ABSTRACT
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are specific neurological disorders that affect the brain, frequently characterised by challenging paediatric behaviour. The current narrative review using PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols, and comprised randomised controlled trials and clinical control trials with gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diets published till 2020. Of the 80 studies selected, 7(8.75%) were included in the review. It was observed that the gluten-free, casein-free diet was safe with therapeutic benefits in autistic children. Therefore, a tailored dietary approach can be a beneficial management regimen. The trials related to utility of gluten-free, casein-free diet among autistic children are sparse, with limited sampling size, and indication of bias in the findings. Therefore, larger cohort studies on gluten-free, casein-free trials are required to provide further insight into the therapeutic benefits of the diet.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder , Autistic Disorder , Child , Humans , Caseins , Diet, Gluten-Free , Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicABSTRACT
A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2016 to September 2016 to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding contraceptive implants among women of childbearing age visiting the Reproductive Health Services Centre, Civil Hospital, Karachi. A total of 396 adult, non-pregnant, married women of childbearing age, between 18 and 49 years, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Only 153 (38.6%) of the respondents had any knowledge about implants, out of whom 122 (79.7%) had acquired the information from family planning clinics. Almost two thirds of the respondents, 267(67.4%) were in favour of using implants as a contraceptive method. Moreover, 244 (61.6%) respondents were of the opinion that if given a choice, they will use implanon, though out of the 316 (79.8%) respondents who had ever used contraceptives, only 3 (0.9%) used implants. Despite a favourable attitude, limited knowledge and poor practices of the respondents were the highlights of the study findings.
Subject(s)
Contraceptive Agents , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Adolescent , Adult , Contraception , Contraception Behavior , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge and practice regarding dog bite management among general practitioners in a suburban setting. METHODS: This cross-sectional knowledge and practice study was conducted from March 2017 to October 2017 in district Malir, Karachi, and comprised general practitioners conveniently recruited from 32 randomly selected union councils of the district. The participants were interviewed with the help of a self-generated structured questionnaire. Data were analysed in SS PS 21 . RESULTS: Of the 92 practitioners, 67(72.8%) were males, 43(46.7%) had>10 years' experience, and 63(68.5%)were privately employed. The overall mean age of the sample was 43.77±11.5 years. Mean knowledge scores varied significantly across categories of experience only (p=0.020), withthe lessexperienced practitioners having significantly higher mean knowledge compared to the seniors. CONCLUSIONS: The experience of the general practitioners significantly affected their knowledge with recent graduates found to have higher mean k nowledge scores than older graduates.
Subject(s)
Bites and Stings/therapy , Clinical Competence , General Practitioners , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Adult , Animals , Clinical Competence/standards , Clinical Competence/statistics & numerical data , Cross-Sectional Studies , Disease Management , Dogs , Female , General Practitioners/standards , General Practitioners/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Male , Pakistan , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Primary Health Care/methodsABSTRACT
This was a cross-sectional study. Survey was conducted from May 2016 to November 2016 among dentalpractitioners from four dental institutions of Karachi, two each from the public and private sector. From public sector, Dow University Hospital Dental Section Ojha Campus and Karachi Medical and Dental College, while from the private sector Baqai Medical University and Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences were randomly selected. After taking informed verbal consent, a total of 100 participants were interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Descriptive analysis was employed for categorical variables using frequencies and percentages. The findings of the study revealed the causes considered most important by the dental practitioners impacting migration abroad. Among the local push factors were bad law and order situation (59%), low salary (54%) and lack of job openings (53%) while local pull factor was mainly family responsibilities (40%). Foreign pull factors were better working environment (56%), high salary (52%) and enhancing knowledge and skills (50%) while the foreign push factor was racism (37%).
