Hospital effluents represent an important source for the release of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria into the environment. This study aims to determine concentrations of various antibiotics in wastewater before and after wastewater treatment in a rural hospital (60 km from the center of Hanoi) and in an urban hospital (in the center of Hanoi) in Vietnam, and it aims to explore the relationship between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before wastewater treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital, over a period of one year in 2013. Water samples were collected using continuous sampling for 24 h in the last week of every month. The data on quantities of antibiotics delivered to all inpatient wards were collected from the Pharmacy department in the rural hospital. Solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were used for chemical analysis. Significant concentrations of antibiotics were present in the wastewater both before and after wastewater treatment of both the rural and the urban hospital. Ciprofloxacin was detected at the highest concentrations in the rural hospital’s wastewater (before treatment: mean = 42.8 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 21.5 µg/L). Metronidazole was detected at the highest concentrations in the urban hospital’s wastewater (before treatment: mean = 36.5 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 14.8 µg/L). A significant correlation between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital was found for ciprofloxacin (r = 0.78; p = 0.01) and metronidazole (r = 0.99; p < 0.001).

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BackgroundDiabetes Mellitus (DM) has rapidly become a major public health concern in Vietnam. Although the prevalence of DM has been studied in northern and southern Vietnam, little data are available for the central region. Therefore, the aims of this survey were to estimate the prevalence of DM and to identify the perception of and factors associated with DM among the adult population in central Vietnam.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey in Khánh Hòa Province, Vietnam in December 2014 using three-stage cluster sampling and probability proportional to size sampling in line with the World Health Organization STEPwise approach. Four hundred and eighty residents aged 20–70 years were selected from 30 villages in 10 wards/communes. After obtaining informed consent, all residents participated in interviews regarding lifestyle, medical history, and perception of DM and underwent physical measurements and blood examination for fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. Factors associated with DM were analyzed using a logistic regression model.ResultsA total of 376 residents were enrolled (response rate: 78.3%; females: 59%; rural residents: 61%). Among the participants, 14.3% and 18.9% of males and females, respectively, were classified as overweight/obese according to body mass index (BMI), 37.7% and 22.1%, respectively, had hypertension, and 36.4% and 11.7% had metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of DM in the entire population was 7.2% (27/376; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.6–9.8). Participants aged 60–70 years were more likely to have DM than those aged 30–39 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 8.7; 95%CI: 1.4–56.0), and participants classified as obese were more likely to have DM than those with normal or low BMI (aOR: 10.2; 95%CI: 2.2–50.2). Furthermore, more than two-thirds (254/376, 67.6%) of the participants either did not understand or had never heard of DM, and less than half of the DM cases (12/27, 44%) were aware of their history of DM.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggested that the prevalence of DM among the adult population in central Vietnam was slightly higher than that in other areas. Additional research is needed to further explore perceptions of and practices regarding DM.

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The purpose of this paper aims to identify the components of service quality at specific tourist destinations and the crucial relationship between cultural contact and service quality in the Mekong Delta Region, Vietnam. The paper shows the relationship of tourists’ satisfaction, loyalty, and cultural contact after using the tourism service in the Mekong Delta Region, Vietnam based on qualitative and quantitative research. Data were obtained from 350 tourists, who responded willingly to a questionnaire-based survey. The results of the study show all factors were significant as components of service quality including tourism infrastructure, natural environment, human resources, safety and security, service, and price. All of these components and the cultural contact have an impact on tourist satisfaction and loyalty.