Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution Research Articles

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigenaemia among healthcare worker in a private Nigerian tertiary health institution

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has long been recognized as an occupational risk for healthcare workers (HCWs) as a result of regular and routine exposure to blood and other body fluids in the course of their duties. The risk of occupational exposure to such infection has been the concerns of HCWs for years. However, there were scarcities of information on frequency of Hepatitis B virus infection in the study area. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigenaemia among Health Care Workers in Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan, Nigeria. A descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among HCWs from across various occupation categories in the study area between May and June 2015. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographics and clinical data. Sample analytical process was carried out using the HBsAg commercially available kits (Genedia, Green Cross, Korea). Of the 100 HCWs enrolled in the study, HBsAg was detected in 7%. The positivity of HBsAg, in this study, was more among males and all were from staff younger than 50 years old. The occupational risk of HBV infection among the HCWs in this study was highest among the cleaning staff followed by nurses and doctors. None was documented among the Medical laboratory Scientists/technicians. The occupation risk of HBV infection among the HCWs in this study was high. Regular Infection prevention and control training is required and HBV vaccine should be more readily available for HCWs by coordinated institutional vaccination programs.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigenaemia among healthcare worker in a private Nigerian tertiary health institution

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has long been recognized as an occupational risk for healthcare workers (HCWs) as a result of regular and routine exposure to blood and other body fluids in the course of their duties. The risk of occupational exposure to such infection has been the concerns of HCWs for years. However, there were scarcities of information on frequency of Hepatitis B virus infection in the study area. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigenaemia among Health Care Workers in Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan, Nigeria. A descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among HCWs from across various occupation categories in the study area between May and June 2015. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographics and clinical data. Sample analytical process was carried out using the HBsAg commercially available kits (Genedia, Green Cross, Korea). Of the 100 HCWs enrolled in the study, HBsAg was detected in 7%. The positivity of HBsAg, in this study, was more among males and all were from staff younger than 50 years old. The occupational risk of HBV infection among the HCWs in this study was highest among the cleaning staff followed by nurses and doctors. None was documented among the Medical laboratory Scientists/technicians. The occupation risk of HBV infection among the HCWs in this study was high. Regular Infection prevention and control training is required and HBV vaccine should be more readily available for HCWs by coordinated institutional vaccination programs.

Pattern of Chest Injuries Following RTA – A Study from a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution

Pattern of Chest Injuries Following RTA – A Study from a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution

Impact of Locus of Control and Job Type on the Perception of Autopsy among Medical and Nonmedical Workers in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution

The impact of locus of control and job type on the perception of autopsy among medical and nonmedical workers in University College Hospital, Ibadan, was investigated. Ninety-two medical and 46 nonmedical workers from the hospital participated in the study. An ex post facto design was used. The Autopsy Perception Scale and Locus of Control Scale were used as instruments. The t -test result ( t [136] = −2.03; P t -test result ( t [136] = −2.29; P t -test result ( t [136] = −0.82; P > 0.05) showed that there was no significant difference between workers who had had an autopsy conducted on their deceased relatives and those who had not. The results were discussed in line with existing literature.

The predictors of psychiatric disorders among people living with epilepsy as seen in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution.

Background:Mental disorders may complicate epilepsy which can further impair the quality of life of people living with this chronic neurological condition. The aim of this study was to determine the types of psychiatric disorders in patients with epilepsy and to determine the sociodemographic and clinical factors that may predict these psychiatric illnesses.Materials and Methods:This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out over a period of 6 months at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to determine the psychological health of 74 consecutively recruited adult patients with epilepsy attending the psychiatric outpatients' clinic of the hospital. Psychiatric diagnoses were based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 4th Edition criteria, and logistic regression analysis was done to determine variables that predict psychiatric disorder.Results:Majority of the participants were male (67.6%) with their age ranging from 18 to 68 years and the mean age of 30.55 ± 10.91 years. Thirty-three (44.6%) of our study respondents had psychiatric diagnoses that included major depressive disorder (21.6%), schizophrenia (17.6%), generalized anxiety disorder (4.1%), and hypomania (1.4%). Being unemployed (odds ratio [OR] = 3.24. 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15–9.10, P = 0.026) and short-term seizure free period (OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.04–0.78, P = 0.022) were the variables found to be predictive of psychiatric diagnoses.Conclusions:The study revealed that a large percentage of people living with epilepsy develop mental disorders which can further increase the burden and worsen the quality of life of patients with this chronic debilitating condition.

Hospital doctors' management of psychological problems at a Nigerian tertiary health institution

A questionnaire was sent to all consenting doctors at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. It asked about their management of psychological problems in their clinical practice. Over 90% would welcome more time to talk to patients and agreed that psychological and social factors should be routinely assessed and recorded for patients. Most respondents would refer patients with depression or disturbed behaviours. ‘Ineffective treatment’ and ‘dislike of psychiatric referral’ were not the main reasons for non-referral. A majority of the doctors had initiated treatment for anxiety and insomnia but not for alcohol withdrawal, psychosis, acute confusional state or depression. Doctors' awareness of ‘the impact of psychological factors on the course of physical illness' was high. To sustain this high level of awareness and encourage referral, in-house psychoeducational training of hospital doctors should be intensified. In addition, an increased doctor/patient ratio, public education to reduce stigma and a well developed liaison psychiatric service are imperative.

Personality Traits, Loneliness and Mental Health among HIV Clinic Attendees in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution

Background:Personality traits, loneliness and mental health are conditions often evaluated in patients with chronic, disabling or stigmatizing conditions. These conditions contribute to the health seeking behavior and outcome of management of diseases especially in stigmatizing illnesses like HIV/AIDS. This study therefore assessed the prevalence of personality traits, loneliness and mental health among HIV/AIDS clinic attendees in a Nigerian tertiary health institution. Method: The general health questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Big Five Personality Inventory and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale, version 3, were used to assess a total of 310 HIV/AIDS clinic attendees in a Nigerian tertiary health institution for prevalence of personality traits, loneliness and mental health. Results: The various aspects of personality traits differed in their prevalence. The most prevalent was openness (27.4%), followed by neuroticism (25.5%), conscientiousness (19.0%), agreeableness (15.5%) and extraversion (12.6%). About 33.2% of the subjects indicated experiencing frequent loneliness, while 11.9% indicated severe loneliness. Furthermore 32.9% showed the presence of mental health problems as against 67.1% who indicated absence of mental health problems. Conclusion: This study revealed the prevalence of various forms of personality traits, loneliness and presence of mental health problems among the subjects.

Recommendations for improvement of oral health awareness in pregnant women

Sir, In the JDRR article (vol. 1, issue 2) oral health awareness and experience was assessed among a group of Nigerian pregnant women in the article entitled “Oral health awareness and experience among pregnant women in a Nigerian tertiary health institution.” The article concluded that oral health awareness among the subjects was poor, and a sizeable number of pregnant women experienced oral health problems during pregnancy. In addition, the authors declared a need for the development of guidelines for promoting referral of pregnant women for dental consultation.During pregnancy, the oral cavity is vulnerable to several problems, as a result of physical and hormonal changes. In addition, pregnant women may neglect oral hygiene habits as a result of emotional and physical problems. This may lead to an increase in several oral and dental complications among this group. It is suggested that factors such as lower gingival health, gingival bleeding, and more calculus may be effective on low birth weight.

Why are chemotherapy administration errors not reported? Perceptions of oncology nurses in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Objective:The administration of chemotherapy forms a major part of the clinical role of oncology nurses. When a mistake is made during chemotherapy administration, admitting and reporting the error timely could save the lives of cancer patients. The main objective of this study was to assess the perceptions of oncology nurses about why chemotherapy administration errors are not reported.Methods:This is a descriptive study that surveyed a convenient sample of 128 oncology nurses currently practicing in the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The tool for data collection was a structured questionnaire that consisted of two sections. The first section was for the demographic data of participants and the second section consisted of questions constructed based on the Medication Administration Error (MAE) reporting survey developed by Wakefield and his team.Results:Findings showed that majority of the nurses (89.8%) have made at least one MAE in the course of their professional practice. Fear (mean = 3.63) and managerial response (mean = 2.87) were the two major barriers to MAE reporting perceived among oncology nurses.Conclusion:Critically analyzing why medication errors are not reported among oncology nurses is crucial to identifying strategic interventions that would promote reporting of all errors, especially those related to chemotherapy administration. It is therefore recommended that nurse managers and health care administrators should create a favorable atmosphere that does not only prevent medication errors but also supports nurses’ voluntary reporting of MAEs. Education, information and communication strategies should also be put in place to train nurses on the need to report, if possible prevent, all medication errors.

Correlation between Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology and Histology for Palpable Breast Masses in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution.

Background. Management of breast lumps can be challenging in resource poor settings. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) especially when used with cell block can help improve affordability for the patients. Objective. To determine the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC of palpable breast lesions within a 5-year period. Methods. The findings obtained from FNAC of palpable breast lumps seen at the FNAC clinic of our department from January 2007 to December 2011 were retrieved and correlated with findings on histology of excisional biopsies. Results. A total of 1790 patients had FNAC of breast lumps during the 5-year period; 436 of them subsequently had biopsies. Our results compare favourably with the measures of test performance of the UK NHS Breast Screening Programme shown in brackets: absolute sensitivity 95.4% (>70%), complete sensitivity 99.2% (>90%), full specificity 88.9% (>65%), positive predictive value 99.6% (>99%), false-negative rate 0.8% (<4%), false-positive rate 0.4% (<0.5%), inadequate rate 3.2% (<15%), and suspicious rate 10.2% (<15%). Conclusion. Breast FNACs compare very well with histology of excisional biopsies and in experienced hands are extremely useful in the management of breast lumps. Further studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC and cell blocks in our setting are recommended.

Cervicofacial infection in a Nigerian tertiary health institution: a retrospective analysis of 77 cases.

ObjectivesInfection involving the orbit, zygomatic space, lateral pharyngeal space, or hemifacial and oral floor phlegmon is referred to as cervicofacialvinfection (CFI). When diagnosis and/or adequate treatment are delayed, these infections can be life-threatening. Most cases are the result of odontogenic infections. We highlight our experiences in the management of this life-threatening condition.Materials and MethodsThis was a retrospective study of patients who presented with CFI from December 2005 to June 2012 at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic or the Accident and Emergency Unit of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (Zaria, Nigeria). The medical records of all patients who presented with either localized or diffuse infection of the maxillofacial soft tissue spaces were retrospectively collected. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 13.0 and are expressed as descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsOf the 77 patients, 49 patients (63.6%) were males, a male to female ratio of 1:7.5. The ages ranged from two years to 75 years with a mean of 35.0±19.3 years, although most patients were older than 40 years. The duration of symptoms prior to presentation ranged from 6 to 60 days, with a mean of 11.0±9.4 days. More than 90% of the patients presented to the clinic within the first 10 days. The most commonly involved anatomical space was the submandibular space (n=29, 37.7%), followed by hemifacial space (n=22, 28.6%) and buccal space (n=7, 9.1%). Ludwig angina accounted for about 7.8% of the cases.ConclusionCFI most commonly involves the submandibular space, typically affects individuals with a low level of education, and is influenced by traditional medical practices. Despite improved health care delivery, CFI remains a significant problem in developing countries.

Malignant tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract as seen in a Nigerian tertiary health institution.

Cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract constitute a diverse heterogeneous group of malignant neoplasms with unique epidemiological, pathological, and treatment considerations. Only few studies have been conducted so far on these tumors in Nigeria. This study aims to study in greater detail, the pathological features of these cancers in Nigerian patients. The surgical specimens of patients diagnosed with malignant tumors of the upper aerodigestive tracts in the Department of Morbid Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, over a 10-year period, formed the basis of this study. Analysis was done for differences in proportion using the Chi-square test (P is significant at < 0.05) by SPSS version 15. There were a total of 62 cases. The overall mean age was 50.7 years, while the age range was from 3 years to 90 years. The male to female ratio was 3.1:1. A majority of the patients (67.7%) were older than 40 years. About 30.6, 27.4, and 16.1% of cases occurred in the larynx, nasopharynx, and nasal cavity, respectively, while 93.5% of the tumors were carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histological variety. Nonepithelial tumors were not seen below the age of 20 years. This study shows that malignant upper aerodigestive tract tumors seen in our environment are mainly diseases of adulthood that tend to occur about seven to nine years earlier than in other populations. Squamous cell carcinoma is the predominant histological variety. Although the larynx is the most frequent anatomic site, the nasopharynx and nasal cavity are more commonly affected than the oral cavity unlike in other populations. Nonepithelial tumors are extremely rare below the age of 20 years.

Presentation, management, and outcome of posterior urethral valves in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

Background:Posterior urethral valves (PUV) remain the most common cause of bladder outlet obstruction and renal insufficiency in male children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presentation, management, challenges, and outcome of the disease in a Nigerian tertiary health institution.Patients and Methods:Retrospectively, medical records of male children with a diagnosis of PUVs over a 10 year period (2003-2012) were retrieved. All data in relation to the study objectives were recorded and analyzed.Results:A total of 44 patients was managed for PUV within the period. The mean age of presentation was 3.95 years with 56.8% of the patients presenting after the age of 1 year. Voiding dysfunction noted in 40 (91.0%) patients was the most common mode of presentation. The most common finding on physical examination was a palpable bladder while urinary tract infection noted in 23 (52.3%) patients was the most common complication noted. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed dilated posterior urethra in 16 (36.4%) cases, while micturating cystourethrogram revealed a dilated proximal urethra in all 35 cases in which it was done, diverticulum in 6 and vesicoureteric reflux in 9. The creatinine value at presentation ranged between 0.4 mg/dl and 4.0 mg/dl with a mean of 1.02 ± 0.93 mg/dl. Urethroscopy in 37 patients confirmed type I and type III PUV in 35 and 2 patients, respectively. Valve ablation with a diathermy bugbee electrode provided relief of obstructions in the 37 patients who underwent the procedure without any significant immediate complication. The period of follow-up ranged between 2 weeks and 3 years with a mean of 10.2 months. There was sustained improvement in urine stream, reduction in the mean creatinine concentration and incidence of UTI during follow-up. However, patients with significantly impaired renal function had a poorer outcome.Conclusion:Many patients with PUV presented late within the reviewed period. Valve ablation provided relief of obstruction in most of the cases. There is a need to counsel parents/guardians on the need for long-term follow-up.

Point-of-care Information Resources use by Clinicians in A Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution: A Non-Uniform Distribution

Clinicians have been found to need more than mere primary information from sources such as MEDLINE and medical journal outlets. Information that will be useful for busy clinicians during patient care or at the bed side must be filtered for relevance, have labels for strength of recommendation and must be easily accessed. Point-of-care (POC) information resources belong here. However, their usage and distribution of use among clinicians in Nigeria have not been studied and the reason for this paper. Survey research was employed and questionnaire used to collect data from clinicians in a tertiary health institution in Southwest Nigeria on their use of fifteen selected POC information resources. The study found that while the doctors mostly (68.57%) use search engines such as Google to meet their POC information needs, very few (17.14%) will however use POC information resources. On their usage of POC information resources, the study found that eMedicine (14.29%) and 5-minute Clinical Consult (14.29%) and Clinical Evidence (11.43%) were mostly used on daily basis where eMedicine (17.14%), Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (11.43%) and Clinical Evidence (8.57%) were the ones used more on weekly basis. On the overall use average, the study found that eMedicine (21.91%), BMJ's Clinical Evidence (16.19%), and Clinical pharmacology-Elsevier (13.33%) and Cochrane Library (10.47%) were the mostly used POC information resources by clinicians in the tertiary health institution. However, the test of hypothesis on how users are distributed on POC information resources in the hospital shows a non-uniform distribution. Recommendations were made based on these findings.

Echocardiographic pattern of heart diseases in a North - Western Nigerian tertiary health institution

Background: Transthoracic Echocardiography is an important non-invasive technique which provides information about cardiac structure and function, thus useful in the evaluation and management of cardiac diseases. Previous studies on echocardiography findings in our environment documented Hypertensive heart disease, Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Rheumatic Heart Disease as the commonest findings in patients with cardiac diseases. This study aimed to provide an update on the common echocardiography findings in this part of the country since previous studies were done over a decade ago. Materials and Methods: We reviewed echocardiographic reports of 1012 consecutive patients aged ≥15 years from September 2011 to August 2014 (3 years). The reports were reviewed for demographic parameters, indications for the procedure and main echocardiography diagnoses. Results: The mean age of the 1,012 individuals studied was 41.28 ± 16.25 years. There were 330 males and 682 females. The commonest clinical indication for echocardiography was Systemic hypertension/Hypertensive heart disease (41%) followed by Peripartum cardiomyopathy (20%) and Congestive cardiac failure (12%) of unknown cause. The most prevalent echocardiographic diagnoses was Hypertensive heart disease seen in 40.3%, followed by Peripartum cardiomyopathy (32%), Dilated cardiomyopathy (5.9%), and Rheumatic heart disease 4.6%. Normal echocardiographic findings were seen in 14.9% of the subjects. Conclusion: Hypertensive heart disease remains the most common echocardiographic indication and diagnosis. Peripartum cardiomyopathy was frequent in our centre and this may be related to the increased availability and accessibility to echocardiographic facility as well as the low socioeconomic status of the category of patients that attend the centre.

Depression and Suicide Risk among HIV Positive Individuals Attending an Out Patient HIV/Aids Clinic of a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution

Some chronic medical conditions have been found to be worsened by the presence of emotional and psychological disorders which often were not given considerations or even recognized when treatment for these medical conditions are been planned. With regards to HIV/AIDS, the World Health Organization (WHO) had observed that there is a close connection between mental health and HIV/AIDS. The most prevalent mental health problems found to be mostly associated with HIV/AIDS is depression and suicide ideations. This study examined the prevalence of depression and suicide risk among HIV positive persons attending the HIV/AIDS clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching hospital Enugu south east Nigeria. The major depressive episode and the suicidality modules of the Mini neuropsychiatric interview (MINI) were used to screen 360 persons made up of 180 HIV positive persons and 180 HIV negative blood donors (controls) attending the HIV/AIDS and the hematology clinics of the University of Nigeria Teaching hospital Ituku Ozalla, Enugu south east Nigeria for the prevalence of depression and risk of suicide. The prevalence of depression and risk of suicide was 27.8% and 7.8% respectively for the HIV positive subjects, while it was 12.8% and 2.2% respectively for the HIV negative blood donors (controls). It was concluded that there was high prevalence of depression and suicide risk among HIV positive persons than among the controls.

Insulin-related knowledge of health care professionals (HCPs) in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Diabetes is a common disease, and increasing numbers of patients with it will be hospitalized. Insulin, a medication often prescribed in patients with diabetes on admission, is one of the commonest drugs with prescription and administration errors. This is related in part to poor knowledge of health care professionals (HCPs) of insulin, contributing to adverse patient outcomes. Different categories and cadres of HCPs were recruited to assess their knowledge of insulin names, characteristics, and inpatient insulin use among diabetic inpatients, utilizing a 20-item multiple choice question instrument. The study involved 179 HCPs: 84 doctors and 95 nurses. The response rate was 89 %. The overall mean knowledge scores were low: specialists achieved a mean (SD) score of 51 (17), residents 44 (18), interns 39 (14), and nurses 35 (11). Many HCPs in this study possessed a poor knowledge of insulin names, characteristics, and inpatient insulin use among hospitalized diabetics.

Burnout and psychological distress among nurses in a Nigerian tertiary health institution.

The role of nurses in the health care delivery system cannot be overemphasized. Nurses are needed at all levels of healthcare and the profession requires a lot of dedication, time and energy with regards to patient management and service delivery. This time investment and dedication to duty is likely to lead to burnout and psychological distress among the nurses. This study assesses the prevalence of burnout and psychological distress among nurses working in Nigerian tertiary health institution. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to assess 210 nurses working in this health institution for symptoms of burnout and psychological distress. High levels of burnout were identified in 42.9% of the respondents in the area of emotional exhaustion, 47.6% in the area of depersonalization and 53.8% in the area of reduced personal accomplishment, while 44.1% scored positive in the GHQ-12 indicating presence of psychological distress. Prevalence of burnout and psychological distress is high among nurses.

Knowledge of cancer pain management among nurses in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Background : Pain is a symptom of both physical and psychological disorder in patients. Pain may be acute or chronic. Chronic pain can also be the consequence of progressive diseases such as cancer. Cancer pain can be defined as a complex sensation that reflects both damage to the body and the body's response to the damage. Proper pain management is crucial in the overall care of patients. The doctor-patient ratio is still low in Nigeria according to World Health Organization (WHO) 2012, we have 1:3500 doctor-patient ratio as against the standard 1:600, but that of nurse-patient is better, 1:30 as against WHO standard of 1:6, however more nurses are needed to meet the need of the rising population of Nigeria. Incidence of cancer is rising worldwide and majority of the advanced cases occur in the developing countries like Nigeria. In order to uphold the standard of cancer pain management in our patients, active participation of the nurses is essential. More importantly all health professionals need to serve as advocates for adequate cancer pain control and should ensure that pain treatment is based on ethical principles and evidence-based standards. However nurses play a critical role in effective pain management because they have more contact time with patients in any healthcare setting. This vantage position gives the nurse a unique privilege to identify patients who have pain, assess the pain and its impact on the patients and their family members, thus initiate actions to manage the pain and evaluate the effectiveness of those actions. Aims and Objectives: This study is aimed at assessing the level of knowledge of cancer pain management among trained Nurses at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Trained nurses who consented to take part in the study were tested using self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaires consisted of 3 major sections namely (a) Demography, (b) Pain assessment, (c) Cancer Pain management. Their individual level of knowledge of cancer pain management was thereafter assessed from their response to the questionnaires. Results: 119 N urses completed the questionnaire. 105 (88.24%) were double qualified, Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered Midwife (RM), while 10 (8.40%) had only RN certificate. Approximately 21 (18%) respondents had additional formal training in pain management. 100 (84%) respondents gave correct definition of pain and out of these, only 2 (2%) could give a good account on the management for cancer pain. 24 (20%) of the respondent could use Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain assessment. Only 23 (19%) could state the relevance of opioids in cancer pain management. Conclusion: This study revealed inadequate knowledge in cancer pain management among the nurses. To achieve holistic care for cancer patients in all health care delivery centers, additional training in pain management is required.

Prevalence of symptomatic cervical spondylosis in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Background: Cervical spondylosis (CS) is the most common disorder of the cervical spine with its associated neck pain reported as a very common problem in clinical practice. There seemed to be a dearth of research on the prevalence of symptomatic CS in a physiotherapy clinic in Nigeria. Objective: To determine a 5-year prevalence of CS in a tertiary physiotherapy outpatient clinic in southeastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a 5-year retrospective survey, from 1 st January 2006 to 31 st December 2010. Information was got from the participants' case notes, and only those who were diagnosed as having symptomatic CS without any associated disorders were recruited for the study. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts, percentages, and range. Result: Fifty (5.4%) participants presented to the clinic with symptomatic CS during the 5-year period. Their age ranged from 30 to 70 years. Twenty-seven (54%) of the participants were males; 30 (60%) were urban dwellers as well as civil servants; 20 (40%) were rural dwellers; 11 (22%) of the rural dwellers were farmers; whereas, the rest (9 (18%)) were traders. Conclusion: The prevalence of CS in the physiotherapy outpatient clinic was fairly low. Civil servants had 100% affectation. There was relatively poor turnout of the rural dwellers to the hospital. Thus, there seems to be a need to educate civil servants on ergonomically good working techniques. There may also be a need to enlighten the entire population (especially the rural dwellers) on health matters in order to help them make preinformed decision on health issues.