Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31978116›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2020

Outcomes of visceral leishmaniasis in pregnancy: A retrospective cohort study from South Sudan.

Judith E Pekelharing, Francis Gatluak, Tim Harrison, Fernando Maldonado, M Ruby Siddiqui, Koert Ritmeijer

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.6field-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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. 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 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Judith E PekelharingMédecins Sans Frontières, Amsterdam, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0642-0412
Francis GatluakMédecins Sans Frontières, Lankien, South Sudan.
Tim HarrisonMédecins Sans Frontières, Amsterdam, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-5990-2365
Fernando MaldonadoRoyal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2653-7506
M Ruby SiddiquiMédecins Sans Frontières, London, United Kingdom.
Koert RitmeijerMédecins Sans Frontières, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Médecins Sans Frontières · NLMédecins Sans Frontières · UGMédecins Sans Frontières‎ · GBRoyal Tropical Institute · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in South Sudan, where outbreaks occur frequently. Because of changes in the immune system during pregnancy, pregnant women are considered particularly vulnerable for developing complications of VL disease, including opportunistic infections. There is limited evidence available about clinical aspects and treatment outcomes of VL in pregnancy. We describe characteristics, maternal and pregnancy outcomes from a cohort of pregnant women with VL.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis using routine programme data from a MSF health facility in Lankien, Jonglei State, South Sudan, between Oct 2014 and April 2018. Records were extracted of women diagnosed with VL while pregnant, and those symptomatic during pregnancy but diagnosed during the first two weeks postpartum. Records were matched with a random sample of non-pregnant women of reproductive age (15-45 years) with VL from the same period.

resultsWe included 113 women with VL in pregnancy, and 223 non-pregnant women with VL. Women with VL in pregnancy presented with more severe anaemia, were more likely to need blood transfusion (OR 9.3; 95%CI 2.5-34.2) and were more often prescribed antibiotics (OR 6.0; 95%CI 3.4-10.6), as compared to non-pregnant women with VL. Adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage and premature delivery, were reported in 20% (16/81) where VL was diagnosed in pregnancy, and 50% 13/26) where VL was diagnosed postpartum. Postpartum haemorrhage was common. Pregnant women were more likely to require extension of treatment to achieve cure (OR 10.0; 95%CI 4.8-20.9), as compared to non-pregnant women with VL. Nevertheless, overall initial cure rates were high (96.5%) and mortality was low (1.8%) in this cohort of pregnant women with VL.

conclusionThis is the largest cohort in the literature of VL in pregnancy. Our data suggest that good maternal survival rates are possible in resource-limited settings, despite the high incidence of complications.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultCohort StudiesFemaleHumansLeishmaniasis, VisceralMiddle AgedPregnancyPregnancy Complications, ParasiticPregnancy OutcomeRetrospective StudiesSouth SudanYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID31978116
PMCPMC7001985
OpenAlexW3002612196

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.