Australasian Medical Journal
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Risk Factors Associated with Inconsistent Condom Use
Get PDFBackgroundAmong the sexual minority groups, the Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) community is a large and scattered network. Sexual activity among MSM is frequent and often unplanned. STI and HIV are major medical problems faced by this vulnerable group. Stigma and discrimination towards this group result in poor access to preventive services that encourage condom and lubricant usage.Method A cross-sectional, community-based study of 309 MSM was carried out in the Davangere district between December 2008 and February 2010. Participants were identified in three stages: cruising venue identification and mapping; determining eligibility and willingness to participate; and recruitment to the study. Consecutive sampling was used to recruit the participants with the help of a snowball technique, obtaining informed and written consent. ResultsOf the participants 79.61% and 88.03% reported inconsistent use of condom and lubricant during the three months prior to the interview, respectively. In multivariate analysis, middle socioeconomic class, sex in a public place and increased frequency of sex were significantly associated with inconsistent condom use. Whereas, practising both types of anal sex (receptive and insertive), not using a condom during the last sexual encounter and increased frequency of sex were significantly associated with inconsistent lubricant use.ConclusionMany social and behavioural factors are involved in the inconsistent use of condom and lubricant among MSM. Preventive programmes must identify these factors in order to target consistent condom and lubricant use among the MSM communit
Child Health and Nutrition in China
No full textBackgroundChild healthcare practices in China over the last 60 years have extensively improved children’s health and growth, yet new challenges lie ahead. This review aims to summarise the successful experiences and the newly identified problems in child healthcare in China.Method Information, available to the public, was obtained from Chinese databases and Chinese Government websites, chiefly the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database, the Chinese Biomedical Literature database, the Ministry of Health website and the National Working Committee on Children and Women website.ResultsDuring its poverty-stricken 1950s–1970s, China protected children’s health mainly through prevention and control of common infectious diseases and severe malnutrition within a comprehensive healthcare system. After the subsequent 30 years of rapid socio-economic development, China has achieved great success in reducing childhood mortality rates and promoting child growth, meeting the Millennium Development Goal 4 targets and the WHO child growth standards. Meanwhile, new challenges for children’s healthcare emerged, including: large disparities in the health, growth and nutritional status of children, and in the accessibility and quality of child healthcare, between urban and rural areas and across different regions of China; the nutritional and healthcare concerns of the fast-expanding population of migrant children and rural left-behind children; the burgeoning epidemic of childhood obesity in urban and economically developed areas; micronutrient deficiencies such as calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A; and increasing prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders.ConclusionUnder poor economic conditions, healthcare plays a key role in protecting children against diseases. With the development of social economy, new challenges present to healthcare services, specifically, to comprehensively promote and optimise childrens’ health and nutrition
Pleural Effusion Secondary to Moraxella Catarrhalis Infection
Get PDFA 43-year-old male with chronic kidney disease on maintenance hemodialysis presented with breathlessness, cough and right-sided abdominal pain. Examination revealed a large right-sided pleural effusion and subsequent thoracocentesis yielded an exudate. Although the fluid culture was sterile, sputum culture produced Moraxella catarrhalis. Tuberculosis was ruled out by pleural fluid analysis and pleural biopsy. Antibiotics were administered and subsequent radiograms indicated resolution of the effusion. This is a rare case of a large unilateral pleural effusion secondary to M. catarrhalis infection in a non-smoker with no pre-existing pulmonary pathology
Letter to the Editor
Get PDFBackground
Disaster, whether man made or natural, may occur at any place or time. This study was conducted to assess the preparedness of hospitals in handling emergencies as per District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) at Mangalore, a coastal city on the Western coast of Karnataka.
Method
A cross sectional study was conducted in 12 hospitals of Mangalore city, located at the Southwestern coast of India in April 2009, using a semi-structured proforma. All surveyed hospitals were included in the DDMP. The respondents were hospital administrators.
Results
Though all the hospitals surveyed were aware about the existence of DDMP in the district of Dakshina Kannada, 6 (50%) were unaware that their hospitals were included in the same plan. Out of 12 hospitals, 4 (33.3%) said that they had got a letter from DDMP, spelling out their responsibilities. Only 6 (50%) hospitals had a contingency plan for emergency. Mock drill was conducted only by 6 (50%) hospitals. Six (50%) hospitals had blood bank, 5 (41.6%) had trauma center and 8 (66.6%) had burns ward available for emergency. Half of them had more than 2 ambulances and 10(83.3%) had sufficient stock of medicines. Extra beds for emergency were available in 11(91.7%) hospitals with maximum number of 42 beds in one hospital.
Conclusion;
Most hospitals in Mangalore were not well prepared to manage emergencies in disasters. Facilities like burns ward, blood bank and ambulance services need to be enhanced
A study on deliberate self harm patients attending tertiary care teaching hospital – South India
No full textBackground Deliberate Self Harm is a complex and confounding phenomenon with significant morbidity and mortality. We studied deliberate self harm (DSH) patients from agrarian society at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Method A two year prospective study of all Deliberate self harm patients brought to the hospital. Data was collected by semi structured pro forma Results A total 275 patients were brought to the hospital with history of Deliberate self harm during the study period of 2 years. Of this, 152(55.3%) were males and 123(44.7) were females. Majority people were young adults
