BackgroundCervical Cancer (CC) is the number one cancer among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Although CC is preventable, most women in developing countries do not have access to screening.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors for cervical lesions using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) among 112 HIV positive and 161 negative women aged 18–69 years.ResultsThe presence of cervical lesions was greater among HIV positive (22.9%) than HIV negative women (5.7%; p < 0.0001). In logistic models, the risk of cervical lesions among HIV positive women was 5.24 times higher when adjusted by age (OR 5.24, CI 2.31–11.88), and 4.06 times higher in a full model (OR 4.06, CI 1.61–10.25), than among HIV negative women. In the age-adjusted model women who had ≥2 lifetime sexual partners were 3 times more likely (OR 3.00, CI 1.02–8.85) to have cervical lesions compared to women with one lifetime partner and the odds of cervical lesions among women with a history of STIs were 2.16 greater (OR 2.16, CI 1.04–4.50) than among women with no previous STI. In the fully adjusted model women who had a previous cervical exam were 2.5 times more likely (OR 2.53, CI 1.06–6.05) to have cervical lesions than women who had not.ConclusionsThe high prevalence of HIV infection and the strong association between HIV and cervical lesions highlight the need for substantial scale-up of cervical screening to decrease the rate of CC in Swaziland.

Objective(s):To identify predictors of home oxygen use in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in a statewide cohort, identify hospital variation in home oxygen use, and determine the relationship between home oxygen use and NICU discharge timing. Study design:This was a secondary analysis of California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative data. Infants were born <32 weeks' gestation, diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia based on respiratory support at 36 weeks postmenstrual age, and discharged home. Risk factors for home oxygen use were identified using a logistic mixed model with center as random effect. Estimates were used to calculate each center's observed to expected ratio of home oxygen use, and a Spearman coefficient between center median postmenstrual age at discharge and observed and expected proportions of home oxygen use.Results: 3672/7846 (47%) infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia were discharged with home oxygen. Higher odds of home oxygen use were seen with antenatal steroids, maternal hypertension, earlier gestational age, male sex, ductus arteriosus ligation, more ventilator days, nitric oxide, discharge from regional hospitals, and postmenstrual age at discharge (ROC area under the curve 0.85). Of 92 hospitals, home oxygen use ranged from 7-95%; 42% of observed home oxygen use was significantly higher or lower than expected given patient characteristics. The 67 community hospitals with higher observed rates of home oxygen had earlier median postmenstrual age at discharge (correlation −0.27, p=0.024). Conclusion:Clinical and hospital factors predict home oxygen use. Home oxygen use varies across California, with community centers using more home oxygen having a shorter length of stay.