Airenakho Emorinken | Ambrose Alli University (original) (raw)

Papers by Airenakho Emorinken

Journal of epilepsy research, Jun 30, 2024

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common parasitic brain infestation caused by the ingestion of Taeni... more Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common parasitic brain infestation caused by the ingestion of Taenia solium eggs, predominantly in developing countries. In this report, we presented the case of a 44-year-old woman who exhibited stroke symptoms and had a decade-long history of recurrent headaches and epilepsy. At presentation, a non-contrast computed tomography scan of the brain was performed and revealed hypodense oval lesions and calcified cysts in both cerebral hemispheres, strongly indicative of NCC. The patient responded positively to treatment with dexamethasone, albendazole, and carbamazepine. This case study underscores the importance of neuroimaging in investigating patients with neurological conditions like epilepsy, especially in developing countries. Early diagnosis and effective treatment are crucial in preventing and controlling NCC, reducing its impact on public health.

Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine, 2023

PubMed, Feb 24, 2023

Background: Hospital-based morbidity and mortality records reflect the health status of host comm... more Background: Hospital-based morbidity and mortality records reflect the health status of host communities. This helps policymakers and industry actors plan and allocate resources for health services, research, training, and development. This study aimed to determine the pattern and outcome of medical admissions in a Nigerian teaching hospital. Methodology: This was a three-year retrospective review from 2019 to 2021.Data on morbidity and mortality were extracted from ward registers. The relevant data was analysed using the IBM SPSS software. Tests were considered significant at p values of less than 0.05. Results: A total of 2544 patients were admitted during the study period. There were 1420 females (55.8%) and 1124 males (44.2%), and the majority (36.9%) of patients were middle-aged. The mean age was 53.81 ± 18.81 years, and the mean duration of hospital stay was 9.07 ± 8.41 days, with 97.2% of the patients spending less than 30 days on admission. Non-communicable diseases (70.6%) were the most common causes of admissions. The top disease-specific causes of admissions were diabetes mellitus with its complications (14.9%), renal failure (11.8%), heart failure (9.2%), hypertension and its emergencies (9.2%), stroke (7.8%) and tuberculosis (7.0%). Cardiology (15.5%), endocrinology (15.1%), nephrology (15.0%), pulmonology (14.8%), and neurology (13.3%) accounted for the majority (86.4%) of the admissions. The major causes of death were renal failure (16.2%), stroke (15.8%), diabetes mellitus and its complications (12.5%) and HIV/AIDS (8.7%). The majority (86.7%) of patients were discharged, 10.4% died, 2.2% were discharged against medical advice, and 0.7% were referred. Conclusion: The study found an increased burden of non-communicable diseases relative to communicable diseases. Effective health education and promotion initiatives must be implemented to combat the impact of the increasing prevalence of these diseases.

Journal of Epilepsy Research, 2024

International Journal of Tropical Disease and Health, 2024

Background: Malaria is a public health concern deeply ingrained within local communities in sub-S... more Background: Malaria is a public health concern deeply ingrained within local communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Local beliefs and practices play a critical role in defining the effectiveness of control measures. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding malaria in a rural community in South-South Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ugun in South-South Nigeria. Data were collected from the participants using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and a P-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: This study included 300 participants with a mean age of 51.6 ± 20.9 years. The results showed that 28.3% had good knowledge, 55.7% had a positive attitude, and 44.7% demonstrated good practices regarding malaria. Knowledge scores were associated with the education (P < 0.012) and occupation (P < 0.001) of participants, while attitude scores were associated with the occupation (P = 0.002) and marital status of participants (P < 0.001). Age, education, occupation, and marital status were associated with participants' practice scores (P < 0.001). Civil servants (OR = 4.97; 95% CI: 1.69-14.61; P = 0.004) and pensioners (OR = 7.26; 95% CI: 1.98-26.61; P = 0.003) had higher odds of having good knowledge of malaria than farmers. Married participants (OR = 5.02; 95% CI: 1.51-16.66; P = 0.008) and those with good knowledge (OR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.11-3.42; P = 0.021) had higher odds of exhibiting a positive attitude. Participants with primary (OR = 6.21; 95% CI: 2.59-14.86; P < 0.001) and secondary (OR = 12.04; 95% CI: 3.89-37.31); P < 0.001) education had higher odds of adopting good practices than those with informal education. Conclusion: Although more than half of the participants had a positive attitude towards malaria, the majority showed insufficient knowledge and poor practices related to the disease. This highlights the pressing need for targeted public health educational programs to improve community understanding and promote effective practices for malaria control.

Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research

Aim: This study aimed to assess the knowledge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the perc... more Aim: This study aimed to assess the knowledge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the perception of care among diabetes mellitus patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among 173 diabetes mellitus patients over 12 weeks in the endocrinology outpatient clinic. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to acquire data on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as questions to assess COVID-19 knowledge and perception of care. The data acquired were analyzed using SPSS, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 173 diabetes mellitus patients participated in the study, and there were more females than males (59% vs. 41%). The participants' mean age was 55.8 ± 14.9 years. The mean knowledge score was 12.42 ± 6.01, and the majority (51.4%) of the participants had poor knowledge of COVID-19 while 11.0% had good knowledge of COVID-19. Higher levels of education and monthly income w...

Reumatologia, 2023

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition that poses significant... more Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition that poses significant public health challenges. However, its epidemiology in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in rural settings, remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to determine the epidemiology of LBP in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital. Material and methods: This was a retrospective review of the records of all LBP cases seen at the rheumatology clinic from 2018 to 2022 in a Teaching Hospital in South-South Nigeria. The sociodemographic and clinical data, including disability scores, was extracted from the patients' medical records. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25, and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Among 1,580 patients, 319 (20.2%) reported LBP. The mean age was 59.51 ±10.21, and the peak age incidence was 51-60 years. Low back pain was more prevalent in females (61.4%). Work-related factors (47.3%) such as heavy lifting (26.3%), prolonged sitting (19.4%), and poor posture (27.9%) were the prominent risk factors. Sedentary behavior (11.5%) and obesity (16.9%) contributed. Common clinical manifestations included difficulty standing or bending (73%), walking difficulties (67.7%), sleep disturbances (51.4%), and radicular pain (45.8%). Common etiologies were spondylosis (66.5%), spondylolisthesis (22.3%), disc prolapse (19.4%), spinal canal stenosis (15.4%), muscle spasm (12.2%), and tuberculous spondylitis (9.7%). Acute and chronic LBP constituted 12.2% and 79.9% of cases, respectively. In terms of disability, 33.5% had minimal, 44.5% had moderate, 15.4% had severe, and 6.6% had crippling disabilities. Conclusions: Mechanical causes were the most implicated in LBP. Work-related factors and lifestyle choices contribute to the occurrence of LBP. Adjusting posture and lifestyle modification reduces LBP risk. Understanding its epidemiology is crucial for optimizing care and implementing preventive strategies.

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice

Objectives: This research intended to examine the demographic and clinical attributes of stroke a... more Objectives: This research intended to examine the demographic and clinical attributes of stroke admissions in a rural Nigerian hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of stroke admissions was conducted over 1 year. All necessary data were obtained from patients’ records and SPSS was employed for data analysis. P < 0.05 was deemed significant. Results: There were 52 stroke cases, accounting for 5.9% of medical admissions. The patients’ mean age was 62.81 ± 12.71 years, while females constituted 51.9% of cases. Common risk factors included hypertension (76.9%), hyperlipidemia (38.5%), alcohol (26.9%), and diabetes mellitus (26.9%). Clinical manifestations included hemiparesis/plegia (84.6%), altered consciousness (63.5%), slurred speech (61.5%), cranial nerve deficit (61.5%), aphasia (42.3%), and headache (34.6%). Ischemic stroke (71.2%) predominated over hemorrhagic stroke (28.8%). The average hospitalization duration was 17.62 ± 8.91 days, and the mean onset to ...

Rheumatology International

Clinical Rheumatology

Introduction Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease with... more Introduction Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease with manifestations ranging from mild to life-threatening organ dysfunction. There is wide variability in the reported incidence and prevalence rate globally, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Nigeria had very few isolated reports of SLE from private and public hospitals Therefore, we conducted this large multi-center descriptive study to determine the sociodemographic, clinical profile, laboratory patterns, and treatment among Nigerian lupus patients. Methods A retrospective hospital-based study of all SLE patients seen over 4 years (January 2017 to December 2020) was conducted at 20 rheumatology clinics spread across the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria. All patients 18 years and above satisfying the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1997 and/or the Systemic Lupus International Collaboration Clinics (SLICC) 2012 classification criteria for SLE were enrolled. Patients with other Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs) not in keeping with SLE and Patients with incomplete data were excluded. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23.0 software. Results A total of 896 patients with SLE were included in the final analysis with a mean age ± SD of 34.47 ± 11 and a female to male ratio of 8.1:1. Synovitis was reported by 61.6% of patients, while 51%, 19.9% and11.4% patients reported acute, sub-acute and chronic lupus rashes respectively. ANA was positive in 98.0% with titers ranging from 1:80 to 1:64,000. Conclusion SLE is not rare in Nigeria. Most patients were female in their 3rd to 4th decades of life. There is a delayed presentation to a rheumatology facility. Arthritis and mucocutaneous manifestations were the most frequent presentation.

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences

Rheumatology

Objective Flares of autoimmune rheumatic disease (AIRDs) following COVID-19 vaccination are an ou... more Objective Flares of autoimmune rheumatic disease (AIRDs) following COVID-19 vaccination are an outstanding concern in vaccine-hesitant individuals. Therefore, we investigated the incidence, predictors and patterns of flares following vaccination in individuals living with AIRDs using global COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) surveys. Methods The COVAD surveys were used to extract data on flare demographics, comorbidities, COVID-19 history, and vaccination details among patients with AIRDs. Flares following vaccination were identified as patient-reported(a), increased immunosuppression(b), clinical exacerbations(c) and worsening of PROMIS scores(d). We studied flare characteristics and used regression models to differentiate flares among various AIRDs. Results Of 15165 total responses, the incidence of flares in 3453 patients with AIRDs was 11.3%, 14.8%, 9.5%, and 26.7% by definitions a-d, respectively. There was moderate agreement between patient-reported and immuno...

Rheumatology

Objectives Disease flares in the post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination period repr... more Objectives Disease flares in the post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination period represent a prominent concern, though risk factors are poorly understood. We studied these flares among patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) and other autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). Methods The COVAD-1 and -2 global surveys were circulated in early 2021 and 2022, respectively, and we captured demographics, comorbidities, AIRDs details, COVID-19 infection history and vaccination details. Flares of IIMs were defined as (a) patient self-reported, (b) immunosuppression (IS) denoted, (c) clinical sign directed and (d) with >7.9-point minimal clinically significant improvement difference worsening of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) PROMISPF10a score. Risk factors of flares were analysed using regression models. Results Of 15 165 total respondents, 1278 IIMs (age 63 years, 70.3% female, 80.8% Caucasians) and 3453 AIRDs were included. F...

Rheumatology International, 2023

Limited evidence on long-term COVID-19 vaccine safety in patients with idiopathic inflammatory my... more Limited evidence on long-term COVID-19 vaccine safety in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) continues to contribute to vaccine hesitancy. We studied delayed-onset vaccine adverse events (AEs) in patients with IIMs, other systemic autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (SAIDs), and healthy controls (HCs), using data from the second COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) study. A validated self-reporting e-survey was circulated by the COVAD study group (157 collaborators, 106 countries) from Feb-June 2022. We collected data on demographics, comorbidities, IIM/SAID details, COVID-19 history, and vaccination details. Delayed-onset (> 7 day) AEs were analyzed using regression models. A total of 15165 respondents undertook the survey, of whom 8759 responses from vaccinated individuals [median age 46 (35-58) years, 74.4% females, 45.4% Caucasians] were analyzed. Of these, 1390 (15.9%) had IIMs, 50.6% other SAIDs, and 33.5% HCs. Among IIMs, 16.3% and 10.2% patients reported minor and major AEs, respectively, and 0.72% (n = 10) required hospitalization. Notably patients with IIMs experienced fewer minor AEs than other SAIDs, though rashes were expectedly more than HCs [OR 4.0; 95% CI 2.2-7.0, p < 0.001]. IIM patients with active disease, overlap myositis, autoimmune comorbidities, and ChadOx1 nCOV-19 (Oxford/AstraZeneca) recipients reported AEs more often, while those with inclusion body myositis, and BNT162b2 (Pfizer) recipients reported fewer AEs. Vaccination is reassuringly safe in individuals with IIMs, with AEs, hospitalizations comparable to SAIDs, and largely limited to those with autoimmune multimorbidity and active disease. These observations may inform guidelines to identify high-risk patients warranting close monitoring in the post-vaccination period.

Rheumatology, 2023

Objectives: Disease flares in the post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination period rep... more Objectives: Disease flares in the post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination period represent a prominent concern, though risk factors are poorly understood. We studied these flares among patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) and other autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs).
Methods: The COVAD-1 and -2 global surveys were circulated in early 2021 and 2022, respectively, and we captured demographics, comorbidities, AIRDs details, COVID-19 infection history and vaccination details. Flares of IIMs were defined as (a) patient self-reported, (b) immunosuppression (IS) denoted, (c) clinical sign directed and (d) with >7.9-point minimal clinically significant improvement difference worsening of PatientReported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) PROMISPF10a score. Risk factors of flares were analysed using regression
models.
Results: Of 15 165 total respondents, 1278 IIMs (age 63 years, 70.3% female, 80.8% Caucasians) and 3453 AIRDs were included. Flares of IIM
were seen in 9.6%, 12.7%, 8.7% and 19.6% patients by definitions (a) to (d), respectively, with a median time to flare of 71.5 (10.7–235) days,
similar to AIRDs. Patients with active IIMs pre-vaccination (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.03, 1.6, P ¼ 0.025) were prone to flares, while those receiving rituximab (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1, 0.7, P ¼ 0.010) and AZA (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1, 0.8, P ¼ 0.016) were at lower risk. Female gender and comorbidities predisposed to flares requiring changes in IS. Asthma (OR 1.62; 95% CI 1.05, 2.50, P ¼ 0.028) and higher pain visual analogue score (OR 1.19; 95%
CI 1.11, 1.27, P < 0.001) were associated with disparity between self-reported and IS-denoted flares.
Conclusion: A diagnosis of IIMs confers an equal risk of flares in the post–COVID-19 vaccination period to AIRDs, with active disease, female
gender and comorbidities conferring a higher risk. Disparity between patient- and physician-reported outcomes represents a future avenue for
exploration

Rheumatology, 2023

Objective: Flares of autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) following COVID-19 vaccination are a p... more Objective: Flares of autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) following COVID-19 vaccination are a particular concern in vaccine-hesitant individuals. Therefore, we investigated the incidence, predictors and patterns of flares following vaccination in individuals living with AIRDs, using global COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) surveys. Methods: The COVAD surveys were used to extract data on flare demographics, comorbidities, COVID-19 history, and vaccination details for patients with AIRDs. Flares following vaccination were identified as patient-reported (a), increased immunosuppression (b), clinical exacerbations (c) and worsening of PROMIS scores (d). We studied flare characteristics and used regression models to differentiate flares among various AIRDs. Results: Of 15 165 total responses, the incidence of flares in 3453 patients with AIRDs was 11.3%, 14.8%, 9.5% and 26.7% by definitions ad , respectively. There was moderate agreement between patient-reported and immunosuppression-defined flares (K ¼ 0.403, P ¼ 0.022). Arthritis (61.6%) and fatigue (58.8%) were the most commonly reported symptoms. Self-reported flares were associated with higher comorbidities (P ¼ 0.013), mental health disorders (MHDs) (P < 0.001) and autoimmune disease multimorbidity (AIDm) (P < 0.001). In regression analysis, the presence of AIDm [odds ratio (OR)

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 2023

Objectives: This research intended to examine the demographic and clinical attributes of stroke a... more Objectives: This research intended to examine the demographic and clinical attributes of stroke admissions in a rural Nigerian hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of stroke admissions was conducted over 1 year. All necessary data were obtained from patients' records and SPSS was employed for data analysis. P < 0.05 was deemed significant. Results: There were 52 stroke cases, accounting for 5.9% of medical admissions. The patients' mean age was 62.81 ± 12.71 years, while females constituted 51.9% of cases. Common risk factors included hypertension (76.9%), hyperlipidemia (38.5%), alcohol (26.9%), and diabetes mellitus (26.9%). Clinical manifestations included hemiparesis/plegia (84.6%), altered consciousness (63.5%), slurred speech (61.5%), cranial nerve deficit (61.5%), aphasia (42.3%), and headache (34.6%). Ischemic stroke (71.2%) predominated over hemorrhagic stroke (28.8%). The average hospitalization duration was 17.62 ± 8.91 days, and the mean onset to arrival time was 121.31 ± 136.06 h. Discharge and mortality rates were 82.7% and 13.5%, respectively. The association between stroke subtypes and mortality was significant (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Stroke constitutes a significant portion of medical admissions in Nigeria, with ischemic stroke being more prevalent. High mortality rates underscore the urgent need to manage risk factors to prevent stroke.

Clinical Rheumatology, 2023

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2023

Background: Limited information exists on the epidemiology of respiratory diseases in South-South... more Background: Limited information exists on the epidemiology of respiratory diseases in South-South Nigeria, especially regarding changing risk factors. This study aimed to assess the frequency and pattern of respiratory diseases in an adult outpatient clinic in a teaching hospital in South-South Nigeria.
Methods: Medical records of newly referred patients with respiratory diseases who received care at the chest clinic of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.
Results: The study included 655 patients (mean age: 54.7±18.7 years). The majority of cases occurred in the 41-60 age group, and 55.4% were female. Non-communicable respiratory diseases accounted for 60.9% of cases, while communicable respiratory diseases accounted for 39.1%. The most common respiratory diseases observed were bronchial asthma (22.6%), tuberculosis (21.1%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (19.2%), pneumonia (11.1%), interstitial lung diseases (6.7%), and lung cancer (4.1%). Less common respiratory diseases included pulmonary
aspergilloma (1.5%), pleural-related diseases (0.8%), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (0.8%), and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (0.6%). The study's annual trend showed a gradual increase in the number of respiratory cases, reaching a low point in 2020. Significant differences were found in the age and gender distribution of the top six respiratory diseases (p <0.001).
Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into the demographic and disease patterns of respiratory diseases in an outpatient setting, informing targeted prevention and treatment measures for these conditions.

Journal of epilepsy research, Jun 30, 2024

Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine, 2023

PubMed, Feb 24, 2023

Journal of Epilepsy Research, 2024

International Journal of Tropical Disease and Health, 2024

Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research

Reumatologia, 2023

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice

Rheumatology International

Clinical Rheumatology

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences

Rheumatology

Rheumatology International, 2023

Rheumatology, 2023

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 2023

Objectives: This research intended to examine the demographic and clinical attributes of stroke a... more Objectives: This research intended to examine the demographic and clinical attributes of stroke admissions in a rural Nigerian hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of stroke admissions was conducted over 1 year. All necessary data were obtained from patients' records and SPSS was employed for data analysis. P < 0.05 was deemed significant. Results: There were 52 stroke cases, accounting for 5.9% of medical admissions. The patients' mean age was 62.81 ± 12.71 years, while females constituted 51.9% of cases. Common risk factors included hypertension (76.9%), hyperlipidemia (38.5%), alcohol (26.9%), and diabetes mellitus (26.9%). Clinical manifestations included hemiparesis/plegia (84.6%), altered consciousness (63.5%), slurred speech (61.5%), cranial nerve deficit (61.5%), aphasia (42.3%), and headache (34.6%). Ischemic stroke (71.2%) predominated over hemorrhagic stroke (28.8%). The average hospitalization duration was 17.62 ± 8.91 days, and the mean onset to arrival time was 121.31 ± 136.06 h. Discharge and mortality rates were 82.7% and 13.5%, respectively. The association between stroke subtypes and mortality was significant (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Stroke constitutes a significant portion of medical admissions in Nigeria, with ischemic stroke being more prevalent. High mortality rates underscore the urgent need to manage risk factors to prevent stroke.

Clinical Rheumatology, 2023

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2023