Drug use disorders among long distance commercial vehicle drivers

This study investigates substance use disorders among long-distance commercial vehicle drivers in Kaduna, Nigeria. Each consecutive 4th long distance driver who was to load his vehicle on each day was interviewed using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) to generate an International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) substance use diagnosis until a sample size of 274 was attained. The data was analysed using the SPSS version 16.0. The current and life time prevalence of an ICD-10 diagnosis was 18.4%, and 21.2% respectively. None of them had received any form of medical treatment for drug problems. Substance use disorder occur among long distance commercial vehicle drivers, and there is a need to develop a system that identifies substance use disorders and provides treatment for drug users as part of a holistic approach against drugged-driving.Keywords: Drug-use disorders, long-distance commercial drivers, Nigeri

Electroencephalographic findings in patients referred for electroencephalogram in a University Teaching Hospital in Northern Nigeria

Background: Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a valuable investigation for the assessment of patients with seizures and some other neuropsychiatric disorders. The literature is scanty of reports describing its application and usefulness in Nigerian patients. In this study we analyzed the EEG records of a series of patients who were referred with various provisional diagnoses. Materials and Methods: EEG records of the entire 200 consecutive cases referred from various clinics within and outside a tertiary hospital in Northern Nigeria during a 1 year period were analyzed. Information on biodemographic data, clinical description of symptoms and provisional diagnosis made by referring physicians and the EEG diagnosis were obtained from the records. Results: Most of the attendees were aged between 10 years and 29 years (59.5%) and mostly males (63.5%). About 80% of the attendees had received a provisional diagnosis of seizure disorder (generalized and partial). The EEG diagnosis of seizure disorder accounted for 75%, normal EEG record accounted for 21% and organic brain disorder accounted for 4% of all EEG diagnosis. Generalized seizure disorder was the commonest seizure type by EEG diagnosis (50%). There was a significant association between the provisional diagnosis and EEG diagnosis (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Most of the patients referred for the EEG had their reports consistent with clinical suspicion. EEG was found to be a useful tool in the evaluation of seizures and organic brain disorder in our study