Characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

Background: Data regarding the features and outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Africa are increasingly available.

Objectives: To describe socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 86 adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between March and November 2020.

Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) Score: A Tool for Prognosis and Prediction of Mortality in Patients With Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis.

Background: Decompensated liver disease has become a common occurrence in medical wards. It has become the third most common cause of death in medical wards. This high mortality rate has become a matter of concern.

A high-dose 24-hour tranexamic acid infusion for the treatment of significant gastrointestinal bleeding: HALT-IT RCT.

Background: Tranexamic acid reduces blood loss in surgery and the risk of death in trauma patients. Meta-analyses of small trials suggest that tranexamic acid decreases the number of deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding, but these meta-analyses are prone to selection bias.

Objective: The trial provides reliable evidence of the effect of tranexamic acid on mortality, rebleeding and complications in significant acute gastrointestinal bleeding.

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in colorectal carcinoma, adenomatous polyps and non-tumour bearing margins of resection tissues in a cohort of black Africans.

Background: Emerging data suggest a negative role of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in colorectal carcinomas (CRC). Investigating this in developing communities such as ours helps to contribute to existing understanding of these lesions.

Methods And Findings: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded CRC colectomy tissues and their corresponding non-tumour margins of resected tissues were sectioned and stained with COX-2 antibody.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease in a typical African population: a symptom-based multicenter study.

Background: The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in Africa is not known but is believed to be increasing because of demographic and epidemiologic transition. The main objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence and risk factors of GERD, and its degree of overlap with dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in Nigeria, a typical African population.

Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study of adult Nigerians.

A symptom-based model to predict colorectal cancer in low-resource countries: Results from a prospective study of patients at high risk for colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) rates in low-resource countries, which typically lack CRC screening programs, are rising. This study determined whether a risk model for patients with rectal bleeding could identify patients with curable CRC.

Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study evaluated a model constructed from data from 1 hospital and validated at 2 other hospitals.

Helicobacter pylori strains from a Nigerian cohort show divergent antibiotic resistance rates and a uniform pathogenicity profile.

Antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori is a factor preventing its successful eradication. Particularly in developing countries, resistance against commonly used antibiotics is widespread. Here, we present an epidemiological study from Nigeria with 111 isolates.

Colonoscopy at a tertiary healthcare facility in Southwest Nigeria: Spectrum of indications and colonic abnormalities.

Background And Aim: Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard for diagnosing structural colonic diseases. It is safe and effective both for diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. This study was carried out to evaluate the pattern of indications and spectrum of colonic disease at a tertiary healthcare facility in Southwest Nigeria.

Complete colonoscopy: impact of patients' demographics and anthropometry on caecal intubation time.

Background And Aim: Factors that affect caecal intubation during colonoscopy include age and sex of the patient, quality of bowel preparation, prior abdominal or pelvic surgery and pelvic inflammatory disease, among others. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effects of patients' demography such as age and sex, as well as anthropometry (height, weight and body mass index (BMI)) on caecal intubation time (CIT).

Patients And Methods: All consecutive patients referred for colonoscopy over a period of 6 months were recruited into the study.

Detection and circulation of hepatitis B virus immune escape mutants among asymptomatic community dwellers in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria.

Background: In 2012, the first Nigerian Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) immune escape mutant (IEM) case was detected in a pregnant woman in southwestern Nigeria. Consequently, this study was designed to investigate the presence and possible circulation of IEMs amongst asymptomatic community dwellers in southwestern Nigeria.

Methods: Blood specimens collected from 438 asymptomatic community dwellers were screened for HBsAg using ELISA technique.

Hepatitis C in sub-saharan Africa: urgent need for attention.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV), which was not recognized as an infectious agent until the 1980s, is responsible for a worldwide epidemic. The World Health Organization estimates global prevalence at 2.8%, with 185 million persons infected.

Detection of hepatitis B virus isolates with mutations associated with immune escape mutants among pregnant women in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria.

Perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and its associated immune escape mutants (IEMs), is the major vehicle through which a population of chronically infected people who serve as infectious HBV reservoirs is maintained in communities. Therefore, to assess the risk of perinatal transmission, 272 pregnant women attending ante-natal clinics in Ibadan metropolis, southwestern, Nigeria, were screened for HBsAg using ELISA technique. Samples positive for HBsAg were subjected to HBV DNA detection by PCR amplification of the S-gene and amplicon sequencing.

Comparative diagnostic efficacy of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common liver malignancy in Nigeria. Hepatitis B and C viruses, alcohol and Aflatoxin B are among the various aetiologies. More work needs to be done in the search for markers that will aid early detection of this condition as it is uniformly fatal once advanced.

Comparison of PCR with other diagnostic techniques for the detection of H. pylori infection in patients presenting with gastroduodenal symptons in Nigeria.

The study was aimed at comparing PCR methods of direct detection from biopsy using the boiling method and one other method with two known gold standards (histology and CLO test) for the diagnosis of H. pylori in Nigeria. A total of 168 biopsies (three from antrum and one from corpus each) were taken from 42 patients presenting with various gastroduodenal symptons after informed consent was obtained from them.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori among Nigerian patients with dyspepsia in Ibadan.

Introduction: Determination of the true prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is difficult in a hyper-endemic area like Nigeria with use of serological tests because of their low discriminatory power between previous and current infections. The use of biopsy based methods will go a long way to mitigate this problem.