The discontinuation rate and reasons for discontinuation of implanon at the family planning clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, Nigeria.

Background: In spite of the popularity and effectiveness of the Implanon among family planning clients at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (U.N.T.

Sexual behaviour of pregnant mothers living with HIV/AIDS in Enugu, Nigeria.

Background: More than 80% of pregnant women world wide remain sexually active during pregnancy. Majority of them experience reduction in sexuality especially as the pregnancy progresses. Medical staff should play a more proactive role in providing information on sexuality to HIV positive pregnant women.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension with pulmonary infarction occuring in a hypertensive.

We present a 72-year-old man and a known hypertensive with poor drug compliance seen here on 22-03-06,with a 4-year history of progressive dyspnoea, associated with cough and a wheeze. On examination he was chronically ill looking with altered state of consciousness, pale, centrally cyanosed, febrile (T-38 degrees C), in respiratory distress (RR-33pm). Significant chest radiological findings include marked aortic unfolding and cardiomegaly, with biventricular involvement.

The delusion of halitosis: experience at an eastern Nigerian tertiary hospital.

Background: Halitosis is a recognized problem in dental practice. Some individuals have the belief that they have offensive mouth odour which neither the dental clinician nor any other person can perceive. This condition is known as delusional halitosis.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension with pulmonary infarction occuring in a hypertensive.

We present a 72-year-old man and a known hypertensive with poor drug compliance seen here on 22-03-06, with a 4-year history of progressive dyspnoea, associated with cough and a wheeze. On examination he was chronically ill looking with altered state of consciousness, pale, centrally cyanosed, febrile (T-38 degrees C), in respiratory distress (RR-33 pm). Significant chest radiological findings include marked aortic unfolding and cardiomegaly, with biventricular involvement.

Pre-hospital management of diarrhoea among caregivers presenting at a tertiary health institution: implications for practice and health education.

Background: Diarrhoeal diseases cause significant childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. The effectiveness of home management of diarrhoeal diseases is achievable only if caregivers have appropriate information despite varying recommendations on the strategies for diarrhoea therapy.

Objectives: To evaluate caregivers' perception and use of ORT fluids for management of diarrhoea in under-five age children in the face of varying phases of recommendations, as an indicator of home treatment.

Profile of neurological admissions at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu.

Background: The burden of Neurological diseases may be on the increase especially in developing countries. Improved outcome in these settings may require appreciation of the spectrum of Neurological diseases and the impediments to their management. We aim to determine the profile of neurological admissions and the challenges of managing these diseases at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu South East Nigeria.

Electocardiographic findings in adult Nigerians with sickle cell anaemia.

Background: Cardiovascular system abnormalities are common causes of morbidity and mortality in sickle cell anaemia.

Objectives: The study aims at determining the pattern of electrocardiographic changes in adult Nigerian sickle cell anaemia patients.

Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done on sixty sickle cell anaemia patients seen at the adult sickle cell clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, and sixty age and sex matched normal controls.

Nutritional status of HIV-positive individuals on free HAART treatment in a developing nation.

Introduction: HIV positive individuals are prone to malnutrition due to inadequate dietary intake. Additionally, in low-income countries, including Nigeria, stigmatization and discrimination result in a lack of support for HIV-positive individuals ultimately contributing to even further reduced food availability and inadequate dietary intake. This study aimed to determine the nutrirional status of HIV-positive individuals on free, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Abakaliki, southeast Nigeria.

Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration in children: how reliable are clinical and radiological signs in the diagnosis?

Objectives: To evaluate the yield of clinical and radiological features in the diagnosis of suspected foreign body aspiration in children and to assess factors associated with delayed diagnosis of foreign body aspiration.

Study Design And Setting: Retrospective review of 10 years of experience in tertiary referral centre.

Participants: Data were extracted from clinical records of children who underwent rigid bronchoscopy for suspected foreign body aspiration at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu from 2000 to 2009.

Paratesticular myxoid liposarcoma in a 23-year old Nigerian.

Paratesticular liposarcomas are rare tumors and are usually seen in patients in middle age or older. Optimal treatment is radical orchidectomy. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy is added for advanced disease or recurrences.

Factors influencing knowledge about childhood autism among final year undergraduate Medical, Nursing and Psychology students of University of Nigeria, Enugu State, Nigeria.

Background: Knowledge and awareness about childhood autism is low among health care workers and the general populace in Nigeria. Poor knowledge about childhood autism among final year medical, nursing and psychology students who would form tomorrow's child health care professionals can compromise early recognition and interventions that are known to improve prognosis in childhood autism. Educational factors that could be influencing knowledge about childhood autism among these future health care professionals are unknown.

Challenges in the repair of large abdominal wall hernias in Nigeria: review of available options in resource limited environments.

Objective: To evaluate the challenges and outcome of management of large abdominal wall hernias in a resource limited environment and highlight the options available to surgeons in similar conditions.

Design: A review of prospectively collected data on large abdominal wall hernias managed between 2003 and 2009.

Setting: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria and surrounding hospitals.

Sexual practices of HIV-positive individuals: The need for continued intervention in developing countries.

This questionnaire survey explored the sexual practices and problems of 184 HIV-positive individuals in two tertiary health institutions in south-east Nigeria over a 6 month period. It showed that many (56.5%) HIV-positive individuals continue to be sexually active and almost half (47.

The prevalence and correlates of hypertension in a Theological College in Africa.

Background: The Theological College is a peculiar setting. This is due to the nature of the job, studies, attitudinal leaning (faith) and influence. There has been no known work to date done on the cardiovascular status in institutions of this nature-both in the country and in the continent of Africa.

HIV/AIDS perception and sexual behaviour among Nigerian University students.

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge and perception of undergraduate students of the University of Nigeria with regards to HIV/AIDS and determine their sexual behaviour.

Materials And Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study. Pre-tested structured questionnaires were administered to the students to collect relevant information on their sociodemographic characteristics, HIV/AIDS awareness, sexual behaviour, willingness to screen and disposition to people living with HIV/AIDS RESULTS: Five hundred and seventy nine students between 16 to 40 years of age responded, out of 600.

The impact of health education on reproductive health knowledge among adolescents in a rural Nigerian community.

This intervention study was to evaluate the impact of reproductive health education on the knowledge and attitude of adolescents in a rural Nigerian community to reproductive health issues. It compared adolescents in a secondary school (study group), which received health education on reproductive health with another secondary school (control group), which did not receive any. The impact of the programme was evaluated with a pre-test baseline knowledge and post-test gain in the knowledge 6 weeks later, using the same questionnaire.

Otoscopy compared with tympanometry: an evaluation of the accuracy of simple otoscopy.

Background: Although otoscopy has been shown to compare favourably with results of tympanometry the actual diagnostic value of otoscopy for otitis media with effusion (OME) has not been evaluated in Nigeria. The study was aimed at evaluating the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of otoscopy in the diagnosis of OME as compared with tympanometry.

Method: It was a prospective hospital-based, descriptive cross-sectional study in which the results of simple otoscopy were compared with results of the tympanometry of 82 ears of children aged between 6 months and 12 years, who presented to the Otolaryngology clinics of the UNTH Enugu with symptoms of obstructive adenoid enlargement.

Factors associated with domestic violence in south-east Nigeria.

A cross-sectional survey was carried out at two tertiary health institutions in south-east Nigeria from 1 January 2005 to 31 March 2005 to determine the factors associated with domestic violence (DV). The study group comprised of 600 consecutive men seen at the General Outpatient department of the two hospitals during the study period. More than two-thirds (70%) of respondents reported abuse in their family, with 92% (n=385) of the victims being female partners and the remaining 8% (n=35) male.

Intraoperative diclofenac for post-adenoidectomy analgesia in small children.

We investigated the analgesic effect of intra-operative intravenous diclofenac in a randomized, double blind placebo-controlled paralled group study after adenoidectomy in 150 children aged 1-7 years. A standard anaesthetic method was used and all children received oral diazepam as premedication. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and maintained with halothane and nitrous oxide in oxygen with controlled ventilation.

Blood transfusion and caesarean section in a developing country.

Our objective was to review blood transfusion practices during caesarean section in a developing country. An audit of 463 consecutive caesarean sections and blood transfusions over a 3-year period (2000 - 2002) was undertaken. The data were collected from the records department in a pre-designed proforma and analysed, using EPI - info Statistical Software version 6.

Culture and health: the effect of Nupe cultural practice on the health of Nupe people.

Background: The Cultural practices of communities are known to influence the Health status of the community both positively and negatively. To achieve set out health goals positive cultural practices should be enhanced and incorporated into community based health programmes. This commentary aims to highlight the positive and negative effects of cultural practices on health using the Nupes a tribe in North central Nigeria as a reference point.

Knowledge and practice of universal precaution in a tertiary health facility.

Background: The increased risk of health workers to contract HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses in their work place led to the development of universal precaution or infection control policy. This policy where applied, has been found to reduce the risk of contracting these infections in the work place. The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge and practice of this policy in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.

Epidemiology of malaria in infancy at Enugu, Nigeria.

This was a retrospective study to ascertain the prevalence and clinical features of malaria in infants in Enugu between January 1998 and January 2000. Case notes of two thousand children were reviewed, one hundred and fifty-five (7.75%) had a diagnosis of malaria, with a male/female ratio of 1.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of modern contraception among single women in a rural and urban community in southeast Nigeria.

The contraceptive information and services offered to single women in most developing countries is compromised by stigma attached to premarital sex. This study was to ascertain the knowledge, attitude and practice of contraception among single women in a rural and urban community in southeast Nigeria, using a cross-sectional survey of 279 and 295 single women in Ngwo (rural) and Enugu (urban) community. The mean age of the population was 21.