We systematically reviewed Medline as well as the references of published review articles for relevant studies of adherence to multidrug treatment of both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB through February 3, 2018. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as well as prospective and retro...spective cohort studies (CSs) with an internal or external control group that evaluated any adherence intervention and conducted a meta-analysis of their impact on TB treatment outcomes. Our search identified 7,729 articles, of which 129 met the inclusion criteria for quantitative analysis. Seven adherence categories were identified, including DOT offered by different providers and at various locations, reminders and tracers, incentives and enablers, patient education, digital technologies (short message services [SMSs] via mobile phones and video-observed therapy [VOT]), staff education, and combinations of these interventions.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002595
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Introduction The novel Coronavirus (nCoV) epidemic in 2019 -2020 has recently emerged. The route of transmission is not totally known, although it is known that it can spread from person to person, and local health care systems may be ill-equipped to handle a large-scale outbreak. Furthermore, misco...nceptions and misinformation about the disease often spreads rapidly in such epidemics.
In previous epidemics mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) has been identified as a key priority. MHPSS ensures the well-being of the affected populations, and counter-acts the threats to public health and safety that fear, stigmatization and misconception pose. Access to information, knowledge about the disease and how it spreads, make it easier for the affected to feel supported and calm, and to comply with instructions. Furthermore, psychosocial support to staff and volunteers help the operation as work conditions are extremely stressful.
This briefing note provides background knowledge on the MHPSS aspects related to nCoV and suggests MHPSS activities that can be implemented. The messages can be helpful for those in contact with patients or relatives and feel the strain of working and living during the epidemic. The briefing is aimed both at those working in any capacity with those affected by nCoV and for the MHPSS responders who implement MHPSS activities and interventions for everyone affected.
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The Knowledge Translation Unit is a group within the University of Cape Town’s Lung Institute and Department of Medicine who has worked on primary care programmes to strengthen provision of evidence-informed care in low-resources settings in South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Brazil for two decad...es. See here for more information. We are working around the clock to help health workers in these and similar settings to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. These can be accessed below. We are also working to expand these to support primary healthcare workers, patients and households. You can also access our free online training.
For purposes of assisting communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are making our COVID-19 and related materials freely available for others to use subject to some simple conditions.
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National Guidelines on Nutrition, Care, Support, and Treatment (NCST) for Adolescents and Adults
These guidelines are intended to:
• Establish a consistent set of nutrition interventions and recommendations aimed at managing and preventing undernutrition and overnutrition in adolescents and ad...ults, with a focus on people with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) patients.
• Provide simple and clear guidance to service providers and managers on how to implement the nutrition interventions and recommendations at the various health care delivery contact points.
• Provide a framework for policymakers and development partners to use when planning nutrition interventions for adolescent and adults.
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Compounding of pharmaceutical formulations remain as the core skill of pharmacists and this manual is produced to include well referenced recipes that are easy to prepare, use readily available ingredients, have the longest expiry date possible and when necessary, pr...ovide more than one strength of formulation to accommodate the unique needs of different groups of patients.
Efforts have been made to search for substantiated references in producing this manual of extemporaneous preparations. However, the lists of compounded items in this manual are not exhaustive. Preparations included in the manual are for ingredients available commercially but not in the required dosage form for therapy and thus, necessitate extemporaneous preparations.
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For full course visit: https://drtbnetwork.org/training-course-MDR-TB
This course has been designed to take three days. It is composed of lectures, in-class readings, exercises, case discussions, and quizzes, which together are intended to provide a diverse and compelling learning experience for pa...rticipants. Each session generally includes a lecture, followed by various group activities, and finally a short quiz. This course is intended for clinicians working at the district level - doctors, clinical officers, and nurses who provide care to patients with MDR-TB.
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This publication is intended for professionals training or practicing in mental health and not for the general public. The opinions
expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor or IACAPAP. This publication seeks to
describe the best treatments and pra...ctices based on the scientific evidence available at the time of writing as evaluated by the authors and may change as a result of new research. Readers need to apply this knowledge to patients in accordance with the guidelines and laws of their country of practice. Some medications may not be available in some countries and readers should consult the specific drug information since not all dosages and unwanted effects are mentioned. Organizations, publications and websites are cited or linked to illustrate issues or as a source of further information. This does not mean that authors, the Editor or IACAPAP endorse their content or recommendations, which should be critically assessed by the reader. Websites may also change or cease to exist.
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Этот документ представляет собой обновление
рекомендаций «Уход на дому за пациентами с легкой
формой заболевания COVID‑19 и тактика ведения
контактных лиц», опубл...кованных 17 марта 2020 г. Он
дополнен рекомендациями касательно организации ухода
на дому безопасным и надлежащим образом за
пациентами с заболеванием, вызванным новым
коронавирусом 2019 г. (COVID-19), а также
санитарно-эпидемиологических мер в отношении
контактных лиц. Home care for patients with COVID-19 presenting with mild symptoms and management of their contacts
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La Guinée a été le point zéro de la flambée récente de la maladie à virus Ebola. Le taux de mortalité attribuée à Ebola en Guinée était de 66 %, nettement plus élevé que les taux des deux autres pays ouest-africains les plus affectés : la Sierra Leone (32 %) et le Liberia (45 %). Face... à la fermeture des cliniques, aux patients qui évitent les établissements sanitaires de peur de contracter Ebola et aux patients présentant des symptômes semblables à ceux d’Ebola qu’on renvoie chez eux, les experts en matière de santé s’inquiètent que d’autres maladies, telles que le paludisme, la pneumonie et la fièvre typhoïde, ne seront pas soignées, et que des soins de routine comme ceux qui favorisent la santé maternelle et infantile ne seront pas fournis.
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The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in the treatment and care of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This report examines the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to NCD medicines, and the policies and strategies implemented by countries and health sys...tems to anticipate and mitigate stresses across NCD medicine supply chains. The full range of upstream and downstream impacts are investigated, including: manufacturing; procurement, importation and last mile delivery; patient-level effects through affordability and availability; and the effects on NCD medicine availability by category of disease. The report culminates in recommended actions and interventions for key stakeholders in the NCD pharmaceutical supply chain, including governments, regulatory authorities, manufacturers and the private sector; as well as directions for future research for improving access and supply chain access resilience.
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Time has seen management for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) advance drastically, most recently in the development of the disease-modifying triple combination therapy ivacaftor/tezacaftor/elexacaftor. There is currently limited evidence regarding both the global epidemiology of CF and access to this transforma...tive therapy - and therefore where needs are not being met. Therefore, this study aims to define gaps in access to CF treatment. The results show that a significant CF patient burden exists in countries where disease-modifying drugs are unavailable, and final figures are likely underestimates. This analysis shows the potential to improve rates of diagnosis and treatment for CF, so a higher percentage of patients receive the most effective triple combination treatment.
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This collection of posters are intended for health care workers, biomedical engineers and staff of health facilities in charge of caring, cleaning, decontaminating and sterilizing respiratory medical equipment in hospitals and health facilities. They include checklists to ensure the optimal infectio...n prevention and control during their use and between patients.
They describe the procedures to follow (Checklists) to clean, decontaminate and sterilize different respiratory devices:
Oxygen concentrators,
Non-invasive mechanical ventilation equipment: High flow nasal cannula, BiPAP/CPAP,
Mechanical ventilators,
Pulse oximeters and monitors.
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On 9 February 2021, a first webinar entitled “Expanding our understanding of Post COVID-19 condition” was held under the auspices of WHO and in consultation with the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium(ISARIC), Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Dis...ease Preparedness (GloPID-R), National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases(NIH/NIAID), Long Covid SOS and patient representatives.
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Myocardial infarctions are generally clinically classified into ST elevation MI (STEMI) and non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI), based on changes in ECG. When blood flow to a part of the heart stops or the heart is injured and fails to receive enough oxygen required for its adequate functioning the conditi...on is termed as STEMI or the ‘heart-attack’ in laymen language. Patients with elevated cardiac troponin levels but negative CK-MB who were formerly diagnosed with unstable angina or minor myocardial injury are now reclassified as non-ST-segment elevation Myocardial Infarction (non-STEMI) even in the absence of diagnostic changes.
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his document, a first of its kind, clearly sets out the standards for rehabilitation and provides guidance on building or strengthening the capacity of EMTs in this area.The importance of early rehabilitation for functional outcomes is well documented. Rehabilitation needs can pe...rsist far beyond the departure of EMTs; therefore, close, supportive collaboration must be established with local services. Emergency response presents an opportunity to rebuild devastated health systems and build local rehabilitation capacity. This document emphasizes the importance of aligning practices to the local context and maximizing opportunities for training and mentorship. The minimum standards and recommendations described will result in faster access of patients to rehabilitation services and equipment and a better transition between EMTs and local health facilities.
Available in English, German, Arabic, Chinese
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Journal of the International AIDS Society, vol. 21 Issue no. 6 e 25142
Weaknesses in care programmes providing anti‐retroviral therapy (ART) persist and are often instigated by late HIV diagnosis and poor linkage to care. We investigated the potential for a home‐based counselling and testin...g (HBCT) campaign to be improved through the optimal timing and enhancement of testing rounds to generate greater health outcomes at minimum cost.
Countries implementing HBCT can reduce costs by optimally timing rounds and generate greater health outcomes through improving linkage, coverage, and retention. Tailoring HBCT campaigns to individual settings can enhance patient outcomes for minimal cost.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25142
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This guidance should be followed if an unlicensed medicine is prepared in
a registered pharmacy. The preparation of an unlicensed medicine (for
example unlicensed methadone, or menthol in aqueous cream) in a pharmacy is called ‘extemporaneous preparation’.
The guidance should be read alon...gside the standards for registered pharmacies. These aim to create and maintain the right
environment, both organizational and physical, for the safe and effective practice of pharmacy.
By following this guidance, the pharmacy will:
• demonstrate that it meets our standards, and
• provide assurances that the health, safetyand wellbeing of patients and the public are safeguarded
Responsibility for making sure this guidance is followed lies with the pharmacy owner. If the registered pharmacy is owned by a ‘body
corporate’, the directors have responsibility.
Those responsible for the overall safe running of the pharmacy need to take into account the nature of the pharmacy and the range of services
already provided and, most importantly, the needs of patients and members of the public.
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Interim Assessement Report
The EMA review was started by the Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) to support decision-making by health authorities. This first interim report includes information on seven experimental medicines intended for the treatment of people infecte...d with the Ebola virus:
BCX4430 (Biocryst);
Brincidofovir (Chimerix);
Favipiravir (Fujifilm Corporation/Toyama);
TKM-100802 (Tekmira);
AVI-7537 (Sarepta);
ZMapp (Leafbio Inc.);
Anti-Ebola F(ab’)2 (Fab’entech).
The amount of information available for the seven treatments is highly variable. For some compounds there is no data from use in human subjects available. A small number of treatments have been administered to patients in the current Ebola outbreak as compassionate use. Finally, there are also medicines included in this review that have already been studied in humans, albeit for the treatment of other viral diseases.
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La fourniture de sang et de produits sanguins sûrs et efficaces pour la transfusion ou la fabrication d’autres produits sanguins fait intervenir un certain nombre de processus, allant de la sélection des donneurs de sang et de la collecte, au traitement et au dépistage des dons de sang ainsi qu...’à l’analyse des échantillons des malades, à la délivrance de sang compatible et à son administration au patient. Il existe un risque d’erreur à chaque étape de la « chaîne de transfusion », et une défaillance à une quelconque de ces étapes peut avoir des conséquences graves pour les receveurs du sang ou des produits sanguins. Si la transfusion sanguine peut sauver des vies, elle comporte aussi des risques, en particulier la transmission des infections par le sang.
Le dépistage des infections transmissibles par transfusion (ITT) en vue d’exclure les dons de sang présentant un risque de transmettre une infection du donneur aux receveurs est une étape critique du processus visant à garantir au mieux la sécurité des transfusions. Un dépistage efficace des agents transmissibles par le sang les plus courants et les plus dangereux peut réduire le risque de transmission à des niveaux très faibles.
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The document "COPD 101: Understanding the Basics" from the COPD Foundation provides foundational knowledge about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It explains what COPD is, common symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis methods, and treatment options, including medications and lifestyle change...s. The guide emphasizes early diagnosis and management to help patients live healthier lives and prevent disease progression.
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