Ophthalmology as a career choice of final year medical students in Nigeria

Background: There are 370 ophthalmologists and 200 diplomates in Ophthalmology inequitably distributed in Nigeria; giving a ratio of one ophthalmologist to 600;000 population. This is below the recommended ratio by World Health Organization. Despite obvious increase in medical graduates in the country; only a few select ophthalmology as a future career. Aim: To present the career preferences of final year medical students of the University of Port Harcourt Medical School; Rivers State with respect to Ophthalmology. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. After two weeks posting in Ophthalmology in 2006; a self-administered questionnaire; after informed consent to medical students in their final year; was used. Analysis was with SPSS version 11. Results: One hundred and fifty three students responded. There were 81 males and 72 females; a ratio of 1.1:1. Mean age was 25 + 2.2years. Ophthalmology ranked 6th as a career with less than 10[n=12(7.8)] choosing it for a career. Only 2(n=3)of the students declared it their best posting. More women were interested [n=7(58.3)].Twenty five percent of those who chose ophthalmology as a career wanted to qualify for the 2 available postgraduate colleges in Nigeria. None wanted to practice in the rural or general hospital setup. Conclusion: Less than 10of medical students are willing to consider ophthalmology as a career option. They need to be attracted to consider Ophthalmology as a viable career. Responses indicate that medical doctors do not want to offer service to the rural Nigerian

Herpes Zoster ophthalmicus and HIV seropositivity in South-south Nigeria

Herpes zoster is a painful vesiculobullous dermatitis which occurs as a result of previously established varicella zoster virus infection. It is a well established fact that Herpes zoster ophthalmicus is a well known marker of human immune deficiency virus infection even in Africans. The aim of this study is to determine if indeed the herpes zoster condition is a marker for the immune deficiency condition called AIDS in our locality and whether the positivity is related to age or not. A total of 20 consecutive patients that presented between 2003 and 2006 with herpes zoster ophthalmicus were examined retrospectively as to their Human Immune deficiency virus (HIV) status. Their presentation; clinical findings and clinical course are also analyzed. Of the 20 patients examined; there was a male preponderance of 4:3 with most patients above 40 years (35.4between 41-50 years) and half of them were married. Out of the twelve (n=12; 60) patients whose serum was tested for human immunodeficiency virus; eight (n=8; 40) were negative; while four (n=4; 20) were positive for the virus .Eight were not tested. Using 40 years of age as the cutoff; those above 40 years (12 in number); two (n=2; 25) were seropositive while 9 were negative (75). For those below 40 years (8 in number); two (n=2; 25) were positive while six were negative (75).Upon treatment with antivirals (Zovirax ) in the majority of cases there was complete resolution in 8 (57) of the patients with most of the sequelae occurring in those of them who are seropositive.Correlation of impaired immune status with Herpes zoster affectation was found to be more obvious in the younger than 40 years group.Treatment with antivirals gave good resolution in most cases. Blinding complications were found more in those who were seropositive

Early experience with intraocular lens implication surgery in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Background: Cataract affects some 16 million people globally. In Rivers State, Nigeria, it is responsible for half the 2.5% prevalence of blindness. The treatment is mainly surgical. Aim: To assess cataract operations in the Ophthalmic Unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Methods: All patients with cataracts operated upon in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital between the period of January and December 2004 were included. Records of follow-up till 12 weeks post surgery were examined and analyzed manually with statistical backup using student/'s t-test with 95% significance. Visual outcome was categorized as good with visual acuity (VA) better than 6/18, fair with VA between 6/18 and 6/60, poor with VA less than 6/60. Results: A total of 43 eyes were operated on in the period. Patients/' ages ranged between 7 months and 84 years (average 50.9 years). Only 25 patients failed to attend follow-up at 12 weeks after surgery. Postoperative visual recovery at 6 weeks was good in 20.9%, fair in 46.5% and poor in 23.3%. Those older than 50 years had more patients with good visual outcome but this was not statistically significant. The males appeared to have more patients with good outcome but this was not statistically significant (P=0.46). Those with primary level of education and housewives also appeared to have a better chance of achieving at least a fair outcome but this was not statistically significant (P=0.35 and 0.38 respectively). Postoperative vision was significantly better among those with simple, uncomplicated senile cataract rather than with traumatic, subluxated and dislocated cataract (P=0.00021). Conclusion: Only 25% of the 43 eyes operated on had good outcome at 6 weeks