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BackgroundSelf medication is described as an act of procurement and consumption of medical drugs without the advice of medical physician for diagnosis, prescription and surveillance of treatment. There is a paucity of literature with regards to self medication among rural dwellers of Pakistan and no initiatives have been taken to resolve this issue. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate frequency, practice and prevalence of self medication among economically deprived rural population of Karachi (South Pakistan).MethodsThis was the descriptive, epidemiological cross sectional survey which was conducted at the two largest tertiary care government based teaching hospitals of Karachi, Civil hospital and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, from January 2015 until March 2015. Seven hundred rural dwellers were recruited; who were the residents of outskirts of Karachi city were enrolled in the above mentioned period through the outpatient department (OPD) of the respective hospitals.ResultsAccording to the survey, 595 (85 %) subjects practiced self medication. The most common reasons evaluated for self medication were cost of consultation (90.3 %) and availability of transport (81.0 %) from rural area to health care facility. The paracetamol as a painkiller (93.0 %), acetylsalicylic acid as an anti pyretic (69.0 %), anti biotic (52.0 %) and anti allergic (51.0 %) were the commonest drug used without prescription of a health care physician. A significant difference was obtained in carrying out self medication between participants earning less than 50,000 PKR and greater than this amount (p = 0.029; 61 % vs. 24 %) and for the self medicated patients having education less than graduation with the participants having education of graduation or above it (p = 0.03; 63 % vs. 22 %).ConclusionThe self medication among rural dwellers of Karachi is high . As a result, urgent steps must be taken to initiate the awareness and educational programs regarding potential risks of self medication. Secondly, strict measures must be introduced to stop supply of prescription drugs from pharmacies without prescription. Thirdly, provision of cost effective treatment from public sector hospitals to rural population can help to reduce self medication among rural population of Pakistan.

BackgroundOsteoporosis is a growing health problem around the world. The increasing incidence of osteoporotic fractures coupled with the lack of knowledge about the disease in the general community means that the disease is continuously increasing the burden on health sector and the general population. The purpose of the study is to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices about osteoporosis among female medical school entrants in Karachi.MethodsThis is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted amongst 400 female medical school entrants of DOW University of Health Sciences (DUHS) and Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU). A pre validated questionnaire, Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool (OKAT), was distributed amongst the participants. A food frequency questionnaire was also distributed to determine calcium intake. Descriptive statistics and Chi square test were used to compare the two groups of students with SPSS (20.0) being utilized for analysis. A p value of <0.05 was considered as significant.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 19.4 ± 1.2 years. Only 8.0% of the participants had a good score pertaining to knowledge about osteoporosis whereas majority of the participants (49.0%) had a poor score. Perceived susceptibility was low as only 14.0% of the participants believed that they were at a high risk for osteoporosis. The RDA for calcium was equal to or greater than 700 mg per day which was met by only 29.0% of the participants despite of the high motivation towards consuming a calcium rich diet. Exercise levels were insufficient in terms of both, duration and the recommended type of exercise. Only 12.0% of the participants engaged in exercises according to the recommended guidelines. Moreover, only 5.5% subjects were involved in definitive behaviors to improve bone health.ConclusionsParticipants possessed an insufficient knowledge of the disease and that too was not adequately applied in preventative practices. There is a serious lack of adoption of preventative practices for osteoporosis. This was primarily due to little appreciation of the seriousness of osteoporosis. Hence, this study highlights the dire need for awareness about practices and attitudes related to the disease. Furthermore, it could be of paramount importance to future studies conducted on practices and beliefs related to osteoporosis.

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IntroductionDiabetic foot ulcers are a pressing complication of diabetes mellitus. Wound care requires a significant proportion of healthcare resources. It is imperative, therefore, for healthcare professionals to possess sound knowledge of the disease along with a positive attitude to ensure better clinical practice. Our literature search revealed a scarcity of data pertaining to diabetic foot ulcers. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of nurses regarding diabetic foot care.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was employed, a pre-validated and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample size of 250 nurses working at two tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. The study was conducted over a period of three months (January to March 2018) and included all nurses who possessed at least one year of clinical experience in diabetic ulcer care. The statistical software employed was SPSS version 19 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US). Non-parametric tests and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis and statistical significance was assumed at a p-value of less than 0.5.ResultsOnly 54% of the nurses in our study possessed adequate knowledge of diabetic foot ulcers. The mean score of knowledge was 74.9 (±9.5). Macdonald’s standard criteria for learning outcomes was used to gauge the knowledge levels of our study population. Nurses performed best in the domain of ulcer care with 65.3% of the participants possessing good knowledge of the topic. The overall attitude of nurses towards patients with diabetic ulcers was positive. ConclusionThis study highlights important gaps in nurses’ knowledge and sheds light on the lack of evidence-based practice. Poor knowledge can compromise healthcare standards, even with the presence of positive attitudes. Hence, a comprehensive revision of nursing curricula across local tertiary hospitals for allowing nurses to update their knowledge is warranted.

IntroductionOur study was meant to assess the knowledge, attitude, and barriers towards research in medical students of Pakistan. By assessing the factors, we aim to increase the role of medical students in research, which will eventually help developing countries like Pakistan to achieve self-reliance in health care.MethodsUndergraduate and postgraduate students of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy schools of Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, were enrolled from February-March 2018 in a cross-sectional, descriptive study using questionnaires to provide details of the parameters of attitude to the knowledge of and barriers towards research for each individual. All data were coded for each of the parameters. Data analyses were performed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)/Tukey and Student’s t-test, Pearson’s correlation, and Chi-squared tests.ResultsA total of 850 questionnaires were received. The overall mean scores of students on attitude, knowledge, and barriers were 69.27 ± 13.44, 70.39 ± 15.67, and 72.46 ± 13.46, respectively; 81.8% of students’ scores fell above the middle of the maximum score for knowledge, but 84.5% of attitude scores came in at below the middle of the maximum score. Undergraduate students had a more positive attitude to research than postgraduate students (69.20 ± 11.10 vs 64.23 ± 10.98; p = 0.002). Male students had a better attitude than females (72.97 ± 20.54 vs 67.09 ± 21.56; p = 0.010). Barriers highlighted by students most significantly included a lack of funding support and preference for instruction over research.ConclusionStudents showed good knowledge of research, but their attitude was not up to the mark. The barriers highlighted suggest a need for a change in the strategies for research. Attention should be paid to inculcate research as part of the student curriculum and to make available incentives, information, and mentors to solve the problems most students face in the field of research.

In this study a low-loaded 0.2% Ru/alumina catalyst was tested over a range of temperatures (773-873 K) at 20 barg with a 5 : 1 steam to ethanol ratio. Ruthenium was found to produce significant amounts of ethene, although in the steady state hydrogen was always the main product. Significant levels of methane and carbon dioxide were formed at 873 K. Hydrogenation of ethene to ethane was inhibited and an activation energy comparable with low temperature studies was obtained. Liquid products such as acetaldehyde, diethyl ether and acetone were also produced at low levels (o12%). Temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO), Raman spectroscopy, powder XRD, BET and SEM analysis were used to characterise the nature of the coke species for reactions at 773 K, 823 K and 873 K. The TPO results indicate that different types of coke are deposited on the catalyst during ethanol steam reforming (ESR). Carbon nanotubes and filamentous coke were observed on the catalyst after ESR at 873 K. Powder XRD and Raman analysis revealed that the coke deposited on the catalysts was graphitic in nature and the disorder in the graphitic type coke generally increased with in an increase in the reaction temperature.

BackgroundStudies of the molecular epidemiology and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in health care workers (HCWs) of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region are scarce. Lack of awareness about the transmission of HCV and regular blood screening is contributing a great deal towards the spread of hepatitis C. This study is an attempt to investigate the prevalence of HCV and its possible association with both occupational and non-occupational risk factors among the HCWs of Peshawar.ResultsBlood samples of 824 HCWs, aged between 20-59 years were analysed for anti-HCV antibodies, HCV RNA and HCV genotypes by Immunochromatographic tests and PCR. All relevant information was obtained from the HCWs with the help of a questionnaire. The study revealed that 4.13% of the HCWs were positive for HCV antibodies, while HCV RNA was detected in 2.79% of the individuals. The most predominant HCV genotype was 3a and 2a.ConclusionA program for education about occupational risk factors and regular blood screening must be implemented in all healthcare setups of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in order to help reduce the burden of HCV infection.