Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto Research Articles

Demographic and Interventional Pattern of Pediatric Brain Tumors Managed at UDUTH Sokoto: A Decade Review

BACKGROUND: The Epidemiologic pattern of childhood brain tumours during the past ten years in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto was reviewed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to describe the epidemiological profile, diagnoses and pattern of paediatrics brain tumour. METHODS: This is a retrospective study analyzing the demographic profile, clinical diagnoses and operative interventions of paediatric neurosurgical patients managed at our center over a period of 10years, from January 2007 to December 2016 with Brain Tumour. RESULT: A total of 81 patients had operative interventions during the study period. Forty-three (43) patients were males representing 53.1%, thirty-eight (38) were female with male to female ratio 1.1:1; the majority of them were between 5 and 8 years of age thirty (37%) and most of them are infratentorial forty-eight (48) accounting for 59.3%. Medulloblastoma was the predominant diagnosis accounting for eighteen cases (18) 22.2%. Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt insertion was the commonest procedure performed representing 44.4%. CONCLUSION: Infratentorial tumours are the commonest paediatric tumours seen in our center, with medulloblastoma accounting for the majority of cases. VP shunt is the commonest neurosurgical intervention on paediatric brain tumor patients Keywords: Paediatric; Brain tumor; Medulloblastoma; Infratentorial; Supratentorial; Ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Post-operative cerebrospinal fluid leak: single-continuous versus double-breasted dural repair of myelomeningocele

BackgroundMyelomeningocele is the most common neural tube defect in our environment. Initial surgical management involves untethering and water-tight dural closure. Single-continuous dural repair is more straightforward and faster than the double-breasted repair, even though the latter offers more strength to the reconstructed dura as the repair is in two layers. Preference was given to single-continuous repair even though the two techniques were not compared in terms of post-operative cerebrospinal fluid leak. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak following single-continuous versus double-breasted dural repair of myelomeningocele.Patients and methodsThis was a randomized prospective study that reviewed all patients that presented to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto, Nigeria, with myelomeningocele who met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-four patients were enrolled into the study randomized into two groups of 27 patients each. Group 1 had single-continuous repair, while group 2 had double-breasted technique. Post-operatively, patients were assessed for post-operative cerebrospinal fluid leak and pseudomeningocele. Data collected were analysed using the statistical package for social sciences version 22.0. The value for significance was set at 0.05.ResultsThe median age at presentation for both groups was 5 months. Both groups showed female preponderance with a female-to-male ratio of 1.3:1 and 1.7:1. Post-operative CSF leak occurred in 2(7.4%) patients in the single-continuous group compared to 3(11.1%) patients in the double-breasted group. Only 1(3.7%) patient in the single-continuous group developed pseudomeningocele and none in the double-breasted.ConclusionDural repair technique of myelomeningocele does not influence the occurrence of post-operative cerebrospinal fluid leak.

Assessment of Evan’s Index in North-Western Nigeria using Computerised Tomography

Aim: To determine the Evan’s Index of Nigerians using computerized tomography in Sokoto North-Western Nigeria.
 Study Design: Retrospective cross- sectional.
 Place and duration of study: Department of Anatomy Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto and Department of Radiology Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, between January, 2020 and January, 2022.
 Methodology: Normal brain CT scans of one hundred and seventy-eight subjects from the Radiology Department of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, whose ages ranged from 1 to 70 year. The Evans index was determined by the ratio of the measured distance between the tips of the frontal horns of lateral ventricles and the inner skull tables at the midpoint of the cranium in axial plane.
 Results: The Evan’s indexes were larger in male than the females and these differences were not statically significant except in the age group 51-60years where statistically significant difference was observed between male and female (p=0.042). The minimum Evan’s index was 0.02cm in male and 0.01 females and the maximum bi-frontal index was 0.40cm in male and 0.38cm in females.
 Conclusion: The Evan’s indexes and it relation with sex and age in our environment was determined.

Influence of Parity on Placenta Thickness and Diameter Among Pregnant Women in Usman Danfodio Teaching Hospital Sokoto

The management of pregnancy requires knowledge of the gestational age. It is usually estimated by ultrasound using parameters like femur length, bi-parietal diameter, and abdominal circumference. A healthy placenta is crucial for fetal well-being, growth, development and neonatal survival. Fetal Sonographic biometric parameters are crucial in obstetric decision making, the placenta’s weight is important in detecting functioning after birth, as placenta’s gross examination could shed light on the new-born’s weight and any pregnancy-related complication fetus .The purpose of the study determine The Influence of Parity on Placenta Thickness and Diameter Among Pregnant Women in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto. A cross-sectional study design was conducted among 72 pregnant women who were between 24 to 40 weeks of gestational age and came for an ultrasound in the Radiology department at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. Data were collected using proforma. Data was processed using IBM® SPSS version 25 and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The finding of the results reveals majority of the respondents were in the age group 25-29 years. The majority of the mothers were multigravida 60(83.3%) and about 84% of the respondent was multipara. The mean placental diameter and thickness were 14.10 ? 1.4cm and 4.58 ? 4.2cm respectively. The placental thickness and diameter all rise linearly with increased gestational age (r = 0.422, P<0.001, r=0.24, p=0.044, respectively. Placental thickness and diameter are positively correlated with parity and gestational age. (r=0.24, p=0.044 and r=0.24, p=0.040, respectively).it is recommended Placenta thickness and diameter is an index. it is recommended to incorporated measurement of placenta thickness and diameter as a routine into conventional fetal biometric for fetal age estimation and weight during antenatal ultrasound.

Determination of Gender Variations Based on Anatomical Shapes of the Orbit on Plain Radiographs of Nigerians: A 5-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Cephalometry has been widely used in substantial aspects of medicine. There exist obvious differences between male and female bony features from early development to adulthood. The morphometric examination of the orbit and familiarity with its anatomy are important clinically in the diagnosis of orbital lesions and face reconstructive surgery. Diagnostic radiology and ophthalmology have a close relationship. Most prior research assessed orbital dimensions using direct approaches on living, cadaveric, or dry bones.
 Aim: To determine the gender variations based on the shapes of the orbit using Plain Radiographs.
 Materials and Methods: A 5-year retrospective cross-sectional study using 255 normal skull radiographs obtained from the Department of Diagnostic Radiology of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto from 2004 40 2009 was carried out with male to female ratio of 4:1. The radiographs were mounted on a viewing box, and the orbital shapes were noted. Results: In the male subjects, the shape of the orbit was oval in 68 (33.0%), quadrangular in 55 (26.7%), and round in 83 (40.3%). In the female subjects, the oval-shaped orbit was found in 27 (55.1%), quadrangular shape in 12 (24.5%), and in round shape 10 (20.4%).
 Conclusions: The commonest type of orbit seen in males is the round type, followed by the oval type with the quadrangular being the least type. In females the predominant type of orbit seen was oval, followed by the quadrangular type, with the round type being the least common. However, the differences were not statistically significant. The round type of orbit shows the strongest tendency in sex identification.

Morphometric Assessment of Bi-caudate Index Using Computerized Tomographic Scan from Sokoto North-Western Nigeria

Aim: To determine the bi-caudate index (BCI) of Nigerians using computerized tomography from Sokoto North-Western Nigeria.
 Study Design: Retrospective cross- sectional.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto and Department of Radiology Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, between January, 2020 and January, 2022.
 Methodology: CT scans of 186 apparently healthy normal individuals of age group 1 to 70 years were taken and the subjects were categorized into age intervals of 10 years; males and females taken separately. The linear measurements of caudate and brain were taken directly from the screen. The Bi Caudate Index were calculated. The mean values in each group were compared with age and sex, using appropriate statistical tests.
 Results: The least BCI in male was 6.0mm and was seen in the age group 1-10 years while in female the least BCI was 5.0mm, seen in the age group 1-10. The largest BCI in male was 21mm, observed in the age group 61-70years, while the largest BCI in female 19.0mm, seen in the age group 61-70 years.
 Conclusion: Bi Caudate Index shows positive correlation with age.

Cephalometric Assessment of the Brain Ventricular System Index Using Computerised Tomography in Sokoto North-Western, Nigeria

Aim: To determine the normal brain ventricular system index of Nigerians using computerized tomography in Sokoto North-Western Nigeria.
 Study Design: Retrospective cross- sectional.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto and Department of Radiology Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, between January, 2020 and January, 2022.
 Methodology: One hundred and seventy-eight normal brain CT scans of subjects from the Radiology Department, whose ages ranged from 1 to 70 years, were recruited for this study.
 The Bi-frontal and Bi-occipital indices were calculated as ratios of measured distances of the frontal and occipital horns of the lateral ventricles and the transverse intracranial diameter, at the same level, respectively. The brain ventricular system index was then determined by a ratio of the Bi-frontal index and Bi-occipital index.
 Results: The largest brain ventricular system indexes were 7.83cm and 7.68cm in males and females respectively and these were observed between the age of 2-4years for both sexes. While, the smallest brain ventricular system indexes were 7.47cm in males and 7.29cm in females, which were observed in age group 61-70years for both sexes.
 Conclusion: This study was conducted to determine the Ventricular Brain System Index and it relation with sex and age in our environment.

Evaluation of Radiation Dose to the Thyroid Gland on Infant Patients Undergoing Anteroposterior Chest X-Ray at a Tertiary Hospital in North-Western Nigeria

The study aims at measuring the entrance surface dose (ESD) of the thyroid gland of infant patients undergoing anterior-posterior (AP) chest x-ray in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto (UDUTHS). The study further determines the effective dose to the thyroid on infant patients undergoing AP chest x-ray. Also, compare the entrance surface dose of infant patients obtained from the study with other similar studies and diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection ICRP. This is a prospective cross-sectional study and the primary source of data was obtained. Pediatric patients used for the study who are referred to the radiology department for an anteroposterior chest x-ray, UDUTH, Sokoto state, Nigeria. A non-probability sampling technique was adopted for the patient who came in for a chest x-ray (AP) and as recommended by ICRP that a minimum of 10 patients should be used to determine the ESD for each projection, therefore 15 patients were adopted for this study. The result of the ESD obtained for the thyroid on infant patients undergoing chest x-ray (AP) was averaged and the mean of the ESD was 1.38 mGy. This result was compared to similar studies done within the country and outside the country and with the European Commission on radiological protection as seen in Table 6 and Figure 3. The ESD obtained in this study is much higher than those obtained in similar studies as well as the recommended Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs). The method adopted in the study was recommended by the international commission on radiological protection, as a result of this, comparisons were reliably made with the reference values and similar studies. The result has shown that entrance surface doses and radiation doses to the thyroid exceed the permissible value in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto.

Effectiveness of buffered and non-buffered local anaesthetic in inferior alveolar nerve block: a randomised study

The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of buffered and non-buffered local anaesthetic (LA) following inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). This study was conducted at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto from June 2020 to January 2021. Subjects were randomised into Groups A and B. Group A received 2 ml of freshly prepared 2% lignocaine with 1:100,000 adrenaline buffered with 0.18 ml of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate solution while those in Group B received non-buffered 2% lignocaine with 1:100,000 adrenaline LA solutions. The onset of action of the LA was assessed by subjective and objective methods, while pain at the injection site was assessed using a numerical rating scale. Data obtained were analysed using statistical package for social sciences (IBM SPSS) version 21. The mean (SD) ages for Groups A and B were 37.4 (14.9) and 40.1 (14.4) years, respectively. The mean (SD) onset times of the LA by subjective testing were 126 (31.7) and 201 (66.8) seconds for Groups A and B, respectively. Similarly, the mean (SD) onset times of the local anaesthesia by objective testing for Groups A and B were 186 (41.0) and 287 (85.0) seconds, respectively, and both were significant (p<0.001). Pain at the injection site assessed objectively and subjectively were also statistically different (p<0.001). The findings of this study suggest that buffered LA is more effective than non-buffered LA of the same composition when used for IANB particularly concerning a significantly faster rate of onset and less pain at the injection site.

Pattern of histologically diagnosed orofacial tumours and disparity in number managed at usmanu danfodiyo university teaching hospital Sokoto

Pattern of histologically diagnosed orofacial tumours and disparity in number managed at usmanu danfodiyo university teaching hospital Sokoto

Neurosurgical Presentations of Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Our Experience in a Regional Neurosurgical Centre, Sokoto, Nigeria

Objective: The objective of this paper was to highlight various neurosurgical presentations of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 seen in our center. Design: This is retrospective analysis of all cases of neurofibromatosis type 1 seen in our neurosurgical center over five- year period. Data was extracted from case files retrieved from medical records department of the hospital. Biodemographic characteristics, clinical presentations, neuroimaging findings and treatment offered were noted. Setting: A single center report conducted at department of neurosurgery, regional neurosurgical center, Usmanu Danfodiyo university teaching Hospital Sokoto. Participants: All patients presenting to neurosurgery department with a diagnosis of neurofibromatosis type 1 over five-year period. Interventions: Among the patients seen, three had surgical intervention for disfiguring plexiform neurofibroma. While the remaining two patients refused any form of surgery. Cosmesis was main study outcome which was satisfactory to both the surgeons and the patients. Results: We found a total of five cases managed over the study period. Three males and two females, the youngest was 2 weeks old while the oldest was a 22-year-old man. Three patients had major cranial lesions while two presented with spinal/paraspinal lesions. Also, only three patients met NIH criteria for the diagnosis of NF-1, two presented with only plexiform neurofibromatosis. Two patients declined any form of surgical intervention. Cosmesis was the only reason for presenting to the hospital. Postoperative outcome was good for the three patients that accepted surgery. Conclusion: Neurofibromatosis type 1 occurs at a rate of one case per year in our setting. Various cranial and spinal/paraspinal manifestations were observed.

GIANT NASO-MAXILLARY DERMATOFIBROSARCOMA IN A NIGERIAN FEMALE - CASE REPORT

Naso-maxillary dermatofibrosarcoma is a rare clinical condition in our environment. We present an unusual and first ever case of dermatofibrosarcoma of the nose and its attendant surgical challenges in a resource limited setting. A 24year old female presented at the outpatient clinic of the department of otorhinolaryngology of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto in November 2012. She had a 2-year history of progressively increasing painless swelling on the left naso-maxillary region of the face, associated with complete left nasal obstruction. Physical examination shows facial asymmetry with a huge, firm, ulcerative, pedunculated mass on the left nasomaxillary region of the midface with intranasal extension. Plain radiographs of the paranasal sinuses show no bony involvement. She had complete tumor excision with good oncological margins. Histopathological analysis of the tissue confirmed dermatofibrosarcoma protuberance. Patient had no recurrence after 4 years.

A Comparative Study on the Haematological and Biochemical Alterations in Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) under Natural and Artificial Environments in Sokoto Metropolis, Nigeria

Aims: The study was conducted to compare the alteration in haematological and biochemical parameters in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) under natural (river) and artificial (ponds) habitats in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria.&#x0D; Study Design: Whole blood and serum samples harvested from each group of the catfish were used for assessment of the haematological and biochemical parameters, respectively. Data were analyzed to compare changes between the two groups of African catfishes using T-test and P &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Catfish samples were collected over a period of four weeks from Kwalkwalawa river and commercial fish farms in Sokoto metropolis. Samples for haematological parameters were determined at the Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. The serum analyses were performed at the Chemical Pathology Laboratory, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto.&#x0D; Methodology: A total of fifty (50) whole blood samples were obtained from live African catfishes representing twenty-five (25) samples each from natural and artificial environments.&#x0D; Results: The results showed significant changes in some haematological parameters, packed cell volume (P = 0.039), haemoglobin concentration (P = 0.001), white blood cell count (P = 0.012), and differential neutrophils (P = 0.001) and lymphocytes (P = 0.001) counts between the two groups of African catfishes studied. Significant biochemical alterations in the total protein (P = 0.001), total bilirubin (P = 0.028) and direct bilirubin (P = 0.019) were observed in catfishes under natural and artificial environments.&#x0D; Conclusion: This study shows that aquaculture environment has great influence on the haematological and biochemical parameters in African catfish. These changes were more evident in catfish reared under the natural environment. Hence, the alterations in haemato-biochemical parameters were suggestive of unhealthy state or chronic stressful condition in catfish perhaps due to natural and human caused stresses.

Serum transformation growth factor β1 levels in nephropathy diabetic patients attending specialist hospital and Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, Nigeria

Introduction: Diabetic nephropathy is among the major causes of mortality and morbidity in type 1 &amp; type 2 diabetes and is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease outcomes. Higher blood pressure and poor glycaemic control were reported to be the most common risk factors influencing the progress of diabetic nephropathy. This study was designed to determine the diagnostic and prognostic potential of the serum transformation growth factor β1 [TGF β1] in normoalbuminuric, microalbuminuric, macroalbuminuric and end-stage renal disease type 2 diabetic nephropathy patients. Materials and Methods: The transformation growth factor β1 was measured using ELISA test kits and serum creatinine was assessed by the modified Jaffe method while estimated glomerular filtration rate [EGFR] in the study was evaluated by the MDRD equation (adjusted for four variables). Results: The levels of serum transformation growth factor β1 and urine albumin/creatinine ratio were significantly increased (p &lt; 0.05) across the diabetes nephropathy stages, while the estimated glomerular filtration rate was progressively decreased (p &lt; 0.05). Serum creatinine was significantly increased (p &lt; 0.05) with the progression of diabetic nephropathy. Conclusion: Transformation growth factor β1 might have the potentials to be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for diabetic nephropathy.

Experience on the surgical management of biliary stones in Sokoto, North West Nigeria

Background: Cholelithiasis are relatively rare in Nigeria and Africa at large. However, recently the incidence has been reported to be on the rise. We present a ten-year review of our experience in managing gallstones to highlight the recent trends in our practice.Methods: This is a 10-year retrospective study on patients who were managed for gall bladder disease in the Usmanu Danfodiyo university teaching hospital Sokoto from August 2011 to July 2021. The biographic data, clinical features, radiologic, operative findings, histologic findings and outcome of treatment were analyzed with IBM SPSS 25.Results: There were 82 patients over the period of the study comprising of 18 (22%) males and 64 females (78%). Their ages range was 17 to 60 years with a mean of 37.59 years ±11.02. All patients had right upper quadrant pain as the main complaint with 24 patients (29.3%) having associated epigastric pain and 14 patients (17.1%) presented with jaundice. Preoperative ultrasound (USS) diagnosis was in keeping with intraoperative diagnosis in 97.6%. All patients had cholecystectomy out of which 62 patients (75.6%) had open cholecystectomy while 20 patients (24.4%) had laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There was no hospital mortality, the average hospital stay was 8.2 days following open cholecystectomy however this was shorter, 4.5 days for laparoscopic procedure.Conclusions: The prevalence of gallstones is still comparatively low when compared to the western world. Ultrasonography is very sensitive imaging modality. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe and superior to open surgery in our environment.

Machete-Cut Maxillofacial Injuries in Civilian Setting: Case Series from a Tertiary Health Care Facility in Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria.

Machete-cut injuries are not uncommon and are usually associated with severe soft tissue disruption and unusual bone fractures. This could result into a potentially life-threatening injuries that could pose challenges in management. Six patients seen and managed for machete-cut injuries over a period of 2years (From July 2020 to August 2022) at the Dental and Maxillofacial surgery unit of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto were presented. All the victims were males sustaining varying degrees of soft and hard tissue injuries, with no tissue avulsion. Four (4) cases of the series were treated under local anaesthesia and conscious sedation while the remaining two (2) cases were done under general anaesthesia. Open reduction and internal fixation were done in four (4) of the cases, splinting in one (1) case and only soft tissue repair in one (1) case. Facial nerve palsy, mental and buccal nerve anaesthesia were the observed nerve injuries. Early presentation, careful assessment of the injuries and meticulous planning will reduce morbidity and mortality associated with such injuries. There is need for preventive mechanisms such as providing education as well as reducing rate of unemployment in our society.

Blindness Secondary to Odontogenic Infections: Case Series from a Tertiary Health Care Facility in Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria

Blindness secondary to odontogenic orbital infection is not uncommon. We report five (5) cases of severe odontogenic orbital cellulitis causing blindness. These patients were seen and managed over a 3-year study period (from July 2019 to August 2022) at the Dental and Maxillofacial surgery clinic of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto. There were 2 male children and a female child in the age range of 6-10years with a mean±SD of 7.7±2.1, a 37-year-old male and a 24-year-old female. Cancrum oris/osteomyelitis was the primary diagnosis in one child, right maxillary osteomyelitis in two children, buccal +temporal space abscess and buccal space abscess in the two adult (male and female) patients respectively. All patients had a preceding history of toothache before the onset of other symptoms. All the patients had visual acuity of no light perception in the affected eye. Additionally, they had a varying degree of proptosis and restricted ocular motility while one child presented with purulent discharge and disorganized globe. Aggressive medical and surgical treatment was instituted in consultation with the ophthalmologists, which resulted in the resolution of the disease in all the patients.

Development and reliability testing of a cervical cancer patients knowledge and practice of self-care management of treatment-related adverse events questionnaire.

Cervical cancer (CC) treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were found to be among the major reasons for treatments delays and medication non-adherence. Knowledge and practice of self-care management of these AEs are therefore needed to complement the pharmacotherapeutic interventions. Instruments for assessing CC patients' knowledge and practice of self-care management of treatment-related Adverse Events (AEs) are lacking. Hence, the rational for this study. A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on CC patients receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy or both, with or without surgery in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto, a tertiary hospital in North-Western Nigeria. A panel of 14 experts judged the content validity of the items initially selected. Purposive sampling technique was used, 31 CC patients were recruited and interviewed for the questionnaire pre-testing. Descriptive statistics and psychometric analysis were conducted using SPSS Version 20.0 for Windows. A Cronbach's alpha coefficient ≥0.70 was considered acceptable. A 12-domain questionnaire instrument was developed. Eight (57.1%) of the expert panelists rated the questions' items as "Very good for the study" and none of them rated any of the content "not relevant for the study". The reliability studies showed that the overall knowledge and practice questions response rates were 71.0% and 77.4% and Cronbach's alpha (α) values were 0.956 and 0.913, respectively. A reliable, 12-domain cervical cancer patients' knowledge and practice of self-care management of treatment-related adverse events questionnaire was developed. Further research on the psychometric qualities of the instrument is needed.

Zika Virus: Knowledge, Attitude and Preventive Practices of Medical Doctors in a Tertiary Health Institution in Northern Nigeria

Zika virus, is an emerging arbovirus transmitted to humans through infected female Aedes species mosquitoes such as A albopictus and A aegypti via blood transfusion, sexual activities and from mother to fetus. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude and preventive practices of medical doctors at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto.&#x0D; This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out amongst medical doctors at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. A set of semi structured, self- administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on knowledge, attitude and preventive practices against ZIKV using a two stage sampling method. Data collected was entered into and analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 23. The data was analyzed and summarized using frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation (SD) and presented as tables and charts. The Fisher’s exact test was used to establish the association between socio-demographic variables and attitude and knowledge of Zika virus infection with p- value set at p &lt; 0.05.&#x0D; The research was approved by the Health Research Ethics committee of the teaching hospital.&#x0D; Most of respondents in this study had good knowledge (87.5%), positive attitude (82.1%) and good practices of prevention of ZIKV (87.5%) respectively. There was a statistically significant association between attitude and knowledge of ZIKV as the respondents with positive attitude had good knowledge of the virus (p=0.002).&#x0D; Our respondents who are physicians displayed a very good knowledge, attitude and practices towards the ZIKV infection. Physicians as front line health workers are at a greater risk of being infected with ZIKV, and this underscores the need for them to always adhere to laid down standard operating procedures and universal precautionary measures. These will go a long way in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with this infection.

Evaluation of awareness, knowledge, and approval of dental implant treatment among dental patients in northwestern Nigeria: A cross-sectional study

Background: A dental implant is an artificial root inserted surgically in the process of single or multiple teeth replacements. This study aims to evaluate the awareness, knowledge, and approval of dental implant treatments among dental patients in our hospital.Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 442 adult patients attending the Dental Clinic of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto State, Nigeria, from March 2021 to February 2022. After obtaining ethical approval, participants were recruited using a structured questionnaire. This questionnaire consist of 12 questions, assessing the patient's awareness, knowledge, and willingness to approve a dental implant as an option for teeth replacement. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS (IBM SPSS) software version 20.Results: There were 293 (66.3%) males and 149 (33.7%) females with an mean ± standard deviation of age 37.4 ± 12.4 years and a range of 20–65 years. Two hundred and forty-six (55.7%) were unaware of a dental implant as an option for missing teeth replacement and 196 (44.3%) have heard of a dental implant. The majority of respondents (73%) heard about dental implants from a dentist, followed by social media (19.4%). Responses from questions yielded variable responses about the knowledge of implant. Regarding the patient's approval, 80.1% expressed their willingness to replace missing tooth/teeth with a dental implant.Conclusion: This research revealed a below-average level of awareness of dental patients about a dental implant as an option for teeth replacement. Dental surgeons need to do more on information dissemination about the use of dental implants.