On-site testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers using molecular point-of-care testing integrated into harm reduction services in Madrid, Spain.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of molecular point-of-care testing for STIs, the prevalence of STIs and associated factors, and testing and treatment uptake among street-based female sex workers (FSWs) attending a mobile harm reduction unit in Madrid, Spain. METHODS: This was a prospective, longitudinal study. From August 15th to December 6th, 2022, participants were screened for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis using molecular testing (Xpert) on self-collected urine samples at a mobile harm reduction unit. Additionally, rapid tests were used to screen participants for HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and syphilis. On-site same-day results and treatment for those infected were offered. RESULTS: Among 77 FSWs included the median age was 40 (range, 33-48), 64 % were homeless, and 84 % reported drug use in the past six months. Four participants self-reported having HIV, of whom all were on antiretroviral therapy, and 14 (18 %) had HCV antibodies, including three with current infection. The prevalence of at least one STI was 66 %. When categorized by type of STI, the prevalences were as follows: 15 % for CT, 15 % for NG, 51 % for TV, and 21 % for syphilis. Notably, the prevalence of STIs was higher among FSW with recent drug use, with no cases of CT or NG detected among FSWs who did not recently use drugs. In adjusted analysis, drug use was associated an increased odds of having an STI (adjusted odds ratio, 10.47; 95 % CI: 1.67-65.42). All participants consented to screening, and all but one received on-site result-based linkage to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the feasibility, high STI prevalence, and high linkage to testing and treatment following point-of-care molecular testing among street-based FSWs who have recently used drugs in Madrid, Spain.

TPO antibody in euthyroid pregnant women and cognitive ability in the offspring: a focused review.

PURPOSE: A link between maternal thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy and the risk of cognitive and behavioral problems in the offspring has previously been established; however, the potential effects of maternal thyroid autoimmunity on neurodevelopment in the absence of maternal hypothyroidism are less clear. The present review aims to highlight the gaps in knowledge in this regard and provide a thorough assessment of relevant literature. METHOD: Related keywords searched in MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus till January 2021. RESULTS: There is some evidence that neuropsychological and intellectual developments of offspring are adversely affected by maternal thyroid autoimmunity, although the results of available studies are not concordant. The tools and measurements that have been applied in different studies to assess neurodevelopment or IQ vary widely and the children born to mothers with thyroid autoimmunity have been assessed at different chronological stages of life. Such variations may explain some of the differences across studies. In addition, the definition of thyroid autoimmunity has been based on TPOAb cut points provided by manufacturers in most cases, but it is preferable to define these values based on age, trimester, and method-specific reference ranges. CONCLUSION: Well-designed studies are needed to assess verbal and non-verbal neurocognition of offspring born to mothers with autoimmune thyroid disease before or during pregnancy.

Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and standardization of outcome reporting: a prospective, observational study on reaching the "Trifecta and Pentafecta".

Partial nephrectomy (PN) for small renal masses is common, but outcomes are not reported in a standard manner. Traditionally, parameters such as 90-day mortality, blood loss, transfusion rates, length of stay, nephrometry scoring and complications are published but their collective impact on warm ischemia time (WIT) and post-surgery GFR is rarely determined. Thus, our aim was to assess if "Trifecta" and "Pentafecta" outcomes could be used as useful surgical outcome markers. A prospective database of 252 Robotic-Assisted PN (RAPN) cases (2008-2019) was analysed. "Pentafecta" was defined as achievement of "Trifecta" (negative surgical margin, no postoperative complications and WIT of < 25 min) plus over 90% estimated GFR preservation and no CKD stage upgrading at 1 year. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict factors which may prevent achieving a Trifecta/Pentafecta. Median tumour size was 3 cm and mean WIT was 15 min. Positive surgical margins (PSM) occurred in 2 cases. Overall, the intra-operative complication rate was 7%. One recurrence conferred 5-year cancer-free survival of 97%. Trifecta outcome was achieved in 169 (67%) and Pentafecta in 141 (56%) of cases. At logistic regression analysis, intraoperative blood loss was the only factor to affect Trifecta achievement (p = 0.018). Advanced patient age negatively impacted Pentafecta achievement (p = 0.010). The Trifecta and Pentafecta outcomes are easily applicable to PN data, and offer an internationally comparable PN outcome, quality measure. We recommend applying this standardization to national data collection to improve the quality of reporting and ease of interpretation of surgeon/centres' outcomes.

Change in renal function post-nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in patients with and without hypertension and/or diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The standard of care for surgically resectable disease renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a nephrectomy. Post-nephrectomy, these patients are at risk for the development of new onset chronic kidney disease or the progression of pre-existing chronic kidney disease. We aimed to report the changes in renal function in patients who had a nephrectomy for RCC. METHODS: This retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study identified 137 patients who had a nephrectomy for RCC from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2017. The pre-nephrectomy and post-nephrectomy estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the histological subtype of RCC on histopathological analysis of the resected specimen were recorded from the National Health Laboratory Services online results platform. All analyses were conducted using SPSS (Version 25) and the significance level was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up period of 26.5 ± 22 months (median = 19 months), the patients' eGFR dropped by a mean of 4.82 ± 8.67 ml/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI 3.23-6.41) post-nephrectomy. The mean eGFR fall in patients' who had hypertension and/or diabetes (n = 63) was significantly larger compared to patients who had neither of these comorbidities (n = 54; p < .001; mean = 7.30 ± 8.40 ml/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI 5.19-9.42) and 1.93 ± 8.14 ml/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI 0.30-4.15) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The decline in renal function in patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus is more pronounced than in patients with neither of these comorbidities. In these high-risk patients, measures must be taken to prevent the development and limit the progression of chronic kidney disease.

SabreSource™: a novel percutaneous nephrolithotomy apparatus to aid collecting system puncture - a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Successful percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) relies on a technically challenging, precise needle puncture of the renal collecting system. We aimed to compare, in an ex vivo model, the use of a real time image guidance system (the SabreSource™) and a mechanical stabilising device with conventional manual techniques for the accuracy of needle placement. METHODS: The SabreSource™ system (Minrad International Inc.; New York, USA) is a real time image guidance system. The system platform is mounted on a C-arm fluoroscope. It employs targeting cross hairs on the fluoroscopic image that can be easily positioned to target the desired renal calyx. The system directs a visible laser beam onto the patient which is precisely aligned with the cross hairs on the fluoroscopic image. This provides the correct "bull's-eye" angle of approach to the calyx, even after the x-ray source is turned off. The locator then stabilises the needle in the "bull's-eye" position so that only screening for depth is required. Objective assessment using a simulated PCNL puncture was performed by 7 urologic trainees on a kidney phantom with and without using the SabreSource™. Fluoroscopy screening time (FST) and amount of radiation (mGy) used to achieve successful puncture were compared. RESULTS: Simulated PCNL puncture was quicker and resulted in reduced radiation exposure when the apparatus was used. The mean FST for traditional "bull's-eye" vs SabreSource™ puncture was 17 vs 5 seconds (p = 0.01), and the mean radiation exposure to puncture was 0.7 vs 0.2 mGy (p = 0.03), respectively. CONCLUSION: The SabreSource™ is a novel assistant to achieving successful PCNL puncture. In combination with "the locator" the preliminary in vitro testing suggests that the device reduces fluoroscopy exposure and is quicker. The device warrants further evaluation in the clinical setting.

Evaluation of the Xpert HCV VL Fingerstick point-of-care assay and dried blood spot HCV-RNA testing as simplified diagnostic strategies among people who inject drugs in Catalonia, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Catalonia requires decentralized and simplified strategies for the diagnosis of viremic HCV infection among people who inject drugs (PWID). We aimed to perform a direct comparison of the diagnostic performance between two, single-step strategies for the screening and diagnosis of viremic HCV infection in PWID attending a drug consumption room (DCR) in Barcelona: i) on-site HCV-RNA testing using the point-of-care test (PoCT) Xpert HCV VL Fingerstick; and ii) on-site dried blood spots (DBS) collection for HCV-RNA testing at the laboratory (in-house assay). Additionally, we aimed to assess participants' preferences in receiving HCV-RNA testing results and feasibility of same-day delivery of PoCT results. METHODS: The real-world, clinical performance of these two strategies was established in comparison with the reference method (HCV viral load testing with the Xpert HCV Viral Load assay at the laboratory from venous plasma collected at the DCR). HCV genotypes/subtypes and HIV status were also determined by sequencing and serology, respectively. A questionnaire including preferences regarding the delivery of test results was administered. RESULTS: The prevalence of HCV-RNA was 63.0% (of which 25.8% were co-infected with HIV). The RNA-PoCT showed a sensitivity of 98.4% for detectable viral loads (>4 IU/mL) and of 100% for quantifiable viral loads (≥10, ≥1000 and ≥3000 IU/mL). For the DBS-based assay, a sensitivity of 93.7% was obtained for detectable viral loads, 96.7% for the quantifiable ≥10 IU/mL threshold, and 98.3% for both the quantifiable ≥1000 and ≥3000 IU/mL thresholds. No significant differences were detected between the sensitivity values of these two strategies, and the specificity was 100% in both cases. Half of the participants preferred to receive the HCV-RNA result on the same day, and 80% of participants received their RNA-PoCT results on the same day. CONCLUSIONS: Both the HCV-RNA PoCT and the DBS-based assay are highly reliable tools for the simplified diagnosis of viremic HCV infection among current PWID. These strategies allow for on-site sample collection and delivery of test results, facilitating decentralized care in harm reduction services.

General and dietary oxalate restriction advice reduces urinary oxalate in the stone clinic setting.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic hyperoxaluria is a risk factor for developing calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. Dietary oxalate's effect on urinary oxalate is not well studied. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of advice focused on reducing dietary oxalate in a cohort of idiopathic hyperoxaluric patients. METHODS: Patients referred to the Groote Schuur Hospital Stone Clinic from 2015 to 2017 were considered eligible, if they were an idiopathic hyperoxaluric stone former, excreting > 40 mg/d of urinary oxalate on a pre-intervention 24-hour stone study urinalysis. Patients were asked to adhere to a diet sheet which included general stone prevention advice (low salt diet, increased fluid intake and moderate protein intake) and specific low oxalate diet advice. A post-intervention 24-hour urinalysis was performed at six weeks. RESULTS: Nineteen patients had hyperoxaluria (eight men and 11 women) with a mean age of 49 years (range 25-76 years). The mean BMI of the group was 28.4 kg/m2 (17.4-50). All patients had mean number of 1.9 range prior stone episodes (range 1-6 stone episodes). Fourteen (14/19) patients completed the study. The mean pre-dietary advice urinary oxalate was 53.2 mg/24 hours (n = 14), SD while the post-intervention was 29.6 mg/24 hours SD (p = 0.0002). Only 3/14 patients who completed the assessment failed to normalise their urinary oxalate on the diet. CONCLUSION: In the stone clinic setting, general advice of low salt diet, increased water intake, moderate protein intake and specific oxalate restriction can significantly reduce oxalate excretion in hyperoxaluric stone formers. Sustained reduction of oxalate excretion and longitudinal clinical benefit are worthy of study in larger cohorts.

Towards solving the riddle of nephrolithiasis: a South Africa perspective.

INTRODUCTION: South Africa has a rich tradition in urinary tract stone research. This paper asks what research originating from South Africa has contributed to the understanding of the pathophysiology of nephrolithiasis. Many of these contributions are based on the premise that ethnicity variation accounts for dramatic differences in the prevalence of nephrolithiasis and that South Africa represents an ideal place for investigating this variation. It needs to be noted that many of the papers dealing with this question, as Rodgers has put it, "demonstrate an insensitivity to racial terminology and classifications." We have nevertheless attempted to review these papers to understand what valid science this literature holds and how it can inform further work in the relatively under-investigated field of nephrolithiasis aetiology and pathophysiology.

Beware the bolus size: understanding intrarenal pressure during ureteroscopic fluid administration.

BACKGROUND: Flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) and laser lithotripsy for ureteric and renal calculi requires adequate irrigation for visualisation. This study aimed to evaluate how bolus administration of irrigant fluid impacts intrarenal pressure (IRP) during FURS. We also investigated how ureteral access sheaths (UAS) of varying sizes mitigate elevated IRP. METHODS: Using a porcine cadaveric model, IRP was evaluated using an arterial invasive pressure measurement system. Given a fluid column height (driving force) of 80 cm H2O, and varying bolus administration (1, 2, 3, 5, 10 ml), IRP was studied with and without a UAS. An IRP of < 40 mmHg was considered the cut off for "safe" FURS. The flow (drainage capacity) of UAS was also evaluated. At varying fluid column heights, three sizes of UAS were used, 10/12 French size (Fr), 11/13 Fr and 12/14 Fr, all 36 cm long. RESULTS: Bolus administration with a UAS of < 5 ml with a starting fluid column height of 80 cm H2O was "safe" (< 40 mmHg). In contrast, where no UAS was used, bolus sizes as small as 2 ml produced "unsafe" peak pressures. The flow through a 10/12 Fr UAS was poor but improved greatly with larger UAS diameters. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that 10/12 Fr UAS may be inadequate to maintain drainage from the kidney at acceptable pressures. Bolus fluid administration produces "unsafe" (> 40 mmHg) elevated IRP in the absence of a UAS. When a UAS is used, a fluid bolus of < 5 ml is likely "safe".

We know DAAs work, so now what? Simplifying models of care to enhance the hepatitis C cascade.

Globally, some 71 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Marginalized populations, particularly people who inject drugs (PWID), have low testing, linkage to care and treatment rates for HCV. Several models of care (MoCs) and service delivery interventions have the potential to improve outcomes across the HCV cascade of care, but much of the relevant research was carried out when interferon-based treatment was the standard of care. Often it was not practical to scale-up these earlier models and interventions because the clinical care needs of patients taking interferon-based regimens imposed too much of a financial and human resource burden on health systems. Despite the adoption of highly effective, all-oral direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies in recent years, approaches to HCV testing and treatment have evolved slowly and often remain rooted in earlier paradigms. The effectiveness of DAAs allows for simpler approaches and has encouraged countries where the drugs are widely available to set their sights on the ambitious World Health Organization (WHO) HCV elimination targets. Since a large proportion of chronically HCV-infected people are not currently accessing treatment, there is an urgent need to identify and implement existing simplified MoCs that speak to specific populations' needs. This article aims to: (i) review the evidence on MoCs for HCV; and (ii) distil the findings into recommendations for how stakeholders can simplify the path taken by chronically HCV-infected individuals from testing to cure and subsequent care and monitoring.

One-stop haematuria clinic: first experience in South Africa

Background. Haematuria is the most common symptom of urological cancers, specifically bladder cancer, and timely diagnosis can prevent disease from progressing to a more advanced or incurable stage. One-stop haematuria clinics (OSHCs) have become commonplace in urological services in developed countries during the past three decades.Objectives. To assess the efficacy of this specialised clinic, aimed at providing an investigative service for patients with haematuria, in decreasing morbidity and mortality by earlier diagnosis of urological malignancy. We also report on the outcomes of this study.Methods. A total of 275 patients who attended the weekly OSHC at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa (SA), between January 2012 and October 2015 were retrospectively included in the study (out of 477 folders reviewed). Only patients with visible haematuria (275/477) were included, and characteristics such as gender, age, self-identified ethnicity, and outcomes following OSHC attendance (diagnoses and stage/grade/type of cancers) were recorded.Results. While the majority of cases were classified as indeterminate following investigation, one-fifth (55/275) of the patients were diagnosed with urological neoplasms, mainly bladder cancer (87.2%, n=48). The 50 - 69-year age group was the most common window for diagnosis of a neoplasm. Forty-six patients (46/55) with urothelial cancers were diagnosed at a relatively early stage and were therefore offered curative management; 5 patients presented with late-stage disease and risked poor outcomes after management. The remaining 4 identified cases were adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. Most patients presented with high-grade cancers (43.2%). A small subset of patients were diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (11.6%) and upper-tract transitional cell carcinoma (1.6%).Conclusions. This audit revealed that an OSHC can streamline diagnosis of urological malignancies in the SA setting, and highlights the fact that the patients most at risk for developing malignant conditions were the ones frequently diagnosed at a later stage and hence potentially facing a poorer prognosis. These findings support the setting up of such clinics in other SA hospitals to improve ease of early access to the urological service

Fournier's gangrene: outcome analysis and prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND: Fournier's gangrene is an infective necrotising fasciitis of the external genitalia and perineum associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The factors associated with non survival have been described but are not universally accepted. The identification of prognostic factors remains critical to improve outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine the hospital based mortality and factors associated with non-survival among subjects with a clinical diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene. METHOD: A prospective hospital based observational study on 51patients with a clinical diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene over a 2-year period. A comparison was made between survivors and non-survivors to establish prognostic factors associated with non survival. RESULTS: The disease related hospital mortality was 27% (14/51). The mean age of the 51, all male patients was 47 years. An older age was significantly associated with non-survival (p=0.02). The presence of renal dysfunction (p=0.001), severe sepsis (p=0.000), delay in surgical debridment (p=0.04), urogenital source of infection (p=0.01), a body surface area involvement of greater than 5% (p=0.006), abdominal wall involvement (p=0.02) on admission were significant factors associated with mortality. The presence of either HIV infection or diabetes mellitus was not a prognostic indicator of mortality. The clinical and biochemical parameters on admission associated with non survival were a high respiratory rate (p=0.03), a low hemoglobin(p=0.0001), an elevated blood urea nitrogen (p=0.005) and creatinine (p=0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis did not show any independent factors associated with non survival. CONCLUSION: Fournier's gangrene remains a fatal condition with a hospital mortality of 27%. Prognostic factors for non survival include an advanced age, a urogenital source of infection, abdominal involvement, severe sepsis and renal dysfunction.

Investigating racial differences in clinical and pathological features of prostate cancer in South African men.

BACKGROUND: Men with West African ancestry living in Europe and North America are at higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, are diagnosed at a younger age, and have more severe disease characteristics. Published reports present a conflicting picture of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to study the clinical and pathological features of men undergoing prostate biopsy from different racial backgrounds in South Africa in an attempt to characterise the disease locally. Our hypothesis was that black African men presenting to our service had more severe disease characteristics than other patients. METHODS: All patients who underwent a prostate biopsy at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town from July 2008 to July 2014 were studied. For each patient, data were collected on age, self-assigned race, presenting symptoms, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, prostate volume, and histological diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 1016 patients were studied. 162 (15.9%) were black and 854 (84.1%) were coloured (mixed ancestry), white, or Asian. Black patients were compared as a group to the coloured, white and Asian patients. The black patients in the series had higher PSA values (mean 167.8 vs 47.7, median 16.4 vs 10.9, p < 0.001), were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer (57.4% vs 44.5%, p = 0.003), were more likely to present with locally advanced cancer (T3/4 16.1% vs 8.9%, p = 0.028), and were more likely to have high grade disease (Gleason ≥ 8 45.2% vs 30.5%, p = 0.011). There was no difference in age, presenting symptoms, or prostate volume. CONCLUSION: The black men diagnosed with prostate cancer at Groote Schuur Hospital had significantly worse clinical and pathological characteristics than the non-black men. Interpreting these differences as representative of a more common or aggressive disease among black men is not possible due to study limitations.

Outcomes of outpatient ureteral stenting without fluoroscopy at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Ureteral stenting is generally a theatre-based procedure that requires a multidisciplinary team and on-table imaging. Limited hospital bed numbers and theatre time in our centre in Cape Town, South Africa, have led us to explore an alternative approach. OBJECTIVES: To see whether outpatient insertion of ureteric stents under local anaesthesia without fluoroscopy was a possible and acceptable alternative to theatre-based ureteral stenting. METHODS: Ureteral stenting (double-J stents and ureteric catheters) was performed with flexible cystoscopy under local anaesthesia and chemoprophylaxis, but without fluoroscopic guidance, in an outpatient setting. Every patient had an abdominal radiograph and an ultrasound scan of the kidney after the procedure to confirm stent position. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixteen procedures (276 double-J stents and 40 ureteric catheters) were performed in 161 men and 155 women. The overall success rate for the procedures was 85.4%, independent of gender (p=0.87), age (p=0.13), type of device inserted (p=0.81) or unilateral/bilateral nature of the procedure (p=1.0). Procedures with a successful outcome were performed in a significantly (p<0.0001) shorter median time (10 minutes (interquartile range (IQR) 5 - 15)) than failed procedures (20 minutes (IQR 10 - 30)). Patients with a pain score of >5 experienced a significantly (p=0.02) greater proportion of failure (27.3%) than patients with a pain score of ≤5 (12.5%). Difficulties were encountered in 23.7% of procedures, with a significantly higher proportion being registered in failed interventions compared with successful ones (82.6% v. 13.7%; p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The procedure was easily mastered and technically simple, and represents savings in cost, time and human resources in our setting.

Hepatitis C: The beginning of the end-key elements for successful European and national strategies to eliminate HCV in Europe.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health problem in the European Union (EU). An estimated 5.6 million Europeans are chronically infected with a wide range of variation in prevalence across European Union countries. Although HCV continues to spread as a largely "silent pandemic," its elimination is made possible through the availability of the new antiviral drugs and the implementation of prevention practices. On 17 February 2016, the Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association held the first EU HCV Policy Summit in Brussels. This summit was an historic event as it was the first high-level conference focusing on the elimination of HCV at the European Union level. The meeting brought together the main stakeholders in the field of HCV: clinicians, patient advocacy groups, representatives of key institutions and regional bodies from across European Union; it served as a platform for one of the most significant disease elimination campaigns in Europe and culminated in the presentation of the HCV Elimination Manifesto, calling for the elimination of HCV in Europe by 2030. The launch of the Elimination Manifesto provides a starting point for action in order to make HCV and its elimination in Europe an explicit public health priority, to ensure that patients, civil society groups and other relevant stakeholders will be directly involved in developing and implementing HCV elimination strategies, to pay particular attention to the links between hepatitis C and social marginalization and to introduce a European Hepatitis Awareness Week.