Journal of Health Sciences
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Daily activities of employed persons with visual impairment
Get PDFIntroduction: The challenges faced by visually impaired people in their efforts to integrate themselves into the labor market and the general position of persons with disabilities, regarding their employment and social security, is extremely difficult. Employment is the best safeguard against social exclusion and one of the main ways to achieve a full involvement in the society of the visually impaired people.Methods: The research was conducted on a sample of 25 visually impaired people employed at “TMP” d.o.o. Sarajevo. The study was used as a cross-sectional survey method wherein data were collected through appropriate survey instruments, using a modified survey questionnaire.Results: Out of the total number of respondents, 48% are male and 52% are female. The majority of respondents use other persons’ assistance when moving (n = 16). The largest number of respondents had 100% visual impairment (n = 17). The majority of subjects have no strenuous physical activity. The largest number of respondents during the previous week walked for at least 10 minutes, in the sequence of all 7 days and was driven in motor vehicles. When doing household chores, 56% of respondents said they had no difficulty. The most common difficulties in recreation, sports and physical activity in leisure time, that were encountered by 32% of respondents, are poor sound signalling and difficulties of visual nature, though 68% of respondents said that they had no difficulty in their recreational activities.Conclusion: The daily activities of employed visually impaired persons have a positive impact on their quality of life. Various are occupations of visually impaired people that improve their quality of life
Early psychosocial predictors of mental health among Indians during coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak
Get PDFIntroduction: This paper fulfills an identified need to study the mental health status of the population under situations like lockdown, thereby helping fill a persistent gap in Indian research on this issue, and present research on the impact of lockdown on mental health during epidemics is limited, especially in India. This study aims to scale the association between anxiety and sociodemographic factors during the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown among the general Indian population.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional nationwide study designed to enroll the general population. The inclusion criteria for this study were Indian citizens aged 18 years and above. The study was conducted from March 29, 2020, to April 12, 2020, using an online google questionnaire. The anxiety among respondents was detected and measured using a Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Scale, which consists of seven questions (in English), that is, GAD-7.Results: Responders were 392, and from these participants, the prevalence of anxiety was 25.3%. The predictors of anxiety were gender, religion, occupation as business/self-employed, marital status, family size, health status, and sleep deprivation based on the bivariate logistic regression analysis.Conclusion: This study reports the early prevalence of anxiety among the Indian population who were grounded at their homes during lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic in the country
Acute descending necrotizing mediastinitis as a complication of the retropharyngeal abscess caused by anaerobes
Get PDFDescending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a rare, life-threatening form of mediastinitis caused by odontogenic, pharyngeal, or cervical infections. The retropharyngeal space is the most common primary site of infection. Given the fulminant course and high mortality rate, early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important predictors of survival in patients with DNM. Appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment, prompt surgical intervention, and proper management of patients in the intensive care unit can be of vital importance. We present the case of a previously healthy 20-year-old male patient who was successfully cured and discharged from the Clinical Center University of Sarajevo after suffering from a severe form of mediastinitis as a complication of the retropharyngeal abscess caused by anaerobes
Effects of positional coracohumeral ligament stretching on the size of calcium deposits in adhesive capsulitis
Get PDFAdhesive capsulitis is a painful condition of unknown etiology with restriction of active and passive movements of the glenohumeral joint. The condition is a result of inflammation, adherence, and swelling in the lining of the shoulder joint capsule and its associated ligaments, causing resultant contracture of the capsule. We describe a patient with calcified and thickened coracohumeral ligament with adhesive capsulitis and diabetes mellitus
Anatomical Variation of the Thyroid Gland - Levator glandulae thyroideae: A Case Report
No full textSurgical procedures on the thyroid are usually complicated by damage to the parathyroid glands, the external branch of superior laryngeal nerves, inferior laryngeal nerves, and hematoma due to vascular injury and the chance of residual thyroid tissue being left in case of cancer and Graves\u27 disease, and the presence of anatomical variations. In this study, we describe the presence of a levator glandulae thyroideae that could misguide surgeons during surgical procedures
Analyzing the effects of exercise prescribed based on health-related fitness assessment among different somatotypes
Get PDFIntroduction: Human body types (somatotypes) are classified into ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. The ectomorphs are physically weak and usually tall. Mesomorphs were characterized as muscular, thick skinned with good upright posture. Endomorphs characterized as fat, heavy, and usually short.
Methods: This study is an interventional study, in which a total number of 45 healthy male volunteers between the age group of 22 and 28 years were observed. Written consent was obtained from the patients after a detailed explanation of the study. Exercises were prescribed and executed based on the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility were assessed.
Results: The statistical analyses were done using the SPSS software version 16 executed at a 95% confidence interval. Mean and standard deviations were calculated by descriptive statistics. A paired t-test was done to find the effectiveness of the intervention. The level of significance in all tests was set to p < 0.05. Positive changes were observed in health-related fitness among the three groups.
Conclusion: This study reports about finding the somatotypes, and exercising based on that will provide the best results in health-related fitness components designed by the ACSM
Evaluation of patient specific quality assurance of gated field in field radiation therapy technique using two-dimensional detector array
Get PDFIntroduction: Gated tangential field-in-field (FIF) technique is used to lower the dose to organs at risk for breast cancer radiotherapy (RT). In this study, the authors investigated the accuracy of the delivered treatment plan with and without gating using a two-dimensional detector array for patient-specific verification purposes.Methods: In this study, a 6MV beams were used for the merged FIF RT (forward Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy). The respiration signals for gated FIF delivery were obtained from the one-dimensional moving phantom using the real-time position management (RPM) system (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). RPM system used for four-dimensional computed tomography scanner light-speed, GE is based on an infrared camera to detect motion of external 6-point marker. The beams were delivered using a Clinac iX (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) with the multileaf collimator Millennium 120. The MapCheck2 (SunNuclear, Florida) was used for the evaluation of treatment plans. MapCheck2 was validated through a comparison with measurements from a farmer-type ion chamber. Gated beams were delivered using a maximum dose rate with varying duty cycles and analyzed the MapCheck2 data to evaluate treatment plan delivery accuracy.Results: Results of the gamma passing rate for relative and absolute dose differences for all ungated and gated beams were between 95.1% and 100%.Conclusion: Gated FIF technique can deliver an accurate dose to a detector during gated breast cancer RT. There is no significance between gated and ungated patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA); one can use ungated PSQA for verification of treatment plan deliver
Evaluation of factors that affect skin to subarachnoid space distance
Get PDFIntroduction: Lumbar puncture is a procedure frequently used in anesthetic practice. For the success of the procedure, prediction of skin to subarachnoid space distance (SSD) is valuable. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between SSD with age and body mass index (BMI).
Methods: Two hundred and fifty patients, ASA physical status I, II, and III scheduled to undergo elective surgery under spinal anesthesia, were studied. Spinal anesthesia was induced in the sitting position at the L3–4 vertebral level using a midline approach. Furthermore, the level of L3–L4 was identified by palpation, using Tuffier’s line as a guide. Following an intrathecal injection, the spinal needle was grasped between the thumb and the index finger during its removal from the patient’s back. From the grasping point, SSD was measured using rulers.
Results: Mean values of SSD at the L3-4 interspace were 55.43±6.47 mm (range 35-74). Statistically significant correlations were observed between SSD with BMI and body weight (ρ=0.650, P<0.001 and ρ=0.651, P<0.001, respectively). Statistically significant correlation was not found between SSD with age, gender and body height (ρ=0.120, P=0.058; ρ=-0.047, P=0.4568 and ρ=0.089, P=0.159, respectively).
Conclusions: SSD is affected by BMI and body weight but not by age, gender and body height
Determinants of menopause-related symptoms in women during the transition to menopause and the postmenopausal period – A systematic literature review
Get PDFIntroduction: Menopause is a complex physiological, self-perceived health condition caused by the reduction and termination of ovarian function, a process that results in a range of both psychological and physiological symptoms. The aim of this literature review was to synthesize the results of published studies on factors associated with menopausal symptoms in women during the transition to menopause and the postmenopausal period.Methods: This systematic review was carried out according to the PRISMA statement. Primary studies published between 2007 and 2017 were identified through the following databases: PUBMED, SCOPUS, and CINAHL. In total, 3301 studies were identified and 279 were screened in full text. Of these, 54 studies were included for quality assessment using checklists from the Norwegian Institute for Public Health. A total of 22 studies were ultimately selected for inclusion in the results. These were thematically reviewed.Results: A wide range of determinants was sorted as socio-demographic predictors, reproductive factors, clinical characteristics, behavioral, and lifestyle characteristics, and their association with the following outcomes was examined: The prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms; sexual functioning; health indicators and health behaviors; health-related quality of life; physical performance; cognitive changes and attitudes; and the prevalence and age of natural menopause.Conclusions: The current state of knowledge regarding menopause indicates that a wide array of instruments and variables have been employed and assessed to further understanding about menopause-related symptoms. This systematic review provides information on factors that should be considered in the treatment of menopause-related changes that may be bothersome for menopausal women
Knowledge, attitudes and quality of life of caregivers towards asthma in their children: a Nigerian perspective
Get PDFIntroduction: The burden of uncontrolled asthma is high and caregivers can offer support in the management of asthma. Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and quality of life (QoL) of caregivers toward asthma in their children.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Paediatric Respiratory Unit of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State (July 2017-September 2017). We utilized a 46-item questionnaire comprising knowledge and attitude domains and the 13-item Pediatric Asthma Caregiver’s QoL Questionnaire (PACQLQ). Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Version 25.0. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: Fifty-one caregivers participated in the study. More than half (n = 36, 70.6%) of the caregivers were 40 years old and above, female (n = 37, 72.5%), graduates from higher institutions (n = 33, 64.7%), and self-employed (n = 27, 52.9%). About a quarter (n = 13, 25.5%) had a family history of asthma and a similar proportion (n = 14, 27.5%) knew the three main symptoms of asthma.
Conclusion: Less than half (n = 24, 47.1%) of the caregivers had good asthma knowledge. Dust (n = 35, 68.6%) and smoke (n = 31, 60.8%) were identified as the most common asthma triggers in their children. The majority of the caregivers (n = 41, 80.3%) agreed that most people can have well-controlled asthma without seeing a doctor regularly. Overall, less than half of the caregivers (n = 24, 47.1%) showed positive attitudes toward their children’s asthma. The overall score for the PACQLQ was 3.91 (0.98) which implied a poor QoL. The caregivers had both impaired activity and emotional function from managing asthma in their children. More female caregivers had better knowledge about asthma than their male counterparts (t = −3.178; df = 49; p = 0.003). Less than half of the caregivers had good asthma knowledge and positive attitudes toward asthma in their children. They had an impaired QoL from managing asthma in their children