Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice

AIM: Volvulus is a disease characterized by the abnormal twisting of a gaseous distension of the loop of the intestine around itself. Colonic volvulus is the third common cause of colonic obstruction. The study aimed to determine whether the percentage of immature granulocytes is a marker of early necrosis in the volvulus. METHODS: Demographic characteristics of the cases were collected in the study. In addition, age, gender, white blood cell count, immature granulocyte count, immature granulocyte percentage, platelet lymphocyte ratio, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio were compared between groups with and without necrosis in terms of treatment...

BACKGROUND: Recognizing the oral needs of people living with rheumatic heart disease (RHD), particularly in relation to their jaws, is of paramount importance. AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate potential jaw bone changes in children and adolescents diagnosed with RHD and compare them with a group of healthy children and adolescents. METHODS AND MATERIAL: The dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) of 32 children and adolescents diagnosed with RHD comprised the case group...

BACKGROUND: Vaginal bleeding is the most common cause of presentation at the emergency department in the first trimester. Clinical presentation helps determine the likely cause of first-trimester vaginal bleeding. However, ultrasound imaging is required to reach a definitive diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between clinical diagnosis and ultrasonographic findings in women with first-trimester vaginal bleeding. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted on 94 pregnant patients with a history of bleeding per vagina (PV) in the first trimester by using transvaginal ultrasound...

AIM: We investigated predictors of mortality, including demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters, in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective, single-center study included 651 consecutive Turkish adults who had been admitted to the emergency department with a diagnosis of COVID-19. We recorded the demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters of the patients. The patients were divided into two groups: patients aged ≥65 years and patients aged <65 years...

BACKGROUND: Compared to photon beam, carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) has both physical and biological advantages. AIM: To examine whether two-dimensional (2D) CIRT is dosimetrically superior to photon beam volume-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in protecting the normal tissues for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted. Thirteen patients with stage III NSCLC treated in our center with curative CIRT and a sham photon beam VMAT treatment planning with the same normal tissue dose constraints were included for analysis...

BACKGROUND: In the past five years, observational evidence suggests that the rates and determinants of preterm birth may have changed due to the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and other humanitarian crises in our environment. AIM: This study aimed to determine the incidence, associated factors, and outcomes of preterm birth in tertiary hospitals in Enugu, southeastern Nigeria. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 238 pregnant women from the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital (ESUT-TH) Parklane, and Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital (MOCSH), Enugu, from April 2022 to March 2023...

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia is a key trigger for maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Current evidence suggests an association between dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. Thus, the importance of evaluating some indices of atherosclerosis during pregnancy cannot be over-emphasized. AIM: To evaluate the effect of some lipid profile indices as risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) among women with pre-eclampsia in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria...

BACKGROUND: Treatment of cervical pre-cancers involves ablative and excisional therapies, and these have the potential to affect future pregnancy outcomes of women. Understanding the impact of the various treatment modalities on the outcome of pregnancies can motivate the development of interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes in women who had cervical pre-cancer treatment. AIM: We aimed to the effect of cervical pre-cancer treatment on second-trimester miscarriages and preterm births...

BACKGROUND: Determination of bone age is a critical issue for forensics, surgery, and basic sciences. AIM: This study aims to estimate age with high accuracy and precision using Machine Learning (ML) algorithms with parameters obtained from calcaneus x-ray images of healthy individuals. METHOD: The study was carried out by retrospectively examining the foot X-ray images of 341 people aged 18-65 years. Maximum width of the calcaneus (MW), body width (BW), maximum length (MAXL), minimum length (MINL), facies articularis cuboidea height (FACH), maximum height (MAXH), and tuber calcanei width (TKW) parameters were measured from the images...

BACKGROUND: The assessments of left ventricular (LV) longitudinal systolic dynamics in children with ventricular septal defect (VSD) have achieved a major milestone in the evaluation of LV systolic function. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the LV function, LV mass (LVM), and the descending aorta blood flow in children with VSD compared to that obtained in age and sex-matched controls. RESULTS: The mean LVM of the control, 113.5 ± 123...

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency may cause adverse effects on the cardiovascular system as well as many other systems. The risk of vitamin D deficiency increases during adolescence, when the growth rate is high, due to reasons such as limited sun exposure, inadequate dietary calcium, and vitamin D intake. AIM: To evaluate the effect of daily 2000 IU vitamin D supplementation for 12 weeks on cardiac function in non-obese adolescent girls with vitamin D deficiency...

BACKGROUND: Congenital diseases are still an important medical, social, and economic problem all over the world. In North Cyprus, in addition to other reasons, early prenatal diagnostic measures are undertaken to prevent births with thalassemia major, a locally widespread genetic disease. AIM: This study aims to evaluate the results of prenatal invasive diagnostic tests performed in a private obstetrics clinic in Northern Cyprus and show the diagnosis process of thalassemia and chromosomal anomalies...

BACKGROUND: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is defined as an isolated platelet count less than 100 × 109/L in the absence of other causes of thrombocytopenia. Sarcopenia is a body-wide muscular disorder with a progressive nature that leads to reduced mobility, physical disability, falls, and poor quality of life. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of objectively diagnosed sarcopenia in patients with ITP and to determine whether ITP therapies have sarcopenic effects. METHODS: This prospective study included patients who were followed up with ITP in the hematology outpatient clinic...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the effect of different obturation techniques with root canal sealers on the residual filling material after retreatment using SEM. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixty (60) single rooted mandibular premolars were selected and instrumented with rotary files using the Mtwo system up to file size 30/.05 taper. The samples were randomly divided to two groups based on the type of sealer and three sub-groups (n=10) based on the obturating technique used...

BACKGROUND: Every citizen of a nation has the basic constitutional right to quality health care. However, there is a dearth of literature on the validity and reliability of the Donabedian conceptual model of health service quality in Nigeria. AIM: The current paper focused on validating the Donabedian model of quality health service in selected states in Nigeria. METHODS: This is a prospective study of 479 health workforce consisting of 204 physicians, 180 nurses, and 95 health information management officers in three geopolitical zones in Nigeria...

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine foetal death (IUFD) is an unpleasant pregnancy outcome and prompt delivery of the dead foetus is usually desired by mothers. Unfortunately, spontaneous labour and delivery may not occur early and prolonged retention of the dead foetus in utero is life-threatening. Many of the agents currently used for the induction of labour may result in a prolonged delivery process. OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of mifepristone and misoprostol versus misoprostol alone for induction of labour in women with intrauterine foetal death...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an antibody-mediated autoimmune disease with the cardinal feature being exertional voluntary skeletal muscle weakness and fatigability. It can be an isolated finding or in association with other autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or rheumatoid arthritis. Thymectomy is recommended for most patients with MG whose symptoms begin before the age of 60 years. Patients with thymoma or thymic hyperplasia do respond to thymectomy compared to those without thymoma or enlarged thymus...

BACKGROUND: The resurfacing of large abdominal and perineal defects is a major concern, and it poses a great challenge to the reconstructive surgeon. The main target in the reconstruction of the abdomen is to ensure a stable soft-tissue cover, and a strong and reliable fascia to prevent hernia recurrence and fecal contamination. The pedicled anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) either in the myocutaneous or fasciocutaneous form is a work-horse for the closure of abdominal and perineal defects...