The moral worth of a clinician's, action in patients' management depends exclusively on the moral acceptability of the rule of obligation to duty on which the clinician acts. Since every rational being thinks of him or herself as... more
The moral worth of a clinician's, action in patients' management depends exclusively on the moral acceptability of the rule of obligation to duty on which the clinician acts. Since every rational being thinks of him or herself as an end, all people must act in such a way that they treat humanity, whether in their own person or in the person of another, always as an end and never simply as a means. A duty of care is, therefore, paramount in the relationship between clinician and patient. While litigation in healthcare system is rapidly increasing globally, which affords individual explanation and compensation for perceived wrong diagnosis and treatment; it is still rudimentary in Nigeria. This default position has made most health care providers indifferent in the presence of gross clinical negligence and medical errors. Though most Nigerians may be aware of their rights to institute legal action in situations such as, negligence with serious harm or death, but, the socioeconomic factors, cultural, and religious notions among other reasons within the society often makes litigation impossible for an individual. Attributing every medical adverse event in the course of treatment as "God's Will" and the saying "It's God's Time" for every death among most African people has also become a great impediment to curbing clinical negligence in our environment. This paper presents a few case studies from author's experience and complaints from patients during clinical practice.
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BACKGROUND Biomedical Care in Africa and the influence of culture on the health-seeking behaviour of Africans can not be underestimated; many African cultures have different understanding of the causes of disease which more often affect... more
BACKGROUND Biomedical Care in Africa and the influence of culture on the health-seeking behaviour of Africans can not be underestimated; many African cultures have different understanding of the causes of disease which more often affect our public health system, policy, planning and implementations. The traditional African healer unlike a doctor trained in western biomedicine, looks for the cause of the patient's ailments as misfortune in relationship between the patient and the social, natural and spiritual environments. The complexity of African society with different cultural and religious practices also reflects on the people's attitude and understanding of their health matters. This paper is an overview of the cultural influence on biomedical care in a traditional African society, Nigeria, West Africa. METHODS A research on the patients' health seeking behaviour and Primary Health Care service organization in 10 health centres in the five eastern states of the Feder...
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The use of computer soft ware for generation of statistic analysis has transformed health information and data to simplest form in the areas of access, storage, retrieval and analysis in the field of research. This survey therefore was... more
The use of computer soft ware for generation of statistic analysis has transformed health information and data to simplest form in the areas of access, storage, retrieval and analysis in the field of research. This survey therefore was carried out to assess the level of knowledge and utilization of computer software for statistical analysis among dental researchers in eastern Nigeria. Questionnaires on the use of computer software for statistical analysis were randomly distributed to 65 practicing dental surgeons of above 5 years experience in the tertiary academic hospitals in eastern Nigeria. The focus was on: years of clinical experience; research work experience; knowledge and application of computer generated software for data processing and stastistical analysis. Sixty-two (62/65; 95.4%) of these questionnaires were returned anonymously, which were used in our data analysis. Twenty-nine (29/62; 46.8%) respondents fall within those with 5-10 years of clinical experience out of ...
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Dental clinic attendance is one of the indicators of health behaviour which will ultimately impact on the oral health. This study aimed at determining the patients' attendance pattern and the reasons for attendance at the Dental... more
Dental clinic attendance is one of the indicators of health behaviour which will ultimately impact on the oral health. This study aimed at determining the patients' attendance pattern and the reasons for attendance at the Dental clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. A retrospective study was done using the record book of the Oral Diagnosis unit of the Dental clinic in UNTH. Data on patients' age, gender, presenting complaint(s) at first visit were obtained from these books. Patients with incomplete records were omitted. The data were analysed statistically using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 15); frequencies of all relevant variables were generated and Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variablesatp < 0.05. Data of 1663 patients with mean age of 33.2 +/- 18 years were obtained. Six hundred and eighty six (41.3%) were males while 977 (58.7%) were females; a statistically significant difference was found in the ...
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The purpose of this article is to highlight our experience with the prognosis of teeth retained in the line of mandibular fracture after treatment of the fracture. A prospective evaluation of 62 patients with 200 teeth in the line of... more
The purpose of this article is to highlight our experience with the prognosis of teeth retained in the line of mandibular fracture after treatment of the fracture. A prospective evaluation of 62 patients with 200 teeth in the line of mandibular fracture seen and treated at the Dental and Maxillofacial Clinic, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar south-south Nigeria between 2005 and 2009 was carried out. The focus was on 96 teeth in the line of mandibular fracture retained after reduction and immobilization of the fracture by closed reduction technique. The clinical and radiological follow-up period of patients ranged between six months and 3.5 years. Majority of the patients 33 (53.2%) were in their third decade of life. The age of patients' ranged, from seven to 48 years with a mean of 24 +/- 2.3 years, There were 48 (77.4%) males and 14 (22.5%) females giving a male-to-female ratio of 3.4:1. One hundred and four teeth (52%) out of the 200 were extracted during trea...
Research Interests: Adolescent, Humans, Child, Color, Female, and 8 moreMale, Young Adult, Middle Aged, Adult, Mandibular Fractures, Prognosis, Tooth Extraction, and Tooth
This article reviews 16 cases of civilian gunshot injuries of the oro-facial region seen at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar over a 5-year period and highlights the rising trend in the occurrence of gun shot injuries to... more
This article reviews 16 cases of civilian gunshot injuries of the oro-facial region seen at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar over a 5-year period and highlights the rising trend in the occurrence of gun shot injuries to the orofacial region as experienced in the south-south region of Nigeria. Records of 16 patients with different types of gunshot injuries to the oro-facial region seen and treated at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar between 2002 and 2006 were reviewed. The focus was on the patient's age, gender, type of weapons used, the surrounding circumstances (accidental or intentional), the time of occurrence and management. Out of 16 patients seen, 14 (87.5%) were males and 2 (12.5%) were females, giving a male to female ratio of 7:1, with the age range from 18 to 50 years. Thirteen (81.3%) of the patients were injured by low velocity missile while 3 (18.7%) by high velocity missile. Violence was responsible for 14 cases (81.7%), and 2 ca...
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The aim of this study is to highlight the overall uniqueness of the pattern of presentation of maxillofacial injuries seen at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar... more
The aim of this study is to highlight the overall uniqueness of the pattern of presentation of maxillofacial injuries seen at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar south-south Nigeria between January 2000 and December 2004 and to share our experience in terms of occurrence, seasonal fluctuations and the adequacy of treatment methods in our environment. Case notes of all. the 200 maxillofacial trauma patients were retrieved, examined and analyzed with regards to age, gender and cause of injury, socio-demographic data, diagnosis, pattern of presentation, distribution and treatment. A male-to-female ratio of 3.65:1 was obtained. Out of the 200 patients the highest incidence of injury was in the 20-30 year age group 85 (n=85; 42.5%). The major causes of injuries were motorcycle (n=74; 37%), vehicle (n=62; 31.5%) and assault (n=40; 20%). Six (3%) river-related or boat accidents were recorded. Industrial and sports related...
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In Africa, women have had minimal participation in biomedical research especially in clinical trials despite the epidemiologic realities of the trends and burden of diseases in the continent. The purpose of this paper is to critically... more
In Africa, women have had minimal participation in biomedical research especially in clinical trials despite the epidemiologic realities of the trends and burden of diseases in the continent. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the challenges as well as suggesting ways of over-coming them in recruiting and retaining African women in biomedical research. Relevant biomedical research literatures on Human Research Participants from Scirus, Pubmed and Medline computerized search were critically evaluated and highlighted Information was also obtained from research ethics training as well as texts and journals in the medical libraries of the research ethics departments of the Universities of Pretoria, Kwazulu-Natal, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics Baltimore and Kennedy Institute of Bioethics Georgetown University, Washington DC. Studies reviewed have shown that African women have an unfair participation in biomedical research. Efforts in enrolling and retaining ...
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BACKGROUND The use of computer soft ware for generation of statistic analysis has transformed health information and data to simplest form in the areas of access, storage, retrieval and analysis in the field of research. This survey... more
BACKGROUND The use of computer soft ware for generation of statistic analysis has transformed health information and data to simplest form in the areas of access, storage, retrieval and analysis in the field of research. This survey therefore was carried out to assess the level of knowledge and utilization of computer software for statistical analysis among dental researchers in eastern Nigeria. METHOD Questionnaires on the use of computer software for statistical analysis were randomly distributed to 65 practicing dental surgeons of above 5 years experience in the tertiary academic hospitals in eastern Nigeria. The focus was on: years of clinical experience; research work experience; knowledge and application of computer generated software for data processing and stastistical analysis. RESULT Sixty-two (62/65; 95.4%) of these questionnaires were returned anonymously, which were used in our data analysis. Twenty-nine (29/62; 46.8%) respondents fall within those with 5-10 years of cl...
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Pain, swelling and trismus are the most common causes of discomfort and postoperative morbidity after the surgical removal of impacted lower third molars under local anesthesia. A review of literature shows that the existence of these... more
Pain, swelling and trismus are the most common causes of discomfort and postoperative morbidity after the surgical removal of impacted lower third molars under local anesthesia. A review of literature shows that the existence of these postoperative variables after the surgical removal of impacted lower third molar are well known and could lead to a reduction in the postoperative quality of life of patients. Reducing or minimizing these postoperative variables seems a laudable goal especially if wound healing is not compromised. Several studies carried out have not pointed on any systemic or local agent used without any adverse effect. Oral surgeons have used drains after the surgical removal of mandibular impacted third molars to minimize postoperative morbidity with varying degrees of success. The use of a drain in association with primary suture after the surgical removal of the impacted lower third molars allows the patient to experience a more comfortable postoperative period in...
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Aim: To ascertain the knowledge of malaria transmission mechanisms, presentations, commonly used control measures and treatment modalities among residents of Enugu urban, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was descriptive... more
Aim: To ascertain the knowledge of malaria transmission mechanisms, presentations, commonly used control measures and treatment modalities among residents of Enugu urban, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was descriptive cross-sectional study. A multistage sampling method was used. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was interviewer administered to less literate respondents and self administered to the literate ones. Result: The knowledge of the respondents about mosquito, malaria vector, breeding site and the malaria parasite were 197(98.5%), 158(79.0%), 182(91.0%) and 130(65.0%0 respectively. Symptoms of malaria were identified as loss of appetite, 101(50.5%), fever/chills, 70(35.0%), and headache, 64(32.0%). One hundred and seventy-two (86.0%) knew about use of blood test for malaria diagnosis. Environmental cleanliness, 166(83.0%), ITNs, 95(47.5%) and insecticide spray, 81(40.5%) were the control measures mostly used by t...
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OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to highlight the overall uniqueness of the pattern of presentation of maxillofacial injuries seen at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital,... more
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to highlight the overall uniqueness of the pattern of presentation of maxillofacial injuries seen at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar south-south Nigeria between January 2000 and December 2004 and to share our experience in terms of occurrence, seasonal fluctuations and the adequacy of treatment methods in our environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Case notes of all. the 200 maxillofacial trauma patients were retrieved, examined and analyzed with regards to age, gender and cause of injury, socio-demographic data, diagnosis, pattern of presentation, distribution and treatment. RESULTS A male-to-female ratio of 3.65:1 was obtained. Out of the 200 patients the highest incidence of injury was in the 20-30 year age group 85 (n=85; 42.5%). The major causes of injuries were motorcycle (n=74; 37%), vehicle (n=62; 31.5%) and assault (n=40; 20%). Six (3%) river-related or boat accidents wer...
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The Hippocratic Oath has often been referred to as the ethical foundation of medical practice with the key restriction "cause no harm" which is also the principle of benevolence in bioethics. In medical profession, the Oath... more
The Hippocratic Oath has often been referred to as the ethical foundation of medical practice with the key restriction "cause no harm" which is also the principle of benevolence in bioethics. In medical profession, the Oath still exemplifies the key virtues of a doctor in its emphasis on the obligations toward the well-being of the individual patient. In management of end-stage cancer in a depressed economy such as Nigeria, we frequently encounter a wide range of ethical issues that arise in the provision of palliative care mostly due to the prevailing economic situation and cultural setting. Since most of these patients came from a lower economic class of the society, with little or no formal education and lived at a subsistence level, they often find it difficult to provide the medications needed. In a poor setting where health inequity is rife, and ignorance and poverty are commonplace, a good understanding of medical ethics with a good model of health care system will contribute to the health professional's decision-making that will be in the best interest of the patients. Physicians must protect the lives of their patients and should never hasten their death. In end-stage cancer management, we have to relieve suffering and pains, promote palliative care, and give psychological support but never abandoning the patient or initiate terminating their life. This presentation is a clinical analysis of the ethical issues regarding the management of end-stage cancer patients in a poor economy with a critical overview of end-of-life issues in African perspective.
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Our aim was to summarise the clinical characteristics and presentation of ameloblastomas in eastern Nigeria. We organised a retrospective study of 240 patients who presented with ameloblastomas to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery units... more
Our aim was to summarise the clinical characteristics and presentation of ameloblastomas in eastern Nigeria. We organised a retrospective study of 240 patients who presented with ameloblastomas to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery units of five specialist hospitals in the eastern states of Nigeria over an eight-year period (2004-2011). We analysed the casenotes, and categorised the cases by site of tumour, age, sex, and time of presentation. There were 117 men (49%) (mean (SD) age 43 (6.2) years) and 123 women (51%) (mean (SD) age 32 (4.7) years), a male:female ratio of 1:1.1. The largest age group was 20-39 years (n=102, 43%), and the most common site was the anterior mandible (n=140, 58%). Most of the patients presented late. Our results show that the most common site of ameloblastomas in Eastern Nigeria is the anterior mandible and that women are affected more than men, which is at variance with the results of most other studies.
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In Africa, women have had minimal participation in biomedical research especially in clinical trials despite the epidemiologic realities of the trends and burden of diseases in the continent. The purpose of this paper is to critically... more
In Africa, women have had minimal participation in biomedical research especially in clinical trials despite the epidemiologic realities of the trends and burden of diseases in the continent. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the challenges as well as suggesting ways of over-coming them in recruiting and retaining African women in biomedical research. Relevant biomedical research literatures on Human Research Participants from Scirus, Pubmed and Medline computerized search were critically evaluated and highlighted Information was also obtained from research ethics training as well as texts and journals in the medical libraries of the research ethics departments of the Universities of Pretoria, Kwazulu-Natal, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics Baltimore and Kennedy Institute of Bioethics Georgetown University, Washington DC. Studies reviewed have shown that African women have an unfair participation in biomedical research. Efforts in enrolling and retaining women in biomedical research are hampered by chain reactions of events viz: gender perception, cultural barriers, ignorance and fear of adverse event, limited autonomy to give consent, lack of confidentiality especially in sensitive trials, and improper research design. Women need to participate in clinical trials because of their different biological and physiological make-up which require proper information about the effects of drugs on their bodies. A variety of harm may therefore ensue from failure to include adequate numbers of women in biomedical research such as exposure to ineffective treatment, occurrence of unexpected side-effects and delayed diagnosis and early treatment of disease.
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Context Several oral diseases and conditions are associated with tooth loss. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral health problems seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in one year... more
Context Several oral diseases and conditions are associated with tooth loss. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral health problems seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in one year with the view to highlighting causes of tooth loss in this environment. Methods This study utilised data from the Record book of the Oral Diagnosis unit of the Dental clinic in UNTH, Enugu. Records of patients seen from January to December 2008 with complete information were included in the study. Data obtained were patient's age, gender, provisional diagnosis, teeth lost and reasons for the loss. The data were computer- analysed; Chi square statistics was used to test for association and differences. Values were considered significant when p-value was equal to or less than 0.05. Results A total of 1663 entries were made; 686 (41.3%) were males and 977 (58.7%) females. On the whole, 110 (6.6%) had traumatic injuries, 70 (4.2%) had malocclusion wh...
We measured changes in the salivary concentrations of cortisol as an index of stress, and to find out if patients were stressed during routine intra-alveolar dental extractions. A total of 126 patients (63 experimental and 63 controls)... more
We measured changes in the salivary concentrations of cortisol as an index of stress, and to find out if patients were stressed during routine intra-alveolar dental extractions. A total of 126 patients (63 experimental and 63 controls) matched for age and sex with a mean (SD) age of 26 (5) years (range 18-40) were recruited. Samples of saliva from patients whose glands had not been stimulated were collected twice from the study group (30minutes before, and 10minutes after, the procedure) and once from the control subjects. All samples were collected between 10.00 and 14.00hours to standardise the method and control for the diurnal variation of cortisol. There was a slight but not significant increase in the mean salivary concentration of cortisol between the preoperative samples (mean (SD) 12.3 (1.5)ng/ml and the postoperative samples 12.8 (2.3)ng/ml in the study group) and the control 8.7 (1.0)ng/ml. However, there was no difference between the sexes. The study highlights a simple ...
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ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize the total burden of ameloblastoma with respect to the changing occurrence and clinical presentation in the eastern Nigeria environment. Patients and Methods: A... more
ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize the total burden of ameloblastoma with respect to the changing occurrence and clinical presentation in the eastern Nigeria environment. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of 240 cases of Ameloblastoma seen at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery units of five specialist hospitals in the eastern states of Nigeria was carried out over an 8-year period. The case notes of these patients were retrieved from the records department, analyzed and evaluated. All the cases were categorized by the tumour site, age, sex and time of presentation. Results: Two hundred and forty (240) cases of ameloblastoma were seen for the 8-year study period. There were 117 males (48.7%) and 123 females (51.3%) giving a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.1 with mean age of 43 years for males and 32 years for females. The highest age of presentations (42.5%) were between the ages of 20-39 years. The most common site of occurrence was the symphyseal region 140 (58.3%). Conclusion: Our study shows that the site of predilection for occurrence of ameloblastoma in Eastern Nigeria is the anterior region of the mandible and the females were more affected. Most of these patients presented late.
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The use of computer soft ware for generation of statistic analysis has transformed health information and data to simplest form in the areas of access, storage, retrieval and analysis in the field of research. This survey therefore was... more
The use of computer soft ware for generation of statistic analysis has transformed health information and data to simplest form in the areas of access, storage, retrieval and analysis in the field of research. This survey therefore was carried out to assess the level of knowledge and utilization of computer software for statistical analysis among dental researchers in eastern Nigeria. Questionnaires on the use of computer software for statistical analysis were randomly distributed to 65 practicing dental surgeons of above 5 years experience in the tertiary academic hospitals in eastern Nigeria. The focus was on: years of clinical experience; research work experience; knowledge and application of computer generated software for data processing and stastistical analysis. Sixty-two (62/65; 95.4%) of these questionnaires were returned anonymously, which were used in our data analysis. Twenty-nine (29/62; 46.8%) respondents fall within those with 5-10 years of clinical experience out of ...
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The purpose of this article is to highlight our experience with the prognosis of teeth retained in the line of mandibular fracture after treatment of the fracture. A prospective evaluation of 62 patients with 200 teeth in the line of... more
The purpose of this article is to highlight our experience with the prognosis of teeth retained in the line of mandibular fracture after treatment of the fracture. A prospective evaluation of 62 patients with 200 teeth in the line of mandibular fracture seen and treated at the Dental and Maxillofacial Clinic, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar south-south Nigeria between 2005 and 2009 was carried out. The focus was on 96 teeth in the line of mandibular fracture retained after reduction and immobilization of the fracture by closed reduction technique. The clinical and radiological follow-up period of patients ranged between six months and 3.5 years. Majority of the patients 33 (53.2%) were in their third decade of life. The age of patients' ranged, from seven to 48 years with a mean of 24 +/- 2.3 years, There were 48 (77.4%) males and 14 (22.5%) females giving a male-to-female ratio of 3.4:1. One hundred and four teeth (52%) out of the 200 were extracted during trea...
Research Interests: Adolescent, Humans, Child, Color, Female, and 8 moreMale, Young Adult, Middle Aged, Adult, Mandibular Fractures, Prognosis, Tooth Extraction, and Tooth
Extraction of teeth is the commonest surgical procedure carried out in the dental surgery setting. The purpose of this survey was to identify the causes of teeth extraction in Eastern Nigeria. Record forms for entering data and a... more
Extraction of teeth is the commonest surgical procedure carried out in the dental surgery setting. The purpose of this survey was to identify the causes of teeth extraction in Eastern Nigeria. Record forms for entering data and a self-addressed return envelope were distributed to 100 dental surgeons in Eastern Nigeria using a simple random selection. Seventy-one (71; 71/100) dentists responded to the request and the total extractions carried out were 3998. There were 1508 (37.7%) extractions in males and 2490 (62.3%) in females with male-to-female extraction ratio of 1:1.7. In both male and female gender, there were more teeth extractions between the ages of 11 and 30 years. Extractions were recorded more in the lower social class (47.6%; 1903/3998). There were more extractions in the permanent (85.0%; 3398/3998) than deciduous (15.0%; 600/3998). The commonest reasons for teeth extraction were caries (55.2%; 2208/3998). The result of this study shows that dental caries is the common...
Biomedical Care in Africa and the influence of culture on the health-seeking behaviour of Africans can not be underestimated; many African cultures have different understanding of the causes of disease which more often affect our public... more
Biomedical Care in Africa and the influence of culture on the health-seeking behaviour of Africans can not be underestimated; many African cultures have different understanding of the causes of disease which more often affect our public health system, policy, planning and implementations. The traditional African healer unlike a doctor trained in western biomedicine, looks for the cause of the patient's ailments as misfortune in relationship between the patient and the social, natural and spiritual environments. The complexity of African society with different cultural and religious practices also reflects on the people's attitude and understanding of their health matters. This paper is an overview of the cultural influence on biomedical care in a traditional African society, Nigeria, West Africa. A research on the patients' health seeking behaviour and Primary Health Care service organization in 10 health centres in the five eastern states of the Federal Republic of Nige...
Research Interests:
The aim of this study is to highlight the overall uniqueness of the pattern of presentation of maxillofacial injuries seen at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar... more
The aim of this study is to highlight the overall uniqueness of the pattern of presentation of maxillofacial injuries seen at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar south-south Nigeria between January 2000 and December 2004 and to share our experience in terms of occurrence, seasonal fluctuations and the adequacy of treatment methods in our environment. Case notes of all. the 200 maxillofacial trauma patients were retrieved, examined and analyzed with regards to age, gender and cause of injury, socio-demographic data, diagnosis, pattern of presentation, distribution and treatment. A male-to-female ratio of 3.65:1 was obtained. Out of the 200 patients the highest incidence of injury was in the 20-30 year age group 85 (n=85; 42.5%). The major causes of injuries were motorcycle (n=74; 37%), vehicle (n=62; 31.5%) and assault (n=40; 20%). Six (3%) river-related or boat accidents were recorded. Industrial and sports related...
Research Interests: Motorcycles, Nigeria, Adolescent, Humans, Female, and 7 moreMale, Incidence, Length of Stay, Middle Aged, Adult, Seasons, and Socioeconomic Factors
This article reviews 16 cases of civilian gunshot injuries of the oro-facial region seen at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar over a 5-year period and highlights the rising trend in the occurrence of gun shot injuries to... more
This article reviews 16 cases of civilian gunshot injuries of the oro-facial region seen at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar over a 5-year period and highlights the rising trend in the occurrence of gun shot injuries to the orofacial region as experienced in the south-south region of Nigeria. Records of 16 patients with different types of gunshot injuries to the oro-facial region seen and treated at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar between 2002 and 2006 were reviewed. The focus was on the patient's age, gender, type of weapons used, the surrounding circumstances (accidental or intentional), the time of occurrence and management. Out of 16 patients seen, 14 (87.5%) were males and 2 (12.5%) were females, giving a male to female ratio of 7:1, with the age range from 18 to 50 years. Thirteen (81.3%) of the patients were injured by low velocity missile while 3 (18.7%) by high velocity missile. Violence was responsible for 14 cases (81.7%), and 2 ca...
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Oral candidiasis is one of the common diseases seen in HIV/AIDS patients. It is rare if CD4+ cell counts are above 500 microl. Outbreaks are more common as the count drops to 100 microl. It may be more difficult to treat when CD4+ cell... more
Oral candidiasis is one of the common diseases seen in HIV/AIDS patients. It is rare if CD4+ cell counts are above 500 microl. Outbreaks are more common as the count drops to 100 microl. It may be more difficult to treat when CD4+ cell counts fall below 50 microl. A retrospective review of 112 HIV/AIDS patients with lesions in the mouth, head, and neck seen at the oral and maxillofacial surgery units of two public hospitals in eastern Nigeria was carried out between 2000 and 2003. The focus was on oral candidiasis patients. Twenty-nine of these patients, made up of 11 males and 18 females, had oral candidiasis. To compare the action of two drugs, namely, nystatin (a topical antifungal drug) and ketoconazole (a systemic antifungal drug), we treated 15 of the patients with nystatin in the first 2 years and the remaining 14 with ketoconazole in the following 2 years. Amongst the 15 patients treated with topical drugs, 7 (46.7%) had complete remission, 2 (13.3%) had partial response, 4 ...
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We measured changes in the salivary concentrations of cortisol as an index of stress, and to find out if patients were stressed during routine intra-alveolar dental extractions. A total of 126 patients (63 experimental and 63 controls)... more
We measured changes in the salivary concentrations of cortisol as an index of stress, and to find out if patients were stressed during routine intra-alveolar dental extractions. A total of 126 patients (63 experimental and 63 controls) matched for age and sex with a mean (SD) age of 26 (5) years (range 18-40) were recruited. Samples of saliva from patients whose glands had not been stimulated were collected twice from the study group (30minutes before, and 10minutes after, the procedure) and once from the control subjects. All samples were collected between 10.00 and 14.00hours to standardise the method and control for the diurnal variation of cortisol. There was a slight but not significant increase in the mean salivary concentration of cortisol between the preoperative samples (mean (SD) 12.3 (1.5)ng/ml and the postoperative samples 12.8 (2.3)ng/ml in the study group) and the control 8.7 (1.0)ng/ml. However, there was no difference between the sexes. The study highlights a simple ...