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Subcutaneous infusion of high-dose benzathine penicillin G is safe, tolerable, and suitable for less-frequent dosing for rheumatic heart disease secondary prophylaxis: a phase 1 open-label population pharmacokinetic studySince 1955, the recommended strategy for rheumatic heart disease secondary prophylaxis has been benzathine penicillin G injections administered intramuscularly every 4 weeks. Due to dosing frequency, pain, and programmatic challenges, adherence is suboptimal. It has previously been demonstrated that BPG delivered subcutaneously at a standard dose is safe and tolerable and has favorable pharmacokinetics, setting the scene for improved regimens with less frequent administration.
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‘Beyond core business’: A qualitative review of activities supporting environmental health within remote Western Australian schoolsAboriginal children and families contend with higher rates of preventable infectious diseases that can be attributed to their immediate living environment. The environments in which children spend most of their time are their homes and schools. We aimed to understand the opportunities in the school setting to support student skin health and wellbeing through environmental health activities, how these activities were completed, and the barriers to their implementation.
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Missing Piece Study protocol: Prospective surveillance to determine the epidemiology of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo in remote Western AustraliaGroup A β-haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS), a Gram-positive bacterium, causes skin, mucosal and systemic infections. Repeated GAS infections can lead to autoimmune diseases acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia have the highest rates of ARF and RHD in the world.
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Association between convalescent plasma treatment and mortality in COVID-19: a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trialsConvalescent plasma has been widely used to treat COVID-19 and is under investigation in numerous randomized clinical trials, but results are publicly available only for a small number of trials. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of convalescent plasma treatment compared to placebo or no treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19.
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Ancestral SARS-CoV-2, but not Omicron, replicates less efficiently in primary pediatric nasal epithelial cellsChildren typically experience more mild symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) when compared to adults. There is a strong body of evidence that children are also less susceptible to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection with the ancestral viral isolate.
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Standardization of epidemiological surveillance of group A Streptococcal cellulitisCellulitis is an acute bacterial infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue usually found complicating a wound, ulcer, or dermatosis. This article provides guidelines for the surveillance of cellulitis.
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A pilot study to develop assessment tools for Group A Streptococcus surveillance studiesGroup A Streptococcus (GAS) causes pharyngitis (sore throat) and impetigo (skin sores) GAS pharyngitis triggers rheumatic fever (RF) with epidemiological evidence supporting that GAS impetigo may also trigger RF in Australian Aboriginal children. Understanding the concurrent burden of these superficial GAS infections is critical to RF prevention. This pilot study aimed to trial tools for concurrent surveillance of sore throats and skins sore for contemporary studies of RF pathogenesis including development of a sore throat checklist for Aboriginal families and pharynx photography.
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The Investigation of Health-Related Topics on TikTok: A Descriptive Study ProtocolThe social media application TikTok allows users to view and upload short-form videos. Recent evidence suggests it has significant potential for both industry and health promoters to influence public health behaviours. This protocol describes a standardised, replicable process for investigations that can be tailored to various areas of research interest, allowing comparison of content and features across public health topics.
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Morbidity of Scabies in Resource-Limited Countries: Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) and Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis (APSGN)Scabies is one of the world’s most prevalent diseases, with approximately 147 million cases at any one time and an estimated annual incidence of 455 million new episodes. Although Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and subsequent rheumatic heart disease (RHD), impetigo caused by GAS has recently been postulated as a link between scabies and the pathogenesis of ARF.
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Defining the pediatric response to SARS-CoV-2 variantsThe global population has been severely affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, with older age identified as a risk factor, children have been underprioritized. This article discusses the factors contributing to the less severe response observed in children following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including, differing viral entry receptor expression and immune responses.