Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28968400›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2017

A clinical severity scoring system for visceral leishmaniasis in immunocompetent patients in South Sudan.

Suzette S Kämink, Simon M Collin, Tim Harrison, Francis Gatluak, Abdul Wasay Mullahzada, Koert Ritmeijer

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Association between Hypertriglyceridemia and Disease Severity in Visceral Leishmaniasis.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2021
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Suzette S KäminkPublic Health Department, Médecins Sans Frontières, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2871-1483
Simon M CollinPopulation Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Tim HarrisonMédecins Sans Frontières, Lankien, South Sudan.
Francis GatluakMédecins Sans Frontières, Lankien, South Sudan.
Abdul Wasay MullahzadaMédecins Sans Frontières, Lankien, South Sudan.
Koert RitmeijerPublic Health Department, Médecins Sans Frontières, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Médecins Sans Frontières · UGMédecins Sans Frontières · NLUniversity of Bristol · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSouth Sudan is one of the most endemic countries for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and is frequently affected by large epidemics. In resource-limited settings, clinicians require a simple clinical tool to identify VL patients who are at increased risk of dying, and who need specialised treatment with liposomal amphotericin B and other supportive care. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a clinical severity scoring system based on risk factors for death in VL patients in South Sudan.

methodsA retrospective analysis was conducted of data from a cohort of 6,633 VL patients who were treated in the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Lankien between July 2013 and June 2015. Risk factors for death during treatment were identified using multivariable logistic regression models, and the regression coefficients were used to develop a severity scoring system. Sensitivity and specificity of score cut-offs were assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

resultsIn multivariable models, risk factors for death in adult VL patients were: anaemia (odds ratio (OR) 4.46 (95% CI 1.58-12.6) for Hb <6g/dL compared with ≥9g/dL), nutritional status (OR 4.84 (2.09-11.2) for BMI <13 kg/m2 compared with ≥16 kg/m2), weakness (OR 4.20 (1.82-9.73) for collapsed compared with normal weakness), jaundice (OR 3.41 (1.17-9.95)), and oedema/ascites (OR 4.86 (1.67-14.1)). For children and adolescents the risk factors were: age (OR 10.7 (6.3-18.3) for age <2 years compared with 6-18 years), anaemia (OR 7.76 (4.15-14.5) for Hb <6g/dL compared with ≥9g/dL), weakness (OR 3.13 (22.8-105.2) for collapsed compared with normal weakness), and jaundice (OR 12.8 (4.06-40.2)). Severity scoring predictive ability was 74.4% in adults and 83.4% in children and adolescents.

conclusionOur evidenced-based severity scoring system demonstrated sufficient predictive ability to be operationalised as a clinical tool for rational allocation of treatment to VL patients at MSF centres in South Sudan.

Indexed as

Endemic DiseasesSeverity of Illness IndexAdolescentAdultChildDecision Support TechniquesFemaleHospitalizationHumansImmunocompetenceLeishmaniasis, VisceralLogistic ModelsMaleMiddle AgedOdds RatioRecurrence

Identifiers

PMID28968400
PMCPMC5638606
OpenAlexW2763819080

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.