BackgroundInappropriate Anti-diabetic Medication Therapy (IADT) refers to a drug-related problem and includes ‘ineffective drug therapy’, ‘unnecessary drug therapy’, ‘dosage too high’, and ‘dosage too low’. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with IADT among T2DM patients at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda (MRRH).MethodA prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the medical and surgical wards of MRRH from November 2021 to January 2022. One hundred and thirty-eight adult patients aged 18 years and above, with T2DM, were recruited using consecutive sampling. Patient file reviews and interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were entered into and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive analysis was employed to describe the population and determine the prevalence of IADT. Types of IADTs were identified using Cipolle’s DRP classification tool. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors significantly associated with IADT. The P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval.ResultsA total of 138 hospitalized T2DM patients were studied. Eighty (58.0%) were females, and 70 (50.7%) were ≥ 60 years of age. Out of a total of 138 participants, 97 experienced at least one IADT, with an estimated prevalence of 70.3%. ‘Dosage too high’ (29.2%) and ‘dosage too low’ (27.9%) were the most common type of IADTs. Age ≥ 60 years (AOR, 8.44; 95% CI, 2.09–10.90; P-value = 0.003), T2DM duration of < 1 year (AOR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.11–0.35; P-value = 0.019), and HbA1c of < 7% (AOR, 9.97; 95% CI, 2.34–13.57; P-value = 0.002) were found to be factors significantly associated with the occurrence of IADTs.ConclusionThe overall prevalence of inappropriate anti-diabetic medication therapy among T2DM patients admitted to medical and surgical wards of MRRH was 70.3%. The most common type of IADT in this study was ‘dosage too high’, accounting for almost one-third followed by ‘dosage too low’ accounting for a quarter of total IADTs. Age greater or equal to 60 years, T2DM duration of < 1 year, and HbA1c of < 7% during the current admission were found to be factors significantly associated with the occurrence of IADTs in hospitalized T2DM patients.

Antimicrobial consumption (AMC) surveillance at global and national levels is necessary to inform relevant interventions and policies. This study analyzed central warehouse antimicrobial supplies to health facilities providing inpatient care in Uganda. We collected data on antimicrobials supplied by National Medical Stores (NMS) and Joint Medical Stores (JMS) to 442 health facilities from 2017 to 2019. Data were analyzed using the World Health Organization methodology for AMC surveillance. Total quantity of antimicrobials in defined daily dose (DDD) were determined, classified into Access, Watch, Reserve (AWaRe) and AMC density was calculated. There was an increase in total DDDs distributed by NMS in 2019 by 4,166,572 DDD. In 2019, Amoxicillin (27%), Cotrimoxazole (20%), and Metronidazole (12%) were the most supplied antimicrobials by NMS while Doxycycline (10%), Amoxicillin (19%), and Metronidazole (10%) were the most supplied by JMS. The majority of antimicrobials supplied by NMS (81%) and JMS (66%) were from the Access category. Increasing antimicrobial consumption density (DDD per 100 patient days) was observed from national referral to lower-level health facilities. Except for NMS in 2019, total antimicrobials supplied by NMS and JMS remained the same from 2017 to 2019. This serves as a baseline for future assessments and monitoring of stewardship interventions.

Background Medication-related emergency department admissions impose a huge and unnecessary burden on the healthcare system. We sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of medication-related emergency department admissions, among patients with cardiovascular diseases at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda. Methods Institutional research ethics approval was secured to conduct a cross-sectional study at the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital emergency department, between February and September, 2020. All eligible and consenting patients were enrolled in a consecutive manner after a preliminary diagnosis was made by the attending physician. Structured questionnaire interview and comprehensive medication history reviews were used to identify medication therapy problems, in collaboration with a resident physician present on duty. We used sequential categorization for medication therapy problem(s). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used to determine prevalence and predictors of medication-related emergency department admissions. Results Out of the 128 patients interviewed, 105 (82%) patient admissions were associated with a medication therapy problem: ineffectiveness of drug therapy (53.3%, 56), medication non-adherence (42.9%, 45), and adverse drug reactions (3.8%, 4). Out of a total of 90 incidences of medication non-adherence, 34.4% (31/90) were due to lack of understanding of patient medication regimen, and 27.8% (25/90) due to unaffordable cost of medicines. Female gender (AOR = 4.31 [1.43, 13.03 at 95% CI]; P -value = 0.010]) and a history of tobacco use (AOR = 9.58 [1.14, 80.28 at 95% CI]; P -value = 0.037) were statistically significant predictors of medication-related emergency department admissions in adjusted analysis. Conclusion Four in five emergency department admissions were associated with medication-related causes, majorly due to ineffectiveness of drug therapy. Knowledge gap on patient medication regimens was the most prevalent cause for medication non-adherence. Female gender and previous or current tobacco use was an independent risk factor for medication-related admissions.

The Post-Ebola era (2017–2019) presented an opportunity for laboratory investments in Sierra Leone. US CDC supported the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to establish a microbiological unit for routine antimicrobial sensitivity testing in two referral (pediatric and maternity) hospitals in Freetown. This study describes resistance patterns among patients’ laboratory samples from 2017 to 2019 using routine data. Samples included urine, stool, cerebrospinal fluid, pus-wound, pleural fluid, and high vaginal swabs. Selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Of 200 samples received by the laboratory, 89 returned positive bacterial isolates with urine and pus-wound swabs accounting for 75% of positive isolates. The number of positive isolates increased annually from one in 2017 to 42 in 2018 and 46 in 2019. Resistance of the cultures to at least one antibiotic was high (91%), and even higher in the pediatric hospital (94%). Resistance was highest with penicillin (81%) for Gram-positive bacteria and lowest with nitrofurantoin (13%). Gram-negative bacteria were most resistant to ampicillin, gentamycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, cephalothin and penicillin (100%) and least resistant to novobiocin (0%). Antibiotic resistance for commonly prescribed antibiotics was high in two referral hospitals, highlighting the urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship and access to reserve antibiotics.

Objectives To describe patterns and contextual determinants of antibiotic prescribing for febrile under-five outpatients at primary and secondary healthcare facilities across Bugisu, Eastern Uganda. Methods We surveyed 37 public and private-not-for-profit healthcare facilities and conducted a retrospective review of antimicrobial prescribing patterns among febrile under-five outpatients (with a focus on antibiotics) in 2019–20, based on outpatient registers. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants of antibiotic prescribing at patient- and healthcare facility-levels. Results Antibiotics were prescribed for 62.2% of 3471 febrile under-five outpatients. There were a total of 2478 antibiotic prescriptions of 22 antibiotic types: amoxicillin (52.2%), co-trimoxazole (14.7%), metronidazole (6.9%), gentamicin (5.7%), ceftriaxone (5.3%), ampicillin/cloxacillin (3.6%), penicillin (3.1%), and others (8.6%). Acute upper respiratory tract infection (AURTI) was the commonest single indication for antibiotic prescribing, with 76.3% of children having AURTI as their only documented diagnosis receiving antibiotic prescriptions. Only 9.2% of children aged 2–59 months with non-severe pneumonia received antibiotic prescriptions in line with national guidelines. Higher health centre levels, and private-not-for-profit ownership (adjusted OR, 4.30; 95% CI, 1.91–9.72) were significant contextual determinants of antibiotic prescribing. Conclusions We demonstrated a high antibiotic prescribing prevalence among febrile under-five outpatients in Bugisu, Eastern Uganda, including prescriptions for co-trimoxazole and ampicillin/cloxacillin (which are not indicated in the management of the common causes of under-five febrile illness in Uganda). Study findings may be linked to limited diagnostic capacity and inadequate antibiotic availability, which require prioritization in interventions aimed at improving rational antibiotic prescribing among febrile under-five outpatients.

ObjectiveTo assess access (availability and affordability) to oxytocin and misoprostol at health facilities in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia to improve prevention and management of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).DesignThe assessment was undertaken using data from Health Action International (HAI) research on sexual and reproductive health commodities based on a cross-sectional design adapted from the standardised WHO/HAI methodology.SettingData were collected from 376 health facilities in in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia in July and August 2017.Outcome measuresAvailability was calculated as mean percentage of sampled medicine outlets where medicine was found on the day of data collection. Medicine prices were compared with international reference prices (IRP) and expressed as median price ratios. Affordability was calculated using number of days required to pay for a standard treatment based on the daily income of the lowest paid government worker.ResultsAvailability of either oxytocin or misoprostol at health facilities was high; 81% in Kenya, 82% in Uganda and 76% in Zambia. Oxytocin was more available than misoprostol, and it was most available in the public sector in the three countries. Availability of misoprostol was highest in the public sector in Uganda (88%). Oxytocin and misoprostol were purchased by patients at prices above IRP, but both medicines cost less than a day’s wages and were therefore affordable. Availability of misoprostol was poor in rural settings where it would be more preferred due to lack of trained personnel and cold storage facilities required for oxytocin.ConclusionAvailability and affordability of either oxytocin or misoprostol at health facilities met the WHO benchmark of 80%. However, countries with limited resources should explore mechanisms to optimise management of PPH by improving access to misoprostol especially in rural areas.

Background This study aimed to determine the association between pre-hospital antibiotic exposure and level of bacterial resistance among adult and paediatric patients. Methods: In the study, 79 antibiotic pre-exposed patients (cases) were compared with 79 non-pre-exposed patients (controls) hospitalized at medical and paediatric wards at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) for various bacterial diagnoses. Data collected included participant demographics, previous medications and bacterial culture and sensitivity results. Data was analysed to determine the odds ratios for the occurrence of bacterial resistance between the cases and controls. Results: Results from the study showed that there was no statistically significant difference in terms of antibiotic resistance between pre-exposed and non-pre-exposed participants (OR: 0.5, 95%CI: 0.045 - 5.51, P = 0.571), whereby “no resistance” was defined as zero antibiotics resisted and “resistance” defined as 1 or more antibiotics resisted. However, when we adjusted the definition of “no resistance” and “resistance” to mean “one or less antibiotics resisted” and “two or more antibiotics resisted” respectively, there was a statistically significant more resistance in pre-exposed participants (cases) compared to non-pre-exposed participants (OR: 7, 95% CI: 1.59 - 30.8; p = 0.010). When the definition of resistance was further adjusted upwards to “three or more antibiotics resisted”, the resistance in cases was still significantly higher compared to controls (OR: 5.4, 95%CI: 2.42 - 12.2, p = 0.000) and when the definition of resistance was further adjusted to “four or more antibiotics resisted”, the OR increased even further (OR: 7.14, 95%CI: 3.24 - 15.8, p = 0.000). Ceftriaxone (17.6%) and amoxicillin (14.1%) were the commonest antibiotics to which participants were pre-exposed. Conclusion: The study showed that pre-hospital antibiotic exposure is strongly associated with resistance to one or more antibiotics. Strategies should be sought to reduce the level of such exposures and to enforce proper screening of patients during admission to facilitate rational prescription of antibiotics, improve quality of care, and slow the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in the management of infections. Registration: This study was approved and registered by Mbarara University Research Ethics Committee (MUREC) and its number is 53/03-20