Collapsed buildings in Nigeria

The purpose of this compendium is to survey why many buildings in Nigeria collapse, during or after completion, and find remedy against future occurrences. The method used here is the stock-taking of occurrences as reported in media. It also takes into account the field – book reports by the authors as they ventured out in the field to interview some architects. It was discovered that quite a number of these cases are never reported for fear of sanctions. The findings were that governments don’t make such sanctions public. Moreover, the use of quacks in the building industry had contributed in no small measure. Conclusion therefore was that, Government must develop stiffer measures on defaulters and get consultants and contractors registered. All registered consultants (architects and engineers) must be made public and Quacks must be made to find their ways out of the building industry. Draughtsmen should not claim to be architects, engineers or builders

Medical law: Exploring doctors' knowledge on the laws regulating clinical and medical laboratories in Nigeria

No Abstract

Restoration of Functions in Children after Ano-Rectal Surgery

Operations on congenital anomaly in early childhood frequently cause complications leading to functional disturbances such as faecal incontinence, constipation, and anal stenosis. The age of maximum presentation was within the 6-10 years age bracket, when the children are away from the home environment apparently because of societal embarrassment. Boys and girls are afflicted in equal proportions. Complications form anal agenesis operations accounted for the majority of patients 45 children (54%) while aganglionic megacolon accounted for 39 patients (46%). Treatment in all cases started conservatively with diet manipulations, enema and physiotherapeutic training. However, with non-improvement in faecal soilage, a simple repair involving a narrowing at the ano-rectal junction was carried out. In a follow up period of between 6-12months, 45 children had satisfactory clinical conditions while in 27 children their general condition had improved. Key Words: Complications, Ano-Rectal, Abnormalities, Operation. [Mary Slessor Jnl of Medicine Vol.3(1) 2003: 86-89

POST-OPERATIVE ANORECTAL FUNCTIONAL DISTURBANCES IN CHILDREN IN CALABAR, NIGERIA

Between January 1993 and December 2001, 84 children aged between 0 and 15 years were treated with function problems of the anorectal region following surgical operations in the region. The age of maximum presentation was the 6 - 10 years age bracket. The main presenting complains were faecal soilage and poor bowel habit. The children notably presented late and they south medical attention as a result of societal embarrassment at school. Before this age the child was within the home environment hence partentd may not bother. Complications from anal agenesis operation accounted for the majority of patients 45 children (54%) while Hirschsprung's disease accounted for 39 patients (46%). Treatment in all cases started conservatively with diet manipulation. Cleansing enema and physiotherapeutic training. However, with non improvement in faecal soilage, a simple repair involving a narrowing at the anorectal function was carried out. In a follow-up period of between 6 - 12 months, 45 children had satisfactory clinical status while in 27 children their general condition had improved. The late presentation may have contributed to the overall improvement as the fibres of the external sphincter muscle perhaps have further develop

PAEDIATRIC INTUSSUSCEPTION IN CALABAR, NIGERIA

Objectives: To determine prevalence, clinical presentation, evaluate management methodsand outcome of paediatric intussusception in Calabar.Design: A retrospective study.Setting: University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.l'articipants: All cases of intussusception in children that presented at the children emergencyRoom and Surgical Outpatient Department of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospitalbetween 1989 and December 1998.Results: The mean age was 7.5 months with a male: female ratio of 1.8: 1. The main presentingsymptoms were vomiting in 76 (85.3%) patients, general irritability in 69 (77.5 %) patients,bleeding per rectum in 47 (52.8%) patients and palpable abdominal mass in 38 cases(42.6%). Majority of the patients presented late to hospital beyond 36 hours since onset ofillness and had had enema administration before presentation, a popular phenomenon in theregion. Diagnosis of this condition was confirmed clinically in fifty nine patients (66%).Eighty one patients (91 %) had laparotomy, the only method of treatment available withsimple manual reduction while in eight patients (9%) laparotomy was accompanied withresection and anastomosis for bowel with doubtful viability.Conclusion: Time lapse from onset to presentation is not a criterion for choosing betweenoperative and non-operative reduction. The clinical status and abdominal evaluation of thepatients are the important features to consider. Operative reduction in most instancesinvolve manual reduction hence should be preceded by conservative methods of reduction