Prevalence of examination related anxiety in a private medical college.

BACKGROUND: To assess examination related anxiety among first professional medical students and to determine the factors contributing to this kind of anxiety among them. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using structured self-administered questionnaire was carried out over 10 days in Frontier Medical and Dental College, Abbottabad, in December 2012, using sample size of 200 students,. Survey questionnaire consisted of twenty questions regarding life style, study style, psychological and social problems, and results were analyzed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULT: A total of 200 students out of 220 (90.90%) filled in the questionnaire. There were 61.50% male and 38.50% female students. The average maximum Examination related Anxiety marked on VAS was 47 +/- 21. Among different factors contributing to exam anxiety, inadequate rest (89%), irrational thoughts (67.50) and excessive course load (60%) were the most important factors reported by the students. Most of the students were aware of anxiety-reduction techniques but seldom implement them. CONCLUSION: On a VAS, examination, in its own right, has been established as a definite cause of anxiety, although the magnitude is not alarming. Students who regularly participate in class tests and perform well there, are least affected by this anxiety.

Relationship between anaemia and simple febrile convulsions.

BACKGROUND: Simple febrile seizures are the commonest convulsions occuring in children and its exact pathophysiology is unknown. Among other postulated reasons anaemia has been thought to be a possible aetiology. This study was conducted to find out any relationship between anaemia and simple febrile convulsions. METHODS: We studied notes of 1,951 patients retrospectively who were admitted in the Women & Children Hospital Abbottabad from Jan 2013 to Aug 2013. Thirty-one patients with febrile seizures were included in the study as group I and another 31 patients matched for the demographic data were taken as group II. Degree of temperature, family history of simple febrile convulsions, underlying focus of infection and haemoglobin level were recorded. RESULTS: Sixty-eight percent of patients in group I had Hb level below 11 gm/dl compared to 39% of patients in group II: 32% patients of group I, had level on/above 11 gm/dl but none of them had Hb above 11.5 gm/dl in comparison to group II where 61% had Hb level on/above 11 gm/dl with upper limit of 13 gm/dl. CONCLUSION: Significant association was found between anaemia and Simple Febrile Convulsions.