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Resource-limited Setting (resource-limited + setting)
Selected Abstracts,My biggest fear was that people would reject me once they knew my status,': stigma as experienced by patients in an HIV/AIDS clinic in Johannesburg, South AfricaHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 2 2010Leah Gilbert BA MPH PhD Abstract Stigma is not a new concept; however, it remains highly significant in the context of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. There is wide consensus that HIV/AIDS-related stigma compromises the well-being of people living with the disease. This paper is part of a larger study that seeks to understand the social and cultural complexity related to the provision and outcomes of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa. It explores and analyses how patients on ART perceived and experienced stigma and how it has shaped their behaviour towards, as well as their understanding of the epidemic. The data have been collected by means of in-depth face-to-face interviews, conducted between June and November 2007, with a sample of 44 patients in an HIV/AIDS clinic in a resource-limited setting in Johannesburg, South Africa. The findings reveal that the level of felt and anticipated stigma is intense and affects all dimensions of living with HIV/AIDS, particularly disclosure and treatment. Stigma permeates the experience of HIV-positive people on ART who participated in this study. The intensity of HIV/AIDS-related stigma can threaten to compromise the value of ART, thus impacting on the daily lives of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This study suggests that three decades into the epidemic, stigmatisation remains a core feature of the patient experience of HIV/AIDS. In the clinic in which this research was conducted, HIV/AIDS was regarded as a chronic condition increasingly manageable by ongoing access to ART. However, this approach was not shared by many family members, neighbours and employers who held highly stigmatised views. [source] Developmental monitoring using caregiver reports in a resource-limited setting: the case of Kilifi, KenyaACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2 2010A Abubakar Abstract Aim:, The main aim of the current study was to evaluate the reliability, validity and acceptability of developmental monitoring using caregiver reports among mothers in a rural African setting. Methods:, A structured interview for parents of children aged 24 months and less was developed through both participant consultation and a review of literature. The reliability and validity of the schedule was evaluated through a 10-month monitoring programme of 95 children, aged 2,10 months. The acceptability of the process was evaluated by studying retention rates and by organizing focus group discussions with participating mothers. Results:, The structured interview ,Developmental Milestones Checklist' consisted of 66 items covering three broad domains of child functioning: motor, language and personal,social development. The interview yielded scores of developmental achievements that showed high internal consistency and excellent test,retest reliability. The results were sensitive to maturational changes and nutritional deficiencies. In addition, acceptable retention rates of approximately 80% were found. Participating mothers reported that they found the procedures both acceptable and beneficial. Conclusion:, Developmental monitoring using caregiver report is a viable method to identify and monitor at-risk children in Sub-Saharan Africa. [source] Evaluation of PG-M3 antibody in the diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukaemiaEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 10 2010Sanjeev Kumar Gupta Eur J Clin Invest 2010; 40 (10): 960,962 Abstract Background & objectives, Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) is a distinct subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) characterized by a reciprocal translocation, t(15;17) and a high incidence of life-threatening coagulopathy. APL diagnosis is considered a medical emergency. As reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for PML-RAR, fusion oncoprotein is time consuming, there is a need for a rapid and accurate diagnostic test for APL. This study evaluates the role of PG-M3 monoclonal antibody using immunofluorescence (IF) in the early diagnosis of APL. Materials and Methods, Thirty-six new untreated APL cases diagnosed with RT-PCR for PML-RAR, as the gold standard and 38 non-APL controls (28 non-APL AMLs and 10 non-leukaemic samples) were evaluated by routine morphology and cytochemistry, RT-PCR and IF using PG-M3 monoclonal antibody. Results, Using IF, 34 of 36 (94·4%) APL cases showed a microgranular pattern suggestive of APL and two cases (5·6%) showed a speckled pattern typical of wild-type PML protein (False negative). By comparison, two of 28 (7·1%) non-APL AMLs showed microgranular pattern (false positive). Hence, IF as a diagnostic test for APL resulted in a sensitivity of 94·4%, specificity of 92·9% and positive and negative predictive values of 94·4% and 92·9% respectively. All 10 non-leukaemic samples showed a speckled pattern. Conclusions, IF using PG-M3 antibodies can be used as a rapid (takes 2 h), cheap, sensitive and specific method to identify APL. It can be a useful adjunct for diagnosis of APL especially if facilities for RT-PCR are not available, particularly in resource-limited settings. [source] Role of medical professionals and medical education in resource-limited settings like India: have we lost sight of the woods in the trees?MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2007Gautam Ahluwalia No abstract is available for this article. [source] | ||||||||||