scholarly journals Differences in the Epidemiological Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza, Compared with Seasonal Influenza

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 676-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin T. Shiley ◽  
Gregory Nadolski ◽  
Timothy Mickus ◽  
Neil O. Fishman ◽  
Ebbing Lautenbach
Keyword(s):  
Pandemic Influenza ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Centers ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Clinical Presentations ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 2009 ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Background.There are limited data comparing the clinical presentations, comorbidities, and outcomes of patients with infections due to seasonal influenza with patients with infections due to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza.Objective.To compare the epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza with those of seasonal influenza.Methods.A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who received diagnoses during emergency department and inpatient encounters at 2 affiliated academic medical centers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cases of seasonal influenza during the period November 1, 2005, through June 1, 2008, and cases of pandemic influenza during the period from May 1, 2009, through August 7, 2009, were identified retrospectively.Results.Forty-nine cases of pandemic influenza and 503 cases of seasonal influenza were identified. Patients with pandemic H1N1 were younger (median age, 29 years) than patients with seasonal influenza (median age, 59 years) (P<.001). More patients with pandemic H1N1 (35 [71%] of 49) were African American, compared with patients with seasonal influenza (267 [53%] of 503;P= .02). Several symptoms were more common among patients with pandemic influenza infections than among patients with seasonal influenza infections: cough (98% vs 83%;P= .007), myalgias (71% vs 46%;P= .001), and pleuritic chest pain (45% vs 15%;P< .001). Pregnancy was the only comorbidity that occurred significantly more often in the pandemic influenza group than in the seasonal influenza group (16% vs 1%;P< .001). There were no significant differences in frequencies of deaths of hospitalized patients, intensive care unit admission, or length of hospitalization between groups.Conclusion.Other than pregnancy, there were few clinically important differences between infections due to seasonal influenza and those due to pandemic influenza. The greater rate of lower respiratory tract symptoms in pandemic cases might serve to differentiate pandemic influenza from seasonal influenza.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in the UK: clinical and epidemiological findings from the first few hundred (FF100) cases

2010 ◽  
Vol 138 (11) ◽  
pp. 1531-1541 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. McLEAN ◽  
R. G. PEBODY ◽  
C. CAMPBELL ◽  
M. CHAMBERLAND ◽  
C. HAWKINS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 ◽  
Duration Of Illness ◽  
Gastrointestinal Complaints ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 2009 ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
Underlying Medical Condition

SUMMARYThe UK was one of few European countries to document a substantial wave of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in summer 2009. The First Few Hundred (FF100) project ran from April–June 2009 gathering information on early laboratory-confirmed cases across the UK. In total, 392 confirmed cases were followed up. Children were predominantly affected (median age 15 years, IQR 10–27). Symptoms were mild and similar to seasonal influenza, with the exception of diarrhoea, which was reported by 27%. Eleven per cent of all cases had an underlying medical condition, similar to the general population. The majority (92%) were treated with antiviral drugs with 12% reporting adverse effects, mainly nausea and other gastrointestinal complaints. Duration of illness was significantly shorter when antivirals were given within 48 h of onset (median 5 vs. 9 days, P=0·01). No patients died, although 14 were hospitalized, of whom three required mechanical ventilation. The FF100 identified key clinical and epidemiological characteristics of infection with this novel virus in near real-time.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Primary Malignant Bone Tumors in Isfahan Province, Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 7-12
Author(s):  
Hossein Akbari Aghdam ◽  
◽  
Azin Mohammad-Salehi ◽  
Hamed i Zandi-esfahan ◽  
Mohsen Heidari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Soft Tissue Tumors ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Isfahan Province ◽  
Medical Centers ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Background: Primary malignant tumors, including rare tumors of the skeleton, are of concern. However, the unpredictable prognosis, morbidity, and mortality of these tumors have raised them as one of the health problems. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of these tumors in Isfahan province, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 489 patients with malignant bone and soft tissue tumors were enrolled from 2006 to 2016. Their data were available in Isfahan medical centers, and their diagnostic biopsies from their hospitals’ records were examined. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS. Results: The most common tumors were in the descending order: Osteosarcoma (15.1%), Ewing sarcoma (13.7%), chondrosarcoma (13.1%), fibrosarcoma and neurofibrosarcoma (10.8%), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (7.8%), synovial sarcoma (6.7%), liposarcoma (6.5%), dermatofibrosarcoma (3.3%), rhabdomyosarcoma (3.1%), and leiomyosarcoma (3.1%). Other sarcomas comprised 16.8%. The highest prevalence of tumors was in Isfahan city. Conclusion: This study was conducted for the first time in Isfahan Province to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of malignant bone and soft tissue tumors. Our study results were similar to most studies conducted in different regions of the world. Considering the relatively high prevalence of malignant bone and soft tissue tumors in lower age groups, we recommend further studies in this area to manage this problem.

scholarly journals Serologic Survey of the Pandemic H1N1 2009 Virus in Guangdong Province, China: A Cross Sectional Study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. e23034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Jianfeng He ◽  
Linghui Li ◽  
Xiaolan Zhu ◽  
Changwen Ke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Guangdong Province ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Serologic Survey ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 2009

scholarly journals Do patients bypass primary care for common health problems under a free-access system? Experience of Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Lin Liang ◽  
Nicole Huang ◽  
Yi-Jung Shen ◽  
Annie Yu-An Chen ◽  
Yiing-Jenq Chou
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Research Database ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Access System ◽  
Medical Centers ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background A common challenge for free-access systems is that people may bypass primary care and seek secondary care through self-referral. Taiwan’s government has undertaken various initiatives to mitigate bypass; however, little is known about whether the bypass trend has decreased over time. This study examined the extent to which patients bypass primary care for treatment of common diseases and factors associated with bypass under Taiwan’s free-access system. Methods This repeated cross-sectional study analyzed data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. A random sample of 1 million enrollees was drawn repeatedly from the insured population during 2000–2017. To capture visits beyond the community level, the bypass rate was defined as the proportion of self-referred visits to the top two levels of providers, namely academic medical centers and regional hospitals, among all visits to all providers. Subgroup analyses were conducted for visits with a single diagnosis. Logistic regressions were used to investigate factors associated with bypass. Results The standardized bypass rate for all diseases analyzed exhibited a decreasing trend. In 2017, it was low for common cold (0.7–1.3%), moderate for hypertension (14.0–29.5%), but still high for diabetes (32.0–47.0%). Moreover, the likelihood of bypass was higher for male, patients with higher salaries or comorbidities, and in areas with more physicians practicing in large hospitals or less physicians working in primary care facilities. Conclusions Although the bypass trend has decreased over time, continuing efforts may be required to reduce bypass associated with chronic diseases. Both patient sociodemographic and market characteristics were associated with the likelihood of bypass. These results may help policymakers to develop strategies to mitigate bypass.

Applied Status and Quality of Graphs in Five Academic Medical Journals in Shanghai (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zisheng Ai ◽  
Yuhong Tang ◽  
Jiaqi Zheng ◽  
Sanyou Wu ◽  
Ying Wu
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Journals ◽  
Graph Type ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Substantial Problem ◽  
Error Bias ◽  
Important Form

BACKGROUND Figures are an important form of expressing results commonly found in medical papers and make data easy to read and compare. The quality of graphs in original papers has improved in western medical journals. However, some figures fail to correctly express the results of a paper. Additionally, graph quality and application has not been assessed in medical journals outside western countries. OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency and types of data graphs used in Chinese academic medical journals and evaluate the quality of graphs used in original medical papers. METHODS A total of 783 papers were surveyed from the medical journals of five colleges and universities in Shanghai from 2011 to 2015. A cross-sectional study was used to analyse the applied status and graph quality. The evaluation criteria of graphs mainly included graph type, visual clarity, completeness, and special standards. RESULTS Most authors prefer to use simple charts, and bar charts with 95% CI were the most widely used. More than 60% of charts have problems with visual clarity, completeness, and special standards. Of 841 incorrect graphs, 10 (0.58%) graphs had three combined problems of graph characteristics, and 292 (34.72%) graphs had any two combined problems of graph characteristics. For detailed errors, the absence of variance description was the most substantial problem, especially in 2014 and in some academic medical journals. CONCLUSIONS Graphs are less commonly applied in the five university journals. However, the quality of papers using graphs was not properly controlled. Editors and journal quality management should strengthen the quality control of charts in papers. Authors should also avoid error bias and distorting their conclusions.

scholarly journals Healthcare Workers’ Perspectives on the Upcoming COVID-19 Vaccine in Terms of Their Exposure to the Influenza Vaccine in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 465
Author(s):  
Leena R. Baghdadi ◽  
Shatha G. Alghaihb ◽  
Alanoud A. Abuhaimed ◽  
Dania M. Alkelabi ◽  
Rawan S. Alqahtani
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Influenza Vaccine ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Seasonal Influenza Vaccine ◽  
History Of

In 2019, a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)) caused a global pandemic. There was an urgent need to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 to reduce its spread and economic burden. The main objective of this study was to understand the attitudes and concerns of healthcare workers (HCWs) towards the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine, whether their decision was influenced by their history of taking the seasonal influenza vaccine, and factors that influence the acceptance of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We selected and surveyed 356 HCWs via an electronic self-administered questionnaire. A total of 61.16% of HCWs were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and 55.9% of them had received the seasonal influenza vaccine in the preceding year (2019–2020). The strongest predictors for taking the COVID-19 vaccine were the HCWs’ belief that the COVID-19 vaccine would be safe, needed even for healthy people, that all HCWs should be vaccinated against COVID-19, and that HCWs will have time to take the vaccine. Being female, being middle aged, having <5 years of work experience, having no fear of injections, and being a non-smoker were predictive factors for taking the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine. No associations were found between the intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine and a history of taking the seasonal influenza vaccine.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Sport-Related Concussion in Athletes of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 98 (1 Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. S23.1-S23
Author(s):  
Carlos Pinheiro ◽  
Francisca Taciane Nascimento Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Combat Sports ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Brazilian Sample ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

ObjectiveTo evaluate the self-reported history of concussion in athletes of both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai.BackgroundCombat sports are widely practiced around the world. They include modalities that involves punches or kicks directed at the opponent's head (Striking sports) or that consists of grabbing an opponent and taking him to the ground (Grappling sports). Due to the objectives and close contact in combat sports, the risk of concussion is significant.Design/MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study involving a Brazilian sample of BJJ athletes (n-18) and Muay Thai athletes (n-22). The sample was consisted of both professional and amateur athletes (Women constituted 20% of sample). Through individual interviews with a researcher the following data were collected: self-report of concussion and the moment of the injury (whether in practice or in the fight). The Post-Concussion Symptoms Scale (PCSS) was also applied. In the present study, a concussion was considered as a direct impact on the head followed by symptoms. This study was approved by a local Ethics Committee.ResultsAmong BJJ athletes, 61% reported a history of concussion, while among Muay Thai athletes the percentage was more higher (86%). The main mechanisms of head impact were the throw/takedown and elbow-hits to the head in BJJ and punches and knee-hits to the head in Muay Thai. There was no difference in the symptom score between BJJ and Muay Thai concussed athletes (average of 11 vs 10.7, respectively). The most common symptoms were dizziness, headache and nausea in BJJ athletes, and headache, nausea, drowsiness and brain fogginess in Muay Thai ones.ConclusionsThe results presented herein suggest that concussions in Muay Thai and BJJ occur through different mechanisms. The clinical profile of post-concussion symptoms appears to be different between BJJ and Muay Thai athletes.

Prevalence and Epidemiological Characteristics of Asymptomatic Malaria Based on Ultrasensitive Diagnostics: A Cross-sectional Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1003-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seble Girma ◽  
James Cheaveau ◽  
Abu Naser Mohon ◽  
Dewdunee Marasinghe ◽  
Ruth Legese ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Rapid Diagnostic Tests ◽  
World Health ◽  
Asymptomatic Malaria ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background As the global public-health objectives for malaria evolve from malaria control towards malaria elimination, there is increasing interest in the significance of asymptomatic infections and the optimal diagnostic test to identify them. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study of asymptomatic individuals (N = 562) to determine the epidemiological characteristics associated with asymptomatic malaria. Participants were tested by rapid diagnostic tests (CareStart, Standard Diagnostics [SD] Bioline, and Alere ultrasensitive RDT [uRDT]), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to determine malaria positivity. Hemoglobin values were recorded, and anemia was defined as a binary variable, according to World Health Organization guidelines. Results Compared to reference qRT-PCR, LAMP had the highest sensitivity (92.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 86.4–96.5), followed by uRDT Alere Malaria (33.9%, 95% CI 25.5–43.1), CareStart Malaria (14.1%, 95% CI 8.4–21.5), microscopy (5.0%, 95% CI 1.8–10.5), and SD Bioline (5.0%, 95% CI 1.8–10.5). For Plasmodium falciparum specimens only, the sensitivity for uRDT Alere Malaria was 50.0% (95% CI 38.8–61.3) and SD Bioline was 7.3% (95% CI 2.7–15.3). Based on multivariate regression analysis with qRT-PCR as the gold standard, for every 3.2% increase in the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria, hemoglobin decreased by 1 gram per deciliter (prevalence ratio 0.968, 95% CI 0.940–0.997; P = .032). Deletions (4.8%) in hrp2 were noted. Conclusions While uRDT Alere Malaria has superior sensitivity to rapid diagnostic tests and microscopy in detecting asymptomatic malaria, LAMP is superior still. Ultrasensitive diagnostics provide the accurate prevalence estimates of asymptomatic malaria required for elimination.

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