Original Article
Oloruntoba O. Festus, Solomon O. Agbebaku, Blessing O. Idonije, Olarewaju M. Oluba
EUROPEAN J MED ED TE, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article No: em2104
ABSTRACT
Background: The rising cases of cancer and associated mobidity and mortality are indirectly linked to occupational health hazards especially in developing cases. This is further comounded by low level of compliance to safety health measures among factory workers. Ignorance and low-level of awareness on the associated health-implication of occupational risk exposure have been implicated in this regard.
Methods: The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of cement dust exposure on selected liver function parameters in cement handlers at Ekpoma, Nigeria. A total of 114 subjects comprising 57 with history of exposure to cement dust by means of their occupation or by means of livelihood for at least one (1) year, designated as cement handlers (CH) and another 57 non-cement handlers designated as control (CT). Blood sample was collected from the anti-cubital fossa vein of each participant by venipuncture first thing in the morning before the commencement of daily activity into lithium heparin anticoagulant bottles. Plasma bilirubin (conjugated, unconjugated and total) as well as AST, ALT, ALP activities were determined using standard colorimetric methods.
Results: Bilirubin levels were altered significantly (p < 0.05), while ALT activity was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in CH compared CT. AST and ALP activities were not significantly altered.
Conclusion: The results presented in this study showed that exposure to cement dust led to markedly increased level of some liver function parameters in cement handlers. This is indicative of a compromised liver function due to hepatotoxicity.
Keywords: cement dust, liver function, toxicity, hepatotoxicity
Review Article
Nseobong Charles Akpabio junior, Ugochukwu Chigozie Okeke, Chinweoge Frances Epum, Chukwuamaka Jennifer Okise, Oluwaloni Olaitan Familoni, Babajide Joseph Oyekunle, Modupeoluwa Mercy Abidakun, Isioma Dianne Okolo
EUROPEAN J MED ED TE, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article No: em2105
ABSTRACT
The Coronavirus pandemic poses a significant threat to the healthcare sectors of some African countries due to poor healthcare organisation, financing, and reduced uptake of recent technological advancements. Surgical care of patients and surgical training of healthcare workers are considerably affected, due to the dearth of policies and strategic health plans, to ensure the provision of safe and affordable surgical care and continuity of training. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Surgery in Africa and to provide recommendations geared towards the current pandemic and for the future. This review involved a search of the electronic databases MEDLINE/PubMed and Google Scholar, and 31 papers from African countries which explored the impact of COVID-19 across different surgical specialities were screened. The cancellation rate of elective surgeries and benign conditions across some countries were seen to be as high as 74-81% with prioritisation of cancer patients and emergencies. The volume of emergency surgical cases presenting in some hospitals was reduced due to the associated lockdowns and fear of contracting the virus, while Telemedicine became increasingly adopted with newer platforms being used across some countries. The pandemic has exposed the inequities in health systems and further studies need to be done to evaluate its impact across more surgical specialities.
Keywords: global health, surgery, health systems, health technology, COVID-19
Original Article
Sandip Saha, Pankaj Biswas, Sujit Nath
EUROPEAN J MED ED TE, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article No: em2106
ABSTRACT
At present, Novel COVID-19 has become the greatest issue in the world which was first detected in the city of Wuhan of Hubei province in China in the month of December 2019. SARS-COV-2 is responsible for the spreading of corona virus disease. Within a very short time period, it has spread very fast throughout the world. Beyond all the boundaries of medical science, nowadays COVID-19 has become a main interesting topic in many research fields such as Applied Mathematics, economy, politics, up to the living room. The aim of this study is to investigate the dynamic behavior of pandemic COVID-19 which based on real-time data. The logistic growth model and SIR model has been employed to study the different four characteristics of COVID-19, such as low growth state, moderate growth state, transition state, and steady-state. The models have been validated with the results of real-time data. Moreover, the model presents a rapid change due to the unavailability of precautions. Furthermore, some parameters have been implemented to predict the COVID-19 status up to 5th Jan 2021. From these models, it is predicted that the total number of infected peoples reaches 10M up to 5th Jan 2021. It has also been revealed that with the support of lockdown, social alertness, increasing testing facility, and social distancing recovery growth rate of infected persons increases with the increase of time.
Keywords: COVID-19, logistic growth model, SIR model, Novel coronavirus
Original Article
Teh Exodus Akwa, Simone Pierrette Nguimbous
EUROPEAN J MED ED TE, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article No: em2107
ABSTRACT
Typhoid fever is a communicable disease transmitted by the bacteria Salmonella typhi, related to serotype paratyphi A, B and C. The disease is a significant health concern in most developing countries especially Cameroon.
Objectives: The study aimed at assessing the risk factors associated to typhoid fever in children (0-18 years) attending the “Deo Gratias” hospital in Douala.
Method: A hospital based cross sectional study from August to September 2018 was carried out in children aged 0-18 years suffering from typhoid fever at the Deo gratias Catholic hospital. Widal slide agglutination and stool culture were the diagnostic test used. Positive confirmed cases were administered questionnaires to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitude and practice toward the disease. Data obtained from respondents was analyzed by descriptive statistics. One-way ANOVA and means comparison using Tukey’s test (α = 0.05) was performed to check whether the population of respondents differed significantly across risk factor practices. Results were finally presented on bar charts, tables and pie chart.
Results: Out of 64 patients tested for typhoid, 44 (68.75 %) were confirmed positive. Typhoid fever was more prevalent in females (52.3 %) than in males (47.7 %), with a high proportion in the ages 5-9 years (38.6 %). A significant difference was observed in population of respondents across risk factor practices.
Conclusion: Water quality have a great impact on the burden of typhoid fever among children. The identification of risk factors associated to the disease is of great importance in the development of rational control strategies of the disease.
Keywords: Salmonella typhi, Widal test, typhoid fever, water quality
Review Article
Moyinoluwa Joshua Oladoye
EUROPEAN J MED ED TE, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article No: em2108
ABSTRACT
Over the years, the nations of the world have been plagued with several infectious diseases outbreak. With the continuous rise in the number of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as monkeypox, it is high time we drew lessons and insights from past outbreaks to guide and effectively prepare for possible future outbreaks. Monkeypox, popularly known as the most important orthopoxvirus infection, is a viral zoonotic disease prevalent in Central and West Africa. There are 2 known genetic clades of the monkeypox virus reported so far, the Western African and the Central African clades. The human monkeypox though originated from Africa has grown to be a global concern with cases reported in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, and Singapore. It is distinctively characterized by lymphadenopathy and systemic rash symptoms. Monkeypox has a low fatality rate (0-11%) with the highest rates occurring in children and young persons who were not part of the smallpox vaccinated population. Report suggests that consumption of bush meats could be a potential risk factor in the transmission of the infection or caring for an infected patient. Several factors have been responsible for the weak surveillance system of monkeypox including the current COVID-19 pandemic that has put more pressure on the fragile healthcare systems and infrastructures of most countries. This paper aims to guide global health policymakers on the impending danger of neglecting this disease. The discourse is concluded with the recommendation of strategies to effectively strengthen the disease surveillance system in combating this public health threat.
Keywords: monkeypox, smallpox, orthopox, epidemiology, COVID-19