Jacinto Blas V Mantaring

University of the Philippines Manila | UPM · Department of Clinical Epidemiology

Background Incidence data of respiratory syncytial virus–associated lower respiratory tract illness (RSV-LRTI) are sparse in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We estimated RSV-LRTI incidence rates (IRs) in infants in LMICs using World Health Organization case definitions. Methods This prospective cohort study, conducted in 10 LMICs from Ma...

Setting The 3rd national tuberculosis (TB) survey in the Philippines in 2007 reported a significant decline in the prevalence of TB. Since then, more significant investments for TB control have been made, yet TB burden estimates from routine surveillance data remain relatively stable. Objective To estimate the prevalence of bacteriologically confi...

Background The current evidence on the use of probiotics in treating atopic dermatitis is inconclusive. This study determined the comparative effectiveness of the different types of probiotic strains in treating pediatric atopic dermatitis. Methodology Systematic and manual search for all randomized controlled trials available from inception until...

Background: The use of lengthy, detailed, and complex informed consent forms (ICFs) is of paramount concern in biomedical research as it may not truly promote the rights and interests of research participants. The extent of information in ICFs has been the subject of debates for decades; however, no clear guidance is given. Thus, the objective of t...

Background: The use of lengthy, detailed, and complex informed consent forms (ICFs) is of paramount concern in biomedical research as it may not truly promote the rights and interests of research participants. The extent of information in ICFs has been the subject of debates for decades; however, no clear guidance is given. Thus, the objective of...

Background: Adequate nutrition is essential during pregnancy and lactation to provide sufficient energy and nutrients to meet the nutritional requirements of the mother, fetus and infant. The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of a maternal nutritional supplement enriched with probiotics during pregnancy and early lactation o...

The Index Medicus was the only comprehensive directory of articles in medicine, and it was the nightmare of every student. Today, new generations of healthcare practitioners are expected to have the skills to conduct a thorough and efficient search of the electronic medical literature. An electronic literature database can be likened to a file comp...

Background: One methodologic challenge in conducting research relating to diaper dermatitis (DD) is the absence of a reliable, objective, validated scale for assessing severity. The aim of this study was to develop and validate such a scale. Methods: Scale development was based on experience of DD assessment and clinical and photographic data co...

Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of universal rotavirus vaccination of children below age of five years old in the Philippine settingMETHODS: We developed an age-stratified dynamic transmission model which compared four settings (baseline of no vaccine with 34% exclusive breastfeeding rate (EBR), two-dose monovalent vac-cine (RV1), three-dose pentav...

Objective To determine the efficacy of Fenugreek supplementation on the breastmilk production of mothers on postpartum days 1 to 5. Methods Postpartum mothers aged 18 years and above at a tertiary private hospital were eligible to participate in this randomised, triple-blind, placebo-controlled study. Randomization was computer-generated and alloca...

Mortality from sepsis and septic shock remains high. Results of trials on intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) as adjunctive therapy for sepsis have been conflicting. This is an update of a Cochrane review that was originally published in 1999 and updated in 2002 and 2010. To estimate the effects of IVIG as adjunctive therapy in patients with bacteri...

To assess the impact of a multidimensional infection control approach on the reduction of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates in adult intensive care units (AICUs) in two hospitals in the Philippines that are members of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium. This was a before-after prospective active survei...

Background: The umbilical cord is a structure made of blood vessels and connective tissue that connects the baby and placenta in utero. The umbilical cord is cut after birth, which separates the mother and her baby both physically and symbolically. Omphalitis is defined as infection of the umbilical cord stump. Tracking of bacteria along the umbil...

Timely administration of hepatitis B vaccine beginning at birth prevents up to 95 per cent of perinatally acquired hepatitis B virus infections in infants of infected mothers. The Philippines changed its national HepB schedule in 2007 to include a dose at birth. We evaluated vaccination schedule change by reviewing infant records at selected health...

Objective. To determine the efficacy of topically applied virgin coconut oil (TVCO) in the prevention of nosocomial infection in neonates born ≤ 34 weeks gestational age. Method. A prospective, randomized, non-blinded, controlled clinical trial was conducted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Philippine General Hospital. Preterm infa...

This study investigated the rate of device-associated health care-associated infection (DA-HAI), microbiological profiles, bacterial resistance, length of stay (LOS), and mortality rate in 9 intensive care units (ICUs) of 3 hospital members of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) in the Philippines. This was an open-lab...

A deadly nosocomial outbreak in a Philippine hospital drew nationwide attention to neonatal sepsis. Together with specific infection control measures, interventions that protect newborns against infection-related mortality include drying, skin-to-skin contact, delayed cord clamping, breastfeeding initiation and delayed bathing. This evaluation char...

An estimated seven million Filipinos (10-12% of the population) are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Achieving high birth dose coverage with hepatitis B vaccine is critical for achieving the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Regional goal of reducing the prevalence of chronic HBV among children 5 years of age to <2% by 2...

Background: Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) rates in Philippines are significantly higher that international standards of developed countries. There are no previous data from Philippines showing a successful intervention to reduce CAUTI rates. Objective: We report a time-sequence analysis of the effectiveness of performance f...

This case control study evaluates the association between hospitalization due to infection and feeding practices among infants aged >or= 3 days to < 6 months. Mothers of 191 cases hospitalized for infections and 208 healthy controls were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire documenting infant-feeding history. Results given in odds ratio a...

Although hospital-acquired infections appear to be a growing threat to the survival of newborns in the developing world, the epidemiology of this problem remains poorly characterized. During a 10-month period, we conducted prospective longitudinal surveillance for colonization and bloodstream infection caused by gram-negative rods among all infants...

The growing burden of neonatal mortality associated with hospital-acquired neonatal sepsis in the developing world creates an urgent need for cost-effective infection-control measures in resource-limited settings. Using a before-and-after comparison design, we measured how rates of staff hand-hygiene compliance, colonization with drug-resistant pat...

In general, drugs that are taken by a mother during pregnancy or after birth may be transferred to the fetus or the infant (through breast milk). Many factors are involved that determine the amount of drugs that are transferred and their potential effects on the fetus or infant. A careful assessment of the risk versus benefit is necessary and shoul...

Objectives: Death from severe sepsis and septic shock is common, and researchers have explored whether antibodies to the endotoxins in some bacteria reduces mortality. This review summarises the effects of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in patients with bacterial sepsis or septic shock on mortality, bacteriological failure rates, and duration o...

OBJECTIVES: To determine if there is a significant difference in the volume of breastmilk on postpartum days 3 to 5 among mothers with preterm infants who were randomized to take malunggay (Moringa oleifera) leaves compared to those who were given placebo. SETTING: Tertiary government hospital STUDY DESIGN: Double-blind, randomized controlled tri...

It has been reported that Candida albicans (CA) is associated with a higher mortality and morbidity than Candida parapsilosis (CP) (Ped Infec Dis J,1992;11:88-93).The objective of this study was to assess the differences in risk factors between neonates who were diagnosed to have CA and CP septicemia. A review of hospital records of infants admitte...