ABSTRACT
Introduction: Hypertension is a common physical condition with high blood pressure for a prolonged period. Long risk factors like age, overweight, high dietary salt intake, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and term hypertension might lead to various cardiovascular diseases. The normal blood pressure, systolic, is 90-119 mm Hg and diastolic 60-79 mm Hg. The objective of this study is to find out the prevalence of hypertension among current cigarette smokers patients in an outpatient department of a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done on 385 outpatient department patients in a tertiary care centre from September, 2021 to February, 2022. The sample was collected by a convenience after approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 0505202105). Outpatient department patients who had past history of smoking cigarette>100 cigarettes and who is still smoking were included in the study. Data were analysed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Science software version 16.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentage for binary data and mean and standard deviation for continuous data. Results: Among 385 patients, 209 (54.28%) (47.64-60.92 at 95% Confidence Interval) were hypertensive patients. One hundred fifty-six (40.51%) males and 53 (13.76%) females were hypertensive. Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertension was higher when compared to other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: habits; hypertension; prevalence; smokers.
Subject(s)
Hypertension , Tobacco Products , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Hypertension/epidemiology , Male , Outpatients , Smokers , Tertiary Care CentersABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing uropathogens has complicated the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI). Paediatric UTI is a common illness, which if not treated properly, may lead to acute and long-term complications, such as renal abscess, septicaemia, and renal scarring. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MDR and ESBL-producing uropathogens among children. METHODS: During the study period (April 2017-April 2018), midstream urine samples were collected following aseptic procedures from children < 16 years in Siddhi Memorial Hospital. Standard culture and biochemical tests were performed to identify uropathogens and antimicrobial susceptibility test was done by modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method following Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. ESBL-producing uropathogens were screened by ceftazidime (30 µg) and cefotaxime (30 µg) discs, and confirmed by the combination disc tests: ceftazidime + clavulanic acid (30/10 µg) or cefotaxime + clavulanic acid (30/10 µg) as recommended by CLSI. RESULTS: We processed 5545 non-repeated urine samples from the children with symptoms of UTI. A significant growth of uropathogens was observed in 203 samples (3.7%). The median age of the children was 24 months (interquartile range (IQR), 12-53 months). Escherichia coli (n = 158, 77.8%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 30, 14.8%) were common among the uropathogens. Among them, 80.3% were resistant to amoxycillin and 51.2% were resistant to cotrimoxazole. Most of them were susceptible to amikacin, nitrofurantoin, and ofloxacin. MDR was detected in 34.5% (n = 70/203) and ESBL producers in 24.6% (n = 50/203) of them. The proportion of MDR isolates was higher in children < 5 years (n = 59/153, 38.6%) than children ≥ 5 years (n = 11/50, 22%) (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Nitrofurantoin, ofloxacin, and amikacin can be used for the empirical treatment for UTI in children in Bhaktapur, Nepal. MDR and ESBL-producing uropathogens are prevalent; this warrants a continuous surveillance of antimicrobial resistance.
