A comparison of topical Phenytoin with Silverex in the treatment of superficial dermal burn wounds

Burn injuries constitute a major health problem causing considerable morbidity and mortality in Tanzania and around the world. It is a common surgical problem and leading cause of death (20% mortality) in our paediatric surgical ward (Morbidity/Mortality report 2000 — Muhimbili National Hospital). Mzezewa et al. reported an overall mortality of 22% in a three year study at the Harare Burn Units. Inappropriate treatment facilities lead to severe complications like wound infections and septicaemia, anaemia and contracture deformities resulting in prolonged hospitalization with enormous economic impact in medical cost and loss of time from school and work. Socio-economic factors contributing to increased incidence of burns especially in children include domestic accidents resulting from explosion of cheap kerosene stoves, poor architectural design of the kitchen in low-income families and cooking on open fires at floor level often in the open where children are playing

Surgical wound infection in clean-contaminated and contaminated laparotomy wounds at Muhimbili National Hospital

Background: Surgical wound (site) infection is the commonest complication following laparotomy for clean-contaminated and contaminated abdominal operations. Good surgical technique and perioperative prophylactic antibiotics in clean-contaminated and contaminated abdominal operations contribute to the low rate of surgical wound infection and its complications. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence and complications of surgical wound infection following laparotomy for clean-contaminated and contaminated abdominal operations at Muhimbili National Hospital.Methods: This was a prospective descriptive study done over a period of nine months from January 2001. The study population included patients assessed to have clean-contaminated and contaminated laparotomy woundsResults: The study revealed that surgical wound infection was the commonest complication accounting for 15.6%. Other complications include mortality rate of 8.9% and wound dehiscence (1.1%).Conclusion: It was concluded that another study is required in order to determine the cost of surgical wound infection in this hospital that is in transition towards cost-sharing and health management reform. Also, a long follow up study is required to determine the prevalence of incisional hernia in these wounds

University partnership to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in Africa

The shortage of qualified health professionals is a major obstacle to achieving better health outcomes in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa. The role of health science universities in addressing this shortage is to provide quality education and continuing professional development opportunities for the healthcare workforce. Academic institutions in Africa, however, are also short of faculty and especially under-resourced. We describe the initial phase of an institutional partnership between the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) centred on promoting medical education at MUHAS. The challenges facing the development of the partnership include the need: (1) for new funding mechanisms to provide long-term support for institutional partnerships, and (2) for institutional change at UCSF and MUHAS to recognize and support faculty activities that are important to the partnership. The growing interest in global health worldwide offers opportunities to explore new academic partnerships. It is important that their development and implementation be documented and evaluated as well as for lessons to be shared