Publications by authors named "Walufu Ivan Egesa"

Article Synopsis
  • - Cerebral malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum, poses a significant health threat in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Uganda, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates in young children.
  • - A study at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital found that 12.8% of children under five with severe malaria had cerebral malaria, with male sex, abnormal bleeding, convulsions, kidney injury, and low sodium levels identified as associated risk factors.
  • - The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions and improved clinical management strategies to address the burden of cerebral malaria among vulnerable populations.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the quality of life (QoL) of children who underwent surgical treatment for anorectal malformations (ARMs) at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda, focusing on health-related QoL differences based on age and gender.
  • Researchers enrolled 88 children aged 3 to 18, using a 23-item PedsQL 4.0 inventory to assess their QoL, finding that rectovestibular fistulas were the most common form of ARM among participants.
  • Results showed high average QoL scores (94 out of 100), with better physical and school functioning scores in females; however, the presence of associated anomalies and the need for reoperations were linked to poorer
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Introduction And Importance: The incidence of congenital abdominal wall defects is increasing, but few cases have been reported in the African population.

Case Presentation: The authors report a case of gastroschisis in a term neonate who was delivered through spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) in a remote health facility before transfer to a tertiary hospital in Uganda. Although there was no environmental exposure to teratogens, the major risk factor of Gastroschisis, the neonate was low birth weight, HIV-exposed, and the mother had not received folic acid supplementation during the first trimester, known risk factors of gastroschisis.

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Iron deficiency anaemia is still a global public health concern with the highest burden among children 6 to 23 months due to their rapid growth spurt exceeding breastmilk supply. Therefore, nutritional supply is a key source of iron to attain the required nutrients for better growth and development. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study done at Ishaka Adventist Hospital (IAH) and Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (KIUTH) from April to July 2022.

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Background: Acute respiratory tract infections are among the leading causes of child morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the diagnosis of acute respiratory tract infections requires simple outpatient medical techniques and care, it is still misdiagnosed among primary care physicians, leading to delayed treatment and increased mortality. This study described the prevalence of common acute respiratory tract infections and simple techniques that effectively detect and diagnose children presenting with acute respiratory symptoms to primary healthcare physicians in remote settings.

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Article Synopsis
  • The "white cerebellum sign" indicates diffuse brain damage while leaving the cerebellum unharmed, often seen in severe pediatric neurological conditions.
  • A case of a three-month-old girl with bacterial meningitis and status epilepticus showcased this sign, but she ended up recovering well after treatment.
  • This highlights that, despite the seriousness of the "white cerebellum sign," early recognition and timely interventions can lead to better outcomes.
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Background: Malaria remains one of the leading health problems of the developing world, and acute kidney injury (AKI) is a well-recognized complication of severe malaria in adults; but the clinical importance of AKI in paediatric severe malaria is not well documented. Knowledge of the prevalence and factors associated with AKI among children with severe malaria is among the key strategies, which can help to reduce the burden of AKI among this vulnerable group. .

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Background: Wilms tumor (WT) is the second most common solid tumor in Africa with both low overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates. However, no known factors are predicting this poor overall survival.

Objective: The study was to determine the one-year overall survival of WT cases and its predictors among children diagnosed in the pediatric oncology and surgical units of Mbarara regional referral hospital (MRRH), western Uganda.

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Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an umbrella term for a group of life-long debilitating autosomal recessive disorders that are caused by a single-point mutation (Glu→Val) that results in polymerization of hemoglobin (Hb) and reversible sickle-shape deformation of erythrocytes. This leads to increased hemolysis of erythrocytes and microvascular occlusion, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and tissue infarction, ultimately causing multisystem end-organ complications. Sickle cell anemia (HbSS) is the most common and most severe genotype of SCD, followed by HbSC, HbS thalassemia, HbS+thalassemia, and rare and benign genotypes.

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Objectives: This study assessed the prevalence and associated factors of pneumonia among children under-five years presenting with acute respiratory symptoms.

Methodology: This was a cross sectional study at the Pediatric Department of Kampala International University - Teaching Hospital, from the month of April to August 2019. The study included 336 children aged 2 to 59 months presenting with acute respiratory symptoms to the pediatric clinic.

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Background: Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome is a rare congenital capillary-lymphatic-venous condition characterized by the clinical triad of capillary malformations (port wine stains), varicose veins with or without venous malformations, and bony and/or soft-tissue hypertrophy. It has a very low incidence of about 1:100,000.

Case Presentation: We report the case of 21-day-old neonate Black African female (born in Uganda) with Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome who presented with macrodactyly and ectrodactyly on the left foot, as well as numerous port wine stains on the left thoracoabdominal region and anteroposterior left lower limb.

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Introduction And Importance: Kerosene and rodenticides are used in many households in developing countries. This case report aims to discuss the progression and management of a patient with intentional kerosene and rodenticide poisoning. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of blended kerosene-rodenticide poisoning in medical literature.

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Congenital malaria is the presence of malaria parasites in a blood smear obtained from a neonate usually within 24 hours to 7 days of life. It has for long been regarded a rare condition. However, recent data indicate that congenital malaria complicates around 35.

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Germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage (GM-IVH) is a common intracranial complication in preterm infants, especially those born before 32 weeks of gestation and very-low-birth-weight infants. Hemorrhage originates in the fragile capillary network of the subependymal germinal matrix of the developing brain and may disrupt the ependymal lining and progress into the lateral cerebral ventricle. GM-IVH is associated with increased mortality and abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes such as posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, severe cognitive impairment, and visual and hearing impairment.

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Soil-transmitted helminths are so prevalent in the tropics and low developing countries. Pediatric clinical presentation of ascariasis, the most common helminth, as the intestinal obstruction is not only rare but also less described. We present a case of a 4-year-old girl with massive ascariasis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sclerema neonatorum (SN) is a rare skin condition that mainly affects preterm infants, particularly those with other health issues, and usually appears within the first week of life.
  • The condition is characterized by hardening of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, primarily starting in areas like the buttocks and thighs, and can lead to serious complications with a high risk of mortality even with treatment.
  • The case report discusses a newborn with typical signs and histopathological features of SN, highlighting its severity and the challenges in managing this condition.
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Background: Newborn infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates in low-income countries. Clinical diagnosis for omphalitis in such settings is possible but this does not depict the microbiological characteristics of the involved organisms, and clinicians have often prescribed empirical antibiotics in neonates with omphalitis, despite an increasing burden of antibiotic resistance.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the bacteriology and antibiotic susceptibility patterns among neonates diagnosed with omphalitis at the special care baby unit (SCBU) of Kampala International University-Teaching Hospital (KIU-TH), western Uganda from March to June 2019.

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Background: Prematurity contributes greatly to the neonatal mortality burden in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the proportion of preterm neonatal death, medical conditions at admission, and determinants of mortality of preterm neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary hospital in Western Uganda.

Materials And Methods: A prospective cohort study of 351 consecutively enrolled preterm neonates was conducted from March to June 2019.

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Preterm birth complications are responsible for almost one-third of the global neonatal mortality burden, and respiratory distress syndrome remains the single most common cause of these preventable deaths. Since its inception, almost half a century ago, nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) has evolved to become the primary modality for neonatal respiratory care in both the developed and developing world. Although evidence has demonstrated the effectiveness of low-cost bubble NCPAP in reducing newborn mortality, its widespread use is yet to be seen in resource-constrained settings.

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