Medicine Information Research Articles

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Information

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Information

Updating information of mycoses and antifungal medicines to find effective platforms for the production of new thiazole compounds

Introduction. Information about mycoses and antifungal drugs of the modern type is often fragmentary and unsystematic, which requires correction.Aim. To systematize the latest information about fungi and mycoses, means of combating them and the problems encountered along the way, to highlight the latest achievements in the field of synthesis and research of the activities of 1,2,4-triazole as a potential fungicidal compound.Materials and methods. The materials were the authors' research published in advanced scientific journals, conducted around the world in the field of studying fungi, antifungal drugs, and the search for new antifungal agents.Results and discussion. The article provides an overview of current information on the morphobiological features of fungi, updating their taxonomy and nomenclature, shows the role of fungi in nature and the development of fungal infections in humans and animals, structured information on the classification of mycoses and their pathogens. The latest information is also provided on the pharmacological properties of the main currently existing antifungal drugs, the mechanisms of formation of resistance to them in fungi, in a comparative aspect with other groups of antimycotic drugs, the prospects of azoles and their derivatives as new fungicidal drugs and disinfectants are shown. Literature studies have shown that 1,2,4-triazole derivatives have a wide range of antifungal activity, which extends to other types of activity.Conclusion. It was noted that the significant prospects of triazoles are due, among other things, to the fungicidal effect on resistant strains of fungi-pathogens of human and animal infections. The advantage of the new derivatives is the low level of concentrations suppressing fungi, low cytotoxicity, which allows them to be used for intravenous administration in the future. Updating information on the effectiveness of new antifungal compounds will help researchers systematize knowledge about the properties of azoles, which can contribute to the search and development of new potential candidates for antifungal drugs with high efficiency and selectivity, and contribute to the formation of new research directions for the search for effective means of combating mycoses in various fields of human activity.

Leveraging Trauma Informed Care for Digital Health Intervention Development in Opioid Use Disorder.

Digital health refers to the use of information and communication technologies in medicine (including smartphone apps, wearables, other non-invasive sensors, informatics and telehealth platforms) to prevent illness, deliver treatment, and promote wellness. This rapidly proliferating group of technologies has the potential to reduce harm for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and facilitate the recovery process; however, development in this space for OUD has been slower compared to that for other medical conditions. Unique issues with OUD management surrounding patient provider relationships, interaction with the healthcare system, autonomy and trust sometimes hinder care approaches, including those in digital health. The trauma informed care framework (TIC), developed for use by organizations to support individuals who have experienced trauma, has particular applicability for digital health interventions in OUD care. This manuscript will serve as a review of TIC principles and how they can be applied to digital health interventions to increase access, equity, and empowerment for people with OUD. We will highlight representative current and pipeline digital technologies for OUD, challenges with these technologies, TIC models for OUD, and the integration of TIC principles into digital technology development to better serve people with OUD. Finally, we will posit strategies to incorporate the aforementioned principles into future research efforts. We ultimately aim to use TIC as a lens through which to develop digital technologies to help individuals with OUD while minimizing harm.

Comparative analysis of the parameters of the external diameter of the isthmus, ampulla and funnel of the fallopian tubes in women giving birth in the first and second periods of adulthood

During an in-depth analysis of the management of patients of older age groups, another equally important category of the population is overlooked - patients of the second period of adulthood. In no case should this period of life be missed, especially in relation to women. It is in this age period that the menopause process occurs, which determines the further involutive restructuring of the reproductive system in particular and the entire body as a whole. It is advisable to study the morphological dynamics of the fallopian tubes, which are a key link in the female reproductive system. Objective: in a comparative aspect, to analyze the parameters of the outer diameter of the isthmus, ampoule and funnel of the fallopian tubes in women who gave birth in the first and second periods of adulthood according to the sectional study and calculate the correlation relationship. The study was performed on autopsy material in the period 2018-2022, the analysis of the results of morphometry of both fallopian tubes of 49 deceased women who gave birth at the age of 22-56 years was carried out. Group I included 26 women of the first period of adulthood (22-35 years old), group II included 23 women of the second period of adulthood (36-56 years old). The outer diameter of the fallopian tube funnel was determined using a micrometer after their isolation from the pelvic cavity. Having determined the size of the semicircle of the pipe, their diameter was calculated. The tendency to the predominance of the parameters of the outer diameter of the fallopian tubes in the second period of adulthood in comparison with the representatives of the first period of adulthood (p > 0.05) has been established. Thus, the outer diameter from the first period of adulthood to the second period at the isthmus site increases by 4.5 % in the right fallopian tube and by 6.25 % in the left fallopian tube, at the ampoule site - by 1 and 0.7 %, respectively, and at the funnel site - by 3.1 and 4.2 %, respectively. The tendency to the prevalence of parameters in each studied section of the right fallopian tube over similar ones in the left (p > 0.05) is determined. The results obtained during the sectional examination of the autopsy material can form the basis for studying the age-related anatomy of the fallopian tubes. The data form the basis for further clinical and morphological studies, as well as provide an understanding of the age characteristics of various sections of the fallopian tubes for the application of this information in practical medicine, for example, in the differential diagnosis of pathological conditions.

Exploring the digital gray zone of online medicinal markets emerging from search

AbstractThis explorative study investigates the emergence of gray zone markets from search engines amidst the global expansion of online markets. With the analytical approach of infrastructural inversion, we examine how the search infrastructure constructs access to a gray zone market including both authorized online pharmacies and unauthorized vendors. Using Sweden and Google Search as a case, we explore the online presence of three products (vitamin D, paracetamol, and Viagra), through search engine result page analysis, web crawling, and network analysis. Infrastructural inversion unveils the typically invisible mechanisms of search engines, considering user queries, algorithmic priorities, SEO practices, and pharmacy regulations. We find gray zones only emerge in searches for erectile disfunction medicinal products and information, where unauthorized vendors successfully competed for visibility in search engine rankings. A complex web of conditions can steer consumers toward gray zone markets, complicating the access to safe and regulated medicinal products. This can expose individuals to risks associated with unverified medicinal products, but also challenges the integrity of the online health information infrastructure.

Secured Fog-Body-Torrent : A Hybrid Symmetric Cryptography with Multi-layer Feed Forward Networks Tuned Chaotic Maps for Physiological Data Transmission in Fog-BAN Environment

Recently, the Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) have become a promising and practical option in the tele-care medicine information system that aids for the better clinical monitoring and diagnosis. The trend of using Internet of Things (IoT) has propelled the WBAN technology to new dimension in terms of its network characteristics and efficient data transmission. However, these networks demand the strong authentication protocol to enhance the confidentiality, integrity, recoverability and dependability against the emerging cyber-physical attacks owing to the exposure of the IoT ecosystem and the confidentiality of biometric data. Hence this study proposes the Fog based WBAN infrastructure which incorporates the hybrid symmetric cryptography schemes with the chaotic maps and feed forward networks to achieve the physiological data info security without consuming the characteristics of power hungry WBAN devices. In the proposed model, scroll chaotic maps are iterated to produce the high dynamic keys streams for the real time applications and feed-forward layers are leveraged to align the complex input-output associations of cipher data for subsequent mathematical tasks. The feed forward layers are constructed which relies on the principle of Adaptive Extreme Learning Machines (AELM) thereby increasing randomness in the cipher keys thereby increasing its defensive nature against the different cyber-physical attacks and ensuring the high secured encrypted-decrypted data communication between the users and fog nodes. The real time analysis is conducted during live scenarios. BAN-IoT test beds interfaced with the heterogeneous healthcare sensors and various security metrics are analysed and compared with the various residing cryptographic algorithms. Results demonstrates that the recommended methodology has exhibited the high randomness characteristics and low computational overhead compared with the other traditional BAN oriented cryptography protocol schemes

Implementing a Medicines at Transitions Intervention (MaTI) for patients with heart failure: a process evaluation of the Improving the Safety and Continuity Of Medicines management at Transitions of care (ISCOMAT) cluster randomised controlled trial

BackgroundHeart failure is a major global health challenge incurring a high rate of mortality, morbidity and hospitalisation. Effective medicines management at the time of hospital discharge into the community could reduce poor outcomes for people with heart failure. Within the Improving the Safety and Continuity Of Medicines management at Transitions of care (ISCOMAT) programme, the Medicines at Transitions Intervention (MaTI) was co-designed to improve such transitions, with a cluster randomised controlled trial to test effectiveness. The MaTI includes a patient toolkit and transfer of discharge medicines information to community pharmacy. This paper aims to determine the degree to which the intervention was delivered, and identify barriers and facilitators experienced by staff for the successful implementation of the intervention.MethodsThe study was conducted in six purposively selected intervention sites. A mixed-methods design was employed using hospital staff interviews, structured and unstructured ward observations, and routine trial data about adherence to the MaTI. A parallel mixed analysis was applied. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using the Framework method. Data were synthesised, triangulated and mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).ResultsWith limited routines of communication between ward staff and community pharmacy, hospital staff found implementing community pharmacy-related steps of the intervention challenging. Staff time was depleted by attempts to bridge system barriers, sometimes leading to steps not being delivered. Whilst the introduction of the patient toolkit was often completed and valued as important patient education and a helpful way to explain medicines, the medicines discharge log within it was not, as this was seen as a duplication of existing systems. Within the CFIR the most applicable constructs were identified as ‘intervention complexity’ and ‘cosmopolitanism’ based on how well hospitals were networked with community pharmacies, and the availability of hospital resources to facilitate this.ConclusionThe MaTI was generally successfully implemented, particularly the introduction of the toolkit. However, implementation involving community pharmacy was more challenging and more effective communication systems are needed to support wider implementation.Trial registration11/04/2018 ISRCTN66212970. https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN66212970.

What Do Travelers Know about Traveler's Diarrhea? Impact of a Pre-Travel Consultation in the Lisbon Area, Portugal.

Traveler's diarrhea (TD) is one of the most common travel-related health problems, largely interfering with planned activities and potentially contributing to antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to characterize the knowledge about TD among pre-travel consultation users of one Portuguese travel clinic and determine the impact of the consultation on knowledge levels. Using a quasi-experimental, separate-sample pretest-posttest design, participants were randomly assigned to two groups: control/pre-consultation group (CG) or experimental/post-consultation group (EG). An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used. A total of 470 participants were analyzed (227 CG; 243 EG). The EG/post-consultation group showed significant improvement in knowledge, with correct answers increasing from 63% to 75% (p < 0.001). However, knowledge gaps persisted: over 50% were unaware of TD's self-limited nature, 30% did not recognize loperamide as a symptom reliever, and 36% believed all travelers should take antibiotics to prevent TD. The educational level and previous travel outside Europe influenced baseline knowledge; previous travel medicine consultations and information on TD improved knowledge in both groups and made it easier to acquire knowledge on the subject. Thus, a pre-travel consultation effectively increased travelers' TD knowledge. However, post-consultation knowledge levels remained suboptimal, indicating the need for targeted interventions to increase travelers' literacy and optimize pre-travel consultations.

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Information

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Information

Medicine communication from hospital to residential aged care facilities: a cross-sectional survey of aged care facility staff.

Continuity of medicines management can be compromised when older people are transferred between hospital and residential aged care facilities. This study explored medicines management practices at facilities during patients' transfer of care from hospital, and staff experiences with medicines information handover from hospitals. An electronic cross-sectional questionnaire sent to all residential aged care facilities within a metropolitan region in Australia, in February 2022. The questionnaire comprised 23 questions covering facilities' profiles, medicines management practices, and medicines management at transfer of care from 2 public hospitals. Of 53 listed facilities, 31 [58.5%] responded. Facilities varied in size ranging between < 50 and up to 200 beds. Twenty-seven [87.1%] facilities offered more than one level of care. Of those 27 facilities, 26 [96.3%] offered dementia care, and 23 [85.2%] offered palliative care. Six (19.4%) solely used hardcopy medication charts. Handover from hospitals to manage patients' medicines at transfer was inconsistent with only 15 [48.4%] reporting consistently receiving appropriate documentation. Residential aged care facilities varied in size and level of care. Diverse processes exist for medicines management. There is inconsistency in information received when residents transfer from hospital to facilities, potentially compromising patient safety.

Association between baseline serum bicarbonate and the risk of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the ICU: a retrospective study from the MIMIC-IV database

BackgroundAlthough serum bicarbonate is a reliable predictor of various disease complications, its relationship with postoperative delirium (POD) remains unclear. Our research aimed to assess the effect of baseline serum bicarbonate levels on the incidence of POD in cardiac surgery patients.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on cardiac surgery patients who met specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, using data from the Marketplace for Information in Critical Care Medicine (MIMIC-IV) database. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models are employed to explore the correlation between serum bicarbonate levels and the risk of POD, and their predictive efficacy is assessed by means of restricted cubic spline regression models (RCS) and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC). In addition, subgroup and sensitivity analyses are conducted to test the robustness of the results.ResultsIn this study, 5,422 patients were included, where the incidence of POD was 13.0%. For each 1 mmol/L increase in bicarbonate, a 13% reduction in the risk of POD was observed in the fully adjusted model (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.83–0.91, P < 0.001). The RCS model demonstrated a linear negative correlation between the level of bicarbonate and the risk of POD (P for nonlinearity = 0.987). The ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the bicarbonate level had moderate predictive efficacy (AUC = 0.629). Both subgroup and sensitivity analyses reaffirmed the robustness of these results.ConclusionsLower baseline serum bicarbonate levels in cardiac surgery patients are linked to a higher risk of POD. Monitoring and adjusting serum bicarbonate levels may help identify high-risk patients and potentially improve outcomes.

OPTimising MEDicine information handover after Discharge (OPTMED-D): protocol for development of a multifaceted intervention and stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial

BackgroundGeneral practitioners (GP) and community pharmacists need information about hospital discharge patients’ medicines to continue their management in the community. This necessitates effective communication, collaboration, and reliable information-sharing. However, such handover is inconsistent, and whilst digital systems are in place to transfer information at transitions of care, these systems are passive and clinicians are not prompted about patients’ transitions. There are also gaps in communication between community pharmacists and GPs. These issues impact patient safety, leading to hospital readmissions and increased healthcare costs.MethodsA three-phased, multi-method study design is planned to trial a multifaceted intervention to reduce 30-day hospital readmissions. Phase 1 is the co-design of the intervention with stakeholders and end-users; phase 2 is the development of the intervention; phase 3 is a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial with 20 clusters (community pharmacies). Expected intervention components will be a hospital pharmacist navigator, primary care medication management review services, and a digital solution for information sharing. Phase 3 will recruit 10 patients per pharmacy cluster/month to achieve a sample size of 2200 patients powered to detect a 5% absolute reduction in unplanned readmissions from 10% in the control group to 5% in the intervention at 30 days. The randomisation and intervention will occur at the level of the patient’s nominated community pharmacy. Primary analysis will be a comparison of 30-day medication-related hospital readmissions between intervention and control clusters using a mixed effects Poisson regression model with a random effect for cluster (pharmacy) and a fixed effect for each step to account for secular trends.Trial registrationThis trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12624000480583p, registered 19 April 2024.

FIP Cape Town 2024: Health and Medicines Information

Accepted abstracts under the theme: Health and Medicines Information (n=52)

Amplifying Research: The Potential for Podcasts to Boost Radiology Journal Article Exposure.

Background Podcasts have become an increasingly popular method of communicating information in medicine, including in radiology. However, the effect of podcasts on the reach of journal articles remains unclear. Purpose To evaluate the influence of Radiology podcasts on the performance metrics, including downloads, citations, and Altmetric Attention Score (AAS), of Radiology articles. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective study. All articles published in the print version of Radiology from January 2021 to December 2022 were reviewed; editorials and case reports were excluded. Articles featured on Radiology podcasts were included in the podcast group. Articles published within the same journal issue and category were the nonpodcast group. Downloads, Google Scholar citations, Dimensions citations, and AAS metrics were recorded. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare medians and evaluate differences between older and more recently published articles. Results The podcast group, composed of 88 articles, exhibited significantly higher median values for downloads (PG, 4521.0; nonpodcast group, 2123.0; P < .001), Google Scholar citations (podcast group, 14.5; nonpodcast group, 10.0; P = .01), Dimensions citations (podcast group, 12.0; nonpodcast group, 9.0; P = .01), and AAS (podcast group, 43.0; nonpodcast group, 10.0; P < .001) compared with the nonpodcast group of 378 articles. Within both groups, articles published in the earlier nonpodcast group (January to June 2021) had higher downloads (podcast group, P = .08; nonpodcast group, P < .001), Google Scholar citations (podcast group and nonpodcast group, P < .001), and Dimension citations (podcast group and nonpodcast group, P < .001) than articles from the later period (July to December 2022). AAS markedly increased in recent podcast articles (P = .03), but AAS for nonpodcast articles significantly decreased over time (P = .01). Conclusion Radiology articles featured on the Radiology podcast had greater median metrics, including downloads, Google Scholar citations, Dimensions citations, and AAS, compared with nonpodcast articles, suggesting that podcasts can be an effective method of disseminating and amplifying research within the field of radiology. © RSNA, 2024 See also the editorial by Chu and Nicola in this issue.

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Information

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Information

IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology Publication Information

IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology Publication Information

UNICOM Test Lab: Implementation of ISO's IDMP Standards Across the EU.

The UNICOM Test Lab enhances patient safety and healthcare efficiency by implementing ISO's IDMP standards across the EU. Funded by the EU's HORIZON Programme, this initiative unites diverse stakeholders to enable the seamless exchange of medicinal product information. This paper details the interoperability challenges and methodologies employed, highlighting the UNICOM Test Lab's role in validating and testing tools for IDMP standards implementation, aiming for semantic interoperability and a safe pharmaceutical supply chain within the EU.

Exploration of medicinal plants as potential therapeutics against COVID-19: molecular insights and drug development prospects with other significant medicinal information a retrospective exposition.

The study aims to explore the potential of medicinal plants and their phytoconstituents as effective inhibitors of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The focus is on investigating specific medicinal plants known for their pharmacological properties, such as: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, to determine their viability in developing COVID-19 treatments. This study involves a comprehensive study of medicinal plants, including: Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil), known for their beneficial health effects. Molecular docking studies were conducted to assess the interactions between phytoconstituents from these plants and SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The compounds' drug-like characteristics and safety profiles were also evaluated to determine their potential as therapeutic agents. The molecular docking studies revealed that the phytoconstituents from the studied medicinal plants exhibit favourable interactions with SARS-CoV-2 proteins, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets. These compounds demonstrated promising drug-like characteristics and safety profiles, indicating their suitability for further development as COVID-19-fighting medications. The results indicate that medicinal plants and their bioactive substances hold significant potential for developing therapies against COVID-19. The ability of these organic substances to interact with key viral proteins and provide various therapeutic benefits highlights their potential as multi-functional treatment options. However, further research is necessary to confirm these findings and to understand the full scope of their therapeutic efficacy and safety in clinical settings. Medicinal plants and their phyto-constituents represent a promising avenue for developing effective treatments for COVID-19. The favourable interactions with SARS-CoV-2 proteins and the promising drug-like characteristics observed in this study suggest that these natural compounds could be integral in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research and clinical trials are essential to fully validating their potential and translating these findings into practical medical applications.

Impact of body mass index on mortality outcomes in intensive care patients with Staphylococcus aureus sepsis: A retrospective analysis.

Evidence associating body mass index (BMI) with the prognosis of Staphylococcus aureus sepsis remains scarce. To explore the association between BMI and clinical outcomes in intensive care units patients with Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. A retrospective analysis of patients with Staphylococcus aureus sepsis was conducted using the MIMIC-IV database from the Critical Care Medicine Information. Data were collected within the first 24 hours of intensive care units admission. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. The association between BMI and 28-day all-cause mortality was assessed using multivariable logistic regression, subgroup analyses, restricted cubic spline curves and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The study included 2,295 patients with an average age of 63.5 (16.1) years, 60.2% of whom were male. Multivariate analysis revealed that each 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI was linked to a 2.8% decrease in the risk of 28-day mortality (adjusted OR = 0.972, 95% CI: 0.955-0.990, P = 0.002). Patients in the medium and high BMI categories had significantly lower risks of 28-day mortality compared to those in the low BMI group (OR [95% CI] 0.650 [0.474-0.891]; OR [95% CI] 0.516 [0.378-0.705]; P trend < 0.0001). The RCS model showed a non-linear association between BMI and 28-day mortality (P = 0.014). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with elevated BMI had lower 28-day mortality (P < 0.0001). Notably, significant interactions between AKI and SOFA with BMI were observed (P<0.05). Increased BMI is associated with a reduced risk of 28-day all-cause mortality in patients with Staphylococcus aureus sepsis.

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Information

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Information