Perceptions of Medical Students Undergoing Cadaveric Training: a Sociocognitive Perspective

The emotional and sociocognitive aspects of human dissection are important aspects of professionalism in medical training and so should be critically evaluated in the present day changing society. Medical students of Ebonyi State University; Nigeria completed 390 questionnaires. The questionnaires included questions seeking demographic information; open-ended questions on their first experience of dissection and suggestions on improvements in training. The Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess anxiety and satisfaction levels. The questionnaires were analyzed statistically with P0.05 indicating level of significance. Majority (35.7) of the students was excited/fulfilled after their first experience and 41.5were of the opinion that life in humans is more appreciated by dissection. Their mean anxiety level was 3.42 while satisfaction rating was 7.13 on a scale of 1-10. A greater number of students suggested that conducive learning environment and improved preservation techniques would improve satisfaction (30.3and 33.1respectively). A Conducive environment and better preservation of cadavers are the major factors that improve satisfaction. Psychosocial factors should be assessed constantly to ascertain attitudinal changes of students; which will be helpful in quality of professional formation

Grades of gallbladder diseases using gallbladder contraction index: a pilot study.

The aim of this study was to develop a pilot model for the assessment of the severity of gallbladder diseases based on gallbladder contraction index, clinical and sonographic appearances of the gallbladder. The gallbladder contraction index (GBCI) was obtained as the average of the first ten and the first 20 minutes contraction indices. A range of 5% to 77% previously obtained in normal subjects was adopted in this study. Gallbladder contraction index in combination with other variables: sonographic appearances and clinical presentations were used for the grading of gallbladder diseases in the present study. This pilot model may have a good diagnostic performance but a clinical prospective evaluation is needed to confirm its actual value.

Incidence of occupational stress among medical radiographers: a population based zonal survey.

Biomechanical and psychosocial stresses are capable of destabilizing any health care professional. The current health sector reform in Nigeria, which lays emphasis on service delivery on a background of very few radiographers, may lead to an increase in stress level. This study investigated the incidence of occupational stress among radiographers in southeastern Nigeria. 50 self-completion questionnaires were delivered to radiographers in the southeastern Nigeria. The questionnaires included questions seeking information on the demographic profile of the radiographer, anatomical regions of biomechanical systems/stress and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which rated job satisfaction and anxiety levels. 32 questionnaires were returned and analyzed statistically. Biomechanical stress was observed in all anatomical regions studied. Job satisfaction rating was 61.3% and anxiety level was 45.3%. This study has provided a baseline stress level and prevalence among radiographers with which future studies in view of the on going health sector reform in Nigeria could be compared.

Experimental trypanosomiasis in Yankasa ewes: the body weight response.

Sleeping sickness (African Trypanosomasis) is an anthropozoonosis transmitted primarily by the tsetse fly. It is associated with a host of clinical indices ranging from fever, aneamia and anorexia to reproductive failures in man and his domestic animals. The main objective of this study is to appraise the responsiveness of the body weight as a clinical indicator of sleeping sickness in experimentally infected Yankasa ewes. Twelve mature Yankasa sheep (6 infected and 6 control ewes) were used in this study. Weekly body weights and daily rectal temperature were taken while blood samples for haematology were collected twice a week from all animals before and after the experimental infection. Undulating parasitaemia was observed, two days post infection and was sustained through out the study period of about fifty days in all the infected ewes. Decreased body weight was found to be very prominent in the infected animals. All the infected ewes progressively lost weight during the experiment with a decrease of about 17.9% of the original weights while the control ewes had increased by 4.2% at the end of the study period. The body weight is therefore a very sensitive parameter in the surveillance and management of Trypanosome infections especially in Yankasa ewes as experimental animal models.

Screening of "Kargasok tea". IV: Studies of pathological effects in BALB/C mice and Wistar rats.

Forty-eight BALB/C mice (30 males, 18 females) and 18 male Wistar rats were given Kargasok tea in their drinking water. Zero, 15, 25, 50, 75 or 100% concentrations were administered to mice for 2 or 8 w while the rats were given 0, 15 or 50% concentrations of the beverage for 12 w. Neither the mice nor rat's organ/body weight ratios were significantly affected by treatment. Rats receiving 15 or 50% concentrations of the tea had nephropathy and non-suppurative necrosis of the duodenum, pancreas and intestine. No significant microscopic lesions were found in any treated mice even when given 100% concentration of the tea. These findings suggest species variation in susceptibility to toxicity from the tea. The tea may be a cause of renal failure, diabetes mellitus and malabsorption syndrome and may not be safe for human or animal consumption.

Isolation of Rhodococcus equi from the abscess of a goat in Trinidad

Rhodococcus equi was first islolated from infected foals by Magnusson in 1923. On a review of R. equi infection in humans and animals, Prescott showed that only two cases of R. equi infection have been reported in goats. According to him, the organism has a tendency to cause liver abscesses, possibly following penetration from the intestinal tract. It is not clear to us how the animal acquired the infection. There is no information about close contact with horses in the farm or origin in England (AU)

Study of efficacy of Lamstreptocide A & B on cases of dermatophilosis within the Caribbean.

The efficacy of Lamstreptocide A & B was studied on 9 natural cases of bovine and caprine dermatophilosis in 8 different farms in St. Kitts, employing standard histopathologic and bacteriological methods. The lesions of 5 of the treated cases were dried-up, and there was marked peeling-off of scabs of a severely affected case exposing erythematous underlying tissue, at 3 weeks post-application of the product. Apart from 3 mild cases which were not available for follow-up studies and which were reported to have recovered, there was no outright recovery of the 5 animals after treatment at 3 weeks, and even after a second application of the product. An in vitro sensitivity test of the product revealed a slowing down of growth of Dermatophilus congolensis at concentrations in excess of 1% by agar-streak method. However, there was no inhibition of growth of the bacterium by an agar-impregnated sensitivity method.

Study of efficacy of lamstreptocide a & b on cases of dermatophilosis within the Caribbean

The efficacy of Lamstreptocide A & B was studied on 9 natural cases of bovine and caprine dermatophilosis in 8 different farms in St. Kitts, employing standard histopathologic and bacteriological methods. The lesions of 5 of the treated cases were dried-up and there was marked peeling-off of scabs of a severely affected case exposing erythematous underlying tissue, at 3 weeks post-application of the product. Apart from 3 mild cases which were not available for follow-up studies and which were reported to have recovered, there was no outright recovery of the 5 animals after treatment at 3 weeks, and even after a second application of the product. An in vitro sensitivity test of the product revealed a slowing down of growth of Dermatophilus congolensis at concentrations in excess of 1 percent by agarstreak method. However, there was no inhibition of growth of the bacterium by an agar-impregnated sensitivity method (AU)

Adrenal and thyroid dysfunctions in experimental Trypanosoma congolense infection in cattle.

Severe pathological changes were observed in the adrenal and thyroid glands of Zebu (Bos indicus) heifers infected with Trypanosoma congolense. In the adrenal glands, severe inflammatory changes characterised by mononuclear cellular infiltration in the subcapsular areas, zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata and zona reticularis were observed. In addition, there were hyperaemia, haemorrhage and hyperplasia resulting in increased adrenal weight in the two heifers slaughtered on Days 50 and 70 post-infection (p.i.). In the medullary areas of these two heifers, there was only mononuclear cellular infiltration. In the two heifers slaughtered on Day 113, localised mononuclear cellular infiltration was observed in addition to cortical cell depletion and fibrosis, resulting in reduced adrenal weight when compared with the controls. In the thyroid glands of the infected heifers, gross enlargement of the follicles filled with pale staining colloids were observed in association with squamous metaplasia of the follicular epithelium and fibroplasia. Serum cortisol concentrations showed an appreciable but non-significant increase (P less than 0.05) between Weeks 2 and 6 p.i. in the infected heifers (5.6 +/- 0.86 ng ml-1 vs. 4.4 +/- 0.34 ng ml-1) when compared with the uninfected controls or the pre-infection level. Thereafter, cortisol levels declined though non-significantly throughout the rest of the study. However, there was a steady increase towards normal levels from Week 12 p.i. until the end of the experiment. Changes in the basal serum concentrations of thyroxine (T4) were also measured weekly. There was a progressive decrease in the levels of T4 from the third until the 11th week p.i., when the decrease became significant (P less than 0.05) and remained so until the 16th week when the experiment ended.

An abattoir survey of female genital disorders of imported camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Kano, Nigeria.

An abattoir survey of 850 female genital organs of imported camels was conducted at the Kano abattoir between October 1987 and April 1988. An incidence of 4.49% of disorders was recorded, including follicular cystic degeneration (0.12%), ovarian haemorrhagic cysts (0.47%), pyometra (0.35%), early embryonic mortality (0.12%), endometrial haemorrhages (0.47%), fetal maceration (0.12%), abscess (0.24%), vulvar tick infestation (1.77%) and cervical hypoplasia (0.12%).

In vitro magnesium- and calcium-induced sialidase activity in caprine intestinal mucosa cells.

Sialidase activity identical to 0.0196 mg per ml of liberated sialic acids (2.11 Units) was detected in small intestinal contents of goats. Mg++ and Ca++ induced in vitro detection in mucosa cells of both small and large intestines. Magnesium alone induced sialidase activities identical to 0.0128 mg per ml of liberated sialic acids (1.38 Units) and 0.0166 mg per ml (1.79 Units) in small and large intestinal mucosal cells, respectively. Mg++ and Ca++ together induced higher sialidase activities identical to 0.0191 mg per ml (2.06 Units) and 0.0194 mg per ml (2.09 Units) in small and large intestinal mucosal cells, respectively. The enzyme activity was slightly higher in large than in small intestinal mucosal cells. The results are discussed in relation to control of African animal trypanosomiasis.

Comparative studies of gastrointestinal helminths of poultry in Zaria, Nigeria.

Two-hundred and ten digestive tracts of local chickens reared in and around Zaria, Northern Nigeria, under the extensive native free range system of management and 203 digestive tracts of exotic chickens raised under the intensive system of management were examined for parasites. Two hundred and one (95.7%) of the local chickens were infected and 24 (11.8%) of the exotic chickens also. Among the local chickens, 12 species of nematodes and 7 species of cestodes were recovered. Only one nematode and one cestode species were recovered from the exotic chickens. The prevalence of helminth infections between local and exotic chickens was significantly different at 1%.

Electrophoresis of bovine erythrocyte sialic acids: existence of additional band in trypanotolerant Ndama cattle.

Mild acid-hydrolysis of erythrocyte surface sialic acids of the trypanotolerant Ndama and the trypanosusceptible White/Fulani Zebu breeds of cattle was performed. The cleaved sialic acids from the two breeds of cattle were simultaneously subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS-PAGE), along with commercial standard N-acetylneuraminic acid (MW 309.28), blank gel and plasma proteins. The cleaved sialic acids migrated in the globulin fractions, as shown by the plasma protein electrophoresis. While the Ndama and the Zebu erythrocytes had one migrating band each of which coincided with the standard N-acetylneuraminic acid, the Ndama had another trailing band of sialic acid, of an estimated molecular weight of 30 kDa, which may account for the higher erythrocyte sialic acid concentrations of the Ndama. This additional band was absent in the Zebu. All these bands were readily reproducible.

Elevation of morphological abnormalities of spermatozoa in the semen of Zebu bulls consequent to Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma congolense infections.

Twenty-four Zebu bulls were used in a 12-wk long study. Eight bulls were infected with T. vivax , eight others with T. congolense and eight bulls served as controls. All the infected bulls developed chronic trypanosomiasis. Mean percentage base-line values prior to infection for acrosomal, sperm-head, detached heads, proximal cytoplasmic droplets, distal cytoplasmic droplets, sperm-tail, midpiece and total sperm morphological abnormalities ranged between 0.1+/-0.1 for acrosomal and 8.7+/-3.4 for total morphological abnormalities in the semen of the bulls. These values were very low and within the range of those for fertile bulls. Following infection, there was a progressive increase in the mean values of all the abnormalities. Peak percentage mean values recorded for total sperm morphological abnormalities in the course of the investigation in the bulls infected with T. vivax and T. congolense and in the controls were 95+/-7.2, 100+/-0 and 7.9+/-5.0, respectively. Mean percentage values throughout the duration of the investigation for control bulls were low and within the normal range for fertile bulls. These values differed (P<0.001) from the elevated values of the infected bulls. The results indicate that trypanosomiasis due to either T. vivax or T. congolense infections can cause a marked increase in morphological abnormalities of spermatozoa which can, in turn reduce the fertility of breeding bulls.

Pathological changes in male genitalia of cattle infected with Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma congolense.

Samples for histological studies were taken from the genitalia of 14 bulls (five infected with Trypanosoma vivax, five with T. congolense and four uninfected control animals), slaughtered 12, 22 or 30 weeks post-infection. Infection with Y58 strain of T. vivax and strain 2295 of T. congolense caused various grades of lesions in the male reproductive organs, especially the testes and epididymides. T. congolense produced more severe degenerative changes than T. vivax. It is concluded that in long-standing cases, the result of trypanosome infection is either serious infertility or even sterility.

Comparative haematological changes following Trypanosoma vivax and T. congolense infections in Zebu bulls.

A comparative study of haematological changes subsequent to Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma congolense infections was carried out using 24 Zebu bulls during a period of 12 weeks. Eight bulls were infected with T. vivax, another eight with T. congolense and eight served as controls. Infected bulls developed chronic trypanosomiasis which was characterized by many clinical manifestations including intermittent pyrexia. Elevated rectal temperatures of up to 105 and 106 degrees F were recorded, respectively, in all bulls infected with T. vivax or T. congolense. Mean parasitaemia was higher and more chronic in T. congolense-infected bulls and ranged between means of 0 and 3.06 in all infected bulls. There was a slight and transient drop in packed cell volume (PCV) of T. vivax-infected bulls as against a marked and more chronic drop in T. congolense-infected bulls. Mean PCV of T. vivax- and T. congolense-infected bulls and controls ranged between 28 and 38, 17 and 38, and 31 and 38%, respectively. Haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations also decreased in infected bulls. The decrease was greater and more chronic in the T. congolense-infected bulls. Values ranged between means of 10.47 and 13.84, 5.44 and 14.16, and 10.24 and 14.12 g dl-1 in T. vivax- and T. congolense-infected and control bulls, respectively. Total plasma proteins also decreased in infected bulls; this was more marked in the T. congolense-infected group. Values for T. vivax-infected, T. congolense-infected and control bulls ranged between means of 7.66 and 8.99, 6.26 and 8.81, and 7.94 and 8.78 g dl-1, respectively.2+ that the indigenous T. vivax strains are more

Neutrophil myeloperoxidase deficiency associated with canine hepatozoonosis.

Hepatozoonosis is a very important disease in dogs in Nigeria. Hepatozoonosis was reported in Nigeria in 18 dogs. The clinical signs included fever, anorexia, loss of weight, lameness, oculonasal discharge and conjunctivitis. Hematologic findings included leukocytosis due to neutrophilia and eosinophilia. Parasitemia varied from 1 to 9% of the circulating neutrophils in the peripheral blood smears of the dogs examined. Hepatozoon canis gametocytes were identified in circulating neutrophils of dogs. Peripheral blood smears from dogs confirmed to have natural H. canis infection were cytochemically stained for myeloperoxidase. Parasitized neutrophils were myeloperoxidase deficient while non-parasitized neutrophils were myeloperoxidase positive. This is considered important, because deficiency of the enzyme may be responsible for poor response of H. canis to chemotherapeutic agents.