The use of reproductive healthcare at commune health stations in a changing health system in Vietnam

Background: With health sector reform in Vietnam moving towards greater pluralism, commune health stations (CHSs) have been subject to growing competition from private health services and increasing numbers of patients bypassing CHSs for higher-level health facilities. This study describes the pattern of reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP) service utilization among women at CHSs and other health facilities, and explores socio demographic determinants of RH service utilization at the CHS level

Novel inhibitors of the calcineurin/NFATc hub - alternatives to CsA and FK506?

The drugs cyclosporine A (CsA) and tacrolimus (FK506) revolutionized organ transplantation. Both compounds are still widely used in the clinic as well as for basic research, even though they have dramatic side effects and modulate other pathways than calcineurin-NFATc, too. To answer the major open question - whether the adverse side effects are secondary to the actions of the drugs on the calcineurin-NFATc pathway - alternative inhibitors were developed. Ideal inhibitors should discriminate between the inhibition of (i) calcineurin and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases (PPIases; the matchmaker proteins of CsA and FK506), (ii) calcineurin and the other Ser/Thr protein phosphatases, and (iii) NFATc and other transcription factors. In this review we summarize the current knowledge about novel inhibitors, synthesized or identified in the last decades, and focus on their mode of action, specificity, and biological effects

A randomized controlled pilot study of artesunate versus triclabendazole for human fascioliasis in central Vietnam.

Human fascioliasis caused by Fasciola hepatica or Fasciola gigantica is an increasing global problem. The mainstay of current treatment is triclabendazole, but resistance in animals has been described, and it is not available in many countries. The antimalarial artesunate has an excellent safety profile, and there is increasing evidence of its efficacy against other parasites both in vitro and in vivo. We performed a study to investigate the usefulness of artesunate in symptomatic human fascioliasis; 100 patients were enrolled. Patients treated with artesunate were significantly more likely to be free of abdominal pain at hospital discharge (50/50 versus 44/50, P = 0.027, relative risk 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.26), but the complete response rate at 3 months was lower than for patients treated with triclabendazole (38/50 versus 46/50, P = 0.05, RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.69-0.98, artesunate versus triclabendazole). There may be a role for artesunate in fascioliasis

Hepatitis B infection in rural Vietnam and the implications for a National Program of Infant Immunization

C1 - Journal Articles RefereedTo ascertain hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection rates for Vietnam, we surveyed HBV markers in two districts of Thanh Hoa province. We randomly selected 536 infants (9- < or = 18 months old), 228 children (4 to < or = 6 years old), 219 adolescents (14 to < or = 16 years old), and 596 adults (25 to < or = 40 years old). On questioning, none of those surveyed had received vaccine against HBV. Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and total HBV core antibody (anti-HBc) were measured in all specimens, and HBV e antigen (HBeAg) in those positive for HBsAg, and HBV surface antibody (anti-HBs) were measured in all others. Current infection (HBsAg+) rates were infants = 12.5%, children = 18.4%, adolescents = 20.5%, and adults = 18.8%. Current or previous infection (HBsAg+, anti-HBc+, or anti-HBs+) increased with age (infants = 19.6%, children = 36.4%, adolescents = 55.3%, adults = 79.2%). Rates of HBeAg among those HBsAg+ were infants = 85.1%, children = 88.1%, adolescents = 71.1%, and adults = 30.4%. The epidemiology of HBV in Vietnam resembles that of many southeast Asian nations before introduction of vaccine. Immunization of newborns will have enormous impact on HBV-related morbidity and mortality there

Clinical characteristics, organ failure, inflammatory markers and prediction of mortality in patients with community acquired bloodstream infection

Background Community acquired bloodstream infection (CABSI) in low- and middle income countries is associated with a high mortality. This study describes the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings and correlation of SOFA and qSOFA with mortality in patients with CABSI in northern Vietnam. Methods This was a retrospective study of 393 patients with at least one positive blood culture with not more than one bacterium taken within 48 h of hospitalisation. Clinical characteristic and laboratory results from the first 24 h in hospital were collected. SOFA and qSOFA scores were calculated and their validity in this setting was evaluated. Results Among 393 patients with bacterial CABSI, approximately 80% (307/393) of patients had dysfunction of one or more organ on admission to the study hospital with the most common being that of coagulation (57.1% or 226/393). SOFA performed well in prediction of mortality in those patients initially admitted to the critical care unit (AUC 0.858, 95%CI 0.793–0.922) but poor in those admitted to medical wards (AUC 0.667, 95%CI 0.577–0.758). In contrast qSOFA had poor predictive validity in both settings (AUC 0.692, 95%CI 0.605–0.780 and AUC 0.527, 95%CI 0.424–0.630, respectively). The overall case fatality rate was 28%. HIV infection (HR = 3.145, p = 0.001), neutropenia (HR = 2.442, p = 0. 002), SOFA score 1-point increment (HR = 1.19, p Conclusions Organ dysfunction was common among Vietnamese patients with CABSI and associated with high case fatality. SOFA and qSOFA both need to be further validated in this setting.</p

Clinical characteristics, organ failure, inflammatory markers and prediction of mortality in patients with community acquired bloodstream infection

Background Community acquired bloodstream infection (CABSI) in low- and middle income countries is associated with a high mortality. This study describes the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings and correlation of SOFA and qSOFA with mortality in patients with CABSI in northern Vietnam. Methods This was a retrospective study of 393 patients with at least one positive blood culture with not more than one bacterium taken within 48 h of hospitalisation. Clinical characteristic and laboratory results from the first 24 h in hospital were collected. SOFA and qSOFA scores were calculated and their validity in this setting was evaluated. Results Among 393 patients with bacterial CABSI, approximately 80% (307/393) of patients had dysfunction of one or more organ on admission to the study hospital with the most common being that of coagulation (57.1% or 226/393). SOFA performed well in prediction of mortality in those patients initially admitted to the critical care unit (AUC 0.858, 95%CI 0.793–0.922) but poor in those admitted to medical wards (AUC 0.667, 95%CI 0.577–0.758). In contrast qSOFA had poor predictive validity in both settings (AUC 0.692, 95%CI 0.605–0.780 and AUC 0.527, 95%CI 0.424–0.630, respectively). The overall case fatality rate was 28%. HIV infection (HR = 3.145, p = 0.001), neutropenia (HR = 2.442, p = 0. 002), SOFA score 1-point increment (HR = 1.19, p &lt; 0.001) and infection with Enterobacteriaceae (HR = 1.722, p = 0.037) were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality. Conclusions Organ dysfunction was common among Vietnamese patients with CABSI and associated with high case fatality. SOFA and qSOFA both need to be further validated in this setting.</p