Traditional medicine use during pregnancy and labor in African context:A scoping review

Traditional medicine(TM)has been more popular among pregnant women worldwide and has played a significant part in maternal health-care services in many nations.Herbs,herbal preparations,and finished herbal products all contain active substances that are derived from plant parts or other plant components that are thought to have medicinal advantages.To diagnose,prevent,and treat illnesses as well as to enhance general well-being,about 80%of people use a variety of TM,including herbal remedies.A systematic search of Google Scholar and PubMed was performed utilizing an established scoping review framework by Joanna Briggs Institute from January 2012 to December 2022.A consequent title and abstract review of articles published on TM in the African context were completed.Of over 15,000 published studies identified,15 meeting the inclusion criteria were integrated into the following seven categorical themes:prevalence of TM use,source of information on TM use,reasons for use of TM,route of administration,common herbs used in pregnancy and labor,the effect of herbs used in pregnancy and labor,and predictors of use of TM.The studies reviewed were primarily in the context of an African setting on the use of TM regarding herbal medicine.Of all the articles,the highest number of studies was conducted in Zimbabwe.This review shows increased use of TM by women during pregnancy and labor with a reported prevalence rate varying from 12%to 60%.However,a decrease in use in the third trimester of pregnancy was reported.The most frequent source of information on the use of TM was from family and friends,while age,parity,education,and income were factors affecting use.In conclusion,the participants do not often disclose the use of TM during their antenatal attendance and the reason for use was accessibility and cost.Therefore,there is a need for further study on the safety and efficacy of TM use in pregnancy and labor.

Intensive care environment: Perspective of relatives of critically ill patient sustained by health technology

The intensive care unit(ICU)is a complex setting by nature,and some have described it as bizarre due to its numerous sirens that sound when anything is dangerous,constant activity,equipment,bright lights,and high fatality rate.The demands placed on nurses to care for critically ill patients in this environment frequently prevent nurses and other health‑care professionals from acknowledging the feelings of patient’s relatives or family caregivers,resulting in a hostile environment from the patient’s relative’s perspective.When a patient’s family enters the ICU,they feel that hospital administrators do little to nothing to alleviate their discomfort and fear.Despite research demonstrating the importance of providing a homely environment for patients’families,In Nigeria ICU is still far behind how a conventional ICU environment should be structured to accommodate patient’s relations in the unit.The goal of this study was to look at the patient’s relative’s perspective on providing care for a critically ill patient in an ICU,with a focus on the unit’s complexity and overall experience.Based on the findings of this study,we recommend that hospital administrators ensure that the environment of the upcoming ICU is designed to meet the needs of patient’s relatives by addressing identified environmental concerns,like caring neglect,by providing a friendly and stress‑free environment.

Occupation-related airborne diseases: Management and prevention of tuberculosis among nurses working in Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital

Objective:More health workers die from infectious diseases such as tuberculosis(TB)than from any other infectious agent,so the current study is designed to assess TB treatment and preventive measures as they relate to nursing care practice.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 82 nurses from December 2022 to January 2023.The data were collected through a self-developed questionnaire and analyzed by frequency table and analysis of variance(ANOVA)statistics.Results:The researchers found that nurses have sufficient knowledge on Infection Prevention and Control(IPC)policy,but not all nurses follow this management protocol,and the reason for their action is addressed in this study.The management and preventive measures used by the participants were identified as:proper cough etiquette/hygiene,working in a well-ventilated area,use of mask,appropriate disposal of used items and so on was reported.Moreover,this study also discovered that there is a positive correlation between nurses who had received training in IPC policy and their use of airborne preventive measures for TB patients(F=1.87,P=0.002)as well as a positive correlation between the availability of resources and their adherence to the proper use of airborne preventive measures when caring for TB patients(F=1.96,P˂0.001).Conclusion:We proposed infection and control training for nurses and adequate equipment supplies to the TB ward which are required in quick TB diagnosis,and must be carried out on a regular basis by health-care personnel,for efficient nursing practice.Ensuring proper safety equipment and isolation units should be available and assessable for nurses or other health workers showing sign or symptoms of TB.Similarly,it is necessary for government to put in place the control and regulations that will safeguard nurses and mandate them to adopt TB prevention protocols,which will aid in lowering the prevalence of TB among nurses.

Impact of the emigration of nurses on health care delivery system in selected hospitals,Benin‑City,Edo State,Nigeria

Background:Globally,there is a high demand for nurses,resulting in migration from low‑to high‑income countries.The emigration of nurses is the act of leaving one's own country to settle permanently in another country,leading to a shortage in the number of nurses in their home countries.Consequently,this study aims to assess the impact of the emigration of nurses on the health‑care delivery system in Nigeria.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross‑sectional survey was conducted with a stratified sampling technique to select 270 nurses from three selected hospitals in Benin‑city Edo state.A self‑structured questionnaire with open and Likert scale questions were used as an instrument to assess the Impact of the Emigration of nurses on the Health Care Delivery System.Data collected were analyzed using tables,percentages,means,standard deviation and t‑test.Results:The result showed a mean score of 1.59±0.92 impacts of the emigration of nurses on health‑care delivery system and identified how to reduce it.The study also showed that there is no significant difference between gender and reason for emigration among nurses(t=3.84,P≤0.001).Conclusion:The emigration of nurses is severely affecting the health care delivery system in the country.Recently,the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria gave the directive for training schools to increase their training capacity and number of students’intake to cushion the effect,and this study shows that this palliative can only be a short time measure,and however will encourage more nurses traveling abroad on the long run.Therefore,the hospital managers and government should provide a conducive working environment,better remuneration,attractive retirement benefit,and other incentives as a push in factor for nurses to stay back in their home countries.

Uptake of in-vitro fertilization among couples attending fertility clinic in a tertiary health institution

Objective:To identify factors that determine the uptake of in-vitro fertilization(IVF),and to determine the predicting effect of the identified factors on the uptake of IVF among couples attending fertility clinic at a tertiary health institution in Benin City,Nigeria.Methods:This study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design.A self-structured questionnaire tested was validated and administered to 250 couples who attended fertility clinic.Data were collected from March 2021 to June 2021 and were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science(SPSS)version 21.Data were presented and interpreted using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as Chi-square,univariate statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:Among 250 couples,154(61.6%)were willing to adopt IVF.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that catholic religion[odds ratio(OR)0.21,95%confident interval(CI)0.54-0.73],family income(OR 1.50,95%CI 1.10-2.00)and age(OR 1.04,95%CI 1.01-1.10)were the major factors that determined the uptake of IVF,with P-value of<0.001,0.018 and 0.031,respectively.Conclusions:The uptake of IVF could be sustained or improved on,if the government should improve on the cost of living for families,and religious leaders need to be encouraged to pass on the information about IVF to their members to be well guided about the possibilities of IVF.

I must eat what I want: A roadblock to type 2 diabetes management

Globally,type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)is considered as one of the most common diseases,which is associated with irreversible risk factors such as age,gene,race,ethnicity,and reversible factors such as diet,physical activity,and smoking.Noncompliance to dietary regimen is the major factors for rapidly rising incidence of T2DM among developing countries.Recently,elevated HbA1c level has also been considered as one of the leading risk factors for developing microvascular and macrovascular complications.Improvement in the elevated HbA1c level can be achieved through diet management;thus,this study found that improvement in patients’dietary knowledge,attitude toward,and compliance to diet regimen will promote a better control of the disease.In conclusion,the stakeholders(health-care providers,health facilities,agencies involved in T2DM care)should educate the patients on the importance of dietary modification in the disease management.Similarly,there is a need for nurses and other health care professionals to advocate and promote a better holistic management that will encourage patients participation and family involvement in the care.

Operations of school health program assessment at selected secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area,Benin City,Nigeria

Background:School health program(SHP)is the most cost-effective investment a nation can make to simultaneously improve education and health conditions of her citizen.In spite of this,the adoption of SHP in developing countries is still below set standard.Therefore,this study assesses the operations of SHP in secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area(LGA),Benin City,Nigeria.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted with accidental sampling method to select 56 school health teachers from secondary schools in Egor LGA.A self-structured instrument was used to collect data based on the research objectives.Data collected were analyzed using percentages,means,and standard deviation.Results:This study showed that despite high level of the program awareness,the actualization of its objective was found to be poor,and this was found to be related with the lack of government support,lack of needed personnel and materials,lack of effective supervision of the program and inappropriate funding.Conclusion:In-service training on SHP should be provided to enhance the skills needed for implementation of SHP.The government should provide needed materials and equipment and employ competent health personnel to take charge of the school health services,and other policymakers should mobilize and strengthen SHP and education activities at the state.

Self-management of cataract extraction among diabetes patients

Background:Diabetes-related cataract extraction is a minor surgery required to regain full vision.One of the recognized factors that can delay or prevent full-vision recovery is poor management,and most of this management is being carried out by patients themselves.Objective:This study aimed to assess the knowledge of diabetes patients on self-management after cataract extraction in two tertiary hospitals in Osun State.Methods:A cross-sectional descriptive design was conducted among 97 diabetes patients who underwent cataract extraction and were attending clinics and follow-up visits in Osun State.A self-structured questionnaire was used for data collection.Results:Moderate knowledge was found among the participants on an appropriate diet(56.7%),prevention of injury risk(57.5%),prevention of infection risk(50.9%),and low knowledge on the technique of administration of eye drop(60.8%)after cataract extraction,whereas 74.7%of the total respondents were knowledgeable on the indication for follow-up visit after cataract extraction,these results were found to be below the expected knowledge level.Conclusion:An intensive and comprehensive educational initiative by nurses should be tailored to meet the specific needs of diabetes patients with cataract surgery.Nurses also need to implement the use of checklist which will enhance learning and improve patient understanding of self-management after cataract extraction.

Assessing the reasons for increase in self‑medication and control measures among student nurses in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria

Background:Self‑medication among student nurses is the use of medicines without doctor’s prescription.This practice is a global phenomenon and potential contributor to human resistance to most drugs,associated with different types of health challenges.Despite the high knowledge on the complication of self‑medication,studies showed that most student nurses still practice self‑medication.Aims:The aim of this study was to assess the reasons for increase in self‑medication and and find ways on how to curbing the menace among student nurses in the School of Nursing,University of Benin Teaching Hospital,Edo State,Nigeria.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross‑sectional survey was conducted with stratified simple random sampling technique to select ninety student nurses from three different levels in the School of Nursing,University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Benin City,Edo State.A self‑structured questionnaire with open‑type and Likert‑type scale questions used as instrument to assess the reasons for increase in self‑medication and the possible control measures.Data collected were analyzed using tables,percentages,means,standard deviation,and t‑test for inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance,through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software.Results:The result showed the reasons for increase in self‑medication and how to reduce its occurrence.It also showed that the gender of the student nurses is statistically related to the reasons why they practice self‑medication(t=6.82,P≤0.001).Conclusion:Self‑medication can be reduced among student nurses by empowering the law enforcement agencies against self‑medication,improving the availability of essential and quality drugs in school clinics,and inclusion of all student nurses in National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS)program,where they can enjoy the benefit of paying only 10%of the treatment charges.

Insignificant small can still be mighty: Trend of chronic kidney disease in Nigeria

The global burden of chronic kidney diseases(CKDs)kept increasing,and it is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity rate in most African countries.The burden of CKD is felt more in developing countries where there is no adequate social security system or health insurance to meet the huge financial demands the disease places on its sufferers and their families.It is also noted that this disease affects the economically productive age group unlike in developed countries where the elderly are more affected.The prevalence of CKD was found to be highly related to age,gender,hypertension,obesity,history of diabetes mellitus,use of herbal medicines,and prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in Nigeria.The majority of CKD cases were not clinically recognized promptly,mainly because of the lack of patients’awareness about CKD and associated risk factors.Therefore,health awareness should be intensified by the nurses on lifestyle modification by individuals at risk of CKD,prompt management,good compliance with prescribed medications,avoidance of self-medication,and indiscriminate use of over-the-counter drugs.In addition to that,nurses also need to advocate for regular population screening,and efforts should be made at all levels of care to reduce the negative impact of the disease and complications on the patients.