Clinical audit of treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in paediatrics unit, Hayatabad medical complex, Peshawar

To look into the treatment given to children with acute watery diarrhea by Trainee Medical Officers at the time of admission and to compare it with the standard treatment protocol as recommended by World Health Organization for the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea. This was a retrospective study conducted in Department of Pediatric Postgraduate Medical Institute, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar from June 15 to August 15, 2008. Treatment charts of children admitted with acute watery diarrhoea were studied for demographical findings, degree of dehydration and other clinical findings and treatment given at the time of admission. The data was statistically analyzed by SPSS version 10. Eighty children were included in the study. The age range was from one month to five years with mean age of 25.5 months. The majority were in the range of 1 to 3 years with male to female ratio of 1.4:1. Majority [68.75%] had bowel movements more than 6 times/24 hours. Blood in the stool was present in only five cases [6.25%]. Thirty-five [44%] and 12 [28%] were presented with some and severe dehydration respectively at the time of admission. Analysis of drug treatment [antibiotics, anti-protozoal, anti-emetics, stool hardeners, probiotics] showed that 65 [81.25%] children received appropriate treatment as per recommendations of World Health Organization. All children were discharged uneventfully. Continuous training and supervision of the Trainee Medical Officers is required to implement standard treatment of acute watery diarrhoea according to laid down World Health Organization guidelines. Such activities will help to reduce inappropriate use of drugs and wrong treatment for diarrhea

Homicidal deaths and injuries by bomb blasts in Dera Ismail Khan

Bombs are explosive devices used for homicidal purposes. The present study was conducted to know about the death and injuries due to bomb blasts in Dera Ismail Khan. This descriptive study was conducted from January 2007 to December 2008. The data was collected from autopsy and medico-legal records of all dead and injured persons at DHQ Teaching Hospital and Department of Forensic Medicine Gomal Medical College, D. I. Khan. Three hundred and forty-one un-natural deaths were reported and subjected to autopsy examination during the study period. Homicidal deaths constituted 256 [75%] of all autopsies. Out of homicidal deaths 82 [32.96%] were caused by blast injuries. Similarly 2153 injured persons were examined and recorded in the medico-legal register. Out of whom 253 [11.75%] were due to bomb blasts. In death cases, 461 injuries were found in various body regions giving an average of 5.62 injuries per person, and in injured person the number of injuries was 659, with average of 2.6 injuries per person. Lower extremities sustained the highest number of injuries both in dead and injured ones, followed by the head and neck injuries in dead and upper extremity injuries in the injured ones. Death due to bomb blasts are the second major cause of homicidal deaths after firearm in Dera Ismail Khan. Lower extremity injuries are the commonest in both dead and injured persons, followed by the head and neck injuries in dead and upper extremity injuries in the injured ones