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Background: Thyroid disorders are one of the most common endocrine disorders seen globally. Diagnostic challenge may arise both clinically and biochemically because of the multiple function of thyroid hormones (THs). Request for thyroid function test (TFT s) may be based on clinical impression that may suggest thyroid dysfunction or obvious symptoms and signs that are diagnostic of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study looks at the biochemical patterns of TFTs and the clinical impression of thyroid disorders in a rural tertiary institution. Information extracted from the laboratory register includes indication for the test, the hospital number, the gender, the age, and the THs assayed. The corresponding biochemical pattern of the TFT result was established. Results: A total of 297 requests were submitted for TH assay; 34 were excluded from the present study because there were no clinical information. There were 239 females and 24 males giving a female-to-male ratio of 9.9:1. Majority of the requests (36.5%) were for goiters, followed by gynecological disorders (20.9%) and clinical thyroid disorders (17.9%). About 46% (45.8%) of the goiter cases were biochemically euthyroid, whereas 13.5% were biochemically primary hyperthyroid. Among the 47 cases of thyroid disorders by the physician's clinical impression, 27.7% were euthyroid, 17% were biochemically hyperthyroid, and 10.6% were hypothyroid. Of the 55 gynecological disorders assessed, only 7.3% show biochemical evidence of TH alteration with 56.4% being euthyroid. About 47% (46.6%) of those that did routine medical examination had altered TH level that includes hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Conclusion: Goiter is the most prevalent thyroid disorder in this environment. Biochemical pattern of thyroid function test in our environment was mostly euthyroid despites clinical features suggestive of thyroid disorders.

RésuméContexte: Les troubles thyroïdiens sont l'un des troubles endocriniens les plus courants dans le monde. Un défi diagnostique peut survenir à la fois cliniquement et biochimiquement en raison de la fonction multiple des hormones thyroïdiennes (TH). La demande de tests de la fonction thyroïdienne (TFT) peut être basée sur impression qui peut suggérer un dysfonctionnement thyroïdien ou des symptômes et signes évidents diagnostiquant une hyperthyroïdie ou une hypothyroïdie. Matériaux et Méthodes: Cette étude rétrospective examine les schémas biochimiques des TFT et l'impression clinique des troubles thyroïdiens dans un institution tertiaire rurale. Les informations extraites du registre de laboratoire comprennent l'indication du test, le numéro de l'hôpital, le sexe, l'âge, et les TH analysés. Le schéma biochimique correspondant du résultat TFT a été établi. Résultats: Un total de 297 demandes ont été soumises pour le test TH; 34 ont été exclus de la présente étude car il n'y avait aucune information clinique. Il y avait 239 femmes et 24 hommes donnant un ratio femmes / hommes de 9,9: 1. La majorité des demandes (36,5%) concernaient des goitres, suivies de troubles gynécologiques (20,9%) et cliniques troubles thyroïdiens (17,9%). Environ 46% (45,8%) des cas de goitre étaient biochimiquement euthyroïdiens, tandis que 13,5% étaient biochimiquement primaries hyperthyroïdien. Parmi les 47 cas de troubles thyroïdiens selon l'impression clinique du médecin, 27,7% étaient euthyroïdiens, 17% étaient biochimiquement hyperthyroïdienne et 10,6% étaient hypothyroïdiennes. Sur les 55 troubles gynécologiques évalués, seulement 7,3% présentent des preuves biochimiques d'altération TH 56,4% étant euthyroïdiens. Environ 47% (46,6%) de ceux qui ont subi un examen médical de routine avaient modifié le niveau de TH, y compris l'hyperthyroïdie et l'hypothyroïdie. Conclusion: Le goitre est le trouble thyroïdien le plus répandu dans cet environnement. Schéma biochimique de la fonction thyroïdienne test dans notre environnement était principalement euthyroïdien malgré les caractéristiques cliniques suggérant des troubles thyroïdiens.

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Thyroid disorders are one of the most common endocrine disorders seen globally. Diagnostic challenge may arise both clinically and biochemically because of the multiple function of thyroid hormones (THs). Request for thyroid function test (TFT s) may be based on clinical impression that may suggest thyroid dysfunction or obvious symptoms and signs that are diagnostic of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study looks at the biochemical patterns of TFTs and the clinical impression of thyroid disorders in a rural tertiary institution. Information extracted from the laboratory register includes indication for the test, the hospital number, the gender, the age, and the THs assayed. The corresponding biochemical pattern of the TFT result was established. Results: A total of 297 requests were submitted for TH assay; 34 were excluded from the present study because there were no clinical information. There were 239 females and 24 males giving a female-to-male ratio of 9.9:1. Majority of the requests (36.5%) were for goiters, followed by gynecological disorders (20.9%) and clinical thyroid disorders (17.9%). About 46% (45.8%) of the goiter cases were biochemically euthyroid, whereas 13.5% were biochemically primary hyperthyroid. Among the 47 cases of thyroid disorders by the physician's clinical impression, 27.7% were euthyroid, 17% were biochemically hyperthyroid, and 10.6% were hypothyroid. Of the 55 gynecological disorders assessed, only 7.3% show biochemical evidence of TH alteration with 56.4% being euthyroid. About 47% (46.6%) of those that did routine medical examination had altered TH level that includes hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Conclusion: Goiter is the most prevalent thyroid disorder in this environment. Biochemical pattern of thyroid function test in our environment was mostly euthyroid despites clinical features suggestive of thyroid disorders

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UNLABELLED: The global increase in end organ failure but disproportional shortage of organ donation calls for attention. Expanding the organ pool by assessing and improving health workers' attitude at all levels of care may be a worthwhile initiative. METHODS: A questionnaire-based cross sectional study involving tertiary, secondary, and primary health institutions in Southwestern Nigeria was conducted. RESULTS: Age range was 18 to 62 (36.7 ± 9.2) years. Only 13.5%, 11.7%, and 11.2% from primary, secondary, and tertiary health centers, respectively, would definitely donate despite high level of awareness (>90%) at each level of care. Participants from primary health care are of low income (P < 0.05), and this cohort is less likely to be aware of organ donation (P < 0.05). At each level of care, permission by religion to donate organs influenced positive attitudes (willingness to donate, readiness to counsel families of potential donors, and signing of organ donation cards) toward organ donation. Good knowledge of organ donation only significantly influenced readiness to counsel donors (P < 0.05) and not willingness to donate (P > 0.05). At each level of health care, young health care workers (P < 0.05) and women (P > 0.05) would be willing to donate, whereas men show positive attitude in signing of organ donor cards (P < 0.05) and counseling of families of potential donors (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge and willingness to donate organs among health care levels were not different. Considering the potential advantage of community placement of other tiers of health care (primary and secondary) in Nigeria, integrating them would be strategically beneficial to organ donation.

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Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy linked with high levels of morbidity and mortality in developing countries due to delayed diagnosis. This research assessed the knowledge of signs and risk factors of breast cancer and practice of self breast examination (SBE) among female nurses in a rural tertiary Hospital. Eighty-five nurses ages 20 to 60 years were sampled by simple randomization over a period of eight weeks through a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. The analysis was done using statistical package for social science version 17. Sixteen (15.3%) nurses had adequate knowledge of breast cancer, having a relative with breast cancer (51.8%) and a woman of any age (56.5%) were recognized by majority as risk factors for breast cancer. Majority (68.2%) were not practicing monthly SBE and not confident on how to do it. This study pointed out the gaps in the knowledge and awareness of breast cancer and practice of SBE among the nurses. Opportunity should therefore be sought in various health facilities to educate nurses who are supposed to be closer to the patients.

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BACKGROUND: Microalbuminuria has been described as a marker of generalized vascular damage. AIMS: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) and microalbuminuria in adult male Nigerians with newly diagnosed hypertension. We also evaluated the relations between ED and microalbuminuria, electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy, serum lipids, and cigarette smoking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 81 male adult Nigerians with newly diagnosed hypertension were recruited into the study. There were also 75 age- and sex-matched healthy normotensive controls. ED was evaluated using a standardized questionnaire of the International Index of Erectile Function and microalbuminuria was determined using the Micra Test strips (Boehringer Manneheim GMBh, Mannheim, Germany). RESULTS: Eighty-one hypertensive patients and 75 normotensive controls were studied. Mean age of the patients and the controls was 53.8 ± 5.6 and 51.2 ± 7.1 respectively. ED was found in 32.1% of the hypertensive patients and 16% of normotensive controls (P < 0.001). The prevalence of microalbuminuria was significantly higher in patients with ED than in those without it (65.4% vs. 23.6%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The study shows that ED and microalbuminuria are common in male adult Nigerians with hypertension. It also demonstrates that male ED is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

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INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of information on utilisation of emergency medical services in Nigeria. This study was conducted to determine the pattern of respiratory diseases seen among adults in an emergency room(ER) and their mortality within twenty- four hours in a health facility in Nigeria. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective study on adult patients that presented with respiratory condition from November 2004 to December 2010 at the emergency room of Federal Medical Centre Ido-Ekiti, south western, Nigeria. RESULTS: A total of 3671 cases were seen, 368 were respiratory cases accounting for 10.2 % of the total emergency room visitations. The male to female patients ratio was 1.2:1 and their mean was 49 9 ± 20.3 years. Pneumonia (34.5%) was the most common cases seen in the ER, followed PTB (29.4%), acute asthma (24.5%) , acute exacerbation of COPD (10.3%), upper airway tract obstruction and malignant pleural effusion were 0.5% respectively. Fourteen of the PTB cases (3.8%) were complicated by cor-pulmonale, 9(2.5%) by pleural effusion, 4(1.1%) by massive haemoptysis and 2(0.5%) by pneumothorax. Twenty-four hours mortality was 7.4% and 44.4% of the death was due to PTB, 37.0% was due to pneumonia and 14.8% due to acute asthma attack. The overall mortalities also had a bimodal age group distribution as the highest death was recorded in ages 30-39 and ≥ 70 years. CONCLUSION: Pneumonia and PTB were the leading respiratory diseases among adults causing of emergency room visit and early mortality in this health facility in Nigeria.

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