African health sciences
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
Predictor variables for post-discharge mortality modelling in infants: a protocol development project.
Over two-thirds of the five million annual deaths in children under five occur in infants, mostly in developing countries and many after hospital discharge. However, there is a lack of understanding of which children are at higher risk based on early clinical predictors. Early identification of vulnerable infants at high-risk for death post-discharge is important in order to craft interventional programs. ⋯ A systematic approach yielded 55 candidate predictor variables to use in devising predictive models for post-discharge mortality in infants in a low-resource setting.
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
Knowledge and perceptions on childhood asthma among care-takers of children with asthma at a National Referral Hospital in Western Kenya: a descriptive study.
Identifying knowledge gaps in asthma self-management and identifying existing myths is an important step in determining appropriate health education and demystifying the myths so as to enhance asthma control. ⋯ Most caregivers perceive syrups to be better despite having good basic knowledge on asthma. There is need to address asthma perceptions among caretakers in resource poor settings which is likely to improve control.
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
Relationship between Sap prevalence and biofilm formation among resistant clinical isolates of Candida albicans.
Fungal infections represent a serious health problem especially in immunocompromised individuals. Candida albicans is the most common fungi that cause superficial and systemic infections with high mortality rates. Anti-fungal resistance of C. albicans may be attributed to its virulence. Biofilm formation and proteolytic activity are major virulence determents that may influence both pathogenicity and anti-fungal resistance of Candida albicans. ⋯ Four of the C. albicans isolates were resistant to 3 anti-fungal drugs, strong biofilm producer, have proteolytic activity and contain either Sap9 or Sap10 or both. Conclusively, although anti-fungal resistance among the isolates was rare, a relation between the anti-fungal resistance and some major virulence factors was evidently proved in this study.
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
Screening for diabetes among tuberculosis patients: a nationwide population-based study in Egypt.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing rapidly in Egypt and considered one of the major health problems in the Eastern Mediterranean region. ⋯ Older age and being females and those with pulmonary type of TB were more prone to the double burden of TB and DM. Identifying cases with double burden of diseases will improve the proper management of both diseases and prevent complications.
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
Feeding difficulties in infants with unrepaired cleft lip and palate and HIV-exposure.
There is limited description of the feeding characteristics of infants with unrepaired cleft lip and palate, exposed to HIV, but not necessarily infected. ⋯ The research group presented with distinctive symptoms of oropharyngeal dysphagia. More studies using different measuring tools are required to strengthen the evidence.