The critical pharmaceutical situation in Sudan 2023: A humanitarian catastrophe of civil war.

The situation in Sudan have deteriorated since the ongoing war outbreak in April 2023. This article sheds light on the pharmacological status in Sudan in terms of shortage of supply, rising demands, and regulatory issues. The ongoing civil war has acutely impacted the dilapidated pharmaceutical status of Sudan, patients have suffered from the paucity of medical services forcing an out-of-control rise in underreported morbidity and mortality. To mitigate this uprising issue, an increase in stakeholder communication is crucial to deal with this national threat and establish a system for reporting the shortage.

Successful Management of Biliary Ascariasis in a High-Endemic Zone and Low-Resource Setting in Ethiopia.

Ascariasis lumbricoides is a roundworm that causes one of the most common soil-transmitted helminth infections worldwide. Ascariasis is typically found in the jejunum and transmitted through the intake of Ascaris lumbricoides eggs through food and water. Initially, ascariasis can cause pulmonary symptoms during the first 6-8 weeks of ingestion and can progress to serious complications of intestinal obstruction and hepatobiliary manifestations. Biliary ascariasis is a complication of ascariasis migration from the jejunum to the hepatobiliary tree and can present with a variety of symptoms ranging from biliary colic to more serious features such as acute cholangitis. Though the mortality rate is low, limited resources for management can make it challenging to manage.

Comparing the Diagnostic Accuracy of Procalcitonin and C-Reactive Protein in Neonatal Sepsis: A Systematic Review.

Neonatal sepsis remains a significant diagnostic challenge in newborn care. It has the potential to be disastrous, but precise diagnosis is difficult. No biomarker has yet demonstrated sufficient diagnostic accuracy to rule out sepsis when clinical suspicion exists. As a result, neonates with suspected sepsis are treated with empiric antibiotics. These unnecessary antibiotics promote bacterial antibiotic resistance, raise economic costs, and alter the composition of the gut microbiota. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin in the prompt diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Articles were systematically screened in PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central (PMC), and ScienceDirect, using keywords and Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms to identify the relevant articles. Additionally, one article from the Indian Journal of Applied Research was also used. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied post article screening via title and abstracts. Quality appraisal check was done using the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) checklist, A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklist, and Newcastle-Ottawa checklist. Six related articles were strictly reviewed. Procalcitonin is a useful biomarker in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Because procalcitonin has a better correlation with proven sepsis and is an early biomarker in diagnosing neonatal sepsis, it should be included in the overall sepsis evaluation. Future clinical trials on optimal cut-off levels of procalcitonin with shifting neonatal ages and its use in the post-op setting are needed.