Journal of Basic Medical and Clinical Sciences

Prevalence of Renal Dysfunction in Acute Stroke Patients at Abakaliki Nigeria

Chukwuemeka Eze — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Background: Renal dysfunction is commonly seen in hospitalized stroke patients. It serves both as a risk factor for stroke and as a complication of stroke. Renal dysfunction is a poor prognostic factor for stroke and increases the risk of recurrence. Despite the above poor indices, there is a paucity of data on the prevalence of renal dysfunction in acute stroke patients in Nigeria. It is against this backdrop that we embarked on this study of the prevalence and pattern of renal dysfunction in acute stroke patients in Abakaliki Nigeria. Method: This is a cross-sectional observational hospital-based study undertaken at the Emergency unit of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Nigeria from October 2021 to April 2022 (7 months period). Results: Amongst the 210 acute stroke patients enrolled in the study, 51 (24%) had renal dysfunction with no age and sex predilection. Hemorrhagic stroke, alteration in consciousness, and anemia were significantly associated with renal dysfunction. Conclusion: The prevalence of renal dysfunction following acute stroke is high and there is a need for assessment of renal functions in every acute stroke patient and institute prompt multi-disciplinary treatment.

Client Satisfaction with In-Patient Care and its Relationship with the First Out-Patient Follow-up Visit in Persons with Schizophrenia: A Longitudinal Design

Chinyere M Aguocha, Emeka C Nwefoh — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Background: Missed appointment has been recognized as a major problem in the management of persons with mental illness. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess client satisfaction with in-patient care and its relationship with the first outpatient follow-up visit in persons with schizophrenia. Methods: A longitudinal study of 311 in-patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Diagnosis of schizophrenia was conﬁrmed using the Munich version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Socio-demographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) was used to measure patient satisfaction. Results: Increasing total CSQ-8 score was significantly associated with a decrease in the likelihood of missing the first post-hospitalization appointment (AOR: 0.71; 95% CI 0.64-0.79, p˂0.05). Conclusion: Discharged patients who were satisfied with the care received during admission are more likely to turn up for post-hospitalization care.

Maternal knowledge of Sickle Cell Disease and its Predictors in Southeast Nigeria

Olumachi C Nnachi — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder of haemoglobin and the most common genetic disease in sub-Saharan Africa. The knowledge of mothers about the hereditary basis of SCD in our locality is yet to be ascertained. Objectives: The study determined the knowledge of mothers regarding its cause /inheritance pattern and identified demographic factors related to it. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of 793 mothers attending the antenatal and postnatal clinics of a tertiary hospital in southeast Nigeria were consecutively recruited and data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Results: The modal age group of the mothers was 21-30 years. Almost all were married 788 (99.4%). More than half (59.1%) had a university education. A majority, 565 (71.2%) are employed while 228 (28.8%) are unemployed. Those whose spouses have university education were 71.1%. Almost all participants (95%) were Christians. The majority (70.9%) had good knowledge of sickle cell disease, of which 67.3% knew that sickle cell disease is inherited from both parents while 3.5% knew it is a blood disorder. Mothers' and fathers' educational levels were good predictors of knowledge about sickle cell disease (P =0.0001). Conclusion: This study showed a good knowledge of the sickle cell mode of inheritance among mothers. However, there is a need for more emphasis on promoting sickle cell education by including the subject in the health education curriculum of schools at all levels in the country and also community education programmes to reach those outside the school system. The adoption of religious bodies as critical stakeholders in sickle cell disease prevention and education will enhance awareness about sickle cell disease.

Perceptions of Educational Environment among Undergraduate Medical Students in a Tertiary Institution in South-East Nigeria

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Background: Educational environment involves all learning activities between students and teachers including physical facilities in the institutions. Objectives: This study aimed at assessing the medical students' perceptions of their learning environment at Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Nigeria with a view to improving the quality of medical education. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among 344 medical students from the second to the sixth year selected by stratified sampling method. Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measures (DREEM) inventory which is composed of five domains was applied to assess the various aspects of the effective educational environment. Statistical analyses (proportions and mean score percentages) were carried out using IBM-SPSS version 25 software. Results: One hundred and eighty-three (53.2%) were male respondents and 161 (46.8%) were female respondents. The mean age was 22.4 ± 2.9 years with 67(19.5%) students in second year, 95(27.6%) in the third year, 65(18.9%) in the fourth year, 51(14.8%) in the fifth year and 66(19.2%) in the sixth year. The mean global perception in our study was 102.4/200 points (51.2%). Scores for students' academic self-perception (SASP), student's perception of learning (SPL), and students' social self-perception (SSSP) were 20.7/32 (64.6%), 27.7/48 (57.8%), 16.6/28 (51.8%) respectively. Two key areas needed attention: students' perception of course organizers (SPCO) and student's perception of the atmosphere (SPA) which were 20.9/44 (47.6%) and 16.4/48 (34.2%) respectively. Conclusion: Improvement is needed in some aspects of teaching and atmosphere. This will further be of benefit to medical students and their training as well as performance.

Tackling Lassa Virus Transmission in Endemic Regions: A Collective Responsibility

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0600