Acute Mountain Sickness in the Pyrenees: an observational cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Weisweiler ◽  
Marc Ayala ◽  
Iñigo Soteras ◽  
Enric Subirats ◽  
Joan Carles Trullàs

Abstract Background The prevalence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) ranges between 15% and 80% depending on the absolute altitude reached, speed of ascent, and individual susceptibility. However, there is a lack of information regarding AMS at moderate to high altitudes (2,500-3,500 m) and, even less, in the Pyrenees. Our aim is to determine the prevalence and risk factor of AMS in the Pyrenees. Methods A cross-sectional study including mountaineers who climbed a mountain with a height greater than 2,500 m in the Pyrenees region during July and August 2019. Sociodemographic data, medical history and activity information were collected using a questionnaire. The diagnosis of AMS was based on the 2018 modified Lake Louise Score. A logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association of different variables (risk factors) and AMS. Results From 437 participants, 117 met diagnostic criteria of AMS, establishing a prevalence of 26.7% (95% confidence interval: 22.6%-30.9%). Individuals affected by AMS had mild (88%) or moderate (12%) affection. The most common symptoms (in addition to headache which is mandatory for AMS diagnosis) were fatigue or weakness, gastrointestinal symptoms and dizziness. In an adjusted multivariate analysis, heavy perceived exertion, bad physical condition, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use and previous history of altitude illness were independent risk factors for developing AMS. Conclusions One fourth of climbers in the Pyrenees experienced mild or moderate AMS. Previous history of AMS, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use and other modifiable risk factors such as physical exertion and physical condition were strong and independent predictors of AMS. These findings suggest that educational/informational programs for individuals planning to climb to moderate-high altitudes in the Pyrenees may contribute to prevent AMS.

2020 ◽  
pp. 004947552098130
Author(s):  
Fabián R Carreño-Almánzar ◽  
Adán Coronado-Galán ◽  
Sonia A Cala-Gómez ◽  
Agustín Vega-Vera

Imported malaria has increased in Colombia since 2015 and has been attributed to migrants coming from Venezuela. We present a series of malaria cases, nested in a retrospective cross-sectional study between 2017 and 2018, aimed at calculating the prevalence of medical diseases among immigrants in a University Hospital in Colombia. Among 154 immigrants admitted for medical causes between 2017 and 2018, 8 were diagnosed with malaria, all due to Plasmodium vivax. Of these, seven had uncomplicated malaria, five had a previous history of malaria, one was critically ill, but none died. We highlight that, similar to other case series of imported malaria, Latin American migrants were young, with similar clinical profiles, having a low proportion of severe cases, and P. vivax was the most frequent cause.


Author(s):  
Bushra . ◽  
Ambreen Ghori ◽  
Azra Ahmed ◽  
Najma Dalwani ◽  
Mushtaque Ali Shah ◽  
...  

Background: Pregnancy is a very crucial time in a woman’s life. In this period of time, not only multiple physiological alterations effect the usual health status but also makes women more vulnerable to contract infection and face negative sequalae. Hepatitis C, a blood borne viral infection serve the similar fate when encountered by pregnant ladies. This study is based on exploring the prevalence of the Hepatitis C virus seropositivity among pregnant population. Moreover, we also evaluated the major risk factors leading to the infection in these mothers. Besides this, infected mothers were studied for their pregnancy outcomes.Methods: In this study 114 pregnant females were observed for this cross-sectional study. It was conducted in Gynecology Unit- 1, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad, for the period of January 2017 to July 2017. Chi square test was applied for statistical analysis on SPSS version 16. The criteria for enrollment in the study was set to be a pregnant lady belonging to age group 20-35 years; having singleton pregnancy; was a booked case at the hospital with compliant to antenatal follow ups; admitted to the labor room for delivery. All the non-pregnant ladies, whom had co morbid conditions such as hypertension or diabetes or had infected with hepatitis B or D were excluded from the study. Furthermore, pregnant ladies with multiple gestion or those who were either diagnosed of hepatitis C prior to conceive or had a previous history of hepatitis C were also excluded.Results: Present study revealed that out of 114, 10(8.8%) pregnant ladies were found seropositive for Hepatitis C virus. Prior history for transfusion of blood was the Foremost risk factor discovered, with 60.5% women reported this. History of surgery was the 2nd commonest factor and 43.9% had this in their medical records. On the other hand, only 8.8% women gave the history for previous evacuation. While observing pregnancy outcomes, we found 48.2% neonates had low birth weight, 41.2% were born preterm and 21.1% had low APGAR score.Conclusions: In a nutshell hepatitis c is prevalent in the pregnant population of this region and showing its effects in the form of compromised pregnancies. History of blood transfusion and previous surgery were found to be chief risk factors in the study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-101
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ullah ◽  
Suman Kumar Saha ◽  
Md Toufiqur Rahman ◽  
Md Abdul Karim ◽  
Rashid Ahmed

Background: Incidence of noncommunicable disease, specially cardiovascular diseases, is increasing in Bangladesh. Prevalence of risk factors in ischaemic heart disease (IHD) has been studied in different tertiary hospitals and institutes. This study was done in a secondary hospital with a patient population mainly of low socioeconomic condition and was compared with other patient groups of the country and Indian subcontinent. Methods: this cross sectional study was conducted in Manikganj Sadar Hospital from July 2019 to December 2019. All the patients admitted with the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) were included. Cardiovascular risk factors, like smoking, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), family history of premature cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidaemia and obesity, were evaluated among the patients. Results: This cross-sectional study showed most of the patients were in the age group of 50-59 years. 66% of the male patients and 2% of the female patients were smoker. 66% of the patients were hypertensive, 44% patients were diabetic, 28.5% patients were overweight, 60.4% patients had total cholesterol > 200mg/dl, 73.6% patients had LDL>130 mg/dl, 110 76.3% patients had HDL < 40 mg/ dl, 72.2% had triglyceride >150 mg/dl and 39% patients had family history of premature cardiovascular disease. Ninety (62.5%) patients had anterior MI, 50 (34.7%) patients had inferior MI and 4 (2.7%) patients had NSTEMI. 65 patients had no major risk factor and 57 % had three or more risk factors. Conclusion: The study population was more aged in comparison to other studies conducted in different parts of Bangladesh. Prevalence of smoking habit was lower but the prevalence of HTN, DM and dyslipidaemia were higher than the general population and other cohorts of MI patients. The prevalence of major risk factors was much higher than the general population of Bangladesh. Cardiovasc. j. 2020; 12(2): 96-101


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Annisa Rahim ◽  
Ririh Yudhastuti

Abstract: One  of the  zoonosis in Indonesia is leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is caused due  to infection  of bacteria Leptospira. There  were  107 cases and  9 deaths due  to leptospirosis in Sampang. The  incidence of leptospirosis in Sampang was an outbreak. The purpose of this study  was to map the distribution  of leptospirosis cases in Sampang in 2013 and to analyze environmental risk factors of leptospirosis cases (rainfall, altitude, and the presence of flood). This study  was an observational-descriptive study  and used cross-sectional study  design. The unit of analysis  of the study was administrative  regions  based on the districts.  There was patients  of leptospirosis in 4 districts in Sampang regency, there are Sampang district, Camplong district Robatal district and Omben district. The highest incidence of leptospirosis in Sampang regency was occured in Sampang district with rainfall more than 177.6 mm,  altitude less  than 47mdpl, and had experienced flooding.  Mapping  the incidence of leptospirosis showed the distribution  of leptospirosis cases tend to be  concentrated in Sampang district which  had a history of flooding  status.  The conclusion is rainfall, altitude, and presence of flood are risk factors  of leptospirosis. The advice is to improve  surveillance of patients  with leptospirosis particularly during floods,  to do outreach to the community, to perform cross-sector cooperation, to avoid or to reduce the frequency of direct contact with the flood to minimize  transmission of leptospirosis.Keywords: leptospirosis incidence, risk factors,  mapping


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
LiRong Wang ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Ye Yang ◽  
XiaoYan Sun ◽  
BaoLi Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To investigate the severity and risk factors of menopausal symptoms in the middle-aged women in Gansu Province of China. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a total of 7319 women (aged 40–55 years) attended the health survey in Gansu Province in China were enrolled. Information on demographics, menopausal status, reproductive history, and history of chronic diseases was collected via a structured questionnaire. Severity of menopausal symptom was evaluated by the Modified Kupperman Menopausal Index. Ordinal logistic regression model was applied to explore its risk factors. Results A total of 7319 participants were included in present study, among them, 3606 (49.27%) had moderate or severe menopausal symptom. Compared with premenopausal women, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women have a higher mKMI score. We observed that older age, higher BMI, non-married status, longer duration of menstruation (≥ 7 days), number of pregnancy (> 3 times), longer duration of breastfeeding (> 12 months), peri- or post-menopausal status, and menopause hormone therapy was positively associated with menopausal symptom score, while higher level of family income, educational and physical activity, and history of gynecological, breast or chronic disease were negatively associated with the score. Conclusions Numerous factors were associated with the severity of menopausal symptom among the Chinese women. Because it was gradually increased with aging, more attention is warranted to manage the menopausal symptom.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianling Zeng ◽  
Yafei Zhang ◽  
Taohong Zhang ◽  
Yan Xue ◽  
Huiqiu Xu ◽  
...  

Purpose. To explore risk factors of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) among women of reproductive age in Xi’an district and then to offer reference for clinical prevention and treatment of VVC. Methods. Patients from the outpatient department of gynecology and obstetrics in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University from June 2016 to May 2017 were recruited strictly according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants diagnosed as simple VVC were assigned to the case group, while women who underwent routine gynecological examination and had normal vaginal microflora were assigned to the control group. Then we conducted a questionnaire survey of the two groups and used the logistic regression model to explore the related risk factors of VVC. Results. In the present study, ninety-seven cases were sample VVC patients and eighty-seven cases were healthy women. This cross-sectional study showed that occasionally or never drinking sweet drinks (odds ratio [OR] =0.161, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.056-0.462, P=0.001), occasionally or never eating sweet foods (OR=0.158, 95%CI=0.054-0.460, P=0.001), and the use of condom (OR=0.265, 95%CI=0.243-0.526, P=0.001) were regarded as protective factors for VVC. In addition, sedentary life style (OR=7.876, 95%CI=1.818-34.109, P=0.006), frequently wearing tights (OR=6.613, 95%CI=1.369-27.751, P=0.018), frequent intravaginal douching (OR=3.493, 95%CI=1.379-8.847, P=0.008), having the first sexual encounter when under 20 years old (OR=2.364, 95%CI=1.181-7.758, P=0.006), the number of sexual partners being over two (OR=3.222, 95%CI=1.042-9.960, P=0.042), history of curettage (OR=3.471, 95%CI=1.317-9.148, P=0.012), history of vaginitis (OR=8.999, 95%CI=2.816-28.760, P<0.001), and not cleaning the vulva before or after sexual encounters (OR=13.684, 95%CI=2.843-65.874, P=0.001) were considered to be risk factors of VVC. Conclusion. In conclusion, risk factors of VVC are various, involving ages, hygienic habits, disease history, and other aspects.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Michael Beraki Mengistu ◽  
◽  
Yonatan Mehari Andemeske ◽  
AriamTsegay Emhatsion ◽  
HabtomTareke Wrieta ◽  
...  

Background: Delirium is a common but often underdiagnosed set of transient symptoms often seen in elderly patients following surgeries under spinal anesthesia. With early recognition and diagnosis based on the established standard criteria delirium can be improved. Early identification of the possible contributingfactors and the magnitude of the burden will help in the management of the fragile elderly patients. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of postoperative delirium and associated risk factors in elderly patients who have done surgery under spinal anesthesia. Method: This cross sectional study was conducted in the National Referral Hospitals and Sembel PrivateHospital, in Asmara, Eritrea from February to May, 2019. The study participants were elderly patients (age ≥65 years) having no known history of dementia or delirium or no mental disorder, no history of acute cerebrovascular disease. Basic background and clinical characteristics of the patients was collected. To assess the status of cognitive impairment level, the Mini Mental State Examination and Confusion Assessment Method tools were used. Data was collected through an interview method. After the data was entered into SPSS version 22 software, data was analyzed with frequency, percentage, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis method as appropriate. P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 74 ±6.62 and 102 (79.1%) of the participants were males. POD occurred in 14 (10.9%) of the patients. Adjusting all the potential factors, age was identified as arisk factor for developing POD. Conclusion: Age was determined to be a significant risk factor of delirium. Elderly patients require more attention and care and the findings might help to develop preventive strategies to the occurrence of POD


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faeze Keihanian ◽  
Hoorak Poorzand ◽  
Amin Saeidinia ◽  
Ali Eshraghi

Abstract Background: There are still many gaps in our knowledge regarding the direct cardiovascular injuries due to COVID-19 infection. In this study, we tried to find out the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on cardiac function in patients without any history of structural heart disease by electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluations.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on patients with COVID-19 infection admitted to Imam Reza hospital, Mashhad, Iran between 14 April and 21 September 2020. COVID-19 infection was verified by a positive reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for SARS-CoV-2 using nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal samples. We enrolled all patients over 18 years old with definite diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. All patients underwent a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography at the first week of admission. Clinical and imaging data were collected prospectively. Results: In total, 142 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age of participants was 60.69± 15.70 years (range: 30-90 years). Most patients were male (82, 57.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that O2 saturation at admission was independently a predictor of re-hospitalization (P<0.001). RV size (P<0.001), dyslipidemia (P<0.001), ejection fraction (EF) (P<0.001), age (P=0.020), systolic blood pressure (P=0.001), O2 saturation (P=0.018) and diabetes (P=0.025) independently predicted 30-days mortality. Conclusion: Echocardiography can be used for risk assessment in patients with COVID-19, especially in those with previous history of diabetes and dyslipidemia. The infection could result in Ventricular dysfunction, even in those without previous history of structural heart disease.


Author(s):  
Chintan Upadhyay ◽  
Nisha Upadhyay

Background: When clinical pregnancy is established, the risk of spontaneous pregnancy loss is ~12-14%, and therefore the incidence of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) by chance alone would be in the order of 0.35%. It occurs in 0.5-3% of women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the obstetric outcome in pregnancies with history of one or more abortions.Methods: It is a retrospective cross-sectional study done at Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore. Record review of cases was done from January 2005 to December 2009. Inclusion criteria were pregnancies with history of previous abortions.Results: There were 400 cases with previous history of abortions. There were 266 (66.4%) booked cases while 134 (33.5%) were unbooked cases. 272 (68.0%) patients crossed viable period of pregnancy (more than 28 weeks). Around 56 (14.0%) cases had repeat abortions, 276 (69.0%) cases underwent vaginal delivery and 124 (31.0%) underwent cesarean section. Almost 91 (22.8%) of Babies were low birth weight while others were above 2.5 kg. There were 52 (13.0%) preterm babies and 28 (7.0%) Intrauterine demise of fetuses.Conclusions: Patients with previous history of abortions are at increased risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcome.


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