Background: Benign prostate enlargement is a common urological condition in the aging male that causes lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The study was aimed at determining the correlation between International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and sonographic parameters in a cohort of men attending the outpatient urology clinic of our teaching hospital. Methods: One hundred and fifty consecutive patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled into the study. The severity of LUTS was assessed using the IPSS questionnaire. Prostate volume (PV), bladder wall thickness (BWT), and postvoid residual (PVR) were determined via transabdominal ultrasound using Toshiba Nemino XG (Osaka Japan) with probe frequency 3.5MHz. The data were collected into a pro forma and analyzed using SPSS version 22 (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). The data were subjected to Pearson's correlation and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The 150 patients who were enrolled had an age range of 46–85 years, while the mean age was 63.37 ± 9.45 years. The mean total IPSS was 17.58 ± 7.69. The PV, BWT, and PVR had a mean of 71.96 ± 48.75 ml, 4.63 ± 1.99 mm, and 48.01 ± 59.17, respectively. There was a weak correlation between the total IPSS and PV (r = 0.118; P = 0.149), BWT (r = 0.174; P = 0.03), and PVR (r = 0.118; P = 0.151). Correlating voiding and storage symptoms with PV showed a poor correlation. There was a statistically significant correlation between voiding symptoms and BWT (r = 0.255; P = 0.002). Conclusion: There was no correlation between total IPSS and PV with PVR. Total IPSS and voiding symptom scores had a statistically significant positive correlation with BWT.

Background: There is a paucity of literature on the psychological burden on parental caregivers of children with surgical conditions. Knowledge of the peculiar psychological challenges faced by the parents or caregivers could help to advocate for the incorporation of a psychologist or psychiatrist as part of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study over 6 months on caregivers of pediatric surgical patients at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS) and the General Health Questionnaire – 28 (GHQ-28) were used to obtain data on the burden of care and psychiatric morbidity. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS (version 23). A ZCBS score ≥21 and a GHQ-28 value above 4 were considered significant. Results: A total of 120 caregivers were recruited for the study. The mean GHQ score was 6.3 (standard deviation [SD] ±5.9), whereas the mean ZCBS was 24.96 (SD ± 14.67). Sixty (50.0%) caregivers had a GHQ score over 4 and 71 (59.2%) had a ZCBS score ≥21. Conclusions: The care of children undergoing surgical procedures is associated with a significant burden and psychological distress among first-degree family caregivers. There is a need for further studies to know the pattern of their psychologically ill health as this could impede their quality of care.

Introduction: Clinical data on the differences in presentation and outcome of admitted COVID-19 patients in Nigeria are limited. This study aimed to compare the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in a Tertiary Hospital in Lagos and describe the clinical differences between the waves, the severity of COVID-19, and the mortality differences. Methods: The study was a retrospective review of the medical records of all children and adults admitted to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) COVID-19 Isolation and Treatment Centre during the first wave (from April 2020 to October 2020) and second wave (from December 2020 to April 2021). The clinical characteristics (including COVID severity) and outcome among admitted patients during the two waves were compared. Results: Between April 2020 and April 2021, 602 patients were admitted to LUTH for COVID-19. Patients in the first wave were significantly younger (43 vs. 54.5 years), more in number (53.8% vs. 46.2%), and had a higher proportion of health-care workers than those in the second wave (14.5% vs. 6.5%). Comorbidities were present in more than half of the patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infection (51.0%). This proportion was much higher during the pandemic's second wave (41.7% vs. 61.9%, P < 0.001). The most common comorbidity found in hospitalized patients was hypertension (37.0%). Patients admitted during the second wave had shorter stays (11 vs. 7 days) and similar mortality rates (10.2% vs. 10.8%). Conclusion: The first and second waves had comparable mortality rates though patients in the first wave were younger and there were more healthcare providers in the cohort. Patients admitted to the second wave however had more comorbidities but shorter lengths of stay which may suggest a better understanding of the infection and better outcome.

Background: Malnutrition and depression have been found to be prevalent in the older persons and often lead to preventable adverse complications. Depression has been shown to be associated with malnutrition. This study was aimed at determining the predictors of depression and malnutrition among older persons attending selected primary health-care centers (PHC) in Kosofe local government area in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among older persons attending PHC in Kosofe local government, Lagos. A multi-stage random technique was used to select the 219 participants from the PHC centers. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Epi Info 7.1. Chi-square was used to test the association between Socio-demographic characteristics and nutritional status, body mass index and depression, and one-way ANOVA was used to test for the association between anthropometric parameters and malnutrition. Associations were statistically significant if P < 0.05. Results: It was found that 57.9% were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. The study showed that 47.1% of the participants were depressed. There was a significant association (<0.001) between the malnutrition and the level of depression. There was a statistically significant association between family support (P ≤ 0.001), malnutrition (P ≤ 0.001), and depression. There was statistically significant association between the height (P = 0.009), weight (P = 0.001), waist–hip ratio (P = 0.036), and the malnutrition. Remarkably, there was statistically significant association between the waist (P = 0.023) and hip circumference (P = 0.047) and their level of depression. Conclusion: The results from this study revealed a high prevalence of malnutrition and depression among older persons. Therefore, health providers working in PHC centers should have a high index of suspicion for depression among older persons with malnutrition.

Introduction: Personal protective equipment (PPE) has become a necessity in the COVID pandemic for containing, protecting, and preventing the spread of the virus among the health-care workers; however, there are limitations to its use due to its associated adverse effects. The objective is to determine the adverse effects of PPE and its effect on work efficiency in health-care workers. Methods: This is a single-center descriptive cross-sectional survey done among 384 health-care workers by a consecutive sampling method. A semi-structured questionnaire was sent through the Google platform and the data were analyzed using SPSS 20. Results: 79.7% of study participants reported irritability and 59.9% had difficulty reading and writing during working hours in PPE, both factors had a significant association with their work efficiency (P = 0.019, P = 0.031). A feeling of being in a closed tight environment (85.7%), headache (71.95%), difficulty in drawing samples and intravenous cannulation (60.2%), and difficulty in adjusting the ventilatory settings and infusion pumps (39%) were reported by the study participants. However, these factors did not affect their work efficiency. On multivariate analysis, most health-care workers (HCWs) in the intensive care unit had more adverse effects than the others posted in other clinical areas. Conclusion: Our survey has identified several factors affecting HCWs during their working hours. These physical and cognitive adverse effects need to be alleviated to maintain a healthy, productive, and efficient work environment. We need to encourage reporting and find ways to mitigate their difficulties regarding PPE.

Background: Invasive fungal infections are not usually suspected by clinicians in our setting resulting in avoidable deaths, morbidity, and irrational/misuse of antibiotics. Unfortunately, there are few specialists of Medical Mycology in Nigeria working in very few centers where fungal infections can effectively be managed. This article describes a telemedicine system designed to provide an electronic consultation platform for the diagnosis and management of invasive fungal infections in Nigeria. Methods: The telemedicine center was designed and implemented using state-of-the-art technologies comprising hardware and software components. The center includes a high-resolution 60-inch liquid-crystal display smart television, an Intel Core i3 Desktop Computer, webcam system, a broadband Internet connection, and a backup electricity supply. The system currently uses the Zoom platform to establish virtual connections with collaborators as well as patients. Results: Since its inception, the center has managed 34 serious patients whose managing clinicians have called in for consultation. The establishment of the center has led to increased collaboration with other specialists in clinical mycology across Africa and Europe. Patient outcome has also been impacted positively because of consultation provided on diagnosis and antifungal therapy. The center has further accelerated the exchange of knowledge and ideas between health-care practitioners in Africa on the management of invasive fungal infections. Conclusions: Therefore, telemedicine center has been immensely beneficial for the management of patients suffering from invasive fungal infections in Nigeria.