The prevalence of accessory renal arteries in sudanese population in Khartoum State: a cross-sectional CT study from 2017 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: Renal artery variations are clinically significant due to their implications for surgical procedures and renal function. However, data on these variations in Sudanese populations are limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of renal artery variations in a Sudanese population. METHODS: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted in Khartoum state from October 2017 to October 2020. A total of 400 Sudanese participants who underwent abdominal CT scans were included. Data on demographic characteristics, kidney measurements, and renal vasculature were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 46.7 ± 18 years, with a nearly equal gender distribution. Overall, renal artery variations were present in 11% of participants, with accessory renal arteries observed in 6% of the study population. Among those with accessory vessels, 50% were on the right side, 29.2% on the left, and 20.8% bilateral, distributed across hilar 29.2%, lower polar 29.2%, and upper polar 41.7% regions. No significant associations were found between accessory renal arteries and age or gender (p-value > 0.05). However, participants with accessory renal arteries exhibited significantly narrower width 5.0 ± 1.4 than those with no with accessory renal arteries 5.8 ± 1.1 (p-value 0.002) Early dividing renal arteries were found in 5% of participants, with nearly half being bilateral. No significant associations were found between the presence of early dividing renal arteries and demographic or renal measurements (p-value > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insights into the prevalence and characteristics of renal artery variations in a Sudanese population. The findings contribute to our understanding of renal anatomy in this demographic and can inform clinical practice and surgical planning, particularly in renal transplantation and other renal procedures.

Preoperative ECG Abnormalities Among Patients Who Underwent Elective Surgical Operations at the Kuwaiti Specialised Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of preoperative ECG abnormalities has shown wide variation, and its value has been argued; thus, this study aimed to determine preoperative ECG abnormalities among Sudanese patients and their correlates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Kuwaiti Specialised Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan, from October 2020 to March 2021, including all patients over 40 years of age who planned to undergo elective surgery. Demographic, clinical, and ECG findings were obtained during the pre-anaesthesia check-up. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS software version 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). RESULTS: The study included a total of 304 patients with a mean age of 60±14 years, a male predominance of 210 (69.1%) patients, the presence of hypertension (HTN) in 65 (21.4%), and diabetes mellitus (DM) in 58 (19.1%) patients. The study showed that 235 (77%) patients had at least one ECG abnormality. However, 62 (20.4%) were diagnosed as having normal ECG variations; the most commonly diagnosed abnormality was ischemic heart disease (IHD) (32.5%), followed by sinus tachycardia (39, 12.8%). The QRS complex abnormalities were the most common (100, 32.9%), with M-shaped QRS (RSR pattern) being the most common single ECG abnormal sign (65, 21.4%). The ECG abnormalities showed no significant association with age (p-value = 0.24), gender (p-value = 0.16), DM (p-value = 0.77), HTN (p-value = 0.35), asthma (p-value = 0.35), or the grade of surgery (p-value = 0.52). However, the diagnosis of IHD was associated with the presence of HTN (p-value = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Incidental preoperative ECG abnormalities are common among Sudanese patients undergoing elective surgery, affecting more than three-quarters of them and being of diagnostic value as they led to the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease in nearly one-third of patients. Hypertensive patients may benefit from routine preoperative ECG testing, as ECG signs of ischemic heart disease are more common among hypertensive patients.

Assessment of BlaTEM, BlaSHV, and BlaCTX-M genes of antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacilli causing urinary tract infections in Khartoum State: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Gram-negative bacilli are the most common etiological agents responsible for urinary tract infections. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacilli is increasing at a rapid pace globally, which is constraining the available choices for UTI treatment. The objectives of this study are to identify the most common causal organisms of urinary tract infections (UTIs), and to determine their drug resistance patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional hospital-based study conducted at El-Amal Hospital, Bahri Teaching Hospital, and Al-Baraha Hospital, Khartoum State, from March to October 2022. Urine samples from patients suspected to have UTI were collected, and patients with confirmed UTI by laboratory investigations and yielded culture growth were enrolled. Antibiotic sensitivity testing and PCR testing of the blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCTX-M genes were done. RESULTS: This study included 50 patients with UTI out of 229 suspected patients (21.8%). The most prominent group of patients was older than 60 years (40%); the majority were females (70%). Escherichia coli was the most prevalent isolated organism (50%), followed by Klebsiella oxytoca (24%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (20%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4%), and Citrobacter freundii (2%). A small percentage of organisms were resistant to colistin (17%). However, 77% were resistant to amikacin, 97.6% to cefotaxime, 96.8% to ceftazidime, 97.6% to ceftriaxone, 96.8% to cefixime, 87.6% to ciprofloxacin, 88.4% to gentamycin, 62% to imipenem, 67.6% to meropenem, 87.6% to norfloxacin, and 95.6% to trimethoprim. The overall resistance of isolated gram-negative organisms was 81%. The most prevalent gene for the resistance was blaTEM (100%), followed by blaCTX-M (94%), and then blaSHV (84%). CONCLUSION: Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species were the most commonly isolated uropathogens in this study, and the majority were highly resistant to most of the antimicrobial agents tested. Resistance genes blaTEM, blaCTX-M, and blaSHV are very common in uropathogens.