ABSTRACT
The paper reports a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence and type of symptoms; causal agents and awareness of latex glove reactions amongst four professional groups. The study was done at diagnostic imaging departments within ten major hospitals in Southeastern Nigeria. Radiologists/resident radiologists; radiographers; radiology nurses and darkroom technicians who were occupationally exposed to latex gloves were investigated between June and September 2006 to determine the level of latex hypersensitivity. The results show that prevalence is similar to that demonstrated elsewhere with 12.4of individuals expressing latex associated symptoms. Symptoms included itching and redness of hands; dry cracked skin; soreness of eyes; and upper respiratory tract complaints. There are strong relationships between number of gloves used per day; duration of glove use and expression of symptoms. About 62.8(n=76) of the respondents had previous knowledge of hypersensitivity reaction to latex gloves prior to this investigation. The paper concludes that latex hypersensitivity is a real problem amongst diagnostic imaging healthcare personnel in our locality. This preliminary work; therefore; provides the basis of a much larger controlled study in the future
Subject(s)
Diagnostic Imaging , HypersensitivityABSTRACT
A total of 400 apparently healthy pregnant women with singleton fetuses from Enugu; Southeast Nigeria were randomly selected for the study. The aims of the study are to establish : a normogram for fetal heart rate (FHR) and the relationship between fetal heart rate and gestational age (GA) by 2-D ultrasound. Crown rump length measurement was used for estimating GA in the first trimester while femur length and biparietal diameter measurements were used for estimating GA in the second and third trimesters. Result shows that the normal range of FHR was 120 to 162 beats per minute (BPM). There was a statistically significant negative correlation of FHR with GA in the first; second; third and combined trimesters as the coefficient of correlation; r = -0.652; -0.736; -0.8185 and -0883 respectively. The study shows that a unit increase in GA decreases the FHR by 32; 15; 12.6 and 13 in the first; second; third and combined trimesters respectively. Results suggest that FHR measurement should be done routinely as one of the essential parameters for the assessment of fetal well being by ultrasound