Civilian gunshot injuries at the emergency department of a Nigerian teaching hospital: patient characteristics, pattern and outcome 2014-2018.

Gunshot injuries (GSI) are a major global public health problem. Our objective was to determine the patient characteristics, pattern and outcome of civilian gunshot wounds at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, from 2014-2018. The data of 232 patients with a diagnosis of GSI during the study period were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Preventive practices by households against Lassa fever transmission in Ondo State, Southwest, Nigeria.

Introduction: continued transmission of Lassa fever has been recorded in 6 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ondo State in Southwest, Nigeria annually with high case fatality rates. Genomic analysis of the Lassa virus has indicated ongoing transmission from local rodents´ population to humans despite several public health interventions during the outbreak including risk communication on preventive practices against the disease. We assessed adherence to preventive practices by household against the spread of Lassa fever in these affected LGAs.

Distribution of cesarean delivery by Robson classification and predictors of postspinal anesthesia hypotension in Windhoek referral hospitals: A cross-sectional study.

Background: There are concerns that high cesarean section (CS) rates are driven by nonmedical indications and unmitigated maternal hypotension following spinal anesthesia (SA) has materno fetal effects.

Aims: Our objective was to investigate CS rates using Robson classification, identify patient groups for focused intervention as well as assess the incidence and predictors of maternal hypotension following SA for cesarean delivery.

Subjects And Methods: A cross sectional design was employed over 3 months (February-April, 2019).

Missed opportunities for vaccination among children aged 0-23 months visiting health facilities in a southwest State of Nigeria, December 2019.

Background: Despite efforts to improve childhood immunization coverage in Nigeria, coverage has remained below the national acceptable level. In December 2019, we conducted an assessment of Missed Opportunities for Vaccination (MOV) in Ondo State, in Southwest Nigeria. The objectives were to determine the magnitude of, explore the reasons for, as well as possible solutions for reducing MOV in the State.

Assessing community engagement in Nigeria polio eradication initiative: application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

Objective: This study employed the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to assess factors that enhanced or impeded the implementation of community engagement strategies using the Nigerian polio programme as a point of reference.

Design: This study was a part of a larger descriptive cross-sectional survey. The CFIR was used to design the instrument which was administered through face-to-face and phone interviews as well as a web-based data collection platform, Qualtrics.

Necrotizing fasciitis following measles vaccine administration: a case report.

Background: The occurrence of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) in national immunization programmes is very rare; however, if they occur causality assessment is conducted to identify the associated cause. In the report, we describe a case of severe necrotizing fasciitis in the left arm of a 9-month old boy following administration of the measles vaccine.

Case Presentation: A 9-month old boy presented with swelling on the left upper arm and adjoining the chest area, low-grade continuous fever, frequent passage of loose watery stool and persistent cries 24 h after measles vaccine was administered on the left upper arm.

Lessons learnt from implementing community engagement interventions in mobile hard-to-reach (HTR) projects in Nigeria, 2014-2015.

Background: The year 2014 was a turning point for polio eradication in Nigeria. Confronted with the challenges of increased numbers of polio cases detected in rural, hard-to-reach (HTR), and security-compromised areas of northern Nigeria, the Nigeria polio program introduced the HTR project in four northern states to provide immunization and maternal and child health services in these communities. The project was set up to improve population immunity, increase oral polio vaccine (OPV) and other immunization uptake, and to support Nigeria's efforts to interrupt polio transmission by 2015.

Urban-rural differences in immunisation status and associated demographic factors among children 12-59 months in a southwestern state, Nigeria.

Vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) are a leading course of child under-five mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. A target of 95% immunization coverage is necessary for the sustained control of VPDs. This study aims to determine the immunization status and its associated demo-graphic factors among children 12-59 months old in Akinyele Local Government area (LGA), Oyo State, Nigeria.

Lessons Learnt from Epidemiological Investigation of Lassa Fever Outbreak in a Southwest State of Nigeria December 2015 to April 2016.

Introduction: An outbreak of Lassa Fever (LF) reported and confirmed in Ondo state, Southwest Nigeria in January 2016 was investigated. This paper provides the epidemiology of the LF and lessons learnt from the investigation of the outbreak.

Methods: The incidence management system (IMS) model was used for the outbreak coordination.

Epidemic preparedness and management: A guide on Lassa fever outbreak preparedness plan.

Epidemic prone diseases threaten public health security. These include diseases such as cholera, meningitis, and hemorrhagic fevers, especially Lassa fever for which Nigeria reports considerable morbidity and mortality annually. Interestingly, where emergency epidemic preparedness plans are in place, timely detection of outbreaks is followed by a prompt and appropriate response.

Specialty preferences among medical students in Botswana.

Background: With the establishment of a new medical college in Botswana to train generalist-doctors and specialists, we set out to explore the career preferences of medical students, factors that influence their choices and attitude to local postgraduate training.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among medical students in their third to fifth year, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana. The structured, self-administered questionnaires which were hand-delivered covered demographic characteristics of responders, career choices, preferred location of specialisation and factors that influenced the choices.

Single-shot lamina thoracic paravertebral block with ketofol for modified radical mastectomy.

We describe the use of single-shot lamina thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) with sedation for a 56-year-old female patient who had modified radical mastectomy with axillary clearance. Two years ago, she suffered vocal cord palsy post thyroidectomy, which was managed with tracheostomy. The tracheostomy tube was removed 8 months later, leaving the patient with persistent hoarseness of voice and left vocal cord palsy.

CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND OUTCOME OF PATIENTS WITH UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING AT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN NIGERIA.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a potentially life threatening condition with multiple causes. There is scarcity of health data depicting the clinical characteristics of the condition in African countries. This study was designed to describe the demographic, clinical characteristics and outcome of the patients who presented to our Emergency Department.

Breast self-examination practices in Nigerian women attending a tertiary outpatient clinic.

Background: The morbidity and mortality caused by breast cancer can be decreased by early detection with breast self-examination (BSE). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and the factors determining the practice of BSE.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted on 140 women aged above 18 years who presented consecutively in a General Outpatient's clinic in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

Assessment of Emergency Obstetric Care Services in Ibadan-Ibarapa Health Zone, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Nigeria's high maternal mortality has been attributed to poor utilization of obstetric care services to handle complications of pregnancy and childbirth. But how available are standard emergency obstetric care services? This facility based cross sectional study assessed the availability and accessibility of emergency obstetric care services in Oyo State, Nigeria. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, 61 primary and 10 secondary health care facilities were selected.

Pattern of the meningococcal meningitis outbreak in Northern Nigeria, 2009.

Objectives: Despite the availability of vaccines, children are the people most often affected by epidemic meningococcal meningitis. The pattern of the epidemic meningococcal meningitis outbreak in Northern Nigeria in 2009 and the Neisseria meningitidis strains responsible for this epidemic are described here.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 states, involving 48 local government areas (LGAs), 91 health facilities, and 96 communities.

Epidemiological profile of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Nigeria, July-September 2014.

Introduction: In July 2014, Nigeria experienced an outbreak of Ebola virus disease following the introduction of the disease by an ill Liberian Traveler. The Government of Nigeria with the support of Technical and Development Partners responded quickly and effectively to contain the outbreak. The epidemiological profile of the outbreak that majorly affected two States in the country in terms of person, place and time characteristics of the cases identified is hereby described.

Emergency Department Deaths in a Nigerian University Hospital: Deaths Too Many.

Objectives: We reviewed the demographic pattern and distribution of deaths in the emergency department (ED) of the University College Hospital (UCH) in order to identify gaps in the standard of care, thereby providing evidence for intervention and enhanced research in acute care.

Methods: After obtaining institutional ethics approval, we retrospectively studied all deaths in the ED of UCH from January 1 to December 31, 2011. Data were retrieved from the ED's electronic register.

An overview of disease surveillance and notification system in Nigeria and the roles of clinicians in disease outbreak prevention and control.

While outbreaks of infectious diseases have long presented a public health challenge, especially in developing countries like Nigeria; within recent years, the frequency of such outbreaks has risen tremendously. Furthermore, with the recent outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola virus disease and other epidemic prone diseases in Nigeria demanding immediate public health action, there is a need to strengthen the existing notifiable disease surveillance and notification system with increased clinicians' involvement in timely reporting of notifiable diseases to designated public health authorities for prompt public health action. Hence, this paper provides the opportunity to increase awareness among clinicians on the importance of immediate reporting of notifiable diseases and intensify engagement of clinicians in disease notification activities by describing various notifiable diseases in Nigeria using their surveillance case definition, outlines the reporting channel for notifying these diseases and highlights the roles of clinicians in the current disease surveillance and notification network for early disease outbreak detection and public health response in Nigeria.

Failed Obstetric Spinal Anesthesia in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital: Incidence and Risk Factors.

Background: In a retrospective survey, we found 1% cases with complete and partial failure of spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery between 2008 and 2010, which we attributed to underreporting because of the study design. In this prospective study, we determined the incidence of failed spinal anesthesia and identified the factors that increased its risk.

Methods: This prospective, observational study consisted of all spinal anesthetics administered for cesarean delivery surgery from January 2011 to December 2013.

Epidemiology of road traffic crashes among long distance drivers in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background: Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) are major causes of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. Few studies in Ibadan have focused on the distribution and determinants of RTC among long distance drivers.

Objective: To describe the distribution of crashes by place, times of occurrence, characteristics of persons involved and identify associated factors.

Combined spinal-epidural analgesia for laboring parturients in a Nigerian Hospital.

Background: Awareness and demand for neuraxial pain relief for labor are on the increase, but epidural technique appears to be the preferred option among anesthetists in Nigeria. We describe our experience with combined spinal-epidural (CSE) analgesia to fill the gap in knowledge in order to boost its utilization.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective observational study, data were collected from the obstetric analgesia proforma completed for all CSE analgesia performed for labor pain relief between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2014.

Knowledge of birth defects among nursing mothers in a developing country.

Background: In the absence of established guidelines, where formal screening is unavailable for birth defects, a lot of responsibility is placed on parents in the recognition of these defects.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the awareness of mothers about birth effects in a developing country and assess what they know about the prevention, detection and treatment of children with birth defects.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 714 mothers consecutively selected at two major hospitals in Nigeria between May and December, 2012.

Clients' Willingness to Pay for Immunization Services in the Urban and Rural Primary Health Centers of Enugu State, Nigeria.

Our study aims at determining the pattern of willingness of clients to pay for childhood immunization services in urban and rural primary health centers of Enugu state, Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional design, 800 clients who presented with their children/wards to receive childhood immunization services were selected at the primary health center in rural and urban local government areas of the state. The mean age was 28.