Assessment of Radiation Protection Measures in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Care Center

Radiation protection is critical and poses an increasing international concern in this era of evidence based practice and the approach to the use of ionizing radiation should be conscientious and cautious. Ionizing radiation in any quantity is potentially deleterious to health however, its benefit far outweighs the risk. This study was carried out in the radiology department of a tertiary health care center in Nigeria with the aim of assessing radiation protection measures in the hospital in comparism with international standard. Several factors were evaluated such as the integrity of the shielding used, the x ray room design , technical considerations, management's role in provision of good equipment, staff and training, effectiveness of workplace and personnel monitoring, quality  control and records as radiation protection tool. This study showed that  all the parameters assessed and radiation doses were acceptable and below the annual permissible dose indicating that the radiation protection measures employed by the hospital were good and complied with international standard, though record keeping seemed to be a major challenge. Keywords: Radiation protection, Ionizing Radiation, X-ray, Quality Control, Quality Assuranc

Assessment of Background Radiation Levels at the Radiology Department of a Tertiary Hospital in North-central Nigeria

Background: Background radiation has over the years become a public health concern. It is therefore, imperative to ascertain its levels within strategic areas in our radiology facility for monitoring and compliance with international standards.Objectives: To determine the background radiation levels in the Radiology Department of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi, Nigeria.Methodology: The design was prospective and cross-sectional and involved the measurement of background radiation levels at various locations in the radiology department. Calibrated thermo Scientific RadEye TM B20 / B20-ER survey meter, an associated scalar counter, and a stopwatch, were used for measurements at each point, based on standard guidelines recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Results: The least mean radiation (0.11µSv/hr) was detected in the computed tomography (CT) suite while the maximum value (0.13µSv/hr) emanated from the radiographers' common room. The coefficient of variation for the Chief Radiographers office, Head of Department's office and the Radiologist’s office were similar 8.3%. The radiographers’ common room was slightly higher (10.9%). The main diagnostic room and seminar room had 16.7%, while it was 9.09% for the CT suite. The standard error ranged between 0.002 and 0.004. There was statistically significant difference in all test values at a level of significance of 5% (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Background radiation values obtained were within recommended standards. However, there is need for regular radiation monitoring as part of radiation safety culture in our radiology facility

PREVALENCE OF URINARY SCHISTOSOMIASIS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN A NORTHERN NIGERIAN POPULATION

The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium among primary school pupil in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 360 urine samples were collected. Samples were investigated using standard World Health Organization guidelines for identification of parasite and they were analyzed macroscopically and microscopically. Out of the 360 children screened, Yelwa Primary School had a prevalence rate of 2%, ECWA Transfer Primary School had a prevalence rate of 8%, Majema Primary School had a prevalence rate of 15%, Baptist Primary School had a prevalence rate of 10%, Kofar Hausa Primary School had a prevalence rate of 12% and Saint Williams Primary School had a prevalence rate of 6% while the overall prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium in the six schools is 53%.There was no significant difference in the prevalence rate between the six primary schools (P>0.05) Children of age group (5-8year) were more infected with urinary schistosoma. Male had higher prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium (34%) than the female (19%). statistically there was significant different in prevalence infection of Schistosoma haematobium among males and females investigated. Children whose parents are farmers and fishermen had the highest prevalence infection, followed by Artisan, Civil servant and the Businessmen respectively. However, the overall total pupils infected is 88% and uninfected 511%. Conclusively, School based treatment campaign and health education should be encouraged in ensuring the prevention and control of the disease in Nigeria