Objective: To describe the methods used in a rapid review of the literature and to present the main epidemiological parameters that describe the transmission of SARS-Cov-2 and the illness caused by this virus, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: This is a methodological protocol that enabled a rapid review of COVID-19 epidemiological parameters.Findings: The protocol consisted of the following steps: definition of scope; eligibility criteria; information sources; search strategies; selection of studies; and data extraction. Four reviewers and three supervisors conducted this review in 40 days. Of the 1,266 studies found, 65 were included, mostly observational and descriptive in content, indicating relative homogeneity as to the quality of the evidence. The variation in the basic reproduction number, between 0.48 and 14.8; and the median of the hospitalization period, between 7.5 and 20.5 days stand out as key findings.Conclusion: We identified and synthesized 10 epidemiological parameters that may support predictive models and other rapid reviews to inform modeling of this and other future public health emergencies.
Objectives: High-quality clinical research is dependent on adequate design, methodology, and data collection. The utilization of electronic data capture (EDC) systems is recommended to optimize research data through proper management. This paper’s objective is to present the procedures of REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture), which supports research development, and to promote the utilization of this software among the scientific community.Methods: REDCap’s web application version 10.4.1 released on 2021 (Vanderbilt University) is an EDC system suitable for clinical research development. This paper describes how to join the REDCap consortium and presents how to develop survey instruments and use them to collect and analyze data.Results: Since REDCap is a web application that stimulates knowledge-sharing among the scientific community, its development is not finished and it is constantly receiving updates to improve the system. REDCap’s tools provide access control, audit trails, and data security to the research team.Conclusions: REDCap is a web application that can facilitate clinical research development, mainly in health fields, and reduce the costs of conducting research. Its tools allow researchers to make the best use of EDC components, such as data storage.
Background In Brazil, malaria is caused mainly by the Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum species. Its transmission occurs in endemic and non-endemic areas. Malaria geography in Brazil has retracted and is now concentrated in the North region. The Brazilian Amazon region accounts for 99% of Brazil's cases. Brazil’s extra-Amazon region has a high frequency of imported cases and in 2019 presented a mortality rate 123 times higher than the Amazon region. Extra-Amazon cases present risks of reintroduction. This study aims to characterize the epidemiological scenario for malaria in the extra-Amazon region of Brazil from 2011 to 2020 with a two-year forecast. Methods Time-series study with description of malaria cases and deaths registered in Brazilian extra-Amazon region from 2011 to 2020. Public data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan) and the Mortality Information System (SIM) were used. Descriptive analysis, incidence, and notification rates were calculated. Flow charts analysed the flux between Places of Probable Infection (PI) and places of notification. The prediction model utilized a multiplicative Holt-winters model for trend and seasonality components. Results A total of 6849 cases were registered. Cases were predominantly white males with 9 to 11 years of education, mostly between 30 and 39 years old. Imported cases accounted for 78.9% of cases. Most frequent occupations for imported cases are related to travelling and tourism activities. Among autochthonous cases, there is a higher frequency of agriculture and domestic economic activities. In the period there were 118 deaths due to malaria, of which 34.7% were caused by P. falciparum infections and 48.3% were not specified. The most intense flows of imported cases are from Amazonas and Rondônia to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Paraná. The prediction estimates around 611 cases for each of the following two years. Conclusion The time series allows a vast epidemiological visualization with a short-term prediction analysis that supports public health planning. Government actions need to be better directed in the extra-Amazon region so the objective of eliminating malaria in Brazil is achieved. Carrying out quality assessments for information systems and qualifying personnel is advisable. Malaria outside the Amazon region is mainly due to imported cases and delay in diagnosis is associated with a higher fatality rate. Better strategies to diagnose and treat suspected cases can lead to lower risk of deaths and local outbreaks that will be important for achieving malaria elimination in Brazil.
Introdução: A Síndrome de Guillain-Barré (SGB) é a causa mais frequente de paralisia flácida aguda e subaguda desde a erradicação da poliomielite. Embora rara, é reconhecida como a principal causa de paralisia flácida entre pessoas internadas em terapia intensiva pediátrica por doenças neuromusculares agudas. Objetivo: Relatar um caso de paciente do sexo masculino, com 14 meses de idade, com diagnóstico provável de Síndrome de Guillain-Barré com neuropatia sensitivo motora, aguda, mielínica, com provável comprometimento axonal secundário, com rápida evolução e melhora. Descrição do caso: Foi admitido em hospital público maternoinfantil de referência para o Distrito Federal um paciente masculino, residente na Região Integrada de Desenvolvimento do Distrito Federal e Entorno. A criança tinha 14 meses de idade e 8,6kg, situação vacinal atualizada e desenvolvimentoneurospicomotor adequado para a idade, com quadro de paresia em membros inferiores, sem alterações cognitivas. Após 14 horas da admissão, diante do agravamento do quadro clínico e da dissociação albomino-citológica identificada pela análise de líquido cefalo-raquidiano foi iniciada imunoterapia (imunoglobulina humana endovenosa, 0,7g/kg/dia por três dias). Após 24 horas do início do tratamento, a criança apresentou melhora em seu estado geral. O paciente teve alta hospitalar após cinco dias de internação. Após 76 dias da alta, foi constatada melhora significativa no desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor, apesar de leve atraso em seu desenvolvimento até o momento. Conclusão: Diante da raridade de casos em crianças, é importante que os profissionais de saúde se mantenham sensíveis a captar e tratar os casos de maneira oportuna. Recomendamos ainda que os casos identificados sejam acompanhados cuidadosamente, afim de verificar se a SGB, esuas variantes, podem explicar transtornos de desenvolvimento à posteriori.
Introduction: Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is an acute immune-mediated polyneuropathy that compromises the peripheral and cranial nerves. It is characterized by rapid-onset paresthesia accompanied by progressive weakness in the lower extremities followed by symmetric ascending paralysis. Methodology: assessment of sensitivity to detect GBS between March 2017 and May 2019 in a public referral hospital, using the capture-recapture method based on the Chapman estimator and comparing three GBS data sources: the hospital-based sentinel surveillance system (VSBH), Human Immunoglobulin Dispensing Records System (RDIH), and Hospital Information System (SIH). Results: A total of 259 possible cases were identified (captured). Of these, 58 were confirmed and most resided in the Federal District. The VSBH showed the greatest sensitivity in case identification. The temporal distribution of cases showed periods with no cases identified, and more were registered during the rainy season from October to May, when high temperatures also occur. Conclusions: Increased circulation of arboviruses and gastrointestinal infections during the rainy season may explain the greater concentration of GBS cases. It is important to note that one-third of the cases identified in the different data sources do not converge, demonstrating that no single surveillance system is 100% effective. The severity and possible increase in cases related to GBS demonstrates the need for an improved surveillance system capable of monitoring and following-up cases involving neurological syndromes, regardless of the event preceding infection.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.