A comparative study of adult mosquito trapping using dry ice and yeast generated carbon dioxide

Adult mosquito collections were conducted for 12 weeks in two residential areas in Kuala Lumpur. The CDC light traps were compared using dry ice and yeast as sources of carbon dioxide attractants for mosquitoes. The efficacy of the dry ice baited trap was significant over yeast generated CO2 trap. The predominant species obtained were Culex quinquefasciatus, Stegomyia albopicta and Armigeres subalbatus.

Trends of acute myocardial infarction admissions over a decade, Tikur Anbessa Hospital

This is a case series analysis undertaken to evaluate the importance of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as a cause of admission at the Tikur Anbassa medical intensive care unit (MICU) and the trend of that importance over a decade (1988-1997). Clinical presentations and the frequencies of major coronary risk factors in the individual patient were also assessed for the later half of the decade (1993-1997). In the decade under study 2313 patients were admitted to MICU according to its register. Overall AMI was the third commonest cause of admission and accounted for 8.8% (N = 203) of all MICU cases. AMI annual admissions increased consistently over the years. Of the 122 AMI admissions during the second half of the decade, 92 charts were available for detailed analysis. 86% (79/92) fulfilled the stated criteria for the diagnosis. The mean age of these patients was 55.1 +/- 13.0 years. Males constituted 82% of all AMI cases. Eighty seven percent (69/79) of the cases were first admissions with the diagnosis of AMI. Ninety-four percent (74/79) of them were brought to the emergency room due to chest discomfort and 20% were in frank pulmonary oedema. Nineteen percent died in hospital. 81% and 34% of the patients had one or more and two or more major coronary risk factors excluding age and gender respectively. Raised total cholesterol and hypertension were commonest risk factors being reported in 69% and 47% of AMI patients respectively. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that AMI is indeed on the rise at least at Tikur Anbassa Teaching Hospital, and possibly at other health institutions. The conventional coronary risk factors seem to operate in the Ethiopian series as well. The study highlights the need for coronary risk factors surveys at least in the susceptible population group to assess the gravity of the problem.

Prevalence of rheumatic heart disease among school children in Addis Ababa

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD), and the impact of potential risk factors on its occurrence among school children in Addis Ababa.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey of school children for the presence or absence of RHD.

SETTING

Randomly selected ten government and five private schools from the list of all government and private schools in Addis Ababa teaching grades 7 and 8.

SUBJECTS

All school children attending grades 7 and 8 in the randomly selected schools.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Clinical findings suggestive of RHD confirmed by echocardiographic and Doppler studies.

RESULTS

Out of the 10,053 school children selected for the study 9,388 (93%) were examined. Sixty of the 9,388 school children examined were subsequently confirmed to have RHD giving an overall prevalence rate of 6.4 per 1000 children. The prevalence for government and private schools representing low and high socio-economic groups were 7.1 and 1 per 1000 children respectively (Fisher's exact = 0.019). Crowding conditions at home, in schools and in the bedrooms were not associated with the risk of RHD (chi 2 = 4.968; p > or = 0.174).

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed that the prevalence of RHD, at least in the low socio-economic group is among the highest in the world. This evidence highlights the need for an urgent control programme.

Rheumatic heart disease among school children in Addis Ababa City: awareness and adequacy of its prophylaxis

One of the objectives of this large scale cross-sectional study of school children of the Addis Ababa city was to assess the status of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) prophylaxis among rheumatic heart disease patients identified during the survey. Awareness about the presence of the illness in those affected and reasons for poor coverage, when detected, were also assessed. Sixty of the 9388 school children surveyed were found to have rheumatic heart disease. On interviewing parents of the children with rheumatic heart disease, ten acknowledged being informed of their children's cardiac illness. Of these parents, 15% (or 9/60) had some idea that their children had heart disease related to some form of infection. However, only two of the nine (22%) children whose parents had some idea about their disease were on regular monthly benzathine penicillin prophylaxis in the previous 12 months preceding the interview. Three (33%) of the nine children had six or fewer injections in the 12 months preceding the interview. The remaining 4 parents (44%) reported that their children took treatment that included injections only at the time of initial diagnosis several years earlier and had not had any follow up since then. Their reasons for not seeking medical care for their children included lack of information on prophylaxis, inability to pay for the treatment and distance of the health facilities. The lack of awareness and the extremely low rate of regular prophylaxis, therefore, highlight the need for an urgent control programme that takes active case detection, treatment access and health education into consideration.

Paraplegia at the Tikur Anbessa Teaching Hospital: a seven year retrospective study of 164 cases

Admission analysis of adult non-traumatic paraplegia and paraparesis from 1981 to 1988 was carried out. Information was collected from charts of 223 consecutive admissions according to a pre-set protocol. Paraplegia or paraparesis was responsible for 164(13.4%) of all neurological admissions over the study period. The median age of the patients was 36 years with a male to female ratio of 1.7:1. Tuberculosis was the leading cause of paraplegia or paraparesis accounting for 47% of the cases. Tumours (20%), Landry-Guillain-Barre' syndrome (12.2%) and tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) (9.8%) were important but less frequent causes in this series. Other causes like disc prolapse, transverse myelitis, spinal artery stroke and fluorosis were rarely encountered. Vertebral deformity (88.1%), vertebral tenderness (88.1%) and abnormal plain spinal X-ray (89%) were the most helpful findings in the diagnosis of tuberculous paraplegia. Nearly all cases of tuberculous paraplegia were treated medically alone. However, the outcome of treatment as judged by the treating physicians was good with a significant response recorded in 78%.

Blood pressure patterns and its correlates in schoolchildren of an Ethiopian community

This study was undertaken to define blood pressure pattern in a sample of schoolchildren in an Ethiopian rural community. All schoolchildren below the age of 15 years in Butajira town formed the study population. Blood pressure measurement which was made according to the recommendations of the American Task Force on blood pressure control in children was found to be unimodal with almost symmetrical distribution. The mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressure for both sexes combined was 106 +/- 14.8 and 70.5 +/- 4.5 mmHg, respectively. The mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressures increased with age in both boys (P < 0.05) and girls (P < 0.01). Girls had significantly higher mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressures than boys (P < 0.001). Similarly, girls had significantly higher pulse rate and arm-girth than boys which may partly explain the higher mean pressures in the girls. A multiple regression analysis showed that height, body mass index, arm-girth, and heart rate were significant in explaining the variations in systolic and diastolic blood pressures. In conclusion, except for the higher blood pressure in girls, our findings are similar to the majority of the reports from Africa and other parts of the world.

Rheumatic heart disease prevalence among schoolchildren of an Ethiopian rural town

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most important cardiovascular disease in hospital practice in Ethiopia. However, the prevalence rate of RHD at the community level remains unknown. The current survey was undertaken to estimate its prevalence among schoolchildren of a central Ethiopian rural town (Butajira). Accordingly, 92.8% of the entire schoolchildren (n = 3.235) in the town were screened. Their mean age was 13.4 +/- 3.5 years. Fifteen children, accounting for a rate of 4.6/1,000, were noted to have findings consistent with RHD. Females and older children were more frequently affected. Only 2 of the 15 students were aware of their disease, and neither of them were on regular secondary prophylaxis. Our finding is consistent with the hospital-based reports that showed RHD to be a common disorder in clinical practice. At the same time, the lack of awareness about their disease noted among the cases is worrisome and deserves serious attention.

Ceftriaxone in the treatment of septicaemia due to multiple drug resistant bacteria

Ceftriaxone, a highly effective, B-Lactamase resistant broad spectrum parenteral cephalosporin was used in the treatment of 26 consecutive patients with clinically and/or bacteriologically resistant infections at the Addis Ababa University Tikur Anbessa and Ethio-Swedish Paediatric Teaching Hospitals. The patients who had failed to respond to a combination of two or more previously appropriate antibiotics were treated with ceftriaxone administered in two divided doses (daily 50-100 mg/kg) in children and a single dose of 2-3 gm in adults for an average duration of 9.9 days. Of the 21 evaluable cases 16 (76%) were cured, three died and two developed superinfection with Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus species. Primary pathogenic bacteria were eradicated from all the 21 bacteraemic patients on the third day of therapy. Twelve of the 21 patients had serious underlying conditions. Except for the two superinfections, the results of the trial confirm that ceftriaxone is a very potent and effective agent in the treatment of resistant bacteraemic infections. No significant adverse effect of the drug was encountered during the therapy.

Study of family history among parents and siblings of Ethiopian diabetics: a preliminary report

218 diabetic probands and 300 non-diabetic controls were interviewed for history of diabetes mellitus in their parents and siblings. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus among blood relatives of probands and controls differed significantly. The study also showed that NIDDM probands had more positive family history of diabetes than IDDM ones. The overall findings of this study indicated that heredity has an important role in the genesis of diabetes mellitus in Ethiopian diabetics.