Compliance with the peri-conceptional folic acid supplementation guidelines.

This audit of peri-conceptional folic acid use in early pregnancy demonstrates inadequacies in both awareness of and compliance with the Department of Health guidelines. If the benefits of folic acid are to be fulfilled then additional efforts to improve public awareness are required.     

Partial hydatidiform mole and hypertension associated with a live fetus--variable presentation in two cases

Partial hydatidiform mole associated with live births is a rarecondition. There are not enough cases in the literature to allowthe assessment of comprehensive risks to be made and upon whichmanagement policies can be based. Several clinical dilemmasarise following diagnosis of a viable pregnancy associated withmolar tissue. We present two cases demonstrating the problemsand suggest management based on outcome and a review of theliterature.     

Features of uterine fibroids treated by abdominal myomectomy at Nnewi, Nigeria.

Seventy-two women with symptomatic uterine fibroids were treated by abdominal myomectomy from January 1994 to December 1996. Important features were a mean age of 32.3 years (range 25-49 years) and parity of 0 to 6; 83% ( n = 60) were nulliparous and 68% ( n = 49) were unmarried. The average estimated blood loss was 480 ml with 1.6 g/dl mean haemoglobin drop and 15.3% required blood transfusion. Complications were mild and infrequent; 7% ( n = 5) had mild wound infection and 16.7% ( n 12) had a febrile complication. The average hospital stay was 8.1 days. There was no mortality. In this study, symptomatic uterine fibroids requiring abdominal myomectomy predominantly affected young women who were mainly unmarried and nulliparous. Although the the operation was safe and well tolerated, preoperative GnRH(a) is recommended to reduce fibroid size and need for blood transfusion.     

Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses: Impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions on laboratory detections of influenza A and B in Canada

BackgroundThe first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case was reported in Canada on January 25, 2020. In response to the imminent outbreak, many provincial and territorial health authorities implemented nonpharmaceutical public health measures to curb the spread of disease. “Social distancing” measures included restrictions on group gatherings; cancellation of sports, cultural and religious events and gatherings; recommended physical distancing between people; school and daycare closures; reductions in non-essential services; and closures of businesses.ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of the combined nonpharmaceutical interventions imposed in March 2020 on influenza A and B epidemiology by comparing national laboratory surveillance data from the intervention period with 9-year historical influenza season control data.MethodsWe obtained epidemiologic data on laboratory influenza A and B detections and test volumes from the Canadian national influenza surveillance system for the epidemiologic period December 29, 2019 (epidemiologic week 1) through May 2, 2020 (epidemiologic week 18). COVID-19-related social distancing measures were implemented in Canada from epidemiologic week 10 of this period. We compared influenza A and B laboratory detections and test volumes and trends in detection during the 2019–20 influenza season with those of the previous nine influenza seasons for evidence of changes in epidemiologic trends.ResultsWhile influenza detections the week prior to the implementation of social distancing measures did not differ statistically from the previous nine seasons, a steep decline in positivity occurred between epidemiologic weeks 10 and 14 (March 8–April 4, 2020). Both the percent positive on week 14 (p≤0.001) and rate of decline between weeks 10 and 14 (p=0.003) were significantly different from mean historical data.ConclusionThe data show a dramatic decrease in influenza A and B laboratory detections concurrent with social distancing measures and nonpharmaceutical interventions in Canada. The impact of these measures on influenza transmission may be generalizable to other respiratory viral illnesses during the study period, including COVID-19.     

Anti-Trypanosomal Effects of Aqueous Extract of Ocimum Gratissimum (Lamiaceae) Leaf in Rats Infected with Trypanosoma Brucei Brucei

The anti-trypanosomal effects of aqueous extract of the leaf of Ocimum gratissimum were evaluated in both in-vitro and in-vivo studies. The anti-trypanosomal activity of the extract against Trypanosoma brucei was investigated in-vitro. The survival and motility of the trypanosomes were completely inhibited within two hours of incubation in various concentrations of the extract. Parasite survival time was concentration dependent being longer in lower (25 and 12.5 mg/ml) than higher (100, 75 and 50 mg/ml) concentrations of the extract. The in-vivo anti-trypanosomal effect of the leaf extract of the leaf extract was investigated in rats infected with Trypanosoma brucei and treated with the extract. The infected rats treated with the extract had less dramatic clinical manifestations and mortality, survived longer and higher PCV values than their untreated counterparts, however, parasitaemia was not significantly reduced. The results suggest that the folkloric medicinal application of the aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum has no possible pharmacological basis.