General practitioner's knowledge regarding the diagnosis and drug therapy for acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the general practitioners (GP) knowledge regarding the diagnosis and initial drug therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted in randomly selected GPs of Karachi. Doctors working in community as GPs who were registered medical practitioners having a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery degree were included in the study. Doctors working at tertiary care facilities or having a post graduate degree or post graduate training in a specialty other than family medicine were excluded from the study. RESULTS: A total of 186 GPs participated in our study. GPs who studied research journals were 2.33 times more likely to investigate serum cardiac troponins levels for the diagnosis of AMI compared to those who did not study research journals (P = 0.02). Twenty six percent of the GPs said that they would refer a patient with suspected AMI without treatment, while 76% said that they would consider some treatment prior to referral. Fifty eight percent of the GPs identified ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) of < 12 hours duration as an indication of thrombolysis while 28% identified posterior wall AMI as a thrombolytic indication. CONCLUSION: GPs, although adequately aware of the presenting features of AMI, were lacking in knowledge regarding the means for confirmation of diagnosis, initial drug therapy and were less likely to carry management steps in their practice.

Use of systemic T-lymphocyte signal transduction inhibitors in the treatment of atopic keratoconjunctivitis.

PURPOSE: Topical immunomodulators such as tacrolimus have revolutionized the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Because T lymphocytes are integral to the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, systemic treatment with T-lymphocyte signal transduction inhibitors should ameliorate both the dermatologic and ocular manifestations. We describe the successful treatment of 6 patients with severe atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) resistant to conventional therapies. METHODS: Retrospective observational case series. The charts of patients with AKC assessed by 1 of the authors were reviewed to identify those treated with systemic T-cell signal transduction inhibitors. Visual acuities, previous treatments, and the response to systemic signal transduction inhibitors were observed and reported in 6 patients. RESULTS: The patients had a mean duration of AKC of 21 years. Topical corticosteroids and antihistamines had failed to control signs and symptoms of the disease in all patients, and in some patients, systemic corticosteroids and topical cyclosporine were ineffective. Three patients were treated with systemic cyclosporine, and 3 were treated with systemic tacrolimus. One patient was subsequently treated with daclizumab in addition to tacrolimus. All 6 patients experienced complete remission of their AKC and an increase in visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: Selective systemic immunosuppression of T lymphocytes with cyclosporine or tacrolimus has proved effective in the treatment of both atopic dermatitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis. We advocate the consideration of systemic therapy in cases that are resistant to conventional treatment to resolve inflammation and preserve vision. Further studies in this area are advocated.

Awareness and perceptions of electroconvulsive therapy among psychiatric patients: a cross-sectional survey from teaching hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is shown to be effective in many psychiatric illnesses, but its distorted projection by the Pakistani media and its unregulated use by many physicians across the country have adversely affected its acceptability. Given this situation we aimed to assess the awareness and perceptions regarding ECT as a treatment modality among the psychiatric patients. METHODS: This was a questionnaire based cross-sectional study carried out at 2 tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. RESULTS: We interviewed 190 patients of which 140 were aware of ECT. The study showed that the level of education had a significant impact on the awareness of ECT (p = 0.009). The most common source of awareness was electronic and print media (38%), followed by relatives (24%) and doctors (23%). Physical injuries (42%) and neurological (12%) and cognitive disturbances (11%) were the commonly feared side effects. The most popular belief about ECT was that it was a treatment of last resort (56%). Thirty-nine percent thought that ECT could lead to severe mental and physical illness and 37% considered it inhumane. Patients' willingness to receive ECT was dependant on whether or not they were convinced of its safety (p = 0.001) and efficacy (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: We identified a serious lack of dissemination of information regarding ECT by the psychiatrists and the mental health care providers. This may be the result of an inadequate postgraduate training in Pakistan or just a lack of concern about the mentally ill patients. The media seemed to be the major source of information for our patients. We also saw the prevalence of a variety of myths regarding ECT in our society, which we feel may be responsible for the patients' adverse attitudes. Given the widespread applicability of ECT there is a dire need to dispel these misconceptions and improve its acceptability.