Conference Material > Abstract
Hadiuzzaman M, Yantzi R, van den Boogaard W, Lim SY, Gupta PS, et al.
MSF Scientific Days International 2022. 2022 May 12; DOI:10.57740/2hjs-zc19
INTRODUCTION
Maternal health indicators remain unacceptably poor within the densely populated Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. With a high prevalence of home births, we sought to explore perceptions, experiences, and expectations around delivery care of women of reproductive age. We also examined the potential roles of family and key community members within Camp 22, a relatively isolated camp with 23,000 refugees where MSF is the only provider of facility-based maternity care.
METHODS
In 2021, we selected 45 participants from Camp 22 through purposive and snowball sampling for in-depth interviews. Participants included 36 Rohingya women and their family members, three traditional birth attendants (TBA’s) and six community and religious leaders. Interviews were recorded, translated and transcribed into English by trained staff fluent in Rohingya. Thematic-content analysis was performed, whereby codes and emerging themes were identified.
ETHICS
This study was approved by the MSF Ethics Review Board (ERB) and by the ERB of Bangladesh University of Health Sciences.
RESULTS
Findings showed that delivery choices were made as a family, with husband and parents-in-law being primary decision makers. An uncomplicated birth was not perceived as requiring facility-based assistance; many women preferred to give birth at home assisted by TBA’s, family, or local healers, due to placing greater trust in their own community. Lack of security and transport were crucial determinants in repudiating facility-based care at night. Concerns about male staff and being undressed during facility-based births, as well as the possibility of onward referrals should surgery or episiotomies be required, drove hesitancy. Separation from family and children added more anxiety. Lack of understanding by facility staff towards Rohingya birthing practices and beliefs, and the Rohingya’s unfamiliarity with formally-trained midwives and medical procedures, featured heavily in decisions for home births. Factors such as utilising birthing ropes and guaranteed privacy at home were key influencers for choosing home births. Additionally, perceived inexperience of midwives and lack of autonomy while in the facility, were other common reasons for apprehension.
CONCLUSION
This study emphasizes community trust as a factor in collective decision-making regarding birth choices. Trust was higher in TBA’s than in formally-trained midwives and this negatively affected perceptions regarding competence. Perceptions may also be affected by rapid midwife turnover, a factor endemic to non-governmental organizations working in Cox’s Bazar. The persistent gap in cultural understanding and adaptation by facility-based staff, even after three years of presence, suggests the need for a more iterative, inclusive and reflective approach, with community engagement strategies founded on beneficiaries own explicitly stated needs, beliefs and practices.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
None declared
Maternal health indicators remain unacceptably poor within the densely populated Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. With a high prevalence of home births, we sought to explore perceptions, experiences, and expectations around delivery care of women of reproductive age. We also examined the potential roles of family and key community members within Camp 22, a relatively isolated camp with 23,000 refugees where MSF is the only provider of facility-based maternity care.
METHODS
In 2021, we selected 45 participants from Camp 22 through purposive and snowball sampling for in-depth interviews. Participants included 36 Rohingya women and their family members, three traditional birth attendants (TBA’s) and six community and religious leaders. Interviews were recorded, translated and transcribed into English by trained staff fluent in Rohingya. Thematic-content analysis was performed, whereby codes and emerging themes were identified.
ETHICS
This study was approved by the MSF Ethics Review Board (ERB) and by the ERB of Bangladesh University of Health Sciences.
RESULTS
Findings showed that delivery choices were made as a family, with husband and parents-in-law being primary decision makers. An uncomplicated birth was not perceived as requiring facility-based assistance; many women preferred to give birth at home assisted by TBA’s, family, or local healers, due to placing greater trust in their own community. Lack of security and transport were crucial determinants in repudiating facility-based care at night. Concerns about male staff and being undressed during facility-based births, as well as the possibility of onward referrals should surgery or episiotomies be required, drove hesitancy. Separation from family and children added more anxiety. Lack of understanding by facility staff towards Rohingya birthing practices and beliefs, and the Rohingya’s unfamiliarity with formally-trained midwives and medical procedures, featured heavily in decisions for home births. Factors such as utilising birthing ropes and guaranteed privacy at home were key influencers for choosing home births. Additionally, perceived inexperience of midwives and lack of autonomy while in the facility, were other common reasons for apprehension.
CONCLUSION
This study emphasizes community trust as a factor in collective decision-making regarding birth choices. Trust was higher in TBA’s than in formally-trained midwives and this negatively affected perceptions regarding competence. Perceptions may also be affected by rapid midwife turnover, a factor endemic to non-governmental organizations working in Cox’s Bazar. The persistent gap in cultural understanding and adaptation by facility-based staff, even after three years of presence, suggests the need for a more iterative, inclusive and reflective approach, with community engagement strategies founded on beneficiaries own explicitly stated needs, beliefs and practices.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
None declared
Conference Material > Poster
Yang SL, Gonzalez M, Hazaea Mohammed HA, Lim SY, Ferreras E, et al.
MSF Paediatric Days 2024. 2024 May 3; DOI:10.57740/ahq9-t438
Conference Material > Slide Presentation
Hadiuzzaman M, Yantzi R, van den Boogaard W, Lim SY, Gupta PS, et al.
MSF Scientific Days International 2022. 2022 May 12; DOI:10.57740/qwgn-be73
Conference Material > Slide Presentation
Yang SL, Gonzalez M, Hazaea Mohammed HA, Lim SY, Ferreras E, et al.
MSF Scientific Day International 2024. 2024 May 16; DOI:10.57740/Rcembdt4Bk
Conference Material > Abstract
Yang SL, Gonzalez M, Hazaea Mohammed HA, Lim SY, Ferreras E, et al.
MSF Scientific Day International 2024. 2024 May 16; DOI:10.57740/utH6tREN
INTRODUCTION
Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) in Abs General Hospital, Yemen, provides nutrition treatment and management of medical complications to children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Abs and surrounding areas. In the past 2 years, the monthly mortality rate for children younger than 14 years averaged at 2.5–5% during non-peak months (Médecins Sans Frontières [MSF] indicator threshold for ITFC is 5%), but it increased to 7% during the peak months. We aimed to describe ITFC patients’ demographic, anthropometric, and clinical variables, and assess their association with inpatient mortality.
METHODS
We conducted an unmatched case-control study with patients aged <14 years who attended IFTC between January and December 2022. Cases were patients for whom the ITFC exit was recorded as “death” (n=106), and controls were those with the exit recorded as “discharged”, selected via systematic random sampling (n=218). Descriptive statistics were performed for all variables. We assessed associations with mortality by calculating adjusted odds ratios (aORs) via multivariable logistic regression, controlling for factors significant in the univariable analysis.
RESULTS
About 77% of patients were aged ≥6 months (71/106 cases and 178/218 controls). Gender distribution was even in both groups. The median mid-upper arm circumference was 88 mm in patients aged <6 months and 104 mm in those aged ≥6 months; 89% of the patients had weight-for-height Z score of <–3. The most common diagnoses at death were pneumonia (38%), gastroenteritis (24%), and sepsis (23%). Patients who lived at the three districts to the north of Abs had significantly higher odds of death (crude ORs 3.47, 3.64, and 6.07) than patients from Abs districts. Having shock (aOR 29.2, 95% CI 6.61–151), hypoglycaemia (9.33, 2.98–32.2), and sepsis (7.52, 2.60–24.1) were strongly associated with inpatient mortality. Other significant risk factors for mortality included age (aOR 1.07, 1.03–1.11), high paediatric early warning score (1.14, 1.01–1.30), being given intravenous fluid without documented shock (3.64, 1.20–12.6), respiratory distress (4.36, 1.47–13.8), congenital heart disease (5.44, 1.42–22.5), and hepatomegaly (6.78, 1.45–36.0). Several medical complications were found exclusively among deceased patients (e.g., electrolyte disturbance, hypothermia, and coma). Among those who received rehydration treatment (n=280), plan B with ReSoMal was the least used plan (15%).
CONCLUSION
We identified important demographic and clinical factors associated with ITFC mortality. Geographical disparity suggests a need for healthcare gap and access evaluation to the affected regions. Prompt recognition of shock, hypoglycaemia, sepsis, and other significant clinical factors would enable early intervention and closer patient monitoring. Lastly, this study highlights the importance of adherence to fluid management guideline.
Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) in Abs General Hospital, Yemen, provides nutrition treatment and management of medical complications to children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Abs and surrounding areas. In the past 2 years, the monthly mortality rate for children younger than 14 years averaged at 2.5–5% during non-peak months (Médecins Sans Frontières [MSF] indicator threshold for ITFC is 5%), but it increased to 7% during the peak months. We aimed to describe ITFC patients’ demographic, anthropometric, and clinical variables, and assess their association with inpatient mortality.
METHODS
We conducted an unmatched case-control study with patients aged <14 years who attended IFTC between January and December 2022. Cases were patients for whom the ITFC exit was recorded as “death” (n=106), and controls were those with the exit recorded as “discharged”, selected via systematic random sampling (n=218). Descriptive statistics were performed for all variables. We assessed associations with mortality by calculating adjusted odds ratios (aORs) via multivariable logistic regression, controlling for factors significant in the univariable analysis.
RESULTS
About 77% of patients were aged ≥6 months (71/106 cases and 178/218 controls). Gender distribution was even in both groups. The median mid-upper arm circumference was 88 mm in patients aged <6 months and 104 mm in those aged ≥6 months; 89% of the patients had weight-for-height Z score of <–3. The most common diagnoses at death were pneumonia (38%), gastroenteritis (24%), and sepsis (23%). Patients who lived at the three districts to the north of Abs had significantly higher odds of death (crude ORs 3.47, 3.64, and 6.07) than patients from Abs districts. Having shock (aOR 29.2, 95% CI 6.61–151), hypoglycaemia (9.33, 2.98–32.2), and sepsis (7.52, 2.60–24.1) were strongly associated with inpatient mortality. Other significant risk factors for mortality included age (aOR 1.07, 1.03–1.11), high paediatric early warning score (1.14, 1.01–1.30), being given intravenous fluid without documented shock (3.64, 1.20–12.6), respiratory distress (4.36, 1.47–13.8), congenital heart disease (5.44, 1.42–22.5), and hepatomegaly (6.78, 1.45–36.0). Several medical complications were found exclusively among deceased patients (e.g., electrolyte disturbance, hypothermia, and coma). Among those who received rehydration treatment (n=280), plan B with ReSoMal was the least used plan (15%).
CONCLUSION
We identified important demographic and clinical factors associated with ITFC mortality. Geographical disparity suggests a need for healthcare gap and access evaluation to the affected regions. Prompt recognition of shock, hypoglycaemia, sepsis, and other significant clinical factors would enable early intervention and closer patient monitoring. Lastly, this study highlights the importance of adherence to fluid management guideline.
Journal Article > ResearchFull Text
Ther Adv Respir Dis. 2023 January 1; Volume 17; 175346662311622.; DOI:10.1177/17534666231162244
Kwon BS, Park JS, Shin JA, Kim ES, Lim SY, et al.
Ther Adv Respir Dis. 2023 January 1; Volume 17; 175346662311622.; DOI:10.1177/17534666231162244
BACKGROUND
There is little information on the optimal storage conditions for recovery of nontuberculous Mycobacterium spp. (NTM) from refrigerated sputum.
OBJECTIVES
We investigated the storage duration that could increase the culture-positive rate of NTM isolates.
DESIGN
In this prospective study, we collected NTM isolates and clinical data from patients with repeated culture-positive NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD).
METHODS
From June 2020 to July 2021, the participants were instructed to randomly collect six sputum samples and immediately store them in a refrigerator at 4°C until the date of their clinic visit. At the outpatient visits, expectorated spot sputum samples were collected.
RESULTS
A total of 226 sputum samples were collected from 35 patients. The median duration of refrigeration was 6 days (maximum duration: 36 days). The overall culture-positive rate was 81.6%. While there was a trend for a higher culture positivity rate when stored for ⩽3 weeks, this was not significant compared with those stored for >3 weeks ( p = 0.610). According to sputum microscopy, smear-positive sputum was 100% isolated, but smear-negative samples had a culture-positive rate of 77.5%. Similarly, there was no significant association between sputum storage duration and culture positivity ( p = 0.511). In addition, the recovery rate of the refrigerated sputum was comparable with the collected spot expectorated sputum (82.6% versus 80.6%, p = 0.795), which is suggestive of the long-term viability of NTM in refrigerated sputum.
CONCLUSION
Our data demonstrated the long-term viability of refrigerated NTM, and the culture positivity rate of these samples was comparable with the spot expectorated sputum. These results suggest that implementing sputum refrigeration would enhance convenience in diagnosing and following patients with NTM-PD.
PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Easy way to diagnose NTM lung diseases
Under usual circumstances, most patients with suspected NTM submit spontaneously expectorated sputum rather than induced sputum for the purpose of testing the causative organism. By collecting and storing sputum specimens for a longer period than before, it is expected that more sufficient and adequate collection of sputum specimens will be possible.
There is little information on the optimal storage conditions for recovery of nontuberculous Mycobacterium spp. (NTM) from refrigerated sputum.
OBJECTIVES
We investigated the storage duration that could increase the culture-positive rate of NTM isolates.
DESIGN
In this prospective study, we collected NTM isolates and clinical data from patients with repeated culture-positive NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD).
METHODS
From June 2020 to July 2021, the participants were instructed to randomly collect six sputum samples and immediately store them in a refrigerator at 4°C until the date of their clinic visit. At the outpatient visits, expectorated spot sputum samples were collected.
RESULTS
A total of 226 sputum samples were collected from 35 patients. The median duration of refrigeration was 6 days (maximum duration: 36 days). The overall culture-positive rate was 81.6%. While there was a trend for a higher culture positivity rate when stored for ⩽3 weeks, this was not significant compared with those stored for >3 weeks ( p = 0.610). According to sputum microscopy, smear-positive sputum was 100% isolated, but smear-negative samples had a culture-positive rate of 77.5%. Similarly, there was no significant association between sputum storage duration and culture positivity ( p = 0.511). In addition, the recovery rate of the refrigerated sputum was comparable with the collected spot expectorated sputum (82.6% versus 80.6%, p = 0.795), which is suggestive of the long-term viability of NTM in refrigerated sputum.
CONCLUSION
Our data demonstrated the long-term viability of refrigerated NTM, and the culture positivity rate of these samples was comparable with the spot expectorated sputum. These results suggest that implementing sputum refrigeration would enhance convenience in diagnosing and following patients with NTM-PD.
PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Easy way to diagnose NTM lung diseases
Under usual circumstances, most patients with suspected NTM submit spontaneously expectorated sputum rather than induced sputum for the purpose of testing the causative organism. By collecting and storing sputum specimens for a longer period than before, it is expected that more sufficient and adequate collection of sputum specimens will be possible.
Conference Material > Poster
Chua S, Isah Mohammed I, Lim SY, Al-Ashwal AM, Uwiragiye Furaha P, et al.
MSF Paediatric Days 2022. 2022 November 30; DOI:10.57740/yx2v-vy83
Conference Material > Poster
Chua S, Lim SY, Isah Mohammed I, Al-Ashwal AM, Vazquez Y, et al.
MSF Scientific Day International 2023. 2023 June 7; DOI:10.57740/e92k-ez75