African health sciences
-
African health sciences · Jun 2011
Factors affecting quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Cancer can produce many different symptoms, some subtle and some not at all subtle. An increasingly important issue in oncology is to evaluate quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients. The cancer-specific QoL is related to all stages of this disease. ⋯ Cancer is an important health issue influencing QoL. An appropriate treatment which may provide care to the cancer patients is CT. A CT cycle may improve QoL in patients with solid tumors.
-
Suicide was investigated in the urban setting of Kampala, Uganda. ⋯ The retrospective review of records at Mulago hospital was beset by incomplete records whereas a pilot psychological autopsy study was well accepted and might contribute valuable data in African settings.
-
African health sciences · Jun 2011
Uterine Leiomyomata in South Western Nigeria: a clinical study of presentations and management outcome.
Uterine leiomyoma is remarkably common, however only a subset of women have their fibroids clinically detected, symptomatic, or warrant surgical treatment. Its removal is commonly associated with complications. To prevent or control the occurrence of this complication requires the understanding of the factors associated with the complications. ⋯ Uterine fibroid is common in our environment and its removal is commonly associated with post-operative pyrexia, blood loss, and anaemia and wound infection. Midline incision, closure of rectus sheet with chromic catgut and myomectomy were associated with postoperative complications in this review.
-
African health sciences · Mar 2011
Perceptions of risk and barriers to cervical cancer screening at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Eldoret, Kenya.
Affordable screening cervical cancer methods using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and with Lugol's iodine (VILI) are being developed. Scaling up of screening services requires an understanding of the user perceptions about screening. ⋯ Previous screening was uncommon. Cheaper screening methods are needed. Messages about screening should clarify the meaning and consequences of possible results.
-
African health sciences · Mar 2011
Prevalence of anaemia and immunological markers among ghanaian HAART-naïve HIV-patients and those on HAART.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has been generally accepted as the gold standard for the management of HIV patients but conflicting reports about the ability of HAART to improve upon the quality of life of HIV patients has cast doubts over the efficacy and the need for therapy. ⋯ HAART has the capability of reducing the incidence of anaemia and lymphopoenia which are associated with disease progression and death in HIV infected patients. Total lymphocyte count, haemoglobin and weight could also serve as useful predictive tools in the management and monitoring of HIV infected patients in resource limited settings.