Background Iron folate supplementation is a cost-effective way of reducing iron deficiency anemia, low birth weight, and neural tube defects in resource-limited countries like Ethiopia. Late to start and poor adherence to iron-folate supplement has restricted its effectiveness. The aim of this study was to determine the time to start and adherence level of iron-folate supplementation to pregnant women attending at the Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. Methods Two hundred pregnant women were recruited in cross-sectional study design between February and April 2018. Results From the total participant pregnant women the urban dweller constituted the major proportion of 182 (91%). Seventy-eight (39%) of the participants had two antenatal care visits, whereas only, 21 (10.5%) of them had an antenatal care visit three and above. One hundred fifty-five (77.5%) participants women had knowledge about the cause of anemia in pregnancy. In this study, 143 (71.5%) of the pregnant women started their iron folate supplement in the second and third trimester. The adherence of iron folate intake was 10.5%. Healthcare education and counseling about iron-folate supplementation (AOR =4.55, 95% CI =[1.534, 13.512]), number of pregnancies (AOR =6.941, 95% CI =[1.511, 31.09]), and number of antenatal visit (AOR =0.242, 95% CI =[0.069, 0.852]) were significantly associated with adherence to iron-folate supplementation. Conclusion Time to start iron folate supplement in the first trimester was low and the adherence level was also very poor, which can be attributed by the number of antenatal care visits, frequency of pregnancy and healthcare education and counseling about iron folate supplement.

Astrocytes are multi-functional cells, now recognized as critical participants in many brain functions. They play a critical physiological role in the clearance of neurotransmitters, such as glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and in the regulation of K+ from the space of synaptic clefts. Astrocytes also express the excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) and aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channel, which are involved in both physiological functions and neurodegenerative diseases (ND). Some of the ND are the Alzheimer’s (AD), Huntington’s (HD), Parkinson’s diseases (PD), Cerebral edema, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and epilepsy pathological conditions in specific regions of the CNS. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). These project to the striatum, forming an important pathway within the basal ganglia. Mostly, PD has no clear etiology, and the mechanism of dopaminergic (DA) neuron loss is not well illustrated. The results of various studies suggest that astrocytes are involved in the pathophysiology of PD. Evidence has shown that the down-regulation of EAAT-2/GLT-1 and AQP4 expression is associated with PD pathogenesis. However, controversial results were reported in different experimental studies about the expression and function of EAAT-2/GLT-1 and AQP4, as well as their colocalization in different brain regions, and their involvement in PD development. Therefore, under neurological disorders, Parkinson’s disease is related to the genetic and phenotypic change of astrocytes’ biology. In this review, the authors summarized recent their research findings, which revealed the involvement of EAAT-2/GLT-1 and AQP4 expression, the physical interaction between EAAT-2/GLT-1 and AQP4 in astrocyte function, and their potential role in the development of PD in SNpc and Subthalamic nucleus (STN) of the basal ganglia nuclei.

Introduction: Umbilical granuloma (UG) is the most common cause of umbilical mass and it is formed in the first few weeks of life after the umbilical cord separates. Though there are different options of treatment described in the literature, there is no clear consensus on the best option of treatment. In our case, we will describe the complete resolution of granuloma with salt treatment with no adverse effect. Case Presentation: An 18-day-old female infant presented to the outpatient department (OPD) with concerns of swelling over the umbilicus with a yellowish discharge of one-day duration noticed after separation of the umbilical cord. The discharge was, initially, odorless, with no fecal or urine content, no pain, and behavioral change in the neonate. The mother was advised on sponge wash and to apply silver nitrate or liquid nitrogen. After five days, the patient presents with purulent discharge from the umbilical swelling of two-day duration but no other complaint. Discharge was noted to be purulent but no erythema in the surrounding skin. The patient had no leukocytosis on labs. A teaspoon of cooking salt was applied to cover the whole granuloma and packed the umbilicus for 30 minutes with gauze. After 30 minutes on the pack, the salt was removed and cleaned with normal saline. Subsequently, after the salt was applied, the granuloma changed from red to blush hue. After three applications of salt pack, the granuloma decreased in size, became dry, and separated. There was no side effect noted and the infant was followed up with no recurrence noted at 3 months of age. Conclusion: Salt treatment appears to be an effective, available, and less costly treatment option for an umbilical granuloma.

Background: Ceftazidime is nowadays one of the most commonly used antibiotics due to its high antibacterial potency, wide spectrum of activity, and low potential for toxicity. However, the global trend shows huge misuse of ceftazidime. Objective: This study was conducted to assess the appropriateness of ceftazidime use and to identify areas of intervention to prevent inappropriate use in different wards of Ayder Compressive Specialized Hospital, a tertiary teaching Hospital, Mekelle-Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based prospective cross-sectional study design was steered on 327 patients who received ceftazidime during their hospitalization in the selected wards from February 1 to April 30, 2019. Results: In the assessment of the appropriateness of ceftazidime use, 2,084 (70.8%) were appropriate. Appropriateness of indication was 295 (90.2%), the effectiveness of ceftazidime use was 221 (67.6%), correct dose of ceftazidime use was 264 (80.4%), and the correct frequency of ceftazidime use was 230 (70.3%). Its use was empiric in 275 participants (84.1%) and specific in 52 (15.9%) participants. The most common indication for ceftazidime use was uncomplicated pneumonia, at 112 (34.3%). One hundred and seventy-one (52.3%) participants had intervention to prevent inappropriate use of ceftazidime. Changing the drug combination (96, 29.4%), increasing the dose (13, 4%), decreasing the dose (21, 6.4%), holding the (21, 6.4%), and discontinuation of ceftazidime (20, 6.1%) were among the interventions. Conclusion: This study revealed that more than one-fourth of the ceftazidime use was inappropriate. This may lead to the emergence of resistant pathogens which in turn lead to treatment failure and increased the cost of therapy. Therefore, adherence to current evidencebased guidelines and initiating antimicrobial stewardship are recommended.