Determinants of neonatal seizure among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units in the Awi Zone hospitals, 2023: A multi-center unmatched case control study.

Background: Neonatal seizure is a common medical emergency that signals severe insult to the neonatal brain. It is a major risk factor for neonatal morbidity and mortality. It has a wide worldwide variation, ranging from 5 per 1000 live births in the United States of America to 39.5 per 1000 live births in Kenya. To decrease this significant figure, it is better to investigate its causes further. Therefore, this study aimed to assess its determinants since there was no prior evidence about it in the context of study area. Objective: Aim to assess the determinants of neonatal seizures among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units in the Awi Zone Hospitals, 2023. Methods: An institution based unmatched case-control study was conducted on 531 admitted eligible neonates from January 1, 2023, to May 30, 2023. A pretested tool was employed to collect data. The collected data were coded, edited, and entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and then exported to SPSS 26. Chi-square and odds ratios were used to assess the relationship between factors associated with the occurrence of neonatal seizure. Model goodness of fit was tested by Hosmer and Lemeshow. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was declared at P < 0.25 and P < 0.05 respectively to show a significant association with neonatal seizure at a 95 % level of significance. Results: A total of 506 (130 cases and 376 controls) of admitted neonates were used in the final analysis model. Neonates admitted within 24 h of birth [AOR; 5.98 (95 %, CI: 2.18-16.43)], gestational age <32 weeks [AOR; 2.89 (95 %, CI: 1.29-6.53)], body temperature >37.5 °C [AOR; 4.82 (95 %, CI: 1.82-12.76)], blood glucose level <40 g/dl [AOR; 4.95 (95 %, CI: 2.06,11.88)], neonatal sepsis [AOR; 2.79 (95 %, CI: 1.46-5.35)] and perinatal asphyxia [AOR; 8.25 (95 %, CI: 4.23, 16.12)] were found to be determinants of neonatal seizure. Conclusion: and recommendations: In this study, neonatal seizure was determined by the factors of neonatal age, gestational age<32 weeks, body temperature >37.5 °C, blood glucose level <40 g/dl, neonatal sepsis, and perinatal asphyxia. Therefore, the presence of such factors requires prompt recognition and treatment.

Determinants of Health Care Providers' Attitudes Toward Safe Abortion Care in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Unsafe abortion is a serious reproductive health problem in developing countries including Ethiopia. The attitude of healthcare providers toward abortion is one of contributing factors to unsafe abortion. This study aimed to determine the pooled effect of healthcare workers' attitudes toward safe abortion care and its determinants factors in Ethiopia. Methods: Search engines such as Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and CAB Abstracts were used to find published studies where as Google and Google Scholar were used to find unpublished research. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used. The analysis was performed using STATA 14 and the random-effects model was used to calculate the odds ratios of medical professionals' attitudes regarding safe abortion services. Study heterogeneity was assessed by using I2 and P-values. To evaluate the stability of pooled values to outliers and publication bias, respectively, sensitivity analysis and funnel plot were also performed. Results: A total of 15 published and unpublished articles with a sample size of 4060 were incorporated in this Review. The overall pooled prevalence of this study was 56% (95% CI: 45-67). Sex of participants (AOR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.57, 3.58), having training (AOR: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.58, 5.17), Professional type (AOR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.04, 4.46), and knowledge of abortion law (AOR:2.26; 95% CI: 1.14, 4.46) were the determinants factors that significantly associated with health care workers' attitude toward safe abortion care. Sensitivity analysis shows that the pooled odds ratios were consistently stable throughout all meta-analyses, and the funnel plot shows no evidence of publication bias. Conclusion: Half of health care providers sampled among the pooled studies have favorable attitudes toward abortion services in Ethiopia; which could hamper women's access to safe abortion care. Sex, training, type of profession, and knowing abortion law were determinants of health care workers' attitudes toward safe abortion services. Stakeholders should emphasize improving the attitude of healthcare workers toward safe abortion care which has a vital role in reducing maternal mortality. Moreover, working on modifiable factors like training, assigning personnel whose professions align with the service, and updating care providers about abortion law is also the essential key point to improve their intentions to deliver the services.

Enterolithiasis: An unusual cause of large bowel obstruction, a case report.

BACKGROUND: Large bowel obstruction is a common surgical condition encountered in the surgical emergency department. Large bowel obstruction due to primary enterolithiasis is an extremely uncommon condition. Enterolithiasis i.e. formation of gastrointestinal concretions is an uncommon medical condition that develops in the setting of intestinal stasis due to various pathologies and can present in different clinical pictures to challenge a clinician. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: a 60-year-old male farmer who had sigmoid resection and anastomosis six years back, currently presented with a complaint of recurrent abdominal cramps, progressive abdominal distension, vomiting, and constipation of 08 days duration. An examination showed a distended soft and non-tender abdomen. A plain abdominal x-ray showed an obstruction caused by enteroliths located at the proximal rectum. The patient was diagnosed with large bowel obstruction due to an impacted enterolith at the stenosed previous anastomotic site. Later, the patient was operated on, impacted enteroliths were removed, and was discharged improved. CONCLUSION: definitive preoperative diagnosis of bowel obstruction due to enterolithiasis is not always possible. A high index of suspicion is very important to avoid misdiagnosis and delay in treatment. Most patients with enterolithiasis can be managed conservatively. However, surgery is the mainstay of treatment once conservative management fails.

Use of tranexamic acid in decreasing blood loss during and after delivery among women in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Africa is a developing continent with a high maternal mortality rate. It is beneficial to implement interventions that alleviate the problem. As a result, this systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to summarize evidence that will assist concerned bodies in proposing strategies to reduce maternal mortality due to post-partum hemorrhage. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis includes randomized control trials (RCT) studies searched from various databases (PubMed, Web of Sciences, SCOPUS, African Journal Online, Clinical trials, and African indexes Medics). Data synthesis and statistical analysis were conducted using a combination of review manager 5.3 and STATA Version 14 software. The effect measure utilized was the standardized mean difference for estimated mean blood loss and mean hemoglobin level. RESULTS: This systematic review and meta-analysis includes a total of 3308 women. The pooled standardized mean difference showed that tranexamic acid statistical significantly reduced the estimated amount of blood loss after vaginal delivery (standardized mean difference with 95% CI - 0.93 [- 1.45, - 0.41]) and during and after cesarean delivery (standardized mean difference with 95% CI - 1.93 [- 2.40, - 1.47]). CONCLUSION: Tranexamic acid has been found to be a good choice for reducing blood loss during and after delivery in Africa regardless of the mode of delivery. Tranexamic acid had no effect on hemoglobin levels before and after delivery. To reduce maternal mortality due to post-partum hemorrhage, it is critical to implement and strengthen interventions aimed at increasing tranexamic acid uptake in Africa.

Growth and Bulb Yield of Garlic as Influenced by Clove Size.

Garlic is an important cash crop in many regions of Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is constrained by several factors. Among these, inappropriate clove size is one of the major agronomic practices that can decrease the yield of the crop. Hence, a field experiment was conducted during the 2020/21 main cropping season at Debre Berhan University, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, demonstration and research site to evaluate the effect of clove size on growth and bulb yield of garlic (Allium sativum L.). The treatments consisted of five clove sizes: 1-1.49 g, 1.5-1.99 g, 2-2.50 g, 2.51-2.99 g, and 3-3.5 g. An improved variety "Tseday" was used as a planting material. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement and replicated for three times. The results revealed that clove size significantly influenced all growth and yield parameters of garlic. Planting of 3-3.5 g cloves reduced days to emergence by 11 and 6.33 days and days to maturity by 28.33 and 18.00 days, respectively, as compared to planting of 1-1.49 g and 2-2.5 g cloves. This treatment also increased total bulb yield by 25.88% and 15.58%, respectively, as compared to planting of 1-1.49 g and 2-2.5 g cloves. In addition, this treatment significantly increased most of the growth and bulb yield components. Hence, it can be concluded that planting of 3-3.5 g cloves could be recommended to enhance early emergence, good vegetative growth, and total bulb yield of garlic.

Corrigendum to "Effect of Plant Spacing on Yield and Yield Components of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Shewarobit, Central Ethiopia".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/8357237.].

Effect of Plant Spacing on Yield and Yield Components of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Shewarobit, Central Ethiopia.

Inappropriate spacing is one of the major problems in tomato production at the study area. A field experiment was conducted to determine inter- and intrarow plant spacing for yield and yield components of tomato at Shewarobit, central rift valley of Ethiopia, under irrigation condition. The treatment comprises of three intrarow spacing (20, 30, and 40 cm) and four interrow spacing (60, 80, 100, and 120 cm) replicated three times and arranged in randomized complete block design using tomato variety Weyno. Data collected on fruit yield and yield components were analysed using SAS. The main effect of interrow spacing significantly affected marketable fruit, unmarketable fruit, marketable fruit number, unmarketable fruit number, and fruit diameter. The 20 cm interrow spacing showed a marked increase in marketable fruit yield by 35.96% as compared to 30 cm spacing used by farmers. Planting tomato in closer interrow spacing (60 cm) resulted in 50% yield increment than the widest (120 cm) space between rows. Interaction effects of both inter- and intrarow spacing significantly (p < 0.05) affected plant height and fruit length. An intrarow and interrow spacing of 20 ∗ 100 cm and 20 ∗ 120 cm resulted in tallest plants and widest fruits, respectively. Therefore, farmers can use 20 cm intrarow spacing and 60 cm interrow spacing for planting of tomato seedling of Weyno variety.