[Immune response to one booster dose of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in college students]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of one booster dose of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in young adults. Methods: The subjects were selected from participants in the clinical trial of immunogenicity of inactivated and attenuated live hepatitis A vaccine in young adults. Eligible subjects were those who had received one dose of inactivated or attenuated hepatitis A vaccine, could be contacted and were sero-negative before primary vaccination. All qualified subjects were immunized with one booster dose of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine. The blood samples were collected before booster dose vaccination and 28 days after the immunization. Anti-HAV antibody titer ≥20 mIU/ml was considered to be sero-protected against hepatitis A virus. Results: The GMCs in the inactivated HAV vaccine group and attenuated live vaccine group before booster dose vaccination were 70.80 mIU/ml and 50.12 mIU/ml, respectively, and the sero-protection rates were 94.7% and 65.0%, respectively. After the vaccination of the booster dose, the sero-protection rates in both groups were 100.0%, and the GMCs were 2 816.09 mIU/ml and 2 654.55 mIU/ml, respectively. Conclusion: The GMCs and sero-protection rates of anti-HAV antibody in young adults declined after three years of the primary vaccination. However, the higher GMC and sero-protection rate were observed in the inactivated vaccine group than in the attenuated live vaccine group. Significant increases of GMC levels were observed in both groups after one booster dose vaccination.

Effect of prophylactic placement of internal iliac artery balloon catheters on outcomes of women with placenta accreta: an impact study

We performed an impact study on the introduction of routine placement of internal iliac artery balloon catheters for the management of haemorrhage during caesarean section in women with placenta accreta. We identified 11 women, with prenatally diagnosed placenta accreta/increta/percreta before this change in practice, who acted as controls, and 30 women who had iliac artery balloons placed. The balloons were inflated in 27 cases. The median (IQR [range]) intra-operative blood loss was 1100 (800-2600 [500-6000]) ml in controls, compared with 1000 (600-2513 [400-15000]) ml in women with iliac artery balloons (p = 0.64). Six (54%) controls received intra-operative blood transfusion compared with 14 (47%) women with iliac artery balloons (p = 0.66). Caesarean hysterectomy was performed in 3 (27.3%) controls and 13 (43.3%) women with iliac artery balloons (p = 0.48). Balloon catheter insertion was associated with a shortened postoperative hospital stay, 6 (5-7 [4-12] days in controls vs. 5 (4-6 [3-10]) in the iliac artery balloon group (p = 0.033). General anaesthesia was used in six (54%) controls, but all women with iliac artery balloons. This study demonstrates that prophylactic balloon occlusion of the internal iliac arteries did not reduce intra-operative haemorrhage or caesarean hysterectomy in women with placenta accreta undergoing caesarean section. In addition, it has a significant impact on the choice of anaesthetic technique.

Accuracy of parent-reported measles-containing vaccination status of children with measles

OBJECTIVES

The validity of parent-reported measles-containing vaccination history in children with measles has not been assessed. This study evaluated the accuracy of parental recall of measles-containing vaccination histories in Shenzhen, China.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective study was performed to compare the data from the electronic records with parental recall. The electronic records were regarded as accurate data about the children's measles-containing vaccination status.

METHODS

We collected data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the Immunization Program Information Management System in Shenzhen city, China. Between 2009 and 2014, there were 163 children with measles who had electronic vaccination records; the vaccination status of these cases was reported by the parents in the field epidemiological investigation. We validated parental recall with electronic records.

RESULTS

The agreement between parental recall and electronic records was 78.7%. The kappa value was 0.57. The parent-reported measles-containing vaccination rate was higher than the electronic record (48.5% vs 41.7%, χ² = 53.64, P < 0.001). The true positive rate for parental recall was 82.4%, and the true negative rate was 75.8%. The positive predictive value was 70.9%, and the negative predictive value was 76.6%.

CONCLUSIONS

In children with measles, parental recall slightly overestimated the measles vaccination rate, and the vaccination status recalled by parents was in moderate agreement with the electronic record.