Prevalence and associated factors of hepatitis C virus infection among renal disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis in three health centers in Aden, Yemen: a cross sectional study.

We aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with positive anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies among patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) in three centers in Aden, Yemen. The data from 219 patients and their records over the period between 2000-2013, was extracted and analyzed. The mean ± SD age of the patients was 47.08 ± 13.9 years; 74.4% of them were married and 14.6% were employed. The prevalence of validated anti-HCV-positive cases was 40.2% (95%CI 33.64%-46.73%). The mean ± SD duration on HD of all the patients was 35.09 ± 38 months. On bivariate analysis, the duration on HD and attending more than one center for HD associated significantly with anti-HCV positivity (P <0.05). On multivariate fully adjusted Poisson regression modelling, controlled for age, Patients attending more than one center and those who underwent HD for longer durations were more likely to be positive for anti- HCV antibodies [P = 0.004, adjusted prevalence rate ratio (APRR) = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22-2.88; P = 0.0005, APRR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02. In this study sample, the prevalence of HCV was significant. Patients attending more than one center and those who underwent HD for longer durations were found to be more likely to contract HCV. Enhancing existing infection control measures and allocating more resources to HD centers therefore warrants consideration.

Stercoral perforation in a child: a rare complication of NSAID use.

The adverse effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are well known. However, NSAID use rarely leads to a stercoral perforation, an extremely rare but life-threatening cause of acute abdomen. We present a case of stercoral sigmoid colon perforation in a 2-year-old girl, secondary to unintentional NSAID overdose, developing as a result of miscommunication between the general practitioner (GP) and the mother. To the best of our knowledge, stercoral perforation has never before been reported in a child.

The Role of Psychosocial and Belief Factors in Self-Reported Cigarette Smoking Among University Students in Malaysia.

This study aimed to explore factors associated, specifically belief factors, with self-reported tobacco smoking status. A sample of 300 students was recruited from a private university in Malaysia. Data was collected using a pre-tested self-administrated questionnaire that investigated various factors including socio-demographics, socio-economic status, smoking behavior and beliefs on tobacco smoking. The main tobacco use in this study sample was cigarettes and the estimated prevalence of self-reported cigarette smoking was 10.3%. In bivariate analysis, self-reported cigarette smoking was significantly associated with socio-demographic, behavioral factors and faculty of study (P<0.05). In multivariate modeling, being male and a non-medical student, did not exercise, having a smoker father and brother or sister, suffering from financial difficulties and having the belief that smokers had more friends, all had statistically significant associations (P<0.05) with self-reported cigarette smoking. Social and interpersonal factors were associated with self-reported cigarette smoking status. A comprehensive health model focusing on changing the social norms of parent and sibling tobacco smoking and students' beliefs, alongside nurturing skills of dealing with stressful situations, warrant implementation.

Validation of self-reported khat chewing amongst khat chewers: an exploratory study.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Khat chewing amongst the UK communities originating from Yemen and the East African coast is suggested to create dependency through its main stimulant components (cathinone, norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine) on the central nervous system. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To validate self-reported khat chewing behaviours by measuring levels of cathinone, norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine in saliva and to explore their associations with self-reported khat chewing dependency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted amongst 30 male UK-resident khat chewers. Saliva samples were collected from each participant and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) employed to extract and quantify the levels of the biomarkers. RESULTS: The mean (SD) for cathinone and the composite norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine levels were 33.93 (±39.20) and 29.28 (±26.32)µg/mL respectively. These biomarkers were significantly associated (p≤0.05) with khat chewing dependency. CONCLUSIONS: Validation of self-reported khat chewing is possible. Khat chewing dependency correlates significantly with biomarker levels in saliva. Replication is required.