Tertiary Level Public Hospital Research Articles

Making Our Hospitals a Safe Workplace: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment at a Tertiary-Level Public Hospital in Eastern India.

Hospitals are complex places with a large number of employees, patients, furniture, equipment, etc. Healthcare workers (HCWs), patients, or the general public are vulnerable to injuries and illness due to unseen hazards at the workplace. This study aims to identify the hazards and assess the risks at a hospital to ensure safety for HCWs, patients, and the public and generate awareness about the same. It helps in reducing the financial obligation of the institution due to the treatment of illnesses of staff, absenteeism, and service disruption and slows down manpower turnover. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) helps reduce human errors and promote safe behavior. This study aims to identify and study the hazards in a hospital, assess the risks associated with the hazards, and recommend methods to reduce or eliminate the hazards based on the outcomes of the study. An observational study was conducted at a 1000-bed tertiary-level teaching public sector hospital in eastern India. A checklist was used for direct observation, conducting staff interviews, and document reviews. A risk scoring tool was used, and hazards were ranked as per the risk score. Thirty-eight hazards were identified in the study and classified under the categories of natural, physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, psychological, and safety. The fire risk and occurrence of cyclones had the highest risk scores. The study identified hazards through direct observations, record reviews, and staff interviews. These findings can guide the prioritization of areas requiring necessary action in risk reduction, ensuring a safe workplace for healthcare workers (HCWs), patients, and the public. They can also help the institution shift from a reactive approach to a proactive method for HCW safety.

Mortality and associated factors among people living with HIV admitted at a tertiary-care hospital in Uganda: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundHospital admission outcomes for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in resource-limited settings are understudied. We describe in-hospital mortality and associated clinical-demographic factors among PLHIV admitted at a tertiary-level public hospital in Uganda.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional analysis of routinely collected data for PLHIV admitted at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital between March 2020 and March 2023. We estimated the proportion of PLHIV who had died during hospitalization and performed logistic regression modelling to identify predictors of mortality.ResultsOf the 5,827 hospitalized PLHIV, the median age was 39 years (interquartile range [IQR] 31–49) and 3,293 (56.51%) were female. The median CD4 + cell count was 109 cells/µL (IQR 25–343). At admission, 3,710 (63.67%) were active on antiretroviral therapy (ART); 1,144 (19.63%) had interrupted ART > 3 months and 973 (16.70%) were ART naïve. In-hospital mortality was 26% (1,524) with a median time-to-death of 3 days (IQR 1–7). Factors associated with mortality (with adjusted odds ratios) included ART interruption, 1.33, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.13–1.57, p 0.001; CD4 + counts ≤ 200 cells/µL 1.59, 95%CI 1.33–1.91, p < 0.001; undocumented CD4 + cell count status 2.08, 95%CI 1.73–2.50, p < 0.001; impaired function status 7.35, 95%CI 6.42–8.41, p < 0.001; COVID-19 1.70, 95%CI 1.22–2.37, p 0.002; liver disease 1.77, 95%CI 1.36–2.30, p < 0.001; co-infections 1.53, 95%CI 1.32–1.78, p < 0.001; home address > 20 km from hospital 1.23, 95%CI 1.04–1.46, p 0.014; hospital readmission 0.7, 95%CI 0.56–0.88, p 0.002; chronic lung disease 0.62, 95%CI 0.41–0.92, p 0.019; and neurologic disease 0.46, 95%CI 0.32–0.68, p < 0.001.ConclusionOne in four admitted PLHIV die during hospitalization. Identification of risk factors (such as ART interruption, function impairment, low/undocumented CD4 + cell count), early diagnosis and treatment of co-infections and liver disease could improve outcomes.

Use of a natural compound based on essential oils as a potential complementary therapeutic approach to smoking cessation

Smoking is a major public health concern, given that the global number of smokers continues to rise, causing almost 8 million deaths worldwide in 2019, with one in five deaths being male. Therapeutic interventions that consider integrative health approaches have shown promising results in helping people to stop smoking, such as aromatherapy. Considering the potential of aromatherapy in interventions aimed at contributing to smoking cessation, which have already been described in the literature, the aim of this study was to evaluate a natural compound based on essential oils as a complementary therapeutic approach to help stop smoking. The design of this study is characterized as observational and was developed using a qualitative-quantitative approach with the participation of 15 individuals who had made the decision to quit smoking. This pilot study was coordinated by the Integrative and Complementary Practices outpatient clinic at the São Paulo Municipal Public Servant Hospital (MPSH-SP), a large, tertiary-level public care hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. In summary, it was observed that anxiety, discouragement and stress were the symptoms most reported by the participants and were observed in 90% and 60% of those interviewed, respectively. Diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, respiratory diseases and other conditions were also present among the participants. Analysis of the Fagerström test showed that there was a reduction in the score classifying the degree of nicotine dependence, indicating a possible improvement after using the natural product under study. Despite the small sample size, this study points to promising evidence regarding the use of aromatherapy as a complementary approach to help stop smoking.

Factors associated with the malnutrition inflammation score (MIS) among hemodialysis patients in Dhaka city: a cross-sectional study in tertiary care hospitals.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disease that leads to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Malnutrition increases the risk of mortality among patients with ESRD. This study aimed to determine malnutrition prevalence and associated factors among twice-weekly (n = 94/120) and thrice-weekly (n = 26/120) hemodialysis patients/HDP. A cross-sectional study was conducted at two tertiary-level public hospitals in Dhaka city using a consecutive sampling technique from April to June 2021. Nutritional status was assessed by Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS). Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was performed to determine which socioeconomic, clinical, anthropometric, biochemical, and dietary factors are associated with MIS. The prevalence of malnutrition was very high among HDP (severe 15.5%, mild/moderate 56.7%) with an average dialysis vintage of 28.7 months. Comorbidities (80.8%) and gastrointestinal symptoms/GIS (68.3%) were ubiquitous, and "dialysis frequencies" were not associated with MIS in bivariate analysis. Multivariable ordinal regression showed that anthropometric factors like mid-upper arm circumference/MUAC (adjusted odds ratio/AOR = 0.978), post-dialysis body mass index/BMI (AOR = 0.957), and biochemical parameters like albumin (AOR = 0.733) and TIBC/total iron binding capacity (AOR = 0.996) negatively (P < .05) associated with MIS. Moreover, having "no GIS" (AOR = 0.672, P < .001) was 33.0% less likely to be associated with MIS. Contrarily, as the month of dialysis increases, MIS increases by 22.0% (AOR = 1.22). Significant associations of clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical characteristics with MIS indicate the importance of routine screening of the nutritional status of patients with CKD to improve health status and prevent protein-energy wasting. The MIS could be a simple, noninvasive tool for testing nutritional status in patients with CKD.

DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF THE NON-INVASIVE MARKERS NFLS, NI-NASH-DS, AND FIB-4 FOR ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH OBESITY: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Non-invasive markers have been developed to assess the presence and severity of liver abnormalities related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To analyze the diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive NAFLD markers (NAFLD liver fat score [NLFS], non-invasive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis detection score [NI-NASH-DS] and fibrosis score based on four variables [FIB-4]) in individuals with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. A descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out enrolling 91 individuals who underwent bariatric surgery at a tertiary-level public university hospital. Non-invasive NAFLD markers were calculated using laboratory tests, clinical and anthropometric variables and diagnostic accuracy tests were calculated comparing them in relation to the gold-standard test for this analysis (histopathological evaluation). A total of 85.7% of the participants were female and mean age was 39.1±9.8 years. The average body mass index was 38.4±3.6 kg/m2. At histopathological examination, 84 (92.3%) patients presented with steatosis, 82 (90.1%) with some type of fibrosis; 21 (23.1%) patients were diagnosed with NASH according to the NAFLD activity score criteria. The overall accuracy of NLFS score was 58.2% for general hepatic steatosis and 61.5% for moderate to severe steatosis. The overall accuracy of FIB-4 was 95.4% for advanced fibrosis. NI-NASH-DS had a 74.7% overall accuracy for NASH. In a population of individuals with obesity, the FIB-4 score had high overall accuracy in assessing the presence of advanced liver fibrosis, whereas the NFLS and NI-NASH-DS had moderate accuracies for the assessment of steatosis and NASH, respectively.

Current Screening and Management Practices for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Public Hospitals of South India

Background Gestational Diabetes Mellitus GDM leads to adverse maternal and foetal health outcomes. There are several benefits of screening pregnant women for GDM including reducing the impact and timing of GDM-associated complications. However there is limited evidence regarding GDM screening and management in public hospitals in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore we aimed to understand the current GDM screening and management practice in public hospitals in South India through the study of pregnant women in Bangalore.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in all the six tertiary-level public hospitals of Bengaluru which were providing antenatal services during September 2017. We compared the results of GDM screening in five of these hospitals with a tertiary public hospital wherein a cohort of women were studied during the same time wherein voluntarily consented women were subjected to GDM screening and were followed up through their pregnancy and post-partum.Results Among the 186 pregnant women included in the cross-sectional study 41.4 n77186 had undergone random blood sugar test and 22 n39186 underwent a confirmatory test in the form of either a Glucose Challenge Test GCT or Oral Glucose Tolerance Test OGTT for diagnosis. Similarly pregnant women underwent capillary blood glucose testing 5.1 n9186 fasting blood sugar 1.7 n3186 urine glucose and albumin level 1.7 n3186 testing. The prevalence of GDM in this cross-sectional study obtained via routine screening in public hospitals was 4.3 n8186 while in comparison the prevalence of GDM was 15.4 n1571019 in the ongoing cohort. Furthermore only 22.9 of cohort women diagnosed with GDM received any follow-up treatment in public hospitals. We also found that 12.1 and 7 of women achieved glucose control in the antenatal and postnatal period respectively.Conclusion Our results suggest that most women with GDM attending public hospitals may be ldquomissedrdquo from GDM diagnosis and treatment even in the major public hospitals in Bangalore. Therefore strengthening the GDM screening and management in public hospitals is imperative to avert the adverse risks of GDM among women and their children in urban areas.

Nurse-patient relationship in a tertiary level Public Hospital

Nurse-patient relationship in a tertiary level Public Hospital

Sintomas de burnout entre médicos e enfermeiros antes, durante e depois do cuidado de pacientes com COVID-19

Objective: this study evaluated burnout symptoms among physicians and nurses before, during and after COVID-19 care. Method: a cross-sectional comparative study in the Pulmonary Care unit of a tertiary-level public hospital. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used. Results: 280 surveys were distributed across three periods: before (n=80), during (n=105) and after (n=95) COVID-19 care; 172 surveys were returned. The response rates were 57.5%, 64.8% and 61.1%, respectively. The prevalence of severe burnout was 30.4%, 63.2% and 34.5% before, during and after COVID-19 care (p&lt;0.001). Emotional exhaustion (p&lt;0.001) and depersonalization (p=0.002) symptoms were more prevalent among nurses than among physicians. Severe burnout was more prevalent in women, nurses and night shift staff. Conclusion: the high prevalence of burnout doubled in the first peak of hospital admissions and returned to pre-pandemic levels one month after COVID-19 care ended. Burnout varied by gender, shift and occupation, with nurses among the most vulnerable groups. Focus on early assessment and mitigation strategies are required to support nurses not only during crisis but permanently.

Changing the Surgical Approach to Breast Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period.

Background Postponing elective surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic has also affected the approach to both malignant and benign breast diseases. This paper aims to share how the COVID-19 pandemic affects our approach to breast cancer, benign breast cases, and the procedures' results. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary-level public hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. We retrospectively analyzed our treatment options for patients diagnosed with breast cancer and benign breast disease in the general surgery clinic of a tertiary hospital that declared a pandemic status between March 11, 2020, and June 1, 2020. Results The number of patients who visited the breast outpatient clinic and received a diagnosis of breast cancer was 23. Among the benign diseases, no intervention was made except for abscess (eight patients, 40%) and mastitis (12 patients, 60%). Conclusions Patients with acute abscesses and mastitis were treated for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy were chosen for those diagnosed with cancer. Priority was given to oncology protocols rather than surgical approaches during the pandemic. We think that different approaches will be defined as the pandemic continues.

Evaluating the acceptability of ATMAN intervention for self-harm in youth in India: A pilot study

Background There is a dearth of psychological interventions for self-harm that have been tested and found acceptable by youth in low- and middle income countries. ĀTMAN (Sanskrit word meaning “self” or “self-existent essence”) is one such contextually adapted psychological intervention developed in India. It has three key elements; problem-solving, emotion regulation, and social network strengthening skills. Objective We delivered ATMAN in a series of young people who self-harm to optimize the content, structure and delivery mechanisms, and to assess their experiences of therapy and engagement. Methods ATMAN was delivered sequentially by a psychiatrist and non-specialist counselor in 16 participants between 14 to 24 years who presented to a tertiary level public hospital in Mumbai with self-harm. Quantitative measurement tools included Beck’s Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSI), the Patient Health Questionnaire −9 (PHQ-9), Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation, and session feedback form. Qualitative tools included PSYCHLOPS and exit interviews. Results Eight female and four male participants completed therapy with a mean of five sessions and an average duration of 50 min. There were no differences in module wise feedback ratings of the psychiatrist and counselor. There were significant differences in the pre- and post-therapy scores on BSI (mean difference (confidence interval)) (−16.8 (−20.2, −13.3)) and PHQ-9 (−10.8 (−14.5, −7.04)). Various content modifications were undertaken during this phase. Conclusion ATMAN was acceptable to youth in India who self-harm. Modifications introduced during pilot trial phase make ATMAN better suited to the needs of the youth. ATMAN has the potential to be delivered by non- specialist counselors and to be integrated at all levels of health care settings including primary health care to reduce the burden of suicide in young people. However, an extended randomized controlled trial of ATMAN treatment with multiple counselors will help in identifying key competencies that should be developed during training and supervision, and various quality assurance measures that can be undertaken for effective implementation of ATMAN.

Negative Outcomes Associated with Medication in Neonates on Parenteral Nutrition Therapy

Objective: In Ecuador, studies on clinical daily practice problems focused on parenteral nutrition in neonates are scarce. Therefore, this research aimed to identify negative results associated with medications (NRAM) in neonates with parenteral nutrition (PN) in a third-level hospital in Ecuador. Material and methods: An observational, prospective, descriptive study was designed in the neonatology area of a tertiary-level public hospital, where, for over four months, the medical records, PN prescriptions, and pharmacy-managed databases of 78 patients were analyzed. Drug-related problems (DRPs) as possible causes of NRAM were classified through administrative, physicochemical, and clinical validation. Results: DRPs classified as follows were found: 78.81% by physicochemical, 17.62% by clinical, and 3.57% by administrative validation. The NRAM were 72% quantitatively uncertain, 16% needed, and 11% quantitatively ineffective. Conclusion: The NRAM associated with DRPs were statistically related to prematurity condition, APGAR score, PN time, and the number of medications administered, which suggests the need to create a nutritional therapy committee at the health facility.

Outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy at a single-centre tertiary level public healthcare hospital in South Africa.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is standard of care for acute ischaemic stroke from large vessel occlusion following randomised controlled trials performed largely in high-income countries. Limited data exists on its effectiveness in the setting of low-and-middle-income countries. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MT in a tertiary level public hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Patients with acute ischaemic stroke presenting consecutively to Groote Schuur Hospital between 1 January 2018 to 1 January 2022 with proximal intracranial occlusion in the anterior circulation treated with MT within 6 h from onset using computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography imaging-based protocols were evaluated. Demographic, clinical, radiological and procedural data were obtained from the stroke unit database. Recanalisation was evaluated post-procedure by modified Treatment in Cerebral Infarction score (mTICI). Functional independence (modified Rankin scores 0-2) and mortality at 90 days were also assessed. Thrombectomies were performed in 84 patients during the study period. The median age was 56 years (interquartile range, IQR) and 51% of participants were female. Median National Institute of Health Stroke Score was 18 and median baseline Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT score was 8. Bridging thrombolysis was given to 65% of participants. Median time from symptom onset to reperfusion was 339 min (IQR). Successful recanalisation (mTICI 2b/3) was obtained in 62%. At 90 days, 34% of participants gained functional independence and mortality was 34%. This study demonstrated similar rates of recanalisation and functional independence to that seen in trials in high-income countries using basic imaging despite a higher mortality and longer median time to reperfusion. This data supports the effectiveness of MT in a tertiary level public hospital in South Africa despite the challenges of providing emergent stroke care in a resource-constrained setting.

Drug Utilization Pattern and Potentially Inappropriate Medications among Elderly Inpatients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western Nepal

Introduction: Drug utilization research deals with the quality of care focusing on potentially inappropriate medication (PIM), The objectives of the study were to assess the drug utilization pattern (class of drugs used, average number of drugs per prescription per encounter, number of drug prescribed in generic name and antibiotics in prescription) and potentially inappropriate medications and their categories among elderly inpatients.&#x0D; Methods: It was a prospective observational study carried out in the medical department of Western Regional Hospital, one of the tertiary level public referral hospital in Pokhara, Nepal. One hundred and two patients of both sexes, age above 65 years and who were hospitalized in medical department were selected. The patients were followed until their discharge to obtain complete information about the drugs being used. Patient data collection form and Updated 2012 Beers Criteria were used to assess drug utilization patterns and determine PIM respectively.&#x0D; Results: Most of the patients were in the age group of 65-70 (37.25%) followed by 71-75 (27.45%) and 76-80 (18.62%). Out of 102 patients, 53 (51.97%) were male and 49 (48.03 %) were female. Antimicrobials were the most prescribed medicines (16.73%). Average number of drugs per prescription per encounters, number of drug prescribed in generic name and number of antibiotics in prescription were 7.26, 9.6% and 21% respectively. About 57% of medicines were prescribed from the national essential medicine list. Among them, 20 (3.91%) of all drugs had at least one PIM. There were 27 drugs in Beers criteria A, one drug in Beers criteria B, and no drug in Beers criteria C.&#x0D; Conclusion: Antibiotic prescription was found within the optimal values whereas values of other prescribing indicators were out of the optimal values in comparing earlier studies. PIM was observed in prescriptions that suggest irrational practice and the need for interventions.

The Mediating Role of Depression and of State Anxiety οn the Relationship between Trait Anxiety and Fatigue in Nurses during the Pandemic Crisis.

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is a global health crisis with a particular emotional and physical impact on health professionals, especially nurses. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety, depression and fatigue and their possible relationships among nurses during the pandemic. The study population consisted of nurses from five tertiary-level public hospitals in Athens who completed the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires. Gender, age and years of work experience were recorded. The study was conducted from mid-November to mid-December 2021. The sample included 404 nurses (69 males and 335 females) with a mean age of 42.88 years (SD = 10.90) and 17.96 (SD = 12.00) years of work experience. Symptoms of fatigue were noted in 60.4% of participants, while 39.7% had symptoms of depression, 60.1% had abnormal scores on state anxiety and 46.8% on trait anxiety, with females showing higher scores on all scales (p < 0.05). High positive correlations (p < 0.01) were found between the FAS, BDI, State Anxiety and Trait Anxiety scales. Regression analysis showed that 51.7% of the variance in FAS scores can be explained by trait anxiety, an additional 6.2% by the BDI and 1.2% by state anxiety. Mediation analysis showed that state anxiety and BDI mediate the relationship between trait anxiety and FAS. Finally, BDI was found to exert a moderating role in the relationship between trait anxiety and fatigue. In conclusion, our study showed that nurses continue to experience high rates of anxiety, depression and fatigue. The variation in fatigue appears to be significantly dependent on trait anxiety. Depressive symptomatology and state anxiety exert a parallel positive mediation on the relationship between trait anxiety and fatigue, with depression exhibiting a moderating role in this relationship.

Obesity in pregnancy in a resource-constrained setting: Complications and cost implications - a retrospective cross-sectional study.

To investigate the complications and costs associated with managing obese pregnant women in a resource-constrained environment. The files were randomly sampled for women that delivered at the tertiary level public sector Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; of the retrieved files, 206 met the inclusion criteria (January-June 2020). Patients were stratified by body mass index (normal, overweight, obese). The main outcomes being the prevalence of obesity, we conducted a logistic regression to compare the incidence of associated obstetric complications, and a direct costs comparison. Of the 206 patients, 117 (57%) were obese and at higher risk for fetal and maternal adverse outcomes. The obese/overweight group had higher incidence of pre-pregnancy complications; history of macrosomia and obstetric complications; and increased risk of failed induction, fetal anomalies, unscheduled prenatal care visits, and postpartum hemorrhage. Neonates born to obese/overweight women were at increased need for neonatal unit admission. The mean cost estimates were 49575.3 South African Rand (ZAR) for normal weight, 49310.5 ZAR for overweight, and 54444.2 ZAR for obese women. The high levels of obesity were associated with feto-maternal complications; the association increased healthcare use, resulting in a substantial increase in direct cost to the healthcare system.

Understanding the mental health impact and needs of public healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Pakistan : a qualitative study

ObjectivesA dearth of qualitative studies constrains in-depth understanding of health service providers’ perspectives and experiences regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health. This study explored the mental health...

Management of medical store in a tertiary level public hospital in Dhaka city

Cross-sectional descriptive study at Dhaka Medical College Hospital from January to December 2013. This study evaluated the medical supply chain in a Dhaka public tertiary hospital. Respondents were hospital shop employees who kept data on medicine procurement, storage, and distribution. 51-59-year-olds made up 36.6% of respondents. 68.3% of the store's workforce were pharmacists. 82.9% of respondents have a diploma or degree. 70% of personnel lacked retail management training. The investigated store had no AC or chiller. Store had a fridge. The pharmacy's drug procurement and selection committee was present. More than half (55%) of drugs were purchased using open tender. Direct purchases made up 30%, donations 13%, and other methods 2%. The store has an expiration-date section. The store contains updated volatile drug storage, safety stock, a stock ledger, vouchers, and invoicing. The shop had no electronic ledger. Lack of space, shelves, a damp or cracked wall, and a refrigerator were issues. Labor was scarce. Shop managers say improve quality management. During the drug receiving procedure, analytical testing ensures preservation and efficacy. Store management in our nation can be improved by giving refresher training on regulations and legislation and maintaining an electronic ledger via a database system.

Management of medical store in a tertiary level public hospital in Dhaka city

Management of medical store in a tertiary level public hospital in Dhaka city

Acute febrile illness among outpatients seeking health care in Bangladeshi hospitals prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Understanding the distribution of pathogens causing acute febrile illness (AFI) is important for clinical management of patients in resource-poor settings. We evaluated the proportion of AFI caused by specific pathogens among outpatients in Bangladesh. During May 2019-March 2020, physicians screened patients aged ≥2 years in outpatient departments of four tertiary level public hospitals. We randomly enrolled patients having measured fever (≥100.4°F) during assessment with onset within the past 14 days. Blood and urine samples were tested at icddr,b through rapid diagnostic tests, bacterial culture, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Acute and convalescent samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) for Rickettsia and Orientia (R/O) and Leptospira tests. Among 690 patients, 69 (10%) had enteric fever (Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi orSalmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi), 51 (7.4%) Escherichia coli, and 28 (4.1%) dengue detected. Of the 441 patients tested for R/O, 39 (8.8%) had rickettsioses. We found 7 (2%) Leptospira cases among the 403 AFI patients tested. Nine patients (1%) were hospitalized, and none died. The highest proportion of enteric fever (15%, 36/231) and rickettsioses (14%, 25/182) was in Rajshahi. Dhaka had the most dengue cases (68%, 19/28). R/O affected older children and young adults (IQR 8-23 years) and was detected more frequently in the 21-25 years age-group (17%, 12/70). R/O was more likely to be found in patients in Rajshahi region than in Sylhet (aOR 2.49, 95% CI 0.85-7.32) between July and December (aOR 2.01, 1.01-5.23), and who had a history of recent animal entry inside their house than not (aOR 2.0, 0.93-4.3). Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae were the most common bacterial infections, and dengue was the most common viral infection among AFI patients in Bangladeshi hospitals, though there was geographic variability. These results can help guide empiric outpatient AFI management.

Customer Relationship Management in Selected Public and Private Tertiary Hospitals of Dhaka City

Introduction: Customer relationship management (CRM) is a strategy that helps organizations to build long-term relationship with customer and increase profit through a proper management system. Objective: To understand the present state of CRM in tertiary level public and private hospitals in Dhaka City, by identifying customers’ profile, customers’ expectation, and by assessing customers’ satisfaction. Material and Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in two tertiary level hospitals of Dhaka city, from July 2018 to June 2019 among 220 samples from each hospital, by convenience sampling. Data were collected by interview using semi structured questionnaire and reviewing of check list. Results: Among service receivers, high monthly income (&gt;30000 Taka) prefer Uttara Adhunic Medical College Hospital (UAMCH) (23%) than Dhaka Medical College hospital (DMCH) (5%). Doctors explained health condition to patient or relatives in 64% cases in DMCH and 82% cases in UAMCH. Nurses attention for privacy and courtesy towards patient was 75% and 31% in DMCH which was 86.4% and 50% in UAMCH. About 59% and 20% service receivers from public and private hospital respectively were of the view that pharmacy staffs did not explained properly about safe methods of taking drugs. The overall patient satisfaction was found 63.7% and 69.4% in DMCH &amp; UAMCH by using The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ- 18 scale). Conclusion: All these findings suggest that people are satisfied more with service quality of private hospitals than the public hospitals. Private hospitals trying to fulfill the requirements of the patients according to their service quality demand, in contrast, public hospitals are fighting hard to fulfill patients demand with limited resources. JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 17, No 2 (December) 2021: 61-64