scholarly journals Prevalence and associations of psychoactive substance use among male supportive staff members in a tertiary care hospital of Sri Lanka

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S293-S293
Author(s):  
Chathurie Suraweera ◽  
Iresha Perera ◽  
Priyanka Rupasinghe ◽  
Janith Galhenage

AimsThe study describes the prevalence and associated socio-demographic variables of psychoactive substance use among male supportive staff members at a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka.MethodA cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among male supportive staff members of a tertiary care hospital in Colombo District, Sri Lanka by using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Participants were recruited using stratified cluster sampling in thirteen overseer divisions of the hospital. Anonymous questionnaires were collected into a sealed box and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 20.ResultThe mean age of the 404 male staff members who participated in the study was 38.78(SD = 10.90) years and 71.5% were married. Among them 202 (49.1%) were educated up to grade 6-11 and 30 of them has had encounters with law in the past. Thirty of participants had history of psychoactive substance use in the family. Alcohol was used more than once a month by 127(30.9%) and more than once a week by 19(4.6%) individuals. Among other substances, tobacco, beetle and beedi were used by 104(25.3%), 78(19.0%) and 18(4.4%) respectively at least once a month. Further, 22(5.3%), 20(4.8%), 7(1.7%) and 7(1.7%) participants used Mava, Cannabis, Methamphetamine and Thool respectively at least less than once a month. Heroin, Tramadol and Morphine were used by two individuals at least less than once a month. Among substance using participants, 132 wished to cut down their habit. Most commonly identified (14.1%) adverse consequence was financial issues secondary to psychoactive substance use. Eleven (4.5%) staff members used the substance at hospital. Alcohol use was associated with age more than 35 years (p = 0.039) and history of forensic involvement (p = 0.038). Tobacco(p = 0.000), beetle (p = 0.056), Cannabis (p = 0.000) and mava (p = 0.015) use were significantly associated with positive forensic history. Supportive staff members’ alcohol and cannabis use was associated with tobacco (p = 0.000, p = 0.000) and beetle use (p = 0.001, p = 0.049). Mava use was associated with alcohol (p = 0.060) use in addition to tobacco (p = 0.020) and beetle use (p = 0.008).Binomial logistic regression revealed alcohol use and beetle use were associated with the number of children in family and above associations.ConclusionCommonest psychoactive substance consumed by supportive staff members were alcohol, tobacco, beetle, Cannabis and Mava in descending order of frequency. Forensic history was significantly associated with substance use. True prevalence of substance use can be higher than these values.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 2451-2453
Author(s):  
Shahid Iqbal ◽  
Muhammad Fareed Khan ◽  
Raja Imtiaz Ahmed ◽  
Shahab Saidullah ◽  
Nisar Ahmed ◽  
...  

Objective: To find out the pattern of CHD and associated risk factors among children presenting at a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: A case-control study. Place and Duration of the Study: The Department of Pediatrics and Department of Cardiology, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Hospital, Rawlakot from July 2020 to June 2021. Material and Methods: A total of 207 children of both genders, screened by ECG along with chest x-ray and further confirmed with the diagnosis of CHD through echocardiography were enrolled as cases. Same number of healthy controls (n=207) were recruited from immunization center of the study institution. Among cases, types of CHD were noted. For cases and controls, demographic, antenatal and maternal risk factors including maternal age, gender of the child, history of consanguinity, history of febrile illness in pregnancy, use or multi-vitamin or folic acid in pregnancy, bad obstetrical history and maternal diabetes mellitus were noted. Results: In a total of 414 children (207 cases and 207 controls), there were 219 (53.8%) male. In terms of CHD types among cases, VSD was the most noted in 62 (30.0%), ASD 35 (16.9%), TOF 33 (15.9%) and PDA in 30 (14.5%). Cases were found to have significant association with younger age (78.3% cases below 1 year of age vs. 64.7% in controls, p=0.0085), bad obstetrical history (p=0.0002), history of febrile illness in 1st trimester of pregnancy (p=0.0229) and lack of multivitamins and folic acid in the 1st trimester of pregnancy (p=0.0147). Conclusion: Majority of the children with CHDs were male and aged below 1 year. VSD, ASD, TOF and PDA were the most frequent types of CHD. Younger age, bad obstetrical history, history of febrile illness in 1st trimester of pregnancy and lack of multivitamins and folic acid in the 1st trimester of pregnancy were found to have significant association with CHDs among children. Keywords: Congenital heart disease, echocardiography, ventricular septal defect.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-319
Author(s):  
U Ketan Raju ◽  
Hanamant G Bobade ◽  
Anil Mishra

Dermatophytes are aerobic fungi that produce proteases that digest keratin and allows colonization, invasion and infection of the stratum corneum of the skin, the hair shaft, and the nail. This study was an attempt on the part of the author to find out the incidence and various clinico-epidemiological characteristics of Dermatophytosis in skin OPD of Tertiary care Hospital, B.K.L.W.R.M.C., Dervan. The study was carried on 2444 patients of Dermatophytosis attending the OPD, out of which 49.79% of the cases were Tinea Cruris (TC). The age group of 11-20 years showed maximum prevalence of Dermatophytosis (22.17%). 58% of the patients had diffuse lesions. Body involvement was seen in 87% of cases. Itching was the most common condition associated with Dermatophytosis. 35% of the patients reported with family history of Tinea Cruris.Circumscribed variety of TC was found to be most common variant mostly observed in 2and 4 decade, with a male preponderance. Groin was the most common site with multiple lesions. Nail changes was most commonly associated with TC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-312
Author(s):  
Pendru Raghunath ◽  
LN Rao Sadanand

Streptococci are gram positive cocci arranged in chains and are part of normal flora of humans and animals. The present study is carried out to determine the prevalence and risk factors for the carriage of beta-haemolytic streptococci (BHS) among women visiting Dr. VRK Women’s Teaching Hospital & Research Centre, Hyderabad. Vaginal swabs were collected from 250 patients attending outpatient department (OPD) of Dr. VRK Women’s Teaching hospital. Swabs were inoculated onto 5% sheep blood agar plates and incubated for 24 h at 37°C in a candle jar. BHS isolates were phenotypically identified by standard microbiological techniques, all the isolates presumptively identified as BHS were tested for Bacitracin susceptibility. Sensitive isolates were presumptively identified as GAS and resistant isolates were identified as non-group A BHS (NGABHS). Presumptively identified GAS & NGABHS isolates were serogrouped by Lancefield grouping using a commercially available latex agglutination test. BHS were isolated from 12.4% of samples. As many as 12 BHS isolates were identified as GAS and 19 were identified as NGABHS. Ten of nineteen were identified as group B (GBS), 4 (12.9%) were identified as group C (GCS) and 5 (16.12%) were identified as group G (GGS). Among six clinical groups, the prevalence of GAS is highest i.e. 7.5% in female patients visiting Gynaecology OPD with history of white discharge. Prevalence of NGABHS was more among post insertion (18%) IUCD group compared to pre insertion (8%) IUCD group. GBS were isolated from 7% of samples from IUCD group and 4% of samples from prostitutes.This study reports the prevalence of BHS among women visiting a tertiary care hospital in Hyderabad. This study also identified certain risk factors such as IUCD usage and working as a FSW are associated with the increased prevalence of NGABHS especially GBS.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
R. T. Gamage ◽  
J. R. Wijesekera ◽  
A. L. A. M. C. Ambegoda ◽  
D. T. Wijesinghe ◽  
K. I. Panditharathne

Author(s):  
Pallavi Singh ◽  
Milind A. Patvekar ◽  
Bhavika Shah ◽  
Alisha Mittal ◽  
Asmita Kapoor

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Alopecia areata is one of the commonest types of non-scarring alopecia involving the scalp and/or body. As there is paucity of recent epidemiological data from our country, this study was conducted to determine the latest clinical and epidemiological trends of scalp alopecia areata.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A hospital-based observational study consisting of 100 cases of clinically diagnosed scalp alopecia areata who reported to the Dermatology OPD, Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Pune, was conducted for a period of six months. Socio-demographic and clinical information was collected and clinical examination was performed on all patients. The data was evaluated using appropriate statistical methods.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Out of the 100 cases enrolled, males (64%) outnumbered females (36%). The commonest presenting age group was 21-30 years (44%). Disease onset was sudden in 80% patients and 59% cases had a progressive disease course. Majority (75%) had a disease duration of less than 3 months. Majority cases were asymptomatic (80%) with no precipitating factors (90%). Past history and family history of alopecia areata were present in 13% and 9% cases, respectively. Personal and family history of associated diseases were present in 27% and 22% patients, respectively. Most patients had single (61%), patchy (83%) lesions with occiput (45%) being the commonest initial site. Nail changes were present in 22% cases, of which pitting (13%) was the commonest nail finding.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> This study reflects the clinical profile of scalp alopecia areata in a tertiary care hospital.</p>


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Risal ◽  
Pushpa Prasad Sharma ◽  
Rajkumar Karki

Background and Aims- Self-poisoning is the commonest mode of suicide in our part of the world. Patients attempting suicide by self-poisoning usually land up in the Emergency. They are admitted for management of medical complications and subsequently referred to Psychiatry for evaluation of possible Psychiatric illnesses. The aim of this study was to explore the patterns of psychiatric illnesses in the patients admitted for self-poisoning in a tertiary care center in Nepal. Methods- The study population included those patients who were admitted and being managed for self-poisoning and brought for psychiatric evaluation during the period of one year (1st June 2011- 30th June 2012) at Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal. Each patient underwent a detailed psychiatric evaluation by a consultant psychiatrist once they were medically stable. Details including sociodemographic data, psychiatric diagnosis, and treatment offered and outcome was tabulated and analyzed using SPSS-16. Results- Among the total patients (N=100), 43 were in the age group 21-40 years, median age being 27.5. There was almost equal gender distribution. Majority was of Mongolian ethnicity, homemaker by occupation and married. More than 90% were single-attempters, suicidal attempt using organophosphorus compounds. Almost 50% had depression; family dispute (19%) and marital disharmony (17%) were the most common psychosocial precipitant. Conclusion- Patients with history of self-poisoning are commonly brought to the Emergency Department of any tertiary care hospital. It is widely prevalent on younger age group. It is usually by the use of Organophosphorus compound in our setting and most commonly associated with depression. Hence, psychiatric care is essential for these patients. Journal of Advances in Internal Medicine 2013;02(01):10-13 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jaim.v2i1.7630


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