Expectant mothers’ perception of prenatal sonography in a South‑Eastern population in Nigeria

Background: Prenatal sonography is very important for quality patient management and effective service delivery in diagnostic radiology during the antenatal period.Aim: The study was conducted to assess the perception of pregnant women to prenatal sonography and to investigate the factors affecting maternal satisfaction to prenatal sonography in some tertiary institutions in south‑eastern Nigeria.Materials and Methods: The study was a cross‑sectional study that involved 150 patients. It was conducted by administering semi‑structured questionnaires. The questionnaire contained a total of 17 questions consisting of 16 close‑ended questions and 1 open‑ended question. The respondents were pregnant women who presented for obstetric sonography in Federal Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centers in south‑eastern Nigeria. The data were analyzed descriptively using frequency tables and percentages.Results: There was a high indication of clinical use of obstetric ultrasound such as the health and well‑being of the foetus (35.3%), foetal age determination, and the expected date of delivery (24.7%). Most respondents (84.6%) perceived prenatal sonography as being necessary, and 66.7% of the patients considered the result of obstetric sonography to be reliable. Majority of the respondents (88.7%) considered the services rendered during their sonographic scan to be satisfactory.Conclusion: Most of the women perceived prenatal sonography as necessary and reliable. The services rendered during sonography were also considered satisfactory by most women; however, most pregnant women did not know about diagnostic ultrasound safety during the prenatal period.Keywords: Maternal; perception; prenatal; sonograph

Grades of gallbladder diseases using the gallbladder contraction index: a pilot study

The aim of this study was to develop a pilot model for the assessment of the severity of gallbladder diseases based on gallbladder contraction index, clinical and sonographic appearances of the gallbladder. The gallbladder contraction index (GBCI) was obtained as the average of the first tenand the first 20minutes contraction indices. A range of 5% to 77% previously obtained in normal subjects was adopted in this study. Gallbladder contraction index in combination with other variables:sonographic appearances and clinical presentations were used for the grading of gallbladder diseases in the present study. This pilot model may have a good diagnostic performance but a clinical prospective evaluation is needed to confirm its actual value

Impact of ultrasound and sociodemographic variables on maternal foetal attachment in Taraba State, Nigeria

Background: Maternal foetal attachment is manifested in behaviors that demonstrate care and commitment to the foetus. Ultrasound decreases maternal anxiety and confers psychological benefit following a reassuring sonogram.Maternal-foetal attachment is affected by many socio-demographic factors which include maternal age, occupation, educational level, race, marriage duration, ethnicity, Religion, income status, pregnancy planning, and identification of the foetal gender.Aim: This study was aimed at assessing the effect of ultrasound and sociodemographic factors on maternal foetal attachment during pregnancy.Method: A prospective study was conducted from November, 2019 to March, 2020. A convenient sampling method was employed and included 404 pregnant women aged 18-45 years old in their 2nd and 3rd trimester. The data were collected using a maternal foetal attachment scale questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out at p value < 0.05.Result: The score of maternal foetal attachment scale was greater with post ultrasound than the pre ultrasound. There was statistically significant difference between the pre and post ultrasound maternal foetal attachment scale (p=0.000). A statistically significant difference was observed in the maternalfoetal attachment across the different ethnic groups (p=0.000), planned and unplanned pregnancy (p=0.000).Conclusion: This study revealed that ultrasound scan has influence on maternal foetal attachment, planned pregnancy. Hausa, Bandawa and Jenjo were found to be more attached to their foetuses

Chest radiograph patterns and their correlation with CD4 count in adults with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

The only available treatment for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) at the moment is antiretroviral therapy (ART). The chest radiograph patterns in adults with HIV could be used as an alternative or surrogate to CD4 count in monitoring the progress of treatment in resource poor settings where these tests and expertise are not available. This study was aimed at evaluating chest the radiograph patterns in HIV sero-positive adults and correlating with the CD4 cells count. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among patients diagnosed of HIV using the National algorithm at the HIV Clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. A purposive sampling method was employed and three hundred and twenty (320) HIV sero-positive adult participants were recruited. Postero-anterior chest x-ray projection was performed on all the participants and the radiographs were reported by two consultant Radiologists and the CD4 counts was determined. Pulmonary TB was the most frequent finding (22.1%) while bronchitis was the least frequent finding (0.9%). and normal radiograph (52.6%). The CD4 count was less than, 200 cells/mm3 in 38.3% of the participants. There was a strong correlation between chest radiograph patterns and CD4 cells count (r=-0.53; p=0.001). This study revealed that the most predominant radiographic patterns are Pulmonary Tuberculosis. A strong negative correlation was observed between chest radiograph patterns and CD4 count. The Chest radiograph patterns may be recommended as a measure of immunosuppression in adults with HIV in Nigeria

Effect of municipal solid waste contamination on some geotechnical properties of soil.

This study examined some geotechnical engineering properties of municipal solid waste contaminated soils in selected locations in Nigeria. Samples of soil were collected at 0.5m depth from the selected dumpsite, and a free land (uncontaminated soil) which served as control. The properties of the soils investigated include: particle size distribution, natural moisture content, consistency limits, maximum dry density, optimum moisture content and specific gravity. Test results revealed that the contaminated soils possess lower plastic limit, maximum dry density and specific gravity than the uncontaminated soil. However, the contaminated soil yielded higher natural moisture content, liquid limit, plasticity index, optimum moisture content and fine particles content than the uncontaminated soil. Therefore, within the limit of this study, it can be inferred that the geotechnical properties of the contaminated soil were reduced due to the influence of the municipal solid waste, and this makes the soils unsuitable for engineering applications

Incidence of occupational stress among medical radiographers: a population based zonal survey.

Biomechanical and Psychosocial stresses are capable of destabilizing any health care professional. The current health sector reform in Nigeria, which lays emphasis on service delivery on a background of very few radiographers, may lead to an increase in stress level. This study investigated the incidence of occupational stress among radiographers in southeastern Nigeria. 50 self-completionquestionnaires were delivered to radiographers in the southeastern Nigeria. The questionnaires included questions seeking information on the demographic profile of the radiographer, anatomical regions of biomechanical systems/stress and Visual analogue scale (VAS), which rated job satisfaction and anxiety levels. 32 questionnaires were returned and analyzed statistically. Biomechanical stresswas observed in all anatomical regions studied. Job satisfaction rating was 61.3% and anxiety level was 45.3%. This study has provided a baseline stress level and prevalence among radiographers withwhich future studies in view of the on going health sector reform in Nigeria could be compared

Exploring the views of Heads of Schools on School Health Services in Public Primary Schools in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Background: School health services offer a great opportunity for many children to access primary health care, especially in developing countries. This study assessed the status of health services in public primary schools in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria from the perspectives of the school heads.Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted among 24 public primary school head masters/mistresses in the three Local Government Areas making up Enugu metropolis. They were purposively selected from the 117 public primary schools in the metropolis. Data were collected through the use of Key Informant Interview (KII) guide, and analyzed using thematic approach.Results: Only one of the participants knew about the school health policy, while others expressed surprise at its existence. All the schools had a first aid box, but most of the boxes were not sufficiently stocked. None of the schools had a trained first aider. De-worming was carried out once in a while in all the schools. Majority of the schools did not document health services provided. The schools rarely referred pupils to health facilities as needed, but rather informed parents if their children became ill while in school.Conclusion: The implementation of health services in public primary schools in Enugu Metropolis leaves much to be desired. Health services, including health appraisal were generally poor. Basic resources necessary for school health services were lacking in the schools. There is need for stakeholders to take urgent steps in order to redress the situation

Isolation, Identification and Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Public Health Threat Enteric Bacteria from Milk and Dairy Products Retail in Abakaliki, South-East, Nigeria

Milk and foods made from milk is manufactured into more stable dairy products of worldwide value, such as butter, cheese, ice cream, and yoghurt. Consumption of contaminated milk or dairy products by pathogens causes human gastrointestinal infection, which leads to diarrheal disease in human and hospitalization or death in severe cases especially among elderly and children. An assessment of milk and dairy products was designed to determine the microbiological quality of milk and dairy products consumed in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Culture techniques were used for isolation of enteric bacteria from retail dairy products and disk diffusion method were used to determine the Antibiotic Resistance profile of isolates. Bacteria pathogens isolated were characterized and identified using morphological and biochemical techniques. SPSS and Chi-square test were used for the analysis of the study, P-value of 0.02 indicates a significant difference between the bacteria pathogens counts. A total of 161 pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 100 dairy products. Salmonella spp heard (26.1%), Escherichia coli (44.1%) and Shigella spp. (29.8%). All identified isolates were found to be 100% susceptible to ciprofloxacin and gentamycin, with 66.7% for ofloxacin. Augmentin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol and spectinomycin was 100% resistant. Data obtained confirm that milk and dairy products retailed in Abakaliki pose a serious public health threat to consumers due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria. Standard and good storage conditions, as well as environmental and personnel hygiene should be practiced to prevent contamination of milk and dairy products for the safety of consumers

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Blood Pressure Reducing Effect of Bitter Kola ( Garcinia kola , Heckel) in Wistar Rats

In this study the effect of Garcinia kola (GK) on blood pressure was investigated. Albino wistar rats were divided into three groups. Groups A rats had normal rat chow and water ad-libitum while groups B and C rats had Garcinia kola diet of 10% w/w and 15% w/w respectively, their blood pressures were monitored weekly for a period of 6 weeks. Secondly, inbred wistar rats weighing on the average 185g were anaestezized with thiopentone sodium 100mg/kg body weight (b.wt) intraperitoneally and prepared for injection and for blood pressure measurements on a recording device (Ugo Basile Itlay). Significant reduction in blood pressure (P <0.05) was observed in rats given GK-enriched diets, in the third week. During preliminary investigations it was observed that 5.0mg/kg b.wt dose of extract was lethal after 6 minutes, while 3.0mg/kg b.wt of the extract was tolerated for upwards of four hours. Based on these findings, graded doses of the extract. (0.5 – 3.0mg/kg) were used and these doses produced statistically significiant (P <0.05) fall in mean arterial pressure and also significant (P <0.05) increase in heart rate. Cholinergic blockade produced no significant attenuation on the effect of extract. However there was a significant (P <0.05) attenuation to extract effect after Histaminergic blockade. This study shows that Garcinia kola contains in its alcohol extract, a vasoactive substance that has a blood pressure reducing effect