Hysterosalpingographic Findings Among Ghanaian Women with Infertility: A Five-year Trend Analysis.

Objectives: To understand the pattern of hysterosalpingographic (HSG) findings and annual trends among Ghanaian women with infertility over a five-year period. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the hospital medical records of women with infertility who underwent HSG at a major tertiary center in Ghana between January 2018 and December 2022. The data was statistically analyzed. Results: The subjects comprised of 2324 Ghanaian women diagnosed with clinical infertility. HSG identified 1685 (72.5%) with primary infertility and they were also younger women with a mean age of 32.2±4.5 years. The remaining 639 (27.5%) women had secondary infertility and were older (34.2±5.3 years; p < 0.001). Primary infertility rate decreased with increasing age (p < 0.001). Bilateral tubal blockage was seen in 701 (41.6%) women with primary infertility and 365 (57.1%) women with secondary infertility. Hydrosalpinx was present in 236 (10.2%) women, fimbrial adhesions in 444 (19.1%), Asherman's syndrome in four (0.2%), and bilateral beaded tubes/tubercular salpingitis in five (0.2%). HSG was unable to detect infertility-related abnormalities in 513 (22.1%) women despite their clinical infertility. The majority of patients (1502; 64.6%) had tubal blockage: bilateral in 1066 (45.9%) and unilateral in 436 (18.8%). Conclusions: Infertility rates among Ghanaian women increased at an accelerating rate over the years. Primary infertility was significantly more prevalent among younger women. Tubal and cervical abnormalities were the most prevalent HSG findings.

Assessment of the Clinical Presentations and Ultrasonographic Features of Uterine Fibroids in Adult Africans: A Retrospective Study.

Objectives: We sought to determine the clinical presentations and ultrasonographic features of uterine fibroids in adult Ghanaians. Methods: Between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2021, 4279 ultrasound-confirmed cases of uterine fibroids were retrieved. The data obtained, which included age, clinical presentations, and sonographic features were analyzed. A chi-squared test was done to assess for possible associations between the clinical indications, age distribution, and ultrasonographic features of uterine fibroids. Results: The mean age of the patients diagnosed with uterine fibroids was 37.1±11.5 years (range = 16-69 years). Routine checkup (n = 1310, 28.1%), menorrhagia (n = 1104, 23.7%), and lower abdominal mass (n = 801, 17.2%) were the leading clinical indications. Dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, menorrhagia, and routine checkup were significantly noted in the younger patients (p ≤ 0.001). The majority of the fibroid nodules had smooth regular outline (n = 4125, 96.4%) and were mostly heterogeneous (n = 3282, 76.7%). The echo pattern of the nodules was predominantly hypoechoic (n = 3358, 51.1%) followed by hyperechoic nodules (n = 2554, 38.9%). Degenerative changes accounted for less than one-third of the total fibroid nodules, with the least recorded degenerative change being nodules with cystic areas (n = 55, 5.4%) and the most observed degenerative feature being nodules with rim of calcification and areas of calcified degeneration (n = 965, 94.6%). Almost all the sonographic features were significantly seen in the 30-44 years age category. Conclusions: Sonographically, uterine fibroids were mostly hypoechoic heterogeneous nodules with a smooth regular outline with a predominant occurrence within women in the fourth to fifth decade of life.

Career in radiology; the ghanaian clinical medical Student's perception.

Background: The importance of radiology in this era of evidence-based medicine cannot be disputed. This has resulted in the increase in demand for radiologists. Thus, the issue of whether there would be sufficient numbers of medical students to meet this growing demand needs further probing. Purpose: To assess Ghanaian clinical medical students' perceptions about a career in radiology. Materials and methods: This was an online questionnaire-based survey of 575 clinical medical students in five public medical schools in Ghana from September 2020 to February 2021. Student's t-test and one way analysis of variance was used to compare means. For the Likert scale questions, differences in the mean Likert scale responses were assessed among various clinical year groups and across gender using Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U tests. A logistic regression was used to determine the significant predictors of the choice of radiology as a career. Results: Most 340 (59.1%) of the participants were males. The average age of participants was 24.64 ± 3.084 years. Students agreed that, radiology is relevant in this era of evidence-based medicine (mean Likert score = 4.62, SD = 0.819), which yielded significant responses in the third clinical year (p = 0.004). Nearly 30% of respondents stated they did not receive enough didactic lectures or tutorials in radiology, citing insufficient lectures (89.9%), a lack of lecturers (9.5%), and trouble grasping ideas (0.7%) as their main concerns. 133 (23.1%) stated they would choose radiology as a specialty, with flexible working schedule (61.9%) and high income (68.3%) as their topmost reasons. Less patient contact (8.0%) was the least observed reason. A flexible working schedule increased the choice of radiology as a specialty by 2.319 folds (95% CI: 1.413-3.805, P = 0.001). Teleradiology significantly contributed to the choice of radiology as a career (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Generally, the clinical students had varied but positive perceptions on radiology as a specialty.

Field evaluation of specificity and sensitivity of a standard SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid diagnostic test: A prospective study at a teaching hospital in Northern Ghana

BackgroundThe testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2 in Africa is rather limited. Antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) are a cheap and rapid alternative to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, but there is little data about their performance under real life conditions in tropical countries. ObjectiveTo evaluate the performance of a standard Ag-RDT in a population of a major hospital in northern Ghana. MethodsProspective, cross-sectional, blinded verification of the performance of the SD Biosensor Standard Q SARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDT under real life conditions in 135 symptomatic patients and 58 contacts of RT-PCR positives at Tamale Teaching Hospital in February 2021. Nasopharyngeal samples were taken under standard conditions and tested against RT-PCR in the hospital laboratory. Results193 participants (median age 35 years, 109 male) were included into the study for which both RT-PCR test and Ag-RDT results were available. A total of 42 (22%) were RT-PCR positive. Of the 42 RT-PCR positives, 27 were Ag-RDT positive, resulting in a sensitivity of 64% (95% CI 49-79). Sensitivity among symptomatic patients was 58% (95% CI 38-78). 123 were identified Ag-RDT negatives of the 151 RT-PCR negatives, resulting in a specificity of 81% (95% CI 75-87). ConclusionsSARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDTs appear to have a rather low sensitivity and particularly a low specificity under real life conditions in Africa. The role of existing Ag-RDTs in countries with high-temperature climates and limited resources still needs more data and discussion.

Association of Adherence to Diabetics Feeding Recommendation with Glycaemic Control and with Malnutrition Risk Among Normal Weight Persons with Type 2 Diabetes in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is public health problem. Feeding-recommendations help persons with diabetes control glycaemia. The aim was to access the association between adherence to diabetics' feeding recommendation with glycaemic control and with malnutrition risk. METHODS: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 530 baseline normal weight (body mass index [BMI] 18.5 kg/m2-24.9 kg/m2) persons with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Brong Ahafo region of Ghana, from August 2018 to September 2019. Adherence to feeding recommendation was evaluated with perceived dietary adherence questionnaire (PDAQ). Malnutrition-risk was assessed using malnutrition universal screening tool. Multinomial logistics regression models were used to assess the association between adherence to diabetics' feeding recommendation with glycaemic control and with malnutrition risk. RESULTS: Participants were generally healthy. Weight (P = 0.011), total cholesterol (P = 0.003) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)% (P < 0.001) were significant with adherence to diabetics feeding recommendation. Low adherence to diabetics' feeding recommendation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.56; 95% CI: 1.44, 4.56; P < 0.001), low adherence to fruit and vegetables (AOR 2.71; 95% CI: 1.48, 4.99; P < 0.001), low adherence to whole grain, beans, starchy-fruits and plantain (AOR 3.29; 95% CI: 1.81, 6.02; P < 0.001), and low adherence to foods prepared with walnut, canola, sunflower, cotton seed and fish oils (AOR 2.62; 95% CI: 1.49, 4.58; P < 0.001) were significant with poor glycaemic control. Furthermore, low adherence to food prepared with walnut, canola, sunflower, cotton seed, fish or soy oils (AOR 0.54; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.95; P = 0.034) and low adherence to fish and lean meat (AOR 2.09; 95% CI: 1.14, 3.86; P = 0.017) were significant with moderate malnutrition risk. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that poor adherence feeding recommendation could be related to glycaemic control and malnutrition risk.

Diet and physical activity for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic policy review.

BACKGROUND: Diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing rapidly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and constitute a leading cause of mortality. Although a call for global action has been resonating for years, the progress in national policy development in LMICs has not been assessed. This review of strategies to prevent NCDs in LMICs provides a benchmark against which policy response can be tracked over time. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We reviewed how government policies in LMICs outline actions that address salt consumption, fat consumption, fruit and vegetable intake, or physical activity. A structured content analysis of national nutrition, NCDs, and health policies published between 1 January 2004 and 1 January 2013 by 140 LMIC members of the World Health Organization (WHO) was carried out. We assessed availability of policies in 83% (116/140) of the countries. NCD strategies were found in 47% (54/116) of LMICs reviewed, but only a minority proposed actions to promote healthier diets and physical activity. The coverage of policies that specifically targeted at least one of the risk factors reviewed was lower in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Eastern Mediterranean compared to the other two World Health Organization regions, South-East Asia and Western Pacific. Of the countries reviewed, only 12% (14/116) proposed a policy that addressed all four risk factors, and 25% (29/116) addressed only one of the risk factors reviewed. Strategies targeting the private sector were less frequently encountered than strategies targeting the general public or policy makers. CONCLUSIONS: This review indicates the disconnection between the burden of NCDs and national policy responses in LMICs. Policy makers urgently need to develop comprehensive and multi-stakeholder policies to improve dietary quality and physical activity.