The applicability of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in screening of insomnia is demonstrated in various populations. But, the tool has not been validated in a sample of Ethiopians. Therefore, this study aimed to assess its psychometric properties in community dwelling Ethiopian adults. Participants (n = 311, age = 25.5 ± 6.0 years and body mass index = 22.1 ± 2.3 kg/m2) from Mizan-Aman town, Southwest Ethiopia completed the PSQI and a semi-structured questionnaire for socio-demographics. Clinical interview for screening of insomnia according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders was carried out as a concurrent validation measure. Overall, the PSQI scale did not have floor effect and ceiling effects. Moderate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha was 0.59) and sufficient internal homogeneity as indicated by correlation coefficient between component scores and the global PSQI score was found. The PSQI was of good value for screening insomnia with optimal cut-off scores of 5.5 (sensitivity 82%, specificity 56.2%) and the area under the curve, 0.78 (p < 0.0001). The PSQI has unidimensional factor structure in the Ethiopian community adults for screening insomnia. The PSQI has good psychometric validity in screening for insomnia among Ethiopians adults.

Background. Nosocomial infections occur among patients during their stay in hospitals. The severity of infection depends on the characteristics of microorganisms with a high risk of being acquired when the environment is contaminated. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are emerging rapidly around the globe creating a serious threat. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2016–February 2017 at Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia. Samples were collected from the equipment and hospital surfaces. The isolated bacteria were checked for susceptibility by the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method following the standards of CLSI 2014. Health professionals and sanitary team members were included in the study which assessed the disinfection practice of objects from which samples were taken. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results. A total of 201 swab samples were taken, and most bacteria were recovered from thermometer and floor consisting of 21.6% S. aureus, 19.3% CoNS, 15.9% E. coli, 14.8% Klebsiella species, 11.4% P. aeruginosa, 10.2% Proteus species, and 6.8% Serratia species. The most multidrug resistant organisms were S. aureus (79%), Klebsiella species (53.8%), CoNS (47%), and Proteus species (44.4%). Only 6.45% of health professionals disinfect their stethoscope consistently. Conclusion. S. aureus, CoNS, and E. coli were the predominant isolates. Most isolates showed highest susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and least to ampicillin and penicillin. There is no regular sanitation and disinfection of hospital equipment and surfaces.

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcal colonization of the gastrointestinal and genital tracts of pregnant women usually remains asymptomatic, even though it is the critical determinant of infection in neonates and young infants. It causes early and late onset of invasive Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease manifesting as septicemia, meningitis, and pneumonia. Now it is recognized as an important cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world including Ethiopia, where the magnitude of the problem has been little studied. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of GBS colonization and to identify associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among pregnant women at selected health facilities of Wolaita Sodo Town, Southern Ethiopia.Methodology: A health-facility-based cross-sectional study design was conducted at WSUCSH & Wolaita Sodo Health Center from June to August, 2022. A total of 279 pregnant women who were in ANC follow-up at 35–37 weeks of gestation were included. For GBS isolation, recto-vaginal swabs were inoculated in 1 mL Todd-Hewitt broth medium supplemented with 10 μg/mL colistin and 15 μg/mL nalidixic acid, followed by identification of isolates based on colonial morphology, gram stains, catalase reaction, and CAMP tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a modified Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. All collected data were entered in Epi info 4.6.0.2, then transferred and tabulated using SPSS version 20. Logistic regression analysis was used to see the association between variables. Finally, a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: In the present study, 279 pregnant mothers, aged between 15 to 38 years with a mean of 26.5 ± 4.5 years, were included. Of all participants, the highest proportion (120) (43.01%) were housewives. The overall carriage rate of GBS was 67 (24.0%). GBS colonization showed a statistically significant association with college and above levels of maternal education [AOR = 6.610, 95% CI (1.724–25.349), p = 0.01]. High susceptibility of GBS isolate was seen with Penicillin G & Chloramphenicol (92.5%), Ampicillin, Ceftriaxone (89.6%), Vancomycin (74.62%), and Erythromycin (77%). Relatively, GBS showed high resistance to Tetracycline (88%).Conclusion and recommendation: In this study, the overall prevalence of GBS colonization was 24.0%. College and above educational level was statistically significant with GBS colonization. This study aimed to draw attention to the management of Group B Streptococci in pregnant women by making GBS culture one of the routine diagnoses during ANC follow-up and to prevent infection with early detection.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) associated complications necessitate that the medical care system keeps evolving for proper management of this group of patients. Electrolyte imbalance and sleep problems are common in patients on ART. Both of these conditions are associated with increased morbidity (such as acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, low CD4 count, non-adherence and depression) and mortality. Therefore, screening for both sleep problems and electrolytes imbalance may help to decrease the risk of complications in patients on ART.

Background. Food borne disease, which is the result of ingestion of foodstuffs contaminated with microorganisms, parasites, or chemicals, encompasses a wide spectrum of illness and public health problem worldwide. Ethiopia is placed on second, third, and fourth position due to the highest burden of ascariasis, hookworm, and trichuriasis, respectively, in sub-Saharan Africa. The present study is aimed at determining the prevalence of Salmonella typhi and intestinal parasites among food handlers working in catering establishments of public institutes found in Dawuro Zone, South-Western Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study is conducted among food handlers working in catering establishments of public institutions found in Dawuro Zone from March to July 2019. The data was collected by using pretested structured questionnaires. Stool and blood samples were taken from each participant for parasitic examinations concurrently using direct and modified formol ether concentration wet smear techniques and Widal test by slide test and tube serial dilution technique, respectively. The data entered into Epi info version 3.5.1 and then exported into SPSS window version 20.0 for analysis. Logistic regressions were performed to assess the association between binary outcomes and different explanatory variables. value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result. The study included 402 (293 females and 109 males) food handlers. Of 402 stool specimens, 20.4% were found to be positive for different parasite species, comprising protozoa (35.9%) and helminths (64.1%). A. lumbricoides was the most prevalent parasite (8.0%), followed by E. histolytica/dispar (4.23%). Twenty-six (6.5%) of food handlers were positive for Widal test. years (AOR: 0.436; 95% CI: 0.203, 0.937), attending no education (AOR: 2.142; 95% CI: 1.048, 4.378), not washing hands after using latrine (AOR: 4.355; 95% CI: 1.771, 10.708), not covering mouth with tissue paper (AOR: 0.530; 95% CI: 0.312, 0.899), no medical checkup (in the last four months) (AOR: 0.278; 95% CI: 0.116, 0.667), and untrimmed fingernails (AOR: 0.382; 95% CI: 0.229, 0.635) were significantly associated with intestinal parasitic or Salmonella typhi infections. Conclusion. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection (IPI) and Salmonella among food handlers in the present study is relatively high compared to other different studies conducted in developed and developing countries. Therefore, biannually screening of food handlers for intestinal parasites (IPs) and periodic deworming of infected cases along with provision of food safety measures focusing on personal hygiene and environmental sanitation are recommended to control the parasitic infection in food handlers.

Background. Bacterial contamination of indoor hospitals, especially in intensive care units is a serious health hazard in the world with a high morbidity and mortality rates. Particularly, multidrug-resistant bacteria can cross-contaminate medical devices, inanimate surfaces, health care providers, and patients in the intensive care unit. This study was aimed to assess the bacterial profile and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates from intensive care unit at WUNEMMCSH (Wachemo University Nigest Ellen Mohammed Memorial Compressive Specialized Hospital), Southern Ethiopia. Methods. A hospital-based cross sectional study was conducted on 180 intensive care unit environmental samples at WUNEMMCSH from August 1, 2022, to October 30, 2022. In this study, a total of 180 swab samples were collected from medical devices, inanimate surfaces, patients, and health care providers from the intensive care unit by using sterile cotton-tipped swabs moistened with normal saline. Then, bacterial isolates were identified using the standard culture method, Gram stain, and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests for bacterial isolates were performed by using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Data were entered into EpiData Version 4.6 cleanup and exported to SPSS V25 for analysis. Results. A total of 180 swab samples were processed from intensive care unit environments, and 143 (79.4) were found to have been contaminated by at least one potential pathogenic bacterial isolate. A total of two hundred and thirty-eight bacteria were isolated. Of these, the predominant bacteria were coagulase-negative Staphylococci 72 (30.3), S. aureus 61 (25.6), E. coli 41 (17.2), and K. pneumoniae 30 (12.6). Seventy (49) out of all swabbed samples were contaminated with mixed isolates. In the antimicrobial susceptibility tests, 19 (86) Gram-positive bacteria and 25 (76) Gram-negative bacterial isolates were susceptible to nitrofurantoin, respectively. Vancomycin was sensitive to 83 of Gram-positive isolates. Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates from irrespective sources showed multidrug resistance in 56.4 and 76.2, respectively. Conclusion. The inanimate hospital environments, medical device, health care providers, and patients in ICU rooms of WUNEMMCSH (Wachemo University Nigest Ellen Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital) were colonized with 143 (79.4) of potential pathogenic bacterial isolate, which can cause nosocomial infections with high rates of morbidity and mortality among patients. The frequencies of multidrug-resistant 159 (66.8) bacterial pathogens were alarmingly high. Therefore, to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination and MDR, strict adherence to hospital infection prevention and control measures should be enforced. These measures include regularly performing hand hygiene, periodic disinfection, and sterilization of medical equipment.