Screening for pulmonary hypertension in pregnant women with sickle cell disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) has evolved from a condition predominantly fatal in childhood to a chronic illness impacting many adults, including women of reproductive age. For females with SCD, pregnancy represents one of the greatest health threats, exacerbating existing health challenges and introducing new risks. Despite advancements in healthcare, routine screening for existing complications like pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains inconsistent, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the prevalence of SCD is highest.

Short-term COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects among adults in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Background: The safety of the COVID-19 vaccines has been a topic of concern globally. This issue of safety is associated with vaccine hesitancy due to concerns about the adverse effects of the vaccines. Consequently, this study determined the short-term safety profile of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Assessment of Drug History Information in Referral Letters to the Antiretroviral Therapy Outpatient Specialist Clinic of a Federal Teaching Hospital in Ilorin.

Background: The drug use history of a patient is an essential component of a referral letter to a specialist clinic. It guides and enables appropriate patient management while improving the quality of care rendered. There is insufficient data regarding the quality of drug history information in referral letters in this setting.

The impact of systemic hypertension on outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients - a systematic review.

Background: Several observational reports from different parts of the world have shown that systemic hypertension (hypertension) was the single commonest comorbid condition in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Hypertension is also the most prevalent comorbidity reported among patients who developed severe disease, were admitted to Intensive Care Unit, needed mechanical ventilatory support, or who died on admission. The objective of this systematic review is to study the association between hypertension and specific clinical outcomes of COVID-19 disease which are- development of severe COVID-19 disease, need for admission in the intensive care unit (ICU) or critical care unit (CCU), need for mechanical ventilation or death.

Patient-level and system-level determinants of stroke fatality across 16 large hospitals in Ghana and Nigeria: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Every minute, six indigenous Africans develop new strokes. Patient-level and system-level contributors to early stroke fatality in this region are yet to be delineated. We aimed to identify and quantify the contributions of patient-level and system-level determinants of inpatient stroke fatality across 16 hospitals in Ghana and Nigeria.

Smartphone Ownership and the Willingness to receive Mobile Health Services among Patients with Hypertension in Nigeria.

Background: There are traditional barriers to accessing quality hypertension care in sub-Saharan Africa. Mobile phone technology is increasingly being used to overcome these barriers. This study assessed smartphone ownership and the willingness to receive mobile health services among patients with hypertension in Nigeria.

Secondhand smoke exposure is independently associated with stroke among non-smoking adults in West Africa.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, but little is known about the contribution of secondhand smoke exposure (SHSE) to stroke epidemiology among indigenous Africans.

Objective: To evaluate the association of SHSE with stroke among indigenous Africans.

Methods: We analyzed the relationship of SHSE with stroke among 2990 case-control pairs of adults who had never smoked (identified in the SIREN study) using conditional logistic regression at a two-sided P < 0.

A systematic review and Meta-data analysis on the applications of Deep Learning in Electrocardiogram.

Unlabelled: The success of deep learning over the traditional machine learning techniques in handling artificial intelligence application tasks such as image processing, computer vision, object detection, speech recognition, medical imaging and so on, has made deep learning the buzz word that dominates Artificial Intelligence applications. From the last decade, the applications of deep learning in physiological signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG) have attracted a good number of research. However, previous surveys have not been able to provide a systematic comprehensive review including biometric ECG based systems of the applications of deep learning in ECG with respect to domain of applications.

The Indirect Victims of COVID-19: Perception of Non-COVID-19 Patients about the Effect of Closure of the Medical Outpatient Services on their Health.

Background: In order to reduce COVID-19 transmission and protect healthcare workers, the outpatient departments (OPDs) in many hospitals worldwide were closed down in the early days of the pandemic. Patients being managed for chronic medical illnesses who subsequently suffered reduced access to healthcare have been described as "the patients left behind".

Aim: The study aimed at assessing the impact of the closure of the Medical OPD in University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) on the health and perceived well-being of patients with chronic medical illnesses.

Effect of spinal anesthesia on QT interval: Comparative study of severe pre-eclamptic and normotensive parturients undergoing cesarean section.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the effect of spinal anesthesia on QT interval in severe pre-eclamptic and normotensive parturients who underwent cesarean section in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

Patients And Methods: Twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was obtained before, and at intervals after spinal anaesthesia on fifty severe pre-eclamptic (Group A) and fifty normotensive parturients (Group B) who underwent caesarean section. The effect of spinal anaesthesia on QT interval was compared.

Association between metabolic syndrome and healthcare work status in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Introduction: metabolic syndrome portends an increased risk of cardiovascular events and death. Evidence showed that healthcare workers are at higher risk of cardiovascular events because of their engagement in night-shift work. Therefore, this study determined the association between metabolic syndrome and healthcare work status in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Risk Factor Characterization of Ischemic Stroke Subtypes Among West Africans.

Background And Purpose: To identify the qualitative and quantitative contributions of conventional risk factors for occurrence of ischemic stroke and its key pathophysiologic subtypes among West Africans.

Methods: The SIREN (Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network) is a multicenter, case-control study involving 15 sites in Ghana and Nigeria. Cases include adults aged ≥18 years with ischemic stroke who were etiologically subtyped using the A-S-C-O-D classification into atherosclerosis, small-vessel occlusion, cardiac pathology, other causes, and dissection.

Prognostic Significance of Pre-Discharge Plasma BNP among Heart Failure Patients in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Introduction: Although the usefulness of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in early diagnosis of heart failure has been extensively studied, its value in predicting outcome of these patients has not been fully determined, particularly among African patients.

Objective: This study was aimed to evaluating the prognostic implications of pre-discharge BNP among hospitalized heart failure patients in Nigeria.

Methods: One hundred consecutive acutely decompensated heart failure patients managed in our center were recruited into the study.

Knowledge and Prevalence of Heart Disease Risk Factors Among Staff of a Tertiary Institution in Nigeria.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality worldwide. Hence, awareness of cardiovascular risk factors is an essential step towards effective reduction of the disease burden. This study determined the knowledge and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among Staff of Ekiti State University.

Burden of Care and Psychological Distress in Primary Caregivers of Patients with Type -2 Diabetes Mellitus in A Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria.

Background: Caregivers play an important role in the management and care of individuals with chronic medical conditions. This is because; they provide emotional, physical, financial as well as spiritual support to their wards. However, the process of caregiving is usually associated with feelings of burden and psychological distress.

The Use of First Line Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) is Not Associated with Qtc Prolongation in HIV Patients.

Background: HAART has improved survival of HIV patients. Its contribution to the development of new cardiovascular abnormalities has generated much interest. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of QTc prolongation among HIV patients and determining the influence if any of the use of HAART on the QTc and on the risk of having QTc prolongation.

Structural echocardiographic abnormalities seen in HIV/AIDS patients are independent of cd4 count.

Introduction: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains one of the most daunting public health challenges today. Cardiac involvement in HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is frequent and has been recognized on autopsy since the emergence of the pandemic. The objective of the study was to assess the pattern of structural echocardiographic (echo) findings in HIV/AIDS patients and compare this to the echo findings in apparently healthy HIV-negative controls.

Pattern and predictive factors of health-related quality of life of patients with hypertension, diabetes and concomitant hypertension with diabetes in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Background: Hypertension and diabetes are the two most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Nigerian population. Because of the lifelong nature of the two diseases and the attendant long treatment regimen required, assessing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome of these diseases.

Objective: This study assessed the pattern and predictive factors of HRQoL among patients with hypertension, diabetes and concomitant hypertension and diabetes using the 36-item short-form version 2.

Changing trend in the incidence of myocardial infarction among medical admissions in Ilorin, north-central Nigeria.

Aims And Objectives: This study aimed at reviewing cases of myocardial infarction managed between January 2006 and June 2009.

Materials And Methods: Records of all patients managed for acute MI during the period were studied. Diagnosis was based on presence of ischemic type of chest discomfort, serial electrocardiographic (ECG) changes compatible with MI, a rise in troponin I level and echocardiographic abnormalities.

Advanced sickle cell associated interstitial lung disease presenting with cor pulmonale in a Nigerian.

Previous studies have reported abnormal pulmonary function and pulmonary hypertension among Nigerians with sickle cell disease, but there is no report of interstitial lung disease among them. We report a Nigerian sickle cell patient who presented with computed tomography proven interstitial lung disease complicated by pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale.

Left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with diastolic filling alterations in normotensive offspring of hypertensive nigerians.

Contribution of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction to adverse events in patients with cardiovascular diseases is increasingly being recognized and individuals with pedigree for hypertension are thought to exhibit anatomic and or functional changes in their left ventricle before they become hypertensive. This study aimed at characterizing left ventricular diastolic function in normotensive offspring of hypertensive Nigerians. Sixty-five offspring of hypertensive parents aged 15-25 years (subjects) with 65-age and sex-matched offspring of normotensive parents (controls) were studied for early makers of hypertensive cardiovascular disease using Doppler echocardiogram.

Status disclosure among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Background: HIV/AIDS is a disease that is characterised by discrimination and stigmatisation particularly in Africa.

Objective: To determine rate of disclosure of HIV status among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Methods: A semi-structured, interviewer administered questionnaire containing 40 items was used to collect information from persons living with HIV/AIDS accessing treatment at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.