Background: Cytotoxic drugs (CDs) administration and occupational exposure is a worldwide concern. Inappropriate handling may cause toxic residues to infiltrate hospital environments and patient care areas, and can even be traced to patients' homes. Hence, the study sought to assess knowledge and practices on the safe handling of cytotoxic drugs Among Oncology Nurses at Tertiary Teaching Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: The researchers conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study among 77 nurses from April 1-30, 2019. Purposive sampling was used in recruiting the respondents. Structured questionnaires were filled through self-administered interviewing. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. Multiple linear regression was performed to see the association between dependent variables and independent variables at a p-value of less than 0.05. Results: Mean score of knowledge and practice of nurses was 7.82±2.22 out of 15 and 22.1 ±5.50 out of 40 respectively. Nearly 69% of nurses reported the lack of training program on the handling of CDs at their workplaces and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) remains suboptimal as none used all of PPE. Nurses who had not heard about CDs had an average knowledge score of 0.33 points lower than nurses who had heard about CDs (p ≤ 0.01). Nurses who have scored higher knowledge points had 0.33 points more practice score of safe CD handling than those who had lower knowledge score (p < 0.05) and also married nurses had average safe CDs handling practice score 0.27 points lower than their counterparts (p < 0.05). Conclusion:Nurses' knowledge and practice of safe handling of cytotoxic drugs are inadequate. Nurses who have scored higher knowledge points and are married were more likely to practice safe CD handling. Provision of proper PPE and training regarding the handling of CDs for Oncology Nurses are recommended and chemotherapy safety protocol and guidelines should be established.

Background Anemia is a global public health problem with high mortality and morbidity. It is becoming more prevalent in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among chronic kidney disease patients at selected public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on selected public hospitals in Addis Ababa for studies on anemia in CKD patients. Data was entered into EPI Info version 4.4.1 and exported to SPSS version 24 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independently associated factors of anemia in CKD patients. Multivariate analysis was used to control the possible effect of confounders. Results A total of 387 participants were included to estimate the prevalence of anemia among chronic kidney disease patients. The prevalence of anemia was 53.5% (95% CI). Being females were 2 times more likely to develop anemia as compared to their counterparts (AOR=2.04, 95%:1.18, 2.46) and hemodialysis history had two times higher odds for anemia (AOR=2.754, 95% CI: 1.218–6.229, P=0.015) compared to patients without hemodialysis history. Conclusion The overall prevalence of anemia across all stages of CKD is 53.5%. From the stage of CKD, stage 5 CKD has a higher (90.9%) anemia prevalence compared to others, and females showed a higher frequency of anemia when compared with males. Therefore, situation-based interventions and country context-specific preventive strategies should be developed to reduce the prevalence of anemia in this patient group.

Background Breast cancer is the top cancer among women both in the developed and the developing world. Many deaths can be avoided if breast cancer can be detected and treated early. The practice of breast self-examination (BSE) is a convenient, no-cost tool that can be used regularly for detecting breast cancer at an early stage. Therefore, this study sought to assess the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among young females in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 358 females using a pre-tested and self-administered questionnaire. The data were cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 23, and the descriptive statistics, linear and logistic regression were used for analysis. The possible predictors were identified using the odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and a P-value of 0.05. Results Almost half of 188 (52.5%) respondents had heard about breast cancer self-examination, while the media were the main source of information. The study revealed that only as little as 47 (13.1%) respondents did appropriate BSE. While confounding factors were controlled for, the linear multivariate regression analysis indicated that the healthcare providers as information sources about BSE ( β = 1.9; CI= 0.62, 2.9; p < 0.01) makes the greatest unique contribution to explaining the BSE knowledge level. Moreover, the study indicated that the more age (β = 1.4; CI=1.1, 1.8; p < 0.01) and knowledge (β = 1.34; CI=1.1, 1.64; p < 0.01) the females have, the more likely it is that they will report practicing BSE. Conclusion This study showed that a few females implemented regular BSE. Further implementations are needed in addressing young females, making awareness and advocacy campaigns about BSE to increase early diagnosis of breast cancer that raises the chances for successful treatment in Ethiopia.

Background:In breast cancer patients, adherence to adjuvant hormone therapy (AHT) is uncertain. Seven in every 10 patients were hormone receptor positive and adjuvant hormone therapy (AHT) is prescribed for 5-10 years for a woman with breast cancer. Therefore, the aim of this research was to examine adherence to adjuvant hormone therapy and related factors among women with breast cancer attending the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital Oncology Center. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April, 2019. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants. A semistructured questionnaire was used. Medication possession ratio (MPR) was used where score ≥80% was adherence. Data were entered in EpiData version 4.4.2.1 and transferred to SPSS version 25, and analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results: Out of 216 women with breast cancer 209 participated in the study with a response rate of 97%. The overall adherence in this study was 77.5%. Getting social support (OR=3.959, 95%CI: 1.570-9.980), being on anastrozole (OR=0.139, 95%CI: 0.040-0.485), getting a thorough therapeutic communication about treatment (OR=4.590, 95%CI: 1.061-19.863), undergoing mastectomy (OR=0.215, 95%CI: 0.059-0.788), having side effects (OR=0.210, 95%CI: 0.085-0.517) were found to be significantly associated with adherence to AHT. Conclusion:In general, the overall adherence to AHT was 77.5% for women with breast cancer. Factors such as types of adjuvant hormone therapy, lack of side effects, mastectomy, getting social support, and thorough therapeutic communication were strongly linked with adherence to them.

Background: Family planning helps to reduce the number of high-risk births and prevent unplanned pregnancies and mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The main purpose of this study was to determine the usage of family planning and its associated factors among women living with HIV who attended care and treatment clinics. Methods: This was a health facility–based cross-sectional study conducted among 332 sexually active reproductive-age women living with HIV who visited care and treatment clinics from 15 April and 15 June 2017. We used a systematic sampling technique for sample selection. The data were collected using pretested and structured questionnaires through face-to-face interviews. Seriously ill women living with HIV who were unable to respond to the questionnaire and refused to participate were excluded from this study. Logistic regression was fitted, and an odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval with a p value less than 0.05 was used to identify factors associated with modern family planning use. Result: The study revealed that the overall use of the modern family planning method was 56.3%, and the most common method used was injectable (37.4%) followed by implants (28.9%). About 19% of the users reported dual contraceptive use. About 58% got family planning from antiretroviral therapy clinics. Almost all the women (97.6%) had heard of seven modern family planning methods. Desire to have another child was the most common (79.7%) reason for not using family planning. Women who attended primary/secondary education (adjusted odds ratio: 2.61; 95% confidence interval: 1.29–5.28], who had no future fertility desire (adjusted odds ratio: 2.94; 95% confidence interval: 1.51–5.73), who had discussed family planning with their husband (adjusted odds ratio: 2.06; 95% confidence interval: 1.04–4.10), and who were counseled by the antiretroviral therapy provider about family planning (adjusted odds ratio: 4.53; 95% confidence interval: 1.70–12.06) were more likely to use family planning methods than their counterparts. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that the use of modern family planning was low. There is a high frequency of implant usage, fear of mother-to-child transmission as a motivator for family planning usage, and low dual method usage. Hence, improving women’s education, involving husbands, and consistent family planning counseling by antiretroviral therapy providers are promising strategies to improve the uptake of modern family planning by women living with HIV.

Introduction. Malaria is a protozoan disease transmitted by the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Progression to severe and fatal disease is largely but not entirely confined to Plasmodium falciparum infections. Malaria is a major public health problem in Ethiopia despite relatively low malaria prevalence compared to most other malaria-endemic countries in Africa. In Ethiopia, a nationwide report during 2015 showed that the total number of deaths associated with malaria was 1561. Methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Arba Minch General Hospital on February 2019. Data were collected from a patient record who was admitted with severe malaria in the past four years from Sept. 2015 to Aug. 2018. Results. This study included a total of 387 patients with severe malaria. The mortality rate associated with severe malaria in the year between 2015 and 2018 at Arba Minch General Hospital was 5.7%. Comorbidity, impaired consciousness, and acidosis were significantly associated with mortality, at significant level of P < 0.05 . Conclusions. Comorbidity, impaired consciousness, and acidosis were found to be poor prognostic indicators for patients with severe malaria.

Objective Impaired swallowing is a primary medical concern in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Swallowing therapy and supportive care to relieve swallowing problems among HNC patients are recommended. However, no data shows the effect of dysphagia on the quality of life (QoL) among Ethiopian patients. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess swallowing function and its impact on QoL. Results The sample included 102 HNC patients who visited oncology clinics at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. Majority were male (53.90%), employed (70.6%), single (57.80%), and completed some level of formal education (66.60%) with a mean age of 42.58 years (SD ± 14.08). More than half of the patients (69.6%) medical expenses were covered by the government. Most were suffering from advanced stage HNC (59.80%), squamous cell carcinoma (62.70%), and the most prevalent tumor location was nasopharynx (40.20%). The mean MDADI score was 53.29 (SD ± 15.85). Being female, low income, suffering from laryngeal cancer, advanced tumor, and undergoing a single modality therapy were crucial determinants of poor QoL related to swallowing problems. It is recommended to assess swallowing related QoL of patients using a validated tool and be included in treatment protocols.

Background: Breast cancer is a common public health problem and the main cause of cancer-related death worldwide. There is a paucity of evidence on the risk factors of breast cancer in Ethiopia. Therefore, we aimed to identify the risk factors of breast cancer among women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted an institutional-based unmatched case-control study with a sample of 348 women (116 cases and 232 controls). Participants were selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered using EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Multivariable analysis was carried out using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age (+SD) of the participants was 42.7 (±11.3) and 40.7 (±14.6) for the cases and controls, respectively. Early onset of menarche (AOR= 4.10; 95% CI: 1.84, 9.15), rural women (AOR= 3.64; 95% CI:1.38, 9.57), utilization of packed foods or drinks (AOR= 2.80; 95% CI:1.52, 5.15), and smoke-dried meat (AOR= 2.41; 95% CI:1.36, 4.27), family history of cancer (AOR= 2.11; 95% CI:1.04, 4.26), overweight and/or obesity (AOR= 2.38; 95% CI:1.31, 4.31), and women with one or less children (AOR= 1.86; 95% CI:1.01, 3.41) were associated factors with breast cancer risk. Conclusion:In this study, early onset of menarche, rural women, utilization of packed foods or drinks and smoke-dried meat, family history of cancer, overweight and/or obesity, and women with one or fewer children were factors that increased breast cancer risk. Therefore, focusing on modifiable risk factors and increasing awareness of the community such as a healthy diet, promotion of breast self-examination, and creation of programs to increase women's knowledge is important to reduce the increasing burden of breast cancer.