Pre-and post-donation ferritin level of blood donors attending University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Donor Clinic in Southern Nigeria

While trying to save the patient via blood transfusion, the safety of the blood donor is paramount. This study evaluated the pre-and post-donation ferritin and packed cell volume (PCV) of donors attending University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.Method: The study adopted descriptive longitudinal approach. A total of 18 donors with age range of 18 ­48years were enrolled and followed up for 30 days post-donation. The serum ferritin was analyzed using ELISA method while the PCV was analyzed using the microhematocrit method. Difference between means was performed using repeated measure ANOVA while post hoc was done using Bonferroni adjustment. Prediction of return to baseline values were performed using logistic regression. Alpha value was placed at 0.05 There was a decline in ferritin and packed cell volume from pre-to post-donation. The decline in ferritin was imminent until day 14 when recovery was initiated. Significant difference was observed between the pre-donation ferritin and the rest of the days except day 30. There was also a decline in PCV from pre-donation all through with recovery noticeable after day 7. The PCV of the pre-donation was only comparable to the day 30 post-donation. Approximately 5.6% (n=1) of the subjects was iron deficient pre-donation.Approximately 25% (n=4) of the subject have returned to baseline PCV while 0% of the subjects have returned to baseline ferritin at day 30 post-donation.Conclusion: For the safety of the donor, donation interval should be widened, and iron supplement followed up

Depression and Burnout among Health Extension Workers in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Depression and burnout are common among healthcare workers (HCWs) and negatively affect their well being and the quality of the service they provide. However, the burden of depression and burnout among health extension workers (HEWs) in Ethiopia and their relationship has not been documented well. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depression and burnout among HEWs in Ethiopia and to investigate the relationship between these conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a cross-sectional study design and collected data from 584 rural and 581 urban HEWs in Ethiopia, as part of the 2019 national health extension program assessment. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Burnout Self-Test were used to screen HEWs for depression and burnout, respectively. We used descriptive statistics to estimate the magnitude of depression and burnout, and logistic regression to examine their relationship. RESULT: Based on PHQ-9 cutoff scores of 10, the prevalence of major depression was 16.5% among rural and 8.9% among urban HEWs, whereas burnout risk was 39.8% among rural and 12.6% among urban HEWs. The odds of having depression among HEWs with burnout risk was relatively higher compared to those without burnout risk [For rural HEWs, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) is 11.88 at a 95% confidence interval (CI; 5.27, 26.80), and for urban HEWs, the AOR is 11.49 at a 95% CI (5.35, 24.63)]. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of depression and burnout is high among HEWs in Ethiopia, with a significant rural­urban difference, and burnout is a significant predictor of depression. Mental health interventions that enable prevention, early detection, and management are needed especially for rural HEWs who are in charge of preventive health service delivery for the disadvantaged rural communities

Anxiety disorders: Psychiatric comorbidities and psychosocial stressors among adult outpatients

Background: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent class of lifetime mental disorders according to South African research. However, little is known about the prevalence of factors that might complicate treatment among adults in a psychiatric outpatient setting. Aim: To explore the psychiatric comorbidities and psychosocial stressors among a population of adults treated for anxiety disorders at the outpatient unit of a tertiary psychiatric facility in Bloemfontein. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, clinical files of all mental healthcare users receiving treatment were reviewed to identify those with a current or previous diagnosis of one or more of the following anxiety disorders: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder (SAD) and agoraphobia. Results: Of the 650 available records, 103 (15.8%) included at least one anxiety disorder. Of those, 65.1% had GAD, 34.0% had panic disorder and 29.1% had SAD. Agoraphobia was diagnosed in 14.6% of patients almost exclusively as comorbid with panic disorder. Additional psychiatric disorders were present for 98.1% of patients and 36.9% had multiple anxiety disorders. The patients had a history of relational problems (64.1%), educational and occupational stressors (55.3%), abuse and neglect (28.2%), other problems related to the social environment (24.3%) and self-harm (23.3%). Conclusion: Clinical practice should take the high rates of comorbidity into account and the importance of integrated substance-related interventions in mental healthcare settings is clear. Diagnostic practices regarding agoraphobia without panic, and the comorbidity of anxiety and personality disorders should receive further attention. Clinicians should be aware of the potential impact of the frequently reported psychosocial stressors