IntroductionA lot of radiation exposure to a population comes from medical sources. Clinicians must justify the need for radiology procedures on a request form to prevent unnecessary scans and radiation exposure. Moreover, the properly-filled form will help to identify the patient correctly and provide clinical details to make a radiological diagnosis.ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to audit the computed tomography (CT) scan request forms and find out the adequacy of completion of the request forms at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.Materials and methodsWe scrutinized 300 CT scan request forms received at the tertiary care center, Bahawal Victoria Hospital. We checked the adequacy of filling of different fields in the request forms like name, address, clinical and surgical history, and the name of required examination. We also looked for the missing subjects in the CT request form currently used in our hospital like the contact numbers of the patient and the doctor, the identity of the requesting doctor, renal function tests (RFTs), last menstrual period (LMP), and history of allergy. The results were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 20 (SPSS 20) (IBM, NY, USA) and Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet (Microsoft Corporation, NM, USA).ResultsThe name of the patient was present in 100% of the request forms, surname in 27.66%, age in 73.33%, gender in 64.33%, date in 91.66%, bed number in 37.90%, address in 1% and the name of required examination in 99.6%. Information about diagnosis included clinical history in 50.66%, past surgical history in 1%, laboratory investigations in 1%, and clinical examination in 8.66% of the forms. All the forms had the name and signature of the referring consultant, but only 10.33% forms contained the identity of the requesting junior doctor. More than half of the request forms for CT scan provided RFTs. We found no record of the allergy, LMP, and the contact number of the doctor and the patient.ConclusionThe information provided in the CT scan request forms was inadequate. The practice of filling these forms needs to be improved to protect the patients from unnecessary radiation exposure.

IntroductionHepatitis C has emerged as a big challenge for Pakistan. Health care providers are at increased risk of being infected due to tremendous exposure.AimThe purpose of this study was to find the prevalence of hepatitis C, its risk factors especially its occupational risk factors and preventive measures practiced by health care providers of Tehsil Head Quarter Hospital, Hasilpur, Pakistan.Materials and methodsBlood samples were collected, and rapid chromatography strips were used for diagnostic purpose. A questionnaire was used for data collection. After analyzing the data, results were summarized.ResultsThe prevalence of Hepatitis was 5.17%. Those who used gloves were 67.24%. A history of needle stick injury was present in 47.41%, and 49.13% knew about the spread of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Just 18.96% knew about the treatment plan, and 19.83% had attended a workshop on preventive measures of infectious diseases in healthcare settings.ConclusionThe frequency of HCV among health care providers is high. Awareness programs and training workshops should be mandatory to increase knowledge about hepatitis C prevention. It will decrease the incidence of hepatitis C infection among health care workers.

Purpose:To increase understanding about the damaging effects of light rays on eyesight. To investigate frequency of people affected from light rays electronic devices. Study design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Riphah International University Lahore and duration of study was six months from June 2020 to December 2020. Materials & Methods: A six months cross sectional study with convenient sampling method was conducted at Riphah international university Lahore from June 2020 to December 2020. The age of the individuals was between 18 years-25 years. Individuals who fulfill the inclusion criteria were chosen from University. A proforma was filled regarding detailed history of use of electronic devices other visual problems associated with it. Results: In present study 200 students were participated who has been using electronic devices. In this 100 students were male and 100 were females. 60% were emmetropic, 27.5% were myopic, 5.5% were hyperopia and 7.0% were astigmatic. 40% individuals were using smartphones from 11 years-13 years, 20.5% using from 8 years-11 years and 25% using from 4 years-7 years. The purpose of using these electronic devices in 96 individuals was using smartphone only for social networking. Most of them (130) participants were using smartphone and laptops. Usage of these electronic devices for more than 4 hours-6 hours was observed in 60 members. Among these individuals most of them were using these electronic devices by lying on the bed and some were also using in cervical flexion position. Conclusion:The over all research identified the smartphone/any electronic devices used so longer had bad effect on vision most particularly myopia occurred. This research suggests that constant and extreme utilization of smartphone and other electronic devices should be avoided.

The significance of mental health inequities globally is illustrated by higher rates of anxiety and depression amongst racial and ethnic minority populations as well as individuals of lower socioeconomic status. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these pre-existing mental health inequities. With rising mental health concerns, arts engagement offers an accessible, equitable opportunity to combat mental health inequities and impact upstream determinants of health. As the field of public health continues to shift its focus toward social ecological strategies, the social ecological model of health offers an approach that prioritizes social and structural determinants of health. To capture the impacts of arts engagement, this paper creates an applied social ecological model of health while aiming to advocate that engaging in the arts is a protective and rehabilitative behavior for mental health.

IntroductionThe prevalence of beta-thalassemia mutations is different in various castes, regions, and ethnic groups. By knowing this prevalence, we can conduct a targeted screening of only the high-risk population and only for the specific mutations that are prevalent in each group.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the regional, caste-wise, and ethnic spectrum of beta-thalassemia mutations in couples referred for a prenatal diagnosis.MethodsA cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at the thalassemia unit, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, from October 1, 2015, to May 15, 2018. After obtaining informed consent, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was performed in 144 women having a gestational age of 12 to 16 weeks. We took blood samples of the couples. A chromosomal analysis for 13 mutations was done at Punjab Thalassaemia Prevention Programme (PTPP), Lahore. The researchers filled a questionnaire with all the details of couples like ethnicity, caste, and region.ResultsThe most common mutation was Fr 8-9(+G), accounting for 29.8%, followed by IVS 1-5(G-C), which was 28.9%. We did not find three mutations in any chromosome. Fr 8-9 (+G) was the most common mutation among Punjabis and Pakhtoons. IVS 1-5 (G-C) was the most common mutation among Saraikis and Urdu-speaking people. In Rajputs, Arains, Jatts, and Pathans, Fr 8-9 (+G) was the most common mutation. IVS 1-5 (G-C) was the most common mutation among Sheikhs, Balochs, Syeds, and Miscellaneous. IVS 1-5 (G-C) was the most common mutation in the Bahawalpur division and Ghotki (Sindh) while Fr 8-9 (+G) was the most common mutation in the Multan division. The p-value of all the results was <0.001.ConclusionThere is an ethnic, caste-wise, and regional distribution of mutations. We can conduct a targeted screening of the population and provide counseling about chorionic villus sampling by using this local data.