The World Health Organization (WHO) defines preterm birth as the birth of an infant earlier than 37 weeks (259 days) of gestation. [1] The almost 15 million preterm births recorded globally in 2010 represented more than one in ten live births, [1] with approximately 25% of newborn deaths recorded annually attributed directly to prematurity and 30% to secondary infections. [2,3] In addition, ~90% of preterm births and 99% of preterm deaths occur in developing countries. [4] In many low-income countries, only 30% of infants born between 28 and 32 weeks survive and almost all infants born earlier than 28 weeks die during the first few days of life. In these settings, the majority of deaths occur where primary care is not available. [1-4] In Ethiopia, specifically, preterm births contribute directly to 28% of newborn deaths. [5-7] Preterm birth often leads to lifelong complications, including neurodevelopmental impairment and disabilities such as learning difficulties, hearing impairment and behavioural problems, chronic lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity and lower growth achievement. [6] Preterm birth also affects the infant's family, who may have to spend substantial time and financial resources to care for the newborn. Preterm birth therefore has considerable cost implications not only for families but also for a country's health services. [8] The cause of preterm birth is unknown in almost half the cases. [5,9] Some risk factors have been identified, for example sociodemographic factors, history of obstetric abnormalities, intrauterine infections, pregnancy-related irregularities, and genetic and environmental factors. [1,4,10-16] However, the complexity and overlap of risk factors are not well understood and their mechanisms are unknown in most cases. Low socioeconomic status has been identified as a contributing factor in preterm births. [12-17] This may be attributed to women from low-income settings often experiencing nutritional deficiencies, insufficient healthcare, a low level of education and a stressful life. [13] Studies also show that a previous preterm delivery substantially increases a woman's risk of a subsequent spontaneous preterm delivery. [11,14,15,18,19] Multiple pregnancies and stillbirth have also been identified as risk factors for preterm delivery. [17-19] The aetiology of preterm births is multifactorial and evidence suggests that the prevalence varies depending on geographical and demographic features. To reduce the burden of preterm births, effective maternal care, including specific and comprehensive obstetric care for preterm newborns, is required. [20] Despite it being known that maternal complications and social settings have a substantial role in the underlying risk of preterm delivery, the magnitude and risk factors of premature births are not clearly known in Ethiopia. Methods Study setting and design The study was conducted in the central zone of the Tigray Regional State, which is approximately 1 000 km from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, and 220 km from the regional cap...

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in unprecedented morbidity, mortality, and health system crisis leading to a significant psychological destress on healthcare workers (HCWs). The study aimed to determine the prevalence of symptoms of common mental disorders among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic at St. Paul's Hospital, Ethiopia. Methods A self-administered cross-sectional study was conducted to collect socio-demographic information and symptoms of mental disorders using validated measurement tools. Accordingly, PHQ-9, GAD-7, ISI, and IES-R were used to assess the presence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress, respectively. Chi-square test, non-parametric, and logistic regression analysis were used to detect risk factors for common mental disorders. Results A total of 420 healthcare workers participated in the survey. The prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and psychological distress was 20.2%, 21.9%, 12.4%, and 15.5% respectively. Frontline HCWs had higher scores of mental health symptoms than non-frontline healthcare workers. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that being married was associated with a high level of depression. Furthermore, working in a frontline position was an independent risk factor associated with a high-level of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. Limitations It is a single-center cross-sectional study and the findings may not be nationally representative or reveal causality. Conclusions A significant proportion of healthcare workers are suffering from symptoms of mental disorders. Frontline HCWs were at a greater risk of severe symptoms. Therefore, psychological interventions should be implemented to support health professionals, especially frontline workers.

BACKGROUND፡ Discussing potentially bad outcomes is a standard communication task in clinical care. Physicians’ awareness on ways to communicate bad news is considered low. SPIKES protocol is the most popular strategy used by physicians, but its practice and patients' perception are not known. This study attempted to fill the knowledge gap on protocol implementation, patient preference and physician effects.METHODS: Hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at SPHMMC from May 1 to June 30 using structured interviews administered to patients and physicians. Three hundred and sixty patients and 111 physicians were included. Assessment of SPIKES performance, patient satisfaction, patient preference, and physician awareness, attitude and effects were studied.RESULTS: Performance of SPIKES protocol was setting (74.5%), perception (51.1%), invitation (56.3%), knowledge (15.9%), emotion (22.3%) and summary (10.1%). Only 30.6% of the patients were entirely satisfied with the interaction, and 19.2% with knowledge attained. Patient satisfaction was associated with physician asking how much information they like (P=0.025). Patient desire and report showed variation. Eighty-two percent of the physicians were not aware of the protocol, and 83.8% had no training. Half of the physicians feel depressed after disclosure.CONCLUSIONS: Patient satisfaction with communication process and knowledge is poor, as is performance of SPIKES components. Satisfaction is related to being asked how much patients want to know. Patients’ desires on how to be told news is different from how it is done. Breaking bad news increases feeling of depression. Awareness and training on the protocol are deficient; medical schools should incorporate it into their studies and implement proper follow-up.

Background and Aims. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a major cause of cancer death worldwide, accounting for over half a million deaths per year. Its incidence varies with geographic locations and the type of etiologic factors. In Ethiopia, unidentified causes of liver disease are of sizeable proportion. Recent studies have shown an association of H. pylori infection with different spectrums of chronic liver disease. This study was conducted at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College in Ethiopia and assesses liver cancer and the association with H. pylori infection. Method. A prospective case-control study conducted on patients with chronic liver disease presenting with a suspicious liver lesion and diagnosed to have HCC in the Gastrointestinal (GI) Clinic of St. Paul's Hospital MMC from Dec 30, 2016, to Nov 1, 2017 G.C. Descriptive surveys on clinical history and physical examination and laboratory profiles were obtained, and the clinical course of the patients including the type of treatment was followed prospectively. Control cases were taken from adult patients without evidence of liver disease in the internal medicine clinic coming for routine evaluation. After collection data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and associations were assessed using chi-square test. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association of HCC with different variables and H. pylori infection. All variables with p-value <0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results. One hundred twenty patients were analyzed with equal representation of cases and controls. The majority of patients with HCC were male with a mean age of 36 years. Older age adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) (95%CI, p-value) 1.07(1.03-1.09, <0.001), viral hepatitis B (AOR) (95%CI, p-value) 6.19 (1.92-19.93, 0.002), and H. pylori infection (AOR) (95%CI, p-value) 5.22 (2.04–13.31, <0.001) were statistically significantly associated with HCC. Conclusion. H. pylori infection is associated with HCC in this case-control study. This study supports the emerging evidence of H. pylori association with other extra-gastric manifestations.

Background Anti-retroviral treatment has improved mortality of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients, which is offset by an increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Data regarding prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in HIV infected patients in Ethiopia are very scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CVD risks and associated factors in patients with HIV. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 333 patients with HIV infection, using a modified World Health Organization’s stepwise approach to surveillance questionnaire. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurement was done along with biochemical studies. Cardiovascular risk was estimated using Framingham risk score. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between cardiovascular risks and associated factors, with a p-value of <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results The mean age of the participants was 45 years, and 69.2% were females. Most (80.9%) of the participants had viral load below 50 copies/mL and the mean CD4 count was 579 cells/mm 3 . Dyslipidemia was the most common risk factor identified in 69.4%, followed by abnormal fasting blood glucose (≥100 mg/dL) in 36.8%. Hypertension was diagnosed in 23.8%, while 22.8% and 11.1% had metabolic syndrome and obesity, respectively. Framingham risk score was low in 95.9%. Male gender, increasing age, high body mass index and previous ART regimen being tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine and nevirapine increased CVD risk factors. Conclusion Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were high in the population studied. There is a need to raise awareness about the risk factors, and patients should have timely follow-up and care.

Introduction The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has become a standard assessment tool in undergraduate medical school training. It is considered an objective assessment of practical skill of students. OSCE is a resource demanding assessment method that can have numerous challenges. Comprehensive assessment of perception regarding OSCE can help identify areas that need improvement. The aim of this study was to assess the perception of students and examiners towards OSCE. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on students and examiners undertaking OSCE from May 1 to July 30, 2021, using a structured questionnaire. Comparison of variables was done using Mann–Whitney U -Test and Chi-square test. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 141 students and 39 examiners participated in the study. The majority of the students and examiners had a positive response regarding the attributes, structure, organization and validity of OSCE. It was recommended to be used in future exams compared to other assessments by 38.3% of students and 51.3% of examiners. There were certain challenges reported by students and included stressfulness of the exam (51.1%), inadequate time (27.6%), and unsatisfactory orientation (30.5%). One-third of examiners considered it stressful, while 20.5% considered the time provided to be inadequate. Equipment to conduct the exam was considered inadequate by 39.1% and 56.4% of students and examiners, respectively. Around 80.1% of students recommended mock sessions and 23.1% of examiners did not have any prior training on OSCE. Conclusion An overall positive perception of OSCE by students and examiners was seen. Certain challenges that need improvements were identified. Continuing evaluation and refinement of OSCE by departments is needed. We recommend further wide-scale national evaluation of the OSCE examination system of medical students.

Noncommunicable diseases including cardiovascular diseases are becoming an important part of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care. Echocardiography is a useful noninvasive tool to assess cardiac disease and different echocardiographic abnormalities have been seen previously. The aim of this study was to investigate the echocardiographic abnormalities in HIV-infected patients and factors associated with the findings.A cross-sectional study was conducted on 285 patients with HIV infection including collection of clinical and echocardiographic data. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between echocardiographic abnormalities and associated factors with variables with a P value of <.05 in the multivariate model considered statistically significant.Diastolic dysfunction was the most common abnormality seen in 30% of the participants followed by ischemic heart disease (19.3%), left ventricular hypertrophy (10.2%), enlarged left atrium (8.1%), pulmonary hypertension (3.6%), and pericardial effusion (2.1%). Diastolic dysfunction was independently associated with increasing age, elevated blood pressure, and left ventricular hypertrophy while ischemic heart disease was associated with male gender, increasing age, and abnormal fasting blood glucose. Left ventricular hypertrophy was associated with increasing age and blood pressure and the later was associated with left atrial enlargement. The level of immunosuppression did not affect echocardiography findings.A high prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities was found. Male gender, age >50 years, elevated blood pressure, and elevated fasting blood glucose were associated with echocardiographic abnormalities. Appropriate follow-up and treatment of echocardiographic abnormalities is needed.

Introduction:The learning environment is an important determinant of the quality of medical education. Having a good learning climate leads to improved learning process, satisfaction with education, and helps achieve the goals of the curriculum. Assessment of the quality of learning environment helps with the identification of areas that need improvement. The aim of this study was to assess the learning environment of internal medicine training program in Ethiopia. Methods: A mixed methods study using a cross-sectional survey using Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure and a qualitative study using a focus group discussion was done on internal medicine residents from December 2020 to May 2021. Comparison of quantitative data was done using Mann-Whitney U-Test and Kruskal-Wallis H-test. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 100 residents participated in the study. The overall total mean score of the responses of the participants was 70.87 (±19.8) with mean perceptions of role autonomy, perceptions of teaching and perceptions of social support of 25.9 (±7.1), 27.1 (10.2) and 17.9 (±5.1), respectively. These values suggest the presence of plenty of problems in the program. Higher mean scores were reported by males and by earlier years of residency. Ten residents participated in the focus group discussion. Four recurring themes that negatively affect learning environment were identified and included excessive workload, inadequate teaching activity, nonconducive hospital physical environment and lack of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Conclusion:The internal medicine residency learning environment has many challenges that need immediate attention and follow-up.