An Evaluation of Renal Care received by Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) Patients admitted in a Tertiary Hospital in Sierra Leone

INTRODUCTION: The burden of HIV is on the rise and patientswith HIV are also vulnerable to renal impairment from bothacute and chronic causes. This study sets out to evaluate renalcare received by such patients.METHODS: The study was conducted at Connaught Hospital,the main tertiary hospital (for medical and surgical cases) in thecountry. A retrospective review of all admitted patients withHIV between January and December 2019. Data was collectedusing a well- structured study proforma. RESULTS: A total of 230 patients were admitted with HIV duringthe study period. The mean age of patients was 36.9 ± (11.5) years with a female preponderance of 61.3%. A vast majority ofthe patients (54.8%) could afford to do some renal investigationsand only 13.9% were seen by renal physicians; 69.1% of patientswith azotaemia died while on admission.CONCLUSION: The extent of renal care observed from thestudy was poor because the majority of the patients were notseen b y r e na l physic ia ns a nd co uld no t affor d r e na linvestigations. Also, the occurrence of renal impairment inpatients with HIV suggests a poor prognosis. WAJM 2022;39(11): 1193­1197.

Disabilities in leprosy patients ascertained in a total population survey in Karonga District; northern Malawi

This paper describes the pattern of disability among 1654 leprosy patients ascertained between 1973 and 1987 in Karonga District; Northern Malawi. Approximately 20 percent of patients identified prior to 1980 had some disability at registration; but this percentage fell to approximately 10 percent with the introduction of total population surveys in the Lepra Evaluation Project. The proportion of patients with disabilities at registration increased with age; was higher among males than females; was higher among borderline and lepromatous than tuberculoid patients; and was higher for passively than for actively detected patients. The risk of developing disabilities among patients without any disabilities at registration was approximately 5 per 1000 person years; and appeared to be slightly higher after the completion of treatment than during treatment