TY - JOUR
T1 - Landscape of guidance documents used at TropNet and GeoSentinel centres for the clinical management of schistosomiasis outside endemic areas: a systematic appraisal
AU - Tamarozzi, Francesca
AU - Mazzi, Cristina
AU - Antinori, Spinello
AU - Arsuaga, Marta
AU - Becker, Sören L.
AU - Bocanegra, Cristina
AU - Bottieau, Emmanuel
AU - Buonfrate, Dora
AU - Bustinduy, Amaya L.
AU - Camprubí-Ferrer, Daniel
AU - Caumes, Eric
AU - Duvignaud, Alexandre
AU - Grobusch, Martin P.
AU - Huits, Ralph
AU - Jaureguiberry, Stephane
AU - Jordan, Sabine
AU - Mueller, Andreas
AU - Ndao, Momar
AU - Neumayr, Andreas
AU - Perez-Molina, Jose A.
AU - Pettersen, Frank O.
AU - Rothe, Camilla
AU - Salas-Coronas, Joaquin
AU - Salvador, Fernando
AU - Stothard, Russell
AU - Tomasoni, Lina R.
AU - van Hellemond, Jaap J.
AU - van Lieshout, Lisette
AU - Vaughan, Stephen D.
AU - Wammes, Linda J.
AU - Yansouni, Cedric P.
AU - Zammarchi, Lorenzo
AU - Gobbi, Federico G.
PY - 2025/3/1
Y1 - 2025/3/1
N2 - BackgroundThe diagnostic and treatment approaches for schistosomiasis in individual patients, outside endemic areas, are not standardised. This study aimed to appraise the reference documents that the experts from the TropNet and GeoSentinel networks use in practice as guidance for the clinical management of their patients with (suspect) schistosomiasis. MethodsWe systematically appraised the following data from the referenced guidance documents: i) document type, ii) case definitions, iii) diagnostic techniques envisaged; iv) treatment recommendations; v) follow-up recommendations; vi) screening recommendations, and vii) symptom-based diagnostic suspicion. ResultsTwenty-two of the 30 responders (73.3%) indicated 19 reference documents, three of which were WHO material not intended for individual clinical management. Only 4/19 (21.1%) documents were national recommendations; no international guideline was indicated. Case definitions were explicitly presented in only one document (1/19; 5.3%). Diagnostic tools were detailed in 11/16 (68.8%) and follow-up guidance in 8/16 (50%) documents. Treatment guidance was provided in 14/16 (87.5%) documents. ConclusionsHeterogeneity in clinical guidance was evident, although with noticeable overlap at least for chronic schistosomiasis. This confirms the need to formalise case definitions, which should be used to design trials to rigorously assess diagnostic tools and treatment schemes, and eventually come to harmonisation of clinical management guidance.
AB - BackgroundThe diagnostic and treatment approaches for schistosomiasis in individual patients, outside endemic areas, are not standardised. This study aimed to appraise the reference documents that the experts from the TropNet and GeoSentinel networks use in practice as guidance for the clinical management of their patients with (suspect) schistosomiasis. MethodsWe systematically appraised the following data from the referenced guidance documents: i) document type, ii) case definitions, iii) diagnostic techniques envisaged; iv) treatment recommendations; v) follow-up recommendations; vi) screening recommendations, and vii) symptom-based diagnostic suspicion. ResultsTwenty-two of the 30 responders (73.3%) indicated 19 reference documents, three of which were WHO material not intended for individual clinical management. Only 4/19 (21.1%) documents were national recommendations; no international guideline was indicated. Case definitions were explicitly presented in only one document (1/19; 5.3%). Diagnostic tools were detailed in 11/16 (68.8%) and follow-up guidance in 8/16 (50%) documents. Treatment guidance was provided in 14/16 (87.5%) documents. ConclusionsHeterogeneity in clinical guidance was evident, although with noticeable overlap at least for chronic schistosomiasis. This confirms the need to formalise case definitions, which should be used to design trials to rigorously assess diagnostic tools and treatment schemes, and eventually come to harmonisation of clinical management guidance.
KW - Diagnosis
KW - Guidelines
KW - Migrants
KW - Schistosomiasis
KW - Travellers
KW - Treatment
U2 - 10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102822
DO - 10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102822
M3 - Article
SN - 1477-8939
VL - 64
SP - 102822
JO - Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
JF - Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
M1 - 102822
ER -
