Journal of Aziz Fatimah Medical & Dental College

Assessment of Incidence of Allergic Rhinitis in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients: A Prospective Analysis

2024-12-30T08:12:12+00:00

Objective: The study aims to assess the incidence of allergic rhinitis and prevalent allergens among individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Methodology: A prospective cross-sectional analysis was done at the Department of ENT at Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital, Islamabad, from May 2022 to April 2023. Based on the inclusion criteria, 100 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis were enrolled in the study after obtaining ethical approval, using consecutive sampling technique. The skin prick method was used for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 38.3±14.4 years. The ratio of males to females was nearly equal, with a slight male predominance (53%). The polypoid chronic rhinosinusitis incidence was 55%, while non polypoid cases accounted for 45% of the total. Nearly 2/3 of patients with polypoid exhibited severe disease, as determined by CT scan findings and nasal endoscopy examinations. The major presenting symptoms were nasal discharge, affecting approximately 94% of patients, and nasal blockage, affecting around 90% of patients. The skin prick method revealed that 75% of patients had allergic rhinitis, and pet dander was identified as the most common allergen.

Conclusion: Chronic rhinosinusitis is a prevalent condition, with the majority of patients developing it as a secondary response to allergies. Early detection of allergic rhinitis, including the specific allergens identification and its effective management, can aid in preventing chronic rhinosinusitis.

Self-Perceived Fibromyalgia Among Female Students and Academicians; A Single City Study

2024-07-14T07:57:12+00:00

Objectives: The study aims to analyze the prevelance of self reported fibromyligia syndrome among the female students and teachers and its association with demographic factors.

Methodology: This discriptive cross sectional study was conducted over 6 month from 6th april to 25th september 2020 after ethical approval targetting females in the education sector across various educational institutes in sialkot ccity using convinience sampling technique.Based on predefined eligibility criteria, a total of 161 females aged 18-35 were included in the study by utilizing a fibromyalgia survey questionnaire. The correlation between different age groups and symptoms severity was investigation with the utility of Spss.

Results: Out of 161 participants, 43 (26.70%) reported symptoms of fibromyalgia, having a mean age of 24.46±4.305 years. Prevalence of fibromyalgia reported was 22.7% in 18–23 years, 25.4% in 24–29 years and 43.5% in 30–35 years of age respectively. The symptom severity levels were mild (34.8%), moderate (41.3%), and severe (43.5%). The most affected body area was the shoulder (79.06%), followed by the neck (72.09%) and the lower back (69.77%). The prevalence in minor and major body areas was recorded as 37.39% and 34.51%, respectively.

Conclusion: The prevalence of self-reported fibromyalgia in females increases with advancing age, most evident in the thirties and onwards. The risk of fibromyalgia is directly related to the body mass index. Symptom distribution analysis supported the tender point theory of fibromyalgia assessment.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasonography in Detecting Spinal Dysraphism in Infants, Taking MRI as the Gold Standard

2025-03-17T06:41:37+00:00

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in detecting spinal dysraphism in infants, taking MRI as the gold standard.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of six months, from 30^th May 2023 to 29th November 2023, in the Department of Radiology, Allied Hospital, Faisalabad. A total of 142 infants with suspected spinal dysraphism were included in the study. Newborns with clinically suspected birth-related spinal cord injuries and absolute contraindications to MRI were excluded from the study. Ultrasonography was performed using real-time USG scanners equipped with high-frequency linear array transducers ranging from 9 to 12 megahertz (MHz) for optimal imaging in infants. The USG findings were then compared with MRI results to assess diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography.

Results: We observed that the overall sensitivity was 91.43%, specificity 94.44%, positive predictive value (PPV) 94.12%, negative predictive value (NPV) 91.89%, and diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in detecting spinal dysraphism in infants was 92.96.

Conclusion: Ultrasonography provides a highly sensitive and accurate diagnostic assessment while detecting spinal dysraphism. Being a cost-effective, simple and widely accessible alternative to MRI, it is highly useful modality in low-resource setups.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Dental Students Regarding Vape (E-Cigarette) Usage in Karachi: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

2024-12-26T07:40:21+00:00

Objective: To investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and associated factors influencing Vape (E-cigarette) use among dental students in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 2023 to July 2023 at two dental colleges in Karachi after obtaining ethical approval. A total of 200 dental students, selected through convenience sampling, participated in the study. A modified version of a pre-validated questionnaire was administered, covering demographics, knowledge, e-cigarette use, and perceptions. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 22, with the chi-square test used to explore associations, considering a P value of <0.05 as statistically significant.

Results: Of the 200 participants, 53% (n=106) were female, and 57% (n=114) were aged 20-24 years. The study revealed that 36% (n=72) of dental students currently vape, while 79.5%(n=159) were knowledgeable about vaping. Social media played a significant role, influencing 58.5% (n=117) of students to start vaping. Approximately 45% (n=90) purchased vape products online, and 49% (n=98) believed that vaping could help in smoking cessation. However, 78% (n=156) of students acknowledged that vaping posed serious health risks.

Conclusion: A significant proportion of dental students in Karachi are aware of vaping, with a substantial number actively using e-cigarettes. Social media is a key driver of vaping behavior.

Effectiveness of Simulation Based Learning in Medicolegal Training of Medical Officers

2024-10-14T04:13:36+00:00

Objective: The present study is aimed to compare the effectiveness of simulation-based learning with didactic lecturing in medico-legal training of medical officers.

Methodology: A quasi experimental study design (pre-test, post-test) was implemented. It included 44 medical officers who were deputed at Forensic Medicine Department of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur for medicolegal training from 15^th May 2024 to 30^th May 2024. The sample was collected using a convenient sampling technique. All the medical officers were divided into two groups; one group (Group-A) underwent didactic lecturing whereas the other underwent simulation-based learning (Group-B). Likert scale was used to assess the knowledge and skills of both groups. Pre- and post-test scores evaluated the learning outcomes. The self-confidence of medical officers was measured through a self-assessment questionnaire.

Results: A total of 44 medical officers were included in the study, with 22 in each group. The pre-test score of Group A and B was 6.4±0.4 and 5.6±0.5 respectively, whereas the post-test score was 7.3±0.3 and 9.0±0.2, respectively. A significant improvement was seen in post-test scores than pre-test scores (p<0.001). Moreover, the simulation-based learning group had a higher post-test score than the didactic lecturing group. Also, a higher confidence level was observed in medical officers undergoing simulation-based learning in managing different scenarios.

Conclusion: The present study found that medical officers gained valuable experience from simulation-based learning in confronting ethical dilemmas and complex legal cases encountered in their clinical practice by negotiating with real-time scenarios.

The Body Mass - Cognition Conundrum: Unraveling the Association Between Cognitive Performance and Obesity Among Medical Students

2025-03-28T05:55:43+00:00

Objective: To investigate the association between obesity and cognition level in terms of Mini-Mental State Examination scores and to compare the cognition levels between obese and non-obese students.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was held at Aziz Fatimah Medical and Dental College after taking ethical approval (Ref. No: IEC/221-23) from July to December 2023. A total of 159 students aged between 17 and 25 years were enrolled, including 34 obese and 125 non-obese students who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) tool was used to assess the cognition levels, it is an effective screening tool to separate patients with cognitive impairment from those without it. The questionnaire consists of several tasks, including orientation, attention, language and memory.

Results: Mean age of the participants was 20.29±1.33 years. Obese students showed significantly lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination compared to non-obese students. A significant negative association was found between BMI and cognitive scores (p = 0.034).

Conclusion: Obese students had lower cognition performance as compared to non-obese students. Higher BMI has a negative influence on cognitive performance; however, the field remains dynamic, and the ongoing research is needed to elucidate the causal pathways and inform evidence-based interventions.