Simji Gomerep | UNIVERSITY OF JOS, NIGERIA (original) (raw)

Papers by Simji Gomerep

UMYU Journal of Microbiology Research (UJMR)

Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of chronic diarrhoea in HIV-1infected patients, but there is p... more Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of chronic diarrhoea in HIV-1infected patients, but there is paucity of data on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and factors associated with the infection. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection among HIV-1 infected adult patients at Jos University Teaching hospital, Jos, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study in which a total of 296 fecal specimens from HIV-1 infected patients with diarrhea was collected and structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical data. The fecal samples were examined for Cryptosporidium by formol-ether concentration and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique, and the oocysts identified by microscopy. Two hundered and ninrty six feacal samples where analyse from156 (52.7%) females and 140(47.3%) males. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection among HIV-1 infected patients was 4.7%. Among females 9 (5.8%) had Cryptosporidium infection while (5)3.6% in males;...

Journal of Pharmacy & Bioresources, Apr 9, 2021

Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease-2019 include pulmonary hyper-inflammation; managing local and sys... more Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease-2019 include pulmonary hyper-inflammation; managing local and systemic inflammatory responses may be key in treatment. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects of a mixture (Cov-Pla 2) containing five medicinal plants in laboratory animals. The antinociceptive activity of Cov-Pla 2 was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing, Brewer's Yeast Pyrexia test in rats and hot plate tests in mice. The egg albumin-induced rat paw oedema test was employed to evaluate the extract's anti-inflammatory activity. The extract produced a dose-dependent (125-500 mg/kg, p.o.) inhibition of pain response elicited by acetic acid, compared to normal saline and increased reaction latency in the hot plate test. The antiinflammatory test showed a significant (P<0.05) reduction in paw size diameter at 125 mg/kg from 2 hours, compared to control. In the antipyretic test, the extract produced a significant (P<0.05) time-dependent decrease in rectal temperature at 125 mg/kg after 2 and 3 hours and at 250 and 500 mg/kg after 3 hours, compared to normal saline. The extract did not produce mortality up to 5000 mg/kg per oral. The results indicated that the extract possesses antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties, which support its recommendation for trials in the treatment of symptoms associated with COVID-19.

Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association, 2014

and metabolic conditions like insulin resistance and type 2 DM. 4-7 OSA has also been shown to im... more and metabolic conditions like insulin resistance and type 2 DM. 4-7 OSA has also been shown to impact on glycaemic control among DM patients independent of the effect of obesity. 4 The postulated mechanisms of this effect include sleep fragmentation, frequent arousals, intermittent hypoxaemia and consequently, hyper-activation of sympathetic mechanisms leading to poor glucose control. 8 However, the impact of OSA among patients with type 2 diabetes is unknown and infrequently studied in developing countries where the burden of DM is substantial and increasing. 9 To the best of our knowledge, there is no study on the prevalence and predictors of OSA in patients with diabetes in Nigeria or any population of patients with diabetes in West Africa. We hypothesise that OSA is prevalent in type 2 diabetes. We aimed to describe the prevalence of OSA in type 2 DM patients using a screening questionnaire and to ascertain the predictors of a high risk of OSA after adjusting for obesity. Several epidemiologic studies have shown that OSA is independently associated with cardiovascular diseases

International Blood Research & Reviews

Blood transfusion is oftentimes life-saving but associated with risks which ought to be disclosed... more Blood transfusion is oftentimes life-saving but associated with risks which ought to be disclosed by the health care provider as an ethical obligation and legal requirement. The practice of informed consent to transfusion medicine is quite new and few studies have comprehensively x-rayed its historical, ethical and legal implications with an in depth consideration of professional negligence using decided cases by the adversarial and arbitration systems. PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, African Journal on Line (AJOL) electronic databases were searched using combined keywords like; “Blood transfusion and informed consent” “informed choice to transfusion medicine practice”, “consent in transfusion medicine”, “health care giver and consent to transfusion therapy”, “transfusion consent and the health care seeker”, “liability and informed consent to transfusion” and “contemporary issues in medical negligence”. Relatedly, printed materials were considered. The 91 studies that met th...

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health, 2021

The informed consent to blood transfusion is a patient centered care where the health care provid... more The informed consent to blood transfusion is a patient centered care where the health care provider is ethically obliged and legally compelled to disclose the details, alternatives and consequences of a procedure such as blood donation or transfusion and obtain from the patient a prior consent before it is carried out. However, this newly evolving practice is largely constrained in many developing countries of Africa and this study sought to identify constraints and advance remedies. Literature search on PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, and African Journal on Line (AJOL) as well as print material literatures where applicable was used to retrieve 66 publications whose contents met the criteria for inclusion into the study. Constraints range from nondisclosure or defective disclosure, knowledge gaps of health care providers and non-comprehension of consent-based information by patients, illiteracy, religious and cultural practices, poor funding and administrative bottlenecks li...

African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2020

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on human existence and still show... more The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on human existence and still shows no sign of abating. Scientists worldwide are therefore working assiduously to get new drug treatments to help mitigate the crisis. Some of those efforts involve research to obtain Covid-19 treatments from natural sources. The present study is aimed at evaluating the elemental, nutritional and antioxidant properties of Cov-Pla1, Cov-Pla2, Cov-Pla3 and PlaBoost herbal preparations. Elemental analysis was carried out using AAS after acid digestion of the samples. Proximate analysis of the formulations was done using the official AOAC methods while the antioxidant assay was carried out using the DPPH free radical scavenging method. The results of the study showed that the concentration of the heavy metals in all the samples were within acceptable regulatory limits. Proximate analysis revealed that the suspensions had protein content between 1.52-1.68 % and carbohydrate content of 0.79-1.08 % with low content of fat, crude fibre and ash. The formulations were found to be free of microbial contamination and stable for thirty days. Antioxidant evaluation revealed that Cov-Pla3 had the strongest free radical scavenging capacity with IC 50 of 27.29 µg/mL while PlaBoost had the least (IC 50 : 251 µg/mL). The result of the study indicates that the formulations are free of metallic and microbial contaminants. In addition, proximate analysis has established some diagnostic parameters which will aid future authentication and purity assessment of the formulations. The formulations were all found to possess considerable antioxidant activity which will provide collateral benefit in relieving oxidative stress associated with Covid-19 infection.

Journal of Virus Eradication, 2017

Background: Plasma HIV-RNA viral load (VL) of HIV-infected persons is an important prognostic fac... more Background: Plasma HIV-RNA viral load (VL) of HIV-infected persons is an important prognostic factor in HIV management. We determined the VL among antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive patients to identify the association between patients' demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics with VL. Method: A cross-sectional study of 224 ART-naive HIV-1-infected patients (≥15 years of age) accessing care at the Jos University Teaching Hospital AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria ART treatment centre, from October 2010 to April 2011. A log-linear model was used to determine if VL was related to demographic and clinical variables. Results: The patients had a median (interquartile range) age of 34 (28-41) years with females in the majority (59%). Females compared to males and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) co-infected compared to not co-infected patients had a significantly higher VL (14.9 loge versus 11.5 loge, P=0.003 and 11.31 loge versus 11.89 loge, P=0.047, respectively). VL tended to decrease with increasing CD4+ cell count levels in females, but remained relatively unchanged in males across all values of CD4+ cell counts. The difference (β) in the mean change in VL between males and females was loge 0.64 copies/mL, P=0.005. Conclusion: In ART-naive HIV-1-infected patients in our setting, females had significantly higher VL and lower CD4+ cell count, at the same VL threshold, compared to males, and hence were more likely to be at a higher risk of rapid progression to AIDS. Therefore, gender-based strategies for early identification and engaging females into care are required in this setting to mitigate against rapid progression to AIDS.

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2017

Individuals with HIV, especially those on antiretroviral therapy (ART), may have increased risk o... more Individuals with HIV, especially those on antiretroviral therapy (ART), may have increased risk of hypertension. We investigated the prevalence of hypertension at enrolment and 12 months after commencing ART in a Nigerian HIV clinic. Data from patients enrolled for ART from 2011 to 2013 were analysed, including 2310 patients at enrolment and 1524 re-evaluated after 12 months of ART. The presence of hypertension, demographic, clinical and biochemical data were retrieved from standardized databases. Bivariate and logistic regressions were used to identify baseline risk factors for hypertension. Prevalence of hypertension at enrolment was 19.3% (95% CI 17.6-20.9%), and age (p<0.001), male sex (p=0.004) and body mass index (BMI) (p<0.001) were independent risk factors for hypertension. Twelve months after initiating ART, a further 31% (95% CI 17.6-20.9%) had developed hypertension. Total prevalence at that point was 50.2%. Hypertension among those on ART was associated with age (p...

Nigerian Medical Journal, 2016

Organization, the overall mortality rate is 1%, but climbs to 15% among hospitalized patients, 8 ... more Organization, the overall mortality rate is 1%, but climbs to 15% among hospitalized patients, 8 and rates exceeding 40% have been reported in Nigeria. 9,10 While the Nigerian strains of LV may be more virulent, 11 delays in instituting appropriate treatment could also account for the higher mortality. Timely administration of intravenous ribavirin, a virustatic guanosine analogue, reduces mortality. 12 However, questions regarding the efficacy and appropriate dosages

International Journal of Mycobacteriology, 2016

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) could be fatal if left untreated, however, adverse effects of anti-... more Background: Tuberculosis (TB) could be fatal if left untreated, however, adverse effects of anti-TB medications (anti-TBs) themselves may limit treatment. We determined the incidence and clinical characteristics of hepatotoxicity in hospitalized patients receiving first-line anti-TB treatment. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients aged P18 years seen at the medical wards of the Jos University Teaching Hospital from January 2013 to June 2013 was carried out. Data were retrieved for 110 patients who were prescribed anti-TBs. Their demographic and clinical characteristics were described, and the incidence of symptomatic hepatotoxicity determined. The incidence of hepatotoxicity by strict American Thoracic Society criteria (symptomatic hepatotoxicity plus alanine transaminase in IU/L levels >3 Â upper limit of normal) was also determined. Results: Twenty patients developed symptomatic hepatotoxicity, giving an incidence of 18.2%. Furthermore, 18 (16.4%) patients had hepatotoxicity according to the American Thoracic Society criteria. Those with symptomatic hepatotoxicity unexpectedly had lower baseline alanine transaminase interquartile range (IQR) (35 [16-63] vs. 67 [4-226]; p = .04) and bilirubin (lmol/L): total IQR (15.

Nigerian journal of medicine : journal of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria

We audited the diagnosis and antibiotic therapy of patients admitted with sepsis in a resource-li... more We audited the diagnosis and antibiotic therapy of patients admitted with sepsis in a resource-limited Nigerian hospital setting in order to improve the quality of sepsis care. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the records of medical patients admitted for sepsis at the Jos University Teaching Hospital between September 2011 and August 2012. Data analysis included age, sex, appropriateness of sepsis diagnosis/severity, comorbidities, utility/yield of sample cultures, antibiotic therapy, duration of hospital stay and treatment outcome. Only 94 out of 142 cases (66.2%) were judged to meet the diagnostic criteria for sepsis. Out of the 94 patients, 77 (82%) were appropriately classified for sepsis severity. Nineteen patients (20%) met criteria for severe sepsis/septic shock. The commonest comorbidity was HIV/AIDS (57.3%). All the patients received empirical antibiotic therapy but in 23 cases (24.5%), the empirical prescriptions were judged inappropriate and none was administered ...

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2014

African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2021

Transmission of COVID-19 is facilitated by uptake of droplets containing coronavirus from the bre... more Transmission of COVID-19 is facilitated by uptake of droplets containing coronavirus from the breath, sneeze or cough of infected persons. This represents the commonest mode of coronavirus infection and spread to mucous membranes of the respiratory system. The virus rapidly replicates in alveolar cells, triggering a strong immune response, resulting in cytokine storm syndromes and pulmonary tissue damage. These pathologic processes contribute to a compromised pulmonary function. Thus, evaluation of pulmonary function would give insights into modulatory effect of agents that may be beneficial in ameliorating this pathology. The study evaluated effects of Cov-Pla1 and Cov-Pla3 (polyherbal products of the research team, positioned for treatment of Covid-19) on pulmonary function in bleomycin-induced lung injury in rabbits. Rabbits of both sexes were divided into six groups and treated with the extracts alone or the extract following pre-treatment with bleomycin. Targeted respiratory fu...

PLOS Global Public Health

Hearing loss is the third leading cause of years lived with disability. Approximately 1.4 billion... more Hearing loss is the third leading cause of years lived with disability. Approximately 1.4 billion people have hearing loss, of which 80% reside in low- and middle-income countries with limited audiology and otolaryngology care available to them. The objective of this study was to estimate period prevalence of hearing loss and audiogram patterns of patients attending an otolaryngology clinic in North Central Nigeria. A 10-year retrospective cohort study was carried out analyzing 1507 patient records of pure tone audiograms of patients at the otolaryngology clinic at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State, Nigeria. Prevalence of hearing loss of moderate or higher grade increased significantly and steadily after age 60. Compared to other studies, there was a higher prevalence of overall sensorineural hearing loss (24–28% in our study compared to 1.7–8.4% globally) and higher proportions of the flat audiogram configuration among the younger age patients (40% in younger patients...

Journal of Virus Eradication, 2018

Background: lassa fever (lF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to West africa. The clinical p... more Background: lassa fever (lF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to West africa. The clinical presentation and course is variable, making diagnosis difficult. Aim: To report the outbreak and identify the common clinical presentations of lF in paediatric patients in Jos, Plateau state, north central, nigeria. Methods: This was a retrospective review of patients managed for lF during the June-august 2017 outbreak. lF was suspected in cases with: fever of less than 3 weeks' duration that had not responded to antimalarials or antibiotics, myalgia, abdominal pain, prostration and history of contact with any person diagnosed with lF. lF was confirmed by a positive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test (rT-Pcr). Results: Ten adolescents were studied. The common presenting complaints were fever (100%), prostration (90%) and headache (70%) while the commonest clinical signs were pyrexia (temperature >38.0 o c; 90%), prostration (80%) and abdominal tenderness (80%). leukocytes were present in urine in 60%. eight individuals recovered fully, one adolescent died and one developed intestinal perforation necessitating laparotomy. Conclusion: in settings such as north central nigeria, lF should be suspected in any patient with fever that is unresponsive to antimalarials and antibiotics, especially in the presence of prostration, tachypnoea, tachycardia or abdominal tenderness. early diagnosis and treatment is needed to reduce mortality from the disease and protect against transmission to health personnel.

Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice, 2019

Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important means of preventing hospital-acquired ... more Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important means of preventing hospital-acquired infections. We set out to determine the knowledge, training gaps, and practice of HH in a tertiary health institution in a resource constrained setting. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among health care workers in a 600-bed capacity tertiary health centre. The study was conducted between April and November 2013. A multi-stage randomized sampling method was used to self-administer 322 WHO HH knowledge questionnaires. Information on HH training in the past 3 years, knowledge and practice of HH were obtained, and data were analysed using Epi-Info version 3.5.1. Results: A response rate of 98.5% was obtained for the HH knowledge assessment. Mean age of the study population was 39 ± 9.8. About 64% were females. Of all the respondents, only 16% had good knowledge of HH, 52% had moderate knowledge while 32% had poor knowledge. About 24% had formal training on HH. In terms of practice, only about 22% of the respondents self-reported routine practice of HH. Conclusions: The findings in this study suggest that there is sub-optimal HH knowledge, practice and training. It is imperative to improve the HH training and retraining of health care workers with a focus on attendants. Administrative controls and bold signage in healthcare institutions are also recommended.

PLOS Global Public Health

Lassa fever (LF) is endemic in West Africa and constitutes a significant public health concern du... more Lassa fever (LF) is endemic in West Africa and constitutes a significant public health concern due to its potential for epidemics and associated high mortality. The first reported case and management of Lassa fever in Plateau State occurred more than 50 years ago. We set out to undertake a three-year epidemiological review of LF cases in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. This is a retrospective study of all confirmed LF cases in Plateau State between 2016 and 2018. Plateau state Lassa fever- Line list and patient case records were used to extract relevant data. Lassa PCR was carried out at the NCDC accredited Laboratory network. Data analysis was done using STATA version SE14.1. Forty-four persons (44) had confirmed LF over the examined period, 18 (41%) in 2016, 15 (34%) in 2017 and 11 (25%) in 2018. The mean age was 29.7±14.6 years and 53% were males. Sixty-six percent (66%) of the patients resided in rural areas. It affected all local government areas (LGA) in the state except...

International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, Aug 26, 2020

Background: COVID-19 is a disease that has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Health workers have ... more Background: COVID-19 is a disease that has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Health workers have been identified to be at a higher risk compared to the general population due to increased exposure primarily at the work place and having to deal with a novel disease whose epidemiology is still evolving. As health workers are vital to control efforts, their response will be influenced by what they know, their perception of the disease and their practices. This study therefore sought to assess the knowledge, perceptions and practices of health workers on COVID-19 in Plateau State, Nigeria. Method: It is a descriptive study that used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data on 105 health workers of Plateau State who were purposively selected. Data was collected on their knowledge, perceptions and practice of COVID-19 and analyzed using SPSS version 23 at a confidence interval of 95%. Results: Mean age of health workers was 42.5 ± 9.2 years. Females made up 58% of the respondents, males were 42%. Nurses made up 69% of the respondents. More than 70% had worked for 10-29 years. Knowledge of COVID-19 was found to be inadequate in 57% of the health workers with social media being most frequent (69.5%) source of information. Most (86.6%) respondents had a good perception towards COVID-19 and 62.8% were willing to attend to a COVID-19 patient. There were consistent practices of hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Sixty percent had access to at least one form of personal protective equipment though 72.4% had never had training on putting on the full personal protective gear required for COVID-19. Conclusion: There is an urgent need for training of health care workers in Plateau State and provision of full personal protective gear to ensure their safety at work.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2020

UMYU Journal of Microbiology Research (UJMR)

Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of chronic diarrhoea in HIV-1infected patients, but there is p... more Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of chronic diarrhoea in HIV-1infected patients, but there is paucity of data on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and factors associated with the infection. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection among HIV-1 infected adult patients at Jos University Teaching hospital, Jos, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study in which a total of 296 fecal specimens from HIV-1 infected patients with diarrhea was collected and structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical data. The fecal samples were examined for Cryptosporidium by formol-ether concentration and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique, and the oocysts identified by microscopy. Two hundered and ninrty six feacal samples where analyse from156 (52.7%) females and 140(47.3%) males. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection among HIV-1 infected patients was 4.7%. Among females 9 (5.8%) had Cryptosporidium infection while (5)3.6% in males;...

Journal of Pharmacy & Bioresources, Apr 9, 2021

Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease-2019 include pulmonary hyper-inflammation; managing local and sys... more Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease-2019 include pulmonary hyper-inflammation; managing local and systemic inflammatory responses may be key in treatment. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects of a mixture (Cov-Pla 2) containing five medicinal plants in laboratory animals. The antinociceptive activity of Cov-Pla 2 was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing, Brewer's Yeast Pyrexia test in rats and hot plate tests in mice. The egg albumin-induced rat paw oedema test was employed to evaluate the extract's anti-inflammatory activity. The extract produced a dose-dependent (125-500 mg/kg, p.o.) inhibition of pain response elicited by acetic acid, compared to normal saline and increased reaction latency in the hot plate test. The antiinflammatory test showed a significant (P<0.05) reduction in paw size diameter at 125 mg/kg from 2 hours, compared to control. In the antipyretic test, the extract produced a significant (P<0.05) time-dependent decrease in rectal temperature at 125 mg/kg after 2 and 3 hours and at 250 and 500 mg/kg after 3 hours, compared to normal saline. The extract did not produce mortality up to 5000 mg/kg per oral. The results indicated that the extract possesses antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties, which support its recommendation for trials in the treatment of symptoms associated with COVID-19.

Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association, 2014

and metabolic conditions like insulin resistance and type 2 DM. 4-7 OSA has also been shown to im... more and metabolic conditions like insulin resistance and type 2 DM. 4-7 OSA has also been shown to impact on glycaemic control among DM patients independent of the effect of obesity. 4 The postulated mechanisms of this effect include sleep fragmentation, frequent arousals, intermittent hypoxaemia and consequently, hyper-activation of sympathetic mechanisms leading to poor glucose control. 8 However, the impact of OSA among patients with type 2 diabetes is unknown and infrequently studied in developing countries where the burden of DM is substantial and increasing. 9 To the best of our knowledge, there is no study on the prevalence and predictors of OSA in patients with diabetes in Nigeria or any population of patients with diabetes in West Africa. We hypothesise that OSA is prevalent in type 2 diabetes. We aimed to describe the prevalence of OSA in type 2 DM patients using a screening questionnaire and to ascertain the predictors of a high risk of OSA after adjusting for obesity. Several epidemiologic studies have shown that OSA is independently associated with cardiovascular diseases

International Blood Research & Reviews

Blood transfusion is oftentimes life-saving but associated with risks which ought to be disclosed... more Blood transfusion is oftentimes life-saving but associated with risks which ought to be disclosed by the health care provider as an ethical obligation and legal requirement. The practice of informed consent to transfusion medicine is quite new and few studies have comprehensively x-rayed its historical, ethical and legal implications with an in depth consideration of professional negligence using decided cases by the adversarial and arbitration systems. PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, African Journal on Line (AJOL) electronic databases were searched using combined keywords like; “Blood transfusion and informed consent” “informed choice to transfusion medicine practice”, “consent in transfusion medicine”, “health care giver and consent to transfusion therapy”, “transfusion consent and the health care seeker”, “liability and informed consent to transfusion” and “contemporary issues in medical negligence”. Relatedly, printed materials were considered. The 91 studies that met th...

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health, 2021

The informed consent to blood transfusion is a patient centered care where the health care provid... more The informed consent to blood transfusion is a patient centered care where the health care provider is ethically obliged and legally compelled to disclose the details, alternatives and consequences of a procedure such as blood donation or transfusion and obtain from the patient a prior consent before it is carried out. However, this newly evolving practice is largely constrained in many developing countries of Africa and this study sought to identify constraints and advance remedies. Literature search on PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, and African Journal on Line (AJOL) as well as print material literatures where applicable was used to retrieve 66 publications whose contents met the criteria for inclusion into the study. Constraints range from nondisclosure or defective disclosure, knowledge gaps of health care providers and non-comprehension of consent-based information by patients, illiteracy, religious and cultural practices, poor funding and administrative bottlenecks li...

African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2020

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on human existence and still show... more The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on human existence and still shows no sign of abating. Scientists worldwide are therefore working assiduously to get new drug treatments to help mitigate the crisis. Some of those efforts involve research to obtain Covid-19 treatments from natural sources. The present study is aimed at evaluating the elemental, nutritional and antioxidant properties of Cov-Pla1, Cov-Pla2, Cov-Pla3 and PlaBoost herbal preparations. Elemental analysis was carried out using AAS after acid digestion of the samples. Proximate analysis of the formulations was done using the official AOAC methods while the antioxidant assay was carried out using the DPPH free radical scavenging method. The results of the study showed that the concentration of the heavy metals in all the samples were within acceptable regulatory limits. Proximate analysis revealed that the suspensions had protein content between 1.52-1.68 % and carbohydrate content of 0.79-1.08 % with low content of fat, crude fibre and ash. The formulations were found to be free of microbial contamination and stable for thirty days. Antioxidant evaluation revealed that Cov-Pla3 had the strongest free radical scavenging capacity with IC 50 of 27.29 µg/mL while PlaBoost had the least (IC 50 : 251 µg/mL). The result of the study indicates that the formulations are free of metallic and microbial contaminants. In addition, proximate analysis has established some diagnostic parameters which will aid future authentication and purity assessment of the formulations. The formulations were all found to possess considerable antioxidant activity which will provide collateral benefit in relieving oxidative stress associated with Covid-19 infection.

Journal of Virus Eradication, 2017

Background: Plasma HIV-RNA viral load (VL) of HIV-infected persons is an important prognostic fac... more Background: Plasma HIV-RNA viral load (VL) of HIV-infected persons is an important prognostic factor in HIV management. We determined the VL among antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive patients to identify the association between patients' demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics with VL. Method: A cross-sectional study of 224 ART-naive HIV-1-infected patients (≥15 years of age) accessing care at the Jos University Teaching Hospital AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria ART treatment centre, from October 2010 to April 2011. A log-linear model was used to determine if VL was related to demographic and clinical variables. Results: The patients had a median (interquartile range) age of 34 (28-41) years with females in the majority (59%). Females compared to males and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) co-infected compared to not co-infected patients had a significantly higher VL (14.9 loge versus 11.5 loge, P=0.003 and 11.31 loge versus 11.89 loge, P=0.047, respectively). VL tended to decrease with increasing CD4+ cell count levels in females, but remained relatively unchanged in males across all values of CD4+ cell counts. The difference (β) in the mean change in VL between males and females was loge 0.64 copies/mL, P=0.005. Conclusion: In ART-naive HIV-1-infected patients in our setting, females had significantly higher VL and lower CD4+ cell count, at the same VL threshold, compared to males, and hence were more likely to be at a higher risk of rapid progression to AIDS. Therefore, gender-based strategies for early identification and engaging females into care are required in this setting to mitigate against rapid progression to AIDS.

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2017

Individuals with HIV, especially those on antiretroviral therapy (ART), may have increased risk o... more Individuals with HIV, especially those on antiretroviral therapy (ART), may have increased risk of hypertension. We investigated the prevalence of hypertension at enrolment and 12 months after commencing ART in a Nigerian HIV clinic. Data from patients enrolled for ART from 2011 to 2013 were analysed, including 2310 patients at enrolment and 1524 re-evaluated after 12 months of ART. The presence of hypertension, demographic, clinical and biochemical data were retrieved from standardized databases. Bivariate and logistic regressions were used to identify baseline risk factors for hypertension. Prevalence of hypertension at enrolment was 19.3% (95% CI 17.6-20.9%), and age (p<0.001), male sex (p=0.004) and body mass index (BMI) (p<0.001) were independent risk factors for hypertension. Twelve months after initiating ART, a further 31% (95% CI 17.6-20.9%) had developed hypertension. Total prevalence at that point was 50.2%. Hypertension among those on ART was associated with age (p...

Nigerian Medical Journal, 2016

Organization, the overall mortality rate is 1%, but climbs to 15% among hospitalized patients, 8 ... more Organization, the overall mortality rate is 1%, but climbs to 15% among hospitalized patients, 8 and rates exceeding 40% have been reported in Nigeria. 9,10 While the Nigerian strains of LV may be more virulent, 11 delays in instituting appropriate treatment could also account for the higher mortality. Timely administration of intravenous ribavirin, a virustatic guanosine analogue, reduces mortality. 12 However, questions regarding the efficacy and appropriate dosages

International Journal of Mycobacteriology, 2016

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) could be fatal if left untreated, however, adverse effects of anti-... more Background: Tuberculosis (TB) could be fatal if left untreated, however, adverse effects of anti-TB medications (anti-TBs) themselves may limit treatment. We determined the incidence and clinical characteristics of hepatotoxicity in hospitalized patients receiving first-line anti-TB treatment. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients aged P18 years seen at the medical wards of the Jos University Teaching Hospital from January 2013 to June 2013 was carried out. Data were retrieved for 110 patients who were prescribed anti-TBs. Their demographic and clinical characteristics were described, and the incidence of symptomatic hepatotoxicity determined. The incidence of hepatotoxicity by strict American Thoracic Society criteria (symptomatic hepatotoxicity plus alanine transaminase in IU/L levels >3 Â upper limit of normal) was also determined. Results: Twenty patients developed symptomatic hepatotoxicity, giving an incidence of 18.2%. Furthermore, 18 (16.4%) patients had hepatotoxicity according to the American Thoracic Society criteria. Those with symptomatic hepatotoxicity unexpectedly had lower baseline alanine transaminase interquartile range (IQR) (35 [16-63] vs. 67 [4-226]; p = .04) and bilirubin (lmol/L): total IQR (15.

Nigerian journal of medicine : journal of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria

We audited the diagnosis and antibiotic therapy of patients admitted with sepsis in a resource-li... more We audited the diagnosis and antibiotic therapy of patients admitted with sepsis in a resource-limited Nigerian hospital setting in order to improve the quality of sepsis care. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the records of medical patients admitted for sepsis at the Jos University Teaching Hospital between September 2011 and August 2012. Data analysis included age, sex, appropriateness of sepsis diagnosis/severity, comorbidities, utility/yield of sample cultures, antibiotic therapy, duration of hospital stay and treatment outcome. Only 94 out of 142 cases (66.2%) were judged to meet the diagnostic criteria for sepsis. Out of the 94 patients, 77 (82%) were appropriately classified for sepsis severity. Nineteen patients (20%) met criteria for severe sepsis/septic shock. The commonest comorbidity was HIV/AIDS (57.3%). All the patients received empirical antibiotic therapy but in 23 cases (24.5%), the empirical prescriptions were judged inappropriate and none was administered ...

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2014

African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2021

Transmission of COVID-19 is facilitated by uptake of droplets containing coronavirus from the bre... more Transmission of COVID-19 is facilitated by uptake of droplets containing coronavirus from the breath, sneeze or cough of infected persons. This represents the commonest mode of coronavirus infection and spread to mucous membranes of the respiratory system. The virus rapidly replicates in alveolar cells, triggering a strong immune response, resulting in cytokine storm syndromes and pulmonary tissue damage. These pathologic processes contribute to a compromised pulmonary function. Thus, evaluation of pulmonary function would give insights into modulatory effect of agents that may be beneficial in ameliorating this pathology. The study evaluated effects of Cov-Pla1 and Cov-Pla3 (polyherbal products of the research team, positioned for treatment of Covid-19) on pulmonary function in bleomycin-induced lung injury in rabbits. Rabbits of both sexes were divided into six groups and treated with the extracts alone or the extract following pre-treatment with bleomycin. Targeted respiratory fu...

PLOS Global Public Health

Hearing loss is the third leading cause of years lived with disability. Approximately 1.4 billion... more Hearing loss is the third leading cause of years lived with disability. Approximately 1.4 billion people have hearing loss, of which 80% reside in low- and middle-income countries with limited audiology and otolaryngology care available to them. The objective of this study was to estimate period prevalence of hearing loss and audiogram patterns of patients attending an otolaryngology clinic in North Central Nigeria. A 10-year retrospective cohort study was carried out analyzing 1507 patient records of pure tone audiograms of patients at the otolaryngology clinic at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State, Nigeria. Prevalence of hearing loss of moderate or higher grade increased significantly and steadily after age 60. Compared to other studies, there was a higher prevalence of overall sensorineural hearing loss (24–28% in our study compared to 1.7–8.4% globally) and higher proportions of the flat audiogram configuration among the younger age patients (40% in younger patients...

Journal of Virus Eradication, 2018

Background: lassa fever (lF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to West africa. The clinical p... more Background: lassa fever (lF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to West africa. The clinical presentation and course is variable, making diagnosis difficult. Aim: To report the outbreak and identify the common clinical presentations of lF in paediatric patients in Jos, Plateau state, north central, nigeria. Methods: This was a retrospective review of patients managed for lF during the June-august 2017 outbreak. lF was suspected in cases with: fever of less than 3 weeks' duration that had not responded to antimalarials or antibiotics, myalgia, abdominal pain, prostration and history of contact with any person diagnosed with lF. lF was confirmed by a positive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test (rT-Pcr). Results: Ten adolescents were studied. The common presenting complaints were fever (100%), prostration (90%) and headache (70%) while the commonest clinical signs were pyrexia (temperature >38.0 o c; 90%), prostration (80%) and abdominal tenderness (80%). leukocytes were present in urine in 60%. eight individuals recovered fully, one adolescent died and one developed intestinal perforation necessitating laparotomy. Conclusion: in settings such as north central nigeria, lF should be suspected in any patient with fever that is unresponsive to antimalarials and antibiotics, especially in the presence of prostration, tachypnoea, tachycardia or abdominal tenderness. early diagnosis and treatment is needed to reduce mortality from the disease and protect against transmission to health personnel.

Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice, 2019

Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important means of preventing hospital-acquired ... more Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important means of preventing hospital-acquired infections. We set out to determine the knowledge, training gaps, and practice of HH in a tertiary health institution in a resource constrained setting. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among health care workers in a 600-bed capacity tertiary health centre. The study was conducted between April and November 2013. A multi-stage randomized sampling method was used to self-administer 322 WHO HH knowledge questionnaires. Information on HH training in the past 3 years, knowledge and practice of HH were obtained, and data were analysed using Epi-Info version 3.5.1. Results: A response rate of 98.5% was obtained for the HH knowledge assessment. Mean age of the study population was 39 ± 9.8. About 64% were females. Of all the respondents, only 16% had good knowledge of HH, 52% had moderate knowledge while 32% had poor knowledge. About 24% had formal training on HH. In terms of practice, only about 22% of the respondents self-reported routine practice of HH. Conclusions: The findings in this study suggest that there is sub-optimal HH knowledge, practice and training. It is imperative to improve the HH training and retraining of health care workers with a focus on attendants. Administrative controls and bold signage in healthcare institutions are also recommended.

PLOS Global Public Health

Lassa fever (LF) is endemic in West Africa and constitutes a significant public health concern du... more Lassa fever (LF) is endemic in West Africa and constitutes a significant public health concern due to its potential for epidemics and associated high mortality. The first reported case and management of Lassa fever in Plateau State occurred more than 50 years ago. We set out to undertake a three-year epidemiological review of LF cases in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. This is a retrospective study of all confirmed LF cases in Plateau State between 2016 and 2018. Plateau state Lassa fever- Line list and patient case records were used to extract relevant data. Lassa PCR was carried out at the NCDC accredited Laboratory network. Data analysis was done using STATA version SE14.1. Forty-four persons (44) had confirmed LF over the examined period, 18 (41%) in 2016, 15 (34%) in 2017 and 11 (25%) in 2018. The mean age was 29.7±14.6 years and 53% were males. Sixty-six percent (66%) of the patients resided in rural areas. It affected all local government areas (LGA) in the state except...

International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, Aug 26, 2020

Background: COVID-19 is a disease that has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Health workers have ... more Background: COVID-19 is a disease that has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Health workers have been identified to be at a higher risk compared to the general population due to increased exposure primarily at the work place and having to deal with a novel disease whose epidemiology is still evolving. As health workers are vital to control efforts, their response will be influenced by what they know, their perception of the disease and their practices. This study therefore sought to assess the knowledge, perceptions and practices of health workers on COVID-19 in Plateau State, Nigeria. Method: It is a descriptive study that used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data on 105 health workers of Plateau State who were purposively selected. Data was collected on their knowledge, perceptions and practice of COVID-19 and analyzed using SPSS version 23 at a confidence interval of 95%. Results: Mean age of health workers was 42.5 ± 9.2 years. Females made up 58% of the respondents, males were 42%. Nurses made up 69% of the respondents. More than 70% had worked for 10-29 years. Knowledge of COVID-19 was found to be inadequate in 57% of the health workers with social media being most frequent (69.5%) source of information. Most (86.6%) respondents had a good perception towards COVID-19 and 62.8% were willing to attend to a COVID-19 patient. There were consistent practices of hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Sixty percent had access to at least one form of personal protective equipment though 72.4% had never had training on putting on the full personal protective gear required for COVID-19. Conclusion: There is an urgent need for training of health care workers in Plateau State and provision of full personal protective gear to ensure their safety at work.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2020