Category Archives: Co-infections
The utility of therapeutic drug monitoring for ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C – A critical review
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C. DATA SOURCES: Literature searches were conducted through PubMed (1949-June 2009), EMBASE (1980-June 2009), BIOSIS...
Antiretroviral therapy in prevention of HIV and TB: Update on current research efforts
There is considerable scientific evidence supporting the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) infections. The complex nature of the HIV and...
Treatment outcomes from community-based drug resistant tuberculosis treatment programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that community-based treatment of drug resistant tuberculosis (DRTB) is a feasible and cost-effective alternative to centralized, hospital-based care. Although several large programs have reported favourable...
Pulmonary tuberculosis in severely-malnourished or HIV-infected children with pneumonia: A review
Presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) as acute pneumonia in severely-malnourished and HIV-positive children has received very little attention, although this is very important in the management of pneumonia in children...
Opiate substitution treatment and HIV transmission in people who inject drugs: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective To quantify the effect of opiate substitution treatment in relation to HIV transmission among people who inject drugs. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective published and unpublished observational...
Evidence behind the WHO guidelines: hospital care for children: What is the evidence that BCG vaccination should not be used in HIV-infected children?
The World Health Organization has produced guidelines for the management of common illnesses in hospitals with limited resources. This series reviews the scientific evidence behind WHO’s recommendations. The WHO guidelines,...
Invasive non-typhoidal salmonella disease: An emerging and neglected tropical disease in Africa
Invasive strains of non-typhoidal salmonellae have emerged as a prominent cause of bloodstream infection in African adults and children, with an associated case fatality of 20-25%. The clinical presentation of...
A systematic review of the epidemiologic interactions between classic sexually transmitted diseases and HIV: How much really is known?
BACKGROUND: Many studies have explored the role of “classic” sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in determining the pattern of HIV epidemics. However, the many different STDs may contribute in different ways,...
The safety of yellow fever vaccine 17D or 17DD in children, pregnant women, HIV+ individuals, and older persons: Systematic review
Yellow fever vaccine provides long-lasting immunity. Rare serious adverse events after vaccination include neurologic or viscerotropic syndromes or anaphylaxis. We conducted a systematic review of adverse events associated with yellow...
Examining the relationship between urogenital schistosomiasis and HIV infection
BACKGROUND: Urogenital schistosomiasis, caused by infection with Schistosoma haematobium, is widespread and causes substantial morbidity on the African continent. The infection has been suggested as an unrecognized risk factor for...
Prevalence of HIV and syphilis infections among long-distance truck drivers in China: A data synthesis and meta-analysis
By 2009, 46 national sentinel surveillance sites had been established for long-distance truck drivers (LDTDs) in China, but the overall disease burden of HIV and syphilis among LDTDs has remained...
