Knowledge assessment about hazards of smokeless tobacco use in patients coming to a DHQ Hospital

Background: Smokeless tobacco use is not perceived as an addiction in most South East Asian countries therefore both men and women use it frequently

Objectives: To assess the knowledge of smokeless tobacco users about its hazards in District Head quarter hospital, Thatta

Study design, settings and duration: Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in District Head Quarter hospital, Thatta for 06 months duration

Subjects and Methods: The statistically calculated sample size was 325. Participants were enrolled using systematic random sampling technique. Written informed consent was taken and information related to demography and smokeless tobacco use was collected from the patients and their relatives on questionnaire. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS

Results: There were a total of 325 respondents whose mean age was 34 years. Only 4% had higher school certificate or were graduates while 50% had no formal education. The mean age of initiation of Smokeless tobacco [SLT] was 19.3 years. The mean length of use of smokeless tobacco was 13.87 years. The mean number of Smokeless tobacco use was 5.0. Factors influencing SLT use were cultural acceptability, easy access, low price, peer influence and used as mouth freshener. Male respondents were 2.7 times more aware about the hazards of SLT as compared to females [p < 0.001]. Nearly, one-in-three respondents reported trying to give up SLT use in the past

Conclusion: Cultural acceptability, low price and easy access of smokeless tobacco have led to high usage in under privileged uneducated population

Policy message: Tobacco cessation advising and warning should also be placed on smokeless tobacco products and health care providers should advise the smokeless tobacco users to quit it

To evaluate the role of diclofenac sodium on renal parenchyma of young albino rats

To study the effects of commonly used non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium on the kidneys of young albino rats after therapeutic dose. Early clinical and pharmacological studied of oral and parental forms of diclofenac sodium began shortly after the drug was discovered. However there is scanty information about the toxicities of normal dose of diclofenac in young albino rats. The present study is therefore designed to observe the gross and microscopic changes in kidney following administration of this drug in young albino rats. For this experimental study 16 albino rats were used; they were divided into two groups, each comprising of 8 animals. Group-1 received normal saline 10ml/kg body weight while group-2 received diclofenac sodium 2mg/ kg body weight for two weeks. Micrometry was done on kidney tissue for proximal and distal tubular count, their diameter and the no of cells in these tubules. Highly significant changes were observed both in proximal and distal tubules of kidney. Even in therapeutic doses, Diclofenac Sodium causes damage to kidney tubules in young albino rats