Pattern of injuries seen during an insurgency: a 5-year review of 1339 cases from Nigeria.

Background: When there is an insurgency, the use of force in the form of weaponry, is employed. This may lead to the total breakdown of law and order, resulting in destruction of life and property. Health workers may be killed or captured, and, health facilities destroyed or stretched beyond their functional capacity.

An audit of non-fatal assault injuries treated in Federal Medical Center (FMC), Nguru, north east Nigeria.

Background: Violent assault injuries are a frequent occurrence in the native communities of the North Eastern Nigeria. The injuries are mostly unreported, and therefore no policy towards prevention. We hope to highlight the common causes and pattern of such injuries, as well as suggest control measures in order to reduce the incidence.

Prospective randomized assessment of single versus double-gloving for general surgical procedures.

Background: There is increased tendency towards double-gloving by general surgeons in our practice, due probably to awareness of the risk of contamination with blood or other body fluids during surgery. The aim of the study was to compare the relative frequency of glove puncture in single-glove versus double glove sets in general surgical procedures, and to determine if duration of surgery affects perforation rate.

Method: Surgeons at random do single or double gloves at their discretion, for general surgical procedures.

Management of adult incisional hernias at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Background: Incisional hernias (IH) represent a breakdown or loss of continuity of a fascial closure. They are thus unique as the only external wall hernias that are iatrogenic in aetiology. Incisional hernias are not uncommon complications of laparotomy closure with reported incidence of 2 to 11%.

Aetiology, management and outcome of entero-cutaneous fistula in Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Background: Enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) remains an important surgical problem with significant morbidity and mortality. This study aims to review the aetiology and management outcome in a depressed economy like ours.

Methods: A retrospective review of 54 patients with ECF admitted into the surgical wards of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) between January 1994 and December 2004 (11 year period).