Use of E-Technology, physical activity and obesity among adolescents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad

Objective: To determine the relationship of e-technology use and physical activity with obesity among adolescents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad

Study Design: Cross sectional study

Place and Duration of Study: Different schools of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, from Mar to Aug 2015

Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 305 adolescents between ages 17-19 years, from different schools of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, selected through consecutive sampling technique. Structured close-ended questionnaire was administered and data obtained was analyzed by SPSS version 22. Correlation test was used to ascertain association between BMI, time spent using e-technology and physical activity duration

Results: The mean age of the participants was 15.7 +/- 2.4 years. It was revealed that 13.3 percent of the respondents were underweight, 64.5 percent were of normal weight, 17.3 percent were overweight and 9.5 percent were obese. The majority of females were found watching television [73.1 percent] and using cell phone [60.6 percent] whereas majority of the males were fond of playing videogames [63.7 percent] and using computer [72 percent]. A positive correlation of 0.64 was found between e-technology use and BMI of individuals whereas physical activities were having negative correlation of -0.231 with BMI

Conclusion: The current study concluded that use of e-technology was directly associated and physical activity was inversely associated with obesity, suggestive of elevated consequences of sedentary activities on adiposity during adolescence. This issue must be addressed by raising awareness among adolescents about healthy lifestyle practices for their healthy and productive life in future

Tuberculosis in children attending outpatient clinic and compliance to treatment

Tuberculosis is a chronic contagious disease whose compliance to treatment is low especially in children. To diagnose tuberculosis in children using modified Pakistan Pediatric Association Scoring System and to determine their compliance to treatment. Descriptive study carried out in out-patient clinic of Pediatric Special Unit, Services Hospital/ Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore from 1[st] December, 2004 till 30[th] June, 2006. All newly diagnosed children [3 months to 15 years] attending the Pediatric special outpatient clinic were scored according to Pakistan Pediatric Association Scoring Chart and those having a score of >7 or 5-6 with suggestive investigations were diagnosed to have tuberculosis. Diagnostic BCG [instead of Mauntoux Test] of more than 10mm was taken as positive. The family members were also screened for tuberculosis. Most children were treated with 3 drugs [Isoniazid, Rifampicin and Pyrazinamide] for initial 2-3 months followed by 2 drugs [Isoniazid and Rifampicin] for next 4 to 9 months. They were followed at 15 days intervals and all visits were recorded. Out of 2645 children, 116 [4.3%] had tuberculosis. Their mean age was 8.2 years [+/- 3.96] with 59 boys and 57 girls. Majority [n=110] had pulmonary tuberculosis and most responded well to 3 drugs initially [H,R,Z]. Follow up was available in 103, out of whom 79 [76.7%] completed 6 months treatment. Regular follow up was seen in 64 [62.1%] patients. Though early detection for tuberculosis in children and family was done but their compliance to treatment was lower than the millennium goals [85%]

etiology of neonatal sepsis and patterns of antibiotic esistance

To study the patterns of causative bacteria and antibiotic resistance in neonatal sepsis. Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Neonatology, The Children's Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, Lahore from July 2000 to December 2000. Subjects and Two hundred and twenty-eight neonates [age 0-28 days] with clinical sepsis and positive blood cultures were selected. Blood cultures were taken before antibiotics [intravenous cefotaxime and amikacin] administration. The clinical and birth records were thoroughly analyzed. Blood culture reports [n=233] were analyzed for bacterial isolates and pattern of resistance to cefotaxime, ceftazidime, amikacin and ciprofloxacin were compared as percentage of reports showing resistance to the above antibiotics. Among 228 cases included in the study, the male to female ratio was 2.1 to 1. The gestational age was less than 36 weeks in 68 [30%] cases and low birth weight babies were 143 [62.6%]. History of birth asphyxia was present in 103 [45%] cases. There were 142 [62.3%] cases of early onset [< 7 days] sepsis and 86 [37.7%] cases of late onset [>7 days]. Out of 233 positive blood cultures Escherichia coli was found to be commonest [47.8%, n=111, p <0.05] both in early onset [47.8%, n=68, p <0.05] and late onset sepsis [47.3%, n=43, p<0.05]. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common among gram positive organism. Resistance to cefotaxime, ceftazidime and amikacin was 34% to 80% and to ciprofloxacin 13% to 72%. A total of 64 cases [28%] died. Mortality was four times higher in early onset sepsis [n=53 vs 11, 47% vs 12%]. Gram negative bacteria are the commonest cause of neonatal sepsis. The resistance to the commonly used antibiotics is alarmingly high. Mortality is four times higher in early onset sepsis

Vitamin D resistant rickets in children

Vitamin D resistant rickets is caused by a variety of heritable and acquired conditions. Thus Corm of rickets is a real diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. To find out the pattern of the different types of vitamin D resistant rickets, a study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics. Postgraduate Medical Institute Lahore and Lahore General Hospital, Lahore for a period of one year from 1st August 1994 to 31st July 1995. A total of 30 children who fulfilled the criteria for vitamin D resistance were included in the study. All the patients were evaluated in detail. The patient's ages ranged from 0.25 to 12 years [Median age 2.7 years]. Most of the cases were seen between I-5 years wish male to female ratio of 1:1.14. About 70% of the patients fell in category of heritable conditions such as familial hypophosphatemia [26.66%], vitamin D dependent rickets type 1 [13.33%] and VDDR-II [6.66%], renal tubular acidosis [13.33%], Bartter syndrome [6.66%] and Fanconi syndrome [3.33%]. The acquired conditions seen were renal osteodystrophy [16.66%], rickets due to malabsorption [6.66%], rickets related to anticonvulsants [3.33%] and prematurity [3.33%]. In boys, the commonest cause was familial hypophosphatemia [35.71%] followed by renal osteodystrophy [17.64%]. In girls the commonest cause was vitamin D dependent rickets type I [25%] followed by familial hypophosphatemia [18.75%]. Most of the patients had marked stunting and skeletal deformities. The response to treatment was encouraging in many cases but was poor in renal osteodystrophy and vitamin D dependent rickets type II