Determinants of pediatrics emergency mortality at comprehensive specialized hospitals of South nation nationalities and people region, Ethiopia, 2022: unmatched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Globally, child mortality is remaining high, especially in sub-Saharan African countries like Ethiopia. Mortality which happens within 24 hours of admission is preventable. However, in Ethiopia little is known regarding pediatric emergency mortality. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify determinants of pediatric emergency mortality at compressive specialized hospitals found in South Nation Nationalities and people region, Southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility-based unmatched case-control study was conducted on 344 children (115 cases and 229 controls) at comprehensive specialized hospitals of South Nation Nationalities and people region, Ethiopia. The data collection checklist was checked for its consistency. Data were entered and cleaned for missed values by using Epi Data3.1, then exported to Stata version 14.1 for analysis. Logistic regression was done to identify the significant determinants for pediatric emergency mortality. Finally, AORs at 95% CI and P-value < 0.05 were used to declare statistical significance. RESULT: A total of 344 charts were reviewed, of which 333 (97%) (112 cases and 221 controls) charts fulfilled the inclusion criteria.. In multivariable analysis, delayed diagnosis and treatment [AOR = 2.088, 95% of CI (1.128, 3.864)], acute respiratory distress syndrome [AOR = 2.804, 95% of CI (1.487, 5.250)], dehydration [AOR = 3.323, 95% of CI (1.260, 8.761)], meningitis [AOR = 5.282, 95% of CI (2.707, 10.310)], sepsis [AOR = 4.224, 95% of CI (2.220, 8.040)], accidental injury [AOR = 3.603, 95% of CI (1.877, 6.916)] and duration of sign/symptoms [AOR = 5.481, 95% of CI (2.457, 12.230)] were significantly associated with pediatric emergency mortality. CONCLUSION: In the current study, delayed diagnosis and treatment, acute respiratory distress syndrome, dehydration, sepsis, meningitis, accidental injury and duration of signs/symptoms were significantly associated with pediatric emergency mortality. Healthcare professionals should identify and treat patients early at an emergency department and provide attention to patients with the above diseases. Furthermore, quality care should be provided.

Prevalence and associated factors of diarrhea among under-five children in Debre Berhan town, Ethiopia 2018: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is responsible for 525,000 children under-five deaths and 1.7 billion cases globally and is the second leading cause of death among children under-five every year. It is a major public health problem in low income countries like Ethiopia. The main aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of diarrhea and associated risk factors among children under-five in Debre Berhan Town, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 420 parent or caretaker/children pairs in Debre Berhan town between 13 and 18 April 2018. A multi-stage sampling strategy was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using pre-tested and structured questionnaires. Data were entered in Epi-info computer software version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS Window Version-16 for analysis. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the level of significance. RESULTS: The two week prevalence of diarrhea among children under-five was 16.4% (69/351). Children aged 7-11 months (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-15.3), being the second-born child (AOR: 3.9, 95%CI: 1.8-8.5), not vaccinated against rotavirus (AOR: 10.3, 95%CI: 3.2-91.3) and feeding children by hand (AOR: 2.5, 95%CI: 1.1-6.1) were significant predictors of diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the two weeks period prevalence of diarrhea among children under-five years was 16.4%. Education programs on the importance of vaccination against rotavirus, increasing breast feeding frequency with complementary food after six months and the critical points of hand washing are recommended.

Prevalence and associated factors of bronchial asthma among adult patients in Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, Ethiopia 2018: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Bronchial asthma is one of the major public health challenges throughout the world that negatively impact patients, families and community. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of bronchial asthma among patients in adult emergency department of Debre Berhan Referral Hospital. A hospital based cross-sectional study design was used among 257 study participants. A systematic sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data was collected by using pretested and structured questionnaire and analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the predictors of asthma. RESULTS: Prevalence of bronchial asthma among adult patients was 29.6%. Being an urban resident (AOR: 1.5: 95% CI 1.3-3.9), income of household less than 1000 EBr/month (AOR: 1.7: 95% CI 1.6-4.1), having family history of asthma (AOR: 2.7: 95% CI 1.3-5.8), and presence of vermin in the house (AOR: 2.4: 95% CI 1.2-4.7) were significantly associated with bronchial asthma. The authors concluded that the prevalence of bronchial asthma among adult patients was high. Therefore, educational program about the risk factors and preventive measures of asthma is highly recommended.