A Retrospective Analysis on Cervical Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Patients with Neck Pain in a Tertiary Hospital,Addis Ababa,Ethiopia

BackgroundNeck pain is a common health problem throughout the world causing significant individual disability and economic burden on health care facility. Many factors are mentioned as a cause or association in relation to neck pain, of which degenerative and posttraumatic cause are the main ones. The aim of this study is to assess cervical spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) patterns in patients presented with neck pain.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 160 patients who had cervical spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for evaluation of a neck pain was done. The study was conducted between February to August 2018 at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. The patients'' clinical history and magnetic resonance imaging reports were reviewed from their medical records. All patients who have cervical spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for a neck pain were included in the study. Those patients with acute traumatic neck pain were excluded.ResultsFrom a total of 160 patients, 71(44.4%) were males and 89(55.6%) were females. Degenerative cervical spine findings such as intervertebral disc degenerations were seen in 127(79.4%) patients. Non-degenerative imaging findings such as neoplasm and infection were seen in 10(6.3%) patients only. The MRI was normal in 23(14.4%) of them.ConclusionThe most common cause of neck pain from this study is degenerative changes of the cervical spine, which was predominant in the older age groups. Non-degenerative causes such as neoplasm and infection were less common findings.     

Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) chewing, sociodemographic description and its effect on academic performance, Jimma University students 2002

Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) chewing habit is being a hot issue of discussion nation wide. This habit is spreading at an alarming rate among the young generation, especially in high schools and higher institutions, where there are intensive academic activities. Students in colleges and universities commonly use khat, hoping that it improves their academic performance. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of khat chewing and its impact on academic performance. A cross sectional study was conducted, in January 2002, on a representative sample of 500 students selected by systematic random sampling technique from a total of 2073 students who stayed in the university at least two years. Out of these, 76.91% were males, 59.53% were Orthodox believers, 70.98% were between 16 and 25 years old, and 49.15% were Amhara in their ethnic background. The current prevalence of khat chewing was estimated to be 24.79%. In this study, 27% of male students, 46.74% of Muslim students and 31.30% of Oromo students were found to be khat chewers. Khat chewing has a significant association with high income (p < 0.001), with smoking habit (p < 0.05) and with coffee drinking habit (p < 0.001). The presence of khat chewers in the family and among friends have also a positive association with khat chewing habit. The mean cummulative grade point average (CGPA) of non-chewers was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of chewers. In conclusion, the present study depicts that gender, age, religion, ethnicity and income have a positive association with the habit of khat chewing. The t-test value showed a significant difference between the mean CGPA of Khat chewers and non chewers in favor of the later. This indicates that Khat chewing may not help to improve academic performance.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from adult dyspeptic patients in Tikur Anbassa University Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Presently, there is no published information on the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of H. pylori strains in Ethiopia to guide the choice of drug for therapy. Therefore, it is becoming clinically relevant to test the in vitro susceptibility of H. pylori clinical isolates prior to treating patients. Susceptibility testing was performed on 50 clinical H. pylori isolates obtained from adult dyspeptic patients referred to the gastrointestinal (GI) Clinic of Tikur Anbassa University Hospital. Five antibiotics were evaluated, by using the Episolmeter test (E-test). The antibiogram of 50 H. pylori clinical isolates showed that all strains were sensitive to clarithromycin, erythromycin and tetracycline, while 38/50 (76%) and 3/50 (6%) of the strains were resistant to metronidazole and amoxicillin, respectively. Infection by metronidazole or amoxicillin resistant H. pylori is an important factor leading to treatment failure. Testing of all H. pylori clinical isolates to metronidazole and amoxicillin is recommended. If it is not possible to perform susceptibility tests on each clinical isolate, a program to survey the prevalence of resistance should be implemented in a given area or population. When treatment of H. pylori infection is indicated in dyspeptic patients, the potential availability, simplicity of use, safety and low cost of the antimicrobial agents have to be taken into account.     

Breakage and slippage of condoms among users in north Gondar Province, Ethiopia

This prospective study determined the frequency of condom breakage and slippage among male condom users and analyzed certain factors affecting condom breakage in north Gondar Province, Ethiopia. A total of 170 literate male condom users were instructed how to use a condom properly, and were requested to use one condom for each vaginal intercourse. Each participant was supplied with 9-12 Pabric condoms. Condom breakage was measured in terms of the number of condoms that broke while opening the package, while putting on the condom, during intercourse, or upon withdrawal. Meanwhile, condom slippage was measured in terms of the number of condoms that slipped off the penis during intercourse or withdrawal. Of the 170 participants, only data collected from 143 subjects were analyzed. Findings revealed that 26.6% of the participants experienced condom breakage. The total condom breakage rate was 4.6% and the slippage rate was 0.1%, half of which occurred at the tip. A high condom breakage rate was observed in less educated users (P 0.05). It was also found that breakage rate and experience in condom use were negatively correlated (r = 0.214, P 0.05). It is concluded that a user's knowledge and experience reduce condom breakage.     

Sources of variation for indoor nitrogen dioxide in rural residences of Ethiopia

Background  

Unprocessed biomass fuel is the primary source of indoor air pollution (IAP) in developing countries. The use of biomass fuel has been linked with acute respiratory infections. This study assesses sources of variations associated with the level of indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).     

Development of the ventral body wall in the human embryo

Migratory failure of somitic cells is the commonest explanation for ventral body wall defects. However, the embryo increases ~ 25‐fold in volume in the period that the ventral body wall forms, so that differential growth may, instead, account for the observed changes in topography. Human embryos between 4 and 10 weeks of development were studied, using amira ^® reconstruction and cinema 4D^® remodeling software for visualization. Initially, vertebrae and ribs had formed medially, and primordia of sternum and hypaxial flank muscle primordium laterally in the body wall at Carnegie Stage (CS)15 (5.5 weeks). The next week, ribs and muscle primordium expanded in ventrolateral direction only. At CS18 (6.5 weeks), separate intercostal and abdominal wall muscles differentiated, and ribs, sterna, and muscles began to expand ventromedially and caudally, with the bilateral sternal bars fusing in the midline after CS20 (7 weeks) and the rectus muscles reaching the umbilicus at CS23 (8 weeks). The near‐constant absolute distance between both rectus muscles and approximately fivefold decline of this distance relative to body circumference between 6 and 10 weeks identified dorsoventral growth in the dorsal body wall as determinant of the ‘closure’ of the ventral body wall. Concomitant with the straightening of the embryonic body axis after the 6th week, the abdominal muscles expanded ventrally and caudally to form the infraumbilical body wall. Our data, therefore, show that the ventral body wall is formed by differential dorsoventral growth in the dorsal part of the body.     

Development of the human infrahepatic inferior caval and azygos venous systems

Differences in opinion regarding the development of the infrahepatic inferior caval and azygos venous systems in mammals centre on the contributions of ‘caudal cardinal’, ‘subcardinal’, ‘supracardinal’, ‘medial and lateral sympathetic line’ and ‘sacrocardinal’ veins. The disagreements appear to arise from the use of topographical position rather than developmental origin as criterion to define separate venous systems. We reinvestigated the issue in a closely spaced series of human embryos between 4 and 10 weeks of development. Structures were visualized with the Amira® reconstruction and Cinema4D® remodelling software. The vertebral level and neighbouring structures were used as topographic landmarks. The main results were that the caudal cardinal veins extended caudally from the common cardinal vein between CS11 and CS15, followed by the development of the subcardinal veins as a plexus sprouting ventrally from the caudal cardinal veins. The caudal cardinal veins adapted their course from lateral to medial relative to the laterally expanding lungs, adrenal glands, definitive kidneys, sympathetic trunk and umbilical arteries between CS15 and CS18, and then became interrupted in the part overlaying the regressing mesonephroi (Th12-L3). The caudal part of the left caudal cardinal vein then also regressed. The infrarenal part of the inferior caval vein originated from the right caudal cardinal vein, while the renal part originated from subcardinal veins. The azygos veins developed from the remaining cranial part of the caudal cardinal veins. Our data show that all parts of the inferior caval and azygos venous systems developed directly from the caudal cardinal veins or from a plexus sprouting from these veins.