Seroprevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2 among Pregnant Women in South-Western Romania.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-related infections with the human herpes simplex virus (HSV) strains HSV-1 and HSV-2 are particularly noteworthy. There are numerous reported examples of intrapartum transmission of herpes infection, notwithstanding the extreme rarity of intrauterine transfer from mother to fetus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies in pregnant women in the western region of Romania. METHODS: Pregnant women who presented for routine pregnancy monitoring at Romania's County Clinical Emergency Hospital in Craiova between 2013 and 2016 and 2019 and 2022 were included in the study. In order to find anti-HSV-1/2 IgG antibodies, we conducted serological testing on the patients and gathered demographic information from them. RESULTS: HSV-1 seroprevalence was shown to have declined in rural areas and increased in urban areas, with values between 2013 and 2016 being 89.30% and those between 2019 and 2022 being 84.96%, respectively. Women over 35 who were pregnant had the highest seroprevalence. The seroprevalence of HSV-2 decreased from 16.16% in 2013-2016 to 12.43% in 2019-2022, and both rural and urban areas continued to experience this declining trend. Similarly, pregnant women over 35 years old had the highest frequency of HSV-1 infections. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing educational programs and other actions to reduce the transmission rate and ultimately the prevalence of the disease can be made easier with knowledge about the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections.

Benefits of Respite Services on the Psycho-Emotional State of Families of Children Admitted to Hospice Palliative Care Unit: Preliminary Study on Parents' Perceptions.

BACKGROUND: In children's palliative care, the term "respite" refers to a temporary break offered to primary caregivers of a child with a life-limiting illness. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of parents who have benefited from respite care services in the Lumina Association, Bacau hospice unit and the benefits it can bring in improving their psycho-emotional state. METHODS: The study consisted of quantitative research involving 34 parents/caregivers who responded to a questionnaire with 26 questions, and qualitative research which involved the organization of a focus group with 12 parents who benefited from respite services. RESULTS: The use of respite services was associated with a significant reduction of psycho-emotional distress on the part of primary caregivers; 91% of respondents said that this type of service reduces the level of psycho-emotional stress. CONCLUSIONS: All participants in the study confirmed that the most important benefit of respite is the time gained to care for family and health. The development of respite services could reduce the risk of emotional exhaustion and mental health problems.

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Roma Vulnerable Communities in Western Romania: Insights and Predictive Factors from a Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected vulnerable populations like Roma patients in Western Romania due to marginalization and limited healthcare access. METHODS: A retrospective study analyzed COVID-19 cases between March 2020 and August 2022 using data from the Directorate of Public Health in Timis county. Demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data were assessed, along with risk factors and biomarkers for ICU admission and mortality prediction. The following biomarkers were assessed: C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin (FER), IL-6, D-dimers, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and 25-OH vitamin D (25-OHD). RESULTS: In comparison with the general population (GP), Roma patients were more overweight (p = 0.0292), came from rural areas (p = 0.0001), could not recall transmission source (p = 0.0215), were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU, p = 0.0399) more frequently, had worse symptomatology (p = 0.0490), showed more elevated levels of CRP (p = 0.0245) and IL-6 (p < 0.0001) and lower levels of HDL (p = 0.0008) and 25-OHD (p = 0.0299). A stronger, significant correlation was observed between CRP and severity (rho = 0.791 vs. 0.433 in GP), and an inverse stronger significant one was observed between HDL and severity (rho = -0.850 vs. -0.734 in GP) in the Roma patients. The male sex continues to be an important risk factor for ICU admission (OR = 2.379) and death (OR = 1.975), while heavy smoking was more important in relation to ICU admission (OR = 1.768). Although the Roma ethnicity was 1.454 times more at risk of ICU admission than the GP, this did not prove statistically significant (p = 0.0751). CRP was the most important predictive factor in regards to admission to the ICU for both Roma (OR = 1.381) and the GP (OR = 1.110) and in regards to death (OR = 1.154 for Roma, OR = 1.104 for GP). A protective effect of normal values of HDL and 25-OHD was observed in the GP for both ICU admission (OR = 0.947, 0.853, respectively) and death (OR = 0.920, 0.921, respectively), while for the Roma group, normal 25-OHD values were only considered protective in regards to death (OR = 0.703). Cutoff values for ICU admission were 28.98 mg/L for Roma and 29.03 mg/L for GP patients, with high specificity for both groups (over 95). CONCLUSIONS: Higher rates of ICU admissions, severe symptomatology, and distinct laboratory biomarker profiles among Roma patients emphasize the critical importance of personalized care strategies and targeted interventions to mitigate the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities. CRP values at admission have had a clear impact as a risk assessment biomarker for Roma patients, while the significance of IL-6, HDL, and 25-OHD should also not be overlooked in these patients.

Seroprevalence of Anti-Cytomegalovirus Antibodies in Pregnant Women from South-West Romania.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), in addition to other agents, is part of the TORCH complex (Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex viruses, and other agents). CMV infection is the most frequent cause of congenital malformations. This study aimed to establish the variation of prevalence of anti-CMV antibodies in pregnant women from the South-West region of Romania, according to demographic factors, such as age and area of residence, in two separate time periods (2013-2016 and 2019-2022). We collected from the hospital records the age, place of residence, and anti-CMV antibody test results using immune electrochemiluminescence and chemiluminescence. This study found that the seroprevalence of anti-CMV IgM antibodies increased slightly from 2013-2016 to 2019-2022, from 1.92% to 2.26%, and for IgG antibodies from 93.68% to 94.96%. In both groups was observed a descending trend of anti-CMV IgM seroprevalence with an increase in age, showing a decrease in seroprevalence from 3.57% to 1.09% in pregnant women from rural areas in the 31-35 years age group, while in urban areas, we observed a decrease in seroprevalence from 11.11% to 3.06% in the <20 years age group. The IgG seroprevalence showed an increase both in rural areas (from 93.97% to 95.52%) and urban areas (from 93.52% to 94.27%). In both groups, seroprevalence was higher in rural areas compared to urban regions. These results show a high rate of immunization against CMV in pregnant women in South-West Romania, which led to a low risk of acquiring the primary infection during pregnancy. However, the increase in the rate of primary CMV infections in pregnancy suggests the need for prioritizing screening programs and improving the existing protocols to enhance maternal and child healthcare.