Prevalence of respiratory symptoms among schoolchildren in Sirt

This study was carried out in Sirt, which is a small city in Libya, with a population of about 90,000. It is situated an the south of the Mediaterranean sea and the Nirthern great desert. Sirt is characterized by absence of industrial pollutant; high humidity and dusty weather in the summer season; and a historate of high consanguineous [cousin] marriage. To estimate the prevalence of asthma among Liyban schoolchildren in Sirt city. A cross-sectional study was carried out using the ISAAC [International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood] written questionnaire with additional questions on father's smoke history, cousin marriage, and family history of ashma and school performance. Parents of 12384 Schoolchildren from 11 to 16 years completed a questionnaire on the respiratory health of their children. The prevalence of wheezing is 3.6%, and breathlessness is 6.5% with no statistically significant difference between boys and girls. Sleep disturbance is 8.7%, and nocturnal dry cough is 11.4%. Asthmatic symptoms were found to be high in children with positive family history of allergic diathesis and significant difference between girls and boys. But no association was found with age. The prevalence of asthma among schoolchildren living in Sirt city is low compared with other African and Middle Eastern countries

Socio-demographic variation and Psychiatric Co-morbidity in Substance dependent patients seeking medical help in Sirt-Libya

The use of alcohol as well as illegal and prescribed psychoactive drugs has become increasingly widespread. This study was designed to determine an outline to socio-demographic variations and presence of other psychiatric disorders in patients with substance dependence seeking medical help in Sirt - Libya. The study sample consisted of 58 Libyan patients, 53 males and 5 females, all were consulting the psychiatric O. P. D. - central polyclinic -Sirt from 1-1-2000 to 31-12-2001 seeking treatment from "addiction". General socio-demographic data were taken as well as information about types of substances, periods of dependence, amounts, withdrawal symptoms, medical complications, associated psychiatric disorders and whether the patient has insight. Most of our patients were from urban areas, males were mainly singles while most of females were married. Low level of education was a feature of our patients. Females were dependent on prescribed medications only while males were using also illegal substances, the most common of which apart from alcohol was cannabis. Most of our subjects were drug dependent for more than 5 years [72% of males and 60% of females] and most of them were having physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms [73.5% of males and all females]. Antisocial personality disorder was found in 52.8% of males while 40% of females were depressed. Most of the patients were having intact insight and wish to stop taking their substances. Our results were compared with other studies in different other countries