Introduction: The current estimate is that 463 million people worldwide have diabetes. In 2017, an estimated 5 million (9.9%) deaths worldwide among adults were caused by diabetes. The burden of disease associated with uncontrolled diabetes is substantial in terms of mortality and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to assess glycemic control level and its predictors among adult patients with diabetes. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted among patients with diabetes during follow-up at an ambulatory clinic of Mettu Karl referral hospital from 15 April to 09 August 2019. The consecutive sampling method was used to collect data, following which the data were entered into Epidata manager version Digital Features To view digital features for this article go to

Background Globally, dental caries may be a major public health issue which may be preventable. Many studies have been conducted on dental caries in Ethiopia which present inconsistent results. Objective This meta-analysis was expected to consolidate the findings conducted in various regions of the country and generate country representative information on the burden and its associated factors of dental caries in Ethiopia. Methods Our systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to estimate the pooled prevalence of dental caries and its associated factors in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Medical specialty databases like ScienceDirect, HINARI, Embase, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library were consistently and exhaustively searched. To determine the aggregate prevalence, studies delineating the prevalence of dental caries and associated factors were included. Important data were extracted employing a standardized data extraction tool ready in Microsoft Excel and imported to the STATA version-13 statistical software package for analyses. To assess non-uniformity, the Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 test were performed respectively. A random effects model meta-analysis was accustomed to estimate the pooled burden of dental caries. Results The result of thirteen studies disclosed that the overall prevalence of dental caries in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was found to be 40.98 (31.62, 50.34). Within the subgroup analysis, the uppermost prevalence was determined in Tigray region (46.59% (24.64, 68.54)) whereas the bottom prevalence was determined in Addis Ababa (34.20% (8.42, 59.97)). Dental caries prevalence was considerably high among study subjects who consumed sweet food (OR= 2.4 (95% CI (1.91, 3.01))). But the presence of dental plaque (OR = 5.14 (95% CI (0.67, 39.39))) and habit of tooth- cleaning (OR = 0.71 (95% CI (0.17, 2.96))) were not statistically significant with the outcome of interest. Conclusion Our meta-analysis found that the prevalence of dental caries was comparatively high, and sweet food consumption was the most risk issue for dental caries in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health ought to offer a lot of attention to strengthen the oral health care system and also the implementation of community-level interference programs.

Purpose Diabetes mellitus complications are responsible for increased disability, morbidity, and mortality. This study aimed to assess prevalence, patterns, and predictors of chronic complications of diabetes among people with diabetes. Patients and Methods The study was conducted using a prospective observational study design which was done on people with diabetes attending the ambulatory clinic of Mettu Karl Referral Hospital. The data were collected using a consecutive type of sampling technique from April 15 to August 9, 2019. The data were entered into Epidata manager version 4.4.2. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify predictors of chronic complications of diabetes. Results A total of 330 participants were included in this study. The mean age of participants was 49.9±14.2, and 156 (47.3%) were 41 to 60 years old. About 127 (38.5%) had one or more chronic complications. The predictors of chronic diabetes complications were resident in urban areas [AOR: 1.94; 95% CI: (1.17, 3.20); p = 0.010], duration of diabetes 10 years [AOR: 2.05, 95% CI: (1.21, 3.47); p = 0.007], hypertension [AOR: 4.19; 95% CI: (2.54, 6.91); p < 0.001] and poor glycemic control [AOR: 2.82; 95% CI: (1.53, 5.21); p = 0.001]. Conclusion Almost two-fifth of the study participants had chronic complications of diabetes. Residents in urban areas, longer duration of diabetes, hypertension and poor glycemic control were predictors of chronic diabetes complications. It is important to achieve good glycemic control and manage comorbid diseases like hypertension to minimize the risk of chronic diabetes complications.

Objective: This research aimed to systematically review and summarize the influence of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) inhibitors on the outcome of COVID_19 patients with hypertension. Methods: Electronic databases; PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, clinical trial.gov, and Google Scholar were searched from 2019 to June 1, 2020. Additionally, the references of identified articles were also searched. Results: A total of 9 articles comprising 3,823 patients were incorporated; 1416 patients on RAAS inhibitors and 3469 on non-RAAS inhibitors. The study demonstrated that the taking of RAAS inhibitors in COVID_19 patients with hypertension significantly reduced mortality where patients on RAAS inhibitors had a 27% decrease of mortality (RR= 0.73 [95% CI: 0.63- 0.85, p<0.0001, I2=0%, random-effects model]) compared to those not taking ACEI/ARB. No significant association were observed in disease severity (RR= 0.92 (95% CI: 0.74- 1.14) and hospitalization (WMD= -2.33[95% CI: -5.60, 0.75]), random-effects model. Conclusion: This study supports RAAS inhibitors safe use among COVID_19 patients with hypertension. Keywords: COVID_19, ACEI, ARB, Hypertension, Coronavirus

Background Asymptomatic bacteriuria is a common problem in pregnant women and about 40% of women with untreated asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy develop pyelonephritis, which might lead to low birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, and preterm labour. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolates among pregnant women attending the antenatal care of Assosa general hospital, western Ethiopia. Methods A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2019. Two hundred and eighty-three pregnant women with no symptoms of urinary tract infections participated in the study. Bacterial isolates were identified as per the standard bacteriological procedure using colony characteristics, Gram-staining, and series of biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out by Kirby- Bauer disk diffusion technique on Muller-Hinton agar medium and the diameter of zone of inhibition was interpreted according to Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. Results The overall prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among pregnant women in this study was 13.78% (i.e. 39 out of 283 urine samples were positive for bacterial isolates). E. coli was the most predominant isolate (53.8%) followed by K. pneumoniae (17.95%), S. aureus (15.4%), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (12.8%). Gram-negative bacteria were highly resistant to tetracycline (96.4%), and ampicillin (90.5%). Conclusion Significant bacteriuria was observed in asymptomatic pregnant women. A large number of the bacterial isolates were resistant to the commonly used antimicrobial drugs.