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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
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In this issue, an international collaboration,
with authors from 7 countries looks at strategies
to improve the status of family physicians.
Proposed strategies fall under the following
headings:
i) Family medicine as the foundation for health
care systems;
ii) Promoting broad based scope for family practice;
iii) Promoting Family medicine research and
scholarship.
Further discussions relate to strengthening
of undergraduate and post graduate education
in Family Practice and promotion of quality
in family medicine with particular reference
to policy and
services provision.
A population based cross sectional study paper
from Qatar looked at Job Satisfaction and Stress
level of Primary Health Caregivers at Primary
Health Centers in Qatar. 323 questionnaires
were distributed to all the physicians/General
Practitioners (GPs) working in Primary Health
Care Centers in Qatar. Out of 323, only 176
(54%) responded. The authors concluded that
job satisfaction of primary health caregivers
is critical for improvement of health systems.
The results of our study showed that Qatari
physicians were less satisfied with the rate
of pay and the amount of variety in work. Stress
was found more in Qatari Health Caregivers than
Non-Qatari.
A cross sectional study from Saudi Arabia looked
at the prevalence of metabolic Syndrome among
type 2 Saudi diabetic patients. The aim of the
paper was to determine the prevalence of the
syndrome among type 2 diabetic patients attending
the diabetic center at Gurayat General Hospital.
The population of the study was patients with
type 2 diabetes with specific characters. Only
530 patients were eligible to enter the study.
Four criteria for diagnosing the syndrome were
defined (Fasting Blood Glucose >150mh/dl,
Blood Pressure >140/90mmHg or taking drugs,
obesity if BMI>30, dyslipidaemia if S.triglyceride
> 150mg/dl and HDL<35mg/dl or taking drugs.
Abnormal blood glucose plus 2 or 3 criteria
were sufficient for diagnosis. The author concluded
that the metabolic syndrome may occur in patients
with type 2 diabetes. Routine investigations
for its components should be done to look for
its occurrence.
Dr Droos M looked at the Efficacy of Mitomycin
C in Pterygium Management. The author looked
at a retrospective study of 37 eyes (30 patients).
He concluded that the use of mitomycin c in
the management of Pterygium is effective in
decreasing the recurrence of pterygia after
excision. So it is a simple, safe and successful
procedure that they recommend in all pterygium
management.
A paper from Turkey attempted to determine
the prevalence of intestinal parasites in children
and to evaluate its association with socio-economic
and environmental factors. Stool samples and
cellulose tape slides from children between
1-16 years of ages living in a rural area in
Antakya were investigated. The authors concluded
that the high prevalence of intestinal parasites
in children living in lower socioeconomic conditions
showed that parasitosis remains a public health
problem in Antakya.
A descriptive-analytical study paper from Iran
looked at the etiology, types and associated
disorders of cerebral palsy. Iranian children
between one and six years of age, with CP, were
studied over a two year period were selected
from children presenting to the referral neuro-developmental
service of the university rehabilitation clinic
in the northern and eastern districts of the
health centers of Tehran province, with an estimated
population of 20 million inhabitants. Children
were evaluated at 3 monthly intervals for two
years during 2004-2006. 112 children with CP
were seen during the study period. The main
factors identified were birth asphyxia, pre-term
delivery, low birth weight (especially VLBW).
The authors suggested that improved maternal
and childcare particularly in the ante and perinatal
periods may reduce the incidence of CP in this
environment.
A review paper from Lebanon looked at the pathophysiology
of migraine. The author stressed that Old theories
used to focus on the vascular changes and the
subsequent blood flow alterations in the brain
to explain the different symptoms occurring
during migraines. New theories on the other
hand are shedding more light on the involvement
of the nervous system in the brain, primarily
the trigeminal nerve in the brain stem, considering
it the primary cause for the initiation of migraine
attacks. Changes in blood vessels in the brain
are believed to be an epiphenomenon only.
A descriptive study from Jordan looked at 85
cases representing patients with documented
cases of maxillofacial injuries during the study
period which may reflect under-reporting of
the problem. This may necessitate the need for
an obligatory special form to be used at the
Emergency Department to overcome this problem.
A paper from Bangladesh provides a mathematical
model to marriage migration associated with
distance, in Comilla district in Bangladesh.
It is found that marriage migration associated
with distance follows a polynomial model. To
verify the stability of the model, cross validity
prediction power is employed.
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