African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2198-4638 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-004, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Case Report

Incidence of hypertension in Taura, Northern Nigeria: Lessons for our health care

Nnaemeka C. E. Okpala¹* and Amala M. J. Okpala²

¹St Georges Healthcare NHS Trust, Blackshaw Road, Tooting London SW17 OQT, United Kingdom.

²Department of Surgery, Central General Hospital, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

Accepted 16 September, 2019

Abstract

The control of hypertension is very important because it leads to incidence rate reductions for stroke, ischaemic heart disease and renal failure. It was the objective of this paper to present experiences encountered in the management of hypertension in Taura health clinic with an emphasis on drug therapy, as well as to draw lessons for the improvement of the health care system in Nigeria. Case series of nine patients with ages ranging from 26 to 75 years were examined over six month period and all presented with hypertension. The continuous nature of treatment appeared to be an economic burden on the patients which resulted in poor compliance. In conclusion, healthcare planners should endeavour to give top priority towards the management of hypertensive patients either under medication regimen or in any health facility, with the subsidizing and cheap availability of their drugs.

Key words: Hypertension, antihypertensives, modiuretic, methyldopa.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2198-4638 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research paper

Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of methicillin-resistant and coagulase-negative staphylococci in a tertiary care hospital in India

Habeeb Khadri* and Mohammad Alzohairy

Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Accepted 17 November, 2019

Abstract

The present study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of MRSA and MRCoNS and their rate of resistance to different antistaphylococcal antibiotics used broadly for treatment. Of the 235 isolates, 164 isolates (69.8%) were identified as Staphylococcus aureus and the remaining seventy one (30.2%) were coagulase negative staphylococcus (CoNS), the frequency of MRSA by oxacillin screen agar method, eighty nine (54.2%) strains were MRSA and twenty eight (39.4%) were MRCoNS. The rate of multidrug resistance observed was 69% for MRSA and 72.5% for MRCoNS strains. Antibiotic resistance pattern of these isolates was high against penicillin 100 and 93%, erythromycin 83 and 75%, co-trimoxazole 82 and 79% for MRSA and MRCoNS strains respectively. In order to test beta-lactamase production, 83 and 86% of MRSA and MRCoNS isolates were beta-lactamase positive, respectively. However all strains of Staphylococcus were sensitive to vancomycin. Findings presented in this study indicated a high level of resistance to widely used therapeutic agents. An appropriate knowledge on the current antibiotic susceptibility pattern of MRSA and MRCoNS is essential for appropriate therapeutic scenario.

Key words: Prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility, MRSA, MRCoNS, multidrug resistance.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2198-4638 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research paper

Protective role of gossypol against N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induced gastric carcinogenesis in experimental rats

Gowri Rangasamy Gunassekaran, Renganathan Gayathri, Doraiappan Kalpana Deepa Priya, Sivalingam Murugan and Dhanapal Sakithsekaran*

Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Chennai - 600 113, India.

Accepted 08 November, 2019

Abstract

Gossypol, C₃₀H₃₀O_8, is a polyphenolic aldehyde compound derived from the cotton plant (genus GOSSYPIUM, family Malvaceae) that permeates cells and inhibits wide range of cell growth. It also disturbs a variety of cellular enzymes that are known to be involved in energy production. According to literature survey, there is no study on the effect of gossypol on experimental gastric cancer. Here, we used gossypol as a model of polyphenolic compounds, because it possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties and is used as a dietary supplement. The animals were divided into five groups and the effects of gossypol on simultaneous and post-treated stages were studied in MNNG induced animals. The results of body and tumor weights were monitored, significant increase in the level of lipid peroxides and protein carbonyls were observed on gossypol treatment. There is also a significant alteration in the antioxidant status which is found to be increased on administration of gossypol at a dosage of 40 mg/kgbwt for 30 days. The results of the present study suggest that gossypol may exert its cytoprotective effects by modulating lipid peroxidation and enhancing the level of antioxidant enzymes status of the tumor bearing animal. Thus, we conclude that up-regulation of antioxidants by gossypol treatment might be responsible for the decreased effect in gastric carcinoma.

Key words: Gossypol, N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, body weight and tumor weight.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2198-4638 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research paper

Inter-relationship of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI) and subcutaneous fat with blood pressure among university-going Punjabi Sikh and Hindu females

Badaruddoza*, Navneet Kaur and Basanti Barna

Department of Human Genetics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India.

Accepted 15 November, 2019

Abstract

Different anthropometric measurements such as body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), waist and hip circumferences (WC and HC) and skin fold thickness are the important indicator to investigate the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess the interrelationship between blood pressures with body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and subcutaneous fat. Three hundred university-going Punjabi Sikh and Hindu females were surveyed for blood pressures, pulse rate, height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, four skin folds (biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac). All these measurements were taken from each subject using standard procedure. The relation between blood pressure and different anthropometric variables were assessed in multiple regression models. No significant differences of all the measured mean values of the traits have found between these two groups. However, further analysis of the data showed that BMI, WHR and skin folds measurements have significant (p < 0.05) effect on blood pressure phenotypes. The results of the present cross-sectional study indicated that BMI and WHR would be the good predictors for the chronic disease like hypertension. Primarily among female WHR should be used as a good predictor for elevated blood pressure.

Key words: Waist and hip circumferences, body mass index, blood pressure, Punjabi female.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2198-4638 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research paper

Immunoactive property of acute and subacute administration of high dilution of Gelsemium sempervirens L., Histaminum and Poumon histamine

Hassan Rammal¹* and Rachid Soulimani²

¹Lebanese University, Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Research Platform for Environmental Science (PRASE), Lebanon.

²Neurotoxicologie Alimentaire et Bioactivié, UR AFPA, Université Paul Verlaine de Metz-INPL-INRA, BP 4102, 57040 Metz, France.

Accepted 12 September, 2019

Abstract

Anxiety is associated with subjective distress and many harmful physiological effects including oxidative stress, immunodepressive effect, and an increase in blood pressure. Anxiety is also implicated in a number of psychiatric disorders. The objective of this work was to study the protective property of homeopathic drugs on immunodepression caused by high anxiety level by evaluating the immunological effect of both acute and subacute intraperitoneally administration of high dilutions (9 CH, 15 CH and 30 CH) of Gelsemium sempervirens L., Histaminum and Poumon histamine in mice with contrasting level of anxiety evaluated in the light/dark choice test. Our results showed that these homeopathic drugs at different dilutions exert an important immunotrope effect on the cellular (granulocytes, monocytes, total lymphocytes, TCD4⁺, TCD8⁺ and NK cells) and humoral (immunoglobulins A, E and G) immunity in anxious mice.

Key words: Anxiety, Gelsemium sempervirens L., Histaminum, Poumon histamine, light/dark choice test, cellular and humoral immunity.