SAGE Open Medicine

BACKGROUND: The family planning options for reproductive-age women who are in antiretroviral therapy should consider different types of contraceptive methods including condom use. There is a high unmet need and unplanned pregnancies in Ethiopia among HIV-positive women. Attention was not given towards contraceptive use for HIV women in Ethiopia including the study area. The study aimed to assess contraceptive use and associated factors among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) on Antiretroviral therapy in Awabel Woreda, Northwest Ethiopia...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of water sources in Ishaka division, Bushenyi district. METHODS: Water from taps, wells and springs were sampled for the cross-sectional investigation. The enumeration and identification of microbes ( Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Proteus, Staphylococcus aureus and total coliforms) in water samples were carried out using a variety of methods. Escherichia coli was enumerated using the membrane filtration method; Salmonella, Shigella and Proteus using a two-step enrichment method; Staphylococcus aureus using the surface spread method and total coliforms using the most probable number technique...

BACKGROUND: The fourth most common cancer in women worldwide is cervical cancer. Over 87% of deaths from cervical cancer occur in developing nations. One of the risks of developing cervical cancer is the use of oral contraceptives. However, there is limited evidence on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical cancer screening among family planning service users in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward cervical cancer screening and its associated factors among family planning service users...

AIMS: Both developing and developed countries are facing difficulties in finding regular donors. In areas that are exposed to frequent conflicts and wars, such as the Gaza Strip, there is a need for a continuous blood supply. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward blood donation in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022, in which 1506 participants were randomly selected from different governorates in the Gaza Strip...

OBJECTIVES: Stigmatization was reported throughout the COVID pandemic for COVID-19 patients and close contacts. The aim of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine the prevalence and impact of stigmatization during COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: English articles were searched using online databases that included PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science up to 24 August 2022. A two-step screening and selection process was followed utilizing an inclusion and exclusion criteria and then data was extracted from eligible articles...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Nursing is a professional career that requires patient-specialized care. To this end, it requires a high academic performance during undergraduate studies. However, some factors that can influence the academic performance of nursing students have been noticed during the internship. We aimed to determine the hospital and community-academic performance of nurse interns who work. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a 3-year mixed study carried out with students of the Universidad Norbert Wiener...

OBJECTIVES: Vietnam has witnessed a severe shortage of qualified staff in the public health sector after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our cross-sectional study aimed to identify job motivation and associated factors among experienced frontline health staff working in public health in order to have preventive measures in the event of future pandemics. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, from March 2022 to November 2022 at a Vietnamese public hospital, on the job motivation and the predicted factors of 381 healthcare workers who participated in the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021...

OBJECTIVES: Preeclampsia is one of the most frequent pregnancy disorders, with a global incidence of 2%-8%. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is an essential mineral for human health; some studies suggest link between 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and preeclampsia, while others offer contradictory findings. Thus, the goal of this study is to evaluate the relationships between maternal 25- hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and the risk of preeclampsia. In addition to this, our study also evaluates the effects of 25- hydroxyvitamin D supplementation on the incidence of preeclampsia...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of preoperative anxiety and associated factors among adult surgical patients in public hospitals of eastern Ethiopia from 25 April to 26 May 2022. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was undertaken using a systematic sampling technique among 423 participants from patients eligible for elective surgery. The prevalence of preoperative anxiety was assessed using the state and trait anxiety inventory measurement scale...

OBJECTIVES: Molecular approaches to identifying resistance-conferring mutations suggest a revolution in the field of tuberculosis. The aim of the study was to determine the association between resistance-conferring mutations with fitness loss in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates and HIV co-infection in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. METHODS: A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2022 and June 2023. A line probe assay was performed on 146 culture-positive clinical isolates...

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to develop an Urdu-translated version of the Amsterdam preoperative anxiety and information scale and perform a psychometric evaluation of it. A secondary aim was to estimate the prevalence of preoperative anxiety using Urdu-translated Amsterdam preoperative anxiety and information scale in patients undergoing surgery in Karachi, Pakistan, and the factors contributing to anxiety among them. METHOD: This cross-sectional survey included 267 patients enrolled for elective surgery under general anesthesia from March 5 to November 20, 2022...

INTRODUCTION: The occurrence of extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing uropathogens, especially in pregnant women can result in life-threatening condition and morbidity for both the mother and the newborn due to very limited drug options for treatment of these pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the bacterial profile, associated factors, and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and to identify extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing bacterial uropathogens. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to September 2018 on a total of 177 pregnant women with and without symptoms of urinary tract infection at ALERT Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia...

OBJECTIVE: The human immunodeficiency virus has become one of the world's most serious health and development challenges. Human immunodeficiency virus prevention has not received sufficient attention, and the prevalence of human behavioral virus infections among Ethiopian high school and preparatory students has also increased. The aim of this study was to assess behavioral responses to condom use messages to prevent human immune virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome among Bahir Dar city high school and preparatory students using the extended parallel process model, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2022...

OBJECTIVES: Central sensitivity syndrome disorders such as fibromyalgia, provoke continued debate, highlighting diagnostic and therapeutic uncertainty. The Hyland model provides a way of understanding and treating the medically unexplained symptoms of central sensitivity syndromes using complexity theory and principles of adaption in network systems. The body reprogramming is a multi-modal intervention based on the Hyland model designed for patients living with medically unexplained symptoms...

OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is one of the major toxicities in multiple myeloma patients, often resulting in dose reductions or treatment interruptions. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a safe non-invasive neuromodulation therapy with potential benefits for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in multiple myeloma patients...

OBJECTIVES: The study determined the rate of recent and past Toxoplasma gondii infections, associated factors, and awareness among expectant mothers assessing antenatal care in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant women. A questionnaire was used to gather information on socio-demographics, infection risk factors, and awareness of the infection. Using an ELISA kit, the IgG and IgM antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii were assessed in blood samples from these women...

INTRODUCTION: Paternal postnatal depression is a type of depression that occurs among male partners after childbirth. Although the problem has a multidimensional impact, there is limited data in low-income countries, including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to uncover this problem in the study setting. OBJECTIVE: To assess paternal postnatal depression and associated factors. METHOD AND STUDY PERIOD: A community-based cross-sectional study was employed from April 1 to 30, 2023, among 423 fathers in Mattu Town, Southwest Ethiopia...

OBJECTIVES: Embolization of large portosystemic shunts effectively controls gastric variceal bleeding and prevents hepatic encephalopathy. The significance of dynamic changes in hepatic venous pressure gradient before and after embolization on clinical events and patient outcomes remains unknown. METHODS: In this retrospective single-center series, 46 patients with gastric variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, or both undergoing embolization (January 2018 to October 2020) were included, and dynamic changes in portal pressures were analyzed against patient outcomes...

BACKGROUNDS: Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common pathological type of thyroid cancer. miR-96-5p, a member of the miR-183 family, constitute a polycistronic miRNA cluster. In breast cancer, miR-96-5p promotes cell invasion, migration, and proliferation in vitro by inhibiting PTPN9. Moreover, miR-96-5p was reported to function as an oncogene in many cancers. However, whether miR-96-5p is involved in the development of papillary thyroid cancers and its potential mechanism is still unknown...

INTRODUCTION: Maintaining continuity of care is one of the most critical components of providing great care in primary health care. This study aimed to explore continuity of care and its predictors in primary healthcare settings among patients with chronic diseases in Saudi Arabia. METHOD: Face-to-face cross-sectional interviews were conducted with patients with chronic diseases who had at least four visits to primary care facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between November 1, 2022 and March 3, 2023...