Evaluation of Antenatal Ultrasound Practice and Documentation Standards in Primary Healthcare Centres in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria

Antenatal ultrasound in primary healthcare centres provides critical surveillance for obstetric complications in underserved Nigerian communities, yet the quality of examination practice and documentation standards in these facilities is frequently unmonitored and poorly characterised. In Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, primary healthcare centres increasingly offer antenatal ultrasound services despite limited trained personnel and equipment quality oversight. This study evaluates antenatal ultrasound practice and documentation standards in primary healthcare centres in Kwara State. A cross-sectional audit design is applied to fifteen PHCs across Ilorin East, Ilorin West, and Offa local government areas, reviewing 225 archived antenatal ultrasound reports and observing ultrasound examinations at each facility. The assessment instrument measures biometric measurement completeness, placental localisation documentation, foetal anomaly screening adequacy, gestational age reporting, and equipment maintenance status. Descriptive statistics and frequency analysis are computed in SPSS. Available antenatal imaging quality literature from North Central Nigeria identifies incomplete or absent foetal biometric documentation and reliance on non-radiographer operators for obstetric ultrasound as the primary quality concerns in PHC settings. The ISUOG Safe Use of Ultrasound guidelines and Nigerian national obstetric care standards provide the evaluative reference. Findings are expected to reveal significant documentation deficiencies and suboptimal practice standards. Recommendations address standardised antenatal ultrasound report forms, regular operator competency assessment, and a state-level obstetric ultrasound quality assurance programme for Kwara PHCs. Keywords: antenatal ultrasound, documentation standards, primary healthcare, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria.