BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease, particularly in diabetic patients, is increasing rapidly throughout the world. Nowadays, many individuals in developing nations are suffering from diabetes which is one of the primary risk factors of chronic kidney disease.METHODS: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Hospital from February to April 2016. A total of 229 study participants were selected using systematic random sampling technique. Urine sample was collected for albumin determination by dipstick. The Simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study equation was used to estimate glomerular filtration rate. Binary logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors.RESULTS: Of the total 229 study participants, 50.2% were females and the mean age was 47±15.7 years. Among study participants, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was found to be 21.8% (95% CI: 16% - 27%). Of all study participants, 9(3.9%) had renal impairment (eGFR < 60 ml/min/ 1.73 m2) and 46 (20.1%) had albuminuria. Older age (AOR: 5.239, 95% CI: 2.255-12.175), systolic blood pressure ≥140mmHg (AOR: 3.633, 95% CI: 1.597-8.265), type 2 diabetes mellitus (AOR: 3.751, 95% CI: 1.507-9.336) and longer duration of diabetes (AOR: 3.380, 95% CI: 1.393-8.197) were independent risk factors of CKD.CONCLUSIONS: The study identified high prevalence (21.8%) of CKD among diabetic adults. CKD was significantly associated with older age, systolic blood pressure, type 2 DM and longer duration of DM. Thus, DM patients should be diagnosed for chronic kidney disease and then managed accordingly.

BackgroundLaboratory services have been described as the major processes contributing to safe patient care in the modern healthcare sector. However, occurrences of errors in the overall testing processes impair the clinical decision-making process. Such errors are supposed to be high in resource-poor countries, like Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess errors in the total testing process in the Clinical Chemistry laboratory of the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest EthiopiaMethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Hospital from February to March 2016. All the required data were collected using established quality indicators. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Frequencies and cross-tabulations were used to summarize descriptive statistics.ResultsA total of 3259 samples and corresponding laboratory request forms were received for analysis. The analysis of the overall distribution of errors revealed that 89.6% were pre-analytical errors, 2.6% were analytical, and 7.7% were post-analytical errors. Of the pre-analytical errors, incomplete request form filling was the most frequent error observed, followed by sample rejection rate (3.8%). Analytical errors related to internal and external quality control exceeding the target range, (14.4%) and (51.4%) respectively, were reported. Excessive turnaround time and unreported critical value cases were the major defects in the post-analytical phase of quality assurance.ConclusionThe present finding showed relatively high frequency of errors, which alarms the importance of quality indicators to assess errors in the total testing process. The University of Gondar Hospital laboratory should improve the quality of healthcare services based on these findings using laboratory standards.

Background Intestinal Parasitic Infections are the most prevalent diseases in the world, predominantly in developing countries. It is estimated that more than two billion people are affected globally, mostly in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa with a high prevalence of intestinal parasites. However, there is a limited study conducted in the study area. Hence, this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of intestinal parasitosis among patients attending at Sanja Primary Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Sanja Primary Hospital from January 1 to August 20, 2019. Stool samples were collected from 1240 study participants and analyzed by direct wet mount and formal ether concentration techniques. Furthermore, sociodemographic and explanatory variables were collected using a face-to-face interview. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.4.2.1 and transferred to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models were fitted to identify associated factors of intestinal parasitic infections. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was considered to ascertain the significance of the association. Results The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 52.9% (95% CI: 50.2%-55.5%). Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (21.5%) was the leading cause of intestinal parasitosis followed by Hookworm species (13.3%). Furthermore, the rate of double and triple parasitic infections was observed in 6.1% and 0.5% of study participants respectively. Being Illiterate (AOR: 2.87, 95% CI: 1.06–7.47, p = 0.038), swimming habits of more than 4 times a month (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI 1.62–5.24, p< 0.001) and not washing hands before a meal (AOR: 3.92, 95% CI: 1.74–8.83, p = 0.001) were the key factors significantly associated with intestinal parasitic infection. Conclusions The present study showed that the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis is high in the study area. Therefore, there is a need for an integrated control program, including improving personal, environmental sanitation and health education should be given to have a lasting impact on transmission.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) has remained as a top global public health concern of the 21st century. It is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the magnitude of pulmonary tuberculosis and its associated factors among HIV-positive patients attending antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinic in Debre Tabor specialized hospital, Northwest, Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 362 HIV-positive adult participants attending the ART clinic from October 1st to December 30th 2019. Sociodemographic data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. Sputum was collected aseptically into a sterile and leak-proof container. Following aseptic techniques, each sample was processed using the GeneXpert assay based on the manufacturer's instructions. Similarly, about 3-5 mL of whole blood was drawn for CD4+ T-cell count and plasma viral load tests following standard blood collection procedures. CD4+ T-cell count was performed using the BD FACS caliber flow cytometry while the plasma viral load was performed by using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Then, collected data were double-checked, cleaned and entered into Epi-Info version 7.2.0.1 and exported to SPSS version 20.0 for further statistical analysis. The bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to address risk factor analysis. The 95%confidence interval with its corresponding cure and adjusted odds ratio was computed. Finally, p-value ≤0.05 was considered as a statistically significant association. Results: In this study, the overall prevalence of tuberculosis among HIV-positive patients was 18 [(5%), 95% CI: 2.8-7.5]. A high viral load (≥1000 copies/mL) was positively associated [AOR (95% CI: 6.4 (1.6-25.7)), p < 0.001] with developing tuberculosis among HIV-positive patients. Conclusion: The prevalence of TB is low among ART-receiving patients in our study site.

Malaria is a fatal disease among children in malaria-prone locations such as Addis Zemen and Woreta because of their weak immune systems. Despite the severity of the disease in children, the majority of research conducted in Ethiopia has focused on adult populations rather than children. Furthermore, there is no data on malaria prevalence, risk factors, or parasite density among children in the Addis Zemen and Woreta catchment areas. Therefore, this study was aimed at filling the above gap in the study area. About 422 children were enrolled in the study by systematic sampling technique. A capillary blood sample was collected from each child to do blood film. The overall prevalence of malaria among children attending South Gonder health institutions was 14.7%. The majority of parasite density was moderate parasitemia followed by low parasitemia, giving 71.0% and 16.0%, respectively. Malaria parasite infection was linked to a history of malaria and the presence of stagnant water near a home, but utilization of insecticide-treated bed nets was found to be protective against the infection. Therefore, health education should be strengthened on proper utilization of bed nets, indoor residual spraying, removing stagnant water by discarding old tires that may collect rainwater, and removing debris from streams so streams flow more freely.