Anti-Nociceptive And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of A Nigerian Polyherbal Tonic Tea (PHT) Extract In Rodents

The study investigated the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of a Nigerian Polyherbal Health Tonic tea aqueous extract (PHT) in rodents of both sexes. 100 - 500 mg kg–1 of the aqueous extract was administered via the intra-peritoneal (i.p.) and oral (p.o.) routes to 5 groups of mice using tail immersion, tail clip, formalin and acetic acid –induced writhing tests of experimental nociceptive models. Each of the models showed that PHT possesses a significant (

Multi-level analysis of electronic health record adoption by health care professionals: A study protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The electronic health record (EHR) is an important application of information and communication technologies to the healthcare sector. EHR implementation is expected to produce benefits for patients, professionals, organisations, and the population as a whole. These benefits cannot be achieved without the adoption of EHR by healthcare professionals. Nevertheless, the influence of individual and organisational factors in determining EHR adoption is still unclear. This study aims to assess the unique contribution of individual and organisational factors on EHR adoption in healthcare settings, as well as possible interrelations between these factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective study will be conducted. A stratified random sampling method will be used to select 50 healthcare organisations in the Quebec City Health Region (Canada). At the individual level, a sample of 15 to 30 health professionals will be chosen within each organisation depending on its size. A semi-structured questionnaire will be administered to two key informants in each organisation to collect organisational data. A composite adoption score of EHR adoption will be developed based on a Delphi process and will be used as the outcome variable. Twelve to eighteen months after the first contact, depending on the pace of EHR implementation, key informants and clinicians will be contacted once again to monitor the evolution of EHR adoption. A multilevel regression model will be applied to identify the organisational and individual determinants of EHR adoption in clinical settings. Alternative analytical models would be applied if necessary.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study will assess the contribution of organisational and individual factors, as well as their interactions, to the implementation of EHR in clinical settings.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results will be very relevant for decision makers and managers who are facing the challenge of implementing EHR in the healthcare system. In addition, this research constitutes a major contribution to the field of knowledge transfer and implementation science.</p

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Anthropometrically determined nutritional status of children in public and private primary schools in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Under-nutrition remains high while overweight/obesity are on the rise in developing countries. Little is known about the differences in the prevalence of malnutrition among public and private primary school children in urban areas of Lagos, Nigeria. This study determined and compared the nutritional status of children in public and private primary schools in an urban area of Lagos, Nigeria.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among public and private primary school children in an urban town in Lagos, Nigeria using multi-stage sampling technique to select 206 pupils. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on sociodemographic characteristics while anthropometric measures were obtained and compared to standards using WHO AnthroPlus, to determine the nutritional status.Results: The prevalence of underweight (WAZ &lt;-2SD) in the public primary schools, 6.8% (n=7) was higher than in the private schools, 1.9% (n=2) but the difference was not statistically significant. (p = 0.085). However, the higher prevalence of stunting (HAZ &lt;-2SD) in public (20.4% (n=24) compared to private schools 3.9% (n=4) was statistically significant (P&lt;0.000). The prevalence of overweight and obesity were significantly higher among respondents in private schools (8.7% and 4.9%) compared to those in public schools (0.0% and 1.0% ) (p=0.0003).Conclusions: Stunting was higher in the public schools, while obesity and overweight were higher in the private schools. Appropriate feeding from birth should be promoted to prevent under-nutrition among children in public schools and overweight/obesity among children in private schools. Keywords: Anthropometry; Children; Nutrition; Stuntin

Health Disparities and Health Equity: The Issue Is Justice

Abstract available at publisher's website