Due to long duration of treatment and use of several agents, tuberculosis can lead to poor health related quality of life among patients. Objective. The present study was designed to assess health related quality of life among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Pakistan. Methodology. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. SF-36 was self-administered to a sample of 382 pulmonary tuberculosis patients receiving self-administered or directly observed types of treatment, in baseline, initial, or continuous phase of treatment. After data collection, data was cleaned, coded, and statistically analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Results. The results of the current study highlighted a significant impact on several domains of HRQoL of pulmonary TB patients. Highest HRQoL scores had been observed for the domain of physical functioning (60.03, ±25.779) whereas lowest HRQoL scores were observed for the domain of general health (34.97, ±14.286) perceptions of TB patients followed by bodily pain (43.40, ±24.594). Conclusion. The results of the present study concluded that TB patients had poor HRQoL in spite of the new therapeutic strategies and free availability of medicines. The disease had a negative impact on HRQoL of TB patients across all domains.
<strong>Background:</strong> Depression is a condition that is often co-morbid to tuberculosis and can lead to increased morbidity and mortality associated with tuberculosis. The current prevalence of depression worldwide among individuals receiving treatment for TB ranged from 11.3% to 80.2%, with a mean weighted prevalence of 48.9%. The aim of the current study was to assess depression among tuberculosis patients in Pakistan. <strong>Methods </strong>A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate depression among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Pakistan. All the public and private tertiary healthcare facilities treating TB located in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were included in the study. Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to collect data from 382 patients of pulmonary tuberculosis. Non-parametric tests, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis, were performed to find out the difference among different variables. <strong>Results & Conclusion: </strong>Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney (p ≥ 0.05) were performed to find out the differences among different variables. Significant difference between different income levels (p=0.002), duration of treatment (p=0.01), phase of treatment (p=0.03) and type of treatment (p=0.001) were observed. Moderate depression was observed among patients at baseline and had duration of treatment less than a month. The present study concluded that majority of patients suffering from tuberculosis suffered from some sort of depression. This depression was more evident at baseline phase of therapy. Patients undergoing directly observed therapy appeared to be more depressed due to increased stigma along with increase in financial burden. Counseling and psychotherapy can play a massive role in combating depression and improving medication adherence in TB patients.
Entomopathogenic fungi can Control population of various insects. A number of entomopathogenic fungi also have ability to endophytically colonize many plant species. The Endophytic colonization by these fungi providesa source of indirect interactions between fungi and insects.This endophytic activity of entomopathogens may contribute in regulation of insect populations but also can cause diseases and damage to the plants. The entomopathogenic Aspergillus flavusis able to colonize different plant species by producing aflatoxins which is more favored in warm temperatures (32-38ºC). The present study is aimed to assess the effects of Aspergillus flavuson tomato plant (Solanum lysopersicum) and to determine its endophytic activity. Aspergillus flavuswas isolated from soil using insect bait method. The fungal suspension was prepared and applied on tomato plant leaves by spraying. After 7 days significant disease symptoms related to gray mold disease, late blight and leaf mold were observed when compared to plants of untreated control group. Microscopic observations showed 100% colonization of Aspergillus flavus on treated leaves. It is evident that the Aspergillus flavus can endophytically colonize tomato plant leaves and cause various diseases. So the utilization of entomopathogenic Aspergillus flavus to control insect population needs further research investigation for its environmental safety to non-target organisms.
Health is a fundamental human right, yet healthcare facilities are not distributed equitably across all communities. This study aims to investigate the distribution of healthcare facilities in Nassau County, New York, and examine whether the distribution is equitable across different social vulnerability levels. An optimized hotspot analysis was conducted on a dataset of 1695 healthcare facilities—dental, dialysis, ophthalmic, and urgent care—in Nassau County, and social vulnerability was measured using the FPIS codes. The study found that healthcare facilities were disproportionately distributed in the county, with a higher concentration in areas of low social vulnerability compared to areas of high social vulnerability. The majority of healthcare facilities were found to be clustered in two ZIP codes—11020 and 11030—that rank among the top ten wealthiest in the county. The results of this study suggest that socially vulnerable residents in Nassau County are at a disadvantage when it comes to attaining equitable access to healthcare facilities. The distribution pattern highlights the need for interventions to improve access to care for marginalized communities and to address the underlying determinants of healthcare facility segregation in the county.
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