Wound infections in two health institutions in Ile-Ife,Nigeria: results of a cohort study

The control of wound infections is increasingly complicated, yet treatment is not always guided by microbiological diagnosis. To describe the distribution of wound infections and causative agents, a prospective, 6-month cohort study involving 102 outpatients was conducted at the University Teaching Hospital and the Health Center in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Location and type of infected wounds were recorded and bacterial isolates were identified by standard microbiological techniques. Almost half (40%) of all infected wounds were attributed to trauma and, in most cases, located on the extremities. Of the 162 bacterial isolates obtained from wound cultures, 39 were monomicrobial and 55 were polymicrobial; no bacterial isolate was obtained in eight cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant micro-organism (25%), followed by Escherichia coli (12%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9%), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (9%). The diversity of micro-organisms and the high incidence of polymicrobic flora in this study give credence to the value of identifying one or more bacterial pathogens from wound cultures. The recognition of causative agents of wound infections can assist wound care practitioners in taking appropriate measures. Continuous dialogue between the microbiology department and wound care practitioners is strongly advised in order to improve treatment outcomes and slow the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.     

Weight changes in clients on hormonal contraceptives in Zaria, Nigeria

Misconceptions exist in Nigeria about the effects of hormonal contraceptives on weight, which may have negative effects on contraceptive use. Data from case notes of clients attending the reproductive health centre at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, between 1993 and 1995, were analysed to determine the effects of hormonal contraceptives on body weight, comparing them to clients using intrauterine contraceptive devices. Weight changes were not significantly different in clients using hormonal contraceptives and those using intrauterine contraceptive devices. This information will be beneficial in contraceptive counselling for clients in this environment and provide a baseline for further research.     

Effects of combined administration of vitamins C and E on some Plasmodium berghei-induced pathological changes and oxidative stress in mice

This study examined the effects of combined administration of vitamins C and E to Plasmodium berghei-induced anaemia and organ weight alterations as well as changes in endogenous antioxidant status in mice. Three groups of mice were intraperitoneally infected with chloroquine-sensitive P. berghei (NK 65) among which a group was intraperitoneally treated with a combination of vitamins C (100?mg/kg body weight, bw) and E (1,000?i.u./kg bw) whereas another group was treated with chloroquine (25?mg/kg bw). The remaining infected group was left untreated. Data from these groups were compared with those from the uninfected group that was treated with vitamins C and E and the uninfected untreated group. Treatment with vitamins C and E did not significantly (P?>?0.05) affect the levels of parasitized red cells for the entire 15-day experimental period except at days?8 and 9 post-infection. At the termination of the experiment, the P. berghei infection was found to induce anaemia, significantly (P?<?0.05) increased the relative weight of the liver, spleen and kidney but significantly decreased (P?<?0.05) the relative brain weight. However, the parasite-induced anaemia and relative organ weight changes were ameliorated by the vitamin administration to varying degree. Furthermore, malonyldialdehyde concentration in the serum, liver and brain of infected animals was significantly (P?<?0.05) elevated whereas superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were significantly (P?<?0.05) decreased by the infection, but the vitamin treatment tended to restore the disease-induced alterations in these oxidative stress markers. Data from this study suggest that combined vitamins C and E could be beneficial in alleviating P. berghei-induced anaemia and other pathological effects in mice.     

Evaluation of subchronic chlorpyrifos poisoning on hematological and serum biochemical changes in mice and protective effect of vitamin C

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most widely used organophosphorous insecticides in agriculture with its attendant adverse health outcomes. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of subchronic oral CPF administration on hematological and serum biochemical indices, and the possible ameliorating effect of vitamin C on the indices in mice. Thirty mice divided into 3 groups of 10 mice each were used for this study. Mice in group I (control) were dosed with vegetable oil, while those in group II were given CPF (21.3 mg/kg~ 1/5(th) LD(50)) only. Mice in group III were pretreated with vitamin C (100 mg/kg) prior to dosing with CPF 30 min later (Vitamin C + CPF-treated group). This regime was given to each group of mice three times a week for a period of ten weeks. During the study period, mice were examined for signs of toxicity, and weight of each mouse was measured every week. At the end of the study period, blood samples were collected from the mice and analyzed for packed cell volume (PCV), total red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC) and total protein (TP). Serum obtained from the blood was analyzed for Na( +, K+ and Cl-), urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The results showed that mice in the vitamin C + CPF-treated group exhibited milder signs of toxicity and significant increase in weight gain (p<0.01) compared to the CPF-treated group. No significant increase in weight in the CPF-treated group was observed compared to the control. There was a significant increase in PCV, RBC, Hb, TP and creatinine, but a significant decrease was obtained in WBC, ALT and AST in the CPF-treated group compared to the control. All the parameters with the exception of WBC, ALT and AST (which increased significantly), were significantly decreased in the vitamin C + CPF-treated group compared to CPF-treated group. ALP was significantly elevated in the CPF-treated group compared to both the control and vitamin C + CPF-treated group. No significant changes in urea and the measured electrolytes in all three groups, except a significant decrease in the concentration of Na(+) was observed in the CPF-treated group compared to the control. The study demonstrated that pretreatment of CPF-administered mice with vitamin C significantly altered some important hematological and serum biochemical parameters, revealing the protective action of the vitamin against some organ damage induced by CPF.     

Evidence for the use of B-type natriuretic peptides for screening asymptomatic populations and for diagnosis in primary care

OBJECTIVES: To determine the screening and diagnostic properties of BNP and NT-proBNP for heart failure in primary care. DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of randomized control trials and observational (cohort or case-control) studies of heart failure detection using B-type natriuretic peptides published in English from January 1989 to February 2005. We extracted or calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). RESULTS: We included 17 studies (7 screening, 9 diagnosis in primary care or specialised clinic, 1 both). There was considerable heterogeneity within the study populations, reference standard for diagnosis, and B-type natriuretic peptide decision point. Sensitivity ranged from 26% to 98%; and specificity from 44% to 88%. For screening, the Diagnostic Odds Ratio (DOR) ranged from 2.7 to 29, and for diagnosis from 2.8 to 137. CONCLUSIONS: The performance characteristics of B-type natriuretic peptides measurement are not suitable for screening asymptomatic patients. For diagnosis in primary care, low B-type natriuretic peptide values may be used to rule-out heart failure but, due to poor specificity, high values cannot be used to rule-in the condition.     

A case control study of active genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection among patients with tubal infertility in northern Nigeria

A case-controlled study of the prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in 120 patients with tubal infertility (study group) and 120 clients of the family planning clinic (control group) attending the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria in northern Nigeria is reported. The prevalence was 38.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) (29.6-47.6%) in the study group and 13.3%, 95% CI (7.8-20.7%) in the control group. There was a fourfold risk of having genital Chlamydial infection among the cases compared to the controls (odds ratio [OR] = 4.04, 95% CI (2.04 < OR < 8.09). Tubal infertility was found to be significantly associated with genital C. trachomatis infection (P < 0.001). Out of the 58 cases of primary infertility, 22(37.9%) tested positive for genital C. trachomatis compared with 24 of the 62 (38.7%) that had secondary infertility. The infection was not found to be significantly associated with a particular type of infertility (primary or secondary), number of sexual partners or previous sexually transmitted disease (P < 0.05). There is need for provision of facilities to enable screening for genital C. trachomatis infection in view of its high prevalence in the study population.     

Structural,morphological, and optical properties of carbon nanoparticles unsheathed from date palm fronds

Several studies have reported the synthesis of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) by various methods. In this study, an easy one-step process to unsheathe CNPs from date palm fronds through a top-down ball milling method has been reported. The CNPs were characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic methods to determine their structural and morphological features, optical properties, crystallinity, physicochemical properties, and particle stability. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the obtained CNPs'' size ranged from 4 to 22 nm in a crystalline form. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed their spherical shape, while the maximum photoluminescence (PL) intensity was recorded at 464 nm when excited at 375 nm. The unsheathed CNPs produced a good quantum yield (QY) of 3.24%. Furthermore, the CNPs exhibited high Raman ratios of I_D/I_G and I_2D/I_G with values of 0.59 and 0.04, respectively, verifying their multilayer crystalline graphitic nature. These Raman ratios also agree with the X-ray diffractometry (XRD) results. The CNPs'' sp² and sp³ carbon bonds were confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), with oxygen on the surface forming carboxyl and carbonyl groups with no other observable impurities. Furthermore, the extracted CNPs showed excellent PL properties for up- and down-conversion. These properties are exemplary for low-cost biomass with potential applications in biomedicine. Therefore, the extracted CNPs reported in this study have potential applications in optical imaging.

Several studies have reported the synthesis of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) by various methods.