ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: An electrocardiogram (ECG), combined with a well-conducted clinical examination, is more effective than the clinical examination alone in detecting underlying cardiac pathologies in athletes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ECGs by physicians who are members of the Guinean Association of Sports Physicians, during the non-contraindication visit for competitive sports between the ages of 12 and 35. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a web-survey from July 15 to August 15, 2023. A survey form was created on "Google Docs" and pre-tested. It was then broadcast on all the communication networks used by these doctors. The data were secured using "Google Drive" software. Analyses were performed using SPSS version 20 software. RESULTS: Of the 51 included, 74.51% said they had received at least one training session on ECG interpretation for athletes. All of them either requested or performed an ECG at least once in a while, as part of the check-up for non-contraindication to competitive sport. The ECG was systematic, according to 72.55% of doctors. Three quarters referred to a sports cardiologist in the event of an abnormal ECG, 66.67% to a cardiology resident and 58.82% to a cardiologist. In the absence of an ECG, the presence of functional signs on exertion, the notion of a family history of cardiovascular disease and the presence of at least two cardiovascular risk factors were the main reasons for seeking an opinion. CONCLUSION: A resting ECG is carried out almost systematically by doctors who are members of the Guinean Association of Sports Doctors, as part of the check-up for non-contraindication to practising sport.
Subject(s)
Electrocardiography , Sports Medicine , Sports , Humans , Adult , Adolescent , Young Adult , Male , Female , Child , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Strategies to detect Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) cases rely on serological screening of populations exposed to trypanosomes. In Guinea, mass medical screening surveys performed with the Card Agglutination Test for Trypanosomiasis have been progressively replaced by door-to-door approaches using Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) since 2016. However, RDTs availability represents a major concern and medical teams must often adapt, even in the absence of prior RDT performance evaluation. For the last 5 years, the Guinean HAT National Control Program had to combine three different RDTs according to their availability and price: the SD Bioline HAT (not available anymore), the HAT Sero-K-SeT (most expensive), and recently the Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 (limited field evaluation). Here, we assess the performance of these RDTs, alone or in different combinations, through the analysis of both prospective and retrospective data. A parallel assessment showed a higher positivity rate of Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 (6.0%, n = 2,250) as compared to HAT Sero-K-SeT (1.9%), with a combined positive predictive value (PPV) of 20.0%. However, an evaluation of Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 alone revealed a low PPV of 3.9% (n = 6,930) which was surpassed when using Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 in first line and HAT Sero-K-SeT as a secondary test before confirmation, with a combined PPV reaching 44.4%. A retrospective evaluation of all 3 RDTs was then conducted on 189 plasma samples from the HAT-NCP biobank, confirming the higher sensitivity (94.0% [85.6-97.7%]) and lower specificity (83.6% [76.0-89.1%]) of Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 as compared to SD Bioline HAT (Se 64.2% [52.2-74.6%]-Sp 98.4% [94.2-99.5%]) and HAT Sero-K-SeT (Se 88.1% [78.2-93.8%]-Sp 98.4% [94.2-99.5%]). A comparison of Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 and malaria-RDT positivity rates on 479 subjects living in HAT-free malaria-endemic areas further revealed that a significantly higher proportion of subjects positive in Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 were also positive in malaria-RDT, suggesting a possible cross-reaction of Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 with malaria-related biological factors in about 10% of malaria cases. This would explain, at least in part, the limited specificity of Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0. Overall, Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 seems suitable as first line RDT in combination with a second HAT RDT to prevent confirmatory lab overload and loss of suspects during referral for confirmation. A state-of-the-art prospective comparative study is further required for comparing all current and future HAT RDTs to propose an optimal combination of RDTs for door-to-door active screening.
Subject(s)
Malaria , Trypanosomiasis, African , Humans , Animals , Trypanosomiasis, African/diagnosis , Papua New Guinea , Prospective Studies , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
In this study, water and 80% of four organic solvents were employed to optimize the extraction of antioxidants from two species of foxtail millet's insoluble fibers under the same temperature, time, and solid/solvent ratio. The results showed that the acetone was able to extract the maximum amount of antioxidants (2.32 mg/g fiber for white specie and 3.86 mg/g fiber for yellow specie) followed by methanol and propanol from both samples. The neutral and the ethanol on the other hand extracted small amount of the antioxidants from the two fiber materials. While considerable level of Total Polyphenols Content (TPC) was recorded in both the water and the organic solvents' extracts, only traces of Total Flavonoid content (TFC) were observed in water, methanol and ethanol extracts. Propanol and acetone extracts was negative to the TFC test. The potency of both white and yellow foxtail millets' insoluble fibers antioxidant extracts was investigated using five different in vitro tests. It was realized that there was a variation in their capacities to quench DPPH and ABTS(+) radicals for the time running of 0-60 min. The samples from the yellow cereal exhibited high inhibition capacity against ABTS(+). No correlation was observed between TPC and radical scavenging capacities for DPPH and ABTS(+). In general, the yellow species contained more antioxidants in comparison with the white one and this accounted for its high antioxidant activity.
