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From
the Editor
..........................................................................................................................
Abdul Abyad,
MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Chief Editor)
Address correspondence
to:
Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor)
Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity
Institute
Azmi Street, Abdo Center, 2nd Floor
PO BOX 618, Tripoli LEBANON
Tel & Fax: 961 6 443684/5/6
Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb
Web: www.amc-lb.com
This is the second issue this year with papers
from all over the World.
A Cross sectional study from Saudi Arabia looked
at the present level of knowledge, attitude
and practices among university hospital physicians,
nurses and patients about the use of alcohol
swabbing before an injection.
A total of 163 anonymously completed questionnaires
were returned to the investigator. The authors
found that Knowledge about the use of alcohol
swab before injection was poor, attitude to
change the current practice was negative and
the practice of skin preparation before injection
was common.
A prospective study from Turkey looked at Coronary
Risk Reduction in Patients attending primary
health care. All the adult patients attending
the clinic during December 2001- December 2004
were included in the study . The risks for coronary
heart disease were assessed for the next ten
years by evaluating socio demographic and cardiovascular
risk factors using the 9-step Framingham's Coronary
Disease Risk Prediction Score Sheet for Men
and Women Based on Total Cholesterol Level.
From 355 adult patients, 342 could be followed
up. 27 had Type 2 diabetes mellitus, 132 had
hypertension and 244 had dyslipidemia; 240 patients'
body mass indexes were ?25 kg/m2; 81 patients
were smokers. After interventions, successful
results were achieved especially in women and
in high risk group. Family physicians have a
great responsibility and can take an active
role in primary and secondary prevention and
management of coronary heart diseases.
A cross-sectional study from Qatar looked at
the Prevalence and determinants of depression
among primary health care attendees in Qatar
2008. The sample size was 322 patients attending
four primary health care centers. There was
no significant relationship between depression
and chronic diseases. There was a significant
relationship between depressive illness and
marital problems, as well as work conflict,
smoking, and alcohol drinking. The authors concluded
that depressive disorders are a highly prevalent
condition among attendees of primary health
care centers in Qatar. It is recommended that
primary health care physicians should be adequately
trained to recognize and manage this disorder
to reduce the cost and complications of undiagnosed
depression.
A paper from Nigeria looked at determining the
awareness of youth about sickle cell disease
in a Nigerian community. One hundred and sixteen
out of the two hundred and fifty youth corpers
in the community were selected by simple random
sampling. Most respondents: 113 (97.4%) were
aware of sickle cell disease. The authors concluded
that most of the respondents were aware of sickle
cell disease and their haemoglobin genotype.
Health workers should create more awareness
about diseases, especially those with a genetic
basis.
Dr Almoutaz A A, looked at Hypoglycemia unawareness.
He stressed that hypoglycemia is one of the
limiting factors for tight glycemic control.
Recurrent hypoglycemia may lead to development
of a condition known as hypoglycemic unawareness.
With this condition, the patient cannot feel
the warning symptoms of hypoglycemia and may
collapse suddenly. In the paper he attempted
to answer the following: Why hypoglycemia is
common? Why symptoms of hypoglycemia are no
longer perceived after recurrent attacks? And
what leads to a severe hypoglycemic episode?
A paper from India looked at Low Immunization
among Children in Slums in Mumbai. The study
is based on the primary data, collected using
cluster sampling of sample size of 433 reproductive
women who have given at least one live birth
prior to the survey. Even Logistic regression
reveals that the children from low SLI category
and of illiterate women were not availing child
care services. The authors suggest that the
measles vaccination programme has to stress
not only on its coverage but also its timing
to including awareness about immunization programme
especially among the illiterate women.
A Cross sectional study was conducted at a teaching
hospital primary care clinic attempting to evaluate
prescribing patterns and laboratory requests
for patients attending a primary care clinic,
in a teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The total number of patients included in the
study was 243. The study showed that 75.7% of
consultations ended with prescription of drugs
to the patients, and 88% of the consultations
ended with laboratory requests; only 9.9% of
consultations ended with radiology request.
And only 2.5% of consultations ended with an
ECG order. The authors concluded that the prescription
patterns of drugs and requesting laboratory
investigations at Primary Care level is high,
which needs to be reviewed and audited to improve
the quality of care and to decrease the cost
and burden on the patient and health system
facilities.
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