Nkemjika Abiakam | University of Southampton (original) (raw)

Papers by Nkemjika Abiakam

BMJ Global Health, Nov 1, 2021

For respirators to provide respiratory protection they must fit the user well, and this is determ... more For respirators to provide respiratory protection they must fit the user well, and this is determined by 'fittesting'-a process of trialling successive facemasks until one is identified which provides a good seal, and thus the user passes 'fit-testing'. ► Pass rates (PR) are the proportion of participants that pass 'fit-testing' and are successful at identifying a facemask that fits. ► Several factors may affect respirator fit and performance; anthropometric influences are relatively well studied and described but the association of gender and ethnicity is disputed. ► The current COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting black, Asian and minority ethnics (BAME) healthcare workers most at risk and appropriately fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is paramount.

International Wound Journal, Mar 5, 2023

Pressure Ulcers (PU) are a major burden for affected patients and healthcare providers. Current d... more Pressure Ulcers (PU) are a major burden for affected patients and healthcare providers. Current detection methods involve visual assessments of the skin by healthcare professionals. This has been shown to be subjective and unreliable, with challenges associated with identifying erythema in darker colour skin. Although there exists a number of promising non‐invasive biophysical techniques such as ultrasound, capacitance measurements, and thermography, the present study focuses on directly measuring the changes in the inflammatory status of the skin and underlying tissues. Therefore, in this study, we aim to analyse inflammatory cytokines collected through non‐invasive sampling techniques to detect early signs of skin damage. Thirty hospitalised patients presenting with Stage I PU were recruited to evaluate the inflammatory response of skin at the site of damage and an adjacent healthy control site. Sebutapes were collected over three sessions to investigate the temporal changes in the inflammatory response. The panel of cytokines investigated included high‐abundance cytokines, namely, IL‐1α and IL‐1RA, and low abundance cytokines; IL‐6, IL‐8, TNF‐α, INF‐γ, IL‐33, IL‐1β and G‐CSF. Spatial and temporal differences between sites were assessed and thresholds were used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of each biomarker. The results suggest significant (P < .05) spatial changes in the inflammatory response, with upregulation of IL‐1α, IL‐8, and G‐CSF as well as down‐regulation of IL‐1RA over the Stage I PU compared with the adjacent control site. There were no significant temporal differences between the three sessions. Selected cytokines, namely, IL‐1α, IL‐1RA, IL‐8, G‐CSF, and the ratio IL‐1α/IL‐1RA offered clear delineation in the classification of healthy and Stage‐I PU skin sites, with receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity. There were limited influences of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the biomarker response. Inflammatory markers provided a high level of discrimination between the sites presenting with Stage I PU and an adjacent healthy skin site, in a cohort of elderly inpatients. Indeed, the ratio of IL‐1α to IL‐1RA provided the highest sensitivity and specificity, indicative that inflammatory homeostasis is affected at the PU site. There was a marginal influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, demonstrating the localised effects of the inflammation. Further studies are required to investigate the potential of inflammatory cytokines incorporated within Point of Care technologies, to support routine clinical use.

Journal of Tissue Viability, May 1, 2023

International Wound Journal, Apr 14, 2023

Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, May 15, 2021

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Journal of Tissue Viability, Aug 1, 2021

BACKGROUND Technologies have been developed to monitor changes in dermal oedema, indicative of th... more BACKGROUND Technologies have been developed to monitor changes in dermal oedema, indicative of the early signs of pressure ulcers. However, there is limited information on the effects of regional differences in tissue morphology on these sub-epidermal moisture (SEM) parameters. This study was designed to investigate the absolute SEM readings across different anatomical sites using a commercial device. METHODS Twenty-four healthy participants were recruited to evaluate basal SEM values at different bony prominences, sampled by an experienced operator. RESULTS Distinct differences were observed in unloaded SEM values across different anatomical sites, notably between the upper and lower extremities. A high degree of variability was observed in particular sites, such as the heels. Moreover, SEM values at certain locations revealed significant relationships with age, BMI and gender (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The study revealed a high level of variability between and within anatomical sites in a healthy cohort of participants. Determining the changes in local skin and sub-dermal tissue status using SEM may require consideration of both site specific and individual demographic factors, with further research needed in cohorts at risk of pressure ulcers.

Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Mar 14, 2023

Nasal vaccination has been shown to provide optimal protection against respiratory pathogens. How... more Nasal vaccination has been shown to provide optimal protection against respiratory pathogens. However, mucosal vaccination requires the implementation of specific immunization strategies to improve its e ectiveness. Nanotechnology appears a key approach to improve the e ectiveness of mucosal vaccines, since several nanomaterials provide mucoadhesion, enhance mucosal permeability, control antigen release and possess adjuvant properties. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the main causative agent of enzootic pneumonia in pigs, a respiratory disease responsible for considerable economic losses in the pig farming worldwide. The present work developed, characterized, and tested in vivo an innovative dry powder nasal vaccine, obtained from the deposition on a solid carrier of an inactivated antigen and a chitosan-coated nanoemulsion, as an adjuvant. The nanoemulsion was obtained through a low-energy emulsification technique, a method that allowed to achieve nano droplets in the order of nm. The oil phase selected was alpha-tocopherol, sunflower oil, and poly(ethylene glycol) hydroxystearate used as non-ionic tensioactive. The aqueous phase contained chitosan, which provides a positive charge to the emulsion, conferring mucoadhesive properties and favoring interactions with inactivated M. hyopneumoniae. Finally, the nanoemulsion was layered with a mild and scalable process onto a suitable solid carrier (i.e., lactose, mannitol, or calcium carbonate) to be transformed into a solid dosage form for administration as dry powder. In the experimental study, the nasal vaccine formulation with calcium carbonate was administered to piglets and compared to intramuscular administration of a commercial vaccine and of the dry powder without antigen, aimed at evaluating the ability of IN vaccination to elicit an in vivo local immune response and a systemic immune response. Intranasal vaccination was characterized by a significantly higher immune response in the nasal mucosa at days post-vaccination, elicited comparable levels of Mycoplasma-specific IFN-γ secreting cells and comparable, if not higher, responsiveness of B cells expressing IgA and IgG in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, with those detected upon a conventional intramuscular immunization. In conclusion, this study illustrates a simple and e ective strategy for the development of a dry powder vaccine formulation for nasal administration which could be used as alternative to current parenteral commercial vaccines.

Journal of Dermatological Science

International Wound Journal

Journal of Tissue Viability

Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Skin Research and Technology

Since the outbreak of COVID‐19 pandemic, clinicians have had to use personal protective equipment... more Since the outbreak of COVID‐19 pandemic, clinicians have had to use personal protective equipment (PPE) for prolonged periods. This has been associated with detrimental effects, especially in relation to the skin health. The present study describes a comprehensive survey of healthcare workers (HCWs) to describe their experiences using PPE in managing COVID‐19 patients, with a particular focus on adverse skin reactions. A 24‐hour prevalence study and multi‐centre prospective survey were designed to capture the impact of PPE on skin health of hospital staff. Questionnaires incorporated demographics of participants, PPE type, usage time, and removal frequency. Participants reported the nature and location of any corresponding adverse skin reactions. The prevalence study included all staff in intensive care from a single centre, while the prospective study used a convenience sample of staff from three acute care providers in the United Kingdom. A total of 108 staff were recruited into t...

Journal of tissue viability, 2021

BMJ Global Health

IntroductionBlack, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are disproportionately affected by COV... more IntroductionBlack, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) has conventionally been developed for a predominantly white male population that does not represent the healthcare workforce. The literature was reviewed to determine the protection offered to female and BAME users.MethodsFive databases were searched. Eligible studies related to respirator fit in the context of anthropometrics, gender and ethnicity. Meta-analysis was performed for gender-based anthropometric differences. A priori protocol registration was not performed.Results32 studies were included and anthropometric data was extracted from 15 studies. Meta-analysis revealed 14 anthropometric measurements were significantly smaller for females. Mean differences ranged from 0.37 mm to 22.05 mm. Gender-based anthropometric differences did not always translate to lower fit factor scores, with 12 studies reporting worse performance and fit for ...

Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging