Research Projects

A description of my past and ongoing research
Published

October 5, 2025


PINGS-2

The PINGS-2 (Phone-Based Intervention under Nurse Guidance after Stroke) is a multicenter randomized controlled trial where routine care of patients who had a recent stroke is compared to those who have nursing support in managing their blood pressure after the stroke. Some of the publications emanating from this project are Sarfo et al. (2021)


PedEcho

This is a review of electrocardiograms done in pediatric patients in Kumasi since 2010. It seeks to bring out the common echocardiographic diagnosis and its changing patterns over the years.


SPARCo

The Sickle Pan-African Consortium (SPARCO-II) consists of a hub in East Africa (Tanzania) and collaborative consortium sites in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria) and Central Africa (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo) which will expand to form the Sickle Pan-African Network involving 20 sites in 15 countries. This consortium is into research involving every aspect of Sickle Cell Disease in both children and adults. Some publications arising from this study include Oppong-Mensah et al. (2023)


Pediatric Weight Estimation

This is a study done in both Kumasi and Tamale to determine the accuracy of the various pediatric weight estimation methods. In the study done at the Child Department of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, children presenting with medical emergencies were recruited. The study done at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital however recruited children with Sickle Cell Disease, Cardiac Pathologies, and those with chronic medical conditions attending the specialist outpatient clinic. Publications arising from these studies include Cosmos Yakubu, Ayi-bisah, and Nguah (2022) and Yakubu, Paintsil, and Nguah (2023)

References

Cosmos Yakubu, Rafiuk, Nedda Ayi-bisah, and Samuel Blay Nguah. 2022. “Accuracy of Weight Estimation in Children Using the Broselow, PAWPER XL, PAWPER XL-MAC, and Mercy Tapes.” Pediatric Emergency Care 38 (9): e1517–22. https://doi.org/10.1097/pec.0000000000002638.
Oppong-Mensah, Yaa Gyamfua, Samuel Frimpong Odoom, Isaac Nyanor, Evans Xorse Amuzu, Suraj Abubakar Yawnumah, Emmanuel Asafo-Adjei, Samuel Blay Nguah, Daniel Ansong, Alex Osei-Akoto, and Vivian Paintsil. 2023. “Hospitalizations Among Children with Sickle Cell Disease Enrolled in the Kumasi Sickle Cell Pan African Consortium (SPARCo) Database: A Cross Sectional Study.” Health Science Reports 6 (9). https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.1534.
Sarfo, Fred Stephen, Albert Akpalu, Ansumana Bockarie, Lambert Appiah, Samuel Blay Nguah, Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng, Sheila Adamu, et al. 2021. “Phone-Based Intervention Under Nurse Guidance After Stroke (PINGS II) Study: Protocol for a Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial.” Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases 30 (8): 105888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105888.
Yakubu, Rafiuk Cosmos, Vivian Paintsil, and Samuel Blay Nguah. 2023. “Weight Estimation in Two Groups of Ghanaian Children with Chronic Diseases Using Broselow, Mercy, PAWPER XL and PAWPER XL-MAC Tapes.” African Journal of Emergency Medicine 13 (2): 109–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afjem.2023.04.003.