Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections among Pregnant Women in Central Sudan

Background: The epidemiology of viral hepatitis and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during pregnancy is of great importance for health planners and program managers. However, few published data on viral hepatitis and HIV are available in Sudan especially during pregnancy.Objectives: The current study was conducted to investigate seropositivity of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV among pregnant women in central Sudan.Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted where 396 pregnant women were investigated for the presence of hepatitis B, C and HIV. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect HBsAg and anti-HCV. Antibodies to HIV were detected by three different methods as per Strategy III of the National AIDS Control Organization by utilizing different systems of testing to make a diagnosis of HIV.Results: Twenty (5.1%), five (1.3%), and six (1.5%) women were seropositive for HBsAg anti- HCV antibodies and HIV, respectively. One (0.003 %) woman was seropositive for both HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies. While age, parity, were not associated with seropostivtiy of HBsAg, home delivery was the only significant risk factor for seropostivtiy of HBsAg (OR=4.5 (95% CI=1.2-16.7)Conclusion: Prevalence of HBV and HCV among pregnant women in this setting is in the intermediate zone of endemicity. This is alarming and should draw medical authorities’ attention if vertical transmission is to be reduced.Key words: Sudan, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, seropositivity, Pregnancy

Ultrasound- guided fine needle aspiration cytology and cell block in the diagnosis of focal liver lesions at Khartoum Hospital, Sudan

Background: The appropriate clinical management of various hepatic lesions depends on accurate diagnosis. Fine needle aspiration and cell block have gained popularity because they are convenient, minimally invasive, quick and have good performance profiles.Objective: To investigate the cytomorphological features of distinctive non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the liver and to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound- guided (USG) fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and cell block in the diagnosis ofliver diseases at Khartoum Teaching Hospital.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Khartoum Teaching Hospital, Sudan during the period of November 2008 to October 2011. One hundred and five cytological materials were collected from patients with focal liver lesions who referred after initial clinical and radiologicalassessment for ultrasound–guided fine needle aspiration cytology (USG -FNAC).Results: The age of the patients ranged from 5- 60 years and 64 (61%) of these patients were males. Out of 105 investigated samples 76 (72.4%) and 41(39.0%) were malignant by cytology and cell block respectively. Out of these 105 samples, 71 were investigated by both cytology and cell blocks and were included in the final analyses of the FNAC in comparison to cell block. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the cytology were 100% (93.0 – 100%), 63.3% (45.2 – 79.0%), 78.8% (66.2 – 88.3%) and 0 (0 – 14.6%), respectively.Conclusion: Thus, USG -FNAC is a sensitive but not specific method in differentiating the benign and malignant focal liver lesions. Differentiation between primary liver malignant lesions and metastatic lesion needs adjunct techniqueKey words: neoplastic lesion, non-neoplastic lesio

Drugs use during pregnancy at Medani Maternity Hospital, Sudan

Background: There is a limited knowledge on use of drugs during pregnancy including beneficial and possible adverse effects of drugs on both the mother and the fetus.Objective: To investigate epidemiology of use of drugs during pregnancy.Methods: A cross sectional hospital based study at Medani Hospital during the period December 2011. After signing an informed consent, a pre-tested questionnaire was used to gather data from each parturient mother on her age, parity, level of education, antenatal care visits and use of drug during the index pregnancy.Results: The vast majority (334; 98.2%) of the interviewed women used drugs during the index pregnancy. Around ten percent (35; 10.5%) of these women used the drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy. The majority (266; 78.2%) used the drugs in third trimester and the rest used it in the second trimester. The most common drugs used were antibiotics, tonics, antimalarials and antiemetic.Conclusion: There is a very high rate of drug use in this setting. Antibiotics and antimalarials drugs were the most used drugs.Keywords: drugs, pregnancy, antibiotics, antimalarials, Sudan