Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences
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Tuberculous Mastoiditis: A Rare Disorder
Get PDFTuberculosis can masquerade any disease. Tuberculous mastoiditis is a silent disease. We report a case of tubercular mastoiditis which presented as a post-auricular swelling with ear discharge, pain, tinnitus, and reduced hearing. Radiological findings were suggestive of abscess; however, the histopathological report showed evidence of tubercular foci. A high level of clinical suspicion is needed for early diagnosis and antitubercular therapy should be initiated early to prevent the possible complication
Identifying Determinants of Bullying and Deciding on Measures through Engaging Adolescents in a Rural School in Sri Lanka
Get PDFBullying is a public health concern which generates a range of harmful physical, mental, and social health consequences for both its victims and perpetrators. Role of students in finding solutions for bullying has to be improved as they are affected from this issue. The aim of this study was to identify possible determinants of bullying and to decide measures, through engaging a group of adolescents in a rural school in Sri Lanka. Community-based health promotion approach was used for the study. The process was carried out for 3 months with grade nine students (n = 68) in a rural school in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through, a self-administered questionnaire and ten interactive group discussions which were conducted with the selected group of students. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis respectively. Students were able to identify 16 possible determinants of bullying and they prioritized five determinants based on the importance and feasibility of changing. The prioritized determinants included lack of understanding of students on the range of harms of bullying, poor responses of students against bullying, poor relationships among students, students being in unhappy or angry mood throughout the day, and acceptance of bullying as a heroic act among students. Furthermore, seven measures to address the selected determinants were decided together with the students. Students are capable in identifying possible determinants of bullying and deciding on measures to address the selected determinants with comparatively small guidance
A Study of Microbial Load on the Hands of Nursing Staff in Tertiary Care Hospital
Get PDFBackground: Infections due to hospital-acquired microbes is an evolving problem worldwide. Prevalence as high as 19%, of these infections in developing countries poses a challenge to health-care providers. A major source of horizontal transmission of the nosocomial infections are thought to be bacterial contamination of palm of hand of health care providers such as doctors and nurses. Hand hygiene is the single most cost effective preventive measure against hospital acquired infections and education is an important tool to ensure its implementation. Aim: The present study was undertaken, to demonstrate the presence of resident microbial flora on the hands of nursing staff after duty hours working at various critical areas in a tertiary care hospital with their antibiogram. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out after ethical clearance from June to August 2020 on 100 nursing staff of either sex working in critical areas of tertiary care hospital after due informed consent from the nurses. A sterile swab moistened with sterile normal saline was used to collect the swabs from dominant (working) hands after working hours. The collected swabs were processed for isolation, identification, and antibiotic sensitivity of organisms. Results: Out of 100 swabs collected from the dominant hands of nurses working in critical areas, 83 showed the growth. All the samples cultured shows growth of more than two organisms. The major Gram-positive pathogenic organisms grown were Coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp. Forty (48.19%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus 30 (36.14%) whereas among Gram-negative Klebsiella spp. five (6.025%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa four (4.81%) predominated. Conclusions: In the present study, the level of contamination of nursing staff was found to be high. Resident flora consisting of multi drug resistant pathogenic organisms can be greatly reduced by an increase in hand-hygiene awareness coupled with organizational interventions. We recommend to closely monitoring hand hygiene practices for effective intervention strategies
A Community-led Workshop to Convey the Concept of “Community-centered Model of Health Promotion:” An Experience from Sri Lanka
Get PDFBackground and Aim: This paper details the results of a formal workshop conducted by lay community members for a professional audience, as part of an initiative by the Department of Health Promotion in Rajarata University to popularize its “community centered model of health promotion”. Methods: Ten persons from rural communities in Anuradhapura district, who had previously implemented health promotion interventions in their communities, conducted the workshop. The half-day workshop, was in 3 phases – phase I: Prioritizing issues and setting goals; phase II: Training participants on the steps of the community centered model; phase III: A discussion with participants on enhancing the effectiveness of interventions. The participants were 10 local and foreign professionals and 17 undergraduates. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to the participants and telephone interviews were conducted with community members who conducted the workshop. Results: The majority of participants reported a strong achievement of learning outcomes. Participants’ comments indicated that the model was well presented and the community member trainers conducted the workshop well. Responses from the community member trainers indicated that they felt confident in conducting the workshop and believed they had succeeded in imparting the intended knowledge and experience. Conclusions: The community-led workshop was successful in terms of conveying the model, achieving the leaning outcomes of participants and in empowering community members to conduct a formal workshop for professionals. It is recommended that this model be replicated
Coronavirus Disease-19 Pneumonia or Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia in a Patient with Diabetes: A Diagnostic Dilemma
Get PDFCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and pneumocystis pneumonia share many overlapping features and may be clinically indistinguishable on initial presentation in people living with human immunodeficiency virus severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to the subfamily of beta-coronavirus, which are responsible for respiratory, enteric, hepatic, and neurologic diseases, due to their broad tissue tropism. In the present patient, the course was acute with dyspnea being one of the major symptoms and lung involvement was seen to be peripheral. The two negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) reports for SARS-CoV-2 along with the differences in the interpretation of the computed tomography scans led to the diagnosis difficulty in the present case. COVID-19 pneumonia may have similar presentation like that of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. The low sensitivity of RT-PCR which is considered the gold standard of diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and the similarities in presentation between the two types of pneumonia, along with increased prevalence of both the types of pneumonia amongst diabetics, may give rise to diagnostic difficulties
A Narrative literature review on Phytopharmacology of a Caricature Plant: Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff. (Syn: Justicia picta Linn.)
Get PDFGraptophyllum pictum is a plant used in medicine from the time of Ayurveda, the ancient system of Indian medicine. This review article is presented to give an insight on all the updated information on its pharmacological activities. Studies indicated that G. pictum possesses diverse medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, nephroprotective, antidiabetic, oxytocic, and anti-implantation properties. This review comprehends the numerous medicinal uses and present literature for pharmacological review of G. pictum belongs to family Acanthaceae
Hybrid Type-2 Diabetes Prediction Model Using SMOTE, K-means Clustering, PCA, and Logistic Regression
Get PDFEarly prediction of diabetes is very important as diabetes can turn out to be life threatening for the patients in the later stages. In this paper, a hybrid framework for the prediction of type-2 diabetes is developed. In the first step, imbalance dataset is balanced using Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique. Then, clustering is applied using k-means clustering technique and all the incorrectly clustered entries and outliers are removed. Principal component analysis is then used for dimensionality reduction of the dataset. In the final step, classification is done using logistic regression (LR), naïve Bayes, support vector machine, and k-nearest neighbors classification techniques. Experimental analysis shows that 98.96% of accuracy is achieved by the proposed hybrid model using LR. The results are validated using 10-fold cross-validation
“SILVER LINING IN THE COVID CLOUD” – Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThe ongoing pandemic COVID-19 had been one of the most gruesome medical disasters the world had experienced in the millennia. The sudden case hikes and death numbers multiplying each day even in the most advanced Western countries, the world was literally brought to a standstill. The health-care system buckled under the burden of increasing cases, global travel, and trade ceased overnight, economies crashed. In the face of such an unprecedented adversity, the negative impacts of the pandemic have been studied widely. This article is an attempt to understand and compile the positive changes as well as cope- up strategies that have been adopted in India and across the world to combat this pandemic. The positive outcomes experienced during the lockdown period have been analyzed, citing evidences from research articles published in peer-reviewed journals in the field of health, education, environment, and psychiatry. The results revealed that there are positive changes too in all of these realms, which are never brought to light. Situations like the present times are inevitable and no way to be glorified, but the analysis of its brighter side is in fact the celebration of our strength on the face of the pandemic. Such analyses are essential as they may prove as references in the future
Agnikarma with Adjuvant Drug in the Management of Frozen Shoulder (Avabahuka) – A Case Report
Get PDFAgnikarma is superior to all parasurgical interventions narrated by father of surgery. Avabahuka can be correlated with frozen shoulder that affects routine activity by painful shoulder and restricted shoulder joint movements. This case report is an evidence to support alternative therapy in the management of frozen shoulder. A 50-year-old female presented with a 1 year history of gradual onset of painful restricted movements of the right shoulder, radiating pain from the right shoulder to elbow joint. The patient was diagnosed as a case of frozen shoulder and was treated with four sittings of Bindu Dagdha Agnikarma with Pachadhatu Shalaka along with orally Dashmooladi kwatha 50 ml at evening with empty stomach once daily and Haritaki Churna 3 g with lukewarm water at bed time for 28 days. After completion of the treatment, the patient got relieved from pain and restricted shoulder joint movement along with improvement in complete abduction, flexion, extension, adduction, and external rotation. Promising role of Agnikarma and adjuvant medicines is supposed to subside Vata Kapha dominant Sthanika Shotha (localized swelling) and as a result of this, it may have improved the shoulder joint movements
The Effectiveness of Hypnotherapy on Management of Mild Depression
Get PDFDepressive disorder constitutes a serious problem in the world, though the treatment of it leaves plenty of room for improved approaches. This article endeavors to dispel the myth and misconceptions concerning the use of Hypnosis in the treatment of depression, which can be used in the context of a wide range of therapeutic approach. Research was conducted on 15 depressive patients with mild depression, who were examined, interviewed and administered the therapy of hypnosis. The pre-treatment and post-treatment scores were noted and analyzed. The rate of depression lowered with no side effects. What works for depression of course marks the change in perception and affirmation with hypnotherapy