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Biomedical subjects

T Mengesha

Publications and source records attributed to T Mengesha.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Parasight-F dipstick antigen test in the diagnosis of falciparum malaria in Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the shelf life, rapidity and diagnostic performance of ParaSight-F. DESIGN: Prospective randomised study. SETTINGS: Malaria diagnostic and treatment posts and health centres in central-southern part of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and eighty two subjects randomly selected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Double blind evaluation of the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of PFT versus CBF. RESULTS: The point prevalence was found to be 29.7% with species dominance of P. falciparum to P. vivax in the ratio of 4:1. The ParaSight-F test showed, considering P. falciparum only, a sensitivity of 92.5% and specificity of 93%. A remarkably high positive predictive value (PPV) of 82% as well as a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99% was obtained. Considering all species of Plasmodium, sensitivity was 78.6% and specificity 93%, with PPV and NPV of 82% and 91% respectively. Moreover, PFT was found to be rapid with a batch of ten-strips--a rack completed in 30 to 50 minutes, which was five to six times faster than CBF reading. In shelf-life studies, after one year of storage at room temperature, results were found similar to the original readings, indicating the stability and long durability of the test strips. CONCLUSION: In their durability and high diagnostic performances, both the microscopic slide readings and PFT were found comparable and interchangeable, and advantage in endemic areas where laboratory facilities are not available. The rapidity of PFT may be of greater value during malaria epidemics. But during non-epidemic seasons, the inability of PFT not to detect all forms of malaria remains a draw back.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Comparative efficacy and safety of chloroquine and alternative antimalarial drugs: a meta-analysis from six African countries.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the currently used antimalarial drugs in six African countries. DESIGN: A meta-analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The role of efficacy, safety and cost on the selection of antimalarial drugs. RESULTS: The comparative efficacy study showed that amodiaquine (with > 90% cure rate) was superior to chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine at seven days schedule. The efficacy of amodiaquine was also observed to be comparable to that of mefloquine and halofantrine. The parasite clearance time (PCT) of these drugs ranged between two days and a week and the fever clearance time (FCT) was within 48 hours. The recrudescence rate at D14-D21 was found to be 12-17% in chloroquine and amodiaquine, while sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine showed a trend similar to halofantrine and mefloquine (0-12% recrudescence rate). Similarly, a big difference was also noted in the cost of the different antimalarial drugs. The pharmacokinetic data, however, showed that they are of similar profile, except in adverse features and contraindications, and values like their half-life (t1/2) where the long (t1/2) in drugs like sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine endows them with suppressive-cure feature, especially against recrudescent strains. Nevertheless, as these data are obtained from resident population in Africa, who however naive are exposed to few malaria challenges in their life, the results should not be directly extrapolated to total non immunes such as visitors from Europe. CONCLUSION: The choice of alternative antimalarial drugs should be mainly based on their relative efficacy, safety and cost.

Africa, Eastern↗
PubMed1997

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: a case report.

A 45 year old male patient presented with shock and abdominal mass to emergency medical Out Patient Department of the Police Force General Hospital in March 1996. This patient was diagnosed to have ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and died shortly after admission. There have been, to our knowledge, no published data from Ethiopia regarding rupture of aortic aneurysm. We therefore present the first case. The clinical presentation, course and literature review will be presented.

Aneurysm, Ruptured↗