Pattern of referrals of head injury to the University College Hospital, Ibadan

Background: Although there are now many neurosurgical units in Nigeria, cases of head injury (HI) continue to present in the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, from hospitals all over the country.Objective: This report aims to highlight the contemporary patterns of referrals of cases of head injury for neurosurgery in Ibadan.Methods: The study emanated from an analysis of registry of cases of head injury managed in our practice covering a 7-year period at the UCH Ibadan. The clinical/ trauma-demography of cases of head injury referred were analyzed quantitativelyand then compared with head injury cases that presented primarily to UCH Ibadan during the same period. An alpha value of <0.05 was considered significant for associations for pattern of referrals.Results: Of the 1034 cases of head injuries in the registry, 23.6% presented primarily to UCH, Ibadan; 423 (40.1%) were from outside Ibadan/Oyo state. Most of the cases were earlier seen in other health facilities in four out of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones including other teaching hospitals with practicing neurosurgeons. The reasons for these inter-hospital, inter-state referrals included absence of neurosurgical expertise (67%) or lack of other logistics like neuroimaging, bed space and intensive care unit services. Head Injury was caused by road accidents in more than 85% of the cases. The patients referred inter-state had more severe injuries, more delayed attainment of critical milestones in their trauma care, and higher frequency of neurosurgical operative interventions. They also had worse in-hospital outcome and longer length of stay.Conclusions: The University College Hospital, Ibadan continues to play a pivotal role in the management of head injury in Nigeria. The results support an urgent need for stakeholders in the health sector to provide all that is required to uphold the status of the Hospital as a center of excellence in neurosurgery and neurosciences.Keywords: Head injury, Referrals, Neurosurgery, UCH, Ibada

Geotechnical Properties of Subgrade Soils along Sections of the Ibadan–Ife Expressway, South-Western Nigeria

Subgrade soils beneath sections of Ibadan-Ife highway were studied with a view to identifying factor(s) responsible for the stability or failure of sections of the expressway.Bulk soil samples were collected from four stable locations on the Ibadan bound carriageway while four samples were collected from unstable locations on the Ife bound way. Specific gravity, grain size distribution, liquid limit, plastic limit, linear shrinkage, California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of the soils compacted at West African and Modified American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) levels were determined.The soils are essentially well graded with those from stable locations having between 25.42 & 56.89% amount of fines and 29.92 & 83.00% amount of fines in those from unstable locations. Variation in the degree of laterization of soil samples resulted in significant variation in the amount of fines in subgrades. Soils from the stable locations are predominantly medium plasticity soils while those in the unstable locations possess higher plasticity. Three soils from stable locations and two from unstable sections are good to fair subgrade soils while those from two unstable sections and one from stable location are poor subgrade/subbase materials based on the AASHTO classification system. The studied soils gave better compaction characteristics at modified AASHTO than at the West African level, with an Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) and Maximum Dry Density (MDD) of 10.7-15.4 and 1850-2037KN/m2 and 9.60 -14.0 and 1810-2076 KN/m2, respectively for those from unstable and stable locations. Soaking of the soils compacted at both compaction levels resulted in over 60% reductions in strength measured in terms of CBR. Similarly at both levels of compaction, curing led to significant increase in the UCS, although, Modified AASHTO level generally gave higher values of UCS. Field observation showed that groundwater levels are generally higher in the vicinity of unstable locations than stable ones. The observed nature of the pavement is thus due mainly to the weakening influence of groundwater on subgrade soils

The knowledge and reported vaccination status of hepatitis B virus amongst medical students in a Nigerian tertiary teaching hospital

Objective: Preventing the occupational risk of contracting the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is against a backdrop of knowledge and vaccination. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of the medical students on HBV infection and their vaccination status.Method: A cross-sectional study on was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. Data of 202 students were analyzed using SPSS v. 20. Descriptive statistical tests were applied.Result: Subjects' ages ranged from 19 to 36 years, mean age of 25.65± 3.3years, 54.1% were males. The knowledge score on general knowledge was 79.2%, on risks factors and mode of transmission of virus was 74.9% whilst on prevention was 89%. The reported vaccination status was 22.8%. Eighty one of them (40.1%) had been tested for the HBV with 4(4.9%) testing positive.Conclusion: The medical students had good knowledge of the Hepatitis B virus however the vaccination status was low.Keywords: Chronic Hepatitis B, Health care workers, mode of transmissio

Indoor air quality assessment of Federal University Dutse Library North West, Nigeria

The present study was aimed at evaluating the number of bacteria and fungi in the indoor environment of Federal University Dutse Library. The sampling site was located in the University main reading room. Forty (40) air samples were collected in the month of June 2018. Air samples comprising of twenty (20) for bacteria and twenty (20) for fungi were taken twice a day; in the morning and afternoon. All the samples were analyzed for the concentration of bacteria and fungi using plate count method. The average bacterial and fungal counts in the library were found to be 240.10 CFU/m3 and 280.60 CFU/m3 respectively and ranged from 132-345 CFU/m3 for bacteria and 180-416 CFU/m3 for fungi respectively. Having subjected the generated results to statistical analysis (T-test at 95% confidence limit), there was no significant difference between microbial loads recorded for bacteria and fungi (p-value=0.000). However, the mean microbial concentration of the library indoor air was within a range which indicates intermediate level of contamination according to the guidelines established in 1993 by the European Community Commission. It is therefore recommended that the surfaces of the library should be kept clean and dry, as the wet condition in the library can cause growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Again, a follow up study is required with a view to detecting seasonal variations of the indoor microbial counts of the library.Keywords: Indoor air quality, pollution, bacterial counts, fungal count

Artisans’ knowledge and perception on hand-dug well waterborne related diseases in Dutse mechanic village north-west, Nigeria

This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and perception of artisans in Dutse mechanic village regarding hand-dug well waterborne related diseases with the aid of questionnaire. Data were collected from seventy (70) respondents on selected personal attributes and analyzed using descriptive statistics. All the respondents indicated that there are two (2) wells in the mechanic village. The study revealed that a high proportion (80%) of the respondents actively repair automobiles while 4.3% take part in various trading activities. Majority (70%) of the respondents indicated that microbial pollutants can cause waterborne diseases while minority (30%) of the respondent reported a contrary view. Respondents (7.1%) reported to have been diagnosed of waterborne diseases while majority (92.9%) of the respondents reported that they have not been diagnosed of any water borne disease. However, respondents diagnosed of waterborne diseases specified diarrhoea (1.4%), typhoid (1.4%) and urinary tract infection (4.3%). It can be concluded that the artisans are lackadaisical towards ensuring hygienic maintenance of the wells as clearly revealed in the results obtained in this study. It is recommended that the wells in the village should be covered when not in use coupled with drawing water with a well-kept fetcher devoid of microbial loads.Keywords: Hand-dug well, microbial pollutants, waterborne diseases, mechanic villag

Prevalence of helicobacter pylori in diabetes patients and health workers at a tertiary hospital in south west Nigeria

Objective: Helicobacter Pylori (H.P) is a common bacterial infection that has been associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with DM and the association with anthropometry, duration of DM and medication.Method: A cross sectional study involving consecutive recruitment of 193 subjects; 99 diabetics attending the outpatient clinic and 94 controls from hospital staffs. The Heliprobe urea breath test was used in the detection of H.P.Results: The prevalence of H.P was 96.8% in the controls and 85.6% in the diabetics (X2 =7.56, P =0.006) with significant female preponderance among the diabetics (X2 =7.01, P=0.008). H.P had no significant association among the diabetics with regards to BMI, duration of DM and medication.Conclusion: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori was higher in the control than the diabetics.Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, diabetes mellitus, tertiary hospita

Effect of microorganisms in the bioremediation of spent engine oil and petroleum related environmental pollution

The technological developments currently witnessed in the world regarding the utilization of hydrocarbon related products have increasingly brought about all forms of hydrocarbon related environmental pollution. This current review documents the influence of hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms in bringing about biodegradation of spent engine oil and other petroleum related environmental pollution.  Hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria and fungi when given optimum environmental  conditions and nutritional requirements have been documented to bring about effective bioremediation of oil polluted environments. This review has compiled the monumental influence of hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms most especially bacteria and fungi in aiding bioremediation of spent engine oil and other petroleum related environmental pollution. Pseudomonas alcaligenes LR14 (59%), Klebsiella aerogenes CR21 (62%), Klebsiella pneumonia CR23 (58%), Bacillus coagulans CR31 (45%) and Pseudomonas putrefacience CR33 (68%) reportedly exhibited spent engine oil polluted soil degradation rate while Fungi like Aspergillus,  Cephalosporium and Pencillium species were also found to be the potential microorganisms responsible for hydrocarbon bioremediation. This current review, equally documents the environmental and nutritional requirements needed by these hydrocarbon oxidizers to accomplish the desired bioremediation process

Isolation Of Mycotoxi genic Fungi And Quantification Of Aflatoxins From Bean Flours Sold In Abeokuta Nigeria

The recent increase in consumers’ preference for commercially sold bean flour necessitated the need to determine associated mycoflora and quantify the toxin production by the isolates, since several fungal genera have been associated with bean grains. Four fungal genera were isolated from fifteen beans flour samples sourced from various markets in Abeokuta by serial dilutions and pour plates methods on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates. Distinct colonies were transferred to Methyl Red Dessicated Coconut Agar (MRDCA) plates to identify toxin- producing isolates and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used for aflatoxin quantification from the bean flour samples. The isolated fungal genera were, Aspergillus (60%), Fusarium (10%), Rhizopus (15%) and Mucor (5%). Nine of the fifteen samples were found positive for aflatoxigenic organisms and also produced aflatoxins that ranged from 0.006 to 0.151 ng/kg. The presence of toxin- producing organisms in the bean flour which is above the acceptable standard is a red flag that must be addressed vigorously if public health is a priority

Determination of stature from cephalic indices among Okun and Ebira ethnic groups of Kogi State in Nigeria

Cephalic index is an important feature that characterizes different races. The study aimed at comparing the cephalic indices between the two genders and to determine the stature among Okun and Ebira ethnic groups in Nigeria. The subjects were measured for cephalic length, breadth and subject height and the cephalic indices were calculated by dividing the cephalic breadth by cephalic length, and then multiply by 100. 844 subjects of Okun and Ebira origin of Kogi state were measured, 211 males and 211 females for each tribe were measured. Fischer’s formula was used to determine the sample size because the population size is > 10,000. The cephalic breadth and length was measured using a spreading caliper and the subject height was measured with a stadiometer. The data was analyzed using Pearson’s Chisquare analysis test for association, trends and distribution difference of the pattern (confidence level at 95%). The mean cephalic indices of both Okun and Ebira ethnic group were >75 and >70 which belongs to mesocephalic and doliocephalic group respectively. There were significant differences in cephalic indices between both ethnic groups (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in cephalic indices between males and females of each ethnic group. Stature was better predicted from cephalic indices for Ebira males (r= 0.386) when compared to the Ebira females (r= 0.127), Okun males (r= 0.296) and Okun females (r = 0.268). All predictions were significant except for Ebira females.Keywords: mesocephalic, doliocephalic, cephalic indices, stature, se

Evaluation of Off-Farm Income-Generating Activities among Agroforestry Farmers in Sakponba Forest Reserve area, Edo State, Nigeria

The study evaluated off-farm generating activities among agro-forestry farmers in the Sakponba forest reserve area of Edo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to collect data from one hundred and twenty (120) agroforestry farmers using a structured interview schedule. Percentages and frequency counts were used to analyse the objectives of the study. The result showed that majority 64.2% of the farmers were male. Further analysis indicated that 88.3% of the farmers engaged in cassava processing and 32.5% in okada business as off-farm income-generating activities. Further analysis revealed that 88.3% were involved in off-farm activities to generate additional income. However, 70.8% highlighted that high cost of transportation was a constraint, while, 59.2% indicated that inadequate diversification skills and training opportunities were the main constraints faced in engaging in off-farm income-generating activities. The study recommended that the government provide infrastructure such as a good road network, electricity, potable water, and affordable healthcare system, since they are important indicators for enhancing socio-economic activities in rural areas. It was also recommended that the government initiate policies for reducing risk and uncertainties inherent with agricultural activities such as access to credit to improve their standard of living and increase productivity