Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Research Articles

Pattern of kidney diseases admission and outcome in Bauchi, Northeast Nigeria: a 2 year review

Background Kidney diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders which if left untreated could lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) which inadvertently progress to end-stage kidney disease. Renal replacement therapy for end-stage kidney disease is unaffordable, not widely available and require huge financial resources. Knowledge of the prevailing type of kidney disease will help to develop measures of prevention of the disease. This study aims to evaluate the burden and pattern of kidney disease and to determine its outcome over a 2 year period. Patients and methods This is a retrospective study of kidney diseases admission and outcome at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa university teaching hospital over a 2 year period. All case files of patients admitted were retrieved and those with diagnosis of kidney disease were evaluated. Results One thousand and nineteen patients were admitted during the period, 98 of which had kidney disease diagnosis, with 10.4% disease burden. The mean age of the patients was 48.71 ± 12.2 years. CKD accounted for 51% of the total admission, followed by urinary tract infection, acute Kidney injury, Nephrotic syndrome, and Nephritic syndrome each accounting for 19.3, 15.4, 9.2, and 5.1%, respectively. Overall six (10.5%) patients died on admission. Conclusion The burden of kidney disease is high in our study and is mainly due to high prevalence of CKD that affects younger age group.

Renal Profile of Herbal Medicine Users and Nonusers: An Exploratory Cross-sectional Study in a Family Medicine Clinic in Nigeria

Abstract Context: A major risk of herbal medicine is the potential for toxicity and serious side effects. Unlike orthodox medicine, herbs are usually consumed without prior safety assessment via clinical studies. This means that the clinical effects of herbs may be detected only through an assessment of the health parameters of consumers. Aim: The study aimed to evaluate participants’ renal profiles, comparing that of herb users with nonusers, thereby identifying any differences between the two groups. Settings and Design: It is a cross-sectional, analytic study among adult patients attending the general outpatient unit of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study assessed and compared estimated glomerular filtration rate, microalbuminuria, and proteinuria among patients who reported using herbs and those who did not report any use. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using Epi Info 7.2. Results: Three hundred and forty-one participants were enrolled. The mean eGFR was 87.47 ± 25.44 ml/min/1.73 m2 for participants who used herbs and 84.76 ± 25.49 ml/min/1.73 m2 for those who never used herbs (P value 0.48). Among all participants, proteinuria ≥0.3 g/l was present in 29 (8.50%) and microalbuminuria ≥30 mg/l in 138 (40.47%). There was no statistically significant difference in the renal parameters of both groups. Conclusion: The study found no evidence of the harmful effect of the herbs reported on kidney function. This could be because that the study participants mainly reported using edible—and, therefore, presumably safe—herbs. Further studies in human subjects of the effect of herbal medicine on the kidney and other systems are suggested.

Perception and Barriers to Spectacle for Remedy to Refractive Eye Problems among Patients Accessing Refration at the Ophthalmology Units of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital and Specialist Hospital Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria

Background: Spectacles stands as the economical, effective and generally tolerable method of refractive errors correction. The research purpose is to appraise the perception of spectacle lens for remedy to refractive errors among patients accessing refraction at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital and Specialist Hospital Bauchi.  Methods: The study adopted descriptive survey research design; with convenient and purposive sampling techniques in participants’ selection. Three hundred and eighty-four (384) male and female patients, aged 18 to 80 years, accessing refraction at the Ophthalmology Units of the hospitals comprised the respondents; with average age of 46.0±15.4 years and 47.9% were females. Questionnaire generated through the literature review was adopted in accessing the participants’ demographics, perception and barriers to spectacles utilisation. Relationships between outcome variables were investigated using Pearson chi-square test at 95% confidence level and p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.  Results: Great number of the respondents (80.0%) were of the perception that spectacle lens would worsen their vision, but the elderly age group (87.5%), secondary (66.7%) and tertiary (75.0%) educational levels disagreed. There was association between respondents’ educational level and perception of spectacles in the area of ‘spectacle inconveniences and would lead to blindness (X 2=66.79, p-value=0.0000).  Conclusion: Educational level and age played significant role in the respondents’ positive perception of spectacle lens for refractive errors’ correction. The study recommended patients counselling on the benefits of managing refractive errors with spectacles so as to eliminate associated misconceptions with its use.

Serum Vitamin D Level and Severity of Adult Allergic Rhinitis at a Tertiary Hospital in Northeast Nigeria

Abstract Context: Recent studies have reported abnormal levels of serum vitamin D in patients with allergic rhinitis. This linkage has not been demonstrated in our environment, northeast Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the levels of serum vitamin D and correlate them with disease severity in patients with allergic rhinitis in a tertiary hospital in northeast Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study of patients with allergic rhinitis who attended ear, nose, and throat and the respiratory medicine clinics of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria, from January 2022 to May 2023. Data collected from participants included demographic information, clinical findings, and disease severity graded as mild–moderate or severe based on the allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma WHO 2008 classification. Serum vitamin D levels were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results: The study recruited 61 participants, of whom 39 (63.9%) were women. The mean age (±SD) was 38.66 ± 14.34 years, while the mean serum vitamin D levels (±SD) was 36.65 ± 15.54 ng/ml. Thirteen (21.3%) participants had insufficient serum vitamin D levels below 24 ng/ml, whereas 48 (78.7%) had sufficient serum vitamin D levels of 24–80 ng/ml. There were statistically significant differences between mild and moderate–severe allergic rhinitis with respect to vitamin D level (mean ± SD, 26.73 ± 17.96 vs 38.84 ± 14.24, respectively, 95% CI: −22.06 to −2.16, P = 0.018). There was a significantly positive relationship between serum vitamin D and the severity of allergic rhinitis (χ2 = 8.839, P = 0.003). Conclusion: The majority of patients had sufficient levels of serum vitamin D. Higher serum vitamin D was associated with higher severity of allergic rhinitis.

Cesarean section at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, northeast Nigeria: a 3-year retrospective review

Cesarean section at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, northeast Nigeria: a 3-year retrospective review

Placental Malaria and Its Relationship with Neonatal Birth Weight among Primigravidae: An Analytical Cross-sectional Study.

Malaria can be fatal during pregnancy, posing a serious risk to both mothers and fetuses, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Primigravidae are particularly susceptible to placental malaria in areas with high rates of transmission due to insufficient immunity. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of placental malaria infection, risk factors, types of Plasmodium causing malaria during pregnancy, and its relationship with neonatal birth weight among primigravidae. This was an analytical cross-sectional study involving 357 primigravidae who delivered at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria. Placental blocks were taken from the pericentric area of the maternal surface of the placenta, and the birth weights of the neonates were recorded. The samples were fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin, and histopathological analysis was performed. The primary outcome measure was to determine the relationship between placental malaria and neonatal birth weight. Demographics and outcomes were analyzed using standard statistical tests. Multivariable regression models accounting for potential confounders were created for the primary and secondary outcomes with adjusted odds ratios as the measures of effect. The prevalence of placental malaria was 38.4%. Among the participants with positive placenta malaria parasitemia, 49.6%, 36.5%, and 13.9% had chronic, acute, and past placental malaria infections, respectively. Only Plasmodium falciparum was found in the placenta. According to the bivariate analysis, unbooked status (p = 0.001), non-use of intermittent preventive therapy for malaria (p < 0.001), and village dwelling (p = 0.020) were significantly associated with placental malaria. However, on multivariable logistic regression, only non-uptake of intermittent preventive therapy for malaria was independently associated with placental malaria (adjusted odds ratio, 2.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.20, 4.1, p = 0.011). There was a significant difference in the mean birth weight between those with placental malaria and those without placental malaria (2.8 ± 0.5 kg vs. 3.2 ± 0.4 kg, p = 0.001). Additionally, placental malaria was significantly associated with low birth weight among the primigravidae (p < 0.001). In Nigeria, there is a strong correlation between low birth weight and placental malaria in Primidravidae. Placental malaria was found to be independently correlated with non-uptake of intermittent preventive therapy for malaria.

Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBLs) Producing Enterobacteriacaea Isolated from Urine in a North-Eastern Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria.

This study was done to evaluate the frequency of extended spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBLs) producing uropathogens and their susceptibility pattern isolated from urine in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi. A total of 373 urine samples from out-patients and hospitalized patients were studied. Samples were inoculated on Cystine Lactose Electolyte-deficient (CLED) agar, Blood agar and MacConckey agar. 165 isolates were obtained which were further identified by standard Microbiological methods. Antimicrobial Susceptibility pattern was studied by Kirby-Bauer’s disc diffusion method. Among the 165 uropathogens isolated from patients with UTI, the commonest isolate was E. coli (29.1%) followed by Klebsiella pneumonae (15.8%) with the least Citrobacter spp. 1(0.6%). The overall prevalence of UTI of this study is 44.0%. Extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) was noted in 100 (77.0%). Among the ESβLs producers detected, E. coli recorded the highest occurrence rate of 46 (46.0%) followed by K. pneumoniae with 22(22.0%). Others were, K.oxytoca 15(15.0%), P. aeruginosa 4(4.0%). However, there was no evidence of ESβL production observed in the clinical isolates of P. vulgaris and Citrobacter spp. Multidrug resistance was found to be significantly (P&lt;0.05) more in ESBL producing isolates (77.0%) than Non-ESBL producers (23.0%. Monitoring of ESBL production and antimicrobial susceptibility testing are necessary to avoid treatment failure in patients with UTI.

Patient Satisfaction with Quality of Nursing Services at Surgical Outpatient Department (SOPD) of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi

Introduction: Patient satisfaction is an essential tool in measuring the quality of health care services; as it gives an idea of the staff's progress towards patients' desires and is found to be useful in measuring patients' expectations. The study aimed to assess patient's level of satisfaction with the quality of nursing services they had received at the surgical outpatient department of ATBUTH Bauchi, Bauchi state, Nigeria.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted at the surgical outpatient department (SOPD) of ATBUTH, Bauchi, using a SERVQUAL questionnaire.&#x0D; Results: The result from the study shows that 110 (56.4%) of the respondents were males, while 85 (43.6%) respondents were females. and their ages ranged from 33 to 37 years. The majority 50 (25.6%) of the respondents were business people. The variation in socio-demographic characteristics of patients was found to affect satisfaction by 27.5% among patients receiving care in SOPD ATBUTH, with p&lt;0.05. The patients' levels of satisfaction differed between the different nursing services but were overall satisfied with the services they received.&#x0D; Conclusion: The level of satisfaction of patients revealed by the grand mean score (4.11) shows that the respondents generally agree that they were satisfied with the care they received. The study concludes that overall, the patients were satisfied with the quality of nursing services they had received in the S.O.P.D of ATBUTH but recommended an investment in modern technologies and training by the hospital management to help improve the quality of these services.

Factors Influencing Academic Performance of Nursing Students in Nursing Institutions in Bauchi State, Nigeria

The study is on Factors influencing Academic Performance of Nursing Students in Nursing Institutions in Bauchi State, Nigeria. The specific purposes of the study were to identify factors influencing academic performance of nursing students in nursing and measures to address factors influencing academic performance in nursing institutions in Bauchi State Nigeria. The design for this study was the descriptive survey. The population was 387 students and teachers of Aliko Dangote College of Nursing Sciences, Bauchi State and College of Nursing Sciences Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi State and all was used as sample for this study. The instrument for data collection is a 48 item structured questionnaire designed to elicit responses to answer the research questions that guided the study. The instrument was validated by three experts in terms of face validity while test re-test was use to establish the reliability coefficient of the instrument which yielded a coefficient of 0.84. Data for the study were personally collected by the researcher and 3 trained research assistants while demographic information was analyzed using frequencie and percentage while mean statistics was employed to analyzed the data relating to research questions 1and 2. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendation were made: the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare should plan and solicit budget for provision of relevant, adequate and updated standardized, technological instructional materials that will be effectively utilized both in classroom and clinical areas teaching, There is a need for Continuous Professional Development through capacity building workshops to enhance teaching ability among less skilled employed nurses among others

Assess Trends in Academic Performance in the Nursing Education in Nursing Institutions in Bauchi State Nigeria

The study is to assess trends in academic performance in the nursing education in nursing institutions in Bauchi State Nigeria. The specific purposes of the study were to examine trends in academic performance in the nursing education in nursing institutions in Bauchi State Nigeria,and to identify factors influencing academic performance of nursing students in nursing institutions in Bauchi State Nigeria. The design used for this study was the descriptive surveyresearch. The population was 387 students and teachers of Aliko Dangote College of Nursing Sciences, Bauchi State and College of Nursing Sciences Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi State and all was used as sample for this study. The instrument for data collection is a structured questionnaire designed to elicit responses to answer the research questions that guided the study. The instrument was validated by three experts in terms of face validity while test re-test was use to establish the reliability coefficient of the instrument which yielded a coefficient of 0.84. Data for the study were personally collected by the researchers and 3 research assistants while frequencies and mean statistics was employed to analyzed the data relating to research questions. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendation were made: the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare should plan and solicit budget for provision of relevant, adequate and updated standardized, technological instructional materials that will be effectively utilized both in classroom and clinical areas teaching, There is a need for Continuous Professional Development through capacity building workshops to enhance teaching ability among less skilled employed nurses among others.

Causes of Medical Admissions and Outcomes in a Tertiary Health Centre in Northeast Nigeria

Abstract Introduction: Knowledge of prevalent medical conditions in a community is necessary for effective and efficient health-care planning. In low- and middle-income countries, community studies are very costly; hence, hospital-based studies are often employed to give rough estimates of prevalent medical conditions. This study aims to evaluate the pattern of medical admission and outcome in a tertiary health centre in Northeast Nigeria as well as the contribution of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) to the outcome. Materials and Methods: This is a four-year retrospective study of all admissions into the Medical wards of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital. The case files of all patients admitted during the study period were retrieved and the following were extracted; demographic data, admitting diagnosis, comorbid conditions, length of hospital stay, and outcome. Results: During the period under review 1995 patients were admitted, with mean age of males and females of 52.28 ± 19.7 years and 49.3 ± 18.7 years, respectively. Infectious/parasitic diseases constituted 28.2% followed by diseases of the circulatory and digestive systems with 27.3% and 12.9%, respectively. NCDs constitute the highest number of patients admitted (n = 1405, 71%). Two hundred and ninety-five patients died during the period (14.7%) the highest in 2021 with 93 deaths. NCDs were responsible for 64% of the mortality, whereas death among the CD was 36%. Conclusion: NCDs were responsible for the majority of admissions and mortality during the study period.

Stool or blood culture? A search for a gold standard for isolation of salmonella typhi from patients with clinical symptoms of enteric fever in Bauchi state tertiary hospital

Introduction: Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) infection is endemic in Nigeria. In recent time, blood culture and stool were the most common diagnostic means of confirming salmonella infection in humans, since it is based on culture for isolation, identification among others. Although, there is lack of reliable and standard method of culture for its isolation. This study aimed to determine the gold standard between blood and stool for the cultural isolation of S. typhi. Methods: The study used laboratory-based cross-sectional study; patients who presented symptoms of enteric fever visiting Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) during the period of the study were recruited. Informed consent of volunteers and guardians were obtained and in addition confidentially of the results were ensured. A total of 150 patients samples were collected and cultured including adults and children. The bacterial isolated were identified by gram’s reaction and biochemical characteristics. Result: Out of 150 samples examined, 7 (4.1%) tested positive for S. typhi comprising of 5(71.4%) culture from blood and 2(28.6%) culture from stool. The result of this study shows a significant mean difference (t-value = 2.95, p-value = 0.026) between Blood culture and stool culture at 5% level of significance. The culture from blood was found to be more sensitive than the culture from stool. It is therefore recommended gold standard for S. typhi isolation. Conclusion: The study revealed cultures from blood specimen’s yielded highest number of S.typhi isolates when related to culture from stool samples. Therefore, culture from blood sample should be of priority in the isolation of S. typhi for easy identification of the bacteria. Culture from blood sample remains the gold standard method for isolation of S. typhi when it comes to blood or stool sample.

Antimicrobial Potential of Syzygium aromaticium (CLOVE) Extracts on Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Uropathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Clinical Specimens in Bauchi, Nigeria

Background: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is a common pathogenic inflammatory, distressing, and occasionally life-threatening condition that affects people of all ages and gender, mostly propelled by the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Cloves are used as spices in food and flavouring agent in drinks it is also used traditionally as a treatment for urinary infections.&#x0D; Aim: This study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial potentials of Clove extracts on multidrug-resistant (MDR) Uropathogenic bacteria.&#x0D; Design: This is a Clinical and laboratory-based study of patient with cases of UTI&#x0D; Place and Duration of study: This study was conducted in the Microbiology laboratory of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, Nigeria, from January to December, 2021.&#x0D; Methodology: Two hundred and fourty five (245) clean catch midstream urine samples were collected from patients with suspected cases of urinary tract infection attending GOPD ATBU TH. Bacteria were isolated using standard techniques and antibiotic resistant pattern was tested by Kirby Bauer Disk Diffusion method. Bioactive components of clove was extracted using diethyl ether, ethanolic and water as solvents. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts was also carried out.&#x0D; Results: Out of the samples analysed, 168 (68.6%) showed significant bacteriuria. UTI was more prevalent in women within the active age group 21-30. The isolates resistant to seven and above commonly used antibiotics are selected from each specie to test for efficacy. The extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, sterols and Triterpenes. In vitro antimicrobial activity of diethyl ether, ethanolic and aqueous extract of cloves at different concentration of: 200mg/ml, 100mg/ml, 50mg/ml, 25mg/ml, 12.5mg/ml&#x0D; and 6.25mg/ml were tested against multidrug resistant isolates. S. aureus and Klebsiella spp are the most sensitive to all clove extracts while E. coli and P. aeruginosa are less sensitive. All Three extracts showed a broad spectrum of activities at higher concentrations (200mg/ml) while no or less activity at the lower concentration of the extracts. Diethyl ether extract exerts higher activity than ethanolic and aqueous extract as revealed by the mean diameter of zone of inhibitions, MIC and, MBC values. The MIC values of the extracts were lower than their MBC values suggesting that the extracts inhibited the growth of MDR isolates while being bactericidal at higher concentrations.&#x0D; Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli are among the commonest uropathogens clinically encountered in this area and most of the species are resistant to commonly administered antibiotics. Clove extracts had great antimicrobial potential against these bacteria, therefore it can be used in the treatment of UTIs. However, it is necessary to determine its toxicity, pharmacokinetic properties and side effects.

Influence of Overweight and Obesity on Performance of Nurses in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi, Bauchi State

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among healthcare staff not only raises concern regarding the health of workforce, but also has adverse effect on their performance healthcare promotion. Nurses have significant role to play in promoting a healthy lifestyle and of their care receivers as well as the community at large. This study determined the influence of overweight and obesity on performance of Nurses in ATBUTH Bauchi. The study was guided by four research objective where four research questions were formulated in line with the research objectives. The study employed cross sectional research design. A sample of 225 Nurses was randomly drawn from the population of 450 Nurses. The data for the study were collected using questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using frequency distribution and percentage and was presented on table. The hypotheses formulated were tested using Chi-square. The result of the analysis reveals that Nurses within the age bracket of 41 – 50 and 51 &amp; above are mostly affected with overweight and obesity; female gender are mostly affected with overweight and obesity; Nurses with working experience between the years 15 – 29 and 30 – 44 are mostly affected with overweight and obesity respectively and it was also found that Body Mass Index have influence on performance of Nurses. The study recommends among others that Nurses especially the female should be encouraged in to partake in physical activities like exercise as this will aid in keeping normal body weight which will in turn increase their performance

Pattern, presentation, and management of intussusception at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria

Objectives: Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in infants. In developing countries, presentation is usually late with an attendant high mortality rate. Material and Methods: Records of children managed for intussusception at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Bauchi State from 2013 to 2017 were retrieved. Information including the sociodemographic data, the pattern of presentation, treatment, and treatment outcomes were obtained and analyzed using tables. Results: There were 22 patients, 15 (62%) of whom were male (male-female ratio 2.1:1). Age at presentation ranged from 3 months to 14 years with a peak incidence at 7–8 months. The most common symptoms were vomiting (68%), abdominal pain (59%), and bloody stool (41%). Only 1 patient (4.5%) presented within 24 h of onset of symptoms while 13 (59%) presented after 72 h of onset of symptoms. All patients had open surgery, and ileocolic intussusception was the most common type. Ten patients (45.5%) had a manual reduction, while 12 (55.5%) had resection and anastomosis. Surgical site infection was ranked the highest post-operative complication; the mortality rate was 32%. Conclusion: Intussusception is a common cause of intestinal obstruction in infants and children in our environment; presentation is usually late. A high index of suspicion is necessary for early diagnosis and treatment to reduce the associated high mortality rate.

Prevalence and Determinants of Herbal Medicine Use among Adults Attending the National Health Insurance Clinic of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing worldwide, with herbal medicine often the most common CAM, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. For optimal patient care, the clinician should know what other medications patients use and why. While many studies have been done on herbal medicine use in the general population, studies on this topic among insured patients in Nigeria are scanty, at best. Thus, there is a need for more researches in this area. Aim: This study aimed to assess the use of herbal medicine among patients enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Patients, Materials and Methods: The participants were adult patients (at least 18 years old), of both genders, attending the NHIS Clinic of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi. This was an analytical, cross-sectional study. Participants were selected by systematic random sampling. Very sick patients and those who refused to grant consent to the study were exempted. Only seven declined, giving a response rate of 98.1% (364/371). An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on participants' biodata and the use of herbal medicine. The study was done from October 1, 2020 to December 23, 2020 over 12 weeks. Results: The lifetime prevalence of herbal medicine use was 76.65%. The most common herbs used were moringa (47.31%), garlic (46.95%), ginger (38.71%), lemon (36.20%), and black seed (33.69%). Most of the participants (67.4%) used herbs for treatment, and the main reason for use was their effectiveness (61.3%). Over a third of participants combined herbs and orthodox medicine, and 82.44% never told their doctors they used herbs. Marital status of the study participants was the only variable associated with herbal medicine use (P = 0.022 at 95% confidence level). Conclusion: Patients in the NHIS use herbal medicine, though the point prevalence is relatively lower than in uninsured patients. Hence, doctors should be careful to enquire about the herbs these patients use and counsel them appropriately.

Acute Leukaemias in Bauchi State, Northeastern Nigeria: Pattern of Presentations and Clinical Entities

Background: Acute leukaemias are very aggressive diseases that run a rapidly fatal course if not promptly diagnosed and appropriately treated. The clinical presentations range from bone marrow failure such as anaemia, neutropenia or thrombocytopenia to features of organ infiltrations such as lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, etc, but presentations may be non-specific. Misdiagnosis is very common with delay in diagnosis and prompt treatment being the causes of high morbidity and mortality in acute leukaemias. This study aims to determine the pattern of presentation and various clinical entities of acute leukaemias in Bauchi State, North-Eastern Nigeria.&#x0D; Subjects, materials and methods: This was a three year retrospective study in which records of cases of acute leukaemias diagnosed in the Haematology Department of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi from the bone marrow aspiration cytology register from 1st January, 2018 to 31st December, 2020 were collected. Data on socio-demographic characteristics of the patients that include age, gender, diagnosis as well as subtypes of some of the malignancies diagnosed were also collated. The collated data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0. A p-value of &lt; 0.05 was considered significant.&#x0D; Results: Twenty-nine cases of acute leukaemias were diagnosed during the period under review. Majority of cases had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) 19/29 (65.5%) while acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) was seen in 10/29 (34.5%). The mean ± SD age of the patients was 22.2±9.2 years with a range 6 months to 60 years. Males constituted 75.9% (22/29) of the cases of acute leukaemias diagnosed. The male to female ratios for AML and ALL were 2:1 and 2.6:1 respectively. The mean±SD ages for AML and ALL were 27±9.2years and 17.3±11.3 years respectively. The most common form of presentation of acute leukaemia in this study is recurrent anaemia necessitating blood transfusion while proptosis and epistaxis were the least forms of presentation.&#x0D; Conclusion: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the commonest form of acute leukaemias while recurrent anaemia is the commonest form of clinical presentations in our setting. Early referral of patients with clinical features suggestive of acute leukaemias is recommended.&#x0D; Author&#x0D; R A Dachi 1, F G Mustapha 1, M Mahdi 1, H Abbas 2

Pattern of Pelvic Ultrasound Request and Findings in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi

Background: Pelvic ultrasonography involves the evaluation of pelvic organs and structures. It is valuable in the diagnosis of pathological conditions which are likely causes of pelvic pain.Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of pelvic ultrasound request and findings in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the radiology department of ATBUTH. A total of 1,320 ultrasonography records of patients for pelvic examination were reviewed from January 2016 to February 2017,and tabulated according to age, sex, clinical indication and ultrasound findings. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 to determine the mean, frequency and percentages. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between clinical indication and ultrasound findings.Results: The age group of 21-30 years and 31- 40 years had the highest frequency (n = 627, 47.5 %) and (n = 321, 24.3%), respectively. Gender distribution were 1158 (87.7 %), for females and 162 (12.3 %) for males. Pelvic pain had the highest indication, 72.3% (n = 955), followed by PID, 9.2% (n = 121), then BPH, 3.4% (n=45) and, ovarian cyst, 2.7 % (n = 36). Conclusion: The highest indication and findings are pelvic pain and pelvic inflammatory diseases, among females while benign prostatic hypertrophy was the highest in males.

Factors associated with seizure severity among children with epilepsy in Northern Nigeria.

To describe how seizure severity in children with epilepsy may be affected by certain socio-demographic and clinical variables. A cross-sectional study. At the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria. Sixty children and adolescents who were being followed up for seizure disorder at the child neurology clinic. Information on socio-demographic characteristics was obtained with a questionnaire, details of neurological co-morbidities were extracted from the participants' records, and seizure severity was assessed with the National Hospital Seizure Severity Score 3 tool. Chi-square test was used to establish the relationship between categorical variables, while the Independent t-test was used in describing the differences between means. Simple linear regression was calculated to assess the predictability of seizure severity. The median age was ten years (IQR = 6-13 years), with a male dominance (1.5:1). The Seizure Severity Score (SSS) ranged between 3 and 24 units, with a mean of 12.22 ± 4.29 units. The only characteristic that had a significant association with SSS on bivariate analysis was the "presence of co-morbidities" (p=0.019). A simple linear regression revealed that the presence of a neurological co-morbidity predicted an increase in the SSS by 2.67 units. [R2 = 0.091, F (1, 58)= 5.837, p = 0.019. β = 2.67, t= 2.42, p= 0.019.]. This study shows that neurological co-morbidities predict worsening seizure severity. This knowledge may influence prognostication and the charting of a treatment trajectory. No external funding.

Factors Influencing Accessibility and Utilization of Library Resources by Nursing and Midwifery Students Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi

The study was conducted on factors influencing accessibility and utilization of library resources by nursing and midwifery students Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey research design. Two objectives with two corresponding research questions and two null hypotheses were used. A total of 450 students comprising of 265 student nurses and 194 student midwives were used in this study. The entire population of the study was used to take care of subject attrition. Multistage sampling procedure with appropriate techniques was used. The instrument for data collection used in this study was a structured questionnaire. Three experts validated the instrument. From the duly completed copies of the questionnaire, the required data were generated and analyzed using mean and standard deviation statistics for answering the research questions and the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for testing the hypothesis at 0.5. The findings revealed that there is accessibility of library resources among the students. The result further shows that students’ utilization of library resources. Out of the twelve (12) items in the Table, eight (8) of the items were accepted by student nurses as the mostly used library resources, while four (4) of the items were accepted by student midwives as the mostly used library resources. The three items accepted by both nursing and midwifery students as the mostly used library resources include “Reference books”, “Journals (hard copies)”, and “Submitted (past) students` project”. The study recommends that adequate computer with internet facilities and other electronic resources should be acquired and made more readily available for use by students. This is to complement the print resources which are already available in the library as well as enable the students to have access to online resources and data bases.