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 Double Jeopardy: HIV-Positive Wives Caring for Their HIV- Positive Spouses in Accra(Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare, 2019-05) Tackie-Ofosu, V.; Senah, K.; Tagoe, M.; Gadegbeku, C.; Vandyke, E.Given improved medical treatment, AIDS seems no longer like a death sentence in many countries. AIDS patients live longer and are expected to be given the necessary care and support. This study explored the experiences of HIV-positive wives caring for their husbands living with AIDS. Using a qualitative method, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women living with HIV/AIDS selected from the Fever Unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study revealed that although participants demonstrated their willingness to give quality care, care experiences were closely linked to available resources. In other words, care was perceived by all participants as being synonymous with availability of family resources. Insufficient resources (especially in terms of energy and financial resources) hindered the quality of care provided to HIV positive husbands. The challenge of insufficient financial, time, energy and other resources placed a lot of physical, health, economic and emotional burdens on participants and this affected their capacity to engage fully in daily activities. In conclusion, experiences of wives caring for their husband with AIDS influenced care practices in the home. Insufficient resources (especially in terms of energy and financial resources) hindered the quality of care HIV positive wives provided to HIV positive husbands. It resulted in a compromise of adequate and quality care not only to the sick husband but to the children as well. In the light of these findings, it was recommended that there should be sensitization or education on effective Family Resource Management; stigmatization and fear of HIV/AIDS by the Family and Consumer Sciences Outreach Program, HIV/AIDS advocates, Ghana Health, Ghana AIDS Commission and other relevant stakeholders Further research could also be conducted using a larger sample size to gain insight into the challenges of HIV positive wives when caring for their HIV positive husbands.Item Pregnancy related Acute Renal Failure In Ghana(Ghana Medical Journal, 1989-06) Affram, R.K.; Mate-Kole, M.O.Over a period of three years ten patients were admitted to the renal Unit of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital with acute renal failure related to pregnancy. Eight occurred in late pregnancy due to antepartum haemorrhage or post partum haemorrhage and two occurred earlier in pregnancy following abortions. Seven of the ten patients required dialysis. One patient died from peritonitis resulting from unexplained bowel perforation. Haemorrhage and sepsis were the major contributory' factors causing acute renal failure.Item The use of an Oxytocic Agent in the Management of the Third Stage of Labour.(Ghana Medical Journal, 1997) Seffah, J.D.; Wilson, J.R.; Kwame-Aryee, R.A.Our objective was to find the most appropriate time a sole accoucheur should give an oxytocic agent In the management of the third stage of labour. The outcome of the management of the third stage of labour of 440 parturient, was studied. Various time schedule for the administration of an oxytocic and the consequence of these were analysed. The administration of an oxytocic at the crowning of the head or the delivery of the anterior shoulder of the foetus is a method practised mainly, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra (capital city of Ghana) At the Volta River Authority) (V.R.A.) district hospital at Akosombo (a rural area in the Eastern Region of Ghana. where the midwives usually do deliveries alone) the drug is mainly given after the delivery of the baby or placenta. For Single. unaided accoucheur the administration of the oxytocic after the delivery (of the baby followed by controlled cord traction that is the Brandt Andrew's method of delivering the placenta appears the most practical approach to the management of the third stage of labour because the complication are few.Item Laboratory diagnosis of typhoid fever in Accra(Ghana Medical Journal, 2000-06) Mensah, P.; Noora, R.; Welbeck, I.; Nyame, P.K.The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the most appropriate method for the diagnosis of Salmonella typhi septicaemia. This involved the culture of blood samples, Widal test and antibiotic sensitivity test. Of 50 patients suspected of having typhoid fever, blood cultures of 38 (76%) yielded no bacterial growth, while 12 (24%) produced bacterial growth. Organisms encountered included Salmonella typhi, Kblebsiella species and Staphylococcus aureus. Antibody to the 0 and H antigens was detected in 20 serum samples using the Widal test. Out of this number, 7 patients diagnosed to have S typhi infection had antibodies titres of 1/80. Convalescent sera from all diagnosed cases of S typhi showed at least a two-fold rise in titre. In addition those infected with Klebsiella sp. and Staphylococci also had low antibodies titres to 0 and H antigens. It was also discovered that 9 patienls who had no bacterial growth also had titres of <1/80 to 0 and H antigens. The S typhi isolates were all sensitive to Cefotaxime and Ofloxacin, both third line drugs so it will be prudent to keep them as such. Although one strain was resistant to Chloramphenicol, it still remains the antibiotic of choice. The widal test, like all inununological assays, cannot be positive by mere detection of antibody but based on a cut-off point. It must, therefore, be carefully interpreted and used together with blood cultures and clinical findings to safely diagnose S. typhi infections.Item Ten Years of Preoperative Autologous Blood Donation in Accra(Ghana Medical Journal, 2006-12) Ansah, J.K.; Acquaye, J.K.Background - Preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD) is utilized to circumvent the use of allogenic blood for various reasons. Objective - To describe the distribution in terms of demographic characteristic, trends in participation and result of screening test of the PABD programme of the Accra Area Blood Center from 1993-2003. Design and Setting Retrospective descriptive study of PABD in patients scheduled for a variety of elective surgical procedures. Setting- Different levels of institutional health care in Accra, Ghana. Methods Data from existing records of patients who had participated in PABD were collated and analyzed Results Five hundred and forty six (546) females and 89 males participated, with ages ranging between 14-74 years. Majority of the patients (76.7%) underwent gynaecological surgery. A total of 330 (52%) donated one unit only, and 299 (47.1%) donated two units. Majority of the patients (56.4%) had the surgery at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). Of the donations, 21 (3.3%), 1 (0.2%), 1 (0.3%) and nil were positive for HBV, HIV I & II, HCV and VDRL respectively. A total of 848 (89.4%) autologous crossmatched units were issued out. There was a steady progressive increase in participation. Conclusion Mainly adult females scheduled for gynaecological surgeries in KBTH participated, while almost equal proportions donated one or two units of blood which meets the blood needs of most elective surgeries. Therefore healthy patients going for elective surgeries in regions with limited blood supply must be encouraged to enter a PABD Programme. Further studies in this field should evaluate motivational factors for participationItem Clinic Visits and Cervical Cancer Screening in Accra(Ghana Medical Journal, 2010-06) Adanu, R.M.K.; Seffah, J.D.; Duda, R.; Darko, R.; Hill, A.; Anarfi, J.Objective: To determine the factors that increase the chances of a woman in Accra having a Pap smear and whether women who have recently visited clinics have higher chances of having had Pap smears. Design: A cross-sectional study Methods: A representative sample of women in Accra, Ghana was interviewed and the clinical and demographic factors influencing cervical cancer screening was assessed. Results: Out of 1193 women with complete data, only 25 (2.1%) had ever had a Pap smear performed though 171 (14.3%) had their last outpatient clinic visit for either a gynaecological consultation or a regular check up. Simple logistic regression showed that a high educational level, high socioeconomic status and a history over the past month of postmenopausal or intermenstrual bleeding significantly increased the odds of ever having a pap smear. Neither monthly income nor last clinic visit for a gynaecological consultation or regular check up increased the odds of having a pap smear. Multiple logistic regression showed that a high educational level and experiencing postmenopausal or intermenstrual bleeding were the most important determinants of ever having a Pap smear. Conclusion: While we wait for a national program for cervical cancer screening, there is a need for clinicians to put more individual effort into ensuring that asymptomatic women are screened for cervical cancer.Item Sexual and Reproductive Health in Accra, Ghana(Ghana Medical Journal, 2012-06) Adanu, R.M.; Seffah, J.; Anarfi, J.K.; Lince, N.; Blanchard, K.Objective: To describe sexual and reproductive health among women in Accra and explore the burden of sexual and reproductive ill health among this urban population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We analysed data from the WHSA-II (n=2814), a cross-sectional household survey on women’s health, and supplemental data from an in-depth survey (n=400), focus groups discussions (n=22) and in-depth interviews (n=20) conducted among a subsample of women which focused specifically on reproductive health issues. Results: Modern contraceptive use was uncommon. More than one third of women reported ever using abstinence; condoms, injectables and the pill were the most commonly reported modern methods ever used. The total fertility rate among this sample of women was just 2.5 births. We found a considerable burden of sexual and reproductive ill health; one in ten women reported menstrual irregularities and almost one quarter of women reported symptoms of a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) or Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) in the past 6 months. Focus group results and indepth interviews reveal misperceptions about contraception side-effects and a lack of information. Conclusion: In urban Ghana, modern contraceptive use is low and a significant proportion of women experience reproductive ill health (defined here as menstrual irregularity or RTI, UTI, STI symptoms). Increased access to information, products and services about for preventive care and contraception could improve reproductive health. More research on healthy sexuality and the impact of reproductive ill health on sexual experience is needed.Item The Complex Interplay between Everyday Risks and Disaster Risks: The Case of the 2014 Cholera Pandemic and 2015 Flood Disaster in Accra, Ghana(International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2017-12) Songsore, J.Large urban agglomerations in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Accra face multiple vulnerabilities due to overlapping risks. These include everyday risks related to poor quality water and sanitation, to city level air, water and industrial pollution risks and vulnerabilities to natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, storms and pandemics. Some of the bio-climatic disasters may be amplified by climate change. The paper argues that the complexity of everyday risks and associated health conditions suffered principally by the poor are interconnected with disaster risk. It examines these inter-relationships in the context of the cholera pandemic of 2014 and the 2015 flood disaster events, as city-wide events which affected both the poor and the wealthy. The paper reflects on the implications of these events - which are to a large extent socially constructed - for thinking about everyday and disaster risk in an urban context, and for policies to address multiple sets of overlapping risks.Item Acute Appendicitis in Accra(Ghana Medical Journal, 1967-09) Badoe, E.A.Item Pregnancy Related Causes of Deaths in Ghana(Ghana Medical Journal, 2013-12) Seffah, J. G.The woman plays an indispensable role in the home and childbirth, which should normally bring about joy can rather be tragic for the family and society. Der et al 1 have produced an excellent paper that shows the gravity of maternal deaths at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. The 5-year study (2004-2008) shows that though the mortality rate in women in the reproductive age has reduced to (634) 12%, the pregnancy-related deaths have increased. What is equally worrisome is the finding that (517) 81% were coroner’s. Fifty- four out of 55 (98%) deaths resulting from ectopic pregnancy were recorded as coroners. Also recorded as coroner’s were (27) 96.3% of cases of ruptured uterus, which would have followed prolonged labour preventable with the aid of the partograph.