ABSTRACT
To explore the pattern of prescription of benzodiazepines in internal medicine outpatients at a tertiary care hospital. The study included the types of benzodiazepines used, gender and age preference, indication of prescription, past history of use, dosage and length of prescription. This cross sectional study was undertaken from 1[st] of Januaryto 1[st] of March 2011 at Internal medicine outpatients during this time were indentified through the hospital database. Relevant data from charts of patients was recorded on a preformed questionnaire. All data collected was analyzed in SPSS 17.0. Out of 1706 patients attending the outpatient clinics, 11.1% patients were prescribed benzodiazepines. Female gender and older age was associated with higher rate of prescription. Intermediate acting benzodiazepines prescribed to 98.4% patients, were the most commonly prescribed drugs. Most common indication for prescription of benzodiazepine was anxiety and depression. The length of prescription was mentioned in only 19% of cases. Only 24.3% patients had previously been prescribed the drug. The pattern of benzodiazepine prescription in tertiary care hospital is comparable to that of developed countries. Due to the grave potential for abuse, regulation regarding the use of this class of drugs is extremely important. Data from this study and other studies from the country seem to suggest that awareness on this topic is in place. However, further widespread studies need to be carried out at the community level
ABSTRACT
To evaluate the effect of a psychiatric label attached to a normal person, on the attitude of final year medical students in Pakistan. Cross-sectional survey. This survey was conducted among final year medical students in Chandka Medical College Larkana, Pakistan in July 2009. Self administered questionnaire was used consisting of a demographic details, a single-paragraph vignette depicting a normal person and a modified social distance scale was used to elicit responses from final year medical students. The randomly selected students were divided in to two groups; group A received a case description with a psychiatric label attached while group B received the same case description without a label. Response rate was of more than 99%. Out of them 61.4% were males. More than half responded to the questionnaire with the attached psychiatric label and 48.8% responded to the questionnaire without label. Mean [SD] age of the participants was 23.76 [4.43]. Significant number of Students were, unwilling to do shopping from the market run by the person with label [p = 0.025], and to have him in his work place [p = 0.024] or share room with him [p = 0.023] as compared to the willing students. Also significant number of students thought that friendship with the psychiatric patient will adversely affect their mental health [p=0.03]. These results confirm that label does affect view of medical students towards individual the irrespective of his/her behavior
ABSTRACT
A person with a Gender Identity Disorder [GID] is a person who strongly identifies with the other sex. The individual may identify with the opposite sex to the point of believing that he/she is, in fact, a member of the other sex who is trapped in the wrong body. The treatment option is sex reassignment surgery. In Pakistan There is no specialized facility sex reassignment surgery. This case report deals with possible serious outcome of GID in Pakistan as a result of castration procedure which is carried out by 'gurus' in Pakistan. A systemic research in our country to this effect is required to find out the outcome of GID in Pakistan
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Castration , SexABSTRACT
To estimate the level of low-self esteem in index depressed patients and compare them with their first-degree relatives to determine low self esteem as a risk factor for depression. Material and This case control study [150 cases and 150 controls] was conducted on adult depressed patients [cases] and their healthy first-degree relatives [controls] attending psychiatric out patients clinic of the Aga Khan University Hospital from April 1, 2005 to September 1, 2005. We used convenient method of sampling. Self-esteem was measured by Urdu version of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Logistic regression was applied for multivariate analysis. Out of 300 [169 males, 131 females] participants, 216[75%] were married. Cases and controls were fairly matched on socio demographic variables except on marital status, educational level and monthly income that showed significant difference. Main logistic regression shows that depressed patients had significantly lower self esteem than non depressed population [OR= 8.05, 95%CI -3.5-14; p=0.001]. Male gender had lower self-esteem. [OR=3.50, p=0.005]. Self-esteem increased with advancing age. Age group 55-65 had the highest level of self-esteem [OR, .45.CI, 3-4.2, p=0.005]. Undergraduates had significantly lower level of self-esteem. [OR 2, CI .03-1.18, p =0.005]. Depressed patients, having the illness for more than one year, were 2.75 times more likely to have lower self-esteem. [OR, 2.75, CI, .972.5, p= 0.001]. Association of depression and low self esteem as a state was replicated. Duration of illness and male gender were significantly associated with low self-esteem