Truth-telling and patients' diagnoses in optometric practice in Nigeria

Background: The doctor-patient relationship is crucial to health care services including eye care. Telling the truth is an important aspect of this relationship in ensuring safe and effective treatment and management of patients.Method: A qualitative study using one - on- one in- depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Forty four respondents comprising 10 eye care practitioners (ECPs) and 34 patients were recruited. The ECPs were between 32 to 51 years while the patients were between 18 and 50 years old.Results: Common lies told were mainly about age, onset or duration of condition, medications used prior to their visit to the doctor's and level of compliance to doctor's prescription. Others were about health status, history of self-medication and social habits like smoking and/or drinking. Reasons for telling some of these lies included fear of early retirement, fear of being judged or stigmatized, lack of privacy during clerking and embarrassment from being caught in a previous lie.Conclusion: Untruths and manipulation of information can damage the relationship between doctor and patient because it leads to distrust and this can compromise eye care. Keywords: Truth, doctor- patient, relationship, diagnoses

An Investigation of Changing Attitudes and Behaviors and Problematic Internet Use in Children Aged 8 to 17 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose To examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle, habits, and behavioral differences in children, and their changing internet use habits. Methods The research was planned as a cross-sectional study involving 4892 children aged 8 to 17 years attending schools in the city center of Trabzon, Turkey. Children’s daily living activities, social habits, mood and temperament changes, and internet use were investigated before and during the pandemic. In terms of problematic internet use, internet addiction rates were evaluated using the validated Turkish-language version of the Parent-Child Internet Addiction Scale (PCIAT-20). Results The children’s mean age was 13 ± 2.45 years, and 17.1% (n = 837) exhibited problematic internet use features on the PCIAT-20. Problematic internet use was higher in boys and in children older than 13 years. The presence of COVID-19 infection among members of the household, quarantine measures, attending private schools, the mother’s occupation, the time spent by the mother and father on their mobile phones, and high parental education levels were associated with a high level of internet addiction. Families also described significant changes in their children’s temperament and character compared with the pre-pandemic period. Conclusion The prevalence of problematic internet use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with previous studies from Turkey. Children were also more introverted, irritable, and pessimistic during the pandemic.

The effect of playing electronic games on student behavior in public schools in Jordan from the teachers' point of view: أثر ممارسة الألعاب الإلكترونية على سلوكيات الطلبة في المدارس الحكومية في الأردن من وجهة نظر المعلمين

The study aimed to identify the effect of playing electronic games on students' behavior in public schools in Jordan from the teachers’ point of view, and to achieve the aim of the study, the corresponding study tool was prepared and its validity and reliability were confirmed. The study sample consisted of a number of public school teachers in the Northern Jordan Valley. In the governorate of Irbid, who numbered (45) teachers, and they were chosen by the intentional method, the researcher used the qualitative approach to suit the nature of the study and its objectives, and the study reached the following results: The results of the interviews of the respondents showed that there are unusual behaviors that appeared on students as a result of their merging with electronic games and this What all the interviewed individuals indicated, and the majority of the study sample indicated that there are changes in students ’behavior such as irritation, violence, hitting, blind imitation of some wrong behaviors, immoral habits and negative habits that affected their social habits with their peers, and most of the respondents indicated that the academic achievement of students who Playing electronic games has clearly decreased, and in light of the results of the study, the researcher presented many m The recommendations include conducting many studies and research on the impact of electronic games at different age stages, educating parents about the danger of electronic games on children, holding awareness and introducing workshops on the dangers and negatives of electronic games, highlighting the school’s role in addressing the problem of electronic games for students, by educating them and guiding them about the harms of this Games for their behaviors.

Propanediol (and) Caprylic Acid (and) Xylitol as a New Single Topical Active Ingredient against Acne: In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy Assays

In addition to dermatological complications, acne can affect the quality of life of individuals in numerous ways, such as employment, social habits and body dissatisfaction. According to our expertise, caprylic acid and propanediol would not have a direct action on Cutibacterium acnes. Despite this, we investigated the existence of a synergistic effect among xylitol, caprylic acid and propanediol as a mixture of compounds representing a single topical active ingredient that could benefit the treatment against acne. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to challenge and to prove the efficacy of propanediol, xylitol and caprylic acid (PXCA) against acne. PXCA had its MIC challenged against C. acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) and Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in concentrations of 0.125% and 0.25%, respectively, and it also developed antimicrobial activity against C. acnes (time-kill test). PXCA was able to reduce the 5-alpha reductase expression in 24% (p < 0.01) in comparison with the testosterone group. By the end of 28 days of treatment, the compound reduced the skin oiliness, porphyrin amount and the quantity of inflammatory lesions in participants. According to the dermatologist evaluation, PXCA improved the skin’s general appearance, acne presence and size.

A Mediterranean lifestyle and frailty incidence in older adults: the Seniors-ENRICA-1 cohort

Background Frailty is a geriatric syndrome that entails high risk of hospitalization, disability, and death. While adherence to Mediterranean diet has been associated with lower risk of frailty, the joint effect of diet and lifestyle is uncertain. This study examined the association between a Mediterranean lifestyle (diet, customs, and traditions) and frailty incidence in older adults. Methods We analyzed data from 1,880 individuals aged ≥ 60 from the prospective Seniors-ENRICA-1 cohort. Adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle was assessed at baseline with the 27-item MEDLIFE index (higher scores representing better adherence), divided into three blocks: 1) “Mediterranean food consumption”, 2) “Mediterranean dietary habits” (practices around meals)” and 3) “Physical activity, rest, social habits and conviviality”. Frailty was ascertained as the presence of ≥ 3 of the 5 Fried criteria: a) Exhaustion; b) Muscle weakness; c) Low physical activity; d) Slow walking speed; e) Unintentional weight loss. Main statistical analyses were performed using logistic regression models, adjusting for the main confounders. Results After a 3.3-y follow-up, 136 incident frailty cases were ascertained. Compared with participants in the lowest tertile of the MEDLIFE score, the OR (95% CI) for frailty was 0.88 (0.58–1.34) for the second tertile, and 0.38 (0.21–0.69) for the third tertile (p-trend = 0.003). Blocks 1 and 3 of the MEDLIFE score were independently associated with lower frailty risk. Most items within these blocks showed a tendency to reduced frailty. Conclusions Higher adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle was associated with lower risk of frailty.

Drug utilisation evaluation of antiplatelet agents in a tertiary care teaching hospital-a prospective observational study

Background: Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were becoming predominant cause of morbidity and mortality in India. Antiplatelet agents remain as the cornerstone therapy for acute thrombotic coronary syndromes, IHD, STROKE, CHD and PCI and are essential for thromboprophylaxis. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the drug use pattern of antiplateletagents and to study the prescribing pattern, observe co-morbid conditions, social habits [alcohol/smoking], adverse events and drug-drug interactions associated with antiplatelet agents. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at MIMS hospital, study population of 160 inpatients from cardiology, general-medicine and neurology departments. Data was analyzed in Microsoft excel. Results: Data records obtained from 160 patients in which 51.87% were females followed by males 48.125%. most patients with IHD and stroke were found in age group 50-70 years. Hypertension was most found co-morbidity among the patients [61.88%] followed by diabetes [34.38%], hypothyroidism [5%], epilepsy[3.75%]. Utilisation pattern of antiplatelet agents aspirin, clopidogrel were found to be[97.5%] [82.5%] respectively. patients on DAPT[81%] were highest compared to monotherapy [19%]. Patients found with social habits were 38.75% smokers, 31.25% alcoholics and 22% both alcohol and smoking. Conclusion: The present study concludes that DAPT [aspirin+clopidogrel] was found to be superior to monotherapy, and incidence of IHD which is more common in males compared to females. Patients in the group 51-70 were most affected with stroke, IHD and with female predominance over male. Antiplatelet therapy which is clearly efficacious in reducing the incidence of ischemic events/ thromboembolic events DAPT[aspirin+ clopidogrel] was most effective and reduced ischemic events, yet have the risk of bleeding or resistance. Newer anti platelet agents such a Prasugrel and Ticagrelor can be utilised considering the bleeding risk.

Frequency and Predictors of Potential Drug Interactions among Psychiatry Outpatients on Treatment with Antidepressant Medications

Antidepressant medications are prescribed to treat depression and related psychiatric illnesses. In patients with depression, many categories of drugs are prescribed to treat clinical conditions and comorbidities. Hence, it is essential to screen such patients for potential drug interactions. The study aimed to assess the frequency of potential drug interactions (pDDIs) associated with antidepressant medications administered to the outpatients of the psychiatry department. This cross-sectional investigation was conducted in a psychiatry outpatient setting. Patients satisfying inclusion criteria were screened for pDDIs by reviewing the patients’ electronic case records. All the identified pDDIs were further evaluated using Micromedex database 2.0.A total of 131 eligible patients’ case records were reviewed. The frequency of pDDIs between antidepressants and other psychotropic medications, antidepressants and non-psychotropic medications, antidepressants,tobacco, antidepressants, and ethanol was 48.1%,9.2%, 7.6%, and 3.8%, respectively. Use of more than three medications [RR: 1.5; CI: 1.1-2.1], presence of total [RR: 7.9; CI: 1.1-52.5] as well as psychiatric polypharmacy [RR: 4.8; CI: 1.3-17.9] were identified as predisposing factors of pDDIs.The results of the multiple regression indicated that the model was a significant predictor of pDDIs (F[3, 127]= 6.368, p<0.01, R2 = 0.13). In comparison,psychiatric polypharmacy was the only variable contributing significantly to the model (B = -0.423, p<.05). Nearly fifty percent of patients taking antidepressant medications were found to have the potential for developing drug interactions. Review of treatment charts for psychotropic, non-psychotropic, and non-prescription medications, along with different medical conditions that patients suffer from and the social habits of patients,is essential to identify and resolve potential drug interactions in at-risk patients.

Learning-by-Teaching Approach Improves Dengue Knowledge in Children and Parents

There is narrow evidence on which strategies are most effective for disseminating information on dengue prevention. This is particularly relevant because social habits have a great prevention capacity for dengue. We investigated how effective are children as health educators, and how much they learn as they teach. We recruited 142 children and 97 parents in Argentina’s tropical area for two cluster randomized parallel trials. In Study 1, we compared the dynamics of dengue knowledge of 10-year-old children who—after receiving a dengue talk—1) listened to an unrelated topic; 2) read a booklet with information about dengue, 3) taught their parents about dengue, or 4) taught their parents about dengue, using the booklet. In Study 2, we assessed whether the parents’ dengue knowledge changed after interacting with their children, in comparison with parents learning about dengue from an expert or about an unrelated topic. Children that taught their parents what they learned, using a booklet, showed 2.53 more correct responses (95% CI [0.20, 4.85]; P = 0.027) than children who listened to an unrelated topic. This style of teaching also serves to effectively propagate knowledge: parents learned from their children the same as from an expert; and significantly more than parents who learned about an unrelated topic. Parents learned from their children even if they were taught with booklets (1.49, 95% CI [0.01, 2.96]; P = 0.048) or without (1.94, 95% CI [0.44, 3.44]; P = 0.006). Specifically, after being taught by their children, parents showed on average 1.49 (if they were taught with a booklet) and 1.94 (without booklet) more correct responses than parents that learned about an unrelated topic. The simple action of prompting children to teach consolidated their own knowledge and broadcasted it effectively to their parents. This strategy is a potential low to no-cost method for sharing information about dengue prevention.

Suitable Interpretation of Skin Prick Test and Biomedical Guidance Leads to a Better Clinical State in Atopic Individuals with High Indoor Permanence: Possible Therapeutic Implications

Indoor conditions contribute to allergen sensitization and multiple allergens reactivity, mainly for inhaled allergens. This study analyzes if Skin Prick Test (SPT) combined with efficient individual biomedical guidance about allergy development’s social, biological, and environmental aspects can yield a better clinical state with therapeutic implications for atopic individuals with high indoor permanence. We recruited atopic and non-atopic volunteers (clinically and in vitro diagnosed) with indoor permanence above 15 h per day and without previous SPT evaluation. The SPT and serum anti-allergen IgE analyses were performed individually in person, demonstrated, and discussed by the practitioners. Six months after, SPT and specific IgE titers determination were repeated, and a questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of the practitioner’s orientation was performed. After six months, 14% of atopic volunteers reported changes in their social habits, 30% said that they avoid the development of allergies clinical symptoms, and 68% reported a substantial improvement in their health after being informed mentored about their allergen reactivity. The control non-atopic group, as expected, reported no changes in social habits, the maintenance of total avoidance of allergic symptoms, and almost no improvement of their health. Reduced SPT and serum allergen-specific IgE titers were detected in the atopic individuals corroborating with questionnaire results. Our results indicated that SPT, followed by an individual and efficient discussion about the main biomedical aspects of allergy development, could exert a pronounced therapeutic role in allergy development by high indoor permanence individuals.

COVID-19 and Changes in Social Habits. Restaurant Terraces, a Booming Space in Cities. The Case of Madrid

The COVID-19 pandemic and the fear experienced by some of the population, along with the lack of mobility due to the restrictions imposed, has modified the social behaviour of Spaniards. This has had a significant effect on the hospitality sector, viewed as being an economic and social driver in Spain. From the analysis of data collected in two of our own non-probabilistic surveys (N ~ 8400 and N ~ 2000), we show how, during the first six months of the pandemic, Spaniards notably reduced their consumption in bars and restaurants, also preferring outdoor spaces to spaces inside. The restaurant sector has needed to adapt to this situation and, with the support of the authorities (regional and local governments), new terraces have been allowed on pavements and public parking spaces, modifying the appearance of the streets of main towns and cities. This study, focused on the city of Madrid, analyses the singular causes that have prompted this significant impact on this particular city, albeit with an uneven spatial distribution. It seems likely that the new measures will leave their mark and some of the changes will remain. The positive response to these changes from the residents of Madrid has ensured the issue is being widely debated in the public arena.