Magnitude and leading causes of in-hospital mortality at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, northern Nigeria: A 4-year prospective analysis

Background: Population based mortality data are scarce especially in developing countries including Nigeria. Despite its limitations, hospital mortality analysis assesses the quality of health-care delivery and provides a proximate measure of mortality. We reviewed the magnitude and causes of death among in-patients in a tertiary hospital in northern Nigeria. Methods: Analysis of mortality rate and causes of death for the period 20052008 (inclusive) in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Causes of death were prospectively entered on a database and classified according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).Results: Out of 51,975 patients admitted to the hospital, 4,029 of them died. This gives a mortality rate of 7.8% (95% Confidence Interval of 7.5% to 8.0%). Specifically, of the 15,484 males admitted, 2,361 died giving a mortality rate of 15.2% while of the 36,491 females admitted, 1,668 died giving a mortality rate of 4.6%. The median age for all patients that died was 32.4 years (range: less than 1 day to 101 years), but 36.1 years (range: less than 1 day to 101 years) for the male and 29.3 (range: less than 1 day to 87 years) for the female subsets. The ten most common causes of mortality were HIV/AIDS (8.3%), Septicaemia (6.8%), cerebrovascular disease (6.3%), chronic renal failure (3.9%) chronic liver disease (3.3%), diabetes mellitus (3.2), neonatal jaundice (2.9%), severe birth asphyxia (2.6%), prematurity (2.5%) and bronchopneumonia (2.4%). Conclusion: The mortality rate and causes of death are comparable to similar centres. Regular mortality audits could identify management errors and prevent recurrence of avoidable deaths.Key words: Mortality, causes, Teaching hospital, Kano, Nigeri

Malaria among antenatal clients attending primary health care facilities in Kano state, Nigeria

Background: Malaria in pregnancy remains a major public health problem especially in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the prevalence of clinical and asymptomatic infection among antenatal client (ANC) attendees is largely unknown, especially at primary health care (PHC) level in northern Nigeria. This study assessed the prevalence of fever, malarial parasitemia and anemia among pregnant women attending PHC facilities in Kano, northern Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 360 ANCs attending PHC facilities in two Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kano state. Data were collected using a pre-tested semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Blood samples were also obtained for thin blood smear for malaria parasite using Giemsa staining technique. Hemoglobin was estimated from the Packed Cell Volume (PCV) determined using hematocrit.Results: Age of the subjects ranged from 15 to 42 years with a mean } SD of 24.0 } 6.0. Up to 39.2% (n = 141) (95% Confi dence Interval = 34.1.44.4%) of the subjects were found to have malarial parasitemia. Exactly 36.2% (n = 51) of those with parasitemia had fever (temperature . 37.5oC) while 63.8% (n = 90) of them were asymptomatic. Anemia,(hemoglobin of .11 g/dl) was found in 48.1% (n = 173) of the  respondents. A higher proportion of primigravid and secondigravid clients (61% vs. 39%) and younger pregnant women (54.6% vs. 45.4%) had malarial parasitemia compared to multigravid and older women, respectively. Similarly, a signifi cantly higher proportion (67.6%) ofanemic ANC clients had malarial parasitemia. (ƒÔ2 = 113.25, df = 1, P < 0.05).Conclusion: Malarial infection is common among the ANC clients attending PHC facilities in Kano state and the infection is commonly associated with anemia. Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) should be provided especially among primigravid, secondigravid and younger mothers at PHC centres

Knowledge and practice of smoking cessation services among health care workers in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

Cigarette smoking cost the global economy billions of dollars and results in the death of millions of people yearly. Despite efforts at national, regional and global levels to control cigarette smoking, there is still much yet to be achieved. Brief intervention by health care workers to their smoking patients is one strategy that could be conducted anywhere, if the health care workers are trained and positively disposed towards smoking cessation. Thus, this study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and delivery of smoking cessation services among health care workers in Abuja.A cross sectional descriptive study design was used. Questionnaire was used to collect required information. Stata statistical software version 11 was used to describe the data and determine associations between knowledge, perception, delivery of smoking cessation services and sociodemographic characteristics using chi-square test.Only 5% of respondents ever received training on tobacco control. Awareness of interventions that enhance smoking cessation was: telephone quit lines (11%), pharmacotherapy (30.5%), behaviour therapy (34.2%) and brief intervention (51%). Only 4.3% of the respondents were not willing to support clients with tobacco cessation services. Being a physician and male were associated with higher knowledge of smoking cessation among the respondents (p < 0.05).In conclusion, there was poor perception and low capacity toprovide smoking cessation services among the respondents. There is need to improve the perception and capacity of health care workers to provide smoking cessation services.Keywords: Cigarette Smoking; Health care workers; knowledge; perception; attitude; smoking cessation; Abuja; Nigeri

Occupational hazard perception and safety practices among workers of small-scale industries in Kano, Nigeria

Work-related injuries present a major public health problem resulting in serious social and economic consequences that could be prevented by adopting appropriate occupational health and safety measures Objective: This study assessed occupational hazard perception, safety practices and associated factors among workers of small scale industries in Kano. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to study 187 randomly selected workers of Small Scale Industries. Data was collected using interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 22. Results: The mean age of the workers was 24.41 ± 6.20 years with a range of 15 to 52 years. A thirdof the workers (35.3%) had at least secondary school education and most (88.3%) had worked for 10 years or less. Overall, 95.7% of the workers have good perception about occupational hazards and safety and 92.0% believed that exposure to hazards of work may affect their health. Up to 67.9% of the respondents reported being caught-up in at least one form of occupational accident, most common were dislocation (39.4%) and burns (19.7%). Most of the workers (97.3%) reported that their industries do not have any policy on health and safety and 73.8% had never been trained or advised on safety procedures. Only 49(26.2%) reported having safety measure(s) against specific accidents in their workplaces. Conclusion: Most SSIs in Kano do not have policy on health and safety. Factory inspectors should ensure effective compliance monitoring and enforcementof safety guidelines in these industries

Umbilical cord infection prevention practices among rural women attending immunization clinic in kumbotso, Kano state, Nigeria

Umbilical cord infections are more prevalent in developing countries because of the high rates of unhygienic cord care practices. Objectives: This study was undertaken to explore the various practices related to umbilical cord care among rural community women attending an immunization clinic in Kumbotso, Kano State, Nigeria. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used for the study. This study was carried out in immunization clinic at Kumbotso CHC of Kumbotso Local Government Area (LGA), Kano state Nigeria. Sample size was 265. Data was collected with interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 software. The result obtained was presented in the form of tables. Results: Majority, 200 (75.5%) of respondents' hands were gloved. In 126 (47.5%) of respondents, new razor blades were used, in 117 (44.2%) of respondents' scissors was used and the remaining 22 (8.3%) of respondents used razor blade or knife to cut the umbilical cord. Up to 159 (60%) of respondents applied mentholated spirit. One hundred and sixty-nine (63.8%) of respondents were informed of safe umbilical cord practices by health workers. Cord infection rate occurred in 53 (20.1%) babies. Conclusion: Cord infection prevention and control practices were high in this community with a relatively low cord infection rate. Even though Chlorhexidine was not used, health workers should emphasize and as well recommend its use in cord care. Community-based study is recommended to generate data about cord infections and practices inside the community

Digital habits and use of the internet as source of sexual and reproductive health information among undergraduates in northern Nigeria

Background: Surfing the internet and networking via social media have evolved at a startling pace. Objectives: To determine internet and social media habits and identify predictors of their use as sexual and reproductive health resource among Bayero University students. Study Design: A cross section of 385 students was interviewed using pre-tested anonymous structured self-completed questionnaires. Results: Nearly all students 98.4% (n=377) had accessed the internet and most 96.3% (n=363) had visited social media sites. Face book 57.3% (n=208), Twitter 22.3% (n=81) and Blackberry Messenger 8.8% (n=32) were the most popular among students. Of those with internet access,51.2%,46.2%, 39.2% and 38.5% mainly searched for information on HIV/AIDS, STI, sexual activities and menstrual problems respectively. There was more than two-fold likelihood of accessing online sexual information among female students compared to males, adjusted Odds ratio (aOR=2.52); 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI= 2.41-4.86). Similarly, ever-married students had more than twice the chance relative to single students (aOR=2.2, 95%CI=1.17-4.28). Furthermore, younger students (<20 years) were twice more likely to have used online resources compared to their older colleagues (≥30 years) (aOR=2.12, 95%CI=1.32-4.17). Conclusion: Undergraduate students are increasingly turning to the internet for sexual and reproductive health information. This presents an opportunity for programming.Key words: Internet, Social media, Reproductive, Sexual health, information source

Patients' satisfaction with services obtained from aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Northern Nigeria

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Knowledge of hospital waste, and safe management practices among healthcare workers in aminu kano teaching hospital, Northwest Nigeria

Management of healthcare waste (HCW) has continued to generate increasing public health interest due to the health problems associated with exposure of human beings to wastes, arising from healthcare services. Objective: This study assessed knowledge of hospital waste, and safe management practices among healthcare workers in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Northwest Nigeria. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to study 152 healthcare workers in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Data was collected using semistructured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 35.3±6.4 years with about one-half 77(50.7%) within the age range of ≥35 years. Majority 108(71.1%) of the healthcare workers were males and 145(95.4%) had tertiary education. Doctors constituted 44(28.9%) with up to 105(69.1%) respondents employed less than 10 years ago. Majority of the respondents 123(80.9%) versus 120(78.9%) had satisfactory knowledge and safe hospital waste management practices respectively. Statistically significant association was found between attending training on hospital waste management and having satisfactory knowledge of hospital waste management (χ²=11.8, p-value=0.001) with those who had previous training on hospital waste management to been 4 times more likely to have satisfactory knowledge of hospital waste management than those with no previous training on hospital waste management {AOR=3.7, 95%CI=(1.3-10.8)}. Satisfactory knowledge of hospital waste was found to be statistically associated with correct hospital waste management practices (χ²=30.4, p-value<0.001), healthcare workers with satisfactory knowledge had many folds likelihood of safe hospital waste management practice {AOR=9,95%CI= (2.9- 28.4)}.Conclusions:Knowledge of hospital waste and safe waste management practices were encouraging and associated with formal training on hospital waste management. Therefore, Hospital management should ensure regular training and re-training of healthcare workers

Knowledge and Attitude of HealthCare Professionals towards the Health-Related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in a Tertiary Health Institution in Kano State, Nigeria

Background The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are series of eight time-bound development goals that seek to address issues of poverty, education, gender equality, health, environment and global partnerships for development agreed upon by the international community to be achieved by the year 2015. This study was aimed at assessing the knowledge and attitude of Healthcare Professionals on the health-related MDGs, being important stakeholders in the achievement of these goals. Method A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among healthcare professionals working at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Kano, a tertiary health institution. Information was obtained through the use of self-administrated semi-structured questionnaires containing both close-ended and open-ended questions. Results Up to 46% of the respondents were medical doctors, 42% were nurses, 9% were laboratory technologists and 3% were pharmacist. The mean age of respondents was 35 ± 6.8 years with the males constituting 51%. Majority of the respondents (40%) qualified within the last 5 years preceding this study. Only 6% of the respondents had good knowledge of the MDGs while 73% had poor knowledge. Knowledge of health-related MDGs was also poor with only 9% of the respondents having good knowledge while 71% had poor knowledge. Most of the respondents had a positive attitude towards the MDGs, with as high as 82% feeling that the declaration was necessary while 67% of them felt the strategies were adequate. Similarly, 84% of the respondents felt that they have a role to play in achieving the health-related MDGs in particular. There was a statistically significant association between the knowledge of MDGs, and health-related MDGs among the professionals. Conclusion Even though achieving the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015 will largely depend on good knowledge and involvement of all stakeholders at all levels, knowledge of the MDGs among the various healthcare professionals is generally poor. This study therefore reveals the gap in knowledge of MDGs among healthcare professionals who are important stakeholders in the realization of the health-related MDGs. Appropriate education and sensitization of the various health professionals on MDGs particularly the health related MDGs through seminars and workshops are imperative towards bridging this knowledge gap. Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Healthcare professionals, Health-related MDG