Violation of Bans on Tobacco Advertising and Promotion at Points of Sale in Viet Nam: Trend from 2009 - 2015.

Comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising and promotion were introduced through tobacco control legislation in Viet Nam, but it has been established that violations of the bans are very common. This study was conducted to explore the trend in violations of bans on tobacco advertising and promotion at points of sale in Viet Nam in the past six years and to explore any differences in the violation situations before and after the Law on Tobacco Control came into effect on 1st May 2013. Quantitative data were collected through observation of violations of the bans on tobacco advertising and promotion at points of sale in 10 provinces throughout Viet Nam in four survey rounds (2009, 2010, 2011, and 2015). Variation in violation prevalence over time was examined by chi-square test using a Bonferini method. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify the factors that may have influences on different types of violation. A level of significance of p<0.05 was used for all tests in this article. The most common form of violation was the display of more than one pack/one carton of a cigarette brand. Violation of bans on tobacco advertising increased while violations on promotion ban and on displaying tobacco decreased through time. Some factors associated with the tobacco advertising and promotion bans included surveyed years, types of points of sale, regions and areas where the points of sale were located. The enforcement of the bans did not improve even after the issuance and the enactment of the Law on Tobacco Control. This suggests that the monitoring and enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising and promotion at points of sale should be strengthened. Penalties should be strictly applied for violators as indicated in the current tobacco control legislation.

Significance of nucleic acid testing in diagnosis and treatment of post-neurosurgical meningitis caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Neurosurgery may pose the risk of patients' developing nosocomial meningitis caused by infection with hospital pathogens. Rapid detection of the causative pathogens is essential for selecting the appropriate antibiotic treatment. However, the classical culture-based detection of bacterial infection is time-consuming and often fails to establish the correct diagnosis. Molecular techniques offer improved diagnostic means to guide the proper antibiotic therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old Vietnamese man underwent neurosurgery and subsequently developed meningitis. The classical bacterial culture method failed to detect any infectious agents, whereas polymerase chain reaction-based assays identified Acinetobacter baumannii as the causative pathogen. In addition, detection of the acquired extended-spectrum beta-lactamase gene VEB and carbapenem resistance genes NDM-1 and IMP suggested that the isolated A. baumannii strain was multidrug resistant. Upon the establishment of the correct diagnosis, an adequate treatment regimen was chosen and he recovered completely. CONCLUSIONS: This case report demonstrates the usefulness of the molecular approach as an important addendum and alternative to culture-based diagnosis in order to detect the pathogen causative for meningitis, including the indicators for resistance.