Risk factors for miscarriage in Syrian refugee women living in non-camp settings in Jordan: results from the Women ASPIRE cross-sectional study

Background Syrian refugee women face health care disparities and experience worse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage. We investigated risk factors for miscarriage in Syrian refugee women living in non-camp settings in Jordan to identify targets for interventions. Methods We analyzed data from Women ASPIRE, a cross-sectional study of gendered physical and mental health concerns of 507 Syrian refugee women (≥ 18 years old) living in non-camp settings in Jordan. We recruited women using systematic clinic-based sampling from four clinics. We limited our analyses to women who had a history of pregnancy and whose most recent pregnancy was single, took place in Jordan, and ended in term live birth or miscarriage (N = 307). We grouped the women by the primary outcome (term live birth or miscarriage) and compared the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the two groups. We used Pearson’s χ2 test or the Mann–Whitney U test to obtain unadjusted estimates and multivariable binomial logistic regression to obtain adjusted estimates. Results The most recent pregnancies of 262 women (85%) ended in term live birth and another 45 (15%) ended in miscarriage. Since crossing into Jordan, 11 women (4%) had not received reproductive health services. Of 35 women who were ≥ 35 years old, not pregnant, and did not want a (or another) child, nine (26%) did not use contraception. Of nine women who were ≥ 35 years old and pregnant, seven (78%) did not plan the pregnancy. The adjusted odds of miscarriage were higher in women who had been diagnosed with thyroid disease (aOR, 5.54; 95% CI, 1.56–19.07), had been of advanced maternal age (aOR, 5.83; 95% CI, 2.02–16.91), and had not received prenatal care (aOR, 36.33; 95% CI, 12.04–129.71). Each additional previous miscarriage predicted an increase in the adjusted odds of miscarriage by a factor of 1.94 (1.22–3.09). Conclusions We identified several risk factors for miscarriage in Syrian refugee women living in non-camp settings in Jordan. The risk factors may be amenable to preconception and prenatal care

Seasonality, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease by Subtype Among Children Aged \u3c5 Years: New Vaccine Surveillance Network, United States, 2016-2020

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute respiratory illnesses in children. RSV can be broadly categorized into 2 major subtypes: A and B. RSV subtypes have been known to cocirculate with variability in different regions of the world. Clinical associations with viral subtype have been studied among children with conflicting findings such that no conclusive relationships between RSV subtype and severity have been established. METHODS: During 2016-2020, children aged/guardian interviews, chart reviews, and collection of midturbinate nasal plus/minus throat swabs for RSV (RSV-A, RSV-B, and untyped) using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Among 6398 RSV-positive children aged \u3c5 \u3eyears, 3424 (54%) had subtype RSV-A infections, 2602 (41%) had subtype RSV-B infections, and 272 (5%) were not typed, inconclusive, or mixed infections. In both adjusted and unadjusted analyses, RSV-A-positive children were more likely to be hospitalized, as well as when restricted toseason, RSV-A and RSV-B cocirculated in varying levels, with 1 subtype dominating proportionally. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that RSV-A and RSV-B may only be marginally clinically distinguishable, but both subtypes are associated with medically attended illness in children agedFurthermore, circulation of RSV subtypes varies substantially each year, seasonally and geographically. With introduction of new RSV prevention products, this highlights the importance of continued monitoring of RSV-A and RSV-B subtypes

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

#66 Clinical characteristics and outcomes of children with single or co-detected rhinovirus-associated acute respiratory infection in Middle Tennessee

Abstract Background Rhinovirus (RV) is one of the most common viral etiologies of acute respiratory infection (ARI)—the leading infectious cause of mortality in young children. Multiple respiratory viruses may be detected with RV in children with ARI, but the clinical significance of viral co-detection is unclear. We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of children with ARI associated with RV-only detection or RV co-detection. Method We conducted a prospective viral surveillance study (11/2015–7/2016) in Nashville, Tennessee. Children &amp;lt;18 years old who presented to the emergency department (ED) or were hospitalized with fever and/or respiratory symptoms of &amp;lt;14 days duration were eligible if they resided in one of nine selected counties in Middle Tennessee. Demographics and clinical characteristics were collected by parental interviews and medical chart abstractions. Nasal and/or throat specimens were collected and tested for RV, RSV, metapneumovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza 1–4, and influenza A–C using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays. We compared clinical characteristics and outcomes of children with RV-only detection or RV co-detection using Pearson's χ2 test for categorical variables and linear regression with robust standard errors for continuous variables. Results Of 1,250 children who were enrolled, 904 (72.3%) were positive for at least one virus. RV was detected in 406 virus-positive children (44.9%), of whom 117 (28.8%) had RV co-detection. The most common RV co-detection pair was RV/RSV (n=36). The mean age of children with RV co-detection was lower than those with RV-only detection (2.6 ± 2.7 years vs. 4.3 ± 4.4 years; p&amp;lt;0.001). The signs and symptoms of children with RV-only detection and those with RV co-detection are compared in Table 1. A total of 283 children with RV were discharged from the ED (69.7%), of whom 89 (31.4%) had RV co-detection. Children with RV co-detection who were discharged from the ED were less likely to have a diagnosis of asthma/reactive airway disease (RAD) than those with RV-only detection (10.1% vs. 21.6%; p=0.019) but more likely to be diagnosed with bronchiolitis (18.0% vs. 1.5%; p&amp;lt;0.001). Of the 123 hospitalized children with RV, 28 (22.8%) had RV co-detection. Hospitalized children with RV co-detection were less likely to have an admission diagnosis of asthma/RAD than those with RV-only detection (7.1% vs. 43.2%; p&amp;lt;0.001) but more likely to be diagnosed with bronchiolitis (32.1% vs. 14.7%; p=0.038) and pneumonia (32.1% vs. 8.4%; p&amp;lt;0.001). We did not identify differences in hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, supplemental oxygen use, or length of stay between children with RV-only detection and RV co-detection. Conclusion We did not find evidence that RV co-detection was associated with worse outcomes in children with ARI. However, the clinical presentation of children with RV co-detection differs from that of children with RV-only detection. These distinctions warrant consideration in the diagnostic evaluation and management of RV-positive children. Further studies are needed to describe the distinct clinical presentations of RV/non-RV pairs and RV species. </jats:sec

Palestinian Patients With Cancer at the King Hussein Cancer Center

Abstract PURPOSE: The Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) routinely refers Palestinian patients with cancer to the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), the largest cancer center in the Middle East. Our aim was to describe the characteristics of these patients.PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of all Palestinian patients with cancer who were treated at the KHCC during 2018 and 2019. We retrieved data from the Cancer Registry and described the demographic and clinical characteristics of the cohort.RESULTS: Out of 521 Palestinian patients, we excluded 41 patients who were misdiagnosed and included the remaining 480. Most patients were adults (n = 426, 88.8%). The most common cancer sites in men (n = 200) were the hematolymphoid system (n = 47, 23.5%), followed by the digestive system (n = 35, 17.5%), and lung and pleura (n = 23, 11.5%). In women (n = 226), the most common cancer sites were the breast (n = 104, 46.0%), followed by the digestive system (n = 34, 15.0%), and hematolymphoid system (n = 23, 10.2%). Children and adolescents accounted for 11.3% (n = 54) of the total cases. The hematolymphoid system was the most common cancer site (n = 27, 50%), followed by the brain (n = 8, 14.8%). More than a third of all patients presented with distant metastasis.CONCLUSION: The most common cancer sites in our cohort are generally similar to data from the Palestinian territories. Many patients presented with advanced-stage disease, which signals the need for awareness campaigns and screening programs. Cancer is misdiagnosed in many patients with benign tumors, which is a consequence of a shortage in specialists and limited diagnostic equipment.</jats:p

Differential Characteristics and Prognosis of PD-L1–Positive Endometrial Carcinomas: A Retrospective Chart Review

Women with endometrial carcinomas that express PD-L1 may respond better to immunotherapy. Our aim was to investigate the differential characteristics of PD-L1–positive endometrial carcinomas and the prognostic significance of PD-L1. We performed a retrospective chart review of 231 women with endometrial carcinomas who were managed at King Hussein Cancer Center (2007–2016) and performed immunohistochemistry for MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, MSH6, p53, and PD-L1. Overall, 89 cases (38.5%) were MMR-deficient. PD-L1 was expressed in 49 cases (21.2%) and its expression was significantly associated with MLH1/PMS2 deficiency (p = 0.044) but not MSH2/MSH6 deficiency (p = 0.59). p53 was mutant in 106 cases (46.5%), and its mutation was significantly associated with MMR proficiency (p &lt; 0.001) but not PD-L1 expression (p = 0.78). In women with endometrioid adenocarcinomas, PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with the Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d′Obstétrique (FIGO) grade (p = 0.008). Overall, PD-L1 expression did not significantly predict overall survival in unadjusted or adjusted analyses (p = 0.92 and 0.54, respectively). In conclusion, tumors with MLH1/PMS2 loss and high-grade endometrioid adenocarcinomas were more likely to express PD-L1 in tumor cells. Further research is required to investigate whether the presence of either characteristic signals a higher likelihood of a favorable response if immunotherapy is administered

Incidence of Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults in Jordan, 2000-2017

PURPOSE The epidemiology of cancer in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) is distinct and underinvestigated. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of cancer in AYAs in Jordan. PATIENTS AND METHODS We accessed all records submitted to the Jordan Cancer Registry between 2000 and 2017. We included all patients, age 15-39 years, who were ordinarily resident in Jordan. We then calculated frequencies, age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIRs), and annual percentage changes (APCs) and performed subgroup analyses by biologic sex, age subgroups, and site (SEER AYA site recode/WHO 2008). We also performed site-specific trend analyses using joinpoint models. RESULTS We identified 14,115 eligible patients, of whom 1,531 (10.8%), 4,278 (30.3%), and 8,306 (58.8%) were 15-19, 20-29, and 30-39 years old at diagnosis, respectively. The numbers of male and female AYAs were 5,792 (41.0%) and 8,323 (59.0%), respectively. The crude number of cases increased from 654 in 2000 to 954 in 2017 (APC, 2.6%). The overall AAIR ranged from 32.3 in 2000 to 24.3 in 2017 (APC, –1.7%). The AAIR was 27.6 over the full study period and was higher in females (34.1) than in males (21.6). Carcinomas, lymphomas, and leukemias were the most common cancers. The incidence rates of the majority of cancers trended downward over the study period. CONCLUSION The incidence of cancer in AYAs in Jordan is relatively low and declining. However, the absolute number of cases is increasing because this downtrend does not offset the effect of a high population growth rate; almost a 1,000 cases of cancer are now diagnosed every year, which represents a significant increase in the burden of cancer in a developing country with limited healthcare resources. </jats:sec