Christian Apologetic Theology In A West African Context

In his book, African Traditional Religion: A Definition, Professor E. B. Idowu delineates three distinct stages in the history of the study ofAfrican Traditional Religion. These stages are what he calls the “period of ignorance and false certainty,” the “period of doubt and resistedillumination” and the “period of intellectual dilemma.1” Each of these periods is characterized by a definite attitude on the part of the Western scholar towards the African Traditional Religion.2&nbsp

The histopathological pattern of cutaneous vascular tumours; an institution based study

Background: The skin is a typical site for vascular tumours. Researches on primary cutaneous vascular tumours as a sub group of cutaneous soft tissue tumours are virtually non-existence in our environment in particular and Nigeria in general. The aim of this study is to elucidate the histopathological types of primary cutaneous vascular tumours as well as their age and sex distribution at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.Methods: It was a 10 year retrospective study that covered the period from 1st of January 2004 to 31st of December 2013. The archived records of the Department of Morbid Anatomy were consulted for all cases of histologically diagnosed cutaneous vascular tumours. The data generated was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 16.Result: One hundred four cases (104) of cutaneous vascular tumours were encountered during the period of study under review. The mean age of cases with cutaneous vascular tumours was in the 4th decade while a slight female predilection was observed. Kaposi's sarcoma accounted for 73.08% of cases while the haemangiomas and angiosarcomas accounted for 25% and 1.92% of cutaneous vascular tumours respectively. Sexual predilection was slightly in favour of the females with Kaposi's sarcomas and haemangiomas. The mean ages for haemangioma, Kaposi's sarcoma and angiosarcoma were in the 3rd, 4th and 7th decades respectively.Conclusion: Kaposi sarcoma was the most common cutaneous vascular tumour followed by haemangioma, while the least is the rare angiosarcoma. Cases with haemangiomas have the least mean age.Keywords: Kaposi sarcoma, cutaneous vascular tumour

Exploring staff experiences and perceptions of patient-perpetrated violence in hospital settings:A qualitative study

Aims: To explore hospital staff experiences and perceptions of patient-perpetrated violence.Design: Descriptive qualitative study.Methods: Twelve semi-structured interviews (June-August 2022) were held with a diverse sample of hospital nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, security and a non-clinical manager. The framework approach was used to organise and analyse data, using Attribution Theory as a theoretical lens.Results: Three themes were identified: violence as (un)predictable, violence as (un)preventable, and the cumulative toll of violence. In making sense of why patients become violent, participants described different ‘types’ of aggressive patients and variably attributed behaviours to situation, disposition, or a combination of both. Regardless of perceived causal factors, staff overwhelmingly appeared to view violence as predictable. Participants also reflected on the wider structural problems underpinning violence, frequently alluding to their sense of relative powerlessness to initiate change. The cumulative toll of violence was a common thread, with staff describing their acquisition of ‘resilience’ and reflecting on its role in their responses to escalating situations.Conclusions: Many hospital staff are resigned to the inevitability of violence. The concept of staff ‘resilience’ following violence is not unproblematic, having the potential to serve as a guise for acceptance and as an additional variable for which staff are held accountable. When designing strategies, organisations should ensure that accountability for violence reduction is distributed across multiple levels. This study makes a novel contribution by exploring the perspectives of multiple staff groups working across diverse hospital settings, and adds to a sparse literature on this subject in the United Kingdom.Implications for the profession: Efforts to address violence against healthcare staff need to be power-conscious, ensuring that accountability is distributed across multiple levels.Reporting method: This study is reported in line with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ).Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contribution

Anesthesiologists' and surgeons' perceptions about routine pre-operative testing in low risk patients: application of the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify factors that influence physicians' decisions to order pre-operative tests

Background Routine pre-operative tests for anesthesia management are often ordered by both anesthesiologists and surgeons for healthy patients undergoing low-risk surgery. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was developed to investigate determinants of behaviour and identify potential behaviour change interventions. In this study, the TDF is used to explore anaesthesiologists’ and surgeons’ perceptions of ordering routine tests for healthy patients undergoing low-risk surgery. Conclusion We identified key factors that anesthesiologists and surgeons believe influence whether they order pre-operative tests routinely for anesthesia management for a healthy adults undergoing low-risk surgery. These beliefs identify potential individual, team, and organisation targets for behaviour change interventions to reduce unnecessary routine test ordering. Methods Sixteen clinicians (eleven anesthesiologists and five surgeons) throughout Ontario were recruited. An interview guide based on the TDF was developed to identify beliefs about preoperative testing practices. Content analysis of physicians’ statements into the relevant theoretical domains was performed. Specific beliefs were identified by grouping similar utterances of the interview participants. Relevant domains were identified by noting the frequencies of the beliefs reported, presence of conflicting beliefs, and perceived influence on the performance of the behaviour under investigation. Results Seven of the twelve domains were identified as likely relevant to changing clinicians’ behaviour about pre-operative test ordering for anesthesia management. Key beliefs were identified within these domains including: conflicting comments about who was responsible for the test-ordering (Social/professional role and identity); inability to cancel tests ordered by fellow physicians (Beliefs about capabilities and social influences); and the problem with tests being completed before the anesthesiologists see the patient (Beliefs about capabilities and Environmental context and resources). Often, tests were ordered by an anesthesiologist based on who may be the attending anesthesiologist on the day of surgery while surgeons ordered tests they thought anesthesiologists may need (Social influences). There were also conflicting comments about the potential consequences associated with reducing testing, from negative (delay or cancel patients’ surgeries), to indifference (little or no change in patient outcomes), to positive (save money, avoid unnecessary investigations) (Beliefs about consequences). Further, while most agreed that they are motivated to reduce ordering unnecessary tests (Motivation and goals), there was still a report of a gap between their motivation and practice (Behavioural regulation)

Competing with Christ? A critical Christological analysis of the reliance on Pentecostal prophets in Zimbabwe

How can we make Christological sense of the Zimbabwean Pentecostal prophets’ mediatory role? This article analyses the domineering and mediatory role of the Pentecostal prophets from a Christological perspective. The mediatory role of the Pentecostal prophets is riddled with competition against the mediatory role of Christ between God and humanity (1 Tm 2:5) as it tends to usurp Christ’s role over the church. Instead of being channels that lead people to depend only on Christ for their spiritual security, prosperity Pentecostal prophets present themselves as super spiritual authorities who must be relied upon by the believers in addition to Christ. Prosperity Pentecostalism, also known as the gospel of wealth and health, emphasises that prosperity in material wealth and good health is an integral component of the Christian faith. As super spiritual authorities, Pentecostal prophets project themselves as uniquely anointed by God. This places them closer to God than other people and, in turn, they receive spiritual power and authority over other believers. The prophets mediate their presence in the lives of their followers through anointed objects such as their personal pictures, anointed oil and armbands. This article analyses the distorted views about Christ created by the reliance on the prophets. The article concludes by proposing steps that should be taken to empower Christians to dissuade themselves from reliance on such prophets