Gender Dispsarity in Growth Dynamics among Nigerian Igbo School Children.

This is an non-invasive study involving. four hundred and eight (480) primary school pupils aged between 6 and 14 years (mean + SD; 8 + 6 years) enlisted into the study, were examined between September and November. Their height, weight and head circumference were measured in appropriate standard international units. Results showed that at 6 years, average weight of girls was 22.62 + 6.5kg compared to 20 .38 + 5.3 kg (

Bacterial Agents Associated with Seasonal Meningitis in Ebonyi State,Nigeria

Seasonal bacterial meningitis has been a regular occurrence in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. In a prospective study of 45 children of both sexes, aged 0 to 17yr (mean 12.5 + 1.5yr), infected with bacterial meningitis, in whom appropriate specimens were collected, examined and analyzed in order to identify the predominant bacterial causative organisms. Results showed that the incidence of bacterial meningitis occurred during the hot weater (Dec-Feb) yearly, and the predominant bacterial isolates were in the order Neisseria meningitides (51.5%) Streptococcus peumoniae (21.2%), Escherichia coli (13..6%), Haemophilus influenzae (7.6%) and Staphylococcus aureus (6.1%). Furthermore, there were incidence of multiple infections. The seasonality of bacterial meningitis in Ebonyi State is confirmed and measures such as personal hygiene and environmental factors to forestall its re occurrences are highlighted.Keywords: Bacterial, seasonal meningitis, Ebonyi Sequelae

Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular function in thyrotoxicosis and implications for the therapeutics of thyrotoxic cardiac disease

Raphael C Anakwue,1,2 Basden J Onwubere,2 Vincent Ikeh,2 Benedict Anisiuba,2 Samuel Ike,2 Angel-Mary C Anakwue3 1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2Department of Medicine, 3Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences, Imaging Unit, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria Introduction: Thyrotoxicosis is an endocrine disorder with prominent cardiovascular manifestations. Thyroid hormone acts through genomic and non-genomic mechanisms to regulate cardiac function. Echocardiography is a useful, non-invasive, easily accessible, and affordable tool for studying the structural and physiological function of the heart.Aim: We studied thyrotoxicosis patients in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital and employed trans-thoracic echocardiography to find out if there were abnormalities in the hearts of these patients.Methods: Fifty adult thyrotoxicosis patients diagnosed with clinical and thyroid function tests in the medical out-patient unit of the hospital were recruited and we performed transthoracic echocardiography with a Sonos 2000 HP machine.Results: We documented the presence of abnormalities in the following proportion of thyrotoxicosis patients: left ventricular enhanced systolic function in 30%, enhanced diastolic function in 34%, diastolic dysfunction in 34%, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in10%, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in 6%, and left ventricular hypertrophy in 34%.Conclusion: Echocardiography was useful in the stratification of cardiac function abnormalities and is indispensable as a guide in the choice of therapeutic options in patients with thyrocardiac disease. The finding of left ventricular enhanced systolic and diastolic functions signify early echocardiographic detectable cardiac abnormalities in thyrotoxicosis, and the clinical management includes the use of anti-thyroid drugs and ß-adrenoceptor blockade. Diastolic dysfunction in thyrotoxicosis patients asymptomatic for cardiac disease should be treated with anti-thyroid drugs, and ß-adrenoceptor blockade. The judicious application of clinical therapeutics will guide the use of anti-thyroid drugs, diuretics, digoxin, angiotensin inhibitors, and ß-adrenoceptor blockade in the successful management of thyrotoxicosis patients with heart failure and reduced, preserved, or increased ejection fraction: parameters which are derived from echocardiography. Keywords: thyrotoxicosis, left ventricle, echocardiography, therapeutics, thyrocardiac diseas

High Prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium Amongst Pre-Secondary School Children in Ebonyi State,Nigeria: An Overview of the Evidence

Urine sample of 302 pre-secondary school children aged 9-15 (mean 2.5 +- 3.1) yr were tested for the presence of eggs of Schistosma haematobium in which (32%) of the 302 were positive. While prevalence was related to age of participants in a positive fashion there were no gender differences. While children of civil servants had the lowest prevalence (18.8%), children of farmers had the highest prevalence, indicating that the poor environmental conditions of farmer’s children placed them at greater risks. Routine screening of infective parasitic agents in children entering secondary school prevents the transmission of such infective agents to other children and as well saves the affected children from possible fatal outcome of inevitable complications of such infections.Key words: Schistosoma haematobium parasites trematode bilharziasi