Chlorhexidine vaginal wipes prior to elective cesarean section: does it reduce infectious morbidity? A randomized trial

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative vaginal cleansing using chlorhexidine 0.25% antiseptic wipes on rates of postcesarean section (CS) infectious morbidities (endometritis, febrile morbidity and wound infection).

Methods: This prospective randomized trial was conducted among 218 pregnant women scheduled for term elective CS. Patients were equally divided into two groups by simple randomization. After spinal anesthesia and catheterization under aseptic technique, the study group had preoperative vaginal cleansing using chlorhexidine 0.25% antiseptic wipes for about 1?min, while the control group did not. All cases received the prophylactic antibiotics and the usual abdominal scrub. All participants received the routine postoperative care without other interventions. Adverse postcesarean infectious morbidities such as endometritis, febrile morbidity and wound infection were observed at the time of hospital discharge and weekly for 6 weeks postpartum.

Results: Both groups were matched regarding the baseline patients’ characteristics (age, gestational age, BMI, operative time and postoperative hospital stay). Overall, post-CS infectious morbidity were significantly reduced from 24.4% in the control group to 8.8% in the intervention group; p value?<0.05. Marked reduction was seen in the incidence of endometritis (13.2% in the control group versus 2.9% in the intervention group; p value?<0.05). However, fever and wound infection showed no significant difference between both groups.

Conclusion: Cleansing the birth canal with chlorhexidine 0.25% wipes prior to elective CS appears to be effective in reducing rates of post-CS infectious morbidity mainly endometritis.     

Quality of life in Palestinian patients with end-stage renal disease receiving treatment by haemodialysis: a cross-sectional study

Background

Haemodialysis is a life-saving but burdensome therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease, which can substantially impair health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the patterns of HRQOL and to identify the risk factors for reduced HRQOL in Palestinian patients receiving treatment by haemodialysis.

Clinical Outcomes in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation Presentations in GARFIELD-AF: Implications for AF Screening

BackgroundAsymptomatic atrial fibrillation is often detected incidentally. Prognosis and optimal therapy for asymptomatic compared with symptomatic atrial fibrillation is uncertain. This study compares clinical characteristics, treatment, and 2-year outcomes of asymptomatic and symptomatic atrial fibrillation presentations.MethodsGlobal Anticoagulant Registry in the Field-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is a global, prospective, observational study of newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation with ≥1 stroke risk factors (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, unique identifier: NCT01090362). Patients were characterized by atrial fibrillation-related symptoms at presentation and the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score. Two-year follow-up recorded anticoagulation patterns (vitamin K antagonist, direct oral anticoagulants, parenteral therapy) and outcomes (stroke/systemic embolism, all-cause mortality, and bleeding).ResultsAt presentation, of 52,032 eligible patients, 25.4% were asymptomatic and 74.6% symptomatic. Asymptomatic patients were slightly older (72 vs 70 years), more often male (64.2% vs 52.9%), and more frequently initiated on anticoagulation ± antiplatelets (69.4% vs 66.0%). No difference in events (adjusted hazard ratios, 95% confidence interval) for nonhemorrhagic stroke/systemic embolism (1.19, 0.97-1.45), all-cause mortality (1.06, 0.94-1.20), or bleeding (1.02, 0.87-1.19) was observed. Anticoagulation was associated with comparable reduction in nonhemorrhagic stroke/systemic embolism (0.59, 0.43–0.82 vs 0.78, 0.65–0.93) and all-cause mortality (0.69, 0.59-0.81 vs 0.77, 0.71-0.85) in asymptomatic versus symptomatic, respectively.ConclusionsMajor outcomes do not differ between asymptomatic and symptomatic atrial fibrillation presentations and are comparably reduced by anticoagulation. Opportunistic screening-detected asymptomatic atrial fibrillation likely has the same prognosis as asymptomatic atrial fibrillation at presentation and likely responds similarly to anticoagulation thromboprophylaxis.     

Antenatal steroids at 37 weeks,does it reduce neonatal respiratory morbidity? A randomized trial

Objective: To assess the effect of prophylactic corticosteroids administration at 37 weeks before term elective cesarean section (CS) in reducing neonatal respiratory morbidity and admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Methods: This randomized trial was conducted focusing on women subjected to term elective CS. Women who were eligible for the study were divided into two groups. At 37 weeks' gestation; study group received two intramuscular doses of 12?mg dexamethasone 24?h apart, while the control group given the usual care without steroids. Outcome measures were adverse neonatal respiratory outcomes (respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN)) and rates of admission to NICU.

Results: Neonates in the treatment group had lower overall incidence of respiratory distress morbidity 7.9% versus 23% when compared to the control group. The main morbidity was TTN (7% in study versus 19.6% in control group). There was significantly lower incidence of both mild and moderate degrees of respiratory distress in the study group (7 and 0.9%, respectively) compared to 17 and 5.3% in the control group. The most significant benefit of steroid administration was noted in those babies 37–37⁺⁶ weeks.

Conclusion: Antenatal administration of steroids at 37 weeks appears to be beneficial in reducing neonatal respiratory morbidity in women undergoing elective term CS.     

Public health challenges in the political economy of conflict: the case of Syria

Recent uprisings in the Arab world and a full‐scale war in Syria are widely viewed as popular demand for political voice against repressive regimes. However, growing economic inequalities and serious economic dysfunction played a role as trigger for conflict than is commonly accepted. Tunisia, Egypt and Syria all implemented policies of liberalization over the past two decades, leading to the worsening of living standards for the majority. The various forms of liberalization played a significant role in embedding social division and discontent whose outcomes affected other countries of the region with the onset of market reforms in nascent welfare states. Egypt, for example, was viewed by the World Bank as an economic ‘best performer’, despite regular riots over food prices, job losses and land expropriation for tourism. Tunisia was praised by donors just prior to the uprising (in 2010), for ‘weathering well’ the global economic downturn through ‘sound macroeconomic management’. In Syria, the market economy made its mark over the 90s, but macroeconomic adjustment policies were implemented in a bilateral agreement with the European Union and approved by the International Monetary Fund in 2003. The economic stabilization programme that followed had limited concern for social impacts such as jobs losses, price rises and national debt, which ultimately caused immense hardship for the population at large, acting as a trigger for the initial uprising in 2011, prior to its transformation into a fully blown conflict. This article focuses on reforms implemented in the health sector and sets these in the context of the current political economy of Syria. It suggests that a protective approach to public health services during and in the aftermath of conflict may increase the possibilities of reconstruction and reconciliation between warring sides. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics,evolution, and outcome of patients with non-infectious uveitis referred for rheumatologic assessment and management: an Egyptian multicenter retrospective study

Clinical Rheumatology - To investigate the characteristics, evolution, and visual outcome of non-infectious uveitis. Records of 201 patients with non-infectious uveitis (136 (67.7%) males and 84...     

Is there a potential dual effect of denosumab for treatment of osteoporosis and sarcopenia?

Clinical Rheumatology - The prevalence of sarcopenia with osteoporosis results in a higher risk of falling and fractures. It was noted that patients who had completed their planned 5-year denosumab...