African health sciences
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African health sciences · Dec 2023
Evaluation of the anatomical locations and sizes of uterine fibroids from ultrasound examination in Ghana.
Uterine fibroids locations and sizes, have significant influences on the quality of life of women especially pregnant women and on live birth rate. ⋯ The majority of the uterine fibroids were intramural and were mostly at the anterior uterine wall. The submucosal fibroids, even though the rarest, were averagely larger than the other types of uterine myomas. The diameter of uterine fibroids increased with age.
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African health sciences · Dec 2023
Nasopharyngeal carriage and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae, moraxella catarrhalis and staphylococcus aureus among urban Ugandan children post-PCV10 introduction: a cross-sectional study.
In 2013, Uganda introduced the PCV10 pneumococcal vaccine and it is given to children at 6, 10 and 14 weeks after birth. Carriage prevalence studies post PCV10-introduction are necessary for monitoring the impact of vaccination and trends in antibiotic resistance. Here, we studied carriage/antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from 194 children at the Mulago Assessment Centre clinic in Kampala-Uganda, 5 years post-PCV10 introduction. ⋯ Species co-carriage occurred in 32 children (17%, 32/194), predominantly multidrug resistant pneumococcus + H. influenzae (23 children). Furthermore, pneumococci were highly resistant to cotrimoxazole (100%), erythromycin (76%), and tetracycline (52%), 42% being multidrug-resistant. Overall, we note an increase in antibiotic resistance post-PCV10 introduction, and microbial shifts i.e., a decrease in pneumococcus, M. catarrhalis and S. aureus carriage and an increase in H. influenzae carriage suggesting vaccine-associated perturbation of the respiratory ecology.
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African health sciences · Dec 2023
Morphological abnormalities of leukocytes in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The causative agent of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is an enveloped RNA (ribonucleic acid) virus of the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) family. The effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the differentiation and maturation of blood cells have been the subject of several studies, we report our experience of an investigation of the morphologic abnormalities of leukocytes observed during COVID-19. ⋯ Our study revealed several morphological abnormalities of the different cells of the leukocyte lineage. The presence of toxic granulations in the cytoplasm of the myelocytes was specific to this study.
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African health sciences · Dec 2023
Acceptability of hair harvest as a method of tuberculosis therapeutic drug monitoring among adult pulmonary TB patients: a qualitative study.
The current six months regimen for drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) is long, complex, and requires adherence monitoring. TB hair drug level assay is one innovative approach to monitor TB treatment adherence however, its acceptability in the context of African multi-cultural settings is not known. ⋯ Hair harvest for medical testing is acceptable to TB patients on the condition that it is conducted by a medical worker.
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African health sciences · Dec 2023
Domestic violence against Iranian pregnant adolescents: protective and risk factors.
Domestic violence is an important health, which has serious impacts on women's health. The study aimed to discover the protective and risk factors of domestic violence among pregnant adolescents. ⋯ The education level is a protective factor against domestic violence among pregnant adolescents. These results can help to design the most appropriate prevention programs to reduce the risk factors for violence among pregnant adolescents.