Jimma University

Study Design, Setting, and Period A one-group quasi-experimental study using a pre-test and post-test will be implemented on a convenient sample design to examine the effectiveness of chronic disease self-management education in improving clinical outcomes and decreasing depression and anxiety among patients under medical follow-up at Jimma Medical Center cardiac clinic.
A comprehensive evaluation of both clinical and laboratory measurements will be conducted before and after the education intervention. Education will be provided monthly, four times (at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days), with data collection occurring over four months.
Sample Size, Sampling Technique, and Criteria The participants in this study will be patients diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease at Jimma Medical Center cardiac clinic who visit the outpatient department for medical follow-up. The study will introduce multi-component nurse-led chronic disease self-management education interventions. It will involve a pretest followed by an educational session and a post-test conducted with a one-to-one face-to-face education section. The duration of each session will vary between 30 and 45 minutes based on the participants' needs.
The sample size for the study will be determined using Rao software, considering parameters such as a margin of error of 5%, a confidence level of 95%, a monthly population size of 315, and an unknown response distribution with a conservative estimate of 50%. Based on these factors, the calculated sample size will be 174 study subjects.
Data Analysis Data analysis will be conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Values will be presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables and percentage for categorical variables. Continuous data will be compared using a two-tailed Student t-test. A p-value of less than 0.05 will be considered statistically significant for all tests conducted.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition associated with Left and /or right ventricular (LV) dilatation and systolic dysfunction without coronary artery disease or abnormal loading circumstances proportionate to the severity of LV impairment. It is one of the leading causes of heart failure in younger adults, often requiring cardiac transplantation, and is caused by various factors, including myocarditis, alcohol, drug, and metabolic disturbances. About 35% of patients have genetic mutations affecting cytoskeletal, sarcomere, and nuclear envelope proteins. The prognosis depends on the severity and heart remodeling, with the worst outcomes in patients with low ejection fractions or severe diastolic dysfunction.
Although it is more common in men, DCM also occur in women, and hence hormonal factors can play a role in the development of DCM in women. Bromocriptine has been suggested as a potential treatment option. Bromocriptine is a dopamine agonist that is primarily used to treat conditions such as hyperprolactinemia, and acromegaly. However, it has also been studied in the context of heart failure, and some studies have suggested that it may be beneficial in women with Peripartal cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of DCM that occurs in the last month of pregnancy or up to five months postpartum.
The mechanism by which bromocriptine may improve left ventricular function in DCM is not fully understood, but it is thought to be related to its ability to reduce prolactin levels. Prolactin is a hormone that has been shown to be elevated in some cases of DCM, and it may contribute to the development and progression of the condition. To date, the use of bromocriptine is recommended for the treatment of pregnancy-related cardiomyopathy (PPCM) due to a significant increase in prolactin levels. However, prolactin level may increase during menstrual cycles of reproductive-age women, which candidates the use of bromocriptine in women of all reproductive ages. The aims of this study is to assess the use of bromocriptine in terms of LV function improvement, overall improvement of heart failure symptoms and reduced mortality and improved quality of life, in dilated cardiomyopathy among women of reproductive age.

The goal of this observational study is to test a new AI diagnostic tool for detection, specification and quantification of parasitic infections (Ascaris, Trichuris, hookworm and S. Mansoni) in School aged children in Ethiopia and Uganda. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Diagnostic Performance of the AI tool and compare to traditional manual microscopy
Repeatability and reproducibility of the AI tool and compare to traditional manual microscopy
Time-to-result for the AI tool
Cost efficiency for the AI tool and traditional manual microscopy to inform programmatic decisions.
Usability of the AI tool
Participants will be asked to provide a stool sample for examination by the AI tool and traditional manual microscopy. Participants with a positive test result will receive the proper treatment (Deworming drug).