1358 research outputs found
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Vitamin A status of term and preterm infants delivered at Harare Central Hospital and fed exclusively on breast milk
No full textObjective: To investigate the vitamin A status of pregnant mothers, lactatating mothers, preterm and term infants who were being fed exclusively on breast milk. Design: Systematic/cross sectional. Setting: Vitamin A research laboratory, animal science research laboratory, University of Zimbabwe, and Harare Central Hospital.Subjects: 105 pregnant mothers attending the antenatal clinic at Harare Centra! Hospital for a routine check up were recruited for the study. Two groups of infants: (hose born at term and those with gestational age 40 ug/dl. Conclusion: The majority of infants might be at risk of vitamin A deficiency. Increased intake of vitamin A in pregnant women is necessary, and direct vitamin A supplementation of infants should be considered
The relationship of patient participation in mobilization on length of hospital stay in hospitalized adult patients with fractured tibia and fibula at two central hospitals in Harare Zimbabwe
No full textLength of hospital stay is an area of concern in medical- surgical nursing. Length of hospital stay determines the Financial cost incurred by the patient and the potential complications the patient may deveolp (Marchette & Holloman 1986). The World Development Report, (1993) stated that, Government hospitals in developing countries, including Zimbabwe, keep patients longer than is necessary.
The purpose of the study was to describe patient participation in mobilization of hospitalized adult patients, identify the length of hospital stay and examine the
relationship of patient participation in mobilization on length of hospital stay. A descriptive correlational design using a convenience sampling method was used to select 50 patients comprising 37 males and 13 females with fractured tibia and fibula. Roy's Adaptation Model provided the foundation for the study. The study sites were two referral Central Hospitals in Zimbabwe. The instruments used for collecting data were
structured interview questionnaires, developed by the investigator for measuring demographic characteristics, patient participation in mobilization and length of hospital stay. The average length of hospital stay was 16 days. The total score of patient participation was 147. The majority of the patients, constituting 58% scored below the mean score of 73.5 whilst 42% scored above the mean score. The Pearson correlation (r) coefficient identified that there was no relationship of patient participation in mobilization on length of hospital stay, (r =.0028 ) ( p = > .05 ). Although the results were
insignificant, there is a need for medical- surgical nurses to provide adequate information to the patients so as to improve their perception on participation in
mobilization.This study could be used as a pilot project for conducting further research studies with larger sample sizes employing the concept of patient participation especially in reducing length of hospital stay.The John Wakeford Trus
Factors associated with Adherence to Anti-retroviral therapy among HIV clients, Kadoma city, Zimbabwe 2015
No full textAbstract
Introduction: Adherence is defined as the extent to which patient follows prescribed health care regimen. Non-adherence is associated with resistance and the risk of resistance is 80-90% with incomplete adherence. A review of the ART registers during one of the ART clinics in Kadoma City showed that 40% of ART clients were not adhering to their medication. Key informant discussions and records showed an increase in the number of patients in adherence classes. Methods: An analytical cross sectional study was carried out using an interviewer administered questionnaire to collect information. Record review was also conducted to verify information that was given by the study participants. Key informant interviews were conducted for more information on the running of the ART program. Patients 18 years and above accessed ART services in Kadoma City for more than 3 months were recruited. Random sampling method was used to select participants as they visited the health facilities for their ARV resupply. Results: A total for 227 HIV clients patients were recruited, 67% were females. The median age of the participants was 37 years (Q1=18; Q3=44) .Use of memory aids was reported by 200 (88%) of the participants. Among the participants 45 (20%) took alcohol and 33 (15%) had experienced stigma. In multivariate analysis paying to travel to the health centre (OR 0.16 95%CI 0.06-0.43) and taking Cotrimoxazole (OR 2.38 95% CI 1.04-5.47) were independent factors associated with ART adherence. Self reported adherence among the participants was 87%. Adherence based on pill count among 80 participants was 65%. Conclusion: The self reported ART adherence was high among the participants but was low using pill count. The findings suggest that taking alcohol and having side effects were barriers to ART adherence. Having memory aide to taking medication enhanced adherence. Paying consultation fee was an independent factors associated with adherence to ART. Key Words: Adherence, ART, HIV, Kadoma Cit
Evaluation of serum S100B as a biomarker of head injury in patients admitted into a neurological ward at Parirenyatwa hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe
No full textBackground: - CT scanning is the gold standard for head injury diagnosis. However, the high costs of imaging in Zimbabwe makes it difficult to manage patients with head injuries as most admitted in public hospital are unable to pay for the services. Use of cheaper serum biomarkers may improve patient management. Serum S100B has been introduced as a clinical tool for diagnosis of traumatic brain injury in some emergency departments in European healthcare facilities and has been reported as reducing the frequency of unnecessary CT scans.
Aim: - To validate the clinical utility of serum S100B in patients with head injury.
Materials and methods: - A cross sectional study in which 50 patients with suspected head injuries, 20 apparently healthy health workers and 20 non neurological patients in medical wards were enrolled at Parirenyatwa hospital. Blood samples were withdrawn from head injury suspects within 24 hours of admission and leftover serum samples for the non neurological patients were collected from Parirenyatwa Hospital laboratory. Serum S100B levels were measured and results were correlated with CT scan findings, Glasgow coma scale and Glasgow outcome scale obtained from audit reports. Results from head injury suspects were also compared with those of apparently healthy participants and those from patients with non neurological conditions.
Results: - Serum S100B levels were significantly higher in head injury patients [median 173.25 (IQR 50- 428.1)] compared to apparently healthy participants [median 8.3 (IQR 5.25- 9.8)] and non neurological participants [median 12.75 (IQR 12.75- 18.2)] p <0.001. Of the 50 head injury patients only 29 had a CT scan done of which 25 were positive
AIDS related knowledge and sexual behaviour among commercial farm residents in Zimbabwe
No full textObjective: To describe sexual behaviour among residents of commercial farms in Zimbabwe, their gender- specific differences; to examine implications of these for HIV/AIDS transmission. Design: A cross sectional descriptive study. Setting: Three commercial farming communities near Harare, Zimbabwe. Subjects: Convenience sample of 218 adult (age 18+, or ever married) farm residents. Main Outcome Measures: Number of sexual partners, secondary sexual relationships outside marriage, condom ever-use, first sexual partner, sexually transmitted disease (STD) experience, unprompted knowledge of HIV. Results: Knowledge of HIV transmission was high, with eight to 88% of respondents reporting various correct means of transmission. Males reported engaging in riskier behaviour than females, with 60% of currently married males (n=81) reporting extra marital affairs compared to 4% of currently married females (n=91) (OR: 4.02; 95% Cl: 1.8 to 9.04). Males were more likely than females to report a second or further marriage (OR: 37.9 ; 95% Cl: 16.01 to 92.1). Females were more likely than men to report first sexual partner as spouse. Fourteen percent of respondents had children of various ages outside their current union. Reported STD experiences under various circumstances were negligible with no differences by sex. Conclusion: While HIV/AIDS prevention measures largely rely on individual behavioural change, preventive efforts should also encompass differences in sexual behaviour between categories like male and female. Importantly, this will determine composition of preventive policy, but also allow a clearer determination of trends based on the gender-specific behaviours. There is also need for more research work that attends to determinants of reporting behaviour beyond aspects of reported behaviour per se.Zimbabwe Public Health Associatio
Association of HIV infection with the development of severe and complicated malaria cases at a rural hospital in Zimbabwe
No full textObjective: To determine the association between HIV infection and progression of Plasmodium falciparum malaria illness in Hurungwe district, Zimbabwe.
Design: Prospective cohort.Setting: Hurungwe Rural Hospital in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe.Subjects: Blood slide positive P. falciparum malaria patients.Main Outcome Measures: Development of severe and complicated malaria.Results: A total of 659 clinical malaria cases were investigated and 237 (36.0%) confirmed cases entered the study. The total HIV positive malaria patients were 82 (34.6%) of confirmed cases or 12.4% of the total clinical cases. The case fatality rate was 5.9% (14 deaths) in the confirmed cases and 11 of these deaths were HIV positive. The commonly reported complications were high parasite count of 2% or more (38.5%), anaemia (29.0%), cerebral malaria (23.1%), low blood pressure (8.3%) and renal failure (1.2%). The HIV positive cases which developed severe and complicated malaria were 72, 30.4% of the sample studied or 55.8% of the total severe and complicated cases. The mode of transport to the nearest health centre was the only confounding factor identified during the analysis. After adjusting for this confounding factor, the risk of developing severe and complicated malaria was 2.35 (95%CI 1.85 to 2.98) times more in the HIV positive malaria patients than in HIV negative patients.
Conclusion: We conclude that HIV infection is significantly associated with the development of severe and complicated malaria. There is need for future studies to determine whether HIV positive malaria patients require different management protocol from HIV negative malaria patients
Abdominal compartment syndrome in abdominal surgical patients admitted to intensive care units of Harare teaching hospitals: Prevalence and clinical significance
No full textPROCEEDINGS OF THE NECTAR/CHRIS/IMHERZ WORKSHOP HELD AT HARARE HOLIDAY INN 3RD - 5TH OF FEBRUARY 2011
No full textProf Hakim started the workshop by welcoming the guests
and thanked them for being punctual and then handed over
to the Chair of the morning session Prof Chidzonga who
formally welcomed the guests to the workshop making special
mention of the guests from UK, USA and South Africa
before handing over to the Vice Chancellor, Prof Nyagura
to give the Official Opening Speech.
Opening Speech – Prof L. Nyagura
Prof Nyagura welcomed all our guests, especially mentioning
the visitors from UK, USA and South Africa. He said that
the NCI initiative is extremely important to the University of
Zimbabwe. As the oldest University in the country UZ is
expected to provide leadership to the other universities. This
leadership includes ensuring the provision of the highest quality
of education in the country. In the last 5 years, UZ has gone
through a very difficult time with many challenges including
the exodus of many member of faculty. With the turnaround
of the economy and politics the institution is poised to regain
its lofty international standing. Every effort should be made
to regain the status UZ has enjoyed in the past. Faculty
members trained at UZ are practicing in the US, UK, SA,
which in itself is a sign of the good quality of the products
of this University. With this award UZ can work towards the
restoration and improvement of that record. Since knowledge
is now propagated almost instantly over the internet, partners
can be physically apart but can share information seamlessly.
Nonetheless, personal interactions are important and he urged
all participants to get as much out of this workshop as possible.MEP
Factors associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus first line treatment failure in Zvishavane District, Midlands Province, 2014
No full textGlobally, first line HIV treatment failure remains a challenge particularly in resource constrained settings. Midlands Province 2013 data showed that Zvishavane district had the highest prevalence of first line treatment failure at 16% against a national average of 1%. First line ART failure comes with poor treatment outcomes. We conducted a study to determine factors associated with first line HIV treatment failure in Zvishavane district.
Methods: A 1:1 unmatched case control study was conducted. A case was an HIV positive patient who was on first line ART for >6 months in Zvishavane district and was switched to second line ART regimen because of treatment failure in 2013/2014. A control was an HIV patient in Zvishavane district who had been on first line ART for >6 months and had not failed first line ART. Pretested interviewer administered questionnaires were used to collect data from randomly selected participants from health facilities registers. Logistic regression analysis was conducted.
Results: A total of 246 participants, 123 cases and 123 controls, were recruited. Independent risk factors were poor adherence (<80% adherence) to ART [AOR=5.14, 95%CI (2.75-9.62)], drug stock outs [AOR=3.02, 95%CI (1.20-6.98)], baseline CD4 count of <50 cells/mm3 [AOR=3.25, 95%CI (1.47-7.16)] and baseline WHO Stage 3 or 4 [AOR=1.95, 95%CI (1.05-3.61)]. Drug stock outs were a significant determinant of poor ART adherence [OR=3.09, 95%CI (1.83-5.21)].
Conclusion: Low baseline CD4 count and WHO stage 3 or 4 at ART initiation is associated with treatment failure. Improving adherence and avoiding ART drug stock outs may reduce treatment failure
To examine the relationship between utilization of available nutrition options and quality of life among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) aged 21 – 45 years at Chinhoyi Hospital
No full textHIV is a chronic medical condition. People Living with HIV (PLWH) are at high risk of developing HIV related illnesses, malnutrition and deaths. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to describe and examine the relationship between utilization of available nutrition options and quality of life among PLWH. Roy’s adaptation model was used to guide the study. A simple random sample of eighty PLWH aged between 21 to 45 years was interviewed using a Quality of Life Questionnaire and Utilization of Available Nutrition Options Questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient test and simple regression.
Study findings showed a Pearson coefficient test of (r = .368, p = < .01). This showed that there was a weak positive correlation between utilization of available nutrition options and quality of life. The results of the study showed that utilization of available nutrition options had a weak effect on quality of life of PLWH. R-squared indicated that 13.5% of the total variation in quality of life is attributed to utilization of available nutrition options. The major recommendation is that the Ministry of Health should develop institutional policies that encourage utilization of available nutrition options by PLWH