Antenatal corticosteroids for management of preterm birth: a multi-country analysis of health system bottlenecks and potential solutions

Background

Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of deaths for children under five years. Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are effective at reducing mortality and serious morbidity amongst infants born at <34 weeks gestation. WHO guidelines strongly recommend use of ACS for women at risk of imminent preterm birth where gestational age, imminent preterm birth, and risk of maternal infection can be assessed, and appropriate maternal/newborn care provided. However, coverage remains low in high-burden countries for reasons not previously systematically investigated.

Methods

The bottleneck analysis tool was applied in 12 countries in Africa and Asia as part of the Every Newborn Action Plan process. Country workshops involved technical experts to complete the survey tool, which is designed to synthesise and grade health system "bottlenecks", factors that hinder the scale up, of maternal-newborn intervention packages. We used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse the bottleneck data, combined with literature review, to present priority bottlenecks and actions relevant to different health system building blocks for ACS.

Results

Eleven out of twelve countries provided data in response to the ACS questionnaire. Health system building blocks most frequently reported as having significant or very major bottlenecks were health information systems (11 countries), essential medical products and technologies (9 out of 11 countries) and health service delivery (9 out of 11 countries). Bottlenecks included absence of coverage data, poor gestational age metrics, lack of national essential medicines listing, discrepancies between prescribing authority and provider cadres managing care, delays due to referral, and lack of supervision, mentoring and quality improvement systems.

Conclusions

Analysis centred on health system building blocks in which 9 or more countries (>75%) reported very major or significant bottlenecks. Health information systems should include improved gestational age assessment and track ACS coverage, use and outcomes. Better health service delivery requires clarified policy assigning roles by level of care and cadre of provider, dependent on capability to assess gestational age and risk of preterm birth, and the implementation of guidelines with adequate supervision, mentoring and quality improvement systems, including audit and feedback. National essential medicines lists should include dexamethasone for antenatal use, and dexamethasone should be integrated into supply logistics.

     

大脑动脉环前部破裂动脉瘤的病理研究

目的研究颅内动脉瘤破裂病理改变与临床关系。方法对12例颅内动脉瘤的部位、大小、破口、瘤壁修补、瘤内血栓形成、脑室内积血、脑组织梗死等进行详细的病理学研究。结果12例动脉瘤均位于大脑动脉环前部；16h以内死亡者目视能见到动脉瘤顶部破口；破裂次数越多，瘤体越大且不规则；破裂动脉瘤修复初期以纤维蛋白为主，间有少许淋巴细胞和红细胞，2～3周后则以胶原纤维为主，辅以新生的毛细血管；12例中5例伴脑室内积血，破人途径不同，脑室积血表现也不一样；3例颈颅内动脉瘤内血栓形成，波及大脑中动脉主干伴发脑梗死。结论破裂的动脉瘤组织学修复需要一定的过程，早期并不牢固。预防再破裂是治疗原则之一；脑梗死的发生机制除迟发性脑血管痉挛外，颈内动脉瘤内血栓形成是常见原因之一；脑室内积血是蛛网膜下腔出血早期的并发症，临床宜密切观察，适时考虑脑室外引流。     

The dilemma of success: percutaneous coronary interventions in patients > or = 75 years of age-successful but associated with higher vascular complications and cardiac mortality.

Elderly patients are increasingly referred to percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). Recent reports suggest complications rates are declining in the elderly. We sought to determine whether procedural and in-hospital outcomes are different in patients aged > or = 75 years undergoing nonemergent PCI as compared to patients age < 75 years. The outcome of 266 consecutive patients age > or = 75 years undergoing nonemergent PCI was compared to that of 1,681 consecutive patients age < 75 years. Compared with younger patients, greater proportions of elderly patients were women and had a history of hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebral vascular events. Elderly patients had more extensive coronary involvement. Procedural success was similar in both groups (94%). The in-hospital cardiac death rate was significantly higher in the elderly patients (2.3% vs. 0.7%; P = 0.03). Aged patients also had a significantly higher incidence of vascular and bleeding complications. Blood transfusion was required more often in the elderly group (4.5% vs. 2.6%; P = 0.07). The hospitalization length was significantly higher in the elderly group (4.1 +/- 6.0 vs. 2.5 +/- 4.3 day; P = 0.0004). By multivariate logistic regression (adjusted for baseline clinical and angiographic variables), age > or = 75 years was found to be an independent predictor of in-hospital cardiac death (odds ratio = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.3-11.5; P = 0.015). Although PCI is technically successful in patients aged > or = 75 years; it is associated with more acute cardiac and vascular complications and higher in-hospital cardiac mortality.     

Disseminated coxsackievirus B fulminant myocarditis in an immunocompetent adult: A case report: Case of disseminated coxsackievirus myocarditis

Coxsackieviral myocarditis is associated with systemic involvement in neonates; however, fulminant coxsackieviral myocarditis is rare in adults, and its dissemination with fatal myocarditis involving kidneys, liver, and adrenal is further rarely reported. We report a case of fulminant myocarditis along with dissemination of coxsackievirus, which was clinically unrecognized.     

一氧化氮、血管内皮生长因子与胶质瘤血管形成的关系

目的 探讨一氧化氮（NO）和血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）在脑胶质瘤血管形成中的作用。方法 采用免疫组化法检测40例不同级别胶质瘤标本中的诱导型NO合酶（iNOS）、VEGF和Ⅷ因子相关抗原（FⅧRAg）的表达,分析其相互关系。结果①对照组无iNOS表达,胶质瘤组iNOS阳性表达率为62.5％,二者有显著性差异（P<0.001）;②iNOS阴性组微血管密度为（22.40±12.62）个·视野-1,iNOS阳性组为（36.90±22.21）个·视野-1,两者间有显著性差异（P<0.05）;③胶质瘤VEGF阳性表达率为65.0％,明显高于对照组（P<0.01）;④VEGF阳性组微血管密度为（38.09±21.69）个·视野-1,阴性组为（19.19±9.05）个·视野-1,两者间差异显著（P<0.01）;⑤iNOS阳性组中VEGF阳性细胞数明显高于iNOS阴性组（P<0.01）。结论 NO和VEGF参与了胶质瘤的血管形成及肿瘤生长,其具有重要的临床和病理学价值。     

心房颤动伴心力衰竭患者抗凝治疗研究

目的观察心房颤动并心力衰竭患者抗凝治疗的安全性.方法将心房颤动患者292例按心功能分为心衰组(心功能Ⅱ～Ⅳ级,169例)和对照组(心功能Ⅰ组,123例).再按抗凝强度分为中等强度亚组(INR 2.5～3.5,心衰组81例,对照组64例)和低等强度亚组(INR 1.8～2.4,心衰组88例,对照组59例).常规抗凝治疗,观察血栓栓塞发生率及出血等不良反应发生率.结果低等强度抗凝亚组血栓栓塞年发生率为0.61%,中等强度抗凝亚组血栓栓塞发生率为0.心衰组中,中等强度抗凝亚组出血年发生率为20%,低等强度抗凝亚组年发生率为8%,两亚组比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);对照组中,中等强度抗凝亚组出血年发生率为13%,低等强度抗凝亚组出血年发生率为6%,两亚组比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).心衰组中等抗凝亚组与对照组中等抗凝亚组比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论心房颤动并心力衰竭抗凝治疗是安全有效的.但起始剂量宜小,INR控制在1.8～2.4为宜,当出现心力衰竭加重时,应及时调整华法林剂量,以保证抗凝效果,防止出血并发症发生.     

绝经后骨质疏松人群雌激素受体基因Xba I多态性和年龄对骨密度的影响

目的 分析绝经后骨质疏松人群雌激素受体(ER)基因XbaⅠ多态性与骨密度的相关性以及在基因多态性下年龄、绝经年限及体重指数(BMI)对骨密度的影响。方法 用双能X线骨密度仪检测患者151例，以PCR-RFLP的方法检测ER基因XbaⅠ多态性，SPSS软件进行相关回归分析。结果 ER基因型的频率分布为XX型16．6％，Xx型67．5％，xx型15．9％，XX型的骨密度在腰椎、股骨颈和Ward’s三角要高于Xs型和xx型。但ER多态性与骨密度无相关性。在Xx型和XX型人群中年龄越大，绝经年限越长，腰椎和股骨上端骨密度则越低。在XX型中，BMI是影响股骨颈和Ward’s三角骨密度的主要因素。而在xx型中，腰椎和ward’s三角骨密度与年龄、BMI和绝经年限无相关性，绝经年限与股骨颈骨密度相关，大转子与BMI相关。结论 福州地区绝经后骨质疏松人群ER基因XbaⅠ基因型与骨密度无明显相关性，但在不同基因型人群中，其骨密度的丢失趋势和影响因素也各异，临床上应采用不同的防治措施。