Prevalence of Trachoma in Jigawa State,Northwestern Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To determine the magnitude of trachoma and the prevalent forms of the disease, and to provide baseline data for the establishment of a trachoma control program in Jigawa State, northwestern Nigeria.

Methods: A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Jigawa State in May 2007 using a 2-stage cluster random sampling technique to select 4598 persons from 40 villages based on probability proportional to size. All participants were examined using a penlight and a 2.5?×?binocular loupe for signs of trachoma, and graded using the World Health Organization (WHO) simplified grading system.

Results: A total of 4598 people were seen with 99.96% coverage. Of these, 2460 (53.5%) were female and 2138 (46.5%) were male. Mean age was 21.6 years (?±?19.8 years). The prevalence of follicular trachoma in children aged ≤9 years was 20.5% (95% confidence interval, CI, 18.7–22.4%) with no difference between the sexes. The prevalence of trichiasis in adults aged ≥15 years was 5%, and the prevalence was higher in females than males (odds ratio 2.60, 95% CI 2.06–3.28; p?<?0.001).

Conclusion: Trachoma is a major problem in Jigawa State; there is a need to train trichiasis surgeons and empower them to carry out community-based surgery. District-level prevalence of trachoma needs to be determined to know which aspects of the WHO SAFE strategy (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvements) need to be emphasized in each district.     

Molecular Epidemiology of Hospital Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome,Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2014

We investigated an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during March 29–May 21, 2014. This outbreak involved 45 patients: 8 infected outside KFMC, 13 long-term patients at KFMC, 23 health care workers, and 1 who had an indeterminate source of infection. Sequences of full-length MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) from 10 patients and a partial sequence of MERS-CoV from another patient, when compared with other MERS-CoV sequences, demonstrated that this outbreak was part of a larger outbreak that affected multiple health care facilities in Riyadh and possibly arose from a single zoonotic transmission event that occurred in December 2013 (95% highest posterior density interval November 8, 2013–February 10, 2014). This finding suggested continued health care–associated transmission for 5 months. Molecular epidemiology documented multiple external introductions in a seemingly contiguous outbreak and helped support or refute transmission pathways suspected through epidemiologic investigation.     

Defining Optimal Self-Management in Osteoarthritis: Racial Differences in a Population-Based Sample

The aim of this study was to examine optimal self-management in osteoarthritis and its association with patient-reported outcomes. We recruited a population-based sample of Medicare beneficiaries (n = 551) residing in Allegheny County, PA, USA and elicited an expanded set of self-management behaviors using open-ended inquiry. We defined optimal self-management according to clinical recommendations, including use of hot compresses on affected joints, alteration of activity, and exercise. Only 20% practiced optimal self-management as defined by two or more of these criteria. Optimal and suboptimal self-managers did not differ in sociodemographic features. Both white and African–Americans who practiced optimal self-management reported significantly less pain, but the benefit was greatest in severe disease for whites and for mild-moderate disease among African–Americans. This backdrop of naturally occurring self-management behaviors may be important to recognize in planning programs that seek to bolster self-management skills.     

Diagnostic Significance of Serum Eotaxin-1 Level in Gastric Cancer Patients

Introduction. Gastric cancer is the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Delayed diagnosis leads to high mortality rates. Eotaxin-1 was originally discovered as an eosinophil-selective chemoattractant and may play a role in a number of chronic inflammatory diseases, cancer, and other gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to analyse diagnostic and prognostic significance of serum eotaxin-1 (s-eotaxin-1) levels in gastric cancer. Methods. Sixty gastric cancer patients and 69 healthy subjects were included into the study. S-eotaxin-1 levels were compared with clinicopathological features and outcomes in gastric cancer. Results. Serum levels of eotaxin-1 in gastric cancer patients were significantly higher than controls (74.51 ± 16.65 pg/mL versus 16.79 ± 5.52 pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.001)). The s-eotaxin-1 levels did not differ significantly with histopathological grade, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, tumor localization, lymph node metastases, positive lymph node ratio, size, perineural and perivascular invasion. So there is no relationship found between s-eotaxin-1 level and prognosis. Conclusion. S-eotaxin-1 levels may be used as an easily available biomarker for gastric cancer risk and may alert physicians for early diagnosis. Due to the limited number of patients included in this study, larger cohort studies are warranted to validate the diagnostic value of s-eotaxin-1 level in gastric cancer.     

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: Is robotic technology more accurate than conventional technique?

BackgroundRobotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) with rigid bone fixation "can significantly improve implant placement and leg alignment. The aim of this cadaveric study was to determine whether the use of robotic systems with dynamic bone tracking would provide more accurate UKA implant positioning compared to the conventional manual technique.MethodsThree-dimensional CT-based preoperative plans were created to determine the desired position and orientation for the tibial and femoral components. For each pair of cadaver knees, UKA was performed using traditional instrumentation on the left side and using a haptic robotic system on the right side. Postoperative CT scans were obtained and 3D-to-3D iterative closest point registration was performed. Implant position and orientation were compared to the preoperative plan.ResultsSurgical RMS errors for femoral component placement were within 1.9 mm and 3.7° in all directions of the planned implant position for the robotic group, while RMS errors for the manual group were within 5.4 mm and 10.2°. Average RMS errors for tibial component placement were within 1.4 mm and 5.0° in all directions for the robotic group; while, for the manual group, RMS errors were within 5.7 mm and 19.2°.ConclusionsUKA was more precise using a semiactive robotic system with dynamic bone tracking technology compared to the manual technique.     

Effect of mouthwashes on the discoloration of bracket-bonded tooth surfaces: an in vitro study

Clinical Oral Investigations - This in vitro study aimed to investigate the color changes of the bracket-bonded tooth surfaces after the use of 4 different mouthwashes. A total of 100 human...     

The effect of hyperglycaemia on haemostasis testing – a volunteer study

We investigated whether the contamination of samples with glucose subsequently tested for haemostasis affected the results, including prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen concentration. Venous blood was collected from 12 healthy subjects and divided into four aliquots, which were subjected to different degrees of contamination with standard glucose solution (0%, 5%, 10%, 20%). With increasing glucose contamination, prothrombin time increased from mean (SD) 11.0 (0.7) s to 11.2 (0.7) s, 11.5 (0.7) s and 12.2 (0.8) s, all p < 0.001. Activated partial thromboplastin time decreased from 32.3 (0.9) s to 30.9 (0.8) s, 30.8 (0.8) s, and 29.7 (0.7) s, all p < 0.001. Fibrinogen concentration decreased from 3.8 (0.7) g.l^?1 to 3.7 (0.6) g.l^?1, 3.6 (0.6) g.l^?1, and 3.4 (0.6) g.l^?1, all p < 0.001. Bias was clinically meaningful from 5% contamination for activated partial thromboplastin time, 10% contamination for prothrombin time and 20% contamination for fibrinogen concentration. We conclude that if glucose contamination of haemostasis samples is suspected or has occurred, the specimens should not be analysed.     

Epidermoid Cyst—A Rare Mediastinal Mass

Gallstone disease is a common gastrointestinal problem in day-to-day practice. The Old concept that a typical gallstone sufferer is fat, fertile, flatulent female of 50. This is partially true as the disease has been found in women soon after their first delivery who are thin and underweight and in males also. Conditions that favor the formation of cholesterol gallstones are super saturation of bile with cholesterol, kinetically favorable nucleation and presence of cholesterol crystals in the gall bladder long enough to agglomerate into a stone. Recent studies have defined the role of trace elements (Fe, Ca, Zn and Cu) and defective pH in the formation of gallstones. The aim of the study was to correlate iron-deficiency anemia with gallstone disease. To estimate the serum ferritin level as a diagnostic tool of iron deficiency anemia in patients with gallstone disease, this prospective study of 100 patients was conducted over a period of 24 months in the Department of General Surgery, Jaipur Golden Hospital, New Delhi, India. Serum cholesterol, iron and ferritin levels were compared in patients having gallstones and healthy individuals. A low serum iron level is a factor in bile super saturation with respect to cholesterol, leading to gallstone formation.     

Menace of childhood non-accidental traumatic brain injuries: A single unit report

Background:

Childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) has high rate of mortality and morbidity worldwide. There are dearths of reports from developing countries with large paediatric population on trauma; neurosurgery trauma of nonaccidental origin is not an exemption. This study analysed menace of non-accidental TBI in the paediatric population from our center.

Materials and Methods:

This is a single unit, retrospective study of the epidemiology of non-accidental TBI in children starting from September, 2008 to March, 2014. The management outcomes of the epidemiology of the non-accidental TBI were analysed.

Results:

Total of 109 children age range from 0 (intra-natal) to 16 years with a mean of 5.8 ± 4.6 years (median, 5 years) were enrolled into the study. 34 (31.2%) were domestic violence, 26 (23.9%) street assaults, 16 (14.7%) were due to animal assaults and mishaps, 17 (15.6%) fall from heights. Seven (6.4%) cases of collapsed buildings were also seen during the period. Four (3.7%) industrial accidents and two (1.8%) were self-inflicted injuries. There were also three (2.8%) cases of iatrogenic TBI out of which two infants (1.8%) sustained TBI from cesarean section procedure while one patient (0.9%) under general anaesthesia felt from the operation bed resulting to severe TBI.

Conclusion:

Child abuse, unprotected child labour, parental/care-givers negligence are the main cause of nonaccidental TBI. Human right activists and government agents should be incorporated in curtailing the menace.