ABSTRACT
Background. Appropriate resuscitation techniques are crucial to the survival of newborn infants. Objective. To assess knowledge of nurses in western Nigeria about neonatal resuscitation. Method. A cross-sectional survey of the nurses attached to secondary health facilities in western Nigeria was done using a closed-ended questionnaire that tested evaluation and appropriate action aspects of neonatal resuscitation. Results. One hundred and seventy-nine nurses were interviewed. Of these; 72.6had worked in the labour room and the special care baby unit within the last 5 years while only 14.0had attended neonatal resuscitation training course within the last 5 years. Similarly; 31.8; 53.1; 58.1and 35.2had access to radiant warmers; ambu-bags; suction machine and oxygen delivery units; respectively. The knowledge of the respondents was better for evaluation than for appropriate action (95.5v. 49.7). Conclusion. The knowledge of the respondents about appropriate actions to be taken during neonatal resuscitation was poor. Frequent and intensive courses on neonatal resuscitation are highly desired
Subject(s)
Attitude , Critical Care , Health Facilities , Nurses , ResuscitationABSTRACT
Background. The fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) aims at reducing childhood deaths in the developing world by 2015. Objective. To examine the pattern of childhood deaths in a Nigerian tertiary hospital which served at least three states of the federation between 1996 and 2015. Method. A retrospective study of paediatric deaths between January 1996 and December 2005. Subjects admitted in the pre- MDG period were compared with those admitted during the MDG period. Results. Of 10 451 paediatric patients admitted; 1 320 (12.6) died but only 1 225 were studied. The male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1. Although the yearly mortality rate ranged from 10.7to 14.9; the overall mortality rate for the pre-MDG period was similar to that for the MDG period (p=0.135). Most deaths (69.1) occurred within 48 hours of hospitalisation. Of the 1 225 patients who died; 57.3were neonates. These neonatal deaths were commonly due to prematurity (34.6); perinatal asphyxia (30.8) and septicaemia (24.8); while severe anaemia was the most common cause of death among infants (20.1) and toddlers (25.1). Severe malaria; severe anaemia; and tetanus formed 33.3of all deaths among children older than 5 years. There was no significant difference in the role of prematurity (p=0.298) and measles (p=0.927) as causes of death before and during the MDG periods. HIV/AIDS (p=0.046) became more common as a result of the HIV pandemic; while severe malaria (p=0.041) became less common as a cause of death during the same period. Conclusion. The childhood mortality rate remained high over the 10-year study period. The deaths were mostly caused by infectious and other preventable conditions. The utilisation of specific target-orientated interventions; such as integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI); and primary health care may reduce the number of childhood deaths before 2015