Point-of-admission neonatal hypoglycaemia in a Nigerian tertiary hospital: incidence, risk factors and outcome.

Background: Neonatal hypoglycaemia is a major metabolic problem. It may result in mortality or severe handicap among survivors. Many babies admitted for neonatal care are at high risk for hypoglycaemia. The present study set out to determine its point-of-admission prevalence, clinical presentation and outcome. Methods: Consecutive neonates who met the study criteria had plasma glucose determined at admission into the special care baby unit of Wesley Guild Hospital. Hypoglycaemia was defined as plasma glucose of ≤ 2.5mmol/L. Babies with and without hypoglycaemia were compared for risk factors, clinical features and outcome. Results: A total of 150 neonates were studied out of which 49 (32.7%) had hypoglycaemia. The mean age, 38.3 ± 71.6 in hours was significant ly lower among neonates with hypoglycaemia than those without hypoglycaemia [p = 0.006].Lowsocioeconomic class (p = 0.034), admission weight less t h a n 2500g ( p = 0.009 ) , hypothermia (p = 0.001) and preterm birth (p = 0.020) were significantly more common in babies with hypoglycaemia. Poor suck (p = 0.010), cyanosis (p = 0.020), convulsion (p = 0.040) and pallor (p = 0.048) were also more common among babies with hypoglycaemia. The mortality rate in babies with hypoglycaemia was 32.7%, higher than 18.8% in babies without hypoglycaemia but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.060). Conclusion: Hypoglycaemia is common among high-risk neonates and is often associated with morbidity and mortality. Routine monitoring of blood glucose is therefore recommended for this class of babiesKeyWords: Prevalence, Point-of-admission , Neonatal Hypoglycaemia, Morbidity and Mortality, Nigeria

“Coconut" Atrium: A case report and review of the literature

“Coconut atrium” or complete dystrophic left atrial wall calcification is rare and occurs almost exclusively in the middle-aged and the elderly, often following chronic conditions such as rheumatic heart disease, end-stage renal disease and tuberculosis. Hyperparathyroidism, lipid storage disease and use of xenografts are known causes of incomplete intra-cardiac dystrophic calcification in older children. The present report describes a rare case of cardiac calcification demonstrated by Trans-thoracic 2-D Echocardiography in a two-year old Indian boy who presented at a private hospital in Hyderabad, India with breathlessness. Unfortunately, his parents declined further extensive investigations and treatment, but this case was instructive due to the rarity of complete dystrophic left atrial wall calcification, the exclusion of the common known aetiologies and the extremely young age of the patient

Effects of Thawing Methods on the Stability of Cloxacillin Sodium and Benzathine Benzyl Penicillin Injections

Penicillins are known to degrade in liquid formulations. This work, therefore, attempts to find a means of maintaining stability of pencillins in liquid formulations. Cloxacillin sodium and benzathine benzylpenicllin powdered injection were reconstituted in three different injectable fluids: 0.9% sodium chloride, 5% dextrose and water for injection. These drug solutions were frozen using domestic refrigerator (0-4oC) and defrozen using microwave oven and room temperature thawing for 360 hours. The third and fourth samples, which were not frozen at all, were allowed to remain in the refrigerator for 360 hours respectively. These served as controls. The decomposition rate constants for cloxacillin sodium in 5% dextrose were 4.8 x 10-4, 1.88 x 10-3 and 3.68 x 10-3 mg ml-1 h-1 for microwave thawing (MWT), room temperature defreezing (RTD) and non–frozen (NF) respectively, while in 0.9% sodium chloride, the decomposition rate constants were 1.13 x 10-3, 2.05 x 10-3 and 3.85 x 10-3 mg ml-1 h-1 for MWT, RTD and NF respectively and in water for injection, 8.4x 10-4, 1.56x 10-3 and 2.67 x 10-3 mg ml-1 h-1 for MWT, RTD and NF respectively, after reconstitution. The potency loss was minimal after thawing with microwave oven. The decomposition rate constants for benzathine benzylpenicillin were as follows: in 5% dextrose-1.80 x 10-3, 1.03 x 10-3 and 1.29 x 10-4mg ml-1 h-1 for MWT, RTD and NF; in 0.9% sodium chloride-5.31 x 10-3, 4.39 x 10-3 and 1.01 x 10-3 mg ml-1 h-1 for MWT, RTD and NF; and in water for injection-3.60 x 10-4, 1 .11x 10-3 and 1.54 x 10-3 mg ml-1 h-1 for MWT, RTD and NF respectively. Benzathine benzylpenicillin was found to be more stable in water for injection after reconstitution and potency loss was minimal during microwave thawing than during room temperature defreezing. KEYWORDS: Penicillins, freezing, microwave thawing, potency loss. Nig. Jnl Health & Biomed. Sciences Vol.3(1) 2004: 51-5

Electrochemical Performance of Anthocleista djalonensis on Steel-Reinforcement Corrosion in Concrete Immersed in Saline/Marine Simulating-Environment

In this paper, electrochemical techniques were employed to study performance of different concentrations of Anthocleista djalonensis leaf-extract admixtures on the corrosion of steel-reinforcement in concrete immersed in 3.5 % NaCl, for simulating saline/marine environment. Analysed test-results showed that the corrosion rate correlated directly with admixture concentration and inversely with cube of the ratio of standard deviations of corrosion potential and corrosion current. The 0.4167 % A. djalonensis (per weight of cement) exhibited optimal inhibition efficiency, g = 97.43 ± 1.20 %, from analysed experimental data, or 94.80 ± 3.39 %, from predicted correlation model, on steel-reinforcement corrosion in the medium. The other admixture concentrations also exhibited high efficiencies at inhibiting steel-reinforcement corrosion in the chloride contaminated environment. Isotherm fittings of he experimental and predicted performance suggest that they both obeyed the Langmuir adsorption model. Evaluated parameters from the isotherm model indicated favourable adsorption and predominant chemisorption mechanism by this environmentally-friendly inhibitor of steel-reinforcement corrosion in the saline/marine simulating- environment. © 2014, The Indian Institute of Metals - IIM

Prevalence and pattern of akin infections and infestations among primary school pupils in Ijesha land

No Abstract. Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics Vol. 33 (1) 2006: pp. 13-1