Patterns and causes of amputation in Ayder Referral Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia: a three-year experience

Background: Amputation is a surgical procedure for the removal of a limb which is indicated when limb recovery is impossible. There are different types of amputation, and their causes can vary from one area to the other. Therefor, the aim of this study is to find out the patterns and causes of amputations in patients presented to Ayder Referral Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia.Methods: the record of 87 patients who had amputation at different sites after admission to Ayder referral hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia in three years period were reviewed retrospectively.Result: A total of 87 patients had amputation of which 78.2% were males. The age range was from 3 to 95 years, and the mean age was 40.6 in years. The most common indications were trauma (37.7%), tumor (24.1%), and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (20.7%). The commonest type of amputation was major lower limbamputation (58.6%) which includes above knee amputation (35.6%)and below knee amputation (23%) followed by digital amputation (17.2%). There was 11.4% major upper limb amputation of which there was one patient who had re-amputation.Conclusion: Most of the indications for amputations in our setup are potentially preventable by increasing awareness in the society on safety measures both at home and at work and early presentation to health facilities.Keywords: Amputation. Amputation pattern, amputation indication

High burden of neural tube defects in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia: Hospital-based study.

INTRODUCTION:Neural tube defects are the major causes of fetal loss and considerable disabilities in infants. Currently, there is no significant research on the incidence of Neural tube defects in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE:To determine the incidence and clinical pattern of the Neural Tube Defects. METHODS:A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2016 to June 2017. All pregnancy outcomes were examined for any externally visible birth defects and neurological integrity by trained midwives under the supervision of senior obstetrics and gynecology and a neurosurgeon. Data were collected using a survey tool to collect maternal and newborn demographic data and a checklist developed to capture newborns with Neural Tube Defects. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. The prevalence of NTDs was calculated per 10,000 births. RESULT:Out of the 14,903 births during the study period, a total of 195 infants were born afflicted with Neural Tube Defects. The burden of infants with anencephaly and spina bifida was 66.4 and 64.4 per 10, 000 births, respectively. The overall incidence rate of NTDs in this study was 131 per 10, 000 births of which 23% were liveborn and 77% were stillborn. The highest burden of Neural Tube Defects was observed in Adigrat Hospital from Eastern Zone of Tigray (174 per 10,000 births) and Lemlem Karl Hospital from Southern Zone of Tigray (304 per 10,000 births) compared to Kahsay Abera Hospital from Western Zone (72.8 per 10,000 births) and Sihul Hospital from North Western Zone of Tigray (69.8 per 10,000 births). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION:Assuming that the non folic acid preventable rate should be 5 per 10,000 births, our prevalence rate is 131 per 10,000 births, and then we have a rate or an epidemic that is 26 times what it should be. This just emphasizes the urgency to implement effective programs to get all women of reproductive age to have adequate folic acid to prevent all of folic acid-preventable spina bifida and anencephaly, which would prevent 96% (125/130) of spina bifida and anencephaly in the Tigray Provence

Pathways through homelessness among women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A qualitative study.

BackgroundThere has been a paradigm shift in understanding homelessness. The shift is from the belief that homelessness results from lack of secure housing towards the view which explains homelessness in terms of the complex interactions of factors which determine the pathways into and out of homelessness. The evidence base for women's homelessness is less robust than men's homelessness. The effect of gender and its relationship with homelessness has been neglected. Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, is estimated to be home for around 50,000 homeless people. This study aims to explore pathways through homelessness in women who were sheltered in a facility for the homeless in Addis Ababa.MethodsIn-depth interviews were conducted in 2019 with 14 women who were 'roofless', and were gathered for support in a temporary shelter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The shelter was one of the eight such facilities established in Addis Ababa few months earlier than the study. For data analysis the QDA Miner 5.0.30 software was used and data was analyzed using thematic analysis approach.ResultsThe analysis revealed that determinant factors for pathways into homelessness among women occurred on the background of predisposing factors, such as poverty, being raised by caregivers other than biological parents, child marriage, unstable employment history. On top of the predisposing factors listed above the occurrence of precipitating factors such as problems with marriage, migration, death of parents, deception, became the immediate cause of homelessness. Despite mentions of positive experiences of homelessness such as mutual support and good social life within network of homeless people, the net effect of the interaction between negative and positive experiences of the homeless life, together with the effectiveness of coping strategies by the participants resulted in the participants' decision of whether homelessness is tolerable. Finally, the presence of perpetuating factors such as lack of affordable house, feeling of shame to go back home, and unfavorable situation at home discouraged participants from exiting the homeless situation.ConclusionFrom the findings of the study we conclude that the predisposing factors and the precipitating factors resulted in the occurrence of onset of homelessness among the participants. Once homeless, the experiences of life as homeless, and the availability of the means to exit from it determined whether the participants would stay homeless or exit from it

Impact of a double catastrophe, war and COVID-19, on health service utilization of a tertiary care hospital in Tigray: an interrupted time-series study

Abstract Background In developing nations with fragile healthcare systems, the effect of war is likely to be much worse than it would be in more developed countries. The presence of COVID-19 will also likely exacerbate the war’s impact. This study set out to determine the effect of armed conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic on health service utilization at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Methods An interrupted time-series study design was used to analyze patient visits over forty-eight consecutive months (from July 2017 to June 2021) at inpatient, outpatient, and emergency departments. Data were analyzed using segmented regression analysis with a defined outcome of level and trend changes in the number of patient visits. In addition, negative binomial regression analysis was also used to estimate the impact of both COVID-19 and the war on patient flow. Results There were 59,935 admissions, 876,533 outpatient visits, and 127,872 emergency room visits. The effect of COVID-19 was seen as soon as the Tigray regional government imposed comprehensive restrictions. Immediately after COVID-19 appeared, all the service areas exhibited a significant monthly drop in visits; [-35.6% (95% CI: -48.2%, -23.1%)] for inpatient, [-60.6% (95% CI: -71.6%, -49.5%)] for outpatient, and [-44.1% (95% CI: -59.5%, -28.7%)] for emergency department visits. The impact of the war became apparent after a lag time of one month. Controlling the effects of time and COVID-19, the war led to a significant fall in inpatient visits [-44.3% (95% CI: -67.2%, -21.5%)], outpatients [-52.1% (95% CI: -82.7%, -21.5%)], and emergency-room attendances [-45.0% (95% CI: -74.8%, -15.2%)]. An upward trend in outpatient flow was observed after the war [1,219.4 (95% CI: 326.1, 2,112.8)]. Conclusions The present study has clearly indicated that the war and COVID-19 have led to a large reduction in admissions, outpatient attendance, and emergency department visits. The evidence from this study suggests that due to this double catastrophe, thousands of patients could not gain access to healthcare, with probable negative consequences. Governments and organizations should implement measures to buttress the healthcare system to maintain pre-war status of service