Normalization of Cardiac Structural dimension and Function to Body Surface Area in South East Nigeria Children.

Background: Standardizing cardiac valve structures and function to body surface area will help the clinician and surgeons in decision-making.

Aim: To evaluate the z-scores of the sizes of cardiac structures and function and to present them in Gaussian curves and reference values.

Materials And Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that involved 300 apparently healthy children.

Outcomes of Surgical Management for Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Infants in Nigeria.

Background: Patent ductus arteriosus is a common cardiac anomaly in infants that, if untreated, is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. In lower-middle-income countries, such as Nigeria, obtaining cardiovascular surgical care for infants remains difficult. In recent years, especially with the assistance of international voluntary cardiac organizations, efforts have increased to provide cardiac surgical services to this underserved population.

Pre-operative 2-D transthoracic echocardiographic diagnosis with intra-operative findings of children with structural heart diseases: A comparative analysis.

Background: Structural heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Echocardiography is accepted as the first line cost-effective diagnostic modality for pre-operative assessment of children with structural heart diseases. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2-D TTE) may be the only diagnostic tool in a resource-poor environment where further investigations may be very expensive and not readily available.

Complex congenital heart diseases among children presenting for cardiac surgery in a tertiary health facility in Enugu; South-East Nigeria. A rising trend.

Background: Complex cardiac anomalies are a set of associated heart structural anomalies requiring some adaptive mechanism to maintain life.

Objectives: This is to determine pattern and prevalence of common complex cardiac anomalies among children presenting for cardiac surgery in Enugu.

Methodology: The children that present for cardiac surgery in our center over a six-month period were admitted and rescreened using a standardized echocardiographic method, information on biodata, oxygen saturation and 2D echo diagnosis were recorded in a proforma.

Oscillometric blood pressure profile of adolescent secondary school students in Abakaliki metropolis.

Context: Adolescence is characterized by a tremendous pace in growth, biological, and psychosocial changes. This may translate to rapid increases in anthropometric parameters and indulgence in youth risk behaviors, and these are the risk factors for arterial hypertension (HTN).

Aim: This study aimed to determine the oscillometric blood pressure (BP) profile of apparently healthy secondary school adolescents in Abakaliki metropolis and its relationship with sex and anthropometric variables.

The impact of adenotonsillectomy on pulmonary arterial pressure in West African children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy.

Objectives: To assess the improvement or otherwise, in the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) among children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) after adenotonsillectomy (AT), and to examine the impact of timing of surgery as well as the patients' characteristics on the mPAP changes.

Methods: We included 39 children with ATH in this study. The adenoidal enlargement was evaluated radiologically with adenoid nasopharyngeal ratio (ANR) parameter from lateral neck radiograph, whereas the clinical assessment of adeno-tonsillar obstruction was conducted with the 'symptom score'.

Synopsis of non-communicable diseases in children admitted to the paediatric ward of the university of Nigeria teaching hospital (UNTH) Enugu, Nigeria: A ten year review.

Background: Non-communicable diseases are increasing worldwide due to rapidly changing lifestyles and socio-economic status. It is contributing significantly to the global burden of diseases.

Objective: To determine the pattern of non-communicable diseases in children admitted into the Paediatrics ward in a tertiary health centre in Enugu.

Changing Pattern of Bacteriuria among Asymptomatic Secondary School Adolescents within Enugu South East Nigeria.

Background: Urinary tract infection is one of the infections that could lead to chronic kidney disease. Most of the offending isolates are usually Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Adolescent age groups are a special group of individuals who indulge in some risk behavior that could predispose them to urinary tract infections with possible mixed flora.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a neglected issue in the developing world.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neglected illness in a developing country.

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to investigate the prevalence and pattern of ADHD among children in a Nigeria.

Methods: A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from the parents of children (and older children) who attended children outpatients' clinic during the study period.

An unusual presentation of non-Hodgkins lymphoma: a case report.

Background: Breast lymphoma is an uncommon disease with poor clinical outcome. The rarity of the disease is related to relatively small amount of lymphoid tissues in the breast. The prognosis usually depends on the stage at presentation.

Atrial septal defects: Pattern, clinical profile, surgical techniques and outcome at Innova heart hospital: A 4-year review.

Background: Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect that leads to shunting of blood between left and right atria. It may be asymptomatic and sometimes may present with heart failure. Surgical repair is definitive, but currently non-surgical procedure is used to close the defect.

Health services utilization and costs of the insured and uninsured under the formal sector social health insurance scheme in Enugu metropolis South East Nigeria.

Background: Health insurance is a social security system that aims to facilitate fair financing of health costs through pooling and judicious utilization of financial resources, in order to provide financial risk protections and cost burden sharing for people against high cost of healthcare through various prepayment methods prior to falling ill. It is still unclear how the Federal Social Health insurance program for federal civil servants has affected the insured and uninsured civil servants in terms of health services cost and utilization in Enugu metropolis.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare the health services utilization and cost of insured with that of the non-insured federal civil servants with a view to generate information for policymaking on improving services of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Risk Factors for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Under-five Children in Enugu Southeast Nigeria.

Background: Acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) constitute the major causes of mortality and morbidity among under-five children of the developing world. The prevalence of ARIs is determined individually or collectively by a number of factors which may be prevalent in our environment.

Aim: The present study is aimed to determine the risk factors that affect the prevalence of ARIs in under-five children in Enugu.

Hypertension and prehypertension among adolescents in secondary schools in Enugu, South East Nigeria.

Background: Hypertension is a prevalent cardiovascular disease risk factor among blacks and adolescent hypertension can progress into adulthood.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension among secondary school adolescents in Enugu South East Nigeria.

Methodology: A study of 2694 adolescents aged 10-18 years in Enugu metropolis was carried out.