Duplex ultrasound: Indications and findings in a newly created facility at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral limb vascular diseases form one of the most common diseases that affect the middle-aged and the elderly. Duplex ultrasound has revolutionized medicare and is an important modality for investigating them. Unfortunately, this modality is still not popular in our environment and in Calabar was used for the 1st time 4 years ago. This work is, therefore, to report our findings and hopefully increase the awareness of its benefits thereby improving and hastening the diagnosis of vascular pathologies in our environment. METHODS: A prospective study that took place in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar between March 2011 and August 2014. The study included patients with pain, swelling, ulceration, as well as outright gangrene of the upper or lower limbs. Others were stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients, and patients with renal grafts. The scans were carried out in Radiology Department using a digital color Doppler ultrasound. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients were scanned during this period. They were more males (67%) than females (33%). The indications were mainly leg swelling and pain 25 (33%), stroke/TIA 10 (13%), and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) 10 (13%) The most common scan done was peripheral limb Doppler, 49 (64.5%).The majority of the scans showed no abnormality followed by chronic venous insufficiency 13 (17.1%) and lower limb arteriosclerosis 7 (9.2%) which was noted to be common among diabetics and hypertensive. DVT was another common finding and 4 out of 10 patients in whom DVT was suspected clinically showed sonographic evidence of the condition. CONCLUSION: Duplex ultrasound has been shown to diagnose varied vascular pathologies even in a locale where it is a relatively new technique. It is recommended that timely referrals be made, and mobile Doppler units be acquired to save more lives and limbs in the developing world.

Clinical practitioners' knowledge of ionizing radiation doses in diagnostic radiology examinations in Calabar.

Background: Observation has shown a preponderance of irrelevant, unjustified and perhaps unnecessary radiological requests in the study area. The consequences of this on the patients' doses and population collective dose may be dire. Objective: To assess Clinicians/Referrers' knowledge of radiation doses of patients undergoing radiological examinations. Methodology: A prospective, non-experimental, cross-sectional survey of clinicians (except radiologists) in various hospitals in Calabar metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria, was conducted. A pretested and validated questionnaire was designed to extract responses on rating of effective doses for commonly requested imaging examinations, using the value for the posterior-anterior (PA) chest x-ray as reference. Questions on radiosensitivity of different organs, imaging modalities that use ionizing radiation and considerations for the choice of ionizing radiation (IR) based examinations were included. Participants were also asked for their preferred methods of filling any knowledge gap on IR issues. Responses were presented in simple percentages. Results: A total of 104 respondents, made up of 63.5% males and 36.5% females participated in the study. At least 70% and 42% of the respondents, respectively, were aware that Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging were not IR based modalities. About 67.3% of the respondents did not know the doses of commonly requested radiological examinations. This result was not dependent on clinicians' demography. A total of 61.5% of the respondents referred patients for IR examinations even when the result was unlikely to alter their diagnosis or treatment; but to reassure the patient (98.8% ), meet expectations of patients (35%) or to give the patient the feeling of being taken seriously (75%). Conclusion: Participating Clinicians in this study have showed poor knowledge of radiation doses of commonly requested radiological examinations. Most participants suggested improvement of their knowledge of radiation doses through continuous medical education and by the provision of referral guidelines.