Malawi has a growing population with a high Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 439 per 100,000 live births to which adolescents contribute 25%. Current data suggests adolescent pregnancies in low resource settings are at an increased risk of both maternal and neonatal morbidity.
Objectives: This study assessed the pregnancy outcomes amongst adolescents while using women from the early adulthood (20 - 24-year-old) and advanced maternal age (35 years old and above) groups as reference.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, carried out at the Chatinkha maternity (labour) and post-natal wards at QECH, and included all adolescents (10 - 19 years old) and women between 20 - 24 years old (early adulthood) and 35 years old or older (advanced maternal age), presenting in labor, at any gestational age ≥ 28 weeks or with a birth weight of 1000 grams or above.
Results: The study found the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy to be 20.4% (N=5035) out of all the deliveries during the recruitment period. Sexually transmitted infections were proportionally higher in the adolescent group, with 12% testing HIV seroreactive and 10% syphilis seroreactive. Neonatal outcomes of birth asphyxia (3.5%), low birth weight (5%), prematurity (4.3%) and early neonatal death (4.3%) were not statistically different from the outcomes of the older age groups. The major causes of maternal morbidity were determined to be a high caesarean section rate of 31.9% and intrapartum diagnosis of urinary tract infection (7.4%), malaria (7.4%) and hypertensive disorders (14.5%).
Conclusions: Adolescents are a significant proportion of the pregnant population in Malawi. These adolescents are at increased risk of some pregnancy and peripartum complications when compared to women of older age groups. However, our study determined that these outcomes appear to be more likely related to the peripartum care received and not solely specific to maternal age.
{"title":"Adolescent pregnancy outcomes at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Tamala Chaura, Donnie Mategula, Luis Aaron Gadama","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i4.6","DOIUrl":"10.4314/mmj.v33i4.6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malawi has a growing population with a high Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 439 per 100,000 live births to which adolescents contribute 25%. Current data suggests adolescent pregnancies in low resource settings are at an increased risk of both maternal and neonatal morbidity.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study assessed the pregnancy outcomes amongst adolescents while using women from the early adulthood (20 - 24-year-old) and advanced maternal age (35 years old and above) groups as reference.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a cross-sectional study, carried out at the Chatinkha maternity (labour) and post-natal wards at QECH, and included all adolescents (10 - 19 years old) and women between 20 - 24 years old (early adulthood) and 35 years old or older (advanced maternal age), presenting in labor, at any gestational age ≥ 28 weeks or with a birth weight of 1000 grams or above.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study found the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy to be 20.4% (N=5035) out of all the deliveries during the recruitment period. Sexually transmitted infections were proportionally higher in the adolescent group, with 12% testing HIV seroreactive and 10% syphilis seroreactive. Neonatal outcomes of birth asphyxia (3.5%), low birth weight (5%), prematurity (4.3%) and early neonatal death (4.3%) were not statistically different from the outcomes of the older age groups. The major causes of maternal morbidity were determined to be a high caesarean section rate of 31.9% and intrapartum diagnosis of urinary tract infection (7.4%), malaria (7.4%) and hypertensive disorders (14.5%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adolescents are a significant proportion of the pregnant population in Malawi. These adolescents are at increased risk of some pregnancy and peripartum complications when compared to women of older age groups. However, our study determined that these outcomes appear to be more likely related to the peripartum care received and not solely specific to maternal age.</p>","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"261-268"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8892997/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42204984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has necessitated the long closure of academic institutions in most countries including Malawi. By the first week of April 2020, 188 countries had closed down their schools, affecting over 1.5 billion young people1. As a way of curbing the spread of the pandemic, the Malawian president ordered an immediate closure of schools on 23rd March, 2020, affecting 5.3 million school-going children2. Schools remained closed up to August, 2020. This may have negative implications on the mental health of school-going children, adolescents and the country’s economy.
{"title":"Striking A Balance Between Prevention Of COVID-19 And The Promotion Of Child And Adolescent Mental Health: A Case Study Of Long Closure Of Schools In Malawi","authors":"Precious Makiyi","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i4.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v33i4.11","url":null,"abstract":"The Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has necessitated the long closure of academic institutions in most countries including Malawi. By the first week of April 2020, 188 countries had closed down their schools, affecting over 1.5 billion young people1. As a way of curbing the spread of the pandemic, the Malawian president ordered an immediate closure of schools on 23rd March, 2020, affecting 5.3 million school-going children2. Schools remained closed up to August, 2020. This may have negative implications on the mental health of school-going children, adolescents and the country’s economy.","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"297 - 299"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46535001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Özen Esra Karaman, Çetin Kılıççı, Pelin Özdemir Önder
Castleman's disease was first described by Castleman et al. in 1956 as a non-lymphoproliferative disease.1 Castleman's disease (CD), or angiofollicular lymphoid hyperplasia, is a rare disease with unknown etiology that can be easily misdiagnosed as lymphoma, neoplasm, or infection. Very few cases of pelvic origin and observed in pregnancy have been reported in the literature and are usually asymptomatic. Preoperative diagnosis is very difficult due to nonspecific imaging findings and rarity; most cases are diagnosed based on postoperative pathological examination. In this paper, a case of a 36-year-old pregnant woman suspected of adnexal origin in the uterine posterolateral, which was detected incidentally by ultrasound, was presented. The patient underwent a successful mass excision. Pathology of mass observed to be in the pelvic retroperitoneum was detected as localized unicentric and hyaline vascular CD. The study was conducted to discuss the diagnostic tools and perioperative management needed to identify the retroperitoneal unicentric Castleman case.
{"title":"A rare disease with pregnancy: Castleman case report","authors":"Özen Esra Karaman, Çetin Kılıççı, Pelin Özdemir Önder","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i4.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v33i4.12","url":null,"abstract":"Castleman's disease was first described by Castleman et al. in 1956 as a non-lymphoproliferative disease.1 Castleman's disease (CD), or angiofollicular lymphoid hyperplasia, is a rare disease with unknown etiology that can be easily misdiagnosed as lymphoma, neoplasm, or infection. Very few cases of pelvic origin and observed in pregnancy have been reported in the literature and are usually asymptomatic. Preoperative diagnosis is very difficult due to nonspecific imaging findings and rarity; most cases are diagnosed based on postoperative pathological examination. In this paper, a case of a 36-year-old pregnant woman suspected of adnexal origin in the uterine posterolateral, which was detected incidentally by ultrasound, was presented. The patient underwent a successful mass excision. Pathology of mass observed to be in the pelvic retroperitoneum was detected as localized unicentric and hyaline vascular CD. The study was conducted to discuss the diagnostic tools and perioperative management needed to identify the retroperitoneal unicentric Castleman case.","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"300 - 302"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44226016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background Breastfeeding has well-established short-term and long-term health benefits for both the mother and infant. Initiating breastfeeding immediately after birth stimulates breast milk production. Prelacteal feeding (PLF) may result in late initiation of breastfeeding, and thus insufficient production of breast milk. This study aimed to identify the determinants of PLF among children under five years in Uganda. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted using the data from the database of Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2011. The data of 4,774 children/mothers were evaluated in this study. Results The prevalence of PLF was 40.3%. The rate of PLF practice was found to be 2.15 times higher in women with moderate economic status and 2.02 times higher in women with high economic status compared to those who have low economic status. The rate of PLF practice was found to be 1.73 times higher in newborns delivered by an unskilled birth attendant and 4.35 times higher in newborns delivered with no birth attendant compared to those infants delivered by a skilled birth attendant. The ratio of PLF practice was found to be 2.49 times higher in multiple births. Mothers who initiated breastfeeding in the first 24 hours after birth had higher odds of PLF. No relationship was found between PLF practice with some sociodemographic characteristics of mother's (age, marital status, educational status, religion, residential location), maternal factors (number of children, antenatal and postnatal care attendance, place of delivery), and characteristics of the newborn infants (sex, type of delivery, birth order number) in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusions All mothers should be informed about the importance of initiation of breastfeeding immediately after delivery, the risks associated with PLF, the optimal practices for breastfeeding, and the presence of a skilled birth attendant at delivery.
{"title":"Determinants of prelacteal feeding practice in Uganda; a population based cross-sectional study using Uganda demographic and health survey data","authors":"Ibrahim Isa Koire, A. Acikgoz, T. Gunay","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i4.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v33i4.7","url":null,"abstract":"Background Breastfeeding has well-established short-term and long-term health benefits for both the mother and infant. Initiating breastfeeding immediately after birth stimulates breast milk production. Prelacteal feeding (PLF) may result in late initiation of breastfeeding, and thus insufficient production of breast milk. This study aimed to identify the determinants of PLF among children under five years in Uganda. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted using the data from the database of Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2011. The data of 4,774 children/mothers were evaluated in this study. Results The prevalence of PLF was 40.3%. The rate of PLF practice was found to be 2.15 times higher in women with moderate economic status and 2.02 times higher in women with high economic status compared to those who have low economic status. The rate of PLF practice was found to be 1.73 times higher in newborns delivered by an unskilled birth attendant and 4.35 times higher in newborns delivered with no birth attendant compared to those infants delivered by a skilled birth attendant. The ratio of PLF practice was found to be 2.49 times higher in multiple births. Mothers who initiated breastfeeding in the first 24 hours after birth had higher odds of PLF. No relationship was found between PLF practice with some sociodemographic characteristics of mother's (age, marital status, educational status, religion, residential location), maternal factors (number of children, antenatal and postnatal care attendance, place of delivery), and characteristics of the newborn infants (sex, type of delivery, birth order number) in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusions All mothers should be informed about the importance of initiation of breastfeeding immediately after delivery, the risks associated with PLF, the optimal practices for breastfeeding, and the presence of a skilled birth attendant at delivery.","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"269 - 275"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46443616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rodwell Gundo, Beatrice Gundo, E. Chirwa, A. Dickinson, Gael Mearns
Background Critical care specialty deals with the complex needs of critically ill patients. Nurses who provide critical care are expected to possess the appropriate knowledge and skills required for the care of critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of an educational programme on the competence of critical care nurses at two tertiary hospitals in Lilongwe and Blantyre, Malawi. Methods A quantitative pre- and post-test design was applied. The training programme was delivered to nurses (n = 41) who worked in intensive care and adult high dependency units at two tertiary hospitals. The effect of the training was assessed through participants' self-assessment of competence on the Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Competence Scale and a list of 10 additional competencies before and after the training. Results The participants' scores on the Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Competence Scale before the training, M = 608.2, SD = 59.6 increased significantly after the training, M = 684.7, SD = 29.7, p <.0001 (two-tailed). Similarly, there was a significant increase in the participants' scores on the additional competencies after the training, p <.0001 (two-tailed). Conclusion The programme could be used for upskilling nurses in critical care settings in Malawi and other developing countries with a similar context.
{"title":"Effect of an educational programme on critical care nurses' competence at two tertiary hospitals in Malawi","authors":"Rodwell Gundo, Beatrice Gundo, E. Chirwa, A. Dickinson, Gael Mearns","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i4.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v33i4.3","url":null,"abstract":"Background Critical care specialty deals with the complex needs of critically ill patients. Nurses who provide critical care are expected to possess the appropriate knowledge and skills required for the care of critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of an educational programme on the competence of critical care nurses at two tertiary hospitals in Lilongwe and Blantyre, Malawi. Methods A quantitative pre- and post-test design was applied. The training programme was delivered to nurses (n = 41) who worked in intensive care and adult high dependency units at two tertiary hospitals. The effect of the training was assessed through participants' self-assessment of competence on the Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Competence Scale and a list of 10 additional competencies before and after the training. Results The participants' scores on the Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Competence Scale before the training, M = 608.2, SD = 59.6 increased significantly after the training, M = 684.7, SD = 29.7, p <.0001 (two-tailed). Similarly, there was a significant increase in the participants' scores on the additional competencies after the training, p <.0001 (two-tailed). Conclusion The programme could be used for upskilling nurses in critical care settings in Malawi and other developing countries with a similar context.","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"236 - 241"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42493023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background According to the World Health Organisation reports (WHO), COPD is the third leading cause of overall in the World by 2020. Aim We aimed to determine the prognostic predictors of 90-day mortality after an initial exacerbation in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). Results Increased Charlson Comorbidity Score(CCS) (HR:1.47; p<0.05), readmission after initial exacerbation (HR:1.47; p<0.05) were predictive risk factors for 30-day mortality in multivariable regression model. The 90-day mortality rate was %11.8. Hypertension, increased median age, nutrition risk score (NRS), CCS, CAT score, and mMRC 4th level were possible risk factors for 90-day mortality. There was a significant difference in the mortality of patients with D-dimer/Fibrinogen ratios>0.11 and ≤0.11 (HR:2.47; p<0.05). Recurrent exacerbations after discharge were predictive risk factors for 90-day mortality in the multivariable regression model (HR:2.25; p<0.001) with the increased mortality risk 4.73 times (HR:4.73; p=0.002). Furthermore, a 1-unit increment of acute exacerbation increased the mortality risk 3.39 times (HR:3.39; p<0.001). Conclusion Our study showed that D-dimer/Fibrinogen ratio but not D-dimer and recurrent exacerbations after discharge might have a critical impact on 90-day mortality.
{"title":"D-dimer/Fibrinogen ratio and recurrent exacerbations might have a potential impact to predict 90-day mortality in patients with COPD exacerbation","authors":"C. Aydın, B. Yıldız, Didem Gorgun Hattatoglu","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i4.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v33i4.8","url":null,"abstract":"Background According to the World Health Organisation reports (WHO), COPD is the third leading cause of overall in the World by 2020. Aim We aimed to determine the prognostic predictors of 90-day mortality after an initial exacerbation in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). Results Increased Charlson Comorbidity Score(CCS) (HR:1.47; p<0.05), readmission after initial exacerbation (HR:1.47; p<0.05) were predictive risk factors for 30-day mortality in multivariable regression model. The 90-day mortality rate was %11.8. Hypertension, increased median age, nutrition risk score (NRS), CCS, CAT score, and mMRC 4th level were possible risk factors for 90-day mortality. There was a significant difference in the mortality of patients with D-dimer/Fibrinogen ratios>0.11 and ≤0.11 (HR:2.47; p<0.05). Recurrent exacerbations after discharge were predictive risk factors for 90-day mortality in the multivariable regression model (HR:2.25; p<0.001) with the increased mortality risk 4.73 times (HR:4.73; p=0.002). Furthermore, a 1-unit increment of acute exacerbation increased the mortality risk 3.39 times (HR:3.39; p<0.001). Conclusion Our study showed that D-dimer/Fibrinogen ratio but not D-dimer and recurrent exacerbations after discharge might have a critical impact on 90-day mortality.","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"276 - 280"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43906117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hamide Zengin, S. Y. Çaka, Elif Erbay Özdede, I. Tatar, N. Çınar
Aim This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of contact lens (CL) use among university students, their awareness on CL, and CL users' practices for the cleaning and care of CLs. Methods The data of this cross-sectional study were collected between April 2019 and July 2019. The sample consisted of university students who volunteered to participate in the study. The data obtained from the study were evaluated by Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) 22.0 package program in computer environment. Results 929 students participated in the study and the average age of them was 21.99±1.85 years (Min. 18 – Max. 24), and it was determined that 36.6% (n=340) of the participants were male, 10.2% (n=95) of the total were using CL, 91.6% (n=87) of them used CL due to visual impairment. When students' levels of knowledge about the hygiene and care in CL use were examined 85.4% (n=82) washed their hands before wearing/removing CL, 85.3% (n=81) cleaned the lens container and filled it with new solution when the solution in the container was reduced, 18.5% (n=17) continued wearing CL while sleeping, 6.5% (n=6) washed CL with tap water, and 28.3% (n=26) of them stated that they swam in the sea with CL. It was determined that the prevalence of CL use was higher (p= .045) among smoking students. Conclusion Health professionals are important in the trainings to be given to increase the students' knowledge of hygiene and care regarding the use of CL. More studies are needed on the effect of smoking status on CL use.
{"title":"Knowledge, Practices and Use of Contact Lenses Among University Students in Turkey","authors":"Hamide Zengin, S. Y. Çaka, Elif Erbay Özdede, I. Tatar, N. Çınar","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i4.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v33i4.5","url":null,"abstract":"Aim This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of contact lens (CL) use among university students, their awareness on CL, and CL users' practices for the cleaning and care of CLs. Methods The data of this cross-sectional study were collected between April 2019 and July 2019. The sample consisted of university students who volunteered to participate in the study. The data obtained from the study were evaluated by Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) 22.0 package program in computer environment. Results 929 students participated in the study and the average age of them was 21.99±1.85 years (Min. 18 – Max. 24), and it was determined that 36.6% (n=340) of the participants were male, 10.2% (n=95) of the total were using CL, 91.6% (n=87) of them used CL due to visual impairment. When students' levels of knowledge about the hygiene and care in CL use were examined 85.4% (n=82) washed their hands before wearing/removing CL, 85.3% (n=81) cleaned the lens container and filled it with new solution when the solution in the container was reduced, 18.5% (n=17) continued wearing CL while sleeping, 6.5% (n=6) washed CL with tap water, and 28.3% (n=26) of them stated that they swam in the sea with CL. It was determined that the prevalence of CL use was higher (p= .045) among smoking students. Conclusion Health professionals are important in the trainings to be given to increase the students' knowledge of hygiene and care regarding the use of CL. More studies are needed on the effect of smoking status on CL use.","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"253 - 260"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47443723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Natalya Özen, E. Unlu, Ozgur Zeliha Karaahmet, E. Gurcay, I. Gundogdu, E. Umay
Aim The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) bicycle therapy system on motor function, gait pattern, spasticity, daily living activities, and aerobic capacity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare the results with sham stimulation and standard treatment. Methods Patients with cerebral palsy who received botulinum toxin type-A injections to lower extremities and those with Gross Motor Function Measure Classification System (GMFCS) levels I – III, were included in the study. Twenty-five patients were randomly assigned into three treatment groups for 4-weeks: Group 1, FES-cycling and standard treatment; Group 2, Sham stimulus FES-cycling and standard treatment; Group 3, Standard treatment. Clinical assessment tools included the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS), Pediatric Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM), GMFCS, Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), selective motor control tests, 6-minute walk test, and Visual Gait Analysis (VGA). Results In all groups, there were significant improvements in MAS, MTS, WeeFIM, GMFM-88, 6-minute walk test, and VGA scores. No changes in GMFCS levels were observed in any group. At the end of the study, there was no significant difference among the groups in terms of any clinical assessment parameter. Conclusions All groups showed statistically significant improvements in motor function, walking pattern, spasticity, daily living activities, and aerobic capacity in patients with CP following the rehabilitation period. Although FES-cycling demonstrated no superiority over the other approaches and provided no additional benefit to the results, FES appears to be safe and well-tolerated in children with CP, at least as much as standard exercise treatment.
{"title":"Effectiveness of Functional Electrical Stimulation - Cycling Treatment in Children with Cerebral Palsy","authors":"Natalya Özen, E. Unlu, Ozgur Zeliha Karaahmet, E. Gurcay, I. Gundogdu, E. Umay","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i3.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v33i3.1","url":null,"abstract":"Aim The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) bicycle therapy system on motor function, gait pattern, spasticity, daily living activities, and aerobic capacity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare the results with sham stimulation and standard treatment. Methods Patients with cerebral palsy who received botulinum toxin type-A injections to lower extremities and those with Gross Motor Function Measure Classification System (GMFCS) levels I – III, were included in the study. Twenty-five patients were randomly assigned into three treatment groups for 4-weeks: Group 1, FES-cycling and standard treatment; Group 2, Sham stimulus FES-cycling and standard treatment; Group 3, Standard treatment. Clinical assessment tools included the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS), Pediatric Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM), GMFCS, Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), selective motor control tests, 6-minute walk test, and Visual Gait Analysis (VGA). Results In all groups, there were significant improvements in MAS, MTS, WeeFIM, GMFM-88, 6-minute walk test, and VGA scores. No changes in GMFCS levels were observed in any group. At the end of the study, there was no significant difference among the groups in terms of any clinical assessment parameter. Conclusions All groups showed statistically significant improvements in motor function, walking pattern, spasticity, daily living activities, and aerobic capacity in patients with CP following the rehabilitation period. Although FES-cycling demonstrated no superiority over the other approaches and provided no additional benefit to the results, FES appears to be safe and well-tolerated in children with CP, at least as much as standard exercise treatment.","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"144 - 152"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46392963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. Chukwu, Lyra Menezes, T. Fukuda, J. Filho, Marilda S Gonçalves
Background Detection of abnormal TAMMV with transcranial Doppler is fundamental in primary stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). The study aimed at evaluating TAMMV and correlating it with clinical and hematological profiles of children and adolescent with SCD. Methods Transcranial Doppler was performed on subjects aged 2–16 years, using a 2 MHz probe placed over the transtemporal windows. Pulse oximetry was used to determine the peripheral oxygen saturation while clinical and hematological profiles were retrieved from their medical records. Results One hundred and thirty five patients were recruited. The mean TAMMV was 125cm/s. Patients with HbSS had a significantly higher TAMMV (131cm/s) than those with HbSC (107cm/s). Only one (0.74%) patient had abnormal TAMMV. TAMMV correlated inversely with oxygen saturation, Hct and patient's age, and positively with white cell and platelet counts. Previous history of acute chest syndrome (ACS) and recurrent painful crises increased the risk of development of abnormal and conditional velocity. Conclusion Frequency of abnormal TAMMV in this study was low. Younger children and those with HbSS had higher TAMMV. Age, oxygen saturation and haematocrit correlated negatively while white cell and platelet counts correlated positively with TAMMV. Previous history of ACS and recurrent bone pain were associated with increased risk of having abnormal and conditional TAMMV.
{"title":"Timed Average Mean Maximum Velocity (TAMMV) of Cerebral Blood Flow of Children and Adolescents with Sickle cell Disease: correlation with clinical and hematological profiles in country","authors":"B. Chukwu, Lyra Menezes, T. Fukuda, J. Filho, Marilda S Gonçalves","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i3.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v33i3.4","url":null,"abstract":"Background Detection of abnormal TAMMV with transcranial Doppler is fundamental in primary stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). The study aimed at evaluating TAMMV and correlating it with clinical and hematological profiles of children and adolescent with SCD. Methods Transcranial Doppler was performed on subjects aged 2–16 years, using a 2 MHz probe placed over the transtemporal windows. Pulse oximetry was used to determine the peripheral oxygen saturation while clinical and hematological profiles were retrieved from their medical records. Results One hundred and thirty five patients were recruited. The mean TAMMV was 125cm/s. Patients with HbSS had a significantly higher TAMMV (131cm/s) than those with HbSC (107cm/s). Only one (0.74%) patient had abnormal TAMMV. TAMMV correlated inversely with oxygen saturation, Hct and patient's age, and positively with white cell and platelet counts. Previous history of acute chest syndrome (ACS) and recurrent painful crises increased the risk of development of abnormal and conditional velocity. Conclusion Frequency of abnormal TAMMV in this study was low. Younger children and those with HbSS had higher TAMMV. Age, oxygen saturation and haematocrit correlated negatively while white cell and platelet counts correlated positively with TAMMV. Previous history of ACS and recurrent bone pain were associated with increased risk of having abnormal and conditional TAMMV.","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"169 - 177"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43167699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chifundo Zimba, Gwen Sherwood, Barbara Mark, Jeenifer Leeman
Background: High HIV infection and fertility rates contributed to over 12,000 children acquiring HIV from their mothers in 2011 in Malawi. To prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Malawi adopted the Option B+ guidelines, and for three years, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Project provided support to strengthen guideline implementation in 134 health centres. Little is known about how implementation support strategies are delivered in low resource countries or contextual factors that may influence their delivery. The limited descriptions of support strategies and salient contextual factors limits efforts to replicate, target, and further refine strategies. Guided by the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation, this study describes factors influencing implementation of support strategies and how they impacted health center staff capacity to implement Option B+ in Malawi.
Methods: A qualitative multi-case study design was applied. Data were collected through site visits to 4 heath centres (2 low- and 2-high performing centres). We interviewed 18 support providers and recipients between October 2014 and October 2015. Data were analysed using content, thematic, and cross-case analysis.
Results: Four categories of strategies were used to support Option B+ guidelines implementation: training, technical assistance (TA), tools, and resources. All heath-centres implemented Option B+ guidelines for care provided between the antenatal and labor and delivery periods. Gaps in Option B+ implementation occurred during community activities and during post-delivery care, including gaps in testing of children to ascertain their HIV status at 6 weeks, 12 months, and 24 months. Salient contextual factors included staffing shortages, transportation challenges, limited space and infrastructure, limited stocks of HIV testing kits, and large patient populations.
Conclusions: Understanding factors that influence implementation support strategies and delivery of the Option B+ guidelines, such as availability of staff and other materials/drug resources, is critical to designing effective implementation support for low resource settings.
{"title":"Supporting the implementation of guidelines to prevent mother-to-child-transmission of HIV in Malawi: a multi-case study.","authors":"Chifundo Zimba, Gwen Sherwood, Barbara Mark, Jeenifer Leeman","doi":"10.4314/mmj.v33i3.5","DOIUrl":"10.4314/mmj.v33i3.5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>High HIV infection and fertility rates contributed to over 12,000 children acquiring HIV from their mothers in 2011 in Malawi. To prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Malawi adopted the Option B+ guidelines, and for three years, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Project provided support to strengthen guideline implementation in 134 health centres. Little is known about how implementation support strategies are delivered in low resource countries or contextual factors that may influence their delivery. The limited descriptions of support strategies and salient contextual factors limits efforts to replicate, target, and further refine strategies. Guided by the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation, this study describes factors influencing implementation of support strategies and how they impacted health center staff capacity to implement Option B+ in Malawi.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative multi-case study design was applied. Data were collected through site visits to 4 heath centres (2 low- and 2-high performing centres). We interviewed 18 support providers and recipients between October 2014 and October 2015. Data were analysed using content, thematic, and cross-case analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four categories of strategies were used to support Option B+ guidelines implementation: training, technical assistance (TA), tools, and resources. All heath-centres implemented Option B+ guidelines for care provided between the antenatal and labor and delivery periods. Gaps in Option B+ implementation occurred during community activities and during post-delivery care, including gaps in testing of children to ascertain their HIV status at 6 weeks, 12 months, and 24 months. Salient contextual factors included staffing shortages, transportation challenges, limited space and infrastructure, limited stocks of HIV testing kits, and large patient populations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Understanding factors that influence implementation support strategies and delivery of the Option B+ guidelines, such as availability of staff and other materials/drug resources, is critical to designing effective implementation support for low resource settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":18185,"journal":{"name":"Malawi Medical Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"178-185"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8843178/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41652266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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