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Biomedical subjects

A C Longe

Publications and source records attributed to A C Longe.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Effect of haemoglobin levels on cerebral infarct subtypes at high altitude.

In a prospective observational study of haemoglobin (Hb) values of Saudi nationals presenting to Assir Central Hospital, Abha (altitude 2500m) with first-ever acute cerebral infarction, the mean Hb concentration and the proportion of patients with subcortical infarct (SCI) who had Hb values of 14.5g/dl or greater (high normal Hb group), were compared with those of cortical infarct (COI) patients and controls. Thirty-six (22.8%) of 158 patients had SCI and 122 had COI. The mean Hb of SCI patients was 15.2g/dl compared with 14.7g/dl for age and sex matched controls (p = 0.16; NS) and 14.5 g/dl for COI patients (p = 0.10; NS). However, a significantly greater proportion of SCI patients (72%) had high normal Hb values compared with 51% of COI patients (p = 0.02). The difference between the proportion of SCI patients (72%) who had high normal Hb and that of controls (64%) was not significant (p = 0.58). There was a small but significantly increased risk of experiencing SCI as against COI if a patient's Hb value was in the high normal range (odds ratio 2.5; 95% Confidence Interval 1.1 to 5.7 for combined male and female data and 3.8; 95% CI, 1.02 to 13.77 for male patients).

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Staphylococcal vertebral osteomyelitis: case report.

A 65-year old male Saudi patient presented with rapidly progressive quadriparesis. Lower cervical myelopathy was associated with radiological features of bone destruction, inflammatory disease of the spine and a paravertebral mass. Although tuberculosis and brucellosis are more commonly responsible for this clinical picture in our practice, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from tissue recovered at surgery. He has been followed up for 12 months and has made an almost complete recovery after surgical decompression of spinal cord and a 2-month course of intravenous flucloxacillin. This case underscores the need for tissue diagnosis in patients presenting with inflammatory paravertebral swellings even in areas endemic for tuberculosis and brucellosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Computed tomographic brain scan findings in Saudi epileptic patients.

Computed tomographic (CT) brain scan was performed on 142 consecutive epileptic patients of Saudi Arab extraction without clinical features of acute illness or a progressive neurological disorder at presentation. CT brain scan was normal in 56 patients (39%). CT scan was abnormal in 57 (73%) of 78 patients over 20 years of age compared with 29 (45%) of 64 younger patients (x2 = 11.3; p < 0.001); and in 25 (75%) of 36 patients presumed to suffer from symptomatic epilepsy on clinical grounds compared with 36 (46%) of 76 others with idiopathic epilepsy (x2 = 8.2; p < 0.01). Potentially treatable lesions were detected in 11 (8%) patients and congenital lesions in 9 (6%). Multiple lesions were present in the CT scan of 20 patients. Cerebral atrophy (CA), the commonest lesion detected, was present in 52 (37%) of 142 patients and 60% of 86 patients with abnormal CT scans. Diffuse CA was present in 21% of 78 patients over 20 years of age compared with 14% of 64 younger patients. Similarly, diffuse CA occurred in 25% of 48 patients with late-onset epilepsy compared with 14% of 94 patients in whom seizures began before the age of 20 years. Our findings are in accord with those previously reported and underscore the need for selective and judicious use of CT scan facilities in epileptic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Prevalence of neurological disorders in Udo, a rural community in southern Nigeria.

The residents of Udo, a rural community of Edo-speaking people (population 2,925) in Bendel State, Nigeria were screened in a door-to-door survey for neurological disorders by specially instructed primary health care workers (PHW). A standard protocol was followed by PHW in collecting census data, administering a screening questionnaire, and performing a simple neurological examination. A neurologist confirmed the presence of neurological disorders in 235 (47%) of 504 screen-positive subjects after further clinical evaluation. The point prevalence ratios, per 1,000 population, for the most common neurological disorders identified in Udo were: migraine 63.2, febrile convulsions in children under 7 years of age 10.7, epilepsy 6.2, peripheral neuropathy 2.1 and myelopathy 1.7.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

The specificity and sensitivity of CSF and blood glucose concentration in the diagnosis of neonatal meningitis.

In a prospective study of high-risk newborn infants, the specificity and sensitivity of CSF/blood glucose ratio were studied in 35 newborn infants with meningitis and 100 high-risk neonates without meningitis. High CSF/blood glucose ratios of 0.93 (0.17) (Mean (S.D.) ) for preterm infants and 0.96 (0.30) (Mean (S.D.) ) for term infants were observed. The CSF/blood glucose ratios of less than 0.6 for preterm meningitic and less than 0.5 for term meningitic infants had the highest specificity (100%). The corresponding sensitivity of these ratios in the diagnosis of meningitis was 74.3% and 71.4% respectively. Similarly, an absolute CSF glucose value of less than 1.3 mmol/l in infants with meningitis was highly specific. Nevertheless, complete clinical evaluation of the infant is important if bacterial meningitis is suspected and the decision to treat should not be based on CSF glucose findings alone.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1984

Neonatal meningitis in Nigerian infants.

53 Nigerian infants with neonatal meningitis were prospectively studied. The striking features were: (a) the higher predisposition (26.7-fold) of LBW infants to developing meningitis than has been previously reported in the literature; (b) the predominant role of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus; and (c) the rarity of salmonella organisms and the conspicuous absence of group B streptococcus as aetiological pathogens. The outcome was related to the age of onset and type of micro-organism. The presence of neurological signs, particularly nuchal rigidity and bulging anterior fontanelle, carried a poor prognosis. The overall mortality was 37.7%.

Female↗
PubMed1981

Seizures in the Nigerian neonate: perinatal factors.

A prospective study of 55 infants with neonatal seizures admitted to the Special Care Baby Unit of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital over a 5.5-year period revealed that perinatal asphyxia and hypoglycemia were the principal aetiologic factors in about 71% of the cases. The most frequently encountered seizure types were unilateral clonic (51.5%). Generalized clonic and massive generalized myoclonic seizures were found in 14 (25.5%) and seven (12.7%) cases, respectively, and subtle seizures in three. The overall incidence was 3.5/1000 live births, with a preponderance of male infants in the seizure population, among whom preterm infants were significantly more common. The mortality, (34.5%) was closely related to the etiology. Since the associated adverse perinatal events are largely preventable, improved prenatal and perinatal health care delivery should lead to a decline in the frequency of neonatal seizures.

Asphyxia Neonatorum↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epilepsy and psychosis: a comparison of societal attitudes.

Pioneer investigators in Nigeria have presented a gloomy picture of epilepsy as a highly infectious and disastrous disease in the eyes of the public. As a result, epileptic persons suffer untold social deprivations and discrimination in education, employment, housing, marital life, etc. These assertions have been repeated over the years more as a result of incidental observations while reviewing hospital cases than as products of attitude research on the subject. We assumed, therefore, that these statements should be considered as impressive hypotheses needing to be tested. By employing the Osgood semantic differential and the behavioral differential of Triandis, we assessed the attitude of the normal literate general public toward persons with epilepsy and "cured" psychotic patients and how closely the public would associate or socialize with these people. We also inquired into the public's opinion about the causes of epilepsy and psychosis, since this knowledge is necessary for attitude formation and change. On the whole, the general attitude toward epileptic patients is negative, and toward "cured" psychotic patients, positive. There are sex differences, in that males perceive epileptic patients more favorably than females do. However, both males and females would discriminate against both the epileptic and "cured" psychotic person in terms of employment, residential accommodation, friendship, and marital relations. The major perceived causes of epilepsy reported were heredity, witchcraft, and brain damage, in that order, not infection. About 25% admitted ignorance of the cause of epilepsy, as against 1% for psychosis. The psychoses were reportedly caused mainly by Indian hemp smoking, drug abuse, brain damage, and witchcraft, in that order.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sensory conduction velocities in healthy Nigerian adults.

Sensory conduction velocities (SCV) were determined in two segments of four peripheral nerves--ulnar, median, sural and superficial peroneal nerves--in healthy Nigerian adults. The segments of nerves tested were those in the wrist--finger and elbow--wrist portions of the upper extremity; and ankle--foot and distal one-third of the leg in the lower limb. The SCV in healthy Nigerians were similar to those reported in Caucasians. The use of surface clip electrodes facilitates the recording of antidromic sensory compound action potentials in nerves of the foot.

Adolescent↗