Publications by authors named "Sommana Rattana"
Article Synopsis
- Antimicrobial use in Laos is notably high, prompting the introduction of comprehensive prescribing guidelines in 2021 to guide antibiotic practices among prescribers.* -
- A study involving interviews with 16 prescribers revealed that clinical judgment and practical challenges, like antibiotic availability and lab turnaround times, affect prescribing decisions, despite overall satisfaction with the guidelines.* -
- Recommendations to improve antibiotic prescribing include enhancing prescribers' knowledge of antibiotics, raising awareness and accessibility of the guidelines, and encouraging support from hospital leadership to promote adherence.*
Background: Ministries of health in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) have been scaling up early essential newborn care (EENC). This study was carried out to understand current EENC practices at hospitals in two priority countries: the Kingdom of Cambodia (Cambodia) and Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).
Methods: EENC is subdivided into 79 checkpoints, referencing the self-monitoring checklist developed by the WPRO.
Background: Antimicrobial use (AMU) is a key driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). There are few data on AMU, to inform optimizing antibiotic stewardship, in the Lao PDR (Laos).
Methods: Point prevalence surveys (PPS) of AMU were conducted at four-month intervals in six general hospitals across Laos from 2017 to 2020, using modified Global-PPS data collection tools.
Background: Thousands of neonatal deaths are expected to be averted by introducing the Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC) in the Western Pacific Region. In Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), the government adopted the EENC programme and expanded it to district hospitals. With the expansion, maintaining the quality of EENC has become difficult for the government.
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- The study examined the impact of early essential newborn care (EENC) policies and practices on breastfeeding outcomes in hospitals across East Asia and the Pacific.
- It involved 1,383 maternal interviews and assessments, showing that early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) significantly boosts exclusive breastfeeding rates, especially when lasting at least 90 minutes.
- Findings highlight the importance of supportive hospital environments—like rooming-in and absence of formula—to improve breastfeeding initiation and sustainability among newborns.
Background: Reduction in neonatal deaths has been a major challenge globally. To prevent neonatal deaths, improvements in newborn care have been promoted worldwide. The World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office has been promoting the Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC), a package of specific simple and cost-effective interventions, in their region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), the mortality rate among children under 5 years of age is high (131 per 1000 live births in 2003), partly as a consequence of poor basic services provided by district hospitals. A simplified management tool, "Ten MR (Minimum Requirement)", was developed in Lao PDR. The tool assured the quality of health services including the processes of planning, implementing, self-monitoring, supervision, reporting and evaluation.
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