Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Conversion Of Dissertations To Publications At The Aga Khan University Kenya: An Exploratory Study Of Residents Perceptions And Experiences, Brigette Macharia

Theses & Dissertations

Background: The successful completion and submission of a dissertation is a fundamental milestone for many residency programs worldwide. Publication of a dissertation in a peer-reviewed journal makes it more accessible and is impactful within the scientific context. It contributes to the global outlook of total burden of disease, for which significant geographical variation exists. Publication of residents’ research is a convenient surrogate marker for research training and experience. However, the preparation of a manuscript, successful submission and acceptance in a peerreviewed journal is challenging for both residents and their supervisors.

Justification: Aga Khan University (AKU) invests heavily in infrastructure to …

Comparison Of Postoperative Pain Scores Following Bilateral Erector Spinae Versus Bilateral Transversus Abdominis Plane Blocks In Parturients Undergoing Elective Caesarean Delivery Under Spinal Anaesthesia At The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Rawlings Thuranira

Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Good pain control following lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) is essential to facilitate early mobilization and to enable adequate care of the new-born by the mother. Inadequate analgesia after caesarean delivery has been associated with increased incidences of deep venous thrombosis, chronic pain, greater opioid use and postpartum depression. Peripheral or trunk nerve blocks have become popular as part of a multimodal approach, together with opioids and non-steroidal analgesics, in controlling post caesarean pain. While the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has emerged in recent years as the most widely performed block for post caesarean pain the novel erector …

Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility Index Versus Passive Leg Raise For The Assessment Of Fluid Responsiveness In Non-Intubated Spontaneously Breathing Septic Patients, Anne-Marie Githaiga

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Sepsis can cause deleterious organ deterioration due to deranged patient’s response to infection. Rapid fluid loading at diagnosis is part of standard treatment. While inadequate fluid administration may lead to tissue hypoperfusion and organ failure, excessive fluid administration may cause fluid overload and pulmonary oedema. Predictive tools of fluid responsiveness are therefore required to guide fluid resuscitation. The Passive Leg Raise (PLR) manoeuvre can predict fluid responsiveness in non-intubated patients with sepsis-induced hypotension but is challenging to perform in clinical practice. The Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility Index (IVCCI) on the other hand is a non-invasive test that can be …

Determining The Disability Status Of Adult Patients Post General Intensive Care Unit (Icu) Discharge At The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi Using The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0(Whodas)., Khadija Ahmed

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Critical care has evolved throughout the years since the polio outbreak when the first ICU was set up in the USA. There is an increasing number of survivors of critical illness. The survivors have been shown to have prolonged physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments. There is no current information on the status of this patient post-ICU in Africa.

Objectives: To measure the disability status of adult patients post general Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Discharge Using WHODAS 2.0.To determine the factors associated with the degree of disability.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Patients admitted to AKUHN ICU, were …

The Needs At 48 Hours Of Immediate Family Members Of Patients Admitted To The Intensive Care Unit At The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Maalim Fahad

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Family members of patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have been shown to have important needs. Inability of the critical personnel to interrelate appropriately with relatives of critically unwell patients, or to recognize or meet their needs, may lead to increased anxiety, misconception and distrust from relatives.

Aim: To determine the needs of immediate family members of adult patients admitted to ICU at 48 hours at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The Critical Care Family Needs Inventory questionnaire was employed to identify the needs of the immediate relatives …

Chronic Post Mastectomy Pain In Adult Female Patients At Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Jared Owour Mbete

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Breast cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide among women. The improvement in diagnostic and treatment strategies has led to a larger number of survivors who have breast cancer. However, there are complications attributed to breast cancer treatments, including chronic post mastectomy pain (CPMP). CPMP causes physical, social, emotional and functional disability. Once established, it is difficult to treat and negatively impact quality of life of the affected patients. Despite the big number of patients with breast cancer who undergo mastectomy at AKUHN, the burden of CPMP and factors associated with it remain unknown.

Objectives: To …

The Effect Of Premedication With Intravenous Lornoxicam On Propofol Injection Pain At Induction Of General Anaesthesia In Adults: A Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial, Dennis Omari Onyancha

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Propofol is widely used for the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia and offers many key attractive pharmacological qualities that make it suitable for these indications. However, pain on injection is one of its major drawbacks and can be very distressing to patients. There is a paucity of studies that have looked at the effect of lornoxicam on propofol injection pain either as a sole intervention or in combination with any other method.

Primary objective: To determine whether premedication with intravenous lornoxicam had any effect on the intensity of propofol injection pain at induction of general anaesthesia in …

The Effect Of Saline Flush After Rocuronium Bolus On The Proportion Of Patients With Excellent Intubating Conditions In Adult Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery At Akuh-N, Ian Odari

Theses & Dissertations

Background: In emergency surgeries requiring endotracheal intubation, the time to effect of neuromuscular blocking drugs is a crucial time in which patients are predisposed to hypoxia and aspiration into the lungs. Various strategies have been undertaken to shorten this time, including the timing and the priming techniques, dose changes and use of a flush following the muscle relaxant. All these methods had positive results but some are associated with side effects. The effectiveness of a muscle relaxant can either be assessed using the train of four or intubating conditions on the Goldberg scale. In this study, the plan is to …

Effect Of Video-Based Information On Pre-Operative State Trait Anxiety Inventory Scores In Adult Patients Presenting For Elective Caesarean Section, Timothy Kanyeki

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Preoperative anxiety is a common occurrence in patients presenting for surgery with a reported incidence of up to 80%. Higher incidences have been reported in the female population and in the obstetric population compared to general surgical patients. Increased preoperative anxiety has been associated with increased anaesthetic requirements, a more turbulent immediate postoperative course, poor patient satisfaction, protracted hospital stays, and poorer surgical outcomes. Provision of information relating to surgery and anaesthesia to patients has been proven to have benefit in allaying anxiety. However, the best format of information dissemination remains unknown and especially so targeting a specific patient …

Investigating Mpm-Iii, Sofa And Delta Sofa Scoring Systems As Predictors Of Mortality At A Tertiary Hospital In Nairobi, Kenya: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Lilian Lukoko

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Despite major advances, management of critically ill patients worldwide is associated with high mortality rates. Assessment of disease severity is crucial in the analysis of ICU mortality. Although a variety of severity of illness scoring systems have been developed for this assessment and validated across Europe and the USA, few studies exist to show support of their utilization in African countries. There is conflicting evidence regarding the most reliable severity of illness scoring system suitable for resource limited countries as their mortality predictive values differ with different populations. SOFA is already in use at the AKUHN ICU and has …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing The Proportion Of Hypoxia In Sedated Adults Undergoing Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Using Target Controlled Infusion Of Propofol Versus Intermittent Boluses., Catherine Ndosi

Theses & Dissertations

Background: A wide variety of sedation techniques are employed to facilitate various invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Increasingly, propofol is emerging as the preferred sedative agent. Traditionally, it has been administered as intermittent boluses to achieve deep sedation to facilitate gastrointestinal endoscopy. Propofol target controlled infusion can be employed to provide suitably conducive conditions for this purpose.

Objective: The primary objective sought to compare the proportion of hypoxia between the study group receiving intermittent boluses of propofol at 0.25mg/kg as needed, and the other receiving target-controlled infusion of propofol at 2.5mcg/ml during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The secondary objectives were to …

Impact Of Deep Versus Awake Laryngeal Mask Airway Removal On Airway Complications In Spontaneously Breathing Adult Patients Following Isoflurane General Anesthesia., Ronald Ombaka

Theses & Dissertations

Background: The Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) is one of several supra-glottic airway management devices used in anaesthesia. The scope of use of the LMA is progressively expanding to areas previously contraindicated, for instance laparoscopy and prone position surgery. Certain aspects of LMA use remain unsettled. Whether to remove the LMA when a patient is “awake” vs “deep” following anaesthesia is one such area. The manufacturer Ambu® recommends that the AuraOnce™ LMA be removed once the patient is fully awake and protective airway reflexes are active. Despite this, several studies have shown benefit in removal of the LMA while a patient …

Changes To Echocardiography-Derived Left Ventricular Filling Pressures And Cardiac Output In Response To Fluid Boluses In Elderly Patients With Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction Undergoing Vascular Surgery, Sasha K. Shillcutt

Theses & Dissertations

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) of the heart is a condition where the heart does not relax properly. This condition is important during times of stress, as LVDD is associated with significant morbidity of elderly surgical patients. LVDD is often asymptomatic and unrecognized as many of these patients have normal ejection fractions. However, LVDD may lead to heart failure in patients with preserved systolic function, with the incidence being as high as 50% in hospitalized elderly patients. The diagnosis of LVDD is an independent risk factor for postoperative major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and negatively impacts post-surgery readmission rates. Anesthesiologists …

Effect Of Low-Dose Ketamine Versus Fentanyl On Attenuating The Haemodynamic Response To Laryngoscopy And Endotracheal Intubation In Patients Undergoing General Anaesthesia At The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Angela Ongewe

Theses & Dissertations

Background: The use of drugs to attenuate the haemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation is the standard of care during elective surgery. Current evidence is conflicting concerning the best agent and optimal dose for this purpose. In the majority of cases, Fentanyl is widely utilized to attenuate haemodynamic responses. Ketamine, an established available drug, has been scarcely studied in this regard at low doses and against varying doses of other common agents.

Objective: The primary objective was to compare the overall occurrence of hypertension and tachycardia immediately pre-intubation (post-induction) until 10 minutes post intubation between the study group receiving …

Effect Of Laryngeal Mask Airway Manometry On Post-Operative Sore Throat In Spontaneously Breathing Adult Patients Presenting For Surgery At Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, David Njoroge Waruingi

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) are widely used in anaesthesia and are considered to be generally safe. Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a frequent complication following LMA use and can be very distressing to patients. The use of an LMA cuff pressure of between 30 and 32cm of H20 in alleviating postoperative sore throat has not been investigated.

Primary objective: To compare the occurrence of POST between the intervention group in which LMA cuff pressures will be adjusted to 30-32cm of H20 and the control group in which only monitoring of LMA cuff pressures will be done.

Secondary Objectives: To …

Comparison Of Weight Adjusted Dose Versus Fixed Dose Ondansetron In Preventing Shivering Following Spinal Anesthesia For Cesarean Deliveries, Moses Kimuri Gicheru

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Spinal anesthesia is an effective regional anesthesia technique, which is preferred in almost 86% of cesarean sections in the United States and United Kingdom. Eighty percent of cesarean sections done at the Aga Khan University hospital are under spinal anesthesia. Shivering is a common complication of spinal anesthesia, it occurs in 40%-64% of patients after neuraxial anesthesia. Shivering may cause maternal and fetal hypoxemia, maternal discomfort and a problem to the anesthesiologists when it comes to monitoring the patient during cesarean sections.

Ondansetron a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist is effective in treatment and prevention of post spinal anesthesia shivering. In …

A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing The Effect Of Adjuvant Intrathecal 2mg Midazolam To 20-Micrograms Fentanyl On Post-Operative Pain For Patients Undergoing Lower Limb Orthopaedic Surgery Under Spinal Anaesthesia, Francis Otieno Codero

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Intrathecal adjuvants are added to local anaesthetics to improve the quality of neuraxial blockade and prolong the duration of analgesia during spinal anaesthesia. As an intrathecal adjuvant, fentanyl improves the onset and quality of spinal blockade as compared to plain bupivacaine and confers a short duration of postoperative analgesia. However, its use is associated with several adverse effects that range from pruritus to life threatening respiratory depression. Intrathecal midazolam as an adjuvant has been used and shown to improve the quality of spinal anaesthesia and prolong the duration of postoperative analgesia. No studies have been done comparing intrathecal …

A Randomized Control Trial To Assess The Effect Of Aketamineinfusion On Tourniquet Hypertension During General Anaesthesia In Patients Undergoing Upper And Lower Limb Surgery, Joyce Atieno Ongaya

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Tourniquet hypertension arising from tourniquet inflation remains of primary concern to the anaesthetist. One drug commonly used to manage tourniquet hypertension is ketamine. Several studies show that ketamine attenuated the blood pressure rise associated with tourniquet inflation. None of the studies carried out examined the effect of ketamine on tourniquet hypertension for a period of more than one hour or an infusion of the same.

Objective: To compare the effect of an intravenous infusion of ketamine, versus placebo on tourniquet induced hypertension in patients undergoing upper and lower limb surgery under general anaesthesia

Study design: Single blinded Randomized …

A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Haemodynamic Stability In Elderly Patients Undergoing Spinal Anaesthesia At L5,S1 Versus Spinal Anaesthesia At L3,4 At The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Karen Nkatha Mbaya

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Spinal anaesthesia is a routinely used anaesthetic technique for elderly patients undergoing operations involving the lower limbs, lower abdomen, pelvis and the perineum. Spinal anaesthesia has several advantages over general anaesthesia and these include stable haemodynamic variables, less blood loss, less post operative pain, faster recovery time and less post operative confusion. However, despite these advantages, the sympathetic blockade induced by spinal anaesthesia can result in hypotension, bradycardia, dysrhythmias and cardiac arrests. Conventionally, spinal anaesthesia is performed at the level of L3,4 interspace; with a reported incidence of hypotension in the elderly ranging between 65% and 69%. A possible …

The Prevalence Of Postoperative Pain Following Day Surgery In The First 48 Hours At Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Gilbert Mwaka

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Day case surgery services are increasing all over the world. The prevalence of postoperative pain after day surgery is found to be high ranging from 17% to 60%. Little is known about the prevalence of postoperative pain, in Kenya and East Africa, after day case surgeries.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of postoperative pain after day surgery at Aga Khan University (AKUH), Nairobi, to determine the severity/intensity of postoperative pain following day case surgery, and to determine the influence of anxiety and worry on the patients report on postoperative pain.

Study site: The …

Cumulative Incidence Of Post Dural Puncture Headache Following Caesarean Section Under Spinal Anaesthesia At The Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Ednah K. Gisore

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Post dural puncture headache can be a debilitating complication of subarachnoid anaesthesia for a new mother. Successful management of post dural puncture headache requires adherence to clear policies and protocols with close follow up of patients by an experienced obstetric anaesthetist.

Objective: This study examined the cumulative incidence and severity of post dural puncture headache in obstetric patients who consented for spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.

Study site: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.

Study Design: Prospective Cohort study.

Study Population: All women who underwent caesarean sections under spinal anaesthesia and …