Annals of African Medicine

Ischemic stroke following snake bite is rare. We report a posterior circulation infarct involving bilateral cerebellum and occipital lobe following Russell's viper bite in a previously healthy individual. A 50 years old healthy individual, soon after being bitten by the Russel viper on the left foot he developed pain and swelling followed by drooping of eyelids, slurring of speech and giddiness with multiple episodes of vomiting. The patient was administered ASV as well as neostigmine and atropine injections...

The pediatric age group with massive hydrocephalus posted for ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt presents a lot of confrontation to anesthesiologists due to macrocephalus and associated congenital anomalies. Here, we presented a case report with massive hydrocephalus with aqueduct stenosis, posted for VP shunt placement, and retained a difficult airway.

INTRODUCTION: Metastatic cancer presents a treatment challenge to clinicians, particularly for patients with bone marrow infiltration. For tumor staging, therapy selection, and prognosis risk stratification, the status of the bone marrow should be known for the presence or absence of metastasis. The study aimed to evaluate the hematological findings and comprehensive analysis of bone marrow in cases of nonhematological malignancies with bone marrow metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study comprised a record retrieval of the departmental archives for the past 6 years...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Surgical residents face many challenges and stressors during their training. Some residents can cope better with such difficult situations, whereas others experience burnout and anxiety. Emotional intelligence (EI) and resilience are personality traits that may be associated with a better response to adverse situations. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional analytical study using validated questionnaires the Schutte Self-report EI Test (SSEIT) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25) was conducted to assess EI and resilience among the participants...

BACKGROUND: Different discharge criteria are available for shifting patients out from postanesthesia care room following surgery. This study was done to compare the three-scoring system namely traditional time-based criteria, Fast track criteria and modified Aldrete score, in Indian population patients who recover after general anesthesia in postanesthesia care unit (PACU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred and seventy-five patients scheduled for general anesthesia were included in this study...

BACKGROUND: Home quarantine during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic was a clear cause of loss of communication and a lot of conflicts between individuals, which had adverse consequences on people's relationships. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the effect of lockdown on interpersonal relationships in AlAhsa community. METHODS: A. UNLABELLED: cross-sectional study was conducted during 2020-2021 with 306 participants in AlAhsa, the eastern region of Saudi Arabia...

UNLABELLED: Background The I-LMA ventilates while providing a port for blind insertion of an endotracheal tube. The ILMA Fastrach is used especially for intubating in a difficult airway scenario. Its accompanying endotracheal tube is not economical nor readily available. In comparison, two alternative endotracheal tubes - polyvinyl chloride and wire-reinforced tubes were used for tracheal intubation through the ILMA. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to compare the ease of intubation when using conventional PVC tubes versus the wire-reinforced flexometallic tubes with the ILMA-FastrachTM...

CONTEXT: Risk factors for the persistence of superficial skin infestations are prevalent in humid tropical environments, which are favorable for breeding of the causative vector mite Sarcoptes scabiei (ectoparasite) and dermatophyte fungi. AIM: This study aimed at assessing the awareness and knowledge of childhood scabies and ringworm infestations among parents in Calabar, a highly humid rainforest tropical environment. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional study design and systematic random sampling were used to recruit school-age children in selected primary schools in Calabar...

BACKGROUND: In Saudi Arabia, stroke is a significant cause of illness and mortality progressively becoming more serious. Studies have indicated that modifiable cardiovascular risk factors are responsible for a significant portion of the burden caused by stroke, which could be targeted through public awareness. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the level of knowledge about stroke among the general population of the Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, association between stroke level of knowledge and sample characteristics was analyzed...

INTRODUCTION: Portomesenteric venous thrombosis (PMVT) may complicate sleeve gastrectomy. We believe that single dose of enoxaparin postoperatively can reduce the risk of PMVT. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to study the outcomes of enoxaparin single dose compared to other perioperative prophylactic doses in preventing PMVT. METHODS: Participants included 590 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). These retrospective cohort data were collected from patient medical charts after bariatric surgery...

BACKGROUND: In spite of its global notoriety and WHO alarm, Acinetobacter baumannii is still an understudied critical-priority pathobiont in Nigeria. We characterized its antimicrobial susceptibility profile and resistance genes during an outbreak. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved collection of patients' urine samples and swabs from unit staff's hands and ward environments for the identification of A. baumannii strains using standard morphologic and biochemical methods...

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of acute pancreatitis is rising especially in the Western world, but the prevalence remains unknown in most Middle Eastern Countries. Acute pancreatitis has been attributed with multiple etiologies with the two most common being alcohol abuse disorder and gallstones. The incidence and prevalence of it in the United Arab Emirates are yet to be reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Atlanta criteria were used for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and applied to patients that have been admitted to a single tertiary center in the year 2021...

CONTEXT: Over the past three decades, there has been a significant rise in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) globally, accompanied by a relative decline in communicable diseases. AIMS: With this background, the research was planned to determine the prevalence of acanthosis nigricans (AN) or skin tags (STs) in the study population and to examine the relationship between the presence of AN and ST with commonly used indicators such as waist-to-height ratio (W/Ht...

BACKGROUND: Colostomy is one of the common surgical procedures performed in pediatric surgical practice. The aim of this study was to retrospectively review our experience with colostomy and closure (reversal) in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of the data of all children aged 15 years and below who had colostomy and colostomy closure in the past 5 years. RESULTS: Of the 67 children who had colostomy 42 (62.7%) boys and 25 (37...

INTRODUCTION: Time in range (TIR), a metric of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) provides better information regarding the individual's glycemic variability than a static measure like glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). TIR is emerging as an independent risk factor for diabetic complications, both microvascular and macrovascular complications independent of HbA1c. Hence, this study evaluates the association between TIR and cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in type 2 diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 42 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled in this study and underwent a 3-day CGM using the "FreeStyle Libre Pro Flash Glucose Monitoring System Sensor" along with tests for CAN within the 3 days of attaching the CGM...

INTRODUCTION: Uric acid is produced during the metabolism of nucleotide and adenosine triphosphate and contains the final product of human purine metabolism. It acts both as an antioxidant and pro-inflammatory marker and has a positive association with visceral fat in overweight subjects. The aim of the present study is to find an association of uric acid level with certain anthropometric parameters in subjects having type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 124 urban drug-naive diabetic Indian subjects above 18 years of age from the general population of the city of North India...

Malaria is a disease affecting millions of people, especially in Africa, Asia, and South America, and has become a substantial economic burden. Because malaria is contracted through the bite of a mosquito vector, it is very challenging to prevent. Bed nets and insect repellents are used in some homes; others do not have or use them even when available. Thus, treatment measures are crucial to controlling this disease. Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is currently the first-line treatment for malaria...

Hyperbaric therapy is generally considered a safe therapy for the treatment of wounds, mucormycosis, and orthopedic injuries. It is fraught with complications such as barotrauma, pulmonary toxicity, fire hazards, and claustrophobia. This article discusses the safety protocols and preventive aspects on usefulness of this new emerging therapy.

An interesting case of unusual unilateral variant of palmaris longus (PL) tendon of forearm was noticed by us. We found two bellies of PL as well as their different insertions. These observations will help in understanding morphological variations of this muscle and its clinical implications. PL is a fusiform muscle in the superficial flexor group of muscles of forearm. It originates from medial epicondyle of humerus by common flexor tendon. We found PL having one origin, i.e., from medial epicondyle from common tendinous origin of flexor muscles and then it divided to form two bellies having two long tendons distally...

Mitral valve aneurysm is defined as outpouching of the mitral valve which expands in systole and collapse in diastole. It was first reported in 1729 by Morand. Most of the cases have been described in the African population. It is rare in the Indian population. Its chief presentations are congestive heart failure, palpitations, arrhythmia, or in rare cases an embolic phenomenon. It can be diagnosed either by echocardiography or cardiac imaging (magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography). It can either occur as an isolated defect or with other associated valvular abnormalities...