scholarly journals General disease awareness among parents of thalassemic children visiting government versus private care centers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-92
Author(s):  
Maheer Badar Raja ◽  
Marriyam Khalid Sharif ◽  
Jannat Shahid ◽  
Ayesha Junaid ◽  
Rubina Zulfqar
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Thalassemia Major ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Private Care ◽  
Disease Awareness ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Masses

Introduction: Thalassemia Major is a hemolytic anemia which is prevalent in developing countries and is preventable by promoting awareness among the masses. Objectives: To assess the current general disease awareness and compare the level of understanding between parents attending government versus private thalassemia care facilities. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in four thalassemia centers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad from December 2017 to January 2019. Parents/caregivers of Thalassemia Major Patients were included by non-probability purposive sampling and those having children having other blood disorders, were excluded. After taking informed consent, a pretested structured questionnaire was given to participants and awareness level was classified into ‘unaware’, ‘aware’ and ‘well-aware’ categories, based on the score achieved. Data was evaluated using SPSS version 23.0. Chi-square test was used for analysis. Results: A total of 277 parents were included. Parents who took their children to government and private centers were 161 (58.1%) vs 116 (41.9%) respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the know-how about mode of disease transmission (p value=0.02), blood-borne diseases (p value=0.00), method of complete cure (p value= 0.05) and harmful effects of repetitive blood transfusions (p value=0.05) among parents visiting the two different facilities. While 80.2% parents in private centers were ‘well-aware’, the corresponding percentage in government centers was 57.1%. Conclusion: General disease awareness was average. Parents visiting private institutes have shown much better awareness. Funding and dedicated education, with focus on government organizations, which are accessible for the common man, is required.

scholarly journals A Cross-Sectional Study of Antibiotic Self-Medication

Thrita ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Mousavi ◽  
Parisa Shojaei ◽  
Azadeh Nazemi ◽  
Atefe Dadashi
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Study Data ◽  
P Value ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference

Objectives: This research has been conducted to study antibiotic self-medication, prevalence, and reasons. Methods: A questionnaire containing 30 comprehensive questions in terms of the experience of antibiotic self-medication was prepared. In this cross-sectional study, data were analyzed using analytical statistics bases on chi-square and logistic regression. Results: The results showed that 61.3% of the participants were self-antibiotic users. There was a significant difference only between gender and self-medication such that self-medication in males was more than females (P value = 0.027). Conclusions: Self-medication of antibiotics is almost high and requires more information about the side effects of these drugs in order to promote rational and physically prescribed use.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of Chikungunya (CHIK) Infection during Non Epidemic Periods in Chennai, Southern India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaliyamoorthy Kayalvili ◽  
Murugan Duraivel ◽  
Elangovan Nivedhitha ◽  
Subramanian Arul Selvan
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Southern India ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Monsoon Period ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Igm Antibody

Introduction: Chikungunya (CHIK) infection has caused many outbreaks in India with more than 13 lac people affected by the disease. Epidemics of CHIK infection occur during post monsoon period when there is a high vector density. Evidences on the prevalence of CHIK infection during non epidemic periods are limited. Aim: To determine the seroprevalence of CHIK infection during non epidemic periods among patients attending fever clinic in Chennai, Southern India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in 180 suspected cases of CHIK infection between the months of September 2014 and February 2015. A 5 mL of blood samples were collected from the suspected cases and serum was separated to detect for the presence of CHIK-IgM antibody by using CHIK-IgM antibody capture Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Chi-square test was done to find out the statistical significance with p-value <0.05 kept as statistically significant. Results: The seroprevalence of CHIK infection during non epidemic periods was found to be 5.5% (10/180). Fever and joint pain were the major complaints present in all the study population. All the seronegative cases were tested for the presence of other infections and it was found that 13% were positive for typhoid, 9% were positive for leptospirosis, 4% for malaria and 2% for dengue infections. Conclusion: There are no vaccines or specific medications available till date. Prevention is the only effective approach against the disease. Even though the prevalence of CHIK infection is low during non epidemic periods, strict vector control and elimination of mosquito breeding sites are very important in controlling the disease transmission.

scholarly journals The Relative Frequency of Bacterial Colonization on the Surfaces of Toys in Kindergartens of Yazd

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahereh Zarei Mahmodabadi ◽  
Mahbobeh Shiranian ◽  
Seyedhossein Hekmatimoghaddan ◽  
Mohamad Hassan Ehrampoush ◽  
Farimah Shamsi
Keyword(s):  
Culture Media ◽  
Bacterial Colonization ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Biochemical Tests ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Yazd City

Introduction: Kindergartens are the first social environments where children are directly exposed to possible contaminations from other children. Factors such as having uncontrolled urination, putting hand, toys, and different objects into the mouth, and sharing objects with other children facilitate the spread of bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of bacterial contamination of toys in kindergartens of Yazd city, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 324 samples of toys made of either cloth, wood, or plastic were collected from kindergartens at three regions of Yazd, Iran. The swab samples obtained from toys' surface were cultured directly on the bacteriologic culture media blood agar and eosin methylene blue. Specific culture medium with biochemical tests and diagnostic disks were used to determine the genus and species of bacteria. Chi-square test was run for statistical analysis of data. The  p value of < 0.05 was considered as the level of significant difference. Results: The most common bacterial colonization of toys found in the kindergartens was Staphylococcus epidermidis (48.3%). Toys made from cloth (with 3914 CFU/cm2) and the municipality region 3 (with 4645 CFU/cm2) showed the highest amount of contamination among the toy materials and different regions, respectively. Conclusion: Assessment of common contaminations in kindergartens may help the authorities to determine the possible causes of pediatric infections and provide them with a more comprehensive knowledge about the personal as well as environmental hygiene. So, by identification of these contaminations, we can modify the underlying factors, reduce the pollutions, and improve the health of children.

scholarly journals The Method and Results of a Treatment Targeting SARS-CoV-2-Activated Inflammasomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Badar Kanwar ◽  
Asif Khattak ◽  
Chul Joong Lee ◽  
Jenny Balentine ◽  
R. E. Kast ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Series ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Test Statistic ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Pyrin Domain ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background Clinicians in critical care medicine considered dapsone administration to treat SARS-CoV-2 inflammasome. Dapsone is useful in the molecular regulation of Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3). Objective To study the targeting of NLRP3 itself or up-/downstream factors of the NLRP3 inflammasome by dapsone must be responsible for its observed preventive effects, functioning as a competitor. Methods This is case series with or without intervention; a cross-sectional study. We set out to use objective criteria of improvement, such as A. a reduction in the FIO2 requirement and B. a decrease in the progression of hypoxia. We treated the patients with standard COVID-19 ARDS treatment with dapsone 100 mg to target NLRP3 inflammasomes. Results The 22 cases were treated with standard COVID-19 therapy with dapsone (trial group), and the 22 cases were the control group. The comparison was made assuming that only decreased FIO2 was influential in the trial and control groups, which applied to only the ARDS onset stage. The chi-square statistic is 5.1836. The p-value is .02280. Fisher’s exact test statistic value is 0.0433. (The result is significant at p < .05) Furthermore, the ARDS-onset mortality rates were 0% (with dapsone) and 40% (without dapsone). Conclusion There was a significant difference in dapsone treatment results in the ARDS-onset group. We confirmed that dapsone clinically treated the onset of ARDS by targeting SARS-CoV-2-activated inflammasomes. Like chemically reacting substances, inflammasome and dapsone are competing, proving that it is only effective in treating early ARDS.

scholarly journals Assessment of Hand Hygiene Knowledge among Residents and Nursing staffs at Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital, Biratnagar

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Kumar Yadav ◽  
Arun Giri
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
College Teaching ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Cross Transmission

Introduction: Hand hygiene is a very simple and cost-effective procedure to prevent cross-transmission of microorganisms. The compliance of residents and nursing staffs with hand hygiene guidelines seems to be vital in preventing disease transmission among patients. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of residents and nursing staffs with regard to hand hygiene. Material and Methods: This was an institution based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 55 respondents (29 nursing staffs and 26 resident doctors) of department of paediatrics, Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar, Nepal. Knowledge was assessed using WHO hand hygiene questionnaire for health care workers. Chi square test was used to compare the percentage of correct responses between resident doctors and nursing staffs. A p value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Among 26 resident doctors and 29 nursing staffs who participated in the study, 30.7% of resident doctors and 55.1% of nursing staffs had received formal training in hand hygiene in the last three years. Only 9% of participants (5 out of 55) had good knowledge regarding hand hygiene. Conclusions: The knowledge regarding hand hygiene is limited among the study population. The study recommends the need for emphasizing hand hygiene component in the preservice as well as in-service training programs of doctors and nurses.  

scholarly journals Effect Of Internet Addiction On Academic Performance And Mental Health Of Medical Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 48-52
Author(s):  
Ijaz Ali ◽  
Ommia Kalsoom ◽  
Syed Asif Jahanzeb Kazmi ◽  
Tahir Ahmad Munir ◽  
Zanib Qayyum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Internet Addiction ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Internet ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference

Objective: Objective of this study was to determine internet addiction and its impact on mental health and academic performance in medical students. Methodology: One hundred medical students (male: 50, female: 50) aged 18–21 years were selected by convenience sampling in this cross-sectional study in Mahi-ud-din Islamic Medical college Mirpur AJK. A questionnaire of Young’s internet addiction test was used to identify the prevalence of Internet addiction, the purposes of Internet use, and their priority levels. Frequencies and level of mental health was measured using Mental health Battery by Singh and Gupta. Chi square test was applied and p value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of 100 students, 46 (male: 28, female: 18) were found to be slightly addicted, 53 students were average online users and only 01 male was severely addicted. There was no significant difference between male and female students in addiction level. However, males were more addicted than females. The major use of Internet was to communicate with friends and family and to watch songs and movies. 51 students used the Internet to assess information for their educational and learning activities. Some students with overuse of the Internet lead to insufficient sleep and affected their concentration levels in the class. Conclusion: Medical students experiencing problems due to Internet overuse and experiencing poor academic progress and lack of concentration while studying. The main use of the Internet was to communicate with friends and family and for entertainment.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Level of Biosecurity Measures Adopted in Broiler Farms Based on Manure Bacterial Load Examination in Khartoum State, Sudan

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Mona Ahmed Babiker Ahmed ◽  
Atif Elamin Abdelgadir ◽  
Hayfa Mohammed Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public Road ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Manure Storage ◽  
The Mean

This study was conducted to evaluate the level of adopted biosecurity measures in broiler farms based on manure bacterial load examination in Khartoum State, Sudan. To achieve the goal, a cross sectional study was conducted. Data and manure samples were collected from January to September 2018 from 12 close system broiler farms according to Non-probability Multistage Cluster Sampling Method in Khartoum, Khartoum North (Bahri), and Omdurman localities (4 for each). A standardized questionnaire was also conducted and used for data collection. A total of 12 manure samples were collected from one chosen broiler house in each farm to check the TVCs. All collected Data were subjected to descriptive and analytical statistic such as Chi square and ANOVA using SPSS. The Results of external biosecurity measures revealed that half of the total farms examined (50%) were at a distance between 500 m to 1km from the nearest poultry farm. The same percentage was obtained for no manure spreading from neighboring farms. However, frequent passage of other farms vehicles via near public road was reported in 50% of participating farms. The internal biosecurity results showed that all the examined farms (100%) prohibiting manure storage beside 75.0% of them remove the manure through the dirty area. Furthermore, workers protective wearing when contact waste and hygiene practicing after removing waste sometimes practiced by 75.0% of the participant farms. The mean of bacterial TVCs in manure samples was found below the cut-off level (6.01±0.78 cfu/g) with 95% confidence intervals of 4.48-7.37, 5.20-6.79, and 4.39-7.84 and mean TVC of 5.93±0.90, 6.00±0.50, and 6.11±1.08 cfu/g for Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdorman, respectively. No significant difference was obtained for log means of bacterial TVCs and farm location (F value=0.047 and P-value=0.955). In conclusion, despite that the bacterial counts in manure samples were below the cut-off level, poor hygienic practices were detected. Formulation of suitable procedures and regulations by official authorities for implementing biosecurity measures is recommended.

scholarly journals Breast Feeding Remains a Strong Protection against Infant Infections.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 203-207
Author(s):  
Shagufta Sohail ◽  
Kaneez Fatima ◽  
Noshina Riaz
Keyword(s):  
Breast Feeding ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Exclusive Breast Feeding ◽  
Breast Feed ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Breast Fed

Background: Breast feeding prevents infections in infants. Those who are partially or never breast-fed and receiving bottle feeds are at higher risk of infections as compared to exclusive breast-fed infants. The objectives of this study were to record the effect of exclusive breast feeding versus partial and never breast feeding on infections in infants and also to find an association of infection with type of feed, gestation and vaccination status in infants till six months of age.Material and Methods: A total of 500 Infants were included in this cross-sectional study. Information regarding pattern of feeding and infections was obtained by verbal interview of mother and the questionnaire was filled by the study physician. The outcome evaluated was infections in infants till one year of age. Categorical comparisons were made using chi square test. A ‘p’ value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Out of 500 infants, 59.4% were males. About 59.6% were exclusively breast-fed till 6 months of age, 31.2% were partially breast-fed and 9.2% were never breast-fed. In exclusively breast-fed group, 29.5% infants reported infections as compared to 40.4% in partial breast-fed group and 65.2% in never breast-fed infants (P < 0.000). Similarly, 40.6% of infants in exclusively breast-fed group, 55.1% in partial breast feed and 58.7% in the never breast-fed reported infections in 4-6 months of age, which was statistically significant (P = 0.003). There was no significant difference in infection rates among the three study groups in 7-9 (P=0.192) and 10 -12 months (P=0.42) of age.Conclusions: Exclusive breast feeding till six months of age significantly reduces the risk of infections in infancy.

scholarly journals Cheiloscopy, Palatoscopy and Odontometrics in Sex Prediction and Dis-crimination - a Comparative Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nagalaxmi V ◽  
Sridevi Ugrappa ◽  
Naga Jyothi M ◽  
Lalitha Ch ◽  
Kotya Naik Maloth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Mandibular Canine ◽  
Dental Traits

Background and Objectives: Human identification is the forensic odontologist’s primary duty in the fields like violent crime, child abuse, elder abuse, missing persons and mass disaster scenarios. In each context, dental traits may produce compelling evidence to aid victim identity, suspect identity and narrow down the outcome of investigative casework. Sometimes it becomes necessary to apply some least known and less popular techniques in identification procedure where lip prints, rugae patterns and canine odontometrics can give us comparatively valid conclusions pertaining to person’s identification. This study elucidates the significance of cheiloscopy, palatoscopy and canine odontometry in sex prediction and discrimination. Materials and Methods: A cross- sectional study involving a total of 60 subjects, 30 males and 30 females were selected from the outpatient department of oral medicine and radiology. Lip prints were recorded using lipstick, palatal impressions were taken with alginate and odontometric measurements were taken with digital vernier calipers from every subject. All the obtained records were analyzed by two observers. Results: Reliability of lip prints was assessed using Kappa coefficient. Comparison of rugae patterns was done using Chi-square test. Mean canine and inter canine width was compared using t test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Statistically significant difference was found with the different lip print patterns analyzed in males and females, while no significant difference was observed in the rugae patterns but a significant difference in the mesio-distal width of mandibular canines in males and females was found with right mandibular canine(3.73%) showing greater sexual dimorphism compared to left mandibular canine(3.06%). Conclusion: This study shows the uniqueness of the lip prints and rugae patterns with the lip prints showing sensitivity of 81.7% giving reliable prediction of sex over palatoscopy. Hence, cheiloscopy along with the canine odontometrics aid in sex determination and can be considered as an ancilliary forensic tool in identification.

Evaluation of Parents' Performance and Beliefs in Dealing with Symptoms Associated with Tooth Eruption in Kashan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Mollai Sadiani ◽  
Mohsen Adib Haj Bagheri ◽  
Hossein Akbari
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Tooth Eruption ◽  
Deciduous Teeth ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Systemic Symptoms ◽  
Loss Of Appetite

Background: It is widely believed that the growth of deciduous teeth can be accompanied by systemic and localized symptoms. This study was conducted in Kashan in 2019 with the aim of parents' performance and beliefs in the face of tooth eruption and its associated factors. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of 290 parents with children aged 6 to 36 months who were referred to Kashan health centers who were selected by available sampling. The researcher-made questionnaire was completed by the participants and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact Chi-Square test by SPSS 16 statistical software. P value < 0.05 was considered as a significant level. Results: The most common symptoms reported by parents include; Restlessness (78.6), chewing (70.0), loss of appetite (65.5), weight loss 55.2), fever (53.4), swelling, and redness of the gums (51.7), runny mouth (50.0). Most parents' beliefs came from those around them. There was a statistically significant relationship between parents' education with weakness and colds (p value < 0.01). There was a significant difference between parents' performance in controlling symptoms and their education (p value < 0.01). Conclusion: Although tooth growth is a physiological phenomenon, it can be accompanied by a series of local and systemic symptoms. Educating parents will improve their beliefs and help their children's health.

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