Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a structured health education intervention on caregivers’ knowledge and home management practices regarding childhood diarrhoea in South Andaman Design: Community-based quasi-experimental study. Subjects/Patients: Primary caregivers of under 5 children. Background: Childhood diarrhoea remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality among under-five children despite effective preventive and home-based management measures. Methods: A community-based quasi-experimental study was conducted among 108 primary caregivers of under-five children in South Andaman. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire at baseline, immediately after intervention, and after a one-month washout period. A 30-minute structured health education session covering diarrhoea prevention, ORS preparation and use, zinc supplementation, continued feeding and breastfeeding, hygiene, recognition of danger signs, and timely healthcare seeking was provided using demonstrations and educational aids. Results: The mean knowledge score increased from 24.09 at baseline to 26.76 at end-line (p=0.001), while the mean practice score increased from 24.57 to 25.04 (p=0.001). Substantial improvements were observed in knowledge of ORS, zinc, dehydration recognition, breastfeeding, feeding, and preventive practices. Conclusion: Structured health education significantly improved caregivers’ knowledge and home management practices regarding childhood diarrhoea. Integrating regular caregiver education into Anganwadi and primary healthcare services may strengthen appropriate home-based diarrhoea management.
Background: Domestic violence (DV) during pregnancy is a profound public health crisis, significantly elevating the risk of perinatal depression and anxiety. Aim: This study evaluated the effectiveness of three brief psychotherapies; Meaning-Centered Therapy (MCT), Dignity Therapy (DT), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms among pregnant women exposed to DV in Zaria, Nigeria. Methods: A single-blind, randomised clinical trial was conducted with 500 pregnant women who screened positive for DV exposure and clinically significant symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. Participants were randomly allocated to MCT (n=125), DT (n=125), CBT (n=125), or a waitlist control group (n=125). The interventions comprised 6 weekly sessions. Primary outcomes were scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety, measured at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. Results: At post-intervention, all three intervention groups demonstrated statistically significant reductions in mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores compared to the control group (p<0.001). The mean (SD) PHQ-9 score decreased from 18.2 (3.1) to 7.1 (2.8) for MCT, 18.5 (3.3) to 7.4 (3.0) for DT, and 17.9 (3.0) to 6.8 (2.5) for CBT, compared to a minimal change in the control group (18.3 (3.2) to 17.1 (3.4)). Similar significant improvements were observed for anxiety. These therapeutic gains were maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Attrition was 22.0% overall, consistent with comparable trials, with no differential dropout between groups. Conclusion: Brief, manualised MCT, DT, and CBT are quite effective and potentially scalable interventions for alleviating depression and anxiety in pregnant women exposed to domestic violence in Northwest Nigeria.
Background: The global burden of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurocognitive disabilities (NDDs) is significant, yet evidence from sub-Saharan Africa remains scarce. Objective: This study aimed to quantitatively assess awareness, knowledge, and evidence of coherent action regarding ASD/NDDs in Northwest Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 2,500 participants from Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, and Jigawa states, recruited via multi-stage sampling. Data were collected using a pre-validated, semi-structured questionnaire, including the Autism Awareness Scale, the Knowledge about Neurodevelopmental Disorders Inventory (KANDDI), and an Action Assessment Scale. Analysis involved descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Results: The sample comprised 1,320 (52.8%) females and 1,180 (47.2%) males, with a mean age of 33.5 years (SD=10.2). Awareness of ASD was critically low; only 525 participants (21.0%) had ever heard of autism. Knowledge was poor, with a mean score of 35.2% (SD=11.8) on the KANDDI. A near-total lack of coherent action was reported, with 94.5% (n=2,363) of participants indicating no access to formal support services and 96.4% (n=2,410) reporting that their local authorities had no discernible policy or programme for NDDs. Inferential analysis revealed significant associations between awareness and educational level (χ² = 310.2, df = 3, p < 0.001; Cramér’s V = 0.35), with university-educated participants having 4.2 times higher odds of awareness (95% CI: 3.1–5.7, p < 0.001) compared to those with no formal education. Conclusion: This study reveals a profound gap in the landscape for ASD/NDDs in Northwest Nigeria, much higher than the national average, underscoring an urgent need for targeted, culturally sensitive interventions to bridge the chasm between awareness, knowledge, and action.
Objective: Breast lesions encompass a broad spectrum of pathological conditions requiring accurate diagnosis and classification for appropriate management. Methods: This hospital-based descriptive study with retrospective and prospective components was conducted at a tertiary care centre from August 2016 to August 2018. A total of 150 breast specimens were analysed. Histopathological evaluation was performed, and malignant tumours were graded using the Nottingham modification of the Bloom–Richardson system. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for ER, PR, and HER2 was performed in selected cases. Results: Among female patients (n=144), non-malignant lesions accounted for 94 cases (65.3%), including benign lesions in 73 cases (50.7%) and inflammatory lesions in 21 cases (14.6%), while malignant lesions comprised 50 cases (34.7%). Fibroadenoma was the most common benign lesion, while invasive ductal carcinoma (NST) was the most frequent malignancy. Among IHC-evaluated cases (n=15), Luminal subtype was most common (53%), followed by triple-positive (26%), HER2-enriched (13%), and triple-negative (7%). Significant association was observed between molecular subtype and histological grade (p=0.00139). Conclusion: Histopathology remains the gold standard for diagnosis, while IHC provides essential prognostic and therapeutic information in breast cancer management.
Background Osteoarticular infections can be caused by invasive mechanisms and complicated by sepsis. Diagnosis is established through clinical and paraclinical findings. It has an estimated prevalence of 6 per 100,000 individuals. Risk factors include joint-level procedures and conditions that alter host immunity. The most common microorganisms are Gram-negative. Treatment is selected according to local epidemiology; delays can lead to sepsis. Sepsis is a clinical condition associated with high mortality, presenting with tissue hypoperfusion. It causes hepatic dysfunction due to increased toxins, systemic inflammation, hypoxic-ischemic damage, and metabolic alterations. This can serve as a predictor of disease severity and mortality. The objective of this report was to describe a septic process of joint origin in an adult patient, including its clinical evolution and treatment. Case Presentation: A 55-year-old male patient presented with jaundice and abdominal pain. Relevant history included a glenohumeral intra-articular puncture. Arthrocentesis was performed, revealing infectious synovial fluid. He was admitted for medical and surgical management of septic arthritis in the right glenohumeral joint and a collection in the right chest wall. Surgical debridements were performed, and broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was initiated, which was subsequently transitioned to targeted therapy. Upon discharge, he continued outpatient antibiotic therapy for 3 months with subsequent follow-up controls.
