Cross-sectional study of population-specific streptococcal antibody titres in Uganda

ObjectiveDespite substantial variation of streptococcal antibody titres among global populations, there is no data on normal values in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to establish normal values for antistreptolysin O (ASO) and antideoxyribonuclease B (ADB) antibodies in Uganda.DesignThis was an observational cross-sectional study.SettingThis study was conducted at Mulago National Referral Hospital, which is located in the capital city, Kampala, and includes the Uganda Heart Institute.PatientsParticipants (aged 0–50 years) were recruited. Of 428 participants, 22 were excluded from analysis, and 183 (44.4%) of the remaining were children aged 5–15 years.Main outcome measuresASO was measured in-country by nephelometric technique. ADB samples were sent to Australia (PathWest) for analysis by enzyme inhibition assay: 80% upper limit values were established.ResultsThe median ASO titre in this age group was 220 IU/mL, with the 80th percentile value of 389 IU/mL. The median ADB titre in this age group was 375 IU/mL, with the 80th percentile value of 568 IU/mL.ConclusionsThe estimated Ugandan paediatric population standardised 80% upper-limit-of-normal ASO and ADB titres is higher than many global populations. Appropriateness of using population-specific antibody cutoffs is yet to be determined and has important implications for the sensitivity and specificity of rheumatic fever diagnosis.

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COVID-19 Mortality in Women and Men in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross Sectional Study

10.1101/2021.07.31.21261422 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jyoti Dalal ◽

Isotta Triulzi ◽

Ananthu James ◽

Benedict Nguimbis ◽

Gabriela Guizzo Dri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Public Health Response ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Credible Intervals ◽

Sub Saharan

Objective: To investigate differences of COVID-19 related mortality among women and men across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from the beginning of the pandemic. Design: A cross sectional study. Setting: Data from 20 member nations of the WHO African region until September 1, 2020. Participants: 69,580 cases of COVID-19, stratified by sex (men, n=43071; women, n=26509) and age (0-39 years, n=41682; 40-59 years, n=20757; 60+ years, n=7141). Main outcome measures: We computed the SSA- and country-specific case fatality rates (CFRs) and sex-specific CFR differences across various age groups, using a Bayesian approach. Results: A total of 1,656 (2.4% of total cases reported; 1656/69580) deaths were reported, with men accounting for 1168/1656 (70.5%) of total deaths. In SSA, women had a lower CFR than men (mean CFR<diff> = -0.9%; 95% credible intervals -1.1% to -0.6%). The mean CFR estimates increased with age, with the sex-specific CFR differences being significant among those aged 40 or more (40-59 age-group: mean CFR<diff> = -0.7%; 95% credible intervals -1.1% to -0.2%; 60+ age-group: mean CFR<diff> = -3.9%; 95% credible intervals -5.3% to -2.4%). At the country level, seven of the twenty SSA countries reported significantly lower CFRs among women than men overall. Moreover, corresponding to the age-specific datasets, significantly lower CFRs in women than men were observed in the 60+ age-group in seven countries and 40-59 age-group in one country. Conclusions: Sex and age are important predictors of COVID-19 mortality. Countries should prioritize the collection and use of sex-disaggregated data to understand the evolution of the pandemic. This is essential to design public health interventions and ensure that policies promote a gender sensitive public health response.

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Study of treatment outcome of tuberculosis among HIV co-infected patients: a cross sectional study in Aurangabad city, Maharashtra

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20175163 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (12) ◽

pp. 4466 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Prashant D. Warkari ◽

Mahavir P. Nakel ◽

Swati M. Mahajan ◽

Sangita A. Adchitre

Keyword(s):

Treatment Outcome ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Rapid Progression ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Hiv Status ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Important Conclusion

Background: Tuberculosis is the most common presenting illness among people living with HIV, including those who are taking anti-retroviral treatment. There were an estimated 1.2 million HIV positive new TB cases globally in 2014. Around 74% of these infected people live in sub-Saharan Africa. Aim and objectives were to study the treatment outcome of tuberculosis among HIV co-infected patients; to assess the outcome of TB treatment in TB patients with respect to their HIV status and to study the underlying factors influencing the outcome rates. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed and conducted in Municipal Corporation area, Aurangabad. For this study, HIV co-infected patients registered at city Tuberculosis Centre, Aurangabad were noted and thus information only on TB-HIV status of patients was collected. Results: In this study majority of the study participants were in the age group between 35 and 49 years (45.98%); which is in the reproductive age group. HIV-TB co-infected in this region was mostly males (60.92%). Conclusions: Important conclusion of the study is that very few patients got cured off TB among TB-HIV co-infected patients. One of the reasons could be immunosuppression of HIV patients make them vulnerable for getting active TB and its rapid progression. All the rates i.e. death, default & transfer rate are all above the standard rate i.e. 5% as per RNTCP guidelines.

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Suicidal Death Autopsy Analysis at Dhaka Medical College

Bangladesh Medical Journal ◽

10.3329/bmj.v40i1.9957 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 18-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

MN Hossain ◽

Z Rahman ◽

S Akhter

Keyword(s):

Forensic Medicine ◽

Causes Of Death ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical College ◽

Autopsy Report ◽

Common Causes ◽

Suicidal Death

A cross sectional study was carried out at the department of Forensic Medicine in Dhaka Medical College during the period of January 2008 to December 2009. Data were collected from 3rd copy of the post mortem reports which were preserved in the department of Forensic Medicine with the verbal consent of the doctors who performed autopsy report. During this period total 5114 autopsies were conducted. Out of this 970 cases (19%) were suicidal in nature. It was noticed that all suicidal deaths occurred from 10 years to all age group respectively, but top amongst age group of suicidal deaths occurred in between 21 to 30 years of people. Suicidal deaths are more common in female than male. Suicidal deaths due to hanging is highest, next common causes of death due to organophosphorus compund poisoning. Suicidal deaths by hanging is more in female than male but in poisoning cases male are more lvictimised than female. Objectives of our study are to see the occurrence and methods of suicidal death. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v40i1.9957 BMJ 2011; 40(1): 18-21

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End Organ Damage in Hypertensive Geriatric Age Group: A Cross Sectional Study

Journal of Medical Research and Innovation ◽

10.15419/jmri.75 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 10-16

Author(s):

Prakashkumar Kyada ◽

Kunal Jadhav ◽

T. K. Biswas ◽

Varshil Mehta ◽

Sojib Bin Zaman

Keyword(s):

Ventricular Hypertrophy ◽

Organ Damage ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Isolated Systolic Hypertension ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

End Organ Damage ◽

Common Risk Factors

Objective: Hypertension is one of the common risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases/disorders A developing country like India faces the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases; of the which, hypertension is the most important treatable cause of mortality and morbidity with loss of functional capacity and decline in the quality of life. Aim: To study the prevalence of end organ damage in the hypertensive geriatric age group. Method: The present study was a cross sectional study, conducted in 150 elderly patients admitted in MGM Hospital, Navi Mumbai, India with the diagnosis of stage I or II hypertension from 2011 to 2013. Results: Data analysis of the present study showed that 68% of elderly population aged between 60 to 69 years were suffering from hypertension. Compared to males, females had a higher rate of target organ damage. This study found that out of all patients with total end organ damage, 54.6 % had CVS complications, 15.7 % had hypertensive retinopathy, 25.9 % and 18.51 had raised creatinine and proteinuria respectively. 19.4 % had cerebrovascular accident (CVA) complications. Among Cardiovascular related complications Coronary artery disease (CAD) was found in 21 patients, out of them 7 had Congestive cardiac Failure (CCF). Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH) was the most common complication and seen in 38 patients. 13.8 % patients had Regional Wall Motion Abnormality (RWMA) Conclusion: The present study concluded that Isolated Systolic Hypertension (ISH) is the commonest type of hypertension in geriatric age group. This study concluded that the most common risk factors of HTN in the elderly are sedentary life style, dyslipidemia and extra salt intake while the most common end organ damage was observed to be Left Ventricular Hypertrophy followed by renal dysfunction. Keywords: Hypertension, Isolated Systolic Hypertension, Dyslipidemia.

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HIGH PREVALENCE OF MALNUTRITON AND WORM INFECTION AMONG VAN KIEU AND PAKOH CHILDREN AGED 12-36 MONTHS IN DAKRONG DISTRICT, QUANG TRI PROVINCE

Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy ◽

10.34071/jmp.2012.5.16 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 129-134

Author(s):

Thi Lan Tran ◽

Thi Huong Le ◽

Xuan Ninh Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Age Group ◽

Infection Status ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Group Recommendation ◽

Related Factors ◽

Normal Children ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Very High

Objectives: Assess the nutritional status, worm infection status and some related factors among children aged 12-36 months of Dakrong district, Quang Tri province. Subject and method: A cross sectional study was carried out in 2010, in 680 children aged 12-36 months in 4 communes of Dakrong district, Quang Tri province. Results: The malnutrition rate was 55.0% for underweight, 66.5% for stunting and 16.2% for wasting. The prevalence of malnutrition increases by age group. The prevalence of worm infection was 31.6%, the highest prevalence was belong to Ascaris infection (24.6%), followed by Hookworm and Trichuris (6.5% and 6.2%, respectively). The prevalence of worm infection among children under two is very high (27.0%). The prevalence of worm infection was distributed quite equally between the malnutrition children group and normal children group. Recommendation: Early deworming forchildren from 12 months should be considered as important strategy against the malnutrition of children in Dakrong district, Quang Tri province

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PREVALENCE OF VARIOUS MENSTRUAL DISORDERS AMONG FEMALES OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE-GROUP OF KASHMIR: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

International Journal of Advanced Research ◽

10.21474/ijar01/1223 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (8) ◽

pp. 348-354

Author(s):

Dr.Sheema Samreen ◽

Dr.Muzamil Hassan ◽

Dr.GhulamHassan Khatana ◽

Dr.Ambrine Ashraf

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Menstrual Disorders ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Reproductive Age Group

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Perfil Epidemiológico de Pacientes Renais Crônicos em Tratamento Conservador em um Hospital Escola do Sul de Minas/ Epidemiological Profile of Chronic Renal Failure Patients on Conservative Treatment in a Hospital in Southern School of Minas

REVISTA CIÊNCIAS EM SAÚDE ◽

10.21876/rcsfmit.v4i4.268 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 49-60

Author(s):

Camila Dorilêo Negretti ◽

Pablo Girardeli Mendonça Mesquita ◽

Nilo César do Vale Baracho

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Conservative Treatment ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Control Programs ◽

Keywords Epidemiology ◽

Epidemiological Profile ◽

Grade Iii

Objetivo: Determinar o perfil epidemiológico dos pacientes com Doença Renal Crônica em tratamento conservador no ambulatório do Hospital Escola de Itajubá. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo descritivo, de corte transversal, de abordagem quantitativa. Realizado com 171 pacientes atendidos em tratamento conservador no ambulatório de nefrologia no período de janeiro de 2012 a dezembro de 2013. A coleta objetivou caracterizar idade, sexo, raça, estado civil e procedência. Também foram avaliados dados do primeiro atendimento como: valores de ureia e creatinina, o grau de DRC, a etiologia e o número de retorno. Resultados: Dos doentes renais crônicos avaliados, 50,3% eram do sexo masculino, 88% da raça branca, 54,4% casados e a maioria (70,8%) possuía faixa etária prevalente >60 anos. A maioria dos atendidos, 98,5% pertence a microrregião de referência. Quanto a dados de primeira consulta, o diabetes mellitus foi a principal etiologia (38%). Os valores de ureia e creatinina acima da referência preconizada foi observado na maioria dos pacientes e o grau III de DRC em 31% dos casos. O número médio de retornos após a primeira consulta foi de três retornos em 25,13% dos pacientes. Conclusão: A pesquisa permitiu o conhecimento do perfil epidemiológico dos portadores de DRC em tratamento conservador. Os achados reforçam a necessidade de implementação de políticas voltadas para promoção e prevenção à saúde com divulgação de mais programas de controle para minimizar o surgimento de novos casos da DRC. Palavras-chave: Epidemiologia. Doença Renal Crônica. Tratamento. ABSTRACT.Objective: Determine the epidemiological profile of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) on conservative treatment at the Hospital Escola de Itajubá. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study of quantitative approach. It was conducted with 171 patients who were treated in conservative treatment at the nephrology clinic from January 2012 to December 2013. The collection aimed to characterize age, sex, race, marital status and origin. We also evaluated data from the first service as: urea and creatinine values, the degree of CKD the etiology and the number of return. Results: Among the chronic renal patients evaluated, 50.3% were male, 88% Caucasian, 54.4% were married and the majority (70.8%) was the most prevalent age group> 60 years. Most of the patients 98.5% belong to micro region of reference. As the first appointment data, diabetes mellitus was the major cause (38%). The urea and creatinine values above the recommended reference was observed in the majority of patients and the DRC grade III in 31% of cases. The average number of returns after the fisrt visit was three return in 25.13% of patients. Conclusion: The research gave us the knowledge of the epidemiological profile of patients with CKD on dialysis. The findings reinforce the need to implement policies for health promotion and prevention with more disclosure of control programs to minimize the appearance of new cases of CKD. Keywords: Epidemiology. Chronic Kidney Disease.Treatment.

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Maternal healthcare utilsation and complete childhood vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional study of 29 nationally representative surveys

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045992 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. e045992

Author(s):

Eugene Budu ◽

Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽

Richard Gyan Aboagye ◽

Ebenezer Kwesi Armah-Ansah ◽

Abdul-Aziz Seidu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Utilisation ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Childhood Vaccination ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Service Utilisation ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Maternal Healthcare ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sub Saharan

ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to examine the association between maternal healthcare utilisation and complete childhood vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa.DesignOur study was a cross-sectional study that used pooled data from 29 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.ParticipantsA total of 60 964 mothers of children aged 11–23 months were included in the study.Outcome variablesThe main outcome variable was complete childhood vaccination. The explanatory variables were number of antenatal care (ANC) visits, assistance during delivery and postnatal care (PNC).ResultsThe average prevalence of complete childhood vaccination was 85.6%, ranging from 67.0% in Ethiopia to 98.5% in Namibia. Our adjusted model, children whose mothers had a maximum of three ANC visits were 56% less likely to have complete vaccination, compared with those who had at least four ANC visits (adjusted OR (aOR)=0.44, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.46). Children whose mothers were assisted by traditional birth attendant/other (aOR=0.43, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.56) had lower odds of complete vaccination. The odds of complete vaccination were lower among children whose mothers did not attend PNC clinics (aOR=0.26, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.29) as against those whose mothers attended.ConclusionThe study found significant variations in complete childhood vaccination across countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Maternal healthcare utilisation (ANC visits, skilled birth delivery, PNC attendance) had significant association with complete childhood vaccination. These findings suggest that programmes, interventions and strategies aimed at improving vaccination should incorporate interventions that can enhance maternal healthcare utilisation. Such interventions can include education and sensitisation, reducing cost of maternal healthcare and encouraging male involvement in maternal healthcare service utilisation.

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Community Pharmacists’ Practice, Awareness, and Beliefs about Drug Disposal in Saudi Arabia

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9070823 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 823

Author(s):

Sultan Alghadeer ◽

Mohammed N. Al-Arifi

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Environmental Damage ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Take Back ◽

Medication Disposal

The awareness among Saudi people regarding the good and safe practice of drug disposal is fairly low. Community pharmacists’ potential toward drugs disposal directions and practice are not emphasized enough. Therefore, a cross sectional study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to evaluate the practice, awareness and beliefs of community pharmacists about disposal of unused drugs. Out of 360 subjects who participated in the study, more than 70% returned the unused drugs to the pharmaceutical distributors. Around 80% of the participants confirmed the risk of environmental damage due to the inappropriate disposal of drugs, and 87.5% of them held themselves responsible for preventing such risk. Approximately 85% of surveyed pharmacists believed community pharmacies to be an appropriate location for the collection of unused drugs. There was no significant association between the community pharmacists’ age group and years of practice as community pharmacists with either the awareness of unused medication disposal on environmental hazards, or the beliefs about the appropriate location for collecting unused drugs (p > 0.05). The awareness and proactive accountable responsibility, along with community pharmacists’ belief of appointing pharmacies to collect unused drugs, strongly support the institution of drug take-back programs.

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