Reducing Infection Rates Through Handwashing Education

AbstractHealth care-associated infections (HCAIs) affect millions of people worldwide, causing morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent HCAIs. This project addressed a gap in practice regarding nurses’ knowledge on the effective use of hand hygiene in a medical/surgical unit in a hospital located in northeastern Maryland. This project addressed the question of whether an educational program on handwashing for nurses reduced HCAI rates. A literature review was conducted to support the development of the educational program; relevant sources included peer-reviewed journal articles, systematic reviews, and guidelines that supported the practice-focused question, with search dates ranging from 2015 to 2020. After receiving approval from the facility and from Walden’s institutional Review Board, using analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model as a guide, an educational program was designed with input from content experts. A 60 minute in person presentation was provided to registered nurses on the medical/surgical unit following social distancing guidelines. The Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire for Healthcare Workers was administered to 52 registered nurses as a pretest and posttest. Data analysis using a paired t test indicated, that after the training session, nurses’ knowledge about hand hygiene improve in all areas measured. This project has the potential to promote positive social change, in that nurses who receive education through the project may disseminate the information to other nurses and the nursing students whom they precept

Risk factors and assessment for cardiovascular disease among HIV-positive patients attending a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Introduction: cardiovascular risk factors are prevalent in HIV-positive patients which places them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to determine the risk factors and risk assessment for CVD in HIV-positive patients with and without antiretroviral therapy. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study of HIV-positive patients attending the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were performed; fasting lipid profile, plasma glucose, homocysteine and hsCRP were determined, as well as prevalences and risk assessments. Statistical tests were used to compare the groups and p-value <0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: 283 subjects were recruited for this study (100 HIV-positive treatment-naive, 100 HIV-positive treated and 83 HIV negative controls). Compared to the controls, mean (sd) values were significantly higher among HIV-treated subjects: waist circumference=88.7 (10.4), p=0.035; systolic bp= 124.9 (20.7), p=0.014; glucose= 5.54 (1.7), p=0.015; triglyceride= 2.0 (1.2), p<0.001; homocysteine= 10.9 (8.9-16.2), p=0.0003; while hsCRP= 2.9 (1.4-11.6), p=0.002 and HDL-C=0.9 (0.4), p=<0.0001 were higher among the HIV-naïve subjects. Likewise, higher prevalences of the risk factors were noted among the HIV-treated subjects except low HDL-C (p<0.001) and hsCRP (p=0.03) which were higher in the HIVnaïve group. Risk assessment using ratios showed high risk for CVD especially in the HIV-naïve group. The median range for Framingham risk assessment was 1.0 - 7.5%. Conclusion: Risk factors and risk assessment for CVD are increased in HIV-positive patients with and without antiretroviral therapy.Routine evaluation and risk assessment for CVD irrespective of therapy status is necessary to prevent future cardiovascular events.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Impact of health system challenges on prostate cancer control: health care experiences in Nigeria

Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer of men (913 000 new cases, 13.8% of the total) and the fifth most common cancer overall. Prostate cancer is the sixth leading cause of death from cancer in men (6.1% of the total)

Case Report Extraperitoneally Ruptured, Everted, and Prolapsed Bladder: A Very Rare Complication of Pelvic Injury

Traumatic rupture of the bladder with eversion and protrusion via the perineum is a rare complication of pelvic injury. We present a 36-year-old lady who sustained severe pelvic injury with a bleeding right-sided deep perineal laceration. She had closed reduction of pelvic fracture with pelvic banding and primary closure of perineal laceration at a private hospital. She subsequently had dehiscence of repaired perineal laceration with protrusion of fleshy mass from vulva and leakage of urine per perineum five weeks later. Examination revealed a fleshy mucosa-like mass protruding anteriorly with a bridge of tissue between it and right anterolateral vaginal wall. Upward pressure on this mass revealed the bladder neck and ureteric orifices. She had perineal and pelvic exploration with findings of prolapsed, completely everted bladder wall through a transverse anterior bladder wall rent via the perineum, and an unstable B1 pelvic disruption. She had repair of the ruptured, everted, and prolapsed bladder, double-plate and screw fixation of disrupted pelvis and repair of the pelvic/perineal defect. She commenced physiotherapy and ambulation a week after surgery. Patient now walks normally and is continent of urine. We conclude that the intrinsic urethral continent mechanism plays a significant role in maintaining continence in females

Serum testosterone levels of HbSS (sickle cell disease) male subjects in Lagos, Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infertility is a major problem in sickle cell disease patients, especially in males. In addition to low serum testosterone, other abnormalities involving the accessory sex organs, such as the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland, as well as marked decrease in ejaculate volume may be observed in male HbSS patients. Hence, the need to study the role of sex hormones as a cause of infertility in male HbSS patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An unmatched case-control study was performed using seventy-five consenting subjects from Lagos University Teaching Hospital. These included 47 patients with haemoglobin phenotype SS from the Sickle cell clinic and 28 volunteered medical students and members of staff with haemoglobin phenotype AA. Demographic data were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 5 mls of blood was collected from each subject between 9.00 am & 11.am, and assayed for serum testosterone concentration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The concentrations of serum testosterone in HbSS patients ranged from 0.2 to 4.3 ng/ml with a mean of 1.28 ± 0.72 ng/ml whilst the values in HbAA controls ranged from 1.2 to 6.9 ng/ml with a mean of 2.63 ± 1.04 ng/ml. Seven (25.0%) of the 28 controls had serum testosterone concentration lower than the quoted reference (normal) range whereas 44 (93.6%) of the 47 HbSS subjects had serum testosterone concentration lower than the reference range.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Overall, subjects with HbSS have significantly lower mean serum testosterone than HbAA controls.</p

Review of prostate cancer research in Nigeria

Prostate cancer (CaP) disparities in the black man calls for concerted research efforts. This review explores the trend and focus of CaP research activities in Nigeria, one of the ancestral nations for black men. It seeks to locate the place of the Nigerian research environment in the global progress on CaP disparities. Literature was reviewed mainly through a Pubmed search with the terms “prostate cancer”and “Nigeria”, as well as from internet and hard copies of journal pages

Prostate cancer disparities in Black men of African descent: a comparative literature review of prostate cancer burden among Black men in the United States, Caribbean, United Kingdom, and West Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>African American men have the highest prostate cancer morbidity and mortality rates than any other racial or ethnic group in the US. Although the overall incidence of and mortality from prostate cancer has been declining in White men since 1991, the decline in African American men lags behind White men. Of particular concern is the growing literature on the disproportionate burden of prostate cancer among other Black men of West African ancestry in the Caribbean Islands, United Kingdom and West Africa. This higher incidence of prostate cancer observed in populations of African descent may be attributed to the fact that these populations share ancestral genetic factors. To better understand the burden of prostate cancer among men of West African Ancestry, we conducted a review of the literature on prostate cancer incidence, prevalence, and mortality in the countries connected by the Transatlantic Slave Trade.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Several published studies indicate high prostate cancer burden in Nigeria and Ghana. There was no published literature for the countries Benin, Gambia and Senegal that met our review criteria. Prostate cancer morbidity and/or mortality data from the Caribbean Islands and the United Kingdom also provided comparable or worse prostate cancer burden to that of US Blacks.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The growing literature on the disproportionate burden of prostate cancer among other Black men of West African ancestry follows the path of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. To better understand and address the global prostate cancer disparities seen in Black men of West African ancestry, future studies should explore the genetic and environmental risk factors for prostate cancer among this group.</p

An Estimate of the Incidence of Prostate Cancer in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Prostate cancer (PCa) is rated the second most common cancer and sixth leading cause of cancer deaths among men globally. Reports show that African men suffer disproportionately from PCa compared to men from other parts of the world. It is still quite difficult to accurately describe the burden of PCa in Africa due to poor cancer registration systems.We systematically reviewed the literature on prostate cancer in Africa and provided a continentwide incidence rate of PCa based on available data in the regio