African health sciences
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African health sciences · Sep 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialGemcitabine concurrent with radiation therapy for locally advanced head and neck carcinomas.
Management of advanced head and neck carcinoma is a challenging proposition. Presently concomitant chemo-irradiation has become the standard of care in such patients. Many chemotherapeutic drugs have shown radio-sensitising effects when used concomitantly along with radiation. The present study was carried out with the objective of assessing the feasibility and efficacy of low dose gemcitabine as radiosensitizer when used during radical radiotherapeutic management of patients with locally advanced head and neck carcinomas. ⋯ In the present study the combination of gemcitabine and radiotherapy has not shown any statistical difference in locoregional control but survival advantage was seen as compared to radiotherapy alone. At the same time more mucosal and skin toxicity was encountered when Gemcitabine is given concurrently with radiation.
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African health sciences · Sep 2008
Fluconazole resistant opportunistic oro-pharyngeal Candida and non-Candida yeast-like isolates from HIV infected patients attending ARV clinics in Lagos, Nigeria.
Oro-Pharyngeal Candidiasis (OPC) continues to be considered the most common opportunistic fungal disease in HIV/AIDS patients globally. Azole antifungal agent has become important in the treatment of mucosal candidiasis in HIV patients. Presently, antifungal drug resistance is fast becoming a major problem particularly with the immune depleted population. ⋯ We conclude that fluconazole resistant strains of oro-pharyngeal yeast-like cells exist in about 9.5% of HIV/AIDS patients with the above stated species distribution. We therefore, highlight the need for routine antifungal susceptibility testing on HIV patients with cases of initial or repeat episodes of OPC.
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African health sciences · Sep 2008
Antifertility potential of Neem flower extract on adult female Sprague-Dawley rats.
The search for a relatively cheap, widely available, widely accepted and effective contraceptive of plant origin; that is equally non-invasive in administration, non-hormonal in action, non-toxic and that is relatively long-acting, generated our interest in this study (in order to meet the increasing need for population control). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of alcoholic extract of Neem flowers on the estrous cycle, ovulation, fertility and foetal morphology of cyclic adult Sprague-Dawley rats. ⋯ Administration of alcoholic extract of Neem flower disrupted the estrous cycle in Sprague-Dawley rats and caused a partial block in ovulation and thus has the potential of being developed into a female contraceptive.
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African health sciences · Sep 2008
Case ReportsEmergency partial thyroidectomy under cervical block to relieve severe acute airway obstruction from thyroid cancer.
A 75 year old male, Nigerian, retired civil servant presented to the Surgical Endocrine Unit of the Olabisi University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria with features of severe acute airway obstruction from advanced thyroid cancer. He was immediately worked up for an emergency partial thyroidectomy within an hour of arrival in the hospital under superficial bilateral cervical blockage using 2% xylocaine with aderanalin (30 mls) 1:100,000 with mild sedation, using 10 mg pentazocine and 5 mg diazepam as other forms of anaesthesia were not feasible because of his worsening respiratory distress. Findings at operation were a very haemorrhagic, friable thyroid gland with all the lobes matted together. ⋯ He was maintained on respiration and intranasal oxygen therapy in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 2 days. He had an uneventful recovery and was discharged 2 weeks after surgery. He had radiotherapy and was followed up in the clinic for a year.