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Background WHO estimates that seasonal influenza epidemics result in three to five million cases of severe illness (hospitalisations) every year. We aimed to improve the understanding of influenza-associated hospitalisation estimates at a national and global level. Methods We performed a systematic literature review of English- and Chinese-language studies published between 1995 and 2020 estimating influenza-associated hospitalisation. We included a total of 127 studies (seven in Chinese) in the meta-analysis and analyzed their data using a logit-logistic regression model to understand the influence of five study factors and produce national and global estimates by age groups. The five study factors assessed were: 1) the method used to calculate the influenza-associated hospitalisation estimates (rateor time series regression-based), 2) the outcome measure (divided into three envelopes: narrow, medium, or wide), 3) whether every case was laboratory-confirmed or not, 4) whether the estimates were national or sub-national, 5) whether the rates were based on a single year or multiple years. Results The overall pooled influenza-associated hospitalisation rate was 40.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 24.3-67.4) per 100 000 persons, with rates varying substantially by age: 224.0 (95% CI = 118.8-420.0) in children aged 0-4 years and 96.8 (95% CI = 57.0-164.3) in the elderly aged >65 years. The overall pooled hospitalisation rates varied by calculation method; for all ages, the rates were significantly higher when they were based on rate-based methods or calculated on a single season and significantly lower when cases were laboratory-confirmed. The national hospitalisation rates (all ages) varied considerably, ranging from 11.7 (95% CI = 3.8-36.3) per 100 000 in New Zealand to 122.1 (95% CI = 41.5-358.4) per 100 000 in India (all age estimates). Conclusions Using the pooled global influenza-associated hospitalisation rate, we estimate that seasonal influenza epidemics result in 3.2 million cases of severe illness (hospitalisations) per annum. More extensive analyses are required to assess the influence of other factors on the estimates (e.g. vaccination and dominant virus (sub)types) and efforts to harmonize the methods should be encouraged. Our study highlights the high rates of influenza-associated hospitalisations in children aged 0-4 years and the elderly aged 65+ years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To update a previous systematic review and meta-analyses about the effect of breastfeeding promotion interventions on child growth.Methods: Studies evaluating the effect of any type of breastfeeding promotion intervention on child weight, length (or height) and weight/height (or BMI) were screened. Papers published between 2006 and 2014 were checked using the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Lilacs and SciELO.Results: Sixteen studies were added to 19 other studies identified in the previous review, resulting in 35 studies. Meta-analyses of studies reporting on mean weight, length, weight/length or BMI showed that the interventions had no impact on weight or length/height z scores [pooled effect: 0.03 (95% confidence interval: -0.06;0.12) and 0.03 (95% confidence interval: -0.02;0.08), respectively] and had a modest, but significant, reduction in body mass index/weight-for-height z scores [z score mean difference: -0.06 (95% confidence interval: -0.12;0.00)], which was limited to studies from low- and high-incomes settings. For all three outcomes, there was important heterogeneity among studies, which should be taken into account when interpreting the results.Conclusion: Breastfeeding promotion interventions were not associated with significant changes in weight or length, but led to a modest, albeit significant, reduction in body mass index/weight-for-height z scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, new anti-immigration policies and laws have emerged to address the migration of undocumented immigrants. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to assess and understand how these immigration policies and laws may affect both access to health services and health outcomes among undocumented immigrants. Eight databases were used to conduct this review, which returned 325 papers that were assessed for validity based on specified inclusion criteria. Forty critically appraised articles were selected for analysis; thirty articles related to access to health services, and ten related to health outcomes. The articles showed a direct relationship between anti-immigration policies and their effects on access to health services. In addition, as a result of these policies, undocumented immigrants were impacted by mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Action items were presented, including the promotion of cultural diversity training and the development of innovative strategies to support safety-net health care facilities serving vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To provide a summary of the available evidence concerning prevalence and risk factors of frailty in elderly patients with CHF. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Database (Sinomed), Weipu Database (VIP), and Wanfang database were searched from inception to July 2023. This study strictly followed the PRISMA guidelines. The quality of the included studies was rated by the Agency for Healthcare and Research and Quality and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: A total of 21 original studies were included, involving 4,797 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that the prevalence of frailty in older patients with heart failure was 38% (95%CI: 0.32–0.44). Age, cardiac function grading, left atrial diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction, hemoglobin, polypharmacy, BNP, nutritional risk, and hospitalization day are the influential factors of frailty in older patients with CHF. Conclusion: The prevalence of frailty in older patients with CHF is high, and clinical medical personnel should identify and intervene early to reduce or delay the frailty in older patients with CHF as much as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although expanded access is an increasingly used pathway for patients to access investigational medicine, little is known on the magnitude and content of published scientific research collected via expanded access. Methods: We performed a review of all peer-reviewed expanded access publications between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2022. We analyzed the publications for drugs, diseases, disease area, patient numbers, time, geographical location, subject, and research methodology (single center/multicenter, international/national, prospective/retrospective). We additionally analyzed endpoints reported in all COVID-19-related expanded access publications. Results: We screened 3810 articles and included 1231, describing 523 drugs for 354 diseases for 507,481 patients. The number of publications significantly increased over time ( p < 0.001 ). Large geographical disparities existed as Europe and the Americas accounted for 87.4% of all publications, whereas Africa only accounted for 0.6%. Oncology and hematology accounted for 53% of all publications. Twenty-nine percent of all expanded access patients (N = 197,187) reported on in 2020 and 2021 were treated in the context of COVID-19. Conclusions: By summarizing characteristics of patients, diseases, and research methods described in all scientific literature published on expanded access, we provide a unique dataset for future research. We show that published scientific research on expanded access has surged over the past decades, partly due to COVID-19. However, international collaboration and equity in geographic access remain an issue of concern. Lastly, we stress the need for harmonization of research legislation and guidance on the value of expanded access data within real-world data frameworks to improve equity in patient access and streamline future expanded access research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social disengagement among older persons may result from accumulated physical impact and social stressors experienced throughout life. Conversely, interventions that enhance social participation addresses social isolation with positive influences on health. This article, therefore, aimed to review the range of published studies that evaluated the health benefits of interventions on social participation among community-dwelling older persons.Method: We conducted a search using the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, PubMed, ProQuest, SAGE, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Web of Science, and Open repository/archive.Results: Twenty-five studies from Asia, Europe and America were selected. Included articles described randomized controlled trials (9), quasi-experimental studies (9), mixed-methods studies (2), participatory action research (3), and community-based intervention research (2). Social interventions described are group or cultural activities, personal/group monitoring and discussion, and communications devices. Intervention designed utilized theories, models, concepts, principles, and evidence from published literature.Conclusion: Most social intervention studies evaluating health outcomes have been conducted in North America and Western Europe. Group-based activities were most commonly employed, but personal/group discussions, home visits and technology-based interactions have also been used. While social isolation is now a widely accepted risk factor for ill-health, research evidence for improvement of health through reduction of social isolation remains limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a global demand for rehabilitation services but to date little attention has been paid to rehabilitation as part of the health agenda, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of the scoping review was to get an overview of the needs and unmet needs for rehabilitation services described in the literature. Materials and methods: Electronic search was performed in PubMed and REHABDATA for studies published between 2000 and 2017. Results: Eighty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Results revealed a profound need for rehabilitation among different user groups with non-communicable diseases and injuries across countries. However, this need considerably outstripped the provision of services, which left many people with substantial unmet needs for rehabilitation. The main reasons for the unmet needs for rehabilitation were the absence of or unequal geographical distribution of services within a country, lack of transportation, and unaffordability of the services. Conclusions: There are substantial unmet needs for rehabilitation and numerous barriers to accessing services. Efforts need to focus on building the capacity for rehabilitation research predominantly in low- and middle-income countries. The comprehensive data that this review provides is useful for raising awareness for the need of rehabilitation at policy level. There is a profound need for rehabilitation services due to the ageing population and growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases. This scoping review shows that the need for rehabilitation considerably outstrips the provision of services. There are substantial unmet needs for rehabilitation and numerous barriers to accessing services. Concerted global action to scale up quality rehabilitation services is needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) represents a substantial health burden globally and an increasing challenge in Asian countries. Treatment options include chemotherapy plus a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor (such as bevacizumab, aflibercept or ramucirumab), or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapies. Aflibercept, a recombinant fusion protein, has been approved for treatment of mCRC in combination with FOLFIRI for patients whose disease progresses during or after treatment with an oxaliplatin-containing regimen, based on its efficacy and tolerability profile in clinical trials. This report aims to provide an overview of both clinical and real-world evidence and experience on the use of aflibercept in routine clinical practice, with a focus on European, American and Asian populations. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed (on 28th February 2019) using the search terms ("aflibercept") and ("Colorectal"OR"CRC") to identify publications containing information on aflibercept-containing regimens. Results: The adverse events (AE) profile was similar between geographical locations. Across trials, real-world and retrospective studies, grade ≥ 3 hypertension and proteinuria were amongst the most frequently reported AEs. Conclusions: The safety profile of aflibercept is generally manageable and comparable across various geographic locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]