Aim: This study assesses the effects of HAART on liver and renal functions in HIV infected individuals on HAART. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Methods: This study was conducted in Tamale, Ghana from August, 2015 to November 2017. Methodology: A total of 300 HIV infected participants with ages ranging from 19 to 79 years who have been administered with HAART for at least 6 months were recruited. Pre-HAART administration (baseline) demographic and clinical information, with ini...
Background: The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are two systemic inflammatory indices with promising prognostic and predictive abilities for HDP. The study aimed to determine the abilities of the NLR and MLR in predicting HDP among pregnant women in Ghana. Methods: This was a case-control study that was carried out between September 2015 and May 2016 at the Bolgatanga regional hospital. The study involved 50 pregnant women of whom 60% (30/50) ha...
Background: Blood glucose measurement is a way of monitoring changes in glycaemia. Different point-of-care testing (POCT) glucose meters are on the market and hence there is an increase in variability of the results given by these meters. This study sought to measure the glycaemic variability using four different point-of-care glucose meters Methods: Four point of care glucometers namely; Accu-chek performer nano, OneTouch select plus flex, OneTouch Ultra 2 and Easy Check were used test blood...
Background: The study sought to determine the correlation between the onset and severity of preeclampsia (PE) and maternal sociodemographic variables: age, parity and body mass index (BMI); medical history: systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and proteinuria; fasting lipids: total cholesterol (TCHOL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides (TRIG); liver enzymes: aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and gam...
Aims: Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy (HDP) may be characterized by changes in the morphometry of the placenta and umbilical cord which may affect normal foetal growth and development. This study aimed to determine changes in the morphometry of the placenta and umbilical cord in HDP. Study Design: A case-control study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital between September 2015 and May 2016. Methodology: The study included 49 pregnant wom...
Aim: The onset of the new global pandemics such as COVID-19 and Ebola may have shifted attention from factors affecting voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS, especially among university students. The study sought to determine the factors influencing VCT uptake among university students. Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the University for Development Studies, from May to June 2020. Methodology: The study popul...
Background: The onset of preeclampsia (PE) may be early (EOPE), or late (LOPE). Preeclampsia may also be characterized by severe features (PS) or without severe features (PNS). This study aimed to predict the onset and severity of PE using biomarkers including neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) and endothelin-1 (ET-1). Method: This was a case-control study from January to June 2020. The study involved 270 pregnant women (control=135, PE=135), aged between 18-37 years. The case...
Prenatal hormone exposure has been suggested as a correlate of adult circulating estrogen and testosterone. If this observation is true, then prenatal hormone exposure may have an association with lipid homeostasis in adulthood. The study sought to investigate sexual dimorphism and the interactions between the putative marker of prenatal hormone exposure (2D : 4D) and sex on adult fasting plasma lipid variables. The study was cross-sectional from June to December 2021 at the University for De...
The 2D:4D ratio is the putative marker of prenatal hormone exposure and has been suggested as a correlate of adult circulating testosterone and estrogen. The study aimed to determine whether sexual dimorphism in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) can be partly explained by the 2D:4D ratio or adult circulating testosterone or estrogen. The study was cross-sectional from June to December 2021 at the University for Development Studies. The study involved 206 healthy adults (Female ...
Aims: Tobacco smoking is having a far more serious effect on reproductive health than previously thought and is responsible for many thousands of cases of impotence, miscarriages, and infertility each year. Among those experiencing difficulty with conception, a male fertility problem partly resulting from fertility hormone derangements is considered important. This study assessed the effect of cigarette smoking on fertility hormone levels in males. Study Design: This is a cross sectional stud...
ABSTRACT: The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual sick or well in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, knowledge or will, and to do so in such a way as to help him regain independence as quickly as possible” (Virginia Henderson, 1966). The rationale behind a care study is to assist a patient to regain health (or peaceful death) and present a repor...
Aims: This study assessed and compared the haemoglobin concentration and red cell morphological changes in stored blood units at the Tamale Teaching Hospital located in the Northern Region of Ghana. Methods: This is experimental research conducted from November, 2019 to June, 2020. Thirty blood samples were collected (450ml) from voluntary donors at the blood bank unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital for this study. The samples were collected into blood bags that contained CPDA-1 preservativ...
The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) infections have been on a persistence increase and thus; a worldwide public health emergency (Wright, 2013, Bennani et al., 2020). Infections that cannot be treated with leading antimicrobials with broad spectrum ability, such as the cephalosporin and uoroquinolones are huge concern, as they are multidrug-resistant infections(Woolhouse and Ward, 2013). Also, infections associated with AMR have been linked to a protracted hospital admission, thus increasing t...
Background: Stress is a disruption of Homeostasis (internal balance). Stress and burnout are common among nurses, the largest group of health professionals. Maintaining a calm, compassionate attitude is a core nursing skill. Reducing the stress by various methods can improve overall health, and yoga is considered as an easily available alternative method. Objective: To investigate effects of yoga, meditation and pranayama for three months on the level of cortisol & stress among nursing st...
ABSTRACT Teenage pregnancy refers to pregnancy occurring in young girls between the age of 13 and 19 years. It can also be referred to as pregnancy in a young girl who is yet to complete her secondary school education and is not skilled in any trade that could make her live a sustainable lifestyle. (Gyan 2017) Sociologically, teenage pregnancy is a social problem because humans are social beings. In other words, our social background shapes our attitudes and behaviors to a very high ex...