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Chest X-ray is one the most frequently required diagnostic procedures used in clinical practice to produce an image of organs, tissues and bones of the body with a significant impact on collective dose. However, the radiation dose received by patients from this procedure is likely to show large variations within and among radiodiagnostic centres. This could be traced to be lack of imaging protocols and a lack of local or national diagnostic reference levels. Although the radiation doses resulting from the X-ray procedures are usually measured in terms of effective dose entrance surface dose using electronic personal dosimeter (EPD), pocket dosimeter, thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD), film badges, and optically stimulated luminescent dosimeter (OSLD). For the sake of radiation protection, densitometric analysis was used to evaluate medical exposure for chest radiographs to determine the radiation doses using a point optical densitometer; PTW-DensiX with a range of 0 to 4.0 optical density. The hospital where this study was carried out is in Kano State. A total of sixty (60) chest radiographic films were collected from the hospital and the optical density of each radiographic film was measured five times at different spots. The mean optical density was obtained and converted by a mathematical relation to absorbed radiation dose in cGy. The results obtained in this study show that the mean absorbed X-ray dose was 0.78 ± 0.13 cGy and is low compared to the previous study held for hospitals in Osun State. Also, when compared with the excess dose of 0.10 Gy recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, it was evident that radiological practice especially as it relates to chest radiographs at the hospital in Kano is within the recommended practice. Keywords: Absorbed dose, Densitometer, Optical Density, Radiation, X-ray

Background: Spine stability or core stability exercises are among the most recommended interventions in low back pain management. It is important to clarify whether physical activity and body adiposity affect lumbar muscle multifidus (LMM) among apparently healthy adults. Objectives: The current study aimed at investigating the effect of physical activity level (PAL) and body adiposity on fatty infiltration of LMM in apparently healthy individuals from an urban African setting. Methods: Fatty infiltration of LMM was visually graded as normal, slight, and severe using diagnostic ultrasound. Validated Hausa and English versions of IPAQ were employed to analyze PAL, and the bioelectrical impedance analysis machine was used to measure some of the body adiposity parameters and weight. Results: A slight fatty infiltration of LMM was observed in 40.3% of 196 participants. Slight fatty infiltration of LMM had a higher prevalence in female subjects (39.2%) than males (34.2%). Only two variables of age (P = 0.032; r = 0.153) and visceral fat (P = 0.0001; r = 0.308) had a relationship with fatty infiltration of LMM. Conclusions: Fatty infiltration of LMM was positively associated with visceral fat and weakly with age among the participants. However, fatty infiltration of LMM had no relationship with the PAL.

It is of vital importance to optimize the radiation dose to patients undergoing radionuclide bone scanning. This is one of the most common nuclear medicine procedures in many parts of the world, including Nigeria, and the current study was performed as part of a national survey to establish diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for common nuclear medicine procedures in Nigeria in order to optimize their use. Nuclear medicine was only recently introduced to the health-care system in Nigeria, with only 2 centers presently conducting these procedures. Methods: A retrospective, crosssectional study was performed in the nuclear medicine department of a tertiary hospital in southwest Nigeria to determine the preliminary local DRL for radionuclide bone scanning. One hundred and nine patients who met the study criteria were included. Data were obtained from June 2017 to March 2019 and were analyzed to obtain the third quartile of the distributed administered activity and achievable dose (anthropometric variables and radiation dose to bone surface). Results: The mean administered activity, achievable dose, and DRL were 833.98 6 106.93, 832.5, and 895.4 MBq, respectively. The calculated preliminary local DRL was larger than values reported in studies done in Sudan, the United Kingdom, and Australia or by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Conclusion: The preliminary DRL from this first-of-its-kind study in Nigeria was high because of practitioners' lack of experience. However, the values were still within the international best-practice range, which when optimized will go a long way toward reducing medical exposure without compromising image quality.