Pattern and incidence of cancer at El Obeid Hospital, Western Sudan

The growing population of elderly people, the changes in life style, the new dietary habits and the HIV pandemic resulted in more exposure to cancer promoting factors in developing countries, including Sudan. Sudan is a large country with different climatic regions and the population has wide diversity of ethnic groups with varying cultures. Nevertheless, the burden of cancer in the different regions of the country is unknown. To study the incidence rate and the pattern of cancer at El Obeid Teaching Hospital, Western Sudan. The records of all patients admitted with cancer to the wards of El Obeid Teaching Hospital, Western Sudan during 2006 and 2007 were studied. The cancers were classified according to the organs affected and then ranked in their order of relative frequency. The mean age, age range, gender, the incidence rates and the relative frequency rates were calculated. There were 111 new cancer patients in 2006 and 169 patients in 2007. Females were 52.9% of cases. The mean ages were 61.8 and 56.8 years for males and females respectively. Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract is the most common malignancy in both sexes, followed by breast and then cervical cancer in females; while it was followed by leukaemia in males. Hepatocellular, oesophageal, gastric and recto-sigmoid were the main gut cancers. Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract was the commonest malignancy at El Obeid Hospital, Western Sudan. Establishment of a local radiation and isotopes centre is needed in this part of the country to provide oncology services and integrate preventive programs. A regional cancer registry centre supplements the national efforts to evaluate the magnitude of the problem in order to plan further future strategies

Assessment of antibiotics prescription in hospitalized patients at Elobeid hospital, Sudan

This study aimed to assess the pattern of antibiotics usage in medical wards at Elobeid teaching hospital, West Sudan. This is a descriptive hospital-based study. The data were retrospectively collected from the patient's records. Systemic random sampling was used to select 427 patient's records from the records of patients who were admitted to the medical wards in the year 2008. The records of 250 patients showed antibiotic prescription constituting 58.5% of the selected records. Beside the sociodemographic data, drug data [drug name, drug strength, route of administration and duration of therapy], basis of prescription [empirical or definitive] and other relevant information were collected from the patient's records and analyzed. A total of 427 patient's records were selected for the study, out of which 250 [58.5%] for whom one or more antibiotic was prescribed were studied. Males were 60% of the patients. The mean age +/- SD of the patients was 50 +/- 21 years. The total number of prescribed antibiotics was 397 drugs. Cephalosporins constituted more than one third [34.5%] of the prescribed antibiotics, and penicillins 28.5%. The mean number of antibiotic +/- SD prescribed for each patient was 1.6 +/- 0.95 drugs. 148 [37.2%] of the drugs were prescribed in generic name. In 52 [13%] drug prescriptions, the drug strength was not written. In the majority of the records [92.9%], the duration of drug therapy was not stated. Parenteral route of drug administration was prescribed for 50.8% of the antibiotics. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were ceftriaxone, amoxycillin-clavulanic acid combination, benzyl penicillin [penicillin G], ciprofloxacin, cefuroxime, and metronidazole. The empirical prescription of antibiotics is a common practice at Elobeid Teaching Hospital; therefore establishment of antibiotics guideline based on local epidemiological data of potential pathogens and their pattern of antibiotics susceptibility should be available

Sero-prevalence of immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C and syphilis among blood donors at El Obeid Teaching Hospital, West Sudan

This study aimed to determine the sero-prevalence of transfusion transmitted infections [TTIs], namely immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C and syphilis among blood donors. The study was carried in the blood bank at ElObeid Teaching Hospital. The study included 260 blood donor. Informed consent was obtained from each. Personal and socio-demographic data, information about risk factors such as blood transfusion, sexual partners, intravenous drug usage, tattooing and past history of jaundice all were included in a well designed questionnaire. Screening of blood samples for hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg], human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], hepatitis C virus [HCV] and Treponema pallidum antibodies were done using immunochromatographic [ICT] strips. The study included 260 blood donor. All were males. The screening result for antibodies against HIV and Treponema pallidum was positive in 2 [0.8%] and 40 [15%] donors respectively. HBsAg was detected in 26 [10%] donors. Screening result for antibodies against hepatitis C virus was negative in all samples. This study showed that the sero-prevalence of hepatitis B and syphilis was high in our study population. This mandates very strict criteria for selection of blood donors and also methods of laboratory assays for detection of infectious agents must be improved. On the other hand indications for blood transfusion should be restricted

Rheumatic heart disease: a major health problem in el Obeid hospital, western Sudan

To reflect on rheumatic heart disease [RHD] as an endemic noncommunicable health problem and to identify the risk factors, the common presenting symptoms and common complications of rheumatic heart disease in A10beid Hospital, Sudan. This study is a hospital based study done in Elobied Teaching Hospital for 53 patients who were admitted to the medical wards with RHD in the period between January 2006 and December 2006. Females were predominating in the study population [60%] and the majority of patients belonged to age group 16-40 years [88%]. The majority of patients came from rural areas [81%]. The common presenting symptoms were those of congestive heart failure while the common reported complications were congestive heart failure and sub-acute bacteria endocarditis. RHD is still a major health problem in Kordofan states that require more attention of integrated health services in rural areas