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Dr
Abdulrazak Abyad
Chief
Editor
This past year was a successful
one for the MEJFM, due to the efforts of
all associated with the journal - the production
team, our readers, our contributors and
the editorial team. Our web statistics show
continuous improvement in hits, with now
over 100,000 hits a month or 1.2 million
every year.
This is the first issue for
2006. It is a special issue and will be
distributed in hard copy at the First International
Annual Primary Health Care Conference in
the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, The Challenges
in Primary Health Care. The conference is
being organized by the Division of Health
Affairs, General Authority for Health Services
for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, under the
patronage of: H.E. Hamad Mohamed Al Hur
Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Board of Directors
of the General Authority for Health Services
for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
This issue has a number of
studies and papers from different countries
in the region. A study from Abu Dhabi reports
on GP’s knowledge and attitude towards
anxiety and depression in Abu Dhabi. A quantitative
cross-sectional descriptive method was used.
The study group consisted of 90 GPs, who
agreed to participate. The current knowledge
and attitude of these GPs towards anxiety
and depression was determined via a questionnaire.
Regarding knowledge questions on anxiety
and depression, 61.9% of GPs correctly answered
the questions on anxiety and 50.6% answered
correctly the questions on depression. It
would appear that GPs in Abu Dhabi lack
adequate knowledge about anxiety and depression.
A Study from Shiraz University
on the Nursing Care of Cardiac Patients
in C.C.U. and A&E, was carried out with
the ultimate aim of preventing re-hospitalization,
increasing functional ability and improving
quality of life. The author discussed the
following:
- The nurses personal and
professional difficulties resulting in
their inefficiencies in C.C.U. and A&E,
- The role of nurse authority
and their weaknesses in different aspects
of Cardiac Care Unit and Accident &
Emergency, which may affect the quality
of health services,
- The role of education,
effective training and utilization of
new healthcare managerial techniques,
in raising the quality of healthcare in
both C.C.U. and A&E departments.
A well designed community
study, from Iraq reported on the estimation
of body mass index in Daquq District. The
aim of this study:- is to know the trends
and extent of the overweight, and examine
the nutritional state of the community.
The design of the study is cross –
sectional with 17 clusters chosen from Daquq
town and its villages. The author concluded
that the study showed that high BMI and
obesity is more prevalent among females,
rural people, married, illiterate, housewives,
diabetic, hypertensive, and those with a
family history of diabetes and hypertension,
and those with high bread consumption. Dr
Yousif recommended that care and attention
should be taken toward risk groups and encouraging
personal awareness about weight and physical
fitness.
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A study from the Royal Jordanian Medical
Services, reported on vaginal birth after
Caesarean section. In this study one hundred
and ninety two women (70%) had a successful
vaginal birth and forty-nine women (30%)
had repeat caesarean delivery. Repeat caesarean
deliveries were performed for failed progress
and fetal distress in most caesarean births.
This study indicated that vaginal birth
after caesarean birth is safe if properly
monitored. A study from Kuwait compared
the use of two antibiotics for short –
term therapy of uncomplicated acute cystitis
in girls. In this study eighty two girls
with uncomplicated acute lower urinary tract
infection were included in a single center
randomized study comparing Cefpodoxime suspension
(5mg/kg) with trimethoprim – sulfamethoxzole.
In conclusion, cefpodoxime treatment for
3 days was more effective than trimethoprime
- sulfamethoxzole for 3 days, for the treatment
of uncomplicated acute cystitis in girls.
A study from Turkey reported
on ‘How does family medicine clerkship
affect the attitudes to family medicine
specialization?’. The study aimed to
investigate whether the attitude of final
year medical students to family medicine
specialization changes after family medicine
clerkship. The authors conducted an analysis
of data on 90 final year medical students
who attended a 4-week family medicine clinical
clerkship in Uludag University School of
Medicine. The authors concluded that final
year medical students’ clerkship in
family medicine clinical practice may encourage
more medical school graduates to prefer
family medicine as a career which in turn,
may contribute toward establishing a sound
healthcare system.
A well rounded review was
presented by Dr Alsaeedi on ‘The management
of the hospitalized patient with sleep disordered
breathing’. This disorder frequently
comes to medical attention for the first
time when patients are hospitalized for
diagnosis and treatment of an associated
condition. The authors describe the condition,
appropriate diagnosis and management. A
case report from Iran reported on a case
that described bilateral epistaxis after
face-washing in a pond. The patient was
a two year old boy who developed epistaxis,
melena, fever and anemia. In otolaryngologist
consultation a leech was seen in the nasopharynx.
His face was washed in a pond 3 days prior
to admission.
We thank those doctors who
have responded to the appeal we have been
running, to assist survivors of the recent
earthquake in Pakistan. We particularly
thank Dr Manzoor Butt of Rawalpindi, Pakistan,
for coordinating the effort.
We welcome the University
of London who are advertising postgraduate
courses, offered by distance learning. The
University has over 32,000 students studying
in over 190 countries on over 100 different
distance learning courses.
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