Research Articles
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A research article reports the results of original research, assesses its contribution to the body of knowledge in a given area, and is published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. The faculty publications through published and on-going articles/researches are captured in this community
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Item The Role of Street Food Vendors in the Transmission of Enteric pathogens in Accra(Ghana Medical Journal, 1999-03) Mensah, P.; Owusu-Darko, K.; Yebooh-Manu, D.; Ablordey, A.; Nkrumah, F.K.; Kamiya, H.The role of street food vendors in the transmission of diarrhoeal pathogens was evaluated by assessing their knowledge on the definition of diarrhoea and transmission of diarrhoeal pathogens. Stool and blood cultures as well as the Widal test was carried to deter· mi ne their carrier status on a number of bacterial enteropathogens. All the vendors were female which emphasises the Important role women play in the provision of food through street food vending activities. They provide useful Service to the community by selling food to school children. market women, traders and workers. The level of education of these females was low and this reflected in their knowledge on the definition.. causes and transmission of enteric pathogens. Their personal hygiene was however good but the environment was often littered with garbage. A number of diarrhoeal pathogens were isolated from 66(37.5%) of these individuals. Salmonella '\P was isolated from 6(3.4%), Shigella from 2(1. 1%). Enteropathugenic E.coli (EPEC) from 59 (33.5%) and enteroaggressive E.coli (EPEC) from 34( 19.3%). Mixed enteric infection was common: seventeen had two different bacteria. Six had three and one had four different bacteria and another one had five. A total of 176 blood samples were cultured for bacteria and out of these only 1(0.6%) tested positive for Pasteurella gallinarium. In the Widal test only 153 serum samples were tested for antibodies to S typhi and 15(9.8%) titre of 1:80 to the somatic antigen. These were positive according to the manufacturers specifications but comparison with the stool and blood culture results showed that only one subject among this group actually had confirmed S typhi infection The screening of food handlers for enteric pathogens may be difficult to monitor SO food and personal hygiene education is recommended. Although the effectiveness of the Widal as a diagnostic tool for typhoidfever was not included in the initial objectives. the study showed that the Widal test cannot be used in isolation from laboratory results. This is even more difficult in the absence of a National Cut-Off Point. A survey to provide such data is also obviousItem Primary Carcinoma of the Liver and Post Necrotic Cirrhosis in a Ghanaian Child with Non-hepatic Bilharziasis(Ghana Medical Journal, 1964-09) Nkrumah, F.K.Item A Survey of Anaemia in Children in the Korle Bu Hospital, with Special Reference to Malaria(Ghana Medical Journal, 1964-09) Jilly, P.; Nkrumah, F.K.Item Newborn screening for sickle cell disease in ghana: 270(Pediatric Research, 2005-08) Ohene-Frempong, K.; Bonney, A.; Tetteh, H.; Nkrumah, F.K.Screening of newborns for SCD allows early initiation of prophylactic therapy, parental education, and comprehensive management, resulting in reduced mortality. Since April 1993, a demonstration project to develop and implement a program of newborn screening for SCD has been conducted in Kumasi (Ghana) by the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other institutions in Ghana. Methodology: Babies are screened at birth or at well-baby visits within days or a few weeks after birth. Mothers are asked to come for results within 4 weeks and failing that, an extensive tracking system is used to deliver results to the homes of families with babies with possible-SCD (P-SCD). Tracking relies solely on information obtained from mothers at the time of screening. The goal is to enroll P-SCD babies into the sickle cell clinic by eight weeks of age. Pregnant women, parents with children and the general public are regularly educated about the screening program. Children with SCD receive comprehensive care through the Sickle Cell Clinic at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Results: From February 13, 1995 (when newborn testing was started) to December 31, 2004, a total of 177,283 babies were screened through 8 public health institutions and 11 private clinics in Kumasi and one maternity centre in Tikrom, a nearby, rural community. A total of 3,346 (1.9%) babies were identified as having P-SCD with the following Hb phenotypes by isoelectric focusing: 1,847 (1.04%) FS; 1,478 (0.83%) FSC; 6 (0.003%) FSA; and 15 (0.008%) Other. Screening and Tracking Results: Feb. 1995 – Dec. 2004 Conclusions: Screening and follow-up of newborns for sickle cell disease is feasible in a developing country in Africa. Extra effort in tracking is necessary to ensure that babies with disease are found early and referred for medical management.Item Intrathecal chemoprophylaxis in the prevention of central nervous system relapse in burkitt's lymphoma(1985-07) Nkrumah, F.K.; Neequaye, J.E.; Biggar, R.A retrospective review of patients treated for endemic Burkitt's lymphoma in Ghana was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of intrathecal (IT) chemoprophylaxis in preventing central nervous system (CNS) relapse. Patients treated before 1974 received no IT chemoprophylaxis and those treated between 1974 and 1979 received IT methotrexate in addition to systemic chemotherapy. In patients presenting with facial disease only (Stages I-II), there was no significant difference in the frequency of CNS relapse between those receiving IT chemoprophylaxis and those not receiving any. CNS relapse was, however, significantly reduced in patients presenting with abdominal disease (Stage III) who received IT chemoprophylaxis in addition to systemic combination therapy. This was associated with an improved survival.Item Use of buffy-coat smears in the diagnosis of septicaemia in children(1983-12) Nkrumah, F.K.; Neequaye, J.E.; Twum- Danso, K.Gram-stained buffy-coat smears from venous and capillary blood samples in 105 children suspected of septicaemia were examined for the presence of bacteria and the results compared with blood culture isolates. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were identified in 18 venous (44%) and 19 capillary (46%) buffy-coat preparations in 41 instances where bacterial organisms were isolated from the blood cultures. It is concluded that the examination of buffy-coat smears for bacteria in children suspected of septicaemia is a useful adjunct to blood cultures and, in areas where no facilities exist for culture of blood, may be a simple and rapid method of establishing the diagnosis of bacteraemia in suspected patients.Item A review of salmonella group G septicaemia in children at the korle bu teaching hospital (1973-1978).(1980) Neequaye, J.E.; Twum- Danso, K.; Nkrumah, F.K.Item Clinical features of Burkitt's lymphoma: The African experience.(IARC Scientific Publications, 1985) Nkrumah, F.K.; Olweny, C.L.Item Iron, folate and vitamin B12 in severe protein-energy malnutrition.(Central African Journal of Medicine, 1988) Nkrumah, F.K.; Nathoo, K.J.; Sanders, D.M.Item High dose cyclophosphamide in drug resistant and relapsing Burkitt's lymphoma.(Ghana Medical Journal, 1979) Nkrumah, F.K.; Biggar, R.J.