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Background and Aim: Cholera is a life-threatening infectious disease that is still one of the most common acute watery diarrheal diseases in the world today. Acute diarrhea and severe dehydration brought on by cholera can cause hypovolemic shock, which can be fatal in minutes. Without competent clinical therapy, the rate of case fatality surpasses 50%. The purpose of this review was to highlight cholera challenges in Africa and the Middle East and explain the reasons for why this region is currently a fertile environment for cholera. We investigated cholera serology, epidemiology, and the geographical distribution of cholera in Africa and the Middle East in 2022 and 2023. We reviewed detection methods, such as rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), and treatments, such as antibiotics and phage therapy. Finally, this review explored oral cholera vaccines (OCVs), and the vaccine shortage crisis. Methods: We carried out a systematic search in multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, MEDLINE, and Embase, for studies on cholera using the following keywords: ((Cholera) OR (Vibrio cholera) and (Coronavirus) OR (COVID-19) OR (SARS-CoV2) OR (The Middle East) OR (Africa)). Results and Conclusions: Cholera outbreaks have increased dramatically, mainly in Africa and many Middle Eastern countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the attention devoted to cholera and disrupted diagnosis and treatment services, as well as vaccination initiatives. Most of the cholera cases in Africa and the Middle East were reported in Malawi and Syria, respectively, in 2022. RDTs are effective in the early detection of cholera epidemics, especially with limited advanced resources, which is the case in much of Africa. By offering both direct and indirect protection, expanding the use of OCV will significantly reduce the burden of current cholera outbreaks in Africa and the Middle East.
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Background and Objectives: Population-based studies on stroke can help guide the care of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) by providing health care communities with information regarding the current usage of stroke treatments. It remains unclear how rapidly new techniques, particularly endovascular stroke treatment (EST), are being adopted and whether there is any disparity in their availability. Although studies using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) have been conducted, updated studies over a longer period may provide further insights. This study aimed to understand patterns of AIS treatment, discharge disposition, in-hospital mortality, and mean length of stay (LOS) for each modality from 2010 to 2020 using the NIS database. Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study was conducted using NIS data from 2010 to 2020. Patients were categorized into groups based on whether they received intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), EST, both rt-PA and EST (combined therapy), or supportive care alone. Demographic, socioeconomic, regional, insurance, and hospital data were also obtained. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients receiving each modality, whereas the secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, mean LOS, and discharge disposition. Results: The usage rates increased (p < 0.001) in all groups between 2010 and 2020 (rt-PA: 5.09% to 8.39%, EST: 0.31% to 4.40%, and rt-PA+EST: 0.46% to 1.09%). The highest increase in usage was observed for EST, with a thirteen-fold increase. Mortality decreased from 2010 to 2020 in all groups (rt-PA: 8.45% to 3.54%, EST: 25.22% to 12.50%, and rt-PA+EST: 21.12% in 2010 to 9.30%) (p < 0.001). Combination therapy demonstrated the greatest improvement, with an 11.2% reduction in absolute mortality. Mean LOS was reduced for patients who received rt-PA (6.8 to 4.8 days), EST (9.3 to 8.9 days), and combined therapy (10.0 to 8.3 days) (p < 0.001) over the study period. The proportion of patients discharged to home increased for rt-PA (29.01% to 41.85%), EST (14.13% to 17.70%), and combined therapy (12.89% to 24.29%) (p < 0.001). Overall, stroke treatment usage was higher among the higher income groups, regardless of race. Higher usage was also observed for Whites in the West and Hispanic ethnicities in the South and West. Regardless of income or treatment method, utilization rates were lower for Black patients. Utilization rates were lower for Black patients with Medicare, Medicaid, or self-pay than for White patients. Discussion: Our study demonstrated that endovascular stroke treatment continues to expand, leading to better outcomes for mortality, LOS, and home discharge. Despite these positive patterns, there are visible inequities across regions, income status, and races.
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Arachnoiditis is a relatively rare condition and can result in long-term chronic and debilitating complications if not diagnosed early and treated properly. However, diagnosis of arachnoiditis is rare and knowledge of potential causes of this condition is still sparse. Current known causes of arachnoiditis include infections, trauma, spinal tumors, and iatrogenic causes induced via neurological interventions. Here, we present a case of a 65-year-old female who presented with arachnoiditis caused by Candida albicans infection from a contaminated ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, placed following the development of hydrocephalus from subarachnoid hemorrhage. During her initial assessment, the possibility of arachnoiditis was raised after spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) due to leg weakness and spasms with bladder dysfunction. However, further workup was not pursued after a normal spinal angiogram and lack of constitutional symptoms. She presented six months later with symptoms of fever and lower abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with fungal arachnoiditis after a computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed thickening of the fascia around the shunt catheter and fluid collections near the tip of the shunt in the abdominal cavity after hospitalization. The diagnosis was made after an ultrasound-guided tap of the same area revealed budding yeast and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed growths of Candida albicans. Her shunt was removed, and she received intravenous (IV) antifungals and recovered. MRI should be considered with clinical presentations that are characteristic of arachnoiditis. Symptoms from fungal infections are usually dramatic; however, in some instances as in this case, they may follow a more progressive course. The patient should be extensively evaluated for infection, especially fungal, in interventions involving device placement even when minimally, but persistently, symptomatic.
