Evaluation of physiologic pain in relation to pain substances in healthy subjects.

This study was aimed at finding a relationship between pain modulators in the blood and physiological pain in apparently healthy Nigerians. It also aimed at establishing a pilot study for finding reference values for plasma levels of substance P, serotonin and tryptophan for the first time among Nigerians. Volunteers were made up of 110 residents of Abuja, aged between 21 and 50 years. Cold pressor test was used to induce pain assessing pain intensity, threshold and tolerance. ELISA was used to assay for plasma substance P, serotonin and tryptophan. Pain parameters from cold pressor test were correlated with plasma pain modulators measured. Results from cold pressor test revealed pain intensity to be 5.79±0.25cm, pain threshold 28.77±2.32s and pain tolerance 143.62±24.39s. Blood plasma level of substance P was 116.52±20.53pg/mL, serotonin 454.18±30.16ng/mL and tryptophan 12.77±0.67µg/mL. There was negative correlation between pain threshold and plasma substance P, pain tolerance and plasma substance P and pain threshold and plasma serotonin. There was however a positive correlation between pain intensity and plasma serotonin. In conclusion, the regression formulas may aid in using cold pressor test to predict blood substance levels of the measured pain modulators in a low resource setting like Nigeria where ELISA test is very expensive.

Global blood pressure screening during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from the May Measurement Month 2021 campaign.

BACKGROUND: Raised blood pressure (BP) remains the biggest risk factor contributing to the global burden of disease and mortality, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. May Measurement Month (MMM), an annual global screening campaign aims to highlight the importance of BP measurement by evaluating global awareness, treatment and control rates among adults with hypertension. In 2021, we assessed the global burden of these rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Screening sites were set up in 54 countries between May and November 2021 and screenees were recruited by convenience sampling. Three sitting BPs were measured, and a questionnaire completed including demographic, lifestyle and clinical data. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP at least 140 mmHg and/or a diastolic BP at least 90 mmHg (using the mean of the second and third readings) or taking antihypertensive medication. Multiple imputation was used to impute the average BP when readings were missing. RESULTS: Of the 642 057 screenees, 225 882 (35.2%) were classified as hypertensive, of whom 56.8% were aware, and 50.3% were on antihypertensive medication. Of those on treatment, 53.9% had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg). Awareness, treatment and control rates were lower than those reported in MMM campaigns before the COVID-19 pandemic. Minimal changes were apparent among those testing positive for, or being vaccinated against COVID-19. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 94.7% reported no change in their treatment because of the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: The high yield of untreated or inadequately treated hypertension in MMM 2021 confirms the need for systematic BP screening where it does not currently exist.

Physicians' perception of task sharing with non-physician health care workers in the management of uncomplicated hypertension in Nigeria: A mixed method study.

INTRODUCTION: Task sharing and task shifting (TSTS) in the management of hypertension is an important strategy to reduce the burden of hypertension in low-and middle-income countries like Nigeria where there is shortage of physicians below the World Health Organization's recommendations on doctor-patient ratio. The cooperation of physicians is critical to the success of this strategy. We assessed physicians' perception of TSTS with non-physician health workers in the management of hypertension and sought recommendations to facilitate the implementation of TSTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an explanatory sequential mixed method study. TSTS perception was assessed quantitatively using a 12-item questionnaire with each item assigned a score on a 5-point Likert scale. The maximum obtainable score was 60 points and those with ≥42 points were classified as having a good perception of TSTS. Twenty physicians were subsequently interviewed for in-depth exploration of their perception of TSTS. RESULTS: A total of 1250 physicians participated in the quantitative aspect of the study. Among the participants, 56.6% had good perception of TSTS in the management of hypertension while about two-thirds (67.5%) agreed that TSTS program in the management of hypertension could be successfully implemented in Nigeria. Male gender (p = 0.019) and working in clinical settings (p = 0.039) were associated with good perception. Twenty physicians participated in the qualitative part of the study. Qualitative analysis showed that TSTS will improve overall care and outcomes of patients with hypertension, reduce physicians' workload, improve their productivity, but may encourage inter-professional rivalry. Wide consultation with stakeholders, adequate monitoring and evaluation will facilitate successful implementation of TSTS in Nigeria. CONCLUSION: This study showed that more than half of the physicians have good perception of TSTS in hypertension management while about two-thirds agreed that it could be successfully implemented in Nigeria. This study provides the needed evidence for increased advocacy for the implementation of TSTS in the management of hypertension in Nigeria. This will consequently result in improved patient care and outcomes and effective utilization of available health care personnel.

Essential medicines and technology for hypertension in primary healthcare facilities in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) now constitute major cause of morbidity and mortality in middle and low income countries including Nigeria. One of the major efforts at controlling CVDs in Nigeria includes expanding universal access to care through the primary healthcare (PHC) system. The study was to assess essential medicines and technology for control of hypertension in PHC facilities in Ebonyi Nigeria. METHODS: The study used mixed method cross-sectional survey to assess availability, affordability and accessibility of essential medicines and technology in 45 facilities and among their patients with hypertension (145). RESULTS: Most of the PHC facilities (71.1%) assessed were rural. The heads of facilities were mainly community health extension workers (86.7%). One (2.2%) facility had a pharmacy technician. All facilities had been supervised by the regulatory authority in the last one year. Out of 15 anti-hypertensive drugs assessed, 10 were available in some facilities (2.2%-44.4%) but essential drug availability was low (<80%). Only mercury sphygmomanometers were available in all facilities with 82.2% functioning. Stethoscopes were available in all facilities and 95.6% were functional. Glucometers were present in 20.0% of facilities and were all functional. All the respondents (100.0%) reported they could not afford their anti-hypertensive drugs. Median monthly income was 8,000 Nigerian Naira (range = 2,000-52,000). Median monthly cost of anti-hypertensive drugs was 3,500 Naira (range = 1,500-10,000). For 99 (68.3%) of the respondents, the facilities were accessible. Median cost of transportation for care was 400 Naira (range = 100-2,000). CONCLUSION: Gaps still exist in the provision of hypertension control services in PHC facilities in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The essential drugs were not always available, and cost of the drugs were still a challenge to the patients. There is urgent need to expand health insurance coverage to rural communities to ameliorate the catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditures and improve control of CVDs.

Unmet needs of hypertension care in Nigeria: results of the community action against non-communicable diseases (COMAAND) project preintervention survey.

OBJECTIVE: Assessing the state of hypertension care remains the first step towards planning a robust health system needed to tackle the rising burden of hypertension. Prior to the commencement of the Community Action Against Non-Communicable Disease project, we assessed hypertension care using the hypertension care cascade (HCC). This will serve as a baseline to evaluate project performance upon completion. METHODS: Hypertensive subjects were grouped into a mutually exclusive care cascade of 5 categories including unscreened and undiagnosed; screened but undiagnosed; diagnosed but untreated; treated but uncontrolled and treated with controlled hypertension. RESULTS: Of the 372 participants, mean age 48.9 years, 161 (43.3%) were hypertensive, of whom only 12.0% had controlled blood pressure (BP). Among the 88.0% with uncontrolled BP,19.0% were unscreened and undiagnosed, 48.5% were screened but undiagnosed, 13.0% were diagnosed but untreated and 7.5% were treated but BP uncontrolled. The HCC demonstrates that 19% of the hypertensive patients were lost at the screening stage, 60% of those who were screened never diagnosed, 40% of those who were diagnosed did not receive treatment and 60% of those who were on treatment did not reach target BP. CONCLUSION: Unmet need of hypertension care is substantially high, thus underpinning the need for intervention with a multifaceted approach.