Self-management practice and associated factors among asthmatic patients on follow-up care at public tertiary hospitals, south west, Ethiopia, 2022.

INTRODUCTION: Bronchial asthma is a major public health issue that affects patients, families, and communities worldwide. Despite the growing importance of self-management and its clear link to better health outcomes, the uptake and use of self-management among asthmatic patients is not well understood. Thus, the study aimed to determine the level of self-management practice and associated factors among asthmatic patients on follow-up care at public tertiary hospitals found in south-west Ethiopia. METHOD: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was employed from August 1 to September 30, 2022. The study included all asthmatic patients on follow-up care at public tertiary hospitals found in south west Ethiopia, among whom 274 were interviewed. All asthmatic patients who were registered at the chronic follow-up unit of each hospital and fulfilled inclusion criteria were included and interviewed consecutively. The data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from previous studies, entered into EpiData version 4.6, and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the participant's characteristics. Linear regression was used to identify variables associated with asthma self-management practice, and variables with a p-value of 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Finally, tables, graphs, and text were used to present the data. RESULT: Out of 274 interviewed asthmatic patients, 45.26% 95% CI (39, 51) had good asthma self-management practices. Advancing in age (ß = -0.009, P = 0.043), being a smoker (ß = -0.346, 95%, P = 0.03, being alcohol drinker (ß = -0.217, P = 0.001), having depression (ß = -0.038, P = 0.005), having anxiety (ß = -0.029, P = 0.02) and having social support (ß = 0.022, P<0.001) were identified as factors affecting asthma self-management practice. CONCLUSION: The finding revealed that four of every nine asthmatic patients had good asthma self-management practices. Age, alcohol consumption, smoking, anxiety, depression, and social support were significantly associated with asthma self-management practice. Ongoing self-management support and collaborative target interventions aimed at improving asthma self-management practices and identified factors are very crucial.

Determinants and willingness to practice obstetric analgesia among women attending antenatal clinic at Dr. Bogalech Gebre Memorial General Hospital Central Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Labor pain is uniquely experienced and described by the woman giving birth, and it is often considered one of the most excruciating experiences for many women. This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with the willingness to receive labor analgesia among women attending the antenatal clinic at Dr. Bogalech Gebre Memorial General Hospital Central Ethiopia in 2022. METHODS: An institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2022. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires by a convenience sampling technique. Data was entered in EpiData 4.2 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to determine factors associated with pregnant women's willingness to choose labor analgesia. Crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) were computed to assess the association between variables. RESULTS: A total of 398 pregnant women have participated in the study with a response rate of 94%. Nearly 30%, (29.4%) of the pregnant women had a willingness to practice labor pain management. Being a housewife (AOR: 8.35, 95% CI: 2.07, 33.63). Women who live in urban (AOR: 2.60, 95% CI: 1.29, 5.29). Having had awareness about labor analgesia (AOR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.00, 2.60) and the short duration of labor time (AOR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.96) were statistically significant with a willingness to practice labor analgesia. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the willingness of pregnant mothers' toward obstetric analgesia practice was low in the study area. Being a housewife, urban residence, awareness about labor analgesia, and short duration of labor were statistically significant with the willingness of the mothers to practice labor analgesia. To increase willingness to use labor analgesia, authorities should prioritize delivering health education on pain management choices to address concerns and promote effective methods and practices.

Bacterial Profile and Their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Isolates Recovered from Intensive Care Unit Environments at Wachemo University Nigist Ellen Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern Ethiopia.

Background: Bacterial contamination of indoor hospitals, especially in intensive care units is a serious health hazard in the world with a high morbidity and mortality rates. Particularly, multidrug-resistant bacteria can cross-contaminate medical devices, inanimate surfaces, health care providers, and patients in the intensive care unit. This study was aimed to assess the bacterial profile and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates from intensive care unit at WUNEMMCSH (Wachemo University Nigest Ellen Mohammed Memorial Compressive Specialized Hospital), Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital-based cross sectional study was conducted on 180 intensive care unit environmental samples at WUNEMMCSH from August 1, 2022, to October 30, 2022. In this study, a total of 180 swab samples were collected from medical devices, inanimate surfaces, patients, and health care providers from the intensive care unit by using sterile cotton-tipped swabs moistened with normal saline. Then, bacterial isolates were identified using the standard culture method, Gram stain, and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests for bacterial isolates were performed by using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Data were entered into EpiData Version 4.6 cleanup and exported to SPSS V25 for analysis. Results: A total of 180 swab samples were processed from intensive care unit environments, and 143 (79.4%) were found to have been contaminated by at least one potential pathogenic bacterial isolate. A total of two hundred and thirty-eight bacteria were isolated. Of these, the predominant bacteria were coagulase-negative Staphylococci 72 (30.3%), S. aureus 61 (25.6%), E. coli 41 (17.2%), and K. pneumoniae 30 (12.6%). Seventy (49%) out of all swabbed samples were contaminated with mixed isolates. In the antimicrobial susceptibility tests, 19 (86%) Gram-positive bacteria and 25 (76%) Gram-negative bacterial isolates were susceptible to nitrofurantoin, respectively. Vancomycin was sensitive to 83% of Gram-positive isolates. Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates from irrespective sources showed multidrug resistance in 56.4% and 76.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The inanimate hospital environments, medical device, health care providers, and patients in ICU rooms of WUNEMMCSH (Wachemo University Nigest Ellen Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital) were colonized with 143 (79.4%) of potential pathogenic bacterial isolate, which can cause nosocomial infections with high rates of morbidity and mortality among patients. The frequencies of multidrug-resistant 159 (66.8%) bacterial pathogens were alarmingly high. Therefore, to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination and MDR, strict adherence to hospital infection prevention and control measures should be enforced. These measures include regularly performing hand hygiene, periodic disinfection, and sterilization of medical equipment.

Near field enhanced photocurrent generation in p-type dye-sensitized solar cells.

Over the past few decades, the field of p-type dye-sensitized solar cell (p-DSSC) devices has undergone tremendous advances, in which Cu-based delafossite nanocrystal is of prime interest. This paper presents an augment of about 87% improvement in photocurrent observed in a particular configuration of organic dye P1 sensitized CuCrO2 delafossite nanocrystal electrode coupled with organic redox shuttle, 1-methy-1H- tetrazole-5-thiolate and its disulfide dimer when Au nanoparticles (NPs, with diameter of about 20 nm) is added into the photocathode, achieving a power convert efficiency of 0.31% (measured under standard AM 1.5 G test conditions). Detailed investigation shows that the local electrical-magnetic field effect, induced by Au NPs among the mesoporous CuCrO2 film, can improve the charge injection efficiency at dye/semiconductor interface, which is responsible for the bulk of the gain in photocurrent.