Aim: To provide more insights about beliefs of witchcraft and supernatural means as causes of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) among women in Senegal. Method: We included eligible women from the ...demographic and health survey conducted in Senegal during the year 2017. Results: We included 15335 women, of those 620 (4%) thought that they can get HIV through witchcraft or supernaturalmeans. After the adjustment of all available covariates, old age, receiving primary or secondary education, higher wealth index,more frequency of listening to radio, watching television for less than once a week and reading newspaper or magazine for atleast once a week were significantly associated with a reduction in the witchcraft and supernatural means beliefs (p < 0.05).Moreover, rural residence was associated with an increase in the wrong HIV beliefs (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We demonstrated many predictors of the wrong beliefs about getting HIV infection by witchcraft or supernaturalmeans in the Senegalese women. Policymakers should initiate health educational programs in parallel with increasing thesocioeconomic status to limit the HIV transmission. In addition, continuous monitoring of the HIV knowledge in the endemiccountries is crucial to decrease HIV burden. Keywords: HIV; infection; witchcraft; misconception; myths.
To describe the mortality difference between acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and non-AIS groups within COVID-19 patients.
We included observational studies through September 2020 that categorized ...COVID-19 patients into two groups (with and without AIS).
Eight studies with a total sample size of 19,399 COVID-19 patients were included. The pooled risk difference showed that patients with COVID-19 who developed AIS had significantly higher mortality than those without AIS by a risk difference of 24% (95% CI: 0.10–0.39; p = 0.001). In two studies, the COVID-19+AIS group had significantly higher lymphocytes, procalcitonin and creatinine levels.
Developing AIS significantly adds to the mortality of COVID-19. Timely interventions to manage those patients are strongly recommended.
We systematically searched for COVID-19 studies that categorized patients into two groups: with and without acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Of 5100 unique records, eight studies with a total of 19,399 COVID-19 patients were included. The overall mortality rate of COVID-19 patients who developed AIS was 29.6% compared with 2.6% in those without AIS. We therefore conclude that development of AIS increases the mortality rate of COVID-19, and recommend timely intervention for such patients.
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) eye surgery is widely used for patients at risk for corneal ectasia to maintain an aspheric corneal shape. Wavefront-guided (WFG) ablation profile was designed to ...reduce pre-existing higher-order aberrations (HOA). We aimed to compare the corneal aberrations and visual outcomes between WFG and Wavefront Optimized (WFO) PRK in patients with myopia. Eight randomized clinical trials were included. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and CENTRAL at March 2020, and updated the search in September 2020 using relevant keywords, The data were extracted and pooled as Mean Difference (MD) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI), using Review Manager software (version 5.4). Pooled results showed no significance between Uncorrected Distance Visual Acuity (UDVA) and Corrected Distance Visual Acuity (CDVA) between both groups underwent WFG and WFO PPR after three months follow up (MD = -0.03; 95% CI: -0.06, 0.00; P = 0.07), (MD = -0.02; 95% CI: -0.04, 0.01; P = 0.22) respectively. Although, no significant difference between mean manifest cylinder after three and 12 months follow up, but the total MD for mean manifest cylinder difference was significantly lower with the WFG treatment method (MD = -0.12, (95% CI: 0.23:-0.01, P = 0.03). This shows a slight advantage of the WFG over the WFO method. The visual performance showed similarity and excellent refractive outcomes in both WFO and WFG PRK. No significant statistical differences between the two approaches. On further comparison, there was a slight advantage of the WFG over the WFO method.
Cerebral venous sinus occlusion is an exceptional presentation in the emergency department. Otitis and mastoiditis are rarely associated with cerebral venous sinus occlusion. It is considered as a ...redoubtable complication with potentially severe outcomes. Symptoms that may indicate this thrombosis are variable and include progressive headache, intracranial hypertension, seizures, focal neurological deficits, and ophthalmologic symptoms. In this article, we report a case of a young female patient presenting with otitis and mastoiditis complicated with intracranial thrombosis. She was successfully treated with antibiotics, anticoagulants, and analgesics. Furthermore, we provide a brief review on cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with a focus on its risk factors and its management. Finally, we emphasize the need for better awareness about this potential intracranial complication.
To provide better management of Fournier’s gangrene, mortality-associated comorbidities and common etiologies were identified.
A systematic search was conducted using 12 databases, followed by ...meticulous screening to select relevant articles. Meta-analysis and meta-regression (for possible cofounders) were both done for all possible outcomes.
Out of 1186 reports screened, 38 studies were finally included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. A higher risk of mortality was detected in patients with diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, and kidney disease, with risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of 0.72 (0.59–0.89), 0.39 (0.24–0.62), 0.41 (0.27–0.63), and 0.34 (95% CI 0.16–0.73), respectively. However, there was no association between mortality rates and comorbid hypertension, lung disease, liver disease, or malignant disease (p > 0.05). The highest mortality rates were due to sepsis (76%) and multiple organ failure (66%), followed by respiratory (19.4%), renal (18%), cardiovascular (15.7%), and hepatic (5%) mortality.
Modifications to the Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI) are recommended, in order to include comorbidities as an important prognostic tool for FG mortality. Close monitoring of the patients, with special interest given to the main causes of mortality, is an essential element of the management process.
We aimed to study the outcomes of COVID‐19 in paediatric cancer patients. On 26 October 2021, we did a systematic search for relevant articles in seven electronic databases followed by manual search. ...We included cancer patients aged ≤18 years. Event rates and the 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were used to report the results. We included 21 papers after screening of 2759 records. The pooled rates of hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality were 44% (95%CI: 30–59), 14% (95%CI: 9–21) and 9% (95%CI: 6–12), respectively. Moreover, subgroup analysis revealed that high income countries had better COVID‐19 outcomes compared to upper middle income countries and lower middle income countries in terms of hospitalisation 30% (95%CI: 17–46), 60% (95%CI: 29–84) and 47% (95%CI: 36–58), ICU admission 7% (95%CI: 1–32), 13% (95%CI: 7–23) and 18% (95%CI: 6–41), and mortality 3% (95%CI: 2–5), 12% (95%CI: 8–18) and 13% (95%CI: 8–20), in order. In general, absence of specific pharmacologic intervention to prevent infection with the scarcity of vaccination coverage data among paediatric groups and its impact, high priority caution is required to avoid SARS‐CoV‐2 infection among paediatric cancer patients. Furthermore, our results highlight the importance of promoting care facilities for this vulnerable population in low and middle income regions to ensure quality care among cancer patients during pandemic crisis.
Aggregation of particular proteins in the form of inclusion bodies or plaques followed by neuronal death is a hallmark of neurodegenerative proteopathies such as primary Parkinsonism, Alzheimer’s ...disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and Huntington’s chorea. Complex polygenic and environmental factors implicated in these proteopathies. Accumulation of proteins in these disorders indicates a substantial disruption in protein homeostasis (proteostasis). Proteostasis or cellular proteome homeostasis is attained by the synchronization of a group of cellular mechanisms called the proteostasis network (PN), which is responsible for the stability of the proteome and achieves the equilibrium between synthesis, folding, and degradation of proteins. In this review, we will discuss the different types of PN and the impact of PN component dysfunction on the four major neurodegenerative diseases mentioned earlier.
Graphical abstract
This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of preservation of the intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) versus its dissection for patients who underwent breast surgery.
The authors searched Web of ...Science, PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Scopus from inception until March 2023. Records were screened for eligible studies, and all relevant outcomes were pooled as an odds ratio (OR) with the corresponding 95% CI in the meta-analysis models using RevMan version 5.4.
These results from 11 studies (1021 patients) favored preservation of the ICBN over its dissection in terms of anaesthesia and hypaesthesia OR 0.50, (95% CI, 0.31-0.82);
= 0.006 and OR 0.33, (95% CI, 0.16-0.68);
= 0.003, respectively. Whereas the overall effect favored ICBN dissection over preservation in the case of hyperaesthesia OR 4.34, (95% CI, 1.43-13.15);
= 0.01. Conversely, no significant variance was detected between the two groups in terms of pain OR 0.68, (95% CI, 0.28-1.61)
= 0.38, paraesthesia OR 0.88, (95% CI, 0.49-1.60);
= 0.68, and analgesia OR 1.46, (95% CI, 0.05-45.69);
= 0.83.
This meta-analysis revealed that the preservation of the ICBN has a significant effect on the disturbance of sensory parameters of hypaesthesia and anaesthesia when compared to its dissection. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to precisely compare both techniques on a wider range of parameters.
Gliomas, which account for nearly a quarter of all primary CNS tumors, present significant contemporary therapeutic challenges, particularly the highest-grade variant (glioblastoma multiforme), which ...has an especially poor prognosis. These difficulties are due to the tumor's aggressiveness and the adverse effects of radio/chemotherapy on the brain. Stem cell therapy is an exciting area of research being explored for several medical issues. Neural stem cells, normally present in the subventricular zone and the hippocampus, preferentially migrate to tumor masses. Thus, they have two main advantages: They can minimize the side effects associated with systemic radio/chemotherapy while simultaneously maximizing drug delivery to the tumor site. Another feature of stem cell therapy is the variety of treatment approaches it allows. Stem cells can be genetically engineered into expressing a wide variety of immunomodulatory substances that can inhibit tumor growth. They can also be used as delivery vehicles for oncolytic viral vectors, which can then be used to combat the tumorous mass. An alternative approach would be to combine stem cells with prodrugs, which can subsequently convert them into the active form upon migration to the tumor mass. As with any therapeutic modality still in its infancy, much of the research regarding their use is primarily based upon knowledge gained from animal studies, and a number of ongoing clinical trials are currently investigating their effectiveness in humans. The aim of this review is to highlight the current state of stem cell therapy in the treatment of gliomas, exploring the different mechanistic approaches, clinical applicability, and the existing limitations.
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