Psychiatric in patients; pattern and prevalence of psychiatric morbidity. A study based on psychiatric case-register

To explore the pattern and prevalence of inpatient psychiatric morbidity and to see how it differs from the pattern of psychiatric morbidity in community. The details of all in-patients from the case register developed for a health information system was included in study. In Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur. From 1998-2003. A total of 5426 patients were admitted in the six year. There was a slight difference of 0.8% in total number of males and females cases [i.e., 2764 males Vs 2662 females]. Overall difference reported in the present study, in mean ages of males and females was 3.45 years [i.e., males = 31.85 Vs females = 28.40]. Mean stay of patients in ward is 10-12 days. Most patients were admitted with Conversion disorder 24% followed by Schizophrenia 23%, Depressive disorder 20%, Drug Dependence 10%, Bipolar Disorder 7%. The patients with Neurotic Disorder and Organic Disorder were below 5%. The study showed that overall general pattern of inpatient psychiatric morbidity is in line with pattern of psychiatric morbidity in community and the partial variance can be explained in terms of social variables, as this variance exist even across studies within community samples

HBV and HCV infection: incidence and risk factors among injecting drug users in Bahawalpur city

To determine the incidence and risk factors in a well characterized cohort of injecting drug users who have been monitored in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur. Prospective and experimental. April, 06 to April, 08 in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department, QAMC and Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur. The 12 month incidence of HCV infection was relatively high in IDUs aged 24 years or younger [36%] and also elevated in 26-40 years old [23%] compared with older injectors [12%]. Statistically significant [P=<0.01] differences in incidence was found in subjects who belonged to low socioeconomic group [67%] verses high socioeconomic group [19%]. Similarly higher incidence [P=<0.23] seen in heterosexuals [20%] verses homosexuals IDU's [10%]. HCV incidence was particularly higher among IDU's who had been injecting for more than 6 years [P<0.01], whereas HBV incidence was not associated with duration of drug [P<0.7]. High incidence of HCV and HBV infection is seen in IDU's. Patients with age groups < 24, lower socioeconomic status and sharing of syringes among drug users and showed statistically significant [<0.05] higher chances of HBV and HCV infection

hysteria; conversion disorders

To find out the sociodemographic characteristics of conversion disorders and to find if there is any difference between the presenting symptoms of rural and urban population. A non-probability, purposive, hospital based sample. Psychiatry department of Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur, from February 2004 to April 2005. A sample of 100-patients was collected. Both sexes were included. DSM-IV criteria for conversion disorder were applied for diagnosis of all these patients. Informed consent was taken for inclusion in the study. Patients suffering from concurrent physical disorders were excluded. The first author [NM.] using a semi-structured pro-forma interviewed all these patients. The sociodemographic characteristics and the clinical profile were collected. Statistical analysis was made with the statistical package for windows, SPSS [version -10]. The applied method for group comparison was chi square- test. The mean age of patients from the urban area was 24.26 +/- 7.25 years, as compared to 22.15 +/- 7.49 years for the patients from the rural area. Most of the patients were females and were married. Majority of the patients from the urban as well as from the rural area were uneducated and from the lower socio-economic class. The onset of illness was typically acute and sudden, with precipitating life event. Majority of the patients had family history of the illness and co-morbid psychiatric disorders. The presenting symptoms were either sensory, motor, mixed symptoms and psuedoseizures. The presenting symptoms of patient from both urban [p value of 0.008], and rural area [P value =0.013], were statistically significant. There were no statistically significant association between the presenting symptoms and the area of living. The p values of the entire chi square tests were greater than [0.05]. Prompt elimination of the symptoms of conversion disorder is important to prevent secondary gains from reinforcing it and causing it t o persist or reoccur. Psychiatric services need to be developed and updated for the provision of prompt and efficient treatment, for the patients with these chronic and sometimes disabling conversion disorders