Household teaspoon and oral liquid medication: the present scenario

To determine the parental dosing errors in administering oral liquid medication to pediatric population. Cross sectional study. Department of Pediatric Surgery Civil Hospital and Pediatric Medicine Lyari General Hospital Karachi, from February 2009 to September 2009. Parents of children admitted were enrolled in the study. They were asked to measure one teaspoonful [5 ml] of paracetamol syrup from the tray containing household spoons of different sizes. The amount filled by the parents was measured by 5 ml syringe. Accurate dose was defined as 5.0 ml while an acceptable dose was 5.0 +/- 0.5 ml [4.5 ml - 5.5 ml] according to National Formulary and USP Standards of a + or - of 10% of error dosage range for oral devices. A total of 530 parents participated in the study. The age of the participants ranged from 16 year to 55 year [mean= 28.93 +/- 6.6 year]. Only 118 [22.3%] participants measured accurate dose while 164 [30.9%] measured the acceptable dose and 366 [69.1%] participants measured inaccurate dose. Accuracy in measuring household teaspoon quantity was not associated wirh parents' age [p >.05], education [p >.05], cooking experience [p >.05] and previous drug administering experience [p>.05]. Household teaspoons were unreliable when measuring and administering liquid medication to pediatric population. Oral syringe is recommended as the best device for both measuring and delivering liquid medication

Knowledge, attitude and practices of breast self examination [BSE] in women of Karachi

To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of breast self examination [BSE] in women attending gynecological units of major public sector hospitals of Karachi. Cross sectional survey. All women of age between 20-50 years of either marital status attending Gynae OPD of Civil Hospital and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi from May 2010 to December 2010 were included in the study. A verbal consent of each participant was obtained before collecting the data. The data was collected through a structured questionnaire have information on socio economic data, knowledge about breast self examination, symptoms, risk factors and preventive methods regarding breast cancer, attitude of the respondent and practices regarding breast self examination. Out of 412 respondents, majority belongs to 30-39 years age group [43.7%]. Knowledge about breast self examination was found in only 22.8% respondents. Knowledge about symptoms, risk factors and preventive measures regarding breast cancer were 25.3%, 28.7% and 26.0% respectively. However majority of the women 98.9% who have the knowledge were practice the breast self examination monthly or fortnightly. The attitude regarding breast self examination was very encouraging as 97.3% of the respondents promised not only to adopt it in future but also recommend it to their relatives and other friends. The knowledge about breast self examination was very low in the respondent which is the easier way of early detection of different breast diseases specially, breast cancer. However those who know it are doing it well. The attitude of the respondents was very encouraging. Awareness programme should be developed to promote it for early detection of breast cancer