Predictors of Bovine TB Risk Behaviour amongst Meat Handlers in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study Guided by the Health Belief Model

Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) is still a serious public health threat in developing countries. The aim of this study is to determine the social and cognitive factors predicting one of the risk behaviours amongst meat handlers in Nigeria, namely, eating Fuku Elegusi. This is the practice of eating the visibly infected parts of the lung in-order to convince customers to buy meat. The study is guided by the health belief model (HBM).This is a cross-sectional study of 349 randomly selected meat handlers in Oko-Oba Abattoir, in Lagos State. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis were employed to determine perceptions and prevalence of risk behaviours and to identify predictors of eating Fuku Elegusi.Just over a quarter (28.1%) of the study participants knew that eating Fuku Elegusi could be a source of bTB in humans. The prevalence of eating Fuku Elegusi was found to be 22%. Across all knowledge indicators related to bTB, those who don't eat Fuku Elegusi exhibited better knowledge. Strong predictors of eating Fuku Elegusi were: being male (OR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.10 to 5.19; p = 0.03), not knowing that eating Fuku Elegusi exposes to bTB (OR: 3.72, 95% CI: 1.69 to 8.22; p = 0.001), and the perception that one cannot sell meat without tasting it (perceived barrier) (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.60; p = 0.001). Lower risk of eating Fuku Elegusi was predicted by perceived susceptibility to bTB due to another risk behaviour, namely, not washing hands after handling meat (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.96; p-value = 0.021). Television and radio were the most acceptable media for TB prevention messages (78.5% and 75.6% respectively).Meat handlers in developing countries bear high risk to bTB owing to prevailing social and cognition determinants. Findings were largely consistent with the propositions of HBM

Carbon monoxide poisoning: Medical students’ knowledge towards its safety

Background: Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odourless, colourless, non-irritating, and poisonous gas produced by incomplete combustion of organic materials. It is particularly dangerous as it cannot be detected by man’s natural sense organs. There is hardly a month without one or two newspaper reports of death attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning.Objective: To determine the students’ knowledge about carbon monoxide poisoning, and their ability to identify victims suspected of suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out among 216 medical students. A total survey was done using a self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire.Result: The mean age of the students was 24.4 ± 3.4years. One hundred and forty-six (67.6%) were males while 70(32.4%) were females. Eighty-seven (41.2%) of the respondents had good knowledge of the physical characteristics of carbon monoxide, while 127(58.8%) had poor knowledge of carbon monoxide. Their knowledge about carbon monoxide was significantly influenced by their level of training (p=0.0008). Seventy-four (57.4%) of the respondents at the clinical stage, and 20.7% of the respondents in the preclinical stage had good knowledge of the features of carbon monoxide poisoning in a victim. This difference was statistically significant (p=0.0000). The most commonly identified feature of CO poisoning was dizziness 151(72.2%) while the least identified feature was headache(88 or 42.1%).Conclusion: There is need to properly educate the medical students about carbon monoxide poisoning during their course of training both in the preclinical and clinical stages. The teaching should be practically applied to stimulate retentive memory. This is because the proportion of respondents that had good knowledge of carbon monoxide poisoning was not appreciable.Key Words: Carbon monoxide, poisoning, knowledge, medical students

Long-term Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Nanopowder Hemostatic Agent (TC-325) for Control of Severe Arterial Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a Porcine Model

Background and study aim: Endoscopic therapy of brisk upper gastrointestinal bleeding remains challenging. A proprietary nanopowder (TC-325) has been proven to be effective in high pressure bleeding from external wounds. The efficacy and safety of TC-325 were assessed in a survival gastrointestinal bleeding animal model. Method: 10 animals were randomized to treatment or sham. All animals received intravenous antibiotics, H2-blockers and heparin (activated clotting time 2 × normal). In a sterile laparotomy the gastroepiploic vessels were dissected, inserted through a 1-cm gastrotomy, and freely exposed in the gastric lumen, and the exposed vessel lacerated by needle knife. The treatment group received TC-325 by a modified delivery catheter while the sham group received no endoscopic treatment. Time to hemostasis, and mortality at 60 minutes, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 7 days were noted. Necropsy was performed in all animals. Results: Spurting arterial bleeding was achieved in all animals. No control animal showed hemostasis within the first hour compared with 100 % (5 / 5) in the treatment arm (mean 13.8 minutes, P < 0.0079). Durable hemostasis was achieved with no evidence of rebleeding after 1 and 24 hours in 80 % (4 / 5) of the treated animals compared with none in the control group ( P < 0.0098). None of the control animals survived more than 6 hours. Necropsy at 1 week in treated animals revealed healed gastrotomy without foreign body granuloma or embolization to the lung or brain. Conclusion: TC-325 is safe and highly effective in achieving hemostasis in an anticoagulated severe arterial gastrointestinal bleeding animal model