Summary Objective To review admissions and deaths at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Ghana from 2011 to 2015, for the purposes of documentation of outcomes and identification of areas for improvement. Design A retrospective descriptive study of NICU Admissions & Discharges from 2011 to 2015. All data in the NICU Admissions & Discharge books were transferred into a spreadsheet and analysed. Setting The NICU of KBTH provides secondary and tertiary care for premature and critically ill term babies in the southern half of Ghana. Results Over the 5-year period, 9213 babies were admitted to the NICU. Admission weights ranged from 300 to 6700g with median of 2400g. Overall mortality rate was 19.2%. Mortality rates were progressively and significantly higher in babies with lower admission weights and earlier gestations. Conclusions We report a high NICU mortality rate of 19.2%, compared to the worldwide range of 3.1% to 29%. This wide range of outcomes is attributable to differences in the severity of illness of patients and to the organisation of resources devoted to obstetric and neonatal care. To substantially improve perinatal and neonatal outcomes, there is a need for wider coverage and better quality of health care; and to consider rationing of care. Complex interventions are necessary to improve outcomes, not just an increase in the allocation of particular resources. Funding None declared

This study was performed to determine the prevalence of CHD among children referred with asymptomatic murmurs and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the assessment of asymptomatic heart murmurs by general paediatricians. We reviewed the records of children who had been referred by general paediatricians to a cardiology clinic for further evaluation of a heart murmur. The referring paediatricians' clinical assessment of the murmur was compared with the cardiologist's echocardiographic diagnosis. A total of 150 children were referred by paediatricians to a paediatric cardiologist for further assessment of a heart murmur. Out of 150 children, 72 had a paediatrician's diagnosis of innocent murmur; of these 72 patients, two (3%) had heart disease on echocardiography. In all, after echocardiography, a range of congenital heart lesions was found in 28 (19%) of the 150 children. CHD is not rare among children with asymptomatic heart murmurs. In this series of children with asymptomatic murmurs, 19% had heart lesions on echocardiography. Most, but not all, of the children with heart lesions were identified on clinical examination by general paediatricians.

ObjectiveTo determine the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and any associated risk factors among preterm infants at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).DesignProspective study.SettingLevel 3 NICU of KBTH from June 2018 to February 2019.ParticipantsEligible infants with birth weight (BW) less than 2 kg or gestational age (GA) less than 37 weeks were examined at scheduled intervals until full maturity of their retina.Outcome measuresThe primary outcome measure was cumulative incidence of ROP and secondary outcome measure was risk factors associated with ROP.ResultsOf the 401 infants, 222 were females (55.4%), mean±SD GA was 32.3±2.4 weeks (median 32, IQR 31 to 34) and mean BW 1.6±0.4 kg (median 1.5, IQR 1.3 to 1.9). The cumulative incidence of ROP was 13.7% (95% CI: 10.5 to 17.5%), with 1.8% (seven infants) having type 1 ROP. Increased risk of ROP was observed in babies with supplemental oxygen exposure (p<0.001), BW less than 1.5 kg (p=0.019), confirmed neonatal sepsis (p=0.001), nasogastric tube feeding (p=0.03) and poor pupillary dilation (0.032). A reduced risk of ROP was observed in boys (p=0.004) and after delivery by caesarean section (p=0.019).ConclusionThe rates of ROP at KBTH are comparable to other NICUs in sub-Saharan Africa. Birth weight less than 1.5 kg, confirmed neonatal sepsis, nasogastric tube feeding and poor pupil dilation were independently associated with increased incidence of ROP. ROP screening should be a part of the routine service for premature infants in Ghana.

Setting Drug resistance threatens tuberculosis (TB) control, particularly among HIV-infected persons. Objective We surveyed antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs from lower-income countries on prevention and management of drug-resistant TB. Design We used online questionnaires to collect program-level data in 47 ART programs in Southern Africa (14), East Africa (8), West Africa (7), Central Africa (5), Latin America (7) and Asia-Pacific (6 programs) in 2012. Patient-level data were collected on 1,002 adult TB patients seen at 40 of the participating ART programs. Results Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing was available at 36 (77%) ART programs, but only used for 22% of all TB patients. Molecular drug resistance testing was available at 33 (70%) programs and used for 23% of all TB patients. Twenty ART programs (43%) provided directly observed therapy (DOT) during the whole treatment, 16 (34%) during intensive phase only and 11 (23%) did not follow DOT. Fourteen (30%) ART programs reported no access to second-line TB regimens; 18 (38%) reported TB drug shortages. Conclusions Capacity to diagnose and treat drug-resistant TB was limited across ART programs in lower income countries. DOT was not always implemented and drug supply was regularly interrupted, which may contribute to the global emergence of drug resistance.