Congenital heart disease in a cohort of Sudanese patients with cleft defects

Background and objectives:Cleft defects are among the most visible congenital defects worldwide and congenital heart disease (CHD)being one of the most common associated anomalies. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of CHD among a cohort of Sudanese patients with cleft lip and/or palate.Patients and Methods:All patients who presented to Soba University Hospital with cleft lip and/or palate from March 2009 toMarch 2015 were included.Results:Out of 381 patients included; 168 patients (44%) had cleft lip and palate (CLP), 156 (41%) had cleft lip (CL)and isolated cleft palate (CP) was found in 57 patients (15%). Facial dysmorphic features were identified in 57 (15%) and cardiac defects in 42 (11%) patients. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) was diagnosed in 16 patients (38%), and ASD in 12 (30.9%). Other macroscopic anomalies were identified in 57 patients (15%)and were associated with CHD (P<0.001). Significant association was found between the type of cleft andCHD (P<0.002), as cardiac defects were maximally observed among CP cases (21%) followed by CLP cases (13%) then CL cases (5.12%). Significant association was also found between facial dysmorphicoccurrence and CHD (P < 0.001).Conclusion:CHD is a common anomaly in cleft population. The pattern of CHD is consistent with the literature withVSD being the most frequent. The cardiac defects are most prevalent in CP group. Echocardiography isjustified for screening of CHD due to the relatively higher incidence of CHD among clefts patients than ingeneral population

Congenital heart disease in a cohort of Sudanese patients with cleft defects

Background and objectives: Cleft defects are among the most visible congenital defects worldwide and congenital heart disease (CHD) being one of the most common associated anomalies. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of CHD among a cohort of Sudanese patients with cleft lip and/or palate. Patients and Methods: All patients who presented to Soba University Hospital with cleft lip and/or palate from March 2009 to March 2015 were included. Results:Out of 381 patients included; 168 patients (44%) had cleft lip and palate (CLP), 156 (41%) had cleft lip (CL) and isolated cleft palate (CP) was found in 57 patients (15%). Facial dysmorphic features were identified in 57 (15%) and cardiac defects in 42 (11%) patients. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) was diagnosed in 16 patients (38%), and ASD in 12 (30.9%). Other macroscopic anomalies were identified in 57 patients (15%) and were associated with CHD (P<0.001). Significant association was found between the type of cleft and CHD (P<0.002), as cardiac defects were maximally observed among CP cases (21%) followed by CLP cases (13%) then CL cases (5.12%). Significant association was also found between facial dysmorphic occurrence and CHD (P < 0.001). Conclusion: CHD is a common anomaly in cleft population. The pattern of CHD is consistent with the literature with VSD being the most frequent. The cardiac defects are most prevalent in CP group. Echocardiography is justified for screening of CHD due to the relatively higher incidence of CHD among clefts patients than in general population

Short Paper - Reclosure Efficiency of Plastic Container Used for Multidose Packaging of Moisture Sensitive Aspirin Tablets

This study was conducted to determine the suitability of packaging aspirin tablets in one thousand tablet packs that require reclosure after dispensing each dose. The reclosure efficiency of the push-fit type closure of a plastic container in preventing moisture entry was determined and compared to a control container. Aspirin tablets used in this study were shown to be susceptible to moisture degradation leading to significant losses of potency (p less than 0.05). Loose placement of closure on container allowed significant gain of moisture into the container (p less than 0.05) and this could lead to significant loss of potency of aspirin tablets. However; if the closure is properly pushed down to fit; the moisture gain is not significant (p greater than 0.05). It can; therefore; be concluded that the proper use of push-fit closures on containers for packaging aspirin tablets provides effective protection and the use of more expensive single unit strip packaging; for example; is therefore not necessary