Quality improvement in medicines regulation: a retrospective analysis of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone before and during quality management system implementation.

Background: National Medicines Regulatory Authorities like the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone are responsible for protecting and promoting public health, implementing regulatory standards, and maintaining a supply chain with an assured supply of medical products that are safe, effective, and of good quality. This retrospective study assesses the identification of substandard and falsified medicines, the changes in the functions and key indicators of assessment, and the quality improvement changes of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone.

Methods: Data was obtained from 2013 to 2021 records using a data collection tool to collate and review all relevant information to address the different objectives.

Influence of CYP2D6 Metabolizer Status on Risperidone and Paliperidone Tolerability in Children and Adolescents.

Risperidone and, to a lesser extent, paliperidone are metabolized by CYP2D6; however, there are limited data related to variation in CYP2D6 phenotypes and the tolerability of these medications in children and adolescents. Furthermore, the impact of CYP2D6 on the association of risperidone and paliperidone with hyperprolactinemia in youth is not well understood. A retrospective chart review was performed in psychiatrically hospitalized children and adolescents prescribed risperidone ( = 263, age = 3-18 years, mean age = 13 ± 3 years, 49% female) or paliperidone ( = 124, age = 5-18 years, mean age = 15 ± 2 years, 44% female) who had CYP2D6 genotyping performed as part of routine care.

The Stigma of Epilepsy among Patients Attending the Epilepsy Clinic at Connaught Hospital, Sierra Leone.

Background: Epilepsy is one of the world's most common neurological disorders with about eighty percent of cases living in low and middle-income countries. Due to superstitious cultural and traditional beliefs in Sub-Saharan Africa, the stigma associated with epilepsy is particularly disabling. Stigma negatively affects the psychosocial wellbeing of people with epilepsy (PWE) and their acceptance of medical treatment.

Quality of Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions to Antimicrobials Improved Following Operational Research: A before-and-after Study in Sierra Leone (2017-2023).

The quality of pharmacovigilance data is important for guiding medicine safety and clinical practice. In baseline and follow-up studies after introducing interventions to improve the quality of reporting of Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) in Sierra Leone, we compared (a) timeliness and completeness of reporting and (b) patient outcomes classified as 'recovering'. : Baseline (January 2017-December 2021) and follow-up (June 2022-April 2023) studies of ICSRs in the national pharmacovigilance database.

Clinical significance of BPI-ANCA in patients with cystic fibrosis: a single center prospective study.

Recurrent pulmonary exacerbation due to infection and inflammation remain the major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Increased levels of BPI-ANCA have been linked to Pseudomonas colonization and pulmonary exacerbations in patients with CF. The majority of these studies were done in Europe, and it is unclear whether similar findings are true in CF patients who lives in United States.

Assessing Changes in Surgical Site Infections and Antibiotic Use among Caesarean Section and Herniorrhaphy Patients at a Regional Hospital in Sierra Leone Following Operational Research in 2021.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major public health threat to the success of surgery. This study assessed changes in SSIs and use of antibiotics among caesarean section (CS) and herniorrhaphy patients at a regional hospital in Sierra Leone following operational research. This was a comparative before and after study using routine hospital data.

Reticulocyte mitochondrial retention increases reactive oxygen species and oxygen consumption in mouse models of sickle cell disease and phlebotomy-induced anemia.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is caused by a mutation of the β-globin gene that results in the production of hemoglobin S (HbS). People with SCD experience anemia, severe acute pain episodes, persistent chronic pain, multiorgan damage, and a reduced life span. The pathophysiology of SCD caused by the polymerization of HbS on deoxygenation results in red cell deformability and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Exogenous Methyl Jasmonate Application Improved Physio-Biochemical Attributes, Yield, Quality, and Cadmium Tolerance in Fragrant Rice.

Cadmium (Cd) has detrimental effects on crop plants, whereas, jasmonates (JAs) play a vital role in abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The present study investigated the effects of exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJa) on the physio-biochemical attributes, yield, and quality of two fragrant rice cultivars, i.e.

Recent developments in sample preparation techniques combined with high-performance liquid chromatography: A critical review.

This review article compares and contrasts sample preparation techniques coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and describes applications developed in biomedical, forensics, and environmental/industrial hygiene in the last two decades. The proper sample preparation technique can offer valued data for a targeted application when coupled to HPLC and a suitable detector. Improvements in sample preparation techniques in the last two decades have resulted in efficient extraction, cleanup, and preconcentration in a single step, thus providing a pathway to tackle complex matrix applications.

Calcium amendment improved the performance of fragrant rice and reduced metal uptake under cadmium toxicity.

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity has detrimental effects on plant metabolism and yield formation. This study examined the effects of Cd stress in rice and the possible role of calcium (Ca) in mitigating oxidative damage caused by Cd in two fragrant rice cultivars, i.e.

Rapid deployment of a mobile biosafety level-3 laboratory in Sierra Leone during the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic.

Background: Ebola virus emerged in West Africa in December 2013. The high population mobility and poor public health infrastructure in this region led to the development of the largest Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak to date.

Methodology/principal Findings: On September 26, 2014, China dispatched a Mobile Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory (MBSL-3 Lab) and a well-trained diagnostic team to Sierra Leone to assist in EVD diagnosis using quantitative real-time PCR, which allowed the diagnosis of suspected EVD cases in less than 4 hours from the time of sample receiving.

Features of Ebola Virus Disease at the Late Outbreak Stage in Sierra Leone: Clinical, Virological, Immunological, and Evolutionary Analyses.

We performed Ebola virus disease diagnosis and viral load estimation for Ebola cases in Sierra Leone during the late stage of the 2014-2015 outbreak (January-March 2015) and analyzed antibody and cytokine levels and the viral genome sequences. Ebola virus disease was confirmed in 86 of 1001 (9.7%) patients, with an overall case fatality rate of 46.

Lead (Pb) Toxicity; Physio-Biochemical Mechanisms, Grain Yield, Quality, and Pb Distribution Proportions in Scented Rice.

Lead (Pb) caused interruptions with normal plant metabolism, crop yield losses and quality issues are of great concern. This study assessed the physio-biochemical responses, yield and grain quality traits and Pb distribution proportions in three different fragrant rice cultivars i.e.

Clinical and Virological Characteristics of Ebola Virus Disease Patients Treated With Favipiravir (T-705)-Sierra Leone, 2014.

Background:  During 2014-2015, an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) swept across parts of West Africa. No approved antiviral drugs are available for Ebola treatment currently.

Methods:  A retrospective clinical case series was performed for EVD patients in Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital.

Transmission dynamics of Ebola virus disease and intervention effectiveness in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone is the most severely affected country by an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa. Although successfully contained, the transmission dynamics of EVD and the impact of interventions in the country remain unclear. We established a database of confirmed and suspected EVD cases from May 2014 to September 2015 in Sierra Leone and mapped the spatiotemporal distribution of cases at the chiefdom level.

Identity Efficiency for High-Performance Ambient Pressure Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

A new approach to reduce the false-positive responses commonly encountered in the field when drugs and explosives are detected is reported for an electrospray ionization high-performance ion mobility spectrometry (ESI-HPIMS). In this article, we report on the combination of reduced mobility and the width-at-half-height of a peak to give a new parameter called conditional reduced mobility (CRM). It was found that the CRM was capable of differentiating between real drugs peaks from that of a false-positive peak and may help to reduce false-positive rates.

Nicotine and carbon monoxide exposure from inhalation of cigarillo smoke.

Background: There has been an increase in the use of cigarillos in the US. People who smoke cigarillos typically also regularly smoke cigarettes (dual users).

Methods: We compared puffing topography, biomarkers of acute exposure [exhaled carbon monoxide (COex) and plasma nicotine] and physiologic effects from usual brand cigarette and Black & Mild cigarillo smoking in dual users (N=23) in two laboratory sessions.

Rhizosphere ecology of lumichrome and riboflavin, two bacterial signal molecules eliciting developmental changes in plants.

Lumichrome and riboflavin are novel molecules from rhizobial exudates that stimulate plant growth. Reported studies have revealed major developmental changes elicited by lumichrome at very low nanomolar concentrations (5 nM) in plants, which include early initiation of trifoliate leaves, expansion of unifoliate and trifoliate leaves, increased stem elongation and leaf area, and consequently greater biomass accumulation in monocots and dicots. But higher lumichrome concentration (50 nM) depressed root development and reduced growth of unifoliate and second trifoliate leaves.

Lead toxicity in rice: effects, mechanisms, and mitigation strategies--a mini review.

Lead (Pb) is a major environmental pollutant that affects plant morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes. Its higher levels in the environment are not only toxic to human beings but also harmful for plants and soil microbes. We have reviewed the uptake, translocation, and accumulation mechanisms of Pb and its toxic effects on germination, growth, yield, nutrient relation, photosynthesis, respiration, oxidative damage, and antioxidant defense system of rice.

Prognostic Analysis of Patients with Ebola Virus Disease.

Background: The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. However, factors affecting the survival of the disease remain unclear. Here, we investigated the prognostic factors of Ebola virus disease (EVD) through various statistical models.

Genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone.

A novel Ebola virus (EBOV) first identified in March 2014 has infected more than 25,000 people in West Africa, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths. Preliminary analyses of genome sequences of 81 EBOV collected from March to June 2014 from Guinea and Sierra Leone suggest that the 2014 EBOV originated from an independent transmission event from its natural reservoir followed by sustained human-to-human infections. It has been reported that the EBOV genome variation might have an effect on the efficacy of sequence-based virus detection and candidate therapeutics.