Direct long-acting antibodies: updating the language of RSV prevention to reflect the evolution of mAbs.

Introduction: The language of medicine is constantly evolving, typically to better describe a new understanding of disease, adjust to changing social sensibilities, or simply to reflect a new drug class or category. We address the need for an updated language around monoclonal antibodies, or "mAbs" - a widely used medical term, but one which is now too general to accurately reflect the range of mAb pharmaceuticals, their effects, and the intended patients. Methods: The question of "what should we call a monoclonal antibody immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to ensure accurate understanding of the product?" was the basis for a virtual advisory panel in May 2022. The panel was convened by Sanofi with the intention of reviewing appropriate language in terminology in the context of mAb-based prophylaxis for RSV. The panel comprised several global experts on RSV and vaccination, a trained linguist specialising in doctor-patient interactions and medical language, and several experts in marketing and communications. Results: We suggest the term "Direct Long-acting Antibody" (DLA) for a specific sub-class of mAbs for use in prevention of RSV disease in infants. This terminology should differentiate from other mAbs, which are generally not used as therapies in infants. Discussion and Conclusions: This change will more accurately convey the specific mode of action of a mAb in infants, and how it could impact the prevention of communicable diseases: this class of mAbs is not an active treatment, but rather will offer direct and rapid protection lasting at least 5 months.

Vaccine Hesitancy: Characteristics of the Refusal of Childhood Vaccination in a Peruvian Population.

Understanding the determinants of vaccine hesitancy is paramount to reinstate confidence in immunizations. The objective of this investigation was to explore the characteristics of the vaccination decision-making process that may result in the refusal of childhood immunization in Peru, during February-June 2020. A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving telephone interviews was executed in Peru. The Parents Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey was used. A demographic analysis was done, followed by an unadjusted exploratory subgroup analysis. Out of 552 subjects, 9.8% were considered vaccine hesitant, 70.3% had purposively delayed vaccination, 88.4% thought fewer vaccines were better and 52.2% were concerned about vaccine safety. The level of hesitancy was inversely proportional to the level of education and the number of children at home. Mothers and subjects aged ≤29 years showed a greater level of vaccine hesitancy. This population displays a vaccine-hesitant conduct. Vaccine safety and the number of vaccines to administer are important determining factors. This behavior could be influenced by variables such as level of education, number of children at home, parental relationship, and age. These results help understand local vaccination behaviors. More studies are encouraged to confirm and validate these findings.

Place of origin associated with depressive symptoms in health professionals performing social health service in Ancash, Peru, 2015.

INTRODUCTION: Health professionals performing their social health service (SHS) in rural communities could be at risk of developing depression. Moreover, those who migrate from farther places to perform their SHS could have an increased risk. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between place of origin and the presence of depressive symptoms, in health professionals performing rural social health service (SHS) in Ancash, Peru. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. During April 2015, a survey was applied to health professionals performing SHS in the Peruvian Ministry of Health (MINSA) facilities in Ancash. The main outcome was the presence of depressive symptoms, defined as a score ≥2 points in the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. The main exposure was the place of origin, defined as the place where the subjects completed their undergraduate professional studies (Ancash, Lima city or others). Poisson regressions with robust variance were performed to calculate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR and aPR) and their 95% confidence interval (95%CI). RESULTS: From 573 health professionals performing their SHS in MINSA in Ancash, 347 were included in the study. The mean age was 27.2±4.5 years, 78.7% were women, and 14.7% scored positive for depressive symptoms. Those who had completed their undergraduate professional studies in Lima city had a higher prevalence of presence of depressive symptoms compared to those who did in Ancash (aPR=2.59, 95%CI=1.23-5.45). CONCLUSIONS: Those who completed their undergraduate professional studies in Lima had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms than those who did in Ancash. Possible explanations include the difficulty in visiting family and friends, acculturation, and lack of Quechua language proficiency.

Problems perceived and experienced by health professionals rendering social service in Ancash, Peru. 2015 / Problemas percibidos y experimentados por profesionales de salud durante el servicio social en Ancash, Perú. 2015

Abstract Introduction: Social health services in Peru have certain problems such as unsafe work conditions, mortality associated with traffic accidents and poor insurance coverage. Objective: To describe the problems perceived and experienced by health professionals who render Rural and Urban Marginal Health Service (SERUMS in Spanish) in Ancash (Peru), and to evaluate their association with the profession and the category of the facilities where SERUMS is rendered. Materials and methods: In April 2015, an analytical cross-sectional study was carried out in professionals who were rendering SERUMS in facilities of the Ministry of Health in Ancash. Surveys were applied to collect general data, and characteristics and problems of SERUMS. Results: 364 surveys were analyzed. 79.3% were females, and the average age was 27.4±5.0 years. During SERUMS, 80.0% of participants perceived lack of supplies, 54.4% perceived excessive workload, and 14.7% suffered some traffic accident. Being a physician and working in I-1 health facilities were factors associated with suffering traffic accidents and other kind of accidents. Conclusions: Respondents reported excessive workload, lack of supplies, and accidents. Accidents were more frequent in physicians and in I-1 health facilities.

Resumen Introducción. En Perú, durante el servicio social en salud se han reportado problemas como condiciones laborales riesgosas, mortalidad asociada a accidentes de tránsito y déficit de cobertura de aseguramiento. Objetivo. Describir los problemas percibidos y experimentados por los profesionales de salud que realizan el Servicio Rural y Urbano Marginal de Salud (SERUMS) en Ancash, Perú, y evaluar su asociación con la práctica de los profesionales y la categoría del establecimiento donde se realiza el SERUMS. Materiales y métodos. Durante abril del 2015, se realizó un estudio transversal analítico con profesionales de salud que realizaban el SERUMS en establecimientos del Ministerio de Salud de Ancash. Se aplicaron encuestas para recolectar datos generales, características y problemas del SERUMS. Resultados. Se analizaron 364 encuestas. El 79.3% de los participantes fue de sexo femenino, la edad promedio fue de 27.4±5.0 años, 80.0% percibió carencia de insumos, 54.4% percibió carga laboral excesiva, y 14.7% sufrió algún accidente de tránsito durante el SERUMS. Ser médico y laborar en establecimientos I-1 fueron factores asociados a haber sufrido accidentes de tránsito y otros imprevistos. Conclusiones. Los encuestados reportan carga laboral excesiva, carencia de insumos y accidentes. Los accidentes son más frecuentes en médicos y en establecimientos de categoría I-1.

Mortality among MDR-TB cases: comparison with drug-susceptible tuberculosis and associated factors.

BACKGROUND: An increase in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases is evident worldwide. Its management implies a complex treatment, high costs, more toxic anti-tuberculosis drug use, longer treatment time and increased treatment failure and mortality. The aims of this study were to compare mortality between MDR and drug-susceptible cases of tuberculosis, and to determine risk factors associated with mortality among MDR-TB cases. METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using data from clinical records of the National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Lima, Peru. In the first objective, MDR-TB, compared to drug-susceptible cases, was the main exposure variable and time to death, censored at 180 days, the outcome of interest. For the second objective, different variables obtained from clinical records were assessed as potential risk factors for death among MDR-TB cases. Cox regression analysis was used to determine hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). A total of 1,232 patients were analyzed: mean age 30.9 ±14.0 years, 60.0% were males. 61 patients (5.0%) died during treatment, whereas the MDR-TB prevalence was 19.2%. MDR-TB increased the risk of death during treatment (HR = 7.5; IC95%: 4.1-13.4) when compared to presumed drug-susceptible cases after controlling for potential confounders. Education level (p = 0.01), previous TB episodes (p<0.001), diabetes history (p<0.001) and HIV infection (p = 0.04) were factors associated with mortality among MDR-TB cases. CONCLUSIONS: MDR-TB is associated with an increased risk of death during treatment. Lower education, greater number of previous TB episodes, diabetes history, and HIV infection were independently associated with mortality among MDR-TB cases. New strategies for appropriate MDR-TB detection and management should be implemented, including drug sensitivity tests, diabetes and HIV screening, as well as guarantee for a complete adherence to therapy.

Weight variation over time and its relevance among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the variation in patient body weight over time according to the treatment outcome among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. The data of patients commencing MDR-TB therapy were analyzed. Data were collected from different public TB treatment facilities located in peri-urban areas to the south of Lima, Peru. The outcome was patient body weight (kilograms) from treatment commencement, measured monthly. A random effects model was fitted using robust standard errors to calculate 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Of a total of 1242 TB cases, 243 (19.6%) were MDR-TB. Only 201 cases were included in the analysis; 127 (63.2%) were males and the mean patient age was 33.6 (standard deviation 16.2) years. Weight changes over time among the patients who were cured differed from changes in those who died during therapy (p<0.001). Weight curve divergence was important at the end of the third, fourth, and fifth treatment months: on average, the weight difference was 2.18kg (p<0.001), 3.27kg (p=0.007), and 3.58kg (p=0.03), respectively, when cured patients were compared to those who died. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that weight variation during treatment can be a useful surrogate for the treatment outcome, specifically death during therapy. MDR-TB patients with weight loss should be followed more closely, as they are at greater risk of death.

Refractory thrombocytopenia responds to octreotide treatment in a case of evans syndrome with gastric neuroendocrine tumor.

A 37-year-old woman with history of Evans Syndrome with poor response to high-dose corticoid treatment presented to the emergency department with gastrointestinal and vaginal bleeding. The patient was later diagnosed with severe thrombocytopenia and a stage G1, well-differentiated gastric neuroendocrine tumor, confirmed by a biopsy. A total gastrectomy was performed to eradicate the tumor. After being treated with a total splenectomy for her Evans Syndrome with no clinical or laboratory improvement, she began regular treatment with octreotide on the basis of a possible hepatic metastasis. Days after the initiation of the octreotide, an increase in the platelet count was evidenced by laboratory findings, from 2,000 platelets/mm(3) to 109,000 platelets/mm(3). Weeks later, the hepatic metastasis is discarded by a negative octreotide-body scan, and the octreotide treatment was interrupted. Immediately after the drug interruption, a progressive and evident descent in the platelet count was evidenced (4000 platelets/mm(3)). The present case report highlights the possible association between octreotide treatment and a severe thrombocytopenia resistant to conventional treatment.

[Medical students at risk: prevalence and incidence of tuberculin skin test conversion]. / Estudiantes de medicina en riesgo: prevalencia e incidencia de conversión de PPD.

INTRODUCTION: One third of the world population is affected by latent tuberculosis, with 9.4 million new cases; medical students have 2 to 50 times the probability of acquiring the infection. OBJECTIVES: Establish the baseline prevalence of positive tuberculin skin test (TST) at the beginning of medical studies and determine the incidence and variables associated with TST conversion in medical students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Secondary analysis of a historical cohort (2007-2010) of medical students in a private Peruvian university. The TST conversion was evaluated. A binomial regression analysis was applied for each associated variable. RESULTS: 707 medical students were included, of whom 219 (31%) were male. The basal prevalence of reactive TST was 14.4%. Significant associations were found with the year of university entry of 2007-08 (p = 0.007) and a history of tuberculosis (p = 0.02). With a total of 822 person-years, the incidence of conversion was 2.92 cases per 100 person-years (CI95%: 1.96-4.36). The TST conversion was associated with the year of university entry (RR = 2,55; IC95%: 1,06-6,30) and a body mass index > 25 kg/m² (RR = 0,16; IC95%: 0,01-0,97). No association was detected with gender, tobacco or alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence of a high basal prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in medical students. The incidence rate is within expected values and high in comparison with the general population. People with BMI > 25 kg/m² have protection against a latent infection. In medical students, more attention should be paid to biosecurity.

Estudiantes de medicina en riesgo: prevalencia e incidencia de conversión de PPD / Medical students at risk: prevalence and incidence of tuberculin skin test conversion

Introduction: One third of the world population is affected by latent tuberculosis, with 9.4 million new cases; medical students have 2 to 50 times the probability of acquiring the infection. Objectives: Establish the baseline prevalence of positive tuberculin skin test (TST) at the beginning of medical studies and determine the incidence and variables associated with TST conversion in medical students. Materials and Methods: Secondary analysis of a historical cohort (2007-2010) of medical students in a private Peruvian university. The TST conversion was evaluated. A binomial regression analysis was applied for each associated variable. Results: 707 medical students were included, of whom 219 (31%) were male. The basal prevalence of reactive TST was 14.4%. Significant associations were found with the year of university entry of 2007-08 (p = 0.007) and a history of tuberculosis (p = 0.02). With a total of 822 person-years, the incidence of conversion was 2.92 cases per 100 person-years (CI95%: 1.96-4.36). The TST conversion was associated with the year of university entry (RR = 2,55; IC95%: 1,06-6,30) and a body mass index > 25 kg/m² (RR = 0,16; IC95%: 0,01-0,97). No association was detected with gender, tobacco or alcohol use. Conclusions: There is evidence of a high basal prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in medical students. The incidence rate is within expected values and high in comparison with the general population. People with BMI > 25 kg/m² have protection against a latent infection. In medical students, more attention should be paid to biosecurity.

Introducción: Un tercio de la población mundial presenta una infección tuberculosa latente, con 9,4 millones de casos nuevos reportados en el 2009; los estudiantes de medicina tienen de 2 a 50 veces más probabilidad de adquirir la infección. Objetivos: Establecer la prevalencia de PPD positivo basal al inicio de la carrera médica y determinar la incidencia y los factores asociados a la conversión de PPD en alumnos de medicina. Materiales y Métodos: Análisis secundario de datos de una cohorte histórica (2007-2010) involucrando alumnos de medicina de una universidad privada en Perú. Se evaluó la conversión de PPD. Se aplicó un análisis de regresión binomial para cada variable de interés. Resultados: 707 estudiantes fueron seguidos, de ellos 219 (31%) fueron hombres. La prevalencia basal de PPD positivo fue 14,4%. Se encontró asociación significativa con el año de ingreso 2007-08 (p = 0,007) y antecedente de tuberculosis anterior (p = 0,02). Con un total de 822 personas-año, la incidencia de conversión fue de 2,92 por 100 personas-año (IC95%: 1,96-4,36). En el modelo bivariado, el año de ingreso a la carrera y el IMC > 25 kg/m² estuvieron asociados con conversión de PPD. Sin embargo, en el modelo multivariado, sólo el año de ingreso mostró asociación estadísticamente significativa (RR = 2,53; IC95%: 1,11-5,76). Conclusiones: Existe una prevalencia basal elevada de infección latente en alumnos de medicina. La tasa de incidencia está dentro de los valores esperados y previamente reportados. Se recomienda prestar más atención a las medidas de bioseguridad y prevención en estudiantes de medicina.

Factors associated with anti-tuberculosis medication adverse effects: a case-control study in Lima, Peru.

BACKGROUND: Long-term exposure to anti-tuberculosis medication increases risk of adverse drug reactions and toxicity. The objective of this investigation was to determine factors associated with anti-tuberculosis adverse drug reactions in Lima, Peru, with special emphasis on MDR-TB medication, HIV infection, diabetes, age and tobacco use. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS: A case-control study was performed using information from Peruvian TB Programme. A case was defined as having reported an anti-TB adverse drug reaction during 2005-2010 with appropriate notification on clinical records. Controls were defined as not having reported a side effect, receiving anti-TB therapy during the same time that the case had appeared. Crude, and age- and sex-adjusted models were calculated using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). A multivariable model was created to look for independent factors associated with side effect from anti-TB therapy. A total of 720 patients (144 cases and 576 controls) were analyzed. In our multivariable model, age, especially those over 40 years (OR = 3.93; 95%CI: 1.65-9.35), overweight/obesity (OR = 2.13; 95%CI: 1.17-3.89), anemia (OR = 2.10; IC95%: 1.13-3.92), MDR-TB medication (OR = 11.1; 95%CI: 6.29-19.6), and smoking (OR = 2.00; 95%CI: 1.03-3.87) were independently associated with adverse drug reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Old age, anemia, MDR-TB medication, overweight/obesity status, and smoking history are independent risk factors associated with anti-tuberculosis adverse drug reactions. Patients with these risk factors should be monitored during the anti-TB therapy. A comprehensive clinical history and additional medical exams, including hematocrit and HIV-ELISA, might be useful to identify these patients.