West African journal of medicine
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Between January 1984 and December 1987, 1509 singleton neonates were admitted into Special Care Baby Unit at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital; 29(1.9%) of these were Extreme Low Birthweight (ELBW), 86(5.7%) were Very Low Birthweight (VLBW), 406(26.9%) were Low Birthweight (LBW) and 988 (65.5%) were Normal Birthweight (NBW) infants. Survival rates in the four categories were 10.3%, 46.5%, 89.2% and 94.7% respectively. ⋯ Care of the VLBW infant is not beyond the capabilities of Special Care Baby units in developing countries. In the light of our report, survival of Low Birthweight infants is a strong reflection of that of VLBW infants and survival of this category of babies could be improved by instituting general measures such as those aimed at reducing the incidence of LBW in the environment and by specific measures like carrying out prompt and effective resuscitation of the asphyxiated neonate and preventing sepsis.
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Observations on nineteen cases of foreign bodies in the air passages have been presented. These mostly got lodged in the right bronchus (42.1%) and larynx (36.8%) while the commonest presenting complaint was respiratory distress. As many as 57.9 percent of our cases were aged two years or less. ⋯ Subglottic, tracheal or laryngeal inlet mucosal oedema were observed after removal of foreign body in six cases. A plea has been made to have a high degree of suspicion of foreign bodies in every child with respiratory symptoms of sudden onset. Endoscopy at the earliest has been recommended for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
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This paper reviews children with intracranial neoplasms seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, (UNTH), Enugu, over an 8-year period (1978-1985). There were 21 children, aged 4-14 years, with histologically confirmed intracranial neoplasms. ⋯ The poor prognosis was partly due to late presentation complicated by relatively inadequate diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. A plea is made for the improvement of neurodiagnostic and therapeutic facilities in some regional hospitals in developing countries.
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A three year retrospective study of all cases of chemical burns seen at our Plastic Surgery Unit in Enugu, Nigeria showed that chemical burns represented 3.3% of all cases of burns. Even though the series is small, certain aspects of our chemical burns require emphasis. ⋯ In order to reduce morbidity following chemical burns we re-emphasise the importance of early continuous water irrigation of burn wound and involvement of an ophthalmologist in cases where the face is involved. On preventive measures, we suggest that legal restrictions on the sale of potentially injurious chemicals and measures to curb violence and crime in our society will go a long way in alleviating the problem of chemical burns.