African health sciences最新文献

Background: Globally, about 20% of the population are affected with asthma. However, public health is adversely affected with asthma and obesity.

Objective: The target of the present study was to measure influence of weight loss on quality of life and Inflammatory cytokines of obese asthmatic patients.

Material and methods: Eighty obese asthmatic patients; the mean of their age was 42.71 ± 6.35 year and body mass index (BMI) was 32.85 ± 3.16 Kg/m2. Participants equally assigned in group (A) received weight reducing program, where group (B) received no therapeutic intervention.

Results: The Health-related quality of life (SF-36 HRQL) subscale scores, interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Asthma Control Test (ACT) improved significantly, where, the mean values of BMI, TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly reduced in group (A). While group (B) had no significant changes in their parameters. In addition, the differences between both groups were not significant at the end of the study.

Conclusion: Inflammatory cytokines and quality of life parameters improved with lifestyle modification among obese asthmatic patients.

Background: Nursing, marked by its demanding nature, often exposes professionals to elevated stress levels and emotional hurdles. Recognizing the determinants shaping nurses' stress, emotional regulation, and coping mechanisms is imperative for fostering their welfare and maintaining superior patient care standards.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the correlation between socio-demographic and work-related factors and nurses' perceived stress, emotional regulation, and coping mechanisms.

Methods: A cross-sectional study encompassing 200 nurses in Nigeria was conducted. Participants completed questionnaires evaluating socio-demographic details, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and Coping Mechanism Scale. Statistical analyses, comprising t-tests and ANOVA, were employed to scrutinize variable associations.

Results: Participants exhibited a mean score of 27.1 (±3.7) (out of 40) on the PSS, indicating heightened stress levels. Notably, cognitive reappraisal scored 32.2 (±5.2) (out of 42) on the ERQ, while expressive suppression scored 23.4 (±3.8) (out of 28), with a total ERQ score averaging 55.5 (±9.8) (out of 70), indicating moderate emotion regulation. Furthermore, participants scored 78.1 (±10.7) (out of 112) on the Coping Mechanism Scale, suggesting frequent utilization of coping strategies. While gender, age, religion, and employment status showed no significant correlations with stress levels, factors such as educational attainment, number of children, years of experience, department worked in, job position, and work environment satisfaction displayed noteworthy relationships. Various socio-demographic and work-related factors, including the number of children, years of experience, department worked in, and job position, demonstrated significant relationships with nurses' emotional experiences and coping strategies.

Conclusion: The study underscores the intricate interplay between socio-demographic and work-related factors in shaping nurses' stress, emotional regulation, and coping mechanisms. Interventions tailored to address these factors and cultivate supportive work environments are vital for safeguarding nurses' well-being and upholding exceptional patient care standards.

Simultaneous abscesses of the ligamentum teres hepatis and Arantius' ligament are an extremely rare entity. The ligamentum teres hepatis (LTH) and the Arantius ligament are formed by the regression of the umbilical vein and venous ducts during embryonic period and are normally atretic in adulthood, which may recanalize in the case of portal hypertension. Even if the ligament is recanalized, in most cases only blood flows through it. It is very rare for abscesses to occur in these ligaments. Here we present a case with simultaneous LTH abscess and Arantius ligament abscess, a condition that has never been reported before. A 72-year-old female patient complained of epigastric discomfort and was diagnosed with an intra-abdominal tubular mass, which was confirmed to be the thickened LTH and Arantius ligament during operation. Postoperative specimens showed pus in the ducts and histopathological examination confirmed that the mass was the inflamed ligament. The patient's symptoms disappeared after the operation and there was no recurrence after 19 months of follow-up. Postoperative case data and related literature were reviewed. We here described in detail the characteristics and possible etiology of the disease.

Background: We aimed to investigate the effects of the IIFAR (initial check, information exchange, final accuracy check, reaction) nursing model and comprehensive rehabilitation training on negative emotions and rehabilitation outcomes in elderly stroke patients with hemiplegia.

Methodology: Forty elderly stroke patients with hemiplegia were divided into two groups: the control group received comprehensive rehabilitation training intervention, while the observation group received IIFAR information nursing model intervention. Both groups were assessed for disease uncertainty, negative emotions, mindfulness level, balance, and limb movement ability before and after the intervention.

Results: After the intervention, both groups experienced a significant decrease in the complexity, ambiguity, lack of information, unpredictability, State Anxiety Inventory, Trait Anxiety Inventory, and total score of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scale. However, the observation group had lower scores than the control group. Furthermore, after the intervention, both groups saw a significant increase in scores, but the observation group had higher scores than the control group. Lastly, after the intervention, the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group.

Conclusion: The use of the IIFAR information nursing model combined with comprehensive rehabilitation training can improve the disease uncertainty and negative emotions of elderly stroke patients with hemiplegia, and enhance their mindfulness level and balance movement ability.

Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is characterized by sudden decline or loss of kidney function.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the renal profile and the outcome of AKI patients undergoing dialysis.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2015 to December 2021.

Results: Of the 69 AKI patients enrolled in this study, 33 (47.8%) were men, and 36 (52.2%) were women. Majority (55.56%; 10) of the AKI patients died within one month of diagnosis, 44.44% (8) died after one month. Independent predictors of survival were creatinine level (adjusted hazard ratio= 20.54, 95% CI: 0.15, 2862.17; P = 0.23), urea level (adjusted hazard ratio= 0.56, 95% CI: 0.05, 6.78; P = 0.65), phosphate level (adjusted hazard ratio= 5.94, 95% CI: 0.51, 69.57; P = 0.16), calcium level (adjusted hazard ratio= 0.31, 95% CI: 0.04, 2.67; P = 0.29), sodium level (adjusted hazard ratio= 0.53, 95% CI: 0.27, 10.21; P = 0.67), potassium level (adjusted hazard ratio= 5.3, 95% CI: 0.38, 73.56; P = 0.21), chloride level (adjusted hazard ratio= 0.23, 95% CI: 0.03, 1.66; P = 0.15).

Conclusion: AKI patients had a mortality rate of 26% after initiation of dialysis.

Background: Surgical outcomes research is sparse in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is due to poor funding, lack of human resources, and inadequate infrastructure. However, a growing number of collaborative small collection of large multinational and multicentered studies have been successfully performed. These studies have overcome regulatory and logistical hurdles and have shown that collecting such data in the LMIC setting is possible.underscore the drive and capabilities of LMIC researchers.

Methods: A review of the literature using PubMed was performed for multicenter and multinational studies on surgical outcomes in LMICs.

Results: All studies collected a diverse array of postoperative outcomes including complications and mortality. Multiple studies performed adjusted analyses to allow for identification of independent risk factors of surgical outcomes. Each study reinforced that outcomes in LMICs are markedly worse than in HICs.

Conclusion: These studies showed that outcomes research is feasible and needed in LMICs. In this review we summarize each of these impactful studies and present strengths, weaknesses, commonalities and gaps that remain.

Background: We aimed to investigate the effect of interleukin-1β (IL-1β)/nuclear factor ϰB (NF-ϰB) pathway on osteoclastogenesis and inflammatory bone destruction in a mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).

Methodology: DBA/1 mice were divided into CIA group, NF-ϱB inhibitor group and control group. The degree of paw edema was measured and the score of paw arthritis was assessed. mRNA levels of IL-1β, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, anti-tartrate acid phosphatase (TRAP), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tissue proteinase K (CtsK) and integrin β3 (β3-Integrin) in the joints of mice were determined.

Results: The paw edema score at 18-30 d and the paw arthritis score at 12-30 d in CIA group were higher than those in control group, and the paw edema score and paw arthritis score at 24-30 d in NF-kB inhibitor group were lower than those in CIA group. mRNA levels of IL-1β, MMP-1, TNF-α in serum and TRAP, MMP-9, CtsK and β3-Integrin in joint tissues in CIA mice were higher than in controls. NF-ϰB inhibitor treatment significantly decreased the above mRNA levels both in serum and joint tissues.

Conclusion: NF-ϰB pathway inhibition can ameliorate bone destruction in the foot joints of CIA mice, which may be related to the reduction of inflammatory bone destruction and osteoclastogenesis.

Background: Practices among sickle cell anaemic (SCA) children may increase their risk of infection with blood-borne viruses. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among children with SCA compared to controls.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study that involved 200 children with SCA and 200 non-SCA children (controls). Information was obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Screening for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) was done using Smartcare® rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) kits for HBV and HCV. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Five (2.5%) and 21 (10.5%) of the SCA children recruited into the study were positive for HBsAg and anti-HCV respectively, compared to 2(1.0%) and 13 (6.5%) observed in controls. The Logistic regression analysis revealed that female gender (AOR=3.39, 95%CI=1.20-9.57, p=0.016), age (AOR=0.88, 95%CI=0.79-0.99, p=0.033), and multiple ear piercings (AOR=1.93, 95%CI=1.17-21.59, p=0.021) were correlates of HCV infection among study participants.

Conclusion: A high prevalence rate of HCV infection was observed among children with SCA and was significantly associated with a modifiable variable.

Background: Antibiotic-resistant bacterial bloodstream infections are rapidly emerging, which makes successful treatment challenging. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the patterns of bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility from blood culture samples.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. All clinical samples were collected from patients at Wad Medani and investigated at the Pathology Center for Diagnosis and Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gazira, Sudan, from the 1st of January, 2020, to the 15th of October, 2023.

Results: Overall, 577 blood samples were cultured. Among these samples, 86 (14.9%) exhibited bacterial growth. S. aureus (40.7%) and E. coli (40.7%) were the most frequently isolated bacteria. The most sensitive drugs to S. aureus were vancomycin 100% (13/13) and linezolid 86.7% (13/15), whereas the most sensitive drugs to E. coli were norfloxacin 88.9% (8/9), imipenem 85.7% (6/7), and levofloxacin 84% (21/25). The rate of bacterial growth has steadily increased over time, from 5% in 2020 to 24.9% in 2023.

Conclusions: This study revealed a modest rate of 14.9% of bloodstream infections, which has steadily increased over the years. The most frequently isolated bacteria were S. aureus and E. coli. Vancomycin was the most susceptible drug to isolated bacteria.

Background: This research was carried out to determine the complaints and duration of hospital admission of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to evaluate their healthy lifestyle behaviors related to the management of cardiovascular risk factors.

Methodology: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of 202 patients diagnosed with ACS from September 2022 to August 2023. Data were collected using the Hospital Admission and Symptom Assessment Survey, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Diagnostic Survey, Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II (HPLP II), and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors-Knowledge Level (CARRF-KL) scale.

Results: The median duration of decision-making for admission to the hospital was 40 minutes, and the mean duration until arrival at the hospital was 17.35 ± 9.76 minutes. There was no statistically significant difference between the duration of admission decisions according to the association of cardiac complaints with heart disease (p > 0.05). The CARRF-KL total scale mean score was calculated to be 19.98 ± 4.41, and the HPLP II total scale mean score was 107.69 ± 18.09. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between CARRF-KL total scale and HPLP II total scale scores (r = 0.49, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Although the duration of admission to the hospital for individuals diagnosed with ACS was within the period recommended by the guidelines, it is noteworthy that they did not associate their complaints with heart defects in their decisions to be admitted to the hospital.