ELECTRICAL

Introduction: Dysphagia is a prevalent and life-threatening condition after an acute stroke. It causes under-nutrition, dehydration, and aspiration pneumonia. Besides, while swallowing therapy is conventional, other therapies such as electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) are being researched on how they can boost swallowing recovery. Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish the impact of EMS in conjunction with swallowing therapy and routine swallowing therapy among patients with dysphagia who had undergone acute stroke. Methods: This research involved a quasi-experimental study done at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Thirty-two patients who had undergone an acute stroke with dysphagia were chosen purposively into either the intervention group (n=22) or the control group (n=10). The intervention group underwent EMS treatment and routine swallowing therapy (swallowing exercises, positioning, and diet modification) for four weeks, while the control group had routine swallowing therapy alone. Evaluation of swallowing function before and at the end of four weeks was done using the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS). Results: Highly significant improvement was observed among the intervention group participants (p < 0.001) as compared to the improvement among the control group participants (p = 0.011). Nonetheless, the Mann-Whitney U-test indicated a statistical significance between the final FOIS scores of both groups (U = 64.00; p = 0.043). In terms of their final FOIS scores, the intervention group had a mean score of 5.55 ± 1.47 while the control group had a mean score of 3.80 ± 2.25. Conclusion: From the results of this research, it can be concluded that routine swallow therapy is effective while the use of EMS yields significantly better results for swallowing function among patients with stroke-related dysphagia. Key Words: Stroke, Dysphagia, EMS, Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS).

Efficient healthcare delivery relies heavily on accurate, accessible, and secure patient information. In Nigeria, the current method of managing patient records remains largely manual, fragmented, and uncoordinated across different healthcare facilities. This has led to frequent duplication of medical tests, prolonged waiting times, and poor continuity of care. The need for a centralized and interoperable digital solution is therefore essential in improving patient outcomes and overall healthcare efficiency. This roject focuses on the design and prototype implementation of a web-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) system named HealthHive. The system aims to consolidate patient medical data from multiple hospitals into a single, secure, and user-friendly platform accessible to patients, healthcare providers, and administrators. HealthHive emphasize interoperability, scalability, and data security while ensuring that patient privacy is upheld through role-based access control and encrypted communication. The project adopts the Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) approach, with modeling tools such as Use Case Diagrams and Class Diagrams utilized to represent the system’s architecture and interactions. The proposed system demonstrates how centralized digital records can minimize redundancies, promote data sharing between healthcare institutions, and enhance decision-making through accurate medical histories. Ultimately, this prototype lays the foundation for a national EHR framework capable of transforming healthcare management in Nigeria by improving accessibility, efficiency, and trust within the healthcare ecosystem.