African health sciences
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African health sciences · Jun 2015
Gender preferences among antenatal women: a cross-sectional study from coastal South India.
A balanced sex ratio is essential for a stable society. ⋯ As a developed society we need to ensure that both the genders get equal respect and are free from any sort of preferences and prejudices. To achieve this, more and more people need to be made aware of the consequences of gender imbalance and adverse sex ratio in a society.
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African health sciences · Jun 2015
Factors affecting disclosure of serostatus to children attending Jinja Hospital Paediatric HIV clinic, Uganda.
Disclosure of HIV status is important for optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy in children. Identifying factors that affect disclosure of sero-status to children will help improve the process of disclosure. The purpose of the study was to determine the rate of HIV disclosure by the parents/caretakers to their children and other factors affecting disclosure. ⋯ The overall prevalence of disclosure was low. Psychosocial support groups promoted disclosure.
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African health sciences · Jun 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialA randomized controlled trial comparing haemodynamic stability in elderly patients undergoing spinal anaesthesia at L5, S1 versus spinal anaesthesia at L3, 4 at a tertiary African hospital.
Spinal anaesthesia is a routinely used anaesthetic technique in elderly patients (> 60 years) undergoing operations involving the lower limbs, lower abdomen, pelvis and the perineum. Spinal anaesthesia has several advantages over general anaesthesia including stable haemodynamic variables, less blood loss, less post-operative pain, faster recovery time and less post-operative confusion. Despite these advantages, the sympathetic blockade induced by spinal anaesthesia can result in hypotension, bradycardia, dysrhythmias and cardiac arrests. Conventionally, spinal anaesthesia is performed at the level of L3,4 interspace; with a reported incidence of hypotension in the elderly ranging between 65% and 69%. A possible strategy for reducing spinal induced hypotension would be to minimize the peak block height to as low as possible for the planned procedure. ⋯ Among this population, there was no difference in the proportion of those with hypotension between the elderly patients who received their spinal anaesthesia at L3,4 and those who received spinal anaesthesia at L5,S1. The intervention group had better outcomes with significantly less episodes of hypotension. It took a longer time to achieve a maximum peak sensory block in the intervention group. Performing spinal anaesthesia at the level of L5,S1 was found to provide an adequate sensory block for a wide range of pelvic, perineal and lower limb surgeries.
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African health sciences · Jun 2015
Comparative StudyComparison of absolute neutrophil to CD4 lymphocyte values as a marker of immunosuppression in cancer patients on cytotoxic chemotherapy.
The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is currently used to assess immune status of patients on cytotoxic therapy. The CD4 lymphocytes have also been shown to be of importance in protection against opportunistic infections. In people of African descent a low baseline ANC has been recorded and the currently accepted neutropaenic threshold may not be appropriate. ⋯ The CD4 lymphocyte count may be a more suitable parameter than ANC, for monitoring immuno-depletion in cancer patients on cytotoxic chemotherapy. Further studies are required to validate these findings, especially in the Negroid population.
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African health sciences · Jun 2015
Hepatitis B and HIV co-infection is still treated using lamivudine-only antiretroviral therapy combination in Uganda.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV are endemic in Uganda. Co-infection is common and leads to rapid progression of liver disease. Burden of co-infection is unknown yet most patients are on lamivudine-only ART where resistance is frequent. Most patients are initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) without knowing their HBV status. ⋯ A large proportion of patients were on lamivudine- only HBV-active ART. Resistance may occur long term thus testing for HBV and correct ART is recommended.