Objective:To assess the degree of utilization of the radiology request form (RRF), the extent of completion each form, the frequency of filling the fields in all the forms, and its effectiveness as a communication tool between the referring clinicians and radiologists.Materials and Methods:All the RRFs for conventional radiographic examinations were audited over a 3-month period. A database containing all the fields in the form, type of request paper used, and legibility of the physician's handwriting was created. A few resident radiologists in the plain film reporting unit were recruited to join in collecting the data daily. We used simple statistical methods to analyze the extent of completion of each form, frequency of completion of the fields in all the request forms, frequency of use of the appropriate form, and frequency of legibility of the physician's handwriting. The results are expressed in percentages.Results:Five hundred eighty (580) requests were analyzed, consisting of 180 for males and 400 for females. The most-completed request form was 86.67% filled, while the least-completed was 26.67%. The most frequently filled field was the requested examination (99.66%). Of the clinicians, 28% did not use the RRF for their referrals, while 7.37% had illegible handwriting.Conclusion:A significant number of the referring clinicians did not make the best use of the radiology department by not using the institution's approved RRF as an effective means of communication with the radiologists, mainly due to the inadequate completion of the forms.

Background: Infertility is a major clinico-social problem not only in Nigeria; but the whole of the sub-saharan Africa and other parts of the world. In Nigeria it accounts for over 50% of attendance in Gynaecological clinics. Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is still a very valuable imaging modality in the work-up of women with infertility; especially in some communities in Nigeria where modern non-invasive diagnostic modalities are not readily available in most of the health institutions.Aims and Objectives: The study aims at evaluating the HSG findings among women with infertility to further highlight the relevance of this imaging modality in the management of infertility.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of 205 consecutive Hysterosalpingograms from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital between October 2013 and September 2015 was done. The Radiological findings and demographic data of the patients were documented and analyzed.Results: Pathologies were reported on 176 (85.8%) Hysterosalpingograms while 29 (14.14%) were normal. The age range of the patients was between 21 and 55 years and the commonest age group was 31 – 35 years. The commonest pathological findings were in the uterus; namely uterine fibroids, 86 (41.95%), uterine synaechiae, 19 (9.26%), Asherman syndrome and congenital abnormalities, 5 each (2.43%). The next commonest pathologies were those associated with tubal occlusionsConclusion: Hysterosalpingography still plays a major investigative role in the evaluation and management of women with infertility. The commonest abnormalities seen in this study were in the uterus.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.7(5) 2016 70-74

Background: Congestion of patient waiting areas at commencement of work is the usual scenario in Nigeria's public hospitals. This strains the personnel and facilities. Patients are dissatisfied and lose faith in the system. This study aims to audit the booking system, patient waiting time, and causes of congestion in an ultrasound unit. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective, descriptive study involving 350 patients referred from general outpatient and specialist clinics to the ultrasound unit, twice weekly for 6 weeks. Patients were grouped into two: those with scheduled appointments and the unbooked. The time of scheduled appointment and arrival in the unit and the time of commencement and conclusion of the examination were recorded. Results: Three hundred and eighteen patients had scheduled appointments, while 32 were unbooked. Half of the later were emergencies and the other half were walk-ins. There was no consistency in number of slots and block size. Large blocks of over 20 patients were observed on 33.3% of the days and 51.26% of the patients were given 8:00 am appointments. The average patient waiting time is 132.11 minutes but range from 62 to 220 minutes daily. The radiologists resumed work between 8:17 and 9:29 am each scan day. The average waiting time is shorter for patients who arrived after 11:00 am. Conclusion: Ineffective booking of appointments and Sonologist's tardiness are major predisposition to congestion. Appointments in small blocks at 30 minutes intervals will eliminate congestion, reduce patient waiting time, and improve satisfaction. Point-of-care ultrasound should be introduced in outpatient clinics.

Background:Women between 12 and 50 years are in the reproductive age. The likelihood of or actual presence of pregnancy should be ruled out before they are exposed to medical ionizing radiation. Fetal exposure to ionizing radiation can either induce malformation (teratogenic) or cancer. They should be exposed only when it is safe for the fetus or when the benefit far outweighs the risk in urgent medical conditions. The radiation dose in medical imaging is generally below the threshold to induce malformation (100 mGy) in the fetus, but there is indeed no safe level as the risk of cancer induction later in life can occur at any dose. The referring physician must obtain the last menstrual period (LMP) and sometimes carry out pregnancy test before sending their patients for examinations using ionizing radiation. However, there are circumstances in which these rules are waived.Objective:The purpose of the study is to evaluate the role of the referring physician in the radiation protection of the fetus using the LMP. Subjects and Methods: This is a prospective study over a 2-month period. All the request forms of menstruating women aged 12-50 years sent for conventional radiography are included in the study.Results:One percent provided the LMP in the request forms. 0.6% (one) of our subjects was sure she is pregnant, but 13.7% (25) had an overdue menstruation.Conclusion:The level of compliance of the physicians with the referral guidelines for women of reproductive age is poor.

Duplex ultrasound has been shown to diagnose varied vascular pathologies even in a locale where it is a relatively new technique. It is recommended that timely referrals be made, and mobile Doppler units be acquired to save more lives and limbs in the developing world.