Buruli Ulcer: Treatment Challenges at Three Centres in Ghana
Aims. This retrospective study was to identify some challenges in the treatment of Buruli ulcer (BU) and present a proposed treatment regime. Materials and Methods. Information from patients medical records, hospital database, and follow-up findings on BU treatment procedures from 1994 to 1998 and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/371915 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850216399238070272 |
|---|---|
| author | Pius Agbenorku Isaac K. Donwi Pawson Kuadzi Paul Saunderson |
| author_facet | Pius Agbenorku Isaac K. Donwi Pawson Kuadzi Paul Saunderson |
| author_sort | Pius Agbenorku |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aims. This retrospective study was to identify some challenges in the treatment of Buruli ulcer (BU) and present a proposed treatment regime.
Materials and Methods. Information from patients medical records, hospital database, and follow-up findings on BU treatment procedures from 1994 to 1998 and from 2004 to 2007 at three research sites in Ghana were reviewed to determine the treatment challenges encountered. Data needed were recorded and analyzed, and results presented using SPSS version 17.0. Results. A total of 489 BU patients information was selected for the study. A majority (56.90%, ) of the patients were children (0–14 years), with a mean age of 12.8 years. Significant challenges in BU treatment in Ghana identified included sequelae (
), delayed treatment (
), and high treatment cost (
). Duration of hospital stay was clearly correlated with the time spent at home prior to admission; spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was 0.72 (95% CI 0.42–0.87). Conclusion. Delays in seeking treatment among BU patients were the main factor which resulted in most of the other factors contributing to the challenges in treatment. A combination of psychosocial and biomedical approach was proposed as holistic method to alleviate the challenges in BU treatment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3c0c02824c2d4ff088261e6072d49fa8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1687-9686 1687-9694 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-3c0c02824c2d4ff088261e6072d49fa82025-08-20T02:08:19ZengWileyJournal of Tropical Medicine1687-96861687-96942012-01-01201210.1155/2012/371915371915Buruli Ulcer: Treatment Challenges at Three Centres in GhanaPius Agbenorku0Isaac K. Donwi1Pawson Kuadzi2Paul Saunderson3Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Mathematics, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Mathematics, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaAmerican Leprosy Missions, 1 Alm Way, Greenville, SC 29601, USAAims. This retrospective study was to identify some challenges in the treatment of Buruli ulcer (BU) and present a proposed treatment regime. Materials and Methods. Information from patients medical records, hospital database, and follow-up findings on BU treatment procedures from 1994 to 1998 and from 2004 to 2007 at three research sites in Ghana were reviewed to determine the treatment challenges encountered. Data needed were recorded and analyzed, and results presented using SPSS version 17.0. Results. A total of 489 BU patients information was selected for the study. A majority (56.90%, ) of the patients were children (0–14 years), with a mean age of 12.8 years. Significant challenges in BU treatment in Ghana identified included sequelae ( ), delayed treatment ( ), and high treatment cost ( ). Duration of hospital stay was clearly correlated with the time spent at home prior to admission; spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was 0.72 (95% CI 0.42–0.87). Conclusion. Delays in seeking treatment among BU patients were the main factor which resulted in most of the other factors contributing to the challenges in treatment. A combination of psychosocial and biomedical approach was proposed as holistic method to alleviate the challenges in BU treatment.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/371915 |
| spellingShingle | Pius Agbenorku Isaac K. Donwi Pawson Kuadzi Paul Saunderson Buruli Ulcer: Treatment Challenges at Three Centres in Ghana Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| title | Buruli Ulcer: Treatment Challenges at Three Centres in Ghana |
| title_full | Buruli Ulcer: Treatment Challenges at Three Centres in Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Buruli Ulcer: Treatment Challenges at Three Centres in Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Buruli Ulcer: Treatment Challenges at Three Centres in Ghana |
| title_short | Buruli Ulcer: Treatment Challenges at Three Centres in Ghana |
| title_sort | buruli ulcer treatment challenges at three centres in ghana |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/371915 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT piusagbenorku buruliulcertreatmentchallengesatthreecentresinghana AT isaackdonwi buruliulcertreatmentchallengesatthreecentresinghana AT pawsonkuadzi buruliulcertreatmentchallengesatthreecentresinghana AT paulsaunderson buruliulcertreatmentchallengesatthreecentresinghana |