Work-life balance amongst residents in surgical and non-surgical specialties in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: To assess work-life balance among medical residents at a tertiary hospital. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 2016 at a private-sector tertiary care hospital in Karachi, and comprised medical residents working at the facility. A standardised, self-administered questionnaire was developed on the basis of Canadian Mental Health quiz and a study in literature. The questions aimed at assessing satisfaction with work as well as emotional and personal life of residents in various medical and surgical specialties. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 275 residents, 129(46.9%) were males and 146(53.1%) were females. The overall mean age was 28.19±2.194 years. Of the total, 13(4.7%) participants thought they had work-life balance; 165(60%) felt their job had negatively affected their private lives; 118(42.9%) felt worn out; 109(39.6%) expressed moderate dissatisfaction with work-related factors; 119(43.3%) were dissatisfied with life outside work; and 93(33.8%) were dissatisfied their health. CONCLUSIONS: There was minimal work-life balance among the residents.

Adrenaline improves endurance of rabbit gastrocnemius: a study with continuous high frequency stimulation.

Beta adrenoceptor agonists are well known for their potentiating effects on peak twitch and tetanic tension and defatiguing effects on skeletal muscles. Adrenaline (ADR) is one of these agonist which is known for inotropism but less described for fatigue. In addition, studies on high frequency stimulation (HFS) of skeletal muscles are scarce and not available for tetanization fatigue related with endurance and recovery under the influence of ADR. We hypothesized that ADR can maintain peak tetanic tension (PTT) produced by mammalian skeletal muscles for longer period as well as help in recovery from fatigue on continuous HFS. Gastrocnemius muscles (medial Belly) from both limbs were isolated from Rabbits (Oryctologus cunniculus) and continuously stimulated at High frequency of 80Hz for 20Sec. Tetanic tensions were recorded digitally with the measurement of PTT at different time points during this stimulation. Time (T50) was also noted at which muscle force was reduced to 50%. At 20Sec of continuous stimulation, mean PTT(% of initial) was declined significantly in both the ADR treated and control CTL muscles being greater in CTL ones. T50 was found 74.9% greater in ADR than CTL, being significant. When muscles, which were fatigued with same stimulation protocol, were allowed to recover with and without adrenaline, the PTT recovers by 3.4 folds in ADR and about 2 folds only in CTL. Significant differences between CTL and ADR treated-continuously stimulated high frequency fatigued muscles confirm the hypothesis that in mammalian muscles ADR increases the endurance by delaying the high frequency fatigue and helps in its recovery.

Effect of duration of exposure to cement dust on respiratory function of non-smoking cement mill workers.

This study aimed to determine the effect of long term exposure to cement dust on lung function in non-smoking cement mill workers. This is a cross-sectional study of respiratory functions. Spirometry was performed in 100 apparently healthy volunteers; 50 non-smoking cement mill workers and 50 non-smoking un-exposed subjects. Based on the duration of exposure, cement mill workers were divided into three groups, less than 5, 5-10 and greater than 10 years. All subjects were individually matched for age, height, weight, and socioeconomic status. Pulmonary function test was performed by using an electronic spirometer. Significant reduction was observed in the mean values of Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV(1)), Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) and Maximal Voluntary Ventilation in cement mill workers who had been working in the cement industry for more than 10 years compared to their matched un-exposed group. Lung functions in cement mill workers were significantly impaired and results show a long term duration response effect of years of exposure to cement dust on lung functions.

Lung function in subjects exposed to crude oil spill into sea water.

A Greek oil-tanker ran aground, resulting in a huge oil spill along the costal areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to assess the lung function and follow up change after one year in subjects exposed to crude oil spill in sea water. It was a cross sectional study with follow up in 20 apparently healthy, non-smoking, male workers, who were exposed to a crude oil spill environment during oil cleaning operation. The exposed group was matched with 31 apparently healthy male control subjects. Pulmonary function test was performed using an electronic Spirometer. Subjects exposed to polluted air have significant reduction in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV(1)), forced expiratory flow (FEF(25-75%)) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) compared to their matched controls. This impairment was reversible and lung functions parameters were improved when the subjects were withdrawn from the polluted air environment.