Pattern of Demand for Removable Acrylic Partial Denture (RPD) in the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Background: Pattern of demand for RPDs and distribution of stock teeth carried by these prostheses is rarely reported. The current study is designed to determine the pattern of demand for RPDs and to compare the patterns of distribution of stock teeth carried by these prostheses between the right and left sides of each jaw and between the upper and lower jaws respectively.Materials and Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the authorization forms of 1,000 adult patients who requested for RPD from two dental hospitals in the metropolitan city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The gender, type (upper, lower or both) of RPD and the teeth requested were analyzedResults: There were 906 properly filled forms belonging to 464 (51.2%) females and 442 (48.8) males. More males (38.5%) compared to 32.5% females requested for upper RPD and more females (15.8%) as against 7.3% males demanded for lower RPD. More males (3.5%) compared to females (3.0%) requested for combination of upper and lower RPD. A decline in the number of teeth demanded was noted as we move away from the central incisor to the nd 2nd premolars. No marked difference was noted between the distribution of teeth provided for the right and left sides of each jaw. More prosthetic teeth were demanded for the upper jaw.Conclusion: More females requested for removable acrylic partial denture. No marked difference was noted  between the distribution of teeth provided for the right and left sides of each jaw. More prosthetic teeth were demanded for the upper jawKey words: Acrylic partial denture, removable, stock teet

Multiple Perturbed Collocation Tau Method for Solving Nonlinear Integro-Differential Equations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the numerical solution of non-linear Fredholm and Volterra integro-differential equations by the proposed method called Multiple Perturbed Collocation Tau Method (MPCTM). We assumed a perturbed approximate solution in terms of Chebyshev  polynomial basis function and then determined the derivatives of the perturbed approximate solution which are then substituted into the special classes of the problems considered. Thus, resulting into n-folds integration, the resulting equation is then collocated at equally spaced interior points and the unknown constants in the approximate solution are then obtained by Newton’s method which are then substituted back into the approximate solution.Illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the efficiency, computational cost and accuracy of the method. The results obtained with some numerical examples are compared favorable with some existing numerical methods in literature and with the exact solutions where they are known in closed form.Keywords: Nonlinear Problems, Tau Method, Integro-Differential, Newton’s method

Prevalence of Low Back Pain Among Traffic Wardens in Lagos State, Nigeria

Low back pain (LBP) has been found to be common among workers in certain industries and occupations. However, little is known about the prevalence of low back pain among traffic wardens in Nigeria, who are perceived to belong to the group of workers that are exposed to high  occupational risks. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of low back pain and its associated risk factors among traffic wardens. The study design was a cross-sectional descriptive survey. All subjects were  evaluated using a 32-item questionnaire to collect information on the demographic characteristics, years of involvement in working as a traffic warden, history of LBP in the last 12 months, possible causes and management of LBP, and the effect of LBP on work and the activities of daily living. The intensity of the pain was assessed using a verbal ratingscale. The prevalence of low back pain over a 12-month period was observed to be 69.5%. The intensity was described as moderate (49.2%), mild (11.8%), or severe (8.6%). Eighty (61.5%) of the traffic wardens agreed that LBP constitutes some form of impediment to their job  activities. There was a relationship between age and prevalence of low back pain, with age 35 – 54 years having the highest level of prevalence. Years of involvement in regulating traffic also has a significant influence on the severity of LBP. A higher prevalence was identified among males compared to females This study concluded that low back pain is prevalent among traffic wardens and the female wardens are more susceptible than their male counterparts. Also, age and years of involvement in regulating trafficsignificantly influence prevalence of LBP.KEY WORDS: low back pain, traffic warden, occupational healt

Maternal contribution to ultrasound fetal measurements at mid‑pregnancy

Background: Maternal variables are known contributors to fetal variables and can be assessed during pregnancy.Objective: To assess maternal contribution to some mid‑pregnancy fetal ultrasound measurements.Materials and Methods: A prospective study involving 87 pregnant women scanned at 18–23 weeks of pregnancy was carried out. The fetal measurements were head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL), and biparietal diameter (BPD) while the maternal variables were age, parity, height, weight, and BMI.Results: There were intercorrelations between some maternal and fetal variables respectively. Parity correlated significantly with all the ultrasound fetal measurements (P <.05), but the association vanished with partial correlation (P >.05). Significant correlation between parity and age remained the same with simple and partial correlations (P < 0.01). Canonical correlation analysis gave four sets of canonical variables; however, none was statistically significant. Regressing fetal parameters against parity through parent‑fetus regression procedure gave significant model fit (P < 0.05), but low r2 value suggesting that variations in parity did not explain much of the variations observed in the fetal ultrasound measurements (3.9% < r2 < 6.7%). The generated models revealed HC having the highest standardized regression coefficient (b = 5.07; P <.05) while FL had the least (b = 1.08; P <.05).Conclusion: The results suggested that parity contributed significantly to fetal ultrasound measurements at mid‑pregnancy while maternal height, weight, and BMI made no significant impact.Key words: Correlation; fetal; maternal; regression; ultrasound scan

Sero-prevalence of hepatitis C virus among blood donors in Lagos, Nigeria

The prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV), one of the causative agents of viral hepatitis was investigated. One hundred and sixty-seven (167) blood samples from donors which were sero-negative to hepatitis B virus markers were screened for presence of HCV IgM antibodies using a third generationELISA kit. Out of the 167 sample tested 14 (8.4%) were positive for anti-HCV with the highest prevalence rate recorded in the age group 30-39 years. There is no statistically significant association between thesex and the rate of HCV infection (p0.05)

Avoidable birth injury complicated with limb gangrene: a reflection of an in-efficient health system

Gangrene of the lower extremities in neonates is a rare event except in traumatic cases. When risk factors for trauma to the limb of the newborn exist, it is important to prevent such injuries and when they are inevitable, appropriate management of injuries should further prevent complications such as limb gangrene. This report describes a newborn whose birth was poorly managed and thereafter sustained traumatic unilateral lower limb gangrene from the management of femoral fracture at a traditional bone setting. This report aims to highlightthe deficiencies in the Nigerian health system which permitted this unfortunate scenario.Keywords: Birth injury, Lower limb gangrene, neonatal femoral fracture, unorthodox bone setting practice

Influence of sensation-seeking and impulsivity on drug use among youths in Ibadan

In this study, a cross-sectional approach was used to examine the relationships between sensationseeking and impulsivity on drug misuse using 200 participants. The study was conducted within Ibadan among youths especially adolescence who completed questionnaires assessing the influence of sensation-seeking and impulsivity on drug misuse. Results indicated that sensation-seeking and impulsivity as predicted in the first hypothesis independently and jointly influenced drug misuse among youths F (2, 197) = 22.9,

Prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis Infection among Pregnant Women in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Trichomoniasis caused by Trichomonas vaginalis has emerged as one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. The infection may lead to an important complication in pregnancy, as it has been related with prematurity and low birth weight. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of T. vaginalis among Nigerian women attending ante natal clinic at the State Hospital, Abeokuta. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among two hundred (200) pregnant women attending ante-natal at Ogun State Hospital, Abeokuta. High vaginal swabs (HVS) and urine samples were collected from consenting pregnant women and examined for the presence of T. vaginalis under the microscope. Out of 200 women, a total of 40 (20%) were found to be infected with T. vaginalis. The women between the age group 20-30 had the highest prevalence of 21.3% while age group >20 years had the lowest of 12.5% but the difference was not statistically significant. Women in second trimester had the highest prevalence of 25% while those of first trimester were the lowest with 18%. Results obtained from comparing HVS and urine microscopy in this study showed that HVS had a prevalence of 40% compared to urine microscopy (5.5%) and the difference in their detection was statistically significant p=0.0041. These results may be useful for health authorities, especially for ante-natal care and protection against STDs. The higher recovery rate obtained by using HVS microscopy confirms its advantage over urine microscopy

Pre-hospital care in Nigeria: A country without emergency medical services

No Abstract

The Effects of Storage on Sachet Water Quality in Ogun State, Nigeria

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of storage on the physicochemical status and bacteriological quality of sachet water produced and sold in  Abeokuta metropolis, Nigeria. Ten brands of sachet water were collected within 24 hours of production and stored at ambient temperature. Sub-samples were drawn from the stock samples immediately for physico-chemical and microbiological analyses and after two months. Physical parameters were determined by instrumental methods. Cationic and anionic constituents were determined by standard titrimetric and spectrophotometric methods, trace and heavy water were determined by Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer. The study revealed that all the brands of water analyzed were physically and chemically wholesome and met the WHO standards. Five brands (50%) of the water had total viable and coliform count above the recommended count of 100cfu/m and zero cfu/ml, respectively. pH values increased in all brands to acceptable WHO limits within 2 months of storage except for sample 3 and 4 which decreases below the acceptable limit.  Majorly dissolved oxygen and nitrate values decreased through the investigation period. Total and faecal coliform appeared in 50% of sachet water samples  analyzed immediately after production and were no longer detected after storing for two months except for sample 4. Results of the experiment indicate that 60% of the brands analyzed met the WHO guideline limit for drinking especially for the physico-chemical parameters while the majority failed in the microbiological essay when stored at ambient temperature for the two-month investigation period.KEYWORDS: Coliforms, Conductivity, Microbiological Assay, Physical and Chemical Parameters,Turbidity, Sachet Wate