Exposure to Blood among Mortuary Workers in Teaching Hospitals in South-West Nigeria

Background: Mortuary workers like other health workers are exposed to blood borne pathogens at work. A baseline assessment is important to plan for programmes to safeguard the health of workers. The aim of this study is to determine exposure rates to blood among mortuary workers in teaching hospitals in South West Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out between March and May 2008. All mortuary workers working in six (6) teaching hospitals; 80 in total were included in the study. Data was collected with the aid of a 15- item self administered questionnaire. Data was analysed with the aid of EPI-INFO 2002. Statistical associations were explored using odds ratio and confidence intervals. Results: A total of 76 respondents completed questionnaire giving a response rate of 95; 3 males and 1 female declined to participate; the mean age of respondents was 38.2 years; 48(72.6); 53(85.5) and 50(73.5) of the workers had been exposed to blood through cuts; blood splash and needle stick injury. Duration at work was significantly associated with blood splash. Workers who had worked 5years and above were 0.10 times (95confidence interval 0.00-.0.78) as likely to experience blood splash compared to those who had worked under 5 years. Only 5(10.4) of workers with needle stick injury had completed three doses of Hepatitis B vaccine. The specific confirmation by antibody titre was however not done in this study. Conclusion: Exposure to blood was very common with blood splash emerging as the most common route of exposure. There is a need for vaccination of all mortuary workers with three doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine to protect their health. In addition; education of workers on risks and institution of standard operating procedure are crucial to safeguard the health of mortuary workers

Congenital Toxoplasmosis: a Review of its Pathology; Immune Response and Current Treatment Options

Toxoplasmosis; caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii; is one of the most common parasites of man and other warm-blooded animals. Humans are infected through contaminated food; water; and blood transfusion; organ transplantation or from mother to foetus through the placenta. Severe congenital infections occur as a result of primary T. gondii infection in early pregnancy. Transmission of T.gondii to the foetus can result in serious health problems; including mental retardation; seizures; blindness and death. Frequency of foetal infection is higher when maternal infection occurs later in pregnancy and sequelae are more severe when maternal infections occur early in the first trimester of pregnancy. The ability of the parasite to survive intracellularly largely depends on the blocking of different proapoptotic signaling cascades of the host cells. During pregnancy; however; alterations in the incidence of apoptosis are associated with abnormal placental morphology and function. Both cellular and humoral immune responses control T.gondii infection. Toxoplasma is asymptomatic; infected women can only be detected by serological testing. In many instances; congenital toxoplasmosis can be prevented by educating pregnant women and women of childbearing age about the route of transmission. The need for screening suspected cases of T. gondii will help reduce transmission to the foetus

Morphological Pattern of Childhood Solid Tumours in Lagos University Teaching Hospital

Background: There is a wide variation in the incidence of childhood tumors world wide. The relative incidence of childhood tumors in developing countries is increasing and might add significantly to the high childhood morbidity and mortality caused by infectious diseases. There is need to determine the incidence of childhood cancer in different centers of the country and contribute to the National cancer register Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the burden and patterns of childhood tumour in our environment. Methods: A retrospective review of histologically diagnosed cases of childhood tumours seen from January 2000 to 2007 from the records of the department of Morbid Anatomy of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); Nigeria was carried out. All the cases were analyzed for age and gender distribution as well as histological types Results: Malignant tumours constituted 30.50of the tumours of which retinoblastoma is the most common. The most common benign tumour was fibroadenoma accounting for 36.2of all benign tumours. The female to male ratio for malignant and benign tumours are 1:1 and 1:1.3 respectively. The peak age incidence was 11 - 15 years for benign and 1 - 5 for malignant tumours. . Conclusion: The study showed decrease in the annual incidence of childhood tumours in Lagos. There was however no difference in the pattern when compared with other centers in Nigeria and in other African countries