Studies on the distribution of clinically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

A study was conducted between January; 2005 to December; 2006 to ascertain the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis among patients who attended chest clinics in some randomly selected hospitals; Clinics and Health Centers in Ebonyi State; Nigeria. Investigations were carried out using the two popular diagnostic criteria for pulmonary tuberculosis namely the specific Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) methods and chest X-ray. A total of 962 patients with clinical signs and symptoms of tuberculosis were studied. Out of this figure; 559 (58.1) had pulmonary tuberculosis with 1:1 male/female ratio. There was no significant difference between ZN sputum smear positive and chest x-ray in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in the studied population at 95confidence level. The possible reasons for the high prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis may be attributed to increase in the incidence of HIV/AIDS; high rate of poverty; emergence of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacteria and to a lesser extent; smoking and diabetes

Results of treatment in children with anorectal malformations in Calabar; Nigeria : paediatric surgery

Leading symptoms of anorectal malformation in the neonatal period are abdominal distention; non-passage of meconium and constipation. When present; vomiting is a late symptom. In a study in Calabar; Nigeria; patients were observed to present late; and teenage mothers in rural communities were mostly affected. Female neonates were affected more than males in a ratio of 1.5:1. Classification into low and high abnormality was adopted and proved practical in terms of identification of the pathology and treatment of the lesion. Patients with low abnormality (N = 24; 44.4) were treated with perineal cut-down; while those with high abnormality (55.6) had initial palliative colostomy before a definitive abdominal perineal pullthrough procedure. Faecal incontinence (13); anal stenosis (11.1); constipation (7.4) and colostomy prolapse (5.6) were noted to be associated complications. Poverty and ignorance were noted to be the main factors affecting treatment outcome. A concerted public enlightenment campaign is therefore required