Selected hematological abnormalities and their associated factors among asthmatic patients in Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lungs. Variation in whole blood cell lines is caused by the progression and severity of asthma. Common hematological abnormalities encountered during asthma include eosinophilia, neutrophilia, leukocytosis, and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The main aim of this study was to assess the selected hematological abnormalities and their associated factors among asthmatic patients in Northwest Ethiopia from March to May 2021. METHODOLOGY: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 320 asthmatic patients in Northwest Ethiopia. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select study participants. A pre-tested structured questionnaire and a checklist were used to collect data. Blood samples were collected from asthmatic patients for complete blood count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate determination. Hematological profiles were analyzed by Unicel DxH 800 (Beckman Coulter, Ireland). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was determined by using the Westergren method. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.0.4 and analyzed with a statistical package for social science version 20 software. The bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression models were used to assess the factors associated with hematological abnormalities. A p value of less than 0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression analysis was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of neutrophilia, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis, and basophilia was 35.3%, 20%, 11.9%, 10.3%, and 4.1%, respectively. Neutrophilia was associated with a lack of physical activity (AOR = 3.25; 95% CI 1.43-7.37) and a history of taking non-asthmatic drugs within the previous three months (AOR = 2.63; 95% CI 1.22-5.65). Being admitted to the emergency department (AOR = 0.27; 95% CI 0.11-5.67) was found to be associated with eosinophilia. In addition, being admitted to the emergency department (AOR = 5.44; 95%CI: 2.6-11.3) was associated with thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated the predominant prevalence of neutrophilia, followed by eosinophilia, among asthma patients. Therefore, hematological abnormalities should be taken into account for proper monitoring and management of asthmatic patients.

Treatment delay and associated factors among adults with drug resistant tuberculosis at treatment initiating centers in the Amhara regional state, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: A delayed initiation of tuberculosis treatment results in high morbidity, mortality, and increased person-to-person transmissions. The aim of this study was to assess treatment delay and its associated factors among adult drug resistant tuberculosis patients in the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted on all adult drug resistant tuberculosis patients who initiated treatment from September 2010 to December 2017. Data were collected from patient charts, registration books, and computer databases using abstraction sheets. The data were entered using Epi-info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Summary statistics, like means, medians, and proportions were used to present it. Binary logistic regression was fitted; Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was also computed. Variables with p-value < 0.05 in the multi-variable logistic regression model was declared as significantly associated with treatment delay. RESULTS: The median time to commence treatment after drug resistant tuberculosis diagnosis was 8 (IQR: 3-37) days. Being diagnosed by Line probe assay [AOR = 5.59; 95% CI: 3.48-8.98], Culture [AOR = 5.15; 95% CI: 2.53-10.47], and history of injectable anti-TB drugs [AOR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.41-3.19] were associated with treatment delays. CONCLUSION: Treatment delay was long, especially among patients diagnosed by Culture or LPA and those who had a prior history of injectable anti-TB drugs. That suggested that the need for universal accesses to rapid molecular diagnostic tests, such as Gene Xpert and the PMDT team were needed to promptly decide to minimize unnecessary delays.

Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and associated factors among Visceral Leishmaniasis infected patients in Northwest Ethiopia: a facility based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Visceral Leishmaniasis coinfection with HIV/AIDS has emerged as a series of disease pattern. It most often results in unfavorable responses to treatment, frequent relapses, and deaths. Scarce data is available regarding the prevalence of HIV and associated factors among Visceral Leishmaniasis coinfected patients. This study sought to determine the prevalence of HIV and associated factors among Visceral Leishmaniasis infected patients. METHODS: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted from October, 2015 to August, 2016 in Northwest Ethiopia. Cluster sampling technique was used to select 462 Visceral Leishmaniasis infected patients. Serologic and parasitological test results have been used to diagnose Visceral Leishmaniasis. The HIV diagnosis was based on the national algorithm with two serial positive rapid test results. In case of discrepancy between the two tests, Uni-Gold TM was used as a tie breaker. Structured questionnaire was used to collect independent variables. Data was entered by using Excel and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression model was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 462 study participants were included in the study with a response rate of 92.4%. HIV and Visceral Leishmaniasis coinfection was found to be 17.75% with 95% CI; 14.30-21.40. Age ≥ 30 years (AOR = 22.58, 95% CI 11.34, 45.01), urban residents (AOR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.16, 4.17) and daily laborer workers (AOR = 4.99, 95% CI 2.33, 10.68) were significantly associated with HIV and Visceral Leishmaniasis coinfection. CONCLUSION: HIV and Visceral Leishmaniasis coinfection in the Northwest Ethiopia was found to be low. Age, residence and employment were independently associated with HIV-VL coinfection in the Northwest Ethiopia. It is better to design interventions to prevent and control HIV-VL coinfection for productive age groups (age ≥ 30) and daily laborers.

Health-related quality of life of HIV infected adults with and without Visceral Leishmaniasis in Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome measure among HIV infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). When HIV infected patients coinfected with Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) the problem become severe because VL accelerates HIV replication and disease progression. The impact of VL on the quality of life of HIV infected patients has not been studied. In this study in Ethiopia, we compared the quality of life of HIV infected patients with and without VL. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2015 to September 2016 in selected health centers and hospitals, in Northwest Ethiopia. Data on quality of life was collected by trained nurses. The instrument used to collect the data was the short Amharic version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life for HIV clients (WHOQoL-HIV). Depression was assessed using the validated version of Kessler scale. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate linear regression model was used to summarize the results. RESULTS: A total of 590 study participants were included in the study with response rate of 95%. Of the 590 patients included in our study 125 (21%) were HIV-VL coinfection. HIV-VL coinfected patients had a lower quality of life in all the domains as compared to HIV patients without VL. Depression was consistently and strongly associated with all the quality of life domains of both groups. Also, in HIV infected patients a longer duration in ART was associated with higher HRQoL domains except for the spiritual and level of independence domains. With regard to HIV-VL coinfected patients, a longer duration in ART was associated with psychological, spiritual and level of independence domains of HRQoL. Demographics, clinical, and treatment characteristics resulted few significant associations with HRQoL domains of both groups. CONCLUSION: HIV-VL coinfected patients had a poor quality of life in all the domains of the WHOQoL-HIV instrument. Depression, duration of ART and education were strongly associated with the quality of life. Depression should be targeted for intervention to improve the quality of life.

Perceived quality of life among Visceral Leishmaniasis and HIV coinfected migrant male-workers in Northwest Ethiopia: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: There is paucity of data on quality of life as a dimension of treatment outcome among Visceral Leishmaniasis and HIV coinfected patients. This study sought to explore perceived quality of life among Visceral Leishmaniasis and HIV coinfected male migrant workers in Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: Twenty Visceral Leishmaniasis and HIV coinfected study participants took part in the in-depth interviews at Visceral Leishmaniasis and HIV treatment centers. Ten participants were on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and the remaining 10 have not yet started ART. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and translated for analysis. Data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis using Open Code software version 3.4. RESULT: Participants reported on four aspects of quality of life: liveability of the environment, utility of life, life ability of a person and appreciation of life. Respondents living environment, therapeutic side effects of Visceral Leishmaniasis drugs, poverty and stigma negatively affected their quality of life. On the contrary, good treatment response and financial security were reported to positively affect their quality of life. CONCLUSION: Challenges related to the living environment, financial limitations and sub-optimal response of Visceral Leishmaniasis drug and relapse of Visceral Leishmaniasis disease are factors most negatively affecting the quality of life of Visceral Leishmaniasis and HIV coinfected patients. Micro-financing and other socio-economical support programs should be launched to assist the unemployed males migrating to Visceral Leishmaniasis endemic and relatively higher HIV prevalent areas to work as daily laborers. HIV prevention programs in HIV positive-living counseling programs should target such high risk migrant workers in the endemic areas.

High burden of hypertension across the age groups among residents of Gondar city in Ethiopia: a population based cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: According to a report on the worldwide trends in blood pressure from 1975 to 2015, mean blood pressure is increasing in low and middle income countries while it is either decreasing or stabilizing in high income countries. Few studies have been published on the prevalence of hypertension in Ethiopia demonstrating an increased trend; however, these studies had small sample size and were limited to participants older than 35 years; which left the burden among adolescents and young adults unaddressed. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of hypertension (HTN) and associated factors in Gondar city. METHOD: A population based cross-sectional study was conducted among 3227 individuals in Gondar city. A multistage cluster random sampling was used. The Kish method from World Health Organization (WHO) STEPS instrument of random sampling method was used for selecting one individual older than or equal to 18 years from each household. WHO and International Diabetic Association (IDA) criterion was used to classify HTN. RESULT: The overall prevalence of HTN was 27. 4% [95% CI: (25. 8-28.9)]. The prevalence for participants in the age group of ≥35 years was 36. 1%. It consistently increased from 9.5% in the age group of 18-25 years to 46.3% in the age group of ≥65 years (P-value < 0. 001). Only 47% of the participants had ever had any kind of blood pressure measurement. Being elderly (AOR = 5. 56; 95% CI: 3. 71-8. 35), obese (AOR =2. 62; 95%CI: 1. 70-4. 03), widowed (AOR = 1. 87; 95%CI: 1. 27-2. 75), separated (AOR = 1. 87; 95%CI: 1. 27-2. 75), daily alcohol user (AOR = 1. 51; 95%CI: 1. 02-2. 23), male gender (AOR = 1. 42; 95%CI: 1. 18-1. 72) and born in urban area (AOR = 1. 31; 95%CI: 1. 10-1. 56) were found to be independently associated with HTN. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of hypertension in Gondar city and is showing increasing trend compared to previous reports. Interventions to raise awareness and to improve both capacity and accessibility of facilities for screening hypertension are highly recommended.

Metabolic syndrome among hypertensive patients at University of Gondar Hospital, North West Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Data is sparse concerning the magnitude of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in developing countries like Ethiopia whose major health problem had long been under-nutrition and infectious diseases rather than non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including hypertension, obesity and MetS. However, it is obvious that the NCDs are recently taking over and becoming the major health care concerns in the developing countries. This pattern could be partly explained by the nation's sustained economical growth in the last few decades in addition to the increasing globalization related adoption of western lifestyle. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and associated factors among hypertensive patients in North West Ethiopia. METHOD: A cross sectional study was conducted on 300 hypertensive individuals who get follow-up care at University of Gondar Hospital after diagnosed as hypertensive. The WHO STEP-wise approach to surveillance of NCD was used. Fasting blood glucose level, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were determined using standardized laboratory procedures. RESULT: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 40.7% and 39.3% according to the modified NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively. Low HDL-c was found to be the most frequently encountered (81.3%) component of MetS other than the hypertension. Being female was significantly associated with MetS (AOR = 4.34; 95% CI: 2.09, 8.99) using IDF and (AOR = 3.30; 95% CI: 1.66, 6.58) using NCEP-ATP III criteria. Abnormal BMI which included both high and low BMI was found to have significant association with MetS (AOR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.73, 5.58) using IDF and (AOR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.05, 3.22) as diagnosed using the NCEP-ATP III criteria. CONCLUSION: We recommend a comprehensive medical care approach to hypertensive patients to adequately assess and address the additional components of MetS which are known to potentiate the risks of cardiovascular diseases among hypertensive patients.

Prevalence of unfavorable outcome in acute poisoning and associated factors at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Background: Acute poisoning is a medical emergency in which the toxic effects occur almost immediately, usually within hours from the time of exposure, and can result from exposure to excessive doses of any chemical. It is the common cause of emergency admission, which may result in morbidity and mortality. There are a lot of factors that are associated with an increased magnitude of mortality and complication. Therefore, this study was carried out to assess the clinical characteristics of patients, unfavorable outcomes of acute poisoning, and associated factors to improve the quality of care, resource utilization, and decrease mortality. Objective: This study aimed to assess the outcome and associated factors among acute poisoning patients at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia (2021). Methods: A prospective follow-up study was conducted from January 2021 to September 2021 at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Data were collected using a comprehensively organized and pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data were entered using EPI data version 4.6.0 statistical software and then exported to Stata 14 for analysis. The data were analyzed for descriptive statistics. Statistical analysis was performed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models to identify factors associated with the unfavorable outcome of acute poisoning. The result is presented in the form of tables, figures, and text using frequencies and summary statistics such as mean, SD, median, IQR, and percentage. Result: A total of 233 patients were included in the study. The prevalence of unfavorable poisoning outcomes in acute poisoning was 17.6% (95% CI: 13.2, 23.1). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, known chronic medical comorbidities [AOR: 3.846 (1.619, 9.574); value of p: 0.014] and hospital stay of less than 48 h [AOR: 6.57 (2.03, 21.273); value of p: 0.002] were found to be independent factors associated with unfavorable outcomes in acute poisoning. Conclusion: The magnitude of unfavorable poisoning outcomes was high in patients with acute poisoning. Having known medical comorbid illness and short hospital stay of less than 48 h were found to be associated with unfavorable outcomes.

Knowledge and Attitude Toward Evidence-Based Medicine and Associated Factors Among Medical Interns in Amhara Regional State Teaching Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is widely accepted in medicine. It is necessary to improve the knowledge and attitudes of medical students in the use of evidence. In Ethiopia, little is known about medical students' knowledge and attitudes toward EBM. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward EBM and its associated factors among medical interns in teaching hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a random sample of medical interns in teaching hospitals in Ethiopia. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors associated with the knowledge and attitudes toward EBM. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval and P≤.05 was used to quantify strength of association between variables. RESULTS: Out of a sample of 423 medical interns, 403 completed the questionnaire (95.3% response rate). Overall, 68.0% (274/403 of respondents had a favorable attitude toward EBM and 57.1% (230/403) had good knowledge of EBM. The majority (355/403, 88.1%) of participants had internet access. Only 19.6% (79/403) of respondents had received EBM-related training. Respondents' knowledge of EBM was associated with previous EBM training (AOR 2.947, 95% CI 1.648-5.268, P<.001), understanding of sensitivity (AOR 2.836, 95% CI 1.824-4.408, P=.003), and internet access (AOR 2.914, 95% CI 1.494-5.685, P=.002). The use of an electronic database as a source of information (AOR 1.808, 95% CI 1.143-2.861, P=.01) and understanding of absolute risk reduction (AOR 2.750, 95% CI 1.105-6.841, P=.03) were predictors of positive attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a lack of formal EBM training and awareness of basic concepts of EBM among medical interns. Medical intern attitudes toward EBM are relatively good. To enhance EBM knowledge and skills, formal teaching of EBM should be integrated into medical education.

Magnitude of metabolic syndrome in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is becoming a major public health problem globally; it is clear that the burden of MetS is rapidly increasing the rates of non-communicable diseases (NCD). In Ethiopia studies done so far have shown a large disparity in magnitude of the prevalence of MetS and were mainly institution-based studies. Therefore, this study assess the prevalence of MetS among adults who are residing in Gondar city using Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) assessment tool. The findings are imperative to developing and strengthening national NCD prevention and control programs. METHODS: This study was conducted in Gondar city Northwest Ethiopia in 2018. It employs a community-based cross-sectional study design among 3,227 individuals 18 years of age or older. Data was collected using the WHO stepwise tool, lipid profile, blood pressure (BP), waist circumference (WC) body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose levels (FG), and anthropometric measurements. The prevalence estimation was made along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The Kappa statistic was used to analyze the statistical agreement between ATP III and IDF definitions of the MetS. Stratified analysis was also performed for description and analysis components using ATP III and IDF as an outcome. RESULT: Of the total study participants (3227), 3059 (94.8%) were included in the final analysis and 52.5% were female. The mean (±SD) age of the study participant was 40.8 years (16.2 ±SD). The overall prevalence of MetS using ATP III was 11.2% [95%CI: 10.1, 12.3] and using IDF was 11.9% [95%CI: 10.8, 13.2]. The sex-specific proportion was high in females rather than males irrespective of the criteria. The overall level of agreement between ATP III and IDF prevalence was 91.7% and the Kappa statistics was 0.594. Older age, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, being female, born in an urban area, consumption of an alcoholic drink in the preceding 30 days, and non-fasting practice was significantly associated with MetS. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: There was a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome among females than males irrespective of metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria. This also shows good agreement between ATP III and IDF. Being female, urban birthplace, frequent alcohol consumption in the last 30 days, and non-fasting practice are factors associated with higher rates of metabolic syndrome. Hence, awareness campaigns, physical exercise, and nutrition education intervention should be undertaken to promote health behavioral practice.

Patterns of Admission and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients Admitted to Medical Intensive Care Unit of a Teaching and Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The intensive care unit (ICU) is a health care delivery service for patients who are in critical condition with potentially recoverable diseases. Patients can benefit from more detailed observation, monitoring and advanced treatment than other wards or department. The care is advancing but in resource-limited settings, it is lagging far behind and mortality is still higher due to various reasons. Therefore, we aimed to determine the admission patterns, clinical outcomes and associated factors among patients admitted medical intensive care unit (MICU). METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted based on a record review of logbook and charts of patients admitted from September, 2015 to April, 2019. Data were entered and analysed using SPSS version 20. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used and a P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 738 patients were admitted to medical intensive care unit (MICU) during September, 2015 - April, 2019. Five hundred and four patients (68%) of all intensive care unit (ICU) admissions had complete data. Out of the 504 patients, 268 (53.2%) patients were females. Cardiovascular disease 182(36.1%) was the commonest categorical admission diagnosis. The overall mortality rate was 38.7%. In the multivariate analysis, mortality was associated with need for mechanical ventilation (AOR = 5.87, 95% CI: 3.24 - 10.65) and abnormal mental status at admission (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.83-4.29). Patients who had stay less than four days in MICU were 5 times more likely to die than those who has stay longer time (AOR= 5.58, 95% CI: 3.58- 8.69). CONCLUSIONS: The overall mortality was considerably high and cardiovascular diseases were the most common cause of admission in MICU. Need for mechanical ventilator, length of intensive care unit stay and mental status at admission were strongly associated with clinical outcome of patients admitted to medical intensive care unit.

Hematological malignancies in the Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The effect of malignant diseases is increasing globally, particularly in developing countries as shown by recent cancer statistics from the world health organization reports. It is anticipated that with an increase in life expectancy consequent upon the improved standard of living and increasing urbanization, the burden of hematological malignancies in sub-Saharan Africa particularly in Ethiopia is likely to increase recently. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the incidence and trend of hematological malignancy in Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility-based retrospective study was conducted from 2015 to 2019 at the University of Gondar and Bahir-Dar Felegehiwot comprehensive specialized hospitals. Hematological malignancy data were collected by using a data collection sheet that was consisted of patients' socio-demography, clinical, and laboratory data. Then, data were entered into Epi-info 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Skewness and kurtosis were used to check data distribution. Descriptive statistics were summarized as percentages, means, and standard deviations of background variables, and the trend were analyzed. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 1,342 study participants were included. The mean age of study participants was 41.49 ± 16.3 years with a range of 1 to 92 years. About 58.3%, 52.2%, and 80% of the cases were observed among males, 18-45 age group, and urban residences, respectively. Of the total cases, 92.9% and 7.1% were lymphoma and leukemia, respectively. On the other hand, from lymphoma cases, 72.3% and 27.7% were HL and NHL, respectively while from leukemic cases, 61.1%, 23.2, 6.3%, 4.2%, and 5.3% were CLL, ALL, CML, AML, and other HM types, respectively. In this study, there was no trend. CONCLUSION: We concluded that lymphoma was the dominant type of hematological malignancy observed in northwest Ethiopia. The study indicated that the majority of cases were observed among male, urban residents, and adult populations aged 18-45 years. Therefore, special focus should be given to the highly affected population. Further, a prospective cohort study should be conducted for a better understanding of the prevalence and associated factors to it.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity in Medical ICU, University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) is a neurologic syndrome characterized by paroxysmal and simultaneous occurrence of hypertension, hyperpyrexia, tachycardia, tachypnea, diaphoresis and dystonic posturing due to surge in sympathetic outflow after acquired brain injuries. Diagnosis of PSH is made using the paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity-assessment measure (PSH-AM) score, which comprises "clinical features severity" (CFS) score and "diagnosis likelihood tool" (DLT) score. CASE PRESENTATION: A 35-year-old woman diagnosed to have echo-proven chronic rheumatic heart disease for 25 years. Percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy was done 6 weeks previously for severe mitral stenosis. Left atrial thrombus was detected after the procedure and anticoagulant (warfarin) was initiated. She presented with severe headache and repeated vomiting of 1 day duration on arrival to the hospital. She had frequent seizure attacks with subsequent loss of consciousness on third day of admission. Diagnosis of status epilepticus secondary to intracranial hemorrhage due to warfarin toxicity was made after CT-scan revealed acute subdural hematoma and ventricular bleeding. Then she was transferred to medical intensive care unit (ICU), intubated and put on mechanical ventilator. Anti-epileptic drugs, antibiotics, vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma were given. She developed paroxysms of hypertension, tachycardia, tachypnea, hyperpyrexia, diaphoresis and decerebrate posturing after 7 days of neurological insult. She had normal inter-ictal EEG tracing during cyclic autonomic surge. CFS score was 11 and DLT score was 10. In sum, PSH-AM score was 21, suggested "probable" diagnosis of PSH. Morphine, diazepam, propranolol and gabapentin were given in combination to treat PSH. Severity of autonomic storm started to improve on second week of ICU admission. On the third week of admission, her clinical condition deteriorated suddenly, she developed asystole and died of cardiac arrest despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CONCLUSION: 'Clinical scoring' was used used to diagnose PSH, since there was no any confirmatory test. Cocktail of drugs were required to treat catecholamine surge in PSH.

Status of metered dose inhaler technique among patients with asthma and its effect on asthma control in Northwest Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: In Asthma management, poor handling of inhalation devices and wrong inhalation technique are associated with decreased medication delivery and poor disease control. The aim of this study was to assess the status of Metered dose inhaler technique, associated factors and its impact on Asthma control among adult patients with Asthma. RESULTS: The mean duration of Asthma was 15 ± 13 years. Asthma was uncontrolled in 70.4% of the participants and the poor technique of Asthma inhaler device was observed in 71.4% of the patients. Lack of health education on Metered dose inhaler technique [AOR =4.96; 95% CI (1.08-22.89)], and uncontrolled Asthma [AOR =3.67; 95% CI (1.85-7.23)], was independently associated with poor Metered dose inhaler technique.

Effect of Health Care on Quality of Life among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Adults With and Without Visceral Leishmaniasis in northwest Ethiopia: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.

There has been a scarcity of data on the effect of health care on the quality of life (QoL) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- and visceral leishmaniasis (VL)- coinfected patients over time. We sought to assess the change that health care brings about in the QoL of HIV patients with and without VL and its predictors in 6 months. A total of 465 HIV patients without VL and 125 HIV-VL-coinfected patients were enrolled in the longitudinal follow-up study from October 2015 to September 2016. Data on QoL at baseline and in 6 months were collected by trained nurses through face-to-face interviews using a short Amharic version of World Health Organization QoL instrument for HIV clients. Multiple linear regressions were used to assess the predictors of health-related QoL. There was an improvement in all of the domains of QoL at the sixth month follow-up compared with the baseline for both groups of patients (P < 0.001). Lack of social support and income were associated with the low improvement in QoL in most of the domains in both groups. Compared with patients having severe acute malnutrition, patients having moderate acute malnutrition and normal nutritional status were better in most of the QoL domains in both groups of patients. Both antiretroviral and anti-VL treatments showed improvement in all dimensions of QoL. Income, social support, and nutritional status were the predictors for most of the QoL domains.

Anemia among adult HIV patients in Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a major public health problem in HIV patients around the world. It has a negative effect on the quality of life of HIV patients and progression of the HIV disease. In the sub-Saharan African setting, including Ethiopia where both HIV infection and under-nutrition are expected to be high, there is a paucity of data on the matter. This study was aimed to reveal the magnitude and factors associated with anemia among adult HIV patients in Debre-Tabor Hospital, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was used among adult HIV patients in Debre-Tabor Hospital from April 1 to May 30, 2015. The diagnosis of anemia was made following the 2011 World Health Organization recommendation on hemoglobin cut-off points. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was carried out to assess factors associated with anemia. RESULTS: A total of 377 patients' charts were reviewed. Most of the participants (n=237, 62.9%) were taking antiretroviral treatment (ART). The overall prevalence of anemia was 23% (95% CI: 19.1, 27.6). Being ART-naïve (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.37; 95% CI: 1.59, 7.14), having treatment history with anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug (AOR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.19, 8.67), taking zidovudine (ZDV)-containing ART regimen (AOR: 2.14; 95% CI: 1.03, 4.57), and having recent CD4+ T-lymphocytes count of <200 cells/µL (AOR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.04, 4.36) were associated with occurrence of anemia among adult HIV patients. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Anemia continues to be a major co-morbidity among adult HIV patients in Ethiopia. Adult HIV patients who are taking ZDV-containing ART, with a history of TB treatment, have a low CD4+T-lymphocytes count and are ART-naïve should be carefully screened and treated for anemia.

Magnitude of visceral leishmaniasis and poor treatment outcome among HIV patients: meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) coinfection with HIV/AIDS most often results in unfavorable responses to treatment, frequent relapses, and premature deaths. Scarce data are available, regarding the magnitude and poor treatment outcomes of VL-HIV coinfection. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this systematic review was to describe the pooled prevalence of VL and poor treatment outcome among HIV patients. REVIEW METHODS: Electronic databases mainly PubMed were searched. Databases, such as Google and Google scholar, were searched for gray literature. Articles were selected based on their inclusion criterion, whether they included HIV-positive individuals with VL diagnosis. STATA 11 software was used to conduct a meta-analysis of pooled prevalence of VL-HIV coinfection. RESULTS: Fifteen of the 150 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A majority of the study participants were males between 25 years and 41 years of age. The pooled prevalence of VL-HIV coinfection is 5.2% with 95% confidence interval of (2.45-10.99). Two studies demonstrated the impact of antiretroviral treatment on reduction in relapse rate compared with patients who did not start antiretroviral treatment. One study showed that the higher the baseline CD4+ cell count (>100 cells/mL) the lower the relapse rate. Former VL episodes were identified as risk factors for relapse in two articles. In one of the articles, an earlier bout of VL remains significant in the model adjusted to other variables. CONCLUSION: The pooled prevalence of VL in HIV-infected patients is low and an earlier bout of VL and CD4+ count <100 cells/mL at the time of primary VL diagnosis are factors that predict poor treatment outcome.

Diabetes mellitus among HIV-infected individuals in follow-up care at University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and associated factors among HIV-infected adults in northwest Ethiopia. DESIGN: Hospital-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: HIV clinic of the University of Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: All HIV-infected adults who visited the HIV clinic from December 2013 to the end of February 2014 were the source population. MEASURES: A structured and pretested questionnaire incorporating the WHO STEPwise approach was used. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to assess factors associated with DM. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of type 2 DM was 8% (95% CI 5.5% to 10.5%). The prevalence of DM was higher (13.2%; 95% CI 8.0% to 18.3%) among subjects receiving pre-antiretroviral treatment (pre-ART) than among those taking ART (5.1%; 95% CI 2.6% to 7.6%). Thirteen (35.1%) of the DM cases were newly identified during the study. Obesity (adjusted OR (AOR) 6.55; 1.20 to 35.8), hypertension (AOR 3.45; 1.50 to 7.90), being in the pre-ART group (AOR 4.47; 1.80 to 11.08), hypertriglyceridaemia (AOR 2.24; 1.02 to 49.5) and tertiary-level education (AOR 11.8; 2.28 to 61.4) were associated with DM. CONCLUSIONS: Overall DM prevalence was high, particularly among subjects in the pre-ART group. More educated, hypertensive and obese HIV-infected adults were more likely to have DM as a comorbidity. Health policy and the clinical management of HIV-infected individuals should take into account the rising DM.

Level of sustained glycemic control and associated factors among patients with diabetes mellitus in Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The level of sustained glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major determinant of the occurrence of both acute and chronic complications. However, information about the level of glycemic control among patients in the follow-up care at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital is scanty. The study assessed the degree of glycemic control and associated factors among diabetic patients in the study area. METHOD: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital. All diabetic patients aged ≥18 years who visited the Diabetes Clinic in January and February 2013 for follow-up medical evaluation and medication participated in the study. Patients with glycosylated hemoglobin test (HbA1c) of ≥7% were classified as having a poor level of glycemic control. Propensity score was used to estimate the treatment effect. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the associated factors. RESULT: Two hundred and fifty three (64.7%) of the 391 diabetic patients included in the study had a poor level of glycemic control, as evidenced by HbA1c ≥7%. Poor glycemic control was much higher among Type 1 patients (82.9%) compared with Type 2 patients (57.5%). Being on insulin treatment (AOR =2.51; 95% CI =1.25, 5.04) and reporting poor medication adherence (AOR =3.19; 95% CI =1.76, 5.80) were found to be associated with poor glycemic control among Type 2 DM patients. High waist circumference was inversely associated with a poor level of glycemic control in Type 1 DM patients (AOR =0.05; 95% CI =0.01, 0.85). CONCLUSION: The proportion of diabetic patients with a poor level of glycemic control is high. We recommend a comprehensive intervention to improve the overall treatment adherence with special attention to DM patients receiving insulin.

Predictors of Mortality among Tuberculosis/HIV-Coinfected Persons in Southwest Ethiopia: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains the most common cause of death in people living with HIV/AIDS. The aim of the present study was to identify predictors of mortality in TB/HIV-coinfected patients. METHODS: We conducted an unmatched case-control study among a cohort of TB/HIV-coinfected adults who were on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Cases comprised 69 TB/HIV-coinfected patients who died during this period. For each case, we selected 3 (207) TB/HIV-coinfected patients who were alive during the end of the follow-up period. RESULTS: Male sex (odds ratio [OR] = 2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-4.02), being bedridden at enrollment (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.17-6.89), and cough of more than 2 weeks during initiation of ART (OR = 4.75 95% CI: 2.14-10.56) were the best predictors of mortality among TB/HIV-coinfected patients. CONCLUSION: Mortality among TB/HIV-coinfected patients accounted for a considerable number of deaths among the cohort. Patients with cough at ART initiation and with poor functional status should be strictly followed to reduce death.