African health sciences
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
Pre-diagnostic drop out of presumptive TB patients and its associated factors at Bugembe Health Centre IV in Jinja, Uganda.
Drop out of presumptive TB individuals before making a final diagnosis poses a danger to the individual and their community. We aimed to determine the proportion of these presumptive TB drop outs and their associated factors in Bugembe Health Centre, Jinja, Uganda. ⋯ A high risk to individuals and the community is posed by the significant proportion of presumptive TB patients dropping out before final diagnosis. Health systems managers need to consider interventions targeting young persons, male patients, HIV positive persons.
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
Psycho-behavioral factors associated with neurocognitive performance among people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Accra, Ghana.
It is estimated that almost half of all people living with HIV have some form of neurocognitive impairment, but few studies have looked at the risk of neurocognitive impairment and its associated factors in Ghana, due in part to limited resources for such testing. ⋯ Some people living with HIV showed risk of neurocognitive impairment, which was significantly associated with education, age and depressive symptoms. It is therefore important to consider routine neurocognitive screening in HIV management to recognize any risks for early interventions.
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
An audit tool for relicensing inspection for private hospitals in eThekwini district, South Africa.
South Africa is moving towards National Health Insurance (NHI), which aims to provide access to universal health coverage for all South Africans. The NHI will only accredit and contract eligible health facilities that meet nationally approved quality standards in the public and private sector. Detailed tools for measuring compliance with the National Core Standards (NCS) and Batho Pele principles have been developed and implemented in the public sector. To date and since its implementation in the public sector, very little is known about the national audit tool and the method used to evaluate quality and patient safety standards in private hospitals in eThekwini district. ⋯ These findings were significant and denoted the need for a standardised clinical audit tool for private hospitals in eThekwini district.
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
Meta AnalysisEfficacy and safety of rituximab for systemic lupus erythematosus treatment: a meta-analysis.
Given the inconsistency of previous studies and the newly emerging evidence, we decided to conduct a meta-analysis. ⋯ although the efficacy of rituximab is highly controversial for SLE, our study shows that rituximab presents a satisfying efficacy and safety for SLE.
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
Pattern of mandibular fractures and helmet use among motorcycle crash victims in Tanzania.
The maxillofacial structures are commonly affected in motorcycle crashes, with the mandible being one of the most frequently fractured bones. Helmets have been shown to have a protective effect in preventing maxillofacial injuries, however, its effect on the occurrence of mandibular fractures is not very well established. ⋯ Young males were affected ten times more than females. Most of the victims were riders during the crash. The symphysis region was the frequently fractured anatomical site. There was no difference in occurrence of mandibular fractures between those who wore and those who did not wear helmets during the crashes. However, the severity of mandibular fractures was dependent on the type of helmet used.