Patient knowledge and self-management of asthma at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital adult asthma clinic.

ObjectiveThis study assessed patients' knowledge of asthma, their level of self-management and satisfaction with care at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Adult Asthma Clinic.MethodsThis study was a quantitative cross-sectional study at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Adult Asthma Clinic in Accra. Sixty-eight (68) clinically diagnosed asthma patients who have been attending clinic regularly for reviews for more than six months, were recruited in this study.

Accuracy of CAD4TB (Computer-Aided Detection for Tuberculosis) on paediatric chest radiographs.

Background: Computer-aided detection (CAD) systems hold promise for improving tuberculosis (TB) detection on digital chest radiographs. However, data on their performance in exclusively paediatric populations are scarce.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective diagnostic accuracy study evaluating the performance of CAD4TBv7 (Computer-Aided Detection for Tuberculosis version 7) using digital chest radiographs from well-characterised cohorts of Gambian children aged <15 years with presumed pulmonary TB.

Adult Pneumococcal Vaccination in Ghana: Current Status and Future Recommendations - Expert Opinion.

Vaccination programs have proven successful in the prevention and control of infectious diseases among children on a global scale, but the majority of adult populations remain unvaccinated. immunocompromised adults as well as older adults aged low-income countries as Streptococcus pneumoniae infections are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality among 65 years and above. Despite the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), the burden of vaccine-type serotypes remains high in there are no clear policies for adult vaccination.

Genetic Analysis of TB Susceptibility Variants in Ghana Reveals Candidate Protective Loci in and Genes.

Despite advancements made toward diagnostics, caused by (Maf) and (Mtbss) remains a major public health issue. Human host factors are key players in (TB) outcomes and treatment. Research is required to probe the interplay between host and bacterial genomes.

Management of TB/HIV co-infection: the state of the evidence.

Unlabelled: Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV are strongly linked. There is a 19 times increased risk of developing active TB in people living with HIV than in HIV-negative people with Sub-Saharan Africa being the hardest hit region. According to the WHO, 1.

Genomic epidemiological analysis identifies high relapse among individuals with recurring tuberculosis and provides evidence of recent household-related transmission of tuberculosis in Ghana.

Objective: To retrospectively investigate the cause of recurring tuberculosis (rcTB) among participants with pulmonary TB recruited from a prospective population-based study conducted between July 2012 and December 2015.

Methods: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates obtained from rcTB cases were characterized by standard mycobacterial genotyping tools, whole-genome sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis carried out to assess strain relatedness.

Results: The majority (58.

Flexible bronchoscopy in a tertiary healthcare facility: a review of indications and outcomes.

Objectives: Flexible Fibreoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) is a major diagnostic and therapeutic tool employed largely in respiratory medicine but its use in our country has been quite limited. We performed a retrospective review of the indications, overall diagnostic yield and safety of FFB at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Whole Genome Sequencing and Spatial Analysis Identifies Recent Tuberculosis Transmission Hotspots in Ghana.

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is progressively being used to investigate the transmission dynamics of complex (MTBC). We used WGS analysis to resolve traditional genotype clusters and explored the spatial distribution of confirmed recent transmission clusters. Bacterial genomes from a total of 452 MTBC isolates belonging to large traditional clusters from a population-based study spanning July 2012 and December 2015 were obtained through short read next-generation sequencing using the illumina HiSeq2500 platform.

High mortality during tuberculosis retreatment at a Ghanaian tertiary center: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: High mortality among individuals receiving retreatment for tuberculosis (RT-TB) persists, although reasons for these poor outcomes remain unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 394 RT-TB patients diagnosed between January 2010 and June 2016 in Accra, Ghana.

Results: Of RT-TB patients, 161 (40.

Lung Function Abnormalities in Sickle Cell Anaemia.

Background: Abnormalities in lung function tests have been shown to commonly occur in a majority of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) even at steady state. The prevalence and pattern of these lung function abnormalities have been described in other populations but this is unknown among our sickle cell cohort. There is generally little information available on risk factors associated with the lung function abnormalities and its relevance in patient care.

Molecular epidemiology and whole genome sequencing analysis of clinical Mycobacterium bovis from Ghana.

Background: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis is a re-emerging problem in both livestock and humans. The association of some M. bovis strains with hyper-virulence, MDR-TB and disseminated disease makes it imperative to understand the biology of the pathogen.

TB-diabetes co-morbidity in Ghana: The importance of Mycobacterium africanum infection.

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) but little is known on TB-Diabetes Mellitus (TBDM) co-morbidity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: Consecutive TB cases registered at a tertiary facility in Ghana were recruited from September 2012 to April 2016 and screened for DM using random blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level. TB patients were tested for other clinical parameters including HIV co-infection and TB lesion location.

Estimating the incidence of tuberculosis cases reported at a tertiary hospital in Ghana: a time series model approach.

Background: The incidence of Tuberculosis (TB) differs among countries and contributes to morbidity and mortality especially in the developing countries. Trends and seasonal changes in the number of patients presenting with TB have been studied worldwide including sub-Saharan Africa. However, these changes are unknown at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).

Examination of Dysglycaemia among Newly Diagnosed Tuberculosis Patients in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The burden of both tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus in developing countries including Ghana is high; often, the two coexist and impact each other negatively. . The study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictive factors of dysglycaemia among newly diagnosed smear positive tuberculosis patients at a tertiary tuberculosis treatment centre in Ghana.

Comparative genomics of Mycobacterium africanum Lineage 5 and Lineage 6 from Ghana suggests distinct ecological niches.

Mycobacterium africanum (Maf) causes a substantial proportion of human tuberculosis in some countries of West Africa, but little is known on this pathogen. We compared the genomes of 253 Maf clinical isolates from Ghana, including N = 175 Lineage 5 (L5) and N = 78 Lineage 6 (L6). We found that the genomic diversity of L6 was higher than in L5 despite the smaller sample size.

Reduced transmission of Mycobacterium africanum compared to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in urban West Africa.

Objective: Understanding transmission dynamics is useful for tuberculosis (TB) control. A population-based molecular epidemiological study was conducted to determine TB transmission in Ghana.

Methods: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates obtained from prospectively sampled pulmonary TB patients between July 2012 and December 2015 were characterized using spoligotyping and standard 15-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing for transmission studies.

A cross-sectional study of tuberculosis drug resistance among previously treated patients in a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana: public health implications of standardized regimens.

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance is a major challenge to the use of standardized regimens for tuberculosis (TB) therapy, especially among previously treated patients. We aimed to investigate the frequency and pattern of drug resistance among previously treated patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Chest Clinic, Accra.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of mycobacterial isolates from previously treated patients referred to the Chest Clinic Laboratory between October 2010 and October 2013.

Second-line anti-tuberculosis drug resistance testing in Ghana identifies the first extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis case.

Background: Drug resistance surveillance is crucial for tuberculosis (TB) control. Therefore, our goal was to determine the prevalence of second-line anti-TB drug resistance among diverse primary drug-resistant complex (MTBC) isolates in Ghana.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and seventeen MTBC isolates with varying first-line drug resistance were analyzed.

Structured pharmaceutical care improves the health-related quality of life of patients with asthma.

Background: Asthma as a chronic health condition can be controlled when in addition to clinical care, adequate education and support is provided to enhance self-management. Like many other chronic health conditions improved self-management positively impacts the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). It can therefore be said that a well-structured pharmaceutical care delivery that addresses the issues related to patient education and support towards self-management stands a good chance of positively impacting asthma control.

The emerging threat of pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in West Africa: preparing for large-scale tuberculosis research and drug resistance surveillance.

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health problem. Adequate management requires baseline drug-resistance prevalence data. In West Africa, due to a poor laboratory infrastructure and inadequate capacity, such data are scarce.

Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium africanum in Ghana.

Background: Mycobacterium africanum comprises two phylogenetic lineages within the M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and is an important cause of human tuberculosis (TB) in West Africa. The reasons for this geographic restriction of M.

Factors associated with mortality and default among patients with tuberculosis attending a teaching hospital clinic in Accra, Ghana.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of mortality despite availability of effective chemotherapy. This study was performed to identify contributing factors for poor outcome during anti-tuberculosis treatment at a teaching hospital chest clinic. Medical records of registered patients treated for TB between 1 January and 31 December, 2009 were reviewed and abstracted for demographic, clinical and outcome data.