DEPARTMENT OF RADIOGRAPHY

Pulmonary Tuberculosis typically more common in low economic communities has shown a resurgence in non-endemic populations in recent years, a phenomenon that has been attributed to factors such as increased migration and the HIV epidemic. Pulmonary tuberculosis is a disseminated disease (likely to progress and spread from the lungs to involve other organs and systems, e.g the cardiac and the CNS), hence timely diagnosis of the disease is paramount. So it is important that radiologists and clinicians understand the typical distribution, patterns, and clinical manifestations of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. A retrospective study of clinical and chest radiographic features of all 331 Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) patients diagnosed within june, 2024 and june, 2025 was carried out. at the end of the study analysis indicated a male predominance (63%) with a mean age of 48 years. Clinical symptoms like cough were most common (52%) but had low specificity for TB diagnosis. Radiographic findings revealed advanced disease, with fibro-cavitary changes in 31.4% and upper lobe involvement in 90.6% of cases. Clinical suspicion had a sensitivity of 78.6% but a specificity of only 36.1%, limiting its diagnostic accuracy. The study shows both the benefits and limitations associated with reliance on clinical manifestations of Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) alone before further diagnosis and encourages combining clinical assessment with routine chest X-rays and improved diagnostic protocols for early and more accurate Tuberculosis detection

Stress is an inevitable part of modern life and a major psychological burden, especially for professionals working in high-demand environments such as radiology department. This study aimed to evaluate the psychological stress levels and coping mechanisms among radiographers working in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City. A descriptive cross sectional survey was adopted for all 31 radiographers available at the hospital at the point of data collection the results indicated that radiographers at UBTH predominantly experienced mild to moderate psychological stress, with task-related pressure showing a notable mean score of 3.58 on the PSS. Statistical testing revealed no meaningful gender influence on stress levels (χ² = 0.49, p = 0.48), indicating that both males and females were similarly affected. The most intense stress triggers were linked to equipment failure (mean = 3.71) and heavy workload (mean = 3.58), alongside persistent time pressure (mean = 3.42). In response, many radiographers relied on proactive coping most notably taking action to solve their problems (mean = 3.06) while avoidance and substance-based strategies remained minimal (means ≤ 1.45). The study concluded that radiographers in UBTH experience noticeable levels of psychological stress, with most respondents falling within the mild-to-moderate range. The findings suggest that radiographers are striving to remain resilient, but systemic improvements are needed to reduce workplace stress and protect their long-term mental well-being.

This paper has examined the subject of ethical knowledge and professional behaviour among student radiographers in University of Benin, Nigeria. The data were collected via standardized self-administered questionnaires and a descriptive cross-sectional survey was performed among the clinical year students (300 to 500 level) of the organizations. Purposive sampling and descriptive statistics were the choice of the study to ensure the analysis of the data by means of SPSS version 29. Findings showed that most students (78.6) displayed positive understanding of the main ethical concepts, where the informed consent (96.0% correct), patient response to refusal (98.8% correct), and autonomy (91.3% correct) were significantly high. The level of professional conduct knowledge was exceptionally good (94.0 percent good knowledge) and 99.6 percent of them have a correct understanding of the procedures in managing complaints and 99.2 percent of them understand the boundaries of their profession. There were however loopholes in the understanding of patient confidentiality nuances, where 17.1% believed that patient information would never be disclosed and in any way. Some of the common ethical questions that were posed were poor supervision (means of 1.94/4.00), poor description of procedures (means of 1.81/4.00) and not obtaining proper consent (means 1.58/4.00). It was found in the study that core ethical knowledge is present among student radiographers but specific treatments that deal with practical application of ethical concepts in clinical settings are required. Suggestions given are more ethics integration in clinical training, better supervision process, establishment of mentorship programs to address ethical choices, and establishment of an ethical culture of accountability and reporting errors.

Introduction: Radiography has a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that are in a critical condition. Nevertheless, it is true that radiographers do face technical and environmental problems that can have an impact on image quality and efficiency. This paper evaluated the functions and issues of radiographers in the ICU and identified the value of the radiographic imaging in diagnosis and clinical decision making. Methodology: A cross sectional method was applied in this study. The self structured questionnaire was employed and the data analyzed using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. The results were discussed in terms of frequency table, percentage and the inferential statistics including one sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed ranks test with 0.05 level of significance. Findings: 100.0% and 45 (97.8) were respectively aware of radiographers roles in the ICU and had direct experience in the ICU. The most common imaging modality was portable X-ray with the highest percentage at 82.6 (chest radiography). Radiographic monitoring was reported to enhance patient monitoring (91.3) and alteration of treatment (97.8). The patient positioning (87.0%), risk of infection (15.2%), and space were among the major challenges. Radiographic imaging has a significant positive relation (p < 0.05) with clinical decision-making. Summary: Radiographic imaging has a role in the diagnosis and management of patients in the ICU. Constant post graduate education, proper equipments and interprofessional collaboration should be essential in improving the ICU radiographic services.

This study investigates the factors influencing career pathway choice among final year students of radiography in the University of Benin. A cross-sectional study design will be employed, using a mixed-methods approach to collect data from students. The study aimed to identify the most important factors influencing career pathway choice and explore the relationship between demographic characteristics and career pathway preferences. The findings of this study will contribute to the existing body of knowledge and provide insights into the factors that influence career pathway choice among radiography students, informing educators, professionals, and policy makers. The study's results will have implications for career guidance programs, education, and policy decisions related to radiography and healthcare.

The attainment of clinical competence is a pivotal requirement in radiography education, fundamentally relying on intensive supervision and tailored practical instruction. This investigation systematically assesses the detrimental influence exerted by elevated student-to-instructor ratios on the clinical proficiency developed by radiography students within the Nigerian context. Due to burgeoning institutional enrolments, juxtaposed with a scarcity of qualified clinical instructors, many students experience a demonstrable restriction in opportunities for essential hands-on training and individualized evaluative feedback. Employing a rigorous mixed-methods research design, which integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with both students and faculty members across accredited radiography institutions, the study delineates critical operational challenges. The principal findings confirm major obstacles, including insufficient direct clinical supervision, curtailed practical exposure, and a resultant compromise in the acquisition of specialized skills. Consequently, the study advocates for strategic reforms encompassing the augmentation of instructor staffing, the implementation of highly structured clinical rotation protocols, and necessary policy adjustments. These measures are crucial for the amelioration of radiographic training standards and for guaranteeing the production of competent and workforce-ready practitioners in the future.

Healthcare policies are central to the regulation of radiographic practice and play a vital role in shaping the quality of patient care. This study investigated the impact of healthcare policies on radiographers at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), focusing on policy awareness, influence on daily practice, patient care outcomes, and the challenges of policy adherence. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, and data were collected from viii 31 radiographers through a structured questionnaire. The results showed that 61.3% of respondents were aware of institutional healthcare policies, while 74.2% could identify policy documents relevant to their duties. Full compliance with radiation safety requirements (100%) was observed, demonstrating strong adherence in safety-sensitive areas. Policies were found to substantially influence professional conduct, as 93.5% agreed that policies guide daily radiographic practice, while 87.1% indicated that policies ensure standardization and 90.3% affirmed improved accountability. In terms of patient care, 93.5% agreed that policies enhance service quality and 87.1% believed they promote consistency, although only 42.0% felt that policies reduce imaging time. A Chi-square test further confirmed a statistically significant relationship between healthcare policies and daily radiographic practice (χ² = 61.29, df = 1, p = 0.000), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. Despite these positive outcomes, radiographers reported major challenges such as inadequate resources (87.1%), insufficient training (61.3%), outdated guidelines (58.1%), and inconsistent implementation across departments (58.0%). The study concludes that healthcare policies positively shape radiographic practice and patient care at UBTH, but their effectiveness is limited by systemic and administrative constraints. Strengthening policy communication, updating guidelines, improving resource availability, and expanding training opportunities will enhance policy adherence and further improve patient outcomes in radiography.

A hallmark of a well-managed radiology department is minimizing the time patients spend before accessing radiology services. Timely access to diagnostic imaging plays a critical role in the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. Prolonged wait times can lead to patient dissatisfaction, delay diagnoses, extend hospital stays, and negatively affect clinical outcomes, especially in time-sensitive conditions such as trauma or cancer. This comparative cross-sectional survey aimed to evaluate and compare patient wait times in the radiology departments of two selected hospitals in Benin City: one utilizing a scheduling system (University of Benin Teaching Hospital) and the other operating without a scheduling system (University of Benin Healthcare Centre). A total of 249 participants were recruited using a stratified random sampling technique combined with purposive sampling to ensure adequate representation of patients attending the selected radiology departments. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Socio-demographic findings revealed that the majority of respondents (24.5%) were aged 36–45 years, followed by 46–55 years (22.5%), 26–35 years (20.9%), and 18–25 years (15.7%). Of the participants, 58.2% attended the hospital with a scheduling system, while 41.8% attended the hospital without a scheduling system. Additionally, 58.2% of respondents had scheduled appointments, while 41.8% did not. Distribution of imaging procedures among participants included X-ray (29.7%), MRI (26.1%), CT scan (24.1%), and ultrasound (20.1%). Regarding wait times, patients attending the hospital with a scheduling system were typically attended to within 10–20 minutes. In contrast, patients at the hospital without a scheduling system waited more than 45 minutes on average. Overall, 78.3% of respondents considered the waiting time acceptable, whereas 21.7% deemed it unacceptable. Communication about waiting times was rated as excellent or good by 77.2% of respondents, fair by 11.2%, and poor by 11.6%. In terms of overall satisfaction, 72.3% reported being very satisfied or satisfied, while 17.4% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. Hypothesis testing revealed that comparisons between the two groups yielded p-values < 0.05, indicating statistically significant differences. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected, and the alternate hypothesis was accepted, confirming a significant difference in patient wait times between radiology departments with and without a scheduling system. These findings underscore the importance of implementing scheduling systems to reduce patient wait times, improve satisfaction, and enhance overall efficiency in radiology departments. Hospitals without scheduling systems are recommended to adopt computerized or manual appointment protocols to better manage patient flow and minimize waiting times

The research evaluated the intending career fulfilment in the radiographers of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). In healthcare professions, career fulfilment is a key area in the determination of productivity, job satisfaction, and employee retention. The study assumed a descriptive cross-sectional research design and a sample population of 30 radiographers in UBTH. The methods used to gather data were structured self-administered questionnaires that aimed at studying career goals, levels of fulfilment and issues facing radiographers. To analyse the relationship between years of practice and career fulfilment, descriptive statistics and the use of Spearman Rank Correlation were used to answer the analysis. Results showed that despite the fact that most of the radiographers had clear career goals, a considerable amount of radiographers had no idea of their present career fulfilment. Those who felt themselves on track towards their career goals amounted to 33.3%, and those who were unsure about it added to 46.7%. This research revealed that the years of practice and career satisfaction were moderately correlated, albeit negatively, with the years of practice but the correlation was not significant (r = -0.334, p = 0.071). Some of the key obstacles that were noticed were lack of training, proper funding, excessive workload and lack of mentorship. The limitations were discovered to seriously discourage professional development and achievement. The research finds that radiographers are professional and show strong ambitions but institutional and structural constraints do not allow them to have optimal career fulfilment. It suggests systemic mentorship schemes, frequent professional development trainings, and working conditions as a way of improving career fulfilment and retention among radiographers at UBTH.

Radiographers have an important role in emergency medical care.. However, their knowledge , current practices and factors influencing their participation within emergency response teams in Nigerian hospitals remain inadequately evaluated. To assess radiographers’ knowledge of their roles in emergency response, determine their current practices and level of involvement, and examine factors influencing their participation in emergency teams. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used for the study. Thirty-one radiographers at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital were included in the study using a census sampling method. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were used, while inferential statistics (Chi-square tests) examined associations between variables, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Most radiographers demonstrated moderate knowledge of their emergency roles 16 (51.6%), while 11 (35.5%) had high knowledge and 4 (12.9%) had low knowledge. Practice level was fair in 17 ( 54.8%), good in 10 (32.3%) and poor in (12.9). Participation level among respondents was high 11 (35.5%), moderate 19 (61.3%), and low 1 (3.2%). There was a significant relationship between practice and participation (p< 0.001). Radiographers possess good awareness of their responsibilities in emergency care, particularly in performing urgent imaging and patient positioning. Practical competence significantly improved active involvement in the emergency team. There is need for continous training exercises to improve radiographers roles in emergency care. Keywords: Emergency, radiographers, knowledge, practice, participation.