ABSTRACT
Background: Oral diseases are one of the most common non-communicable diseases. They are also the most neglected particularly in children. Objective: To determine the pattern and trend of oral diseases among children who presented in the dental clinic of a Nigerian Tertiary hospital over 58 months. Methodology: A retrospective study that assessed for oral diseases among children using the dental health records. Results: 1104 cases presented at the dental clinic, comprising 546 males and 558 females with a ratio of 1:1.02. The mean age of the subjects was 10.6 years ± 4.2 with an age range of 1 month to 17 years. Close to ninety-eight percent of cases reviewed were symptomatic. Across all age groups, dental caries and its sequalae was observed in 62.2% of cases and this was independent of age group and year of presentation (p<0.0001). Conclusion: An increasing trend of oral diseases was observed annually with the leading diagnosis been dental caries and its sequalae
Subject(s)
Child , Dental Caries , Nigeria , Oral HealthABSTRACT
Context: Adolescents seek health information from diverse sources. When such information is appropriately sought, correct and complete, it ensures an understanding of their reproductive health needs and encourages healthy sexual decision making and behaviors. Objective: To determine the level of knowledge and source of information about reproduction and sexually transmitted infections among senior secondary schools students in Ojo military barracks, Lagos. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 400 senior secondary schools students in Ojo military barracks, Lagos, selected using multistage sampling technique was done. Data collection employed pretested, self- administered structured questionnaires. Data was analysed using statistical package for social sciences version 17. Tests of statistical significance were carried out using chi square and t tests. A p value of <.05 was considered significant. Results: Majority of them 391(97.8%), were in the age group (10-19 years) while the mean age was 152.4 for males and 152.2 for females respectively. Information on sexual and reproductive health was sought from the electronic media by 238(59.5%), 115 (52.0%) males and 123 (68.7%) females; peer group 231(57.8%), 120 (54.3%) males and 111 (62.0%) females as well as print media and other sources with a statistically significant difference in this practice between the males and females (P=.01). Only 38 (9.5%) had very good knowledge. The sexually experienced were less knowledgeable than the non-experienced (3.71.3 and 3.91.3 respectively; P<.05). Knowledge was found to increase with age (P<.05). Females had more knowledge than males (P<.05). Conclusions: Overall knowledge was assessed as fairly good, while key sources of information were the electronic media and peer groups. Interventions including peer education are recommended to ensure that these sources provide veritable information on reproductive health.
ABSTRACT
Background: There is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS infection. Antiretroviral treatment can suppress and delay AIDS-related illness for many years but cannot clear the virus completely. This case review includes an attempt to find explanation for the conversion of an HIV positive grandmultiparous woman to a negative status. Findings: The source of data was the patient’s case file and review of relevant literature. A 38 year old HIV positive grand-multiparous female trader was diagnosed on 12/08/2010. She was placed on HAART for four years but was found to have tested HIV negative when the routine retroviral test was performed on 08/04/2014. Her last delivery was on 12/04/12 and she was placed on PMTCT regimen for that pregnancy. The baby’s status was not documented. From 16/08/2010 to 06/03/2014, the patient’s weight ranged between 52kg to 66kg. She was not screened for tuberculosis and viral load was not done. Initial CD4 count on 30/08/2014 was 357 cells / microliter while the value was 887 cells / micro-liter on the 24/02/2014. Other test results were essentially normal. Conclusions: Though a functional cure is a possibility here yet in resource limited settings, the lack of routine confirmatory testing, compounded by incorrect interpretation of weak positive test lines and use of tie breaker algorithms can leave a false-positive result undetected for a long time. Beyond HIV screening, mandatory confirmatory tests are imperative before reporting HIV positive results. Weak positive results should not be recognized as valid except in the screening of blood donors.