Background: Medical students experience tremendous amount of stress in the course of their training with possible mental and physical effects. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and sources of stress among medical students and their coping stretegies. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 341 medical students of Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain the required information Data was analysed using SPSS version 13 software. Results: The response rate was 94.7%. Two hundred and twenty-five (66.0%) were satisfied with their course ana 257(75.4%) felt medicine was stressful. The 400 level students had the highest proportion of students (77.1%) that felt stressful. More respondents (77.5%) dissatisfied with their course felt more stressful than respondents (74.2%) satisfied with medicine (p=0.79). Academic factors (88.3%) was the most common source of stress. Conclusion: The level of stress was found to be high and mainly due to academics. There is need for the College of Health Sciences to introduce stress management programmes for the students.

Background: Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), a major public health problem in the developing countries, has been associated with impaired cell-mediated immunity. Objectives: To describe the pattern ofCD4* T-lymphocyte count among malnourished children in relation to HIV infection. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study conducted among children aged 6 months to 59 months with PEM seen at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto between 1 ^st November, 2009 and 30 ^th April, 2010. The age, sex and weight of the subjects were documented. The CD4*T-lymphocyte count was determined using Partec cytoflow machine and HIV infection was confirmed with ELISA for children > 1-8 months and DNA PCR for those aged <18 months. Results: One-hundred children with PEM were recruited over a 6 month period. The mean age (#177;SD) was 19.8#177;9.2 months. Ninety-seven were aged < 3years with M: F ratio of 1.8:1.0. HIV infection was detected in twenty-seven of these children and 48.1% of the HIV infected had marasmus. The mean CD4* T-lymphocyte count in children with PEM without HIV infection was 1864.8 #177; 705.3 cells/pL compared to significantly lower mean count of 747.7+361.7 cells/pL among those with PEM with coexisting HIV infection (t= - 7.8, p= 0.0001). The mean CD4* T-lymphocyte count was significantly lower in children with PEM, particularly those with marasmus (p= 0.0001), and with coexisting HIV infection {p- 0.0001). Conclusion: The CD4* T-lymphocyte count was low among under-5 children with PEM. This depletion in CD4* T-lymphocyte count is further worsened by HIV infection among the children with PEM.

Background: Hoarseness is a disorder characterised by altered vocal quality, pitch, loudness or vocal efforts that impairs communication or reduces related quality of life. This study determines the various aetiological factors of hoarseness in children. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 131 children who presented with hoarseness. The data extracted included child's bio-data, onset and duration of hoarseness, airway obstruction, gastro-eosophageal reflux disease and drug treatment, head and neck trauma or surgery. Following a thorough ENT examination, older children had fiber-optic nasopharyngo laryngoscopy. Tissue biopsy was by direct laryngoscopy under general anaesthesia. Data was analyzed with the use of SPSS version 16.0. Results: One hundred and thirty one children with hoarseness were reviewed. There were 85(64.7%) males and 46(35.1%) females. Age ranges from 1 month to 15 years with a mean of 7.73+4.0Gyears. Age group, 5-9 years (40.5%) were more affected with a duration of hoarseness ranging from 1 day to 4.5 years and mean of 5.31+9.42 years. The commonest causes of hoarseness were RRP 60(45.8%) and laryngeal infections 22(16.8%). Emergency tracheostomy was done in 65(49.6%) of patients. Conclusion: We observed varied causes of hoarseness in children. Delay in presentation worsens prognosis. Hence hoarseness in children lasting for more than 3 weeks should bee valuated by and ear, nose and throat specialist.

Background: Otitis media is a common childhood disease. Adults' involvement though uncommon, is a common cause of recurrent otorrhoea and hearing loss of infective origin in adults. This study determines the pattern of adult suppurative otitis media in a tertiary health institution, in North western Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective five years study of 72 patients with suppurative otitis media in patient 16 aged years and above, who presented to ENT clinic in a tertiary institution, North western Nigeria from January 2006- December 20011. Results: A total number of 112 patients were diagnosed with suppurative otitis media, out of which 72 case files were accessible for review. The age range was 16-65 years with the mean of 31.2 (SD - 13.1). Most proportion (41.7%) of patients were between the age of 16-25 years Fifty five (76.4%) patients had chronic suppurative otitis media, of which 13 (18.1%) were bilateral, 30 (417%) had pre-existing childhood recurrent otorrhoea while acute suppurative otitis media accounted for 23.6%. Sinusitis (72.7%) and ear trauma (15.2%) were the predisposing risk factors in chronic and acute suppurative otitis media, respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (44%) and staphylococcus aureus (12%) were isolated in chronic and acute suppurative otitis media, respectively. Conclusion: Adult suppurative otitis media was mainly of the chronic variety and sinusitis and pre­existing childhood recurrent otorrhoea were observed in these patients.

Background: Sweeping is an important cleaning practice that is done either in standing or in recumbent position, but no empirical data exists on the scale of cardiovascular responses in these sweeping positions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular responses and rated perceive exertion following sweeping in recumbent and standing positions. Methods: One hundred healthy volunteers (Mean age 25.07+2.24) performed sweeping in recumbent or standing positions at their self-selected pace using the natural fibre broom or plastic broom for a duration of five minutes each. Cardiovascular responses were monitored at rest and immediately after sweeping in each position. Results: This study showed significant increase in rated perceived exertion score following recumbent compared to standing and higher values of systolic blood pressure and heart rate following recumbent sweeping compared to the values in standing position. No significant difference in diastolic blood pressure at rest and following sweeping in recumbent and standing position was however observed. Conclusion: From ergonomic standpoint, sweeping in standing position could be preferable to sweeping in recumbent position.

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease affecting all warm blooded animals including man. It is caused by an obligate, intracellular tissues cyst-forming protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, with domestic cat and other felides as definitive hosts. The infection has aroused considerable interest from various workers because of the dangers it poses and its mode oftransmission. Materials and Methods: Sera collected from 75 volunteered abattoir workers were analysed using Toxo-Latex kit by LINEAR chemicals (Cromatest, Jeanquim Costa, Barcelona, Spain) which is a rapid slide agglutination procedure. In addition, some epidemiological factors were obtained from these volunteered through structural questionnaire administered to them. Results: The adolescent (16-20 years) had the highest prevalence (57.1%) while the elderly, aged > 60 years had prevalence of 50%. No statistical significant different was however observed (p >0.05) varying degree of infarction was observed between the old groups. Sero-prevalence among workers who eat raw meat/suya, drink unpasteurized milk, smoking/eating when evisceration were 50%, 26.7%, 13.8%, 13.8% and 20% respectively, while workers that do not eat/drink during evisceration was 13.3%. No statistical significance was noted between those who eat raw meat/suya/drink unpasteurized milk and those who eat and drink during evisceration was significantly higher than those that wash hand before eating/drinking during work (p < 0.05). Conclusion: There is need for public enlightenment to abattoir personnel on the epidemiology and significance of T. gondii infection. Further studies on toxoplasma infection in the study area are desirable.