Explore the vast range of titles available.

Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) poses a life-threatening risk, contributing to half of all haemorrhagic strokes, with aneurysmal SAH (aSAH) affecting approximately 6 individuals per 100,000 annually. Following aSAH, the influx of plasma haptoglobin into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is insufficient to sequester the released free haemoglobin in the subarachnoid space and avoid its neurotoxic effects. Exogenous administration of haptoglobin could be a therapeutic strategy for improving outcomes after aSAH. Using individual level data in the UK Biobank and genetic summary statistics from the largest relevant cohorts, Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted to explore the associations of genetically predicted CSF haptoglobin with the risk of catastrophic aSAH (i.e., fatal aSAH or non-fatal aSAH with at least one of: hemiparesis, aphasia, apraxia, or visual field defects within 7 days) and secondary traits, including stroke-related outcomes and imaging markers of brain swelling. Higher levels of genetically predicted CSF haptoglobin was associated with lower risk of catastrophic aSAH in multi-ancestry (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65 to 0.96, p = 0.019) and White British sample analyses (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.63 to 0.95, p = 0.013), while the lack of association with related traits supported effects specific to outcomes after aSAH. A proof-of-concept analysis showing associations of genetically predicted haptoglobin with haemoglobin in plasma validated the proposed mechanism. Using human genetic data, we provide evidence to support a causal role of higher CSF haptoglobin in improving outcomes after aSAH. However, there was no evidence for an effect on the risk of aSAH or related cerebrovascular events. These findings support haptoglobin as a potential treatment in aSAH to mitigate the neurotoxic effects of free haemoglobin and improve outcomes.

Low birth weight (LBW) remains to be a leading cause of neonatal death and a major contributor to infant and under-five mortality. Its prevalence has not declined in the last decade in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia. Some individual level factors have been identified as risk factors for LBW but knowledge is limited on contextual risk factors for LBW especially in SSA. Contextual risk factors for LBW in Ghana were identified by performing multivariable multilevel logistic regression analysis of 6,900 mothers dwelling in 412 communities that participated in the 2003 and 2008 Demographic and Health Surveys in Ghana. Contextual-level factors were significantly associated with LBW: Being a rural dweller increased the likelihood of having a LBW infant by 43% (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.01-2.01; P-value <0.05) while living in poverty-concentrated communities increased the risk of having a LBW infant twofold (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.29-3.61; P-value <0.01). In neighbourhoods with a high coverage of safe water supply the odds of having a LBW infant reduced by 28% (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.57-0.96; P-value <0.05). This study showed contextual risk factors to have independent effects on the prevalence of LBW infants. Being a rural dweller, living in a community with a high concentration of poverty and a low coverage of safe water supply were found to increase the prevalence of LBW infants. Implementing appropriate community-based intervention programmes will likely reduce the occurrence of LBW infants.

This study evaluates the effect of Community Anti-retroviral Groups on Immunologic, Virologic and clinical outcomes of stable Antiretroviral Therapy patients in Nigeria. A cohort of 251 eligible adults (≥18 years) on first-line ART for at least 6 months with CD4 counts >200 cells/mm3 and viral load <1000 c/ml were devolved from 10 healthcare facilities to 51 community antiretroviral therapy groups. Baseline immunologic, virologic and clinical parameters were collected and community antiretroviral therapy group patients were followed up for a year after which Human Immunodeficiency Virus treatment outcomes at the baseline and a year after follow-up were compared using paired sample t-test. All the analyses were performed in STATA version 14. Out of the 251 stable antiretroviral therapy adults enrolled, 186 (75.3%) were female, 52 (22.7%) had attained post-secondary education and the mean age of participants was 38 years (SD: 9.5). Also, 66 (27.9%) were employed while 125 (52.7%) were self-employed and 46(19.41%) unemployed. 246 (98.0%) of the participants were retained in care. While there was no statistically significant change in the CD4 counts (456cells/mm3 vs 481cells/mm3 P-0.489) and Log10 viral load (3.54c/ml vs 3.69c/ml P-0.359) after one year of devolvement into the community, we observed a significant increase in body weight (60.8 vs 65, P-0.01). This study demonstrates that community antiretroviral therapy has a potential of maintaining optimum treatment outcomes while improving adherence and retention, and reducing the burden of HIV treatment on the health facility. This study provides baseline information for further research and vital information for HIV program implementers planning to decentralize the management of stable antiretroviral therapy clients.

Background Under-5 mortality is a major public health challenge in developing countries. It is essential to identify determinants of under-five mortality (U5M) childhood mortality because these will assist in formulating appropriate health programmes and policies in order to meet the United Nations MDG goal. The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model and identify maternal, child, family and other risk factors associated U5M in Nigeria. Methods Population-based cross-sectional study which explored 2008 demographic and health survey of Nigeria (NDHS) with multivariable logistic regression. Likelihood Ratio Test, Hosmer-Lemeshow Goodness-of-Fit and Variance Inflation Factor were used to check the fit of the model and the predictive power of the model was assessed with Receiver Operating Curve (ROC curve). Results This study yielded an excellent predictive model which revealed that the likelihood of U5M among the children of mothers that had their first marriage at age 20-24 years and ≥ 25 years declined by 20% and 30% respectively compared to children of those that married before the age of 15 years. Also, the following factors reduced odds of U5M: health seeking behaviour, breastfeeding children for > 18 months, use of contraception, small family size, having one wife, low birth order, normal birth weight, child spacing, living in urban areas, and good sanitation. Conclusions This study has revealed that maternal, child, family and other factors were important risk factors of U5M in Nigeria. This study has identified important risk factors that will assist in formulating policies that will improve child survival.

A limited number of studies with smartwatches (SWs) investigated their potential in the field of heart failure (HF). The aim of this scoping review is to understand the extent of current literature on SWs in the HF population and the device's potential to improve disease management. The literature search was performed on PubMed and Embase in March 2024. Inclusion criteria included the use of commercialized SWs, HF diagnosis and peer‐reviewed publications. Articles were excluded if the SW was not the study intervention or was part of a broader intervention programme. Reviews, case reports and study protocols were excluded. Of 1200 identified articles, 13 were included in the scoping review, encompassing 1171 patients with HF, and findings were presented in a descriptive summary table. Validity of several SW‐collected physiological metrics was assessed against established technologies. Heart rate and step count measures were deemed moderately accurate in the HF population with Fitbit trackers (n = 5 patients, r = 0.54) and Garmin watches [n = 15 patients (mean age: 65.5 ± 12.6 years), concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) = 0.89 for Vivofit 1 and CCC = 0.92 for Vivofit 3], respectively, while calorimetry was the least reliable measurement [n = 19 patients (mean age: 65.1 ± 6.6 years), mean difference to indirect calorimeter: P = 0.01 for Fitbit Charge 2, P = 0.02 for Mio Slice]. Wrist‐worn activity trackers were positively received by patients with HF [91.3% of adherence in research setting (n = 70 patients, median age (IQR): 79 years (76–82)), and 64% in real‐world environment (n = 14 patients)] and their health‐care providers (six cardiologists out of six acknowledged the data's usefulness), although device ownership ranged from 10 to 50% among the HF population. Physical activity information collected from SWs was found to be valuable in assisting cardiologists with their New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class assessment, which is known for its limited objectivity and reproducibility. Multiple studies found that SWs, especially Fitbit devices, successfully identified a pattern where the degree of exercise intolerance increased with higher NYHA classes. These findings suggested that activity trackers can objectively evaluate the severity of physical activity limitations. As the functional classification of patients influences treatment strategies, SWs could serve as a valuable tool to facilitate and optimize outpatient disease management. SWs could be used as a complement to standard monitoring in HF. With continuous technological advances, it will be valuable to follow the deployment of SWs and to investigate their contribution to increased patient safety and consequently to health care cost reductions.

The first antenatal clinic (ANC) visit helps to distinguish pregnant women who require standard care, from those with specific problems and so require special attention. There are protocols to guide care providers to provide optimal care to women during ANC. Our objectives were to determine the level of provider adherence to first antenatal visit guidelines in the Safe Motherhood Protocol (SMP), and assess patient factors that determine complete provider adherence. This cross-sectional study is part of a cohort study that recruited women who delivered in eleven health facilities and who had utilized antenatal care services during their pregnancy in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. A record review of the first antenatal visit of participants was carried out to assess the level of adherence to the SMP, using a thirteen-point checklist. Information on their socio-demographic characteristics and previous pregnancy history was collected using a questionnaire. Percentages of adherence levels and baseline characteristics were estimated and cluster-adjusted odds ratios (OR) calculated to identify determinants. A total of 948 women who had delivered in eleven public facilities were recruited with a mean age (SD) of 28.2 (5.4) years. Overall, complete adherence to guidelines pertained to only 48.1% of pregnant women. Providers were significantly more likely to completely adhere to guidelines when caring for multiparous women [OR = 5.43 (1.69-17.44), p<0.01] but less likely to do so when attending to women with history of previous pregnancy complications [OR = 0.50 (0.33-0.75), p<0.01]. Complete provider adherence to first antenatal visit guidelines is low across different facility types in the Greater Accra region of Ghana and is determined by parity and history of previous pregnancy complication. Providers should be trained and supported to adhere to the guidelines during provision of care to all pregnant women.

Background Worldwide, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDPs) complicate between 5 and 10% of pregnancies. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is disproportionately affected by a high burden of HDPs and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite mounting evidence associating HDPs with the development of CKD, data from SSA are scarce. Methods Women with HDPs ( n  = 410) and normotensive women ( n  = 78) were recruited at delivery and prospectively followed-up at 9 weeks, 6 months and 1 year postpartum. Serum creatinine was measured at all time points and the estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) using CKD-Epidemiology equation determined. CKD was defined as decreased eGFR< 60 mL/min/1.73m 2 lasting for ≥ 3 months. Prevalence of CKD at 6 months and 1 year after delivery was estimated. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate risk factors for CKD at 6 months and 1 year postpartum. Results Within 24 h of delivery, 9 weeks, and 6 months postpartum, women with HDPs were more likely to have a decreased eGFR compared to normotensive women (12, 5.7, 4.3% versus 0, 2 and 2.4%, respectively). The prevalence of CKD in HDPs at 6 months and 1 year postpartum was 6.1 and 7.6%, respectively, as opposed to zero prevalence in the normotensive women for the corresponding periods. Proportions of decreased eGFR varied with HDP sub-types and intervening postpartum time since delivery, with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia showing higher prevalence than chronic and gestational hypertension. Only maternal age was independently shown to be a risk factor for decreased eGFR at 6 months postpartum (aOR = 1.18/year; 95%CI 1.04–1.34). Conclusion Prior HDP was associated with risk of future CKD, with prior HDPs being more likely to experience evidence of CKD over periods of postpartum follow-up. Routine screening of women following HDP-complicated pregnancies should be part of a postpartum monitoring program to identify women at higher risk. Future research should report on both the eGFR and total urinary albumin excretion to enable detection of women at risk of future deterioration of renal function.

The District Health Information Management System-2 (DHIMS-2) is the database for storing health service data in Ghana, and similar to other low and middle income countries, paper-based data collection is being used by the Ghana Health Service. As the DHIMS-2 database has not been validated before this study aimed to evaluate its validity. Seven out of ten districts in the Greater Accra Region were randomly sampled; the district hospital and a polyclinic in each district were recruited for validation. Seven pre-specified neonatal health indicators were considered for validation: antenatal registrants, deliveries, total births, live birth, stillbirth, low birthweight, and neonatal death. Data were extracted on these health indicators from the primary data (hospital paper-registers) recorded from January to March 2012. We examined all the data captured during this period as these data have been uploaded to the DHIMS-2 database. The differences between the values of the health indicators obtained from the primary data and that of the facility and DHIMS-2 database were used to assess the accuracy of the database while its completeness was estimated by the percentage of missing data in the primary data. About 41,000 data were assessed and in almost all the districts, the error rates of the DHIMS-2 data were less than 2.1% while the percentages of missing data were below 2%. At the regional level, almost all the health indicators had an error rate below 1% while the overall error rate of the DHIMS-2 database was 0.68% (95% C I = 0.61-0.75) and the percentage of missing data was 3.1% (95% C I = 2.96-3.24). This study demonstrated that the percentage of missing data in the DHIMS-2 database was negligible while its accuracy was close to the acceptable range for high quality data.

Background This study assessed health workers’ adherence to neonatal health protocols before and during the implementation of a mobile health (mHealth) clinical decision-making support system (mCDMSS) that sought to bridge access to neonatal health protocol gap in a low-resource setting. Methods We performed a cross-sectional document review within two purposively selected clusters (one poorly-resourced and one well-resourced), from each arm of a cluster-randomized trial at two different time points: before and during the trial. The total trial consisted of 16 clusters randomized into 8 intervention and 8 control clusters to assess the impact of an mCDMSS on neonatal mortality in Ghana. We evaluated health workers’ adherence (expressed as percentages) to birth asphyxia, neonatal jaundice and cord sepsis protocols by reviewing medical records of neonatal in-patients using a checklist. Differences in adherence to neonatal health protocols within and between the study arms were assessed using Wilcoxon rank-sum and permutation tests for each morbidity type. In addition, we tracked concurrent neonatal health improvement activities in the clusters during the 18-month intervention period. Results In the intervention arm, mean adherence was 35.2% (SD = 5.8%) and 43.6% (SD = 27.5%) for asphyxia; 25.0% (SD = 14.8%) and 39.3% (SD = 27.7%) for jaundice; 52.0% (SD = 11.0%) and 75.0% (SD = 21.2%) for cord sepsis protocols in the pre-intervention and intervention periods respectively. In the control arm, mean adherence was 52.9% (SD = 16.4%) and 74.5% (SD = 14.7%) for asphyxia; 45.1% (SD = 12.8%) and 64.6% (SD = 8.2%) for jaundice; 53.8% (SD = 16.0%) and 60.8% (SD = 11.7%) for cord sepsis protocols in the pre-intervention and intervention periods respectively. We observed nonsignificant improvement in protocol adherence in the intervention clusters but significant improvement in protocol adherence in the control clusters. There were 2 concurrent neonatal health improvement activities in the intervention clusters and over 12 in the control clusters during the intervention period. Conclusion Whether mHealth interventions can improve adherence to neonatal health protocols in low-resource settings cannot be ascertained by this study. Neonatal health improvement activities are however likely to improve protocol adherence. Future mHealth evaluations of protocol adherence must account for other concurrent interventions in study contexts.

Background Guideline utilization aims at improvement in quality of care and better health outcomes. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of provider complete adherence to the first antenatal care guidelines on the risk of maternal and neonatal complications in a low resource setting. Methods Women delivering in 11 health facilities in the Greater Accra region of Ghana were recruited into a cohort study. Their first antenatal visit records were reviewed to assess providers’ adherence to the guidelines, using a thirteen-point checklist. Information on their socio-demographic characteristics and previous pregnancy history was collected. Participants were followed up for 6 weeks post-partum to complete data collection on outcomes. The incidence of maternal and neonatal complications was estimated. The effects of complete adherence on risk of maternal and neonatal complications were estimated and expressed as relative risks (RRs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for a potential clustering effect of health facilities. Results Overall, 926 women were followed up to 6 weeks post-partum. Mean age (SD) of participants was 28.2 (5.4) years. Complete adherence to guidelines pertained to the care of 48.5% of women. Incidence of preterm deliveries, low birth weight, stillbirths and neonatal mortality were 5.3, 6.1, 0.4 and 1.4% respectively. Complete adherence to the guidelines decreased risk of any neonatal complication [0.72 (0.65–0.93); p = 0.01 ] and delivery complication [0.66 (0.44–0.99), p  = 0.04]. Conclusion Complete provider adherence to antenatal care guidelines at first antenatal visit influences delivery and neonatal outcomes. While there is the need to explore and understand explanatory mechanisms for these observations, programs that promote complete adherence to guidelines will improve the pregnancy outcomes.