Ghana medical journal
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Ghana medical journal · Dec 2010
Air pollution and hospitalization for respiratory diseases among children in isfahan, iran.
Adverse effects of urban air pollution on human health notably the paediatric age group is of great importance. Limited data exist from developing countries. This study investigates the hospitalization of children because of respiratory diseases and air pollution levels in Isfahan, the second large city in Iran. ⋯ This study confirms the findings of previous studies about the association of air pollutants' levels with hospitalization because of respiratory diseases in young children. Air pollution continues to pose a threat to public health notably in the paediatric age group, and underscores the need to re-examine national environmental health policies and standards in developing countries.
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Ghana medical journal · Mar 2010
Special position for the anaesthetic management of a patient with giant neck and back masses.
A neck mass is a risk factor for difficult airway during induction of anaesthesia particularly when accompanied with a giant back mass which limits positioning of the patient in the supine position. We report the management of a young woman with known recurrent neurofibroma scheduled for resection of her giant neck and back masses. ⋯ In order to achieve a suitable supine position which is fundamental during airway management, we created a hole in the operating table to fit her giant back mass. Exhibition of this special operating table may help to achieve a suitable position and ease airway management which is not possible with routine tables in cases with giant posterior masses.
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Ghana medical journal · Jun 2009
Predictors of post operative bleeding and blood transfusion in cardiac surgery.
In spite of the recent advances in heart surgery, patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass are at risk of developing significant post-operative bleeding and substantial blood requirements. ⋯ Pre-operative haemoglobin, percentage reduction in the platelet count after cardiopulmonary bypass and immediate postoperative platelet count are significant predictors of postoperative bleeding and blood requirements.
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Deep vein thrombosis is increasingly being diagnosed in Ghana. The commonest complication that leads to death is pulmonary embolism. The mortality rate from massive pulmonary embolism is high even with intervention. Thrombolysis is recommended in massive embolism. ⋯ The mortality rate of patients with massive pulmonary embolism is high even after thrombolysis. The commonest complication of thrombolysis was bleeding.
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Ghana medical journal · Dec 2008
Failed fibreoptic intubation in a patient with a large mandibular fibreosseous lesion.
A case is presented of a 25 year old patient with a 15 year history of a lesion in the oral cavity, the histology of which showed it to be fibrous dysplasia. Conventional laryngoscopy and intubation were not possible as the lesion filled the entire oral cavity. ⋯ A tracheostomy was performed under local anaesthesia and surgery proceeded uneventfully. Although fibreoptic intubation has proved to be extremely useful in difficult intubations, there are a number of situations where fibreoptic intubation is not possible.