Health Related Quality of Life in Patients with Single Lower Limb Amputation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of age, cause of amputation, and anatomic level of amputation on the health related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with unilateral lower limb amputation. STUDY DESIGN: Across-sectional survey. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, from August 2014 to February 2015. METHODOLOGY: Short Form-36 (SF-36) health related quality of life (HRQOL). Survey questionnaire was used to collect data. The responses were scored by using the quality metric health outcomes™ scoring software 4.5. The scores were entered and analysed in SPSS version 21. RESULTS: Atotal of 52 patients were inducted with mean age of 30.71 ±7.50 years. Mean physical component summary (PCS) was lower than mental component summary (MCS) (38.7 vs. 44.8). RP and RE scores were found to be significantly associated with gender (p=0.024 and p=0.003, respectively). Age group was also significantly associated with RP(p=0.037) and SF (p=0.041). When SF-36 domains were compared with level of amputation (i.e. trans-tibial and transfemoral), none of the domains showed any statistically significant results. CONCLUSION: Age and indication affect different aspects of quality of life but level of amputation did not. If these are known and anticipated before any type of rehabilitation, this could help in anticipation of health consequences and prevention accordingly.

Awareness of Hepatitis 'B' Among People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan.

Hepatitis B virus is causing serious health concerns in countries like Pakistan. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 0.6 milion people were estimated to be infected with this virus in 2008. The authors aimed to assess knowledge regarding vaccination, testing and routes of transmission of hepatitis B virus among people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as such knowledge among masses will help limit the infection. People belonging to 12 different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were interviewed over a period of 5 months from October 2013 to February 2014. Apre-tested questionnaire was used and in-person survey of randomly selected 1,938 people was carried out throughout the province. Ninety-nine percent people said they knew about hepatitis B virus and 42% said they had got tested for it too. Out of them, 63.2% knew that a vaccine is available for hepatitis B virus. The proportion of respondents, who said hepatitis B virus can spread by sharing razors, toothbrush, syringes or sexual contact, was 97.94%, 95%, 99.3% and 77%, respectively. Only 28.7% knew, it can also spread vertically from mother to child during childbirth. People were quite aware of the routes of transmission of this disease, but they lacked knowledge regarding vaccination and prevention of this menace. Settings should be set up where routine preventive care and immunization services are provided.