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Recently, there has been an upsurge in the migration of medical personnel, especially early career doctors (ECDs) from low- and middle-income countries, Nigeria inclusive, to high-income countries with wide-ranging consequences on the social and economic systems of the donor countries. This study assessed the profile and determinants of intention to emigrate by ECDs in Nigeria.A cross-sectional study conducted among Nigerian ECDs from nine tertiary hospitals. Socio-demographic characteristics, intentionreasons to emigrate and willingness to return were collected using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.A total number of 763 ECDs participated in the study. The majority (88.2%) were less than 40 years of age and the male to female ratio was 2:1. Majority of the participants (69.4%) received monthly income ≤833 US Dollar. About two-thirds of ECDs had plans to emigrate and most to developed countries. Common reasons for intention to migrate were better quality of postgraduate training, improved quality of life and better remuneration.High proportion of Nigerian ECDs has intention to emigrate out with potential adverse effect on the fragile health system in the country.

Introduction: Peer learning is an important component of the postgraduate medical curriculum, and it is considered as an integral part of learning in some countries. The practice of peer learning among postgraduate trainees, especially the resident doctors, is an area that has not been explored in Nigeria and other third world countries. This study aims to examine the practice, perception, and drivers of peer-to-peer training in Nigeria. Methodology: This study was a national multi-centre and multi-disciplinary cross-sectional survey, conducted among resident doctors in Nigeria. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to obtain respondents’ biodata, perception and practice on peer learning. Data were analysed using SPSS version 23 software. Results were presented as frequency table and proportion, means, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics such as bivariate analysis was performed. Results: Majority, 287 (73.2%), considered the peer education programme as an appropriate learning practice, 173 (45.9%) considered peer education programme integrated part of the training, while 350/383 (88.2%) engaged in a peer education programme. Statistically, a significant association was found between those who considered peer training as appropriate (p = 0.038) and those who considered peer education as an integral part of postgraduate medical training curriculum (p =0.009). Conclusion: Peer learning is popular among resident doctors in Nigeria. Concerted efforts are needed to re-structure the residency training curriculum in order to maximize the benefits of this learning approach for an effective training programme.

Hypoxia in cervical cancer has been associated with a poor prognosis. Over the years

Background: Neonatal temperature response during illness is unpredictable. Whereas accurate temperature measurement is an important diagnostic step in Neonatal practice. Abnormalties in temperature pattern may be a pointer to a sinister condition especially in neonates, whose thermoregulatory mechanism is immature. There are several methods of temperature measurements and the search for a suitable thermometry method in neonates continues. This study compared the forehead non touch infra-red thermometer (NTIT) with the axilllary mercury-in-glass (MIGT) method of temperature measurement in neonates. Method: Four hundred babies aged 1 to 28 days were recruited from the immunization clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital between August 2016 and May 2017. Temperatures were taken using both NTIT and MIGT in the standard way and recorded. Result: The mean age and SD was 5.10 ± 4.28 days. Pearson correlation showed a positive correlation between the Axillary Mercury-in-Glass and Forehead Non-Touch Infra-red thermometry readings (r = 0.426, p 0.001). Bland-Altman method revealed a good agreement between both methods of thermometry as 95.5% of the readings were within the limits of agreement. Conclusion: Axillary Mercury-in-Glass thermometer and Forehead Non touch Infra-red thermometers have a good agreement and can be used interchangeably in neonates.

Hypoxia in cervical cancer has been associated with a poor prognosis. Over the years 68Ga labelled nitroimidazoles have been studied and have shown improved kinetics. We present our initial experience of hypoxia Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging in cervical cancer with 68Ga-Nitroimidazole derivative and the correlation with 18F-FDG PET/CT and immunohistochemistry. Twenty women with cervical cancer underwent both 18F-FDG and 68Ga-Nitroimidazole PET/CT imaging. Dual-point imaging was performed for 68Ga-Nitroimidazole PET. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed with hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). We documented SUVmax, SUVmean of the primary lesions as well as tumor to muscle ratio (TMR), tumor to blood (TBR), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and hypoxic tumor volume (HTV). There was no significant difference in the uptake of 68Ga-Nitroimidazole between early and delayed imaging. Twelve patients had uptake on 68Ga-Nitroimidazole PET. Ten patients demonstrated varying intensities of HIF-1α expression and six of these also had uptake on 68Ga-Nitroimidazole PET. We found a strong negative correlation between HTV and immunohistochemical staining (r = −0.660; p = 0.019). There was no correlation between uptake on PET imaging and immunohistochemical analysis with HIF-1α. Two-thirds of the patients demonstrated hypoxia on 68Ga-Nitroimidazole PET imaging.

Background: Accurate temperature measurement is a critical step in evaluating health or disease especially in children and immmunocompromised subjects; inaccurate measurement may lead to improper diagnosis, wrong treatment or inappropriate intervention. Several methods of temperature measurements exist and comparing these gives room for choosing a near ideal method in terms of speed, safety and accuracy. The study aimed to compare the forehead non touch infra-red thermometer with the axilllary mercury-in-glass method of temperature measurement in the Paediatric age-group. Methods: Study was given ethical approval as part of a larger study. Four hundred and thirty seven children aged 1 to 24 months were studied at the well-baby/immunizationclinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital over a 6-months period. Both non-touch infrared and theregular mercury-in-glass thermometers were used to take the body temperatures. Data were analysed with SPSS version 21. Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between the two methods of temperature measurements, while Bland-Altman method was used to test for level of agreement between them. Results: The mean age and SD was 5.81 ± 4.04 months. Pearson correlation showed a positive correlation between the axillary mercury-in-glass and forehead non-touch infra-red thermometry readings (r = 0.281, p < 0.001). Also, Bland-Altman method revealed a good agreement between both methods of thermometry as 96% of the readings were within the limits of agreement. Mean difference was 0.09°C (95% confidence interval 0.05 - 0.13). Conclusion: Axillary mercury-in-glass thermometer and forehead non touch infra-red thermometers have a good agreement and can be used interchangeably.

Attitude is a mental and emotional construct that characterizes people. It is formed from a people’s past and present experiences and is instrumental to how people think and behave. This study investigates the attitude of health workers towards patients in some tertiary hospitals in Southwest Nigeria as a result of the aftermath of the last outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria. 600 consenting participants selected through a two-stage sampling method were involved in the study. Data was retrieved through administration of structured questionnaire designed in five-point Likert-scale format. About two-third of the participants (32.3%) involved in the study were nurses while (22.0%) were doctors. (34.7%) of the participants disagreed that health workers suspect patients have Ebola virus disease at first contact with them while (48.0%) agreed that health workers are afraid when they have contact with patients. In addition, (36.7%) of the participants in the study disagreed that health workers do not move close to patients when examining patients who are febrile while (39.3%) disagreed that health workers are irrational and harsh to patients. In all, the study showed that, (52.7%) of the participants in the study have positive attitude towards patients. This is without prejudice to previous experience of health workers being infected with the deadly disease from patients during the last outbreak in 2014. The study recommended dissemination of adequate information on Ebola virus disease among health workers to forestall future infection of Ebola virus disease from patients. Massive attitudinal change towards patients among health workers in the study population is also strongly recommended.

Hepatitis C viral infection is a significant public health challenge with potential risk of progressing to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Actively infected mothers can transmit the virus to their babies who may develop liver cirrhosis and HCC as young adults. We determined the seroprevalence of HCV, its antigenaemia and associated risk factors among pregnant women.We recruited 400 pregnant women and tested their serum for HCV antibodies using immune-chromatographic test and determined the HCV core antigenaemia among HCV sero-positives by enzyme-immunoassay (EIA). The bio-socio-demographic variables of the participants were statistically correlated to the test results.Seroprevalence of HCV was 5.8% (23/400) and the prevalence of HCV core antigenaemia was 73.9% (17/23). None of the bio-socio-demographic variables of the participants and other known risk factors evaluated had. significant influence on either seroprevalence of HCV or its antigenaemia. Only the employment status of the participants' husbands (p = 0.01) significantly affected seropositivity of HCV.HCV core antigenaemia is high among pregnant women who have antibodies to HCV in our environment and this signifies an active hepatitis C virus infection.