Occupational formaldehyde exposure linked to increased systemic health impairments and counteracting beneficial effects of selected antioxidants

Background: Formaldehyde (FA) is a sensitizing agent that can produce an effective immune system response upon initial exposure. FA that can be used in many industries, medical and anatomical facilities, mainly cadaver-based gross anatomy laboratories, represent a risk to occupational health of professionals and students. The majority of FA exposures occur through inhalation, dermal, and eye contact. FA-induced effects are attributed to site-specific and dosedependent health impairments in many organs and organ systems. Much progress has been reported on FA-induced health impairments in respiratory tract, but a comprehensive study in different organ systems and the reverse effects of some novel antioxidants is still lacking. This review explores the cytotoxic effects of FA and its role as key signaling molecule, site specific and or dose dependent effects of FA in nasal cavity, carcinogenic effects of FA exposure in nasopharynx, effects of FA in lung macrophage functions and development of pulmonary fibrosis, dose dependent reproductive and genetic effects of FA, neurotoxic effects of FA and potential risk of FA in some beauty salons and cosmetic products. In addition, this study shows the counteracting beneficial role of melatonin, Nigella sativa, rose oils, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), vitamin E, and proanthocyanidins (PAs) against FA induced tissue damage.Methods: A comprehensive literature search highlighting the health impairments of FA and counteracting beneficial effects of promising antioxidants was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Medline Cochrane, to assemble relevant publications from open access international journals published only in English.Results: The search generated 411 articles of which 70 full research articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and included in the review. The results of this study confirmed relentless toxic effects of FA exposure on various organs of human and other animals. Multiple findings also stated the efficacy of promising antioxidants against FA-induced tissue damage in animal models.Conclusion: Occupational exposure to FA is most likely due to inattention towards its side effects and lack of appropriate air filtering equipment or unmonitored concentration of FA in the working air. Therefore, re-evaluating the concentration of FA, proper ventilation, and assessment of working practices is highly recommended. Proper monitoring is also needed to improve compliance and protection of FA-based reproductive complications in females. Despite complete prevention is not viable, exposed personnel must be aware of FA-induced health effects and require assessing risks and acquiring practical measures in their working environment

Radio-anatomic variability in sphenoid sinus pneumatization with its relationship to adjacent anatomical structures and their impact upon reduction of complications following endonasal transsphenoidal surgeries

Sphenoid sinus is deeply located in the neurocranium of skull and is the most inaccessible paranasal air sinus. A disease of the sphenoid sinus is difficult to diagnose so that it requires a high index of suspicion and multi-detector radiological imaging techniques and surgical biopsy. Moreover, compared with other paranasal air sinuses, the sphenoid sinus is considered the most variable sinus in terms of its patterns of pneumatization, number and inter-sphenoidal sinus septal deviation and its relationship with the surrounding anatomical structures. Thus, the study of sphenoid sinus pneumatization has increased added importance due to newer developments in trans-sphenoidal sinus surgeries and its utility in assessing the complications involving the cranial cavity. Though extensive pneumatization of sphenoid sinus facilitates free routes of endoscopic trans-sphenoidal surgeries, it poses an increased risk of nerve lesions, intracranial hemorrhage, CSF leakage, sinusitis and destructive bone erosions. In this review, we tried to present the variability of patterns of sphenoid sinus pneumatization with related neurovascular structures, a discrepancy of intra-sphenoid sinus septa and the presence of unusual central Onodi cells among racial variants across different geographical or ethno-geographical diversity. A literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase databases was performed.Much progress has been made on the radio-anatomical assessments of the sphenoid sinus, but none of these studies reported the sphenoid sinus pneumatization and its relationship with cavernous sinus, abducens nerve and ophthalmic artery. So, further study is needed to show frequent association of these structures with sphenoid sinus pneumatization

Jaundice and its associated factors among neonates admitted to selected referral hospitals in southwest oromia, Ethiopia: Multi-center cross-sectional study

Background: Jaundice is a common clinical problem during the first month of birth throughout the world. Mainly, it is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Objectives: The aimed of this studied was to assess predictors of jaundice among neonates admitted to selected referral hospitals in southwest Oromia, Ethiopia, 2021. Methods: An Institutional based cross-sectional study was implemented among 205 admitted neonates at selected referral hospitals in southwest Oromia, Ethiopia from October 05 to November 5, 2021. Jimma medical center (JMC), Wollega University referral hospital (WURH), and Ambo University Referral hospital (AURH) were selected by simple random sampling technique. A pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and medical record review was used to collect data. Both binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with neonatal jaundice. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with neonatal jaundice. Statistical Significance was declared at P-value less than 0.05 in the final model, and if the confidence interval does not include the null hypothesis value. Results: The prevalence of neonatal jaundice was 20.5% (95%CI: 1.74–1.85). The mean age of neonates was 8.6 ± 7.8 days. Traditional medicine use during current pregnancy (AOR: 5.62, 95%CI: 1.07, 9.52), Rh incompatibility (AOR: 0.045, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.21), gestational age (AOR: 4.61, 95%CI: 1.05, 10.3), premature rupture of membrane (AOR: 3.76, 95%CI: 1.58, 8.93) and hypertension (mother) (AOR: 3.99, 95%CI: 1.13, 14.02) were factors significantly associated with neonatal jaundice. Conclusion: Neonatal jaundice was relatively higher in the current study. Traditional medicine use, Rh incompatibility, premature ruptures of membrane, hypertension, and preterm gestational age were factors associated with neonatal jaundice

Prevalence and Determinants of Peripheral Neuropathy among Type 2 Adult Diabetes Patients Attending Jimma University Medical Center, Southwest Ethiopia, 2019, an Institutional-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background. Diabetes chronic complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality, among which diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) stands out. One of the tools to screen DPN is the Michigan neuropathy screening instrument. However, there is no data compiled using this tool to assess the prevalence and its determinants in Jimma. So, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of DPN and its determinants among patients with diabetes mellitus at Jimma University Medical Center. Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Jimma University Medical Center on 366 type 2diabetic patients. Data were collected using pretested structured questionnaire and entered into EpiData 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were employed to identify factors associated with DPN. A variable having a p value of < 0.25 in the bivariate model was subjected to multivariate analysis to avoid confounding variable’s effect. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated at 95% confidence interval and considered significant with a p value of ≤ 0.05. Results. The mean age of participants was 50.1±14.28 years. The study finding showed that the prevalence of DPN was 53.6% among study participants. According to the multivariate logistic regression age above 40 years (AOR=4.57; 95% CI: 1.50, 13.9), above 50 years (AOR=6.5; 95% CI: 2.24, 18.79), duration of diabetes above 5 years (AOR=3.06; 95% CI: 1.63, 5.77), duration above 10 years (AOR=7.1; 95% CI: 2.99, 17.28), physical inactivity (AOR=2.02; 95% CI: 1.14, 3.55), and smoking (current smoker AOR=7.96, 95% CI: 3.22, 19.64; former smoker (AOR=2.65; 95% CI: 1.22, 5.77) were independent predictors of DPN among study participants. Conclusion. Almost half of the study participants had DPN. Age above 40 years, diabetes duration of above 5 years, physical inactivity, and smoking were significantly associated with DPN. Early detection and appropriate interventions are important among patients with age above 40 years, physically inactive, smokers, and diabetes duration of above 5 years