Background The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Healthcare workers are directly involved in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with COVID-19.This study aims to assess the prevalence of anxiety and its associated factors towards the COVID-19 outbreak among healthcare workers in a Hospital of Ethiopia. Methods A Hospital-based survey study was conducted on a total of 305 Healthcare workers in a Hospital of Ethiopia. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze data between independent variables with anxiety. Variables with a p-value of <0.2 were transformed into multivariate analysis. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CI, p-values of <0.05 were used to show the strength of association and level of significance. Results The prevalence of CVID-19 anxiety was 63%. In multivariate logistic regression, age of 30–39 (AOR, 3.05; 95% CI, (1.70, 5.47) and age of ≥40 (AOR, 11.32; 95% CI (3.37, 37.98), being married (AOR, 3.56; 95% CI, (2.30, 6.38), having chronic illness (AOR, 3.43; 95% CI, (1.59,7.43), having suspected COVID-19 family members (AOR, 5.20; 95% CI, (2.11, 12.78), and not having an access to PPEs (AOR, 2.55; 95% CI, (1.43, 4.56) were statistically significantly associated with anxiety. Conclusion Being married, having a chronic illness, having suspected COVID-19 family members, not having access to PPEs, and age greater than or equal to 30 years were identified as risk factors for anxiety of Healthcare Workers towards COVID-19.

Background: Problem-based learning is a student-centered innovative instructional approach in which students define their learning objectives by using triggers from the predefined problem case scenario. Problem-based learning is not about problem-solving; rather it uses appropriate problems to increase the problem-solving skills of students. This study aims to assess the medical and health science students' perception towards problembased learning method. Methods: An institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study was employed. All available graduating class Medical and Health Science students were included in this study. Results: More than half of the students (59.4%) strongly agree that problem-based learning was helpful to understand basic sciences knowledge and 31.5% of the students disagree that tutors are prepared and qualified to run the session. Some of the students (27.3%) disagree that tutors evaluate students fairly. About fifty-two percent of the students have used both books and Internets for self-directed learning. Conclusion: More than half of students agree that problem-based learning helped them understand basic science knowledge. Some of the students disagree that tutors are prepared and qualified to run the session, and disagree that tutors evaluate students fairly.

Purpose: Emergency drugs and essential equipment are important to successfully manage patients in the intensive care unit (ICUs). The absence of these emergency drugs and essential equipment might result in mortality and morbidity which is more compounded in resource-limited settings. This study aims to assess the availability of emergency drugs and essential equipment in ICUs in hospitals in Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed in the intensive care unit of nine Amhara regional state hospitals in Ethiopia. This study was done from August 01, 2020, to September 01, 2020. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire, which were adopted from the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa (EMSSA) guidelines. Tables and narration were used to describe results. Results: There were deficiencies of essential emergency items particularly in the pediatrics domain, devices to confirm tracheal intubation and equipment for managing difficult intubation. Emergency drugs like adrenaline, salbutamol puff, atropine, aspirin, furosemide, hydrocortisone, insulin, lidocaine, and medical oxygen were available in all ICUs, whereas amiodarone, sodium bicarbonate, glucagon, ipratropium nebulization, thiamine were not available in all ICUs. Conclusions and Recommendations: There were considerable deficiencies in emergency drugs and essential equipment. Based on our findings, we recommend to develop standardized checklists, regular audits, and healthcare personnel awareness program to improve checking, maintaining, restocking, and repairing the equipment in the emergency trolley.

Background: Poorly managed postoperative pain may delay discharge and recovery, lowers the quality of life, and it may result in chronic pain. Intravenous (IV) dexamethasone has been used as an additive to local anesthetic for peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) with variable efficacy. The aim of this Systemic review and meta-analysis is to assess the effectiveness of IV dexamethasone as an adjuvant to local anesthetic for PNBs. Methods: The PRISMA statement guideline is followed to conduct this SR and MA. The primary outcome was the duration of analgesia analyzed according to a dose of dexamethasone (4, 8, and 10 mg). Secondary outcomes included duration of sensory block, duration of motor block, postoperative opioid consumption, pain severity score, patient satisfaction, and incidence of PONV. Eleven randomized controlled trials, including 709 patients, were included. Results: The duration of analgesia was significantly prolonged with IV dexamethasone with a mean difference of 5.04 h CI, 2.65 to 7.44; I2 = 100%, P < 0.0001 compared to control. Sub-group analysis found IV dexamethasone 4 mg and 8 mg did not show a significant difference in prolonging analgesia duration (P = 0.11). However, IV dexamethasone 10 mg significantly prolonged analgesic duration of PNBs when compared to control with P < 0.00001. Regarding secondary outcomes IV dexamethasone increased duration of sensory block, decrease postoperative pain severity, and opioids consumption at 24 h. Conclusions: IV dexamethasone as an additive to PNBs could increase duration analgesia, sensory block and decreases postoperative pain severity, opioids consumption, and sleep disturbance of first night after surgery. Highlights:

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