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- Seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness in persons aged 15–64 years: a systematic review and meta-analysisPublication . Martins, João Paulo; Santos, Marlene; Martins, André; Felgueiras, Miguel; Santos, RuiInfluenza is a respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus, which is highly transmissible in humans. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and test-negative designs (TNDs) to assess the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of seasonal influenza vaccines (SIVs) in humans aged 15 to 64 years. An electronic search to identify all relevant studies was performed. The outcome measure of interest was VE on laboratory-confirmed influenza (any strain). Quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for RCTs and the ROBINS-I tool for TNDs. The search identified a total of 2993 records, but only 123 studies from 73 papers were included in the meta-analysis. Of these studies, 9 were RCTs and 116 were TNDs. The pooled VE was 48% (95% CI: 42–54) for RCTs, 55.4% (95% CI: 43.2–64.9) when there was a match between the vaccine and most prevalent circulating strains and 39.3% (95% CI: 23.5–51.9) otherwise. The TNDs’ adjusted VE was equal to 39.9% (95% CI: 31–48), 45.1 (95% CI: 38.7–50.8) when there was a match and 35.1 (95% CI: 29.0–40.7) otherwise. The match between strains included in the vaccine and strains in circulation is the most important factor in the VE. It increases by more than 25% when there is a match with the most prevalent circulating strains. The laboratorial method for confirmation of influenza is a possible source of bias when estimating VE.
- Mean value estimation using low size samples extracted from skewed populationsPublication . Martins, João P.; Felgueiras, Miguel; Santos, RuiThe use of the 𝑇-statistic in statistical inference procedures is usually restricted to normal populations or to large samples. However, these conditions may not be fulfilled in some situations: the population can be moderate/highly skewed, or the sample size can be small. In this work, we use the Pearson’s system of distributions, namely, type IV distributions to model 𝑇. By some simulation work, it is shown that this approximation leads to confidence intervals whose coverage is close to the nominal coverage even for low sample sizes.
- Sources of bias when assessing seasonal Influenza vaccine performance: a narrative reviewPublication . Martins, André Miguel; Juan, Luis Félix Valero; Santos, Marlene; Martins, João PauloThe best way to prevent influenza infection is through vaccination. Evaluating vaccine performance is essentially done through two types of study: clinical trials and the test negative design, an observational study derived from the case control. While in clinical trials the sources of bias are perfectly identified and there are specific tools for assessing them, in test negative design we find very varied sources of bias and a lot of scattered information without there being a validated tool for assessing the risk of bias. The aim of this narrative review is to identify the most important sources of bias in both types of study and to contribute to the development of a risk assessment tool for test negative design studies, given their major importance in evaluating the performance of the seasonal influenza vaccine.
- Ten-year analgesic utilization patterns and economic implications in PortugalPublication . Duarte, Nuno; Martins, João Paulo; García-Pedraza, Jose-Ángel; Santos, MarleneThis study evaluated the 10-year consumption and economic patterns of classical analgesics, adjuvants and opioids in Portugal (2012-2022), and conducted a comparative analysis between Portugal, Spain and Denmark to explore the consumption patterns among these countries for 2022. Data on sales and national health service (NHS) costs were obtained from the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Health Products. Sales data were converted to defined daily dose (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification/DDD methodology, while comparisons between Spain and Denmark were evaluated with the chi-square test, when appropriate. The findings reveal that classical analgesics use in Portugal remained stable during the period 2012-2022, with ibuprofen being the most consumed. Adjuvants, specifically gabapentinoids, experienced an 84% increase in use, primarily attributed to pregabalin. Weak opioids, led by tramadol, witnessed a 117% rise in use, while strong opioid use, led by tapentadol, increased by 618%. Portugal presented the lowest overall opioid consumption when compared to Denmark and Spain in 2022. Economic trends indicated a heightened NHS expenditure on analgesics, primarily driven by increased opioid use. Notwithstanding, there was no significant burden on relative expenditure over the 10-year period. Portugal presented a major increase in both weak and strong opioid prescriptions, aligning with the trends for Spain and Denmark. The development and approval of generic medicines and vigilant market monitoring are imperative strategies for managing the escalated costs resulting from heightened consumption, particularly concerning opioids.
- A meta-analysis on the role of sonication in the diagnosis of cardiac implantable electronic device-related infectionsPublication . Araújo, Daniela; Martins, João P.; Ferreira, Stephanie; Mota, Sandra; Ferreira, Pedro L. ; Pimenta, RuiOne of the biggest obstacles in diagnosing Implant-Associated Infections is the lack of infection criteria and standardized diagnostic methods. These infections present a wide range of symptoms, and their diagnosis can be hampered by the formation of microbial biofilms on the surface of implants. This study aimed to provide insight into the performance of sonication in the diagnosis of infections associated with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices, to help define a consensus on the algorithm for the microbial diagnosis of these infections. We carried out a systematic review with meta-analysis. The PRISMA methodology guidelines were followed, and an advanced search was carried out in PubMed and Web of Science, which enabled 8 articles to be included in the review, in which a meta-analysis was also carried out. QUADAS-2 was used to assess the risk of bias and effect measures were calculated to assess publication bias. The overall sensitivity of the method was 0.823 (95% CI: 0.682–0.910) and the specificity was 0.632 (95% CI: 0.506–0.743). These results suggest that sonication may offer advantages in diagnosing these infections. However, it is essential to approach these findings carefully and take into account the recommendations provided in the EHRA 2019 guidelines. This study highlights the importance of more effective diagnostic approaches for implantable medical device-associated infections to improve the quality of treatment and minimize the risks associated with these challenging medical conditions.
- Demand for emergency services during the COVID-19 pandemic and disease burden: a case study in PortugalPublication . Nunes, Alcina ; Costa, Catarina ; Martins, João P.; Ferreira, Pedro L.; Pimenta, RuiThe COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in the pattern of care use. A significant increase in the volume of emergencies was expected. However, a significant decrease was observed worldwide. An observational, analytical and cross-sectional study of all records of emergency episodes of patients aged 18 years or older admitted to the emergency services of the University of Porto Hospital Centre (2018–2022) were analysed. : During the pandemic, a significant reduction in emergency episode admissions (up to 40% during lockdowns), an increase in pre-emergency services, and discharges from Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine was observed. The discharges from General Practice and General Practice and Family Medicine were residual. The lower use and type of use of emergency services during the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the disease burden. This could be prevented in future pandemics through the development of strategies to promote confidence in the use of health resources and establishing contingency plans for virtual assistance.
- Health care expenses impact on the disability-adjusted life years in non-communicable diseases in the European UnionPublication . Torres, Margarida ; Nunes, Alcina ; Martins, João P.; Ferreira, Pedro L. ; Pimenta, RuiNon-communicable diseases are a global health problem. The metric Disability-Adjusted Life Years was developed to measure its impact on health systems. This metric makes it possible to understand a disease’s burden, towards defining healthcare policies. This research analysed the effect of healthcare expenditures in the evolution of disability-adjusted life years for noncommunicable diseases in the European Union between 2000 and 2019. Data were collected for all 27 European Union countries from Global Burden of Disease 2019, Global Health Expenditure, and EUROSTAT databases. Econometric panel data models were used to assess the impact of healthcare expenses on the disability-adjusted life years. Only models with a coefficient of determination equal to or higher than 10% were analysed. There was a decrease in the non-communicable diseases with the highest disability-adjusted life years: cardiovascular diseases (−2,952 years/105 inhabitants) and neoplasms (−618 years/105 inhabitants). Health expenditure significantly decreased disability-adjusted life years for all analysed diseases (p 0.05) whereas public health expenditure did not significantly influence skin and subcutaneous diseases (p > 0.05). Health expenditure have proved to be effective in the reduction of several diseases. However, some categories such as musculoskeletal and mental disorders must be a priority for health policies in the future since, despite their low mortality, they can present high morbidity and disability.
- Proceedings of the 1st Symposium on Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Applied to HealthPublication . Faria, Brígida Mónica; Martins, João Paulo; Alves, Sandra Maria; Pimenta, Rui; Faria, Brigida Monica; Pimenta, Rui; Oliveira Martins, João PauloThe proceedings of the First Symposium on Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Applied to Health (1st SBBAH) highlight the convergence of innovation and health sciences, presenting research and developments in the field. On May 3, we welcomed participants for an engaging day of discussions, beginning with an opening session that set the stage for the day’s presentations. The Symposium was organized with a diverse set of oral communications, including students and Alumni from the Master on Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Applied to Health (MBBAS) program, who presented their findings on topics ranging from machine learning applications in healthcare to the functional activity of astrocytes. An invited talk on Natural Language Processing and the role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare emphasized the importance of these technologies in shaping the future of health research. We extend our gratitude to all speakers, participants, companies and organizing committees for their commitment and contributions, making this Symposium a significant way for knowledge exchange and collaboration in health, biostatistics, bioinformatics, data science and artificial intelligence. We also would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the MBBAS first year students who invented the symposium logo, showcasing their creativity and dedication. Additionally, we extend our thankfulness to Hospital das Forças Armadas – Polo Porto for generously hosting us in their facilities and for their sponsorship, which greatly contributed to the success of this event. Their support highlights the collaboration between academia and healthcare institutions, promoting innovation in health and science.