ABSTRACT Injury is a major public health crisis contributing to more than 4.48 million deaths ann... more ABSTRACT Injury is a major public health crisis contributing to more than 4.48 million deaths annually. Trauma registries have proven highly effective in reducing injury morbidity and mortality rates in high income countries. They are a critical source of information for injury prevention, benchmarking care, quality improvement, and resource allocation. Historically, low and middle income countries (LMICs) have largely been excluded from trauma registry development due to limited resources. Recently, this has begun to change with low-resource hospitals adopting innovative strategies to implement trauma registries. Nonetheless, dissemination of these strategies remains fragmented. Hospitals looking to develop their own trauma registries have no current, comprehensive resource that summarises the implementation decisions of other registries in similar contexts. This scoping review aims to identify where trauma registries are located in LMICs, bringing up to date previous estimates, and to identify the most common approaches to registry implementation and operation in these settings.
COVID-19 emerged as a deadly pandemic disease that has spread to nearly every country worldwide. ... more COVID-19 emerged as a deadly pandemic disease that has spread to nearly every country worldwide. In response to this pandemic, maps of the disease’s spread and health outcomes were being produced in near real time. Maps can serve as an effective tool in communicating disease progression to policy analysts, decision makers, and the public. However, initial maps illustrating COVID-19 events largely overemphasized their usefulness for tracking the progression of the disease and developing appropriate responses. Messy and inconsistent health data was a big part of this problem, as was the paucity of high-resolution spatial data. Lack of GIS and cartographic training by the purveyors of these maps was another key factor. This chapter will examine the various geographic visualizations of COVID-19 that have arisen, including examples that have fallen short and others that have proven resoundingly successful.
Quantifying the severity of traumatic injury has been foundational for the standardization of out... more Quantifying the severity of traumatic injury has been foundational for the standardization of outcomes, quality improvement research, and health policy throughout the evolution of trauma care systems. Many injury severity scores are difficult to calculate and implement, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where human resources are limited. The Kampala Trauma Score (KTS)—a simplification of the Trauma Injury Severity Score—was developed in 2000 to accommodate these settings. Since its development, numerous instances of KTS use have been documented, but extent of adoption is unknown. More importantly, does the KTS remain useful for determining injury severity in LMICs? This review aims to better understand the legacy of the KTS and assess its strengths and weaknesses. Three databases were searched to identify scientific papers concerning the KTS. Google Scholar was searched to identify grey literature. The search returned 357 papers, of which 199 met inclusion crite...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Recreational road running is growing in popularity and has been linked to numerous mental and phy... more Recreational road running is growing in popularity and has been linked to numerous mental and physical health benefits. However, we know little about what environmental preferences or concerns runners have regarding participation in the sport, and whether differences exist across age and gender. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on recreational road runners to investigate the type of built and natural environments road runners prefer, as well as the safety and health concerns that may affect runners’ choice of environment. Responses were analyzed by age and gender. A total of 1228 road runners responded to the survey; 59.6% of respondents were women and 32.1% of respondents were men. Most respondents preferred to run on asphalt or sidewalk surfaces, and preferred well-lit, tree-lined routes. Major concerns for both men and women include animals and dangerous road conditions. Men and women differed significantly in their responses to the importance of running around others and th...
COVID-19 emerged as a deadly pandemic disease that has spread to nearly every country worldwide. ... more COVID-19 emerged as a deadly pandemic disease that has spread to nearly every country worldwide. In response to this pandemic, maps of the disease’s spread and health outcomes were being produced in near real time. Maps can serve as an effective tool in communicating disease progression to policy analysts, decision makers, and the public. However, initial maps illustrating COVID-19 events largely overemphasized their usefulness for tracking the progression of the disease and developing appropriate responses. Messy and inconsistent health data was a big part of this problem, as was the paucity of high-resolution spatial data. Lack of GIS and cartographic training by the purveyors of these maps was another key factor. This chapter will examine the various geographic visualizations of COVID-19 that have arisen, including examples that have fallen short and others that have proven resoundingly successful.
BACKGROUND The implementation of trauma registries has proven a highly effective means of injury ... more BACKGROUND The implementation of trauma registries has proven a highly effective means of injury control. However, many low and middle-income countries lack trauma registries. Those that have trauma registries vary widely in terms of both implementation and structure. We sought to identify the most common barriers that stand in the way of sustainable trauma registry implementation, and the types of strategies that have proven successful in overcoming these barriers. METHODS We conducted a questionnaire of trauma registry stewards and researchers in LMICs. RESULTS Twenty-two individuals responded to the questionnaire representing trauma registry experiences across thirteen LMICs. The most common barriers to trauma registry implementation identified included staffing, funding, and stakeholder engagement. Many different strategies for addressing these barriers were discussed. Those mentioned by multiple respondents included the need for a trauma registry champion, fostering strong stakeholder relationships, and improving efficiency of data collection. CONCLUSIONS Though trauma registry implementation and structure may differ from place to place, there are many shared barriers and facilitators that can be learned from. Identifying these common experiences can help create a repository of knowledge that can better serve those looking to implement their own trauma registries in similar settings.
To examine the effects of poor sanitation and hygiene on the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistan... more To examine the effects of poor sanitation and hygiene on the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, we surveyed households in two rural and two urban communities in Guatemala (N = 196 randomly selected households). One adult (≥ 18-years old) and, when available, one child (≤ 5 years-old) provided a stool sample. Up to 48 presumptive Escherichia coli isolates were collected from each stool sample (n = 21,256 total) and were subjected to breakpoint assays for ten antibiotics. Mixed-effects logistic models were used to identify potential factors influencing the likelihood of harboring antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For nine out of ten antibiotics, the odds of detecting resistant bacteria decreased by ~ 32% (odds ratios, OR 0.53–0.8, P < 0.001) for every unit of improvement of a hygiene scale. Hygiene differences between households had a greater impact on prevalence compared to antibiotic use differences. The likelihood of detecting resistant isolates was lower for five anti...
Injury is a major global health issue, resulting in millions of deaths every year. For decades, t... more Injury is a major global health issue, resulting in millions of deaths every year. For decades, trauma registries have been used in wealthier countries for injury surveillance and clinical governance, but their adoption has lagged in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Paradoxically, LMICs face a disproportionately high burden of injury with few resources available to address this pandemic. Despite these resource constraints, several hospitals and regions in LMICs have managed to develop trauma registries to collect information related to the injury event, process of care, and outcome of the injured patient. While the implementation of these trauma registries is a positive step forward in addressing the injury burden in LMICs, numerous challenges still stand in the way of maximizing the potential of trauma registries to inform injury prevention, mitigation, and improve quality of trauma care. This paper outlines several of these challenges and identifies potential soluti...
ABSTRACT Injury is a major public health crisis contributing to more than 4.48 million deaths ann... more ABSTRACT Injury is a major public health crisis contributing to more than 4.48 million deaths annually. Trauma registries have proven highly effective in reducing injury morbidity and mortality rates in high income countries. They are a critical source of information for injury prevention, benchmarking care, quality improvement, and resource allocation. Historically, low and middle income countries (LMICs) have largely been excluded from trauma registry development due to limited resources. Recently, this has begun to change with low-resource hospitals adopting innovative strategies to implement trauma registries. Nonetheless, dissemination of these strategies remains fragmented. Hospitals looking to develop their own trauma registries have no current, comprehensive resource that summarises the implementation decisions of other registries in similar contexts. This scoping review aims to identify where trauma registries are located in LMICs, bringing up to date previous estimates, and to identify the most common approaches to registry implementation and operation in these settings.
ABSTRACT Injury is a major public health crisis contributing to more than 4.48 million deaths ann... more ABSTRACT Injury is a major public health crisis contributing to more than 4.48 million deaths annually. Trauma registries have proven highly effective in reducing injury morbidity and mortality rates in high income countries. They are a critical source of information for injury prevention, benchmarking care, quality improvement, and resource allocation. Historically, low and middle income countries (LMICs) have largely been excluded from trauma registry development due to limited resources. Recently, this has begun to change with low-resource hospitals adopting innovative strategies to implement trauma registries. Nonetheless, dissemination of these strategies remains fragmented. Hospitals looking to develop their own trauma registries have no current, comprehensive resource that summarises the implementation decisions of other registries in similar contexts. This scoping review aims to identify where trauma registries are located in LMICs, bringing up to date previous estimates, and to identify the most common approaches to registry implementation and operation in these settings.
COVID-19 emerged as a deadly pandemic disease that has spread to nearly every country worldwide. ... more COVID-19 emerged as a deadly pandemic disease that has spread to nearly every country worldwide. In response to this pandemic, maps of the disease’s spread and health outcomes were being produced in near real time. Maps can serve as an effective tool in communicating disease progression to policy analysts, decision makers, and the public. However, initial maps illustrating COVID-19 events largely overemphasized their usefulness for tracking the progression of the disease and developing appropriate responses. Messy and inconsistent health data was a big part of this problem, as was the paucity of high-resolution spatial data. Lack of GIS and cartographic training by the purveyors of these maps was another key factor. This chapter will examine the various geographic visualizations of COVID-19 that have arisen, including examples that have fallen short and others that have proven resoundingly successful.
Quantifying the severity of traumatic injury has been foundational for the standardization of out... more Quantifying the severity of traumatic injury has been foundational for the standardization of outcomes, quality improvement research, and health policy throughout the evolution of trauma care systems. Many injury severity scores are difficult to calculate and implement, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where human resources are limited. The Kampala Trauma Score (KTS)—a simplification of the Trauma Injury Severity Score—was developed in 2000 to accommodate these settings. Since its development, numerous instances of KTS use have been documented, but extent of adoption is unknown. More importantly, does the KTS remain useful for determining injury severity in LMICs? This review aims to better understand the legacy of the KTS and assess its strengths and weaknesses. Three databases were searched to identify scientific papers concerning the KTS. Google Scholar was searched to identify grey literature. The search returned 357 papers, of which 199 met inclusion crite...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Recreational road running is growing in popularity and has been linked to numerous mental and phy... more Recreational road running is growing in popularity and has been linked to numerous mental and physical health benefits. However, we know little about what environmental preferences or concerns runners have regarding participation in the sport, and whether differences exist across age and gender. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on recreational road runners to investigate the type of built and natural environments road runners prefer, as well as the safety and health concerns that may affect runners’ choice of environment. Responses were analyzed by age and gender. A total of 1228 road runners responded to the survey; 59.6% of respondents were women and 32.1% of respondents were men. Most respondents preferred to run on asphalt or sidewalk surfaces, and preferred well-lit, tree-lined routes. Major concerns for both men and women include animals and dangerous road conditions. Men and women differed significantly in their responses to the importance of running around others and th...
COVID-19 emerged as a deadly pandemic disease that has spread to nearly every country worldwide. ... more COVID-19 emerged as a deadly pandemic disease that has spread to nearly every country worldwide. In response to this pandemic, maps of the disease’s spread and health outcomes were being produced in near real time. Maps can serve as an effective tool in communicating disease progression to policy analysts, decision makers, and the public. However, initial maps illustrating COVID-19 events largely overemphasized their usefulness for tracking the progression of the disease and developing appropriate responses. Messy and inconsistent health data was a big part of this problem, as was the paucity of high-resolution spatial data. Lack of GIS and cartographic training by the purveyors of these maps was another key factor. This chapter will examine the various geographic visualizations of COVID-19 that have arisen, including examples that have fallen short and others that have proven resoundingly successful.
BACKGROUND The implementation of trauma registries has proven a highly effective means of injury ... more BACKGROUND The implementation of trauma registries has proven a highly effective means of injury control. However, many low and middle-income countries lack trauma registries. Those that have trauma registries vary widely in terms of both implementation and structure. We sought to identify the most common barriers that stand in the way of sustainable trauma registry implementation, and the types of strategies that have proven successful in overcoming these barriers. METHODS We conducted a questionnaire of trauma registry stewards and researchers in LMICs. RESULTS Twenty-two individuals responded to the questionnaire representing trauma registry experiences across thirteen LMICs. The most common barriers to trauma registry implementation identified included staffing, funding, and stakeholder engagement. Many different strategies for addressing these barriers were discussed. Those mentioned by multiple respondents included the need for a trauma registry champion, fostering strong stakeholder relationships, and improving efficiency of data collection. CONCLUSIONS Though trauma registry implementation and structure may differ from place to place, there are many shared barriers and facilitators that can be learned from. Identifying these common experiences can help create a repository of knowledge that can better serve those looking to implement their own trauma registries in similar settings.
To examine the effects of poor sanitation and hygiene on the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistan... more To examine the effects of poor sanitation and hygiene on the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, we surveyed households in two rural and two urban communities in Guatemala (N = 196 randomly selected households). One adult (≥ 18-years old) and, when available, one child (≤ 5 years-old) provided a stool sample. Up to 48 presumptive Escherichia coli isolates were collected from each stool sample (n = 21,256 total) and were subjected to breakpoint assays for ten antibiotics. Mixed-effects logistic models were used to identify potential factors influencing the likelihood of harboring antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For nine out of ten antibiotics, the odds of detecting resistant bacteria decreased by ~ 32% (odds ratios, OR 0.53–0.8, P < 0.001) for every unit of improvement of a hygiene scale. Hygiene differences between households had a greater impact on prevalence compared to antibiotic use differences. The likelihood of detecting resistant isolates was lower for five anti...
Injury is a major global health issue, resulting in millions of deaths every year. For decades, t... more Injury is a major global health issue, resulting in millions of deaths every year. For decades, trauma registries have been used in wealthier countries for injury surveillance and clinical governance, but their adoption has lagged in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Paradoxically, LMICs face a disproportionately high burden of injury with few resources available to address this pandemic. Despite these resource constraints, several hospitals and regions in LMICs have managed to develop trauma registries to collect information related to the injury event, process of care, and outcome of the injured patient. While the implementation of these trauma registries is a positive step forward in addressing the injury burden in LMICs, numerous challenges still stand in the way of maximizing the potential of trauma registries to inform injury prevention, mitigation, and improve quality of trauma care. This paper outlines several of these challenges and identifies potential soluti...
ABSTRACT Injury is a major public health crisis contributing to more than 4.48 million deaths ann... more ABSTRACT Injury is a major public health crisis contributing to more than 4.48 million deaths annually. Trauma registries have proven highly effective in reducing injury morbidity and mortality rates in high income countries. They are a critical source of information for injury prevention, benchmarking care, quality improvement, and resource allocation. Historically, low and middle income countries (LMICs) have largely been excluded from trauma registry development due to limited resources. Recently, this has begun to change with low-resource hospitals adopting innovative strategies to implement trauma registries. Nonetheless, dissemination of these strategies remains fragmented. Hospitals looking to develop their own trauma registries have no current, comprehensive resource that summarises the implementation decisions of other registries in similar contexts. This scoping review aims to identify where trauma registries are located in LMICs, bringing up to date previous estimates, and to identify the most common approaches to registry implementation and operation in these settings.
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