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Background. Neonatal sepsis plays a significant role in neonates' mortality in developing countries accounting for 30-50% of total deaths each year. Gaining insight into neonatal sepsis predictors will provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to reduce the causes of neonatal sepsis. This research is aimed at determining the predictors of neonatal sepsis at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching Referral Hospital and Sodo Christian General Hospital, Ethiopia, April-July 2019. Method. This study employed an institution-based unmatched case-control study by selecting neonates in selected hospitals through consecutive sampling technique. The cases of this study are neonates diagnosed with sepsis. The study used a pretested structured questionnaire for a face-to-face interview to collect data from index mothers. Besides, the review of the record was done using checklists. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 24.0 for analysis. The study used descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to measure the association's strength. p < 0.05 was the cut-off point for declaration of statistical significance for the multivariate analysis. Results. Factors significantly associated with neonatal sepsis among neonates were maternal age of 15-20 years and 21-30 years, mothers with low income/wealth, history of urinary tract infections/sexually transmitted infections, presence of intrapartum infections, antenatal care follow ‐ up < 3 visits, Apgar (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration) score < 7 , low birth weight, and the time in which breastfeeding started after delivery < 60 minutes. Conclusion. Maternal age, wealth/income, maternal urinary tract infections/sexually transmitted infections, intrapartum fever, antenatal care visit ≤ 3 times, Apgar score < 7 , low birth weight, and starting time of breastfeeding were independent predictors of neonatal sepsis. Therefore, maternal health education during antenatal care visits, perinatal and newborn care, and early initiation of breastfeeding might decrease neonatal mortality and morbidity due to sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Neonatal sepsis plays a significant role in neonates' mortality in developing countries accounting for 30-50% of total deaths each year. Gaining insight into neonatal sepsis predictors will provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to reduce the causes of neonatal sepsis. This research is aimed at determining the predictors of neonatal sepsis at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching Referral Hospital and Sodo Christian General Hospital, Ethiopia, April-July 2019. Method. This study employed an institution-based unmatched case-control study by selecting neonates in selected hospitals through consecutive sampling technique. The cases of this study are neonates diagnosed with sepsis. The study used a pretested structured questionnaire for a face-to-face interview to collect data from index mothers. Besides, the review of the record was done using checklists. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 24.0 for analysis. The study used descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to measure the association's strength. p < 0.05 was the cut-off point for declaration of statistical significance for the multivariate analysis. Results. Factors significantly associated with neonatal sepsis among neonates were maternal age of 15-20 years and 21-30 years, mothers with low income/wealth, history of urinary tract infections/sexually transmitted infections, presence of intrapartum infections, antenatal care follow ‐ up < 3 visits, Apgar (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration) score < 7 , low birth weight, and the time in which breastfeeding started after delivery < 60 minutes. Conclusion. Maternal age, wealth/income, maternal urinary tract infections/sexually transmitted infections, intrapartum fever, antenatal care visit ≤ 3 times, Apgar score < 7 , low birth weight, and starting time of breastfeeding were independent predictors of neonatal sepsis. Therefore, maternal health education during antenatal care visits, perinatal and newborn care, and early initiation of breastfeeding might decrease neonatal mortality and morbidity due to sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Obstructed or prolonged labor is a major cause of maternal deaths. Prolonged and obstructed labor contributed to 13% of global maternal deaths which can be reduced by proper utilization of a partograph during labor. Obstetric caregivers' use of the partograph during labor has paramount importance in identifying any deviation during labor. Even though partograph use is influenced by different factors as obtained from the literatures, the magnitude of partograph utilization and the factors associated with its use are not well determined in the health facilities of Wolaita Zone. Objective. To assess the magnitude of partograph utilization and factors that affect its utilization among obstetric caregivers in public health facilities of Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia, 2017. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on obstetric caregivers. A pretested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was entered to EpiData version 3.01 and exported to SPSS version 23.0 for further analysis. Logistic regression analyses were used to see the association of different variables. Result. A total of 269 obstetric caregivers participated in the study. Among those who were utilizing the partograph, 193 (71.7%) routinely used it for all laboring mothers and 76 (28.3%) of participants reported that they do not routinely utilize it. Greater number of service years (AOR = 4.93 , 95% CI: 1.53-15.88), on-the-job training (AOR = 0.16 , 95% CI: 0.06-0.43), good knowledge (AOR = 3.35 , 95% CI: 1.61-6.97), and favorable attitude towards partograph utilization (AOR = 2.99 , 95% CI: 1.28-7.03) were significantly associated with partograph utilization. Conclusion and Recommendation. Partograph utilization among obstetric caregivers in the public health facilities was good. Greater years of work experience, in-service training, having good knowledge, and favorable attitude towards partograph utilization among obstetric caregivers independently determined partograph utilization. Provision of on-the-job training to make obstetric caregivers improve knowledge and skill on partograph utilization, maintaining caregivers' retention to decrease turnover by providing different incentives to more experienced obstetric care providers, and establishing favorable attitude could improve the proper use of the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Nurses, who are the majority, can contaminate their hands with different types of microorganism during “clean” activities (e.g., lifting a patient; taking a patient’s pulse, blood pressure, or oral temperature; or touching a patient’s hand, shoulder, or groin). Yet good hand hygiene, the simple task of cleaning hands at the right time and in the right way, can reduce HCAIs that are transmitted by healthcare workers’ hands. Method. Observational study conducted among nurses by observational tool which was adopted from WHO observational tool. And finally compliance was calculated as a percentage (i.e., compliance% = (observed hand hygiene action (HHA) ÷ hand hygiene opportunity (O)) × 100). The data were first coded, entered, and cleaned using EpiData statistical software version 3.1 and then exported into SPSS statistical software version 22 for analysis. Data were presented using descriptive statistics. Result. A total of 110 study participants were observed who gave a response rate of 94.8%. Total of 3902 opportunities and 732 hand hygiene actions were observed with overall compliance of 18.7%. The highest 22.9% hand hygiene practice was observed “before clean∖aseptic procedure.” Highest 19.6% compliance was recorded at night shift and 22.7% in ICU ward of the hospital. Alcohol based hand rub was a major means of method used to clean hands. Conclusion and Recommendation. Observed practice of hand hygiene was poor. Lack of training, conveniently located sink, hand washing agents, and lack of time were major reasons for not practicing hand hygiene. Successful promotion of hand hygiene through instituting system change (e.g., making hand hygiene products available at the point of care) should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]