ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5084-5023
Current Organisation
University of Łódź
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 13-10-2023
DOI: 10.2196/47266
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/JPC.14701
Abstract: Refugees are at increased risk of tuberculosis infection due to time spent in crowded c s, decreased nutrition and originating from countries whose own tuberculosis control systems may have been disturbed. In Australia, tuberculosis is screened for in for all refugees aged 11-34 years old and in those aged 2-10 years arriving from high-incidence countries. Our aims were to determine if refugee children aged under 2 years of age should also be screened. A systematic literature review and meta-regression was carried out on studies in refugee children under 18 years old, involving screening for tuberculosis (active or latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI)). Studies were extracted from the last 10 years from a range of bibliographic databases using the search terms 'tuberculosis', 'children', 'screening' and 'refugee', which tested for tuberculosis using the tuberculin skin test (TST) or QuantiFERON-Gold (Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA)). Of the 15 included studies, prevalence of LTBI in < 2-year-olds was 5% using IGRA and 15% using TST (P < 0.05). Prevalence increased with age (odds ratio 1.12 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.17) cumulatively and decreased where IGRA was used for screening compared to TST (odds ratio 0.38 95% confidence interval: 0.25-0.58). Prevalence of LTBI did not differ between general versus clinic refugee cohorts. Refugees are a particularly vulnerable group in their susceptibility to tuberculosis, and LTBI management is a critical part of tuberculosis disease control due to the lifetime risk of developing active tuberculosis. A prevalence of 5-15% for LTBI in the under 2 years age group would support them being included in screening programmes.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/PY15191
Abstract: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) require ongoing treatment and support from their primary care provider to modify cardiovascular risk factors (including diet, exercise and mood), to receive evidence-based pharmacotherapies and be properly monitored and to ensure their take-up and completion of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). This study assesses adherence to National Heart Foundation guidelines for ACS in primary care in a regional centre in Western Australia. Patients discharged from hospital after a coronary event (unstable angina or myocardial infarction) or a coronary procedure (stent or coronary artery bypass graft) were identified through general practice electronic medical records. Patient data was extracted using a data form based on National Heart Foundation guidelines. Summary statistics were calculated and reported. Our study included 22 GPs and 44 patients in a regional centre. In total, 90% (n=39) of discharge summaries recorded medications. Assessment of pharmacological management showed that 53% (n=23) of patients received four or more classes of pharmacotherapy and that GPs often augmented medication beyond that prescribed at discharge. Of 15 smokers, 13 (87%) had advice to quit documented. Minimal advice for other risk-factor modification was documented in care plans. Patients with type 2 diabetes (n=20) were 70% more likely to receive allied health referral (P=0.02) and 60% more likely to receive advice regarding diet and exercise (P=0.007). However, overall, only 30% (n=13) of those eligible were referred to a dietician, and only 25% were referred to CR (n=10) with six completing CR. Although most GPs did not use standardised tools for mood assessment, 18 (41%) patients were diagnosed as depressed, of which 88% (n=16) were started on antidepressants and 28% (n=6) were referred to a psychologist. Although pharmacotherapy, mood management and smoking cessation management generally followed recommended guidelines, risk factor management relating to diet and exercise by GPs require improvement. Detailed care plans and referral to CR and allied health staff for patient support is recommended.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-06-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S12889-022-13600-3
Abstract: Maternal knowledge that motivates improvements in critical perinatal health behaviors has the potential to significantly reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. However, evidence-based health information often fails to reach mothers and their partners. mHealth video micro-messages, which disseminate evidence-based perinatal health messages, have the potential to address this gap. The study will make use of a mixed method design, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study consists of two phases. During Phase 1, qualitative in-depth interviews will be used as part of a human-centered design approach to co-create 10 videos on priority perinatal behaviors. During Phase 2, quantitative methods (a randomized control trial) will be used to test the effectiveness of the videos in improving maternal knowledge and intended behavioral change. We hypothesize that by engaging mothers and their partners through emotive, resonant narratives and visuals, we can facilitate the delivery of evidence-based health messages at the foundation of perinatal health, thereby motivating life-saving improvements in health behaviors during the perinatal period. This trial has been prospectively registered on the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR), with the registration number PACTR202203673222680 . Registration date: 14 March 2022. Registry – Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR). Date: 14 March 2022. Secondary identification number - grant number: GCCSOAFMNH1. Source of support: Science for Africa Foundation. Primary sponsor – Clinton Health Access Initiative South Africa. Secondary sponsor - Stanford University School of Medicine and Heidelberg University. Contact for public & scientific queries: amandlamamasa@clintonhealthaccess.org +27 123,426,911 1166 Francis Baard St, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028. Public title – Amandla Mama. Scientific title - Optimizing knowledge and behavioral intention of women and their partners in the perinatal period in South Africa. Countries of recruitment – South Africa. Health conditions – antenatal care. Intervention – Amandla Mama mHealth videos, short 2D animated health promotional videos that promote healthy behavior in expectant mothers. Inclusion and exclusion criteria - Expectant mothers and their partners must be 18 years and older. Study type – randomized control trial. Date of first enrollment – 14 March 2021. S le size – plan to enrol 450 participants, participants enrolled 29 participants. Recruitment Status – suspended. Primary outcome – improving knowledge. Secondary outcome – intended behavioral change. Ethics review – Approved on 24 January 2022 by Pharma-Ethics, contact Mrs. Marzelle Haskins, marzelle@pharma-ethics.co.za. Completion date – N/A. Summary results – N/A. IPD sharing statement – yes, through the publication of results in a journal article.
Publisher: Unpublished
Date: 2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-09-2020
DOI: 10.1111/APHW.12234
Abstract: To limit the rapid spread of COVID‐19, countries have asked their citizens to stay at home. As a result, demographic and cultural factors related to home life have become especially relevant to predict population well‐being during isolation. This pre‐registered worldwide study analyses the relationship between the number of adults and children in a household, marital status, age, gender, education level, COVID‐19 severity, in idualism–collectivism, and perceived stress. We used the COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey data of 53,524 online participants from 26 countries and areas. The data were collected between 30 March and 6 April 2020. Higher levels of stress were associated with younger age, being a woman, lower level of education, being single, staying with more children, and living in a country or area with a more severe COVID‐19 situation. The COVID‐19 pandemic revealed that certain people may be more susceptible to experience elevated levels of stress. Our findings highlight the need for public health to be attentive to both the physical and the psychological well‐being of these groups.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-06-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-022-01383-6
Abstract: During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVIDiSTRESS Consortium launched an open-access global survey to understand and improve in iduals’ experiences related to the crisis. A year later, we extended this line of research by launching a new survey to address the dynamic landscape of the pandemic. This survey was released with the goal of addressing ersity, equity, and inclusion by working with over 150 researchers across the globe who collected data in 48 languages and dialects across 137 countries. The resulting cleaned dataset described here includes 15,740 of over 20,000 responses. The dataset allows cross-cultural study of psychological wellbeing and behaviours a year into the pandemic. It includes measures of stress, resilience, vaccine attitudes, trust in government and scientists, compliance, and information acquisition and misperceptions regarding COVID-19. Open-access raw and cleaned datasets with computed scores are available. Just as our initial COVIDiSTRESS dataset has facilitated government policy decisions regarding health crises, this dataset can be used by researchers and policy makers to inform research, decisions, and policy.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-09-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PMED.1003744
Abstract: In South Africa, breastfeeding promotion is a national health priority. Regular perinatal home visits by community health workers (CHWs) have helped promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in underresourced settings. Innovative, digital approaches including mobile video content have also shown promise, especially as access to mobile technology increases among CHWs. We measured the effects of an animated, mobile video series, the Philani MObile Video Intervention for Exclusive breastfeeding (MOVIE), delivered by a cadre of CHWs (“mentor mothers”). We conducted a stratified, cluster-randomized controlled trial from November 2018 to March 2020 in Khayelitsha, South Africa. The trial was conducted in collaboration with the Philani Maternal Child Health and Nutrition Trust, a nongovernmental community health organization. We quantified the effect of the MOVIE intervention on EBF at 1 and 5 months (primary outcomes), and on other infant feeding practices and maternal knowledge (secondary outcomes). We randomized 1,502 pregnant women in 84 clusters 1:1 to 2 study arms. Participants’ median age was 26 years, 36.9% had completed secondary school, and 18.3% were employed. Mentor mothers in the video intervention arm provided standard-of-care counseling plus the MOVIE intervention mentor mothers in the control arm provided standard of care only. Within the causal impact evaluation, we nested a mixed-methods performance evaluation measuring mentor mothers’ time use and eliciting their subjective experiences through in-depth interviews. At both points of follow-up, we observed no statistically significant differences between the video intervention and the control arm with regard to EBF rates and other infant feeding practices [EBF in the last 24 hours at 1 month: RR 0.93 (95% CI 0.86 to 1.01, P = 0.091) EBF in the last 24 hours at 5 months: RR 0.90 (95% CI 0.77 to 1.04, P = 0.152)]. We observed a small, but significant improvement in maternal knowledge at the 1-month follow-up, but not at the 5-month follow-up. The interpretation of the results from this causal impact evaluation changes when we consider the results of the nested mixed-methods performance evaluation. The mean time spent per home visit was similar across study arms, but the intervention group spent approximately 40% of their visit time viewing videos. The absence of difference in effects on primary and secondary endpoints implies that, for the same time investment, the video intervention was as effective as face-to-face counseling with a mentor mother. The videos were also highly valued by mentor mothers and participants. Study limitations include a high loss to follow-up at 5 months after premature termination of the trial due to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in mentor mother service demarcations. This trial measured the effect of a video-based, mobile health (mHealth) intervention, delivered by CHWs during home visits in an underresourced setting. The videos replaced about two-fifths of CHWs’ direct engagement time with participants in the intervention arm. The similar outcomes in the 2 study arms thus suggest that the videos were as effective as face-to-face counselling, when CHWs used them to replace a portion of that counselling. Where CHWs are scarce, mHealth video interventions could be a feasible and practical solution, supporting the delivery and scaling of community health promotion services. The study and its outcomes were registered at clinicaltrials.gov (# NCT03688217 ) on September 27, 2018.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 23-10-2019
DOI: 10.3390/ANTIBIOTICS8040191
Abstract: (1) Background: The widespread development of resistance among Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) clinical isolates has been reported by surveillance systems around the world. This meta-analysis estimated the changes in susceptibility patterns among antibiotics under surveillance in Australia and New Zealand. (2) Methods: Articles published in English from 1980–2018, from Australia or New Zealand, that met the selection criteria were included. The meta-analysis was carried out using the R statistical software. (3) Results: In Australia, there has been decreasing susceptibility of gonococcal isolates to selected antimicrobials over time. Azithromycin (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.73 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.64–0.82) and ceftriaxone (OR: 0.69 95% CI 0.59–0.80) showed decreasing levels of susceptibility each year. Western Australia (OR: 0.76 95% CI 0.60–0.96) and Victoria (OR: 0.74 95% CI 0.60–0.90) also had decreasing levels of susceptibility to ceftriaxone over time compared with other states and territories. (4) Conclusions: The results highlight the need for the development of new approaches for managing cases of gonorrhoea. Improved antimicrobial stewardship, enhanced surveillance and contact tracing are needed to identify and respond to changes in antibiotic resistance in a timely manner. Increasing awareness and public health follow-up of cases can help to interrupt the cycle of infection and limit transmission.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJOGRB.2022.07.008
Abstract: To assess the effect of pre-operative sublingual misoprostol on intra-operative blood loss in abdominal myomectomy as compared to placebo. Double-blind randomised controlled pilot study. A single tertiary Gynaecology Unit in Melbourne, Australia. Women ≥ 18 years old undergoing laparoscopic or open myomectomy. Women undergoing laparoscopic or open myomectomy for symptomatic uterine leiomyomas were randomised to pre-operative sublingual 400mcg misoprostol or placebo. Intra-operative blood loss was measured via accurate record keeping of the post-operative volume in the suction canister and weighed packs, minus any irrigation fluid used. Intraoperative blood loss in the misoprostol treatment group was 306 ml ± 281 ml, compared to 325 ± 352 ml in the placebo group P = 0.83. Fibroid volume was a consistent predictor of intra-operative blood loss. For each 1 ml increase in fibroid volume there is an increase in blood loss by 0.26 ml (95 % CI: 0.07 - 0.46). In this study, we found that there was no significant difference in blood loss between women who received and did not receive sublingual misoprostol before abdominal myomectomy. This is an exploratory study laying the foundation for further randomised clinical trials.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-10-2021
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.13388
Abstract: Aboriginal clients accessing Aboriginal community‐controlled residential alcohol and other drug rehabilitation services in New South Wales, Australia believe they have better outcomes due to culturally appropriate care. However, there is a paucity of published treatment outcome data. This study aims to identify predictors of treatment outcomes based on client characteristics at intake. A cross‐sectional, retrospective, observational study of 2326 admissions to six services between January 2011 and December 2016. The outcomes were: (i) leaving treatment early (ii) self‐discharge or house discharge (by staff) and (iii) re‐admission within two years. The predictors examined were Aboriginal status, age, justice system referral and primary substance of concern. Competing risk and Poisson regression analyses were used to identify trends in the data. The mean age of clients was 33 years, and the majority (56%) stayed at least 6 weeks. Aboriginal clients whose primary substance of concern was stimulants were almost eight times more likely to re‐admitted within 2 years than other clients (risk ratio 7.91 P 0.001). Aboriginal clients who were also referred from justice were more likely to self‐discharge (risk ratio 1.87 P 0.001). Furthermore, Aboriginal clients who were aged older than 30 were less likely to have a re‐admission (risk ratio 0.32 P ≤ 0.001). This study showed client characteristics that are predictive of harmful outcomes include age under 30, justice client, primary substance of use and their interactions. Future research could build on these results to aid ongoing development of residential rehabilitation programs for Aboriginal peoples.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2020
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 14-03-2023
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2018
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 03-06-2015
Abstract: Those interested in evaluating the effectiveness of community interventions on health and well-being need information about what tools are available and best suited to measure improvements that could be attributed to the intervention.This study evaluated published measurement tools of health and well-being that have the potential to be used before and after an intervention. A literature search of health and sociological databases was undertaken for articles that utilised measurement tools in community settings to measure overall health, well-being or quality of life. Articles were considered potentially relevant because they included use of measurement tools related to general health or well-being. These tools were evaluated by further searching of the literature to assess each tool's properties including: reliability validity responsiveness length use in cross-cultural settings global health or well-being assessment use of subjective measures clarity and cost. A composite score was made based on the average rating of all fields. Of 958 abstracts that were screened, 123 articles were extracted for review. From those articles, 27 measurement tools were selected and assessed. Based on the composite score assessing across all domains, five tools were rated as excellent. While tools may need to be selected for particular aims and interventions, a range of potential well-described tools already exist and should be considered for use in preference to ad hoc or bespoke tools. Any of the five tools rated as excellent are recommended to assess the impact of a community intervention.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-11-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.ATHORACSUR.2012.03.019
Abstract: Studies on long-term outcomes of the arterial switch operation (ASO) for transposition of the great arteries (TGA) are uncommon. Thus, we sought to determine the long-term outcomes for patients after ASO performed at a single institution over a 25-year period. From 1983 to 2009, 618 patients underwent the ASO for TGA and were reviewed retrospectively. Overall early mortality was 2.8%. Risk factors for early death on multivariate analysis were resection of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction at time of ASO (p = 0.001), weight less than 2.5 kg at time of ASO (p < 0.001), associated aortic arch obstruction (p = 0.043), and the need for postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (p < 0.001). Mean follow-up time was 10.6 years (range 2 months to 26.1 years). Late mortality was 0.9%. Reintervention was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with ventricular septal defect or arch obstruction versus those without them (25.2% and 23.4% vs 5.9% at 15- year follow-up). Risk factors for late reintervention were left ventricular outflow tract obstruction at time of ASO (p < 0.001) and a greater circulatory arrest time (p < 0.001). Freedom from at least moderate neoaortic valve regurgitation for the entire cohort was 98.7% (95% confidence interval 96.8 to 99.5%) at 20 years. Mild neoaortic regurgitation was seen in 25.6% of patients at mean follow-up. All patients were free of arrhythmia and heart failure symptoms at last follow-up. The ASO can be performed with good long-term results. Patients with associated ventricular septal defect and aortic arch obstruction warrant close follow-up.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-01-2023
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 07-2011
Publisher: Future Medicine Ltd
Date: 07-2009
DOI: 10.2217/PGS.09.60
Abstract: Thiopurine methyltransferase genotyping and thiopurine metabolite testing has been established as an adjunct to monitoring patients taking thiopurine drugs. This special report describes the clinical implications for this type of testing for patients with inflammatory bowel disease who are taking thiopurine drugs. A total of 10% of patients were found to be intermediate metabolizers and the mean dosage (in mg/kg equivalent) was lower in intermediate metabolizers than extensive metabolizers. The metabolite levels did not correlate with scores measuring clinical severity but levels of 6-methylmercaptopurine were related to the dosage of the drugs. Despite considerable study of thiopurine methyltransferase testing in the literature, it is still not widely used in many geographical areas. This study adds to the evidence about using such testing as well as expanding the role of simultaneously measuring thiopurine metabolites. Further work is planned to evaluate the uptake when such testing becomes available locally as a clinical service.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 02-2021
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.200589
Abstract: The COVIDiSTRESS global survey collects data on early human responses to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic from 173 429 respondents in 48 countries. The open science study was co-designed by an international consortium of researchers to investigate how psychological responses differ across countries and cultures, and how this has impacted behaviour, coping and trust in government efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Starting in March 2020, COVIDiSTRESS leveraged the convenience of unpaid online recruitment to generate public data. The objective of the present analysis is to understand relationships between psychological responses in the early months of global coronavirus restrictions and help understand how different government measures succeed or fail in changing public behaviour. There were variations between and within countries. Although Western Europeans registered as more concerned over COVID-19, more stressed, and having slightly more trust in the governments' efforts, there was no clear geographical pattern in compliance with behavioural measures. Detailed plots illustrating between-countries differences are provided. Using both traditional and Bayesian analyses, we found that in iduals who worried about getting sick worked harder to protect themselves and others. However, concern about the coronavirus itself did not account for all of the variances in experienced stress during the early months of COVID-19 restrictions. More alarmingly, such stress was associated with less compliance. Further, those most concerned over the coronavirus trusted in government measures primarily where policies were strict. While concern over a disease is a source of mental distress, other factors including strictness of protective measures, social support and personal lockdown conditions must also be taken into consideration to fully appreciate the psychological impact of COVID-19 and to understand why some people fail to follow behavioural guidelines intended to protect themselves and others from infection. The Stage 1 manuscript associated with this submission received in-principle acceptance (IPA) on 18 May 2020. Following IPA, the accepted Stage 1 version of the manuscript was preregistered on the Open Science Framework at osf.io/ytbcs . This preregistration was performed prior to data analysis.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.ATHORACSUR.2010.12.069
Abstract: Repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (TAPVD) in neonates remains a challenge as it is often associated with severe obstruction. We describe a large cohort of neonates who underwent TAPVD repair at a single institution. From 1973 to 2008, 112 patients underwent simple TAPVD surgery during the first month of life. Data collection occurred retrospectively. Preoperative pulmonary venous obstruction (PVO) occurred in 89 (79.5%) patients. There were 12 (10.7%) early deaths. Significant risk factors were bypass time greater than 65 minutes (p=0.014) and emergent surgery (p=0.005). Hospital mortality was unchanged throughout the 3 eras (1973 to 1988, 1989 to 1998, 1999 to 2008), despite an increase in patients with preoperative acidosis (p=0.004) and severe TAPVD obstruction (p=0.038) during the recent 10 years. There were 6 (6.25%) late deaths within 2 years of repair. Survival at 20 years was 83.4% (95% confidence interval 75 to 89). Risk factors for late death were operative weight 2.5 kg or less (p=0.004) and postoperative pulmonary hypertensive crisis (p=0.02). Reoperation for recurrent PVO was required in 13 patients (11.9%). Risk factors were operative weight 2.5 kg or less (p=0.035) and postoperative pulmonary hypertensive crisis (p=0.002). Follow-up was 96% complete and survivors (n=90) were asymptomatic at a median age of 11.7 years. Hospital mortality remained unchanged over the 36-year period. Survival beyond 2 years offers excellent outcome. Risk factors for mortality were the preoperative clinical status, prolonged bypass time, persisting micro-obstruction, and low operative weight. A reduction in mortality will likely require development of effective medical management for patients who have peripheral PVO not amenable to surgical repair.
Publisher: Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)
Date: 02-2010
Abstract: The test-retest method is commonly used in the management of patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). One of the most widely used techniques in the diagnosis of this condition is evaluation of the patient's response to CSF evacuation by lumbar puncture (a so-called tap test or spinal tap). However, interpretation of improved results in subsequent evaluations is controversial because higher scores could reflect a real change in specific abilities or could be simply the result of a learning effect. To determine the effect of testing-retesting in patients with NPH, the authors analyzed changes documented on 5 neuropsychological tests (the Toulouse-Pieron, Trail Making Test A, Grooved Pegboard, Word Fluency, and Bingley Memory tests) and several motor ability scales (motor performance test, length of step, and walking speed tests) in a series of 32 patients with NPH who underwent the same battery on 4 consecutive days. The same tests were also applied in 30 healthy volunteers. In both groups, the authors used the generalized least-squares regression method with random effects to test for learning effects. To evaluate possible differences in response depending on the degree of cognitive impairment at baseline, the results were adjusted by using the Mini-Mental State Examination scores of patients and controls when these scores were significant in the model. In patients with NPH there were no statistically significant differences in any of the neuropsychological or motor tests performed over the 4 consecutive days, except in the results of the Toulouse-Pieron test, which were significantly improved on Day 3. In contrast, healthy volunteers had statistically significant improvement in the results of the Toulouse-Pieron test, Trail Making Test A, and Grooved Pegboard test but not in the remaining neuropsychological tests. Patients in the healthy volunteer group also exhibited statistically significant improvement in the motor performance test but not in step length or walking speed. No learning effect was found in patients with NPH on any of the neuropsychological or motor tests. Clinical improvement after retesting in these patients reflects real changes, and this strategy can therefore be used in both the diagnosis and evaluation of surgical outcomes.
No related grants have been discovered for Mithilesh Dronavalli.