Medical and dental students’ attitude and practice of prevention strategies against hepatitis B virus infection in a Nigerian university

Introduction: Medical and dental students are a high-risk group for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection which is an occupational hazard for them and a leading cause of death globally. Prevention strategies include vaccination and observance of standard precaution. However, available reports claim utilization of the prevention strategies is low. This study evaluated the attitude of the students towards HBV vaccine and cross-infection practices. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study carried out at the College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Using the convenience sampling method, anonymous self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the first 120 participants that volunteered to participate in the study. Data analysis was done using IBM's Statistical Package (SPSS) version 20 software. Statistical level of significance was set at p < 0.05.Results: Over eighty percent (83.2%) of the participants had at least a dose of the HBV vaccine while 79.65% completed the three doses. Majority (94.7%) of the students that did not receive the vaccine cited their busy schedule as the reason for their failure to be vaccinated. Taking every patient as a contagious disease risk (86.5%), washing hands after contact with patients' body fluids (82.1%) and wearing gloves before touching mucous membranes and non-intact skin (74.1%) were the most practiced universal standard precaution items.Conclusion: The uptake rate of HBV vaccination and practice of standard precaution among the students are commendable. However, there is need for improvement considering the level of HBV infection in Nigeria. Key words: Medical and dental students, hepatitis B vaccine, universal precaution, Nigeri

Gaps in oral health-care service provision systems for children in Nigeria: A case study of a tertiary health institution

Background: The study investigated the common dental conditions of children seen in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. The referral patterns were also determined to know how many of the patients had sought care at the lower levels of health before visiting a tertiary hospital. Methods: All the children aged 0–15 years seen at the Dental hospital, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria over a 4-year period were included in the study. Information retrieved from their case notes including patterns of referral, presenting complaints, diagnosis, and treatment were extracted from the case records of the patients. Treatment plans for patients seen at this tertiary hospital were categorized into primary, secondary, and tertiary health-care services. Results: A total of 1,866 children sought treatment over a 4-year period at this tertiary hospital of which 1715 (91.9%) sought treatment without referral from lower levels of care. Only 102 (5.4%) children were referred from primary health care (PHC) centers. Six hundred and seventy-five (36.2%) children presented with pain while 502 (26.9%) attended for a “check-up.” Furthermore, 779 (41.8%) children were diagnosed with periodontal disease (including gingivitis) and 539 (28.9%) with dental caries. Scaling and polishing with oral hygiene instruction was the most common treatment recommended. Only 5% of children seen at this tertiary health facility required specialized oral health-care services provided by tertiary health institutions. Conclusions: The range of oral health care needed and service provided by and for patients who visited this tertiary health-care institution can be effectively provided in a primary or secondary oral health-care delivery center. The poor integration of oral health care into PHC services in Osun State burdens the tertiary health-care institutions to provide nonspecialized oral health-care services

Bilateral Mucous Retention Cyst of the Submandibular Salivary Gland: A Rare Unusual Presentation and Review of the Literature.: Bilateral Mucous Retention Cyst

Background: Mucous Retention Cyst (MRC) are non-neoplastic, developmental salivary gland lesion. Although more common in the minor salivary gland, few cases have been reported in the major salivary gland. Objective: To draw the attention of clinicians to a rare occurrence of MRC in the submandibular gland bilaterally.   Case Report: The index case presents as a slowly progressive painless lesion of 10 years duration associated with aesthetics concerns. The lesion appeared as a double jaw with extension into the neck. Though lobulated and fluctuant, aspirate yielded yellow coloured, non-viscous and non-foul smelling fluid. Ultrasonography revealed a multilobulated mass with mobile heterogeneous fluid-like content in the submental and submandibular regions bilaterally. The massive size of the lesion limited the ultrasonic visualization of the submandibular salivary glands. The patient could not afford advanced imaging. During surgery, the lesion had involved the submandibular gland bilaterally with attachment to the hyoid bone and in close relation to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Although the nerve was preserved, the patient experienced temporary hoarseness, which resolved with medication. Histopathologic examination of the excised lesion revealed the lesion as Mucous Retention Cyst. Conclusion: The massive size of the lesion, delayed presentation and financial constraints in obtaining advanced imaging could have contributed to the diagnostic dilemma. This rare case will help the clinicians include MRC as a differential diagnosis of lesions involving submandibular salivary gland bilaterally. It also draws the attention of the maxillofacial surgeons to the unexpected injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve and its management in a low-income setting environment.   &nbsp

Spreading Oro-fascial Infections: Is the Trend in Burden Changing?

Spreading orofacial infections are often encountered and managed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Several factors have been attributed to this spread. It has been reported to be the leading cause of death in maxillofacial patients seen in most hospitals, especially in a resource constraint country like Nigeria. The current study aims to assess factors that contribute to the disease burden of patients with orofacial infection. The case files of 101 patients who were diagnosed clinically of spreading orofacial infections with radiographic confirmation of involved tooth/teeth managed at the LASUTH and OAUTHC Ile Ife over twelve months. The following information was obtained in a prospective study using a proforma; patients’ demographics, underlying morbidity, teeth involved, site location, fascial spaces involved, treatment, and outcome. Patients with incomplete data were excluded. All patients had adequate rehydration followed by incision and drainage or decompression as the case required before administration of empirical antibiotics via the intravenous route. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21.0. One hundred and one cases were retrieved for the study. There was an almost equal gender distribution of males 51 (50.05%) and females 50 (49.50%). The female to male ratio of 1.02:1.00. The age range was 12-82 years, the mean age for females and males was (17.6 ± 0.448). The majority of the cases were in the 21-40 age group. A significant percentage (95.0%) of the patients were managed as in-patients. The majority of the death 8 out of 12 were recorded among the age group 51-82 years. Mandibular teeth were more affected compared to the maxillary teeth. Though not statistically significant (p=0.054). The lower right first and second molar (17.82%) each were mostly implicated in the mandible while the maxillary upper right second molar tooth (one-third of the total number of maxillary teeth affected) was the most implicated tooth in the maxilla. Twenty-five of the patients had underlying medical conditions with diabetes mellitus being the commonest (66.7%) among the patients under review. Majority of the patients presented with multiple facial spaces involvement with Ludwig’s angina being the commonest presentation. The submandibular space was the most involved space both in single and multiple spaces involvement. The mortality recorded were in patients with Ludwig’s angina, temporal and parapharyngeal space involvement. Seven (58.33%) out of the recorded death had involvement of more than four fascial spaces. The commonest treatment offered was incision and drainage with the extraction of the offending tooth/teeth. There was a positive correlation between the length of hospital stay and the duration of drain in-situ. Fascial space infections in a resource- and personnel-scarce setting still confers a great burden on management. The need for quick surgical intervention, aggressive and adequate antibiotics administrations, high protein nutritional support, and co-managing of patients with other medical teams in controlling associated morbidities are very essential to a good outcome

Reconstruction of mandibular defects using nonvascularized autogenous bone graft in Nigerians

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the success rate and complications of mandibular reconstruction with nonvascularized bone graft in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Patients and Methods: A total of 25 patients who underwent reconstruction of mandibular discontinuity defects between January 2003 and February 2012, at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife constituted the study sample. Relevant information was retrieved from the patients′ records. This information include patients′ demographics (age and sex) as well as the type of mandibular defect, cause of the defect, type of mandibular resection done, source of the bone graft used, and the method of graft immobilization. Morbidity associated with the graft procedures were assessed by retrieving information on graft failures, length of hospital stay following surgery, rehabilitation device used and associated graft donor and recipient site complications. Result: There were 12 males and 13 females with a male:female ratio was 1:1.1. The age of the patients ranged from 13 to 73 years with a mean age for males 32.7 ± standard deviation (SD) 12.9 and for females 35.0 ± SD 17.1. Jaw defect was caused by resection for tumours and other jaw pathologies in 92% of cases. Complete symphyseal involvement defect was the most common defect recorded 11 (44%). Reconstruction with nonvascularized rib graft accounted for 68% of cases while iliac crest graft was used in 32% of the patients. Successful take of the grafts was recorded in 22 patients while three cases failed. Wound dehiscence (two patients) and postoperative wound infection (eight patients) were the most common complications recorded. Conclusion: The use of nonvascularized graft is still relevant in the reconstruction of large mandibular defects caused by surgical ablation of benign conditions in Nigerians. Precise surgical planning and execution, extended antibiotic therapy, and meticulous postoperative care contributed to the good outcome

Child dental neglect and legal protections: a compendium of briefs from policy reviews in 26 countries and a special administrative region of China

Background: Child neglect is a public health, human rights, and social problem, with potentially devastating and costly consequences. The aim of this study was to: (1) summarize the oral health profile of children across the globe; (2) provide a brief overview of legal instruments that can offer children protection from dental neglect; and (3) discuss the effectiveness of these legal instruments. Methods: We summarized and highlighted the caries profile and status of implementation of legislation on child dental neglect for 26 countries representing the World Health Organization regions: five countries in Africa (Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe), eight in the Americas (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Unites States of America, Uruguay), six in the Eastern Mediterranean (Egypt, Iran, Libya, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia), four in Europe (Italy, Latvia, Serbia, United Kingdom), two in South-East Asia (India and Indonesia) and one country (China) with its special administrative region (Hong Kong) in the Western Pacific. Results: Twenty-five of the 26 countries have legal instruments to address child neglect. Only two (8.0%) of these 25 countries had specific legal instruments on child dental neglect. Although child neglect laws can be interpreted to establish a case of child dental neglect, the latter may be difficult to establish in countries where governments have not addressed barriers that limit children's access to oral healthcare. Where there are specific legal instruments to address child dental neglect, a supportive social ecosystem has also been built to facilitate children's access to oral healthcare. A supportive legal environment, however, does not seem to confer extra protection against risks for untreated dental caries. Conclusions: The institution of specific country-level legislation on child dental neglect may not significantly reduce the national prevalence of untreated caries in children. It, however, increases the prospect for building a social ecosystem that may reduce the risk of untreated caries at the individual level. Social ecosystems to mitigate child dental neglect can be built when there is specific legislation against child dental neglect. It may be more effective to combine public health and human rights-based approaches, inclusive of an efficient criminal justice system to deal with child dental neglect