eMagazine April 2023

OUR PEOPLE,
OUR MISSION
Global Health
eMagazine
April 2023
Perspectives
Reports from the Field
Highlights
Reflections
Nursing Division
Women’s Health Education
Hispanic/Latinx Community
Ugandan Voices
Innovation and Technology
Our Beautiful Planet
Art to Remind Us of
Who We Can Be
Video of the Month
Announcement
New Publications
Article of the Month
Welcome
Among the Letters
Congratulations
Photo News
Calendar
Global Health Family
Resources
Previous Issues of
the eMagazine
On this second admission, this prior history quickly raises suspicion of a similar
diagnosis and Upper GI endoscopy confirms the suspicion as multiple foreign
bodies in the stomach were seen causing gastric outlet obstruction. Erect
abdominal x-ray also confirms GI perforation. The patient reported hearing
unfamiliar voices compelling her to ingest nails and other metals within her reach
which she obeyed. The patient was prepared for an emergency laparotomy.
Intra-operatively, a midline incision was made on the anterior abdominal wall
and found a distended stomach with two nails perforating through its wall. A 5
cm gastrostomy incision was then made 4 cm away from the greater curvature
and found over 143 metallic foreign bodies of varying sizes and types. These
were completely evacuated as shown in the pictures below. Gastric lavage was
done using normal saline and Decasan before repairing the defect, closing the
gastrostomy incision, and closing the anterior abdominal wall. The patient was
then transferred to the Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) for post-operative
monitoring from where she was subsequently moved to the surgery ward under
the care of the surgical team and a psychiatrist. Patient had an uneventful
recovery post operatively.
Mental health is an active state of mind which enables a person to use their
abilities in coordination with the common human tenets of society. Mental
health disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety,
other psychoses, dementia, developmental disorders like autism etc. However,
despite its importance, it is often the least prioritized amongst health conditions.
In low- and medium-income countries like Uganda where disease, ignorance,
and poverty are common, a demand for a steadfast mental healthcare can
seem a luxury. Uganda is ranked among the top six countries in Africa in rates of
depressive disorders (4.6%; Miller et al., 2020), while 2.9% live with anxiety disorders
(WHO, 2017). About 5.1% of females and 3.6% of males are affected. Statistics
from the ministry of health and Uganda counseling association revealed than
an estimated 14 million Ugandans (35 out of every 100) suffer from a certain
form of mental disorder. If each person from this category interacts with two
people, that means the country is directly or indirectly affected by mental health
disorders. This is worsened by the hiking cost of living and increased economic
stress. Medical students, given their usually stressful schedules are one particular
group of people with increased likelihood of mental health disorders. More is
needed to be done in tackling mental health challenges as they continue to rise
day in day out in Uganda.
Link to the Video
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YHrjIawGi86kHLNOcfML3weH9jl-oh9x/
view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zqc1WvizuwJF5zZAXY-9KIurn9O2nL5w/
view?usp=sharing
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