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Introduction Total adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are gaining prominence as a risk factor for preterm birth (PTB). The emerging literature examining this relationship reports inconsistent findings. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the available evidence exploring whether total ACEs predict PTB. Methods A total of 386 studies were returned from searches on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Nine studies were selected for final analysis and synthesis based on reporting of total ACEs and preterm birth gestational weeks or standard definition of birth before 37 weeks' gestational age. A systematic review rather than meta-analysis was selected to present the findings given the clinical and methodological (e.g., sample studied, measurement tools) heterogeneity of the retrieved studies and pregnancy outcomes measured. Results The nine studies report on birth outcomes for 6,087 women from a range of sociodemographic and ethnic backgrounds. Despite a wide range of study designs, measurement tools, and timings of ACEs exposure across studies, seven of the nine included studies showed significant relationships between ACEs and PTB. Conclusion Systematic review of the literature suggests that total ACEs are associated with PTB and provides an overview on the known associations. However, to date only nine studies have assessed this link, and more studies are needed, to explore the associations between ACEs and PTB using appropriate and valid instruments and doing so among more diverse populations. Future research should also explore possible biological mechanisms (allostatic load), and moderating and mediating variables., Author(s): Salima Sulaiman [sup.1] , Shahirose Sadrudin Premji [sup.2] , Farideh Tavangar [sup.2] , Ilona S. Yim [sup.3] , Margaret Lebold [sup.2] , Naureen Akber Ali, Syed Muzafar Ali, Neelofur [...]

Intraoperative shivering is quite common after regional anaesthesia, which not only increases the total body oxygen requirement but also causes discomfort to the patients. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the effectiveness of pharmacological agents administered intra-operatively for treating shivering in adult patients who are undergoing elective surgery under regional (i.e., central neuraxial) anaesthesia so that an optimal choice of an agent can be recommended for clinical application. A literature search was carried out using PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL databases, and hand searches to identify relevant studies. After literature screening and information extraction, a systematic review was performed. Meta-analysis was performed for the primary outcome. The primary outcome was to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacological agents used for the treatment and control of intraoperative shivering and the time taken to control shivering. The secondary outcome includes recurrence of shivering after pharmacological intervention and identification of common adverse effects related to them. In total, 10 studies (791 patients) were included. Common interventions were opioids, central α2 receptor agonist, and few other medications like magnesium sulfate, ondansetron, nefopam, and amitriptyline. Tramadol and dexmedetomidine were the most frequently documented drugs compared with other drugs to resolve shivering. The most effective drug with approximately 100% response rate was dexmedetomidine with the dose of 0.5 µg kg-1 intravenously given just after the appearance of shivering. Studies showed that tramadol is also an effective drug used to control shivering in most patients, and its effect is comparable with the pethidine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a global health issue which is associated with disability, absenteeism, decreased productivity and high suicide rates. It is the fourth most common cause of disability globally and by the year 2020 it will be the second leading cause of disease burden. In Pakistan, the prevalence of depression is 45.9%. A unique and promising method for addressing the issue is mobile health (m-health). It refers to the utilisation of mobile technology to support various aspects of healthcare. Electronic record, SMS, internet, wearable devices and mobile applications are some of the digitalisation approaches used to bridge the treatment gap in depression through assuring privacy of patients, improving accessibility, reducing taboos related to depression, save cost for patients and reduce hospital burden and consultation time; these will be accessible in remote areas as well. Therefore, this short review is aimed to highlight the m-health forecasting for controlling depression and positional use in developing countries.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has directed the use of telemedicine and digital mental health services to meet the needs of people in order to maintain physical distancing by preventing person to person contact. The aim of this review is to highlight the role of telemental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic., Method: An electronic search was carried out between January 01, 2020 and October 31, 2020 to explore the utilization of telehealth services for mental health problems among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary source of literature was the structured search of major electronic databases from the MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL Plus, Science Direct and the Web of Science. We included nine published studies meeting the the eligibility criteria., Results: The role of telehealth identified in this review mainly focused on the applicability of this modality for assessing and managing various mental health problems in these unprecedented times. It also pointed out that the provision of telemental health support reduced the burden of mental health diseases and promoted the wellbeing of the individual. Further, it was witnessed that patients preferred remote consultation as compared to face-to-face visits in order to avoid contracting the virus and found online mental health interventions and psychological counseling very helpful to cope up with the current crisis., Conclusion: The current COVID-19 lockdown has changed the management of the mental health problems of patients. The use of this innovative modality prevents transmission of infection and provides timely treatment to the community members most in need.