The effect of incentive spirometry on postoperative pulmonary function following laparotomy: a randomized clinical trial.

Importance: Changes in pulmonary dynamics following laparotomy are well documented. Deep breathing exercises, with or without incentive spirometry, may help counteract postoperative decreased vital capacity; however, the evidence for the role of incentive spirometry in the prevention of postoperative atelectasis is inconclusive. Furthermore, data are scarce regarding the prevention of postoperative atelectasis in sub-Saharan Africa.

The role of seizure disorders in burn injury and outcome in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Patients with epilepsy have higher incidence and severity of burn injury. Few studies describe the association between epilepsy and burns in low-income settings, where epilepsy burden is highest. The authors compared patients with and without seizure disorder in a burn unit in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Pediatric surgical care in Lilongwe, Malawi: outcomes and opportunities for improvement.

Background: One of the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals is to improve child health. We describe the burden of pediatric surgical disease at a tertiary hospital in Malawi.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of a pediatric surgery database at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi for the calendar year 2012.

Prevalence of HIV and Disease Outcomes on the Medical and Surgical Wards at Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) in a range of clinical settings. We describe the characteristics of patients diagnosed with HIV on the medical and surgical wards at a tertiary care hospital in Malawi.

Methods: Under the universal opt-out HCT protocol we characterized the number of new HIV/AIDS infections and associated clinical features among hospitalized surgical and medical patients diagnosed during the course of admission.

Cancer Treatment in Malawi: A Disease of Palliation.

Background: Worldwide, new cancer cases will nearly double in the next 20 years while disproportionately affecting low and middle income countries (LMICs). Cancer outcomes in LMICs also remain bleaker than other regions of the world. Despite this, little is known about cancer epidemiology and surgical treatment in LMICs.

Chemosensory performance of molecularly imprinted fluorescent conjugated polymer materials.

Fluorescent conjugated polymers are an attractive basis for the design of low detection limit sensing devices owing to their intrinsic signal amplification capability. A simple and universal method to rationally control or fine-tune the chemodetection selectivity of conjugated polymer materials toward a desired analytical target would further benefit their applications. In a quest of such a method we investigated a general approach to cross-linked molecularly imprinted fluorescent conjugated polymer (MICP) materials that possess an intrinsic capability for signal transduction and have potential to enhance selectivity and sensitivity of sensor devices based on conjugated polymers.