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BackgroundSubstantial mortality occurs after hospital discharge in children under 5 years old with suspected sepsis. A better understanding of its epidemiology is needed for effective interventions aimed at reducing child mortality in resource limited settings.MethodsIn this prospective observational cohort study, we recruited 0-60-month-old children admitted with suspected sepsis from the community to the paediatric wards of six Ugandan hospitals. The primary outcome was six-month post-discharge mortality among those discharged alive. We evaluated the interactive impact of age, time of death, and location of death on risk factors for mortality.Findings6,545 children were enrolled, with 6,191 discharged alive. The median (interquartile range) time from discharge to death was 32 (10–92) days, with a six-month post-discharge mortality rate of 5·5%, constituting 51% of total mortality. Deaths occurred at home (45%), intransit to care (18%), or in hospital (37%) during a subsequent readmission. Post-discharge death was strongly associated with weight-for-age z-scores < -3 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 5·04; 95%CI: 3·97–6·37), referral for further care (aHR 9·08; 95%CI 6·68–12·34), and unplanned discharge (aHR 3·36; 95%CI 2·64–4·28). The hazard ratio of those with severe anaemia increased with time since discharge, while the hazard ratios of discharge vulnerabilities (unplanned, poor feeding) decreased with time. Children with severe anaemia (InterpretationPaediatric post-discharge mortality following suspected sepsis is common, with diminishing, though persistent, risk over the 6 months after discharge. Efforts to improve post-discharge outcomes are critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 (ending preventable childhood deaths under 5 years of age).FundingGrand Challenges Canada (#TTS-1809-1939), Thrasher Research Fund (#13878), BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, and Mining4Life.

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Background\ud Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage.\ud \ud Methods\ud In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283.\ud \ud Findings\ud Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group.\ud \ud Interpretation\ud Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset.\ud \ud Funding\ud London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Background The link between use of solid biomass fuel (wood, charcoal, coal, dung, and crop residues) for cooking and/or heating and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is inconclusive. Objective We systematically reviewed the literature and performed a meta-analysis to determine whether cooking fuel type influences esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for studies investigating cooking fuel and ESCC from 2000 until March 2019. We performed random effects meta-analysis stratified by the continent, World Bank’s country income classifications and fuel type and calculated pooled odds ratios and 95% CIs for the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in biomass fuel users compared with non-users. Results Our analysis included 16 studies (all case-control) with 16,189 participants (5233 cases and 10,956 controls) that compared risk of ESCC among those using nonsolid fuels and biomass fuels. We found use of biomass fuel was associated with Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with a pooled odds ratio (OR) 3.02 (95% CI 2.22, 4.11, heterogeneity (I2) = 79%). In sub-group analyses by continent, Africa (OR 3.35, 95%CI 2.34, 4.80, I2 = 73.4%) and Asia (OR 3.08, 95%CI 1.27, 7.43, I2 = 81.7%) had the highest odds of ESCC. Use of wood as fuel had the highest odds of 3.90, 95% CI 2.25, 6.77, I2 = 63.5%). No significant publication bias was detected. Conclusions Biomass fuel is associated with increased risk of Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Biomass fuel status should be considered in the risk assessment for Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12940-019-0496-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The authors sought to describe the association between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and blood pressure (BP) levels, and determined the extent to which this relationship is mediated by body weight in a cross-sectional study of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected controls matched by age, sex, and neighborhood. Mixed-effects models were fit to determine the association between HIV and BP and amount of effect of HIV on BP mediated through body mass index. Data were analyzed from 577 HIV-infected and 538 matched HIV-uninfected participants. HIV infection was associated with 3.3 mm Hg lower systolic BP (1.2-5.3 mm Hg), 1.5 mm Hg lower diastolic BP (0.2-2.9 mm Hg), 0.3 m/s lower pulse wave velocity (0.1-0.4 mm Hg), and 30% lower odds of hypertension (10%-50%). Body mass index mediated 25% of the association between HIV and systolic BP. HIV infection was inversely associated with systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse wave velocity. Comprehensive community-based programs to routinely screen for cardiovascular risk factors irrespective of HIV status should be operationalized in HIV-endemic countries.

The overall aim of the project was to study pregnant women's knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy and childbirth and actions taken in case danger signs occurred. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A questionnaire was administered at the antenatal care clinic (ANC). Non-participant observations of the midwives at the ANC were also performed. Individual interviews were conducted with pregnant and newly delivered women as well as with clinical officers. A retrospective study of maternity records was also conducted. A majority of the women attended their first ANC visit late in the pregnancy. Women's general knowledge of danger signs was low. A lack of discrepancy between common pregnancy related and dangerous symptoms was noted. The observations revealed that little or no health education concerning danger signs were given and inadequate examination of the women were conducted. The ANC reaches around 92% off the pregnant women. This provides an ideal opportunity for information on danger signs and when and where to seek care. It is important to encourage early ANC attendance and complete examinations in order to identify high-risk pregnancies and prevent treatable illnesses.

Marburg hemorrhagic fever was detected among 4 miners in Ibanda District, Uganda, from June through September, 2007. Infection was likely acquired through exposure to bats or bat secretions in a mine in Kamwenge District, Uganda, and possibly human-to-human transmission between some patients. We describe the epidemiologic investigation and the health education response.

In July and September 2007, miners working in Kitaka Cave, Uganda, were diagnosed with Marburg hemorrhagic fever. The likely source of infection in the cave was Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) based on detection of Marburg virus RNA in 31/611 (5.1%) bats, virus-specific antibody in bat sera, and isolation of genetically diverse virus from bat tissues. The virus isolates were collected nine months apart, demonstrating long-term virus circulation. The bat colony was estimated to be over 100,000 animals using mark and re-capture methods, predicting the presence of over 5,000 virus-infected bats. The genetically diverse virus genome sequences from bats and miners closely matched. These data indicate common Egyptian fruit bats can represent a major natural reservoir and source of Marburg virus with potential for spillover into humans., Author Summary Marburg virus, similar to its close cousin Ebola virus, can cause large outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever (HF) in rural Africa with case fatalities approaching 90%. For decades, a long-standing enigma has been the identity of the natural reservoir of this deadly virus. In this report, we identify the cave-dwelling Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) as a natural host of Marburg virus based on multiple lines of evidence which include, for the first time ever, the isolation of virus directly from wild-caught and apparently healthy bats. The species R. aegyptiacus is common throughout Africa with distribution into the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Our finding of active virus infection in approximately 5% of R. aegyptiacus bats and their population exceeding 100,000 in Kitaka cave in Uganda suggests there are likely over 5,000 Marburg virus–infected bats in this cave, which is only one of many such cave populations throughout Africa. Clearly, these bats could serve as a major source of virus with potential to initiate human epidemics, and the implications for public health are striking. Additionally, we found highly divergent (21%) genome sequences among viruses circulating in these bat populations, a level of diversity that would result from a long-term association with a suitable reservoir host of large population size.