Critically ill parturients have an increased risk of developing pulmonary complications. Lung ultrasound (LUS) could be effective in addressing the cause of respiratory distress in resource-limited settings with high maternal mortality. We aimed to determine the frequency, timing of appearance, and type of pulmonary complications in critically ill parturients in an obstetric unit in Sierra Leone. In this prospective observational study, LUS examinations were performed on admission, after 24 and 48 hours, and in case of respiratory deterioration. Primary endpoint was the proportion of parturients with one or more pulmonary complications, stratified for the presence of respiratory distress. Secondary endpoints included timing and types of complications, and their association with “poor outcome,” defined as a composite of transfer for escalation of care or death. Of 166 patients enrolled, 35 patients (21% [95% CI: 15–28]) had one or more pulmonary complications, the majority diagnosed on admission. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (period prevalence 4%) and hydrostatic pulmonary edema (4%) were only observed in patients with respiratory distress. Pneumonia (2%), atelectasis (10%), and pleural effusion (7%) were present, irrespective of respiratory distress. When ultrasound excluded pulmonary complications, respiratory distress was related to anemia or metabolic acidosis. Pulmonary complications were associated with an increased risk of poor outcome (odds ratio: 5.0; 95% CI: 1.7–14.6; P = 0.003). In critically ill parturients in a resource-limited obstetric unit, LUS contributed to address the cause of respiratory distress by identifying or excluding pulmonary complications. These were associated with a poor outcome.

Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer accounts for one third of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the time of initial diagnosis and presents with a wide range of clinical and pathological heterogeneity. To date, the combined multimodality approach involving both local and systemic control is the gold standard for these patients, since occult distant micrometastatic disease should always be suspected. With the rapid increase in treatment options, the need for an interdisciplinary discussion involving oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists and radiologists has become essential. Surgery should be recommended to patients with non-bulky, discrete, or single-level N2 involvement and be included in the multimodality treatment. Resectable stage IIIA patients have been the subject of a number of clinical trials and retrospective analysis, discussing the efficiency and survival benefits on patients treated with the available therapeutic approaches. However, most of them have some limitations due to their retrospective nature, lack of exact pretreatment staging, and the involvement of heterogeneous populations leading to the awareness that each patient should undergo a tailored therapy in light of the nature of his tumor, its extension and his performance status.

Background: Approximately 500,000 migrants work in the agricultural sector in Italy. Many of them live in shantytowns, wrongly called “ghettos”, far away from city centers, with no water, proper hygienic conditions or health services. The aim of this study is to assess general health conditions and HIV prevalence by giving hygienic and sanitary sustenance. Methods: Between June 2019 and February 2020, we performed a screening campaign for HIV–diabetes–hypertension, involving migrants living in three Apulian establishments: ghetto Pista, “Sankara House” and “Arena House”. Results: Overall, 321 migrants were enrolled in the study. In the medical screening, one HIV test resulted positive. Hypertension was found in 12% of the migrants visited, diabetes in 2% and TB symptoms in 17%. Among others symptoms explored, muscle and joint pain/fatigue resulted in being the most frequent, and was reported by 34% of the migrants, followed by cough (10%). Significant predictors of muscle and joint pain/fatigue were: low BMI values (OR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.19–1.99), the absence of education (OR = 1.85; 95% CI 1.02–2.95), being employed with a regular contract (OR = 2.64; 95% CI 2.39–2.83) and living in the ghettos since >12 months (OR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.24–2.21). Conclusions: Our experience suggests that, in this population, the health condition is mainly linked to the specific working activities in the agricultural fields, as well as to the hygienic and living conditions, and that all of this is due to the lack of social protection in their life and job.

Thymic tumors are the most common primary neoplasms of the anterior mediastinum, although, when compared with the entire thoracic malignancies, they are still rare. Few studies addressed the questions about lymph node involvement pattern in thymic neoplasms, about which subgroup of patients would be appropriate candidates for lymph node dissection or about the extent of lymphadenectomy or which lymph nodes should be harvested. The aim of this review is to collect evidence from the literature to help physicians in designing the best surgical procedure when dealing with thymic malignancies. A literature review was performed through PubMed and Scopus in May 2021 to identify any study published in the last 20 years evaluating the frequency and the extent of lymph node dissection for thymic tumors, its impact on prognosis and on postoperative management. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review, with a total of 9452 patients with thymic cancers; lymph node metastases were found in 976 (10.3%) patients in total. The current literature is heterogeneous in the classification and reporting of lymph node metastases in thymic carcinoma, and data are hardly comparable. Surgical treatment should be guided by the few literature-based pieces of evidence and by the experience of the physicians.

Annals of Global Health is a peer-reviewed, fully open access, online journal dedicated to publishing high quality articles dedicated to all aspects of global health. The journal's mission is to advance global health, promote research, and foster the prevention and treatment of disease worldwide. Its goals are to improve the health and well-being of all people, advance health equity, and promote wise stewardship of the earth's environment. The latest journal impact factor is 2.90. Annals of Global Health is supported by the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good at Boston College. It was founded in 1934 by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as the Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine. It is a partner journal of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. From time to time, Annals of Global Health publishes Special Collections, a series of articles organized around a common theme in global health. Recent Special Collections have included "Local evidence and strategies in addressing NCDs Non-Communicable Diseases in Tanzania", "Universal Health Coverage through Integrated Care", and "The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health". Global health workers interested in developing a Special Collection are strongly encouraged to contact the Managing Editor in advance to discuss the project.

Migrant populations are more susceptible to viral hepatitis and HIV due to the epidemiology from their country of origin or their social vulnerability when they arrive in Europe. The aims of the study are to explore the incidence of HIV and HCV in low-wage agricultural migrant workers and their knowledge, attitude, and practice with regard to HIV and HCV, as well as their sexual behaviour and risk factors. As part of the mobile clinic services, we performed a screening campaign for HIV-HCV involving migrants living in three Apulian establishments. Results: Between January 2020 and April 2021, 309 migrants (n. 272, 88% male, mean age 28.5 years) were enrolled in the study. Most of the migrants interviewed (n = 297, 96%) reported a stopover in Libya during their trip to Italy. Only 0.9% (n. 3) of migrants reported having been tested for HCV, while 30.7% (n. 95) reported being tested for HIV. Furthermore, screening tests found four migrants (1.3%) to be HIV positive and nine (2.9%) to be HCV positive. The median knowledge score was 1 (IQR 0-3; maximum score: 6 points) for HCV and 3 (IQR 1-4; maximum score: 7 points) for HIV and low use of condoms was 5% (n. 16), while more than 95% show an attitude score of 5 (IQR 5-6; maximum score:6 points) on HIV-HCV education campaigns. In a multivariate analysis, being male (OR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.28–1.92), being single (OR = 1.63; 95% CI 1.20–2.03), being of low educational status (OR = 2.09; 95% CI 1.29–2.21), living in shantytowns for >12 months (OR = 1.95; 95% CI 1.25–2.55), and originating from the African continent (OR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.28–2.01) are significant predictors of poor knowledge on HCV. Our data show low knowledge, especially of HCV, confirming migrants as a population with a higher risk of infection. To develop education programmes, integrated care and screening among migrants could be an effective strategy, considering the high attitude toward these items shown in our study.