ABSTRACT
Background: Stress in medical students is increasing nowadays & leading to untoward incidences. It is necessary to identify the stress levels & its causes at earliest so that early interventional measures can be adopted. This study aimed to find out prevalence of stress in medical students & to compare level of stress in males and females. Methodology: Total 338 medical students were evaluated for the presence of stress and its levels (mild/moderate/severe) using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10).Gender difference for stress levels was compared using student’s ‘t’ test. Reasons for stress were evaluated by a questionnaire. Results: The total prevalence of stress was 57.9% and the prevalence of severe stress was 10.6%. It was found that level of stress was significantly higher (p<0.05) among females (mean=22.60±7.11) as compared to males (mean=20.86±8.05). The main reason for stress in males was found to be academic problems and in females, problems related to hostel. Conclusion: Overall stress prevalence was 57.9%, which is high and thus needs to be addressed. Females have higher stress than males. The main source of stress in females being hostel problems and in males academic problems. Thus, various programs need to be arranged along with counselling to combat this stress.
ABSTRACT
Familial hypomagnesemia with secondary hypocalcemia is a genetic disorder of magnesium metabolism that presents with refractory seizures in infancy. Case characteristics: We herein report an infant with familial hypomagnesemia who presented as medically-refractory seizures and had cerebral atrophy on neuroimaging. Interestingly he had lost previous two siblings because of lack of correct diagnosis. Intervention: Child was given oral magnesium supplementation and the seizures got controlled. Message: Familial hypomagnesemia should be considered in any child with recurrent or refractory hypocalcemic seizures.
ABSTRACT
Neurologic involvement of brucellosis is common but exact prevalence of it is unknown due to difficulty in diagnosis and inadequate reporting all over the world. Neurologic involvement may manifest as chronic meningitis, lymphocytic meningoencephalitis, a variety of cranial nerve deficits, or ruptured mycotic aneurysms. We report a case of young male who had history of fever and headache on and off for 2 years and later developed signs of meningitis, lateral rectus palsy, altered sensorium and bilateral papilledema. He did not respond to anti-tubercular therapy and antibiotics. CT scan and MRI brain were normal. He had hepato-splenomegaly with small hypoechoic lesions in the spleen. CSF culture grew gram negative bacilli. Brucella IgG antibodies in serum by EIA 7, IgM negative, Brucella antigen titer was positive, 1:160. Patient received inj. streptomycin 0.75 g for 21 days and doxycycline 100 mg twice daily doxycycline for 6 weeks. The complete improvement in patient’s condition after a long lasting illness motivated authors to report this case. Delay or failure in diagnosis of this treatable disease may lead to significant morbidity and mortality so high index of suspicion should be kept in such cases.