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Background Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions in children worldwide. Its presentation is heterogeneous, with diverse underlying aetiology, clinical presentation, and prognosis. Structural brain abnormalities are among the recognized causes of epilepsy. Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice for epilepsy workup. We aimed to determine the prevalence and describe the structural abnormalities identified in the brain MRI studies performed on children with epilepsy from two urban hospitals in Kampala, Uganda. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study performed at two urban hospital MRI centres. The study population was 147 children aged 1 day to 17 years with confirmed epilepsy. Brain MRI was performed for each child and a questionnaire was used to collect clinical data. Results The prevalence of structural abnormalities among children with epilepsy was 74.15% (109 out of 147). Of these, 68.81% were male, and the rest were female. Among these, the majority, 40.14% (59 of 144) were aged 1 month to 4 years. Acquired structural brain abnormalities were the commonest at 69.22% with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) leading while disorders of cortical development were the most common congenital causes. An abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) was significant for brain MRI abnormalities among children with epilepsy with 95% of participants with an abnormal EEG study having epileptogenic structural abnormalities detected in their brain MRI studies. Conclusion and recommendation Two-thirds of children with epilepsy had structural brain abnormalities. Abnormal activity in the EEG study was found to positively correlate with abnormal brain MRI findings. As such, EEG study should be considered where possible before MRI studies as a determinant for children with epilepsy who will be having imaging studies done in the Ugandan setting.

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of secondary and tertiary level neonatal interventions on neonatal mortality over a period of 11 years.DesignInterrupted time series analysis.SettingNsambya Hospital, Uganda.InterventionsNeonatal secondary interventions (phase I, 2007–2014) and tertiary level interventions (phase II, 2015–2020).ParticipantsNeonates.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary outcome: neonatal mortality. Secondary outcome: case fatality rate (CFR) for prematurity, neonatal sepsis and asphyxia.ResultsDuring the study period, a total of 25 316 neonates were admitted, of which 1853 (7.3%) died. The average inpatient mortality reduced from 8.2% during phase I to 5.7% during phase II (p=0.001). The CFR for prematurity reduced from 16.2% to 9.2% (p=0.001). There was a trend in reduction for the CFR of perinatal asphyxia from 14.9% to 13.0% (p=0.34). The CFR for sepsis had a more than a twofold increase (3%–6.8% p=0.001) between phase I and phase II.ConclusionImplementation of secondary and tertiary neonatal care in resource-limited settings is feasible. This study shows that these interventions can significantly reduce the neonatal mortality, with the largest impact seen in the reduction of deaths from perinatal asphyxia and prematurity. An increase in sepsis related deaths was observed, suggesting emphasis on infection control is key.

Background Currently, Sub Saharan Africa is faced with a substantial burden from diabetes mellitus. In most of the African countries, screening for diabetes related complications and control of blood pressure and glycaemic levels is often suboptimal. The study aimed at assessing the extent of optimal glycaemic and blood pressure control and the frequency of screening for diabetic complications in adult ambulatory Ugandan diabetic patients. Methods This was a retrospective study of 250 medical records of adult diabetic patients attending the outpatient diabetic clinic at St. Raphael of St. Francis hospital Nsambya in Kampala, Uganda. Results The mean age of the patients was 51.6 ± 9.2 years with the majority being females (155, 62%). Using fasting blood glucose levels assessed in all the patients, optimal glycemic control of <7.2 mmol/l was noted in 42.8% of the patients. Glycated haemoglobin was performed at least once in the last year in 24 (9.6%) patients , of which 5 (20.8%) of these attained optimal control of <7%. Optimal blood pressure (BP) control defined as BP ≤140/80 mmHg was noted in 56% of the patients. Hypertension and diabetic neuropathy were the most screened for diabetic complications in 100% and 47.2% of the patients respectively and were also the most prevalent diabetic complications (76.4% and 31.2% respectively). Conclusions This study demonstrates that glycemic and blood pressure control and screening for diabetic complications among the adult ambulatory diabetic patients in this urban diabetic clinic is suboptimal. This substantiates development and implementation local guidelines to improve diabetes care.

Background Early recognition of antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure in resource limited settings is a challenge given the limited laboratory facilities and trained personnel. This study aimed at describing the incidence, risk factors and the resistance associated mutations (RAMs) of first line treatment failure among HIV-1-infected children attending the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), Kampala, Uganda. Methods A retrospective cohort of 701 children who had been initiated on ART between January 2004 and September 2009 at the JCRC was studied. Data of children aged 6 months up to 18 years who had been started on ART for at least 6 months was extracted from the clinic charts. The children who failed the first-line ART were taken as cases and those who did not fail as the controls. Data was analysed using STATA version10. Results Of 701 children, 240(34%) failed on first line ART (cases) and 461(66%) did not fail (controls). The overall median time (IQR) to first line ART failure was 26.4 (18.9 – 39.1) months. The factors associated with treatment failure were poor adherence [(OR = 10, 95 CI: 6.4 – 16.7) p < 0.001], exposure to single dose nevirapine (sdNVP) [(OR = 4.2, 95% CI:1.8-9.4), p = 0.005] and a NVP containing regimen [(OR = 2.2,95% CI:1.4-3.6), p < 0.001]. Of 109 genotypic resistance profiles analyzed, the commonest non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance associated mutations (RAM) were: K103N (59; 54%)), Y181C (36; 27%)) and G190A (26; 24%)) while the commonest nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) RAM was the M184V (89; 81%). Thymidine analogue- mutations (TAMs) were detected in 20% of patients. Conclusions One in three children on first-line ART are likely to develop virological treatment failure after the first 24 months of therapy. Poor adherence to ART, a NVP based first-line regimen, prior exposure to sdNVP were associated with treatment failure.

Primary B-cell immunodeficiencies are risk factors for the generation of vaccine-derived polioviruses. We report immunodeficiency-associated vaccine-derived poliovirus serotype 3 in an 11-week-old boy with X-linked agammaglobulinemia. Unique characteristics of this case include early age of presentation, high viral evolutionary rate, and the child’s perinatal exposure to human immunodeficiency virus.