understand the role of health-seeking behaviour, and social and traditional factors in the use of formal healthcare in this part of Nigeria and potentially similar settings in other countries.

Multi-drug resistance and high mortality associated with community-acquired bloodstream infections in children in conflict-affected northwest Nigeria.

Pediatric community-acquired bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) in sub Saharan African humanitarian contexts are rarely documented. Effective treatment of these infections is additionally complicated by increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance. We describe the findings from epidemiological and microbiological surveillance implemented in pediatric patients with suspected CA-BSIs presenting for care at a secondary hospital in the conflict affected area of Zamfara state, Nigeria. Any child (> 2 months of age) presenting to Anka General Hospital from November 2018 to August 2020 with clinical severe sepsis at admission had clinical and epidemiological information and a blood culture collected at admission. Bacterial isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility. We calculated frequencies of epidemiological, microbiological and clinical parameters. We explored risk factors for death amongst severe sepsis cases using univariable and multivariable Poisson regression, adjusting for time between admission and hospital exit. We included 234 severe sepsis patients with 195 blood culture results. There were 39 positive blood cultures. Of the bacterial isolates, 14 were Gram positive and 18 were Gram negative; 5 were resistant to empiric antibiotics: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; n = 2) and Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase positive enterobacterales (n = 3). We identified no significant association between sex, age-group, ward, CA-BSI, appropriate intravenous antibiotic, malaria positivity at admission, suspected focus of sepsis, clinical severity and death in the multivariable regression. There is an urgent need for access to good clinical microbiological services, including point of care methods, and awareness and practice around rational antibiotic in healthcare staff in humanitarian settings to reduce morbidity and mortality from sepsis in children.

Impact and Effectiveness of Legislative Smoking Bans and Anti-Tobacco Media Campaigns in Reducing Smoking among Women in the US: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature addressing the effectiveness of legislative smoking bans and anti-tobacco media campaigns in reducing smoking among women. METHODS: MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, and ABI/INFORM were searched for studies published from 2005 onwards. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random effects model and subgroup analysis on pre-selected characteristics. RESULTS: In total, 652 articles were identified, and five studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. The studies varied from school-based to workplace settings and had a total of 800,573 women participants, aged 12 to 64 years old. Three studies used legislative bans, one study used anti-tobacco campaigns and another one used both as their intervention. The overall pooled effect of the five studies yielded an odds ratio (OR) = 1.137 (C.I. = 0.976-1.298 and I2 = 85.6%). Subgroup analysis by intervention revealed a significant pooled estimate for studies using legislative smoking bans OR = 1.280 (C.I. = 1.172-1.389 and I2 = 0%). CONCLUSION: Legislative smoking bans were found to be associated with a reduction in the smoking rates among women compared to anti-tobacco media campaigns. Further research in this area is needed.

Inclusion of Real-Time Hand Hygiene Observation and Feedback in a Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy in Low-Resource Settings.

Importance: Hand hygiene adherence monitoring and feedback can reduce health care-acquired infections in hospitals. Few low-cost hand hygiene adherence monitoring tools exist in low-resource settings. Objective: To pilot an open-source application for mobile devices and an interactive analytical dashboard for the collection and visualization of health care workers' hand hygiene adherence data. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective multicenter quality improvement study evaluated preintervention and postintervention adherence with the 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene, as suggested by the World Health Organization, among health care workers from April 23 to May 25, 2018. A novel data collection form, the Hand Hygiene Observation Tool, was developed in open-source software and used to measure adherence with hand hygiene guidelines among health care workers in the inpatient therapeutic feeding center and pediatric ward of Anka General Hospital, Anka, Nigeria, and the postoperative ward of Noma Children's Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. Qualitative data were analyzed throughout data collection and used for immediate feedback to staff. A more formal analysis of the data was conducted during October 2018. Exposures: Multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy with increased availability and accessibility of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, staff training and education, and evaluation and feedback in near real-time. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hand hygiene adherence before and after the intervention in 3 hospital wards, stratified by health care worker role, ward, and moment of hand hygiene. Results: A total of 686 preintervention adherence observations and 673 postintervention adherence observations were conducted. After the intervention, overall hand hygiene adherence increased from 32.4% to 57.4%. Adherence increased in both wards in Anka General Hospital (inpatient therapeutic feeding center, 24.3% [54 of 222 moments] to 63.7% [163 of 256 moments]; P < .001; pediatric ward, 50.9% [132 of 259 moments] to 68.8% [135 of 196 moments]; P < .001). Adherence among nurses in Anka General Hospital also increased in both wards (inpatient therapeutic feeding center, 17.7% [28 of 158 moments] to 71.2% [79 of 111 moments]; P < .001; pediatric ward, 45.9% [68 of 148 moments] to 68.4% [78 of 114 moments]; P < .001). In Noma Children's Hospital, the overall adherence increased from 17.6% (36 of 205 moments) to 39.8% (88 of 221 moments) (P < .001). Adherence among nurses in Noma Children's Hospital increased from 11.5% (14 of 122 moments) to 61.4% (78 of 126 moments) (P < .001). Adherence among Noma Children's Hospital physicians decreased from 34.2% (13 of 38 moments) to 8.6% (7 of 81 moments). Lowest overall adherence after the intervention occurred before patient contact (53.1% [85 of 160 moments]), before aseptic procedure (58.3% [21 of 36 moments]), and after touching a patient's surroundings (47.1% [124 of 263 moments]). Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that tools for the collection and rapid visualization of hand hygiene adherence data are feasible in low-resource settings. The novel tool used in this study may contribute to comprehensive infection prevention and control strategies and strengthening of hand hygiene behavior among all health care workers in health care facilities in humanitarian and low-resource settings.

Ethno-specific preferences of cigarette smoking and smoking initiation among Canadian immigrants - a multi-level analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Over the last decade, increased immigration has significantly shifted Canada's demographic profile. According to a 2011 National Household Survey, approximately 20.6% of the Canadian population was immigrants, the highest among the G8 countries. It is estimated that by 2031, one-in-three Canadian's will be an immigrant. This study examined the ethno-specific preference of cigarette smoking and smoking initiation among Canadian immigrants. METHODS: This study used data from the 2013 to 2014 combined cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey. This was a nationally generalizable, telephone-based survey that included a total of 130,000 respondents, aged 12 years or older. Ethnic differences in the preference of cigarette use among Canadian immigrant groups were determined. A three-level mixed effects logistic regression model was used to estimate the effect of ethnicity on the likelihood of smoking initiation after migration to Canada. RESULTS: In our study, 82% of respondents were native-born Canadians (one group), while the rest were immigrants (six groups=18%). Results of the logistic regression analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the number of cigarettes smoked daily (P=0.0001), age of smoking onset (P=0.0001), and smoking initiation (P=0.0001) between Canadian-born and immigrant participants. Immigrant smokers in Canada were significantly more likely to be younger, single, Caucasian, females with high income and post-secondary education (P=0.0001). CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that Caucasian female immigrants in Canada initiated smoking at a younger age and smoked more cigarettes than any other immigrant group or native-born Canadians. This is a particularly interesting finding as Caucasian female immigrants may not be considered a vulnerable or at-risk population. To be effective, tobacco strategies specifically tailored for this overlooked population would require increased awareness, culturally appropriate initiatives, and gender-specific interventions.

Primary nonadherence to chronic disease medications: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Medication nonadherence is a global problem that requires urgent attention. Primary nonadherence occurs when a patient consults with a medical doctor, receives a referral for medical therapy but never fills the first dispensation for the prescription medication. Nonadherence to chronic disease medications costs the USA ~$290 billion (USD) every year in avoidable health care costs. In Canada, it is estimated that 5.4% of all hospitalizations are due to medication nonadherence. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to quantify the extent of primary nonadherence for four of the most common chronic disease medications. The second objective was to identify factors associated with primary nonadherence to chronic disease medications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an extensive systematic literature review of eight databases with a wide range of keywords. We identified relevant articles for primary nonadherence to antihypertensives, lipid-lowering agents, hypoglycemics, and antidepressants. After further screening and assessment of methodologic quality, relevant data were extracted and analyzed using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Twenty-four articles were included for our meta-analysis after full review and assessment for risk of bias. The pooled primary nonadherence rate for the four chronic disease medications was 14.6% (95% CI: 13.1%-16.2%). Primary medication nonadherence was higher for lipid-lowering medications among the four chronic disease medications assessed (20.8%; 95% CI: 16.0%-25.6%). The rates in North America (17.0%; 95% CI: 14.4%-19.5%) were twice those from Europe (8.5%; 95% CI: 7.1%-9.9%). The absence of social support (20%; 95% CI: 14.4%-26.6%) was the most common sociodemographic variable associated with chronic disease medication primary nonadherence. CONCLUSION: Evidence suggests that a considerable percentage of patients do not initially fill their medications for treatable chronic diseases or conditions. This represents a major health care problem that can be successfully addressed. Efforts should be directed toward proper medication counseling, patient social support, and clinical follow-up, especially when the indications for the prescribed medication aim to provide primary prevention.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Uptake in Canada: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most commonly sexually transmitted infection in the world and the primary cause of cervical cancer. Canada introduced publicly funded HPV vaccination programs in 2006. The objectives of this study are twofold and aim to (1) determine the levels and (2) examine the various factors influencing vaccine uptake among the general Canadian population. A literature search was conducted on seven databases, followed by screening, methodological quality review (using modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale), and data extraction. Pooled meta-analysis and a subgroup analysis were conducted stratifying by a number of variables (age, sex, type of program, and method of payment) determined apriori. A total of 718 peer-reviewed articles were initially identified with 12 remaining after screening and underwent methodological quality review. HPV vaccination uptake in Canada varied from 12.40% (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.77-20.26) to 88.20% (95% CI 85.72-90.39). The pooled random effects model showed the HPV vaccination uptake to be 55.92% (95% CI 44.87-66.65). The subgroup analysis showed that vaccination uptake was 66.95% (95% CI 55.00-77.89) in participants ≤ 18 years as compared to 13.58% (95% CI 10.93-16.46) in participants > 18 years. Uptake for females was higher 57.23% (95% CI: 45.40-68.66) when compared to that of 47.01% (95% CI: 0.82-97.75) in males. HPV vaccine uptake among school-based programs was 69.62% (95% CI 57.27-80.68) as compared to 18.66% (95% CI 6.66-34.92) for community-based programs. Vaccination uptake for publicly funded programs was significantly higher 66.95% (95% CI 55.00-77.89) when compared to 13.58% (95% CI 10.92-16.46) for programs where participants had to pay out of pocket. To prevent infections and reduce the burden of HPV-related diseases (including cervical cancer), communities should be made aware and encouraged to vaccinate their children. There is a documented need to direct effort and focus interventions toward improving HPV vaccination uptake in Canada.

Prevalence and characteristics of flavoured tobacco use among students in grades 10 through 12: a national cross-sectional study in Canada, 2012-2013.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada and the world. Despite documented decreases in the prevalence of smoking in Canada, increases in flavoured tobacco use by its youth poses a serious public health concern. This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of flavoured tobacco use among a national sample of Canadian students in grades 10 through 12. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design on a nationally generalizable, school-based, Youth Smoking Survey (YSS), 2012-2013. It incorporated data from a representative sample of 19,979 students in grades 10-12 from across Canada. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine differences in flavoured tobacco use (menthol cigarettes, flavoured little cigar or cigarillo, flavoured cigar, flavoured tobacco in water pipe [hookah]) by demographic (sex, grade and ethnicity) and social characteristics (friends, siblings, parents/guardians who are smokers and weekly personal spending money). RESULTS: This study found that 14.8% of the participating students used flavoured tobacco in the past 30-days. Results of the logistic regression analysis show that flavoured tobacco use was significantly higher among male students [(OR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.36-1.95)], who had at least one friend or sibling who smoke [(OR = 2.20; CI = 1.62 to 2.99) and (OR = 1.51; CI = 1.22 to 1.88), respectively] and who received greater than $20/week in personal spending money [(OR = 1.76; CI = 1.26 to 2.45)]. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study indicate that flavoured tobacco use is a growing public health concern and has a strong appeal among youth in Canada. This is a particularly troubling finding, especially in light of the fact that there is a national ban on certain flavoured tobacco products. To be effective, strategies specifically tailored for youth using flavoured tobacco would require appropriate educational/prevention initiatives, more comprehensive legislation and better regulatory mechanisms.

Traditional Invasive and Synchrotron-Based Noninvasive Assessments of Three-Dimensional-Printed Hybrid Cartilage Constructs In Situ.

Three-dimensional (3D)-printed constructs made of polycaprolactone and chondrocyte-impregnated alginate hydrogel (hybrid cartilage constructs) can mimic the biphasic nature of articular cartilage, thus offering promise for cartilage tissue engineering applications. Notably, the regulatory pathway for medical device development requires validation of such constructs through in vitro bench tests and in vivo preclinical examinations for premarket approval. For this, noninvasive imaging techniques are required for effective evaluation of the progress of these cartilage constructs, especially when implanted in animal models or human subjects. However, characterization of the individual components of the hybrid cartilage constructs and their associated time-dependent structural changes by currently available noninvasive techniques is challenging as these constructs contain a combination of hydrophobic and hydrophilic biomaterials with different refractive indices. In this study, we report the use of a novel synchrotron radiation inline phase contrast imaging computed tomography (SR-inline-PCI-CT) approach for noninvasive (in situ) characterization of 3D-printed hybrid cartilage constructs that has been implanted subcutaneously in mice over a 21-day period. In parallel, traditional invasive assays were used to evaluate the in vivo performance of the implanted hybrid cartilage constructs with respect to their cell viability and secretion of cartilage-specific extracellular matrix over the 21-day period postimplantation in mice. SR-inline-PCI-CT allowed striking visualization of the individual components within the 3D-printed hybrid cartilage constructs, as well as characterization of the time-dependent structural changes after implantation. In addition, the relationship between the implanted constructs and the surrounding tissues was delineated. Furthermore, traditional assays showed that cell viability within the cartilage constructs was at least 70% at all three time points, and secretion of alcian blue- and collagen type 2-positive matrices increased progressively over the 21-day period postimplantation. Overall, these results demonstrate that the 3D-printed hybrid cartilage constructs have good in vivo performance and validate their potential for regeneration of articular cartilage in vivo. In addition, SR-inline-PCI-CT has demonstrated potential for longitudinal and noninvasive monitoring of the functionality of 3D-printed hybrid cartilage constructs in a way that is translatable to other soft tissue engineering applications.

Weight loss intervention adherence and factors promoting adherence: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adhering to weight loss interventions is difficult for many people. The majority of those who are overweight or obese and attempt to lose weight are simply not successful. The objectives of this study were 1) to quantify overall adherence rates for various weight loss interventions and 2) to provide pooled estimates for factors associated with improved adherence to weight loss interventions. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of all studies published between January 2004 and August 2015 that reviewed weight loss intervention adherence. RESULTS: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and checking the methodological quality, 27 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The overall adherence rate was 60.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 53.6-67.2). The following three main variables were found to impact adherence: 1) supervised attendance programs had higher adherence rates than those with no supervision (rate ratio [RR] 1.65; 95% CI 1.54-1.77); 2) interventions that offered social support had higher adherence than those without social support (RR 1.29; 95% CI 1.24-1.34); and 3) dietary intervention alone had higher adherence than exercise programs alone (RR 1.27; 95% CI 1.19-1.35). CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of people do not adhere to weight loss interventions. Programs supervising attendance, offering social support, and focusing on dietary modification have better adherence than interventions not supervising attendance, not offering social support, and focusing exclusively on exercise.