Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have emerged as significant public health concerns, imposing a substantial burden on both individuals and the healthcare system of the country. Additionally, STIs may also result in major extensive psychological consequences that profoundly affect individuals with STIs. Despite the government’s implementation of different initiatives aimed at addressing STI-related challenges, these conditions are associated with shame and stigma which act as barriers to the effective utilisation of healthcare services. The purpose of the present study is to generate evidence on barriers and facilitators to service utilisation and management of STIs in India.

Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, is conducting a multi-centre study employing a mixed-method approach. The study involves different levels of healthcare systems, including both government and private healthcare facilities across seven sites in several states of India, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi. For the quantitative data, individuals seeking healthcare services related to STIs will be enrolled and assessed using a semi-structured pilot-tested questionnaire. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions will also be conducted with different stakeholders as per the standard guidelines of the qualitative method by the designated trained project staff. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be applied to the quantitative data, while the qualitative data will be analysed using a deductive approach with thematic content analysis.

The study protocol has been approved by the ethics review committees of all the participating sites individually. The findings from this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated through scientific conferences and meetings among policy-makers and government agencies. AIIMS/IEC/2024/609; AIIMS/Pat/IEC/2024/1205; F. 7/BIOETHICS/AIIMS-RBL/APPROEM/2021/1; KIMSDU/IEC/11/2022; LHMC/IEC/2024/11; IEC/02/EX/2024; PGI/IEC/2024EIC000373.

This study aims to explore the ability to identify high-grade intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) by an artificial intelligence (AI) designed to detect large vessel occlusions (LVO) and the clinical relevance of these ‘false positive’ findings.

We are presenting a retrospective cohort study.

The study was conducted at a supraregional stroke centre of an urban tertiary care provider.

Consecutive stroke cases treated between January 2023 and December 2023 of patients >18 years of both sexes and any ethnicity were eligible for inclusion. 934 patients (52.7% male) with a mean age of 71.7±13.6 years (25–101 years) were included.

CT angiographies were analysed by a deep learning algorithm for LVO detection of the anterior circulation. AI results were compared with radiology reports and secondary focused evaluation.

Diagnostic accuracies for ICAS detection by the AI were calculated.

Primary reports identified 30 ICAS and nine additional ICAS were detected during secondary evaluation (incidence 4.2%). The sensitivity of radiology reports was 77% (95% CI 0.61 to 0.89), the specificity 99% (95% CI 0.98 to 1.00), negative predictive value (NPV) 99% (95% CI 0.98 to 0.99) and positive predictive value (PPV) 79% (95% CI 0.65 to 0.88). The AI identified 13 of 39 ICAS correctly. 18 false positive cases (neither LVO nor ICAS) were flagged by the AI. The sensitivity of the algorithm was 33% (95% CI 0.19 to 0.50), the specificity 98% (95% CI 0.97 to 0.99), the NPV 97% (95% CI 0.96 to 0.98) and PPV 42% (95% CI 0.28 to 0.58).

Detection of high-grade ICAS by an algorithm trained to identify LVO is per se a false positive finding but occurred in 13 of 39 cases. Dedicated training for ICAS might lead to a beneficial tool during the diagnostic work-up for ischaemic stroke.

German Register for Clinical Trials (DRKS: DRKS00034019 https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00034019).

This study explored the lived experiences, challenges and coping strategies of Arab male patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) who rely on intermittent catheterisation (IC) to manage neurogenic bladder.

A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, with data analysed using a phenomenological framework.

Rehabilitation Hospital, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Male patients with SCI undergoing rehabilitation and performing IC were included in the study. Although both male and female patients were approached to participate, all eligible female patients declined participation. During the recruitment process, some female patients informally expressed privacy concerns and discomfort related to discussing bladder management issues and genital care, which may have contributed to their decision to decline participation.

10 male participants with SCI were recruited after eligible female patients declined participation. Three main themes, each with associated subthemes, emerged to reflect the participants’ experiences. Theme 1: Frequent use of IC in daily life, comprised four subthemes: (1) frequency of practice, (2) environmental and health-related challenges, (3) privacy during IC and (4) fluid intake and output. Theme 2: Cleanliness and general care included two subthemes: (1) catheter cleaning and (2) incontinence. Theme 3 focused on body image and sexuality. Cultural and social norms, including privacy concerns and sensitivities surrounding intimate care in the local context, played a significant role in shaping participants’ experiences and coping strategies.

IC was associated with challenges affecting multiple aspects of daily life among patients with SCI, including social interactions and body image. Participants described various coping strategies used to manage the physical and psychological demands associated with IC. These experiences appeared to be influenced by cultural considerations, including privacy, modesty and sensitivity surrounding urinary care within the local Saudi context.

To identify subgroups with similar social determinants of health (SDOH) characteristics using latent class analysis (LCA) and examine their associations with physical and mental health, cognitive function and missed workdays at 3 and 6 months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. We hypothesised that intersecting SDOH factors would differentially influence COVID-19-related health outcomes across subgroups.

Prospective cohort study from the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE), with longitudinal data collection and cross-sectional analyses at baseline, 3-month and 6-month follow-ups.

Multicentre registry across eight US academic medical centres (Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New Haven, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle).

Adults aged ≥18 years, fluent in English or Spanish, with self-reported acute COVID-19 symptoms and a confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 test within 42 days before enrolment (9 December 2020 to 12 August 2022), and access to an internet-connected device. Exclusions included incarceration, inability to provide informed consent, lack of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection or no internet access. Of 3791 eligible participants with complete baseline data, 2897 (76.4%) completed the 3-month follow-up and 2666 (70.3%) completed the 6-month follow-up; most were aged 18–49 years (74–75%), female (66–67%), white (86.6–87.5%) and non-Hispanic (86.6–87.5%).

Prespecified primary outcomes were physical and mental health (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 V.2.1 T-scores for depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain interference, physical function and social participation), cognitive function (PROMIS Cognitive Function Short Form 8 T-scores) and missed workdays due to illness (binary: >1 week vs ≤1 week, from a single-item survey). All measures were self-reported and collected at baseline, 3 months and 6 months; no changes from protocol.

LCA identified a 4-class model as optimal (lowest Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) after evaluating 1–7 class models; significant demographic differences (² p

In this US prospective cohort, SDOH-based subgroups showed persistent disparities in health outcomes post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. Findings highlight the urgent need for intersectional approaches to address systemic inequities in post-COVID-19 recovery.

NCT04610515.

Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry (PRISm) is a new spirometric entity defined in international guidelines, associated with overall worse outcomes. It remains unclear whether this represents a distinct entity or an early phase of multiple other diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and restrictive lung diseases. There is a notable scarcity of data on PRISm, particularly in Lebanon. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PRISm and COPD, and their associated factors, among individuals aged 40 years and above who underwent spirometry in a single university medical centre between 2022 and 2024.

Outpatient Pulmonary Function Tests Laboratory at a Lebanese university medical centre.

All individuals aged 40 years or older who performed spirometry between 2022 and 2024

A retrospective analysis of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and demographics was performed. Patients were classified based on the spirometry patterns that are consistent with COPD (forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁)/forced vital capacity (FVC)1/FVC≥0.7 and FEV₁1/FVC≥0.7 and FEV₁≥80%). A small number of PFTs did not meet the above criteria and were classified as ‘others’; they were excluded from the main analysis but retained for descriptive estimation of PRISm and COPD prevalence over the past 3 years. The prevalence and associated risk factors of PRISm and COPD were assessed. Descriptive, bivariate and multinomial regression models were performed using IBM’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences V.29.

A total of 698 PFTs were performed for 639 patients. The prevalence of PRISm and COPD in the centre between 2022 and 2024 was 11% and 17%, respectively. Compared with normal PFTs, subjects with PRISm were older (adjusted OR; aOR (95% CI)=1.03 (1.002 to 1.05); p=0.03) and more likely to be ex-smokers (aOR=2.19 (1.12 to 4.30); p=0.022); patients with COPD were older (aOR 1.09 (1.07 to 1.12); p

These findings highlight PRISm as a potentially relevant pattern within chronic airway disease. Within the context of Sustainable Development Goal 3 on non-communicable diseases, they underscore the importance of identifying this subgroup for closer clinical attention. Further longitudinal and multicentre studies are needed to better understand the clinical significance of PRISm and its relationship to chronic airway diseases.

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) represent a heterogeneous group of disorders, which have in common persistent inflammation and/or pulmonary fibrosis, involving mainly but not exclusively the interstitium. This results in restrictive ventilatory physiology and limited respiratory reserve. Patients with ILD can have frequent exacerbations of their disease, with subsequent acute respiratory failure that may require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The diagnosis and management of ILD in the ICU presents unique challenges due to the paucity of evidence supporting survival benefits of organ support in this cohort of patients.

This systematic review will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, and the protocol will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guideline. MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare and CENTRAL will be searched for studies published from inception to 2026, involving adult patients with ILD requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), with or without comparison to non-invasive respiratory support such as high-flow oxygen, non-invasive ventilation (NIV), continuous positive airway pressure or bilevel positive airway pressure. Eligible studies will include randomised controlled trials and observational studies (cohort and case–control) in adults with ILD and acute respiratory failure requiring IMV in the intensive care setting. Case series with fewer than 10 patients, non-human or in vitro studies and studies involving perioperative lung transplant or lung cancer as the primary diagnosis will be excluded. The primary outcomes assessed will be in-hospital and 1-year mortality, and secondary outcomes will include ventilator-free days, ICU and hospital length of stay, NIV failure, reintubation and postdischarge respiratory outcomes where available. Where feasible, meta-analysis will be conducted using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the I² statistic. Prespecified subgroup analyses will be performed, including ILD subtype (eg, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) vs non-IPF), presence of pulmonary hypertension, timing of IMV initiation (early vs late), baseline lung function (forced vital capacity ≥50% vs

This systematic review will be based on published data, and as such, no ethical approval is required. Findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications as well as presentations in healthcare-based settings.

CRD420251265836.

Non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV-NAVA) is a promising respiratory support method for avoiding invasive mechanical ventilation in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). However, its effectiveness and safety have not been widely established through clinical evidence. In this study, we aim to evaluate the feasibility of NIV-NAVA as a primary respiratory support method after birth and its effects on short-term clinical outcomes and long-term neurodevelopment in preterm infants.

In this prospective multicentre observational study, 230 preterm infants will be recruited after birth. This study will include preterm infants born between 27⁺⁰ and 31⁺⁶ weeks of gestation who require respiratory support within the first 48 hours after birth. NIV-NAVA will be initiated as primary respiratory support either immediately after birth or during the early NICU stay, with settings adjusted according to each infant’s clinical condition. Discontinuation of NIV-NAVA or transition to continuous positive airway pressure or high-flow nasal cannula will be performed based on clinical stability. A less invasive surfactant administration method will be used for infants with respiratory distress syndrome to avoid intubation whenever possible. Infants intubated at birth will be extubated to NIV-NAVA as early as is clinically feasible. Invasive ventilation may be applied if clinical deterioration occurs. The rate of NIV-NAVA failure, duration of non-invasive and invasive ventilation, rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and clinical outcomes, such as air leak, patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular haemorrhage and retinopathy of prematurity, will be measured. The neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants will be assessed for up to 3 years.

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Korea University Anam Hospital (2024AN0554) and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (IRB No. B-2507-984-304) approved this study. The results will be disseminated through scientific conferences and publications.

NCT06786039 registered on 14 January 2025.

Balance impairment is a major contributor to falls, reduced mobility and loss of independence in individuals after stroke. Vibration therapy (VT) has been increasingly investigated as a non-invasive intervention to improve postural control and balance in individuals with stroke. However, the reported effects remain inconsistent, and a comprehensive synthesis focusing specifically on balance-related outcomes is lacking. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VT on balance function and to explore the influence of intervention characteristics and outcome constructs.

This protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Randomised and non-randomised controlled studies will be systematically identified from major electronic databases. Balance-related outcomes will be categorised using a predefined construct-based framework (eg, static postural control, dynamic balance, limits of stability, functional mobility and gait performance). Meta-analyses will be conducted only within conceptually homogeneous constructs; otherwise, findings will be synthesised narratively. Risk of bias will be assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 and Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions. Random-effects models will be applied where appropriate, and meta-regression analyses will be exploratory.

Ethical approval is not required because this study will use only previously published data and will not involve individual-level human participant data. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at relevant academic conferences.

CRD420251110102.

The complex and dynamic care context of terror attacks must be better understood to reduce deaths. This study was designed to understand the tension between saving lives and maximising safety for emergency responders attending active terror incidents.

Qualitative study exploring the experience of survivors and emergency responders (armed and unarmed police, paramedics, doctors and fire officers) present in the hot (unsafe) zone of five major terror attacks in the UK since 2000. We used reflexive thematic data analysis to build qualitative case studies, comparing similarities and tensions between perspectives of different participant groups.

In our analysis of over 2000 min of interview data from 26 participants, we found a common view that the priority during a terror-related mass casualty event was to save lives. However, responder groups maintained distinct mental models that shaped their operational priorities regarding treatment for those injured within the hot zone. All responders expressed willingness to take self-assessed risks to save lives, but better interagency communication was noted to be required to achieve this safely. All responders felt it was vital to have experienced health professionals present to triage and facilitate urgent treatment and extraction decisions. Armed police commanders had dual responsibilities to achieve rapid care delivery while preventing further terrorist-inflicted injuries. Operationally, this was perceived as leading to a lack of shared mental models between responders regarding what is ‘unsafe’ due to zoning, rather than communication of risk, potentially delaying vital care delivery. There were mixed survivor perspectives regarding the risks that responders should be exposed to, but broad agreement that there was a notable absence of health professionals present in the hot zone during the immediate aftermath of attacks.

There is strong professional and public support for improving care delivery, including potential hot zone working, to minimise the therapeutic vacuum in active terrorist attacks. Better risk communication and better shared mental models are necessary to balance responder risk with care delivery to maximise lives saved as safely as possible.