Prevalence of risky sexual behavior and associated factors among Injibara University students, Northwest Ethiopia

IntroductionEngaging in risky sexual behaviors can lead to HIV infection, sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy among youths. University students had greater sexual risks for many reasons. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and associated factors of risky sexual behaviors among regular undergraduate students at Injibara University, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at Injibara University from 20 January to 30 2020. Multistage sampling was employed to select 770 students. Data were collected using a semistructured self-administered questionnaire. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with risky sexual behavior. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% CIs were determined, and variables with P-values <0.05 were considered significant.ResultA total of 770 students participated in the study, providing a response rate of 100%. In this study, 294 (38%, 95% CI: 35%, 42%) students engaged in risky sexual behaviors. Risky sexual behavior was significantly associated with not tested for HIV (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.15–2.31), peer pressure (AOR = 1.90, CI: 1.37–2.64), basic HIV knowledge (AOR = 2.16, CI: 1.65–2.89), substance use (AOR = 3.56, CI: 2.11–6.06), watching pornography videos (AOR = 1.58, CI: 1.11–2.23), and HIV risk perception (AOR = 1.37, CI: 1.02–1.91).Conclusion and recommendationA substantial proportion of university students in this study engaged in unsafe sexual behavior. Risky sexual behaviors are more likely to occur when students are under peer pressure, use substances, have no perceived HIV risk, watch pornography, and have inadequate basic HIV knowledge. Therefore, tailored strategic interventions such as life skill training should be designed to bring about positive behavioral changes among university students

Obstructive sleep apnea risk and determinant factors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at the chronic illness clinic of the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

IntroductionObstructive sleep apnea is a sleep complaint among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients that has a deleterious effect on health with immediate and long-term impacts. Despite its impacts, data on the magnitude and predictors of obstructive sleep apnea among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Ethiopia is still limited. Thus, this study was conducted to determine how common a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea is and its predictors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving follow-up care at the chronic illness follow-up clinic at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Interviewer-administered questionnaires and physical measurements with standard instruments were used to collect the required data. The collected data were entered into EpiData 4.6 and exported into STATA 14. Both Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were done to identify factors associated with a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Variables with a p-value ≤0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression analysis were declared as significantly associated with a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea.ResultsA total of 319 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with a median age of 58 years participated in our current study. The overall prevalence of a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea among the study participants was 31.97% (95%CI: 27.06, 37.32). On multivariable logistic analysis, a neck circumference of ≥40 cm (AOR=4.33, 95%CI 1.37, 13.72), physical inactivity (AOR=2.29, 95%CI 1.15, 4.53), comorbid hypertension (AOR=4.52, 95%CI 2.30, 9.18), and male sex (AOR=8.01, 95%CI 3.02, 21.24) were associated with a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea.Conclusion and recommendationThe prevalence of a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients remains high. A neck circumference of ≥40 cm, physical inactivity, comorbid hypertension, and male sex were significantly associated with a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Screening and evaluation of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients for obstructive sleep apnea are recommended to avoid the negative impacts

Kartagener’s syndrome: a case report

Abstract Background Kartagener’s syndrome is a subset of primary ciliary dyskinesia, an autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by the clinical triad of chronic sinusitis, bronchiectasis, and situs inversus. Abnormal ciliary structure or function leading to impaired ciliary motility is the main pathophysiologic problem in Kartagener’s syndrome. Case presentation A 24-year-old man from Gondar town, North-West Ethiopia, presented to University of Gondar Hospital with recurrent episodes of nasal congestion with itching and paranasal discomfort, and productive cough for more than a decade. Clinical and imaging findings revealed chronic sinusitis, bronchiectasis, dextrocardia, and situs inversus. He was treated with orally administered antibiotics, mucolytic, and chest physiotherapy. He was symptomatically better with the above therapy, and started on a long-term low-dose prophylactic antibiotic. Conclusions Patients with Kartagener’s syndrome exist in Ethiopia as cases of chronic recurrent sinopulmonary infections. As there is no easy, reliable non-invasive diagnostic test for Kartagener’s syndrome and the correct diagnosis is often delayed by years, it may cause chronic respiratory problems with reduced quality of life. Genetic counseling and fertility issues should be addressed once Kartagener’s syndrome is diagnosed

Molecular studies of meningococcal and pneumococcal meningitis patients in Ethiopia

Neisseria meningitidis infections in sub-Saharan Africa usually present with distinct symptoms of meningitis but very rarely as fulminant septicemia when reaching hospitals. In Europe, development of persistent meningococcal shock and multiple organ failure occurs in up to 30% of patients and is associated with a bacterial load of >106/ml plasma or serum. We have prospectively studied 27 Ethiopian patients with meningococcal infection as diagnosed and quantified with real-time PCR in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. All presented with symptoms of meningitis and none with fulminant septicemia. The median N. meningitidis copy number (NmDNA) in serum was < 3.5 × 103/ml, never exceeded 1.8 × 105/ml, and was always 10–1000 times higher in CSF than in serum. The levels of LPS in CSF as determined by the limulus amebocyte lysate assay were positively correlated to NmDNA copy number (r = 0.45, P = 0.030), levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist, (r = 0.46, P = 0.017), and matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9; r = 0.009). We also compared the inflammatory profiles of 19 mediators in CSF of the 26 meningococcal patients (2 died and 2 had immediate severe sequelae) with 16 patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis (3 died and 3 with immediate severe sequelae). Of 19 inflammatory mediators tested, 9 were significantly higher in patients with pneumococcal meningitis and possibly linked to worse outcome

Surveillance of bacterial meningitis, Ethiopia, 2012–2013

Ethiopia has the second-largest population (≈94 million in 2013) among the meningitis belt countries of sub-Saharan Africa (1). However, during 2001–2010, a median of only 1,056 suspected meningitis cases per year (range 5–8,571/year) was reported to the World Health Organization (2). The largest meningitis epidemics occurred in 1981 (3) and 1989 (4), resulting in ≈45,000 and ≈50,000 cases, respectively. Serogroup A meningococci were the major cause of these epidemics, although serogroup C strains were also identified in 1981, 1983–84, and during outbreaks in 2000 and 2003 (5). Conjugate vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae serotype b, Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [PCV] 10), and Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A (MenAfriVac) were introduced in 2007, 2011, and 2013–2015, respectively. Because data permitting assessment of these vaccines are limited, we implemented a surveillance study