scholarly journals Hematologic Abnormalities in Treatment-naïve HIV Patients

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. IDRT.S6033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akinsegun Akinbami ◽  
Olajumoke Oshinaike ◽  
Titilope Adeyemo ◽  
Adewunmi Adediran ◽  
Owolabi Dosunmu ◽  
...  

Objectives Hematologic abnormalities, indicated by a deranged full blood count, are common manifestations and important prognostic tools for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and AIDS. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cytopenia and its relationship to the degree of immunosupression in HIV treatment-naïve patients. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of treatment-naïve HIV-infected clients who enrolled at the HIV clinic of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) between December 2009 and June 2010. Participants had samples taken for full blood count and CD4 counts, which are free routine pre-requisite and pre-treatment evaluations done for all registered HIV patients at LASUTH. They were asked to fill the structured questionnaires to obtain demographic data, with assistance if necessary. Results A total of 205 cases were reviewed: 24.2% had anemia (PCV < 30%), 26.8% had leucopenia (white blood cell <4,000/L) and 16.1% had thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150,000/L) at enrollment. The degree of cytopenia was directly related to the degree of immunosupression. Conclusion About one-fifth of HIV treatment-naïve patients were cytopenic at enrollment and the degree of cytopenia was directly related to the degree of immunosupression. It is necessary to investigate various causes of cytopenia in these patients so as to administer a specific intervention.


2020 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Camara ◽  
M.S. Sow ◽  
A. Touré ◽  
F.B. Sako ◽  
I. Camara ◽  
...  

Abstract Anxiety and depression continue to be significant comorbidities for people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression disorder among HIV patients at Conakry, Guinea. In this cross-sectional study, we described socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial data related to anxiety and depression in 160 HIV patients of the University Teaching Hospital, Conakry, Guinea. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used for measuring depression and anxiety in the prior month. The HADS score of ⩾8 was used to identify possible cases of depression and anxiety. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. The prevalence of comorbid depression and anxiety among HIV patients was 8.1% and the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among HIV-infected patients was 13.8% and 16.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that individuals having BMI ⩽ 18 (AOR = 3.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37–9.57) and who did not receive antiretroviral treatment (AOR = 18.93, 95% CI 1.88–188.81) were significantly more likely to have depressive symptoms. Similarly, having age <40 years (AOR = 2.81, 95% CI 1.04–7.58) was also significantly associated with anxiety. Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression was high in these HIV patients. This suggests a need for training on the screening and management of anxiety and depression among HIV patients.



2021 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Badawy A. Abd Elraheem ◽  
Ahmed S. Bayoumy ◽  
Mohamed S. El-Faramawy ◽  
Nasr Eldeen M. Aly ◽  
Ayman A. El-Badry

Abstract Background Diagnosis of schistosomiasis depends mainly on stool or urine microscopy for Schistosoma egg detection as well as immunoassays. The low sensitivity of these conventional tests makes molecular detection the diagnostic method of choice. The study aimed to detect the molecular prevalence of urine schistosomiasis and evaluate microscopic examination vs. PCR technique for detection of Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium) in urine of patients with suggestive symptoms or previous history of urine schistosomiasis coming from endemic regions. Results This cross-sectional study was performed on eighty patients attending the urology clinic of Sohag University Teaching Hospital from August 2016 to July 2018. Socio-demographic data and clinical data were collected. Urine samples from all study individuals were collected and examined microscopically for S. haematobium eggs as well as detection of S. haematobium DNA of using PCR assay. Microscopic examination and PCR were positive among (68.8%) and (87.5%) of cases, respectively. There was 60% agreement between microscopy and molecular assay. Microscopy was a good test to rule in cases of urine schistosomiasis, with 100% specificity and 100% PPV, but was of limited sensitivity (NPV = 40%) and missed 12.5% of positive cases. Among studied patient variables, only hematuria showed association with urine schistosomiasis with statistical significance. Conclusion Urine schistosomiasis was highly prevalent in studied population. Considering the high sensitivity and specificity of PCR, it should be implemented as the test of choice, especially in chronic urinary schistosomiasis with low infection setting. In our study population, patients presenting hematuria were likely to have S. haematobium.



2016 ◽  
Vol 86 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 242-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genc Burazeri ◽  
Jolanda Hyska ◽  
Iris Mone ◽  
Enver Roshi

Abstract.Aim: To assess the association of breakfast skipping with overweight and obesity among children in Albania, a post-communist country in the Western Balkans, which is undergoing a long and difficult political and socioeconomic transition towards a market-oriented economy. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was carried out in Albania in 2013 including a representative sample of 5810 children aged 7.0 – 9.9 years (49.5% girls aged 8.4 ± 0.6 years and 51.5% boys aged 8.5 ± 0.6 years; overall response rate: 97%). Children were measured for height and weight, and body mass index (BMI) calculated. Cut-off BMI values of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) were used to define overweight and obesity in children. Demographic data were also collected. Results: Upon adjustment for age, sex, and place of residence, breakfast skipping was positively related to obesity (WHO criteria: OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.3–1.9; IOTF criteria: OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.5), but not overweight (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9–1.3 and OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9–1.4, respectively). Furthermore, breakfast skipping was associated with a higher BMI (multivariable-adjusted OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02–1.07). Conclusions: Our findings point to a strong and consistent positive relationship between breakfast skipping and obesity, but not overweight, among children in this transitional southeastern European population. Future studies in Albania and other transitional settings should prospectively examine the causal role of breakfast skipping in the development of overweight and obesity.



2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon Hambisa ◽  
Rediet Feleke ◽  
Ameha Zewudie ◽  
Mohammed Yimam

Background:: Rational drug use comprises aspects of prescribing, dispensing and patient use of medicines for different health problems. This study is aimed to assess drug prescribing practice based on the world health organization prescribing indicators in Mizan-Tepi University teaching hospital. Methods:: An institutional based retrospective cross sectional study was conducted to evaluate prescribing practices in Mizan-Tepi University teaching hospital. Data were collected based on World health organization drug use indicators using prescription papers. 600 prescriptions dispensed through the general outpatient pharmacy of the hospital were collected by systematic random sampling method from prescriptions written for a 1-year time in Mizan-Tepi University teaching hospital. Results:: The present study found that the average number of drugs per prescription was 2.04 ± 0.87 in Mizan-Tepi University teaching hospital with a range between 1 and 5. Prescribing by generic name was 97.6 % and 47.8% of prescriptions contained antibiotics in the hospital. 27.7% of prescriptions contained at least one injectable medication in Mizan-Tepi University teaching hospital. From prescribed drugs, 96.7% of them were prescribed from Ethiopian essential drug list. Conclusion:: Present study indicated that the average number of drugs prescribed per encounter, the percentage of generic prescribing and prescribing from the EDL were close to optimal value. However, the percentage of encounters with antibiotics and injections prescribed were found be very high. Thus, the study highlights some improvements in prescribing habits, particularly by focusing on the inappropriate consumption of antibiotics and injections.



2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huailiang Wu ◽  
Weiwei Sun ◽  
Hanqing Chen ◽  
Yanxin Wu ◽  
Wenjing Ding ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pregnant women experience physical, physiological, and mental changes. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a relevant indicator of psychological and physical behaviours, changing over the course of pregnancy. This study aims to assess HRQoL of pregnant women during different stages of pregnancy. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed using the The EuroQoL Group’s five-dimension five-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) to assess the HRQoL of pregnant women, and demographic data were collected. This study was conducted in a regional university hospital in Guangzhou, China. Results A total of 908 pregnant women were included in this study. Pregnant women in the early 2nd trimester had the highest HRQoL. The HRQoL of pregnant women rose from the 1st trimester to the early 2nd trimester, and dropped to the bottom at the late 3rd trimester due to some physical and mental changes. Reports of pain/discomfort problem were the most common (46.0%) while self-care were the least concern. More than 10% of pregnant women in the 1st trimester had health-related problems in at least one dimension of whole five dimensions. In the whole sample, the EuroQoL Group’s visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) was 87.86 ± 9.16. Across the gestational stages, the HRQoL remained stable during the pregnancy but the highest value was observed in the 1st trimester (89.65 ± 10.13) while the lowest was in the late 3rd trimester (87.28 ± 9.13). Conclusions During pregnancy, HRQoL were associated with gestational trimesters in a certain degree. HRQoL was the highest in the early 2nd trimester and then decreased to the lowest in the late 3rd trimester due to a series of physical and psychological changes. Therefore, obstetric doctors and medical institutions should give more attention and care to pregnant women in the late 3rd trimester.



2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 508.2-509
Author(s):  
K. Maatallah ◽  
H. Boussaa ◽  
H. Riahi ◽  
H. Ferjani ◽  
M. Habechi ◽  
...  

Background:Foot disease is a common problem in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therapeutic decisions are often based on clinical examination (CE) alone, which can be adversely affected by factors such as deformity, obesity, and peripheral edema. Ultrasonography (US) has previously been shown to be more sensitive than CE for detecting synovitis and tenosynovitis in RA forefeet, but few data exist for the hindfoot and ankle.Objectives:The aim of this study was to compare CE and US for the detection of hindfoot and ankle synovitis and tenosynovitis in patients with established RA.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study including patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010). Demographic data and disease parameters were collected. CE was performed by a rheumatologist for the presence or absence of tenderness, swelling, and mobility restriction of both ankles. The following tendons were examined for tenosynovitis: tibialis anterior (TA) and posterior (TP), fibularis longus (FL), and brevis (FB) (assessed together). In a second time, US examination of the tibiotalar, talonavicular, and subtalar joints and the same tendons as CE was performed by a blinded radiologist experienced in musculoskeletal imaging using a Philips HD11 device with a high-frequency linear transducer. The presence or absence of synovitis and tenosynovitis was recorded, and the composite synovitis score (power doppler / grayscale ultrasound (PDUS)) was measured for each joint. The US score of each patient was defined by the sum of the composite scores of the joints studied (0-30). A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.Results:Sixty-two feet were examined in 31 RA patients (25 women and six men) with a mean age of 54.8±10.8 years old [32-70]. The mean disease duration was 8.5±7.2 years [1-37]. Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and Anti-Citrullinated Peptides Antibodies (ACPA) were positive in 61.3% and 83.8% of cases. The mean DAS28 ESR was 3.8±1.5 [0.6-7].Clinical examination of ankles revealed tenderness in 57.4% of cases, swelling in 38.8% of cases, and restriction in the range of motion in 11.1% of cases. TA tenosynovitis was noted in 14.8% of cases, TP tenosynovitis in 22.2% of cases, and FL and FB tenosynovitis in 31.5% of cases.US showed tibiotalar synovitis in 59.3% of cases, talonavicular synovitis in 64.8% of cases, and subtalar synovitis in 46.3% of cases. TA tenosynovitis was noted in 5.6% of cases, TP tenosynovitis in 22.2% of cases, and FB and FL tenosynovitis in 25% and 11.1% of cases respectively.An association was found between clinical tenderness and US synovitis of the tibiotalar joint (p=0.013) and the talonavicular joint (p=0.027). No association was noted between clinical swelling and US synovitis in these joints.No association was noted between clinical and US tenosynovitis of TA (p=0.279), TP (p=0.436), FB (p=0.495) and FL (p=0.315).Conclusion:Clinical examination of RA ankles may be challenging and needs to be coupled with US, which is more sensitive and accurate in the detection of synovitis and tenosynovitis.Disclosure of Interests:None declared



Author(s):  
Hashim A. Mahdi ◽  
Hamza M. Assaggaf ◽  
Mohammad Alfelali ◽  
Omar B. Ahmed ◽  
Radi Alsafi ◽  
...  

This study aimed to assess hand hygiene knowledge, perception, and practices of visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque in Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia. Using a self-administered electronic questionnaire, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among domestic residents, who visited the mosque between 31 July and 3 August 2020. Participants’ demographic data, hand hygiene knowledge, perception, and practices were collected. Four hundred participants aged 18–65 (median 36) years completed the survey, of which 215 (53.8%) were female. The visitors’ mean knowledge score about hand hygiene was 6.4 (± standard deviation (SD) 1.35) of total 12. Most participants (392, 98%) were aware of the role of hand hygiene in preventing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); nevertheless, 384 (96%) said hand hygiene lowers body immunity and 316 (79%) thought <60% alcohol is sufficient for hand disinfection. Males had a higher knowledge score than females (6.46 (±1.41) vs. 6.14 (±1.27), p = 0.02) and, visitors who had no formal education scored higher than those with post-graduate education (6.88 (±1.45) vs 5.73 (±1.12), p = 0.01). Washing hands with soap and water was the predominant method practiced after a meal (365, 91.7%), after toilet visit (354, 88.5%), after touching a surface (262, 65.7%), after waste disposal (332, 83.2%), and when hands were visibly dirty (357, 89.5%). Al Madinah visitors had moderate knowledge about hand hygiene, but demonstrated some knowledge gaps and negligence in practice that are crucial to curb the spread of COVID-19.



Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 594
Author(s):  
Teshome Sirak Bedaso ◽  
Buxin Han

This study aimed to examine attitude toward aging as a potential mediator of the relationship between personality factors and mental health in terms of depression and life satisfaction among older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 438 Ethiopian elderly individuals aged 60 to 69. The results of the regression-based path analysis showed that after adjusting for demographic data, the relationship between agreeableness and depression in older adults was partially mediated by attitude toward aging. Likewise, attitude toward physical change due to aging and psychological growth subscales jointly mediated the correlation between neuroticism and depression. However, a significant direct path between neuroticism and depression persisted. On the contrary, openness had no significant direct association with depression apart from an indirect through psychosocial loss. The link between life satisfaction and agreeableness as well as openness to experience were partially mediated by psychosocial loss. Therefore, a person’s attitude toward aging and personality characteristics should be taken into consideration while designing interventions for managing mental health issues among older adults.



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