BMC research notes
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Burnout syndrome is a common psychological state, that may affect human healthcare providers due to their prolonged exposure to job stressors. Burnout can hinder optimal healthcare delivery. Hence this study aims to determine the prevalence and correlates of burnout syndrome amongst physicians in Cameroon. Specifically: (1) to determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome amongst Cameroonian doctors. (2) To identify potential determinants of burnout among Cameroonian doctors. (3) To compare the prevalence and determinants of burnout among specialist physicians and general practitioners in Cameroon. ⋯ This cross-sectional study will include a minimum of 335 doctors working in five regions of Cameroon. Consenting physicians will be consecutively recruited and data on sociodemographic and work characteristics will be collected via a printed self-administered questionnaire and burnout will be assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Data will be analysed using Epi Info version 7 and a p value < 0.05 will be considered significant. Multivariable logistic regression will be used to identify determinants of burnout syndrome. Physicians' mental health is largely neglected in developing countries like Cameroon. Data from this research will help inform practitioners on the magnitude of the problem and favour the development of policies that improve the mental health of care-providers.
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Uganda just like any other Sub-Saharan African country, has a high under-five child mortality rate. To inform policy on intervention strategies, sound statistical methods are required to critically identify factors strongly associated with under-five child mortality rates. The Cox proportional hazards model has been a common choice in analysing data to understand factors strongly associated with high child mortality rates taking age as the time-to-event variable. However, due to its restrictive proportional hazards (PH) assumption, some covariates of interest which do not satisfy the assumption are often excluded in the analysis to avoid mis-specifying the model. Otherwise using covariates that clearly violate the assumption would mean invalid results. ⋯ Random survival forests are appealing methods in analysing public health data to understand factors strongly associated with under-five child mortality rates especially in the presence of covariates that violate the proportional hazards assumption.
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Acquired Hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare hematological disorder that exhibits an incidence of approximately 1.5 cases per million patients a year. It is characterized by the development of autoantibodies against circulating Factor VIII coagulation proteins which, in turn, which in turn lead to potentially life-threatening hemorrhagic episodes. The incidence of AHA increases with age; with 80% of the affected patient population encompassing men and women that are 65 years or older. Some of the challenges that are highlighted in managing this disorder relate to the delayed diagnosis of this condition due to the rarity of the latter, the difficulty in establishing reliable hemostasis, and the secondary complications that are found when using immunosuppressive and hemostatic treatments in tandem with the elderly population afflicted with this disease. ⋯ Acquired Hemophilia A is an elusive bleeding disorder that has been seldom encountered in the demographics of Puerto Rico. The prompt detection of this diagnosis based on the clinical presentation alone is paramount to prevent the occurrence of grave hemorrhagic episodes. General knowledge and awareness of the treatment options available is key to ameliorate the prognosis of this ailment.
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Necrotizing myositis is a rare but life-threatening soft-tissue infection characterized by rapidly spreading inflammation and subsequent necrosis of the affected tissue. The myositis is often caused by toxin-producing, virulent bacteria such as group A β-hemolytic streptococcus and associated with severe systemic toxicity. It is rapidly fatal unless diagnosed promptly and treated aggressively. However, necrotizing myositis is often initially misdiagnosed as a more benign soft-tissue infection as such fulminant, invasive muscle infections are rare with no more than 30 cases reported over the last century. ⋯ A high degree of clinical suspicion is necessary to avert potentially disastrous consequences of necrotizing myositis. Timely diagnosis, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, and aggressive surgical debridement of affected tissue are keys to the treatment of this serious, often life-threatening infection.
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Maxillofacial injury poses a challenge to oral and maxillofacial surgeons working in developing countries with limited resource and human power. The present study aimed to determine the etiology, pattern, and management of maxillofacial trauma in Gondar university of Gondar hospital. ⋯ Interpersonal violence was the major cause of maxillofacial trauma, while mandible and soft tissue were the most affected maxillofacial areas. The federal ministry of health, Ethiopia should have well-organized maxillofacial center in tertiary hospitals for emergency management to avoid morbidity and mortality.