This systematic review identified key factors associated with telemedicine program success. However, inconsistencies in reporting represent an obstacle to establishment of successful programs in developing countries by limiting the application of previous experiences. Adhering to the guidelines suggested here may allow more quantitative assessments of effectiveness and impact for future programs.
BackgroundPatients in isolated rural communities typically lack access to surgical care. It is not feasible for most rural first-level hospitals to provide a full suite of surgical specialty services. Comprehensive surgical care thus depends on referral systems. There is minimal literature, however, on the functioning of such systems.MethodsWe undertook a prospective case study of the referral and care coordination process for cardiac, orthopedic, plastic, gynecologic, and general surgical conditions at a district hospital in rural Nepal from 2012 to 2014. We assessed the referral process using the World Health Organization’s Health Systems Framework.ResultsWe followed the initial 292 patients referred for surgical services in the program. 152 patients (52%) received surgery and four (1%) suffered a complication (three deaths and one patient reported complication). The three most common types of surgery performed were: orthopedics (43%), general (32%), and plastics (10%). The average direct and indirect cost per patient referred, including food, transportation, lodging, medications, diagnostic examinations, treatments, and human resources was US$840, which was over 1.5 times the local district’s per capita income. We identified and mapped challenges according to the World Health Organization’s Health Systems Framework. Given the requirement of intensive human capital, poor quality control of surgical services, and the overall costs of the program, hospital leadership decided to terminate the referral coordination program and continue to build local surgical capacity.ConclusionThe results of our case study provide some context into the challenges of rural surgical referral systems. The high relative costs to the system and challenges in accountability rendered the program untenable for the implementing organization.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-017-2624-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Coronary artery vasospasm (CAVS) plays an important role in acute chest pain syndrome caused by transient and partial or complete occlusion of the coronary arteries. Pathophysiology of the disease remains incompletely understood, with autonomic and endothelial dysfunction thought to play an important role. Due to the dynamic nature of the disease, its exact prevalence is not entirely clear but is found to be more prevalent in East Asian and female population. Cigarette smoking remains a prominent risk factor, although CAVS does not follow traditional coronary artery disease risk factors. Many triggers continue to be identified, with recent findings identifying chemotherapeutics, allergens, and inflammatory mediators as playing some role in the exacerbation of CAVS. Provocative testing with direct visualization is currently the gold-standard for diagnosis, but non-invasive tests, including the use of biomarkers, are being increasingly studied to aid in the diagnosis. Treatment of the CAVS is an area of active research. Apart from risk factor modification, calcium channel blockers are currently the first line treatment, with nitrates playing an important adjunct role. High-risk patients with life-threatening complications should be considered for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), although timing criteria for escalated therapy require further investigation. The role of pharmaceuticals targeting oxidative stress remains incompletely understood.
BackgroundIncreasing institutional births rates and improving access to comprehensive emergency obstetric care are central strategies for reducing maternal and neonatal deaths globally. While some studies show women consider service availability when determining where to deliver, the dynamics of how and why institutional birth rates change as comprehensive emergency obstetric care availability increases are unclear.MethodsIn this pre-post intervention study, we surveyed two exhaustive samples of postpartum women before and after comprehensive emergency obstetric care implementation at a hospital in rural Nepal. We developed a logistic regression model of institutional birth factors through manual backward selection of all significant covariates within and across periods. Qualitatively, we analyzed birth stories through immersion crystallization.ResultsInstitutional birth rates increased after comprehensive emergency obstetric care implementation (from 30 to 77%, OR 7.7) at both hospital (OR 2.5) and low-level facilities (OR 4.6, p < 0.01 for all). The logistic regression indicated that comprehensive emergency obstetric care availability (OR 5.6), belief that the hospital is the safest birth location (OR 44.8), safety prioritization in decision-making (OR 7.7), and higher income (OR 1.1) predict institutional birth (p ≤ 0.01 for all). Qualitative analysis revealed comprehensive emergency obstetric care awareness, increased social expectation for institutional birth, and birth planning as important factors.ConclusionComprehensive emergency obstetric care expansion appears to have generated significant demand for institutional births through increased safety perceptions and birth planning. Increasing comprehensive emergency obstetric care availability increases birth safety, but it may also be a mechanism for increasing the institutional birth rate in areas of under-utilization.
Hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia (HAAA) is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by bone marrow failure 1–3 months after development of hepatitis. Untreated, hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia has poor outcome and the mainstay of treatment remains either bone marrow transplant or immunosuppressive therapy. A previously healthy 21-year-old man presented with a 1-week history of right upper quadrant pain and jaundice. Admission labs revealed mixed hyperbilirubinemia and elevated transaminases ranging in 2000s IU/dl. Extensive workup for etiologies of acute hepatitis including viruses, autoimmune, toxins etc. were negative. He admitted to taking “Dust V2,” a workout supplement, for 4 months prior to the presentation. His liver function tests started to improve after conservative treatment. Two months after his discharge, he was found to have severe pancytopenia on routine labs. Bone marrow biopsy revealed hypocellular marrow consistent with aplastic anemia. Extensive workup for etiologies of aplastic anemia were negative. On literature review, none of the components of the supplement were found to cause aplastic anemia. A diagnosis of hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia was made as there was a lag time before development of anemia. His counts failed to improve despite treatment with filgrastim and he was referred for hematopoietic cell transplant.
Background and objective The notion of prediabetes, defined by the ADA as glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 5.7–6.4%, implies increased vascular inflammatory and immunologic processes and higher risk for developing diabetes mellitus and major cardiovascular events. We aimed to determine the risk factors associated with rapid progression of normal and prediabetes patients to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Retrospective cohort study in a single 8-hospital health system in southeast Michigan, between 2006 and 2020. All patients with HbA1c <6.5% at baseline and at least 2 other HbA1c measurements were clustered in five trajectories encompassing more than 95% of the study population. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association of demographic and comorbidities with HbA1c trajectories progressing to diabetes. Results A total of 5,347 prediabetic patients were clustered based on their HbA1c progression (C1: 4,853, C2: 253, C66: 102, C12: 85, C68: 54). The largest cluster (C1) had a baseline median HbA1c value of 6.0% and exhibited stable HbA1c levels in prediabetic range across all subsequent years. The smallest cluster (C68) had the lowest median baseline HbA1c value and also remained stable across subsequent years. The proportion of normal HbA1c in each of the pre-diabetic trajectories ranged from 0 to 12.7%, whereas 81.5% of the reference cluster (C68) were normal HbA1c at baseline. The C2 (steady rising) trajectory was significantly associated with BMI (adj OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.03–1.17), and family history of DM (adj OR 2.75, 95%CI 1.32–5.74). With respect to the late rising trajectories, baseline BMI was significantly associated with both C66 and C12 trajectory (adj OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.03–1.18) and (adj OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.05–1.23) respectively, whereas, the C12 trajectory was also significantly associated with age (adj OR 1.62, 95%CI 1.04–2.53) and history of MACE (adj OR 3.20, 95%CI 1.14–8.93). Conclusions We suggest that perhaps a more aggressive preventative approach should be considered in patients with a family history of T2DM who have high BMI and year-to-year increase in HbA1c, whether they have normal hemoglobin A1c or they have prediabetes. KEY MESSAGES Progression to diabetes from normal or prediabetic hemoglobin A1c within four years is associated with baseline BMI. A steady rise in HbA1c during a four-year period is associated with age and family history of T2DM, whereas age and personal history of MACE are associated with a rapid rise in HbA1c. A more aggressive preventative approach should be considered in patients with a family history of T2DM who have high BMI and year-to-year increase in HbA1c.
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