African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2021
Knowledge and practices of seeking informed consent for medical examinations and procedures by health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Informed consent (IC) is linked to the ethical principle of respecting patient autonomy, respect for human rights and ethical practice, while in many countries it is a standard procedure. Anecdotally, it should be noted that in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in many instances ICs are not obtained systematically. To date, no research appears to have been conducted on this matter. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of obtaining IC from patients among health care providers (HCP) in the DRC. ⋯ For a variety of reasons, knowledge and practice of IC among HCPs was very low. A common programme for the country as part of formal training might lead to an improvement. In addition, patients' education on IC should be displayed in waiting areas at all medical centres.
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Ectopic pregnancy is a gynaecological emergency with significant burden of maternal mortality and morbidity in the tropics. The incidence reported in the literature range from 1:60 to 1:250 pregnancies. The aim was to determine incidence and risk factors of ectopic pregnancy in the Gambia. ⋯ The incidence rate of 0.2% was in the range reported in the literature. Low parity, previous abortion and pelvic inflammatory disease were the risk factors.
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African health sciences · Mar 2021
Comparative StudyComparison of heart rate response and heart rate recovery after step test among smoker and non-smoker athletes.
Exercise performance depend on the ability of the cardiovascular system to respond to a wide range of metabolic demands and physical exertion. ⋯ Smoking was found to affect athletes' cardiovascular fitness. The change of the athletes' heart rate recovery and recovery time contributes to the adaptation of cardiovascular function in training requirements.
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African health sciences · Mar 2021
Anti-inflammatory potential of dichloromethane leaf extracts of Eucalyptus globulus (Labill) and Senna didymobotrya (Fresenius) in mice.
Inflammation is an immune response characterized by swelling, redness, pain and heat. Inflammation is mainly managed using conventional medicines that are associated with many side effects. Plant-based remedies are considerably better alternative therapies for they have fewer side effects. ⋯ E. globulus and S. didymobotrya have potent anti-inflammatory activities, attributed to their constituent phytochemicals. This study confirms the traditional use of these plants in treating inflammation.
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African health sciences · Mar 2021
Risk factors of multidrug-resistant bacteria in community-acquired urinary tract infections.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most seen infection among community. ⋯ Doctors should consider prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics in patients with severe UTIs with a history of UTI, advanced age, male gender, and multiple antibiotic usage, even if they have a CA-UTI.