Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de santé de la Méditerranée orientale = al-Majallah al-ṣiḥḥīyah li-sharq al-mutawassiṭ
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Feb 2012
ReviewPrimary palliative care: the potential of primary care physicians as providers of palliative care in the community in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life and relieving suffering in patients with progressive chronic illnesses. Palliative care services remain very limited in the Eastern Mediterranean region although the need for them is high and increasing. ⋯ This review highlights the urgent need to provide such care in the region and proposes that primary care providers in the region are well placed to provide palliative care in their communities. As palliative medicine is not established as a specialty in the region, training and support in palliative care are required to build capacity in end-of-life care and to allow all patients who would benefit from this approach access to it equitably and early in their illness.
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To determine normal values of respiratory function for Sudanese, a randomized stratified cross-sectional study was performed on 2250 healthy Sudanese aged 7-86 years in 2002-05. Data were obtained through a questionnaire, pulmonary function testing and taking anthropometric measurements. Lung function and anthropometric measurements were correlated and regression equations were derived. ⋯ Gender and ethnic variations in Sudanese lung function were confirmed. Comparisons were made with data from other international studies. These values can be used as reference values in respiratory clinics in Sudan.
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Feb 2012
Impact of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme on respiratory parameters and health care utilization in patients with chronic lung diseases other than COPD.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a tool that is receiving more acceptance in chronic lung diseases. A retrospective study was made in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on respiratory parameters and health care utilization in a group of outpatients with chronic lung diseases other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ⋯ Initial number of emergency department visits and hospital admissions and use of prednisone and antibiotics were significantly associated with adherence to the pulmonary rehabilitation programme. There was a significant improvement in functional exercise capacity as manifested on the 6-minute walking distance and distance on treadmill, bicycle and arm ergometer and significantly better utilization of health care resources (fewer emergency department and outpatient department visits) over the 12 months after completion of the programme.
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Jan 2012
Efficacy of constitutional support to enhance access to essential medicines as a human right to health in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Access to essential medicines is an element of the international agreements on the human right to health. This review summarizes the current situation concerning access to medicines in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) by examining the policies, constitutional provisions and other legal instruments of the Member States. ⋯ A total of 11 countries operate an essential medicines list. Realization of this right to health necessitates that duty bearers take all necessary legislative measures to respect, protect and fulfil this right.
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Oct 2011
Comparative StudyInterferon-gamma release assay for detection of latent tuberculosis infection in casual and close contacts of tuberculosis cases.
The tuberculin skin test (TST) has many limitations for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis (TB infection. The aim of this study in Egypt was to estimate the usefulness of an interferon-gamma release assay (IFN-gamma) assay for the detection of latent TB infection in contacts of active TB cases. A total of 116 participants were enrolled and divided into 3 groups: community controls, casual (laboratory and clinic) contacts and close (household) contacts. ⋯ Subjects diagnosed as latent TB infection by IFN-gamma assay (QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube) were 5.9% of controls, 31.0% of casual contacts and 33.3% of close contacts. The overall agreement between TST and IFN-gamma was 66.7% (kappa = 0.28). The IFN-gamma method could be more helpful than TST for detection of latent TB infection in contacts.