ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Ear wax lubricates, cleans and protects the external auditory canal while ear self-cleaning can lead to ear infections, trauma and perforation of the tympanic membrane. An erroneous understanding of these facts can lead to wrong practices with grievous consequences. OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge on ear wax and the effects of ear self-cleaning among health workers in Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done on health workers in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria with administration of structured questionnaire. Knowledge of the participants on the effect of ear self-cleaning were classified as poor, fair or good based on the calculation of their knowledge score. RESULTS: Out of 150 respondents, 10.7% of them had good knowledge of ear wax and the health effects of self-ear cleaning while 51.3% had poor knowledge. There was strong association between knowledge score and occupation (x2=24.113, P=0.007), while there was no association between knowledge score and practice of ear self-cleaning. CONCLUSION: Most respondents had poor knowledge of the function of ear wax and the damage to the auditory canal associated with ear self-cleaning. There is thus, the need for public enlightenment on the complications of the practice.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: An emergency is a medical condition demanding immediate treatments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and ability of dental surgeons in the management of medical emergencies and the availability of emergency drugs and equipment in government dental clinics and hospitals in Lagos State. METHODS: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study of knowledge and ability of Dental Surgeons in the management of medical emergencies, prevalence of medical emergencies in dental practice and availability of emergency drugs and equipment in dental practice in government dental clinics and hospitals in Lagos State. The study covered 22 government dental clinics and hospitals in Lagos State. Data obtained was entered into a computerand analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version-16 data analysis software. Chi Square and cross-tabulations were used for the analysis. A 95% Confidence Level was used and a p-value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of a population of 255 Dental Surgeons on the nominal rolls of all the health institutions, 224 (87%)responded.Of the total respondents, 204 (91.1%) stated they had no emergency kit in their dental clinics (p < 0.05) while 158 respondents (70.5%) stated they had no emergency drugs in their dental practice to manage medical emergencies (p < 0.05). The commonest emergencies reported was syncope 104 respondents (33.8%). 161 respondents (71.9%) claimed they are able to manage medical emergencies encountered in their dental practice if kits and drugs are available. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study show that government dental clinics/hospital in Lagos seem not to be adequately prepared to manage medical emergency. Although 71.9% of the dentist claimed they could mange such emergencies should they arise 91.1% and 70% of the respondent claimed they and no emergency kits and drugs to manage such emergencies in their hospital respectively should they arise.
