A Comparative study of use of psychoactive substances amongst secondary school students in two local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The use and abuse of psychoactive substances is very rampant, even in our secondary schools. In recent times, there has been a growing concern about negative effects of these substances on youths. The high incidence of school dropouts and other nefarious activities are the resultant impacts on the students. The objectives of the study were: (1) To determine the prevalence of substance use amongst secondary school students. (2) Compare the findings in two different local settings. (3) To determine the socio demographic variables. Four hundred secondary school students from two Local Government Areas were assessed for use of psychoactive substances, during the second term of 2004/2005 school session, using a Youth Survey Questionnaire.A total of 254 (63.5%) students, consisting of 119 from Uyo and 135 from Eket were analyzed. The mean age of the students in both schools was 17.1 +2.0 and 16.6 + 1.7 years respectively. The difference in the mean was statistically significant (t=1.14; df= 3, p > 0.05).More students from Uyo, 37 (31.1%) used kola nuts, 54 (45.4%) sedatives, while more students from Eket, 47 (34.8%) used tobacco/cigarettes, 76 (56.3%) alcohol, 21 (15.6%) Indian hemp, 5 (3.7%) cocaine and 1 (0.7%) heroin. Class level (P=0.04), upbringing (P=0.02) and parents\' marital status (P=0.01) was statistically significant in the use of tobacco/cigarettes. Also, class level (P=0.02) parents\' marital status (P=0.00) was statistically significant in the use of alcohol, while family type (P=0.00) and parents\' marital status was significant in the use of sedatives. Similarly, parents\' marital status (p=0.05) was statistically significant in the use of Indian hemp, while family type (P=0.00), upbringing (P=0.03)was significant in cocaine. The findings of this study confirm the presence and use of psychoactive substances in varying proportions among students. Therefore, there is need to strengthen the monitoring and preventive programs aimed at reducing their spread in schools. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 11 (1) 2008: pp.45-5

Demulsification mechanism of asphaltene-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions by a polymeric ethylene oxide-propylene oxide demulsifier

The demulsification mechanism of asphaltene-stabilized water-in-toluene emulsions by an ethylene-oxide-propylene oxide (EO-PO) based polymeric demulsifier was studied. Demulsification efficiency was determined by bottle tests and correlated to the physicochemical properties of asphaltene interfacial films after demulsifier addition. From bottle tests and droplet coalescence experiments, the demulsifier showed an optimal performance at 2.3 ppm (mass basis) in toluene. At high concentrations, the demulsification performance deteriorated due to the intrinsic stabilizing capacity of the demulsifier, which was attributed to steric repulsion between water droplets. Addition of demulsifier was shown to soften the asphaltene film (i.e., reduce the viscoelastic moduli of asphaltene films) under both shear and compressional interfacial deformations. Study of the macrostructures and the chemical composition of asphaltene film at the toluene-water interface after demulsifier addition demonstrated gradual penetration of the demulsifier into the asphaltene film. Demulsifier penetration in the asphaltene film changed the asphaltene interfacial mobility and morphology, as probed with Brewster angle and atomic force microscopy

Socio demographic profile and presentations of patients with ruptured gravid uterus in Calabar Nigeria

Background: To study the Socio-demographic profiles and mode of clinical presentations of with uterine rupture in pregnancy in Calabar, Nigeria. Method: Medical records of 67 patients managed for ruptured gravid uterus over 10 years in Maternity section of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital Calabar, Nigeria were reviewed. Results: An incidence of 1 in 213 of all deliveries during the period was established. Majority (49.2%) were aged between 31 to 40 years and 43.3% had no formal education. Unemployed patients were 29.9%, 42.3% did not book for antenatal care while 32.8% were attended to by traditional birth attendants (TBA) and in the churches. The Commonest clinical presentations were fetal heart rate abnormalities (52.2%) and maternal collapse (46.3%). Majority (50.7%) resulted from neglected obstructed labour. Conclusion: Ruptured uterus is a problem of ignorance among women of low socioeconomic group with most of them having unskilled and substandard care during pregnancy and delivery. Improvement in Socio-economic conditions and modification of some harmful cultural practices against women generally will reduce the problem of rupture uterus in our society Nigerian Journal of Medicine Vol. 17 (1) 2008 pp. 78-8

Quality and outcomes of maternal and perinatal care for 76,563 pregnancies reported in a nationwide network of Nigerian referral-level hospitals.

Background: The WHO in collaboration with the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health, established a nationwide electronic data platform across referral-level hospitals. We report the burden of maternal, foetal and neonatal complications and quality and outcomes of care during the first year. Methods: Data were analysed from 76,563 women who were admitted for delivery or on account of complications within 42 days of delivery or termination of pregnancy from September 2019 to August 2020 across the 54 hospitals included in the Maternal and Perinatal Database for Quality, Equity and Dignity programme. Findings: Participating hospitals reported 69,055 live births, 4,498 stillbirths and 1,090 early neonatal deaths. 44,614 women (58·3%) had at least one pregnancy complication, out of which 6,618 women (8·6%) met our criteria for potentially life-threatening complications, and 940 women (1·2%) died. Leading causes of maternal death were eclampsia (n = 187,20·6%), postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) (n = 103,11·4%), and sepsis (n = 99,10·8%). Antepartum hypoxia (n = 1455,31·1%) and acute intrapartum events (n = 913,19·6%) were the leading causes of perinatal death. Predictors of maternal and perinatal death were similar: low maternal education, lack of antenatal care, referral from other facility, previous caesarean section, latent-phase labour admission, operative vaginal birth, non-use of a labour monitoring tool, no labour companion, and non-use of uterotonic for PPH prevention. Interpretation: This nationwide programme for routine data aggregation shows that maternal and perinatal mortality reduction strategies in Nigeria require a multisectoral approach. Several lives could be saved in the short term by addressing key predictors of death, including gaps in the coverage of internationally recommended interventions such as companionship in labour and use of labour monitoring tool. Funding: This work was funded by MSD for Mothers; and UNDP/UNFPA/ UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), a co-sponsored programme executed by the World Health Organization (WHO)