Occupational cow horn eye injuries in Ibadan, Nigeria

This case series aims to describe the clinical features, management, and outcome of occupational eye injuries caused by cow horns and to recommend possible preventive measures. A review of patients with cow horn inflicted eye injuries seen at the University College Hospital, Ibadan between January 2006, and December 2011 was conducted. Three patients were identified, and their charts were reviewed for demographic information, mechanism of injury, initial and final visual acuity, surgeries performed, as well as anatomic and visual outcome. The three patients were males and were aged 45, 22, and 49 years, respectively. They were all involved in cattle‑related jobs, and they all had unilateral open‑globe injuries with corneoscleral lacerations. Presenting visual acuity was nil light perception in the injured eyes. The contralateral eyes were all normal. Two of the patients required evisceration of the eye, while the third patient underwent repair of lacerations. Visual improvement was not achieved in any of the patients. Cow horn eye injuries may be quite severe and could result in loss of the eye with monocular blindness. Careful attention must be paid to prevent such injuries. Cattle rearers and dealers should wear safety goggles, and proper restraint of the animals is advocated.Keywords: Cow horn, Eye injury, Monocular blindness, Occupational injur

Occupational Hazards and HBV infection among health care workers in Public Teaching Hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan: A multiple Discriminant Analysis

Background: Infection with HBV leads to a wide spectrum of liver injury. It ranges from acute self-limited infection and fulminant hepatitis to chronic hepatitis.Objectives: To examine the prevalence of sero-epidemiologic markers of hepatitis B virus and to identify the risk factors of exposure to HBV among health care workers in Public Teaching Hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan; in 2004.Methods: The study was a cross sectional, facility-based study. It was conducted on stratified two stage cluster sampling of 843 subjects. The study adopted multivariate statistical approach, using Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) and some non-parametric tests.Results: Infection rate measured by Anti-HB core, carrier rate measured by HBs Ag, and a profile of high infectivity rate measured by HBe Ag was found to be high; while immunity rate measured by Anti-HBs was found to be low. Needle stick injury, contaminated sharp instruments injury andexposure to blood are the most significant occupational variables related to infection rate of HBV. Contaminated sharp instruments injury and exposure to blood, are the most significant occupational variables related to carrier rate. Date of needle stick injury, incidence and date of contaminated sharp instruments injury, incidence and date of exposure to blood have significant relation to immunity rate against HBV infection.Conclusion: The prevalence rate of HBV markers among HCWs in Public Teaching Hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan, differs according to occupational hazard factors. With the exception of the HBeAg, seroprevalence of all HBV markers was found to be significantly correlated with occupational hazards (P<0.05).Key words: HBV markers, HCWs

Vaccines and immunization: The past, present and future in Nigeria

Vaccines are arguably the most important public health tools available today. Since the successful eradication of smallpox with the use of the vaccine, many vaccines have become available to man. Of great importance to public and child health are the vaccines against the so-called six killer diseases of childhood-measles, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis and poliomyelitis. In the last 2 decades, effective vaccines against the major causes of pneumonia, another childhood killer, have become available. Data from many parts of the world including African countries have shown the benefits of the pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines. The scientific world is still searching for appropriate candidate vaccines for malaria and HIV infection. Despite the availability and effectiveness of many vaccines, the benefits to a country is highly dependent on a viable and sustainable health system which include adequate financing, dynamic and motivated workforce, strong partnerships and effective community participation. If well deployed, available vaccines as elucidated in this discourse can accelerate the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria and many other developing countries.Key words: Vaccines, Immunizations, Nigeria

Effect of Climate Change on the Health of Rural Farmers in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

The study examined the effect of climate change on the health of rural farmers in Offa, Kwara State. Nigeria. For the purpose of achieving the objectives of the study Ninety-eight (98) respondents were randomly sampled from ten wards. Data were collected through interview scheduled couple with a well structured questionnaire. The data were analysed through the use of frequency count, simple percentages and Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC). The result of the study indicated that the mean age is 45.5%. 68.4% are male. 53.1% were married. 72.4% were literate with only 14.3% non-literate. The study further revealed a significant relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and their present health status (r=0.344, p=0.001 α=0.05) The study also revealed a significant relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and their perceived effect of climate change on their health status (r=0.381,p=0.001,α=0.05). More so the major source of information of the respondents on climate change were through radio/television (mean=61.3) while only few (mean=36.3) heard from research institute, majority of the respondents health status were  good (49.0%) they usually have deviation from normal health status as consequence of climate change. The common ailment they experienced is malaria (31.6%) while only few had headache and cholera (3.1%). It was concluded that their major source of information on climate change was through radio. More so it was deduced from the study that malaria is the most common and severe disease affecting the respondents with tuberculosis which is less severe. It was recommended that government should educate farmers through the mass media such as use of radio, newspaper and television on the need to plant trees to combat the effect of the ozone layers depletion which is also associated to climate change.Key words: Climate and Climate change, Ozone layers, Malaria, Health  status, Headache

Fasting of Ramadan in peoples with diabetes in Benghazi, Libya: an exploratory study

Background: The epidemiology of diabetes and Ramadan fasting was reported from many Muslim countries, but not from Libya. Methodology: We interviewed 493 consecutive diabetic patients at Benghazi Diabetes and Endocrine Center for the potential complications of fasting during Ramadan. Results: We found 70% of diabetic patients completed the 30 days of Ramadan fasting. Hypo- and hyperglycemia was the most commonly reported complications especially during the first two weeks of Ramadan month. Conclusion: It seems majority of diabetic patients in Libya manage to fast during Ramadan month. Patient education and early planned adjustment of diabetic medication is needed to decrease the frequency of diabetic complication during Ramadan month

Pattern of childhood malignant tumours in two tertiary teaching hospitals in Nigeria: Comparative study

Background: Cancer is a public health problem worldwide affecting all categories of persons. It is the second common cause of death in developed countries and among the three leading causes of death in developing countries.Objective: To compare the patterns of malignant childhood tumours intwo tertiary hospitals in the north- Western and South western Nigeria.Methods: Retrospective studies of childhood malignancies diagnosedat Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) (Ife Hospital Unit, Ile-Ife and Wesley Guild Hospital Unit, Ilesa, Osun state) were undertaken from January, 2001 to December, 2010. The patterns of childhood cancers inthese hospitals were compared.Results: Four hundred and ten children aged 7 months to 15 years were admitted at AKTH with malignancies of which 236 were males and 174 females with male to female ratio of 1.4:1. At OAUTHC, 568 children aged two months to 15 years were admitted with malignancies over the ten year period. There were 401 males and 167 females, with male to female ratio of 2.4:1. Lymphomas were the commonest type of malignancy in both centers, which accounted for 47.3% and 59.7% at AKTH and OAUTHCrespectively. Retinoblastoma was the second commonest tumour atAKTH constituting 14.9% of all malignancies followed by nephroblastomaand acute leukemias. In contrast, acute leukemias were the second commonest malignancy at OAUTHC accounting for 12.7% of all malignancies followed by retinoblastoma and nephroblastoma. Tumoursof central nervous system were observed to be commoner at AKTH, while bone tumours were commoner at OAUTHC.Conclusion: The pattern of childhood cancer varies rather little betweendifferent regions in Nigeria, with malignant lymphomas being the most common as is the case in most developing countries. However, the findings in this study suggest that there is variation in prevalence of leukemia, CNS and bone tumours in northern and southern Nigeria.Key words: Childhood, malignant tumours, pattern, teaching hospitals,Nigeri

Prevalence and risk factors of cervical cancer among women in an urban community of Kwara State, North Central Nigeria

Background. Cervical cancer is the second most common malig- nancy in women worldwide with a high incidence in under-devel- oped countries and Nigeria is one of these countries. This study aimed at screening for cervical cancer using Papanicolaou smear and to identify risk factors for cervical cancer among women in Olufadi community, Kwara state, North-central Nigeria. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study involving the screening of women aged 25-64 years for cervical cancer using Papanicolaou smear. Respondents were selected through systematic random sam- pling of households. Interviewer- administered questionnaire and clinical report form were also used to collect data. In addition, Pap smear samples were taken. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 15. Results. Only 10 (5.0%) respondents had positive cytology result, while the rest were normal. Of the 10 positive cytology results, 1(10.0%) was high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL) while the remaining 9(90.0%) were low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) which corresponds to 0.5% and 4.5% of the total respondents respectively. Risk fac- tors for cervical cancer identified included coitarche, tobacco smoking, number of sexual partners and family history of cervi- cal cancer. Conclusion. The findings from this study attest to the increasing burden of cervical cancer. The high number of positive results obtained from the study coupled with the presence of risk factors was an indication of how useful regular screening will be in the early detection of cervical cancer

Derivative spectrophotometric analysis of benzophenone (as an impurity) in phenytoin

Three simple and rapid spectrophotometric methods were developed for detection and trace determination of benzophenone (the main impurity) in phenytoin bulk powder and pharmaceutical formulations. The first method, zero-crossing first derivative spectrophotometry, depends on measuring the first derivative trough values at 257.6 nm for benzophenone. The second method, zero-crossing third derivative spectrophotometry, depends on measuring the third derivative peak values at 263.2 nm. The third method, ratio first derivative spectrophotometry, depends on measuring the peak amplitudes of the first derivative of the ratio spectra (the spectra of benzophenone divided by the spectrum of 5.0 μg/mL phenytoin solution) at 272 nm. The calibration graphs were linear over the range of 1-10 μg/mL. The detection limits of the first and the third derivative methods were found to be 0.04 μg/mL and 0.11 μg/mL and the quantitation limits were 0.13 μg/mL and 0.34 μg/mL, respectively, while for the ratio derivative method, the detection limit was 0.06 μg/mL and the quantitation limit was 0.18 μg/mL. The proposed methods were applied successfully to the assay of the studied drug in phenytoin bulk powder and certain pharmaceutical preparations. The results were statistically compared to those obtained using a polarographic method and were found to be in good agreement