Maternal perception of barriers to utilization of prenatal ultrasound in prenatal care in the northern part of Nigeria.

Prenatal ultrasound has in the past one decade gained acceptance as a standard tool for obstetric management in North-Central Nigeria but it is however faced with barriers hindering its utilization in prenatal care. The objective of this study was to assess the perception of pregnant women about the barriers to utilization of prenatal ultrasound in prenatal care in North-Central Nigeria. A hospital-based cross-sectional prospective survey was conducted at the antenatal clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Benue State in North-Central Nigeria between December 2008 and June 2009. The survey targeted pregnant women who were attending antenatal clinic in the hospital. A convenience sample of 596 patients who have had at least one previous prenatal ultrasound were included in the study. Results showed all the barriers were rated high with necessity of scan (attitude) and satisfaction with prenatal ultrasound service rating higher than the rest; being 2.91 ± 1.12 and 3.00 ± 0.63 respectively on a 4-point scale. Socio-demographic variables correlated significantly to the identified barriers (p < 0.05) while one-way ANOVA showed that all the socio demographic variables were significant contributors to their ratings of various barriers (p < 0.05). In conclusion, negative attitude, long distances to service providers, considerably heavy financial cost, long waiting periods and unsatisfactory previous scan experience are major barriers to prenatal ultrasound. Socio-demographic variables have significant influence on these barriers and improvement on these variables can help overcome the barriers.KEY WORDS: Prenatal ultrasound - Prenatal care - Barriers - Utilization

Engine performance of blends of palm kernel oil biodiesel under varying speed at constant torque

This study conducts a comparative evaluation the effect of using palm kernel oil (PKO), pure petroleum diesel and their blends (B5, B10, B20, B30, B40, and B100), on the performance of a four-cylinder CI diesel engine (David Brown 990: 58hp; 2WD), at Farm Power and Machinery Test laboratory Centre (FPMTLC), Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The objective of the study was to determine the fuel consumption rates, energy expended, brake specific fuel consumption, and brake thermal efficiency, under varying operating speeds (700 – 1900rpm) at constant torque. Each fuel test was conducted using the Heenan-Froude hydraulic dynamometer engine-test-bed; pure petroleum diesel (B0) was used to generate the baseline data. Variables calculated were analyzed, then compared with each other to determine the differences in the engine performance and also to determine the optimum test fuel. The results obtained show that B10 had the overall optimum energy output, fuel consumption rates, and brake specific fuel consumption of 5431.809J, 3.42E-07 m3/s, and 0.16569l/KWh, respectively at the highest engine speed of 1900. B10 had an excellent brake thermal efficiency of 60.6% but was not better than B100, which showed a higher value of 66.95%. From the analysis, B10 is the optimum test fuel and can be used as an alternative fuel in David Brown 990 (58hp; 2WD) or similar CI diesel engines without any engine modification, even though B100 showed potential as an alternative to fossil diesel. Biofuel production grows through integrated aquaculture and algae production; the algae oil will serve as a raw material for biofuel production Keywords: Blends, Biodiesel, Brake Specific Consumption, Diesel Engine, Fuel Consumption rate, Thermal Efficiency

Sonografski prikaz dimenzija bubrega u bolesnika s esencijalnom hipertenzijom u sveučilišnoj bolnici Abubakar Tafawa Balewa u gradu Bauchi u Nigeriji

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the commonest non-communicable diseases worldwide; it is the second most common cause of end-stage renal disease. Objective: To evaluate the renal dimensions and volume of essential hypertension patients in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi and to compare the dimensions with that of apparently healthy volunteers. Materials and Methods: A total of two hundred and eleven individuals (comprising 121 females and 90 males) with essential hypertension attending an outpatient clinic in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi, and an equal number of healthy volunteers (comprising of 172 females and 49 males) were studied as controls. Both the healthy volunteers and the Hypertensive patients’ renal length, renal width, antero-posterior diameter, and parenchymal thickness were assessed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0) was used for data analysis. Results: Study show the mean renal length for hypertensive patients to be 9.1 ± 0.79 cm and 9.1 ± 0.73 cm, the mean renal width of 3.5 ± 0.48 cm and 3.8 ± 0.68 cm, and mean renal volume of 87.22 ± 19.58 cm3 and 95.08 ± 22.93 cm3 for the right and left kidneys respectively. Results equally show statistically significant difference in anteroposterior diameter (p<0.05), parenchymal thickness (p<0.05) and renal volume (p<0.05) between the hypertensive group and the volunteer group for both right and left kidneys. Conclusion: This study has established baseline renal dimensions for hypertensive in our population (Bauchi Metropolis). The hypertensive subjects showed a decrease in renal anteroposterior diameter, parenchymal thickness and volume compared to control group.Uvod: Hipertenzija je jedna od najčešćih nezaraznih bolesti u svijetu; drugi je najčešći uzrok završnog stadija bubrežne bolesti. Cilj: Procijeniti dimenzije bubrega i bubrežni volumen kod hipertenzivnih bolesnika u Sveučilišnoj bolnici Abubakar Tafawa Balewa u gradu Bauchi i usporediti ih s dimenzijama kod naizgled zdravih ispitanika koji su se dobrovoljno javili za sudjelovanje u istraživanju. Materijali i metode: Uzorak se sastojao od dvjesto jedanaest ispitanika (121 žena i 90 muškaraca) koji boluju od esencijalne hipertenzije i na ambulantnom su liječenju u Sveučilišnoj bolnici Abubakar Tafawa Balewa u gradu Bauchi i jednakog broja zdravih ispitanika (172 žene i 49 muškaraca), koji su bili kontrolna skupina. Proučavana je duljina i širina bubrega, anteroposteriorni promjer i debljina parenhima kod ispitanika s hipertenzijom i kod zdravih ispitanika. Za analizu podataka primijenjen je statistički paket za društvene znanosti (SPSS verzija 20.0). Rezultati: Studija pokazuje da je prosječna dužina bubrega kod hipertenzivnih bolesnika 9,1 ± 0,79 cm i 9,1 ± 0,73 cm, prosječna bubrežna širina 3,5 ± 0,48 cm i 3,8 ± 0,68 cm, a prosječni bubrežni volumen 87,22 ± 19,58 cm3 i 95,08 ± 22,93 cm3 za desni i lijevi bubreg pojedinačno. Rezultati također pokazuju statistički značajnu razliku u anteroposteriornom promjeru (p < 0,05), debljini parenhima (p < 0,05) i bubrežnom volumenu (p < 0,05) između hipertenzivne skupine i kontrolne skupine za desni i lijevi bubreg. Zaključak: Ovom su studijom utvrđene osnovne bubrežne dimenzije kod hipertenzivnih bolesnika u populaciji grada Bauchi, glavnog grada Savezne države Bauchi u Nigeriji. Kod ispitanika koji boluju od hipertenzije ustanovljeno je smanjenje anteroposteriornog promjera bubrega, debljine parenhima i bubrežnog volumena u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom

Analysis of film reject rate in the diagnostic x-ray facility of a tertiary health institution in Benin, Nigeria

Background: Film rejects analysis (FRA) as part of quality assurance tests in radiography services, is carried out periodically to identify causes of film rejection and to proffer solutions to ameliorate such problems.Objective: The study was carried out to estimate film rejection rate in a tertiary health facility in Benin, Nigeria and also to identify causes of film rejection in the centre.Methods: This prospective study was carried out within 6 months. Ethical approval was obtained from the local committee on research and ethics before the study commenced. Only routine x-ray procedures were included in the study. Four x-ray rooms and four radiographers with equal training and job experience were selected for the study. Different boxes labeled for each room were used to daily collect rejected films.Results: Overall rejection rate was 6.7%. Improper exposure caused the highest rate of repeats (&gt; 12% in the old x-ray rooms). Highest rejection rates (31%) were found in the old x-ray rooms. Paranasal sinuses examination accounted for highest rejection rate (25%) among all routine x-ray investigations considered.Conclusion: Rejection rate found was within recommended limits. Obsolete but poorly maintained xmachines layed major roles in overall film rejection rate in the centre. X ray of paranasal sinuses was challenging to radiographers observed. Radiographers should embrace CPD while obsolete x-ray equipments found in the centre should be scrapped to further reduce film reject rate in the centre.Keywords: Film rejection rates, improper exposures, positioning errors, radiography, Nigeri

Natural Radionuclides in Commonly Consumed Food Items in Enugu State, Nigeria

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