Animal laboratory, interactive and computer based learning, in enhancing basic concepts in physiology: an outlook of 481 undergraduate medical students.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory exercises are intended to illustrate concepts and add an active learning component to courses. Since 1980s, there has been a decline in animal laboratories in medical physiology courses. Other cost-effective non-aninmal alternatives are being sought. The present study was designed to find out the students' opinion regarding the animal versus computer lab and whether innovative teaching methodologies helped students achieve their goals. METHODS: Opinions of 481 female in medical students of 2nd and 3rd year MBBS were included in the study. A questionnaire based on animal/computer based experiments and new teaching methodologies in physiology was voluntarily filled in by the students. RESULTS: Majority of students immensely benefited from both the animal lab and other teaching methodologies. CONCLUSION: Although computer based learning is considered effective in helping students acquire basic concepts, there is evidence that some students acquire a more thorough understanding of the material through more advanced and challenging experience of an animal laboratory. The fact that such labs as well various teaching methods offer distinct educational advantages should be taken into account when courses are designed.

Nutritional status of primary school children in Abbottabad.

BACKGROUND: In Abbottabad district, with the vast poverty stricken rural majority and 80% literacy rate, primary-level education faces great influx of students. This study was carried out to see the nutritional status of children 5-10 years of age attending primary schools of Abbottabad. METHODS: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out in June 2009 on 400 schoolchildren of 5-10 years of age from three randomly selected primary schools of Abbottabad. After informed consent by the parents/ teachers, a semi-structured Performa/questionnaire was filled for each child. Anthropometric measurements were recorded. Correlation of age of the child with height, and weight was calculated. RESULT: The nutritional status of the study children was particularly optimum; 90% children were in optimal nutritional status and had sound skeletal growth irrespective of their socioeconomic background. There was a significant correlation of nutritional status and skeletal growth of children with parents socioeconomic status. There was a direct correlation between height and weight of children, and their age. CONCLUSION: Anthropometric measurements indicate a high majority of children in healthy status despite the overall poor setup.

Alpha-1 microglobulin: a marker for early detection of tubular disorders in diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Tubular damage as suggested by tubular proteinuria is a recognised feature of glomerulonephritis. The objectives of the study were to compare the level of alpha-microglobulin in normal and diabetic patients, and also to find out whether the level of alpha-1 microglobulin could become a laboratory marker for tubulo-interstitial damage in diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: Twenty-nine registered Type II diabetic patients of either sex were studied. The patients' age ranged from 41-50 years who were admitted in the medical ward, and those who visited the outdoor department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore were included in the study. The duration of study was one year from June 2006 to June 2007. Ten normal subjects with no history of diabetes were taken as controls. Blood samples and 24 hour urine samples of patients of all groups were collected. The levels of urinary protein and blood sugar were estimated by auto analyser. Proteinuria positive urinary samples were analysed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. RESULTS: The level of alpha-1 urinary protein was significantly increased in the group of diabetic patients as compared to the urinary protein level of normal subjects. Blood sugar level was also significantly increased in patients as compared to controls. Level of low molecular weight protein alpha-1 microglobulin showed an electrophoresis band of 28 Kda with an average volume of 6741.88 in the urine sample of patients. On the other hand, a very light, hardly recognisable band was observed in normal subjects. CONCLUSION: Urinary alpha-1 microglobulin provides a noninvasive and inexpensive diagnostic alternative for the diagnosis and monitoring of urinary tract disorders, i.e., early detection of tubular disorders of diabetic nephropathy. We propose that SDS-PAGE electrophoresis is a comparatively inexpensive diagnostic approach to detect this marker in the urine sample.

Diagnostic significance of adenosine deaminase in pleural tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of pleural effusion, which in TB usually has lymphocytic and exudative characteristics. Analysis of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity is a very useful diagnostic approach to achieve a more rapid and precise diagnosis in cases of Pleural TB (pTB). METHODS: Fifty male and fifty female patients presenting with tuberculous pleural effusion was included in the study. The patients were taken from the medical ward of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital between September 2001 and September 2002. Activity of Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) was estimated by the technique of Sodium dodecyl sulphate electrophoresis (SDS-EF) using 10% polyacrylamide gel. RESULTS: Mean age of males was 45.72 +/- 19.22 years and of female was 43.74 +/- 16.09 years. Mean protein level was 3.39 +/- 0.24 g/dl in males, and it was 3.02 +/- 0.26 g/dl in females. Mean specific gravity both in males and females was 1.020 +/- 0.01. The results show an increased level of enzyme ADA in patients as compared to normal subjects. CONCLUSION: Estimation of ADA activity may provide basis for rapid and efficient diagnosis of pleural TB in different clinical settings. However study should be extended to larger number of patients to reach a better conclusion.