Breaking the silence: an HIV-related educational intervention for medical students in Zimbabwe

PROBLEM

A culture of silence surrounding HIV is a major contributor to continued HIV transmission and poor care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

AIM

To encourage medical leadership in addressing stigma and fear related to HIV at individual and community levels

OBJECTIVE

To pilot a mini-course for final year medical students in Zimbabwe that demonstrates stigma-reduction knowledge and skills needed to communicate information about HIV to patients, to address ethical implications of testing versus not testing for HIV, to increase awareness of the medical and preventive benefits of knowing one's HIV status and showing people how to cope with the emotional burden of dealing with HIV everyday.

DESIGN

Methods of proven effectiveness for training medical students in ethics and communication skills were used such as presentations by well respected role models and opinion leaders, role-playing, small group discussions, accompanied by materials indicating local resources, in three afternoon teaching sessions.

SETTING

University of Zimbabwe College of Medicine.

PARTICIPANTS

60 medical students, six lecturers, two facilitators and a group of actors.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Evaluation of the course by students showed appreciation of the course as measured on a scale of one to five for content and usefulness with requests for further inputs into the curriculum; model of mini-course that can be used by other medical schools in the southern Africa region and other areas of emerging HIV epidemics.

CONCLUSIONS

A brief educational intervention can help medical students to cope with the extraordinary challenge of providing care in high HIV prevalence countries and may contribute towards better leadership in addressing HIV epidemics.

Making research ethics review work in Zimbabwe--the case for investment in local capacity

OBJECTIVE

To describe the status of ethics review as pertaining to medical research in Zimbabwe, to compare this with international guidelines, and thus to identify potential improvements in the process.

DESIGN

The description includes background about the national review body, the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ), and the findings of an analysis of institutional ethics review performed by the MRCZ liaison office.

RESULTS

Discrepancies with international guidelines include application of the concepts of independent and competent review, monitoring of ongoing studies, and ensuring appropriate membership of institutional ethics review committees (IRECs).

CONCLUSION

A focus on research ethics education for researchers and IREC members, as well as ensuring appropriate respect for IREC review, are opportunities for improvement in the process.

Kammerwasserdynamik

Intraocular pressure is mainly controlled by the rate of aqueous humor production and the resistance to its outflow. Aqueous humor formation is the result of fast unidirectional secretion and slow contradirectional reabsorption. The most striking evidence of endogenous regulation of the ciliary epithelial secretion is provided by the observation of the circadian rhythm. Aqueous humor formation is mainly controlled by the interaction of inhibiting alpha(2)-adrenoreceptors and stimulating beta-adrenoceptors. The role of the central nervous system in the regulation of this process remains unclear and the precise mechanism of outflow regulation is not fully understood. The aqueous humor passes into the anterior chamber and leaves the eye by two routes: the direct outflow pathway through the trabecular meshwork or the indirect outflow pathway through the ciliary muscle. Further biochemical, biological and pharmacological investigations are necessary to determine the fundamental process of aqueous humor formation, outflow and regulation.

Disability in an urban black community in Zimbabwe

PURPOSE

This study was undertaken to establish which health conditions are primarily responsible for disability and morbidity in a high-density area in Harare, Zimbabwe.

METHOD

House-to-house screening visits were followed up by medical examination and interview of those identified as having a functional limitation.

RESULTS

Information was obtained during screening on 10,839 residents. Of these, 608 were examined by medical professionals. The rate of disability/morbidity was 5.6% for the whole sample. Headaches and migraine were the most common problem. These were followed by back pain, hypertension and osteoarthritis. HIV/AIDS was the fifth most common condition. Depression, based on responses to a screening tool, was evident in one-third of the subjects. Common activity limitations included difficulty with the performance of housework activities and with walking. HIV/AIDS resulted in the most severe activity limitation, in that cognitive functions were also affected.

CONCLUSION

The middle-aged and elderly with osteoarthritis and young women with depression constitute vulnerable groups who are not in a position to demand services. The older women particularly need assistance as they are bearing the double burden of their own degenerative conditions and the results of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Auditory- and somatosensory-evoked potentials in cerebral malaria and anaesthesia: a comparison

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Parallels exist between the coma associated with cerebral malaria and general anaesthesia. They both produce reversible loss of consciousness. In the case of cerebral malaria and in the absence of other complications, patients recover without sequelae. General anaesthetics are so designed that patients recover from their anaesthetics very quickly and show no 'after effects'. This study compares brain function in these two clinical conditions by examining auditory- (AEPs) and median nerve somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs). The AEPs studied (waves Pa and Nb) are thought to arise from the primary auditory cortex and the median nerve SEPs (waves P15, N20, P25, N35, P45) from the pons, thalamus and primary somatosensory cortices.

METHODS

Six comatosed patients with malaria (three males, three females) aged between 19 and 38 yr were studied in Zimbabwe. Their Glasgow Coma Scores on admission were 4, 3, 6, 7, 7 and 11. Their AEPs and median nerve SEPs were recorded daily over 4 days. The data were compared with those previously collected in the UK on patients and volunteers anaesthetized with desflurane, isoflurane, sevoflurane and propofol.

RESULTS

In general, patients with cerebral malaria showed AEPs and SEPs similar to those of light to moderate anaesthesia i.e. 0.5-1.25 measure of anaesthetic potency (MAC), where 1 MAC is the minimum alveolar concentration necessary to prevent movement to surgical incision in 50% of patients. The appearance of the AEPs and SEPs bore no relationship to the degree of coma. The auditory brainstem-evoked response was retained in all degrees of coma, as would be expected. Otherwise, it would not be possible to interpret the waveform. In most instances, the early cortical complex Pa/Nb/Pb of the AER was present. When comatose patients emerged from malarial coma or were stimulated by talking loudly to them, they showed changes in the Pa/Nb/Pb complex similar to those seen on awakening from anaesthesia. The somatosensory-evoked response showed clear P15, N20 and P25 peaks at the expected latencies, and in some instances the waveforms of cerebral malaria and lightly anaesthetized volunteers were very similar.

CONCLUSIONS

The sensory-evoked responses of the cerebral malaria patients recorded in this study were not markedly different from those seen in light-to-moderately anaesthetized patients and volunteers. The profound depression of the AEPs and SEPs associated with deeper levels of anaesthesia were not seen, with the exception of one patient several hours before death.

[Pseudohypopyon of cholesterol crystals occurring 16 years after retinal detachment in x-linked retinoschisis]

BACKGROUND

Cholesterol crystals of the anterior chamber can be found as a marked feature of advanced cholesterosis bulbi; typically following i. o. hemorrhage after severe trauma, retinal detachment or M. Coats.

CASE REPORT

A 39-year-old male patient with longstanding (16 years) retinal detachment in his right eye due to x-chromosomal linked retinoschisis presented with a clinical picture of a hypopyon and mature cataract. Ultrasonography showed a retrolental mass. Phacolytic uveitis was suspected and pars plana lentectomy and vitrectomy was performed. Intraoperatively subretinal chrystals could be detected. A specimen of the aqueous humor and subretinal fluid was evaluated biochemically and histologically and revealed cholesterol crystals.

CONCLUSIONS

Cholesterosis bulbi may be similar to lentogenic uveitis and should be included in the differential diagnosis of such processes. To our knowledge this is the first case of cholesterol crystals of the anterior chamber sixteen years after retinal detachment in x-linked retinoschisis.

[Bee sting of the cornea - a case report]

BACKGROUND

Bee stings of the cornea are very rare, though its response can range from minimal inflammation to severe damage like lens dislocation, cataract formation, iris atrophy, ophthalmoplegia and optic neuropathy. We report on a patient with typical, severe findings.

PATIENT

A 42-year-old patient presented with an acute, corneal bee sting of the left eye, after he was stung only a few hours ago. The patient suffered from pain, blurred vision and epiphora. The left eye showed edema of the upper and lower eyelid, conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, striate keratitis, a purulent infiltration of the cornea above the limbus at the 7 o'clock meridian and a massive hypopyon. Further examinations showed regular ophthalmological findings. Vision acuity was 1,0/0,4. Under therapy inflammation decreased quickly. One week after we could lokalize the stinger in the depth of the corneal infiltration and it was removed surgically. After one month the eye only showed a minimal infiltration of the cornea with fine neovascularisations. Visual acuity was 0,8.

CONCLUSION

Clinical reactions to bee stings of the cornea are caused by toxical and immunological effects of different components of the bee venom. These toxical and/or inflammatory reactions can lead to severe intraocular damage. Treatment of choice is the systemic and local application of steroids and antibiotics as well as local therapy with antihistamins.

[Massive intraocular invasion of conjunctiva by squamous cell carcinoma--a case report]

BACKGROUND

Squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva is a mostly solitary growing tumor located at the limbus region, which seldom invades the eye. We present an unusual case of conjunctival carcinoma with marked intraocular involvement, which appeared primarily as a chronic inflammation with corneal ulcer.

CASE REPORT

A 89-year-old female patient was referred to our institution with a suspected ulcus rodens of the cornea. Since one year a refractory conjunctivitis persisted despite of different local treatment. At first presentation, a marked bacterial keratoconjunctivitis with circular necrosis of the conjunctiva, corneal infiltration and perforation was seen. Visual acuity of the right eye was light perception. The left eye was unremarkable. Enucleation of the right eye was performed. Histopathologic examination revealed the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva with intraocular involvement. There was a marked infiltration of the choroid even behind the equator. No metastases were found.

CONCLUSION

Advanced squamous cell carcinoma associated with superinfection may present as a primary inflammatory process. There may be extensive involvement of the choroid. Metastases are probably rare even in advanced cases of this type of carcinoma.

Cryptococcus myelitis: atypical presentation of a common infection

Cryptococcus neoformans is associated with as much as 45% of meningitis in patients admitted for hospital care in Zimbabwe, and it is an important opportunistic infection in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Cases of cryptococcosis presenting as a spinal cord syndrome have been reported from Zimbabwe and South Africa, but these were all cases of Cryptococcus vertebral osteomyelitis. We describe 3 unusual patients who presented with a myelitis-like syndrome without vertebral osteomyelitis.

Community leader education to increase epilepsy attendance at clinics in Epworth, Zimbabwe

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether educating community leaders about epilepsy would lead to an increase in epilepsy cases being diagnosed and treated at primary health centers.

METHODS

This was a single-arm cohort study performed in Epworth, a periurban township outside Harare, Zimbabwe. The subjects were Epworth community leaders (Local Board members, teachers, nurses, police officers, traditional healers, prophets). Educational workshops were given on epilepsy, its cause, and its management, and the number of new epilepsy cases on local primary health clinic registers 6 months after the workshops was measured.

RESULTS

Six new cases were recorded, all among patients previously diagnosed with epilepsy. This was a significant increase (p = 0.02) compared with the null hypothesis.

CONCLUSION

Although there was a significant increase in new cases, these did not represent newly diagnosed patients. Significant prejudice within the community may still prevent identified patients with epilepsy from seeking treatment. Alternative methods must be sought to increase the awareness of epilepsy within low-income communities and to reach "hidden" people with epilepsy.

Impact of HIV infection on meningitis in Harare, Zimbabwe: a prospective study of 406 predominantly adult patients

OBJECTIVE

To determine the causative organisms and characteristics of patients presenting with features of meningitis.

DESIGN

A prospective cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Two tertiary university-affiliated hospitals in Harare, Zimbabwe.

PATIENTS

Four-hundred and six patients clinically suspected to have meningitis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Causative organisms of meningitis; clinical and cerebrospinal fluid characteristics.

RESULTS

Four-hundred and six predominantly adult (95% were aged > or = 18 years) patients were suspected to have meningitis. Of the 200 patients confirmed to have meningitis, 89 (45%) had cryptococcal meningitis (CM), 54 (27%) had mononuclear meningitis (MM), 31 (16%) had pyogenic meningitis (PM), 24 (12%) had tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and 2 (1%) had undefined meningitis. HIV seropositivity was 100% in CM, 83% in MM, 81% in PM and 88% in TBM patients. In-hospital mortality rate was 38.8% for CM, 34.9% for MM, 68% for PM and 66.7% for TBM. HIV seropositivity was 80% in the 206 patients not found to have meningitis.

CONCLUSIONS

All patients suspected to have meningitis had a high HIV sero positivity irrespective of whether they were later confirmed to have meningitis or not. CM was the most common type of meningitis seen. In-hospital mortality was high irrespective of the cause of meningitis.

The impact of epilepsy on the quality of life of people with epilepsy in Zimbabwe: a pilot study

Epilepsy is a common cause of psychosocial disability and has been perceived to have a profound impact on the social functioning of individuals with epilepsy. In Zimbabwe a combination of developing world economic priorities (with provision of social and health services for disabled people not a major goal) and culturally mediated perceptions of epilepsy as a non-medical and feared stigma may further disadvantage people with epilepsy (PWE) in this respect. In order to assess both the level of psychosocial functioning of individuals with epilepsy and their own perception of it, three groups of people were sampled: attenders at a specialized epilepsy clinic and members of two community-based support groups. All completed a brief quality-of-life questionnaire with activities of daily living added. Those carers present completed the same questionnaire at the time of sampling. The results indicated that 36 of 38 people with epilepsy sampled, and their carers, did not perceive themselves to have sufficient cognitive impairment to interfere with social functioning, work performance or relationships with other as assessed by a subsection of the WHO SIDAM (objective evaluation of cognitive performance) interview. However, an adapted activities of daily Living Questionnaire (ADLQ) showed that three-quarters of carers (and two-thirds of PWE) felt that functioning was mildly to moderately reduced, particularly in the areas of solving daily problems and speed of thinking. One-quarter of PWE experienced problems with relationships to others, just less than one-fifth of PWE reported more than four areas of reduced functioning. Of special interest was the fact that 25 (66%) reported sexual functioning as not applicable, although only four of these were of an age group which is not sexually active (less than 15 years old). In addition one-third of the central Hospital Group reported difficulties with using public transport, but none of the Community Support Group members, implying that the use of Public transport becomes an issue when it is necessary to travel long distances and that PWE curtail their travel but do not necessarily view this as a restriction. The samples chosen were from groups which, compared with PWE as a whole, are likely to include more disabled individuals, because attenders at a specialized epilepsy clinic and members of support groups self-select for more symptomatic epilepsy and a visibility. Therefore the proportion of PWE perceived to have difficulties with ADL in this project is not representative for PWE as a whole. The implications of our study are firstly that there is a significant need for selected groups of PWE in Zimbabwe to receive attention to psychosocial abilities and secondly that there are certain specific areas such as sexual functioning and the use of transport which deserve special attention. A much more detailed inventory of neuro-psychological tests will be of value to plan treatment strategies for those selected by the crude screening instruments used in this project. An important future comparison will be a survey of ADL and psychosocial functioning amongst PWE in rural communities, because it is uncertain whether PWE in rural communities are generally more or less disabled than those in the city.

An evaluation of the management of epilepsy by primary health care nurses in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe

In order to design an effective training program for nurses on the management of epilepsy in Zimbabwe, the drug management of epilepsy by community health nurses without prior training in epilepsy management was evaluated. Epilepsy patients in Chitungwiza, a high-density suburb of Harare, were routinely managed at four health clinics run by nurses. The patients also attended a monthly epilepsy support group (ESG) program, which provided them with vocational and social rehabilitative support. Neurologists evaluated the drug therapy of all patients attending this support group program over a 2-year period. The specialist interventions required to drug therapy in patients with inadequate seizure control or drug side effects were noted. A total of 114 epilepsy patients (age range 8-56 years, M:F=1:1.2) were seen, of these 84.2% had generalized seizures, 40.3% of patients had been seizure-free for at least 6 months, 71.9% of patients were on phenobarbitone, while 59.6% were on monotherapy. No drug intervention was required to on-going drug therapy in 43% of patient consultations. The most important intervention in patients with inadequate seizure control was an increase in drug dose, required in 29% of consultations. Of serum drug level estimations in clinically indicated cases, 58% were below the therapeutic ranges. This tendency to sub-therapeutic dosing with AED amongst nurses implied that a written AED drug therapy protocol specifying optimal maintenance doses and dose increment schedules may be beneficial to the community-based nursing management of epilepsy.

[Tübingen 1895-1899. Incidence, diagnosis and therapy of selected optic nerve, uveal and retinal diseases 100 years ago]

BACKGROUND

The records of the University Eye Clinic are almost completely preserved at the historical archive of the University of Tübingen since 1865 and shell now be reduced.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

150 records from the historical archive of the University of Tübingen were selected. We were interested in those patients treated for the first time at the University Eye Clinic between 1895 and 1899. Only diseases of the optic nerve, the uveal tract and the retina were considered. The records were distributed into groups following historical classification and statistics of the same period. These statistics were also used to compare our selection with all patients treated. For information about frequency, diagnostics and therapy a questionnaire was developed.

RESULTS

Glaucoma: The data of the subgroup "Glaucoma simplex" showed high correspondence with the historical data regarding the frequency (24.3 vs. 25.5%). The data of the subgroup "Glaucoma secundaria" differed (34.5 vs. 25.5%). Testing the visual acuity was the first step of examination here and in all groups (100%). Measurement of intraocular pressure with digital palpation followed (86.3%). First of all Eserin eye drops were applicated (76.5%). Iritis: The frequency of acute iritis was 16.8 vs. 25.0%, and of chronic iritis 59.6 vs. 52.2%. As typical symptoms ciliar injections, fixed anisocore pupil and exudation were often seen (80.0%). Chronic iritis showed as typical symptom posterior synechia (80.9%). Atropin eye drops were firstly applied in acute iritis (100%), chronical iritis was treated by iridectomy (57.1%). Myopia: In all subgroups our data differed from the historical data. Staphyloma posticum was the characteristic diagnosis (65.8%). Myopia was treated by decision of the lens. Retinal detachment: The frequency 37.2 vs. 28.0%. In nearly all cases retinal detachment was described after ophthalmoscopic examination (92.8%). The first therapeutical step was to keep the patients staying in bed (53.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

As expected, diagnostic and therapeutical options were strongly limited in Tübingen 100 years ago. Nevertheless, therapeutic successes were achieved in certain cases.

[Diode laser cyclophotocoagulation of secondary glaucoma caused by anterior, necrotizing scleritis]

PATIENT

A 60-year-old female patient presented with recurrent anterior, necrotizing scleritis with inflammation and a newly developed secondary glaucoma in the right eye. Anterior uveitis occurred some years before. Severe scleral thinning was circumferentially present and focal scleral ectasia was found. Physical examination revealed no systemic association of scleritis. Immunosuppressive therapy with metotrexate was initiated and control of scleritis achieved. Intraocular pressure elevation persisted and was refractory to glaucoma medication. Diurnal pressure curve showed IOP-values of 40 mm Hg despite the use of systemic carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Visual acuity was 20/50 in the right and 20/25 in the left eye.

METHOD

Diode laser cyclophotocoagulation (Oculight SLx 810 nm, Iris Medical Instruments Inc. California, USA) was performed under general anaesthesia using reduced parameters for application (12 laser spots, 1 second, 1.25 W). No complications occurred during and after laser application. Postoperatively, intraocular pressure was within normal range between 14 and 18 mm Hg. No reactivation of scleritis or uveitis was seen.

CONCLUSION

In our experience, diode laser cyclophotocoagulation is effective and safe in treating secondary glaucoma associated with anterior, necrotizing scleritis with inflammation and uveitis using reduced parameters for application.