Articles: disease.
-
Self-treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) is common, but little studied, in Thailand, and its influence on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is unknown. ⋯ These men are attempting to prevent HIV and STDs. Self-treatment with antibiotics may lower HIV risks associated with bacterial STD in a high-prevalence population.
-
Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Perinatal intervention trial in Africa: effect of a birth canal cleansing intervention to prevent HIV transmission.
Perinatal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 contributes significantly to infant mortality. Exposure in the birth canal may account for some transmission. We examined the efficacy of a birth canal washing procedure in reducing perinatal transmission in Malawi. ⋯ If birth canal exposure is an important risk factor, different or additional methods to reduce the risk of perinatal HIV transmission should be tested. Alternatively, perhaps birth canal exposure is not a major contributor to perinatal infection risk.
-
Standard case management strategy has been recommended to reduce the high mortality rate in children with acute respiratory infections (ARI). Appropriate case management has been shown to prevent such deaths, but only if families recognize signs of possible pneumonia and seek care promptly from a trained health worker. The purpose of the present study was to assess mothers' perception and interpretation of ARI signs and symptoms in relation to that of a physician in an urban community in Addis Ababa. ⋯ While it was shown that between two physicians there was good agreement on kappa values above 70% for most ARI signs, there was little agreement between physicians and mothers or between mothers whose children came for ARI problems and mothers of hospital controls. The few mothers who recognized these signs did not interpret them as serious. The study concludes by recommending intensive health education and further ethnographic studies on community beliefs about ARI in children, with particular emphasis on documentation of the terms, signs and symptoms by which families recognize the illness.
-
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Child mortality following standard, medium or high titre measles immunization in West Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of high titre measles vaccine in 1989. Subsequent long term follow-up of several trials yielded results suggesting higher mortality among children inoculated with medium and high titre vaccines compared to standard titre vaccines, although none of the individual trials found significant differences in mortality. ⋯ The combined analysis showed a decreased survival related to high titre measles vaccine compared with standard titre vaccines, though solely among females. As a result of these studies from West Africa and a study from Haiti, WHO has recommended that high titre measles vaccine no longer be used.