Burns in pregnancy: Five-year experience in a tertiary hospital in southeastern Nigeria

BackgroundBurns in pregnancy is often associated with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality especially when the total burn surface area (TBSA) involved is high. This study aims to review management outcome of cases of burns in pregnancy at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA).MethodsA five year retrospective study of all pregnant women that presented at AE-FUTHA with burn injury between April 2014 and March 2019. Information was collected from the medical records using a proforma and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) using descriptive statistics.ResultsA total of 222 cases of burns were managed but only 8 were pregnant, giving an incidence of 3.6%. The commonest causes were flame (62.5%), scald (25%) and friction (12.5%) occurring mostly during the harmattan season. The median age of participants was 25-34 years. The burns affected 12.5% of the patients in the first trimester and 62.5% and 25% in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters respectively. Most patients (62.5%) had superficial burns while 25% had other associated injuries in addition to burns. About 87.5% had term spontaneous vaginal delivery. There was no maternal death but, there was an early neonatal death.ConclusionThe good outcome observed in this study with a 100% survival, could be explained by inter-disciplinary management approach given, even as most cases were minor degrees of burns. Early involvement of obstetricians in all burns affecting pregnant women is advised especially in burn centres where obstetricians are hardly in the employ

Mapping a candidate gene (MdMYB10) for red flesh and foliage colour in apple

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Integrating plant genomics and classical breeding is a challenge for both plant breeders and molecular biologists. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a tool that can be used to accelerate the development of novel apple varieties such as cultivars that have fruit with anthocyanin through to the core. In addition, determining the inheritance of novel alleles, such as the one responsible for red flesh, adds to our understanding of allelic variation. Our goal was to map candidate anthocyanin biosynthetic and regulatory genes in a population segregating for the red flesh phenotypes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have identified the <it>Rni </it>locus, a major genetic determinant of the red foliage and red colour in the core of apple fruit. In a population segregating for the red flesh and foliage phenotype we have determined the inheritance of the <it>Rni </it>locus and DNA polymorphisms of candidate anthocyanin biosynthetic and regulatory genes. Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the candidate genes were also located on an apple genetic map. We have shown that the MdMYB10 gene co-segregates with the <it>Rni </it>locus and is on Linkage Group (LG) 09 of the apple genome.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have performed candidate gene mapping in a fruit tree crop and have provided genetic evidence that red colouration in the fruit core as well as red foliage are both controlled by a single locus named <it>Rni</it>. We have shown that the transcription factor MdMYB10 may be the gene underlying <it>Rni </it>as there were no recombinants between the marker for this gene and the red phenotype in a population of 516 individuals. Associating markers derived from candidate genes with a desirable phenotypic trait has demonstrated the application of genomic tools in a breeding programme of a horticultural crop species.</p

Determinants of child Labour in Crop Production (A Case Study of Anambra State of Nigeria).

Determinants of child Labour use among rural household crop farmers in Anambra State of Nigeria were studied. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select one hundred (100) respondents for the detailed study. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents for the study. Percentage response was used to capture objective i and iii. Objective ii was capture using Probit model analysis. The result showed that majority of the respondents were married, youthful, had moderate household size, educated and highly experienced in farming. The determinant factors to the use of child labour among rural household were relationship between the child and household heads, access to credit and educational level. The major operations accomplished by the children in the study area were bird scaring, fertilizer application and planting. The child right act should be enforced by appropriate government agencies and the offenders brought to book, free education to all children and social mobilization on change of attitude to use of child labour were recommended. Keywords; Determinants, Child Labour, Crop Production, Anambra State, Nigeri

Experience with rubber band ligation of hemorrhoids in northern Nigeria

Background: Treatment of hemorrhoids in Nigeria is usually done by the traditional open method that requires hospital admission; anesthesia and is associated with high morbidity. Rubber band ligation is a suitable alternative to open hemorrhoidectomy and has the potential to reduce the need for hospital admission. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective analysis of consecutive patients presenting with hemorrhoids that were suitable for surgical treatment to the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre Gombe from January 2008 to December 2010 (24 months). Results: A total of 232 rubber band ligations were performed on 40 patients whose ages ranged from 20 to 54 years with a mean age of 37.1 ± 12.2 years. There were 24 males and 16 females (M:F::2:3). Thirty-nine patients (97.5%) were cured of their symptoms following the procedure, and 1 patient (2.5%) had severe pain as complication of the treatment. Another patient had recurrence that was treated by repeat rubber band ligation. Conclusion: We conclude that rubber band ligation is a safe and reliable way for outpatient treatment of hemorrhoids in Nigeria

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Pregnant Women in a Secondary Health Facility in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Background. Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) concept is based on the premise that preparing for birth and being ready for complications reduce all three phases of delay to a bad obstetric outcome. Objectives. To determine the knowledge of BP/CR with its determinants and BP/CR index among pregnant women in Abakaliki, southeast Nigeria. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was done between 1st March 2019 and 31st July 2019 among 450 randomly selected antenatal attendees at Mile Four Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria. The data were obtained using a pretested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire adapted from the maternal and neonatal health program handbook of the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynaecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO). The data obtained were analyzed using percentages, chi-square, and odds ratios. The level of significance is at P value 0.05). However, only booking in the 1st or 2nd trimester was a significant determinant of the respondent’s adequate knowledge of BP (AOR=0.63, 95% CI 0.40-0.98) and CR (AOR=0.62, 95% CI 0.39-0.97). Identification of transport and saving of money was the commonest birth plan while the commonest danger sign known to the participants was bleeding. Conclusion. This study revealed that knowledge of BP/CR is suboptimal. The determinant of this knowledge is antenatal booking. It is recommended that women should have adequate antenatal care education to improve their knowledge of BP/CR. This will help to increase the low BP/CR index seen in our study