Weekend versus weekday hospital deaths: Analysis of in‑patient data in a Nigerian tertiary healthcare center

Aim: This study aims at comparing weekday deaths to weekend deaths of in‑patients of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.Materials and Methods: This is a 10‑year retrospective survey conducted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in which the death records of the hospital were accessed from the various wards and health records department to extract relevant data pertaining to the time of hospital death. Tests of statistical significance were done using Chi‑square test at 95% confidence intervals.Results: A total of 3934 deaths were recorded during the period of study. The ages ranged from a few hours to 94 years with a mean age of 38.5 years. The male to female ratio was 1.2:1. An average of 547 weekend deaths and 568 weekday deaths were recorded, giving a ratio of 0.96:1. A ratio of weekend to weekday death rate of 0.99:1 and 0.93:1 for the males and females, respectively was noted. The labor ward, followed by the intensive care unit (ICU) had the highest weekend to weekday death ratio of 1.72:1 (P = 0.0461) and 1.41:1 (P = 0.1440), respectively. Weekend deaths were less in the other wards, with the gynaecological ward having the least ratio of 0.63:1 (P = 0.7360).Conclusion: The rate of hospital deaths was generally found not to vary significantly over the weekends and weekdays in the hospital except for the labor ward which had significantly higher weekend to weekday death rates of 1.72:1. There is therefore need for confidential enquiry into the causes of hospital deaths, especially in the labor ward, in order to identify and prevent avoidable deaths.Keywords: Hospital deaths, in‑patients, weekend deathsNigerian Journal of Clinical Practice • Oct-Dec 2013 • Vol 16 • Issue

Premarital HIV Testing on Prospective Couples in A Teaching Hospital in Sub Saharan Africa

Background: Most religious bodies insist on premarital screening for prospective couples.Aim: To determine the level of voluntary screening, prevalence and risk factors of HIV among premarital couples.Material and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study using interviewer administered questionnaire and HIV screening to collect data. Systematic sampling of every third premarital couples attending the General outpatient Clinic between November 2010 and October 2011. SPSS version 17 was used for data analysis of 386 subjects.Results: A majority of respondents (83.4% or 322); X2 = 172.446, df = 1, p< .05) had knowledge of 2 transmission of HIV. Mandatory HIV screening was 5.7% (22); X = 303.018, df = 1, p< .05), while voluntary testing was 30% (113). The sero-prevalence of HIV was 2.6%, which was statistically and significantly 2 associated with cohabitation and upper social class. A majority (68.4% or 266); X = 272.166, df = 3, p< .05) would call off marriage plans if their spouses tested positive to HIV.Conclusion:The knowledge of transmission of HIV was very high with low sero-prevalence(2. 6%) among premarital couples. Voluntary HIV testing was higher than mandatory request, while cohabitation and upper socialclass are risk factors for HIV transmission.Key Words: Premarital screening, HIV, voluntary, risk factors,  sero-prevalenc

Obstetric Outcome in Twin Gestation in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A 5-year Review

BACKGROUND: Twin pregnancies are high risk pregnancies. Foetal and maternal complications are common in twin pregnancies. Therefore, periodic review is necessary to improve on the twin pregnancy outcome. OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and outcome of twin pregnancies in the hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study and the case records of all twin pregnancies managed st st at the hospital, between 1 August 2003 and 31 July 2008 were retrieved from the medical records department and studied. RESULTS: During the period under review, there was a total of 3187 deliveries, 56 of which were twin pregnancies. This gave an incidence of 1.8%. Only 42 of the patients' folders were available for analysis. The mean age and parity of mothers were 29.5 ) 5.3 years and 3.1 ) 1.7, respectively. Male infants constituted 54.8% of the twins with male to female ratio of 1.2:1.0. Of the twin deliveries, presentation of cephalic cephalic for the first and second twins was the most common, 38.1%. Male- male twin pair occurred in 31.0%, male- female twins in 28.6%, female-female in 21.4%, which female- male twins occurred in 19.0%. Males were first twin in 59.6% and second twin in 50.0%, while females were first twin in 40.4% and second twin in 50.0% of the cases. This was for dizygotic twins. Caesarean section rate was 28.6% in the overall twin pregnancies. Perinatal mortality was 119 per 1000 deliveries. CONCLUSION: The incidence of twin pregnancy from the study was 1.8%. There is decreasing perinatal mortality in the region due to improved obstetric practice

Risk Factors and Outcome of Pregnancies with Placenta Praevia in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital: A 5-year Review

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