Respiratory Health Effects of Pollution Due to Artisanal Crude-Oil Refining in Bayelsa, Nigeria

Purpose: Artisanal refining of crude oil has been associated with the manifestations of various health problems directly related to the release of particulate matter, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), into the environment. This study thus assessed the respiratory health effects associated with being resident in areas where crude oil is artisanally refined in Bayelsa State. Material and methods: This study utilized a comparative, cross-sectional design and was conducted in three communities in Bayelsa State. These included Sampou (a mildly exposed community), Nembe, and Gbarain (severely exposed communities). A sample population of 615 adults selected by multistage sampling completed the study instrument, which assessed data on their respiratory health. Environmental monitoring of the PAHs levels of the samples was done, and concentrations were determined using the gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (GC/FID). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 was used to conduct descriptive and inferential analyses. Results: Findings revealed that the highest number of moderate to severe respiratory disease symptoms was experienced by respondents from Nembe 12 (41.4%), followed by those from Sampou 8 (27.6%), and then by those from Gbarain 9 (31.0%). Also, coughing that occurred mostly when lying down was found to be significantly prevalent among residents of Nembe [35 (47.9%); p-value: 0.016], among other symptoms. Respiratory disease symptoms were more likely to be found among females (p-value: 0.037), smokers (p-value: 0.002), and those having a low health risk perception related to PAHs exposure (p-value: 0.002). Conclusion: Respondents from the three study sites had in the past 12 months experienced various respiratory disease symptoms, which could be directly related to their exposure to pollution from artisanal crude oil refining. Artisanal refining of crude oil should be continually dissuaded through unwavering enforcement of environmental health laws in order to further improve public and environmental health

Assessment of Treatment Outcomes in the Management of Club foot using the Ponseti Technique:A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The Ponseti technique remains the preferred method for club foot treatment. Although measures of treatment outcomes have been well documented, there is no consensus on the determinants of those outcomes. This study aims to assess treatment outcomes and the factors which can influence treatment outcomes.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 472 children representing 748 feet in total were recruited. Patient characteristics such as age at presentation, gender, tenotomy, walking with or without deformity, parental educational status and occupation were documented. Outcomes of care were assessed using indictors such as parents' satisfaction with the outcome of treatment and the patients' ambulation without deformity. The relationships between the determinant factors and these outcomes were explored using multivariable binary logistic regression.RESULTS: Most of the children (69.1%) were aged below 2 years. Brace compliance was very high (89.9%). The pre-treatment average Pirani scores were 3.9 ± 1.8 and 4.3 ± 1.8 for the right and left feet, respectively. Majority (88.3%) of the children achieved ambulation without deformity, whereas most (87%) of the parents were satisfied with the treatment outcomes. In total, parental satisfaction with child's treatment outcomes was lower in parents who were not formally educated odds ratio (OR) = 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08-0.43), but parental satisfaction was lower if the child had higher Pirani score OR = 0.77 (95% CI 0.62-0.96). Children who had more casts applied to the affected foot were more likely to walk without deformity OR = 1.24 (95% CI 1.01-1.52).CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that treatment outcomes in children with club foot can be determined by some sociodemographic and treatment-related factors.</p

White Paper on Ambient ultrafine particles: evidence for policy makers

Ultrafine particle, as defined by ISO/TC 146/SC 2/WG1 N 320 is “A particle sized about 100 nm in diameter or less”. The same definition applies to a nanoparticle as “A particle with a nominal diameter smaller than about 100 nm”. Ultrafine particles (UFP) is a term used in atmospheric sciences, while “nanoparticles” applies to material engineering

Barriers to and determinants of the use of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in Cross River State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Malaria in pregnancy (MIP) has serious consequences for the woman, unborn child and newborn. The use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for the intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (SP-IPTp) is low in malaria endemic areas, including some regions of Nigeria. However, little is known about pregnant women’s compliance with the SP-IPTp national guidelines in primary health care (PHC) facilities in the south-south region of Nigeria. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers to and determinants of the use of SP-IPTp among pregnant women attending ANC in PHC facilities in Cross River State, south-south region of Nigeria. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2011 among 400 ANC attendees aged 15–49 years recruited through multistage sampling. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the use of SP-IPTp in the study population. RESULTS: Use of SP-IPTp was self-reported by 41 % of the total respondents. Lack of autonomy in the households to receive sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) during ANC was the main barrier to use of IPTp (83 %). Other barriers were stock-outs of free SP (33 %) and poor supervision of SP ingestion by directly observed treatment among those who obtained SP from ANC clinics (36/110 = 33 %). In the multivariate logistic regression, the odds of using SP-IPTp was increased by the knowledge of the use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) (OR = 2.13, 95 % CI: 1.70–3.73) and SP (OR = 22.13, 95 % CI: 8.10–43.20) for the prevention of MIP. Use of ITNs also increased the odds of using SP-IPTp (OR = 2.38, 95 % CI: 1.24–12.31). CONCLUSIONS: Use of SP-IPTp was low and was associated with knowledge of the use of ITNs and SP as well as the use of ITNs for the prevention of MIP. There is a need to strengthen PHC systems and address barriers to the usage of SP-IPTp in order to reduce the burden of MIP. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-016-0883-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Heterogeneous Urban Exposures and Prevalent Hypertension in the Helsinki Capital Region, Finland

Urban dwellers are simultaneously exposed to several environmental health risk factors. This study aimed to examine the relationship between long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5, diameter &lt; 2.5 &micro;m) of residential-wood-burning and road-traffic origin, road-traffic noise, green space around participants&rsquo; homes, and hypertension. In 2015 and 2016, we conducted a survey of residents of the Helsinki Capital Region to determine their perceptions of environmental quality and safety, lifestyles, and health statuses. Recent antihypertensive medication was used as an indicator of current hypertensive illness. Individual-level exposure was estimated by linking residential coordinates with modelled outdoor levels of wood-smoke- and traffic-related PM2.5, road-traffic noise, and coverage of natural spaces. Relationships between exposure and hypertension were modelled using multi-exposure and single-exposure binary logistic regression while taking smooth functions into account. Twenty-eight percent of the participants were current users of antihypertensive medication. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for antihypertensive use were 1.12 (0.78&ndash;1.57); 0.97 (0.76&ndash;1.26); 0.98 (0.93&ndash;1.04) and 0.99 (0.94&ndash;1.04) for wood-smoke PM2.5, road-traffic PM2.5, road-traffic noise, and coverage of green space, respectively. We found no evidence of an effect of the investigated urban exposures on prevalent hypertension in the Helsinki Capital Region

Histopathologic risk factors for metastasis in retinoblastoma seen in a tertiary eye center in South, South Nigeria

Purpose: To analyze the frequency of histopathological high-risk factors (HRF) for systemic metastasis in retinoblastoma (RB) in our patient population. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective case series, with review of clinical data and histopathologic, immunocytochemistry slides, from a particular laboratory, of eyes enucleated for RB between 2006 and 2012. Results: A total of 28 eyes with histopathologic reports confirming RB from a particular laboratory were seen between 2006 and 2012. The mean age at presentation was 33.68 +/- 12.27 months (range: 6-55 months). 15 (53.60%) of the patients were males, and 13 (46.40%) were females. Approximately 12 (43%) of these patients presented with leucocoria, while the least frequent presentation was strabismus 2 (7%). The mean duration of symptoms at presentation was 7.07 +/- 4.29 months. Grade e intraocular classification for RB was seen in 27 (96.40%) of cases. International staging classification of stages included Stage 1 (1 patient, 3.57%), Stage 2 (2, 7.14%), Stage 3A (4, 14.30%), Stage 3B: (6, 21.40%) Stage 4A (2, 7.14%) and Stage 4B (13, 46%). HRF that were predictive of metastasis were choroidal infiltration (20 patients, 71.40%), retrolaminar optic nerve (ON) invasion (17, 60.70%), invasion of the ON to transection 1 (6, 78.60%), scleral infiltration (23, 82.10%) and extra-scleral extension (13, 46.40%). Conclusion: There is a high frequency of histopathological risk factors present in the patients with eyes enucleated for RB in this population. This finding is in agreement with suggestions of poor prognosis and high-mortality in this region, especially from the central nervous system metastasis. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2015; 4(2.000): 83-88

Histopathologic risk factors for metastasis in retinoblastoma seen in a tertiary eye center in South, South Nigeria

Purpose: To analyze the frequency of histopathological high-risk factors (HRF) for systemic metastasis in retinoblastoma (RB) in our patient population. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective case series, with review of clinical data and histopathologic, immunocytochemistry slides, from a particular laboratory, of eyes enucleated for RB between 2006 and 2012. Results: A total of 28 eyes with histopathologic reports confirming RB from a particular laboratory were seen between 2006 and 2012. The mean age at presentation was 33.68 +/- 12.27 months (range: 6-55 months). 15 (53.60%) of the patients were males, and 13 (46.40%) were females. Approximately 12 (43%) of these patients presented with leucocoria, while the least frequent presentation was strabismus 2 (7%). The mean duration of symptoms at presentation was 7.07 +/- 4.29 months. Grade e intraocular classification for RB was seen in 27 (96.40%) of cases. International staging classification of stages included Stage 1 (1 patient, 3.57%), Stage 2 (2, 7.14%), Stage 3A (4, 14.30%), Stage 3B: (6, 21.40%) Stage 4A (2, 7.14%) and Stage 4B (13, 46%). HRF that were predictive of metastasis were choroidal infiltration (20 patients, 71.40%), retrolaminar optic nerve (ON) invasion (17, 60.70%), invasion of the ON to transection 1 (6, 78.60%), scleral infiltration (23, 82.10%) and extra-scleral extension (13, 46.40%). Conclusion: There is a high frequency of histopathological risk factors present in the patients with eyes enucleated for RB in this population. This finding is in agreement with suggestions of poor prognosis and high-mortality in this region, especially from the central nervous system metastasis. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2015; 4(2.000): 83-88