MicroResearch: finding sustainable local health solutions in East Africa through small local research studies.

BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan African countries have urged grassroots input to improve research capacity. In East Africa, MicroResearch is fostering local ability to find sustainable solutions for community health problems. At 5years, the following reports its progress. METHODS: The MicroResearch program had three integrated components: (1) 2-week training workshops; (2) small proposal development with international peer review followed by project funding, implementation, knowledge translation; (3) coaching from experienced researchers. Evaluation included standardized questions after completion of the workshops, 2013 online survey of recent workshop participants and discussions at two East Africa MicroResearch Forums in 2013. RESULTS: Between 2008 and 2013, 15 workshops were conducted at 5 East Africa sites with 391 participants. Of the 29 projects funded by MicroResearch, 7 have been completed; of which 6 led to changes in local health policy/practice. MicroResearch training stimulated 13 other funded research projects; of which 8 were external to MicroResearch. Over 90% of participants rated the workshops as excellent with 20% spontaneously noting that MicroResearch changed how they worked. The survey highlighted three local research needs: mentors, skills and funding - each addressed by MicroResearch. On-line MicroResearch and alumni networks, two knowledge translation partnerships and an East Africa Leaders Consortium arose from the MicroResearch Forums. CONCLUSION: MicroResearch helped build local capacity for community-directed interdisciplinary health research.

Cardiovascular complications in newly diagnosed rheumatic heart disease patients at Mulago Hospital, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Complications of rheumatic heart disease are associated with severe morbidity and mortality in developing countries where the disease prevalence remains high. Due to lack of screening services, many patients present late, with severe valve disease. In Uganda, the disease and its complications are still not well studied. OBJECTIVE: To profile and describe cardiovascular complications in newly diagnosed rheumatic heart disease patients attending the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study where consecutive, newly diagnosed rheumatic heart disease patients were assessed and followed up for complications, such as heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, recurrence of acute rheumatic fever, and stroke. RESULTS: A total of 309 (115 males and 196 females) definite rheumatic heart disease patients aged 15-60 years were enrolled in the study and analysed. Complications occurred in 49% (152/309) of the newly diagnosed rheumatic heart disease cases, with heart failure (46.9%) the most common complication, followed by pulmonary arterial hypertension (32.7%), atrial fibrillation (13.9%), recurrence of acute rheumatic fever (11.4%), infective endocarditis (4.5%) and stroke (1.3%). Atrial fibrillation and acute rheumatic fever were the most common complications associated with heart failure. CONCLUSION: In this study we found that about 50% of newly diagnosed rheumatic heart disease patients in Uganda presented with complications. Heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension were the most commonly observed complications.

Traditional methods in management of diarrhoeal diseases in Uganda.

A total of 292 traditional healers were interviewed in five districts of Uganda to discover how diarrhoeal diseases were treated by them. At least two healers were present in every village visited, and over 42% of their case-load was concerned with diarrhoeal treatment. The investigation showed that a great variety of herbs/plants are used by traditional healers in the treatment of diarrhoeal diseases. All those interviewed used water as the main vehicle for their herbal preparations, the amount prescribed daily ranging from 20 ml to over 100 ml for children (in the case of 54.5% of healers) and 100 ml to over 500 ml for adults (56.6%); 26.4% of healers considered fluid supplements as mandatory and 70.5% advised patients to take as much fluid as possible. Only 3.1% of healers either limited or did not advise fluid intake. These findings indicate that traditional healers could play an important role in interventions to control diarrhoeal diseases using modern oral rehydration therapy if they are assisted to improve their techniques.

Evidence for the involvement of a plasma kallikrein-kinin system in the immediate hypotension produced by endotoxin in anaesthetized rats.

1. In vitro incubation of normal rat plasma with endotoxin from E. coli (3-10 mg ml-1) in the incubation mixture) caused a dose-dependent increase in levels of free kinin and plasma kallikrein in the presence of o-phenanthroline, together with a mirror-image, dose-dependent decrease in the residual levels of the precursors, plasma prekallikrein and high-molecular-weight kininogen. Low-molecular-weight kininogen levels were not modified. 2. Intravenous injection of endotoxin (3-30 mg kg-1) into the femoral vein of anaesthetized rats resulted in dose-dependent hypotension. In blood collected up to 15 min after injection, the levels of prekallikrein and high-molecular-weight kininogen in plasma were decreased while levels of the active forms, plasma kallikrein and free kinin, showed a transient increase in the blood 1 min after administration of endotoxin. 3. A degradation product of bradykinin, des-Phe8-Arg9-bradykinin, as measured by a newly developed enzyme immunoassay, was detectable up to 5 min after administration of endotoxin. 4. Intravenous infusion of soybean trypsin inhibitor inhibited both the formation of bradykinin and des-Phe8-Arg9-bradykinin and the initial hypotension. 5. It can be concluded from our results that plasma prekallikrein is activated in the blood immediately after administration of endotoxin to rats and that bradykinin is a major cause of the immediate hypotension.