Understanding the awareness of antimicrobial resistance amongst commercial poultry farmers in northwestern Nigeria.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in both humans and animals is a growing health threat worldwide. Significant quantities of antibiotics are used in the livestock production sector, particularly in poultry farming to enhance growth and productivity. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three states of northwestern Nigeria to understand the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of commercial poultry farmers on antimicrobial resistance. A total of 247 poultry farmers enrolled in the study comprising 100 (40.5 %) from Sokoto, 68 from Kebbi (27.5 %) and 79 (32.0 %) from Zamfara States. A significant number of the farmers have good knowledge of antimicrobial use (94.74 %), and the potential emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria due to irrational administration of antibiotics (83.0 %). Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant difference in farmers' knowledge of AMR based on their educational qualification (p < 0.001) as farmers with bachelor's degree (BSc) being more knowledgeable than those with Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and those who only completed primary or secondary education. A statistically significant difference was also observed in the attitude of the participants based on State (p < 0.001) and educational qualification (p = 0.013). The study provided valuable insight into the understanding of antimicrobial resistance amongst commercial poultry farmers in the region. The findings necessitate the need for educational interventions and initiatives through enlightenment campaigns and deployment of extension workers to reach farmers with low level of education to further improve their attitudes and practice towards responsible use of antibiotics.

Physical and mechanical properties of flamboyant (Delonix Regia) pod filled polyester composites.

The purpose of this research is to develop new polymeric composite materials from the flamboyant pod (Delonix Regia), an agricultural waste, with polyester as a matrix and to investigate their properties and application areas. The flamboyant pod particles of 75 µm were incorporated into the polyester resin with different loadings of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt%. The influence of the pod particles on mechanical and morphological properties was determined and investigated. The results showed that 10 wt.% gave the best results for tensile, impact, and flexural properties with values of 40.6 MPa, 4.6 kJ/mm2, and 86.82 MPa respectively, the values are however lower than the unfilled. The hardness properties increased with increasing filler loadings with values from 23.8 HV - 32.7 HV for 10 wt% - 50 wt% respectively. The micrographs of the fractured impact samples confirmed the 10 wt% filler loading having the best properties with homogenous dispersion of the flamboyant pod particles (FPP) within the polyester resin. It can be concluded that lightweight composites with reasonable properties have been developed at 10 wt % loading which is suitable for non-load bearing and indoor applications in the automotive and building industries as partition tops, walls, and boards owing to their saturation in water after 30 days of immersion. The flamboyant pod material can be further explored for added values with tougher polymer matrices.

Assessment of biochemical liver function tests in relation to age among steady state sickle cell anemia patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Multiorgan failure including liver dysfunction is a common finding in sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients, the cause of which is multifactorial with advancing age said to be a major determinant. There is a paucity of data on liver function among SCA patients in relation to age in northern Nigerian hospitals, including Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. This study was to assess the biochemical liver function tests (LFTs) as they relate to age among SCA patients in steady state, with a view to improving the overall monitoring of these patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study was carried out in ABUTH, Zaria, Northern Nigeria. LFTs were carried out in 100 SCA and 100 apparently healthy participants (controls). The SCA group was made up of fifty adults and fifty children diagnosed of SCA, whereas the control group was made up of fifty adults and fifty children who were apparently healthy and had hemoglobin AA. Paired two-tailed Student's t-test for matched samples and Pearson's linear correlation statistical methods were employed for the data analysis using Microsoft Office Excel 2007. A P ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The serum concentrations of total bilirubin (TB), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and AST/ALT ratio were significantly higher in SCA patients compared to the controls (P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.05, P = 0.05 and P = 0.001, respectively). Serum total protein (TP) and ALB were significantly lower (P = 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) in SCA patients compared with the controls. The levels of TB, ALT, AST, ALP, and AST/ALT were significantly lower in SCA adults compared to SCA children, whereas TP and ALB were higher in SCA adults compared to the SCA children. There were significant negative correlations between age and each of TB, ALT, AST, ALP, and AST/ALT, and significant positive correlations between age and each of TP and ALB in SCA patients. CONCLUSION: There are mild LFTs derangements in SCA patients even in steady state with the extent of the abnormalities decreasing with advancing age of the patients.

Magnesium sulphate therapy in eclampsia: the Sokoto (ultra short) regimen.

BACKGROUND: Continuing the administration of magnesium sulphate for 24 hours after the last fit in patients with eclampsia is at best empirical. The challenge of such a regimen is enormous in low-resource countries. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an ultra-short regimen of magnesium sulphate in eclamptics. FINDINGS: This was a prospective, cohort study of eclamptic patients admitted between July 2007 and June 2008 that were given 4 grams magnesium sulphate intravenously and 10 grams intramuscularly (5 grams in each buttock) as the sole anticonvulsant agent. Main outcome measure was the absence of a repeat fit. Other aspects of eclampsia management were as in standard practice. One hundred and twenty one (121) patients were managed with this regimen. There were 29 ante partum, 76 intrapartum and 16 post partum cases of eclampsia. Most of the patients were primigravidae (100; 83%) with an average age of 18.7 years. There were nine cases (7.4%) of recurrent fits that occurred within four hours of the loading dose. One recurrent fit occurred in the ante partum group, seven in the intra partum and one in the post partum group. There were 12 maternal deaths giving a case fatality rate of 9.9%. CONCLUSION: Limiting the dosage of magnesium sulphate to 14 grams loading dose (4 grams intravenous and 10 grams intramuscular) was effective in controlling fits in 92.6% of cases in the study group. A properly conducted, randomized controlled trial is needed to test our proposed regimen.