Early Life Microcirculatory Plasticity and Blood Pressure Changes in Low Birth Weight Infants Born to Normotensive Mothers: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Capillary rarefaction (CR) is an established hallmark of essential hypertension (EH). The aim of this study was to examine early changes in capillary density (CD) and blood pressure (BP) in low birth weight (LBW) infants who are at risk of developing EH in later life. METHODS: We studied 77 LBW infants and 284 normal birth weight (NBW) infants, all born to mothers with normotension, in a longitudinal multicenter study. Intravital capillaroscopy was used to measure functional basal capillary density (BCD) and maximal capillary density (MCD) at birth, 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: We found that LBW infants, born preterm and at term, had a significantly higher CD at birth, then underwent significant CR in the 1st 3 months culminating in a CD similar to that seen in NBW infants. NBW infants showed a gradual reduction in CD between birth and 12 months. Non-Caucasian ethnicity and preterm birth were significant predictors of a higher CD at birth. Systolic BP in NBW infants increased significantly from birth to 3 months, and we identified a significant negative correlation between systolic BP and MCD. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified a process of early "accelerated capillary remodeling" in LBW infants, which corrects their higher CD at birth. This remodeling is unlikely to explain the CR seen in adult individuals with, or at risk of developing EH. Further follow-up studies are required to determine the timing and mechanisms involved in CR, which is likely to occur after the 1st year of life but before early adulthood

Intracranial aneurysms in Ghanaian adults

Objective: To document the location, size, and multiplicity of intracranial aneurysms in Ghanaians who have un-dergone digital subtraction angiography (DSA) at a single centre in Accra, Ghana. Design: We conducted a retrospective observational review of the medical records of all patients diagnosed with intracranial aneurysms on DSA Setting: Patients' medical records at Euracare Advanced Diagnostic and Heart Centre were reviewed between March 2018 and March 2020. Participants: Thirty-one patients were identified with various intracranial aneurysms (IAs) within the study period. Patients' ages, sex, and types of IAs were extracted using a checklist and analysed using Microsoft Excel for Win-dows 2016. Interventions: None Main outcome measures: The prevalence of types and distribution of intracranial aneurysms. Results: The age range of the patients was 26-76 years, with a mean age of 45.5±14.3 years. The mean age of men and women with IA was 45.5 ±15.9 years and 46.7 51.3±12.9 years, respectively. The most common IAs were located in the posterior communicating artery (PCOM) at 54.8% (95%CI: 36.0, 72.7), followed by the anterior communicating (ACOM), which constituted 32.3% (95%CI: 16.7, 51.4). The majority, 89.2% (33/37) of these aneurysms were less than 7mm in diameter. Single aneurysms were present in 25 (80.6%). Conclusion: The most common IAs were found in the PCOM and ACOM, and IAs tend to rupture at a younger age and smaller size among the Ghanaian adults examined. Early detection and treatment of IAs less than 7mm in diameter is recommended

Contrast Medium Use in Computed Tomography for Patients Presenting with Headache: 4-year Retrospective Two-Center Study in Central and Western Regions of Ghana

BACKGROUND: Contrast medium (CM) administration during computed tomography (CT) enhances the accuracy in the detection and interpretation of abnormalities. Evidence from literature also validate the essence of CM in imaging studies. CT, by virtue of its ubiquity, ease of use, speed, and lower financial footprint, is usually the first investigation in cases of headache. Through a multicenter retrospective analysis, we compared findings of contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) to noncontrast-enhanced CT (NCECT) head examinations among patients presenting with headache. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective analysis of four years' CT head examination data at two radiology centers located in Central and Western Regions of Ghana were reviewed. Records of patients who presented with headache as principal complaint between January 2017 and December 2020 were reviewed. A total of 477 records of patients with headache were identified, retrieved and evaluated. A Chi-square test and Fisher exact test were used to compare the CECT and NCECT groups. Binary logistic regression analysis was computed to assess association between CECT and each CT findings. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: A significant proportion of the patients was females (51.8% in CECT and 60% in NCECT). The NCECT group (40.06 ± 14.76 years) was relatively older than the CECT group (38.43 ± 17.64 years). There was a significant difference between the CECT and NCECT in terms of age (p=0.002) and facility CT was performed (p < 0.0001). The rate of abnormalities was higher in CECT (43.5%, 166/382) compared NCECT (37.9%, 36/95). There was no significant association between CT head findings and contrast enhancement. CONCLUSION: CECT examination accounted for 5.6% increase in the detection of head abnormalities. Efforts required to establish local standard operation procedures (SOPs) for contrast medium use especially in CT head examinations. Further studies to improve the knowledge of agents, mechanism of action, and safety of contrast media used among practitioners in Ghana is recommended

Imaging patterns of the arterial supply of the prostate gland in adult Ghanaian men

Background Prostatic arterial embolization (PAE) is a novel procedure in West Africa and Ghana. A thorough understanding of the prostate artery's (PA) anatomy and pattern is required for successful prostatic arterial embolization and to guarantee targeted intervention. This study focuses on prostate arterial supply in adult males, including prevalence, variability, and imaging pattern. Methodology A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted, at Euracare Advanced Diagnostics and Heart Centre. Patients who presented for Computed Tomography Angiography of the pelvis were included in the study. A total of 52 males were included and 104 pelvic CT angiography (one for each side) were analyzed, including: prostatic artery diameter, prostatic gland volume and prostate artery branching pattern. The PA branching pattern was classified using de Assis et al. classification. Result Thirty-seven (71.15%) men had enlarged prostate volume (>30ml). On each side there was only one prostatic artery and no accessory one was found. Only three types of arterial branching were identified: type I, II,III. The type I artery was the most common origin 58.7% (61/104). PA originating from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery (type II) and the type III is from the internal pudendal artery, accounted for 16.3% (17/104) and 25% (26/104) respectively. Conclusion The most frequent type of PA origin was type I followed by type III then II. Knowing the different and most frequent types of anatomy of PA may help standardization and effectiveness of the PAE in developing countries

Comparing radiological presentations of first and second strains of COVID-19 infections in a low-resource country

INTRODUCTION: The novel corona virus popularly referred to as COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. In Ghana, the first two cases of COVID-19 infection were recorded on March 13, 2020 with a strain imported from Europe. In December 2020, a new strain from South Africa was detected in Ghana which was associated with higher transmission rates, severity of the disease, and higher number of recorded deaths. Our study aimed to record notable differences and similarities between infections due to the initial, and second strains of COVID-19 infections detected in Ghana during the last 12-months. METHOD: This was a retrospective study involving 50 patients infected with the first strain, and another 50 patients infected with the second strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Microsoft Excel-2013 was the analytical tool. RESULTS: The data analysis supported publications suggesting that the new strain of the virus caused more severe infections, which were manifested on high resolution CT (HRCT) scans as more widespread alveolar disease, most commonly presenting as large areas of consolidation. CONCLUSION: Despite numerous similarities in terms of the manifestation of COVID-19 infection on HRCT scans, notable difference supporting the notion of increased virulence and severity of disease were also recorded. The study findings demonstrate the need for heightened and sustained preventive measures needed to reduce, and eventually curb COVID-19 infection and mortality rates associated with the introduction of new virulent strains

Financial toxicity of cancer care in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: The costs associated with cancer diagnosis, treatment and care present enormous financial toxicity. However, evidence of financial toxicity associated with cancer in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is scarce. Aim: To identify the extent of cancer-related financial toxicity and how it has been measured in LMICs. Methods: : Four electronic databases were searched to identify studies of any design that reported financial toxicity among cancer patients in LMICs. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to derive the pooled prevalence of financial toxicity. Sub-group analyses were performed according to: costs; and determinants of financial toxicity. Results: : A total of 31 studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of financial toxicity was 56.96% [95% CI, 30.51, 106.32]. In sub-group meta-analyses, the financial toxicity was higher among cancer patients with household size of more than four (1.17% [95% CI, 1.03, 1.32]; p = 0.02; I 2 = 0%), multiple cycles of chemotherapy (1.94% [95% CI, 1.00, 3.75]; p = 0.05; I 2 = 43%) and private health facilities (2.87% [95% CI, 1.89, 4.35]; p Conclusions: : This study indicates that cancer diagnosis, treatment and care impose high financial toxicity on cancer patients in LMICs. Further rigorous research on cancer-related financial toxicity is needed

The Effectiveness of Contract Farming for Raising Income of Smallholder Farmers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: a Systematic Review

Contract farming is used by an increasing number of firms as a preferred modality to source products from smallholder farmers in low and middle-income countries. Quality requirements of consumers, economies of scale in production or land ownership rights are common incentives for firms to offer contractual arrangements to farmers. Prices and access to key technology, key inputs or support services are the main incentives for farmers to enter into these contracts. There is great heterogeneity in contract farming, with differences in contracts, farmers, products, buyers, and institutional environments. The last decade shows a rapid increase in studies that use quasi-experimental research designs to assess the effects of specific empirical instances of contract farming on smallholders. The objective of this systematic review was to distill generalised inferences from this rapidly growing body of evidence. The review synthesised the studies in order to answer two questions: 1: What is known about the effect size of contract farming on income and food security of smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries? 2: Under which enabling or limiting conditions are contract farming arrangements effective for improving income and food security of smallholders