Experiences of girls with hearing impairment in accessing reproductive health care services in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Delivery of health services to people with hearing impairment is poorly understood in Nigeria and limited research has been done to throw more light on the process involved. This study described experiences of 167 girls with hearing impairment in accessing reproductive health services in Ibadan using a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Almost 95.0% of respondents had ever visited health facility for reproductive health issues. Of these 6.2% and 4.6% went for treatment of STIs and pregnancy termination respectively; 36.7% were embarrassed to ask questions in the presence of an interpreter, communication (40.5%) and cost (10.8%) were key barriers to access and 85.6% would use facility if hearing impairment-friendly services are provided. Respondents who were currently working were 20 times more likely to receive services they wanted (OR = 20.29, CI = 1.05-392.16). Availability of certified interpreters and ensuring confidentiality are key to effective service delivery for the hearing impaired.

Hearing impairment in persons with the hemoglobin SC genotype.

The hemoglobin (Hb) SC genotype is seen in persons who have inherited the gene for hemoglobin S from one parent and the gene for hemoglobin C from the other. Some people with this genotype develop Hb SC disease, a variant of sickle cell disease. Hb SC disease, a compound heterozygous condition, is the most common of the hemoglobinopathies and the least severe, although it is still serious. One of the documented complications of the presence of the Hb SC genotype is sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). We conducted a prospective case-control study of 43 subjects, aged 15 to 65 years, who had the Hb SC genotype to determine the incidence of SNHL and to determine if the hearing loss in these subjects was correlated with sex or age. Our control group was made up of 100 generally healthy, sex- and age-matched subjects with the normal Hb AA genotype. SNHL was defined as a loss of more than 25 dB HL at two or more frequencies in the same ear or at one or more frequencies in both ears. We found that SNHL was present in 12 of the 43 subjects (27.9%) in the Hb SC group (17 of 86 ears [19.8%]) and in 17 of the 100 subjects (17.0%) in the Hb AA group (21 of 200 ears [10.5%]; the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (chi(2) = 1.589; p = 0.105). We found that in the Hb SC group, SNHL was more common among females than males (38.5 vs. 11.8%), although the difference was not quite significant statistically (chi(2) = 2.435; p = 0.056); in the Hb AA group, the incidence was fairly equal-15.4 and 18.8%, respectively (chi(2) = 0.033; p = 0.427). Therefore, we conclude that the hearing loss in the subjects of this study was not correlated with the presence of the Hb SC genotype in either sex. In terms of age, SNHL was significantly more common in subjects aged 41 to 65 years than in those aged 15 to 40 years in both genotype groups. In the Hb SC group, SNHL was present in 4 of the 33 younger subjects (12.1%) and in 8 of the 10 older subjects (80.0%) (chi(2) = 14.354; p < 0.001). In the Hb AA group, the corresponding figures were 7 of 85 (8.2%) and 10 of 15 (66.7%) (chi(2) = 26.840; p < 0.001). Therefore, we conclude that the hearing loss in the subjects of this study was a function of age and was not associated with the presence of the Hb SC genotype.

Impacted radio-opaque glass in the oesophagus of a child.

Most ingested foreign bodies in the aero-digestive tracts in both children and adults are not radio-opaque, and as a result, a preoperative plain radiograph may not be helpful. However, incorporating radio-opaque markers into such potential foreign bodies like toys, beads, and dentures during manufacture (as illustrated in this case of a 6-year-old boy who ingested a piece of glass mirror which was easily seen on X-ray) would obviate this problem. While this may constitute some financial burden on manufacturers, the cost effectiveness on health management is non-negotiable. We suggest that appropriate authorities and regulatory bodies should enforce this through legislation.

Tympanic membrane perforation among adults in West Africa.

CONTEXT: The knowledge of variations of the tympanic membrane (TM) perforations with the climatic changes in the West African subregion would help clinicians in its prevention and management. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the pattern of clinical presentations and associated features of TM perforation in adults in West Africa. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre, University hospital. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five (35) consecutive adults with TM perforations during a 1-year period had clinical evaluation of each TM using head mirror, video otoscopy, and micro-otoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical presentations and associated features of TM perforations. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients, 20 (57%) men and 15 (43%) women, with 42 perforated TMs were examined. Twenty-eight (80%) patients had unilateral perforations. Infection was responsible for 90.5% of cases, and trauma was responsible for the rest. Locations of perforations were central (29; 69.1%), anteroinferior (4; 9.5%), posteroinferior (4; 9.5%), anterosuperior (3; 7.1%), and posterosuperior (2; 4.8%). The sizes of the perforations ranged from 1.2 to 83.2%. Large sizes of 25% and more were found to occur in humid and wet seasons, and also, clinical presentations of otorrhea (65.6%), otalgia (51.5%), tinnitus (37.1%), and ear itching (34.4%) seemed to worsen. CONCLUSION: Most TM perforations result from infection and are preventable via appropriate health education. Posterosuperior perforation is rare, and this is probably one of the factors making choleasteatoma uncommon in West Africa. Approximately 83.3% of TM perforations measure more than 25% in size and appear during the wet humid season of the year. These findings are important for both local and foreign otolaryngologists who may be practicing in this subregion of the world.