Why do patients with minor medical problems seek medical care from the emergency department?

Patients with minor medical problems sometimes go to the emergency department seeking care. This could overload the emergency department [ED] and lengthen patient's waiting time. The aim of the study is to identify the reasons that make patients with minor complaints seek medical care from the ED. Cross-sectional study. Accident and Emergency department, Salmaniya Medical Complex. Four hundred eighty-five patients with minor ailments were interviewed and questionnaires were filled in February 2012. The questionnaire identified mainly the medical problem for which the patient sought advice from the emergency department [ED] and the source of referral. Patients were divided into two main categories; patients who attended ED but who would have gone to their family physicians and those who attended ED but who would have not gone to their family physicians. The cause for attending the ED and not the primary health centers was also identified. Four hundred eighty-five patients were interviewed. Three hundred twenty-nine [67.3%] were males. The majority of the patients were adults. Three hundred twenty-five [67%] patients were self-referred while one hundred and forty-four [29.7%] were referred from the health center. This study revealed that the majority of patients were self-referred. The most common minor medical problems encountered in the emergency department were musculoskeletal and ENT complaints. There was a significant difference in the expected reasonable time to wait between those not willing to go to their health centers and those willing to go

Physician job satisfaction in primary care

To evaluate the level of job satisfaction among primary care physicians [PHCPs] in the Ministry of Health in Bahrain. Questionnaire cross-sectional study. Primary care, Bahrain. Self-administered questionnaire which consist of two parts: social and personal characteristic part, and job satisfaction survey part. It was distributed to 262 primary health care physicians in December 2006. Job satisfaction survey studied nine aspects [pay, promotion, supervision, fringe benefits, contingent rewards, operating condition, co-workers, nature of work, and communication]. Each aspect was studied by 4 items. Job satisfaction measured by 6-likert rating scale, ranging from disagrees very much [rating 1] to agree very much [rating 6]. Hundred and eleven primary care physicians [PHCPs] [42%] returned the completed questionnaire. In general, PHCPs were slightly satisfied. The highest level of satisfaction was derived from the nature of work [mean=4.69, SD=1.06], supervision [mean=4.62, SD=1.20], co-workers [mean=4.58, SD=0.86], and communication [mean=3.80, SD=1.09, while the least satisfaction was derived from the promotion [mean=2.56, SD= 1.12] and contingent rewards [mean=2.61, SD= 1.15], followed by fringe benefits [mean=2.65, SD-1.09], pay [mean=2.76, SD=1.26], and operating conditions [mean=2.85, SD=0.71]. Non-Bahraini, males, older than 50 years, married and those working evening shifts were the most satisfied. PHCPs were found to be slightly satisfied. There was variation in level of satisfaction between different health centers. Moderately satisfied was the maximum that could be achieved

Occurrence of some enteric pathogens in raw milk and some dairy products

110 samples of dairy products were collected from different localities and farmer's houses [40 raw milk samples, 20 raw cream samples, 30 Kariesh cheese samples and 20 yoghurt samples]. Samples were examined microbiologically for the presence of enteric pathogens. In raw milk, E. coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella enterica indiana gr. B [04, 12-H, Z-H2 1, 7], Yersinia enterocolitica and klebsilla pneumoniae could be isolated from 27.5%, 7.5%, 2.5%, 5% and 2.5% of examined samples respectively In raw cream, E coil and Shigella dysenteriae could be isolated from 15% and 5% of examined samples respectively. In Kariesh cheese, E. coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella enterica indiana, yersinia enterocolitica and Kiebsilla pneumoniae could be isolated from 43.3%, 16.6%, 3.3%, 3.3% and 6.6% of examined samples respectively. For yoghurt, E. coil and Yersinia enterocolitica could be isolated from 20% and 10% of examined samples respectively. From different 25 tested strains, 17 strains [68%] were positive for production of enterotoxin [7 strains of E. coli, 3 strains of Shigella dysenteriae, 2 strains of Salmonella enterica indiana, 3 strains of Klebsilla pneumoniae and 2 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica]. The public health importance of isolated organism as well as recommendation for prevention of microbial contamination of dairy products were also discussed

Parameters of heart failure in the pediatric age group

This is a comprehensive study about heart failure [HF] in pediatric age group. Ninety-two patients [51 males and 41 females] with HF were submitted to clinical and electrocardiographic examinations, chest X- ray, arterial pH and blood gases estimation. Echocardiography was performed to all patients with special emphasis on left ventricular systolic function. According to age, patients were segregated in 2 groups: Group I included 35 infants and group II included 57 children. Rheumatic heart disease was the commonest entity causing HF in 70% of patients of group II, followed by congenital heart diseases in 38% of all patients and dilated cardiomyopathy found in 18.4% of all patients. Left ventricular systolic function was found to be the lowest in dilated cardiomyopathy. It is recommended to expand the surgical repair of valvular rheumatic heart lesions and to assess left ventricular function by echocardiography in all patients with HF. It is crucial to establish a center for cardiac transplantation to manage those patients who have no available other alternative