RESUMEN
Sepsis following caesarean section remains an important cause of morbidity in Uganda's Mulago Hospital. This study was designed to assess whether asymptomatic HIV infection could be contributing to this form of morbidity. A total of 500 patients who had undergone emergency CS had their blood tested for HIV-1 on the 1st postoperative day. They were followed-up for wound sepsis, genital tract infection and duration of stay in the hospital after the operation. There were 98 (20.5%) HIV-1 seropositives. The incidence of postoperative wound sepsis (p = 0.948, 95% CI 0.56-1.86), genital tract infection (p = 0.339, 95% CI = 0.74-2.39) and hospital stay > 8 days (p = 0.327, 0.78-2.09) were not statistically significantly different between the cases and controls. Significant predisposing factors to postoperative morbidity were poor general condition on admission, dehydration, preoperative clinical anaemia, and ruptured membranes prior to the operation. Postoperative morbidity following emergency caesarean section was not statistically associated with retrospective asymptomatic HIV-1 infection.
Asunto(s)
Cesárea/efectos adversos , Urgencias Médicas , Infecciones por VIH/complicaciones , VIH-1 , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo , Adulto , Femenino , Enfermedades de los Genitales Femeninos/microbiología , Infecciones por VIH/epidemiología , Humanos , Infecciones/epidemiología , Tiempo de Internación , Mortalidad Materna , Morbilidad , Complicaciones Posoperatorias , Embarazo , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/epidemiología , Infección de la Herida Quirúrgica/epidemiología , Uganda/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality among women in the child-bearing age. In order to institute appropriate preventive measures there is need to establish the profile of knowledge of the predisposing factors and causation of STDs, attitude to sexual practice and sexual patterns among the susceptible young people, such as university students. STUDY POPULATION: Non medical university students, Makerere University. DESIGN: Descriptive cross sectional study. METHODS: A detailed questionnaire identifying socio-demographic characteristics, sexual patterns, knowledge of STDs as well as attitudes towards prevention of STDs was administered to 400 non medical university students of Makerere University. RESULTS: Knowledge of the clinical features of gonorrhoea and AIDS was high; most knew the predisposing factors for STDs (multiple sexual partners 90%; unprotected sexual intercourse 93%; rape 81%; sex outside marriage 78%, and sex under the influence of alcohol 73%) but not so for syphilis. Males were three times more likely to contract STDs (27%) than their female (9%) counterparts. Whereas knowledge on methods of prevention was high (>90%) it was not followed by appropriate behavioural patterns. More female (33.5%) students had heard about Trichomonas vaginalis than males (23%); (((2) = 17.1; < 0.0001). This study has shown that more female than male students got information from their parents (((2) = 25.3; p < 0.001) while more male students had their source of information from previous sexual intercourse (((2) = 12.9; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The level of knowledge about STDs and their prevention is not matched by sexual behavioural patterns, and male students undertake more risky sexual behaviour. Sexual education should be introduced at the university as a means of increasing students' awareness about the problem and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.
Asunto(s)
Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Conducta Sexual , Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual/prevención & control , Estudiantes , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribución de Chi-Cuadrado , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Factores de Riesgo , Factores Sexuales , Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual/transmisión , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , UgandaRESUMEN
Malaria in pregnancy is a common parasitic infection in Uganda and East Africa in general. The severity of infection depends on the patients immune status; and is worse in the primigravidae and the non-immune migrating to endemic areas. It may produce intrauterine growth retardation or complications in the mother such as cerebral malaria; acute pulmonary oedema; renal failure and in some cases is responsible for several autoimmune phenomena. A number of drugs have been used as the mainstay of treatment but the picture has become complicated by the emergence of resistant strains. Some drugs such as the sulphonamides and trimethoprim which would be useful in overcoming this resistance are unsuitable for use especially in late pregnancy because of adverse effects on the newborn. Newer drugs such as halofantrine and artemisinin (and other ginghaosu derivatives) have been tested and found to be effective against chloroquine resistant malaria. They have unfortunately been found to have either embryotoxic or gonadotoxic effects in laboratory animals. Ethical problems limit the ability of researchers to assess these adverse effects in clinical practice in obstetrics; thus presenting the obstetricians with a clinical dilemma in resistant forms of the disease. (This was a paper presented at the Uganda Medical Association; Lake View Hotel; Mbarara)