Prevalence of Hypertension and Associated Factors in Bedele Town, Southwest Ethiopia

Background: Hypertension is the leading cause of death in the world and is the commonest cause for outpatient visits to physicians. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors among adults in Bedele Town, South-west Ethiopia.Method: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted by interviewing participants regarding their socio-demographic characteristics, history of hypertension, its risk factors and knowledge of its complications and treatment. Measurements of their blood pressure, body weight, height, and waist circumferences were also done on the same day. The data were analyzed using SPSS Version 16 statistical software. Chi-square test and odds ratio with 95% CI were used to assess the association between dependent and independent variables. Logistic regression model was used to determine the independent risk factors for hypertension. P-values of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: A total of 396 adults of whom 67.4% were males participated in the study. Prevalence of hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg or reported use of anti-hypertensive medication, was 16.9%. However, only 44.8% of those with hypertension were aware of their status, and the overall control rate of hypertension was only 22.4%. Only age and waist circumference were found to be independent predictors of hypertension in the community.Conclusion: Hypertension was found to be prevalent in the community. However, the respondents’ awareness about the problem and the overall control rates were very low. Activities targeted at increasing awareness of hypertension in the community and its risk reduction are very important for intervention. There should also be a national strategy for early detection and treatment of hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases.Keywords: Hypertension, Cardiovascular disease, Ethiopi

Predictors and treatment outcome of hyperglycemic emergencies at Jimma University Specialized Hospital, southwest Ethiopia

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) commonly known as hyperglycemic emergencies are the two most common life-threatening acute metabolic complications of diabetes. The objective of this study is to assess predictors and treatment outcome of hyperglycemic emergencies (HEs) among diabetic patients admitted to Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH). Methods: It is a three year retrospective review of medical records of patients admitted with HEs at JUSH. Patient demographics, admission clinical characteristics, precipitants, insulin used and treatment outcomes were extracted. Statistical analysis was done using student’s t test, Chi square test, and binary logistic regression with level of α set at 0.05. Statistical significance was considered for variables with p < 0.05. Results: Complete data was available for 163 out of 421 patients admitted with HEs. The majority (62.6 %) were males. Mean age of patients was 36.6 ± 15.9 years. About 64 % of patients had type 1 diabetes. About 93 % of the participants developed DKA. The most common precipitants of HEs were infections 95 (59 %), non-compliance to medications 52 (32.3 %), and newly diagnosed diabetes 38 (23.6 %). Recurrent hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and ketonuria occurred in 88 (54 %), 34 (20.9 %) and 31 (20.5 %) patients respectively. Mean amount of insulin used and duration of treatment till resolution of DKA were 136.85 ± 152.41 units and 64.38 ± 76.34 h respectively. The median length of hospital stay was 6 days. Mortality from HEs was 16 (9.8 %). Admission serum creatinine >1.2 mg/dL (P = 0.018), co-morbidity (P < 0.001) and sepsis (P = 0.014) were independent predictors of HEs mortality. Conclusions: Infections, non-compliance and new onset diabetes were the most common precipitants of HEs. Length of hospital stay and mortality were high. High use of insulin, recurrent hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and ketonuria were common during HEs management. Elevated serum creatinine, sepsis and co-morbidity are independent predictors of HEs mortality

Time to establish an international vaccine candidate pool for potential highly infectious respiratory disease: a community's view.

In counteracting highly infectious and disruptive respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, vaccination remains the primary and safest way to prevent disease, reduce the severity of illness, and save lives. Unfortunately, vaccination is often not the first intervention deployed for a new pandemic, as it takes time to develop and test vaccines, and confirmation of safety requires a period of observation after vaccination to detect potential late-onset vaccine-associated adverse events. In the meantime, nonpharmacologic public health interventions such as mask-wearing and social distancing can provide some degree of protection. As climate change, with its environmental impacts on pathogen evolution and international mobility continue to rise, highly infectious respiratory diseases will likely emerge more frequently and their impact is expected to be substantial. How quickly a safe and efficacious vaccine can be deployed against rising infectious respiratory diseases may be the most important challenge that humanity will face in the near future. While some organizations are engaged in addressing the World Health Organization's "blueprint for priority diseases", the lack of worldwide preparedness, and the uncertainty around universal vaccine availability, remain major concerns. We therefore propose the establishment of an international candidate vaccine pool repository for potential respiratory diseases, supported by multiple stakeholders and countries that contribute facilities, technologies, and other medical and financial resources. The types and categories of candidate vaccines can be determined based on information from previous pandemics and epidemics. Each participant country or region can focus on developing one or a few vaccine types or categories, together covering most if not all possible potential infectious diseases. The safety of these vaccines can be tested using animal models. Information for effective candidates that can be potentially applied to humans will then be shared across all participants. When a new pandemic arises, these pre-selected and tested vaccines can be quickly tested in RCTs for human populations

Hyponatremia in patients hospitalized with heart failure: a condition often overlooked in low-income settings

Khalid Ali,1 Abdulhalik Workicho,2 Esayas Kebede Gudina3 1Department of Internal Medicine, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, 2Department of Epidemiology, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia Background: Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte abnormality in patients with heart failure (HF). It is independently associated with increased short-term and long-term morbidity and mortality. The main objective of this study was to assess patterns of hyponatremia and its association with discharge outcomes in patients with HF admitted to a teaching hospital in Ethiopia.Patients and methods: This is a descriptive, prospective, hospital-based cohort study of patients with HF admitted to Jimma University Hospital, Ethiopia, between ­November 1, 2013 and July 31, 2014. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical profile at admission, and outcomes at discharge. Plasma sodium concentration was analyzed at admission for all patients. The relationship between hyponatremia at admission and in-hospital mortality, as well as length of hospital stay, was assessed using both bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regressions. The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05.Results: Of 152 participants admitted with HF, 44 (28.9%) had hyponatremia, which is defined as serum sodium level <135 mmol/L. Patients on salt restriction, on chronic diuretic treatment (furosemide and spironolactone), and with impaired renal function at admission were found to be highly affected. Hyponatremia was found to be associated with increased in-hospital mortality (P=0.008) and longer hospital stay (16.6 vs 12 days, P<0.001). Patients with hyponatremia also had lower blood pressure and poor functional status at discharge.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that hyponatremia is highly prevalent in patients hospitalized with HF and is associated with increased in-hospital mortality and longer hospital stay. Thus, great emphasis should be given to identify high-risk patients, and prevention and early detection of hyponatremia to prevent its deleterious effects. Large-scale national studies are also needed to complement our findings. Keywords: heart failure, hyponatremia, outcome, Ethiopia, Afric

Prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors in southwest Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional survey

Esayas Kebede Gudina,1 Yadani Michael,1 Sahilu Assegid2 1Department of Internal Medicine, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia; 2Department of Epidemiology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia Background: Hypertension is a common medical condition worldwide. It is an important public health challenge because of the associated morbidity, mortality, and the cost to the society. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors among attendants of adult outpatient departments at Jimma University Specialized Hospital in southwest Ethiopia. Materials and methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 734 participants aged 15 years or older from May 2012 to June 2012. A pretested structured questionnaire consisting of characteristics related to sociodemographic profiles and risk factors for hypertension was used for data collection. Three separate measurements of blood pressure and relevant anthropometric evaluation were taken according to current recommended standards. Chi-square test and other statistical analyses were done to employ appropriate interpretations of the findings. P-values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 42.3 &plusmn; 13.2 years and 71.7% of them were 35 years and older; 58% of them were females. Overall prevalence of hypertension &ndash; defined by systolic blood pressure &ge;140 and/or diastolic blood pressure &ge;90 or reporting history of hypertension &ndash; was found to be 13.2%. Only 35.1% of them were aware of their hypertension and only 23.7% were on treatment. The overall control rate was 15.5%. Family history of hypertension, having diabetes mellitus, being overweight, and oral contraceptive use were associated with high blood pressure. Conclusion: Hypertension was found to be prevalent; morbidity, awareness, treatment, and control in those with hypertension were low. Hence, intervention measures should be undertaken at the community level; particular emphasis should be placed on prevention by introducing lifestyle modifications and creating awareness about the problem so that early detection and intervention is possible. Keywords: hypertension, cardiovascular disease, Ethiopia, Jimm