1.Soil-transmitted nematode infection of children and its influencing factors in poverty-stricken areas in two provinces of southwest China
Xiaobing WANG ; Linxiu ZHANG ; Guofei WANG ; Renfu LUO ; Medina ALEXIS ; Rozelle SCOTT
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2014;(3):279-283
Objective To understand the infection status and the main risk factors of soil-transmitted nematodes in children in the poverty-stricken areas of Guizhou Province and Sichuan Province,so as to provide the evidences for making suitable control strategies in these areas. Methods A total of 95 villages and 6 primary schools in 6 poor counties in the two provinces were select-ed as investigation sites according to the stratified random sampling method. Eleven preschool children aged 3-5 years in each sam-ple village and 11 school children aged 8-10 years in each sample school were chose as investigation objectives,their feces were collected and examined by Kato-Katz technique. In addition,the village doctor and cadres in each village were investigated by a standardized questionnaire to understand the deworming condition of children and the social economy and sanitary status in 2009. Then the correlation between average soil-transmitted nematode infection rate and its influencing factors was analyzed by the Tobit model. Results A total of 1 707 children from 95 villages in the two provinces were examined. In Guizhou Province,the total in-fection rate of soil-transmitted nematodes in children was 46.1%,and the infection rates of Ascaris lumbricoides,Hookworm,and Trichuris trichiura were 31.1%,4.1% and 10.8% respectively,and the corresponding rates in Sichuan Provinces were 9.8%, 3.6%,3.5%,2.7%,respectively. In the dimension of school,a total of 890 school-aged kids from 46 schools in the two provinces were examined,the infection rates of soil-transmitted nematodes,Ascaris lumbricoides,Hookworm,and Trichuris trichiura in Guizhou Province were 53.8%,32.7%,6.6% and 14.4%,respectively,and the corresponding rates in Sichuan Province were 7.3%,2.2%,2.9% and 2.2%,respectively. The results from Tobit analysis indicated that the proportion of children accepted deworming treatment and the paddy field in the cultivated area were statistically correlated to the infections of soil-transmitted nematodes and Ascaris lumbricoides(all P < 0.05). Conclusions The soil-transmitted nematode infection rates of children are still at a high level in poor areas of southwest China. In order to decrease the infection rates,besides the long-term deworming, water supply and sanitary improvement,and the health education should be strengthened,and the treatment of soil-transmitted nematodes should be covered by the New Rural Cooperative Medical System.
2.Prophylaxis for invasive fungal infection in pediatric patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Paola PEREZ ; Jaime PATIÑO ; Alexis A. FRANCO ; Fernando ROSSO ; Estefania BELTRAN ; Eliana MANZI ; Andrés CASTRO ; Mayra ESTACIO ; Diego Medina VALENCIA
Blood Research 2022;57(1):34-40
Background:
Antifungal prophylaxis is recommended for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to decrease the incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFI). This study aimed to compare the two groups of antifungal prophylaxis in pediatric patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT.
Methods:
This observational, analytic, retrospective cohort study compared the incidence of IFI with antifungal prophylaxis with voriconazole vs. other antifungals in the first 100 days after allogeneic HSCT in patients aged <18 years between 2012 and 2018. The statistical analysis included univariate and multivariate analyses and determination of the cumulative incidence of invasive fungal infection by the Kaplan‒Meier method using STATA 14 statistical software.
Results:
A total of 139 allogeneic HSCT were performed. The principal diagnosis was acute leukemia (63%). The 75% had haploidentical donors, and 50% used an antifungal in the month before transplantation. Voriconazole (69%) was the most frequently administered antifungal prophylaxis. The cumulative incidence of IFI was 5% (7 cases). Of the patients with IFIs, four began prophylaxis with voriconazole, one with caspofungin, and one with fluconazole. Additionally, six were possible cases, one was proven (Candida parapsilosis), and 1/7 died.
Conclusion
There were no differences in the incidence of IFI between patients who received prophylaxis with voriconazole and other antifungal agents.