Background: A significant number of people living with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders are reported to be either underdiagnosed or untreated in most developing countries. Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of hemophilia and some hemostatic parameters in persons with bleeding symptoms in Southeast Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, hospital-based pilot study of 50 persons consecutively recruited with bleeding symptoms from four tertiary hospitals in Southeast Nigeria. Full blood count was carried out using Mythic 22 semiautomated analyzer, (Orphee, Geneva, Switzerland). Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) mixing studies and one-stage factor assays were carried out using tube tilt technique. Bleeding score was assessed using the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis bleeding assessment tool. Data were analyzed using the Graphpad Prisim, version 6.0, San Diego. Results: Only 2% of the subjects had hemophilia A, whereas 68% of the subjects had thrombocytopenic bleeding. Most (32.4%) had bleeding score of four. Analysis of variance of these variables showed a significant relationship with P < 0.0001. Post hoc analysis showed significant P values for platelet count versus bleeding score (P = 0.000, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 95.74–126.4) and APTT versus bleeding score (P = 0.000, 95% CI: 44.34–74.98). Conclusion: Bleeding assessment tools are important in evaluating persons with bleeding symptoms and it may be necessary to screen for hemophilia in these cases. Larger multicenter epidemiological studies are needed to determine the prevalence of hemophilia and other bleeding disorders in our environment.

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Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global pandemic. Nigeria has the highest burden of pediatric HIV worldwide. HIV-infected children and their caregivers are predisposed to significant psychosocial disorder. This disorder may be provoked by some risk factors. Aim: To determine the factors responsible for psychosocial disorders among the caregivers of HIV-infected children in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based comparative study. Participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled consecutively. The HIV status and other sociodemographic variables of the caregivers were obtained. General Health Questionnaire (28-item version) was used to assess their psychosocial status. Thereafter, the association between psychosocial disorders and their sociodemographic variables was ascertained. Results: A total of 154 caregivers of HIV-infected children (subjects) and 154 caregivers of HIV-negative children (controls) were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of psychosocial disorders among the subjects was 39% compared to that of 2.6% among the controls. The determinants of psychosocial disorders among these subjects were the child’s age group of 2–4 years (P < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] = 3.60), caregiver’s gender (P < 0.001, OR = 13.48), lower socioeconomic class (P < 0.001, OR = 37.14), divorced caregiver (P = 0.03, OR = 10.33), death of a spouse (P < 0.001, OR = 8.84), additional HIV-infected family member (P = 0.015, OR = 2.56), and unsupportive spouse (P = 0.027, OR = 2.113). Conclusion: The determinants of psychosocial disorders among the caregivers of HIV-infected children were the age of the HIV-infected child, female caregivers, lower socioeconomic class, marital status, additional HIV-infected family member, and lack of spouse support.

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Background: Under-five children’s death is one of the vital indices of a society’s development and a telling evidence of their priorities and values. An audit of the common causes of mortality among under-fives is essential in ensuring optimum child survival. Aim: To determine the magnitude, causes, and determinants of under-five deaths at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Southeastern Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A retrospective review of all postneonatal under-five deaths at the Children’s Emergency Room from January 2012 to December 2016, was carried out and the information was analyzed. Results: Of a total of 6141 under-fives admitted during the 5-year period, 197 died giving a mortality rate of 32 per 1000 LB. Boys accounted for 106 (53.8%) with no gender difference in the mortality rates (P = 0.262). The leading primary causes of death were sepsis, severe malaria, diarrheal disease, meningitis, pneumonia, and severe acute malnutrition, accounting for 95%. Deaths due to malaria occurred more among the preschool age group than that among infants and toddlers (P = 0.013), whereas those due to pneumonia were more prevalent among infants (P = 0.012). Diarrheal disease caused more deaths during the dry weather season (P = 0.009). Approximately 40% of the deaths occurred within 24h of arrival to the Emergency Unit. The most common complications leading to death were dehydration, severe anemia, shock, heart failure, and hypoglycemia. Conclusion: The leading causes of under-fives deaths in our center are preventable infectious diseases. Intensification of goal-targeted, disease-specific preventive measures is recommended.

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Background/Objective: The emergence of the Internet several decades ago has brought global revolution in a lot of processes even among developing nations, including educational processes. We assessed the familiarity of the medical students with Internet tools and their preparedness with integrating e-learning into Internal Medicine teaching methods. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of two graduating medical classes of College of Medicine, using structured self-administered questionnaire, was carried out. The survey assessed the knowledge, utility, and application of Internet tools in medical education using five-point Likert scale. Results: A total of 227 (75%) of the cohort of 292 students responded, comprising 150 (66.1%) males and 77 (33.9%) females. The median age was 24 years (Interquartile range, 23–26 years). Of these, 219 (96.5%) owned Internet-enabled devices, whereas 104 (46.2%) had formal training on the use of computers. Two hundred and twenty-two (97.8%) could access the Internet, with Google and Twitter accounts being the highest and the least used tools, respectively. Two hundred and twenty five (99%; mean rating 4.5 on a scale of 5) indicated that Internet tools were useful in teaching Internal Medicine, specifically in the areas of lectures, assignments, and interaction with experts globally. The key benefits were utility as a regular self-assessment tool and flexible learning schedule (mean rating, 4.0, respectively). Overall, 213 (93.8%) suggested that the use of Internet tools and e-learning should be incorporated into the traditional method of teaching. Challenges with its use included cost of accessing the Internet (n = 126; 55.5%), lack of facility with adequate technology (n = 115; 50.7%), and availability of Internet (n = 96; 42.3%). Conclusion: Undergraduate medical students in our setting are familiar with the Internet and its potential utility for learning and undergraduate teaching of Internal Medicine.

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Opsoclonus – myoclonus- ataxia syndrome is an extremely rare neurological condition of probable autoimmune aetiology. It has not been previously described in medical literature from Nigeria and West Africa. This is a case report of a 43- year old Nigerian woman who presented to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu Emergency Department in July 2018 with a 5 weeks history with vertigo, diplopia, dancing eyes, muscular twitches and incoordination two weeks after a caesarean section complicated by intra-operative bleeding. No other significant medical history. She had been managed as a case of cerebellar haemorrhage before referral to the Neurology Unit. On examination she was lucid, had normal vital signs, opsoclonus, motor ataxia and myoclonus affecting the left face as well as left upper extremity. Investigations done were normal except for reduced cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF) protein. Her symptoms responded substantially to prednisolone and clonazepam. The relevant literature was reviewed. Opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia syndrome though rarely described in Africans may occur and may be misdiagnosed by inexperienced physicians leading to undesirable consequences.

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Background: Self-reported sexual dissatisfaction is a recognized contributor to poor quality of life and can affect productivity in the workplace. Aim: This was a preliminary survey of a cohort of physicians in Enugu metropolis, South East Nigeria investigating self-reported sexual satisfaction and its association with sociodemographic variables. Materials and Methods: Physicians’ self-report of sexual well-being as well as any impact thereof was assessed using an online-delivered structured questionnaire in September 2018. Informed consent was obtained. Results obtained were analyzed using the International Business Machine–Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) version 20. Results: The participants, 62.0% males, were mostly married (82%) and young (mean age 38.2 ± 9.7). Majority (81.5%) of the participants were satisfied with their current sexual lives, 30.7% of them used sex enhancements, and 14.8% of the participants were willing to seek professional help over sexual health problems. Males were five times more likely than females to have sexual encounters outside current relationship (P = 0.003). Conclusion: The findings of this study shows that majority of the physicians are satisfied with their sexuality. The study also observed age and gender-related differences in the physicians’ sexual behaviors. The implication of the finding that most doctors are still reluctant to seek help for sexual health issues calls for a robust public health education with emphasis on sexual health.

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Introduction: Mammography services are not widely available in Nigeria due to inadequate numbers of mammography machines and shortage of the relevant skilled personnel. However, diagnostic and screening mammography was recently introduced at centre near Onitsha in south-east Nigeria to serve the immediate catchment area and surrounding communities. Objective: To determine the prevalence of suspicious findings and features suggestive of breast cancer (BIRADS categories 4, 5 and 6) among mammograms for women presenting at mammography imaging centre. Methodology: Retrospective study reviewing mammograms done at the Iyienu Mission Hospital between January 2013 and December 2015. Final BIRADS Categorization in line with the BIRADS lexicon was reported based on mammography findings and clinical history for each subject. Results: Mean age of study population was 49.1 years ±8.1. Mammographic findings for five percent of subjects were categorized BIRADS 4, while one (0.2%) was categorized BIRADS 5, and four (0.7%) were BIRADS Category 6. The proportion of cases within each age group categorized BIRADS 4 - 6 was 10.1% among subjects aged less than 40 years (p-value 0.19), 5.2% for subjects aged between 41 and 60 years (p-value 0.12) and 10.0% among subjects aged greater than 60 years (p-value 0.32). Conclusion: Study findings suggest higher prevalence of suspicious and malignant findings among the elderly, as well as young women. Future re-assessment of findings desirable using larger sample size. Initiatives for enlightenment on the relevance of cancer screening methods should target middle aged and elderly women, as well as younger women, especially those at risk.

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Background: Overweight and obese dental patients occasionally request jaw wiring. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the reasons for requesting jaw wiring and to evaluate the outcome of the procedure. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of adults, who requested jaw wiring treatments at two private dental facilities in Enugu and Lagos, Nigeria. The interventions consisted of jaw wiring with four interdental eyelets and two tie wires. The main outcome measures were reasons for the request, weight loss, and body mass index (BMI) change. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 20.0. Results: Thirty-four patients, all female, requested jaw wiring. Majority were single (82.4% [28/34]). The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 28.1 (6) (confidence interval [CI]: 25.9–30.2). Simplicity of the procedure, weight-loss needs, and improved body shape were the main reasons for all the patients. Single women additionally included a “desire to attract a marriage mate” in 67.6% (23/34), “preparation for an engagement,” and “to fit a wedding gown,” 5.9% (2/34). Married women, 14.7% (5/34), additionally desired to “please a husband” or “achieve postpartum weight-loss.” Nineteen subjects completed the treatment and lost a mean (SD) weight of 8.3 (3.6) kg (95% CI: 6.5–10) over a mean (SD) duration of 45.0 (14.9) days (CI: 37.8–52.2). The mean BMI was lowered after treatment by 3.09kg/m² (1.3; CI: 2.5–3.7). The posttreatment BMI classification improved for 52.6% (10/19) of the patients. Conclusions: Jaw wiring was desired by young women because of its simplicity, predictable weight loss, and marital and social concerns. Weight loss and lowered BMI were achieved.

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Background: In the Western world, barium enema has largely been replaced by computed tomographic (CT) colonography or virtual colonoscopy using the three-dimensional fly-through software. But barium enema remains relevant in our environment because of its availability and affordable cost as compared to cross-sectional imaging. Aim: To document the common pathologies seen on barium enema examinations in Benin City, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: All cases of barium enema performed at St. Bridget X-Ray Centre, a private radio-diagnostic outfit in Benin City, between January 2013 and December 2014, were retrospectively reviewed. The biodata, clinical information, and radiological diagnoses were collated and entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software and then analyzed. Those with inadequate details were excluded from the study. Results: Two hundred and sixteen patients who had barium enema for various indications were reviewed; the males were 135 (62.5%), whereas the females were 81 (37.5%). Constipation (53, 23.0%) was the most common clinical indication, followed by hematochezia (50, 21.7%), abdominal pain (32, 13.9%), colorectal mass (26, 11.3%), and abdominal swelling (12, 5.2%). Colonic carcinoma (39, 20.8%) was the most common diagnosis on barium enema. This was followed by Hirschsprung’s disease (20, 15.4%), ulcerative colitis (15, 11.5%), megacolon (12, 9.2%), and colonic stricture (11, 6.2%). These findings were more in males (88, 67.7%) than that in females (42, 32.3%). Conclusion: This study has enumerated the common indications and common radiological findings on barium enema study in our environment. Furthermore, this study has also buttressed the fact that barium enema is still reliable in making diagnosis in environment where CT scan is either unavailable or costly.

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Swine influenza, a genetic reassortment of swine, avian, and human influenza viruses, is a respiratory disease of pigs that recently caused a pandemic. It contains deoxyribonucleic acid that is typical to avian, swine, and human viruses, including elements from European and Asian swine viruses. The main targets of the influenza virus are the columnar epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. The aim of this review was to present updates on influenza A viruses with particular attention to recent developments on swine flu H1N1. In-depth interest is on current historical accounts, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The review shows that there is tremendous improvement on the knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms of influenza disease and outcomes of management. There is an increasing diagnostic facility and emphasis on advanced infection control measures, encouraging frequent, adequate hand washing, use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and use of quarantine facility for treating serious cases and vaccination of people at risk.

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