Penetrating abdominal injury cases admitted in University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

An audit of patients with penetrating abdominal injuries who were admitted and managed at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital between January 1, 1992 and December 31st 2001 was carried out to ascertain the pattern of injury. Of the 34 cases, 30 (88.2%) were males and 4 (11.8%) females, giving a male/female ratio of 8.5:1. The age range was 1 to 51 years (mean 25.23±5.6years). The 21 to 30 age group was the most vulnerable while those above 60 were least affected. Gun was the weapon used in most of the cases (64.7%) and most of them were due to armed robbery attack (50.0%) and accidental discharge from police rifles (36.4%). The incidence of penetrating abdominal injuries especially through gunshot injuries is on the increase and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in our community. Control measures and ways of reducing morbidity and mortality are suggested. Keywords: penetrating abdominal injuries, gun shot injuries. Annals of Biomedical Science Vol. 3 (1&2) 2004: pp. 39-4

Surgery of peptic ulcer in Edo State, Nigeria

The introduction of H2-receptor blockers, proton pump inhibitors and eradication of Helicobacter pylori has greatly reduced the need for surgical intervention in the management of peptic ulcer disease. However in communities where these drugs are out of reach or compliance is poor, operations are still carried out. We reviewed the medical records of 68 patients who had surgery for peptic ulcer disease over a 10 year period to determine the indications for surgery, operative procedure performed, and the outcome of surgery. Thirty-eight (56%) were operated on for gastric outlet obstruction while 21 and 9 respectively had perforation and bleeding as the indication for surgery. The operative procedures performed were truncal vagotomy and gastrojejunostomy(38), truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty (18) and simple closure of perforation(12). Sepsis, consequent upon perforation and recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding were the most common complications leading to death in 10(12%) patients Keywords: peptic ulcer, gastric outlet obstruction, perforation, vagotomy, gastrojejunostomy, pyloroplasty Nigerian Journal of surgical Sciences Vol. 16 (2) 2006: pp. 80-8

Morbidity and Mortality from Bowel Injury Secondary to Induced Abortion

Eight patients managed for bowel injury following induced abortion were studied for the pattern of morbidity and mortality. The patients were aged 18-39 years. Three of them were married, five were single. Two of the cases were detected at the time of termination of pregnancy. The interval from termination of pregnancy to presentation in hospital was two days to two weeks in the other six patients. Injury was in the ileum in three, jejunum in two and the sigmoid colon in three. Twenty surgical interventions were performed for primary treatment and management of complications. Major complications were abdominal wound dehiscence (5), faecal fistula (2) and postoperative diarrhoea (1).The duration of hospitalisation at the first admission ranged from seven to 163 days. The excessive morbidity is attributed to delay in presentation; most patients been seen after 72 hours. Primary repair of colonic injury is discouraged. No death was recorded. Literature is reviewed on the condition in West Africa and suggestion made on means of reducing morbidity from induced abortion. (Afr J Reprod Health 2003; 7[3]: 65-68

Cutaneous Horns in an African Population

Background : Cutaneous horns are hard, yellowish gray cornified skin growths. They are more common in white races and believed to be rare in Africans. There are few case reports of the lesion in African populations in the English literature. Materials and Methods : This report documents six patients with this lesion seen over a fourteen month period. There were three males and three females, aged 22 to 62 (mean= 47). Results : One lesion was on the scalp, the remaining on the extremities. The underlying pathologies were squamous cell carcinoma (1), Kaposi sarcoma (1), cutaneous myxoma (1), eccrine poroma (1) and the remaining two showed only chronic inflammatory changes with subepidermal lymphocytic and macrophage cell infiltrates. Conclusion : Unless cases are well documented, the perception of rarity in Africans will most likely persist. The risk of underling malignancy underscores the need for detailed evaluation and prompt management

Perforation of the jejunum-an unusual mechanism

Background: Perforation of the jejunum following blunt abdominal trauma can be as a result of various mechanisms. Its diagnosis oftentimes is challenging. Aim: To report a rare case of blunt abdominal trauma with perforation of the jejunum due to a coffin and discuss the diagnosis and management of this condition. Setting: Department of Surgery, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Case Report: A 19-year-old female was an unrestrained passenger in a 14-seater bus conveying several passengers and an unrestrained coffin. The bus was involved in a roll-over vehicle crash during which the patient suffered a severe impact to the abdomen from the coffin with perforation of the jejunum. She had a trauma laparotomy with repair of the jejunum and had an uneventful recovery. Conclusion: This case illustrates the inherent risks involved in transporting caskets and corpses in a passenger vehicle. We recommend that these be conveyed in hearses with the appropriate restraints in place. Health education, legislation and enforcement on this issue are imperative in developing countries. Keywords: Casket, Blunt abdominal trauma, Jejunal perforation PHMJ Vol. 2 (2) 2008: pp. 174-17

Soil quality and metal distribution around stone quarries within Abeokuta, Southwest, Nigeria

Quarrying activities are explored to extract a variety of materials deposited underneath the earth surface. These activities however can potentially impact negatively on soil quality and cause elemental pollution. This study assessed soil quality and distribution of metals in soils around four quarrying sites (PAPA, S&D, TCity and Mile 8) within Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Thirty six topsoil samples were collected at distances from quarry gates in September 2019 and analyzed using standard methods. Soil quality and metal concentrations were compared with reference and standards and the degrees of soil contamination assessed using relevant indices. Soil quality reduced with distance from the quarry gates. Similarly, metal concentrations had strong and significant (P=0.05) negative relationships with distance and were higher in soil samples compared to the reference. Moderate contaminations for all metals were observed in soils collected close to the quarry gates soils from the results of the contamination factor index (Cf).  However, the results of ecological risk index (Ei) showed that the metal  loads in soils currently do not pose any ecological risk. Keywords: Quarry, Soil quality, Metal distribution, Soil contamination, Potential ecological ris

Femoral herniorrhaphy and its affect on fibrinogen levels

The study consists of 10 patients with features suggestive of femoral hernia who had herniorrhaphy in our Hospital. The information collected include the age, sex, and occupation. Many years ago, femoralhernia was not common in Nigerian. This must have been due to the fact that the cases were under reported and most patients, who had femoral hernia, took native drugs and hoped for the best until it becomes complicated. The fibrinogen concentration of the control was 2.21 (0.12) g/l. The fibrinogen concentration before operation was 2.12 (0.9) g/l compare with the control level of 2.21 (0.12) g/l. Fibrinogen increased significantly during operation (p < 0.001) and decreased (p < 0.001) after operation. Therefore the increase in fibrinogen level after femoral herniorrhaphy may predispose to the development of post-operative thrombo embolic complications. The measures for the prevention of thrombo embolic complications such as early mobilization should therefore be encouraged in such patients

Haemorheological Changes in African Breast Cancer Patients

Several Studies have indicated the existence of thrombo-embolic complications in cancer patients and that this could be associated with changes in heamorheological parameters. Packed cell volume (PCV), heamoglobin (Hb), relative plasma viscosity (RPV) and plasma Fibrinogen concentration (PFC) were measured in 50 healthy control women, 50 age-matched women with breast cancer, and 10 women with histophathologically proven benign breast tumour. There were significant differences between the controls and breast cancer patients in all the parameters measured (

Modifications hémorheologiques chez les cancéreuses

Several Studies have indicated the existence of thrombo-embolic complications in cancer patients and that this could be associated with changes in heamorheological parameters. Packed cell volume (PCV), heamoglobin (Hb), relative plasma viscosity (RPV) and plasma Fibrinogen concentration (PFC) were measured in 50 healthy control women, 50 age-matched women with breast cancer, and 10 women with histophathologically proven benign breast tumour. There were significant differences between the controls and breast cancer patients in all the parameters measured (p<0.05). However, patients with cancer have significantly higher RPV and PFC (p<0.001) respectively than controls. There was significant mean difference between pre and post mastectomy in fibrinogen concentration (p<0.05) and this was observed over the 5-week study period. Since increased fibrinogen may give rise to increase fibrin formation which has been asserted as an independent cardiovascular risk factor for thromb-oembolic complications, African patients with breast cancer may well be predisposed to thrombotic complications during illness. The rheological assessment may offer valuable benefit for the management and early diagnosis of breast cancer in African women.Beaucoup d&apos;études ont montré l&apos;existence des complications thrombe-embolique chez les cancéreuses et qu&apos;on peut lier ceci aux modifications dans les paramètres hémorheologiques. Le volume globulaire concentré (VGC), l&apos;hémoglobine (Hb), la viscosité du plasma relatif (VPR) et la concentration du fribinogène du plasma (CFP) ont été mesurés chez 50 femmes en bonne santé comme femmes témoin, 50 femmes cancéreuses qui ont été appariées selon l&apos;âge et 10 femmes qui souffraient de la tumeur du sein bénigne qui a été prouvée histopathologiquement. Il y avait des différences importantes entre les témoins et les patientes cancéreuses dans tous les paramètres mesurés (p < 0,05). Toutefois, les patientes cancéreuses ont une VPR considérablement plus élevé et la CFP (p < 0,001) respectivement que les témoins. Il y a une différence moyenne importante entre la pré et la post mastéctomie dans la concentration du fribinogène (p < 0,05) et ceci a été observé au cours des cinq semaines que l&apos;étude a duré. Puisque l&apos;augmentation du fibrinogène peut aboutir a l&apos;augmentation de la formation de la fibrine qui a été acceptée comme un facteur indépendant de risque cardiovasculaire pour des complications thrombe-emboliques. Les patientes cancéreuses africaines pourraient bien être prédisposées à des complications thrombotiques pendant la maladie. L&apos;évaluation rhéologique peut donner des avantages valables pour le traitement et le diagnostique anticipé du cancer du sein chez les femmes africaines