Pooled prevalences of obstructive sleep apnea and heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disease with intermittent hypoxemia during sleep. It has been shown that OSA is related to several cardiovascular diseases including heart failure. Both OSA and heart failure have a close association bidirectionally. This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of OSA in patients with heart failure as well as pooled prevalence of heart failure in patients with OSA. This was a systematic review with a meta-analysis. The inclusion criteria were observational or epidemiological studies conducted in adult patients with heart failure to evaluate the prevalence of OSA and patients with OSA to evaluate the prevalence of heart failure. The outcomes of this study were prevalence of OSA in patients with heart failure and prevalence of heart failure in patients with OSA. Four databases were used for systematic searching including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and CINAHL Plus. Manual searches for related studies were also conducted. Proportion meta-analyses using a random-effects model were conducted to identify pooled proportion (prevalence) of heart failure in patients with OSA and vice versa. Among 3,941 articles from the four databases met the study criteria. Thirty-three studies showed the prevalence of OSA in patients with heart failure, while thirteen studies presented the prevalence of heart failure in patients with OSA. The prevalence of OSA in patients with heart failure was 38.4% (95% CI 31.9 to 45.2; I2 of 96.1%). Using a diagnostic criterion of OSA of more than 10 events/hr had the highest prevalence of OSA in patients with heart failure at 53.4% (95% CI 42.0 to 64.5). The highest prevalence of OSA in patients with heart failure was 60.1% (95% CI 51.4 to 68.3) in a report from India. The pooled prevalence of heart failure in patients with OSA was 12.8% (95% CI 8.1 to 19.5; I2 of 94.6%). The prevalence in Romania was highest at 22.6% (95% CI 20.4 to 24.9). The pooled prevalence of OSA in patients with heart failure was higher than the pooled prevalence of heart failure in patients with OSA. The pooled prevalence rates of these associations varied among the diagnostic criteria of OSA and countries.

School-based comprehensive sexuality education for prevention of adolescent pregnancy: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy is a global public health problem. Numerous approaches for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) delivery in schools have been implemented around the world. Previous reviews on CSE did not follow the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (ITGSE) because CSE is very diverse in terms of population, interventions, settings and outcomes. We conducted this scoping review to identify and map the evidence of school-based CSE for prevention of adolescent pregnancy with emphasis on adolescents' contraceptive use, unintended pregnancy and abortion. METHODS: We searched PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, CINAHL, and WHO ICTRP to identify potential eligible studies from their inception to 4th Nov 2023.We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs of CSE implemented in public or private schools for adolescents. CSE was defined as a multi-session intervention in school that covered topics including contraception, pregnancy, abortion, and HIV/STI. School-based interventions were the main intervention that may be either stand-alone or multicomponent. There was no limitation on study's geographical area, but only English-language studies were considered. Two reviewers selected and extracted data independently, discussed for consensus or consulted the third reviewer if there were discrepancies for final conclusion. Data were presented using figures, map and table. RESULTS: Out of 5897 records, 79 studies (101 reports) were included in this review. Most studies were conducted in the United States and other high-income countries in secondary or high schools with cluster RCTs. All studies included participatory methods. Almost all studies included Sexual and Reproductive Health which is the eighth concept of CSE. Very few studies reported the prespecified primary outcomes of contraceptive use during last sex, unintended pregnancy and abortion and hence this highlighted the gaps of available evidence for these outcomes. The number of concepts, components, duration and providers of CSE varied across the included studies. However, none of the interventions identified in this scoping review adhered to the ITGSE recommended approach. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review shows gaps in school-based CSE implementation in terms of completeness of concepts, components, providers, duration and outcomes recommended by ITGSE.

Interventions to increase the uptake of cervical cancer screening in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To identify effective interventions to increase the uptake of cervical cancer screening (CCS) for low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: We searched PubMed, CENTRAL, ISI Web of Sciences, Scopus, OVID (Medline), CINAHL, LILACS, CNKI and OpenGrey for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster RCTs conducted in LMICs from January 2000 to September 2021. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, assessed risk of bias and certainty of evidence. Meta-analyses with random-effects models were conducted for data synthesis. RESULTS: We included 38 reports of 24 studies involving 318,423 participants from 15 RCTs and nine cluster RCTs. Single interventions may increase uptake of CCS when compared with control (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.82). Self-sampling of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing may increase uptake of CCS relative to routine Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (RR 1.93, 95% CI 1.66 to 2.25). Reminding with phone call may increase uptake of CCS than letter (RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.32) and SMS (RR 1.59, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.13). Sending 15 health messages may increase uptake of CCS relative to one SMS (RR 2.75, 95% CI 1.46 to 5.19). Free subsidized cost may increase uptake of CCS slightly than $0.66 subsidized cost (RR 1.60, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.33). Community based HPV test may increase uptake of CCS slightly in compared to hospital collected HPV (RR 1.67, 95% CI 1.53 to 1.82). The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of combined interventions on CCS uptake relative to single intervention (RR 2.20, 95% CI 1.54 to 3.14). CONCLUSIONS: Single interventions including reminding with phone call, SMS, community self-sampling of HPV test, and free subsidized services may enhance CCS uptake. Combined interventions, including health education interventions and SMS plus e-voucher, may be better than single intervention. Due to low-certainty evidences, these findings should be applied cautiously.

Fentanyl for labour pain management: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Labour pain has been identified as an important reason for women to prefer caesarean section (CS). Fentanyl is one of the short acting opioids recommended by World Health Organization for pain relief during labour. This study aimed to identify and describe the available evidence on the use of fentanyl (monotherapy) for labour pain management by any routes of administration or regime. METHODS: We included the records published until 31 December 2021 which reported administration of fentanyl to women with normal labour for labour pain relief. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by another reviewer using a standardised agreement form. We mapped and presented data descriptively in figure and tabular format. RESULTS: We included 51 records from 49 studies in our scoping review. The studies were conducted in 12 countries, mostly high-income countries. The study designs of the 51 included records were varied as follows: 38 (74.5%) experimental studies (35 randomised controlled trials and three quasi-experimental studies), and 12 (23.5%) observational studies (five retrospective cohort studies, four prospective cohort studies, two retrospective descriptive studies, and one descriptive study) and one qualitative study. Of the included records, six used intranasal fentanyl, five used subcutaneous fentanyl, 18 (35.3%) used intravenous fentanyl, 18 (35.3%) used intrathecal fentanyl, and nine used epidural fentanyl. Many records compared fentanyl with another analgesic agent while five records (9.8%) had no comparison group and seven records (13.7%) compared with no analgesia group. The doses of fentanyl varied by routes, study and the requirement depended on the women. Pain assessment was the most frequent outcome measure presented in the records (78.4%). Only nine records (17.6%) investigated women's satisfaction about labour pain relief using fentanyl and seven records (13.7%) reported the effect of fentanyl on breastfeeding. The most common reported neonatal outcomes were foetal heart rate (33 records, 64.7%) and Apgar score (32 records, 62.7%). CONCLUSION: There is limited primary evidence especially randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and harms of different routes of fentanyl in low- or middle-income countries. There is a need for high-quality research to establish the most effective route of fentanyl and associated effects for evidence-based international guidelines.

Roselle for hypertension in adults.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is considered to be a serious health problem worldwide. Controlling and lowering blood pressure are of significant benefit to people with hypertension because hypertension is a risk factor for stroke, heart disease, and cardiovascular disease. Roselle, the tropical plant Hibiscus sabdariffa, also commonly called sour tea or red tea, has been used as both a thirst-quenching drink and for medicinal purposes. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of Roselle on blood pressure in people with primary hypertension. SEARCH METHODS: For this update, the Cochrane Hypertension Information Specialist searched the following databases and trials registers for randomised controlled trials (RCTs): the Cochrane Hypertension Specialised Register (to 6 August 2021), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2021, Issue 7), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 5 August 2021), Embase Ovid (1974 to 5 August 2021), ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (to 6 August 2021), Web of Science Clarivate (to 7 August 2021), Food Science and Technology Abstracts Clarivate (to 7 August 2021), the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (to 6 August 2021), and the US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register ClinicalTrials.gov (to 6 August 2021). We searched Google Scholar and OpenSIGLE. We also handsearched local and regional Chinese databases: CBM, CMCC, TCMLARS, CNKI, CMAC, and the Index to Chinese Periodical Literature (to 14 September 2020), as well as Thai databases (ThaiJO, CUIR, TDC, CMU e-Theses, TCTR) (to 3 October 2020). There were no language or publication date restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: We sought RCTs evaluating the use of any forms of Roselle with placebo or no treatment in adults with hypertension. Our primary outcome was change in trough and/or peak systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP). Secondary outcomes were withdrawals due to adverse effects, change in pulse pressure, and change in heart rate. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: All search results were managed using Covidence and re-checked for the number of records, inclusion and exclusion of studies with Mendeley reference management software. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Two review authors worked independently in parallel for screening (titles and abstracts, and full reports), data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and assessment of the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. Any disagreements were resolved by discussion or by consultation with the third review author if necessary. We presented mean difference (MD) of change in SBP and DBP with their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). MAIN RESULTS: For this update, only one RCT with a parallel-group design involving 60 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus fulfilled the inclusion criteria. This study investigated the effect of Roselle extract capsules (total dose of 5600 mg) compared with placebo (lactose) at eight weeks. The study was at low risk of selection bias, performance bias, and detection bias. Conversely, it was at high risk of attrition bias, reporting bias, and other bias (baseline imbalance). We have very little confidence in the effect estimate of Roselle on change-from-baseline in both SBP and DBP between the two groups. The MD of change in SBP was 1.65, 95% CI -7.89 to 11.19 mmHg, 52 participants, very low-certainty evidence. The MD of change in DBP was 4.60, 95% CI -1.38 to 10.58 mmHg, 52 participants, very low-certainty evidence. Our secondary outcomes of withdrawals due to adverse effects, change in pulse pressure, and change in heart rate were not reported. Due to the limited available data, no secondary analyses were performed (subgroup and sensitivity analysis). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The evidence is currently insufficient to determine the effectiveness of Roselle compared to placebo for controlling or lowering blood pressure in people with hypertension. The certainty of evidence was very low due to methodological limitations, imprecision, and indirectness. There is a need for rigorous RCTs that address the review question.

Postoperative interventions for preventing bladder dysfunction after radical hysterectomy in women with early-stage cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Bladder dysfunction is a common complication following radical hysterectomy, caused by the damage to pelvic autonomic nerves that innervate the muscles of the bladder, urethral sphincter, and pelvic floor fasciae. Bladder dysfunction increases the rates of urinary tract infection, hospital visits or admission, and patient dissatisfaction. In addition, bladder dysfunction can also negatively impact patient quality of life (QoL). Several postoperative interventions have been proposed to prevent bladder dysfunction following radical hysterectomy. To our knowledge, there has been no systematic review evaluating the effectiveness and safety of these interventions for preventing bladder dysfunction following radical hysterectomy in women with cervical cancer. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of postoperative interventions for preventing bladder dysfunction following radical hysterectomy in women with early-stage cervical cancer (stage IA2 to IIA2). SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2020, Issue 4) in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE via Ovid (1946 to April week 2, 2020), and Embase via Ovid (1980 to 2020, week 16). We also checked registers of clinical trials, grey literature, conference reports, and citation lists of included studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effectiveness and safety of any type of postoperative interventions for preventing bladder dysfunction following a radical hysterectomy in women with stage IA2 to IIA2 cervical cancer. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected potentially relevant RCTs, extracted data, assessed risk of bias, compared results, and made judgments on the quality and certainty of the evidence. We resolved any disagreements through discussion or consultation with a third review author. Outcomes of interest consisted of spontaneous voiding recovery one week after the operation, quality of life (QoL), adverse events, post-void residual urine volume one month after the operation, urinary tract infection over the one month following the operation, and subjective urinary symptoms. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 1464 records as a result of the search (excluding duplicates). Of the 20 records that potentially met the review criteria, we included five reports of four studies. Most of the studies had unclear risks of selection and reporting biases. Of the four studies, one compared bethanechol versus placebo and three studies compared suprapubic catheterisation with intermittent self-catheterisation. We identified two ongoing studies. Bethanechol versus placebo The study reported no information on the rate of spontaneous voiding recovery at one week following the operation, QoL, adverse events, urinary tract infection in the first month after surgery, and subjective urinary symptoms for this comparison. The volume of post-void residual urine, assessed at one month after surgery, among women receiving bethanechol was lower than those in the placebo group (mean difference (MD) -37.4 mL, 95% confidence interval (CI) -60.35 to -14.45; one study, 39 participants; very-low certainty evidence). Suprapubic catheterisation versus intermittent self-catheterisation The studies reported no information on the rate of spontaneous voiding recovery at one week and post-void residual urine volume at one month following the operation for this comparison. There was no difference in risks of acute complication (risk ratio (RR) 0.77, 95% CI 0.24 to 2.49; one study, 71 participants; very low certainty evidence) and urinary tract infections during the first month after surgery (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.13; two studies, 95 participants; very- low certainty evidence) between participants who underwent suprapubic catheterisation and those who underwent intermittent self-catheterisation. Available data were insufficient to calculate the relative measures of the effect of interventions on QoL and subjective urinary symptoms. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: None of the included studies reported rate of spontaneous voiding recovery one week after surgery, time to a post-void residual volume of urine of 50 mL or less, or post-void residual urine volume at 6 and 12 months after surgery, all of which are important outcomes for assessing postoperative bladder dysfunction. Limited evidence suggested that bethanechol may minimise the risk of bladder dysfunction after radical hysterectomy by lowering post-void residual urine volume. The certainty of this evidence, however, was very low. The effectiveness of different types of postoperative urinary catheterisation (suprapubic and intermittent self-catheterisation) remain unproven.

Nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy compared to standard radical hysterectomy for women with early stage cervical cancer (stage Ia2 to IIa).

BACKGROUND: Radical hysterectomy is one of the standard treatments for stage Ia2 to IIa cervical cancer. Bladder dysfunction caused by disruption of the pelvic autonomic nerves is a common complication following standard radical hysterectomy and can affect quality of life significantly. Nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy is a modified radical hysterectomy, developed to permit resection of oncologically relevant tissues surrounding the cervical lesion, while preserving the pelvic autonomic nerves. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits and harms of nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy in women with stage Ia2 to IIa cervical cancer. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2018, Issue 4), MEDLINE via Ovid (1946 to May week 2, 2018), and Embase via Ovid (1980 to 2018, week 21). We also checked registers of clinical trials, grey literature, reports of conferences, citation lists of included studies, and key textbooks for potentially relevant studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy and safety of nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy compared to standard radical hysterectomy for women with early stage cervical cancer (stage Ia2 to IIa). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We applied standard Cochrane methodology for data collection and analysis. Two review authors independently selected potentially relevant RCTs, extracted data, evaluated risk of bias of the included studies, compared results and resolved disagreements by discussion or consultation with a third review author, and assessed the certainty of evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 1332 records as a result of the search (excluding duplicates). Of the 26 studies that potentially met the review criteria, we included four studies involving 205 women; most of the trials had unclear risks of bias. We identified one ongoing trial.The analysis of overall survival was not feasible, as there were no deaths reported among women allocated to standard radical hysterectomy. However, there were two deaths in among women allocated to the nerve-sparing technique. None of the included studies reported rates of intermittent self-catheterisation over one month following surgery. We could not analyse the relative effect of the two surgical techniques on quality of life due to inconsistent data reported. Nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy reduced postoperative bladder dysfunctions in terms of a shorter time to postvoid residual volume of urine ≤ 50 mL (mean difference (MD) -13.21 days; 95% confidence interval (CI) -24.02 to -2.41; 111 women; 2 studies; low-certainty evidence) and lower volume of postvoid residual urine measured one month following operation (MD -9.59 days; 95% CI -16.28 to -2.90; 58 women; 2 study; low-certainty evidence). There were no clear differences in terms of perioperative complications (RR 0.55; 95% CI 0.24 to 1.26; 180 women; 3 studies; low-certainty evidence) and disease-free survival (HR 0.63; 95% CI 0.00 to 106.95; 86 women; one study; very low-certainty evidence) between the comparison groups. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy may lessen the risk of postoperative bladder dysfunction compared to the standard technique, but the certainty of this evidence is low. The very low-certainty evidence for disease-free survival and lack of information for overall survival indicate that the oncological safety of nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy for women with early stage cervical cancer remains unclear. Further large, high-quality RCTs are required to determine, if clinically meaningful differences of survival exist between these two surgical treatments.

ENHANCEMENT OF LEARNING ON SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATION WITH A SMARTPHONE APPLICATION: A CLUSTER-RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL.

Sample size determination usually is taught based on theory and is difficult to understand. Using a smartphone application to teach sample size calculation ought to be more attractive to students than using lectures only. This study compared levels of understanding of sample size calculations for research studies between participants attending a lecture only versus lecture combined with using a smartphone application to calculate sample sizes, to explore factors affecting level of post-test score after training sample size calculation, and to investigate participants' attitude toward a sample size application. A cluster-randomized controlled trial involving a number of health institutes in Thailand was carried out from October 2014 to March 2015. A total of 673 professional participants were enrolled and randomly allocated to one of two groups, namely, 341 participants in 10 workshops to control group and 332 participants in 9 workshops to intervention group. Lectures on sample size calculation were given in the control group, while lectures using a smartphone application were supplied to the test group. Participants in the intervention group had better learning of sample size calculation (2.7 points out of maximnum 10 points, 95% CI: 24 - 2.9) than the participants in the control group (1.6 points, 95% CI: 1.4 - 1.8). Participants doing research projects had a higher post-test score than those who did not have a plan to conduct research projects (0.9 point, 95% CI: 0.5 - 1.4). The majority of the participants had a positive attitude towards the use of smartphone application for learning sample size calculation.

Corticosteroids for parasitic eosinophilic meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A. cantonensis) is the major cause of infectious eosinophilic meningitis. Dead larvae of this parasite cause inflammation and exacerbate symptoms of meningitis. Corticosteroids are drugs used to reduce the inflammation caused by this parasite. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of corticosteroids for the treatment of eosinophilic meningitis. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL (2014, Issue 11), MEDLINE (1950 to November Week 3, 2014), EMBASE (1974 to December 2014), Scopus (1960 to December 2014), Web of Science (1955 to December 2014), LILACS (1982 to December 2014) and CINAHL (1981 to December 2014). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of corticosteroids versus placebo for eosinophilic meningitis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors (SiT, SaT) independently collected and extracted study data. We graded the methodological quality of the RCTs. We identified and analysed outcomes and adverse effects. MAIN RESULTS: We did not identifiy any new trials for inclusion or exclusion in this 2014 update. One study involving 110 participants (55 participants in each group) met our inclusion criteria. The corticosteroid (prednisolone) showed a benefit in shortening the median time to resolution of headaches (five days in the treatment group versus 13 days in the control group, P value < 0.0001). Corticosteroids were also associated with smaller numbers of participants who still had headaches after a two-week course of treatment (9.1% versus 45.5%, P value < 0.0001). The number of patients who needed repeat lumbar puncture was also smaller in the treatment group (12.7% versus 40%, P value = 0.002). There was a reduction in the median time of analgesic use in participants receiving corticosteroids (10.5 versus 25.0, P value = 0.038). There were no reported adverse effects from prednisolone in the treatment group. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Corticosteroids significantly help relieve headache in patients with eosinophilic meningitis, who have a pain score of four or more on a visual analogue scale. However, there is only one RCT supporting this benefit and this trial did not clearly mention allocation concealment and stratification. Therefore, we agreed to grade our included study as a moderate quality trial. Future well-designed RCTs are necessary.

Calcium supplementation (other than for preventing or treating hypertension) for improving pregnancy and infant outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is known to have an effect on fetal growth and development. It is recommended that women increase their calcium intake during pregnancy and lactation, although the recommended dosage varies among professionals. Currently, there is no consensus on the role of routine calcium supplementation for pregnant women other than for preventing or treating hypertension. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of calcium supplementation on maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes (other than for preventing or treating hypertension) as well as any possible side effects. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30th September 2014). SELECTION CRITERIA: We considered all published, unpublished and ongoing randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women who received calcium supplementation versus placebo or no treatment. Cluster-RCTs were eligible for inclusion but none were identified. Quasi-RCTs and cross-over studies were not eligible for inclusion. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, but only 23 studies contributed data to the review. These 23 trials recruited 18,587 women, with 17,842 women included in final analyses. There were no statistically significant differences between women who received calcium supplementation and those who did not in terms of reducing preterm births less than 37 weeks' gestation (risk ratio (RR) 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70 to 1.05; 13 studies, 16,139 women; random-effects model) or less than 34 weeks' gestation (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.36; four trials, 5669). Most studies were of low risk of bias. We conducted sensitivity analysis for the outcome of preterm birth less than 37 weeks by removing two trials with unclear risk of bias for allocation concealment; the results then favoured treatment with calcium supplementation (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.99; 11 trials, 15,379 women). There was no significant difference in infant low birthweight between the two treatment groups (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.07; six trials, 14,162 infants; random-effects model). However, when compared to the control group, women in the calcium supplementation group gave birth to slightly heavier birthweight infants (mean difference 56.40, 95% CI 13.55 to 99.25; 21 trials, 9202 women; random-effects model).Three outcomes were chosen for assessment with the GRADE software: preterm birth less than 37 weeks; preterm birth less than 34 weeks; and low birthweight less than 2500 g. Evidence for these outcomes was assessed as of moderate quality. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This review indicates that there are no clear additional benefits to calcium supplementation in prevention of preterm birth or low infant birthweight. While there was a statistically significant difference of 56 g identified in mean infant birthweight, there was significant heterogeneity identified, and the clinical significance of this difference is uncertain.

Biomarkers for prognosis of meningioma patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumor and many studies have evaluated numerous biomarkers for their prognostic value, often with inconsistent results. Currently, no reliable biomarkers are available to predict the survival, recurrence, and progression of meningioma patients in clinical practice. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of immunohistochemistry-based (IHC) biomarkers of meningioma patients. A systematic literature search was conducted up to November 2023 on PubMed, CENTRAL, CINAHL Plus, and Scopus databases. Two authors independently reviewed the identified relevant studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the studies included. Meta-analyses were performed with the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and progression-free survival (PFS). The risk of bias in the included studies was evaluated using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. A total of 100 studies with 16,745 patients were included in this review. As the promising markers to predict OS of meningioma patients, Ki-67/MIB-1 (HR = 1.03, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.05) was identified to associate with poor prognosis of the patients. Overexpression of cyclin A (HR = 4.91, 95%CI 1.38 to 17.44), topoisomerase II α (TOP2A) (HR = 4.90, 95%CI 2.96 to 8.12), p53 (HR = 2.40, 95%CI 1.73 to 3.34), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (HR = 1.61, 95%CI 1.36 to 1.90), and Ki-67 (HR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.21 to 1.46), were identified also as unfavorable prognostic biomarkers for poor RFS of meningioma patients. Conversely, positive progesterone receptor (PR) and p21 staining were associated with longer RFS and are considered biomarkers of favorable prognosis of meningioma patients (HR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.88 and HR = 1.89, 95%CI 1.11 to 3.20). Additionally, high expression of Ki-67 was identified as a prognosis biomarker for poor PFS of meningioma patients (HR = 1.02, 95%CI 1.00 to 1.04). Although only in single studies, KPNA2, CDK6, Cox-2, MCM7 and PCNA are proposed as additional markers with high expression that are related with poor prognosis of meningioma patients. In conclusion, the results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that PR, cyclin A, TOP2A, p21, p53, VEGF and Ki-67 are either positively or negatively associated with survival of meningioma patients and might be useful biomarkers to assess the prognosis.

Socioeconomic inequalities in skilled attendance at birth and caesarean section rates in Myanmar 2015-2016: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess inequalities in skilled birth attendance and utilisation of caesarean section (CS) in Myanmar. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study design. SETTING AND POPULATION: We used secondary data from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (2015-2016). Our outcome measures of skilled birth attendance and utilisation of CS were taken from the most recent birth of interviewed women. Absolute and relative inequalities across several sociodemographic characteristics were assessed and evaluated by calculating rate differences, rate ratio and concentration indexes. RESULTS: More than one-third (36%, 95% CI 32.5% to 39.4%) of women gave birth without a skilled birth attendant present at their most recent birth. 40.7% (95% CI 37.8% to 43.7%) gave birth in healthcare facilities, and the CS rate was 19.7% (95% CI 17.9% to 21.8%) for their most recent birth. The highest proportion of birth without a skilled provider was found in the hilly regions and rural residents, poorest and less educated women, and those with less than four antenatal care visits. Inequalities in birth without a skilled provider were observed across regions, place of residence, wealth quintile, education level and number of antenatal care taken. The highest rate of CS was found among plain regions and urban residents, richest women, more than secondary education, those with more than four antenatal care visits and in private health facilities. Inequalities in CS utilisation were observed across place of residence, wealth quintiles, education level, number of antenatal care taken and type of health facilities. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence regarding inequalities in maternal health service utilisation in Myanmar. Increasing maternal health service availability and accessibility, promoting quality of care and health education campaigns to increase maternal health services utilisation are recommended.

Effectiveness, Safety, and Acceptability of Primaquine Mass Drug Administration in Low-Endemicity Areas in Southern Thailand: Proof-of-Concept Study.

BACKGROUND: A challenge in achieving the malaria-elimination target in the Greater Mekong Subregion, including Thailand, is the predominance of Plasmodium vivax malaria, which has shown extreme resilience to control measures. OBJECTIVE: This proof-of-concept study aimed to provide evidence for implementing primaquine mass drug administration (pMDA) as a strategy for P. vivax elimination in low-endemicity settings. METHODS: The study employed a mixed-methods trial to thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness, safety, acceptability, and community engagement of pMDA. The quantitative part was designed as a 2-period cluster-crossover randomized controlled trial. The intervention was pMDA augmented to the national prevention and control standards with directly observed treatment (DOT) by village health volunteers. The qualitative part employed in-depth interviews and brainstorming discussions. The study involved 7 clusters in 2 districts of 2 southern provinces in Thailand with persistently low P. vivax transmission. In the quantitative part, 5 cross-sectional blood surveys were conducted in both the pMDA and control groups before and 3 months after pMDA. The effectiveness of pMDA was determined by comparing the proportions of P. vivax infections per 1000 population between the 2 groups, with a multilevel zero-inflated negative binomial model adjusted for cluster and time as covariates and the interaction. The safety data comprised adverse events after drug administration. Thematic content analysis was used to assess the acceptability and engagement of stakeholders. RESULTS: In the pre-pMDA period, the proportions of P. vivax infections in the pMDA (n=1536) and control (n=1577) groups were 13.0 (95% CI 8.2-20.4) and 12.0 (95% CI 7.5-19.1), respectively. At month 3 post-pMDA, these proportions in the pMDA (n=1430) and control (n=1420) groups were 8.4 (95% CI 4.6-15.1) and 5.6 (95% CI 2.6-11.5), respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups. The number of malaria cases reduced in all clusters in both groups, and thus, the impact of pMDA was inconclusive. There were no major safety concerns. Acceptance among the study participants and public health care providers at local and national levels was high, and they believed that pMDA had boosted awareness in the community. CONCLUSIONS: pMDA was associated with high adherence, safety, and tolerability, but it may not significantly impact P. vivax transmission. As this was a proof-of-concept study, we decided not to scale up the intervention with larger clusters and samples. An alternative approach involving a targeted primaquine treatment strategy with primaquine and DOT is currently being implemented. We experienced success regarding effective health care workforces at point-of-care centers, effective collaborations in the community, and commitment from authorities at local and national levels. Our efforts boosted the acceptability of the malaria-elimination initiative. Community engagement is recommended to achieve elimination targets. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Thai Clinical Trials Registry TCTR20190806004; https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20190806004.

Adherence to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy in Pediatric Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a public health problem that affects children. Although continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is effective, the CPAP adherence rate in children is varied. This study aimed to evaluate the CPAP adherence rate and factors associated with CPAP adherence in children with OSA using a systematic review. Methods: The inclusion criteria were observational studies conducted in children with OSA and assessed adherence of CPAP using objective evaluation. The literature search was performed in four databases. Meta-analysis using fixed-effect model was conducted to combine results among included studies. Results: In all, 34 studies that evaluated adherence rate and predictors of CPAP adherence in children with OSA were included, representing 21,737 patients with an average adherence rate of 46.56%. There were 11 calculations of factors predictive of CPAP adherence: age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index, obesity, income, sleep efficiency, the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), severity of OSA, residual AHI, and lowest oxygen saturation level. Three different factors were linked to children with adherence and non-adherence to CPAP: age, body mass index, and AHI. Conclusion: The CPAP adherence rate in children with OSA was 46.56%. Young age, low body mass index, and high AHI were associated with acceptable CPAP adherence in children with OSA.

Implementing the individualized postpartum care with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic at tertiary hospital in Thailand.

Objective: This study sought to identify the impact of implementing the new postpartum care (individualized rescheduling postpartum visit) with telemedicine on postpartum services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study design: This is a retrospective cohort study conducted at Srinagarind Hospital, a tertiary hospital in northeast Thailand, to compare patient data before and after implementation. Delivery and postpartum data from May 2019 to December 2020 were retrieved from the hospital database. Intervention was implemented in March 2020. Data were analyzed to evaluate postpartum contact, contraceptive use, and breastfeeding using Wilcoxon rank sum and Chi-squared tests. Results: There was a significant increase in postpartum contact from 48.0% (95% CI. 45.8 to 50.3) before the implementation of telemedicine to 64.6% (95% CI. 61.9 25 to 67.2) after (adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI. 1.2 to 1.8). In the post-intervention group, contraception use also increased significantly (84.7% vs 49.7%; p < 0.001), and a higher proportion of women relied on long-acting reversible contraception (16.6% vs 5.7%; p < 0.001). However, patients in the post-intervention group were less likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding (46.6% vs 75.1%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Rescheduling the timing of a comprehensive visit accompanied by telemedicine support improved postpartum contact and contraceptive utilization, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. However, the observed decrease in exclusive breastfeeding highlights the need for better telehealth support.ImplicationOur findings support that individualized postpartum care with telemedicine is a feasible and useful approach to sustain services during a pandemic.

Transmission sources and severe rat lung worm diseases in travelers: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Rat lung worm disease (RLWD) has several clinical forms including eosinophilic meningitis (EOM) and two severe forms, eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EOME) and eosinophilic radiculomyelitis (EORM). It remains unclear whether transmission sources are associated with severe forms of RLWD. This study aimed to evaluate if transmission factors are related to the severity of RLWD among travelers by using a scoping review of case reports. METHODS: This was a review using five databases to retrieve case reports and case series of travelers with RLWD. Clinical data and transmission sources of reported cases diagnosed as RLWD were retrieved. The outcome of the study was occurrence of severe forms of RLWD defined as EOME, EORM, and combined EOME/EORM. RESULTS: We retrieved 1,326 articles from five databases and 31 articles were included in the analysis. There were 84 cases eligible from 15 countries. Four cases were excluded. Seventy cases were in EOM group and 10 cases had EOME or EORM. Compared with the EOM group, the EOME, EORM, and combination EOME/EORM group had similar age, sex, and risk factors of consumptions of apple snails, shrimp and prawn, and salad/vegetables. The EOME group had higher proportion of consumption of African snails than the EOM group (60% vs 13.8%). However, only one study reported the consumption of African snails and the heterogeneity between studies and the small sample size impeded direct comparisons between groups. CONCLUSIONS: RLWD in travelers can be found in most continents and mostly get infected from endemic countries of RLWD. Further studies are required to evaluate the association between transmission vectors and severity of RLWD.

Incidence and prevalence of systemic sclerosis in Thailand in year 2017-2020: a database from the Ministry of Public Health.

BACKGROUND: A better understanding of the epidemiological profile of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in Thais could improve care, human resource deployment, and public health budgeting. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the incidence and prevalence of SSc in Thailand between 2017 and 2020. METHODS: A descriptive epidemiological study was performed using the Information and Communication Technology Center, Ministry of Public Health database, comprising all types of healthcare providers during the study period. Demographic data of patients having a primary diagnosis of M34 systemic sclerosis and over 18 years of age between 2017 and 2020 were reviewed. The incidence and prevalence of SSc were calculated as well as their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The number of SSc cases in 2017 was 15,920 from a total Thai population of 65,204,797. The prevalence of SSc in 2017 was 24.4 per 100,000 populations (95% CI 24.0-24.8). The prevalence of SSc among women was 2 times greater than among men (32.7 vs. 15.8 per 100,000). The incidence of SSc was stable from 2018 to 2019 but dropped slightly in 2020 (7.2, 7.6, and 6.8 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Most SSc cases were in northeastern Thailand (11.6, 12.1, and 11.1 per 100,000 person-years from 2018 to 2020, respectively) and the peak was between 60 and 69 years of age (24.6, 23.8, and 20.9 per 100,000 person-years from 2018 to 2020, respectively). CONCLUSION: SSc is a rare disease among Thais. The disease was commonly revealed in late middle-aged women with a peak at age 60-69 years, mainly from the northeast regions. The incidence remained stable during the study period, albeit during the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic a slight decline was recorded. Key Points • The incidence and prevalence of systemic sclerosis (SSc) vary across ethnic populations. • There is a lack of epidemiology research of SSc since the 2013 ACR/EULAR Classification Criteria for Scleroderma was adopted among Thais included Asia-Pacific population as the population has some different clinical features than those reported among Caucasians. • SSc is a rare connective disease among Thais and commonly presents in late middle-aged group of both genders, mainly in Thailand's northern and northeastern regions. • When compare to the epidemiology of SSc in Asia-Pacific, the prevalence of SSc in Thais was higher than among East Asians and the Indian population and the incidence of SSc among Thais was greater than the other Asia-Pacific population including Australian.

Feasibility and readiness to implement Robson classification to monitor caesarean sections in public hospitals in Myanmar: Formative research.

Recent years have demonstrated an increase in caesarean section (CS) in most countries worldwide with considerable concern for the potential consequences. In 2015, WHO proposed the use of Robson classification as a global standard for assessing, monitoring and comparing CS rates. Currently, there is no standardized method to assess CS in Myanmar. The aim of this study was to explore health provider's perceptions about the feasibility, acceptability and readiness to implement the Robson classification in public hospitals across Myanmar. Ten maternities were purposively chosen, including all five teaching hospitals (tertiary referral hospital-level) affiliated to each medical university in Myanmar, which provide maternal and newborn care services, and district/township hospitals. Face-to-face in-depth interviews (IDI) with healthcare providers and facility administrators were conducted using semi-structured discussion guides. Facility and medical records systems were also assessed. We used the thematic analysis approach and Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software. A total of 67 IDIs were conducted. Most participants had willingness to implement Robson classification if there were sufficient human resources and training. Limited human resources, heavy workloads, and infrastructure resources were the major challenges described that may hinder implementation. The focal person for data entry, analysis, or reporting could be differed according to the level of facility, availability of human resources, and ability to understand medical terms and statistics. The respondents mentioned the important role of policy enforcement for the sustainability of data collection, interpretation and feedback. The optimal review interval period could therefore differ according to the availability of responsible persons, and the number of births. However, setting a fixed schedule according to the specific hospital for continuous monitoring of CS rate is required. In Myanmar, implementation of Robson classification is feasible while key barriers mainly related to human resource and training must be addressed to sustain.

Interventions for preventing excessive weight gain during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is associated with multiple maternal and neonatal complications. However, interventions to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy have not been adequately evaluated. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for preventing excessive weight gain during pregnancy and associated pregnancy complications. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (20 October 2011) and MEDLINE (1966 to 20 October 2011). SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised trials of interventions for preventing excessive weight gain during pregnancy. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We assessed for inclusion all potential studies we identified as a result of the search strategy. At least two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We resolved discrepancies through discussion. We have presented results using risk ratio (RR) for categorical data and mean difference for continuous data. We analysed data using a fixed-effect model. MAIN RESULTS: We included 28 studies involving 3976 women; 27 of these studies with 3964 women contributed data to the analyses. Interventions focused on a broad range of interventions. However, for most outcomes we could not combine data in a meta-analysis, and where we did pool data, no more than two or three studies could be combined for a particular intervention and outcome. Overall, results from this review were mainly not statistically significant, and where there did appear to be differences between intervention and control groups, results were not consistent. For women in general clinic populations one (behavioural counselling versus standard care) of three interventions examined was associated with a reduction in the rate of excessive weight gain (RR 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.95); for women in high-risk groups no intervention appeared to reduce excess weight gain. There were inconsistent results for mean weight gain (reported in all but one of the included studies). We found a statistically significant effect on mean weight gain for five interventions in the general population and for two interventions in high-risk groups.Most studies did not show statistically significant effects on maternal complications, and none reported significant effects on adverse neonatal outcomes. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is not enough evidence to recommend any intervention for preventing excessive weight gain during pregnancy, due to the significant methodological limitations of included studies and the small observed effect sizes. More high-quality randomised controlled trials with adequate sample sizes are required to evaluate the effectiveness of potential interventions.

Corticosteroids for parasitic eosinophilic meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A. cantonensis) is the major cause of infectious eosinophilic meningitis. Dead larvae of this parasite cause inflammation and exacerbate symptoms of meningitis. Corticosteroids are drugs used to reduce inflammation caused by this parasite. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects and adverse events of corticosteroids in patients with eosinophilic meningitis. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 6), MEDLINE (1950 to July Week 4, 2012), EMBASE (1974 to July 2012), Scopus (1960 to July 2012), Web of Science (1955 to July 2012), LILACS (1982 to July 2012), and CINAHL (1981 to July 2012). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of corticosteroids versus placebo for eosinophilic meningitis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors (SiT, SaT) independently collected and extracted study data. We graded the methodological quality of the RCTs. We identified and analyzed outcomes and adverse effects. MAIN RESULTS: One study involving 110 participants (55 participants in each group) met our inclusion criteria. The corticosteroid (prednisolone) showed a benefit in shortening the median time to resolution of headaches (five days in the treatment group versus 13 days in the control group, P < 0.0001). Corticosteroids were also associated with smaller numbers of participants who still had headaches after a two-week course of treatment (9.1% versus 45.5%, P < 0.0001). There was a reduction in median time of analgesics use in participants receiving corticosteroids (10.5 versus 25.0, P = 0.038). There were no reported adverse effects from prednisolone in the treatment group. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Corticosteroids significantly help relieve headache in patients with eosinophilic meningitis. However, there is only one RCT supporting this benefit and this trial did not clearly mention allocation concealment and stratification. Future well-designed RCTs may be necessary.