Health literacy of pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics in Mansoura district, Egypt

Abstract Background Health literacy (HL) is an important maternal factor that is involved in the engagement of a mother and her children with health promotion and preventive activities. Studies have found poor HL in large proportions of the population of both developed and developing countries. This study measures the HL of pregnant women and explores its associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 382 pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics in Mansoura district, Egypt, using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The Arabic version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-short version (HLS-EU-Q16) was used to assess the HL of the participants. Results The study showed that 79.8% of studied pregnant women had limited HL (34.5% insufficient HL and 45.3% problematic HL), and only 20.2% of them had sufficient HL. Limited HL was independently predicted by unsatisfactory income (OR = 6.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.2–15.3; P ≤ 0.05), lower than university education (OR = 5.3; 95% CI: 1.6–17.2; P ≤ 0.05), and having unplanned pregnancy (OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.6–8.5; P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion The majority of pregnant women in this study had limited HL. It was more frequent among women with lower levels of education, insufficient incomes, and unplanned pregnancies. Antenatal care programs should provide services that respond to the HL level and needs of pregnant women

Correlation of elevated levels of lipoprotein(a), high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein with severity of preeclampsia: a prospective longitudinal study

The aim of this study was to examine a possible association between the levels of total serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and lipoprotein(a), and the development of severe preeclampsia. We measured the levels of these lipoproteins in a prospective observational longitudinal cohort study that recruited 50 third-trimester pregnant women with mild preeclampsia at the time of recruitment. Two assessments were performed; the first measurement was at 29–31 weeks of pregnancy (at recruitment), and the second took place 4 weeks later. Patients with BMI 30, those  35 years of age were not included in the study. Eight mildly preeclamptic women developed severe preeclampsia within 4 weeks. In these patients, lipoprotein(a) level showed a twofold increase. A serum lipoprotein(a) level > 40.5 mg/dL in a mildly preeclamptic patient predicted the development of severe preeclampsia later on in the pregnancy, whereas a serum lipoprotein(a) level > 52.5 mg/dL was a marker of severity with high sensitivity and specificity. We suggest through our results that that lipoprotein(a) level correlates with the severity of the disease.IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Changes in blood lipids have been reported in preeclampsia. Abnormal lipoprotein levels are thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of the disease. What the results of this study add? In this study, we showed that a serum lipoprotein(a) level >40.5 mg/dL in a mildly preeclamptic patient predicted the development of severe preeclampsia later on in the pregnancy, whereas a serum lipoprotein(a) level >52.5 mg/dL was a marker of severity with high sensitivity and specificity. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Our results suggest that blood lipids, and especially lipoprotein(a), are involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The lipoprotein(a) level correlates with the severity of the disease. Hence, lipoprotein(a) could be used as a predictor of severe preeclampsia and a marker of the severity of preeclampsia. This should be validated through prospective studies recruiting an adequate sample size

The impact of calculating ROX index in delaying intubation with COVID-19 patients at King Abdullah medical city

Background: HFNC is a respiratory mask that covers the nose like an oxygen mask, with the addition of nasal prongs to deliver extra oxygen. At 12 hours, a ROX score above or equal to 4.88 predicts a decreased probability of progressing to mechanical ventilation. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate using a high-flow nasal cannula as a potential predictor of delaying intubation. In doing this, the study also sought to verify whether the ROX index accurately predicts HFNC failure for COVID-19 patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Method: Using retrospective observational analysis of prospectively collected data and the study population of patients in the ICUs at KAMC, the study collects and analyzes data using SPSS. Results: P values that are < 0.05 show that the mean differences are statistically significant, and this is seen on days 1-1, day 1-2, day2-1, day 2-2, day 3-1, day 3-2, day 4-2, day 10-1, and day 10-2. This suggests that ROX index can be used in intubation prediction with COVID-19 patients who have respiratory failure type I that received HFNC therapy.&nbsp