Hypoglycaemia in children: Review of the literature

Hypoglycaemia is a common metabolic condition in children. It often presents urgent and therapeutic challenges and it has been documented to affect many childhood conditions. Its clinical presentation is not classical and requires a high index of suspicion for an early diagnosis and prompt management. Undiagnosed or undertreated hypoglycaemia has been found to increase mortality in children when it is present. This review sought to review the subject of hypoglycaemia in children and calls for testing for it in all sick and admitted children

Audit of clinical documentation of external genitalia examination findings in the newborn: The Benin-city experience

Background: Over the years, poor medical documentation is a well known phenomenon in medical practice but the magnitude of the problem in our setting has not been defined.Objective: To assess the overall frequency of missed detection of anomalies of external genitalia following the routine newborn physical examination and to describe the general pattern of its documentation.Methods: In this hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study, 915 full-term newborn infants in an open population survey were systematically screened for anomalies of the external genitalia, using a checklist derived by modifying parameters in the Prader scoring system and the External masculinization score charts. The pattern of documentation was assessed in 915 case files. The findings of the researchers were then compared to those previously documented by the attending physician/midwife. The study was conducted in two Nigerian hospitals (University of Benin Teaching Hospital and St Philomena Catholic Hospital) in Benin City. All members of staff of the two hospitals were blinded to the fact that the previous examination findings documented in the case files were being assessed during this study.Results: Of the 915 infants, 19 (2.1%; 95% CI= 1.2-3.0) had anomaly of the external genitalia at birth. The overall frequency of missed diagnosis of external genital anomalies was 68.4% with undescended testes (UDT) being the most frequently missed. The level of documentation of the findings of the external genital examination was poor in both hospitals. Combining the two hospitals, the external genital examination findings were not documented in 76.1% of case files.Conclusions: The routine newborn examination as currently practiced in the two hospitals was weak in detecting external genital anomalies. Poor documentation of the external genital findings is a common occurrence in the setting where we practice, irrespective of whether the health institution is tertiary or secondary.Key words: Audit, clinical documentation, external genitalia anomalies, missed diagnosis, routine newborn examination

Management of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) in Children: Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Paediatrics Association of Nigeria (PAN)

No Abstrac

Hyperglycaemia in ill children: study of 13 cases

No Abstract. Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics Vol. 33 (1) 2006: pp. 8-1

Management of pain in children: A review of the literature

No Abstract. Nigerian Journal of Medicine Vol. 14(4) December 2005: 363-36

Female genital mutilation: are we winning?

Background: For more than 25 years, efforts have been geared towards curtailing the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in countries like Nigeria. This study was designed to see if all these efforts have made any impact in reducing the prevalence of FGM appreciably in the south-West of Nigeria.Objective: To determine the prevalence of female genital mutilation and profiling the trends of FGM affected patients.Design: A prospective study based on direct observation of the external genitalia by health-care workers.Subjects: Five hundred and sixty five females less than 15 years of age.Setting: The children emergency and gynaecological wards of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria from 1st of January to December 31st 2007.Results: Forty one point nine percent of the patients examined had female genital mutilation, 93.2% of these had the procedure before attaining the age of one year. Type 2 FGM predominated (58.22%). The procedure was performed predominantly (64.6%) by traditional birth attendants. The decision to have the procedure done was influenced in 78% of cases by mothers and grandmothers. In 35.4% of cases, there were immediate and short term complications. Demands of tradition  predominated (59.1%) as the most important reason for the practice of female genital mutilation.Conclusion: The practice of FGM appears to be still highly prevalent and resistant to change probably due to deep rooted socio-cultural factors. Strategies such as public education campaigns highlighting its negative impact on health and disregard for human rights should be evolved