Prevalence of ophthalmological manifestations in pediatric and adolescent populations with Down syndrome: a systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal anomaly that is characterized by an extra chromosome 21. Ophthalmological manifestations have a high prevalence in patients with DS. PURPOSE: To review the scientific evidence and estimate the prevalence of ophthalmological manifestations in the pediatric population with DS. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases including MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and LILACS. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Published observational studies with available and original data were included. Articles were excluded if the study design was a review, letter to the editor, case report, case series, or systematic review and if the subjects had ophthalmological manifestations secondary to other conditions. PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Pediatric and adolescent population with DS and with ophthalmological evaluation. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: A data collection form was designed in Excel. Five reviewers extracted relevant details about the design and results of each study. The quality of the studies was assessed by applying the tools for systematic reviews of prevalence and incidence from the Joanna Briggs Institute. We calculated the weighted prevalence of ophthalmological manifestations, considering only the studies reporting the measurement of each manifestation. RESULTS: Twenty-two articles (from 15 countries, published during 1994-2020) were included in the present systematic review. Ocular manifestations were observed in 85% of the studied pediatric and adolescent populations with DS. The most frequent ones were slanting fissures, oblique fissures, epicanthus, and epiblepharon. CONCLUSION: The ocular manifestations in the pediatric and adolescent populations with DS are varied, and some can irreversibly affect visual development. Screening of the pediatric population with DS should be conducted from the first months of age and continued annually. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019127717.

Contraceptive Counseling Strategies for Women Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: The Role of Integrating Reproductive Health and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Services to Prevent Perinatal Transmission in Colombia.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of 2 contraceptive counseling strategies in Colombia for women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The first integrates (1) reproductive health and HIV services (integrated model [IM]), and the second (2) offers these services separately (non-IM). METHODS: Cost-effectiveness analysis from the third-party payer perspective (Colombian healthcare system). A decision analysis tree was used over a 24-month time horizon at a 3% discount rate, considering only direct costs. The outcome was the number of averted HIV perinatal transmission infections. We performed a discrete sensibility analysis and a probabilistic second-order sensitivity analysis with 10 000 iterations (Monte Carlo simulation). RESULTS: Compared with the non-IM, the IM prevented 3% additional HIV perinatal transmission infections, with an incremental cost-effectiveness of US dollar 525 and the highest net monetary benefit at the proposed willingness to pay. In the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, we found a substantial amount of parameter uncertainty that challenges the evidence in favor of the cost-effectiveness of the IM strategy. CONCLUSIONS: This study opens the possibility of integrating reproductive health and HIV services for women living with HIV in Colombia. In addition, it raises the necessity to produce additional good quality local empirical evidence to inform better and support the estimation of the economic efficiency of such a model in the country.

Ocular toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent adults: current cost-effectiveness of four treatment regimens in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Ocular toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii. In South America, the clinical course of ocular toxoplasmosis is more severe than in Europe and North America because virulent strains of the parasite are present. Ocular toxoplasmosis is the leading cause of posterior uveitis and retinochoroiditis in Colombia, requiring timely and appropriate treatment. However, there is no standardized therapy protocol based on economic studies for the country. PURPOSE: To compare the cost-effectiveness of four first-line treatment regimens for active ocular toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent adults in Colombia, using the number of averted therapeutic failures as the outcome. METHODS: We performed an economic and cost-effectiveness analysis to compare four first-line treatment regimens for ocular toxoplasmosis from the perspective of a third-party payer (Colombian General System of Social Security in Health). A decision analysis tree was used over a 24-week time horizon, considering only direct costs. Additionally, we performed a discrete sensitivity analysis and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 10,000 iterations in the Monte Carlo simulation. RESULTS: For the base case, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole showed 86% effectiveness at a cost of <57 United States Dollars, resulting in the most cost-effective first-line alternative. When performing the probabilistic sensitivity analysis and maintaining the willingness to pay 466.00 United States Dollars, the trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole regimen remained the most cost-effective alternative. CONCLUSION: Ocular toxoplasmosis is a public health issue in Latin America. Despite severe visual consequences for affected patients, there are no standardized treatment guidelines in countries such as Colombia. Our evidence supports the use of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole as first-line treatment in Colombia because of its availability and optimal cost-effectiveness performance; it reduces recurrences and complications, while averting therapeutic failure. Furthermore, our evidence can be generalized to other Latin American countries with similar frequencies and severities of Toxoplasma gondii ocular infection and health systems similar to the Colombian system.

Ocular adverse events from pharmacological treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis-A systematic review of the literature.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the scientific evidence and describe the ocular treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) related to pharmacological treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis. METHODS: A systematic review of literature was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines in the MEDLINE, LILACS, EMBASE, and COCHRANE databases. Articles were filtered based on title and abstract considering the selection criteria and subsequently filtered by full-text reading. The resulting articles were evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute Quality Tools. Study characteristics and results were extracted and presented in structured tables to conduct a narrative synthesis. RESULTS: A total of 2852 published articles were extracted using our strategy. After removing duplicates, 2841 articles were screened based on title and abstract, 102 articles were evaluated using quality tools, and 69 articles were filtered by full-text reading. Through this search strategy, 60 articles met all the inclusion criteria and seven articles, through a search update conducted in the same manner, were included. This resulted in 67 articles meeting the inclusion criteria, of which 11 were experimental and 56 were observational. The therapies related to ocular TEAEs were alemtuzumab, amantadine, fingolimod, steroids, CTLA-4 Ig, estriol, interferon ß, natalizumab, hyperbaric oxygen, rituximab, siponimod, teriflunomide, and tovaxin. Fingolimod and siponimod were commonly associated with macular edema, interferon ß was associated with retinopathy, alemtuzumab was associated with thyroid eye disease, amantadine was associated with corneal edema, and steroids were associated with acute retinal necrosis. Opportunistic infections were also found, and there was one life-threatening case. CONCLUSIONS: Our search revealed different methodological assessments of the topic. However, longitudinal studies regarding ocular TEAEs related to multiple sclerosis therapy are necessary to provide evidence-based recommendations, especially in understudied regions such as Latin America and Africa. Physicians should monitor ocular symptoms in patients being treated for multiple sclerosis and consider an interdisciplinary approach. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ID CRD42020106886.

Prevalence of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and euthyroidism in thyroid eye disease: a systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid eye disease is an autoimmune disorder of the orbital retrobulbar tissue commonly associated with dysthyroid status. The most frequent condition is hyperthyroidism, although it is also present in hypothyroid and euthyroid patients. The prevalence of thyroid conditions in patients with thyroid eye disease had been previously evaluated; however, there is no consensus on a global prevalence. The study aims to estimate the prevalence of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and euthyroidism in patients with TED, through a systematic review of literature. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the literature following the PRISMA guidelines, in MEDLINE, COCHRANE, EMBASE, Science Direct, and LILACS databases. Inclusion criteria were primary studies of patients with a diagnosis of thyroid eye disease made by an ophthalmologist or with diagnosis criteria, with measurement of thyroid function (TSH, T3, and free T4), and diagnosis of the primary thyroid condition. A quality assessment was made through the Joanna Briggs Institute Quality tools. Finally, we extracted relevant details about the design, the results, and the prevalence of thyroid disorders in thyroid eye disease. RESULTS: The initial search revealed 916 studies, of which finally thirteen met inclusion criteria. Six studies were performed in Europe (Germany, Wales, and Spain), five in Asia (Iran, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore), one in North America (USA), and one in Africa (Ghana). The global prevalence, in patients of thyroid eye disease, was 10.36% for hypothyroidism, 7.9% for euthyroidism, and 86.2% for hyperthyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: Professionals should be aware that thyroid eye disease can be present in patients with a normal thyroid function. The assessment for these patients is based on orbital images; serum TSH, T3, and free T4; antibody levels as thyrotropin receptor antibodies; and thyroperoxidase levels. Additionally, we want to encourage research in this field in other regions of the world such as Latin America. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ID CRD42020107167.

Access to sexual and reproductive health services for women living with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean: systematic review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Systematic reviews show that women living with HIV (WLHIV) have high unmet sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs due to barriers to access sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS). In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), as of 2016, there were nearly one million WLHIV, but the existing evidence of their SRH needs comes from a few individual studies. This systematic review provides an overview of these women's needs to help define new and/or adapt existing public health strategies to the local context. This review synthesizes the evidence from the literature on the use of and access to SRHS related to family planning, antenatal care, abortion services and violence against WLHIV in LAC. METHODS: Using a systematic review of mixed studies, a search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, INASP, POPLINE, SCOPUS, for studies conducted in LAC, from 2004 to 2017, as well as contact with authors and hand search as needed. Two independent reviewers evaluated the quality of the studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool; inclusion was conducted according to the PRISMA flow diagram. An exploratory narrative synthesis followed by quantitative synthesis data was undertaken. Group analysis or meta-analysis was not considered appropriate given the level of heterogeneity of the studies. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies in 13 LAC countries for a population of 5672 WLHIV were included. Data from individual studies reported unmet family planning needs; higher, but inconsistent use of condom as the sole contraceptive method OR=1.46 [1.26 to 1.69]; lesser use of other non-permanent contraceptive methods OR=0.26 [0.22 to 0.31]; more unplanned pregnancies OR=1.30 [1.02 to 1.66]; more induced abortions OR=1.96 [1.60 to 2.39]; higher risk of immediate postpartum sterilization; and higher exposure to sexual and institutional violence by WLHIV when compared with women without HIV. CONCLUSIONS: This review presents evidence from LAC about the SRH unmet needs of WLHIV that must be addressed by decreasing institutional and structural barriers, facilitating services and reducing stigma, and discrimination among healthcare providers to improve access to SRHS based on human rights, so women independently of their HIV status can make their own reproductive decisions, free of violence and coercion.

Satisfacción de necesidades de anticoncepción en mujeres positivas al VIH: efecto sobre la eliminación de la transmisión vertical del virus / Meeting contraceptive needs of HIV-positive women: effect on elimination of vertical transmission of HIV

Cerca de 38% de embarazos no planeados se dan por necesidades insatisfechas en anticoncepción. En las mujeres positivas al VIH, las cifras se triplican, un fenómeno explicado por determinantes sociales como la pobreza, el acceso a los servicios de salud, la violencia y el desplazamiento forzoso, todos ellos elementos propios de la vida de estas mujeres. Los embarazos no planeados representan una carga psicológica vinculada con el temor de transmitir la infección a sus hijos, la orfandad y el asumir los riesgos durante el embarazo, a lo cual se añaden las consecuencias familiares y sociales que se manifiestan en baja asistencia al control prenatal, descuido de la salud y aumento de la posibilidad de transmisión vertical. El asesoramiento en anticoncepción diferencial e integrado a los servicios de atención y control del VIH es básico para lograr la eliminación de la transmisión vertical del VIH a corto y medio plazo. Reconocer que estas mujeres tienen características diferentes a las de la población general, como expresan su vida reproductiva, sus deseos e intenciones sobre la maternidad y que los embarazos no planeados representan una carga psicológica, social y económica adicional a la de las demás mujeres permitiría que el asesoramiento en anticoncepción se proporcionara en los programas de atención y seguimiento del VIH, en el mismo lugar y momento, con personal capacitado, capaz de comprender y atender sus necesidades reproductivas dentro de un marco de derechos, logrando que los sistemas de salud, basados en la responsabilidad que tienen con la sociedad, fueran capaces de ofrecer un asesoramiento en reproducción de calidad y dirigido a satisfacer las necesidades específicas de estas muje es.

Nearly 38% of unplanned pregnancies occur because of unmet contraceptive needs. In HIV-positive women, these figures triple, a phenomenon explained by social determinants such as poverty, access to health services, violence, and forced displacement, all of which are frequent elements in the lives of these women. Unplanned pregnancies represent a psychological burden related to women’s fear of transmitting the infection to their children, orphanhood, and assuming risks during pregnancy, in addition to family and social consequences that are expressed in lack of prenatal care, neglect of their health, and an increased likelihood of vertical transmission. Technical assistance for differentiated contraception counseling integrated into HIV care and control services is basic to achieving short- and mediumterm elimination of vertical transmission of HIV. These women’s characteristics are different from those of the general population, as expressed in their reproductive lives, desires, and intentions regarding motherhood; and their unplanned pregnancies represent a greater psychological, social, and economic burden than that of other women. Recognizing this would allow contraception counseling to be provided by HIV care and follow-up programs, in the same place and time, with trained personnel, capable of understanding and meeting their reproductive needs within a rights-based framework, ensuring that health systems, based on the responsibility they have to society, would be capable of offering quality reproductive care counseling, aimed at meeting the specific needs of HIV-positive women.

Satisfacción de necesidades de anticoncepción en mujeres positivas al VIH: efecto sobre la eliminación de la transmisión vertical del virus / Meeting contraceptive needs of HIV-positive women: effect on elimination of vertical transmission of HIV

RESUMEN Cerca de 38% de embarazos no planeados se dan por necesidades insatisfechas en anticoncepción. En las mujeres positivas al VIH, las cifras se triplican, un fenómeno explicado por determinantes sociales como la pobreza, el acceso a los servicios de salud, la violencia y el desplazamiento forzoso, todos ellos elementos propios de la vida de estas mujeres. Los embarazos no planeados representan una carga psicológica vinculada con el temor de transmitir la infección a sus hijos, la orfandad y el asumir los riesgos durante el embarazo, a lo cual se añaden las consecuencias familiares y sociales que se manifiestan en baja asistencia al control prenatal, descuido de la salud y aumento de la posibilidad de transmisión vertical. El asesoramiento en anticoncepción diferencial e integrado a los servicios de atención y control del VIH es básico para lograr la eliminación de la transmisión vertical del VIH a corto y medio plazo. Reconocer que estas mujeres tienen características diferentes a las de la población general, como expresan su vida reproductiva, sus deseos e intenciones sobre la maternidad y que los embarazos no planeados representan una carga psicológica, social y económica adicional a la de las demás mujeres permitiría que el asesoramiento en anticoncepción se proporcionara en los programas de atención y seguimiento del VIH, en el mismo lugar y momento, con personal capacitado, capaz de comprender y atender sus necesidades reproductivas dentro de un marco de derechos, logrando que los sistemas de salud, basados en la responsabilidad que tienen con la sociedad, fueran capaces de ofrecer un asesoramiento en reproducción de calidad y dirigido a satisfacer las necesidades específicas de estas mujeres.

ABSTRACT Nearly 38% of unplanned pregnancies occur because of unmet contraceptive needs. In HIV-positive women, these figures triple, a phenomenon explained by social determinants such as poverty, access to health services, violence, and forced displacement, all of which are frequent elements in the lives of these women. Unplanned pregnancies represent a psychological burden related to women’s fear of transmitting the infection to their children, orphanhood, and assuming risks during pregnancy, in addition to family and social consequences that are expressed in lack of prenatal care, neglect of their health, and an increased likelihood of vertical transmission. Technical assistance for differentiated contraception counseling integrated into HIV care and control services is basic to achieving short- and medium-term elimination of vertical transmission of HIV. These women’s characteristics are different from those of the general population, as expressed in their reproductive lives, desires, and intentions regarding motherhood; and their unplanned pregnancies represent a greater psychological, social, and economic burden than that of other women. Recognizing this would allow contraception counseling to be provided by HIV care and follow-up programs, in the same place and time, with trained personnel, capable of understanding and meeting their reproductive needs within a rights-based framework, ensuring that health systems, based on the responsibility they have to society, would be capable of offering quality reproductive care counseling, aimed at meeting the specific needs of HIV-positive women.

[Meeting contraceptive needs of HIV-positive women: effect on elimination of vertical transmission of HIV]. / Satisfacción de necesidades de anticoncepción en mujeres positivas al VIH: efecto sobre la eliminación de la transmisión vertical del virus.

Nearly 38% of unplanned pregnancies occur because of unmet contraceptive needs. In HIV-positive women, these figures triple, a phenomenon explained by social determinants such as poverty, access to health services, violence, and forced displacement, all of which are frequent elements in the lives of these women. Unplanned pregnancies represent a psychological burden related to women's fear of transmitting the infection to their children, orphanhood, and assuming risks during pregnancy, in addition to family and social consequences that are expressed in lack of prenatal care, neglect of their health, and an increased likelihood of vertical transmission. Technical assistance for differentiated contraception counseling integrated into HIV care and control services is basic to achieving short- and medium-term elimination of vertical transmission of HIV. These women's characteristics are different from those of the general population, as expressed in their reproductive lives, desires, and intentions regarding motherhood; and their unplanned pregnancies represent a greater psychological, social, and economic burden than that of other women. Recognizing this would allow contraception counseling to be provided by HIV care and follow-up programs, in the same place and time, with trained personnel, capable of understanding and meeting their reproductive needs within a rights-based framework, ensuring that health systems, based on the responsibility they have to society, would be capable of offering quality reproductive care counseling, aimed at meeting the specific needs of HIV-positive women.

Actitud en estudiantes de Ciencias de la Salud hacia el conocimiento científico / Attitude in students of Health Sciences toward scientific knowledge / Atitude em estudantes de Ciências da Saúde frente ao conhecimento científico

Formar profesionales de la salud implica asumir el reto de crear y desarrollar una mente inquisitiva, preparada para estar en un permanente cuestionamiento. Para esto es fundamental que se forje una actitud positiva hacia la generación del conocimiento y la ciencia. Objetivo: determinar la actitud hacia la ciencia y el método científico de estudiantes de pregrado de Ciencias de la Salud. Materiales y métodos: se realizó un estudio de corte transversal aplicando una encuesta auto-diligenciable. Se excluyeron los transferidos de otras universidades y los repitentes. La actitud hacia la ciencia y el método científico fueron valorados con la escala de Hren, que contiene tres dominios: valor del conocimiento científico para la humanidad, valor de la metodología científica y valor de la ciencia para profesiones de la salud. Resultados: se incluyeron 362 estudiantes; un 86,6% de ellos calificó la actitud hacia el conocimiento científico por encima de 135 puntos, valor neutro de la escala. Igual tendencia se encontró en los dominios valor del conocimiento científico para la humanidad y valor de la ciencia para profesiones de la salud, es decir, puntaje de actitud por encima del valor neutro del dominio respectivo. Un 91,4% de los estudiantes calificó el valor de la metodología científica por debajo de 48 puntos. Conclusiones: la actitud favorable de los estudiantes puede ser explicada por el contacto que tienen desde el inicio de su carrera con el método científico y su concordancia con la evolución de la ciencia. El dominio valor de la metodología científica fue el menos valorado por los encuestados y podría relacionarse con el desconocimiento de la misma.

Educating health professionals implies the challenge of creating and developing an inquiring mind, ready to be in a state of permanent questioning. For this purpose, it is fundamental to generate a positive attitude toward the generation of knowledge and science. Objective: to determine the attitude toward science and the scientific method in undergraduate students of health sciences. Materials and methods: a cross-sectional study was made by applying a self-administered survey, excluding those who were transferred from other universities and repeated. The attitude toward science and the scientific method were valued using the scale validated and published by Hren, which contains three domains: value of scientific knowledge, value of scientific methodology, and value of science for health professions. Results: 362 students were included, 86,6% of them graded the attitude toward scientific knowledge above 135 points, neutral scale value. Similar scores were registered in the domains value of scientific knowledge for the human dimension of the students and value of science for health professions. 91,4% of the students graded the value of scientific methodology below 48 points. Conclusions: the favorable attitude of the students can be explained by the contact that they have with the scientific method since the beginning of their studies and its concordance with the evolution of science. The domain value of scientific methodology obtained the lowest grade on the part of the students, which could be related to the lack of knowledge about scientific methodology.

Formar profissionais da saúde implica assumir o desafio de criar e desenvolver uma mente inquisitiva, preparada para estar em permanente questionamento e tentar resolvê-lo. Para isto é fundamental suscitar uma atitude positiva frente à geração de conhecimento e a ciência. Objetivo: determinar a atitude frente à ciência e o método científico em estudantes de graduação de Ciências da saúde. Materiais e métodos: realizou-se um estudo de corte transversal aplicando uma enquête auto-administrada, excluindo aqueles transferidos de outras universidades e aqueles que repetiram algum semestre. A atitude frente à ciência e o método científico se avaliou com a escala validada e publicada por Hren que contem três domínios: valor do conhecimento científico, da metodología científica e da ciência para profissões da saúde. Resultados: foram incluídos 362 alunos, 86,6% qualificam avaliaram a atitude frente ao conhecimento científico com mais de 135 puntos. Presentaram-se valores similares nos domínios valor do conhecimento científico para a dimensão humana dos estudantes e valor da ciência para profissões da saúde. 91,4% dos estudantes avaliaram o valor da metodologia científica com menos de 48 puntos. Conclusãoes: a atitude favorável dos estudantes pode ser explicada pelo contato que eles têm com o método cientifico desde o começo dos estudos e pela concordância com a evolução da ciência. O domínio valor da metodologia cientifica recebeu a avaliação mais baixa por parte dos estudantes. Isto poderia estar relacionado com a falta de conhecimento sobre metodologia cientifica.

Prevalencia del síndrome varicoso en membranas inferiores y factores asociados en personal femenino de una clínica de Santafé de Bogotá, 1992 / Prevalence of varicose veins and associated factors in female workers of a clinic

El presente estudio descriptivo se refiere a la prevalencia de síndrome varicoso y las variables asociadas con su presentación y agravamiento, en personal femenino de una Clínica de Santafé de Bogotá durante el año de 1993. Se evaluaron 151 trabajadoras que laboraban en diferentes cargos de la institución a través de una historia ocupacional específica. Los resultados demostraron que la prevalencia de este síndrome (56,9 por ciento) fué mayor a la rerpotada por la literatura mundial (34 por ciento para enfermedades y 12,5 por ciento para personal que labora de pie), no pudiendo ser comparada con la de nuestro país debido a que no existen estudios sobre este tema en el campo ocupacional. A través de análisis descriminante se determinó que las variables edad, postura, indice de quetelet, paridad y uso de anticonceptivos hormonales tenían una alta significancia estadística en el desarrollo y agravamiento de esta enfermedad. Se plantea un programa de vigilancia epidemiológica para su posterior aplicación en ésta o en otras instituciones similares