Worst pain intensity and opioid intake during the early postoperative period were not associated with moderate-severe pain 12 months after total knee arthroplasty - a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: There are several known predictors of pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, it is unclear whether acute postoperative pain intensity and postoperative opioid intake are associated with pain 12 months after TKA. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess whether worst pain intensity and opioid intake during the early postoperative period are associated with moderate-severe pain 12 months after TKA. METHODS: A total of 202 patients undergoing primary TKA between October 2012 and September 2014 were prospectively enrolled. Age, sex, contralateral knee pain, BMI, physical status and opioid intake were collected preoperatively. Ketamine and daily opioid intake were collected on postoperative days (POD) 0-3. Using the Brief Pain Inventory, patients' "worst pain intensity" was measured preoperatively, on POD 0-4, and 12 months after TKA. Two logistic regression models evaluated the independent association of early postoperative pain intensity (model 1) and postoperative opioid intake (model 2) with moderate-severe pain 12 months after TKA, adjusting for possible confounders. RESULTS: In total, 187 patients with data at the 12 month postoperative follow-up were included in this analysis. Pain intensity on POD2 and POD3, as well as preoperative pain and BMI, were significantly associated with pain at 12 months in univariate models. However, in multivariable models adjusted for preoperative pain and BMI, neither pain intensity on POD 0-4 (model 1) nor opioid intake on POD 0-3 (model 2) were associated with pain at 12 months. Preoperative pain was still significant in both models, but BMI remained significant only in model 2. CONCLUSIONS: Worst pain intensity and opioid intake during the early postoperative period were not associated with moderate-severe pain 12 months after TKA when controlling for potential confounders. More research is needed to confirm these findings.

Relevance of the Health Extension Program to the current Health Needs and Evolving Demands of Rural Ethiopia: A Mixed-Method Analysis.

Background: Ethiopia has been implementing a health extension program (HEP) to respond to the high maternal and child mortality in rural communities. HEP has brought tremendous contributions to improved access and coverage of primary healthcare in the last 15 years. Despite its attributions, attention to HEP has declined in recent years due to several reasons. This study is designed to explore HEP's relevance to the current healthcare needs of the rural communities. Methods: This study is a nested cross-sectional mixed-method to the overall HEP's evaluation between March and May 2019. Descriptive statistics were used on qualitative and quantitative assessment. A literature review supplemented the assessment. A representative quantitative sample of 11,746 women, men, and young girls; a qualitative sample of 268 key informants from Kebele administrators, HEWs, program people in the health system and focus groups from community leaders, men and women from 185 Kebeles in 62 woredas were selected. A thematic approach was used for qualitative analysis. Results: Rural communities and program managers asserted that HEP's service packages with the existing service delivery modalities were relevant. Eighty-two percent of men and women and 77% of young girls confirmed this relevance. Besides the existing packages, additional curative services for adults and children were recommended with emphasis on the pastoralist community. HEP's service uptake has declined as over 86% of targeted rural communities bypassed HPs due to unavailability of services and capacity problems of HEWs. Conclusion: The current HEP packages with the existing service delivery modalities are still relevant to the rural communities' health needs. However, on-going changes to address the evolving demands of the targeted rural communities are crucial.

Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminth infections and associated risk factors among household heads living in the peri-urban areas of Jimma town, Oromia, Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia has set national targets for eliminating soil-transmitted helminths (STH) as public health problems by 2020 and for breaking their transmission by 2025 using periodic mass treatment of children in endemic areas. However, the status of STH infection among the adults living in the same communities remains unknown. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the prevalence and intensity of STH infections and associated factors among the household heads in the peri-urban areas of Jimma town, Oromia, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in five peri-urban kebeles (smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia) of Jimma town from May to July 2021. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic and predisposing factors. The Kato-Katz concentration technique was utilized to detect and quantify the STH in stool samples. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were done. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 376 household heads (19.9% women and 80.1% men) from peri-urban areas were included in the study. The overall STH prevalence was 18.1% (95% CI: 14.6-22.1) with A. lumbricoides being the predominant species (11.4%) followed by T. trichiura (7.2%) and hookworm (2.1%). Most of the STH positive household heads had single infections (85.3%) and light-intensity infections (88.5%). Wealth status (AOR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.31-5.50, P = 0.007), hand washing habits before meals (AOR = 7.07; 95% CI: 1.79-27.88, p = 0.005), fingernails status (AOR = 2.99; 95% CI: 1.59-5.65, p = 0.001), and toilet facility type (AOR = 2.06; 95% CI: 1.13-3.76, p = 0.017) were found to have statistically significant associations with the STH infection. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study showed a nearly moderate level of STH prevalence among household heads in the peri-urban community. This could serve as an important reservoir for reinfection of the treated children and other at-risk groups in the community.

ESTABLISHING LOCAL DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS FOR ROUTINE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY EXAMINATIONS IN JIMMA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH WEST ETHIOPIA.

The main purpose of this study was to determine local diagnostic reference level (LDRL) for Routine Computed Tomography (CT) examination in, Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC) South West Ethiopia. Retrospective study was conducted to determine LDRL for routine CT examination in JUMC. We have considered CTDIvol and DLP as dosimetric quantity based on the recommended guidelines to determine LDRLs by different international legal Authorities. The 75th percentile values of the calculated CTDIvol and DLP were proposed as LDRL. LDRL was obtained as CTDIvol, 42.97mGy, 7.76mGy, 14.32mGy, and 10.86mGy for routine brain CT, routine chest CT, routine thoraco-lumbar CT and routine abdomen CT examination respectively. Similarly the determined LDRL from DLP was 1364.15mGycm, 368.96mGycm, 853.18mGycm, and 1568.96mGycm for brain, chest, thoraco-lumbar and abdomen examination respectively. The LDRL obtained for DLP was higher compared with international DRLs; it can be reduced by coordinating effort between radiologists, technologists and medical physicist.

High levels of preoperative pain and fatigue are red flags for moderate-severe pain 12 months after total knee arthroplasty-A longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Moderate/severe pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a poor surgical outcome. Many studies have identified preoperative risk factors of pain after TKA, but studies of the joint contributions of co-occurring symptoms are lacking. METHODS: Patients undergoing primary TKA (n = 202) were enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study. Preoperatively, patients completed questionnaires measuring demographics and symptoms (pain, fatigue, sleep problems and depression). Pain was re-assessed 12 months after TKA. Logistic regression analysis was used to compute the probabilities of moderate-severe pain at 12 months based on preoperative symptom levels, and results were combined into a risk matrix. RESULTS: More than one-third (40%) of patients (n = 187) reported moderate-severe pain after TKA. Among preoperative risk factors included in the logistic regression analyses were age, sex, pain, fatigue, sleep problems and depression. Adjusting for possible confounders, fatigue (p = 0.02) and pain (p = 0.01) were significant risk factors for moderate-severe pain at 12-months follow-up and were retained in the final risk matrix. The co-occurrence of high-preoperative fatigue and pain scores resulted in 57% estimated probability of moderate-severe pain at 12 months. Similarly, the co-occurrence of low-preoperative fatigue and pain scores resulted in 14% estimated probability of moderate-severe pain 12 months after TKA. CONCLUSION: The combination of high fatigue and pain scores prior to surgery was a key risk factor for moderate-severe pain 12 months after TKA. Mapping of these factors could be used preoperatively to identify patients who are at risk to experience a poor outcome of TKA.

Maternal and fetal outcome of pregnancy related hypertension in Mettu Karl Referral Hospital, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are the most common causes of adverse maternal & perinatal outcomes. Such investigations in resource limited settings would help to have great design strategies in preventing maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. AIM: To determine management outcome and factor associated with pregnancy related hypertensive disorder in Mettu Karl Referral Hospital, Mettu, Ethiopia. METHOD: A retrospective study deign was conducted at Mettu Karl Referral Hospital from 1st January 2010 to December 1st 2013 by reviewing medical records and logbooks. Descriptive, binary and multiple logistic regression analysis were used. A 95% CI and P- value of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULT: The magnitude of pregnancy related hypertensive disorder was 2.4%. Majority 82.6% of the mothers were in the age range between 18 to 34 year with a mean age and standard deviation (SD) of 24.4 (SD ± 5.12). Sever preeclampsia was the most prevalent diagnosis made to 35.5% of the mother, followed by 19% cases of eclampsia and 12.4% of HELLP. Fetal management outcomes indicates 120.37 perinatal mortality per 1000 deliveries and a stillbirth rate of 10.2%, low birth weight of 30.5%, and low APGAR score of 18.5%, abortion 10.7% and preterm delivery 31.4%. CONCLUSION: In this study severe preeclampsia is the most common of all pregnancy related hypertension disorders followed by Eclampsia. Fetal complications like low Apgar score and preterm deliveries were statistically significant and associated with fetal management outcomes.

The epidemiological profile of pediatric patients admitted to the general intensive care unit in an Ethiopian university hospital.

BACKGROUND: In least developing countries, there are few data on children's critical care. This makes the provision of aid and improvement of outcome difficult. OBJECTIVES: To describe admission and outcome patterns of children managed in a general intensive care unit at Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH), Ethiopia, over a 5-year period. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used. All children from birth to 14 years of age who were admitted to the general ICU of the hospital from 2009-2013 were included. Patient charts and ICU documentation log were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 170 children were admitted to the ICU of JUSH over the study period. The greater share was taken by males (54.7%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.2:1. The overall mortality rate was 40%. The majority of the children were in the age range of 10-14 years (38.8%). Of the total number of patients admitted, 34.7% were trauma cases, 45.8% of whom died. The highest percentage, 69.5%, of trauma patients were admitted for head injuries. Among the trauma cases, burn and polytrauma were the second and third leading causes (15.3%) of admission. Postoperative patients and medical patients accounted for the rest of the admitted cases (28.2% and 27.6% of the cases respectively). CONCLUSION: The leading cause of admission and death was trauma. Postoperative and medical causes of admission were also significant. The mortality rate in the ICU was very high, and this could be due to various factors. Further research benchmarking and interventions are highly recommended.