scholarly journals COVID 19 - a new threat for smokers and vapers?

Pneumologia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-118
Author(s):  
Florin Mihălţan ◽  
Corina Oprea ◽  
Valentin Coşei ◽  
Ancuţa Constantin

Abstract The new pandemic disease Covid-19 compelled all the researchers to investigate for early identification of the potential risk factors. Further, the relation between smoking and infections are well known. The authors are trying to find the epidemiological links, the pathogenic mechanisms and also the impact of this coronavirus on different respiratory chronic diseases, based on the last published data about the consequences of smoking and vaping on consumers.

2015 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 1151-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Owens ◽  
Benjamin M. Craig ◽  
Kathleen M. Egan ◽  
Damon R. Reed

OBJECT To the authors' knowledge, no previous study has examined the impact of meningioma diagnosis on women's birth desires and intentions. In an exploratory study, the authors surveyed women affected by meningioma to determine their attitudes toward childbearing and the influences, including physician recommendations, on this major life decision and compared their responses to those of women in the general population. METHODS Meningioma survivors from the Meningioma Mommas online support group participated in an online survey that included questions on their birth desires and intentions, whether the risk of disease recurrence influenced their reproductive decisions, and risks communicated to them by their physicians. Using chi-square and rank-sum tests, the authors compared the survey participants' responses with those of the general population as assessed by the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth. Logistic regression was used to adjust for differences in age, race, ethnicity, education, parity, pregnancy status, and infertility status in these populations. RESULTS Respondents with meningioma were more likely than those in the general population to report wanting a baby (70% vs 54%, respectively), intending to have a baby (27% vs 12%, respectively), and being very sure about this intention (10% vs 2%, respectively). More than half (32 of 61) of the women of childbearing age reported being advised by a physician about potential risk factors for recurrence of the meningioma, and pregnancy was the most commonly cited risk factor (26 of 61). The most common factor influencing birth desires and intentions was risk of the meningioma returning and requiring more treatment, which was reported by nearly two-thirds of the women in their childbearing years. CONCLUSIONS A majority of the meningioma survivors of childbearing age who completed the survey reported a desire for children, although concern about the risk of meningioma recurrence was an important factor for these women when making reproductive decisions. Physicians are in a position to educate their patients on potential risk factors for recurrence and to provide contact information for services such as counseling and family planning.


2000 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul E. Mullen ◽  
Neville J. King ◽  
Bruce J. Tonge

AbstractThis overview examines the nature, prevalence, and impact of child sexual abuse. Associations and potential risk factors are identified, thus showing that child sexual abuse is not randomly distributed through the population. Finally, we discuss the ways in which clinicians and researchers have conceptualised the impact of child sexual abuse. A social and developmental model is outlined.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. e0008944
Author(s):  
Zewdu Seyoum Tarekegn ◽  
Haileyesus Dejene ◽  
Agerie Addisu ◽  
Shimelis Dagnachew

Background Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular and neurotropic apicomplexan protozoan parasite infecting almost all warm-blooded vertebrates including humans. To date in Ethiopia, no systematic study has been investigated on the overall effects of potential risk factors associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii among pregnant women and HIV infected individuals. We intended to determine the potential risk factors (PRFs) associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii from published data among pregnant women and HIV infected individuals of Ethiopia. Methodology An systematic review of the previous reports was made. We searched PubMed, Science Direct, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar for studies with no restriction on the year of publication. All references were screened independently in duplicate and were included if they presented data on at least two risk factors. Meta-analysis using the random or fixed-effects model was made to calculate the overall effects for each exposure. Results Of the 216 records identified, twenty-four reports met our eligibility criteria, with a total of 6003 individuals (4356 pregnant women and 1647 HIV infected individuals). The pooled prevalences of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were found at 72.5% (95% CI: 58.7% - 83.1%) in pregnant women and 85.7% (95% CI: 76.3% - 91.8%) in HIV infected individuals. A significant overall effect of anti-Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity among pregnant women (p < 0.05) was witnessed with age, abortion history, contact with cats, cat ownership, having knowledge about toxoplasmosis, being a housewife and having unsafe water source. Age, cat ownership, and raw meat consumption were also shown a significant effect (p < 0.05) to anti-Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity among HIV infected individuals. Conclusions This review showed gaps and drawbacks in the earlier studies that are useful to keep in mind to design accurate investigations in the future. The pooled prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was found to be higher among pregnant women and HIV infected individuals. This suggests that thousands of immunocompromised individuals (pregnant women and HIV infected patients) are at risk of toxoplasmosis due to the sociocultural and living standards of the communities of Ethiopia. Appropriate preventive measures are needed to reduce the exposure to Toxoplasma gondii infection. Further studies to investigate important risk factors are recommended to support the development of more cost-effective preventive strategies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Ying Pi ◽  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Meng-Meng Hu ◽  
Dan Nie ◽  
...  

Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors and the efficacy of the preventive measurements for the in-hospital complications of fall-related fractures. Methods. The data on older Chinese patients with fall-related fractures were collected, including information on the patients, diseases, and preventive measurements. The potential risk factors for the in-hospital complications included health status on admission, comorbidity, fractures, preventive measures of the complications, and drugs use for the comorbidity. After univariate analyses, multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to investigate the impact of the potential risk factors on the number of the complications and each individual complication, respectively, and the efficacy of the preventive measurements. Results. A total of 525 male and 1367 female were included in this study. After univariate analyses, multiple logistic regression showed that dementia, pneumonia, antidepressant, postural hypotension, and cerebral infarction could increase the incidence and number of comorbidities. Meanwhile, dementia has shown the strongest association with each individual complication. Conclusions. Different combinations of comorbidity, medication use, and preventive measurements were related to the in-hospital complications of fall-related fractures. Dementia emerged as the most important risk factor for these complications, while most of the preventive measurements could not reduce their incidences.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S986-S986
Author(s):  
Stephanie Richard ◽  
Patrick Danaher ◽  
Brian White ◽  
Katrin Mende ◽  
Timothy Burgess ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) are common in military populations, particularly among trainees, and can impair mission-readiness. To develop effective preventive measures against ILIs, it is vital to understand the ILI burden in the military population and identify potential risk factors for infection. Methods Anonymous ILI surveys were administered from January 2017 to March 2019 to military medical trainees living in a congregated setting on Fort Sam Houston (JBSA-FSH), TX. The surveys included questions about sociodemographic characteristics, weight, height, smoking status, activity level, as well as some basic questions about ILI and potential risk factors. Factors associated with ILI were identified using chi-square, t-tests, and multivariate models. Results 2,381 surveys were returned that included age, sex, and ILI information. Respondents were 16–54 years old, 1,301 (55%) were male, 782 (33%) were Air Force, 817 (34%) were Army, and 763 (32%) were Navy/Marines. 39% of those surveyed (929) reported having experienced an ILI during their training with 40% (370) seeking healthcare for those symptoms. The primary reasons for seeking healthcare included the severity of the illness (59%), concern about spreading the illness (50%), and the accessibility of healthcare (41%). 53% of the respondents reported that ILI had an impact on their performance, among whom 77% stated reduced study time, 66% missing physical training, and 53% missed class. The final multivariate model indicates that men and participants 30+ years old were less likely to report ILI (OR 0.69 (0.58, 0.82); OR 0.65, (0.45, 0.94)) (Figure 1). In addition, participants who reported washing their hands after they coughed or sneezed were less likely to report having had an ILI (OR 0.73 (0.61, 0.89)). Conclusion Although 39% of respondents reported having an ILI during their training, only 40% sought healthcare, indicating that ILIs are more common during training than healthcare records indicate. More information is needed regarding how training outcomes vary among those with ILI who seek care, those with ILI who do not seek care and those without ILI during training, to allow a better estimate of the impact of ILI and development of ILI mitigation strategies. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-162
Author(s):  
Lisa Kawatsu ◽  
Kazuhiro Uchimura ◽  
Makoto Kobayashi ◽  
Nobukatsu Ishikawa

Purpose Although globally, prisoners are considered one of the vulnerable groups to tuberculosis (TB), little is known about the situation of TB in prison setting in Japan. The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of TB among prisoners in Japan. Design/methodology/approach Records of TB patients from one medical prison were analyzed in terms of general demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, risk factors and delay in diagnosis and in initiating treatment, and compared with data from the national TB surveillance and other published data on health of inmates, where appropriate. Continuous variables were compared using student independent samples t-test. Proportions were compared using χ2 or Fisher exact test as appropriate. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was conducted to determine the time from entry to prison institution to diagnosis of TB. Findings A total of 49 patients were analyzed. The mean age was 49.5 (±14.3) and 69.4 percent were males. Being unemployed and homeless prior to incarceration, and several co-morbidities were potential risk factors for TB (p<0.01). Analysis of diagnosis and treatment delay showed that 16.1 percent of smear positive patients took more than a week to be placed on treatment after being diagnosed of TB. Approximately 50 percent of the patients were diagnosed within four months of entering the prison institution. Practical implications Several potential risk factors identified suggest the need to strengthen screening for specific sub-groups within the prison population, such as those with poor socio-economic status and co-morbidities, as well as to consider the possible role of systematic screening for latent TB infection. Originality/value This study presents some important data to help understand the profile of TB patients in prisons in Japan, as well as showing that a detailed epidemiological analysis of existing records can provide useful insight.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawit Gebremichael Tedla ◽  
Fsahatsion Hailemariam Bariagabr ◽  
Hagos Hadgu Abreha

Introduction. Leishmaniasis is a neglected vector borne disease, which constitutes a major public health concern in several tropical and subtropical countries. An estimated 4500 to 4000 new cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) occur per year and over 3.2 million people are at risk of infection in the country. In Humera, VL epidemics are associated with migration of workers from nonendemic highlands into the visceral leishmaniasis endemic extensive farmlands. Therefore, the objective of this study is to estimate the incidence and the risk factors of leishmaniasis in Humera, Western Tigray. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted using the hospital admission database on all patients admitted who have been suspected of having leishmaniasis infection and tested for rK39-based immune chromatographic test (ICT) at Kahsay Abera Hospital in Humera town from January 2012 to December 2017. Potential risk factors for leishmaniasis infection in human were collected from the hospital, which included categorical variables: age, sex, origin of place, clinical forms of leishmaniasis, mortality rates, and the occurrence of infections according to format of hospital. Results. A total of 26511 hospital discharged patients with diagnosis of leishmaniasis were identified, out of which 2232 (8.42%) human leishmaniasis cases were registered and of them 71 were dead from January 2012 to December 2017. Mortality rates of leishmaniasis were 18 (3.3%) in 2012, 16 (3.1%) in 2013, 15 (2.4%) in 2014, 8 (3.3%) in 2015, 9 (4.1%) in 2016, and 5 (5.4%) in 2017. Univariate analysis of the infection rate of leishmaniasis was based on the potential risk factors and found higher male infection rates than female (P <0.05) in all the study years. Origin of place was also significantly associated (P< 0.05) where labor migrants from highland to agricultural fields had higher infection rates than those who permanently lived in and around Humera. Trends in season of occurrence revealed that weeding and harvesting time (July–December) had higher incidence of leishmaniasis than dry time (January–June). Conclusion. Male labor migrants from the highlands older than 15 years of age were at the highest risks of leishmaniasis during weeding and harvest season. Therefore, awareness creation on the risks of sleeping outdoors and the impact of using of bed nets is imperative especially for labor migrants during weeding and harvesting season.


BMC Nutrition ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Damitie Kebede ◽  
Alebel Aynalem

Abstract Background Childhood under-nutrition is far-reaching in low and middle-income nations. Undernutrition is one of the major open wellbeing concerns among newborn children and youthful children in Ethiopia. The present study aimed to explore the potential risk factors of undernutrition among children under 5 years of age in Somali Region, Ethiopia. Methods The data for this study was extricated from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016. The data collected from 1339 children born 5 years before was considered within the analysis. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was utilized at a 5% level of significance to decide the individual and community-level variables related to childhood malnutrition. Results The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting were 27.4, 28.7 and 22.7%, respectively. About 16.1% of children were both stunted and underweight; the extent of both being underweight and wasted was 11.7%, the prevalence of both stunted and wasted children was 5.5%, and all three malnutrition conditions were 4.7% children. Among the variables considered in this study, age of the child in months, type of birth, anemia level, size of child at birth, sex of the child, mothers’ BMI and sources of drinking water were significantly related to stunting, underweight and wasting in Somali Region. Conclusions The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting was relatively high. Undernutrition is one of the major open wellbeing concerns among children in Somali region. The impact of these variables ought to be considered to develop strategies for decreasing the lack of healthy sustenance due to undernutrition in the study areas. Hence, intercession should be centered on making strides for the under-nutrition determinant variables of the children to be solid, to improve the child’s wholesome status, and decrease child mortality quickly.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Maria Tripoli ◽  
Salvatore Accomando ◽  
Simona La Placa ◽  
Andrea Pietravalle ◽  
Giovanni Putoto ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Malnutrition is a multifactorial pathology in which genetic, epigenetic, cultural, environmental, socio-economic factors interact with each other. The impact that this disease has on the health of children worldwide is dramatic. Severe acute malnutrition in particular is a disease affecting nearly 20 million preschool children worldwide, most of them in Africa and South East Asia. Objectives This work aims to investigate potential prognostic factors in the clinical evolution of acute malnutrition and potential risk factors for the development of the disease. Methods Our study was carried out at the “Hospital da Missão Catolica do Chiulo”, in Angola, where the NGO Doctors with Africa CUAMM has been operating since 2000. In the first part of the study we analyzed the characteristics and clinical evolution of 163 patients hospitalized for acute malnutrition at the UEN (Unidade Especial de Nutrição) of the Chiulo Hospital over a period of 6 months, in order to identify potential prognostic factors of the disease. The second part of our study was carried out by administering a questionnaire to a group of caregivers of malnourished children and to a group of caregivers of non-malnourished children admitted to Pediatrics for other causes, with the aim of identifying potential risk factors for the development of malnutrition. Results and conclusions The analysis of prognostic factors revealed that the most relevant are the WHZ (weight for height z-score) at the time of admission, the presence of Stunting and the presence of other pathologies or clinical conditions associated with severe acute malnutrition. The analysis of risk factors has shown that not only food shortages, but also errors in the timing of the suspension of breastfeeding and the timing of the introduction of complementary foods play an important role. Equally important were some family risk factors, including the size of the family unit and the presence of deceased children. It also emerged that the lack of knowledge of what a child needs to grow up healthy often affects the development of malnutrition. It follows that a useful and low-cost tool for preventing child malnutrition would be large-scale nutrition education campaigns.


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