Practical Challenges of Mask-to-Mask Encounters with Patients with Head and Neck Cancers amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced a re-design of care in radiation oncology. Perhaps more than any other disease site we commonly see, the evaluation and treatment of head and neck cancer has posed the greatest risk of COVID-19 transmission between patients and radiotherapy providers. In our early experience with the novel coronavirus, several staff members were exposed to a COVID-positive patient and this caused us to devise policies and procedures to mitigate further risk in a way that could practically be employed across a large health system while not compromising care delivery. Here, we formulate a concise summary of simple steps, including a novel thermoplastic mask fitting technique and procedures for intraoral immobilization devices, to guide practices and provide new layers of protection for both patients and staff.

Factors associated with intrauterine contraceptive device use among women of reproductive age group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A case control study.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD) is a highly effective and reversible modern contraceptive, which is still significantly underutilized in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting the use of IUCDs among women of reproductive age group in Addis Ababa. METHODS: Facility-based, unmatched case-control study was employed among randomly selected cases and controls in selected health centers in Addis Ababa from August to October 2017. The cases (n = 128) were women of reproductive age group who were IUCD users and controls (n = 256) were women of reproductive age group who were users of oral or injectable contraceptives during the study period. After randomly selecting two health center from each sub-city the number of cases and controls were equally allocated to each of the selected health centers. In each selected health center, all eligible cases were enrolled consecutively until the sample size was achieved. Two consecutive controls were selected for each case. Data was collected face-to-face by trained nurses by using structured questionnaire. Factors associated with IUCD use were identified by multi-variable binary logistic regression models using the backward conditional stepwise method. RESULTS: In the multi-variable analysis, IUCD use was strongly associated with husbands/partners being supportive of IUCD use (Adjusted OR = 13.24, 95% CI; 5.30-33.02), being literate women (Adjusted OR = 5.31, 95% CI; 1.05-26.93), women having a perception of IUCD does not cause infection (Adjusted OR = 4.38, 95% CI; 1.45-13.26) and the source of information about IUCD being mass-media (Adjusted OR = 3.81, 95% CI; 1.49-9.74). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study reinforce the need of husbands/partners involvement in the interventions to enhance utilization of IUCD. Moreover, due attention should also be provided for delivering IUCD-related messages in the public mass-media.

Prevalence And Predictors Of Opportunistic Infections Among HIV Positive Adults On Antiretroviral Therapy (On-ART) Versus Pre-ART In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE: Data comparing the burden of the opportunistic infections among the Pre-ART and On-ART HIV-infected patients in Ethiopia are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the prevalence and predictors of opportunistic infections in Pre-ART and On-ART HIV-infected patients. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients infected with HIV and who were on Pre-ART or On-ART and followed up from 2012 to 2016 in Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa. Those patients who were infected with HIV, but not eligible for ART were categorized under Pre-ART follow-up (n=192) and those patients who started taking ART were categorized under the On-ART follow-up group (n=192). Patients were included in the study by using simple random sampling technique from the list of the patients registered in the ART follow-up database. The presence of opportunistic infections along with clinical findings and baseline laboratory data was extracted from the ART follow-up database and the medical records of the patients using a standardized checklist. Factors associated with the development of opportunistic infections were analyzed using multi-variable binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of opportunistic infections was found to be 33.6% (95% CI; 28.9-38.5). The prevalence of opportunistic infections among the Pre-ART group (38%) was higher than On-ART group (29.2%) (P-value = 0.04). Pulmonary tuberculosis was the most common opportunistic infection observed in both Pre-ART and On-ART groups. Being in the WHO clinical Stage III (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI 1.1-3.9) or Stage IV (AOR = 3.6; 95% CI 1.7-7.7) were independent predictors for the development of opportunistic infections. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of opportunistic infections among the HIV-infected patients who were in Pre-ART was higher than On-ART group. This finding reinforces the need for early initiation of ART for HIV-infected patients irrespective of their CD4 counts.

Glycemic Index and Load of Selected Ethiopian Foods: An Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Determining the glycemic index and load of foods has significant impact on meal planning for diabetes. However, there is no data on the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of Ethiopian foods. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the glycemic index and glycemic load of Teff Injera, Corn Injera, and White Wheat Bread. METHODS: Experimental study design was conducted among selected healthy adults. Teff Injera, Corn Injera, and White Wheat Bread were selected as test foods for the study, and glucose was used as the reference food. The postprandial glucose concentrations in the blood were recorded at 0, 15, 30, 45, 90, and 120 minutes. The relative glycemic index of each food was calculated, and the presence of statistical difference in glycemic index among the three foods was analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 23 years (±1.6 years). The glycemic indexes of Teff Injera, White Wheat Bread, and Corn Injera were 36 (low), 46 (low), and 97 (high), respectively, and the glycemic loads were 7 (low), 14 (moderate), and 22 (high), respectively. There was a significant difference in glycemic index and load among the three food items (p < 0.001). Teff Injera had a much lower glycemic index and load compared with Corn Injera (p < 0.001) and White Wheat Bread (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Teff Injera and White Wheat Bread have low glycemic index and are recommended to be consumed by diabetic patients, whereas Corn Injera has high glycemic index and is not recommended for diabetic patients. Therefore, Teff Injera should be considered globally in the dietary modification programs for diabetes.