M Cilione, M Martini, F Zampieri, N Riccardi, F Brigo, V Gazzaniga
{"title":"Aristotle - Ἀριστοτέλης (ARISTOTÉLĒS, 384/3- 322/1 BCE) The revelation of tuberculosis in his zoological works.","authors":"M Cilione, M Martini, F Zampieri, N Riccardi, F Brigo, V Gazzaniga","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2143164","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2143164","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT One of the most challenging issues with the sources of ancient medicine is to be able to identify the correspondence between the diseases we know today and those reported in ancient medical texts. Ancient diseases’ definitions rarely help us, and the symptoms described often correspond to more than one disease. This is especially true about tuberculosis, a disease that historians of medicine habitually associates with the Greek words phthi(n)o (φθίνω), verb, phthisis/phthoe (φθίσις/φθόη), noun, phthinodes/phthisikos (φθινώδης/φθισικός), adjective, all etymologically linked to an Indo-European root that expresses the idea of consumption in a broad sense. This article aims to analyze a group of Greek words, branchos/branchia (βράγχος/βράγχια), krauros/kraurao (κραῦρος/κραυράω), and katarreo (καταρρέω), that appear in nosological contexts very close to the infectious disease that today we call tuberculosis. Moreover, the paper aims to focus on the transmission pathways of TB being via animal-human contact and some ancient strategies to cure it. The symptoms, transmission pathways and therapeutic approach of tuberculosis belong to a homogeneous pathological picture that emerges from a set of texts that date back to the period between the fifth century BC and the second century AD.","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 6","pages":"605-610"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10392237/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10220280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Begoña de Dios, Asunción Pérez-Jacoiste, Antonio Lalueza, Guillermo Maestro, Ana García-Reyne, Manuel Lizasoain, Carlos Lumbreras
{"title":"Disparities between Latinx migrants and Spanish natives in COVID-19 outcome in Madrid.","authors":"Begoña de Dios, Asunción Pérez-Jacoiste, Antonio Lalueza, Guillermo Maestro, Ana García-Reyne, Manuel Lizasoain, Carlos Lumbreras","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2174295","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2174295","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous studies have suggested an increased susceptibility of COVID-19 among certain populations. We analyzed whether COVID-19 presentation and mortality differ between Latinx migrants and Spanish natives.</p><p><strong>Methods and materials: </strong>COVID-19 patients between 35-64 years old admitted between January 26th-May-5th 2020 were reviewed. Demographics, major comorbidities, symptoms, signs and analytical parameters on admission were recorded. Respiratory failure was defined as PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 200 mmHg, noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation requirement at any time during hospitalization. A propensity score (PS) adjustment was created between Latinx and Spanish. A multivariable logistic regression model adjusted by the PS was performed to evaluate the effects of different variables on mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>894 patients: 425 (47.5%) Latinx and 469 (52.5%) Spanish natives were included. Latinx were younger (50 vs 55 years <i>p</i> < 0.001) and had less comorbidities (29.4% vs 55.0% <i>p</i> < 0.001) than Spanish natives. More often they exhibited fever (22.1% vs 9.8% <i>p</i> = 0.018) and had higher inflammatory markers (PCR) (11.3 mg/dl vs 7.7 mg/dl <i>p</i> < 0.001). Mortality seemed lower among Latinx (4.7% vs 8.7%, <i>p</i> = 0.017). No association was found between ethnicity and mortality. Respiratory failure [OR = 23.978 (CI 95% 9.4-60.1) <i>p</i> < 0.001], LDH [OR (per unitary increment) = 1.002; CI95% (1.000-1.004;<i>p</i> = 0.036] and PCR [OR (per unitary increment) = 1.044 (CI95% 1.06-1.08); <i>p</i> = 0.02] were independently associated to mortality.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We were unable to identify significant ethnic disparities between Latinx and Spanish natives in terms of COVID-19 mortality. Universal access to the health care system in Spain may have contributed to a better outcome of Latinx patients. Differences previously described might be a consequence of socioeconomic disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 6","pages":"590-595"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10392248/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10165540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eduardo Wright, Maria Angelica Carrillo, David Matamoros, Rocío Cárdenas Sanchez, Johanna Yañez, Giusseppe Di Lorenzo, Juan Manuel Villa, Axel Kroeger
{"title":"Applicability of the Mexican ovitrap system for Aedes vector surveillance in Colombia.","authors":"Eduardo Wright, Maria Angelica Carrillo, David Matamoros, Rocío Cárdenas Sanchez, Johanna Yañez, Giusseppe Di Lorenzo, Juan Manuel Villa, Axel Kroeger","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2146049","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2146049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ovitraps can detect Aedes vectors at an early stage and can serve as an alarm indicator for outbreak prediction. This study aimed to summarize the available literature about the ovitrap system and to determine its feasibility, required resources and costs when installing and maintaining this vector surveillance system in the municipality of Los Patios, Colombia. A scoping review to assess the role of ovitraps as a tool for Aedes vector surveillance was conducted. The subsequent fieldwork consisted of mapping the municipality, manufacturing, and installing 40 ovitraps in 10 blocks, revising them weekly for 4 weeks by two half-time employed vector control technicians, and carrying out a cost analysis. A total of 38 studies were included in this review showing that ovitraps had a better performance than other entomological surveillance methods and a positive correlation with other entomological and disease variables. From the field results over 4 weeks, a high proportion of positive ovitraps (80%, 90%, 75%, 97.5%) and positive blocks (100%) as well as a good acceptance by house owners (76.9%), were identified. Operational indicators such as average installation time of the ovitraps (10h15 m), weekly reading and reinstallation (on average 7h27 m) and the cost of the intervention (COL$1,142,304.47/US$297) were calculated. Literature shows that ovitraps are sensitive to detect the presence of Aedes mosquitoes, providing data efficiently and timely for outbreak prediction. The field testing showed it is an affordable and feasible method in the context of a Colombian municipality and similar endemic areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 6","pages":"554-564"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10392324/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10518271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The importance of rapid and robust availability of epidemiological data for real-time mapping of the risk of avian influenza A (H5N1) spread.","authors":"Francesco Branda, Sandra Mazzoli","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2228055","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2228055","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 6","pages":"521-524"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10392239/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10166575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ngoc-Ha Tran, Nguyen Khoi Quan, Van Phu Tran, Dang Nguyen, Ngoc Phuong Hong Tao, Nguyen Ngoc Hoang Linh, Nguyen Tien Huy
{"title":"Molnupiravir as the COVID-19 panacea: false beliefs in low- and middle-income countries.","authors":"Ngoc-Ha Tran, Nguyen Khoi Quan, Van Phu Tran, Dang Nguyen, Ngoc Phuong Hong Tao, Nguyen Ngoc Hoang Linh, Nguyen Tien Huy","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2232593","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2232593","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 6","pages":"525-526"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10392300/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10157134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sandamalie Ranasinghe, Anthony Armson, Alan J Lymbery, Alireza Zahedi, Amanda Ash
{"title":"Medicinal plants as a source of antiparasitics: an overview of experimental studies.","authors":"Sandamalie Ranasinghe, Anthony Armson, Alan J Lymbery, Alireza Zahedi, Amanda Ash","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2179454","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2179454","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite advances in modern human and veterinary medicine, gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections remain a significant health issue worldwide, mainly in developing countries. Increasing evidence of the multi-drug resistance of these parasites and the side effects of currently available synthetic drugs have led to increased research on alternative medicines to treat parasitic infections. The exploration of potential botanical antiparasitics, which are inexpensive and abundant, may be a promising alternative in this context. This study summarizes the <i>in vitro</i>/<i>in vivo</i> antiparasitic efficacy of different medicinal plants and their components against GI parasites. Published literature from 1990-2020 was retrieved from Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus. A total of 68 plant species belonging to 32 families have been evaluated as antiparasitic agents against GI parasites worldwide. The majority of studies (70%) were conducted <i>in vitro</i>. Most plants were from the Fabaceae family (53%, <i>n</i> = 18). Methanol (37%, <i>n</i> = 35) was the most used solvent. Leaf (22%, <i>n</i> = 16) was the most used plant part, followed by seed and rhizome (each 12%, <i>n</i> = 9). These studies suggest that herbal medicines hold a great scope for new drug discoveries against parasitic diseases and that the derivatives of these plants are useful structures for drug synthesis and bioactivity optimization.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 6","pages":"535-553"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10392325/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10220768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luisa Frallonardo, Antonella Vimercati, Roberta Novara, Cherola Lepera, Ilaria Ferrante, Giulia Chiarello, Rossana Cicinelli, Michele Mongelli, Gaetano Brindicci, Francesco Vladimiro Segala, Carmen Rita Santoro, Davide Fiore Bavaro, Nicola Laforgia, Ettore Cicinelli, Annalisa Saracino, Francesco Di Gennaro
{"title":"Use of Sotrovimab in a cohort of pregnant women with a high risk of COVID 19 progression: a single-center experience.","authors":"Luisa Frallonardo, Antonella Vimercati, Roberta Novara, Cherola Lepera, Ilaria Ferrante, Giulia Chiarello, Rossana Cicinelli, Michele Mongelli, Gaetano Brindicci, Francesco Vladimiro Segala, Carmen Rita Santoro, Davide Fiore Bavaro, Nicola Laforgia, Ettore Cicinelli, Annalisa Saracino, Francesco Di Gennaro","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2188839","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2023.2188839","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been shown to reduce disease progression in patients with underlying predisposing conditions. Unfortunately, there is no evidence on the use of Sotrovimab in pregnant women. Herein we present a case series of pregnant women who received mAbs with Sotrovimab following the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA) indications. Since February 1, 2022 all pregnant women - regardless of gestational age - admitted to Obstetrics & Gynaecology of Policlinico University of Bari, with positive nasopharyngeal NAAT for SARS-CoV-2 were screened according to the AIFA indications for Sotrovimab and, if eligible, were proposed for treatment. Data on COVID-19, pregnancy, delivery, newborn outcomes, and adverse events were collected. From February 1 to May 15, 2022, 58 pregnant women were screened. Fifty (86%) patients were eligible, 19 of them (32.7%) denied their consent, in 18 cases (31%), the drug was temporarily unavailable, and the remaining 13 (22%) were treated with Sotrovimab. Out of these 13 patients, 6 (46%) were in the 3rd and 7 (54%) in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. None of the 13 patients experienced adverse reactions due to Sotrovimab and all had a good clinical outcome. Furthermore, evaluating pre- and post-infusion clinical status and hematochemical profile, a reduction in D-dimers and an increase in SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (p < 0.01) during the 72 h following the infusion were observed. Our data, the first on the use of Sotrovimab in pregnant women, showed the safety and efficacy drug profile and its potential crucial role in preventing COVID-19 disease progression.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 5","pages":"513-519"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10262799/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9687274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cristiane Cunha Frota, Francisco Gustavo Silveira Correia, Lucas Romão Alves Vasconcelos, Paulo Rafael Cardoso de Sousa, Marco Levi da Silva Ferreira, Susy Pereira Saraiva, Rafael Mota Ferreira, Kalil Andrade Mubarac Romcy, Ronald Feitosa Pinheiro, Roberta Taiane Germano de Oliveira, Francisco Marto Leal Pinheiro Júnior, Adriano Ferreira Martins, Carlos Sanhueza-Sanzana, Rosa Lívia Freitas de Almeida, Carl Kendall, Ivo Castelo Branco Coelho, Roberto da Justa Pires Neto, Ítalo Wesley Oliveira Aguiar, Ligia Regina Franco Sansigolo Kerr
{"title":"Positivity of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika infections in women in Northeast Brazil post-Zika epidemic.","authors":"Cristiane Cunha Frota, Francisco Gustavo Silveira Correia, Lucas Romão Alves Vasconcelos, Paulo Rafael Cardoso de Sousa, Marco Levi da Silva Ferreira, Susy Pereira Saraiva, Rafael Mota Ferreira, Kalil Andrade Mubarac Romcy, Ronald Feitosa Pinheiro, Roberta Taiane Germano de Oliveira, Francisco Marto Leal Pinheiro Júnior, Adriano Ferreira Martins, Carlos Sanhueza-Sanzana, Rosa Lívia Freitas de Almeida, Carl Kendall, Ivo Castelo Branco Coelho, Roberto da Justa Pires Neto, Ítalo Wesley Oliveira Aguiar, Ligia Regina Franco Sansigolo Kerr","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2142187","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2142187","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The state of Ceará, in the Northeast Region of Brazil, presents the simultaneous circulation of Zika (ZIKV), dengue (DENV) and chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses. In 2017 there were a high number of cases of these three arboviruses, especially CHIKV. Here, we detected the presence of arboviruses ZIKV, DENV and CHIKV and their coinfections in women in endemic regions of the city of Fortaleza, Ceará in a post-Zika epidemic year. Sociodemographic and environmental characteristics associated with arbovirus positivity were also analyzed. Women (n = 1289) between 15 and 39 years old were included. RT-qPCR was performed for virus detection and IgM antibody positivity was also analyzed. One hundred and six (8.3%) participants were positive for one or more arboviruses. Monoinfections (76; 5.9%) were distributed between 22 (1.7%) for ZIKV, 39 (3.1%) for DENV and 15 (1.2%) for CHIKV. Co-infections were detected in 30 (2.3%) of the positive participants and one case with triple infection was found. IgM positivity was found in 2.4% of ZIKV RT-qPCR, 9.6% of DENV and 16.3% of CHIKV. RT-qPCR positivity for arboviruses was associated with low socioeconomic class and presence of a water box sealing in the household. A higher positivity to the three viruses occurred in the month with the lowest wind velocity, which was also preceded by the highest peak of rain and humidity. We identified the simultaneous circulation and co-infection of ZIKV, DENV and CHIKV in Fortaleza in a post-Zika epidemic year. We also highlight the need for continuous epidemiological surveillance combined with molecular diagnostic tools.","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 5","pages":"485-492"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10262776/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10060651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marlies Heudobler, Hansjörg Baurecht, Helen Schmied, Daniel Heudobler, Carmen Jochem, Anja M Sedlmeier, Andrea Weber, Stilla Bauernfeind, Michael Leitzmann, Bernd Salzberger, Benedikt M J Lampl
{"title":"Association of epidemiological and clinical features with PCR cycle threshold values of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Marlies Heudobler, Hansjörg Baurecht, Helen Schmied, Daniel Heudobler, Carmen Jochem, Anja M Sedlmeier, Andrea Weber, Stilla Bauernfeind, Michael Leitzmann, Bernd Salzberger, Benedikt M J Lampl","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2158003","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2158003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The cycle threshold (Ct) in quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is inversely correlated to the amount of viral nucleic acid or viral load and can be regarded as an indicator of infectivity. We examined the association of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive cases with PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values at the time of diagnosis. SARS-CoV-2 cases reported between 12 October 2020 and 24 January 2021 in Regensburg were analyzed employing bivariate and multivariable methods. We included 3,029 SARS-CoV-2 cases (31% asymptomatic at diagnosis) and analyzed the association of case characteristics with Ct values in 2,606 cases. Among symptomatic patients, cough (38.0%), rhinitis (32.4%), headache (32.0), and fever/chills (29.9%) were the most frequent complaints. Ct values ≤20 were more frequent in symptomatic cases (20.9% vs. 11.3%), whereas Ct values >30 were more common in asymptomatic cases (32.6% vs. 18.0%). Ct values >20 and ≤30 were most common in symptomatic and asymptomatic cases (48.0% vs 40.7%). We observed lower median Ct values of E and N gene in symptomatic cases. In a random forest model, the total number of symptoms, respiratory symptoms, and age were most strongly associated with low Ct values. In conclusion, certain symptoms and age were associated with lower Ct values. Ct values can be used as a pragmatic approach in estimating infectivity at the first notification of a case and, thus, in guiding containment measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 5","pages":"476-484"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10262808/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10042838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yohanes Aditya Adhi Satria, Monica Suci Utami, Alexander Prasudi
{"title":"Prevalence of antibiotics prescription amongst patients with and without COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Yohanes Aditya Adhi Satria, Monica Suci Utami, Alexander Prasudi","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2160892","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2022.2160892","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a substantial risk to public health. In low-income and middle-income (LMICs) nations, the impact of AMR is significantly more severe. The absence of data from low-income countries (LMICs) causes this topic to be frequently overlooked. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic could make the AMR issue even worse. Earlier guidelines recommended antibiotic use in patients with COVID-19, even in those without bacterial coinfection. This study aims to investigate the proportion of antibiotic prescriptions in LMICs among patients with and without coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), the proportion of inappropriate antibiotics, and multi-antibiotic prescribing. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). We retrieved data through online databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. Amongst COVID-19 patients, the meta-analytic estimate of antibiotic prescription was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.72-0.88), whereas antibiotic use among patients with non-COVID-19 infections was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.49-0.58). Half of those prescribed antibiotics (0.52, 95% CI: 0.32-0.72) are inappropriate prescriptions. In addition, we found that one-third of antibiotics prescriptions consisted of more than one antibiotic (0.32, 95% CI: 0.21-0.43). In conclusion, antibiotics are highly prescribed across LMICs, and their use is increased in patients with COVID-19. Amongst those prescriptions, inappropriate and multiple use was not uncommon. This study has several limitations, as it included two studies in an ambulatory setting, and some of the studies included in the analysis were conducted on a small scale. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that urgent action to improve prescribing practices is essential.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":"117 5","pages":"437-449"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10262768/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9687233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}