Immunophenotyping pattern in mixed phenotype acute leukaemias

Objective: To evaluate Immunophenotyping patterns in Mixed-Phenotype Acute Leukemias [MPAL]

Study Design: Descriptive study

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in the department of Hematology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Rawalpindi, from 1st Jan 2013 to 31st Jan 2017

Material and Methods: After taking informed consent from the patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria, detailed history was taken and blood samples were drawn for blood complete picture. The patients suspected to have acute leukemia were subjected to bone marrow examination [aspiration and trephine biopsy] for further cytochemical staining [SBB] and Immunophenotyping

Results: Total 680 new cases of acute leukemias on initial workup of either gender age were included. Patients of other haematological disorders were excluded from the study. Among 680 new cases of acute leukaemia, 23[3.4%] cases were of MPAL immunophenotyping using scoring system proposed by EGIL [European Group for the Immunological Characterization of Leukemias] classification. Among MPAL, 19[83%] cases were Biphenotypic [13[57%] cases of My/B-ALL, 5[22%] cases of My/T-ALL, and 1[4%] case of T/B-ALL]. 4[17%] cases were Bilineage [My/B-ALL]. Most of the cases were diagnosed at less than 10 years of age

Conclusion: My/B-ALL is the most common immunophenotype followed by My/T-ALL. Therefore immunophenotyping is indispensable for diagnosis and for therapy decisions of MPAL]

Emotional stress estimation in general population

Despite great deal of popular research interest in existence and altered body responses of emotional stress there are still strong arguments regarding its positive and negative impact on psychophysiological health. Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense and also a number of normal reactions of the body [mental, emotional, and physiological] and designed for self-preservation. The potentially lethal consequences of emotional stress are deeply rooted in folk wisdom, as reflected by phrases such as scared to death and a broken heart. In the past decade, cardiac contractile abnormalities and heart failure have been reported after acute emotional stress. a cross sectional study, data was collected by means of structured questionnaire from 370 subjects [age ranges between 20-50 years]. Stress was accessed by using Sadaf Stress Scale [SSS] which comprises of 114 items divided into seven subscales data was analyzed by using SPSS 20.0. The main findings of this study are that emotional stress has a direct relation with age. People ranging below 30 years showed emotional stress and women being remarkably more susceptible to it

Increasing obesity and its risk factors

Obesity has been a target tool for research for its prevention and treatment because of its association with various metabolic dysfunctions. Increased adipose tissue distribution leads to progressive increase in hypertension and cardiovascular disease prevalence. It was a prospective study conducted at Fatima Jinnah Dental College and Dow Institute of Medical Technology [DUHS] Karachi, from February 2012 to January 2013Seventy five subjects [54 girls and 21 boys] were randomly selected of ages 18-25 years.BMI, waist hip ratio and neck circumference was observed to determine obesity. Questionnaires were administered to ascertain biographical data, lifestyles behaviors including dietary habits and diet plan [healthy food/junk food], binge eating, family history for obesity, habits of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, patterns of daily physical activity. According to the anthropometric measurements out of seventy five individuals 20% were underweight, 34.7% were normal, 21% overweight, 17% obese and 6.7% were morbidly obese. 32% of people are mostly dependant on junk food, 45.2% people are occasionally dependant on junk food and only 22.7% people rely on homemade food, 36% individuals were physically active and 64% people were leading sedentary life style lack of time due to their academic schedule or lack of interest. In this context, two main factors appear to participate in body-weight maintenance: dietary habits and physical activity. Effective prevention and management of obesity requires an integrated approach, with intervention across different segments of the population through adequate information and public awareness programs.

Cerebral palsy in relation to maternal health

Cerebral palsy [CP] is neurological disorder which effect motor and sensory neurons the effected individual may suffer ophthalmic problems, impaired speech, movements and posture mental and physical abnormalities as well. The study design was observational prospective, done on the population consists of 65 mothers having their child with CP, and children with other physical and mental disabilities were completely excluded. The data was collected at Dow Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation [IPM and R], DUHS.Prenatal causes [placenta previa, hypertension, diabetes, and seizures] accounted for majority of CP conditions. 21.5% mothers were found with gestational diabetes, 56.9% with hypertension, 16.9% with seizures and 20.0% with placenta previa.As it is well observed that Women with pregnancy induced diabetes [gestational diabetes] have a greater chance of having a baby with birth defects including CP. Gestational diabetes puts the fetus at greater risk of CP while women with hypertension are also most likely to have a child with CP.

Workload and health problems in medical students

The inability to cope successfully with the enormous stress of medical education may lead to a cascade of consequences at both a personal and professional level. Although common, depression associates with a high degree of disability and chronicity, with symptoms such as low mood, lack of energy, poor concentration, low self-esteem, and a lack of interest in the environment however stress has been shown to have deleterious effects on one's physical and mental well-being .The extreme stress levels inherent in the medical profession, put premedical and medical students at risk for both physical and psychological problems. The aim of this study is to determine the workload stress which leads to different health problems in medical and dental students during their undergraduate training. It was a self-administered questionnaire based survey conducted on 114 medical and dental students [32 males and 118 females] who were randomly selected in Fatima Jinnah Dental College and Dow University of Health Sciences. The result of this study shows that undergraduate medical students are suffering with stress and anxiety due to their hectic schedule and vast syllabus. From this study we can evaluate that health problems such as muscular aches and pains especially in neck, head, lower back and shoulders have increased which leads to sleep disorders. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0.This study suggests that a small percentage of medical students experience physical and mental distress throughout their medical undergraduate training.

Medical students bearing mental stress due to their academic schedule

Medical education is inherently stressful and demanding. Overwhelming burden of information leaves a minimal opportunity to relax and recreate and sometimes leads to serious sleep deprivation. Environmental and social circumstances play a major role in the onset of stress-related diseases. Developing countries share the heavy burden of social and economic challenges. A number of factors-including academic pressure, workload, financial concerns, sleep deprivation, exposure to patients' suffering and deaths, student abuse and a -hidden curriculum of cynicism have been hypothesized to contribute to this decline in students' mental health. This study determines the rate of anxiety and depression, and the associated social and environmental factors in undergraduate medical students. This study was divided into two measures theoretical problems and academic factors. Randomly data was collected by means of structured close ended questionnaire of 121 students from Fatima Jinnah Dental College[23 boys, 98 girls]. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0 Factors causing stress in undergraduate medical students was a vast syllabus which makes it difficult for their time management, there was a direct and positive relationship for lack of time for assignments and fear of catching up after a leave.