ABSTRACT
It is not known at which size a congenital Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in children becomes associated with a resultant severe malnutrition in children. Furthermore, the effect of ductal size on anthropometry of children with PDA is yet to be determined. Objectives This study was aimed to asses if the ductal size had any effect on anthropometry of children with PDA and at which size evidence of severe malnutrition ensues Methods This was a five-year observational cross-sectional study of children who presented at three tertiary institutions with PDA. Results There was a negative non-significant correlation between the size of PDA and the weight of patients, (Pearson correlation coefficient = -0.1, p = 0.7). There was also a negative non-significant correlation between the size of PDA and patient’s height/length, (correlation coefficient = -0.1, p = 0.5). The association between the size of PDA and the severity of malnutrition revealed greater proportion of 35.3% (6/17) for wasting and stunting in patients who had large PDA sizes of >7mm, when compared with fewer proportions in those with PDA sizes of 3- 6mm (26.1% (6/23) and those with tiny PDA of <3mm (33.3% (10/30); (?2 = 10.21, p = 0.8). There was a positive correlation between ductal size and nutritional status of patients, and severe malnutrition ensued from ductal size of 3.2mm; with ETA square of 0.072. The majority of children with PDA presented with severe forms of malnutrition (wasting and stunting). Conclusion: Severe malnutrition ensues when ductal size is 3.2mm. The size of PDA has no effect on weight and height of children with PDA.
ABSTRACT
Context: Caregivers of children with heart diseases are faced with the long term care of these children and may suffer psychological illnesses as a result.Aims: To determine the prevalence and determinants ofdepression among caregiversof children with heart diseases attending two Out-patient clinics in South-SouthNigeria. Materials and Methods:It was a cross-sectional study involving the use of the revised Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CESD-R) questionnaire. Data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using SPSS 22.0.Results: Ages of the participants ranged from 24 to 59 years with a mean age of 37.49 years (SD 6.973) and majority were female (79.9%). The overall mean CESD-R score was 8.61 (SD 16.18), ranging from 0 to 60. There was a significant difference in the CESD-R scores between male and female participants (t=2.362, p=0.02) with females scoring higher than males (10.24± 17.69 and 2.15± 3.13) respectively.Overall, depression was found among 23(17.1%) participants. Depression was significantly associated with the female sex (x2=7.006, p=0.009), a history of a mental health illness in the past (x2=66.496, p=0.029)and the marital status of the participants (x2=19.776, p=0.05). No significant relationship was found between depression and age, religion, tribe and educational status (p>0.05), history of medical illnesses (x2=53.006, p=0.538) or type of heart disease the children/wards of the participants were being managed for (x2=8.274, p=0.902). Conclusion: The rate of depression among caregivers of children being managed for congenital and acquired heart diseases in this study is significant. It is recommended that caregivers of children with congenital and acquired heart diseases are routinely given relevant psychosocial support to prevent the development of depression. Routine screening for depression and appropriate intervention for those who meet the criteria is also recommended.
ABSTRACT
Background: Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are non-suppurative cardiovascular sequlae of group A Streptococcus pharyngitis affecting children and young adults.Despite concerted efforts aimed at prevention, they still remain diseases of public health concern globally.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease among physicians practicing in public and private hospitals in two states of the Niger delta region of Nigeria.Materials and Methods: Using a structured self administered questionnaire with 9 questions, 123 physicians from all the medical and surgical specialties were interviewed. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.Results: Majority (95.93%) of the doctors were working in Government hospitals and nearly half (49.59%) of them were Paediatricians. Over half (50.41%) had more than 5 years’ experience in medical practice. Among the cadre of the doctors, house officers represented 44.72% while Consultants constituted 17.07% of the study participants. The study showed that 70 (56.91%) of the study participants selected at least seven correct answers out of the nine questions that assessed their knowledge and practice and so showed a good knowledge and practice of ARF and RHD.Conclusion: Though a good level of knowledge and practice was gotten from our study, there are still some gaps in the knowledge and practice that can be improved by health education through training and retraining our healthcare professionals. We therefore recommend the inclusion of ARF and RHD in CME and other training programs.