Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Haemodialysis Care at a Tertiary Centre in South East Nigeria

COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on health services for patients suffering from chronic diseases. Patients suffering from kidney failure require heamodialysis and this modality of treatment is mostly offered in the hospital. Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on haemodialysis care at a tertiary institution in South East, Nigeria include a reduction in the number of haemodialysis cases during the period of lockdown, an increase in the cost of heamodialysis, scarcity of materials used for the procedure and minor disruption of haemodialylsis care. An improvement in infection control practice at the dialysis unit is observed as a positive effect. It is advocated that the government should assist patients with kidney disease and make the procedure free to ameliorate the health and socio-economic hardships faced by the patients during the pandemic.

Prevalence of Carotid Atheromatous Plaques in Pre-Dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients in South East, Nigeria

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have considerably high atherosclerotic changes which predict cardiovascular events;hence, this study evaluated the prevalence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in pre-dialysis CKD patients at a tertiary institution in south-east, Nigeria. Materials and Method: 107 pre-dialysis CKD patients were consecutively recruited for the study. 81 subjects who were screened and had no kidney disease served as control. The control group was sex and age matched with the CKD patients. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered to all participants and physical examination was done. Presence of atheromatous plaques was assessed using doppler ultrasound at 3 sites—distal common carotid artery (CCA), the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the carotid bulb by a single skilled radiologist specialized in doppler ultrasound. Results: Atheromatous plaques were significantly increased in CKD patients. 14.2% of CKD patients had atheromatous plaques versus 2.5% in the control group (p value < 0.05). Commonest site of occurrence was at the common carotid artery (CCA-7.5% versus ICA-4.7% versus bulb 1.8%). Conclusions: Atheromatous plaques are prevalent in CKD patients. It is recommended that carotid doppler ultrasound should be done in CKD patients to identify patients for possible intervention.

Post Stroke Depression: Experience at Abakaliki Nigeria

Background: Post stroke depression (PSD) is the most common psychiatric complication following stroke. There has not been any study to demonstrate its burden in Abakaliki, Nigeria. It is against this backdrop that we embarked on this study of the frequency and pattern of PSD in Abakaliki Nigeria. Method: This is a cross-sectional observational hospital based study undertaken at the Adult Neurology Outpatient Clinics of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Nigeria from February 2021 to July 2021 (6 months period). Results: Amongst the 110 stroke survivors enrolled in the study, 36 (32.7%) had Post Stroke Depression (PSD) with preponderance of mild type. Female gender and young age were associated with the presence of PSD. Conclusion: Post stroke depression is prevalent amongst stroke survivors in Abakaliki, Nigeria and more preponderant in women and young individuals.