The aim of this study is a descriptive presentation of cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) that were presented to Aleppo University Hospital (AUH) during the recent cholera outbreak in Syria.

Prospective, observational, cohort study.

A total of 1061 patients with AWD were admitted to AUH during the timeframe of 20 September 2022 to 20 October 2022. The data collection was done through a structured questionnaire. This includes comprehensive clinical observation, laboratory analyses, therapeutic interventions and holistic case evaluations.

The analysis has revealed notable insights: a predominant proportion of patients (58.6%) were residents from urban areas and 40.3% were residents from rural areas. Intriguingly, a diverse range of potential infection sources emerged from patient data within our hospital, including uncontrolled well water, vegetables and faecal-oral transmission through contaminated street/fast food. At discharge, most patients were in good health (79.7%), followed by moderate health (17.6%) and poor health (2.3%), with a minimal percentage dying before discharge (0.4%). The most common complications reported at admission and during hospitalisation included electrolyte imbalance (28.2%), followed by severe dehydration (16.3%). In the follow-up period, the majority of patients exhibited good health (81.0%). Older patients (>60 years) had poorer outcomes, with 8.4% having poor health and 4.2% death rate.

The study found results consistent with previous AWD outbreaks in developing countries like Yemen, Nigeria and Lebanon. Preventative measures like improving water sanitation and hygiene practices are essential to prevent future outbreaks and ease the strain on healthcare systems. Therefore, future studies must investigate the risk factors that increase the spread and the severity of the disease and investigate the best management method.

Overweight and obesity are excessive fat accumulations linked with many health problems, including heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Multiple studies have demonstrated that beliefs about overweight, obesity and self-efficacy play essential roles in the success of interventions for obesity management.

This study aimed to identify the perceptions of university students of overweight and obesity using the health belief model (HBM) and to analyse their association with the body mass index (BMI) categories of the students.

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study and a multistage sampling technique were used to ensure the recruitment of students from selected colleges of Jazan University—Saudi Arabia.

Six colleges of Jazan University were randomly selected to ensure equal representation of health sciences, sciences and humanities colleges.

A total of 579 students completed an online survey between January and April 2023.

The primary outcome measures were demographic characteristics and HBM constructs. Secondary outcome measures were behavioural intentions relating to obesity management.

This study demonstrated that gender and self-reported family history of obesity were significantly correlated with the BMI categories of the students (p

This study underscores the need for tailored health promotion strategies that consider the perceptions and beliefs of people about the management of obesity.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) allows patients increased autonomy and flexibility; however, both infectious and non-infectious complications may lead to technique failure, which shortens treatment longevity. Maintaining patients on PD remains a major challenge for nephrologists. This study aims to describe nephrologists’ perspectives on technique survival in PD.

Qualitative semistructured interview study. Transcripts were thematically analysed.

30 nephrologists across 11 countries including Australia, the USA, the UK, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Colombia and Uruguay were interviewed from April 2017 to November 2019.

We identified four themes: defining patient suitability (confidence in capacity for self-management, ensuring clinical stability and expected resilience), building endurance (facilitating access to practical support, improving mental well-being, optimising quality of care and training to reduce risk of complications), establishing rapport through effective communications (managing expectations to enhance trust, individualising care and harnessing a multidisciplinary approach) and confronting fear and acknowledging barriers to haemodialysis (preventing crash landing to haemodialysis, facing concerns of losing independence and positive framing of haemodialysis).

Nephrologists reported that technique survival in PD is influenced by patients’ medical circumstances, psychological motivation and positively influenced by the education and support provided by treating clinicians and families. Strategies to enhance patients’ knowledge on PD and communication with patients about technique survival in PD are needed to build trust, set patient expectations of treatment and improve the process of transition off PD.

Detailed simulation models are needed to assess strategies for prevention and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the world’s leading cause of liver disease. We sought to develop and validate a simulation model of chronic HBV that incorporates virological, serological and clinical outcomes.

We developed a novel Monte Carlo simulation model (the HEPA-B Model) detailing the natural history of chronic HBV. We parameterised the model with epidemiological data from the Western Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa. We simulated the evolution of HBV DNA, ‘e’ antigen (HBeAg) and surface antigen (HBsAg). We projected incidence of HBeAg loss, HBsAg loss, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and death over 10-year and lifetime horizons. We stratified outcomes by five HBV DNA categories at the time of HBeAg loss, ranging from HBV DNA10⁶ copies/mL. We tested goodness of fit using intraclass coefficients (ICC).

Model-projected incidence of HBeAg loss was 5.18% per year over lifetime (ICC, 0.969 (95% CI: 0.728 to 0.990)). For people in HBeAg-negative phases of infection, model-projected HBsAg loss ranged from 0.78% to 3.34% per year depending on HBV DNA level (ICC, 0.889 (95% CI: 0.542 to 0.959)). Model-projected incidence of cirrhosis was 0.29–2.09% per year (ICC, 0.965 (95% CI: 0.942 to 0.979)) and HCC incidence was 0.06–1.65% per year (ICC, 0.977 (95% CI: 0.962 to 0.986)). Over a lifetime simulation of HBV disease, mortality rates were higher for people with older age, higher HBV DNA level and liver-related complications, consistent with observational studies.

We simulated HBV DNA-stratified clinical outcomes with the novel HEPA-B Model and validated them to observational data. This model can be used to examine strategies of HBV prevention and management.

To measure the gap between expectations of patients with cancer for oncology services and their perceptions of the actual service and to identify associated factors at the oncology centre of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.

An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted using the service quality (SERVQUAL) tool from March to April 2022 on a sample of 256 hospitalised patients with cancer at the oncology centre of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. A paired Wilcoxon test and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine the statistically significant difference between expectation and perception and to quantify the strength of association between the level of gap in the quality of oncology service and dependent variables, respectively.

Out of 256 patients with cancer included in the study, all of them agreed and participated, making the response rate 100%. The overall gap in service quality explained by the mean and SD is –1.42 (±0.41). The overall score for expectation and perception is 4.24 (±0.31) and 2.82 (±0.37), respectively. Being female, age greater than 65, having a college degree and above, being a patient with cervical cancer, patients with stage 4 cancer and patients who waited for more than 12 months for radiotherapy were found to have a statistically significant higher expectation compared with their perceived care in one or more dimensions of the SERVQUAL tool.

Patient perceptions of the quality of service they received were lower than their expectations of the quality of service in all service quality aspects at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital’s oncology centre, implying unmet quality expectations from the oncology service users, with tangibility, assurance and empathy being the dimensions with the highest gap recorded, respectively. Therefore, the hospital and other stakeholders should strive to exceed patient expectations and the overall quality of care.

Countries in the WHO’s African region have found community-based surveillance useful in ensuring the effectiveness of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response strategy. This approach encourages community participation in the surveillance system, in addition to early detection of outbreaks and other health threats. Thus, advancements in mobile health have the potential to improve community-based surveillance in Africa. The purpose of this review is to map evidence on available mhealth tools for community-based infectious disease surveillance in Africa.

The scoping review will follow a mixed-methods approach in line with the framework of Arksey and O’Malley amended by Levac and colleagues and the Joanna Briggs Institute. To retrieve published literature, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Google databases will be explored. Websites of organisations involved in surveillance activities across the African region will also be explored. Authors will be interested in published literature between 2000 and 2022 in any language. The primary investigator and a second author will independently review the retrieved titles according to the inclusion criteria, while a third reviewer will resolve conflicts that may arise. The review will map evidence according to the key concepts (mhealth, community-based surveillance and Africa) to inform stakeholders and mhealth designers on best practices to adopt involving mhealth approaches at the community level and mhealth tool designs, respectively. Results following the review will be presented according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: Extension for Scoping Review Guidelines.

Ethical approval is not required for scoping reviews as it does not involve the use of human subjects. This review is the first phase in an overall project on digital health. The findings of the review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated at suitable forums and conferences.

This study aimed to explore paediatric hospitalisation related to medication administration errors (MAEs) of non-opioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics in England and Wales.

An ecological study.

A population-based study on hospitalised patients in England and Wales. Hospital admission data were extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England and the Patient Episode Database for Wales for the period between April 1999 and April 2020. Admissions cause was confirmed using the diagnostic codes T39.0–T39.9.

Paediatric patients aged 15 years and below who were hospitalised at all National Health Service (NHS) trusts and any independent sector funded by NHS trusts.

Hospitalisation rates related to MAEs of non-opioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics.

The yearly number of admissions for MAEs associated with non-opioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics experienced a notable growth of 21.7% over the span of two decades, rising from 4574 cases in 1999 to 5568 cases in 2020. The observed increase demonstrates a significant upward trend in hospital admissions rate, with a 12.3% growth from 46.16 per 100 000 individuals in 1999 to 51.83 per 100 000 individuals in 2020 (95% CIs 44.83 to 47.50 and 50.47 to53.19, respectively, trend test, p

The research revealed a notable rise in the overall yearly number of hospital admissions associated with MAEs within the paediatric population. This study emphasises the necessity for additional research aimed at mitigating the potential hazards associated with the ingestion of these medications, particularly within susceptible demographics, such as young children.

To explore the correlation between prescribing rate of medications and hospital admissions related to medications administration errors in England and Wales during the time from 1999 to 2020.

An ecological study.

A population-based study using hospital admission data that are publicly available in the UK. Data in this study were extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England and the Patient Episode Database in Wales from Wales. The Prescription Cost Analysis database was used to extract the prescription data.

Patients who were hospitalised all National Health Service (NHS) trusts and any independent sector funded by NHS trusts.

Hospitalisation rates related to medication administration errors and its associated prescriptions.

The annual rate of hospital admissions related to medication administration errors increased by 32.0% (from 184.21 (95% CI 183.0 to 185.4) in 1999 to 243.18 (95% CI 241.9 to 244.4) in 2020 per 100 000 persons. The most common three indications of hospital admissions were T39 (non-opioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics), T43 (psychotropic drugs), T42 (antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic and antiparkinsonism drugs). The age group 15–59 years had the highest number of hospital admissions (83.4%). Women contributed to 59.1% of the total number of hospital admissions. Admission rate among men increased by 16.7%. Among women, the admission rate increased by 44.6%.

Admission rates due to medication administration errors increased markedly in the past decade. This increase was correlated with an increase in the prescription rate of several therapeutic classes. Patients taking non-opioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics, psychiatric medications, antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic and antiparkinsonism drugs should have their recommended (and administered) doses closely monitored. They should be followed up on a regular basis to ensure that they are taking their medications as prescribed.

Inflammation is a key mediator in the development and progression of the atherosclerotic disease process as well as its resultant complications, like myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and cardiovascular (CV) death, and is emerging as a novel treatment target. Trials involving anti-inflammatory medications have demonstrated outcome benefit in patients with known CV disease. In this regard, colchicine appears to hold great promise. However, there are potential drawbacks to colchicine use, as some studies have identified an increased risk of infection, and a non-significant trend for increased all-cause mortality. Thus, a more thorough understanding of the underlying mechanism of action of colchicine is needed to enable a better patient selection for this novel CV therapy.

The primary objective of the Canadian Study of Arterial Inflammation in Patients with Diabetes and Recent Vascular Events, Evaluation of Colchicine Effectiveness (CADENCE) trial is to assess the effect of colchicine on vascular inflammation in the carotid arteries and ascending aorta measured with ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or pre-diabetes who have experienced a recent vascular event (acute coronary syndrome (ACS)/MI, transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or stroke). Secondary objectives include determining colchicine’s effect on inflammatory biomarkers (high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)). Additionally, we will assess if baseline inflammation imaging or biomarkers are associated with a treatment response to colchicine determined by imaging. Exploratory objectives will look at: (1) the difference in the inflammatory response to colchicine in patients with coronary events compared with patients with cerebral events; (2) the difference in the inflammatory response to colchicine in different vascular beds; (3) the relationship of FDG-PET imaging markers with serum biomarkers and (4) assessment of quality-of-life changes.

CADENCE is a multicentre, prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to determine the effect of colchicine on arterial inflammation as assessed with imaging and circulatory biomarkers, specifically carotid arteries and aortic FDG uptake as well as hs-CRP and IL-6 among others. Patients with T2DM or pre-diabetes who have recently experienced a CV event (within 30–120 days after an ACS (ie, ST-elevation MI (STEMI) or non-STEMI)) or TIA/stroke with documented large vessel atherosclerotic disease will be randomised to treatment with either colchicine 0.6 mg oral daily or placebo. Participants will undergo baseline clinical evaluation including EQ5D assessment, blood work for inflammatory markers and FDG PET/CT scan of the ascending aorta and left and right carotid arteries. Patients will undergo treatment for 6 months and have repeat clinical evaluation including EQ5D assessment, blood work for inflammatory markers and FDG PET/CT scan at the conclusion of the study. The primary outcome will be the change in the maximum target to background ratio (TBR_max) in the ascending aorta (or carotid arteries) from baseline to follow-up on FDG PET/CT imaging.

Colchicine is an exciting potential new therapy for CV risk reduction. However, its use is associated with side effects and greater understanding of its underlying mechanism of action is needed. Importantly, the current study will determine whether its anti-inflammatory action is an indirect systemic effect, or a more local plaque action that decreases inflammation. The results will also help identify patients who will benefit most from such therapy.

NCT04181996.