GALAD Score for the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Validation Study in Ghanaian Patients.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide including sub-Saharan Africa. The GALAD score, derived from Gender, Age, Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha fetoprotein, Alpha fetoprotein, and Des-carboxy-prothrombin, has high accuracy in diagnosing HCC in Asia, Europe, and North America; however, it has not been validated in an African cohort. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the GALAD score in the diagnosis of HCC in sub-Saharan Africa.

Prevalence and risk factors of Hepatitis C virus infection in the Upper East Region of Ghana; a community-based cross-sectional study.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major cause of liver related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Epidemiologic data on seroprevalence, viremia prevalence and risk factors remain limited in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana, HCV-related deaths are estimated to have increased since 2015.

A Review of Helicobacter pylori Diagnostics in Africa : From the Bedside to the Laboratory.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is endemic in Africa with a prevalence estimate of 79.1%.

Consequences of the 2019 Public Charge Rule Announcement and Publication on Prenatal WIC Participation Among Immigrant Families: Evidence of Spillover Effects.

This study analyzed the effects of the announcement and publication of the 2019 Public Charge Rule on participation of the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) among pregnant immigrants. A difference-in-differences approach was used to analyze the changes in prenatal WIC participation before and after the 2019 Public Charge Rule announcement and publication among immigrants relative to US natives. We identified 17,623,683 live singletons born in a hospital from 2015 to 2019.

Building Capacity of Community Nurses to Strengthen the Management of Uncomplicated Hypertension in Persons Living with HIV in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Objectives: Poor training of non-physician healthcare workers (especially community nurses) could hinder the successful integration of cardiovascular disease (CVD) management into HIV chronic care in primary healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries. To address this limitation, we included a holistic training programme with a robust module for both practice facilitators and community nurses as part of the formative stages of the managing hypertension among people living with HIV: an integrated model (MAP-IT), which is a study that is evaluating the effectiveness of practice facilitation on the integration of a task-strengthening strategy for hypertension control (TASSH) into primary healthcare centres in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria.

Methods: Between June and November 2021, 3 didactic training workshops were conducted using a training module which is based on the simplified Nigerian Hypertension Protocol for primary care and the World Health Organization (WHO) heart package.

Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence, testing, and treatment capacity in public health facilities in Ghana, 2016-2021; A multi-centre cross-sectional study.

The current burden of Hepatitis C virus infection and the availability of HCV-related services in Ghana are not well described. Previous estimates on HCV seroprevalence in the country are outdated. This study investigated the HCV seroprevalence and testing and treatment capacity in Ghana.

Clinical Profile and Limitations in the Management of HBV Patients Attending Clinic at a District Hospital in Ghana.

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is estimated to cause between 500,000 and 1.2 million deaths worldwide every year through cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver cirrhosis and HCC are the commonest liver diseases causing death in Ghana.

Spatio-temporal variation of groundwater chemistry in the Upper Oti Basin of Ghana.

The Oti Basin is located at northeastern part of Ghana. Two major geological formations of Voltaian sedimentary supergroup exist: Kwahu-Morago and Oti-Pendjari groups. A total of 133 groundwater samples and 7 surface water samples were collected for two major seasons, viz.

A nationwide cross-sectional review of in-hospital hepatitis B virus testing and disease burden estimation in Ghana, 2016 - 2021.

Background And Aims: Data are needed to inform hepatitis B virus (HBV) testing and treatment policies in Ghana to make progress towards achieving the 2030 WHO elimination targets. This study investigated testing patterns for HBV and described the age, sex, and region-specific prevalence of HBV infection in Ghana using hospital data.

Methods: A nationwide multi-centre cross-sectional study was performed where hospital-based registers were reviewed.

Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: Prevalence, Predictors, and In-Hospital Mortality at a District Hospital in Ghana.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most severe complications of cirrhosis and portends an ominous prognosis with an estimated mortality of about 50% in a month and 65% within a year. Infection and hypovolemia have been found to be the main precipitating factors of AKI in liver cirrhosis. Early detection and treatment of AKI may improve outcomes.

The use of statistical methods to assess groundwater contamination in the Lower Tano river basin, Ghana, West Africa.

In this study, descriptive statistics, correlation matrix, multiple regression model, and geostatistical models were used to assess the contamination of groundwater with respect to trace elements in the Lower Tano river basin, Ghana, West Africa. A total number of 48 boreholes drilled across the basin with depths ranging from 18 to 60 m were used as data sources in this study. The results of the descriptive statistics showed that the average lead, iron, and aluminium concentrations exceeded the WHO permissible limits of 0.

Assessing the impacts of artisanal mining on the quality ofvf South-western Rivers System in Ghana.

Artisanal small-scale mining has been part of Ghana's history, but recent public outcry on the devastating impacts of the phenomenon on water bodies, due to expansion in the sector, has led to clamp downs by various governments on the activity. This has called for evaluation of the water quality of the South-western Rivers System, which are small-scale mining endemic areas. Thirty-five river samples were collected in July 2018 and were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters using procedures outlined in the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewaters.

Sociodemographic characteristics, complications requiring hospital admission and causes of in-hospital death in patients with liver cirrhosis admitted at a district hospital in Ghana.

Background: Chronic liver diseases including liver cirrhosis are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Despite the high burden of liver cirrhosis in Ghana, data on this disease is lacking.

Objective: To determine the sociodemographic characteristics, reasons for admission, and in-hospital mortality of patients with cirrhosis of the liver seen at a district hospital in Ghana.

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in soils at the Kpone landfill site, Ghana: Implication for ecological and health risk assessment.

Concentrations of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) in soils at the Kpone landfill site (Ghana) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Further analyses allowed establishing the degree of heavy metals (HMs) pollution, suitability of the soils for agriculture, sources of the HMs and their ecological and health risks. The site was divided into five zones, A, B, C, D, and E, and in all, seventeen (17) soil samples were collected.

Gastroenterology practice in the COVID-19 era: Ghana Association for the Study of Liver and Digestive Diseases (GASLIDD) position statement.

Unlabelled: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare negatively across the globe. The practice of gastroenterology has been affected especially gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy which is considered high risk for transmission of the virus. As a community of practitioners there is the need to share information and make evidence-based statements to guide GI practice in Ghana.

Elevated rates of horizontal gene transfer in the industrialized human microbiome.

Industrialization has impacted the human gut ecosystem, resulting in altered microbiome composition and diversity. Whether bacterial genomes may also adapt to the industrialization of their host populations remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the extent to which the rates and targets of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) vary across thousands of bacterial strains from 15 human populations spanning a range of industrialization.

The Prevalence, Predictors, and In-Hospital Mortality of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis Admitted at St. Dominic Hospital in Akwatia, Ghana.

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the most debilitating complications of cirrhosis leading to death. Decrease in HE mortality and recurrence has been linked with timely identification and early treatment. There is a need to document the burden, predictors, and treatment outcomes of HE in an adult population with liver cirrhosis in our setting as only reports from resource-endowed countries abound in the literature.

Ambulatory end-stage liver disease in Ghana; patient profile and utility of alpha fetoprotein and aspartate aminotransferase: platelet ratio index.

Background: End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is a major burden on public health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important risk factor. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics of ESLD from cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the performance of aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-platelet ratio index (APRI) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in Ghana.

Methods: We performed an observational cross-sectional study in outpatient hepatology clinics at three teaching hospitals in Ghana, West Africa.

Indications and findings of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in patients presenting to a District Hospital, Ghana.

Introduction: Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms are among the commonest complaints for which patients seek medical attention. Characteristics of patients undergoing UGI endoscopy (UGIE) at the district hospital in Ghana are largely unknown. This study was to document the demographic characteristics, indications and endoscopic findings of patients undergoing UGIE at the district hospital in Ghana.

Hepatitis B mother-to-child transmission in the Eastern Region of Ghana: a cross-sectional pilot study.

Introduction: Hepatitis B is a major health concern in Ghana, where prevalence of the virus remains high and most chronic patients are infected during childhood or at birth. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and main factors associated with mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B in the context of Ghana.

Methods: In this cross-sectional pilot study, we tested infants born to hepatitis B positive mothers at a hospital in the Eastern Region of Ghana to determine the prevalence of mother-to-child transmission.

Nutritional management of cirrhosis patients: A qualitative study exploring perceptions of patients and health workers in Ghana.

Background And Aims: Malnutrition is common among patients with end stage liver disease including liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Optimal nutrition is important to reduce morbidity and mortality of these patients. There is limited qualitative data on nutritional status and management of chronic liver disease patients.

Non-invasive markers as predictors of oesophageal varices in cirrhotic patient in a teaching hospital in Ghana.

Introduction: Oesophageal variceal (OV) bleeding is a potentially fatal consequence of portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis. Upper GI endoscopy is recommended for screening for varices in cirrhotics for early detection and treatment, however, this is invasive. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive values of the noninvasive tests in detecting the presence of OV.

Oesophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis attending a major tertiary hospital in Ghana.

Introduction: Oesophageal variceal bleeding is a potentially fatal consequence of portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. In Ghana, bleeding oesophageal varices (OV) are a significant cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding with comparatively high mortality. This study was to determine the prevalence of OV and its clinical correlate in cirrhotic patients.

Prevalence and predictors for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients with ascites admitted at medical block in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Introduction: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is one of the most common and life-threatening complications of patients with cirrhotic ascites. Recognition and prompt treatment of this condition is essential to prevent serious morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of SBP among in-patients with cirrhotic ascites attending our facility and to determine the clinical and laboratory parameters associated with SBP.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis among adult patients with ascites attending Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is one of the most common and life-threatening complications of ascites, mostly in patients with cirrhotic ascites and children with nephrotic syndrome. Recognition and prompt treatment of this condition is essential to prevent serious morbidity and mortality. It is therefore important to determine the prevalence of SBP among in-patients with ascites attending our facility and to determine the clinical characteristics associated with SBP among these patients.