Knowledge and Usage of Emergency Contraceptives Among University Students in Ghana

Contraceptive use is an important strategy for the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and avoidance of induced abortion. Of all the contraception methods, emergency contraceptive (EC) offers the last chance to achieve this. However, few studies have documented the use of EC among young people in Ghana. This study explored knowledge and usage of EC as well as the factors associated with it among University of Cape Coast students. Data were obtained on the knowledge and usage of ECs among University of Cape Coast students in 2013. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between students’ socio-demographic characteristics and EC knowledge and use. More male students (72 %) than females (59 %) were sexually active. Fifty-seven percent of the respondents had ever heard of EC and 36 % had ever used EC. Although males were more likely to be sexually active, females were more likely to have knowledge of EC use compared to males. The study underscores the need to increase awareness regarding EC among University students in order to offer them the opportunity that EC provides if other forms of contraceptives are missed.     

Esophageal Calibration with Soft Orogasrtric Tube During Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication may Reduce Postoperative Transient Dysphagia

Gastroesophageal reflux is the most common benign disorder of the esophagus and laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication has become the standard surgical treatment for its treatment. In our area, where the use of bougie calibration is debatable, postoperative dysphagia is encountered often after this surgery although it is usually not permanent. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using a soft silicone tube 39 F in diameter for esophageal calibration during laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication on the incidence of postoperative dysphagia. We divided cases scheduled to undergo laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication between January 2009 and November 2010 into two groups, each consisting 25 patients. Esophageal calibration with a 39 F silicone orogastric tube was used for the first group while there was no operative calibration in the second group. The surgical duration was recorded; the presence and severity of the postoperative dysphagia was calculated by using a dysphagia severity scoring system during the 1-year postoperative follow-up. The dysphagia severity scores were significantly lower in group 1 than group 2 on the postoperative second day and at the end of the first week and first month. We did not find a significant difference at the end of the 6-month and first year. There was also no significant difference regarding surgery duration. The use of a soft orogastric tube 39 F in diameter for esophagus calibration during laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication has significantly decreased the incidence of postoperative transient dysphagia without affecting the duration of surgery. Although dysphagia gradually resolves in the majority of patients, a safe and easy calibration method for its prevention is worth developing, and we believe that the use of our method in larger series could be beneficial.     

Research on medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit

Introduction: Research on medication use aims at assessing how much of current pharmacotherapy is rational. In neonates, this is hampered by extensive off-label drug use and limited knowledge.

Areas covered: We report on medication use research and have conducted a systematic review of observational studies on medication use to provide an updated overview on characteristics, objectives, methods, and patterns in hospitalized neonates. Moreover, a review on aspects of medication use for opioids, anti-epileptics, gastric acid-related disorders and respiratory stimulants with emphasis on trends and impact of interventions is presented, illustrating how research on medication use can contribute to improved neonatal pharmacotherapy and more focused research. Medication use reports describe patterns and provide signals on irrational use, benchmarking, or can guide research priorities. Moreover, this may generate information on how neonatal health topics and their pharmacotherapy are handled over time or across regions.

Expert opinion: Research on medicine utilization is relevant, since it will inform us on aspects like trends, variability, or about the impact and pattern of implementation of guidelines in neonates. Further progress necessitates to merge datasets on medication use with clinical characteristics, and perinatal drug use remains an area in need of additional research.     

Burden of illness among patients with severe aplastic anemia who have had insufficient response to immunosuppressive therapy: a multicenter retrospective chart review study

Annals of Hematology - This study assessed treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization (HRU) of patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) with insufficient response to immunosuppressive...