School of Medical Sciences

This research was aimed at assessing the prevalence of rheumatoid factor (RF) in people of our locality to aid the inclusion of rheumatoid factor test for the diagnosis of the disease. Specifically, this research sought to: determine and compare the presence of rheumatoid factor in both young and old adults; find out which gender is more affected in our locality, and determine the uric acid levels in both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. The presence of rheumatoid factor in the se-rum of 100 subjects aged above 25 years in Calabar metropolis was determined using a Rheumatoid Factor rapid agglutination test. Six (6) out of eighty-two (82) males and two (2) out of eighteen (18) females were positive for rheumatoid factor, giving a total of eight (8) rheuma-toid factor +ve subjects. The mean age, body mass index (BMI) and serum uric acid (SUA) level for rheumatoid factor +ve subjects were 45.13±14.13 years, 26.69±2.23 kg/m2 and 10.02±6.78 mg/dl respec-tively while the mean age, BMI and SUA level for rheumatoid factor –ve were 37.57±5.76 years, 24.46±3.92 kg/m2, 7.04±3.88 mg/dl respectively. The mean age and serum uric acid level in rheumatoid factor +ve subjects were significantly higher (p˂0.05) when compared with rheu-matoid factor -ve subjects. The mean BMI for rheumatoid factor +ve subjects was also significantly higher (p˂0.05) when compared with rheumatoid factor -ve subjects. This research work shows that the prevalence of rheumatoid factor in this locality, though low, is higher than those studied in other countries. Women are more affected than men with rheumatoid arthritis. There is an increased level of serum uric acid in RF +ve and symptomatic subjects. Therefore, there is a need to introduce rheumatoid factor analysis in the medical laboratories for proper diagnosis and treatment of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

The term ‘latchkey children’ refers to unsupervised youngsters who care for themselves before or after school, on weekends, and during holidays while their parents work. The term self-care is additionally used to depict these kids. Children left alone for more than three hours often present with low self esteem, low academic efficacy and high levels of loneliness and depression, they are often not well adjusted and sometimes present with behavioral problems. A comparative study to correlate loneliness and behavioral problems between latchkey and non-latchkey children (age between 13-15 years) was conducted in selected schools at Mangaluru. Data regarding loneliness was collected from 15 latchkey and 45 non-latchkey children and data regarding behavioral problems was collected from their parents. UCLA loneliness scale and child behavior checklist 6-18 years was used for the same. Majority (80%) of the latchkey children felt severely lonely, whereas 71.1% of the non-latchkey felt moderately lonely. Most (93.3%) and 78.1% of the latchkey and non latchkey children experienced mild behavioral problems. There was a positive correlation between loneliness and behavioral problems in non-latchkey (r=0.184) and latchkey children (r=0.684). The loneliness between latchkey and non-latchkey children was found to be insignificant (t=0.00018). The behavioral problems between latchkey and non-latchkey children was found to be insignificant (t=0.23).

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown etiology. It is characterized by the formation in all or several affected organs of epitheliod cell tubercles without caseation. Lupus pernio is a cutaneous manifestation of sarcoidosis. Tuberculosis is an i…

The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) topical cream on induced second-degree burns in male albino mice by utilizing a randomized controlled trial experimental research design. The research subjects were assigned randomly into three (3) groups and each containing six (6) mice. Silver sulfadiazine was applied on Group 1 while Base cream was applied on Group 2, and five percent (5%) Bermuda grass topical cream was applied on the Group 3. All treatments were applied every twenty-four (24) hours thereafter while measurement of wound contraction began twenty-four (24) hours after the induction of the burn and every forty-eight (48) hours thereafter until the seventeenth day where complete wound contraction was observed. The study supported the potential of Bermuda grass as a possible alternative for Silver sulfadiazine in the treatment of burn injuries. This was demonstrated by a higher mean (%) wound contraction – 93.14±4.59, effect of five percent (5%) Bermuda grass topical cream against the mean percent (%) wound contraction effect of Silver sulfadiazine and Base cream – 78.77±8.98 and 89.38±4.24 respectively.