Preference and views of final year medical students on mentoring in Bayero University Kano

Background: Mentoring is vital to the maturation of individuals, especially early in their careers and aids professional growth. This study was conducted to find out the views of final year students of Bayero University Medical School on mentoring. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study. The students were given a self-administered questionnaire after a careful explanation and consent obtained. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using Chi-square (χ2) and Fischer exact test (F) with a P< 0.05 considered to be significant. Results: There were a total of 84 students with a male:female ratio of 3.4:1. The age range was between 22 and 42 years with a mean age of 26.4 ± 2.99 years. All the students had formal mentors assigned to them, but none had mentors in the 1st year of school, and only two (2.3%) were assigned mentors in the 2nd year of study. Religion, ethnicity, gender, or specialties of the mentors were not considered important characteristics of mentors by majority of the students, and there was no gender difference in these views. Developing career goals and time management were the priority mentor topics. During the initiation of formal mentoring, only 7 (8.3%) of the students were asked for their goals before being assigned to mentors. Conclusion: Mentoring should be commenced in the 1st year of study, and mentoring goals should be clearly defined for a successful mentee – mentor relationship

Cor triatriatum dexter with pulmonary hypertension

Cor triatriatum (CT) otherwise known as a tri atrial heart is a rare congenital heart defect. This report describes a rare case of CT dexter in a 2-year-old girl who presented to our facility with cough and difficulty in breathing of a year duration and body swelling of 3 months duration. She was also found to be in heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a membrane separating the right atrium into two chambers, with features of pulmonary hypertension. Although the patient was scheduled for follow-up, she however, died 2 days later. Early diagnosis and prompt referral of patients with this rare defect are mandatory to prevent mortality from this defect that is amenable to simple corrective surgery

Left ventricular mass, geometric patterns, and diastolic myocardial performance in children with chronic kidney disease

Background: Excessive left ventricular mass (LVM) and diastolic dysfunction are associated with higher morbidity and mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Objective: The objective of the following study is to determine the prevalence of increased LVM index (LVMI), pattern of abnormal LV geometry, and diastolic dysfunction in Nigerian CKD children and to establish a relationship of these with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Subjects and Methods: Cross-sectional comparative study of LV structure and diastolic function of 21 children with CKD age- and sex-matched and controls asymptomatic for cardiac disease. Results: The median LVMI was 62.19 (34.7) g/m2 in CKD patients compared with 52.89 (30.2) g/m2 in controls (P = 0.04). Excessive LVMI was present in 3 (14.3%) individuals compared with none (0%) of the controls P < 0.001. The prediction equation for LVMI using eGFR is: LVMI = 123.11+ (−0.48) × eGFR ml/m2/min. Abnormal LV geometry was present in 19.05% of the CKD patients and none of the controls (P = 0.04). CKD stages differed significantly with respect to the presence of abnormality with LV geometry (P = 0.04). LV diastolic dysfunction was present in 4 (19.1%) individuals (2 each had impaired relaxation and restrictive patterns) compared with 1 (4.8%) control (restrictive pattern)-P <; 0.001. Children with CKD who had abnormal LV geometry had 48 times increase in the odds of having LV diastolic dysfunction when compared with those having normal LV geometry (confidence interval = 2.31–997.18, P = 0.012). Conclusion: Excessive LVM, LV hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction are significantly more common in children with CKD compared with controls

The Perception of Asthma and Views on Metered-dose Inhaler by Caregivers of Asthmatic Children in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano

Introduction: Much have been achieved in improving the quality of life of asthmatic children such as providing efficient treatment and preventive measures; however, acceptability of these treatments such as metered-dose inhalers (MDI) by caregivers desires to be studied. Materials and Methods: This study was cross-sectional involving caregivers of asthmatic children aged 5–14 years. Results: One hundred and nineteen caregivers were recruited, consisting of 93 mothers (78.1%), 22 fathers (18.5%), and 4 relations (3.4%). However, 88 (73.9%) of the respondents believed asthma was inheritable. Sixty-five (54.6%) of the respondents had counseling on asthma but majority of the respondents will accept MDI if prescribed for their wards; however, among the 33 (27.7%) that will reject, majority believed MDI will make asthma chronic (51.5%). However, 69.7% of them agreed to accept MDI if properly counseled on the advantages and effectiveness of MDI. Although majority of those that had counseling on childhood asthma would accept MDI, this observation was not statistically significantly (χ2 = 2.741; df = 1; P = 0.11); however, most of those with a family history of asthma would accept MDI and this observation was statistically significant (χ2 = 14.312; df = 1; P = 0.00). Similarly, maternal education showed statistically significant association with willingness to accept MDI (Fisher's exact test = 15.444; P = 0.01). Oral medications were the preferred route by the respondents (66.4%) if given the choice to choose. Conclusion: Most respondents believed that asthma is heritable, and majority will accept MDI if prescribed by a physician but they will prefer oral medication as a matter of choice; however, maternal education had significant relationship with the willingness to accept MDI

Accidental poisoning with aluminum phosphide presenting with excessive cholinergic symptoms with response to atropine: A case report

Accidental poisoning in children, though underreported in our environment, is common and could prove fatal. It is important to identify the primary chemical agent that is responsible for the poisoning. We present a case of accidental ingestion of fish poisoned with aluminum phosphide (AlP) used as rat poisoning by a 14-month-old girl. At presentation, the actual chemical content of the poison was not available and clinical features were suggestive of organophosphate poisoning. She was commenced on atropine together with other treatment, on which she made remarkable improvement. The atropine was continued with complete resolution of symptoms on the third day of admission. We, therefore, report a serendipitous use of atropine in the management of AlP poisoning with successful outcome

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the main pulmonary artery

The anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital heart anomaly; this occurs in 1/300,000 live births. ALCAPA syndrome was first described in 1933 by Bland and co-authors in autopsy specimens; however, further description of its clinical manifestations resulted in the naming of Bland–White–Garland syndrome. The case of a 2-year-old boy who was referred for echocardiographic investigation due to recurrent cough, catarrh, and occasional noisy breathing is reported in this communication; his chest X-ray was normal, while electrocardiogram showed Q-waves on limb leads I and aVL and the echocardiographic study showed ALCAPA

Purulent pericarditis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Nigerian Child

In the Western world, cases of purulent pericarditis have become almost nonexistent with progress and advent of new immunizations against many causative organisms. We report Klebsiella pneumoniae pericarditis, a rare cause of this uncommon disease, hitherto unreported in Nigeria. K. pneumoniae, which is a rod-shaped, Gram-negative, facultative anaerobe, produces extended-spectrum beta-lactamases; hence, it is usually resistant to a lot of antibiotics and is associated with a significant case fatality rate. Our 13-year-old male patient had septic arthritis of the right hip joint came with a 3 weeks complaint of difficulty with breathing. He had respiratory distress, tachypnea, and tachycardia. Although blood pressure was normal, he had pulsus paradoxus, elevated jugular venous pressure, diffuse apex beat, and heart sounds were distant. Chest radiograph revealed an increased cardiothoracic ratio (0.86) with “water bottle” appearance. Transthoracic echocardiography confirmed pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade. Echo-guided pericardiocentesis was done, and 340 ml of foul-smelling and creamy pus with greenish tinge was aspirated and this grew K. pneumoniae sensitive to ciprofloxacin and gentamycin but resistant to other conventional antibiotics. Recovery was complete after a week of pericardial tube drainage and 3 weeks of treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Klebsiella - induced pyopericardium and with successful management in a Nigerian child. Pyopericardium may follow rare causes such as K. pneumoniae infection with its unique antibiogram

Teething myths among health workers in a tertiary health facility

Background: The teething process is part of normal development of the skeletal system; however, different tribes and ethnic groups seem to have a list of symptoms they believe are linked to teething. Could it be that health professionals also hold to these false believes concerning teething? This is important to find out because when systemic problem is misdiagnosed as teething and nothing is done, it may result in death. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge of infants' teething and associated myths among health professionals, to ascertain the attitude of health professionals toward teething in infants, and to identify practices by health professional toward “teething problems.” Materials and Methods: This study was cross-sectional study, conducted from August to September 2016, and multistage sampling method was adopted. Results: Four hundred and fifty health workers participated in the study; however, 427 of them correctly completed the questionnaire giving a response rate of 94.9%. There were 213 (49.9%) males and 214 (50.1%) females with m:f ratio of 1:1. Most respondents (322; 77.8%) believed teething was associated with significant systemic symptoms, 92 (21.5%) did not associate teething with any significant systemic complaint, while only 3 (0.7%) of them were not sure if teething causes systemic illness. Fever and loss of appetite were the most common symptoms associated with teething followed by stooling while skin rash was the least common complaint associated with teething. Conclusion: Teething myths are still prevalent among health-care workers; common illnesses attributed to teething included fever, loss of appetite, excessive salivation, and diarrhea

Quality of sleep among clinical medical students of Bayero university, Kano, Nigeria

Background: Sleep deprivation and disruptions are associated with both psychological and physiological disorders. Medical students have an increased risk for sleep deprivation. This study aimed to determine the quality of sleep among clinical medical students of Bayero University Kano (BUK). Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted between February and March 2019 among clinical students of BUK. The data were obtained using sociodemographic questionnaire as well as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) self-administered questionnaires. Two hundred questionnaires were administered to the students in their 4th, 5th, and 6th academic year. SPSS version 20 was used for the statistical analysis of the data collected. Results: A total of 181 questionnaires were completed out of the 200 that were administered, making a response rate of 90.5%. There were 114 males (63%) and 67 females (37%), giving a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1, which is in keeping with the gender distribution of the students. The mean age (± standard deviation) of the students was 23.8 ± 2.9 years. The overall poor sleep quality was found to be 53.0% based on the PSQI, whereas the overall excessive daytime sleepiness was found to be 38.3% using the ESS. Poor sleep quality was found to be 61.1%, 51.7%, and 42.9% among the students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th academic years, respectively (P = 0.14). Excessive daytime sleepiness was found to be 45.8%, 41.7%, and 22.9% among the students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th academic years, respectively (P = 0.03). Conclusion: The prevalence of poor sleep quality is high among the clinical students of BUK