Background. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common and uncomfortable anesthetic and surgical consequences. It may cause severe distress to the patient and may cause the recovery process to be delayed. Identifying the reasons may aid in reducing the magnitude and problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for PONV after general anesthesia in an Ethiopian hospital. Methods. From March 1 to May 30, 2019, a cross-sectional study was designed. A patient interview was used to obtain data on the occurrence of PONV, and a chart review was used to collect data on other demographic and clinical variables. To identify associated factors, variables with a P-value of 0.2 in binary logistic regression were transformed into a multivariable logistic regression. The strength of the association and level of significance waswere demonstrated using crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals and P-values of 0.05. Results. The study included 162 participants, with a remarkable 100% response rate. Within 24 hr after surgery, 51.2% of patients had nausea and vomiting. When compared to their counterparts, female patients, patients who received perioperative opioid medication, patients with a history of PONV, and patients with a history of motion sickness reported a statistically significant difference (higher incidence) in PONV. Conclusion. This study only comprised ASA physical classes 1 and 2 patients who did not receive preventive antiemetics. In the research area, the total prevalence of vomiting and nausea was 51.2%. Female sex, perioperative opioid usage, a history of nausea and vomiting, and a history of motion sickness were discovered to be statistically significantly associated with a higher incidence of PONV.
Slaughterhouses in South Sudan mirror the economic losses resulting from cattle organs and carcass condemnation due to zoonotic and epizootic diseases of livestock, such as tuberculosis, cysticercosis, and hydatidosis in cattle. However, due to the war, slaughterhouse record keeping has been inconsistent in South Sudan, and thus the estimation of diseases in cattle and their impact may be underestimated. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the major causes of carcasses and organ condemnation of cattle slaughtered at Lokoloko abattoir and the resulting financial losses. A cross-sectional active abattoir survey involving antemortem and postmortem examinations was conducted on 310 cattle between January 2021 and March 2021. Furthermore, five-year (September 2015–September 2020) retrospective data on meat inspection records were also collected and analyzed. During the antemortem inspection of the active abattoir survey, 103 (33.2%) cattle had signs of disease. These signs included herniam 17 (5.5%), local swelling 16 (5.2%), lameness 15 (4.8%), emaciation 13 (4.2%), blindness 12 (3.9%), depression 11 (3.5%), pale mucus membrane 7 (2.3%), nasal discharge 5 (1.6%), lacrimation 4 (1.3%), and salivation 03 (0.97%). Postmortem inspection revealed gross pathological findings on 180 (58.6%) carcasses, out of which 47 (26.1%) livers and 31 (17.2%) hearts were condemned due to various causes. The active abattoir survey and the retrospective data revealed that tuberculosis, fascioliasis, hydatidosis, and heart cysticercosis were the leading causes of condemnation of carcasses and organs. In the active abattoir survey, a total of 19,592,508 South Sudanese Pounds, equivalent to US$29,686 was lost from organ condemnation, while in the retrospective data; the overall direct financial loss during the five years was estimated to be 299,225,807 South Sudanese Pounds equivalent to US$453,372. This study revealed that bacterial and parasitic diseases were the common causes of carcass and organ condemnations and caused significant financial losses at Lokoloko abattoir in Wau, South Sudan. Therefore, there is a need for training farmers on cattle disease management, heightened meat inspections, and proper disposal of condemned meat.
Introduction. Factors associated with the expression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) biomarkers “CD16, CD57, TGF-β1, and MED15” are not assessed, except in few controversial studies of some of these biomarkers. This study aimed to highlight factors that can correlate with tumoral overexpression of these biomarkers. Methods. In this genetically-matched case-control study, biomarker expressions in all available OSCC tissues and their adjacent normal tissues at the National Tumor Center (n = 384 (4 biomarkers × (48 cancers + 48 controls))) were measured using qRT-PCR. Factors associated with tumoral overexpression of CD16, CD57, TGF-β1, and MED15 (compared to the benign control) were evaluated, using log-level multiple linear regressions and Spearman (α = 0.05). Results. Tumoral CD16 upregulation was observed in younger patients (β = −0.284, P=0.040) and cigarette smokers (β = 0.397, P=0.005). Tumoral CD57 was upregulated in males (β = 0.341, P=0.008), smokers (β = 0.401, P=0.002), and cases without vascular invasion (β = −0.242, P=0.042). Tumoral TGF-β1 was elevated in smokers (β = 0.452, P=0.001) and smaller tumors (β = −0.322, P=0.045). Tumoral MED15 was overexpressed in smokers (β = 0.295, P=0.036) and cases lacking perineural invasion (β = −0.394, P=0.007). Conclusion. As the most consistent finding, smoking might be positively associated with tumoral overexpression of all biomarkers. Tumoral increase in CD57 might be positively associated with metastasis while being negatively correlated with vascular and lymphatic invasion. Tumor size might be negatively associated with tumoral TGF-β1 expression.
Introduction. Children’s dental health has become the primary concern, because of the increase in the prevalence of caries amongst school children in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence and severity of dental caries among school children in Saudi Arabia. Method. A systematic search of Scopus, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, Saudi digital library, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE via Ovid for cross-sectional studies with healthy participants between 5and –15 years. Two authors independently extracted the prevalence of caries. With 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model, we calculated caries prevalence. Results. Dental caries prevalence data were extracted from 18 cross-sectional studies (n = 56,327 children). The pooled estimate for the caries prevalence among 5–7 years’ children was 84% (95% CI: 0.81–0.87%; I2 = 91%) while among 12–15 years’ children was 72% (95% CI: 0.63–0.79; I2 = 96.2%). Discussion. In this systematic review, the summary estimate of the prevalence of dental caries among children of 5–7 years and 12–15 years were 84% and 72%, respectively. Further research is required to identify approaches for preventing and treating dental caries in schoolchildren.
Background. Globally, an increase in mortality from prostate cancer (PC) remains a big challenge with disparities existing with a slight preponderance among men in low and middle-income countries. Prostate cancer is a leading cause of mortality among men in sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, despite the majority of men presenting with advanced prostate cancer for treatment, knowledge and screening for prostate cancer is low. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a community health worker-led education intervention on knowledge, perception, and PC screening. Methods. This was a quasiexperimental study among Kenyan men aged 40–69 years. The intervention site was Gatundu North subcounty and the control site was Kiambu subcounty in Kiambu County. Stratified random sampling was applied to select 288 respondents per arm of the study. We used a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data at baseline and 6 months postintervention. Pearson’s chi-square test was used for data analysis. Results. Awareness of prostate cancer significantly increased postintervention P<0.05. The proportion of respondents who had good knowledge of prostate cancer increased significantly from 49% to 76.4%P<0.05 in the intervention arm. The proportion of respondents with a high perception of self-vulnerability increased significantly from 26% to 42.1% P<0.05. The proportion of men who had undergone PC screening significantly increased from 4.5% to 20.4% P<0.05 in the intervention arm. In postintervention, there was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of men screened for prostate cancer in the intervention and control arm P<0.05. Conclusion. Health education by community health workers during household visits increased awareness and knowledge, perception, and uptake of PC screening. Utilization of community health worker delivered education is an effective strategy that requires to be adopted to enhance screening.
Introduction . Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) gene polymorphism is linked to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Variations in this gene, along with dyslipidemia and inflammation, may increase the risk of vascular stiffness. This study aimed to investigate the link between ApoA1 rs670 genetic variations, various biochemical parameters, and the risk of arterial stiffness in older people. Methods . This population-based cross-sectional study included 355 participants (≥60 years) who completed a demographic and lifestyle information questionnaire. Clinical and anthropometric examination, biochemical analysis, and ApoA1 rs670 genotyping by real-time PCR were performed. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was used to assess arterial stiffness. Results . Age, BMI, waist circumference, SBP, LDL-C, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were associated with high CAVI (≥9) among older people. The mean CAVI (8.19 ± 2.78) for the ApoA1 rs670 AA genotype was lower than that of the GG genotypes (8.94 ± 1.00, p < 0.05). These results are supported by HDL-C (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.24–0.93; p = 0.030) and high hs-CRP (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.16–0.57; p = 0.006) levels together with adjusted ORs of both variables. Conclusion . ApoA1 rs670 genetic variations involved in the synthesis, transport, and processing of HDLs, hypertension, and inflammation are linked to arterial stiffness. Further studies are required to clarify these mechanisms.
Background The central sterile supply department (CSSD) is wrongly seen as a place in the hospital environment that does not require skills and physical effort, being commonly a hospital sector for the relocation of functionally-readapted professionals. However, CSSD is a work environment that demands professional experience and presents itself as a sector that does not have a healthy work environment. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of comorbidities and functionally-readapted people among nursing professionals allocated to a CSSD and, also, to seek the perception of these professionals about the ergonomic risks and the degree of difficulty to perform activities within a CSSD. Methods This is a cross-sectional study that analyzed the opinions of nursing professionals who work in the CSSD of public hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Nurses, nursing technicians and nursing assistants aged ≥18 years were included. Results Seventy-two nursing professionals were consecutively evaluated. It was observed that 43 of them (59.7%) had never worked in a CSSD. The most prevalent comorbidity in the present study was chronic rhinosinusitis, observed in more than half of the sample, although it is interesting to note the high frequency of participants with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) and repetitive strain injuries (RSI). There is a relationship between previous work in a CSSD and the ability to identify surgical tweezers by visual recognition (p=0.031). There is a relationship between the time the participant had previously worked in the hospital and the skill regarding the information contained in the conference folders for preparing the tray surgical procedures (τb = −0.34, p=0.001). Conclusion Almost a third of nursing professionals working in a CSSD are rehabilitated, with a high prevalence of WMSD and RSI. The commitment of managers to an internal health policy aimed at workers is necessary for health promotion.
Background. The study aimed to determine the correlation between different diet quality indices and glycemic status and lipid profile in patients with diabetes. Methods. This study was carried out on 235 patients with type 2 diabetes referred to Martyr Motahari Diabetes Clinic of Shiraz city so as to investigate the relationship between glycemic status and lipid profile and the diet quality using Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010), phytochemical index (PI), and Diet Quality Index-International (DQI_I). Results. A positive correlation was indicated between the serum levels of LDL-C and HEI-2010 scores p=0.026. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the patients’ age and scores of PI p=0.006 and between PI and DQI_I p<0.001. There was no significant relationship between the scores for all three indicators and biochemical parameters. Conclusion. The results of this study indicated that there was a significant correlation between the serum LDL-C levels and the HEI-2010 scores. Moreover, the age of the patients had a direct correlation with the PI scores.
Background. Promoting hand hygiene compliance should be a priority for health authorities and all healthcare facilities at all levels. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a pooled estimate of hand hygiene compliance and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Ethiopia. Methods. PubMed, Science Direct, EMBASE, the Google search engine, and Google Scholar were used to retrieve studies that were eligible for the study. The searches included all studies published in English prior to July 2021. Using a structured data extraction format, two authors independently extracted the required data. STATA Version 16 software has been used for statistical analysis. To measure the heterogeneity of the studies, the Cochrane Q-test statistics and I2 test were used. Because of the significant heterogeneity, a random-effects model was used. Results. The pooled hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers in Ethiopia was 38% (95% CI: 0.16–0.59). According to the study’s subgroup analysis, Addis Ababa City administration health workers had the highest hand hygiene compliance, at 73% (95% CI: 0.50–0.96), while SNNP regional state had the lowest, at 9% (95% CI: 0.05–0.13). Presence of hand hygiene promotion (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.04–3.24), towel/tissue paper availability (OR: 3.97, 95% CI: 2.09–5.86), having a positive attitude toward hand hygiene (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.28–2.30), having good knowledge about hand hygiene (OR: 3.45, 95% CI: 1.26–5.64), and being trained for hand hygiene (OR:4.97, 95% CI:1.81–8.14) were significantly associated with hand hygiene compliance. Conclusion. In this analysis, hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers in Ethiopia was less than half. Providing hand hygiene promotion, towel/tissue paper presence, having a positive attitude toward hand hygiene, having good knowledge about hand hygiene, and being trained for hand hygiene were important variables for the increment of hand hygiene compliance.
BACKGROUND:Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. An outbreak is called an epidemic when there is a sudden increase in cases. Many countries have experienced a two-wave pattern in the reported cases of COVID-19. The spread of COVID-19 in Thailand was a cluster event distributed over multiple locations. This study aims to compare the characteristics of different waves during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.METHODS:A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2020 to May 2021 (17 months) to determine the number of COVID-19 screenings and confirmed cases and deaths as well as sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, nationality, and source population at risk factors. The categorical data were compared using a chi-square test.RESULTS:Three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic occurred within 17 months in Thailand, and the number of cases increased by over 100,000 due to source population at risk factors such as close contact with a previously confirmed patient, community risk, cluster communities, and active and community surveillance. The chi-square test revealed significant differences between the three waves (p < 0.01).CONCLUSION:Significant differences between pandemic phases or waves may be due to weak social distancing policies and the lack of public health interventions. A COVID-19 vaccination plan is needed for people at risk of suffering severe symptoms and the general population in outbreak areas to increase immunity.
BACKGROUND:Tobacco consumption is very prevalent in India and associated with a number of oral health problems. Good oral health behavior plays a significant role in improving oral hygiene status.OBJECTIVES:To assess the relationship between the oral health behavior, oral hygiene, and gingival status of adolescent tobacco consumers (smoke/smokeless form) and to compare it with that of the nonconsumers of tobacco in the same age group, who were selected from the OPD of Dental Institute, RIMS.METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Ranchi. The study included a total of 400 adolescents who were reported to be consumers of tobacco and 400 adolescents who were nonconsumers of tobacco. The oral health behavior was assessed using HU-DBI. The plaque and gingival scores were assessed using standardized indices. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test, independent sample t-test, and Pearson's correlation. The significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05.RESULTS:The majority of tobacco consumers were found to have poor plaque scores as assessed using the plaque index. As assessed by the gingival index, the majority of the tobacco consumers were found to have a severe form of gingivitis. The mean plaque score (2.38 ± 0.51, p value <0.001) and the mean gingival score (2.6 ± 0.63, p value <0.001) were significantly higher in tobacco consumers. The mean HU-DBI score was significantly higher in non-tobacco consumers (8.3 ± 1.60, p value <0.001). It was observed that the gingival and plaque scores have a significant negative correlation with the HU-DBI score. The majority of tobacco consumers were worried about the staining of teeth and bleeding from gums. A dental visit for a routine preventive check-up was reported to be rare in both groups.CONCLUSION:The oral hygiene and gingival status were significantly poor in tobacco consumers compared to non-tobacco consumers. As the oral health behavior of the participants improved, the plaque and gingival scores reduced significantly.
Background Promotion of health is vital for the optimal growth and development of every infant. Globally, many infants died due to common problems such as diarrhoea and respiratory infection; most of these problems are related to inadequate breast feeding, improper complimentary feeding, lack of immunization, and home accident. Infant and child health status depends upon mothers' knowledge and practice regarding health promotional measures. This study aimed to determine practice and its determinants regarding health promotional measures of infant with 6–12 months age amongst the mothers attending Pediatrics Outpatient Department of Universal College of Medical Science and Teaching Hospital, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi, Nepal. Methods Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Universal College of Medical Science, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi, Nepal, among 414 mothers attending pediatrics outpatient department from September 2019–March 2020. Purposive sampling technique was used to select mothers of infants aged 6–12 months. Bivariate analysis was used primarily to assess the association between dependent and independent variables. Variables which were associated in bivariate analysis with p < 0.05 were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model to identify associated factors of health promotional measures. The goodness of fit of multivariate logistic regression was checked by Nagelkerke R square and variation inflation factor. Results The mean age and family size was 25.89 ± 4.81 years and 5.94 ± 2.48, respectively. A total of 71.5% mothers have good practice of health promotional measures. Mothers from Dalit caste (adjusted odds ratio = 0.04, confidence interval: 0.005–0.30), mothers with below school leaving certificate education (AOR = 0.08, CI: 0.02–0.27), fathers engaged in nonagricultural work (AOR = 7.21, CI: 2.59–20.11), birth space of index child greater than 2 years (AOR = 12.88, CI: 3.49–47.58), and family monthly income greater than 20000 Nepalese rupees (AOR = 3.29, CI: 1.16–13.32 were significantly associated with good practice of health promotional measures. Conclusions More than one-fourth of the mothers have poor practice of health promotional measures. Ethnicity, mothers' education, fathers' occupation, birth space of index child, and family monthly income were found to be independent determinants of practice of health promotion measures. Thus, policy makers should provide specific education regarding health promotional measures to both parents.
Background Hepatitis C virus infection during pregnancy is associated with a high risk of maternal complications and poor birth outcomes. There are variable reports on the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Methods A comprehensive search of electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar was conducted from April 03, 2020, to May 03, 2020. The quality of included article was evaluated by the JBI. Heterogeneity between the studies was assessed using Cochrane Q and I2 test. The presence of publication bias was tested by funnel plots and Egger's test. A random-effects meta-analysis was computed to determine the pooled prevalence of HCV infection among pregnant women. Results Of 502 studies, 6 studies with a total of 2117 pregnant women were included in the meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia was 1.83% (95% CI: 0.61, 3.06). Besides, subgroup analysis revealed that the highest HCV prevalence among pregnant women was observed in Oromia region, 5.10% (95% CI: −0.53, 10.73). Conclusions This study shows an intermediate level of HCV infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia. The finding suggests the need of implementing a routine hepatitis C virus screening program for all pregnant women, which enables women to access HCV antiviral treatment to minimize vertical transmission to the newborn infants. Moreover, national and regional health programs should mandate and monitor the screening procedures so as to reduce the risk of hepatitis C virus infection.
The main volatile organic compounds found at gasoline stations are benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers (BTEX). They cause several harmful effects on human health. Regulatory Norm 7 (1978) provides that, in Brazil, biological monitoring of toluene and xylene is carried out by measuring the urinary metabolites hippuric acid (HA) and methylhippuric acid (MHA), respectively. The objective of this study was to assess the exposure to toluene and xylene and to identify related signs and symptoms in gasoline station workers. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted with workers occupationally exposed to fuels. These gasoline station workers were divided into two groups: 94 workers exposed mainly by inhalation (convenience store workers (CSWs)) and 181 workers exposed by inhalation and dermal route (filling station attendants (FSAs)). A comparison group was formed by 119 workers not occupationally exposed to fuels (office workers (OWs)). Workers exposed to fuels had higher average levels of these exposure biomarkers (HA and MHA), which were also higher in convenience store workers than in filling station attendants. In addition, individuals exposed to the solvents present in gasoline had altered mood/depression, cramps, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, irritability/nervousness, weakness, weight loss, and other symptoms more frequently and had higher urinary levels of HA and MHA compared to the comparison group. Gasoline station workers showed high levels of HA and MHA, reflecting high occupational exposure to the solvents toluene and xylene present in gasoline, demonstrating that changes in the current legislation and in the work environment are necessary to ensure better health protection for these workers.
Background. Immunization acts as a key intervention to reduce under-five mortality and morbidity. Despite global progress on vaccination, difficulties in the utilization of this service in developing countries have been observed. According to Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2016, only 78% of children received a complete dose of vaccine among which the first-dose receiver of DPT is 98%, whereas only 83% received a third dose. This study aims to explore the influencing factors of DPT vaccination dropout in Nepal. Methods. The explorative study was done through secondary data analysis of NDHS 2016. The KR file was used for the analysis of information for 2883 children. Factors influencing dropout of DPT vaccination were explored against the independent variables such as external environment, predisposing factors, and enabling resources. All the analyses were weighted before the analysis. The descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed. The variables showing collinearity have been removed in the final model. Results. A higher dropout was reported in Terai (18.9%) and province 2 (22.0%), among uneducated mothers (18.1%) and uneducated fathers (19.4%), less than once a week internet users (22.2%), the nonradio listener (17.4%), who had <4 ANC visits (22.7%), home delivery (19.2%), no advised SBA (19.1%), long distance to health facility (17.9%), no iron supplementation in pregnancy (24.3%), and PNC by TBA/others (21.1%). All these tested relationships were found statistically significant (P value <0.05). The aOR for dropout was found to be 7.94 (4.07–15.51) for mothers with less than 4 or no ANC visit, long distance to health facility 4.68 (1.98–10.67), province 2 3.53 (1.13–11.03), and mother without formal employment 2.33 (1.52–3.55). Conclusion. Factors related to health services, distance, provinces, and socioeconomic status of the family were influencers for vaccine dropout. Targeted intervention towards disadvantaged regions, counseling the mother during ANC, improving the education status of parents, access to the health facility, and use of mass media for advocacy are hereby recommended.
Arterial vascular calcification (VC) represents formation of calcium phosphate deposits on the interior of arteries, which could restrict blood flow leading to heart health problems, including morbidity and mortality. VC is a complex and tightly regulated process that involves transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to bone-like cells and subsequent deposition of calcium as hydroxyapatite. Natural bioactives, including quercetin (Q), curcumin (C), resveratrol (R), and magnesium (Mg), have been reported to inhibit VC. Thus, we conducted an in vitro study using rat vascular smooth muscle cells (rVSMCs) to evaluate the protective effect of natural bioactives found in OptiCel, that is, Mg combined with polyphenols (PPs), Q, C, and R. Calcification was induced by culturing rVSMCs in a high phosphate (HP) medium. The addition of Mg and Q + C + R separately decreased the HP-induced calcium deposition by 37.55% and 42.78%, respectively. In contrast, when Mg was combined with Q, C, and R, the inhibition of calcium deposition was decreased by 92.88%, which is greater than their calculated additive inhibition (80.33%). These results demonstrate that the combination of Mg with selected PPs (Q, C, and R) is more effective than when used separately. The findings also suggest the combination has a synergistic effect in inhibiting VC, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Thus, regular consumption of these natural bioactives could have a beneficial effect in reducing the development of heart diseases.
Background As one of the most important public health problems worldwide, diabetes is closely linked with patients' lifestyles. The optimal approach to treating diabetes is to prevent it. Our aim in this study was to assess the impact of self-care behaviors on quality of life, blood sugar control, and HbA1C level in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods This randomized clinical trial examined 100 diabetic women referred to Ghadir Comprehensive Health Center in Birjand in 2019. A 5 cc fasting blood sample was taken from each participant. The participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. For the experimental group, a 10-session self-care training workshop was held. Baseline and postintervention fasting blood glucose, HbA1C level, and life quality of the two groups were assessed and compared six months after the intervention. Data were analyzed in SPSS (16). Results In the experimental group, the mean serum HbA1C level decreased from the baseline 7.5 ± 1.5 to 6.3 ± 1.0 (P < 0.001). Fasting blood sugar in the intervention group decreased from 136.3 ± 43.5 to 127.3 ± 22.9, but the reduction was not significant (P=0.322). The mean scores of the quality of life (P=0.002) and the visual analogue scale (P < 0.001P < 0.001) in the experimental group increased significantly compared to the control group. Conclusion Self-care training for diabetic women had positive effects on both life quality and disease control. Therefore, it is recommended that self-care training be delivered and taken more seriously by physicians and health care providers in addition to drug therapy.
BACKGROUND:It is essential to follow World Health Organization drug prescribing indicators to ensure rational prescribing in every health care setting.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the prescriptions in the endocrinology department, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), recommended Ghana guidelines for diabetes management and rational therapy.METHODS:Concurrent and retrospective study design was used. The prescriptions of 100 diabetes patients were assessed for the type of medicine, dosage form, number of drugs, diabetes type, and deviation from standard guidelines.RESULTS:In a total of 100 prescriptions, the pattern was reported as injections (31%), antibiotics (18%), and metformin (31.1%). Half of the prescriptions were according to WHO guidelines. The number of drugs per prescription was reported at 5.2. A 70% rational approach was followed in prescribing. 81% of drugs were prescribed from the Essential Drug List (EDL) of the WHO. However, the National Essential Drug List (NEDL) was followed by 27%. The percentage of drugs on generic names was 0.7%. Eighty-four patients showed net improvement in health; 16 patients showed higher glycemic range at the time of discharge.CONCLUSION:The conclusion of the present study indicates that WHO Ghana guidelines were not followed up to the mark to improve the overall health status of diabetic patients and rational prescribing.
Background . While completion of the Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) schedule for children remains a crucial factor in the prevention of illness and promotion of better child health, there has been low attendance among caregivers in Ghana. This study examined knowledge of 220 caregivers of children aged 24–59 months on CWC and other factors influencing attendance in the Garu-Tempane District of Northern Ghana. Methods . This health facility-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among caregivers of children using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics comprising frequency, percentage, Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression were adopted in analysing the data. Results . Less than half (46.9%) of the children completed their CWC schedules. Meanwhile, caregivers’ knowledge on CWC was 97.7%. Children aged 37–48 months (AOR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.21–0.86, p = 0.017) and 49–59 months (AOR = 0.27, 95%CI = 0.10–0.77, p = 0.014), respectively, had lower odds of completing CWC. Children with caregivers not having any formal education also had lower odds of completing CWC (AOR = 0.45, 95%CI = 0.21–0.95, p = 0.036). Conclusion . Educational programmes on the importance of CWC completion should focus on caregivers with children aged 37 months and above and those caregivers with low educational level. It is further recommended that studies be conducted to explore the extent of association between caregivers’ marital status, occupation, level of knowledge, and child CWC completion in the Garu-Tempane District.
