ABSTRACT
Dengue fever badly hits Pakistan in 2011. A large number of people died due to dengue fever. To control the alarming situation, other than treatment, work had been started at all levels. Department of Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal, Punjab was involved by the City District Government to work for the awareness among public for the preventive measures and practices to reduce the spread of the epidemic. Anti-dengue awareness campaigns were organized at the community level with the help of non-government organizations. A survey was conducted with the following objectives to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-dengue awareness activities: [1] Public knowledge of Dengue fever. [2] Anti-mosquito Preventive Practices. A cross sectional household survey. Out of ten towns of Lahore city, Samanabad Town was selected. Januarys to March 2014. A structured interview schedule of three sections was designed. Interviews were conducted from urban/semi-urban communities. By using multistage random sampling, Out of ten towns of Lahore city, Samanabad Town was selected. Samanabad Town is consisted of 24 union councils with a population of 17 million. Three union councils: 86, 104 and 112 were randomly selected. 400 household were randomly selected from these union councils for interview to ensure representativeness of the sample. Males/Females aged 15-65 and above lived in the households of Samanabad Town were the respondents. One respondent was selected from each household. In this cross-sectional study, by using Taro Yamni Formula, 400 interviews were successfully conducted with a response rate of 100%. Other than demographics, 17-items questionnaire measured knowledge and practices about awareness and dengue prevention. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Correlation coefficient was used for the analysis of the data. Data was analyzed by using SPSS 20. Maturity of the community members' 76 - 92% was aware and had knowledge of preventive measures. 66 - 83% practicing regularly in the households. Data analysis indicated a positive and significant association between knowledge about dengue prevention and practices about dengue eradication [r = 0.000, p < .005]. Consistent awareness campaigns for dengue fever prevention and control enhances public knowledge and motivates individuals to adopt preventive practices in day to day routine life. To foster and maintain public interest, attractive beneficial public friendly practical economical practices need to be publicized to motivate young ones in communities. Orientation training programs of community paid health workers will be helpful to improve skills to assert effective dengue fever preventive measures and control activities to reduce the breeding sites of mosquitoes
ABSTRACT
In order to promote healthful trends, insight is needed in the behavioral determinants of nutrition behaviors. Most research on behavioral determinants has been linked with individuals' physical health and socio-economic factors. However, health behavior is influenced by individual physical health and abilities. Multiple dynamics of chronic illnesses within human body influenced the dietary patterns. For disease prognosis, doctors advised patients to observe preventive measures. The researchers tried to identify the changes in the dietary patterns protective effects of food consumption such as mutton, chicken, beef, snacks and sweets on chronic illnesses that reduce the risk factors and contribute in the patients' health behaviors. The empirical data was collected from three Dialysis Units: Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore General Hospital and all admitted patients of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore. These four hospitals have good turn-over of the patients should in this exploratory study, purposive sampling method was used. For the collection of quantitative data, a hospital-based survey was conducted by using a structured interview schedule. 275 patients [131-cardiac and 144-renal failure] including 184 males [67%] and 91 females [33%] between age of 20 to 110 years were interviewed. Age mean +/- standard deviation was 44 years; S.D = 15.338. Descriptive statistics [frequencies, percentages] and multiple response tables were deployed to find out the research goals across heart and kidney diseases. Results indicates that before illness, majority 238 [86.5%] of the patients took three meals. After illness, 34% patients changed the food consumption. In two meals, 96.7% patients used vegetables, 86.2% used pulses along with chapatti, and 98.5% used tap water to drink. In other drinks, 87.6% used tea, 50.5% used milk, and 52% used to drink lassi. A high proportion [65%] of patients for first treatment consults with GP's. 10.6% changed their food consumption on the advice of hakeem/homeopathic and 10.6% changed on the advices of others. 78% were unable to perform their daily activities and need help; 89% patients changed food choices; and 86% patients follow doctors' advices. Change in diet is a contributing factor towards health and well-being during illness. It reduces risk factors and a good indicator of patients' health behaviors to cope with the disease
ABSTRACT
The objective was to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of C reactive protein and Total leukocytecount by taking histopathological diagnosis of acute appendicitis as the gold standard. Observational study.This study was conducted in the Surgical Unit of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawarfrom January 2014 to December 2014. The study included 50 adult patients of either gender with clinical diagnosis of acuteappendicitis. The patients were admitted through the emergency department. The decision to operate was made bythe senior surgeon on call, on the basis of clinical features. All the cases were operated within 12 hours' ofadmission. Blood samples for Total leukocyte count and C-reactive protein measurement were collected from all thepatients before surgery. Operative findings were recorded. Removed appendices were sent for histology. The datawas entered and processed on the SPSS 16 version. The patients included 32 males and 18 females. Male to female ratio was 1.8:1. Mean age was 24 years.Frequency of negative appendicectomy was 16%. Sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of Totalleukocyte count were 80.5%, 62.5% and 91.8% respectively. Sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value ofC-reactive protein were 85.7%, 75% and 94.5% respectively. In patients with histopathologically confirmed acuteappendicitis, both the TLC and C - reactive protein were found to be statistically significant. C-reactive protein and Total Leukocyte Count supplement the clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis
Subject(s)
Male , Middle Aged , Humans , Female , Adult , C-Reactive Protein , Leukocyte Count , Acute DiseaseABSTRACT
Background: A refractive error is an error in the focusing of light by the eye and a frequent reason for reduced visual acuity. The burden of uncorrected refractive errors among our population is large and as effective interventions are available, prompt identification can improve quality of life
Objective: To determine association between duration of playing video games and different types of refractive errors among children between age 06 to 15 Years
Patients and Methods: In this cross sectional study 100 children [95 Male and 05 Female] were registered and vision of all the subjects were checked using a distance Snellens visual acuity chart. Retinoscopy and subjective refraction were done in the subjects having visual acuity less than 06/12 in one or both eyes. Questions regarding their habits of playing video games along with its duration were asked, with demographic features of each study subject
Results: Out of the 100 subjects, 18 were found to have refractive errors, mainly; myopia [72.22%], hyperopia [16.7%] and astigmatism [11.1%]. Our study showed no significant relation of refractive error with their habit of playing different types of video games. However, there was significant relation between refractive error and duration of playing video games
Conclusion: It is concluded that there is a significant association between refractive errors and duration of playing video games in children, and this relation needs to be further explored on large scale
ABSTRACT
Background: penetrating keratoplasty [PKP] is a surgical procedure in which surgical replacement of the host cornea with a donor cornea is performed. The term "allograft " is used if the donor is another person, and "autograft" if the tissue is taken from same subject. The important optical indications include keratoconus, corneal dystrophies, corneal degenerations, pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, corneal scarring and corneal opacities resulting from infective and non-infective causes
Objectives: to evaluate visual outcome after penetrating keratoplasty [PKP]
Patients and methods: this interventional, quasi-experimental study was conducted at corneal unit of Lyton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust [LRBT] Eye Hospital Lahore from March 21st 2005 to January 21st 2007. 50 eyes of 50 patients were selected. Best corrected Visual acuity [BCVA] was checked and compared preoperatively and postoperatively with Snellen acuity charts
Results: 11 [22 %] treated eyes had visual acuity >/= 6/18, 32[64%] eyes had between 6/60 to 6/24 and 7[14%] eyes had
Conclusion: PKP is a good surgical procedure to restore visual acuity of selected patients with corneal opacities utilizing proper material and optimal surgical techniques