Browsing by Author "Carroll, Ryan"

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    Inhaled Nitric Oxide and Cerebral Malaria: Basis of a Strategy for Buying Time for Pharmacotherapy
    (The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2012) Bergmark, Brian; Bergmark, Regan; Beaudrap, Pierre De; Boum, Yap; Mwanga-Amumpaire, Juliet; Carroll, Ryan; Zapol, Warren
    There are approximately 225–600 million new malaria infections worldwide annually, with severe and cerebral malaria representing major causes of death internationally. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the host response in cerebral malaria continues to be elucidated, with numerous known functions relating to the cytokine, endovascular and cellular responses to infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Evidence from diverse modes of inquiry suggests NO to be critical in modulating the immune response and promoting survival in patients with cerebral malaria. This line of investigation has culminated in the approval of 2 phase II randomized prospective clinical trials in Uganda studying the use of inhaled NO as adjuvant therapy in children with severe malaria. The strategy underlying both trials is to use the sytemic antiinflammatory properties of inhaled NO to “buy time” for chemical antiparasite therapy to lower the parasite load. This article reviews the nexus of malaria and NO biology with a primary focus on cerebral malaria in humans.
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    Sociocultural and Structural Factors Contributing to Delays in Treatment for Children with Severe Malaria: A Qualitative Study in Southwestern Uganda
    (The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 2015) Sundararajan, Radhika; Mwanga-Amumpaire, Juliet; Adrama, Harriet; Tumuhairwe, Jackline; Mbabazi, Sheilla; Mworozi, Kenneth; Carroll, Ryan; Bangsberg, David; Boum II, Yap; Ware, Norma C.
    Malaria is a leading cause of pediatric mortality, and Uganda has among the highest incidences in the world. Increased morbidity and mortality are associated with delays to care. This qualitative study sought to characterize barriers to prompt allopathic care for children hospitalized with severe malaria in the endemic region of southwestern Uganda. Minimally structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with guardians of children admitted to a regional hospital with severe malaria. Using an inductive and content analytic approach, transcripts were analyzed to identify and define categories that explain delayed care. These categories represented two broad themes: sociocultural and structural factors. Sociocultural factors were 1) interviewee’s distinctions of “traditional” versus “hospital” illnesses, which were mutually exclusive and 2) generational conflict, where deference to one’s elders, who recommended traditional medicine, was expected. Structural factors were 1) inadequate distribution of health-care resources, 2) impoverishment limiting escalation of care, and 3) financial impact of illness on household economies. These factors perpetuate a cycle of illness, debt, and poverty consistent with a model of structural violence. Our findings inform a number of potential interventions that could alleviate the burden of this preventable, but often fatal, illness. Such interventions could be beneficial in similarly endemic, low-resource settings.