Serum cobalamin and red cell folate levels of anti-psychotic treatment and treatment naïve psychiatic patients in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Background: Psychiatric disorders contribute significantly to the global burden of diseases. There is an urgent need to curtail the morbidity and mortality associated with psychiatric disorders. Deficiencies of cobalamin and folate have been linked with psychiatric disorders.Materials and method: Sixty-six each of antipsychotic treatment, treatment naïve psychiatric patients and control were recruited for the study. Red cell folate and serum cobalamin were determined with Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits and the haemogram using Sysmex XT2000i.Result: Folate deficiency was present in 13.6% of newly diagnosed anti-psychotic naive psychiatric patients with few of them having neutrophil hypersegmentation (7.6%) and macrocytosis (4.5%). Mean red cell folate levels for anti-psychotic naïve, patients on anti-psychotic and controls were 350.23 ± 0.54 nmol/l, 370 ± 0.70 nmol/l and 370 ± 0.51 nmol/l respectively, with p-values of 0.0001 and 0.3500 respectively when compared with control, while serum cobalamin levels were within the normal reference range in all patients and controls.Reticulocyte count had 8 times and 3 times likelihood of influencing low serum folate and low serum cobalamin respectively.Conclusion: All patients had Serum cobalamin levels within the reference interval, the same can be said of the RBC folate levels of the greater percentage (95.5%) of psychiatric patients on psychotropic drugs.Keywords: Red cell folate, Serum cobalamin, Anti-psychotic treatment, Treatment naïve psychiatric patient

Seroprevalence of syphilis among blood donors in Ilorin

Background: One of the greatest values of serological test for syphilis is as a surrogate marker for lifestyle known to be associated with high risk of HIV and HCV infections. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of syphilis among blood donors in Ilorin and also the relationship between seropositivity and lifestyle known to be associated with high risk for HIV and Hepatitis infection.Method: This was a hospital based cross sectional study involving 350 consenting blood donors. The socio-demographic details (e.g., age, sex, occupation, risk behavior etc) were obtained using a structured questionnaire designed for the study. Screening for syphilis was carried out using the DiaSpot Rapid Diagnostic Test kit (DS 401- Syphilis test strips; lot: SYP2070028) according to the manufacturer's (Sam Tech Diagnostics) instructions.Result: The seroprevalence of syphilis among the blood donors was 1.1%. None of the seropositive donors was a homosexual, commercial sex worker or intravenous drug user. None of them had history of blood transfusion. Only one out of the 4 seropositive donors engaged in extramarital sex.Conclusion: The seroprevalence of syphilis among blood donors in Ilorin was low and therefore the relationship between syphilis seropositivity and high risk lifestyle could not be determined. A prospective study design where cases and controls are appropriately matched to exclude confounders would be more appropriate. The relationship of syphilis seropositivity and high risk lifestyle can therefore be better studied among patients attending Sexually Transmitted Infection clinic and using seronegative patients as controls.Keywords: syphilis, blood donors, risky lifestyl

GIS‑assisted flood‑risk potential mapping of Ilorin and its environs, Kwara state, Nigeria

DATA AVAILABITY STATEMENT: The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.The incessant reoccurrence of flooding disasters across Nigeria has mandated an urgent outlook on food-risk management techniques. Ilorin and its environs have suffered immensely from annual food reoccurrence. This study aims to assess food risk within Ilorin and its environs and proffer adequate food mitigation strategies that governments and policymakers can adopt to placate future flooding events within the state. Satellite imagery data were acquired and analyzed for food-risk assessment of the area. Ten highly influential food causative factors were synergized using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making techniques in this research; they are Land Surface Temperature, Elevation, Soil Moisture Index, and Distance to Stream, Drainage Density, Stream Power Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Land Use Land Cover, Slope, and Topographic Wetness Index. Findings showed that approximately 47.2% of the study area had low food risk, while moderate and high food-risk zones occupied 33.5% and 19.29%, respectively. Most parts of Ilorin and its environs are safe from food disasters; only about one-quarter of the total area under investigation lies in the high food-risk zones; these areas mostly fall within the shores of major streams, rivers, and dams within the state. A plot of previous food cases in the state placed the affected areas in the high and moderate zones of food risk, confirming the efficacy of geospatial techniques in food-risk assessment. It is hoped that this study's findings and recommendations can be implemented to prevent future devastating flooding occurrences within the state.The University of the Free State.https://link.springer.com/journal/41976GeologySDG-06:Clean water and sanitationSDG-11:Sustainable cities and communitiesSDG-13:Climate actionSDG-15:Life on lan

Anti-Kell allo-immunization in a Tertiary Care Hospital in North central Nigeria

Objective: Although ABO and Rh are the most clinically important blood group systems, other systems are also immunogenically significant. After ABO and Rh systems, anti-K, anti-k, anti-Kpa, anti-Kpb, anti-Jsa, anti-Jsb, and anti-U1a, were the next to cause acute and delayed haemolytic transfusion reactions and Haemolytic Disease of Fetus and Newborn. Design: A prospective cross-sectional study. Subjects: 300 adult patients who had one or more units of packed cells or whole blood for correction of anaemia. Interventions: antibody screening, identification and titration was performed using commercially prepared panel of cells on the serum obtained by centrifuging 2ml of venous blood aspirated from every blood transfusion recipient 48 hours after transfusion. Result: Anti-K allo-immunization in this study was 1.6%. Anaemia and bleeding associated with pregnancy and other obstetrics and gynaecology disorders, Diabetes Mellitus and cancer of the bladder were indications for transfusions in 60%, 20% and 20% respectively of the 5 anti-K allo-immunized recipients. Female sex and previous blood transfusions correlated significantly with anti-K  alloimmunization while age, types of unit transfused, and types of transfusion did not. All the anti-K allo-antibodies were of the IgG while 2 were of IgG + IgM type. Conclusion: Because of the high prevalence of anti-K in this study, antibodies screening and identification is recommended to improve  blood transfusion safety

The True Status of Family Replacement Blood Donors in a Tertiary Hospital Blood Service in Central Nigeria

Background: To make up for the low blood collection from voluntary non-remunerated blood donors (VNRBD), by the blood services in Nigeria, patients’ families are often requested to provide substitute blood donors for their family members’ usage. However, many so-called family replacement donors (FRDs) are thought not to be true relatives.Objective: The objective of this study was to establish the true family status of donors presenting as FRDs in a tertiary hospital blood service in central Nigeria.Methods: Consecutive blood donors were studied with a structured questionnaire immediately after blood donation. The questionnaire contained six pretested, variably discriminatory and revealing questions. Donors’ responses to questions about the recipients were verified by cross-checking with hospital records, and also by interviewing recipients. Personal telephone contacts given by the donors were verified by calls to the phone numbers. Donors’ responses were scored, and donors scoring below a cut-off point were classified as false relatives.Results: Seven hundred and sixty consecutive blood donors were recruited for the study. Sixty-seven (8.8%), 673 (88.8%), and 20 (2.6%) of them claimed to be VNRBD, FRD, and paid blood donors (PBDs) respectively. Of the 673 presumed FRDs, 323 (48%) scored below the cut-off mark of 5 points. Hence, 48% of the presumed FRDs were regarded as false family donors.Conclusion: Significant proportions (48%) of presumed FRDs were found likely to be false family donors. Unquestioning acceptance of such donors may compromise blood safety.Key Words: VNRBD, FRD, PBD, Blood safety, false family donor French Title: Le Véritable Statut des Donneurs de Sang Familiaux ou de Remplacement dans un Service de Sang d'un Hôpital Tertiaire au Nigeria CentralContexte: Pour compenser la faible collecte de sang des donneurs de sang volontaires non rémunérés (DVNR) par les services de transfusion sanguine au Nigeria, les familles des patients sont souvent invitées à fournir des donneurs de sang de substitution. Cependant, de nombreux soi-disant donneurs familiaux de remplacement (DFR) ne sont pas considérés comme de vrais parents.Objectif: L’objectif de cette étude était d’établir le véritable statut familial des donneurs se présentant sous la forme de DFR dans un service de transfusion dans un hôpital tertiaire du centre du Nigéria.Méthodes: Les donneurs de sang consécutifs ont été étudiés avecun questionnaire structuré immédiatement après le don de sang. Lequestionnaire comportait six questions prétestées, discriminatoireset révélatrices. Les réponses aux questions des donneurs concernantles bénéficiaires ont été vérifiées par recoupement avec lesdossiers de l’hôpital, ainsi que par des entretiens avec les bénéficiaires.Les contacts téléphoniques personnels donnés par les donneursont été vérifiés par des appels téléphoniques. Les réponses des donneurs ont été notées, et les donneurs dont le score était inférieur à un seuil ont été classés dans la catégorie de faux parents.Résultats: Sept cent soixante donneurs de sang consécutifs ont étérecrutés pour l'étude. Soixante-sept (8,8%), 673 (88,8%) et 20 (2,6%) d'entre eux se sont déclarés comme étant des DVNR, DFR et des donneurs rémunérés (DR), respectivement. Sur les 673 DFR présumés, 323 (48%) ont obtenu un score inférieur à la barre des 5 points. Ainsi, 48% des DFR présumées étaient considérées comme de faux donneurs de la famille.Conclusion: Des proportions significatives (48%) de DFR présumésétaient susceptibles d'être de faux donneurs de la famille. L'acceptationinconditionnelle de tels donneurs peut compromettre la sécurité du sang

The Significance of Renal Sonographic Changes In Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection

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Screening for Syphilis Among Blood Donors in Nigeria: Application of General Quality Principles

Background: Safety of blood for transfusion is a global concern. WHO and Africa Society for Blood Transfusion require a minimum of antibodies to Treponema pallidum or VDRL or RPR test on all donated blood units before transfusion. Application of general quality principle in screening for Transfusion Transmissible Infections, syphilis inclusive is a major  determinant of safety of blood transfusion.Methods: Forty-eight health care facilities were recruited for the study between January and June 2018. A self-administered structured questionnaire, physical interactions and telephone calls were employed to collect all relevant data on quality measures, types of blood donors, total number of blood units screened and reactivity to syphilis screening tests.Results: Venereal Disease Research Laboratory method was used to screen all donations for syphilis at 81.3% of the facilities screened. Twenty seven of the 39 facilities that screened for syphilis validated their test kits, 24 facilities had written SOPs and quality control system while 33 and 6 facilities procured syphilis screening reagents through Hospital  Managements and Departments. A total of 98 478 blood units were collected and screened for syphilis. Of the 831 samples found reactive, 405, 408 and 18 were obtained from tertiary, secondary and private hospitals and 384, 381 and 66 of the samples were from family replacement, paid and voluntary non-remunerated blood donors respectively.Conclusion: Majority of the facilities studied screened for syphilis using non-specific method and most employed general quality principles that conform to National and Africa Society for Blood Transfusion guidelines. Syphilis sero-prevalence of 0.84% was recorded in this study.French Title: Dépistage de la Syphilis chez les Donneurs de Sang au Nigéria: Application des Principes Généraux de QualitéContexte: La sécurité transfusionnelle est une préoccupation mondiale. L'OMS et la Société Africaine de Transfusion Sanguine recommandent au minimum le dépistage d'anticorps anti-Treponema palladium par le VDRL ou RPR sur toutes les unités de sang provenant de dons avant la transfusion. La mise en oeuvre du principe général de la qualité dans le dépistage des infections tranmissibles par tsransfusion, y compris la syphilis, est un facteur déterminant de la sécurité des transfusions sanguines.Méthodes: Quarante-huit établissements de santé ont été recrutés pour l'étude entre Janvier et Juin 2018. Un questionnaire structuré auto-administré, des interactions physiques et des appels téléphoniquesont été utilisés pour recueillir toutes les données pertinentes sur le système de la qualité, les types de donneurs de sang, le nombre total d’unités de sang dépistées et le taux de réactivité aux tests de dépistage de la syphilis.Résultats: Une méthode de laboratoire de recherche sur les maladies vénériennes a été utilisée pour dépister tous les dons pour la syphilis dans 81,3% des installations dépistées.Vingt-sept des 39 établissements qui dépistaient la syphilis ont validé leurs kits ; 24 disposaient de procédures opératoires standardisées et d'un système de contrôle de la qualité, tandis que 33 et 6 établissements avaient acheté des réactifs pour le dépistage de la syphilis par l'intermédiaire des directions et des services hospitaliers. Au total, 98 478 unités de sang ont été collectées et testées pour la syphilis.  Sur les 831 échantillons trouvés réactifs, 405, 408 et 18 provenaient d'hôpitaux tertiaires, secondaires et privés respectivement, et 384, 381 et 66 des échantillons provenaient respectivement  de donneurs de remplacement familial, de donneurs de sang payés et de donneurs volontaires.Conclusion La majorité des établissements dépistaient la syphilisen utilisant une méthode non spécifique et la plupart des principesde qualité généraux employés étaient conformes aux directives dela AfSBT. Une prévalence de 0.84% pour la syphilis a été enregistréedans cette étude

Otologic and audiological evaluation among HIV patients in Ilorin, Nigeria

Background: HIV infection is the highest cause of death worldwide and presenting eventually with ENT regions.Objective: This study is to determine the prevalence of hearing loss and hearing patterns among adults Nigerians with HIV and causal relationships between CD4+ counts with the degree of hearing impairments.Methods: This prospective study was carried out among all consecutive HIV positive patients attending the clinic at the University of Ilorin teaching hospital (U.I.T.H.), Ilorin, Nigeria between January and July, 2008. They all had audiological assessments with a pure tone audiometer within the frequency range 250 to 8,000Hz to determine their hearing thresholds together with their CD+ counts estimations.Results: 89 were evaluated in the age range of 18 to 56 years (Mean 36.4 years, SD of 8.82) and the modal age group was 21-39 years (59.6%), 40-56 years (38.2%).There were 51 males (57.3%) and 38 females (42.7%) with a male/ female ratio of 1.3:1.0. Otological symptoms included tinnitus (15.7%), vertigo (15.7%), otalgia (14.6%) and hard of hearing (10%).Examinations showed bilateral serous Otitis media (glue ear) in 58 patients (65.1%) with no affectation of the facial nerves. PTA showed mixed, conductive and SNHL in 32 patients (36%), 20 patients (22.5%), 9 patients (10.1%)respectively and only 15 (16.9%) had normal hearing thresholds. The CD4+ counts ranged between 12 to 616. CD4 counts with hearing loss mostly < 300mm3.Conclusion: The prevalence of hearing loss is 87% among HIV infected patients, mostly mixed HL with causal relationships between reduced CD4+ counts of less than 300/mm3 with severity of hearing loss. The hearing loss can interfere with the communication and specific knowledge vital to the development of best practices towards ensuring the inclusion of hearing impaired in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes .Keywords: Hearing patterns; Pure tone Audiometry (PTA), CD4+ counts; Mixed hearing los

Current Trend of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among Voluntary Blood Donors in North Central Nigeria

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Beta- Thalassaemia Trait Screening Using Capillary Electrophoresis Among Voluntary Blood Donor in North Central Nigeria

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