Role of probiotic as adjuvant in treating various infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Research on the advantages of probiotics has attracted increasing interest based on the number of publications, products, and public awareness of their benefits. This review evaluated the role of probiotics (single and multiple regimens) as an additional regimen to treat common infectious diseases, including Helicobacter. pylori, diarrheal infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), and HIV infections. METHODS: We searched randomized controlled trials from PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane and identified 6,950 studies. Duplicates were removed, and titles and abstracts were filtered. Bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Trials (ROB 1.0 and 2.0). The certainty of the evidence was evaluated using GRADE. Data were extracted and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan. RESULTS: A total of 32 studies were included in this study (22 H. pylori studies, 2 diarrheal infection studies, 6 UTI studies, and 2 HIV infection studies). There was no study on URTI. Probiotics, in addition to primary treatment, could improve the eradication of H. pylori versus the control (RR: 1.09; 95% CI:1.04 - 1.13, p value = 0.001) and achieve a cure range of Nugent score in UTI patients (RR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.89, p value = 0.04). For eradicating H. pylori infection, subgroup analysis based on the therapy regimen showed that standard triple therapy was slightly superior compared to quadruple therapy in eradicating H. pylori (RR: 1.14 vs. 1.01, respectively). Single strain probiotics showed a similar effect to multiple strain probiotic regimens (both had an RR of 1.09). The effect estimates of the use of single strain probiotics as adjuvant therapy in eradicating H. pylori and the use of probiotics in UTI had a high certainty of evidence. Meta-analysis was not performed for infectious diarrheal because there were only two eligible studies with different probiotic supplementations and outcome parameters. Nonetheless, they showed that the diarrheal incidence was lower and complete remission of diarrheal was higher after the regimen of probiotics. Similarly, a meta-analysis was not performed for HIV infection because the two eligible studies used different designs and comparators with contradicting findings. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis showed beneficial use of single strain probiotics as adjuvant therapy in eradicating H. pylori and the use of probiotics in UTI. Probiotic supplementation might not be beneficial for patients given a quadruple therapy. Single-strain and multi-strain probiotic regimens had similar effects in increasing the eradication rate of H. pylori. Our study also suggested that the benefits of probiotics as an additional regimen in infectious diarrheal and HIV infections remain unclear; more studies are needed to confirm the benefits.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics after primary vaccination with two-dose inactivated whole-virus vaccine, heterologous mRNA-1273 vaccine booster, and Omicron breakthrough infection in Indonesian health care workers.

BACKGROUND: Data on the dynamics and persistence of humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 after primary vaccination with two-dose inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) are limited. This study evaluated the sequential effects of prior infection, heterologous boosting with mRNA-1273 (Moderna), and the occurrence of Omicron vaccine-breakthrough infection (VBI) thereafter. METHODS: We evaluated anti-spike IgG (Abbott) and neutralising (cPASS/GenScript) antibody (nAb) titers up to one year after mRNA-1273 boost in two-dose-CoronaVac-primed Indonesian healthcare workers (August 2021-August 2022). We used linear mixed modeling to estimate the rate of change in antibody levels, and logistic regression to examine associations between antibody levels and VBI. RESULTS: Of 138 participants, 52 (37.7%) had a prior infection and 78 (56.5%) received an mRNA-1273 booster. After two-dose CoronaVac, antibody titers had significantly declined within 180 days, irrespective of prior infection. After mRNA-1273 booster, anti-spike IgG (1.47% decline/day) and Omicron B.1.1.529/BA.2 nAbs declined between day 28-90, and IgG titers plateaued between day 90-360. During the BA.1/BA.2 wave (February-March 2022), 34.6% (27/78) of individuals experienced a VBI (median 181 days after mRNA-1273), although none developed severe illness. VBI was associated with low pre-VBI anti-spike IgG and B.1.1.529/BA.2 nAbs, which were restored post-VBI. CONCLUSIONS: mRNA-1273 booster after two-dose CoronaVac did not prevent BA.1/BA.2 VBI. Periodic vaccine boosters may be warranted against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Antimicrobial Resistance Issue: A Matter of Practice and Capacity to Conduct an Audit.

The World Health Organization released the practical toolkit for antimicrobial stewardship in health-care facilities in low- and middle-income countries in 2019 due to increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) causing the diminishing of treatment options and that the available antibiotics seem to no longer work. The introduction of this toolkit indicates the need to be more down-to-earth in combating the problems of antimicrobial resistance. This situation happened because we have taken antibiotics for granted for too long with less awareness, which results in the potential loss of its use and benefits. On the other hand, even though medicine is available, a major issue on the limited access to antibiotics are still reported in many parts of the world.The problem of antimicrobial resistance extended to the community; the population that is difficult to evaluate. In a hospital setting, patients are expected to be monitored which allows data to be gained easily. The commitment to combat resistance is demonstrated by the Indonesian government through the establishment of the National Committee of Antibiotics mentioned in Permenkes no. 8 (2015) that is located in each hospital and the upscaling of the issues of Antimicrobial Resistance to become one of the national priorities and program.In this issue, Fadrian, et al. conducted a study to measure the quality of antibiotics use at the western part of Indonesia. Every year between 18 to 24 November, we are celebrating the World AMR Awareness Week, with a strong hope to reduce the number of deaths which is at an estimate of 1.27 million people in 2019 who have been presumed to have died as a result to drug resistance.The hope must be followed by a strong commitment and understanding of the risk of overprescribing antibiotics, and if we ignore this, there will be a chance of a 9 times increase in mortality rates which translates to up to an estimate of 10 million deaths per year after 2050.

MPox Skin Lesions.

Mpox is caused by the Monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus and Poxviridae family. The Monkeypox virus was first identified as a cause of disease in humans in the 1970s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mpox was considered endemic in several African countries. A global outbreak of Mpox was first recognized in Europe in May 2022 and was declared a public health emergency of international concern on July 23, 2022. The first reported Mpox case in Indonesia was in October 2022 which was identified as an imported case, there were no new confirmed Mpox cases until 13 October 2023. Since then there were 72 cases of confirmed Mpox cases in Indonesia by the end of 2023, distributed across 6 provinces, mostly in the Java island.We present two different spectrums of Mpox skin lesions in patients living with HIV, with a positive polymerase chain reaction test for Mpox. The first patient is a 48-year-old male, who developed a maculopapular lesion, that was initially noticed on the face, the lesions were then spread to the back and hand. He identifies as men who have sex with men and living with HIV for the past 18 years. There were no lesions on the genitalia or mucosa. The second patient is a 28-year-old male, the initial symptom was fever, followed by skin lesions after around 1 week of fever. The lesion initially appears as pustules on the face and then spreads throughout the whole body, the lesions also grow larger and become pseudo-pustules and ulcers. There were also mucosal involvements in the mouth, making oral intake difficult. This patient also identified as men who have sex with men with multiple partners, HIV status was not known at the initial presentation. HIV screening was done with positive results.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Serum Procalcitonin to Diagnose Sepsis in Advanced Solid Tumor Patients with Fever.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of infection in advanced solid tumor patients can be challenging since signs and symptoms might be overlapping due to paraneoplastic condition. Delay diagnosis of existing infection can lead to more severe conditions and increased mortality. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been used to support the diagnosis of bacterial infection and sepsis. Unfortunately, PCT also increases in malignancy even without an infection. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of PCT in advanced solid tumor patients with fever to diagnose sepsis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in solid advanced tumor patients with fever patients who were admitted to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospitals, Indonesia between June 2016 and April 2018. Sepsis was defined using 2001 SCCM/ESICM/ACCP/ATS/SIS International Sepsis Definitions Conference criteria. The diagnostic accuracy of PCT was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 194 subjects were enrolled in this study. 60.3% were female with a mean age of 49.47±12.87 years old. 143 patients (73.7%) with advanced solid tumors. Among this latter group, 39 patients (27%) were sepsis. The ROC curve showed that the levels of PCT for sepsis in advanced solid tumor patients with fever were in the area under the curve (AUC) 0.853 (95%CI 0.785 - 0.921). The Cut-off of PCT in advanced solid tumor patients with fever to classify as sepsis was 2.87 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 79.5%, and a specificity of 79.8%. CONCLUSION: PCT has good diagnosis accuracy in advanced solid tumor patients with fever to classify as sepsis, however a higher cut-off compared to non-cancerous patients should be used.

Expert Panel Recommendations on the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Invasive Candidiasis in Indonesia.

Invasive candidiasis (IC) ranks among the primary causes of deadly fungal infections. The frequency of IC rises alongside increasing number of patients with altered immune systems, critically ill, chronic diseases, and various medical procedures. The disease causes high morbidity and mortality, as well as prolonged stay and increases hospital costs. The diagnosis and management of IC in Indonesia is still a challenge. Laboratory facilities in identifying pathogenic fungi and susceptibility tests to antifungals are still limited. Clinical awareness and financial support from health policymakers are also insufficient. Early diagnosis is essential for proper treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Initiated by the Indonesian Pulmonary Mycoses Centre (IPMC), several expert representatives from six medical professional organizations in Indonesia have agreed to set up a meeting series to prepare a joint draft on the diagnosis and management of IC. The expert panel aimed to achieve a consensus on the clinical practice guidelines for diagnosing and treating IC in Indonesia.

Association of G6PD status and haemolytic anaemia in patients receiving anti-malarial agents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Some anti-malarial drugs often cause haemolytic anaemia in glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd) patients. This study aims to analyse the association of G6PDd and anaemia in malaria patients receiving anti-malarial drugs. METHODS: A literature search was performed in major database portals. All studies searched using keywords with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were included, without date or language restriction. Pooled mean difference of haemoglobin and risk ratio of anaemia were analysed using RevMan. RESULTS: Sixteen studies comprising 3474 malaria patients that included 398 (11.5%) with G6PDd were found. Mean difference of haemoglobin in G6PDd/G6PD normal (G6PDn) patients was - 0.16 g/dL (95% CI - 0.48, 0.15; I2 5%, p = 0.39), regardless of the type of malaria and dose of drugs. In particular with primaquine (PQ), mean difference of haemoglobin in G6PDd/G6PDn patients with dose < 0.5 mg/kg/day was - 0.04 (95% CI - 0.35, 0.27; I2 0%, p = 0.69). The risk ratio of developing anaemia in G6PDd patients was 1.02 (95% CI 0.75, 1.38; I2 0%, p = 0.79). CONCLUSION: Single or daily standard doses of PQ (0.25 mg/kg/day) and weekly PQ (0.75 mg/kg/week) did not increase the risk of anaemia in G6PDd patients.

Current Updates on Diagnosis and Management of Cholangiocarcinoma: from Surgery to Targeted Therapy.

Cholangiocarcinoma is commonly described as any malignancy arising from the lining of the bile duct and is recognized as one of the most common biliary malignancies. We conducted a literature review of current available evidences and guidelines.Based on the anatomical location of the origin of the mass, cholangiocarcinoma can be divided into intrahepatic, perihilar, and distal cholangiocarcinoma. Each of these subtypes has their own risk factors, best treatment options, and prognosis. The most common risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma also differs based on geography and population backgrounds. Histopathological biopsy remained the gold standard for cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis, however various advances has been made in diagnostic procedure, including MRCP, EUS, ERCP, EBUS, and cholangioscopy. Surgical resection is still the best treatment modality for cholangiocarcinoma, but it can only be done in few patients considering most patients were diagnosed in the unresectable state. Other treatment options includes conventional chemotherapy, locoregional therapy, systemic targeted therapy, and palliative best supportive care. Cholangiocarcinoma has an abundance of molecular targets and advances in biomolecular technologies bring further hope for future curative treatment options. Treatment options should be chosen individually based on each patient's condition and setting. Cholangiocarcinoma is still a major health problem in hepatobiliary malignancies. Multiple options are available for cholangiocarcinoma treatments.

Recent advances in the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal tuberculosis still has a high incidence, especially in developing countries. The biggest challenge of this disease is the establishment of the diagnosis because the clinical features are not typical. Investigations such as culture, acid-fast bacilli (AFB) staining, and histopathology have low sensitivity, so other investigations are needed. Latest molecular-based diagnostic modalities such as GeneXpert, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release assays (IGRA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), multiplex-PCR, and immunological markers are expected to help diagnose intestinal tuberculosis. This article review will examine the latest diagnostic modalities that can be used as a tool in establishing the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis. RESULTS: Through a literature search, we were able to review the diagnostic values of various available diagnostic modalities as the appropriate additional test in intestinal tuberculosis. Culture as a gold standard has a sensitivity and specificity value of 9.3% and 100% with the MGIT BACTEC system as the most recommended medium. The sensitivity values of AFB staining, histopathology examination, GeneXpert, IGRA, PCR, multiplex-PCR and, immunological markers were ranged between 17.3 and 31%; 68%; 81-95.7%; 74-88%; 21.6-65%; 75.7-93.1%; and 52-87%, respectively. Meanwhile the specificity values were 100%; 77.1%; 91-100%; 74-87%; 93-100%; 96.4-100%; and 70-95%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The combination of clinical examination, conventional examination, and the latest molecular-based examination is the best choice for establishing the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis. Most recent modalities such as multiplex PCR and immunological marker examinations are diagnostic tools that deserve to be used in diagnosing intestinal tuberculosis as their sensitivity and specificity values are quite high and more evidences are expected to support the application of these examinations shortly soon.

The Vascular Access Related Infections: Have We Anticipated Them Adequately?

The number of patients in need of haemodialysis (HD) is increasing from time to time. In 2018, the Indonesian Renal Registry documented more than 130,000 active patients from 651 registered HD centres. Twenty percent are diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease (ESDR) equal to 8,633 patients. Diabetes Mellitus accounts for 2% of all diabetes cases in the age of 15 year-old and above. Hence, the increasing need for HD is inevitable and is parallel with the need for vascular access procedures.One of the major problems that occurs with vascular access is the risk of infection. Among HD patients, mortality and morbidity are predominantly associated with infection; about one-fifth as a cause of hospital admissions, one-fourth of the infection-related admissions are due to infection of vascular access. Susilo et.al, reported around 40% of patients with temporary vascular access had an infection. Data is limited and might be also underestimated.Unfortunately, the available studies examining risk factors for vascular access-associated infection are scarce and mostly collected with substandard methodology. It is to be highlighted that the study of Susilo et al. may represent the population of a  referral hospital for HD, yet as a reader it is worth noting that heterogeneity among centres and populations should be acknowledged. A comprehensive in-depth review and further research of these studies are crucial for a greater level of understanding for the cause of infection and therefore inform effective early detection and prevention strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality among haemodialysis patients, especially at-risk patients.

Revisiting the Overlooked Infection: Rickettsioses.

The prevalence of human Rickettsioses cases in Indonesia is unknown and could probably be underestimated. The high prevalence of seropositive Rickettsia sp. was reported in small mammals (as vectors) and humans. In Indonesia, a recent study in patients with acute fever revealed that the prevalence of Rickettsioses is 10%. Many cases of Rickettsioses were often misdiagnosed with dengue fever, enteric fever, or leptospirosis due to their overlapping clinical manifestation. The limitation of point of care testing in Indonesia hindered the adequacy of diagnosis confirmation. Appropriate empirical or definitive treatment with macrolide, mainly doxycycline, is preferable compared to other broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as cephalosporin or quinolones. Moreover, when left untreated, Rickettsioses may deteriorate progressively to fatal outcomes, such as meningitis, sepsis, and even death. The awareness of health care practitioners, the availability of confirmatory rapid diagnostic tests and adequate treatment choices are important in eradicating this disease.

Extrapulmonary Manifestations COVID-19.

After being declared as a pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization, COVID-19 has affected 497 million people worldwide as of 9 April 2022. COVID-19 is a disease with a plethora of clinical manifestations, which extends to those beyond pulmonary signs and symptoms. Studies that report on the clinical presentation of COVID-19 rarely report specifically on cases with only extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19. Extrapulmonary clinical presentations of COVID-19 without pulmonary signs and symptoms is rare, and in such cases, COVID-19 is rarely suspected.We herewith describe four patients with extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19, with positive SARS-COV-2 PCR when the test was performed for initial patient screening. The first patient is a 44-year-old female who developed painful ulcer with burning sensation at the lateral side of the tongue along with low grade fever. This symptom appeared after the initial complaints of coughing and nasal congestion subsided.  The second patient is a 37-year-old male, who complained of red eyes  with itchiness and increased tear production for 3 days before seeing an ophthalmologist. The third patient is a 44-year-old female who developed burning sensation and soreness on her throat upon swallowing with fever and chills. These symptoms appear consecutively without any respiratory complaint. The fourth patient is a previously healthy, 30-year-old female, with a normal weight and BMI, and without any comorbidity, cardiovascular risk and neither personal nor family history of cardiovascular disease. In these 4 patients, COVID-19 stomatitis, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis and COVID-19-associated atrial fibrillation was subsequently diagnosed, respectively.In the pandemic stage of COVID-19, COVID-19 screening has often been routinely performed due to the high risk of transmission. However, the decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases may prompt physicians to perform SARS-COV-2 testing based on clinical suspicion. It is imperative to consider the likelihood of COVID-19 and perform SARS-COV-2 PCR in patients with extrapulmonary complaints that have persisting complaints despite treatment.

Parenteral and Oral Anticoagulant Treatment for Hospitalized and Post-Discharge COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The use of anticoagulants has been endorsed by different hematological societies as coagulation abnormalities are key features of COVID-19 patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide the most recent update on available evidence on the clinical benefits and risk of oral and parenteral anticoagulants, as well agents with anticoagulant properties, in hospitalized and post-discharge COVID-19 patients. METHODS: This systematic review synthesizes data on the outcome of anticoagulation in hospitalized and post-discharge COVID-19 patients. Dichotomous variables from individual studies were pooled by risk ratio (RR) and their 95% confidence interval (95% CI) using the random-effects model. Meta-analyses were performed when feasible. RESULTS: We included 32 studies from 2.815 unique citations, including 7 randomized clinical trials. A total of 33.494 patients were included. Outcomes measured include mortality and survival rates, the requirement for ICU care and mechanical ventilation. A pooled meta-analysis favors anticoagulant compared to no anticoagulant with reduced mortality in hospitalized patients (RR 0,55; 95%CI 0,43-0,66; p<0,001). Higher dose of anticoagulant also showed treatment benefit compared to standard prophylactic dose in selected populations (RR 0,68; 95%CI 0,40-0,96; p<0,001). Regular, pre-hospital anticoagulation prior to hospitalization yielded mixed result. There are currently no data on the benefit of anticoagulation on post-discharge COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: Determination of the presence of thrombosis in COVID-19 is important, as therapeutic dosage of anticoagulants, rather than prophylatic dose, would be indicated in such clinical situation. Anticoagulants were found to decrease the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19. The results from this study are important in the tailored treatment of COVID-19 patients. Further studies on the need for oral anticoagulation for outpatients or post-discharge is warranted. This study has been registered in PROSPERO database (CRD42020201418).

Black Fungus Complicated with COVID-19 in a Man with Underlying Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

COVID-19 is a disease reported to suppress cellular immunity. This may lead to the development of opportunistic infections, among others black fungus, or mucormycosis. On the other hand, pre-existing defect in immunity may render patients susceptible to both mucormycosis and COVID-19. Mucormycosis is a relatively rare fungal infection with rapid progression unless diagnosed promptly and treated adequately, and urgent surgical and medical intervention is lifesaving. The manifestation of mucormycosis largely depends on the presence of exposure to the pathogen and the existing risk factor of the host. As black fungus is locally invasive, the majority of cases will involve tissue damage with local destruction and contiguous spread to nearby structure. We here with present a case of black fungus complicated with COVID-19 in a man with underlying non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Hospital-acquired Skin and Skin-structure Infection in COVID-19 Infected Patient with Prolonged Hospitalization.

Acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections (ABSSSI) is defined in 2013 by the US Food and Drug Administration as a bacterial cellulitis/erysipelas, major skin abscesses, and wound infections. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in 2014 classifies skin and soft-tissue infection (SSTI) as either non-purulent (which includes cellulitis, erysipelas, and necrotizing infection) or purulent (including furuncle, carbuncle, and abscess). Among hospitalized patients with SSTI, healthcare-associated infections account for 73.5% of all cases. Notably, skin and skin-structure infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common hospital pathogen, was reported to cause higher total cost and longer hospital length of stay compared to non-P. aeruginosa cases, despite causing only approximately 5.7% of all healthcare-associated SSTIs. Infection with P. aeruginosa should always be considered in non-healing skin infections in patients with prolonged hospitalization and antibiotic exposure. Tissue culture, preferably taken by surgical debridement, should be promptly performed; and when hospital-infection is suspected, appropriate antibiotics should be started along with removal of all devitalized tissue and to promote skin and soft tissue healing. Expedited discharge should be considered when possible, with adequate antibiotic treatment and follow up for definitive wound treatment.

The Validation of Drug Resistance in Pneumonia (DRIP) Score in Predicting Infections due to Drug-Resistant Pathogens in Community-acquired Pneumonia at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens (DRP) in recent years possibly contributes to the common problems associated with community-acquired pneumonia. However, to predict the risk of the ailment, the DRIP score is mainly applied, although no validation study has been reported in Indonesia. Therefore, the score prediction accuracy in the population, patient characteristics and germ patterns appears indefinite, particularly for Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. The purpose of this study is to determine the DRIP performance as an instrument in predicting infections due to drug-resistant pathogens (DRP) in community-acquired pneumonia at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. METHODS: This research employed a cross-sectional design, where the subjects were community-acquired pneumonia patients treated between January 2019 and June 2020. In addition, adequate medical records of the participants were obtained. The condition is defined as DRP when the sputum culture results show resistance to non-pseudomonal ß-lactam antibiotics, macrolides, and respiratory fluoroquinolones. Furthermore, the score performance was analyzed by determining the calibration and discrimination values, using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and AUROC, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 254 subjects were known to have satisfied the selection criteria. These participants were categorized into DRP and non-DRP groups, with 103 (40.6%) and 151 (59.4%) patients, correspondingly. The DRIP calibration analysis using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test obtained p-value = 0.001 (p <0.05), while an AUC value of 0.759 (CI 95%, 0.702-0.810) was derived from the ROC curve. However, at a score of ≥ 4, the DRIP showed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 70.9, 92.7, 86.9, and 82.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The DRIP score demonstrated a significant performance in predicting infections due to DRP in community-acquired pneumonia.

The Comparison of Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) and Gyssens Flowchart Approach on Antimicrobial Use Surveillance in Indonesian National Referral Hospital.

The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) rate in Indonesia is steadily rising, despite the existing national action plan in 2014. In line with the Global Action Plan on AMR, proper surveillance on antimicrobial usage and resistance are needed. At present, antimicrobial surveillance (AMS) data in Indonesia is heterogeneous, fragmented, and localized. The common method of antimicrobial surveillance (AMS) in referral hospitals is by implementing Gyssens flowchart during Antimicrobial Resistance Control Program Committee clinical rounds. However, the recent method of AMS with Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) offers many advantages include its concise and simple protocol, large data collection, shorter required time, comprehensive data outcomes, real-time data, and standardized parameters. In low-middle income countries such as Indonesia with its restricted resources in AMS, PPS is superior compared to the 'traditional' hospital clinical round in generating representative and homogenous outcomes that can be compared to data from other centers worldwide.

Clinical Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy using HIV Symptoms Index: A reliability and Applicability Evaluation using Indonesian Language.

BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS is a chronic, lifelong disease with a wide clinical spectrum which could decrease the quality of life. Objective symptoms measurement is important because it is correlated to treatment adherence and progressivity of the disease. Currently, there is no clinical tool available to evaluate symptoms of HIV infection and the treatment's side effect for the outpatient setting. This study aimed is to assess the reliability of the Indonesian version of HIV Symptom Index for measuring symptoms of HIV/AIDS patients, and use it for assessment of their symptom profile. METHODS: this is a cross sectional study in outpatient HIV/AIDS subjects (n=87) recruited in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital's HIV clinic from September-November 2018. The HIV Symptom Index consisted of 20 items evaluating somatic, psychologic, and the combination of both symptoms, and its' language adaptation to Indonesian was done with Beaton and Guillemin method. Reliability of the Indonesian version of HIV Symptom Index was tested by alpha cronbach's a coefficient analysis, and the internal validity was tested with multitrait scaling analysis before being used to profile the symptom pattern of HIV/AIDS patients. RESULTS: Indonesian version of HIV Symptom Index is reliable (cronbach alpha 0.76) and valid (multitrait correlation >0.4) for measuring symptoms of HIV/AIDS patients. The most common symptom is fatigue (55.7%), followed by insomnia (43.3%), dizziness and lightheadedness (42.3%), skin problems (42.3%), and pain, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet (39.2%). CONCLUSION: Indonesian version of HIV symptom Index is reliable and valid to measure symptoms of HIV/AIDS patiens objectively.

The Threat of Emerging and Re-emerging Infections in Indonesia.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one example of an emerging infection with total of 386 district of all province in Indonesia reported having such infection; with cumulative number of HIV infected patient from the year 1987 to 2014 is 150,296 while AIDS is 55,799 patients. The access to care only available for 153,887 patients among all HIV/AIDS patients of whom 70% are eligible for anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment and of these only half adhered to ARV treatment. In addition to that, there is an increased risk of other emerging diseases such as Zika virus, Monkey pox or Hanta pulmonary syndrome since a sporadic cases were reported around the region.Beside new diseases, tuberculosis, dengue virus, malaria and diphteria are continuously reported in Indonesia and classified as re-emerging illnesses. On this edition data on diphteria epidemiology in Indonesia will be shown by Karyanti et al.6 A recent outbreak of diphteria in Indonesia which involved almost all province in the country has led to a response named ORI (outbreak response of Immunization). Regardless of immunization, proper treatment including the distribution of anti-toxin and antibiotics are needed to stop the spread of this particular bacteria, further decreasing the mortality rate. In conclusion, the author of this paper mentioned that immunization gap needs to be handle systematically. Immunization data released on 2017 showed that complete immunization was given only to 20% of targeted group, while almost 75% were either unvaccinated or unknown. During the outbreak of diphteria in Indonesia, the WHO also reported several countries with similar problem such as Bangladesh, Haiti and Yamen. It was shown that a coordination between doctors in clinic/hospital with public health officer to conduct an epidemiological investigation, in conjunction with giving prophylaxis and assuring the logistics of anti-diphteria toxin and antibiotics were accessible were  the key of success in eliminating diphteria like it was in Bangladesh.Adherence to treatment are multifactorial for all illnesses. First, is the duration of treatment and the potential adverse event due to the medication. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia has support the early diagnosis of HIV and delivering treatment as soon as possible, in order to avoid transmission of the disease. Second, looking at another side of the story for HIV infected patients, receiving ARV treatment as a long life treatment could possibly cause an adverse event somewhere along the line. Budiman et.al reported factors that might contribute to liver injury. His study shows that measuring baseline liver function test AST routinely might minimize the toxicity of ARV to patients particularly with a low body mass index. Last, despite the adherence to treatment and procedures in minimizing the risk of adverse event to medication, we are now facing the primary resistance virus that transmitted in the community as mentioned by Megasari et al.8 on her report regarding the transmission of drug resistance HIV virus to naïve patients in Bali.The Indonesian government through the Indonesian Ministry of Health has established a collaboration and one health approaches to tackle the threat of diseases in the country, particularly in infectious diseases.