African health sciences
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African health sciences · Sep 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialA re-appraisal of warfarin control in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and / or pulmonary embolism.
Warfarin is commonly used for management of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), controlling therapy by means of the International Normalized Ratio (INR). ⋯ In this study, higher INR levels were not associated with haemorrhage suggesting that, for patients being treated for DVT/PE, a modest increase in the target therapeutic range could be considered.
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African health sciences · Sep 2009
A preliminary examination of the construct validity of the KABC-II in Ugandan children with a history of cerebral malaria.
Several diseases and adverse conditions affect the cognitive development of children in Sub-Saharan African. There is need to assess these children to determine which abilities are affected and the severity of the damage so as to plan interventions accordingly. However most psychological tests developed in the West have not been validated in this region making it impossible to know whether they measure what they were intended to in African children. ⋯ This preliminary study in Ugandan children shows the KABC-II to have good construct validity with subtests measuring similar abilities loading on the same factor. The KABC-II can be used in assessing Ugandan children after a few modifications. Further analysis of its psychometric properties in Ugandan children is required.
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African health sciences · Sep 2009
Screening for hepatitis C among HIV positive patients at Mulago hospital in Uganda.
In industrialized countries with more resources, it is recommended that HIV infected patients should be screened for hepatitis C virus (HCV) on entry into the health care system. Implementation of these guidelines in a country like Uganda with limited resources requires some modification after taking into account the prevailing circumstances. These include the prevalence of HCV in HIV positive patients and the cost of HCV testing. ⋯ In view of the low HCV prevalence found in our study and similar studies and considering the high cost of HCV screening, routine HCV testing cannot be recommended among all HIV positive patients in our health care settings with limited resources. We recommend that HCV screening be limited to investigating HIV positive patients with features suggestive of liver disease in order to identify HCV as a possible cause.
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African health sciences · Sep 2009
Campylobacter spp among children with acute diarrhea attending Mulago hospital in Kampala--Uganda.
Campylobacter infections occur worldwide. A recent study in Kampala, Uganda, found that 87% of broiler chickens had Campylobacter jejuni; these are potential source of human infection. Isolation rate in developing countries is between 5-35%. This study aimed at finding prevalence of children with campylobacter infection among children with acute diarrhea attending Mulago hospital. ⋯ Campylobacter spp are prevalent among children with acute diarrhea in Kampala- Uganda. A large multicenter study should be undertaken so that the extent of campylobacter infection in our setting can be established.