Team based collaborative care model, facilitated by mHealth enabled and trained nurses, for management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in India (TIME-HF): design and rationale of a parallel group, open label, multi-centric cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a debilitating condition associated with enormous public health burden. Management of HF is complex as it requires care-coordination with different cadres of health care providers. We propose to develop a team based collaborative care model (CCM), facilitated by trained nurses, for management of HF with the support of mHealth and evaluate its acceptability and effectiveness in Indian setting. Methods: The proposed study will use mixed-methods research. Formative qualitative research will identify barriers and facilitators for implementing CCM for the management of HF. Subsequently, a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving 22 centres (tertiary-care hospitals) and more than 1500 HF patients will be conducted to assess the efficacy of the CCM in improving the overall survival as well as days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) at two-years (CTRI/2021/11/037797). The DAOH will be calculated by subtracting days in hospital and days from death until end of study follow-up from the total follow-up time. Poisson regression with a robust variance estimate and an offset term to account for clustering will be employed in the analyses of DAOH. A rate ratio and its 95% confidence interval (CI) will be estimated. The scalability of the proposed intervention model will be assessed through economic analyses (cost-effectiveness) and the acceptability of the intervention at both the provider and patient level will be understood through both qualitative and quantitative process evaluation methods. Potential Impact: The TIME-HF trial will provide evidence on whether a CCM with mHealth support is effective in improving the clinical outcomes of HF with reduced ejection fraction in India. The findings may change the practice of management of HF in low and middle-income countries.

The role of neutrophil albumin ratio in predicting the stage of non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation forms the basis of cancer development and progression. It causes changes in complete blood count parameters, such as neutrophil counts. Low albumin levels are associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. We aimed to investigate the association between neutrophil to albumin ratio (NAR) and the stage of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 257 NSCLC patients (24 females and 198 males) were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n=61) included patients with early stage cancer (stage 1 and 2), while group 2  (n=196) included those with advanced stage cancer (stage 3 and 4). Demographic data, neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet, white blood cell counts (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), ferritin and albumin levels at the time of diagnosis were recorded. The NAR of 2 groups were compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the lymphocyte count (2.0 vs. 2.0 103/mm3) and platelet count (291 vs. 311 103/mm3) of the two groups (p > 0.05). ESR (38.8 vs. 57.5 mm/h), CRP (158 vs. 57 mg/l), ferritin (85 vs. 261 ng/ml), WBC count (8.6 vs. 10.6 103/mm3), neutrophil count (5.6 vs. 7.5 103/mm3), albumin values (2.9 vs. 3.7 gr/dl), and (p < 0.05) NAR levels (1.6 vs. 2.3) (p < 0.05) were significantly higher in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: NAR can be used in predicting the stage of NSCLC.

Infertility - an unfinished reproductive rights agenda in India.

Twenty-five years after the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) mandate in 1994, India has fallen far short of providing universal access to preventive and treatment services for infertility. This mandate was a call to "prioritize the reproductive health and rights of all people" (1), and reproductive health was defined as.

INFLAMMATORY CELL RATIOS IN THE PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease with undefined aetiology which commonly results in muscle sensitivity, pain, and sensitivity at certain anatomical points. The pathogenesis and aetiology of fibromyalgia are not yet fully understood. The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte/ monocyte ratio (LMR) as simple systemic inflammatory response biomarker sin patients with fibromyalgia. A total of 489 patients with fibromyalgia (group1) and 227 healthy controls (group2) were included in the study. Demographic data, Body Mass Index (BMI) neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were recorded. Baseline NLR, PLR, and LMR were calculated by dividing the absolute neutrophil, platelet and lymphocyte counts by the respective divisor absolute values. The NLR, PLR, and LMR levels of the two groups were then compared. There were no significant differences in gender and age between the two groups (p>0,05). BMI levels (29.6 vs 24.8 kg/m2), mean NLR (3.63 vs. 2.11) and PLR (222.55 vs. 114.28) values were found to be statistically higher (p <0.001), and mean LMR (2.73 vs. 3.85) values were found to be statistically lower, in the patient group (p <0.001). The present study showed that NLR, PLR, AND LMR levels can be used in the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and systemic inflammation may play a role in fibromyalgia.

Dispelling hope and leaving couples in a state of "inbetweenness": Moral dilemmas in infertility research.

Infertility is a condition that has an inherent cultural significance. In India, married couples with infertility face the brunt of speculations and certain demeaning identities are assigned to the women. Care-seeking options for infertility are deeply gendered. The availability of technologically advanced treatments for infertility provides "hope" to couples, especially women, to resolve the demeaning identities assigned to them, related to infertility. The paper focuses on the moral dilemma faced by a medically trained public health professional while collecting data from women in Kerala who were unable to continue the suggested biomedical treatment. Infertility treatment is an entropic cycle of success and failure; thus, the women studied moved from one stage to another hoping for a resolution to their problem. They were also undergoing alternative treatments that were unlikely to succeed. The paper discusses the moral dilemma of choosing between explaining the poor likelihood of success and leaving them with "hope".

Maintaining confidentiality while gaining access to the community.

Qualitative research is used to enhance the understanding of many issues but this method poses certain unique difficulties and ethical dilemmas for the researcher. These tend to be magnified when researching sensitive topics.

The efficacy of a computer alert programme for increasing HBV screening rates before starting immunosuppressive therapy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) screening before starting immunosuppressive treatment is of vital importance in order to prevent HBV reactivation and its associated clinical consequences. Despite all recommendations by international organizations, screening rates are far below desired. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a computer alert programme 'HBVision' for increasing HBV screening rates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 'HBVision' identifies patients at risk of HBV reactivation by specific ICD-10 codes and immunosuppressive medication reports and sends sequential alert messages to screen for HBsAg, anti-HBc IgG and consult a specialist if one of them is positive. The demographic variables, treatment protocols, HBV screening and consultation rates of oncology and hematology patients who started immunosuppressive treatments within one year before (control group) and after "HBVision" (study group) were retrospectively compared. RESULTS: HBsAg and anti-HBc IgG screening rates (68.6% and 13.1%, respectively) were significantly higher in the study group (n=602) compared to control group (n=815) (55% and 4.3%, respectively) (p<0.001, for both). Subgroup analysis revealed significant improvements in the screening rates of HBsAg (65.8%) and anti-HBc IgG (5.1%) in oncology patients (p<0.001), anti-HBc IgG (89.1%) in hematology patients (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The computer alert programme significantly increased HBV screening rates before starting immunosuppressive treatments, however the results were still below ideal. Additional efforts, such as modifying the computer programme according to feedbacks, are probably needed.

CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BLOOD TRANSFUSION IN GERIATRIC PATIENTS.

In the presented study, the etiology was defined in geriatric patients who received transfusions with erythrocyte suspension due to anemia; the amount of transfusion was investigated and practical systems and methods to prevent the overuse of transfusions were developed. A retrospective patient records analysis was performed for a total of 328 patients aged ≥65 who received transfusions for any reason between July 2015 and 2018 at Sakarya Research and Training Hospital. Laboratory data at initial presentation, number of erythrocyte transfusions (NES), and total volume of erythrocyte suspension transfusions (TNES) performed during all admissions over the study period were recorded. Also recorded were the demographic data, concurrent conditions, and laboratory values. Patients were divided into two groups based on their age and hemoglobin levels. Age group A1 consisted of patients between 65 and 75 years of age (inclusive), while age group A2 consisted of patients over 75 years of age (exclusive). Based on the hemoglobin levels, the patients were identified as those with a hemoglobin <8 g/dl severe anemia (group H1), hemoglobin level ranging 8-9,5 g/dl moderate anemia (H2), and hemoglobin >9,5 g/dl - mild anemia (H3). The amount of transfusion and etiological factors responsible for anemia were examined. With respect to the incidence of iron deficiency, volume of transfused erythrocyte suspensions (ES), and total number of erythrocyte suspensions (TNES) were significantly higher in the H1 group, compared to the H2 group (p:0.012 and p:0.001, respectively). Comparing H2 and H3 groups, in terms of B12 deficiency, ES, and TNES were significantly higher in the H3 group than in the H2 group (p:.0001, p:.001, p:.001, respectively). In our study, transfusion indications in patients between 65 and 75 years of age and patients aged over 75 years differed significantly in terms of cardiac conditions and hypertension. The age groups were not significantly different in terms of transfusions performed for gastrointestinal bleeding. Also, the gender distribution across these two age groups was well balanced. No significant differences were noted related either to the age or to comorbid conditions between two groups. The higher average NES and TNES values in Group A2 (> 75 years) compared to Group A1 (65-75 y) were attributed to the need for achieving cardiovascular hemodynamic stability, and to the reduced tolerance of anemia due to accompanying comorbid conditions. Despite a wide array of etiological factors in anemic geriatric patients requiring transfusions, it is of utmost importance to develop a management plan for the underlying cause of anemia in order to reduce the indications for repeated transfusions. The anemia threshold for identifying the need for transfusion should be individualized based on the physiological status of each case.