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Nghiên cứu nhằm mục tiêu mô tả thực trạng nhiễm HIV và một số yếu tố liên quan đến hội chứng/bệnh thường gặp ở trẻ 10-15 tuổi nhiễm HIV đang điều trị ARV tại Bệnh viện Nhi Trung ương năm 2020. Phương pháp mô tả, cắt ngang thực hiện trên 187 bệnh nhân, trong đó tuổi trung bình là 12,84±1,65 tuổi, tỷ lệ nam/nữ là 1,2/1. Phần lớn trẻ nhiễm HIV được ghi nhận trong nghiên cứu này là lây nhiễm HIV từ mẹ (trên 90%). Tỷ lệ trẻ xác định nhiễm HIV > 1 năm là 98,93%, đây cũng là tỷ lệ của trẻ có thời gian điều trị ARV > 1 năm. Hội chứng suy mòn do nhiễm HIV (11,22%) và Lao (9,63%) là bệnh nhiễm trùng cơ hội thường gặp trước khi điều trị ARV được ghi nhận nhiều nhất trong bệnh án ngoại trú. Tại thời điểm nghiên cứu giai đoạn lâm sàng I chiếm tỷ lệ chủ yếu (97,86%), tải lượng virus dưới ngưỡng (81,3%), xét nghiệm T-CD4 ≥ 500 (82,9%), phác đồ 1 được sử dụng để điều trị chủ yếu (80,7%). Giới, địa bàn sinh sống, sự phát triển thể chất, phác đồ điều trị, nồng độ TCD-4, tải lượng virus, thời gian nhiễm HIV, thời gian điều trị ARV không liên quan đến nhiễm trùng cơ hội. Một số yếu tố liên quan có ý nghĩa tới việc mắc các bệnh nhiễm trùng cơ hội đó là Xquang phổi có bất thường và giai đoạn lâm sàng.

Aim This study assessed the Streptococcus pneumoniae colonisation rate and susceptibility to antibiotics among preschool children in rural Vietnam. Method Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from 546 preschool children aged 6-59 months living in 460 households in the rural BaVi District of Hanoi and their main caregivers completed questionnaires. The samples were cultured, and the Streptococcus pneumoniae colonisation rate and antibiotic susceptibility were investigated. Resistance data from this 2014 study were compared with studies in 1999 and 2007, to identify 15-year trends, together with clinical isolates from a national surveillance system of 16 Vietnamese hospital laboratories established in 2013. Results We found that 221/546 (40%) of the cultures were positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae. The susceptibility rates were trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (5%), erythromycin (8%), ciprofloxacin (12%), benzyl-penicillin (35%), tetracycline (49%), cefotaxime (55%), moxifloxacin (99%) and vancomycin (99%). All the susceptibility rates were lower in 2014 than 1999 and 2007, except tetracycline. Multi-drug resistance was 80% in 2014, compared to 60% in 2007 and 31% in 1999. Antibiotics was reported used by 191 (35%) within one month, mainly cephalosporins 86 (45%), amoxycillin/ampicillin 69 (36%) and macrolides 30 (16%). Conclusion Streptococcus pneumoniae showed remarkable high resistance to commonly used antibiotics, including cephalosporins. Multi-drug resistance rose from 31% to 80% during the 15-year study period.

BackgroundNeonatal sepsis is a leading cause of child mortality, and increasing antimicrobial resistance threatens progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Evidence to guide antibiotic treatment for sepsis in neonates and young infants from randomized controlled trials or observational studies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is scarce. We aimed to describe patterns of antibiotic use, pathogens and outcomes in LMIC hospital settings globally to inform future clinical trials on the management of neonatal sepsis.Methods & FindingsHospitalised infants aged 206 different empiric antibiotic combinations were used, which were structured into 5 groups that were developed from the World Health Organisation (WHO) AWaRe classification. 25.9% (n=814) of infants started a WHO first line regimen (Group 1 -Access, penicillin-based regimen) and 13.8% (n=432) started WHO second-line cephalosporins (cefotaxime/ceftriaxone) (Group 2- ‘Low’ Watch). The largest group (34.0%, n=1068) started a regimen providing partial extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)/pseudomonal coverage (piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftazidime, or fluoroquinolone-based) (Group 3 – ‘Medium’ Watch), 18.0% (n=566) started a carbapenem (Group 4 – ‘High’ Watch), and 1.8% (n=57) started a Reserve antibiotic (Group 5, largely colistin-based). Predictors of starting non-WHO recommended regimens included lower birth weight, longer in-hospital stay, central vascular catheter use, previous culture positive sepsis or antibiotic exposure, previous surgery and greater sepsis severity. 728/2880 (25.3%) of initial regimens in Group 1-4 were escalated, mainly to carbapenems, and usually for clinical indications (n=480; 65.9%).564 infants (17.6%) isolated a pathogen from their baseline blood culture, of which 62.9% (n=355) had a Gram-negative organism, predominantlyKlebsiella pneumoniae(n=132) andAcinetobacterspp. (n=72). These leading Gram-negatives were both mostly resistant to WHO-recommended regimens, and also resistant to carbapenems in 32.6% and 71.4% of cases respectively. MRSA accounted for 61.1% ofStaphylococcus aureus(n=54) isolates.Overall, 350/3204 infants died (11.3%; 95%CI 10.2-12.5%), with 17.7% case fatality rate among infants with a pathogen in baseline culture (95%CI 14.7-20.1%, n=99/564). Gram-negative infections accounted for 75/99 (75.8%) of pathogen-positive deaths, especiallyKlebsiella pneumoniae(n=28; 28.3%), andAcinetobacterspp. (n=24; 24.2%).ConclusionA very wide range of antibiotic regimens are now used to treat neonatal sepsis globally. There is common use of higher-level Watch antibiotics, frequent early switching and very infrequent de-escalation of therapy. Future hospital based neonatal sepsis trials will ideally need to account for the multiple regimens used as standard of care globally and include both empiric first line regimens and subsequent switching in the trial design.Author SummaryWhy was this study done?➢Increasing trends in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) disproportionately affect neonates and young infants with sepsis in LMIC settings and undermine the effectiveness of WHO-recommended antibiotics.➢Despite this, longitudinal data on antibiotic management strategies and outcomes of affected hospitalised neonates and young infants in LMIC settings are extremely limited, impeding the design of robust antibiotic trials.What did the researchers do and find?➢To our knowledge this is the first global, prospective, hospital-based observational study of clinically diagnosed neonatal sepsis across 4 continents including LMIC settings, with daily data on clinical status, antibiotic use and outcomes.➢There was a high mortality among infants with culture positive sepsis (almost 1 in 5), and a significant burden of antibiotic resistance.➢This study highlights wide variations in standard of care for sepsis in neonates and young infants with more than 200 different antibiotic combinations, significant divergence from WHO-recommended regimens, and frequent switching of antibiotics.What do these findings mean?➢These data demonstrate that patterns of routine antibiotic use are now markedly divergent from global guidance➢There is an urgent need for randomised controlled trials to address optimal empiric first and second line antibiotic treatment strategies in LMIC hospital settings with a significant AMR burden.➢Data from this study can inform the design of multicentre hospital-based neonatal antibiotic trials in LMIC settings.➢The wide range of multiple antibiotic regimens routinely used as Standard of Care (SOC) suggests the need for novel trial designs.

We report on the public health response generated by an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that occurred during March 2020 at Bach Mai Hospital (BMH) in Hanoi, northern Vietnam’s largest hospital complex. On March 18, a total of 3 distinct clusters of COVID-19 cases were identified at BMH. Diagnosis of the initial 3 COVID-19 cases led to contact tracing, symptom screening, and testing of 495 persons and limited quarantine of affected institutes or departments. When 27 staff members in the catering company tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the entire BMH staff (7,664 persons) was put under quarantine. Contact tracing in the community resulted in an additional 52,239 persons being quarantined. After 3 weeks, the hospital outbreak was contained; no further spread occurred in the hospital. Rapid screening of cases, extensive testing, prompt quarantine, contact tracing, and social distancing contributed to prevent community transmission in Hanoi and northern Vietnam.

Objectives Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are high priority targets of global antimicrobial surveillance. Herein, we determined the colonization rate of CPE on admission to intensive care units in Vientiane, Lao PDR in August-September 2019. Methods Data regarding clinical conditions, infection control, and antibiotic usage were collected during admission. Rectal swab samples (n = 137) collected during admission were inoculated to selective chromogenic agars, followed by confirmatory tests for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases. All CPE isolates were sequenced on Illumina (HiSeq2500), reads assembled using SPAdes 3.13, and the draft genomes used to query a database (https://www.genomicepidemiology.org) for resistome, plasmid replicons, and sequence types (ST). Optical DNA mapping (ODM) was used to characterize plasmids and to determine location of resistance genes. Minimum spanning tree was generated using the Bacterial Isolate Genome Sequence database (BIGSdb) and annotated using iTOL. Result From 47 Enterobacterales isolated on selective agars, K. pneumoniae (25/47) and E. coli (12/47) were the most prevalent species, followed by K aerogenes (2/47), K. variicola (1/47), and K. oxytoca (1/47). The overall prevalence of ESBLs was 51.0%; E. coli 83.3% (10/12) and Klebsiella spp. 41.3% (12/29). Twenty percent of the K. pneumoniae (5/25) isolates were carbapenem-resistant, and 4/5 contained the blaNDM-1 gene. All blaNDM-1 isolates belonged to ST147 and were indistinguishable with cgMLST. ODM showed that the blaNDM-1 gene was located on identical plasmids in all isolates. Conclusion The prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacterales was high, while carbapenemases were less common. However, the detection of clonal dissemination of blaNDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae isolates in one of the intensive care units calls for vigilance. Stringent infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship strategies are highly important measures.

Background Vietnam and Southeast Asia are hotspots for antimicrobial resistance; however, little is known on the prevalence of carriage of carbapenem resistance in non-hospitalized humans and in animals. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), particularly Escherichia coli (CREC) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and also Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) are emerging threats worldwide. Methods We investigated healthy humans (n = 652), chickens (n = 237), ducks (n = 150) and pigs (n = 143) in 400 small-scale farms in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Samples (rectal swabs, faecal swabs) were investigated for carriage of CRE/CRAB and were further characterized phenotypically and genotypically. Results In the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, the prevalence of CRE isolates in human rectal swabs was 0.6%, including 4 CREC and 1 CRKP. One pig was infected with CREC (prevalence 0.7%). CRAB was isolated from chickens (n = 4) (prevalence 2.1%) and one duck (prevalence 0.7%). CRKP was isolated from a human who was also colonized with CREC. The CRKP strain (ST16), from an 80 year-old person with pneumonia under antimicrobial treatment, genetically clustered with clinical strains isolated in a hospital outbreak in southern Vietnam. The prevalence of CRE was higher among humans that had used antimicrobials within 90 days of the sampling date than those had not (4.2% versus 0.2%) (P = 0.005). All CRE/CRAB strains were MDR, although they were susceptible to colistin and neomycin. The carbapenemase genes identified in study strains were blaNDM and blaOXA. Conclusions The finding of a CRKP strain clustering with previous hospital outbreak raises concerns about potential transmission of carbapenem-resistant organisms from hospital to community settings or vice-versa.

Mục tiêu: Mô tả chất lượng cuộc sống (CLCS) và một số yếu tố liên quan ở trẻ vị thành niên 10-15 tuổi nhiễm HIV đang điều trị ARV ngoại trú tại Bệnh viện Nhi trung ương. Đối tượng và phương pháp: Nghiên cứu cắt ngang được thực hiện trên 190 trẻ từ 10-15 tuổi nhiễm HIV đang được quản lý điều trị ARV ngoại trú tại Bệnh viện Nhi trung ương từ 6-12/2020. CLCS được đánh giá bằng công cụ PedsQL 4.0 với 23 câu hỏi liên quan đến 4 lĩnh vực về thể chất, tình cảm, xã hội và học tập. Điểm số càng cao tương ứng với CLCS càng tốt. Kết quả: Điểm trung bình CLCS chung 72,2; về sức khỏe thể chất 80,3; sức khỏe tâm lý xã hội 75,6; xã hội 82,2; cảm xúc 76,3; và học tập 68,3. Tỷ lệ CLCS tốt tính chung là 56,8%; về sức khỏe thể chất 67,9%; sức khỏe tâm lý xã hội 57,4%; về xã hội 73,2%, cảm xúc 57,9% và học tập 45,3%. Trẻ thuộc các hộ gia đình nghèo, trẻ có NCS có học vấn thấp (từ THCS trở xuống) và trẻ có thời gian từ nhà đến phòng khám từ 60 phút trở lên có CLCS thấp hơn (p

Backgroud Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in children under 5 years old. Viruses have historically been the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children. Co-infections in severe pneumonia are more concern by clinicians. Method It was a perspective and descriptive study. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a modern test that was used to detect many new pathogens, including microbiological co-infections. RT-PCR technique was used in this study to investigate the causes of severe pneumonia. Results Through the analysis of nasopharyngeal aspiration samples from 95 children with severe community-acquired pneumonia, the positive RT-PCR rate was 90.5%. Viral-bacterial co-infection accounted for the highest proportion (43.1%), followed by bacterial co-infection (33.7%), viral infection (7.4%), bacterial infection (6.3%) and the remaining 9.5% was unknown. In the co-infections groups, the five main bacteria species detected by PCR were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, MRSA, Moraxella catarrhalis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Conclusion Antibiotic treatment should focus on detected microbes in cases of severe pneumonia for having a good result.

Background The increasing prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is a growing problem globally, particularly in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). Previous studies have shown high rates of CRE colonisation among patients at hospitals in LMICs, with increased risk of hospital-acquired infections. Methods We isolated carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) from faecal samples collected in 2017 from patients at admission and discharge at a Vietnamese neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 126 CRKP were whole-genome sequenced. The phylogenetic relationship between the isolates and between clinical CRKP isolates collected in 2012–2018 at the same hospital were investigated. Results NDM-type carbapenemase-(61%) and KPC-2-encoding genes (41%) were the most common carbapenem resistance genes observed among the admission and discharge isolates. Most isolates (56%) belonged to three distinct clonal clusters of ST15, carrying blaKPC-2, blaNDM-1 and blaNDM-4, respectively. Each cluster also comprised clinical isolates from blood collected at the study hospital. The most dominant ST15 clone was shown to be related to isolates collected from the same hospital as far back as in 2012. Conclusions Highly resistant CRKP were found colonising admission and discharge patients at a Vietnamese NICU, emphasising the importance of continued monitoring. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a population of CRKP consisting mostly of ST15 isolates in three clonally related clusters, each related to blood isolates collected from the same hospital. Furthermore, clinical isolates collected from previous years (dating back to 2012) were shown to likely be clonally descended from ST15 isolates in the largest cluster, suggesting a successful hospital strain which can colonise inpatients.

HIV/AIDS is still an important public health issue in Vietnam and other developing countries. In Vietnam, Community-based organizations (CBOs) were officially considered as the key partners to approach vulnerable groups at high risks of HIV infection since 2010. Funds for HIV/AIDS prevention and control are facing difficulties due to rapid reduction by international organizations, while domestic funding has not yet met the demand, especially funding for prevention and communication activities. Our study aimed to assess the fundraising capacity of several CBOs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and analyze the challenges that they are facing now and in future in their work of HIV/AIDS management for community. The 03 typical and representative CBOs (G3VN, Smile and Strong Ladies) were chosen in our cross-sectional descriptive study. The electronic questionnaire was about fundraising reports over 3 years (2017-2019), organization structure (staff, mission, strategies) and the advantages and disadvantages in fundraising. Funds received over the year increased in total, but unstable in each projects. To have more funds, CBOs must invest time and money to have professional staff in fundraising and writing proposals. To meet requirement and survive, some CBO shifted to social enterprises and faced many difficulties in laws when being treated like profit companies. In Vietnam context, the key challenges which affect the role of funding are including: 1) Legal status; 2) Small scale; 3) Capacity of fundraising (finding calls, writing competence proposals); 4) Fewer funds on HIV/AIDS. In future, we should pay attention in scaling up and building fundraising capacity for CBOs in order to help them in applying for international funds in community projects or even in HIV/AIDS research for CBOs, social enterprises in the context of funds for nation-level phased out of Vietnam.

ObjectiveTo gain an understanding of the variation in available resources and clinical practices between neonatal units (NNUs) in the low-income and middle-income country (LMIC) setting to inform the design of an observational study on the burden of unit-level antimicrobial resistance (AMR).DesignA web-based survey using a REDCap database was circulated to NNUs participating in the Neonatal AMR research network. The survey included questions about NNU funding structure, size, admission rates, access to supportive therapies, empirical antimicrobial guidelines and period prevalence of neonatal blood culture isolates and their resistance patterns.Setting39 NNUs from 12 countries.PatientsAny neonate admitted to one of the participating NNUs.InterventionsThis was an observational cohort study.ResultsThe number of live births per unit ranged from 513 to 27 700 over the 12-month study period, with the number of neonatal cots ranging from 12 to 110. The proportion of preterm admissions ConclusionAMR is already a significant issue in NNUs worldwide. The apparent burden of AMR in a given NNU in the LMIC setting can be influenced by a range of factors which will vary substantially between NNUs. These variations must be considered when designing interventions to improve neonatal mortality globally.

The carbapenemase-encoding gene bla18 fecal Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae isolates collected from 16 neonates at a large pediatric hospital in Vietnam were studied using optical DNA mapping (ODM) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Plasmids carrying the blaAlthough the same plasmid was found in some isolates, ODM confirmed that there were at least 10 different plasmids encoding blaThe plasmids encoding the bla

There is a lack of quantitative data regarding the determination of minimum distances between weld joints in offshore structures. Existing welding standards, codes and specifications provide recommendations for minimum distances between two adjacent weld joints. The issue arises when violations of the minimum recommendations are discovered in the field or need to be exceeded during construction. This paper is a continuation on a previous paper by the same authors, where the focus was to study the mechanical and material properties of welds in close proximity. The interest in this paper is to study the residual stresses that appear during the welding process, where metal undergoes heating and cooling cycles. This process induces significant levels of residual stresses, leading to increased fatigue failure potential during the operational phase of the structural elements. The measurements were obtained by using ultrasound measurement technique. The results were later verified using X-ray Diffraction and Incremental Centre-Hole Drilling. The ultrasound measurement technique detected a distinct change in residual stresses in the weld joints, with max peaks in the weld centre line. One interesting observation from the Incremental Centre-Hole Drilling measurement in one of the as-welded specimens weld joints was that the longitudinal residual stress was in tension while the transverse direction was in compression, which was also shown in the ultrasonic measurement. In the future, a contour plot measurement would be useful to confirm the results. Another interesting observation was the high compression stresses induced locally on the specimen’s surface likely due to manual grinding with abrasive paper. The outcome of this specific experimental setup can provide a baseline for performing further investigations.

This manuscript presents the results from an experimental investigation performed to study the material and mechanical properties of two weld joints manufactured within close proximity. The experiment has been designed using seven welded S420G2 + M 500 × 300 × 15 mm structural steel plates, with varying distances between two parallel adjacent weld toes at 44, 12 and 1.3 mm. All these distances were less than the distance that has normally been recommended in standards, codes and specifications. A common requirement is four times the plate thickness, which in this experiment is 60 mm for a 15-mm-thick plate. The scope of the study was to analyze the effect the variation of distance had on the mechanical and material properties. A welding procedure specification was created and approved for the manufacturing of the weld joints. All subsequent welds were based on this welding procedure specification, in order to maintain conformance and uniformity. The non-destructive and destructive testing included: visual testing, radiographic examination, bending testing, Vickers hardness testing, Charpy V impact testing, tensile testing, as well as macro and microscopic examination. The results from the testing showed no adverse effects on the mechanical properties in the initial weld joint. This includes a complete heat-affected zone overlap in the specimen with 1.3 mm between the weld toes. These findings challenge the notion that the minimum distance requirements are based on metallurgical reasons. The outcome of this specific experimental setup can provide a baseline for performing further investigations.

There is insufficient information available in existing welding standards, codes and specifications regarding the implications of having two or several adjacently fabricated weld joints in close proximity. This has introduced fatigue life performance uncertainties, due to a lack of understanding of the inherent behaviour of weld joints in the presence of adjacent welds. Hence, it is vital to investigate the fatigue life performance and obtain quantitative data for future assessments. This experiment has been designed using six welded, and one unwelded, S420G2+M 500 × 300 × 15 mm structural steel plate. Two of these plates were used for fatigue testing, having 44 mm and 12 mm between the adjacent weld toes. These distances were less than normally recommended in standards codes and specifications. The preparation of the samples was conducted in accordance with ASTM E466-15 for homogenous materials subjected to high-cycle fatigue. The experiment was not able to detect any detrimental effect by having welds in close proximity using this specific preparation method and weld setup. The weld metal and corresponding heat-affected zones had a higher fatigue strength than that of the surrounding base material. All tested specimens failed in the base metal. The material and welding method did not seem to introduce any degrading effect on the weld joint. Important to note is that the fabrication method required a surface roughness of 0.2 µm and had likely introduced an outer layer of compressive residual stresses at yield point level 50 µm into the surface and bottom surfaces of the specimens. This might have improved the resistance to crack formation in the surface. The residual stress was obtained by using ultrasonic stress measurement technique and x-ray diffraction presented in a parallel study by the same authors.

Previous research showed that supervision during psychotherapy training sometimes includes negative alliance and harmful events. The aim of this study was to investigate how such events were relate...

Resistance among Klebsiella pneumoniae to the last-resort antibiotics carbapenems and colistin is increasing worldwide. In this study, whole-genome sequencing was used to determine the colistin resistance mechanisms in clinical isolates of carbapenem- and colistin-resistant K. pneumoniae from Vietnam. Alterations in the regulatory gene mgrB, via mutations and insertion sequence transpositions, were found in 30 of 31 isolates, emphasising the importance of this resistance mechanism in colistin-resistant K. pneumoniae.

Poor antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence leads to drug resistance and treatment failures. The options for second and third line ART regimens, particularly for pediatric patients, are very limited in low and middle-income countries. HIV-infected children are mostly passive drug-takers, thus caretakers play a very important role in assuring ART adherence. Pediatric ART adherence is still a challenging problem in Vietnam since non-adherence is the major risk factor for treatment failure. Our study explores and measures caretakers' barriers in order to improve pediatric ART adherence in future.Exploring caretakers' barriers was conducted through a qualitative study with Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on two topics: 1. Current society - family support and difficulties in taking care children under ART; 2. Stigma experience. Based on the finding from the qualitative study a quantitative study measuring caretakers' barriers was conducted through a designed questionnaire. Study methods strictly followed the consolidated criteria with 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups.In total eight FGDs with 53 participants were conducted. Common caretakers' barriers to children's ART adherence, were financial burden, lack of ART KP (Knowledge-Practice), stigma, depression, shifting caretaker, drug taste and side effects, lack of family support, fixed health check-up schedule and HIV non-disclosure. In the questionnaire study a total of 209 caretakers participated. The most commonly reported caretakers' barriers were: financial burden (144; 69%), KP burden (143; 68%), depression (85; 41%) and stigma (30; 14.8%). Some caretakers' characteristics that significantly associated with reported barriers (p0.05). Rural caretakers reported significantly more financial burden (OR=2.26) and stigma (OR=3.53) than urban. Caretakers with under high school level education reported significantly more financial burdens (OR=2.08) and stigma (OR=4.15) compared to caretakers with high school education or over.Financial burden, KP burden, depression and stigma were common reported caretakers' barriers to pediatric ART adherence. Family residence, caretaker's education level and job were considered as the key factors determining caretakers' barriers related to financial burden and stigma. These findings may be important for policy makers and researchers in order to develop effective interventions regarding to caretakers' burdens and associated factors. Furthermore, a tool for nurses in monitoring caretakers' barriers to pediatric ART adherence was developed first with FDG, and then interview questionnaire. This tool could be applied and modified easily in any pediatric ART clinic settings in accordance to economic, social and cultural circumstances.

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-2019) pandemic has affected almost all countries in the world. When the first cases were reported from Hubei, China, in late December 2019, the Vietnamese authorities acknowledged the potential risk of an epidemic having had the experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Avian flu. When it was clear that there was human-to-human transmission in the epidemic in Wuhan that started in January 2020, the Vietnamese government, health care system, and civil society were rapidly mobilized. How has a country with a population of about 100 million and a long porous border to China managed to prevent a larger outbreak? This case history is about how Hai Phong city implemented the initial COVID-19 response. Hai Phong reacted quickly after the COVID-19 outbreak in China by, quarantining people coming from pandemic areas, and carrying out contact tracing and extensive testing, closing schools and universities and implementing two weeks of social distancing measures. There are no detected positive cases until May 18, 2020 in Hai Phong.

To evaluate effect and costs of pertussis vaccination at Vietnam National Children's Hospital.Pertussis cases were defined by positive laboratory tests of children under 5 years January 2015-June 2018, and data on patient characteristics, clinical data and hospitalisation costs were collected through patient records.Of 909 inpatients, 400 (44%) were2 months, the age for first DPT vaccination, and mechanical ventilation was more common than in children2 months (9% vs 4%, OR = 2.3, CI 1.3-3.9), as well as persistent cough (99%), violent cough (87%) and pneumonia (91%). Comparing non-vaccinated (172 cases, 19%) and DPT vaccinated patients2 months of age hospitalisation was 106-fold higher (149.6 vs 1.39 per 100 000 population), and proportion of severe patients, length of hospital stay and hospitalisation costs were significantly greater (23.9% vs 12.8%; 13 vs 10 days; 826 USD vs 582 USD, CI 23-423, P = .03).Incidence and proportion of complications among under 2-month infants were higher than in older patients. DPT vaccination protects children from pertussis infection, and in case of pertussis infection decreases severity. Results indicate that the Ministry of Health should consider adding a booster vaccine for pregnant women in an extended vaccination programme.

Background Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae are becoming increasingly common in hospital settings worldwide and are a source of increased morbidity, mortality and health care costs. The global epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae is characterized by different strains distributed geographically, with the strain ST258 being predominant in Europe and USA, and ST11 being most common in East Asia. ST15 is a less frequently occurring strain but has nevertheless been reported worldwide as a source of hospital outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae. Methods In this study, whole-genome sequencing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was used to characterize 57 clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae belonging to a strain of ST15, which were collected at a Vietnamese pediatric hospital from February throughout September 2015. Results Aside from the carbapenem resistance gene blaKPC-2, which was carried by all isolates, prevalence of resistance genes to other antibiotics including aminoglycosides, macrolides, quinolones, fosfomycin and trimethoprim, was also high. All isolates were multidrug-resistant. Susceptibility was highest to ceftazidime/avibactam (96%), gentamicin (91%) and tigecycline (82%). Notably, the colistin resistance rate was very high (42%). Single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis indicated that most isolates belonged to a single clone. Conclusions The diverse variety of antibiotic resistance genes and the high antibiotic resistance rates to last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems and colistin, is indicative of a highly adaptable strain. This emphasizes the importance of implementation of infection controls measures, continued monitoring of antibiotic resistance and prudent use of antibiotics to prevent further selection of resistant strains and the emergence of pan-resistant clones.

Pneumonia and sepsis are two prevalent diseases in Southeast Asia. Pneumonia is a respiratory disease which is often caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The bacteria then inflames air sacs in the lungs, known as alveoli, and blocks the interstitial space with fluid or pus, leading to breathing difficulties. Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the body's response to an infection. This study analyzes over 900 pneumonia entries and over 450 sepsis entries from hospitals in Vietnam, collected by a research team from the Karolinska Institutet, one of the world's leading medical universities. Analysis results exhibited that recovery rates were associated with gender and the month that patients were admitted into the hospital. They also indicated a seasonal trend of pneumonia cases, in which the disease peaked when season changes approached. Finally, this study reveals relationships between the duration in days in which patients stay in the hospital and their health insurance status, age, gender, occupation, and diagnoses. The goal of this paper is to reveal patterns and biases in medical treatment so that doctors and hospitals may improve their overall service. The findings in the data provide an overview of the distribution of pneumonia and sepsis cases in Vietnam. Additionally, these findings may be useful in assisting healthcare organizations to formulate prevention methods and maximize efficiency in staff and material management.

Background Ventilator-associated respiratory infection (VARI) is a significant problem in resource-restricted intensive care units (ICUs), but differences in casemix and etiology means VARI in resource-restricted ICUs may be different from that found in resource-rich units. Data from these settings are vital to plan preventative interventions and assess their cost-effectiveness, but few are available. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study in four Vietnamese ICUs to assess the incidence and impact of VARI. Patients ≥ 16 years old and expected to be mechanically ventilated > 48 h were enrolled in the study and followed daily for 28 days following ICU admission. Results Four hundred fifty eligible patients were enrolled over 24 months, and after exclusions, 374 patients’ data were analyzed. A total of 92/374 cases of VARI (21.7/1000 ventilator days) were diagnosed; 37 (9.9%) of these met ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) criteria (8.7/1000 ventilator days). Patients with any VARI, VAP, or VARI without VAP experienced increased hospital and ICU stay, ICU cost, and antibiotic use (p

Stigma has been identified as a major barrier to HIV response. While much is known about stigma directed towards people living with HIV (PLHIV), less is known about stigma experienced by health workers who treat PLHIV. This study aims to explore the perceptions and experiences of health workers regarding how stigma influences their work with HIV-positive patients. The study employed a qualitative design involving individual semi-structured in-depth interviews with 14 health workers, purposively selected from hospitals and detention centres for people who use drugs and sex workers in Hanoi, Vietnam. Findings showed that the stigma experienced by health workers may be organised around several themes: (1) lack of social prestige associated with HIV work; (2) fear of infection expressed by family members; (3) feelings of being devalued within the healthcare field; and (4) work-related stress and burnout, especially for staff working in detention centres for drug users and female sex workers. Efforts are needed to improve the public image of HIV work, scale up stigma reduction, enhance stress management and create a safe and supportive working environment for health workers.

Aim: To determine the feasibility of viral load (VL) monitoring using ExaVir™ Load in a cohort of 605 HIV treatment-naive adult patients initiating antiretroviral therapy in rural Vietnam. Materials & methods: VL monitoring every 6 months, survival and intention-to-treat analysis were used. Roche Cobas TaqMan® VL was compared with ExaVir Load using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman analysis. Results: After 20.7 months mean follow-up time, 78% remained on treatment. Virologic suppression rate (VL 1000 copies/ml) was 6.8%. Baseline VL ≥100,000 copies/ml was predictive for virologic failure [adjusted hazard ratio: 2.26 (1.16–4.39); p = 0.016]. ExaVir Load and the Roche Cobas TaqMan showed a strong correlation (r2 = 0.97; p < 0.001), high agreement (difference in log = 0.34; 95% CI: -0.35–1.03), high sensitivity (98%) and high specificity (100%). Conclusion: Using ExaVir Load to monitor efficacy of antiretroviral therapy programs in resource-limited settings is feasible.

Understanding gender-specific predictors of Health-related Quality of Life (HRQL) outcomes of HIV/AIDS treatment is necessary in the latent feminization of HIV epidemics in Vietnam. This study assessed HRQL and its predictors among men and women with HIV/AIDS. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 155 patients (36.8% women, mean age=31.4) registering for antiretroviral treatment (ART) at Vietnam-Sweden Uong Bi General Hospital, Quang Ninh Province. The Vietnamese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life HIV brief version (WHOQOL-HIV BREF) was developed. Factor analysis was applied to assess the construct validity of the measurement. Six major domains of the Vietnamese WHOQOL-HIV BREF were determined, namely physical; performance; morbidity; environment; psychological; and social support. Internal consistency reliability of the six domains ranged from 0.52 to 0.71. Multivariate linear regression models, constructed using step-wise forward selection, determined different predictors of HRQL domain scores in men and women with HIV/AIDS. The results showed that men reported higher scores or better in Morbidity (p=0.02), Environment (p=0.07) and Psychological dimensions (p=0.02); meanwhile, women had higher scores in Performance (p=0.09). Alcohol and injection drug use negatively predicted HRQL outcomes in both men and women. Employment was associated with better performance in men, and better physical but poorer environment status in women. Female patients who have a child experienced decrements in social support, psychological, environment, and performance. Findings of this study highlight the need to develop comprehensive interventions for HIV/AIDS patients, including HIV/AIDS treatment support and gender-specific impact mitigation interventions strategies.

The HIV epidemic in Vietnam began in injecting drug users (IDUs), but increasingly affects the general population. It is therefore important to monitor the spread of infection and, since antiretroviral therapy (ART) is now used more frequently, the prevalence of transmitted drug resistance. Sixty-three 1000 bp pol-gene sequences were generated from treatment-naive HIV-1 CRF01_AE infected patients from four clinics in Northern Vietnam. Four drug resistance mutations; Y181C, L210W, L74I and V75M, were found in four different patients, giving a prevalence of 6.3% (4/63). Earlier studies have shown a lower prevalence and the transmission rate should be regularly monitored prospectively in Vietnam. Additional CRF01_AE (N = 190) and outgroup subtype B sequences (N = 4) were retrieved from databases and included for phylogenetic analysis and calculations of the time of the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA). The 63 samples from our study clustered into two distinct groups; one small clade (N = 3) that had a tMRCA in year 1997.5 and a larger group with an estimated tMRCA in 1989.8. The Vietnamese samples in the large group were distinct from CRF01_AE sequences from Thailand, but closely related to previously sequenced isolates from Vietnam, southern China and the Czech Republic, while the samples in the smaller clade appeared to represent a more recent introduction from Southern Vietnam. Our results showed that sequences from IDUs were intermingled with sequences from sexually infected patients, indicating frequent exchange of virus between the transmission risk groups in Northern Vietnam.

Our objective was to correlate antibiotic resistance in gut E. coli flora of children, aged 6-72 months, with use of antibiotics, socioeconomic status (SES) and household characteristics in the urban communities of Yurimaguas and Moyobamba in the Amazonian area of Peru. Caregivers of 1598 children were interviewed using a structured questionnaire in a cross-sectional survey. Faecal samples were collected from the children and the antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli was analysed by a rapid resistance screening method. Significantly higher odds for resistance were seen for children who had used antibiotics, both during the last 2 weeks and the last 6 months. Children from wealthier families had significantly higher odds for resistance to a number of antibiotics than children from the least wealthy families (Yurimaguas: nalidixic acid, OR = 2.13; ciprofloxacin, OR = 2.09; chloramphenicol, OR = 1.98. Moyobamba: nalidixic acid, OR = 1.59; ciprofloxacin, OR = 1.69). Thus, the children of wealthier families had a significantly increased odds ratio for resistance, also when controlling for the family's antibiotic use. Unknown factors related to socioeconomic status seem to contribute to the results seen in the study area.

OBJECTIVE To describe the health-seeking behaviour and use of antibiotics in the urban community of Yurimaguas in the Amazonian area of Peru. METHOD Cross-sectional survey of caregivers of 798 children aged 6-72 months by interview using a semi-structured questionnaire. Reported symptoms were classified as illnesses where antibiotics would or would not be recommended based on principles of the integrated management of childhood illnesses algorithm. RESULTS Forty-one per cent of consultations were with health care professionals; 71% of antibiotics were obtained through the formal public health sector and prescribed mainly by medical doctors. All prescribed antibiotics were on the Peruvian essential drugs list. When prescribing, doctors and nurses hardly discriminated between illnesses where antibiotic treatment was or was not indicated; there was no significant difference in antibiotic prescribing rates between the two (doctors, P = 0.24; nurses, P = 0.32). Not all caregivers sought help for children with severe symptoms. CONCLUSION Although most of the antibiotics were prescribed by doctors and nurses, they were commonly prescribed for illnesses where they were not indicated. The use of antibiotics needs to be rationalized, and barriers to health care must be overcome.

There is scarce information regarding hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) among children in resource-constrained settings. This study aims to measure prevalence of HAIs in Vietnamese pediatric hospitals. Monthly point prevalence surveys (PPSs) in 6 pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) in 3 referral hospitals during 1 year. A total of 1363 cases (1143 children) were surveyed, 59.9% male, average age 11 months. Admission sources were: other hospital 49.3%, current hospital 36.5%, and community 15.3%. Reasons for admission were: infectious disease (66%), noninfectious (20.8%), and surgery/trauma (11.3%). Intubation rate was 47.8%, central venous catheter 29.4%, peripheral venous catheter 86.2%, urinary catheter 14.6%, and hemodialysis/filtration 1.7%. HAI was diagnosed in 33.1% of the cases: pneumonia (52.2%), septicemia (26.4%), surgical site infection (2%), and necrotizing enterocolitis (2%). Significant risk factors for HAI included age under 7 months, intubation and infection at admission. Microbiological findings were reported in 212 cases (43%) with 276 isolates: 50 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 46 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 39 Acinetobacter baumannii, with carbapenem resistance detected in 55%, 71%, and 65%, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured in 18 cases, with 81% methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Most children (87.6%) received antibiotics, with an average of 1.6 antibiotics per case. Colistin was administered to 96 patients, 93% with HAI and 49% with culture confirmed carbapenem resistance. The high prevalence of HAI with carbapenem resistant gram-negative strains and common treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics and colistin suggests that interventions are needed to prevent HAI and to optimize antibiotic use. Funding Agencies|Swedish International Development Agency (Sida); Wellcome Trust (UK); Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP)

This paper describes a case study of a product development process in a bus manufacturing company. The company's design and chassis production were separated from the design and production of the body. A participatory ergonomics approach was used that gathered a group of designers and production engineers from the different plants, including also ergonomics researchers. The group used different methods to improve the product design of the new chassis with respect to the productivity and ergonomics of the assembly process. Beside analyses of running chassis production, simulations were made by experienced workers using prototypes of new chassis and were complemented with computer manikin analyses. The participatory ergonomics approach used resulted in re-designs of the new product, which improved the efficiency and ergonomics of the assembly operations. The conclusion is that this different participatory ergonomics approach, termed participatory ergonomics design, PED, together with the other methods used, has a potential for facilitating communication and co-operation. The approach has a potential to improve assembly productivity and ergonomics and offer a better understanding among product designers and production engineers in product development processes. Relevance to industry The approach of participatory ergonomics design—PED—and methods used offer industrial companies an opportunity to improve design work, production and ergonomics. Using this approach early in the product design process, can provide benefits as problems can be decreased in later stages of production design and production.

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of a multicomponent intervention on private pharmacy practice. From 641 private pharmacies in Hanoi, 68 pharmacies were randomly selected and matched into 34 pairs. Each pair consisted of a control and an intervention pharmacy. Three interventions were applied sequentially: Regulatory enforcement, Education, and Peer influence. Four tracer conditions were selected: uncomplicated acute respiratory infection (ARI), sexually transmitted disease (STD), requesting the prescription-only drugs prednisolone, and a short course of cefalexin. Practice was assessed through the Simulated Client Method (SCM). The intervention pharmacies improved significantly compared to the control pharmacies (P

Introduction The role of microbial translocation (MT) in HIV patients living with HIV from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is not fully known. The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the patterns of MT in patients from Vietnam, Ethiopia and Sweden. Methods Cross-sectional samples were obtained from treatment-naïve patients living with HIV-1 and healthy controls from Vietnam (n=83; n=46), Ethiopia (n=9492; n=50) and Sweden (n=51; n=19). Longitudinal samples were obtained from a subset of the Vietnamese (n=24) in whom antiretroviral therapy (ART) and tuberculostatics were given. Plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS), sCD14 and anti-flagellin IgG were determined by the endpoint chromogenic Limulus Amebocyte Assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results All three biomarkers were significantly increased in patients living with HIV-1 from all countries as compared to controls. No differences were found between males and females. Vietnamese and Ethiopian patients had significantly higher levels of anti-flagellin IgG and LPS, as compared to Swedes. ART reduced these levels for the Vietnamese. Vietnamese patients given tuberculostatics at initiation of ART had significantly lower levels of anti-flagellin IgG and higher sCD14. The biomarkers were lower in Vietnamese who did not develop opportunistic infection. Conclusions Higher MT is common in patients living with HIV compared to healthy individuals, and in patients from LMICs compared to patients from a high-income country. Treatment with tuberculostatics decreased MT while higher levels of MT are associated with a poorer clinical outcome.

There is a lack of knowledge on mortality and causes of death among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients after initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Vietnam. We investigated the mortality rate, risk factors, causes of death, and impact of enhanced adherence support on survival among 640 Vietnamese treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients receiving ART in a cluster randomized controlled trial.Patients in the intervention group received enhanced adherence from peer-supporters. Data were collected through medical records and a verbal autopsy questionnaire. We used Kaplan-Meier analysis to describe the survival trends and the Cox proportional hazard model to identify predictors of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths.After a median follow-up of 15.2 months, there were 60 deaths, 73% of which occurred within 6 months. The mortality rate was 7.4/100 person-y and survival probability was 91% after 1 y. There was no significant difference in mortality rate between the intervention and the control groups. At baseline, the predictive factors for AIDS-related death were age35 y, clinical stage 3 or 4, body mass index (BMI)18 kg/m(2), CD4 count100/μl, haemoglobin level100 g/l, and plasma viral load100,000 copies/ml. Tuberculosis (TB) was the most common cause of death (40%).Early deaths occurred after ART, and delay of ART caused a significant decrease in CD4 count and a high mortality. Adherence support had no impact on survival at the early stage of ART. Early ART initiation and intensive follow-up of patients during the first 6 months of ART are therefore necessary to reduce AIDS-related mortality.

This paper describes a workflow manager developed and deployed at Yahoo called Nova, which pushes continually-arriving data through graphs of Pig programs executing on Hadoop clusters. (Pig is a structured dataflow language and runtime for the Hadoop map-reduce system.)Nova is like data stream managers in its support for stateful incremental processing, but unlike them in that it deals with data in large batches using disk-based processing. Batched incremental processing is a good fit for a large fraction of Yahoo's data processing use-cases, which deal with continually-arriving data and benefit from incremental algorithms, but do not require ultra-low-latency processing.

Few prospective studies regarding antibiotic use for mild acute respiratory infections (ARI) have been conducted in community settings. This paper aimed to assess knowledge of children's caregivers and actual antibiotic use for children under five and to identify factors associated with antibiotic treatment for mild ARIs. Caregivers in 828 households in Bavi, Vietnam, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire assessing both knowledge and practice. Subsequently, 823 children were followed for 28 days to collect information regarding symptoms and drug use. For management of ARIs, only 13% of caregivers demonstrated correct overall knowledge in accordance with standard guidelines. The symptoms of the most recent illness were consistent with mild ARI in 79% of cases, and antibiotics were used in 71% of these. During the 28-day period, 62% of children had been given antibiotics and 63% of antibiotic courses were used for mild ARIs. One-half of the mild ARI episodes and 63% of the children with mild ARIs were treated with antibiotics. Most of the unnecessary antibiotic treatment was recommended by healthcare providers (82%). Most of the children had been administered antibiotics for common colds, although most caregivers believed that antibiotics were not required. Antibiotics were unnecessarily recommended at health facilities in the area.

Background Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most significant bacterial cause of community-acquired pneumonia among children under five years worldwide. Updated resistance information of S. pneumoniae among children is essential to adjust the recommendations for empirical treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, which will have immense implications for local and global health. This study investigated the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in isolated strains of S. pneumoniae and relationship with antibiotic use and demographic factors of children under five in rural Vietnam in 2007. Methods In Bavi district, 847 children 6 to 60 months were selected from 847 households. The main child-caregivers in the households were interviewed weekly using structured questionnaires to collect information of daily illness symptoms and drug use for the selected child over a four-week period (from March through June 2007). In the 3rd week, the children were invited for a clinical examination and to collect nasopharyngeal samples for S. pneumoniae identification. Etest and disk diffusion were used to test antibiotic susceptibility. Results Of 818 participating children, 258 (32%) had ongoing respiratory infections, 421 (52%) carried S. pneumoniae, and 477 (58%) had used antibiotics within the previous three weeks. Of the 421 isolates, 95% were resistant to at least one antibiotic (401/421). Resistance to co-trimoxazole, tetracycline, phenoxymethylpenicillin, erythromycin and ciprofloxacin was 78%, 75%, 75%, 70% and 28%, respectively. Low resistance was noted for amoxicillin (4%), benzylpenicillin (4%), and cefotaxime (2%). The intermediate resistance to amoxicillin was 32%. Multidrug-resistance was seen in 60%. The most common pattern was co-resistance to co-trimoxazole, tetracycline and erythromycin. The proportion of children carrying resistant bacteria was higher among the children who had used antibiotics in the previous three weeks. Conclusions Resistance to commonly used antibiotics and multidrug-resistance of S. pneumoniae in the area is remarkably high. High-dose amoxicillin is the only investigated oral antibiotic that can possibly be used for treatment of community-acquired pneumococcal infections. Strategies to promote appropriate prescribing and dispensing of effective antibiotics should be immediately implemented for the benefit of local and global health.

Standard sperm parameters have a limited power for prediction of the chance of natural conception. Recent studies have indicated that the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) DNA fragmentation index (DFI), a measure for the fraction of sperms with DNA damage, is associated with fertility in vivo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of this parameter for prediction of infertility. One hundred and twenty-seven men from infertile couples with no known female factor and 137 men with proven fertility were included. Semen analysis was performed as recommended by the WHO. DFI was assessed using SCSA. Logistic binary regression was used to compute the odds ratios (OR) for infertility. As compared with men with a DFI10%, men with a DFI between 10% and 20% had an increased risk for infertility (OR 2.5, 95% CI: 1.0-6.1). This was also true for men with a DFI20% (OR 8.4; 95% CI: 3.0-23). In men with normal standard semen parameters (sperm concentration, motility and morphology) the OR for infertility was increased with DFI20% (OR 5.1, 95% CI: 1.2-23), whereas if one of the standard semen parameters was abnormal, the OR for infertility was increased already at DFI above 10% (OR 16, 95% CI: 4.2-60). We conclude that SCSA DFI adds to the value of semen analysis in prediction of the chance of natural conception.

The digital modelling of technical systems and physical phenomena and their environment forms the basis for design and development in the future. Based on models and visualisation technologies, the appearance and behaviour of a technical system can be studied, simulated and viewed for different purposes, in different disciplines, and at different detailing levels. It forms the base for human communication and interaction to meet the goals of all stakeholders in their study and development. Adding new technologies for man-model interaction and for the dynamic change of models and their viewing will further increase human possibilities for interaction and communication in the same co-located environment as well as in a virtual co-located environment. The paper will focus on a stereo interaction table environment as an important vehicle for integrated human-to-model and human-to-human interaction and some future possible developments.

Objetivo: Investigar la práctica auto-comunicada y la práctica real del personal de las farmacias privadas en relación a la regulación sobre medicamentos y provisión de prednisolona (un corticoide de prescripción) solicitado para tratar un dolor lumbar. Método: Se seleccionaron aleatoriamente sesenta farmacias privadas en Hanoi. Se evaluó la práctica auto-comunicada a través de entrevistas con el personal de la farmacia mediante un cuestionario; la práctica real fue evaluada con el método del Cliente Simulado con 5 visitas a cada farmacia (un total de 295 visitas). Resultados: El sesenta por ciento del personal de farmacia entrevistado dijo que no dispensaría corticoides sin receta, y el 60% pudo mencionar algunos de los efectos adversos. En la práctica, todas menos una farmacia dispensaron corticoides sin receta en el 76% de las visitas. Las preguntas y los consejos dados a los clientes se asociaron con significativamente menor dispensación de corticoides. Conclusión: El bajo cumplimiento con las regulaciones y la discrepancia entre práctica declarada y práctica real produce preocupación. Este estudio indica que las presiones comerciales exceden al efecto preventivo de las regulaciones sobre medicamentos y su implantación y por tanto es necesario mejorar la vigilancia de las regulaciones.

100 children (aged 1-6 y), who received an antibiotic prescription after health examination in the Bavi health care system (79 children at a district hospital, 21 at a community health centre) were analysed regarding antibiotics prescribed in relation to serum C-reactive protein (CRP). A control group consisted of 35 healthy children. Children who had been treated with antibiotics within 1 week prior to the study were excluded in the community health centre and control groups. Capillary blood samples were collected and the serum CRP concentration was analysed. A questionnaire interview with the carers was performed. Elevated CRP concentrations (>10 mg/l) were detected in 17 (17%) of the study population, and only 2 had a CRP level above 25 mg/l, one 36 mg/l and the other 140 mg/l. In the control group, none of the children had elevated CRP. The most common diagnoses were acute respiratory tract infection (ARI, 55%), asthma (7%), tonsillitis (4%), and diarrhoea (4%). The average number of drugs per patient was 3.1, and 77% received vitamins and 15% corticosteroids in combination with antibiotics. A majority of children who received an antibiotic prescription based on clinical examination did not have an elevated CRP and overprescribing of antibiotics was thus indicated.

The assessment of antimicrobial resistance among commensal bacteria is an indicator of the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Rapid screening methods for detection of antimicrobial-resistant faecal Escherichia coli directly on MacConkey plates have been successfully adopted but suffer from lack of standardisation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a direct plating method (DPM) for detection of antimicrobial-resistant faecal E. coli and to compare it with a conventional method. Faecal samples were collected from 71 healthy children from Peru and Bolivia. In the DPM, a faecal swab was directly plated onto a MacConkey agar plate and antimicrobial disks were applied onto the seeded plate. Raw data were obtained by direct reading of the plate and were subjected to confirmatory analysis. Good concordance between the DPM and a conventional method was observed in detecting carriage of resistant E. coli, with a higher sensitivity for the DPM. Analysis of the results allowed interpretive criteria to be defined for DPM raw data. The DPM showed good sensitivity and specificity at very low cost (ten times cheaper than the conventional method) to investigate the faecal carriage of drug-resistant E. coli. It may represent a useful tool to conduct large-scale resistance surveillance studies and to monitor resistance control programmes cost effectively, particularly in low-resource countries.

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of a multicomponent intervention on private pharmacy practice. From 641 private pharmacies in Hanoi, 68 pharmacies were randomly selected and matched into 34 pairs. Each pair consisted of a control and an intervention pharmacy. Three interventions were applied sequentially: Regulatory enforcement, Education, and Peer influence. Four tracer conditions were selected: uncomplicated acute respiratory infection (ARI), sexually transmitted disease (STD), requesting the prescription-only drugs prednisolone, and a short course of cefalexin. Practice was assessed through the Simulated Client Method (SCM). The intervention pharmacies improved significantly compared to the control pharmacies (P.05) in all tracer conditions. For ARI, antibiotic dispensing decreased (P.02) and questions regarding breathing increased (P.01). For STD, advice to go to the doctor and dispensing the correct syndromic treatment increased (P.01). Dispensing of prednisolone and cefalexin decreased (P.01) and prescription requests increased (P.01). Our conclusion is that it is possible to improve private pharmacy practice with a multicomponent intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the knowledge and practice among private pharmacy staff in Hanoi regarding case management of mild acute respiratory infection (ARI) in children. METHODS: Sixty private pharmacies in Hanoi were randomly selected. Knowledge was assessed through interviews with pharmacy staff using a questionnaire; practice was assessed through the Simulated Client Method. RESULTS: In the questionnaire, 20% of the pharmacy staff stated that they would dispense antibiotics. In practice, 83% of the pharmacies dispensed antibiotics. Only 36% of the cases were handled according to guidelines. In the questionnaire, 81% of interviewees stated that antibiotics are not effective in short therapeutic courses. In practice, 48% of the antibiotics were dispensed in courses less than five days. Traditional herbal medicines were dispensed in 41% of the encounters. In the questionnaire, 53% of the pharmacy staff stated that they would ask the patient about difficulty of breathing. In practice, questions related to difficulty of breathing were asked in less than 10% of the encounters. CONCLUSIONS: Dispensing of antibiotics for mild ARI was common practice among private pharmacies, and there was a significant difference between knowledge and practice. Interventions are needed to improve pharmacy practice in Hanoi.