Background: Although breastfeeding is a common practice in Nepal, proper breastfeeding is on the decline due to several factors. The impact of knowledge about breastfeeding practice, i.e., duration of breastfeeding, proper techniques, proper time of weaning is poorly understood. Objective: To assess the knowledge and actual practices of mothers regarding breastfeeding. Methods: Cross sectional study was carried out on 200 mothers of under 1 year old children who attending the pediatric Out Patient Department, well baby clinic and immunization clinic at BPKIHS, Dharan. Mothers were interviewed using pre-designed questionnaire. Result: All mothers knew that they had to breast feed their babies, but they did not have adequate knowledge about the appropriate way of breastfeeding. 10% knew that they have to initiate breast feeding within ½ hour of birth, 10% had idea on prelacteal feed, 25% had idea on importance of colostrums, 15% knew the meaning of exclusive breast feeding, and 15% of the mothers had idea on importance of night feeding. 41.5% mothers initiated breast feeding within ½ hour of birth, 33% mothers gave prelacteal feed, colostrum was fed by 95%, 15% were practicing exclusive breast feeding, 90% mothers were practicing night feeds, 15% mothers practiced feeding one side at a time, 60% mothers were practicing inappropriate attachment and positioning, None of the mothers got any advice regarding breast feeding during ANC visits. Conclusion: Undesirable cultural practices such as giving prelacteal feeds, late initiation of breastfeeding after birth, delay in introduction of weaning foods and avoiding exclusive breastfeeding are still prevalent among the mothers. The maternal knowledge towards breast feeding was inadequate and there was a big gap between actual and desired practices.

Brief advice on smoking cessation to patients starting anti-tuberculosis treatment in the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) setting in Eastern Nepal led to 39% quitting for least 6 months. Our results should encourage randomised trials in smokers with TB in Nepal: if substantiated, smoking cessation advice should become a mandatory component of the NTP.

BackgroundMany people in western countries assume that privacy and confidentiality are features of most medical consultations. However, in many developing countries consultations take place in a public setting where privacy is extremely limited. This is often said to be culturally acceptable but there is little research to determine if this is true. This research sought to determine the attitudes of patients in eastern Nepal towards privacy in consultations. A structured survey was administered to a sample of patients attending an outpatients department in eastern Nepal. It asked patients about their attitudes towards physical privacy and confidentiality of information.FindingsThe majority of patients (58%) stated that they were not comfortable having other patients in the same room. A similar percentage (53%) did not want other patients to know their medical information but more patients were happy for nurses and other health staff to know (81%). Females and younger patients were more concerned to have privacy.ConclusionThe results challenge the conventional beliefs about patients’ privacy concerns in Nepal. They suggest that consideration should be given to re-organising existing outpatient facilities and planning future facilities to enable more privacy. The study has implications for other countries where similar conditions prevail. There is a need for more comprehensive research exploring this issue.

Introduction: Intentional pesticide poisoning is a major clinical and public health problem in agricultural communities in low and middle income countries like Nepal. Bans of highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) reduce the number of suicides. We aimed to identify these pesticides by reviewing data from major hospitals across the country and from forensic toxicology laboratories. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 10 hospitals for pesticide poisoned patients and two forensic laboratories of Nepal from April 2017 to February 2020. The poison was identified from the history, referral note, and clinical toxidrome in the hospitals and from gas chromatography analysis in the laboratories. Data on demographics, poison, and patient outcome were recorded on a data collection sheet. Simple descriptive analysis was performed. Results: Among hospital cases (n ¼ 4148), the commonest form of poisoning was self-poisoning (95.8%) while occupation poisoning was rare (0.03%). Case fatality was 5.3% (n ¼ 62). Aluminum phosphide (n ¼ 38/62, 61.3%) was the most commonly identified lethal pesticide for deaths. Forensic toxicology laboratories reported 2535 deaths positive for pesticides, with the compounds most commonly identified being organophosphorus (OP) insecticides (n ¼ 1463/2535; 57.7%), phosphine gas (n ¼ 653/ 2535; 25.7%; both aluminum [11.8%] and zinc [0.4%] phosphide) and organochlorine insecticides (n ¼ 241/2535; 9.5%). The OP insecticide most commonly identified was dichlorvos (n ¼ 273/ 450, 60.6%). Conclusion:The data held in the routine hospital medical records were incomplete but suggested that case fatality in hospitals was relatively low. The pesticides identified as causing most deaths were dichlorvos and aluminum phosphide. Since this study was completed, dichlorvos has been banned and the most toxic formulation of aluminum phosphide removed from sale. Improving the medical record system and working with forensic toxicology laboratories will allow problematic HHPs to be identified and the effects of the bans in reducing deaths monitored.

Background: Monitoring a patient's serum acetylcholinesterase (AChE) status after clinical score of organophosphate poisoning enables the verification of exposure to anticholinesterase agents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria and was categorized according to POP (Peradeniya Organophosphorus Poisoning) score. The study was conducted at a tertiary hospital for one year in the period of Jan 2016 to Dec 2016. POP score was applied and serum acetylcholinesterase level was determined in the lab. Spearman’s rho coefficient method was applied for correlation. Results: Seventy four patients survived in emergency ward who presented within (4.1 ± 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.43- 4.80; P= 0.021) hours of ingestion of OP compounds, POP score 3 (Q1, Q3, 2, 4), serum AChE 2221 (Q1, Q3, 768.5, 4703.5) IU/L with 9 ( Q1,Q3, 8.75, 34.75) mg of atropine used, 94% received PAM for 5 (Q1, Q3, 3, 7) days of hospital stay. Four patients died within (7.5 ± 5.4; 95% CI, -1.16- 16.16; P= 0.021) hours of presentation, POP score of 4 (Q1, Q3, 4, 7.75), serum AChE 588 (Q1, Q3, 173, 1912) IU/L, atropine used 170 (Q1, Q3, 152.5, 297) mg, 5.1% received PAM for 3.5 (Q1, Q3, 1, 11.25) days of hospital stay. Spearman’s rho coefficient showed well correlation between POP score and serum AChE level (coefficient -0.356; P= 0.001), POP score for the need of atropine (coefficient= 0.536; P= 0.001). Serum AChE also correlated with the length of hospital stay (coefficient= 0.414; P= 0.001) compared to POP score (coefficient= 0.420; P= 0.001). Conclusions: The higher degree of POP score correlated to higher degree of serum acetylcholinesterase derangement, need for atropine, PAM and length of hospital stay. Thus, it enhances in the prediction of outcome among patients with acute organophosphate poisoning at index visit.