Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in three refugee schools in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, using tuberculin skin tests or interferon-γ release assays. Participants who tested positive were sent for further examination with chest radiography to confirm the tuberculosis diagnosis.
Results: From April 2018 to April 2019, we screened 430 refugee children with a median age of 13.0 years. Most of the children were born in Myanmar (n=274, 63.7%) and Pakistan (n=60, 14.0%). No children were diagnosed with active tuberculosis but 55 of the children (12.8%) were diagnosed with LTBI. Children with LTBI were generally older (OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.71-5.29; p<0.001) than those without LTBI infection. Sex, history of bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination and country of birth were not associated with increased risk of LTBI.
Conclusion: The relatively high LTBI burden among refugee children in this study poses an indication of possible LTBI risk among this population nationwide, and thus would be an important group to target for preventive therapy. This provides a unique opportunity for researchers to further examine and implement well-structured preventive strategies in combating the endemic infectious disease in Malaysia.
METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted on six electronic databases from database inception until May 31st 2021. Studies that reported on the clinical use or economic analysis of digital health technology for LTBI care were included. Two investigators independently evaluated, extracted relevant studies, and assessed the risk of bias of using the Cochrane tools. The studies were synthesized qualitatively.
RESULTS: Fifteen articles describing 14 studies were included. Voice and/or textual reminders and synchronous video call to improve LTBI treatment adherence were the most commonly examined digital health interventions. Other interventions examined the use of mobile phones to improve the number of patients who returned for tuberculin skin test follow-up measurement (screening retention) and eLearning videos to enhance health literacy in LTBI care. The economic analysis supported the use of textual reminders in LTBI treatment as a cost-effective option for widescale implantation.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite limited evidence on the effects of digital health technologies in LTBI, available studies suggest they are at least equivalent to current practice. This means digital health can potentially supplement current practice, to constantly monitor and engage with people undergoing LTBI screening or treatment, as an initiative to ensure the provision of continuous and optimal care to all LTBI-affected individuals.
OBJECTIVE: To identify community pharmacists-led interventions in TB management with their corresponding impacts in TB case detection and treatment outcomes.
METHODS: A systematic search was performed in six electronic databases and health organization websites, from database inception to August 2, 2022. Studies which described TB screening, referral and/or treatment monitoring by community pharmacists with their corresponding outcomes were screened and reviewed independently by two reviewers. The studies were checked for the risk of bias using Cochrane risk of bias tools. All data of included studies were analysed qualitatively and presented narratively.
RESULTS: The search yielded 8,121 studies and five reports for initial screening. Sixteen studies and two case study reports were included in this review. Community pharmacists were involved throughout the TB care cascade, contributing their services in TB screening, referrals and in directly observed treatment-short course (DOTS) program. These interventions showed improvements in the effective control and prevention of further spread of TB, which improves individual, community and population level outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of community pharmacists into TB program can improve the continuity of care, bridging the gaps in TB case detection and treatment monitoring. Adequate training and support are essential, to further empower the role of community pharmacists in TB control and prevention, in building a TB-free world.
METHODS: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study and purposefully selected people with T2D who drove and fasted during the past Ramadan period in 2019. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed thematically using a constant comparative method until saturation was achieved (n = 16).
RESULTS: Two major themes were identified, namely: (1) knowing oneself and (2) voluntary self-restriction. Participants described the importance of understanding how Ramadan fasting affected them and their level of alertness. As such, participants often adjusted their daily activities and tested their blood glucose levels to prevent experiencing hypoglycaemia. Other coping strategies reported include adjusting their medications and driving restrictions or driving in the mornings when they were more alert. Findings from this study shed light on participants' experiences and coping mechanisms while driving during Ramadan.
CONCLUSION: Given the risks and effects of hypoglycaemia among those who fast, there is a need to provide appropriate and focused patient education during Ramadan to people with T2D to ensure they can perform complex activities such as driving safely, especially in Muslim majority countries.
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) eradication is one of the top priorities in the public health agenda in Malaysia. While public-private mix (PPM) initiatives have been launched, community pharmacists remain undervalued assets in TB management.
METHODS: A two-phase mixed-methods study targeting community pharmacists was conducted in Malaysia between March and October 2021. The first phase was an online self-administered survey developed according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The second phase was a semi-structured interview to allow deeper understanding on the quantitative results. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive analysis while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis with a semi-inductive approach. The data were triangulated to enhance comprehensiveness and credibility of the findings.
FINDINGS: The survey was completed by 388 community pharmacists, and 23 pharmacists participated in the interview. Most community pharmacists indicated their willingness to serve as TB-DOT supervisors (70.1%). Qualitative results supported the findings. Community pharmacy-based TB-DOT service was perceived as an avenue to improve TB management and outcomes and to enhance the professional role of pharmacists in TB service at primary care settings. This was also perceived as a feasible intervention with the potential to strengthen the National TB Control programme. This initiative needs be reinforced with adequate support from the public healthcare sector for a strong partnership in ensuring success.
METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed on five electronic databases from database inception to 3 November 2021. A two-step technique was used in the data synthesis process: (i) the barriers of LTBI management were identified using the COM-B model, followed by (ii) mapping of intervention functions from BCW to address the identified barriers.
RESULTS: Forty-seven eligible articles were included in this review. The findings highlighted the need for a multifaceted approach in tackling the barriers in LTBI management across the public, provider and system levels. The barriers were summarized into suboptimal knowledge and misperception of LTBI, as well as stigma and psychosocial burden, which could be overcome with a combination of intervention functions, targeting education, environment restructuring, persuasion, modelling, training, incentivization and enablement.
CONCLUSIONS: The remedial strategies using BCW to facilitate policy reforms in LTBI management could serve as a value-added initiative in the global tuberculosis control and prevention program.
METHODS: RCTs that compared probiotics or synbiotics to usual care or placebo and reported clinical and diarrheal outcomes were searched in 4 electronic databases from inception to March 8, 2022 without language restriction. Four reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the study qualities using the Critical Care Nutrition (CCN) Methodological Quality Scoring System. Random-effect meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were used to synthesize the results. The primary outcome was ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The main subgroup analysis compared the effects of higher versus lower quality studies (based on median CCN score).
RESULTS: Seventy-five studies with 71 unique trials (n = 8551) were included. In the overall analysis, probiotics significantly reduced VAP incidence (risk ratio [RR] 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-0.88; I2 = 65%; 16 studies). However, such benefits were demonstrated only in lower (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.32, 0.69; I2 = 44%; 7 studies) but not higher quality studies (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.73, 1.08; I2 = 43%; 9 studies), with significant test for subgroup differences (p = 0.004). Additionally, TSA showed that the VAP benefits of probiotics in the overall and subgroup analyses were type-1 errors. In higher quality trials, TSA found that future trials are unlikely to demonstrate any benefits of probiotics on infectious complications and diarrhea. Probiotics had higher adverse events than control (pooled risk difference: 0.01, 95% CI 0.01, 0.02; I2 = 0%; 22 studies).
CONCLUSION: High-quality RCTs did not support a beneficial effect of probiotics on clinical or diarrheal outcomes in critically ill patients. Given the lack of benefits and the increased incidence of adverse events, probiotics should not be routinely administered to critically ill patients.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42022302278.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a Delphi-based approach, a multidisciplinary panel of 50 international experts from 26 countries reached a consensus on some of the open research questions regarding the link between MAFLD and CKD.
CONCLUSIONS: This Delphi-based consensus statement provided guidance on the epidemiology, mechanisms, management and treatment of MAFLD and CKD, as well as the relationship between the severity of MAFLD and risk of CKD, which establish a framework for the early prevention and management of these two common and interconnected diseases.