Effect of Insomnia and distress on emotional intelligence and coping strategies among medical college students

Objective: Present study focused on the Effect of Insomnia and Distress on Emotional Intelligence and Coping Strategies among Medical College Students

Study Design: Cross-sectional, questionnaire based

Settings: Different medical colleges in Punjab, Pakistan

Period: October 2016 - July 2017

Patients and methods: sample of medical students was purposely drawn and questionnaires were administered

Results: Insomnia had significant positive relationship with psychological distress and maladaptive coping, and significant negative relationship with adaptive coping. However, insomnia was found to have non-significant negative relationship with emotional intelligence. Furthermore, results showed that psychological distress had significant negative correlation with overall coping and adaptive coping but had significant positive relationship with maladaptive coping. Yet psychological distress had non-significant relationship with emotional intelligence. Additionally, study further showed that emotional intelligence had significant positive relationship with adaptive coping but had significant negative relationship with maladaptive coping. Multiple regression analysis showed that insomnia and psychological distress were significant predictors of coping [adaptive and maladaptive]. Additionally, no significant gender differences were found however students differ significantly in terms of birth order

Conclusions: Insomnia has significant positive relationship with psychological distress and coping but non-significant relationship with emotional intelligence. Additionally, insomnia and psychological distress were significant predictors of coping [specifically maladaptive

Abdominal wound dehiscence in interrupted versus continuous closure of rectus sheath after midline emergency laparotomy incision

Objective: To find out frequency of abdominal wound dehiscence in interrupted versus continuous closure of rectus sheath after midline emergency laparotomy incision

Study design: Randomized control trial

Place and Duration of study: Department of Surgery, Dow University of Health Sciences / Civil Hospital, Karachi, from February 2015 to January 2016

Methodology: Patients with diagnosis of acute abdomen secondary to peritonitis / gut perforation underwent laparotomy through midline incision in emergency operation theater. A total of 88 patients were randomly allocated into two groups. In group A, closure of abdominal wound [rectus sheath] was done with interrupted method taking the sutures 1cm apart and 1cm away from the edges of incision while in group B, the closure was done with continuous method. Polypropylene suture was used for closure. Final outcome was measured after 30 days

Results: The average age of the patients was 29.89 +/- 5.89 year. Frequency of abdominal wound dehiscence was significantly high in group A [Interrupted] as compare to group B [Continuous] [20.5% vs 4.5% - p=0.024]

Conclusion: Continuous closure technique is a superior method of closure as it resulted in less wound dehiscence and its relative ease of application in short time

Effect of Grewia asiatica fruit on Glycemic index and phagocytosis tested in healthy human subjects

The Grewia asiatica [commonly known as Phalsa or Fasla] is a shrub or small tree found in southern Asia. It produces purple to black color fruit when ripe. In folk medicine the edible Grewia asiatica fruit is used in a number of pathological conditions. The current study described the effects of Grewia asiatica fruit on glycemic index [GI] and phagocytosis in healthy non-diabetic human subjects. The results showed that Grewia asiatica fruit has low GI value of 5.34 with modest hypoglycemic activity. Luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence assay was carried out to determine the production of reactive oxygen species [ROS] in the oxidative burst activity of whole blood. ROS production was found to be significantly affected, having the 78.3, 58.6 and 30.8% when the subjects were fed with D-glucose, mixture of D-glucose and Grewia asiatica fruit and Grewia asiatica fruit alone respectively as compared to the control. The aqueous, methanolic and butanolic extracts of Grewia asiatica fruits were found to produce a stimulatory effect on ROS production however; the chloroform, hexane and ethanol-acetate extracted exerted significant inhibitory effect. These results demonstrated that Grewia asiatica fruit has desirable effects on blood glucose metabolism manifested as low glycemic response and modulation of ROS production

Hypophagic and hypolocomotive effects of metachloro phenyl piperazine in rats treated with theophylline and caffeine

Long term intake of coffee is known to produce anxiety and suppression of appetite. 5- hydroxytryptamine [5-HT] acting via 5-HT-2C receptors elicits anorexia and anxiety. The present study is design to monitor metachloro phenyl piperazine [m-CPP] at a dose of 3mg/ml/kg, induces hypophagia and hypolocomotion in rats taking a solution of caffeine [a component of coffee and tea] or theophylline [a component of tea] as a sole source of water. We found that hypophagic and hypolocomotive effects of m-CPP were attenuated in theophylline but not in caffeine treated animals suggesting that long term intake of theophylline may, attenuate anorexiogenic and anxiogenic effects of 5-HT. A possible role of 5-HT-2C receptors in the modulation of anxiety and appetite in people drinking coffee or tea discussed

therapeutic role of magnesium in different depressive syndromes of female patients

Numerous studies have proven that low levels of B vitamins, vitamins C and magnesium have been associated with depression. These all help in the brain's production of neurotransmitters and may enhance the effectiveness of antidepressant medications. Calcium and magnesium have a soothing effect on the nerves and can be particularly helpful when depression interferes with sleep. Previous studies have shown that there are depleted magnesium levels in the depressed patients. The present study is based on the finding that magnesium supplements can reduce the signs and symptoms of depression. In this experiment behavioral and somatic features were evaluated such as agitation, guilt feeling, psychomotor retardation, insomnia, anxiety, weight loss, hypochondria which are the hall marks of clinical depression. The female subjects who were diagnosed with clinical depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder were treated with daily dose of 360 mg. of magnesium. Depression was evaluated for three months. Nearly all the female patients responded positively to the magnesium therapy with elevation of mood, relaxation and sleep duration

Twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence / sequence acephalus acardiac fetus

Twin reverse arterial perfusion [TRAP] sequence occurs only in a setting of a monochorionic gestation and complicates approximately 1% of monochorionic twin gestation. In the TRAP sequence the acardiac / acephalic twin receives all of its blood supply from the normal "pump" twin

In vitro effect of nystatin, gentian violet and garlic extract on candida albicans isolates from oral cavity

To evaluate in-vitro anticandidal activity of Nystatin. Gentian Violet and Garlic extract on Candida albicans isolates from oral cavity. For screening of antifungal activity of Nystatin. Gentian Violet and Garlic Extract, 100 clinical isolates were collected from the department of Radiotherapy. Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and Fatima Jinnah Dental College and Hospital, Karachi. The samples were collected from the oral cavity and the sample site was buccal mucosa, tongue and hard palate. These isolates were finally identified on the basis of morphology and cultural characteristics and confirmed using germ tube method. The antifungal activity of Nystatin, Gentian Violet and Garlic Extract were carried out by disc diffusion method. Result showed that the mean zone of inhibition of Nystatin was 17.9mm, Gentian violet was 16.6mm and Garlic Extract was 16.6mm and all the drugs used were found to be very effective. It can be concluded from the study that all the drugs are very effective against clinical isolates of Candida albicans and secondly the organism had not developed any resistance to these drugs