Health Science Reports最新文献

Background: The number of individuals living alone with dementia is increasing throughout the world, and they have unique needs that are poorly understood. The aim of this integrative review was to understand the characteristics, needs, and perspectives of individuals living alone with dementia as well as the available community resources to guide future research and clinical practice.

Methods: Electronic (PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) and manual searches were utilized to identify articles using MeSH terms. Among 5693 identified articles, 31 articles met the eligibility criteria. The quality of the articles was determined utilizing the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools applicable to the study design.

Results: Individuals living alone with dementia are more likely to be widows, of older age, and lower income, have a higher risk of severe loneliness despite more social contact, higher functional ability, and higher unmet needs despite the use of services, compared to those living with others. Perspectives of individuals living alone with dementia focus on the uncertainty of diagnosis, cognitive fluctuations, and maintaining independence. Lack of specialized services available after diagnosis and barriers to accessing services may lead to decreased independence and increased uncertainty. Overall, there is a lack of specialized services, person-centered care, and support to meet their unique needs.

Conclusion: Individuals living alone with dementia have unique characteristics, unmet needs, and use of available services, which should be assessed regularly. Future research is needed to develop community-based, person-centered services for them and remove barriers to service use.

Background and aims: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a prevalent bacterial infection that has substantial implications for healthcare on a global scale. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gram-negative rod responsible for most UTI cases. ESBL-producing E. coli is widely recognized as a significant contributor to antibiotic resistance. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and antibiotic resistance trends of ESBL-producing E. coli in patients with UTIs at a tertiary hospital in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 347 urine specimens collected between January 2022 and March 2023.

Results: The study found that 31% of E. coli specimens were positive for ESBL. Among patients with ESBL-producing E. coli, 78.9% were females, and the majority of ESBL-producing E. coli cases were observed in the outpatient clinic departments. Among all E. coli isolates, ampicillin exhibited the highest resistance rate at 69.3%, aztreonam at 66.7%, and colistin at the lowest resistance. ESBL-producing E. coli strains exhibited higher resistance rates than non-ESBL-producing E. coli strains.

Conclusion: The study agrees with others in the region and shows a higher prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli in the region, emphasizing the importance of antibiotic stewardship programs and infection control measures to mitigate the prevalence and spread of ESBL-producing E. coli in our region.

Background and aims: People who have diabetes mellitus (DM) are thought to be more susceptible to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Several published comparative investigations have reported that chest x-ray images from PTB with DM are considered atypical due to their frequent involvement of the lower lung field (LLF). This study aimed to investigate the frequency of lower lung field tuberculosis (LLF-TB) in DM and the risk factor of DM for the development of TB.

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. PTB was diagnosed by positive sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB),/Culture,/Gene Xpert MTB/RIF, and DM, which was proven by taking oral hypoglycemic drugs or receiving insulin at the time of hospital admission. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis and seropositive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were excluded from this study. A chest x-ray posterior-anterior (P/A) view was done to assess the frequency and patterns of lung involvement. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factor of DM for the development of TB.

Results: A total of 117 PTB-DM participants were studied in this study. The mean age and frequency of isolated LLF-TB were 53.17 ± 14.38 years and 20.5%, respectively. The prevalence of LLF-TB and other radiological patterns were statistically significantly correlated with smear positivity (83.3% vs. 20.4%), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) > 50 mm (95.8% vs. 16.1%), and HbA1c > 7 (79.2% vs. 16.1%). Regression analysis showed that the odds ratio (OR) was 6.81 and 3.93 for DM and age (> 40 years) for the development of LLF-TB (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The frequency of LLF-TB among PTB DM patients was around 1/5th. The development of LLF-TB was substantially associated with DM and age greater than 40 years.

Background and aims: The human body requires a relatively little quantity of sodium to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain appropriate water and mineral balance and which is typically added from diets. The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding high salt intake and their association with hypertension among rural women of a selected community in Chandpur.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was adopted to collect data from 250 households of Chandpur district. The study was conducted during May 2022 to July 2022. The semi-structured pretested WHO-modified step-wise approach to the non-communicable disease risk factor surveillance (STEPS). Instrument version 3.1 module was used to administer the knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the participants. Binary logistic regression was performed to examine the factor related with knowledge, attitude, and practices.

Results: The result gives evidence that participant who added always salt to their meals were three times more likely to be hypotensive (AOR: 2.99; CI: 1.40, 6.42). Besides, participants who avoid eating outside are significantly less likely (AOR: 0.19; C.I: 0.05 to 0.70) to be hypertensive.

Conclusion: Findings showed that daily salt consumption and "avoid eating out" were significantly associated with hypertension status. These findings imply that further educational intervention is needed to increase understanding of healthy dietary salt intake among rural women.

Backgrounds and aims: Type 2 diabetes and its complications are assumed to be major public health problems globally. Zinc is one of the elements that play a part in insulin secretion and signaling. Therefore, this study seeks the answer to the following question: "What are the effects of 220 mg zinc sulfate supplementation on the weight, blood pressure, and glycemic control of patients with Type 2 diabetes?".

Methods: In this randomized controlled double-blind trial, 79 patients with Type 2 diabetes were allocated into two groups through permuted block randomization method. The study group received two capsules of 220 mg of zinc sulfate containing 50 mg of zinc, and the control group received two capsules of 220 mg of placebo ingredient per week for 12 weeks. At the start and end of the treatment period, the fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), zinc level, weight, waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure were measured.

Results: After 12 weeks of follow-up, 72 patients completed the study. There were no significant differences before and after the intervention in the FBG, HbA1c, zinc levels, and WC between the two groups. Intragroup analysis showed that weight and body mass index increased in the intervention group; however, these changes were not significant in comparison to the control group. Also, diastolic blood pressure significantly increased in the control group; however, changes in systolic blood pressure were not significant in both groups.

Conclusion: Taking 220 mg of zinc sulfate supplement twice a week did not show significant benefit for weight, blood pressure, and glycemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Trial registration: This trial was registered on the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) website with code number 29627 on September 18, 2018.

Background: Mpox is a zoonotic disease that has become a significant public health concern, especially in regions beyond its usual endemic areas in Africa. The rising global incidence and its classification as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization highlight the importance of healthcare professionals (HCPs) being knowledgeable and well-prepared to effectively manage the virus. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and factors associated with HCPs regarding Mpox infections at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods: Between June 13th and September 3rd, 2024, a cross-sectional study was conducted, among 384 HCPs selected through convenience sampling. A pretested, and well-structured, questionnaire was used to assess the sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes of HCPs. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered a statistically significant association.

Results: Out of the 384 participants, the majority were male (55.47%) and aged 31-39 years (33.85%). Nurses made up the largest professional group at 31.25%. Only 28.13% and 37.76% of HCPs demonstrated good knowledge and favorable attitudes toward the Mpox, respectively. Interestingly, HCPs with prior information sources about Mpox were likely to possess good knowledge (AOR = 1.45, p = 0.002).

Conclusions: The findings emphasize important gaps in the knowledge and attitude of HCPs. It is imperative to implement targeted educational initiatives such as information dissemination, training, and continuous professional development to improve the capacity of HCPs to effectively respond to Mpox and other emerging infectious diseases.

Background and aim: Cerebral malaria in Gambian children has been studied but there is limited information on CM in adults. The study assesses the clinical features and outcome of CM in adult patients admitted at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.

Method: This was a retrospective review of all adult patients with malaria admitted to the internal medicine department from October 18, 2020 to February 2, 2022.

Results: A total number of 319 adults were admitted with malaria. Eighty (25%) patients met the criteria for CM. The median age of the CM patients was 19 years. CM patients were younger (p < 0.001), more likely to be of the adolescent age group (p < 0.001), more likely to be referred from a lower-level health facility (p < 0.001), and more likely to be admitted in intensive care p < 0.001) as compared to NSCM or UM patients. The total in-hospital mortality of CM patients was 23.8%. Ten (52.6%) out of the 19 patients died within the first 24 h of admission. In multivariate analysis, CM patients with acute kidney injury at presentation was an independent predictor of mortality in this study.

Conclusion: CM seems to affect the adolescent age group more than the older adults in The Gambia. The clinicians should be able to identify these high-risk patient group and institute prompt critical care interventions and/or treatment. The findings in this study also identify the need to expand access of critical care interventions and hemodialysis to help improve the prognosis of adult CM patients in The Gambia.

Background and aims: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a key therapeutic approach for pediatric patients with hematologic and non-hematologic disorders. However, post-transplant pulmonary complications remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) are essential for the early detection of pulmonary dysfunction, yet their application in pediatric HSCT recipients has yielded inconsistent results. This review aims to assess the variations in pulmonary function post-HSCT and explore their clinical implications for pediatric patients.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted by analyzing studies published between 2000 and 2024, sourced from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wan Fang databases. The review included cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, and case-control studies that assessed pulmonary function using standardized PFTs.

Results: Pulmonary dysfunction, particularly obstructive and restrictive ventilatory disorders, is common in pediatric HSCT recipients. Significant changes in PFT parameters, such as FEV1/FVC ratio and FEF25-75%, were observed. However, trends in post-transplant pulmonary function vary due to factors such as pre-transplant lung conditions, patient age, and treatment protocols. Innovative diagnostic methods, such as parametric response mapping (PRM) and multiple breath washout (MBW), show promise in enhancing early detection and management of pulmonary complications.

Conclusion: Monitoring pulmonary function is critical for the early identification of complications in pediatric HSCT recipients. Although standardized clinical guidelines are available, variability in PFT trends underscores the need for more refined diagnostic tools. Advanced diagnostic methods, like PRM and MBW, may improve early detection and help optimize the management of pulmonary dysfunction, ultimately improving long-term outcomes for pediatric patients.