Acute Pulmonary Embolism in an Intensive Care Unit Setting in Sierra Leone.

Introduction: In Sierra Leone, the lack of information on pulmonary embolism (PE) limits the access to evidence-based standard of diagnostic work-up and management of the disease. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and management of acute pulmonary embolism in our setting and to determine whether the pre-test probability scoring algorithms were used prior to Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiogram (CTPA) request.

Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted on CTPA-confirmed PE patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, Choithrams Memorial Hospital, in Freetown, Sierra Leone between July 2014 to June 2019.

Outcomes of craniotomies for chronic subdural hematoma in Sierra Leone.

Introduction: chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is not uncommon in sub-Saharan Africa and has a striking morbidity and mortality if not managed adequately. With the limited number of neurosurgeons in resource poor countries, general surgeons should be trained in the skills of craniotomy and burr-hole craniostomy.

Methods: we conducted a retrospective review of all medical records of patients with cSDH, who underwent flap craniotomy at the Choithrams Memorial Hospital, Sierra Leone, between January 2016 and March 2018.

Degenerative change in the cervical spine and load-carrying on the head.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between load-carrying on the head and the development of degenerative change in the cervical spine.

Design And Subjects: A case-control study was performed with 35 individuals who had carried loads on their head (carriers) and 35 persons who never had carrier loads on their head (non-carriers). A scoring system was utilized for the assessment of the degenerative change in the cervical spine at the C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6 and C6/C7 levels on lateral cervical spine radiography.

Common faults in filling of radiological request forms.

This prospective study was carried out in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The aim was to highlight to the clinicians the common faults encountered in radiological request forms and to make recommendations aimed at improving information given on such forms which will facilitate better reporting by radiologists. 4,122 request forms from the three institutions were reviewed using a questionnaire and were analysed.

Giant urinary bladder calculi.

Four patients with giant urinary bladder calculi are presented. All were males with bladder outflow obstruction. The literature on the subject is reviewed.

[Results of radiotherapy of bronchial carcinoma (author's transl)].

In a joint retrospective study by 17 radiotherapy clinics in German-speaking countries the results of treatment of bronchial carcinoma after radiotherapy were analysed in 7503 cases. The age peak was between the 60th and 70th year. Squamous-cell carcinoma was the most frequent histological type, followed by anaplastic carcinoma, with adenocarcinoma being rare.