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Newborn jaundice (NNJ), especially due to ABO incompatibility, is a major global health concern. Phototherapy is standard treatment, with exchange transfusions reserved for severe cases. However, in some babies these therapies may be ineffective, requiring additional immunomodulatory treatments. Limited access to these treatments in developing countries creates a critical gap, worsening jaundice severity. A 22-hour old term neonate presented with rapidly progressive severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NNJ) within 15 hours of life, consistent with ABO incompatibility based on discordant maternal and infant's blood types (mother: O, baby: B-positive). Despite aggressive initial management with phototherapy and exchange transfusions, the NNJ exhibited limited improvement. Sepsis and G6PD deficiency were considered as potential contributing factors, although confirmatory testing for G6PD deficiency was deferred due to unavailability of the diagnostic test in our setting. Given a sibling's documented successful response to methylprednisolone for a similar presentation, a brief course of low-dose intravenous methylprednisolone (1mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses) (off-label use) was cautiously initiated. This resulted in a rapid and significant improvement in the neonate's hyperbilirubinemia. Methylprednisolone was prescribed for 3 days after which it was discontinued. Following close observation for 3 days and confirmation of no neurological sequelae, the neonate was discharged home in stable condition. Managing severe, worsening NNJ, especially with multiple aetiologies, is complex. Standard therapies may be inadequate. While promising, immunomodulatory therapies like IVIG may be limited in resource-poor settings. Methylprednisolone shows potential but lacks strong clinical evidence. Well-designed studies are essential to explore its safety and efficacy, particularly in developing countries with limited treatment options., Competing Interests: The authors affirm that they have no competing financial interests or personal, (Copyright © 2024 Nigerian Medical Association.)

Background: Prostate cancer mortality rates are high in Nigeria. While prostate cancer is highly curable with early detection and effective multidisciplinary management, the quality of care is suboptimal in this setting. Sustainable delivery of high-quality care for patients with localized prostate cancer is needed to save more lives. To inform future interventions to improve care, this study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators that influence prostate cancer detection and management in Nigeria., Methods: Six focus group discussions (FGDs), stratified by stakeholders were conducted with a purposive sample of prostate cancer patients (n = 19), caregivers (n = 15), and healthcare providers (n = 18), in two academic tertiary hospitals in northern and southern Nigeria. A discussion guide organized based on the socio-ecological model was used. FGDs were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using the framework technique., Results: Barriers and facilitators were identified at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Barriers to detection included limited knowledge and misperceptions among patients, caregivers, and community-based non-specialist healthcare providers, and limitations of centralized opportunistic screening; while facilitators included the potential for religious institutions to encourage positive health-seeking behaviour. Barriers to management included non-uniformity in clinical guideline usage, treatment abandonment amidst concerns about treatment and survival, absence of patient interaction platforms and follow-up support systems, difficulty in navigating service areas, low health insurance coverage and limited financial resource of patients. Facilitators of management included the availability of resource stratified guidelines for prostate cancer management and the availability of patient peers, caregivers, nurses, and medical social workers to provide correct medical information and support patient-centred services. Participants also provided suggestions that could help improve prostate cancer detection and management in Nigeria., Conclusion: This study identified multiple determinants affecting the detection and management of localized prostate cancer. These findings will inform the refinement of implementation strategies to improve the quality of prostate cancer care in Nigeria., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Elderly patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia are increasingly having minimally invasive surgeries due to their safety. There is also a drive to minimize the duration of postoperative catheterization following transurethral resection of the prostate to reduce hospital stay and encourage early ambulation. These are desirable in the elderly to improve outcomes. Can early catheter removal be done safely in the geriatrics without an increase in presentation to the emergency department with complications? We compare the emergency presentation of elderly patients who had early and delayed catheter removal following transurethral resection of the prostate., Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective review of transurethral resection of the prostate in the elderly (≥70 years) within 2 years in a single hospital. All the patients had monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate and were categorized based on the duration of postoperative catheterization as either early (third postoperative day) or delayed (> third postoperative day). The duration of catheterization was based on surgeon preference. Patients with intraoperative complications were excluded. Data on clinical presentation, comorbidities, and presentation at the emergency department were retrieved and analysed., Results: Forty-one patients were studied with the mean age of patients being 76 ± 4 years. Twenty patients had early catheter removal and 21 had delayed catheter removal. A total of nine patients presented to the emergency department within the 30-day postoperative period with either bleeding urinary retention or incontinence requiring re-catheterization, six had early catheter removal, and three had delayed catheter removal. The catheter duration, preoperative ASA status prostate volume, and preoperative indwelling catheter were not statistically significant determinants of presentation to the emergency department in these elderly men. The presence of comorbidities assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index was a statistically significant variable to presentation at the emergency department after surgery P = 0.006., Conclusion: Early catheter removal is safe in elderly patients following transurethral resection of the prostate, however, there is a risk of presentation to the emergency department with complications, especially in patients with comorbidities., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of the west African college of surgeons.)

Background: Bladder spasms due to involuntary contraction of the bladder occur frequently following Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). They may be aggravated by the presence of a catheter, blood clots, preoperative overactive bladder, or preoperative ingestion of bladder stimulants like caffeine. These bladder spams are painful, associated with peri-catheter leakage of urine, increased post-operative bleeding, and often refractory to postoperative analgesia. The incidence and risk factors for the occurrence of bladder spasms following TURP need to be reviewed and validated to ensure adequate patient counseling and possible lifestyle modification before surgery. We conducted a prospective review of the determinants of bladder spasms in our patients following TURP., Methodology: The study population was patients with benign prostatic obstruction scheduled for TURP between March 2022 and April 2023. Monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate was done using a continuous flow resectoscope. The primary endpoint of the study was occurrences of bladder spasms postoperatively before the trial without a catheter. Pain perception during the spasms was assessed using a visual analog scale. Clinical data were collected and analyzed to determine their association with the occurrence of bladder spasms postoperatively using regression analysis. Sub-group analysis was also done to correlate significant variables with the severity of pain in patients with spasms., Results: The mean age of the 80 patients reviewed was 66.9 ±8 years. Bladder spasms were seen in 41(51.2%) of the patients. The presence of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and the use of bladder stimulants were statistically significant determinants with a p-value of 0.003 and 0.026 respectively. The age of the patient, preoperative indwelling catheter, prostate volume, and resection time were not statistically determinant variables in the occurrence of bladder spasms post-operatively. 61% had severe pains and 39% had mild pains. There was no significant correlation between the presence of OAB or the use of bladder stimulants with the severity of pains in patients with bladder spasms after TURP., Conclusions: Half of the patients are likely to have bladder spasms after TURP. The risk of having these spasms is higher in patients with preoperative OAB or patients who are exposed to bladder stimulants. The severity of spasms is however independent of these risk factors., (Copyright © 2024 Nigerian Medical Association.)

Chitosan (Chs)-salicylaldehyde (Sal) polymer derivatives were formed via the reaction of Chs-Sal with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD). These polymers were synthesized through inclusion with β-CD and doping with ZnO NPs to give pseudopolyrotaxane and Chs-Sal/ZnO NPs composite, respectively, for low-temperature detection and sensing of NH 3 vapors as great significance in environmental control and human health. Additionally, the polymer (Chs-Sal/β-CD/ZnO NPs) was prepared via the insertion of generated composite (Chs-Sal/ZnO NPs) through β-cyclodextrin ring. The structural and morphological characterizations of the synthesized derivatives were confirmed by utilizing FTIR, XRD and, SEM, respectively. Also, the optical properties and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) of the synthesized polymers were explored. The obtained results confirmed that using β-CD or ZnO NPs for modification of polymer (Chs-Sal) dramatically enhanced thermal stability and optical features of the synthesized polymers. Investigations on the NH 3 -sensing properties of Chs-Sal/β-CD/ZnO NPs composite were carried out at concentrations down to 10 ppm and good response and recovery times (650 s and 350 s, respectively) at room temperature (RT) and indicated that modification by β-CD and doping with ZnO NPs effectively improves the NH 3 -sensing response of Chs-Sal from 712 to 6192 using Chs-Sal/β-CD/ZnO NPs, respectively, with low LOD and LOQ of 0.12 and 0.4 ppb, respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a single-stranded, mosquito-borne, positive-sense RNA flavivirus that causes one of the most severe encephalitides. There are treatments available for those who contact this illness; however, there are no known cures. This disease has a 30% fatality rate, and of the people who survive, 30-50% develops neurologic and psychiatric sequelae. The JE virus genome size is 10.98 kb and contains two coding DNA sequences (CDS), two genes, and 15 mature peptides; the CDS polyprotein is 10.3 kb. In this study, we used 29 genomics sequences of the JE virus reported from different countries and infecting different animals and analysed vast dimensions of the genomic annotation of JE comparatively to understand its evolutionary aspects. The extensive SNPs analysis revealed that KF907505.1, reported from Taiwan, has only three SNPs, similar to sequences reported from India. Repeat and polymorphism analyses revealed that the genome tends to be similar in most JE sequences., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2023 Biomedical Informatics.)

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious with various possible routes of transmission, resulting in high mortality globally. Controversy exists regarding the vertical transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 infection to fetuses of COVID-19-infected women. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of the vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from COVID-19-infected mothers to their neonates., Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected demographical and clinical characteristics of 31 COVID-19 positive pregnant women and their neonates. All mothers and neonates were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection using the real-time polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal swabs and breast milk samples. Antenatal and placental abnormalities were ultrasonically and histopathologically examined. In cord blood samples, the immunoglobins (Ig) M and IgG were estimated qualitatively., Results: The women's mean age and gestational age were 31 years and 38 weeks, respectively, with 58% undergoing an elective cesarean section. Gestational diabetes was reported in 29% of cases, 64.5% of women were medically free and only 16.12% were symptomatic. A normal antenatal ultrasound was observed in 77.42% of cases. Nine cord blood samples were positive for IgG. Villous infarction (24%), villous agglutination, and chorangiosis (51%), accelerated villous maturation (21%) and reduced and hypercoiling were reported for 6.97% of the umbilical cords. Three newborns had possible vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection, of which, two were preterm and IUFD. The third neonate was born full-term, admitted to NICU and later discharged in good health., Conclusion: Our findings support the possibility of the direct vertical transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 infection to neonates from infected mothers. Further studies with a larger sample size are required to validate the current findings.

Background: Ureteric injuries are not uncommon in obstetric and gynaecologic surgeries. Some specific procedures predispose to these injuries. Recognition is often delayed. This study aims to present a single-center experience on the presentation, risk factors, and management of ureteric injuries., Methodology: We retrospectively reviewed case files of patients primarily presenting or referred to our urology division with ureteric injuries following obstetrics or gynaecologic surgeries from June 2005 to May 2015. Data extracted included the time of presentation or recognition, the specific offending surgery, the laterality, and site involved, the repair performed, and outcome., Results: Twenty-three patients had injuries (with a total of 25 ureters involved owing to 2 bilateral injuries). Caesarian-section is the commonest offending surgery in 13 (56.5%). The reasons for early recognition were sudden anuria in two and urinary leakage in the operating field in four patients constituting 26.0%, while 17 (74.0%) were recognized in the post-operative period. Urinary fistulae were the commonest presentation in 13 (76.5%) patients recognized postoperatively. Transection and ligation are the commonest mechanisms of injury. The distal third was the site involved in all patients, while ureteroneocystostomy alone was the most predominant repair in 18 (72.0%). Ureteroneocystostomy with Psoas hitch and Boari flap reconstruction was offered in six (24.0%) suggesting greater than5cm ureteral loss., Conclusions: Ureteric injuries often occur following obstetrics and gynaecologic surgeries. Caesarian-section is the commonest predisposing surgery in our center. Prompt recognition and repair is recommended., (Copyright © 2021 Nigerian Medical Association.)

Livestock industry is an essential part of Pakistan's economy, and a variety of ruminants (including sheep and goats) are reared for the increasing demand of milk, meat and hide products. Haemoparasitic illnesses such as theileriosis, anaplasmosis , and babesiosis are a significant health risk for small ruminants in our country. Information regarding distribution patterns, the tick species involved and effective strategies to control tick-borne diseases (TBD) in goats and sheep of Pakistan is limited. To this end, it is required to assess the present rank of TBDs in small ruminants of Pakistan with a note on their vector ticks in order to control and identify the gaps in the knowledge of TBDs. This will recommend areas for future research and will add to the understanding of these diseases and will draw attention to the need for better-quality tools for the diagnosis and control of TBDs in small ruminants of Pakistan., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and became pandemic after emerging in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Several studies have been conducted to understand the key features of COVID-19 and its public health impact. However, the prognostic factors of COVID-19 are not well studied in the African setting. In this study, we aim to determine the epidemiological and clinical features of COVID-19 cases, immunological and virological courses, interaction with nutritional status, and response to treatment for COVID-19 patients in Ethiopia., Methods: A multi-center cohort study design will be performed. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection admitted to selected treatment centers will be enrolled irrespective of their symptoms and followed-up for 12 months. Baseline epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and imaging data will be collected from treatment records, interviews, physical measurements, and biological samples. Follow-up data collection involves treatment and prognostic outcomes to be measured using different biomarkers and clinical parameters. Data collection will be done electronically using the Open Data Kit (ODK) software package and then exported to STATA/SPSS for analysis. Both descriptive and multivariable analyses will be performed to assess the independent determinants of the treatment outcome and prognosis to generate relevant information for informed prevention and case management. The primary outcomes of this study are death/survival and viral shedding. Secondary outcomes include epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, genetic frequency shifts (genotypic variations), and nutritional status., Discussion: This is the first large prospective cohort study of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 in Ethiopia. The results will enable us to better understand the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Africa. This study will also provide useful information for effective public health measures and future pandemic preparedness and in response to outbreaks. It will also support policymakers in managing the epidemic based on scientific evidence., Trial Registration: The Protocol prospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04584424) on 30 October, 2020., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Emergency urologic conditions are relatively common, albeit rarely life threatening, there is often a need for prompt and expedient management in order to avert severe or permanent morbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the spectrum of Urologic emergencies and interventions offered in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who were managed in our institution for emergency urologic conditions over a period of 6 years (2011-2017). The data extracted included; the demographic information, diagnosis and the treatment offered. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Data were displayed using mean +/- standard deviation and percentages., Results: The records of a total of 681 patients were retrieved and they span across almost all ages with age range or 2-90 years. Urinary retention was the commonest emergency seen, accounting for 51.7% of the patients. Testicular torsion was the next most common (10%), others are bilateral ureteric obstruction and priapism with 5.4% and 5.3% respectively. Suprapubic cystostomy (SPC) was the commonest operative procedure performed (37.6%). The age range for patients with urinary retention was 3-90 years, though the peak incidence was in the 7th decade (37.3%). Patients with testicular torsion were young adults between the ages of 11 and 44 years., Conclusion: Urinary retention was the commonest urologic emergency followed by testicular torsion. Though urethral catheterization was successful in most patients urinary retention, making it the commonest procedure. SPC was the commonest emergency operative procedure performed. Other emergencies occurred sporadically., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflicts of interest., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Background: Fournier's gangrene is an infectious urological emergency with associated morbidity and varying rates of mortality in the world. Various predictors of mortality such as advancing age, Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI), anatomical extent of the disease, or presence of risk factors have been studied in the literature, though with conflicting results., Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the presentation and predictors of mortality in our environment, Nigeria., Patients and Methods: A review of medical records of all the patients managed from April 2012 to December 2018 at a tertiary referral center in Nigeria was conducted. Data on clinical presentation, FGSI, management, and outcome were retrieved and analyzed., Statistical Analysis: Descriptive studies using mean and standard deviation were used for continuous variables, Fischer's exact test was used to compare categorical variables among survivors and nonsurvivors, and logistic regression analysis was used to describe the relationships of these variables with mortality., Results: The mean age of the 31 patients was 60 ± 12 years. All were men, with 9 (29.0%) patients without clinical evidence of immunosuppression or predisposing factor (idiopathic). Fourteen (45%) had documented evidence of immunosuppression. All the patients had a polymicrobial infection; however, Escherichia coli was the most common organism cultured seen in 26 (83.9%) patients. The initial empirical antibiotic regimen of choice was a combination of intravenous ceftriaxone and metronidazole in 26 (83.8%) patients and intravenous ciprofloxacin and metronidazole in 5 (16.1%) patients. Mortality was recorded in three patients representing a rate of 9.6%. Anatomical extent of the disease, anemia requiring blood transfusion, severity of infection, and FGSI were all found to be the statistically significant variable of mortality in these patients using the Fischer exact test. Furthermore, on regression analysis only the FGSI and blood transfusion were significant with P < 0.05., Conclusion: Fournier's gangrene is a disease of the older men with a higher mortality rate when the FGSI is >9 or anemia requiring blood transfusion is present., Competing Interests: None

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly transmittable virus that continues to disrupt livelihoods, particularly those of low-income segments of society, around the world. In Ethiopia, more specifically in the capital city of Addis Ababa, a sudden increase in the number of confirmed positive cases in high-risk groups of the community has been observed over the last few weeks of the first case. Therefore, this study aims to assess knowledge, practice and associated factors that can contribute to the prevention of COVID-19 among high-risk groups in Addis Ababa., Methods: A cross-sectional in person survey (n = 6007) was conducted from 14-30 April, 2020 following a prioritization within high-risk groups in Addis Ababa. The study area targeted bus stations, public transport drivers, air transport infrastructure, health facilities, public and private pharmacies, hotels, government-owned and private banks, telecom centers, trade centers, orphanages, elderly centers, prison, prisons and selected slum areas where the people live in a crowded areas. A questionnaire comprised of four sections (demographics, knowledge, practice and reported symptoms) was used for data collection. The outcomes (knowledge on the transmission and prevention of COVID-19 and practice) were measured using four items. A multi variable logistic regression was applied with adjustment for potential confounding., Results: About half (48%, 95% CI: 46-49) of the study participants had poor knowledge on the transmission mode of COVID-19 whereas six out of ten (60%, 95% CI: 58-61) had good knowledge on prevention methods for COVID-19. The practice of preventive measures towards COVID-19 was found to be low (49%, 95% CI: 48-50). Factors that influence knowledge on COVID-19 transmission mechanisms were female gender, older age, occupation (health care and grocery worker), lower income and the use of the 8335 free call centre. Older age, occupation (being a health worker), middle income, experience of respiratory illness and religion were significantly associated with being knowledgeable about the prevention methods for COVID-19. The study found that occupation, religion, income, knowledge on the transmission and prevention of COVID-19 were associated with the practice of precautionary measures towards COVID-19., Conclusion: The study highlighted that there was moderate knowledge about transmission modes and prevention mechanisms. Similarly, there was moderate practice of measures that contribute towards the prevention of COVID-19 among these priority and high-risk communities of Addis Ababa. There is an urgent need to fill the knowledge gap in terms of transmission mode and prevention methods of COVID-19 to improve prevention practices and control the spread of COVID-19. Use of female public figures and religious leaders could support the effort towards the increase in awareness., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to diagnose urethral stricture and to determine the extent of spongiofibrosis as well as the length of stricture using sonourethrography and compare it with intraoperative findings., Patients and Methods: It was a cross sectional observational study from September 2017-August 2018. All patients who presented with urethral stricture, scheduled for urethroplasty, and consented to the study were enrolled. The extent of spongiofibrosis and length of strictures were determined at sonourethrography and subsequently at urethroplasty. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values of sonourethrography in the determination of length of stricture was done. Spearman correlation coefficient(r) was used to describe the association between the extent of spongiofibrosis found at sonourethrography and at urethroplasty., Results: A total of 84 patients were evaluated during the study period. The median age at presentation was 45years. 81% of the patients had moderate spongiofibrosis on sonourethrography. There was a significant correlation of 71.4% between the extent of spongiofibrosis on sonourethrography and at urethroplasty. In evaluation for the length of strictures, sonourethrography had a sensitivity of 84.6% specificity of 82.7%, PPV of 68.7% and NPV 92.3%., Conclusion: Sonourethrography is a valuable tool in the evaluation of urethral strictures. Its radiation free readily available even in resource-poor settings and gives a good evaluation of extent of spongiofibrosis as well as the length of strictures. It's use in the preoperative evaluation of strictures may improve the outcome of the management of strictures., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Urology Annals.)

Background: Tuberculosis is said to be one of the prevalent opportunistic infections and the leading cause of death among people living with human immunodeficiency virus. Although isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) is thought to reduce the incidence of TB in HIV patients, its implementation has faced many obstacles. This study was concerned with the assessment of the outcome of IPT among people living with HIV who were on follow-up at Dessie referral Hospital (DRH), Northeast, Ethiopia., Methods: A retrospective study of medical records of 220 patients, who were enrolled at Dessie Referral Hospital from January 10/2016 to December 11/2018, were conducted from March 23/2019 to April 6/2019. A systematic random sampling method was used to select the samples for the study, and a data abstraction format was used to capture the data. All data were entered, cleared and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Chi-square test was used to identify the association of outcome between the two IPT groups, and P-value <0.05 was considered as statistical significance., Results: The total TB prevalence in this study was 25 (11.36%). The occurrence of TB in the IPT group was 9(4.09%) and 16 (7.27%) for the non-IPT group but not statistically significant (p=0.137). From the study, about 40.9% of patients developed opportunistic infections. Of these, 62.81% and 37.18% of opportunistic infections were developed among patients in the non-IPT and the IPT groups, respectively (p=0.002), which were statistically significant, and the IPT completion rate was 61.81%., Conclusion: Although the current study showed that the IPT had not significantly reduced the prevalence of TB between IPT and the non-IPT group, the IPT has shown to significantly reduce the prevalence of opportunistic infections., Competing Interests: The authors would like to report they have no conflicts of interest in this study., (© 2020 Mengesha and Ahmed.)

Introduction: Health-care research in Nigeria has been growing over the years but is constrained by many difficulties. This study aimed to identify the challenges encountered in health-care research and suggest policies to address these problems., Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study of medical doctors who have been involved in health-related researches. All participants filled a self-administered online questionnaire comprising 31 questions in five sections. The responses were analyzed using the Google forms and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23., Results: The mean age of the study participants was 41.0 ± 8.4 years. Three-quarters of the respondents (75.5%) worked in teaching hospitals. Nearly all (96.6%) carried out their studies using personal funds and only one in 10 had been involved in high-budget projects (≥₦1,000,000). The generation of quality researches was impeded by the restriction of literature review to free online journals (93.2%), incomplete health records (88.0%), limited access to research kits (65.7%), limited use of advanced statistical analysis (29.8%), and challenges with obtaining ethical approval (21.2%). Despite the average online visibility of these researches (52.2%), only 28.5% stated that it has been locally adopted to influence medical practice in their center., Conclusion: There is a wide disparity in research capacity among hospital tiers. It is important to leverage on and expand existing partnerships to provide institutional access to premium literature, offer robust, and assessable financial support for the conduct of high-quality researches and provide a framework to bridge the gap in the use of these works to influence practice change in Nigeria., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Nigerian Medical Journal.)

Background: The presentation and management of the recurrent urethral stricture varies and depends largely on the initial treatment and the characteristics of the recurrent stricture. What are the likely determinants of recurrence?, Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective review of all patients who had urethroplasties from January 2013 to December 2017 for anterior urethral strictures in our institution. Patients with a recurrence of the strictures were identified and reviewed, while patients with hypospadias and posterior urethral stenosis or contractures were excluded from the study. The etiology, length, site, and type of urethroplasties were evaluated as variables that may contribute to the recurrence of strictures using inferential statistics and logistic regression analysis. Time to recurrence was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: A total of 206 urethroplasties for anterior urethral strictures were evaluated with recurrence of strictures noted in 29 patients and a recurrence rate of 14.1%. Recurrence was higher in long-segment strictures, penobulbar strictures, and postinflammatory strictures. Pedicle flaps were used in 45% of the strictures that reoccurred. Using Chi-square, the length, site, of urethroplasties were statistically significant determinants of recurrence; however, only the site of stricture was found to be statistically significant following logistic regression analysis. The site of recurrence was in the bulbar urethra in 79% and the penile urethra in 21%. The choice of treatment of the recurrent strictures was anastomotic urethroplasty in 76.5%. The mean time to failure in this study was 13 months with a range of 6-120 months., Conclusion: In this study, the site of stricture was found to be the most determinant of stricture recurrence, with penobulbar strictures mostly implicated. Long-segment strictures were also noted to contribute to some extent in recurrence. These recurrent strictures were mostly short-segment strictures in the bulbar urethra which were amenable to excision and anastomosis to achieve cure., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Nigerian Journal of Surgery.)

Objectives: To determine the frequency of impaired fasting glucose in first degree relatives of people with Type-II diabetes and its association with BMI., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Diabetic clinic of Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore from July to December 2017. Individuals aged ≥35 years, first degree relatives of people with Type-II diabetes, were selected and their fasting blood glucose levels were checked twice a week apart. Study participants were divided into 3 groups. Group-I were those with normal fasting blood glucose (FBS: <100mg/dl), Group-II were those with impaired fasting glucose (100-125mg/dl), considered as high risk and Group-III included those who turned out to be having frank diabetes (FBS: ≥126mg/dl). Exclusion criteria were known diabetes and pregnancy. Proportions of impaired fasting glucose levels versus BMI were compared using Chi-square test. Significance was considered at P <0.001., Results: A total of hundred subjects were included in the study with the mean age of 44.27 years. Sixty percent participants had normal FBS, 31% showed impaired FBS and 09% had frank diabetes (P <0.001). Significant association was found between impaired fasting glucose and BMI, as with increasing BMI the frequency of impaired fasting glucose increases., Conclusion: First-degree relatives of people with Type-II diabetes showed higher frequency of impaired fasting glucose and obesity was an important risk factor., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

Ticks are important parasites from economic and public health points of view because of their ability to reduce farm animals' productivity and transmit zoonotic diseases. We conducted this cross-sectional study between January and March 2016 and between March and April 2017 to identify tick species in West Darfur, Al-Jazeera, and the River Nile states in the Sudan and to investigate whether these ticks carry Rickettsia spp. and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus. In total, 1593 ticks were collected from 207 animals and identified based on morphology or 16S rRNA gene and tested for Rickettsia spp. and CCHF virus either individually or as pools containing 2 to 10 pooled ticks using molecular methods. Overall, 14 tick species belonging to three genera, namely Amblyomma, Hyalomma, and Rhipicephalus, were identified. Hyalomma anatolicum and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi were the most frequent ticks. A total of 561 tests comprised of individual or pooled ticks were conducted and 13.7% (77/561) were positive for Rickettsia spp. which were mostly Rickettsia aeschlimannii and R. africae. The highest positivity was noticed among H. rufipes collected from cattle and camels in West Darfur. However, none of the screened Hyalomma ticks harbored CCHF viral RNA. These findings suggest that there might be a risk of zoonotic transmission of Rickettsia spp. by ticks but zoonotic transmission of CCHF virus is apparently doubtful. An in-depth and a country-wide epidemiological study is needed to better understand the dynamic of Rickettsia spp. and CCHF virus in the Sudan.

Excessive pushing and valsalva during labour is associated with subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum during labour and post partum. Although rare but is a potentially serious complication that must be identified and managed appropriately to avoid its rare consequence called malignant pneumomediastinum, requiring surgical intervention. A 30 year old, primigravida, presented to a tertiary care hospital with complaints of shortness of breath of 4 days duration after a normal vaginal delivery. CT chest showed bilateral consolidation and pneumomediastinum. She was managed conservatively with supportive measures and was clinically stable before being discharged on request to a nearby health facility. On follow up complete resolution of pneumomediastinum was reported. Recognition of post partum pneumomediastinum, its presentation and associated complications need to be acknowledged in a teriary care hospital, with proper management. Although the condition is rare, but in subsequent pregnancies physicians need to be cautious, and instrumental delivery or caesarean section may be considered to avoid excessive valsalva. No definite evidence of recurrence has been proven.

Background: Medical tourism is a fast-growing business worldwide with almost every country involved as either a provider and/or consumer. The degree of participation may vary depending on the status of health-care system in that country. This study aims to present our experience in the management of patients who sought urologic care abroad or returned from medical tourism with urologic complications., Methods: The method of study was based on the documentation of interaction with patients, patients' relations and their agents in a questionnaire between January 2010 and December 2015. The data obtained included, their demographics, indications/motivations for seeking treatment abroad, procedures performed and complications. We also documented the secondary procedures that were performed and complications managed in our center. The data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analysed using descriptive statistics, tables and figures., Results: A total of 113 have either indicated intention of going to seek for urological care abroad or had already had urologic procedures abroad but were attending our clinic for follow up or for management of complications. Only about 12% of these patients were found to have genuine indications for seeking care abroad. Most of the indications were not justifiably based on the current capabilities of our health facility but more due to a lack of trust in the system or at worst pretentious., Conclusion: Patients seek for treatment abroad for variable reasons but and most could not be justified based on available local options. India and some Middle-East countries were the favoured destinations, and the quality of care and relative lower cost are the major attractions. The rising trend in medical tourism is fuelled by the poor state of our health-care system, perceived dearth of expertise and a general apathy and lack of trust., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest

Retrocaval ureter is a rare anomaly in which the ureter passes behind the inferior vena cava due to abnormal embryogenesis. Very few cases have been reported from Africa. Although the anomaly is congenital, patients become symptomatic in the third or fourth decade of life. We reviewed the records of four patients with the diagnosis of retrocaval ureter and managed in our centre between January 2010 and December 2016. Three patients presented with recurrent colicky right flank pain while one was asymptomatic. Two patients each had Type I and Type II retrocaval ureters, respectively. Surgical repairs were achieved in the three symptomatic cases and recovery was uneventful. Retrocaval ureter, though congenital, manifests in young adults and it may be symptomatic. Pre-operative diagnosis may be difficult when the lesion is high and mimics pelviureteric junction obstruction. Thus, a high index of suspicion is required for pre-operative diagnosis. Under-reporting and asymptomatic cases may account for the low incidence.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the nuances of management, prognostic factors, and outcome of ischemic priapism in patients seen at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively studied the case notes of all patients managed for ischemic priapism in the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, over a period of 10 years (2006-2015). The data extracted included patients' age, occupation, duration of painful penile erection, and previous episodes. Addition information including precipitating factors, hemoglobin genotype, treatment, and complications was also retrieved. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 20., Results: The records of a total of forty patients managed for priapism over the period under review were retrieved. Thirty-three (82.5%) of these patients had an operative intervention. The mean age was 23.7 years with a range of 8-53 years. Sixty percent of patients were young adults in their third decade of life. The minimum duration of erection at presentation was 18 h and a maximum period of 10 days with a mean of 105.5 h (4 days). Thirty-three patients (82.5%) had sickle cell anemia (HbSS). Erectile dysfunction (ED) accounted for 60% of all forms of postpriapism complications. Five patients (12.5%) had residual tumescence from fibrosis, and three patients had recurrence outside the immediate postoperative period. Duration of symptoms before surgical intervention, SSA and previous episodes were the most important prognostic factors., Conclusion: Priapism is a disease of the young, mostly sickle cell anemic patients. Late presentation remains the norm in our environment, hence a higher incidence of ED. The distal penile shunt is an effective means of achieving detumescence even with failed conservative management. Favorable outcome is highly dependent on the duration of erection and early intervention., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Unlabelled: Recent efforts have been focused on the development of vaccines that could induce broad immunity against influenza virus, either through T cell responses to conserved internal antigens or B cell response to cross-reactive haemagglutinin (HA). We studied the capacity of Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-vectored influenza vaccines to induce cross-reactive immunity to influenza virus in human nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) in vitro. Adenotonsillar cells were isolated and stimulated with MVA vaccines expressing either conserved nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix protein 1 (M1) (MVA-NP-M1) or pandemic H1N1 HA (MVA-pdmH1HA). The MVA vaccine uptake and expression, and T and B cell responses were analyzed. MVA-vectored vaccines were highly efficient infecting NALT and vaccine antigens were highly expressed by B cells. MVA-NP-M1 elicited T cell response with greater numbers of IFNγ-producing CD4+ T cells and tissue-resident memory T cells than controls. MVA-pdmH1HA induced cross-reactive anti-HA antibodies to a number of influenza subtypes, in an age-dependent manner. The cross-reactive antibodies include anti-avian H5N1 and mainly target HA2 domain., Conclusion: MVA vaccines are efficient in infecting NALT and the vaccine antigen is highly expressed by B cells. MVA vaccines expressing conserved influenza antigens induce cross-reactive T and B cell responses in human NALT in vitro, suggesting the potential as mucosal vaccines for broader immunity against influenza., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Vascular intervention for patients with connective tissue disease (CTD) and symptomatic limbs, particularly with tissue loss, is associated with poor outcomes. The aims of our study were to compare outcomes from arterial interventions for patients with CTD versus overall results for our unit and analyse available baseline patient characteristics to determine whether any features were associated with poor prognosis., Methods: We retrieved data from a prospectively maintained database of all patients undergoing interventions on the vascular unit since 1984. The database included coding for CTD and tissue loss at presentation. Information was retrieved for each patient with CTD identified for a period of 2 years postoperatively. Additional data were retrieved from patient's notes., Results: CTD was identified in 23 patients, 12 men and 11 women, with a median age of 68 years (range 42-84). The majority of patients suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. Of 13 patients who presented with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and associated tissue loss, 12 underwent arterial procedures, and 1 had a primary amputation. Of 5 endovascular procedures performed, 4 failed, 2 immediately and 2 subsequently. Seven patients had major amputations at 6 months. At 2 years, 11 of 13 patients (84.6%) had major amputations, and of the remaining 2, 1 had persisting ulceration. In comparison, of the 10 patients presenting with critical limb ischemia without tissue loss, there was 1 amputation, which occurred at 12 months, and 1 patient died, a limb loss/death rate at 24 months of 20%. A backward binary logistic regression analysis showed that neither gender nor age had a significant effect in predicting limb loss, but tissue loss at presentation was associated with a significantly higher rate of amputation., Conclusions: Patients with CTD and PAD who present with lower limb tissue loss appear to be at greater risk of limb loss after vascular intervention compared with the general vascular population managed by our unit. CTD patients with no tissue loss had outcomes comparable to the general vascular population. We suggest that the management of patients with CTD and PAD presenting with lower limb tissue loss should include focused, aggressive treatment of underlying inflammation and nutrition., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The anatomic and physiologic changes with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) may lead to uncommon but occasionally difficult to treat complications such as hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with neuroglycopenia and recalcitrant hypocalcemia associated to hypoparathyroidism. Medical management of these complications is challenging. Laparoscopic reversal of RYGB anatomy with restoration of pyloric function and duodenal continuity is a potential treatment. The objective of this study was to present the indications, surgical technique, and clinical outcomes of laparoscopic reversal of RYGB., Methods: Prospective study of consecutive patients offered laparoscopic reversal of RYGB., Results: Five patients with remote laparoscopic RYGB underwent laparoscopic reversal of RYGB to normal anatomy (n = 2) or modified sleeve gastrectomy (n = 3). Indications were medically refractory hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with neuroglycopenia (n = 3), recalcitrant hypocalcemia with hypoparathyroidism (n = 1), and both conditions simultaneously (n = 1). Before reversal, all patients had a gastrostomy tube placed in the excluded stomach to document improvement of symptoms. Laparoscopic reversal was accomplished successfully in all patients. Three postoperative complications occurred: bleeding that required transfusion, gallstone pancreatitis, and a superficial trocar site infection. Average length of stay was 3 days. At a mean follow-up of 12 months (range 3 to 22), no additional episodes of neuroglycopenia occurred, average number of hypoglycemic episodes per week decreased from 18.5 ± 12.4 to 1.5 ± 1.9 (P = .05), and hypocalcemia became responsive to oral replacement therapy in both patients., Conclusions: Laparoscopic reversal of RYGB to normal anatomy or modified sleeve gastrectomy is feasible and may be a therapeutic option for selected patients with medically refractory hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia and/or recalcitrant hypocalcemia associated with hypoparathyroidism., (Copyright © 2014 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in men worldwide. Management of the disease has remained a great challenge and even more so is the aggressive advanced stage with castration-resistant behavior. The mechanisms and timing of development of castration-resistant prostate cancer are unclear and remain debatable. Progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer is undoubtedly multifactorial, with a number of molecular-genetic aberrations implicated. However, a key question that remains unanswered is: when in the evolution of prostate cancer do the changes that confer castration resistance occur? Earlier attempts to address this question led to two proposed models: the "adaptation" and the "clonal selection" models. Although the prevailing hypothesis is the adaptation model, there is recent evidence in favor of the clonal selection model. Clarification of the model development of castration-resistant prostate cancer might significantly alter our diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, and potentially lead to improved outcome of management of this daunting condition. Here we review existing knowledge and current research findings addressing the timing of events in the course of prostate cancer progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer., (© 2012 The Japanese Urological Association.)

We undertook this study in order to determine the current role of digital rectal examination (DRE) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in a resource-poor setting. The diagnosis of prostate cancer has been revolutionized by the introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) for biopsy guidance and more efficient biopsy equipment, but they are not readily available in most developing countries. This is a prospective study of 131 patients with suspected prostate cancer based on clinical presentation, DRE and elevated PSA. The presence or absence of cancer was confirmed by biopsy and histologic examination. Patients with screen- or incidentally-detected prostate cancer were excluded. The most common symptom was the development of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). All patients had abnormal DRE and indurated prostate was the most frequent finding (50%). The mean PSA was 33.9 ng/mL: of the 131 patients, 80 (61.1%) had a malignant histology following biopsy, 47 (35.9%) were benign and four (3.0%) were prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). The low specificity of DRE in the diagnosis of prostate cancer requires that it should be combined with other diagnostic modalities such as PSA and TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. Thus government and health-care providers in resource-poor countries must strive to make these facilities available in order to improve prostate cancer diagnosis.

Objective: To describe the clinical manifestations laboratory findings and frequency of complications in adult chickenpox patients admitted in the hospital., Methods: This was a hospital based descriptive study, conducted at the Infectious Diseases Unit, Rashid Hospital Dubai, UAE, from March 2005 to February 2008. The study was designed to include demographics (age, sex, nationality); clinical information, radiological and biochemical changes observed in each patient and data was entered into the proforma separately. Full blood count, urea, electrolytes and blood sugar were done for all the patients, whereas, other tests were carried out when and where it was indicated. Patients were treated according to the standard protocol for the management of Chickenpox and its complications., Results: A total of 102 adult patients were entered into the study. The main presenting symptoms were itchy skin rash, fever, cough, sputum, breathlessness, throat pain, vomiting, abdominal pain, confusion and headache. Whereas, the most common complications observed were raised Alanine aminotransferases (ALT) levels (51.9%) and the levels were greater than 10-folds of normal value in 4.9%, thrombocytopenia (42.1%), varicella pneumonia (28.4%), skin infection (25.4%), septicaemia (10.7%), Encephalitis/Meningitis (8.8%), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) (6.8%), acute renal failure (2.9%) and acute hepatic failure (1.9%). The frequency of varicella pneumonia was noted to be higher in males, older age group (p < .005), smokers (p < .002) and patients with respiratory symptoms (p < .0001). Total five (4.9%) patients expired, whereas, mortality rate was 17.2% in varicella pneumonia patients and 45.5% in mechanically ventilated patients., Conclusion: Chickenpox in adults causes severe systemic manifestations leading to high frequency of complications with increased mortality rate, particularly in the older age group and in smokers who develops varicella pneumonia and require mechanical ventilation.

Objective: The pulmonary circulation may contribute to elevated plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in congestive heart failure (CHF). The aims of the present study were to determine the mechanisms of increased secretion of ET-1 from the pulmonary circulation in CHF., Methods: Juvenile pigs were subjected to sham operation (n=9) or rapid cardiac pacing-induced CHF (215-240 bpm, n=15)., Results: Three weeks of rapid pacing led to significant left ventricular dilatation, increased cardiac filling pressures, and reduced contractility (CHF pigs). Arterial plasma ET-1 levels in the CHF pigs were increased 4-fold compared to sham pigs (P<0.001). Single-bolus multiple indicator-dilution experiments revealed that pulmonary synthesis and release of ET-1 was increased in CHF, while pulmonary clearance of plasma ET-1 remained unaltered despite significant reduction of pulmonary fractional extraction of plasma ET-1. Pulmonary ECE-1 isozyme activity (pmol.min-1.mg protein-1) was selectively increased in lower lobe segments of CHF pigs (2.0+/-0.3) compared to lower lobe segments of controls (1.1+/-0.1, P<0.02), and to upper lobe segments of CHF pigs (1.1+/-0.1, P<0.005), and correlated significantly with the wet/dry weight ratios of the pulmonary tissue samples (R=0.75, P<0.001), i.e. a marker of pulmonary congestion. Furthermore, alveolar macrophages in congested lobe segments were identified as likely sites of increased synthesis and release of ET-1., Conclusions: In rapid pacing-induced CHF, a complex cardiopulmonary interaction revealed by pulmonary congestion causes increased pulmonary production and secretion of ET-1 due to enhanced pulmonary ECE-1 activities. Pulmonary secretion of ET-1 during evolving CHF is an important contributor to elevated plasma ET-1 levels in the systemic circulation.