Perceived quality of life and associated factors in long COVID syndrome among older Brazilians: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to: (a) determine the personal, sociodemographic, clinical, behavioural, and social characteristics of older Brazilians with clinical evidence of long COVID; (b) evaluate perceived quality of life and determine its association with personal, sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical and social variables; and (c) assess significant predictors of high perceived QoL. BACKGROUND: Given the inherent vulnerabilities of the ageing process, the older people are an at-risk group for both contagion of SARS-CoV-2 and the perpetuation of residual symptoms after infection, the so-called long COVID or post-COVID syndrome. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design using the STROBE checklist. METHODS: Brazilian older people with long COVID syndrome (n = 403) completed a phone survey measuring personal, sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical, and social characteristics, and perceived Quality of Life (QoL). Data were collected from June 2021-March 2022. A multiple linear regression model was performed to identify salient variables associated with high perceived QoL. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 67.7 ± 6.6 years old. The results of the multivariate regression model showed that race, home ownership, daily screen time, musculoskeletal and anxiety symptoms, and work situation were the significant predictors of QoL among COVID-19 survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge about the persistence of physical, emotional, and social symptoms of COVID-19 can help nurses and other healthcare providers to improve the management of survivors, bringing benefits to the whole society. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Given the novelty of long-COVID and its heterogeneous trajectory, interventions focusing on the repercussions and requirements unique to more vulnerable older persons should be developed and these aspects should be included in public health recommendations and policymakers' concerns. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution was required to design, to outcome measures or undertake this research. Patients/members of the public contributed only to the data collection.

The Impact of Time, Region, and Income Level on Stillbirth and Neonatal Mortality in Brazil, 2000-2019.

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in perinatal loss across Brazil, a country that transitioned in 2006 from a lower-middle income to an upper-middle income country, from 2000 to 2019 and analyze the effect of municipal wealth status on perinatal outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted an ecological cohort study, based on publicly available data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health's data repository on live births and deaths. The Atlas of Human Development in Brazil was used to associate each region with a World Bank income classification. RESULTS: The national neonatal mortality rate (NMR) for infants born at ≥22 weeks of gestation decreased from 21.2 in 2000 to 12.4 in 2019. The stillbirth rate (SBR) decreased from 12.0 to 10.2 during this period. For infants born between 22 and 27 weeks of gestation, worsening perinatal outcomes were seen after 2012. In 2019, the median rates of neonatal mortality and stillbirth were both 4 points higher in lower- to middle-income municipalities compared with high-income municipalities (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Brazil has made significant progress in neonatal mortality and stillbirth from 2000 to 2019, yet inequity in perinatal outcomes remains and is correlated with municipal economic status. Nationally, ongoing improvement is needed for infants <28 weeks of gestation, and closer exploration is needed into why there are increasing rates of negative perinatal outcomes among infants born at 22-27 weeks of gestation after 2012.

KeyLoop retractor for global gasless laparoscopy: evaluation of safety and feasibility in a porcine model.

BACKGROUND: Many surgeons in low- and middle-income countries have described performing surgery using gasless (lift) laparoscopy due to inaccessibility of carbon dioxide and reliable electricity, but the safety and feasibility of the technique has not been well documented. We describe preclinical testing of the in vivo safety and utility of KeyLoop, a laparoscopic retractor system to enable gasless laparoscopy. METHODS: Experienced laparoscopic surgeons completed a series of four laparoscopic tasks in a porcine model: laparoscopic exposure, small bowel resection, intracorporeal suturing with knot tying, and cholecystectomy. For each participating surgeon, the four tasks were completed in a practice animal using KeyLoop. Surgeons then completed these tasks using standard-of-care (SOC) gas laparoscopy and KeyLoop in block randomized order to minimize learning curve effect. Vital signs, task completion time, blood loss and surgical complications were compared between SOC and KeyLoop using paired nonparametric tests. Surgeons completed a survey on use of KeyLoop compared to gas laparoscopy. Abdominal wall tissue was evaluated for injury by a blinded pathologist. RESULTS: Five surgeons performed 60 tasks in 15 pigs. There were no significant differences in times to complete the tasks between KeyLoop and SOC. For all tasks, there was a learning curve with task completion times related to learning the porcine model. There were no significant differences in blood loss, vital signs or surgical complications between KeyLoop and SOC. Eleven surgeons from the United States and Singapore felt that KeyLoop could be used to safely perform several common surgical procedures. No abdominal wall tissue injury was observed for either KeyLoop or SOC. CONCLUSIONS: Procedure times, blood loss, abdominal wall tissue injury and surgical complications were similar between KeyLoop and SOC gas laparoscopy for basic surgical procedures. This data supports KeyLoop as a useful tool to increase access to laparoscopy in low- and middle-income countries.

Associations of hospitalisation - admission, readmission and length to stay - with multimorbidity patterns by age and sex in adults and older adults: the ELSI-Brazil study.

BACKGROUND: Although the association between multimorbidity (MM) and hospitalisation is known, the different effects of MM patterns by age and sex in this outcome needs to be elucidated. Our study aimed to analyse the association of hospitalisations' variables (occurrence, readmission, length of stay) and patterns of multimorbidity (MM) according to sex and age. METHODS: Data from 8.807 participants aged ≥ 50 years sourced from the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSI-Brazil) were analysed. Multimorbidity was defined as ≥ 2 (MM2) and ≥ 3 (MM3) chronic conditions. Poisson regression was used to verify the association between the independent variables and hospitalisation according to sex and age group. Multiple linear regression models were constructed for the outcomes of readmission and length of stay. Ising models were used to estimate the networks of diseases and MM patterns. RESULTS: Regarding the risk of hospitalisation among those with MM2, we observed a positive association with male sex, age ≥ 75 years and women aged ≥ 75 years. For MM3, there was a positive association with hospitalisation among males. For the outcomes hospital readmission and length of stay, we observed a positive association with male sex and women aged ≥ 75 years. Network analysis identified two groups that are more strongly associated with occurrence of hospitalisation: the cardiovascular-cancer-glaucoma-cataract group stratified by sex and the neurodegenerative diseases-renal failure-haemorrhagic stroke group stratified by age group. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the association between hospitalisation, readmission, length of stay, and MM changes when sex and age group are considered. Differences were identified in the MM patterns associated with hospitalisation according to sex and age group.

Snakebite envenoming in Brazilian children: clinical aspects, management and outcomes.

Snakebite envenoming is currently considered a neglected tropical disease, which affects over 5 million people worldwide, and causes almost 150 000 deaths every year, as well as severe injuries, amputations and other sequelae. Snakebite envenoming in children, although proportionally less frequent, is generally more severe, and represents an important challenge for pediatric medicine, since they often result in worse outcomes. In Brazil, given its ecological, geographic and socioeconomic characteristics, snakebites are considered an important health problem, presenting approximately 30 000 victims per year, approximately 15% of them in children. Even with low snakebite incidence, children tend to have higher snakebite severity and complications due to the small body mass and same venom volume inoculated in comparison to adults, even though, due to the lack of epidemiological information about pediatric snakebites and induced injuries, it is difficult to measure the treatment effectiveness, outcomes and quality of emergency medical services for snakebites in children. In this review, we report how Brazilian children are affected by snakebites, describing the characteristics of this affected population, clinical aspects, management, outcomes and main challenges.

Patient-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related harms in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-summary.

BACKGROUND: Disease and disability from alcohol use disproportionately impact people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While varied interventions have been shown to reduce alcohol use in high-income countries, their efficacy in LMICs has not been assessed. This systematic review describes current published literature on patient-level alcohol interventions in LMICs and specifically describes clinical trials evaluating interventions to reduce alcohol use in LMICs. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In accordance with PRISMA, we performed a systematic review using an electronic search strategy from January 1, 1995 to December 1, 2020. Title, abstract, as well as full-text screening and extraction were performed in duplicate. A meta-summary was performed on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated alcohol-related outcomes. We searched the following electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, WHO Global Health Library, and PsycINFO. Articles that evaluated patient-level interventions targeting alcohol use and alcohol-related harm in LMICs were eligible for inclusion. No studies were excluded based on language. After screening 5,036 articles, 117 articles fit our inclusion criteria, 75 of which were RCTs. Of these RCTs, 93% were performed in 13 middle-income countries, while 7% were from 2 low-income countries. These RCTs evaluated brief interventions (24, defined as any intervention ranging from advice to counseling, lasting less than 1 hour per session up to 4 sessions), psychotherapy or counseling (15, defined as an interaction with a counselor longer than a brief intervention or that included a psychotherapeutic component), health promotion and education (20, defined as an intervention encouraged individuals' agency of taking care of their health), or biologic treatments (19, defined as interventions where the biological function of alcohol use disorder (AUD) as the main nexus of intervention) with 3 mixing categories of intervention types. Due to high heterogeneity of intervention types, outcome measures, and follow-up times, we did not conduct meta-analysis to compare and contrast studies, but created a meta-summary of all 75 RCT studies. The most commonly evaluated intervention with the most consistent positive effect was a brief intervention; similarly, motivational interviewing (MI) techniques were most commonly utilized among the diverse array of interventions evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: Our review demonstrated numerous patient-level interventions that have the potential to be effective in LMICs, but further research to standardize interventions, populations, and outcome measures is necessary to accurately assess their effectiveness. Brief interventions and MI techniques were the most commonly evaluated and had the most consistent positive effect on alcohol-related outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Protocol Registry: PROSPERO CRD42017055549.

The Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the HIV Stigmatizing Attitudes Scale (HSAS) in Tanzania.

HIV stigmatizing attitudes are embedded in social context, making it important to develop culturally specific tools for accurate measurement. The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the HIV Stigmatizing Attitudes Scale (HSAS) in Moshi, Tanzania. Items were adapted based on a scale developed by Visser et al. which was one of the first to measure HIV stigmatizing attitudes in the general population (i.e., people not living with HIV). Items were translated into Swahili and modified with iterative feedback. The HSAS was administered to participants (N = 1494) in an HIV stigma reduction intervention study at two antenatal care clinics in Moshi, Tanzania. The HSAS was found to have strong domain coherence and high reliability based on Cronbach's alpha, Omega 6 coefficient values, and the composite reliability coefficient, and high validity based on content-oriented evidence, relations to other variables, and response process. Factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure (Moral Judgment and Interpersonal Distancing), consistent with the original Visser scale. The HSAS provides a robust way to measure HIV stigma in the Tanzanian context and can be culturally adapted to other settings.

Impact of socioeconomic factors and health determinants on preterm birth in Brazil: a register-based study.

BACKGROUND: More than 15 million children are born preterm annually. While preterm survival rates have increased in high-income countries. Low- and middle-income countries, like Brazil, continue to battle high neonatal mortality rates due to a lack of adequate postnatal care. Globally, neonatal mortality is higher for preterm infants compared to those born at term. Our study aims to map and analyze the spatial, socioeconomic, and health coverage determinants related to preterm birth in Brazil in order to understand how spatial variations in demographics and access to primary care may affect preterm birth occurrences.  METHODS: Using publicly available national-level data from the Brazilian health system for 2008-2017, we conducted an ecological study to visualize the spatial distributions of preterm birth along with socioeconomic status, the structure of health services, and primary care work process, each consisting of multiple variables reduced via principal component analysis. Regression models were created to determine predictive effects of numeric and spatial variation of these scores on preterm birth rates. RESULTS: In Brazil, preterm birth rates increased from 2008-2017, with small and rural municipalities frequently exhibiting higher rates than urban areas. Scores in socioeconomic status and work process were significant predictors of preterm birth rates, without taking into account spatial adjustment, with more positive scores in socioeconomic status predicting higher preterm birth rates (coefficient 0.001145) and higher scores in work process predicting lower preterm birth rates (coefficient -0.002416). Geographically weighted regression showed socioeconomic status to be a more significant predictor in the North, with the work process indicators being most significant in the Northeast. CONCLUSIONS: Results support that primary care work process indicators are more significant in estimating preterm birth rates than physical structures available for care. These results emphasize the importance of ensuring the presence of the minimum human resources needed, especially in the most deprived areas of Brazil. The association between social determinants of health and preterm birth rates raises questions regarding the importance of policies dedicated to foster equity in the accessibility of healthcare services, and improve income as protective proxies for preterm birth.

Bolsa Família Program and deaths from oral cancer in Brazil: an ecological study.

Objective: To assess the effect of coverage of the Bolsa Família Program (BFP) on oral cancer mortality rates in Brazil between 2005 and 2017, adjusting for health care coverage and socioeconomic characteristics of the Brazilian federative units. Methods: This is an ecological study using annual data (2005-2017) from all the Brazilian federative units. The dependent variable for this study was the oral cancer mortality rate, standardized by gender and age using the direct standardization technique. BFP coverage was the main independent variable, calculated as the ratio of the number of BFP beneficiaries to those families that should potentially be entitled to this conditional cash transfer. Socioeconomic background and health care coverage were covariables. Choropleth maps were drawn, and space-time cube analysis was used to assess changes in the spatiotemporal distribution of BFP and oral cancer mortality rates. Mixed-effects linear regression analysis estimated the coefficients (ß) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between BFP coverage and oral cancer mortality rates. Results: BFP coverage trends increased and oral cancer mortality rate trends stabilized in Brazilian federative units, except for Maranhão, Goiás, and Minas Gerais, where the oral cancer mortality rates have increased. In the adjusted model, greater BFP coverage was associated with lower oral cancer mortality rates (ß -2.10; 95% CI [-3.291, -0.919]). Conclusions: Egalitarian strategies such as BFP can reduce the oral cancer mortality rate. We recommend the follow-up of families benefiting from conditional cash transfer program by oral health teams to reduce the oral cancer mortality rate.

Scarf Injury: a qualitative examination of the emergency response and acute care pathway from a unique mechanism of road traffic injury in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic injuries (RTI) are the leading cause of death worldwide in children over 5 and adults aged 18-29. Nonfatal RTIs result in 20-50 million annual injuries. In Bangladesh, a new mechanism of RTI has emerged over the past decade known as a 'scarf injury.' Scarf injuries occur when scarves, part of traditional female dress, are caught in the driveshaft of an autorickshaw. The mechanism of injury results in novel, strangulation-like cervical spine trauma. This study aimed to understand the immediate emergency response, acute care pathway, and subsequent functional and health outcomes for survivors of scarf injuries. METHODS: Key informant interviews were conducted with female scarf injury survivors (n = 12), caregivers (n = 6), and health care workers (n = 15). Themes and subthemes were identified via inductive content analysis, then applied to the three-delay model to examine specific breakdowns in pre-hospital care and provide a basis for future interventions. FINDINGS: Over half of the scarf injury patients were between the ages of 10 and 15. All but two were tetraplegic. Participants emphasized less than optimal patient outcomes were due to unawareness of scarf injuries and spinal cord injuries among the general public and health professionals; unsafe and inefficient bystander first aid and transportation; and high cost of acute health care. CONCLUSIONS: Females in Bangladesh are at significant risk of sustaining serious and life-threatening trauma through scarf injuries in autorickshaws, further worsened through inadequate care along the trauma care pathway. Interventions designed to increase awareness and knowledge of basic SCI care at the community and provider level would likely improve health and functional outcomes.

Validity of the Personal Impact of Epilepsy Scale (PIES) in patients with epilepsy in Uganda.

PURPOSE: We sought to address the construct validity and reliability of the Personal Impact of Epilepsy Scale (PIES), an epilepsy-specific quality-of-life measure, in patients with epilepsy in Uganda. We also sought to assess the applicability of the scale across three languages: English, Luganda, and Runyankole. METHODS: Patients with epilepsy (N = 626) were recruited at the time of care seeking from Mulago National Referral Hospital (MNRH), Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital (BNRMH), and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), and were given the English, Runyankole, and Luganda versions of the PIES as a part of a larger interview. Reliability, internal consistency specifically, was assessed using three parameters: Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's Omega, and composite reliability. Construct validity (internal structure) was evaluated with principal component analysis (PCA) for three factors, as well as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for a three-factor structure of the scale. We also assessed correlations between the three PIES subscales and the seizure severity question in the Liverpool Seizure Severity Scale (LSSS) and reported seizure frequency. RESULTS: The three-factor model of the PIES had adequate reliability, with Cronbach's Alpha, McDonald's Omega, and composite reliability values over 0.7, except for the Cronbach's Alpha and McDonald's Omega values for the second factor, which was slightly lower than 0.7 in the full sample as well as when stratified by study language. The PCA and CFA models for the scale demonstrated adequate fit with the Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), with TLI and CFI values above 0.9 and RMSEA values less than 0.08. However, the model demonstrated inadequate fit with the Chi-square indicator, which yielded a significant p-value. Individual factor loadings ranged from 0.50 to 0.95 in the full sample, 0.45 to 0.98 in the English sample, and 0.45 to 0.93 in the Luganda sample. Finally, the three PIES subscales aligned with reported seizure frequency and the seizure severity question from the LSSS. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents the first Luganda and Runyankole versions of the PIES, and the first validation of this scale in English and Luganda with patients with epilepsy in Uganda. The PIES was found to have acceptable psychometric properties for reliability and validity parameters. Thus, the scale is recommended for use and for further investigation in patients with epilepsy in Uganda. This article is part of the Special Issue "The Intersection of Culture, Resources, and Disease: Epilepsy Care in Uganda".

Smart Check - COVID-19 triage system: Evaluation of the impact on the screening time and identification of clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a public health service.

INTRODUCTION: Most patients with COVID-19 have mild or moderate manifestations; however, there is a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and even more severe repercussions that require high diagnostic suspicion. Vital sign acquisition and monitoring are crucial for detecting and responding to patients with COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: Thus, we conducted this study to demonstrate the impact of using a tool called Smart Check on the triage time of patients with suspected COVID-19 and to identify the main initial clinical manifestations in these patients. METHODOLOGY: We assessed triage times before and after the use of Smart Check in 11 466 patients at Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from 1 June to 31 July 2020. In this group, we identified 220 patients for the identification of COVID-19 clinical manifestations in a case-control analysis. RESULTS: Smart Check was able to decrease the triage time by 33 seconds on average (P < .001), with 75% of the exams being performed within 5 minutes, whereas with the usual protocol these steps were performed within 6 minutes. A range of clinical presentations made up the COVID-19 initial manifestations. Those with the highest frequency were dry cough (46.4%), fever (41.3%), dyspnoea (35.8%), and headache (31.8%). Loss of appetite was the manifestation that had a statistically significant association with the SARS-CoV-2 presence (univariate analysis). When analysed together, loss of appetite associated with dyspnoea and/or ageusia and/or fever was related to the diagnosis of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Smart Check, a simple clinical evaluation tool, along with the targeted use of rapid PCR testing, can optimise triage time for patients with and without COVID-19. In triage centres, a number of initial signs and symptoms should be cause for SARS-CoV-2 infection suspicion, in particular the association of respiratory, neurological, and gastrointestinal manifestations.

Helicopter Transportation of Brazilian Trauma Patients: A Comparison of Times to Care.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) transport with secondary land ambulance transfer, comparing landings performed inside and outside the hospital complex to the emergency department. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study of HEMS transports of trauma patients between 2016 and 2018 in southern Brazil. Patients were attended by the HEMS team at the trauma site or stabilized in hospitals nearby and subsequently referred to trauma centers. In this region, no trauma centers have their own helipads so helicopters land in remote areas close to the hospital, which may be inside or outside the hospital complex. Both landings require ground emergency medical service transport, with off-site landings necessitating ground emergency medical service transport via public access roads to reach the hospital. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and on-site and off-site transport times were compared using a t-test for independent samples. RESULTS: Of 176 transports, 28.5% resulted in on-site landings, whereas 71.5% occurred off-site. The ground transport time when the landing zone was off-site was 5 minutes longer than on-site (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Off-site landings result in longer transports to the emergency room. The construction of helipads in trauma centers can reduce transport time, in addition to reducing the costs and sequelae of trauma.

Alcohol Availability, Cost, Age of First Drink, and Its Association with At-Risk Alcohol Use in Moshi, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: The Kilimanjaro region has one of the highest levels of reported alcohol intake per capita in Tanzania. Age at first drink has been found to be associated with alcohol problems in adulthood, but there is less information on the age of first drink in the Kilimanjaro region and its associations with alcohol-related consequences later in life. Furthermore, local alcohol cost and availability may influence the prevalence of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders. METHODS: Data on the age of first drink, alcohol use disorder identification tool (AUDIT), number and type of alcohol consequences (DrInC), and perceived alcohol at low cost and high availability for children and adolescents were collected from an alcohol and health behavior survey of injury patients (N = 242) in Moshi, Tanzania. Generalized linear models were used to test age at first drink, perceived alcohol cost and availability, and their association with the AUDIT and DrInC scores, and current alcohol use, respectively. RESULTS: Consuming alcohol before age 18 was significantly associated with higher AUDIT and DrInC scores, with odds ratios of 1.22 (CI: 1.004, 1.47) and 1.72 (CI: 1.11, 2.63), respectively. Female gender is strongly associated with less alcohol use and alcohol consequences, represented by an odds ratio of 3.70 (CI: 1.72, 8.33) for an AUDIT score above 8 and an odds ratio of 3.84 (CI: 2.13, 6.67) with the DrInC score. Perceived high availability of alcohol for children is significantly related to higher alcohol use quantity, with the odds ratio of 1.6 (CI: 1.17, 2.20). CONCLUSIONS: The first use of alcohol before the age of 18 is associated with higher alcohol use and alcohol-related adverse consequences. In Tanzania, age at first drink is an important target for interventions aiming to prevent negative alcohol-related consequences later in life.

A Mixed-Methods Study: Sex Differences in Experiences of Stigma Associated With Alcoholism and Alcohol Use Disorders Among Injury Patients in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Each year, alcohol use causes 3.3 million deaths globally and accounts for nearly 30% of injuries treated at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania. Prior research found significant stigma toward patients reporting alcohol use in general and among healthcare providers for this population. METHODS: This mixed-methods study aimed to identify sex-based perspectives of stigma among injury patients, family members, and local community advisory board (CAB) members. Injury patients from the emergency room at KCMC were asked to complete surveys capturing consumption of alcohol, perceived stigma, and consequences of drinking. Patients who completed the survey, their family members, and members of a CAB were also recruited to take part in focus groups led by a trained bilingual research nurse. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression and Wilcoxon rank sum tests with alpha level set at 0.05. RESULTS: Results showed that sex was a significant predictor of perceived discrimination (p = 0.037, Standard Error (SE) = 1.71 (0.81)) but not for perceived devaluation (p = 0.667, SE = -0.38 (0.89)). Focus groups revealed there were global negative perceptions of the amount of alcohol consumed as well as negative perceptions toward disclosure of alcohol use to healthcare providers. Sex differences in stigma emerged when participants were specifically asked about women and their alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest there is an underlying sex difference, further stigmatizing women for alcohol use among the injury patient population at KCMC. Tanzanian women suffer from unequal access to health care, and the stigmatization of alcohol use likely increases this disparity.

Provision and Utilization of Team- and Community-Based Operative Care for Patients With Cleft Lip/Palate in North Carolina.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize operative care for cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) based on location (ie, from American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association [ACPA]-approved multidisciplinary teams or from community providers). DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database and State Ambulatory Surgery & Services Database databases for North Carolina from 2012 to 2015. SETTING/PATIENTS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical encounters for children with CL/P undergoing operative procedures were identified, classified by location as "Team" versus "Community," and characterized by demographic, geographic, clinical, and procedural factors. A secondary evaluation reviewed concordance of team and community practices with an ACPA guideline related to coordination of care. RESULTS: Three teams and 39 community providers performed a total of 3010 cleft-related procedures across 2070 encounters. Teams performed 69.7% of total volume and performed the majority of cleft procedures, including cleft lip repair, palate repair, alveolar bone grafting, and correction of velopharyngeal insufficiency. Community locations principally offered myringotomy and rhinoplasty. Team care was associated with higher guideline concordance. CONCLUSIONS: American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association -approved team-based care accounts for the majority of cleft-related care in North Carolina; however, a substantial volume of cleft-related procedures was provided by community providers, with 3 providers accounting for the vast majority of community cases.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the MMSE and MoCA questionnaires in Tanzanian Swahili for a traumatic brain injury population.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the most common cause of injury-related death and disability globally, and a common sequelae is cognitive impairment. Addressing post-TBI cognitive deficits is crucial because they affect rehabilitation outcomes, but doing this requires valid and reliable cognitive assessment measures. However, no such instrument has been validated in Tanzania's TBI population. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) are two commonly used instruments to measure cognitive impairment, and there have been a few studies reporting their use in post-TBI cognitive assessment. Our aim was to report the psychometric properties of the Swahili version of both scales amongst the TBI population in Tanzania. METHODS: A cross-cultural adaptation committee participated in the translation and content validation process for both questionnaires. Our patient sample consisted of 192 adults with TBI who were admitted to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Tanzania. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and external validity were evaluated. RESULTS: MoCA showed adequate factor loadings (values > 0.50 for all items except items 7 & 10) and adequate reliability (values > 0.70). Factor loadings for most of the MMSE items were below 0.5 and internal consistency was medium (< 0.7). Polychoric correlation between MMSE and MoCA was strong, positive and statistically significant (r = 0.68, p = 0.001); correlation with the cognitive subscale of FIM indicated moderately positive relationships - MMSE (r = 0.35, p = 0.001) and MoCA (r = 0.43, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of the language and memory items, MoCA is a valid and reliable instrument for cognitive impairment screening in Tanzania's adult TBI population. On the other hand, MMSE does not appear to be an appropriate tool in this patient group, but its positive correlations with MoCA and cFIM indicate similar theoretical concepts. Both instruments require further validation studies to prove their predictive ability for screening cognitive impairment before they are considered suitable for clinical use.

Is there a fair distribution of the structure of dental services in the capitals of the Brazilian Federative Units?

BACKGROUND: Brazilian Primary Care Facilities (PCF) provide primary care and must offer dental services for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases. According to a logic of promoting equity, PCF should be better structured in less developed places and with higher need for oral health services. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the structure of dental caries services in the capitals of the Brazilian Federative Units and identify whether socioeconomic factors and caries (need) are predictors of the oral health services structure. METHODS: This is an ecological study with variables retrieved from different secondary databases, clustered for the level of the federative capitals. Descriptive thematic maps were prepared, and structural equations were analyzed to identify oral health service structure's predictors (Alpha = 5%). Four models with different outcomes related to dental caries treatment were tested: 1) % of PCF with a fully equipped office; 2) % of PCF with sufficient instruments, and 3) % of PCF with sufficient supplies; 4) % of PCF with total structure. RESULTS: 21.6% of the PCF of the Brazilian capitals had a fully equipped office; 46.9% had sufficient instruments, and 30.0% had sufficient supplies for caries prevention and treatment. The four models evidenced proper fit indexes. A correlation between socioeconomic factors and the structure of oral health services was only noted in model 3. The worse the socioeconomic conditions, the lower the availability of dental supplies (standard factor loading: 0.92, P = 0.012). Estimates of total, direct and indirect effects showed that dental caries experience observed in the Brazilian population by SB-Brasil in 2010 did not affect the outcomes investigated. CONCLUSION: Material resources are not equitably distributed according to the socioeconomic conditions and oral health needs of the population of the Brazilian capitals, thus contributing to persistent oral health inequities in the country.

An evaluation of outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury at a referral hospital in Tanzania: evidence from a survival analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in low- and middle-income countries who receive surgery have better outcomes than patients with TBI who do not receive surgery, and whether this differs with severity of injury. METHODS: The authors generated a series of Kaplan-Meier plots and performed multiple Cox proportional hazard models to assess the relationship between TBI surgery and TBI severity. The TBI severity was categorized using admission Glasgow Coma Scale scores: mild (14, 15), moderate (9-13), or severe (3-8). The authors investigated outcomes from admission to hospital day 14. The outcome considered was the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended, categorized as poor outcome (1-4) and good outcome (5-8). The authors used TBI registry data collected from 2013 to 2017 at a regional referral hospital in Tanzania. RESULTS: Of the final 2502 patients, 609 (24%) received surgery and 1893 (76%) did not receive surgery. There were significantly fewer road traffic injuries and more violent causes of injury in those receiving surgery. Those receiving surgery were also more likely to receive care in the ICU, to have a poor outcome, to have a moderate or severe TBI, and to stay in the hospital longer. The hazard ratio for patients with TBI who underwent operation versus those who did not was 0.17 (95% CI 0.06-0.49; p < 0.001) in patients with moderate TBI; 0.2 (95% CI 0.06-0.64; p = 0.01) for those with mild TBI, and 0.47 (95% CI 0.24-0.89; p = 0.02) for those with severe TBI. CONCLUSIONS: Those who received surgery for their TBI had a lower hazard for poor outcome than those who did not. Surgical intervention was associated with the greatest improvement in outcomes for moderate head injuries, followed by mild and severe injuries. The findings suggest a reprioritization of patients with moderate TBI-a drastic change to the traditional practice within low- and middle-income countries in which the most severely injured patients are prioritized for care.

[Proposal for a methodology to estimate the potential coverage of primary care teamsPropuesta de una metodología para estimar el área de cobertura potencial de los equipos de atención primaria]. / Proposta de metodologia para estimar a área de cobertura potencial por equipes de atenção primária.

OBJECTIVE: To present a methodology for the empirical evaluation of primary health care (PHC) through the construction of digital representations of potential PHC coverage areas. METHODS: In this methodological study, potential areas were constructed by combinatorial analysis between census tracts and the location of basic health units with working PHC teams in Brazil. Six rules were used to parameterize the algorithm for the construction of potential areas. Thus, six restrictions were applied to enable the model: the selection of census tracts near the basic health unit; contiguous sectors; mutually exclusive sectors; sectors located in the same municipality of basic health units; sum of 4 500 users per health team in each unit; and volume of population ascribed proportional to the number of PHC teams allocated to the unit. Based on 316 594 census tracts and 39 758 basic health units, a neighborhood matrix was developed. To that matrix, a graph algorithm was applied to test combinations of sectors that simultaneously met the stipulated rules. RESULTS: A total of 1 901 114 arcs were defined, connecting 30 351 census tracts, allowing the construction of 26 907 potential areas. Based on these results, intra-municipal analyses can be performed to monitor PHC indicators. Customizable algorithm parameters can be adjusted to accommodate different sets of rules which may be adapted to different countries. CONCLUSIONS: The use of geoprocessing approaches creates conditions for the assessment of PHC impact, based on secondary databases at various levels, such as intra-municipal, basic health unit, and even at the team level.

OBJETIVO: Presentar una metodología para la evaluación empírica de la atención primaria de salud (APS) a través de la construcción de representaciones digitales de las áreas de cobertura potencial de los equipos de APS. MÉTODOS: Estudio de tipo metodológico. Las áreas potenciales se construyeron mediante un análisis combinatorio entre los sectores censales y la localización de las unidades básicas de salud con equipos de APS que trabajan en Brasil. Se utilizaron seis reglas para parametrizar el algoritmo de construcción de las áreas potenciales. Así, se estipularon seis restricciones que viabilizaron el modelo utilizado: selección de sectores censales cercanos a la unidad básica de salud; sectores contiguos; sectores mutuamente excluyentes; sectores ubicados en el mismo municipio de la unidad básica de salud; suma de 4 500 usuarios por equipo de salud en cada unidad básica de salud; y volumen de población adscrita proporcional al número de equipos de APS asignados en la unidad básica de salud. A partir de 316 574 sectores censales y 39 758 unidades básicas de salud se desarrolló una matriz de vecindad sobre la cual se aplicó un algoritmo gráfico que evaluaba las combinaciones de sectores que cumplían simultáneamente las reglas estipuladas. RESULTADOS: Se definieron en total 1 901 114 arcos, que conectaron 30 351 sectores censales, lo que permitió la construcción de 26 907 áreas potenciales. Sobre la base de estos resultados, se pueden realizar análisis intramunicipales para monitorear los indicadores de APS. Los parámetros modificables del algoritmo se pueden ajustar para adaptarse a diferentes conjuntos de reglas y a diferentes países. CONCLUSIONES: El uso de enfoques basados en geoprocesamiento puede crear condiciones para la evaluación del impacto de la APS conforme a bases de datos secundarias y a nivel intramunicipal, de la unidad básica de salud e incluso a nivel de equipo.