Systems issues limiting acute fracture care delivery at a tertiary care hospital in Northern Tanzania.

Introduction: sub-Saharan Africa experiences a significant musculoskeletal trauma burden. Among patients who receive surgical treatment, there have been no reports as to how often surgical care is determined to be "adequate" or, if "inadequate", then what hospital and orthopaedic specialty-specific systems limitations might be prohibitive.

Methods: data from patients presenting to the orthopaedic trauma service at a tertiary care center in sub-Saharan Africa were prospectively collected over a 6-week period and then retrospectively reviewed to determine whether the surgical treatment was "adequate" (or otherwise, "inadequate") according to the principle of restoring length, alignment, and rotation.

Postoperative Hemoglobin Drop and the Associated Factors among Elective Orthopedic Surgeries in Northern Tanzania.

Background: Having an estimated level of Hb drop in different orthopedic surgeries would help plan for surgery from pre- to postoperative periods. The aim of this study was to assess the Hb drop and the associated factors during the intraoperative period among elective orthopedic surgeries.

Methods: This was an analytic cross-sectional study conducted between October 2022 and March 2023, which included all patients admitted for elective orthopedic surgery who met the inclusion criteria.

Comparing the drivers of medical student emigration intention across two African nations.

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa faces the highest relative need for health care workers in the world and the emigration of physicians significantly contributes to this deficit. Few studies have explored development of these patterns during medical education. This study investigates career aspirations of medical students in two African nations with similar Human Development Indices, but distinct differences in training structure to better inform retention strategies.

Ogilvie syndrome: peculiar manifestation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in non-institutionalized middle age female in Tanzania.

Since it was first documented in 1948 by Sir William Heneage Ogilvie, numerous cases of Ogilvie syndrome have been described in literature due to various medical and surgical causes. Nonetheless, only a handful of cases only have been documented due to underlying Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). A 41-year-old female was admitted with an acute abdomen secondary to partial mechanical intestinal obstruction or paralytic ileus based on signs and symptoms and Abdominal X-Ray (AXR).

Understanding surgical care delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional analysis of surgical volume, operations, and financing at a tertiary referral hospital in rural Tanzania.

Background: Access to surgical care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) such as Tanzania is extremely limited. Northern Tanzania is served by a single tertiary referral hospital, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC). The surgical volumes, workflow, and payment mechanisms in this region have not been characterized.

Penetrating spinal cord injury causing paraplegia in a bird hunter in rural Tanzania.

Introduction: Cultural and socioeconomic factors influence the risk of sustaining a Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (TSCI). The standard of management and rehabilitation available to TSCI patients differs greatly between high-income and low-income countries.

Case Presentation: We report a 17-year-old male bird hunter, with no prior medical history, presenting with paraplegia and sensory loss from the xiphoid process down after being struck by an arrow in the left lateral side of the neck.

The characteristics of cervical spinal cord trauma at a North Tanzanian Referral Hospital: a retrospective hospital based study.

Introduction: Surviving a traumatic cervical Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) has an immense effect on an individual's physical function and independence. It also predisposes them to financial, social, psychological and several medical complications throughout their life. In high-income countries, improved multidisciplinary care has led to better long term outcomes, however in low-income countries, the burden of the condition and its associated mortality remain high.

A case report of atlanto-axial instability in a Down Syndrome patient.

Introduction: Down Syndrome (DS)-also referred to as Trisomy 21-is associated with multiple deformities affecting various systems of the body. Joint laxity resulting in unstable atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial joints-with an increased susceptibility to fatal cord injuries-is a recognized phenomenon in patients with DS.

Case Presentation: We report on a 30-year-old man with DS from Tanzania with no previous neck complaints, who presented with a 5-week progressive history of paraparesis that evolved into a quadriparesis.

The characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injuries at a referral hospital in Northern Tanzania.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in Northern Tanzania.

Setting: Main referral hospital for Northern Tanzania.