The menstrual characteristics of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian public university

Introduction: Menstrual disorders are common among females of reproductive age and are a major cause of gynaecological referrals. They result from various individual, family, socioeconomic and environmental factors. It is important to understand these variations in the menstrual cycle to help premenopausal women cope better with them and proffer treatment where necessary. However, in Ghana, there exist a paucity of literature on disturbance in the menstrual cycle, especially among University students.Objectives: This study is an attempt to add to the body of knowledge on menstrual issues females experience.Methodology: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving two hundred female undergraduate students of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana. Data was analysed using standardized and acceptable statistical tools.Results: Our results show that most of the females were in their early twenties (92.6%), with the average age of menarche being 12.7 + 0.12 years. Most respondents (49.2%) attained menarche at ages 12 and 13. Furthermore, some females had irregular cycles (17.7%) and the most common symptoms experienced by these cohorts were menstrual pain, mood changes and tiredness, accounting for 74%, 52.5% and 33% respectively.Conclusion: Our study has shown that Ghanaian undergraduate students are not left out of the disturbances in the menstrual cycle and can indeed be a source of worry and concern to them and their families. Primary healthcare physicians and Specialists should be aware of this so as to give appropriate therapy and care in order to improve their quality of life.Keywords: Ghana, Menstrual cycle, Menstrual Disturbances, Menarch

Risk factors for dysmenorrhea among Ghanaian undergraduate students

Background: Menstrual pain is one of the common gynaecological presentations of women of reproductive age to health care physicians. In Ghana, there exist a paucity of research on the risk factors of dysmenorrhea among older females. Objectives: Very few studies in Ghana have addressed the risk factors for severe dysmenorrhea among University students. This study aims to identify the common risk factors and associated symptoms of menstrual pain which have been previously not caught the attention of researchers in Ghana. Methodology: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving to two hundred female undergraduate students of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana. Data collected and analysed using standardized and acceptable statistical tools. Verbal multidimensional scoring system for assessment of dysmenorrhoea severity was used in this study to assess the severity of dysmenorrhoea Results: More than half (57.3%) of the respondents having pain beginning within the first two days of their menses. The common risk factors that predicted severity of dysmenorrhea (p<0.05) were quantity of menstrual flow and family history of menstrual pain. The common symptoms that accompanied dysmenorrhea were tiredness, loss of appetite, backache, dizziness, diarrhoea and mood changes (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea is a serious public health problem which can be incapacitating. We advocate for more attention to reduce the burden of its negative consequences

Antifertility Effects of P-Alaxin in Male Adult Wistar Rats

P-alaxin, an artemisinin based combined therapy is very effective in treating malaria infection in areas of high resistance to conventional antimalarial drugs. It is a potentially promising anti-malaria drug that is composed of dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine phosphate. The present study investigates the fertility effects of therapeutic dose of P-alaxin. Fifteen male adult wistar rats of weighing between 150 and 210gm were grouped into three consisting of 5 males per group. The control group was orally administered with normal saline, the test and recovery groups were given body weight 15.4mg/kg of P-alaxin orally for three days after which the recovery group was allowed to recover from the drug’s effect for another three days. The animals were sacrificed twenty four (24) hours after the experiment.  The blood samples were collected through cardiac puncture.The result showed significant difference (p ≤0.05) in sperm count, sperm motility, sperm viability as well as in serum testosterone level of the male rats administered with P- alaxin and the recovery group when compared with the control group.The results suggest that oral administration of P – alaxin has significant negative effects (P <0.05) on sperm parameters and serum testosterone and could reduce male wistar rats fertility. Keywords: P-alaxin, artemisinin, antimalarial, sperm parameters, serum testosteron

Haematological Changes Associated with Administration of Therapeutic dose of P-Alaxin in Healthy Adult Wistar Rats

P-alaxin, an artemisinin based combined therapy is very effective in treating malaria infection in areas of high resistance to conventional antimalarial drugs. It is a potentially promising anti-malaria drug composed of dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine phosphate. The present study investigates the safety in-use of therapeutic dose of p-alaxin by healthy individuals. Thirty adult wistar rats of both sexes weighing between 180 and 210g were grouped into three consisting of 5 males and 5 females per group. The control group was orally administered with normal saline, the test and recovery groups were given body weight 15.4mg/Kg of P-alaxin orally for three days after which the recovery group was allowed to recover from the drug’s effect for another three days. The animals were sacrificed twenty four (24) hours after the experiment.  The blood samples were collected through cardiac puncture into heparinised tubes centrifuged at 5000rpm for 10mins and was used for haematological assay. The result showed no significant difference (p?0.05) in packed cell volume (PCV), Red blood cell count and White Blood cell count of the male rats administered with P- alaxin and the recovery group when compared with the female groups.  Whereas a significant increase (p? 0.05) was observed in the haemoglobin (HB) level of the male rats after treatment, there was no significant change in the Haemoglobin (HB) level of the female animals when the drug was administered as well as during the recovery period. The results of this study indicate administration of p-alaxin in healthy individuals will neither induce haemolysis nor anaemia. Keywords: P-alaxin, artemisinin, antimalarial, haemoglobi

Career preferences among final year medical students and house officers: A multicentre survey in Southwest Nigeria

Objective: Career preferences of medical trainees have the potential to shape the future of the healthcareworkforce of any nation. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence career choices ofmedical students and house officers (interns) in two institutions located in Southwest Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst final year medical students and interns in twomedical universities and their corresponding teaching hospitals in Southwest Nigeria. A questionnairewas used to obtain socio-demographic data, career choices, reasons behind career choices and thepresence and influence of mentorship on career choices. Responses were analyzed using the StatisticalPackage for Social Sciences Version 21, and descriptive statistics generated.Results: Obstetrics & Gynecology and Surgical specialties were the most preferred career choices by themedical students, while Surgical and Medical specialties were most preferred by the interns. Personalinterest and other personal reasons were the top motivating factors for the career choices amongst themedical students of both institutions, while personal interest and future job opportunities were the topreasons for the career choices amongst the interns of both institutions. Mentorship was lacking for most ofthe medical students and house officers, except in one of the teaching hospitals, where over half of theinterns had career mentors.Conclusion: Attention should be paid to the reasons behind career choices, in order to channel effortstowards making clinical specialties become attractive to young medical trainees, as the future of the healthworkforce in the nation depends on it.Keywords: Career Choices, Medical Students, House officers, Medical Education, Nigeri

Oral administration of leaf extracts of Momordica charantia affect reproductive hormones of adult female Wistar rats

Objective: To determine the effect of graded doses of aqueous leaf extracts of Momordica charantia on fertility hormones of female albino rats. Methods: Twenty adult, healthy, female Wistar rats were divided into four groups: low dose (LD), moderate dose (MD) and high dose (HD) groups which received 12.5 g, 25.0 g, 50.0 g of the leaf extract respectively and control group that was given with water ad libatum. Result: Estrogen levels reduced by 6.40 nmol/L, 10.80 nmol/L and 28.00 nmol/L in the LD, MD and HD groups respectively while plasma progesterone of rats in the LD, MD and HD groups reduced by 24.20 nmol/L, 40.8 nmol/L and 59.20 nmol/L respectively. Conclusion: Our study has shown that the antifertility effect of Momordica charantia is achieved in a dose dependent manner. Hence, cautious use of such medication should be advocated especially when managing couples for infertility

The impact of dysmenorrhea on activities of Ghanaian undergraduate students

Background and Aim: Dysmenorrhea is one of the leading causes of gynecological hospital visits globally, with resultant physical, psychological, academic, and social consequences. There exists a paucity of research on dysmenorrhea in Ghana and those available focus on the adolescent population. Our study intends to add to the body of knowledge by describing the negative experiences of dysmenorrhea among undergraduate females. Methodology: The study was a descriptive, cross-sectional study involving to 200 female undergraduate students (100 medical and 100 nonmedical students) of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Data were analyzed using standardized and acceptable statistical tools. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Dysmenorrhea caused significant disturbance in academic and nonacademic activities of the respondents, thus increasing with increase in severity of the menstrual pain. It resulted in mood disturbances, disruption in social interaction (relationship with colleagues and university staff), limitation in sleep, and hospital admission in 39.9%, 19.1%, 10.1%, and 5.4%, respectively. Furthermore, it resulted in disruption in academic activities of the respondents (42.3%), lack of concentration (41.7%), inability to study (23.2%), and school absenteeism (12.5%). Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea is a major public health burden among females of reproductive age. We advocate that it should be given much more priority and attention than its receiving presently in Ghana, so as to reduce the negative consequences attached with it

brnd variations in the physicochemical properties of metronidazole tablets

No Abstract. Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 17 (1) 2007: pp. 22-2

Spontaneous evisceration through an incisional hernia: A rare complication in surgical practice

Incisional hernias complicate 2%–20% of laparotomies. They rarely eviscerate spontaneously, and when they do they pose a serious threat to the protruding bowel and the patient's life if timely intervention is not instituted. We reported a case of spontaneous rupture of an incisional hernia in a 56 years old female who underwent laparotomy twenty years before presentation to the Accident and Emergency Department of Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. She presented with a 4-h history of evisceration of bowel after bouts of cough. An emergency laparotomy and hernia repair was done after initial resuscitation. The patient's recovery was uneventful and shortly after tested positive for HIV I. She was however lost to follow up. Neglect for early operative intervention or delay in seeking the treatment for an incisional hernia increases the risk of rupture