Health-seeking behaviors and self-care practices of Dominican women with lymphoedema of the leg: implications for lymphoedema management programs

BACKGROUND: In the Dominican Republic, a Latin American country with filariasis-endemic areas, more than 63,000 people have lymphatic filariasis and more than 400,000 people are at risk of future infection. In this paper, we explore the health beliefs, health-seeking behaviors and self-care practices of women with lymphoedema in filariasis-endemic areas to better understand the needs of women when developing lymphoedema morbidity control programs. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 28 women, 3 focus group discussions with 28 women, field notes and photographs. RESULTS: Women described exhaustive and expensive attempts at seeking a cure for their lymphoedema. Family members were influential in providing women with initial care seeking referrals to indigenous healers credited with influence over physical, mental, spiritual and supernatural properties of illness. When indigenous treatments proved to be ineffectual, the women sought care from trained healthcare providers. Most healthcare providers incorrectly diagnosed the edema, failed to adequately treat and meet the needs of women and were viewed as expensive. Most women resorted to self-prescribing injectable, oral, or topical antibiotics along with oral analgesics as a standard practice of self-care. CONCLUSION: Healthcare providers must understand a woman's cultural perspectives of illness, her natural networks of support and referral, her behavioural practices of care-seeking and self-care and the financial burden of seeking care. In the culture of the Dominican Republic family members and traditional healthcare providers are influential advisors on initial health-seeking behaviors and self-care practices. For this reason family-oriented interventions, support groups for women and their families, community education and training on simple, low cost lymphoedema management techniques for indigenous healers are viable ways to influence the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of women with lymphoedema. The extensive use of injectable, oral and topical antibiotics by indigenous healers and women without medical supervision suggests a need for health education messages related to the risks of such practices

Jardins per a la salut

Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia. Assignatura: Botànica farmacèutica. Curs: 2014-2015. Coordinadors: Joan Simon, Cèsar Blanché i Maria Bosch.Els materials que aquí es presenten són el recull de les fitxes botàniques de 128 espècies presents en el Jardí Ferran Soldevila de l’Edifici Històric de la UB. Els treballs han estat realitzats manera individual per part dels estudiants dels grups M-3 i T-1 de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica durant els mesos de febrer a maig del curs 2014-15 com a resultat final del Projecte d’Innovació Docent «Jardins per a la salut: aprenentatge servei a Botànica farmacèutica» (codi 2014PID-UB/054). Tots els treballs s’han dut a terme a través de la plataforma de GoogleDocs i han estat tutoritzats pels professors de l’assignatura. L’objectiu principal de l’activitat ha estat fomentar l’aprenentatge autònom i col·laboratiu en Botànica farmacèutica. També s’ha pretès motivar els estudiants a través del retorn de part del seu esforç a la societat a través d’una experiència d’Aprenentatge-Servei, deixant disponible finalment el treball dels estudiants per a poder ser consultable a través d’una Web pública amb la possibilitat de poder-ho fer in-situ en el propi jardí mitjançant codis QR amb un smartphone

LA TRANSFORMACIÓN DEL ESCENARIO INTERNACIONAL: CONTRADICCIONES Y PARADOJAS

The transformation of the basic ideas and reference paradigms has been made most ostensible with regard to the restructuring of the international scene. Because of this, it is of vital importance to understand the new role that defence has had to play from the 90s onwards in order to grasp certain issues that are more important than it seems. This process is tightly linked to the changes in the international order after the end of the Soviet Union. This is linked as well to the new type of relationships established among the actors. These relationships affect the States as well as the new private actors emerging on this period.Una de las áreas en las que más ostensible se ha hecho la transformación de los anclajes y paradigmas de referencia es en lo referido a la reestructuración del escenario internacional. Por eso, cobra vital importancia la comprensión del nuevo papel que ha de jugar la defensa a partir de los años 90', para entender ciertas cuestiones con un calado mucho mayor del que a simple vista pudiese parecer. Este proceso está ligado de manera muy estrecha a los cambios en el orden internacional sucedido tras el fin de la Unión Soviética, y por extensión, al nuevo tipo de relaciones establecidas entre los actores. Éstas afectan tanto a los Estados como al nuevo conjunto de actores privados que emergen en este período.Una de las áreas en las que más ostensible se ha hecho la transformación de los anclajes y paradigmas de referencia es en lo referido a la reestructuración del escenario internacional. Por eso, cobra vital importancia la comprensión del nuevo papel que ha de jugar la defensa a partir de los años 90', para entender ciertas cuestiones con un calado mucho mayor del que a simple vista pudiese parecer. Este proceso está ligado de manera muy estrecha a los cambios en el orden internacional sucedido tras el fin de la Unión Soviética, y por extensión, al nuevo tipo de relaciones establecidas entre los actores. Éstas afectan tanto a los Estados como al nuevo conjunto de actores privados que emergen en este período

Abstract Number ‐ 18: Potential impact in low and middle‐income countries stroke networks of a deep learning triage tool

Introduction Early and accurate identification of large vessel occlusion (LVO) and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) on initial neuroimaging is essential in a stroke network. A machine learning algorithm (MLA) able to predict LVO or ICH on non‐contrast computed tomography (NCCT) may accelerate workflows.We performed a validation analysis to measure the MLA accuracy among suspected stroke patients transferred to a Comprehensive Stroke Centre (CSC) in Mexico and the possible impact on the workflow in low and middle income countries (LMIC) . Methods From February 2021 to March 2022 consecutive patients with suspected acute stroke who underwent NCCT and computed tomography angiography (CTA) were included. MLA prediction of LVO and ICH was tested against expert physicians readings and clinical follow‐up. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Receiver operating curves were generated for MLA‐LVO, MLA‐ICH and; areas under the curve were calculated. Potential time savings and impact on workflow times were calculated for a scenario in which MLA could analyse initial NCCT at PSC avoiding imaging repetition at CSC. Results 140 consecutive patients admitted from march 2021 to February 2022 were included in the study, final physicians diagnostics were: 22 ICH (15.7%) and 53 LVO (37.8%) MLA detected 22 ICH (15.7%) and 58 LVO (41.4%).The area under the curve for the identification of ICH with MLA was 0.97 (sensitivity: 94%, specificity: 91%, positive predictive value: 83.3%[MR1][JL2], negative predictive value: 100%). The area under the curve for the identification of LVO with MLA was 0.91 (sensitivity: 100%, specificity: 95.8%, positive predictive value: 85.7%, negative predictive value: 96.4%). Implementation of MLA‐LVO in the network could save CTA acquisition times of 40 (IQR 26) minutes by taking patients directly to the angiosuite for endovascular treatment. Conclusions In patients with suspected acute stroke, a MLA can quickly and reliably predict ICH and LVO. Such a tool could accelerate the diagnosis, mitigate the contrast imaging dependency and improve the workflow efficiency in stroke networks in LMIC where access to contrast imaging is often limited

Levels of caspase-1 in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with traumatic brain injury: correlation with intracranial pressure and outcome

OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study were to evaluate levels of inflammasome-signaling proteins in serum and CSF of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to correlate these protein levels with intracranial pressure (ICP) and clinical outcomes at 6 months after injury. METHODS This is a prospective and observational study in patients with moderate and severe TBI who required an external ventricular drain as part of their treatment. Serum and CSF samples were collected 3 times a day for the first 5 days after TBI. The authors have determined the protein concentration of caspase-1 in the CSF and serum of patients with TBI by using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The ICP value was recorded hourly. The 6-month outcome was assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended. RESULTS A total of 21 patients were included in this study, and a total of 234 paired serum-CSF samples were analyzed. The area under the curve (AUC) value of caspase-1 in CSF during the 5-day period was 2452.9 pg/mL·hr in the group of patients with high ICP vs 617.6 pg/mL·hr in the patients with low ICP. The differences were mainly on day 2 (19.7 pg/mL vs 1.8 pg/mL; p = 0.06) and day 3 (13.9 pg/mL vs 1 pg/mL; p = 0.05). The AUC value of caspase in CSF during the 5-day period was 1918.9 pg/mL·hr in the group of patients with poor outcome versus 924.5 pg/mL·hr in the patients with good outcome. The protein levels of caspase-1 in CSF were higher in patients with unfavorable outcomes during the first 96 hours after TBI. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of patients with TBI who were admitted to the neurosurgical ICU, the inflammasome protein caspase-1 is increased in the CSF of patients with high ICP, especially on days 2 and 3 after TBI. Also the protein levels of caspase-1 in CSF were higher in patients with poor outcome during the first 96 hours after TBI. Moreover, not only the absolute value of caspase-1 in CSF but also its trend is associated with poor outcomes

Lead Optimization of Second-Generation Acridones As Broad-Spectrum Antimalarials

The global impact of malaria remains staggering despite extensive efforts to eradicate the disease. With increasing drug resistance and the absence of a clinically available vaccine, there is an urgent need for novel, affordable, and safe drugs for prevention and treatment of malaria. Previously, we described a novel antimalarial acridone chemotype that is potent against both blood-stage and liver-stage malaria parasites. Here, we describe an optimization process that has produced a second-generation acridone series with significant improvements in efficacy, metabolic stability, pharmacokinetics, and safety profiles. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of dual-stage targeting acridones as novel drug candidates for further preclinical development