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Comparative Efficacy of Levofloxacin Versus Amoxycillin/Clavulanic Acid Combined with Azithromycin in Treatment of Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Get PDFBackground: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Early initiation of antibiotics is highly recommended. In most CAP cases, multiple drug options are increasingly becoming available, but there is often a lack of evidence that allows for a direct comparison of the efficacy of one drug versus another.
Aim: The main objective was to compare treatment outcomes using oral levofloxacin alone and combined azithromycin and amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid in outpatient treatment of Community-acquired pneumonia.
Methods: This study was a prospective longitudinal design. Patients diagnosed with CAP were randomly assigned to first and second treatment groups. Community-acquired pneumonia was diagnosed according to America Thoracic Society criteria. The sample size of 78 was arrived at by Yamane Taro (1967) formula. Every patient diagnosed and treated in the outpatient department who gave written consent to participate was enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups. Minors below 18 years were excluded from the study. Data were analysed using SPSS for Windows version 26. An independent t-test compared the effectiveness of the two treatment groups. Changes in white blood cell count during the follow-up visits were done using a chi-square test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results. The majority, 33(50%) of the patients, were aged between 21 and 29 years, and over sixty percent, 42(63.6%) of participants were females. Of all the participants, 66(100%) had a cough and chest pain, 57(86.4%) had crackles, and about ten percent, 6(9.1%) had difficulty breathing at the time of admission into the study. About 29(43.9%) of patients had a fever at baseline, and 14(21.2%) had a respiratory rate between 16 and 29 breaths per minute at baseline. A combination of azithromycin and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid was associated with statistically significant faster resolution of chest pains and cough (mean 1.7 and 3.14 days, respectively) compared to levofloxacin group (mean 2.21 and 3.71 days, respectively) in patients who had community-acquired pneumonia (p=0.009. There was no difference in fever resolution, time to crackles subsidence, resolution of difficulty in breathing, and change in white blood cell count in participants in the two treatment groups.
Conclusions: Azithromycin combined with amoxycillin/clavulanic acid reduced chest pain in 1.70 days (SD=0.618) compared to levofloxacin alone (2.21 days, SD=1.204) (p=0.009). Azithromycin combined with amoxycillin/clavulanic acid reduced cough in 3.14 days (SD=0.789) versus levofloxacin alone (3.70 days, SD=0.588) (p=0.014). Hence, the azithromycin plus amoxycillin/clavulanic acid combination was found to be superior for managing CAP
Neutrophil/Lymphocytes Ratio and Haemoglobin Electrophoretic Pattern in an Undergraduate Student’s Population Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Get PDFNeutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a very cheap and accurate method of accessing inflammation and is fast emerging as a prognostic biomarker in many diseases. This study determines the Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and haemoglobin electrophoretic patterns in an undergraduate student’s population at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. One hundred and fifty (150) undergraduate students aged between 17 and 30 years old were recruited for the study. Five millimeters (5ml) of venous blood was collected from each participants into ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) vacutainer bottle for the determination of haemoglobin genotype using cellulose acetate electrophoresis method while the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was calculated from neutrophil and lymphocyte values obtained from BC 5000 Mindray Hematology Auto-Analyzer. The results obtained showed that the mean±SD value of Neutrophil/Lymphocyte ratio was 1.21 ± 0.07 for male and 1.14 ± 0.06 for female participants with both within normal reference ranges and with no significant difference (p=0.4692). 100 (66.7%) subjects had haemoglobin genotype AA (HbAA) out of which 48 (32%) male, 52 (34.7%) female while 50 (33.3%) participants had haemoglobin genotype AS (HbAS) of which 24 (16%) male, 26 (17.3%) female. No haemoglobin genotype SS/SC (HbSS/HbSC) traits were seen in the study population. Furthermore, results also showed that haemoglobin genotype and sex had no effects on the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (p=0.05). This study shows a 66.7%, 33.3%, and 0% expression for HbAA, HbAS, and HbSS/HbSC, respectively, and that the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte ratio is within the normal reference range. Further studies to include other haemoglobin variants such as haemoglobin SS (HbSS) and haemoglobin SC (HbSC) is recommended
Awareness and Utilization of Community-based health insurance schemes among residents of Rumuokwurusi, Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State
No full textCommunity-based health insurance (CBHI) in a developing country such as ours aims at achieving universal health coverage, especially for those not financially capable of footing out-of-pocket medical bills. CBHI schemes can help communities manage healthcare costs and provide access to basic healthcare for rural settlers. This study aimed at assessing the awareness and utilisation of CBHI schemes in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (LGA), Rivers State, Nigeria.This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, employing the multistage probability sampling technique to select participants for the study. Semi-structured interview-er-administered questionnaires were de-signed for obtaining information from 250 respondents on the title. Data were analyzed on Excel spreadsheets, having been extrapolated from Google Forms, and results presented in frequency tables. The p-value was set at <0.05 where Chi-square was necessary.Of the 250 respondents, 114 (45.6%) were aware of community-based health insurance, but only 86 (34.4%) were acquainted with the existence of Community-based health insurance schemes in Obio/Akpor LGA. Only 26 (10.4%) utilized Community-based Health Insurance Schemes.Awareness and utilization of CBHI schemes in our study area are very low. Recommended strategies need to be addressed urgently to improve equity in access to health care services as well as effective financial risk protection
Retrocaval Ureter Associate with Ureterolithiasis: Case Report
Get PDFThe retrocaval ureter is a congenital anomaly in which the ureter passes posteriorly to the inferior vena cava (IVC). This condition is rare and promotes compression of the upper segment of the ureter, leading to urological symptoms, the main one being hydronephrosis.
We present a case of the Hospital Regional do Vale do Paraíba from the year 2022 of retrocaval ureter associated with ureterolithiasis, whose endourological treatment allowed the successful treatment of urinary lithiasis safely despite the congenital anomaly presented by the patient
Study Assessing Port Harcourt Superstores\u27 Contributions to Sustainable Development Goals via Consumer Waste Management Behaviours
No full textWaste management particularly in Port Harcourt, poses a significant challenge due to the generation of refuse from domestic, commercial, and industrial sources. Globally, superstores generate substantial amounts and diverse types of waste daily, necessitating environmentally friendly practices to align with sustainable development goals. Consumers’ environmental consciousness significantly shapes their shopping and consumption habits. This study aims to evaluate consumer awareness of sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to waste management in Port Harcourt’s superstores and assess consumer involvement in waste management practices during shopping. Employing a descriptive approach, quantitative data was collected through a random sampling method via questionnaires from 112 participants. The tools used were validated, with Statistical Package for Social Science version 26 employed for analysis, encompassing frequencies, percentages, chi-square, and Spearman correlation. The study rejected the null hypothesis, revealing a significant association between consumer awareness of SDGs in waste management and various socio-demographic factors, indicating that heightened awareness correlates with increased engagement. Notably, environmental consciousness drives participation in waste management activities. Importantly, the study underscores that consumer knowledge and awareness, particularly concerning plastic packaging waste, significantly influence waste reduction efforts, indicating the pivotal role of stakeholders, especially superstores, in communicating information and fostering consumer engagement for environmental sustainability
Assessing the Effectiveness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics (STEM) Education on Students’ Achievement in Secondary Schools
Get PDFThe education community has become aware of the need to change the way STEM courses are taught because of the good effects STEM programmes have on students’ academic performance, attitudes, and interests as well as their communication and problem-solving abilities. STEM education is supposed to increase students’ conceptual understanding of how science and mathematics are interrelated so they can better understand engineering and technology. One of the long-term objectives of every educational institution is to raise students’ academic achievement. With the quasi-experimental research control design utilised, the study aims to examine the contribution of STEM education in secondary schools. Consequently, it utilises a multidisciplinary strategy for integrating STEM - to the field of STEM education, and discusses STEM literacy; factors influencing students’ engagement in STEM education; effective pedagogical practices, and their influence on student learning and achievement in STEM; and the role of the teacher in STEM education. Three essential components were found after a thorough analysis of the studies: (1) the importance of focusing on the secondary phase of schooling to maintain student interest and motivation to engage in STEM, (2) the implementation of effective pedagogical practices to increase student interest and motivation, develop 21st century competencies, and improve student achievement, and (3) the development of high-quality teachers to positively affect students’ attitudes and motivation towards STEM
The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning (CL) on Reading Comprehension of EFL Learners at Tertiary Education
No full textThis study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cooperative learning (CL) on reading comprehension achievement of EFL students. The population of 54 EFL students were officially asked to sit the proficiency test (IELTS) to be accessed to the study. After administering the test, these students were randomly assigned to two groups, one experimental group and one control group, on the further stages of the study. The researcher implemented cooperative learning (CL) to teach students in the experimental group while control group was instructed via conventional instructions. After two months and a half (10 weeks) period of implementation, a post-test was administered and then analyzed through an independent sample t-test to see the results. The results revealed that the students in experimental group achieved higher scores in reading comprehension compared with control group in the post-test
Kant’s Copernican Revolution and the Viability of Christian Realism
Get PDFKant reduces the range of pure reason to the phenomenal realm. This is a consequence of his Copernican Revolution. If his move is correct, Christianity is forced to either (1) push all of its claims to the phenomenal, or (2) persist in its affirmation that they are noumenal. The former, seems to safeguard its reasonableness but only at the cost of becoming subjective and private. This option entails self-contradictions due to the indispensability of claims like the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ being objectively true, and of Christianity’s imperative to evangalize. This option is consequently unreasonable. On the other hand, the latter avoids the former’s self-contradictions. We ought to assert these truth claims since they correspond to reality in itself, and we ought to evangelize because the truth of the Gospel applies universally to all human beings. However, it is still open to the charge of unreasonableness in its failure to proportion its claims to the range of reason. All attempts to prove Christianity’s correspondence with noumenal reality presuppose propositions that could be nothing but our subjective impositions into reality like the principle of causality. Whatever option it takes, therefore, if Kant is correct, Christianity has to be unreasonable. Arguably, Christianity exhausts the set of possible religions that a reasonable person could take today. Even if it does not, religion still is premised on propositions which themselves could be nothing but our impositions to reality. If Kant is correct, faith and reason are therefore mutually exclusive, contra Aquinas and Wojtyla. This paper shows that if religion is to maintain its claim of being reasonable, it has to direct all of its intellectual powers in refuting Kant’s reduction of reason’s range to the phenomenal. If it neglects such task, Christianity will self-destruct. Intrinsically bound up to Christianity is the primacy of reason (logos), so Christians who live up to their identity would have to abandon Christianity. If it does not neglect such task, but fails in its attempts to refute it, then it will just prove its atheistic critics are right – religion is for the irrational, after all
Post Flood Economic Challenges; Resilience and Rehabilitation Strategies With Thematic Analysis Approach. A Case of Larkana
Get PDFClimate change has exacerbated the frequency and severity of floods, leading to devastating impacts worldwide. Pakistan has seen two catastrophic floods in recent years; at present, the full extent of the consequences of these calamities is still not fully acknowledged. Scarcity of water, rise in temperature, and floods are some cruel consequences that Pakistan has to bear. Floods may lead to huge economic problems not only for people in general but also for the communities. For instance, the condition of flooding in Larkana, which is the province where the agricultural activities are too much, could bring about financial and mental health problems. To tackle this research gap, this study implemented a qualitative research approach and conducted a thematic analysis to explore the economic challenges encountered in the Larkana region as a result of floods. Theme analysis is a method by which the researcher finds the sequential patterns in the data. Thus, the researcher is able to point out the issues that people face in reality. Resilient plans and rehabilitation measures can contribute to the solutions to these challenges, varying from immediate recovery to sustainable development. A multifaceted plan that encompasses immediate rescue operations and strengthening of resilience is a must. Social cohesion, environmental protection measures and governance issues are most relevant for the effective economic recovery after floods. The economic regeneration strategy in flood-prone areas must address complex issues to ensure local resilience and preparedness for the coming years
Does Higher Startup Intention Leads to Higher Growth Performance? An Analysis into Factors Impacting Growth Performance of Indian Startups
Get PDFStartup growth performance captures the process of going from a concept to scaling up operations, dealing with obstacles, and accomplishing major indicators of success. Resilience, adaptability, and strategic vision are necessary for the dynamic journey that is achieving startup growth performance. Entrepreneur’s startup intentions act as a beacon, influencing their strategic choices for business establishment. It establishes the standard for how the startup overcomes obstacles, evolves to the expectations of the market, and adapts its offerings which makes startup intentions a key factor for the growth performances of startups. The current study examines the impact of startup intentions, expected returns and intention for equity usage on the growth performances of Indian startups using Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). PLS-SEM can be used for handling complex models with numbers of variables and indicators, making predictions, and conducting exploratory research. In addition, PLS-SEM does not require assumptions related to normal distribution of data. The structural model assessment shows that startup intention (STARTUP_INT) and intention to use equity (INT_EQT) has positive significant association with growth performances (GWTH_PER). Moreover, intention to use equity was found to be significant mediator in startup intention and growth performance relationship. However, there was negative and significant correlation between expected return (EXP_RTN) and growth performance of startups. The findings have crucial implications for entrepreneurs and policy makers, which can enhance Indian startup ecosystem