Browsing by Author "Okot, Christopher"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Case Report: Swallowed toothbrush in the stomach of a 56 year female at St Mary’s Hospital Lacor, Uganda
    (AAS Open Research, 2018) Amone, Derrick; Okot, Christopher; Mugabi, Patrick; Okello, Tom Richard; Ogwang, David Martin
    Toothbrush swallowing is a rare occurrence. Toothbrush swallowing presents a risk of impaction and perforation along the gastrointestinal tract. This case report describes a 56 year old female that presented to the emergency unit of St Mary’s Hospital Lacor with a 1 day history of chest pain after a toothbrush was pushed down her throat by a traditional healer who was managing her for pharyngitis. The chest pain was associated with difficulty in breathing. She also reported dull abdominal pain. There was no history of vomiting or drooling of saliva. On examination, we found that she was in pain and had respiratory distress with a respiratory rate of 32 breath/ min and was using accessory muscles. There was no oedema, aneamia or jaundice. Blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg and pulse rate of 87 beats/ min. The abdominal findings were normal, but ultrasound scan suggested that the toothbrush was in the stomach. The plain erect abdominal x-ray was inconclusive. She was admitted to the ward for conservative management. After 2 weeks we decided to do exploratory laparotomy and we found the toothbrush in the stomach, that we removed and closed the abdomen in layers. Post-operatively the patient recovered uneventfully on the ward. Toothbrush swallowing is a rare occurrence. The commonest foreign bodies ingested by adults are bones, spoons and dentures. Toothbrush ingestion occurs commonly among patients with psychiatric conditions like bulimia or anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia and bezoar. Most swallowed toothbrushes have been found in the esophagus or the stomach of affected patients. Most people who swallowed their toothbrushes did so entirely without erotic intent, as with this case where the patient had the brush pushed down her throat by a traditional healer. This is the first case of toothbrush swallowing in this hospital.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors Associated With Mortality Among the COVID-19 Patients Treated at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital: A Retrospective Study
    (Frontiers in public health, 2022-04-11) Baguma, Steven; Okot, Christopher; Apiyo, Paska; Oloya, Johnson Nyeko; Aloyo, Judith; Kitara, David Lagoro
    The advent of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths worldwide. As of December 2021, there is inadequate data on the outcome of hospitalized patients suffering from COVID-19 in Africa. This study aimed at identifying factors associated with hospital mortality in patients who suffered from COVID-19 at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Northern Uganda from March 2020 to October 2021. This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study in patients hospitalized with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Northern Uganda. Socio-demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, co-morbidities, duration of hospital stay, and treatments were analyzed, and factors associated with the odds of mortality were determined. Of the 664 patients treated, 661 (99.5%) were unvaccinated, 632 (95.2%) recovered and 32 (4.8%) died. Mortality was highest in diabetics 11 (34.4%), cardiovascular diseases 12 (37.5%), hypertensives 10 (31.3%), females 18 (56.3%), ≥50-year-olds 19 (59.4%), no formal education 14 (43.8%), peasant farmers 12 (37.5%) and those who presented with difficulty in breathing/shortness of breath and chest pain 32 (100.0%), oxygen saturation (SpO2) at admission <80 4 (12.5%), general body aches and pains 31 (96.9%), tiredness 30 (93.8%) and loss of speech and movements 11 (34.4%). The independent factors associated with mortality among the COVID-19 patients were females AOR = 0.220, 95%CI: 0.059–0.827; p = 0.030; Diabetes mellitus AOR = 9.014, 95%CI: 1.726–47.067; p = 0.010; Ages of 50 years and above AOR = 2.725, 95%CI: 1.187–6.258; p = 0.018; tiredness AOR = 0.059, 95%CI: 0.009–0.371; p < 0.001; general body aches and pains AOR = 0.066, 95%CI: 0.007–0.605; p = 0.020; loss of speech and movement AOR = 0.134, 95%CI: 0.270–0.660; p = 0.010 and other co-morbidities AOR = 6.860, 95%CI: 1.309–35.957; p = 0.020. The overall Gulu Regional Hospital mortality was 32/664 (4.8%). Older age, people with diabetics, females, other comorbidities, severe forms of the disease, and those admitted to HDU were significant risk factors associated with hospital mortality. More efforts should be made to provide “additional social protection” to the most vulnerable population to avoid preventable morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in Northern Uganda.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Trusted sources of information on COVID-19 vaccine in Uganda
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2024-05) Nyeko Oloya, Johnson; Onira Alema, Nelson; Okot, Christopher; Olal, Emmanue; Nzirakaindi Ikoona, Eric; Wathum Drinkwater Oyat, Freddy; Steven, Baguma; Omoya Ochula, Denish; Odong Olwedo, Patrick; Pebalo Pebolo, Francis; Okot Atim, Pamela; Smart Okot, Godfrey; Nantale, Ritah; Aloyo, Judith; Lagoro Kitara, David
    Background The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted communities worldwide, particularly in developing countries. To successfully control the pandemic, correct information and more than 80% vaccine coverage in a population were required. However, misinformation and disinformation could impact this, thus increasing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in communities. Several studies observed the effect of misinformation and disinformation on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and other responses to the pandemic in the African continent. Thus, the most trusted sources of information on COVID-19 vaccines are critical for the successful management and control of the pandemic. This study aimed to assess the most trusted sources of information on COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic in Uganda. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on 587 adult population members in northern Uganda. Single-stage stratified and systematic sampling methods were used to select participants from northern Uganda. An interviewer-administered questionnaire with an internal validity of Cronbach’s α = 0.72 was used for data collection. An Institution Review Board (IRB) approved this study and Stata version 18 was used for data analysis. A Pearson Chi-square (χ2) analysis was conducted to assess associations between trusted sources of COVID-19 vaccine information and selected independent variables. Fisher’s exact test considered associations when the cell value following cross-tabulation was < 5. A P-value < 0.05 was used as evidence for an association between trusted sources of information and independent variables. All results were presented as frequencies, proportions, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, and P-values at 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Results In a study of 587 participants, most were males, 335(57.1%), in the age group of 25–34 years, 180(31.4%), and the most trusted source of COVID-19 vaccine information were the traditional media sources for example, Televisions, Radios, and Newspapers, 349(33.6%). There was no significant association between sex and trusted sources of COVID-19 vaccine information. However, by age-group population, COVID-19 vaccine information was significantly associated with internet use (14.7% versus 85.3%; p = 0.02), information from family members (9.4% versus 90.6%; p < 0.01), and the Government/Ministry of Health (37.9% versus 62.1%; p < 0.01). Between healthcare workers and non-health workers, it was significantly associated with internet use (32.2% versus 67.8%; p = 0.03), healthcare providers (32.5% versus 67.5%; p < 0.018), the Government/Ministry of Health (31.1% versus 68.9%; p < 0.01), and scientific articles (44.7% versus 55.3%; p < 0.01). Conclusion The most trusted sources of COVID-19 vaccine information in northern Uganda were Televisions, Radios, and Newspapers. The trusted sources of COVID-19 vaccine information were not significantly different between males and females. However, there were significant differences among age groups and occupations of participants with younger age groups (≤ 44 years) and non-healthcare workers having more trust in Televisions, Radios, and Newspapers. Thus, for effective management of an epidemic, there is a need for accurate communication so that misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation in the era of “infodemic” do not disrupt the flow of correct information to communities. Peer Review reports