Tacloban City, June 9, 2017 --- Medical-related, disaster-preparedness, and other community-based researches dominated the Oral Research Presentation entries for the 2017 Regional Health Research Symposium at the Leyte Park Resort Hotel in Tacloban City last June 9.
A total of 6 professional entries from various schools and medical institution all over the region were presented in front of an audience, mainly composed of health professionals, academicians, researchers, and students. Here were some of the studies that made it to the cut:
Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) produced three entries, all of which are medically-related studies within its center. Its first study focused on the Clinical Profile of Patients with First Onset Gastrointestenical Bleeding Admitted at EVRMC from January 1, 2010, to December 30, 2014. The study determine the demographic profile of patients with the said disorder, enumerated its clinical features and diagnostic work-up, identified co-morbidities and determined the status upon discharge of patients. The study was conducted by Dr. Sherylene A. Molon, Dr. Zyneil Proto B. Brazil, and Dr. Ma. Victoria R. Alli.
EVRMC also provided research on the Patterns of Chronic Disease admitted at the medical center after typhoon Yolanda. The study found out that there was an increase in the total number of admissions of patients with chronic medical conditions, coronary artery disease being at the top probably because of the poor compliance to medications due to financial problems and accessibility to maintenance medications. The paper was authored by Dr. Mary Yolanda L. Gimena, Dr. Gerlane Lym L. Gernale, Dr. Al R. Navales and Dr. Jose Carlo Del Pilar.
The third entry of the center was about the Clinical Characteristics of Infant Pediatrics Patients Ages 2 to 59 Months Old with Septicemia, admitted at the clinics from 2011 to 2015. The study concluded that the profile and clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with septicemia influence the diagnoses and management for a favorable clinical outcome. Dr. Kristen Mae B. Avila-Yu authored the paper.
Leyte Normal University (LNU), meanwhile had two entries for the oral competition but only the study “Antibiotic-free farmed-raised shrimp: The safer and healthier diet choice” was presented. The study provided compelling evidence that production of antibiotic-free shrimp is achievable with poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) substratum. This strategy will not only assure provision of shrimp with superior nutritional value but also safe product fitting both local and international consumption. This first-placer paper was conducted by Gladys Ludevese-Pascual, Joseph Leopoldo Laranja, Edgar Amar, Peter Bossier, Peter De Schryver and Pet Anthony Pascual.
Samar State University (SSU) and Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) both provided a lone entry for the oral part of the research competition.
SSU’s entry in the contest authored by Sherrie Ann Cananua-Labid centered on the idea of Predicting Antenatal Care Utilization in the Philippines: A Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector Analysis. Findings revealed that the most significant socio-demographic factors influencing ANC utilization of reproductive women age 15 to 49 in the country are the region where a woman resides, religious affiliation, the wealth quintile a woman belongs and her educational attainment. The study recommends that policymakers, health providers, should intensify efforts to address differentials between these groups of women, to widen the campaign of at least four antenatal visits during pregnancy and to increase the number of health professionals in the country.
Last but not the least was the study “Disaster Preparedness Among Health Workers in District Hospitals in Eastern Samar” conducted by Maria Lynne C. Parambita, Flores B. Sta Cruz and Ammy Evilynda C. Cesista. The study aimed to determine the disaster preparedness among health workers in district hospitals in Eastern Samar both in pre- and post-disaster management.