Prevalence, risk factors and genotyping of chlamydia trachomatis from endocervical specimens of infertile women at a tertiary care hospital, Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, the prevalence, risk factors and distribution of C. trachomatis genotypes are rarely mentioned in Vietnam. This study aimed to find the prevalence, risk factors and distribution of C. trachomatis genotypes in infertile Vietnamese women. METHODS: Endocervical swabs were collected from infertile women at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vietnam, between January 2020 and December 2021. All samples were analyzed for C. trachomatis presence by Cobas 4800 CT/NG Test. Sequencing methods of ompA gene were used to determine the C. trachomatis genotypes. An approximately 1200 bp ompA fragment was aligned with reference sequences from GenBank to identify the corresponding genotype. RESULTS: The prevalence of endocervical C. trachomatis infection was 15.6% of 761 participants. Factors independently associated with CT infection among infertile women, obtained by multivariate analysis, included abnormal vaginal discharge, cervicitis, lower abdominal pain, a history of ectopic pregnancy, having more than one sex partner, and age at first intercourse. Among the samples, genotype E (25.93%) was most frequently found, followed by genotypes D/Da (22.23%), F (13.58%), G/Ga (12.35%), J (12.35%), H (6.17%), K (3.70%), B/Ba (2.47%), and I/Ia (1.23%), respectively. Genotype F was related to types of infertility, and genotype H was associated with a history of miscarriage. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated a high prevalence of C. trachomatis in infertile Vietnamese women. The most common genotypes found in this population were E, D, and F. Our findings suggest that routine screening is necessary for early detection and performance of infection control methods.

Knowledge and Attitude Related to Hepatitis C among Medical Students in the Oral Direct Acting Antiviral Agents Era in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Medical students play important frontline roles in the prevention, early detection, and treatment of hepatitis C. This study investigated knowledge and attitudes toward hepatitis C among 5th- and 6th-year medical students and possible associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2000 students from eight medical universities using a self-administered structured questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean knowledge and attitude scores for hepatitis C were 20.1 ± 4.0 (out of 26) and 10.6 ± 2.9 (out of 20), respectively. Approximately, three-quarters (74.4%) of the participants had a good knowledge score, but only a small proportion (3.1%) obtained a good attitude score. Although the participants had fairly high knowledge about the causes, consequences, and transmission routes of hepatitis C, there were important gaps in their knowledge about hepatitis C screening and treatment. In multivariate analysis, female students, 5th-year students, and students from the central provinces had significantly higher knowledge and attitude scores. There was a low positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores. CONCLUSION: This study points out the need to update the medical training curriculum to improve the knowledge and attitude of students about hepatitis C infection.

Blood Lead Levels and Associated Sociodemographic Factors among Children Aged 3 to 14 Years Living near Zinc and Lead Mines in Two Provinces in Vietnam.

Lead poisoning in children is a major public health concern worldwide, especially in developing countries. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 403 children aged from 3 to 14 years living nearly zinc-lead mining areas in two provinces in Vietnam (Bac Kan and Thai Nguyen) from 06/2016 to 10/2016 to identify risk factors for lead contamination. Results. The proportion of children with blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 10 µg/dL was 80.51% in Bac Kan and 50% in Thai Nguyen; the mean blood lead level for children was 14.41 ± 9.42 µg/dL. In linear regression analyses, the body mass index was negatively associated with elevated BLLs with r = -0.404, p < 0.05 (95% CI: -0.801, -0.006). In multivariable regression analysis, several risk factors were associated with lead contamination including male sex (aOR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.13-5.24, p = 0.02), play areas in Bac Kan (aOR = 2.3 (1.02-5.17), p = 0.04), proximity of children's home of less than 2 kilometers from the mine (aOR = 2.90 (1.54-5.44), p = 0.001), and inattentive symptoms in Thai Nguyen (aOR = 7.85, 95% CI 3.49-17.69, p = 0.001). Environmental factors, including lead concentrations in the soil and ambient air samples in both locations, are many times higher than Vietnamese standards.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices toward Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Students of Medicine in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Building capacity in hepatitis B virus prevention and management for medical students and health professionals is one of the pillars of the national viral hepatitis control strategy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at eight medical universities from the northern, central and southern regions of the country between May and November 2020 using a systematic random sampling technique. RESULTS: Among 2000 participants, 84.2% reported they had been tested for hepatitis B and 83.9% had received the hepatitis B vaccine. The mean knowledge, attitude, practice score was 40.2 out of 54 (74.4%) with only 19.9% of the study participants obtaining a good score. In multivariate analysis, fifth year students, students from central universities, students who had tested positive for hepatitis B and students who had received hepatitis B vaccine or had encountered patients with chronic hepatitis B had significantly higher knowledge score (p < 0.05). The study showed lack of trust in the hepatitis B vaccine safety and lack of confidence in providing counselling, testing and management of patients with chronic hepatitis B. CONCLUSION: Findings from our research emphasized an immediate need to improve the medical schools' training curriculum in Vietnam to enable students' readiness in hepatitis B prevention and management.

Study on drug resistance of mycobacterium tuberculosis in new pulmonary tuberculosis patients at Hai Phong tuberculosis and lung disease Hospital in 2000

Study on drug resistance of mycobacterium tuberculosis in 166 new pulmonary tuberculosis patients at Hai Phong tuberculosis and lung disease Hospital in 2000. The general drug resistance rate was 30.1%. The resistance rate to SM was 21.1%, to INH was 21.7%, RMP was 3.6%, and EMB was 1.2%. Resistance to one drug was 14.4% and to two drugs were 13.9%, to three drugs were 1.8% and to multidrugs were 2.4%. The highest rate of drug resistance was in the group at the age from 35 - 44 (40%), the rate of drug resistance was higher in urban area than that in rural area (38.1% and 25.2% respectively)