RESUMEN
Objectives: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) stemmed from the search of humans for other means of relieving pain and managing diseases which has plagued its existence. CAM use is on the increase among the general population in both the developed and developing nations and also among surgical patients. There is therefore a need to ascertain the perceived adverse effects, the safety perception and the determinants of its use so as to improve the advocacy for adequate regulation. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study carried out among surgical outpatients in a tertiary hospital. One hundred and fifty patients between the ages of 18 and 85 years were recruited. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from each participant. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results: The lifetime prevalence of CAM use among the respondents was 76 % while the point/current prevalence was 37.3 %. The percentage of current users using CAM for surgical complaints was 30.4 %. Biological based therapy accounted for 110 (72 %) of CAM used and unbranded herbal products was responsible for more than two-third of it. Almost a third of the patients (46, 30.7 %) perceived that CAM is safe while 62 (41.3 %) were not sure of its safety. Only 15 (13.2 %) and 6 (5.3 %) have ever recorded side effects and drug interactions respectively. Older age group, income less than 10,000 Naira, positive safety perception and belief about CAM were identified as determinants of CAM usage. Conclusions: The prevalence of CAM usage among surgical outpatients was quite high and the major determinants of its use are the patient's age, safety perception and their level of income.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health problem. Greater than 90% of rifampicin (RIF)-resistant isolates were also isoniazid resistant, and hence, rifampicin resistance (RR) is frequently used as a surrogate for multidrug-resistant TB. SETTING: This study was conducted at Infectious Disease Hospital Kano in North-Western Nigeria. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of RR among patients previously treated for pulmonary TB (PTB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 120 patients previously treated for PTB with current clinical features of PTB were recruited into this study. Relevant clinical information were obtained using a questionnaire. The sputum was collected and analyzed by the Gene Xpert MTB/RIF® machine to detect RR tuberculosis infection and blood screened for HIV infection. RESULTS: The mean (±standard deviation) age of the participants was 35.9 ± 14.3 years and they comprised 73 (60.8%) males and 47 (39.2%) females. HIV-seropositive rate was 11.7% among the participants. Of the 120 participants, PTB was detected in 35 (29.2%) of the participants by Gene Xpert MTB/RIF and 29 of them were cases of relapse. Five patients (4.2%) had RR tuberculosis and 80% of them were below the age of 45 years. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of RR is not high among previously treated PTB patients in this study when compared with other previous studies. This finding is a window for evaluating the efficacy of current interventions in the region and evidence for the consolidation of existing control policies.