Characterization of Defaulters from Tuberculosis Treatment in a Tertiary Hospital in South Eastern Nigeria

Electroencephalography (EEG) remains an important investigative tool in supporting the diagnosis and classification of various seizure types. We sought to examine and characterize the EEG findings from all patients referred for the procedure. This cross-sectional retrospective study was carried out at an EEG unit in Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Benue State, North Central Nigeria from May 2016 to December 2020. Relevant patients' information were extracted and analysed using SPSS version 21. A total of 484 patients were seen over the study period with age range of 1-87 years and median age of 23 years. They comprised of 254 (52.5%) male and 230 (47.5%) female. The psychiatrist and the Physicians/Neurologist referred most of them for EEG, 201 (41.5%) and 124 (25.6%) respectively. The most reported indication for EEG was clinical suspicion of seizure disorder 291 (60.1%), whilst some did not have a clear indication 111 (22.9%). About 417 (86.2%) of our patients had abnormal EEG finding out of which 414 (99.3%) were diagnostic of seizure disorder made up of generalized seizure in 255 (61.6%) and focal seizure in 159 (38.4%). About 237 (48.9%) of them were already on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at referral of which 190 (80.2%0 were taking carbamazepine. This study showed a high prevalence of abnormal EEG with most of them diagnostic of seizure disorder especially generalized seizure. They were mostly of younger age group with about half of them already on AEDs at referral, majority of who were sent by the Psychiatrist.

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EVALUATION OF DRUG THERAPY PROBLEMS IN ASTHMA PATIENTS RECEIVING CARE IN TWO HOSPITALS IN SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.22159/ijpps.2018v10i2.22472 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 50

Author(s):

Kosisochi Chinwendu Amorha ◽

Anthony Chukwuma Onu ◽

Chigozie Gloria Anene-okeke ◽

Chinwe Victoria Ukwe

Keyword(s):

Drug Therapy ◽

Adverse Reactions ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Medical Centre ◽

New Drugs ◽

Inappropriate Drug ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

South Eastern ◽

Asthma Patients ◽

Drug Therapy Problems

Objective: To evaluate drug therapy problems in asthma patients visiting a secondary and tertiary hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria.Methods: This study was a retrospective, cross-sectional analyses of the medical records of adult asthmatic patients receiving care in two hospitals in Enugu State, within a 15-year period. The Pharmaceutical Network Care Europe (PCNE) tool version 6.2 was used to assess drug therapy problems. The IBM Statistical Product for Services Solution (SPSS) version 20.0 was used for analysis. For all results, P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Majority of the patients were below 60 y old (81.2%); female (68.8%) and were on more than two drugs (95.3%). Majority of the identified drug therapy problems (DTPs) were adverse reactions (65.7%). The inappropriate drug combination was the major cause of DTPs (65.6%). Only about 23.4% of the intervention outcomes were known. University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) had more interventions (35.9%) than Medical Centre (8.0%) (χ2 = 6.323; df = 1; **P = 0.012); and more of the outcomes of their interventions known (38.5%) compared to Medical Centre (0.0%) (χ2 = 12.559; df = 1; **P ˂ 0.001).Conclusion: Adverse reactions and inappropriate drug selection were the major identified DTPs and major cause of DTPs, respectively. Most DTPs had no interventions. The documented interventions included stopping of the drugs, change of drugs or dosage, change of instructions for use and starting of new drugs. Most interventions had unknown outcomes. UNTH had more interventions with known outcomes than the University of Nigeria Medical Centre.

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