Globally, usage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in elderly with chronic pain has been reported as frequent. Though NSAIDs are fundamental in maintaining their quality of life, the risk of polypharmacy, drug interactions and adverse effects is of paramount importance as the elderly usually require multiple medications for their co-morbidities. If prescriptions are not appropriately monitored and managed, they are likely to expose patients to serious drug interactions and potentially fatal adverse effects. This study was conducted to assess the appropriateness of NSAIDs use and determine the risk of NSAIDs related potential interactions in elderly. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly outpatients (aged 60 and above) who visited three hospitals in Asmara, Eritrea, between August 22 and September 29, 2018. A stratified random sampling design was employed and data was collected using an interview-based questionnaire and by abstracting information from patients' prescriptions and medical cards. Descriptive and analytical statistics including chi-square test and logistic regression were employed using IBM SPSS (version 22). A total of 285 respondents were enrolled in the study with similar male to female ratio. One in four of all respondents were chronic NSAIDs users and NSAIDs risk practice was reported in 24%. Using chronic NSAIDs without prophylactic gastro-protective agents, self-medication, polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions were the main problems identified. A total of 322 potential interactions in 205 patients were identified and of which, 97.2% were classified as moderate, 0.6% severe and the rest were mild. Those who involved in self-medication were more likely to be exposed to drug interactions. Diabetes

Background Though vaccines are generally considered extremely safe and effective, they have been associated with some serious adverse events following immunization (AEFIs). AEFIs might be related to either the vaccine, immunization error, anxiety related to immunization, and/or coincidental events. If they are not reported and investigated in timely fashion, they can create rumors and confidence gaps. In the last few years, reporting AEFIs in the Central Region of Eritrea, compared to other regions, has been found to be very low, with the root cause for this variation unknown, making intervention strategies challenging. This study was conducted to assess nurse practitioners’ knowledge and perceptions on AEFI surveillance and barriers to reporting in the region. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among all nurse practitioners who were directly or indirectly involved in immunization services working in all health facilities of the region. Data were collected between October 2019 and February 2020 using an interview-based questionnaire. Percentages and medians (IQR) were used as descriptive statistics, and Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used as inferential tools. Results A total of 130 respondents with a median age of 40 (IQR 23) years were included in the study. The overall median (IQR) knowledge score of the respondents on AEFI surveillance was 87.50 (19) out of 100. Furthermore, median (IQR) comprehensive perception score was 70 (20) out of 100 (range 40–95). Shortage of motivation and not knowing how to report were identified as the main barriers to reporting AEFIs. Conclusion Knowledge and perceptions of nurse practitioners in the Central Region on AEFI surveillance were generally encouraging. They should however need to be further trained on the basics of AEFI surveillance to bridge the identified barriers to reporting.

Introduction: Globally, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) usage in the elderly with chronic pain has been reported as frequent. Though it is fundamental in maintaining their quality of life, the risk of polypharmacy, drug interactions and adverse effects is of paramount importance as the elderly usually require multiple medications for their co-morbidities. If prescriptions are not appropriately monitored and managed, they are likely to expose patients to serious drug interactions and potentially fatal adverse effects. Thus, the objective of the study was to assess the appropriateness of NSAIDs use and incidence of NSAIDs related potential interactions in elderly. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly out-patients (aged 60 and above) who visited three hospitals in Asmara between August 22 and September 29, 2018. The sampling design was two-stage random sampling and data was collected using a questionnaire, exit interview and by abstracting information from patients’ clinical cards. Descriptive and analytical statistics including chi-square test and logistic regression were employed using SPSS. Results: A total of 285 elderly respondents were enrolled in the study with similar male to female ratio. One in four of all respondents were chronic NSAIDs users, of which 74.6% were not prescribed prophylactic gastro-protective agents (GPAs). About 20% of the elderly were involved in polypharmacy and nearly all of the encountered potential NSAIDs related interactions (n=322) with prescribed drugs were moderate. Diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with chronic NSAIDs use (OR=3, 95% CI: 1.54, 5.84; OR=9.99, 95% CI: 4.46, 22.38) and incidence of drug interactions (OR=3.95, 95%CI: 1.92, 8.13; OR=3.12, 95%CI: 1.81, 5.33) while diabetes and cardiac problem were significantly associated with incidence of polypharmacy (OR=4.33, 95% CI: 2.36, 7.96; OR=3.56, 95% CI: 1.05, 12.11). Conclusion: Though the overall reflection of prescription pattern of NSAIDs during the study period was almost satisfactory, gastro-protective agents were poorly prescribed as a prophylaxis.