Risk factors for hepatitis C virus sero-positivity among haemodialysis patients receiving care at Kidney Centre in a tertiary health facility in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important health care problem in haemodialysis. Hepatitis C virus is both a cause and complication of kidney diseases. Yet there are limited information on antibody against HCV in patients on haemodialysis. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-HCV and the risk factors associated with HCV infection in a cohort of 100 participants on haemodialysis. They were consecutively recruited into the study, anti-HCV testing was made by the 3rd-generation ELISA System (C-100, C-33c, C-22). The prevalence of HCV antibody was 15%, risk factors associated with HCV antibody were history of blood transfusion and duration of session of haemodialysis; the risk increased with increased with the number of blood transfusion and seasons of haemodialysis. The observed high prevalence of HCV antibody among patients on haemodialysis reflect the quality of healthcare services and the standards of infection control practices in our haemodialysis units. Routine screening for HCV should be done before blood transfusion using third generation ELISA assays with high sensitivity and specificity. Safety measures should be taken in our haemodialysis units to prevent cross infection among patients and staffs. These safety measures include; discarding syringes, needles, gloves, bloodlines and dialysers after single use, and the use of sterile dressings on each patient visit

Gender disparity in prevalence and risk factors of chronic Kidney disease among patients with type 2 diabetes in Northeastern Nigeria.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that is responsible for up to 5% of premature deaths worldwide. Diabetic kidney disease is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. This study aims to evaluate gender disparity in prevalence and risk factors of diabetic kidney disease in northeastern Nigeria. Methodology: The study population consisted of adult patients with type 2 diabetesrecruited consecutively at the diabetes clinic of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri. Socio-demographic and anthropometric variables including age, sex, weight, height, BMI, as well as laboratory parameters, were obtained from each patient. Glomerular filtration rate was derived from the CKD-EPI formula using serum creatinine. Results: Two hundred and sixty-one adult patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited consecutively from the Diabetes outpatient clinic of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri. There were 167(64%) females and 94(36%) males. The mean ages of males and females were 51.10±12.23 years and 48.76±11.00 years, respectively (p= 0.115). The mean duration of diabetes was similar between males and females (7.24±7.18 vs 6.87±6.02 years, p= 0.652). Females had a higher BMI 2 2 compared with males (28.49±6.27Kg/M2 vs 26.41±4.86Kg/M2 p= 0.003). Fasting blood glucose, Low- density lipoprotein cholesterol and PCV were more deranged in females than among males (9.53±4.72 mmol/L vs 11.10±5.97mmol/L p= 0.020; 2.84±1.03mmol/L vs 3.19±1.03mmol/L p=0.009; 34.49±5.33% vs 33.11±4.54% p= 0.026). Out of the study population, 83(74.1%) females had renal dysfunction compared with 29(25.9%) males. The risk factors for progressive kidney disease among female patients were age >45 years (Exp (B) 1.799, 95% CI= 1.165-3.805) and systolic blood pressure >140mmHg (Exp (B)= 1.592, 95% CI= 0.772- 3.284). Conclusion: Diabetic kidney disease among our cohorts with type 2 diabetes was more prevalent among females compared with males and the risk factors associated with this disparity were older age, high BMI, poor glycaemic control, low PCV and elevated LDL cholesterol

Urinary schistosomiasis in Boko Haram-related internally displaced Nigerian children

We aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among internally displaced children in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Data on the children’s sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors for schistosomiasis were collected, over a period of six months, using an interview-based questionnaire. Ten milliliter of urine sample was collected from each child and investigated for hematuria and ova of Schistosoma haematobium. Two hundred and thirty-eight of 385 children had urinary schistosomiasis (62.0%); of this, 125 (53.0%) were males, with a male:female ratio of 1.1:1. Urinary schistosomiasis was the most common among 5–9 years’ age group, low social class children, and children of farmers, P <0.05. Stunting was significantly associated with urinary schistosomiasis, P <0.05. It is concluded that urinary schistosomiasis in children was more frequently associated with stunting and low social class. It was a very common disease among internally displaced children in Nigeria