Central African Journal of Medicine

BACKGROUND: Clinical placement is an essential component of training in health sciences because it is where theory and practice interface. OBJECTIVE: To explore experiences of health sciences students during clinical placement in terms of supervision, challenges and coping strategies. DESIGN: It was a cross sectional survey. SETTING: University ofZimbabwe, College of Health Sciences. PARTICIPANTS: 179 multidisciplinary health science students...

BACKGROUND: The use of Traditional Medicines (TM) is common practice world over. Traditional Eye Medicine (TEM) use may be associated with various ocular complications including blindness. A study on the prevalence of TEM use was carried out at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit (SKHEU) in Harare, with emphasis on the types ofTEM used and associated ocular complications. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of TEM use among newly-presenting patients at SKHEU. To identify the ocular symptoms experienced by the new clinic-attendees who had used TEM for their current eye problem...

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for treatment failure in HIV positive adults have not been studied extensively in Zimbabwe. AIM: To investigate socio-demographic, psychosocial and antiretroviral drug related factors as possible risk factors for treatment failure. OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy and reliability of CD4 count results in diagnosing treatment failure versus viral load results. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional survey...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of anaemia, iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia in school children who were born in a national HIV prevention programme. DESIGN: This was a community based cross-sectional study. SETTING: A resource poor peri-urban setting with high prevalence of HIV infection. SUBJECTS: School aged children six to 10 years old who were born in a national mother-to-child HIV prevention programme...

The case described is that of an African 24 year old and Para 2. She had a normal vaginal delivery at a local clinic and sustained an acute uterine inversion and postpartum haemorrhage. Resuscitative measures were done and she was referred to the central hospital. At the central hospital and under general anaesthesia attempts to manually replace the uterus were unsuccessful. The uterine inversion was successfully corrected at laparotomy after which an area of gangrene and perforation was noted on the uterine fundus...

OBJECTIVES: To study the percentage distribution and Average Tissue Density (ATD) of schistosoma infestation in different parts of the Female Genital System (FGS). DESIGN: A retrospective explorative study of all surgical pathology cases examined from January to December of 2000. SETTING: Public Health Laboratories, Parirenyatwa Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe. SUBJECTS: All archive slides cases positive for schistosoma ova were examined...

BACKGROUND: Low cancer awareness may lead to delays in cancer screening behaviour and diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: We set out to assess public awareness of cancer and perceived barriers to seeking help among the rural population of Murewa district in a cross-sectional survey of 384 conveniently selected respondents. METHODS: A self-administered and interviewer guided questionnaires were developed with the guide of the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) used in public awareness studies...

OBJECTIVE: To document the pattern of cancer in children (0-14 years) registered in the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry from 2000-2009. DESIGN: Retrospective descriptive analysis. METHODS: Analysis of data from the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry for the period 2000-2009. SETTING: The Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry. RESULTS: Childhood Cancer constituted 3.8% of all malignancies recorded at the cancer registry during the study period...

Sub-Saharan Africa contributes at least 70% of the global cryptococcal meningoencephalitis cases each year and the majority of cases are caused by the Cryptococcus neoformans species. We present a case of meningoencephalitis due to Cryptococcus gattii in an 18 year old apparently immunocompetent male patient from Zimbabwe.

Background: Non-adherence reduces the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy. Knowledge of factors associated with non-adherence would assist clinicians and program planners to design and implement interventions to improve adherence and therefore treatment outcomes. Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with non-adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in children less than 10 years of age. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 216 caregivers and children less than 10 years of age who had received HAART for at least 60 days prior to this study...

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Harare oral health professionals regarding Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in the workplace. Design: A cross sectional study was conducted using a structured 36 item interviewer administered questionnaire to collect data from consenting participants. Setting: The study was conducted at private and public dental practices in Harare. Participants: Oral health professionals comprising dentists, dental therapists and technicians were purposively sampled and interviewed...

Introduction: Prematurity is a major determinant of neonatal morbidity and mortality in Zimbabwe. Although 8-10% of deliveries are premature , prematurity contributes 33% of neonatal deaths. Identifying local risk factors for prematurity could help incoming up with local intervention and prevention strategies. Design: 1:1 unmatched case control study. Setting: Harare and Parirenyatwa central hospitals maternity units. Subjects: All mothers who delivered in the units June to July 2011...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the commonest congenital heart abnormality beyond the age of one year. Cases of Tetralogy of Fallot can present during pregnancy following successful surgical repair in childhood or occasionally as uncorrected TOF presenting for the first time during pregnancy, indeed the most frequently encountered congenital cyanotic heart lesion during pregnancy is cyanotic TOF. Most adult congenital heart disease in Africa is uncorrected due to widespread unavailability of cardiothoracic surgical services on the continent...

Objective: To determine blood glucose levels by conducting an oral glucose tolerance test in low and normal birth weight young black adults. Design: Acase control study was done. Seventy students in the College of Health Sciences who had neonatal clinic cards as proof of birth weight were recruited into the study. Blood glucose levels were measured before, during and after the oral glucose tolerance test. Setting: Department of Physiology, University of Zimbabwe, College of Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe...

Objective: To develop and validate a simple procedure for the qualitative determination of chloroquine in urine with potential for use in developing countries lacking sophisticated analytical equipment and expensive reagents. Design: This was a laboratory based study making use of which combines a colorimetric test, Dill-Glazko's test, and UV/Visible absorbance spectrometry to confirm the presence of chloroquine. The spectrophotometric method was cross validated with the standard Baselt's method for quantification of chloroquine in biological fluids...

Background: There is little data on prevalence of critical illness in Sub Saharan Africa, especially in rural areas, but it is needed to develop critical care services in district hospitals. Methods: We sought to determine the prevalence of patients 'at risk of' critical illness using an Early Warning Score (EWS) in a district hospital in Botswana. During two-month period patients daily vital signs were recorded and EWSs calculated on adult medical or surgical wards to identify patients who scored ≥3...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Objective: The study was carried out to compare the effectiveness of the Ponseti manipulation versus the Kite's manipulation in the treatment of idiopathic Congenital Talipes Equino Varus (CTEV) as evaluated by the Pirani score. Design: An intervention study, prospective non randomized trial. Setting: Hospital based study at three central hospitals namely Harare Central Hospital (HCH), Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH) and Chitungwiza Central Hospitals (CCH) in Zimbabwe...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and adherence to self-care activities in type 2 diabetic clients. Low adherence to diabetic self-care activities result in increased risks of developing chronic serious and life-threatening complications with increased morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. Design: The study was conducted using a descriptive correlational design. The Health Belief Model was utilized as the conceptual framework...