Attitudes of cairo university medical students toward smoking: the need for tobacco control programs in medical education

Tobacco smoking rates are increasing in developing countries and so are tobacco-related chronic diseases. Reported figures from the WHO show rates of smoking in Egypt as high as 20% but limited information is available about smoking specifically among physicians and medical students. Final-year medical students of Cairo University were surveyed regarding their tobacco behavior and attitudes using a modified Global Health Professions Student Survey. We approached 220 students by randomly selecting clinical units into which they were assigned and requested completion of the survey. Ever users of some form of tobacco comprised 46.7% of students sampled, current users of cigarettes comprised 17.4%, and current users of water pipe 'sheesha' comprised 17.6%. The vast majority [87.7%] of students believed that smoking is a public health problem in Cairo and supported restriction of tobacco. Yet, only 58.5% stated that they were taught it is important for physicians to provide tobacco education materials to patients. Among ever users of cigarettes, 54.4% believed health professionals do not serve as health role models for patients, and only a small percentage of all students [34.2%] stated that they had received some form of training on smoking cessation in their medical curriculum to be able to instruct patients. A high rate of smoking was revealed among medical students in Cairo. Overall, approximately 23.4% of students were currently smoking cigarettes and/or sheesha, and 46.7% were ever users of some form of tobacc o. A formal antitobacco program for medical students should be incorporated into their medical curriculum to change the attitudes of medical students and overcome the anticipated increase in chronic diseases in Egypt

Antipsychotic treatment and weight gain: does risperidone behave differently in Pakistani psychiatric patients?

Studies from the Western world have shown that antipsychotic medications in psychiatric patients result in weight gain and other metabolic diseases. This study was undertaken to investigate whether any one of the five most commonly prescribed antipsychotics, [risperidone, olanzepine, trifluoperazine, quetiapine and haloperidol] could behave differently in terms of causing weight gain among patients attending the psychiatric outpatient clinics in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. For this retrospective cohort study, data were collected from outpatient records of the Aga Khan University Hospital, from 2003 to 2007. Demographic and clinical data were analysed. Repeated measures ANOVA, using a linear mixed model approach was used to assess weight gain over time due to the use of antipsychotic medications. A total of 124 subject records [68 males and 56 females] were evaluated. One-way ANOVA revealed that the groups being prescribed with antipsychotics were comparable with respect to age, duration of treatment and weight measurements. Frequencies were calculated which showed that weight increases significantly over time with respect to the prescribed antipsychotic medications, except for risperidone. Repeated measures ANOVA using the linear mixed model approach showed that the serial weight measurements were significantly different across the follow up times [p<0.05]. Four of the commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs do result in an increase in weight; however risperidone has no such effect, making it an option in treating psychiatric disorders without worrying for any gain in weight. In view of the increased prevalence of obesity and other metabolic diseases, measures should be taken towards careful prescription of antipsychotic medications

Bilateral intranasal button batteries

Insertion of foreign body in ear, nose and aero digestive tract is a common condition encountered in ENT practice. Toddlers and young children are often the victims. The presentation of a child with bilateral insertion of alkaline button batteries into nasal cavities resulting into delayed septal perforation, and its optimal management has been discussed here

Pre-Auricular sinus: review and comparative study of surgical techniques

To determine the role of operating microscope in excision of preauricular sinus. A retrospective study. From January 2005 to July 2006 at Mayo Hospital, Lahore. All the patients who underwent preauricular sinus excision under operating microscope were studied. Patients reviewed in follow up for recurrence of sinus and other complications. A follow up of all operated patients for a period of minimum of 8 months revealed good results without any recurrence. Magnification employed during surgery minimizes the risk of recurrence of preauricular sinuses

Rubella Antibodies in women with history of recent abortion

A study was designed to detect the prevalence of rubella antibodies and assess the immune status of 75 women of different age groups with a history of present abortion. Quantitative analysis of anti-rubella IgG and IgM was done on the sera. These cases were selected from a total number of 275 pregnant women presenting to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, from July, 1991 to April, 1992. A solid phase enzyme immunoassay [ELISA] was used for this purpose. Out of these 75 cases, 70 [93.3%] were positive for IgG while only 2 [2.7%] were positive for IgM antibody. Three out of 75 [4%] were negative for both IgG and IgM

Endonephropexy

Targeted endonephropexy was performed in eight patients with renal ptosis at our department in Pakistan from Jan. 1993 till Mar. 1996 with satifactory results. Seven were male and one patient was female with the complication of pain or heaviness in the ipsilateral flank. Two patients complained of palpable mobile mass in the abdomen which disappeared on pressing. On ultrasonic examination kidney of the concerned side was found to be lower than the normal position which was confirmed by standing IVU examination. IVU examination also revealed tortuous ureter on the side of disease. One patient also had an accompanying stone. Operation consisted of puncture and dilatation of channel through lower calyx and advanced as is being mentioned in the text. Control IVU examination was performed after wound healing and was repeated after two months of operation. All the patients were symptom free after the operation. Standing x-ray films after the contrast material injection showed elevation of kidney with straight ureter. The idea of endonephropexy came from the observation that scar of nephrostomy channel is quite sufficient to hold kidney at its place. It was applied to fix the kidney at required level

Carcinoembryonic antigen immunoereactivity patterns and tumour morphologic parameters in patients with colorectal cancer

The cellular expression of carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA] was studied immunohistochemically in 98 colorectal cancer specimens. The tumours were categorized into three groups according to the predominant staining pattern, which was either apical [26 cases], cytoplasmic [47 cases] or stromal [25 cases]. A significant correlation was found between CEA immunoreactivity patterns and either, the histologic grading [P < 0.001], nuclear grading [P < 0.001], mucin synthesis [P < 0.01], blood and lymph vessels invasion [P < 0.01], lymph nodes metastases [P < 0.01] or the number of the lymph nodes involved [P < 0.01]. So, well-differentiated tumours generally showed an apical CEA pattern, poorly differentiated tumours showed a stromal CEA pattern, whereas most moderately differentiated tumours showed a cytoplasmic CEA pattern. No statistically significant correlation was noted between CEA immunoreactivity patterns and the age and sex of the patients, location or gross appearance of the tumours or Dukes' classification. However, an inverse relationship was noted between CEA staining patterns and the size of tumours. We conclude that CEA immunoreactivity patterns can provide more data that are relevant for the prognosis of colorectal cancer. However, we advise a longer follow-up of the patients to study the relation between CEA patterns and both tumour recurrence and survival of the patients