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Adequate sleep is needed for the overall well-being of individuals, and its deficiency is linked to several cardio metabolic disorders. It is well recognized that many of these cardio metabolic disorders are on the increase globally and locally. Medical doctors who treat others are equally expected to take adequate care of their own health, hence the objective of this paper was to evaluate the sleep pattern of doctors practising in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria as a marker of cardio metabolic risk Using appropriate standard techniques after collection of data by self-administered online questionnaires. Results obtained show that approximately 60% of participants reported inadequate sleep due to busy clinical schedules. A high prevalence of insufficient sleep among medical doctors, which can be considered a surrogate marker for increased cardio metabolic risk was recorded in this study. Measures aimed at improving the sleep pattern of doctors are recommended.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are major contributors to morbidity and mortality. It is generally recognized that cardiac markers are of particular benefit in the evaluation of patients with suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Tertiary hospitals, mainly teaching hospitals, are expected to be optimally equipped to offer these services. The study therefore aimed at determining the central laboratory and point-of-care cardiac marker testing capacity of tertiary hospitals in Nigeria., Method: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in government-owned tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Data were collected using semi-structured self-administered questionnaires, and analyzed using Stata version 13 (Stata Corp., USA)., Results: A total of 34 hospitals participated in the study. The mean (SD) age of respondents was 43.68 (5.2) years. A total of 19 (55.88%) hospitals were found to have a functional cardiac marker testing facility, either in the form of point-of-care, central laboratory testing or both. Of those without a facility, lack of funds to procure equipment was the major reason given. In hospitals with a testing facility, most testing devices were located in the Central laboratory., Conclusion: Cardiac marker testing capacity of tertiary hospitals in Nigeria, both in the form of point-of-care and central laboratory testing, was found to be barely adequate. Improvement is needed in this area for better diagnosis and evaluation of patients who need the tests., (© 2022 Meka IA et al.)

Introduction: Problem-based learning (PBL) method which was introduced about 50 years ago in Canada is beginning to gain acceptance over conventional teaching method (CTM) worldwide in medical education but still remains unpopular in Nigeria. This study aims to determine the perception of clinical medical students to the use of both learning methods in pathology courses., Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted in four Nigerian universities drawn from four regions of the country. Data were collected using pretested semi-structured self-administered questionnaires., Results: The study included 310 respondents, 182(58.7%) males and 128(41.3%) females. Of all the participants, 257(82.9%) had heard of PBL prior to the study and 260(83.9%) thought it suitable for teaching and learning Pathology. Majority of participants, 221(71.3%) preferred a combination of both PBL and CTM while 238(76.8%) thought PBL suitable for all medical students. Some identified factors capable of enhancing adaptation of PBL into medical curriculum include conducive quiet spaces for learning and availability of computers with internet facilities for students' use., Conclusion: Participants demonstrated high level of awareness of PBL and thought it suitable for all medical students. Availability of computers and up-to-date libraries with internet and audio-visual facilities could enhance adaptation of PBL into medical curriculum in Nigeria., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© Helen Chioma Okoye et al.)