Nigerian quarterly journal of hospital medicine
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Previous reports show that medical emergency events have ocurred in Teaching Hospital Dental centres, with attendant mortality and morbidity. ⋯ The study showed that syncope is the commonest medical emergency event in dental surgery practice in our teaching hospital, others are bleeding, seizure disorders and asthmatic attacks. The constitution of hospital emergency team (consisting of cardiologists, anaesthetists) as done in advanced countries is advocated and dentists should ensure that the departmental staff are adequately trained to provide basic life support.
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The decision to transfuse intra-operatively is based on preoperative haemoglobin (Hb), estimated blood loss and physiological variables. The visual estimate of blood loss is notoriously unreliable especially with small volumes of blood losses in children. ⋯ The use of near patient monitoring devices should be encouraged as this will give an accurate assessment of Hb and appropriate indication for transfusion. Equipment should be made available to perform gravimetric estimation of blood loss as the visual method is notoriously unreliable.
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Many patients on admission have limited mobility and need physical examination by the clinical team. Ward rounds serve as an avenue for health professionals to meet and develop an integrated plan of care for the inpatients. Lack of representation for certain professional groups, including pharmacy, may adversely affect the range of opinions and therapies for patients. ⋯ Pharmacists should be scheduled to participate actively in ward rounds, peer reviews and other professional activities, for optimum patient care. The hospital authorities should optimise the involvement of pharmacists in the paradigm shift towards pharmaceutical care, with a view to minimizing prescribing errors, cost of drugs and length of hospital stay. The use of preceptors should be explored.
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Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV), is a structural anomaly, of the lumbosacral spine which has been variably associated with, low back pain (LBP) and its presence can also result in a level being wrongly identified pre-operatively. ⋯ Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae type II was the commonest seen in this study, furthermore, LSTV appears to be a causative factor of LBP in young individuals. Careful evaluation of spinal radiographs of patients with LBP belonging to this group is advocated to assess for the presence or absence of LSTV.
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Research productivity of junior academic staff at a tertiary medical college in south west, Nigeria.
The research productivity of medical faculty has been well studied in developed countries, unlike in the developing countries. ⋯ Optimal research productivity was seen in about one quarter of the study population and was associated with male gender and prolonged duration of clinical/laboratory activities. Negligible research financing and poor laboratory support were major impediments to research productivity.