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Gary L Darmstadt,
Abdullah H Baqui,
Yoonjoung Choi,
Sanwarul Bari,
Syed M Rahman,
Ishtiaq Mannan,
A S M Nawshad Uddin Ahmed,
Samir K Saha, Habibur Rahman Seraji,
Radwanur Rahman,
Peter J Winch,
Stephanie Chang,
Nazma Begum,
Robert E Black,
Mathuram Santosham,
Shams El Arifeen
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To validate a clinical algorithm for community health workers (CHWs) during routine household surveillance for neonatal illness in rural Bangladesh.
Surveillance was conducted in the intervention arm of a trial of newborn interventions. CHWs assessed 7587 neonates on postnatal days 0, 2, 5 and 8 and identified neonates with very severe disease (VSD) using an 11-sign algorithm. A nested prospective study was conducted to validate the algorithm (n=395). Physicians evaluated neonates to determine whether newborns with VSD needed referral. The authors calculated algorithm sensitivity and specificity in identifying (1) neonates needing referral and (2) mortality during the first 10 days of life.
The 11-sign algorithm had sensitivity of 50.0% (95% CI 24.7% to 75.3%) and specificity of 98.4% (96.6% to 99.4%) for identifying neonates needing referral-level care. A simplified 6-sign algorithm had sensitivity of 81.3% (54.4% to 96.0%) and specificity of 96.0% (93.6% to 97.8%) for identifying referral need and sensitivity of 58.0% (45.5% to 69.8%) and specificity of 93.2% (92.5% to 93.7%) for screening mortality. Compared to our 6-sign algorithm, the Young Infant Study 7-sign (YIS7) algorithm with minor modifications had similar sensitivity and specificity.
Community-based surveillance for neonatal illness by CHWs using a simple 6-sign clinical algorithm is a promising strategy to effectively identify neonates at risk of mortality and needing referral to hospital. The YIS7 algorithm was also validated with high sensitivity and specificity at community level, and is recommended for routine household surveillance for newborn illness. ClinicalTrials.gov no. NCT00198627.
Archives of Disease in Childhood 09/2011; 96(12):1140-6. · 2.88 Impact Factor
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Gary L Darmstadt,
Yoonjoung Choi,
Shams E Arifeen,
Sanwarul Bari,
Syed M Rahman,
Ishtiaq Mannan, Habibur Rahman Seraji,
Peter J Winch,
Samir K Saha,
A S M Nawshad Uddin Ahmed,
Saifuddin Ahmed,
Nazma Begum,
Anne C C Lee,
Robert E Black,
Mathuram Santosham,
Derrick Crook,
Abdullah H Baqui
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To evaluate a delivery strategy for newborn interventions in rural Bangladesh.
A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in Mirzapur, Bangladesh. Twelve unions were randomized to intervention or comparison arm. All women of reproductive age were eligible to participate. In the intervention arm, community health workers identified pregnant women; made two antenatal home visits to promote birth and newborn care preparedness; made four postnatal home visits to negotiate preventive care practices and to assess newborns for illness; and referred sick neonates to a hospital and facilitated compliance. Primary outcome measures were antenatal and immediate newborn care behaviours, knowledge of danger signs, care seeking for neonatal complications, and neonatal mortality.
A total of 4616 and 5241 live births were recorded from 9987 and 11153 participants in the intervention and comparison arm, respectively. High coverage of antenatal (91% visited twice) and postnatal (69% visited on days 0 or 1) home visitations was achieved. Indicators of care practices and knowledge of maternal and neonatal danger signs improved. Adjusted mortality hazard ratio in the intervention arm, compared to the comparison arm, was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.80-1.30) at baseline and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.68-1.12) at endline. Primary causes of death were birth asphyxia (49%) and prematurity (26%). No adverse events associated with interventions were reported.
Lack of evidence for mortality impact despite high program coverage and quality assurance of implementation, and improvements in targeted newborn care practices suggests the intervention did not adequately address risk factors for mortality. The level and cause-structure of neonatal mortality in the local population must be considered in developing interventions. Programs must ensure skilled care during childbirth, including management of birth asphyxia and prematurity, and curative postnatal care during the first two days of life, in addition to essential newborn care and infection prevention and management.
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00198627.
PLoS ONE 01/2010; 5(3):e9696. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Gary L Darmstadt,
Shams El Arifeen,
Yoonjoung Choi,
Sanwarul Bari,
Syed M Rahman,
Ishtiaq Mannan,
Peter J Winch,
A S M Nawshad Uddin Ahmed, Habibur Rahman Seraji,
Nazma Begum,
Robert E Black,
Mathuram Santosham,
Abdullah H Baqui
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Effective and scalable community-based strategies are needed for identification and management of serious neonatal illness.
As part of a community-based, cluster-randomized controlled trial of the impact of a package of maternal-neonatal health care, community health workers (CHWs) were trained to conduct household surveillance and to identify and refer sick newborns according to a clinical algorithm. Assessments of newborns by CHWs at home were linked to hospital-based assessments by physicians, and factors impacting referral, referral compliance and outcome were evaluated.
Seventy-three per cent (7310/10,006) of live-born neonates enrolled in the study were assessed by CHWs at least once; 54% were assessed within 2 days of birth, but only 15% were attended at delivery. Among assessments for which referral was recommended, compliance was verified in 54% (495/919). Referrals recommended to young neonates 0-6 days old were 30% less likely to be complied with compared to older neonates. Compliance was positively associated with having very severe disease and selected clinical signs, including respiratory rate > or = 70/minute; weak, abnormal or absent cry; lethargic or less than normal movement; and feeding problem. Among 239 neonates who died, only 38% were assessed by a CHW before death.
Despite rigorous programmatic effort, reaching neonates within the first 2 days after birth remained a challenge, and parental compliance with referral recommendation was limited, particularly among young neonates. To optimize potential impact, community postnatal surveillance must be coupled with skilled attendance at delivery, and/or a worker skilled in recognition of neonatal illness must be placed in close proximity to the community to allow for rapid case management to avert early deaths.
Health Policy and Planning 11/2009; 25(2):112-24. · 2.65 Impact Factor
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Gary L Darmstadt,
Samir K Saha,
Yoonjoung Choi,
Shams El Arifeen,
Nawshad Uddin Ahmed,
Sanwarul Bari,
Syed M Rahman,
Ishtiaq Mannan,
Derrick Crook,
Kaniz Fatima,
Peter J Winch, Habibur Rahman Seraji,
Nazma Begum,
Radwanur Rahman,
Maksuda Islam,
Anisur Rahman,
Robert E Black,
Mathuram Santosham,
Emma Sacks,
Abdullah H Baqui
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To devise treatment strategies for neonatal infections, the population-level incidence and antibiotic susceptibility of pathogens must be defined.
Surveillance for suspected neonatal sepsis was conducted in Mirzapur, Bangladesh, from February 2004 through November 2006. Community health workers assessed neonates on postnatal days 0, 2, 5, and 8 and referred sick neonates to a hospital, where blood was collected for culture from neonates with suspected sepsis. We estimated the incidence and pattern of community-acquired neonatal bacteremia and determined the antibiotic susceptibility profile of pathogens.
The incidence rate of community-acquired neonatal bacteremia was 3.0 per 1000 person-neonatal periods. Among the 30 pathogens identified, the most common was Staphylococcus aureus (n = 10); half of all isolates were gram positive. Nine were resistant to ampicillin and gentamicin or to ceftiaxone, and 13 were resistant to cotrimoxazole.
S. aureus was the most common pathogen to cause community-acquired neonatal bacteremia. Nearly 40% of infections were identified on days 0-3, emphasizing the need to address maternal and environmental sources of infection. The combination of parenteral procaine benzyl penicillin and an aminoglycoside is recommended for the first-line treatment of serious community-acquired neonatal infections in rural Bangladesh, which has a moderate level of neonatal mortality. Additional population-based data are needed to further guide national and global strategies.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases 09/2009; 200(6):906-15. · 6.41 Impact Factor
