bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long-term outcome of patients with diabetic-range hyperglycemia first detected during admission for COVID-19: A single-center observational study
Authors: Agarwal Ketan , Kirti Ravi , Shyama Shyama , Kumar Pragya , Biswas Ratnadeep , Ojha Vishnu S. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Background and Objective:
Diabetic-range hyperglycemia has been reported for the first time in many patients during their hospitalization with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study was undertaken to determine the proportion of such patients who actually have new-onset diabetes mellitus rather than transient hyperglycemia during acute illness.

Methods:
This descriptive study included patients with diabetic-range hyperglycemia first detected at or during admission for COVID-19 but no prior history of diabetes. The study protocol involved patient identification, data recording from the case-notes, and telephonic follow-ups. Blood sugar levels done at least two weeks after discharge or the last dose of steroids, whichever was later, were recorded, and patients were categorized as diabetic, pre-diabetic, or non-diabetic accordingly

Results:
Out of 86 patients, ten (11.6%) were found to have developed diabetes, and 13 (15.1%) had pre-diabetes on follow-up. About 63 (73.3%) patients had become normoglycemic. Eight (80%) out of the ten patients with new-onset diabetes were on treatment, with five (50%) achieving the target glycemic levels. The associations of new-onset diabetes with age, gender, comorbidities, intensive care stay, and steroid administration were not found to be statistically significant (p-values 0.809, 0.435, 0.324, 0.402, and 0.289, respectively).

Interpretation and Conclusions:
While a majority of post-COVID patients with diabetic-range hyperglycemia returned to a normoglycemic state after the acute illness had settled down, one in ten developed new-onset diabetes, and an additional one in seven had impaired glucose tolerance. Thus, regular glucose screening is crucial for such patients and lifestyle modifications should be encouraged to reduce the risk of diabetes. Loss to follow-up and reliance on a single set of blood sugar readings for classification were some of the limitations of this study.
Evaluating the consequences of critically ill patients with pediatric cancer at Aliasghar Children’s Hospital
Authors: Charmduzi Forugh , Ebrahimi Hamidreza Khoshnezhad , Jafarnejad Shabahang , Gharab Saeid Gholami , Iranmanesh Saeideh , Jafarnejad Meissa , Mousaeinejad Negin 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Background:
Despite significant progress in supportive care and advancements in chemotherapy treatments, cancer remains a leading cause of mortality in children. The objective of this study was to assess the potential correlation between various risk factors and the consequences of patients with pediatric cancer who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Methods:
The present investigation is a retrospective cohort study that examined children with cancer who were between the ages of 1 month and 17 years and had been admitted to the PICU. Demographic and clinical information of all patients, including such as the age, type of cancer, sex, BMI, history of specific disease, PICU admission time, disease condition on PICU admission, patient’s status at PICU admission, and number of organ failures, were extracted from each patient file

Results:
The number of pediatric oncology patients admitted to the PICU was 127. The highest mortality rate was observed among children with heart problems (75%), followed by CNS involvement (54.2%) and sepsis (42.9%). The study found that various factors had a significant effect on the outcomes of patients who were admitted to the PICU, including but not limited to the primary type of malignancy, disease status, indications for hospital admission, patient’s condition, inpatients’ length of stay (LOS), tumor type, and the extent of organ failure at the time of admission to the PICU.

Conclusion:
Despite recent advancements in healthcare, the prognosis of patients admitted to the PICU in underdeveloped areas remains suboptimal in comparison to those in developed regions. Poor outcomes were found to be significantly associated with various factors, including the primary type of malignancy, disease status, the reason for admission to the PICU, patient’s condition, LOS, tumor type, and the extent of organ failure, especially in cases involving hematological malignancies.
Arterial stiffness as a screening tool for cardiovascular risk in health and disease
Authors: Ganji Vidya , Sowganthikashri A , Taranikanti Madhuri , Kalpana M , Madhusudhan U , Gaur Archana , John Nitin A. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Background:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) account for approximately one-third of all deaths worldwide. The incidence of cardiovascular events such as myocardial infraction has been reported to be progressively increasing with age, especially with existing comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Assessing arterial stiffness indices may serve as a screening tool in identification of population at risk of cardiovascular diseases and assist in implementation of preventive measures and early treatment in this population.

Objectives:
To measure and compare the arterial stiffness indices in healthy adults with diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Methods:
A total of 184 adults in the age group of 30-50 years were included in the study who were divided into 4 groups: Group I (n = 64) (diabetic), group II (n = 40) (hypertensives), group III (n = 40) (obese) and group IV (n = 40) (control). The arterial stiffness indices were measured by using a certified oscillometric device in all the participants.

Results:
The arterial stiffness indices were assessed by using a certified oscillometric device in all the participants. The mean values of right baPWV and left baPWV are found to be significantly higher in hypertensive subjects compared with obese, diabetic and healthy controls.

Conclusion:
The pulse wave velocity, ASI and pulse pressure serve as independent predictors of cardiovascular mortality and outcomes in hypertension, diabetes and obesity as well as healthy individuals.
The prevalence of anaemia in rural adolescent girls – A cross-sectional study to understand the sociodemographic and dietary determinants in Dharwad District, India
Authors: Pavithran Sreeshma , Patil Sachin Kumar 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Context:
Anaemia is one leading cause of morbidity among adolescent girls. Prevention, early detection, and treatment can break the intergeneration cycle of malnutrition.

Aims/Objectives:
The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of anaemia and assess its sociodemographic determinants and understand its association with the dietary pattern of rural adolescent girls.

Settings and Design:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 adolescent girls studying in the school of Kalgatigi Taluk, Dharwad district. The school girls were interviewed using a predesigned structured questionnaire by interview method. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the dietary pattern. Haemoglobin levels were estimated using Sahli’s method.

Statistical Analysis Used:
Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed using SPSS version 19 and the Chi-square test was applied to study the significance.

Results:
Rural adolescent school girls between the age group of 13–16 years were included. The prevalence of anaemia among them was found to be 47.4% and was significantly associated with the educational status of the mother, their socioeconomic status (SES), and type of diet. Vegetarian girls had a higher prevalence of anaemia. The frequency of meat and egg consumption was significantly associated with anaemia. The prevalence of anaemia was higher in thin and severely thin girls based on WHO-BMI.

Conclusions:
Anaemia in rural adolescent girls is of high burden and public health importance with a prevalence of 47.4% and significant association with dietary habits, SES, and BMI.
Self-medication in medical students in urban India: Exploring the extent of this dangerous practice
Authors: Honnekeri Amalesh , Bhaveshaikh Nachiket , Shah Medha , Nayak Usha 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Objectives:
To assess the prevalence of self-medication in urban Indian medical students and explore possible factors associated with this practice.

Methods:
After obtaining institutional ethics approval, 180 medical students from six medical colleges in Mumbai were recruited to participate via social media. They were administered a pre-validated questionnaire that assessed self-medication as a practice, along with the perceived stress scale (PSS-10) online. Anonymity and confidentiality were maintained

Results:
The prevalence of self-medication in medical students was found to be 83.9%, with no significant difference between genders or between academic years of medical education. The most used source of information for self-medicating was older prescriptions, and for procuring drugs was pharmacist stores. Common cold was the most cited indication. Anti-pyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs were the most commonly self-medicated drugs. It was found that 73.3% of medical students had self-medicated with non-over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. It was observed that 6.1% of medical students had experienced adverse drug reactions, and alarmingly, 0.6% of medical students continued self-medicating despite experiencing adverse drug reactions

Conclusions:
Most of the study participants admitted to having practised self-medication. It was alarming to find that an appreciable fraction of the study population had uncontrolled access to non-OTC drugs. Thus, there needs to be a greater emphasis on the education of medical students with respect to the problems encountered by self-medicating and a need to enforce stricter regulations, as well as to establish a more watertight monitoring system, to curb this hazardous practice.
Knowledge and utilization of Integrated Child Development Services among antenatal women during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ferdina Taniyaa Cruz , Vellingiri Deepanchakravarthi , Raja N Sabari , Paulin Dharmalingam Gracy 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Introduction:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the healthcare delivery system in both developed and developing countries. Many antenatal women skipped their regular antenatal check-ups due to fear of viral contamination and lack of transport facilities. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), which plays a major role in antenatal care, also suffered a great deal during the pandemic.

Objectives:
1. To assess knowledge and utilization of ICDS services by antenatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2. To determine factors influencing the knowledge and utilization of ICDS services by antenatal women. 3. To determine the barriers to utilization of ICDS services during the pandemic.

Methodology:
This study was conducted as a descriptive study in a tertiary care center. Antenatal women whose pregnancy period coincided with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The sample size was calculated as 198. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results:
Around 61% of the study population had adequate knowledge about ICDS services. The proportion of antenatal women utilizing ICDS services reduced from 87.8% to 69.6% during the pandemic. Only a few of the mothers were followed up by the Anganwadi workers during the pandemic. The main barriers to not utilizing ICDS services were fear of the spread of the pathogen and lack of awareness about the availability of services during the pandemic.

Conclusion:
There has been a reduction in the utilization of ICDS services by antenatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures should be taken by the government to ensure undisrupted care for antenatal women during such hard times.
An epidemiological study on morbidity profile among food handlers in Panaji city, Goa
Authors: Pradhan Saili S. , Cacodcar Jagdish A. , Jose Dhanya , Akarkar Nikhil S. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Context:
Access to safe and nutritious food is key to promoting good health. An estimated 600 million fall ill after eating contaminated food, for which food handlers may constitute a common source of contamination. In addition to unhealthy food handlers, disease carriers handling the food play an equally important role in transmitting these diseases and pose a significant threat to public health. This study, therefore, aimed to know the morbidity profile among the food handlers employed in various food establishments in Panaji city.

Methods and Material:
Using stratified sampling techniques, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 227 participants selected from 12 food establishments. We did three visits to each food establishment. We excluded food handlers who were unavailable despite three visits at fortnightly intervals and those who did not consent to the study. We administered a pre-designed and pre-structured questionnaire to each participant. A general examination and laboratory investigations, including stool and urine routine, were performed on all participants. We performed descriptive and analytical statistics by using SPSS version 14

Results:
Out of the 227 study participants, 79 (34.8%) had at least one morbidity at the time of examination. None of the food handlers had received a single dose of typhoid, hepatitis A, or cholera vaccines. Most (74.4%) study participants did not administer deworming tablets

Conclusions:
We found that the health status of the study participants was substandard. Food safety may be in peril among food handlers with lower education backgrounds with morbidities as they may have little understanding of the risk of microbial contamination of food. Therefore, it is essential to create awareness among them.
Prevalence and influencing factors of metabolic syndrome among rural adult population in a district of South India
Authors: Latha P Swarna , Sangeetha S , Vijayakarthikeyan M , Shankar R 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Background:
Metabolic syndrome has increased globally due to sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets and obesity, which is posing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Understanding the determinants of metabolic syndrome like lifestyle factors, socioeconomic status and the environment are vital for devising effective prevention and management. Research into these determinants helps to identify high-risk populations and develop interventions to reduce its occurrence.

Objectives:
i. To estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the adult population. ii. To determine the factors associated with metabolic syndrome among the adult population.

Methodology:
A cross-sectional study was carried out among 410 adults (≥18 years). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data and National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III criteria was used to diagnose metabolic syndrome. Continuous and categorical data were represented as mean and proportion, respectively. The strength of the association was determined using the prevalence ratio and adjusted prevalence ratio.

Results:
The mean age of the participants was 44.97 ± 14.7, about 58.3% of them were females. Metabolic syndrome prevalence was 39.8%. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that being over 40 years old, marital status, higher socioeconomic status, skilled workers, physical inactivity and obesity were independently linked to metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions:
The burden can be reduced by identifying the risk factors at the early stage through screening and by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Family medicine viewed through the public lens: A national cross-sectional study in Lebanon
Authors: Shalak Manar , Nepal Manoj , Al Ghadban Yasmina , Antoun Jumana , Romani Maya 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Background:
Family medicine (FM) is a medical specialty that provides continuing, comprehensive health care for the individual and the family. This study aimed to describe Lebanese citizens’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward FM as a specialty.

Methods:
This is a national cross-sectional phone-based survey targeting the knowledge of the public about FM and its scope of practice. Questions were asked whether participants had primary health care doctors and their specialties

Results:
A total of 373 participants were included, with a response rate of 85.2%. Two-thirds were aware of the specialty of FM, while only 16.6% of the participants had previously visited a family physician. Most participants (69.7%) had a doctor they regularly consulted. One-third of participants had a general practitioner as their regular doctor. More than 80% of the participants agreed that FM physicians treat all family members with common and chronic diseases. Around 60% to 75% of participants knew that family physicians provide medical care to children, treat patients with psychiatric impairments, and perform minor surgeries. There was a significant gap in the participants’ knowledge of FM physicians’ role in managing obstetric or gynecologic patients.

Conclusion:
Despite public awareness of FM, limited understanding and system challenges hinder its utilization in Lebanon. Educational campaigns, government-supported FM practices, and collaborations with public health initiatives are crucial to bridging the knowledge gap and establishing FM as the cornerstone of primary care. This knowledge gap challenges the specialty’s identity and necessitates promoting FM as the cornerstone of primary care, potentially requiring a system-wide endorsement.
The socio-demographic profile of family physician graduates of blended-learning courses in India
Authors: Velavan Jachin , Marcus Tessa S. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Context:
India’s lean cadre of 250,000 general practitioners and 30,000 government doctors has limited options to update themselves. Since 2006, Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore has run blended-learning programs in family medicine, namely, postgraduate diploma in family medicine (PGDFM) and master in medicine in family medicine (M.MED FM) training more than 3000 doctors. A graduate follow-up study was undertaken in 2022.

Aim:
The aim of the study was to describe the socio-demographic characteristics of family physicians (FPs) in India who graduated between 2008 and 2018 from the FM blended-learning programs run by the CMC, Vellore.

Settings and Design:
Informed by an empirical-analytic paradigm, this descriptive study used a cross-sectional survey design to uncover graduate FPs’ profiles, practices and experiences.

Methods and Materials:
Using a purposively designed, piloted and validated electronic questionnaire, data were collected between March and July 2022, deidentified and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)TM and Epi InfoTM.

Results:
Among the 438 FP respondents (36%), there was an almost even split in gender (49.3% male, 50.7% female). Moreover, 25.8% were below the age of 40 years, 37.4% were in the 40–49 age group, and 33.8% were 50 years of age or older; 86% lived and worked in urban areas. The PGDFM or M.MED FM was the highest educational qualification of 64.4% of the doctors. Male FPs pursued postgraduate studies at a significantly younger age and earned significantly more than their female counterparts.

Conclusions:
The blended learning model creates an important pathway for doctors, especially women, to pursue higher education with flexibility. Preferential selection criteria can target rural-based physicians. Strong policy-level advocacy is needed to establish FM as a specialty with equitable pay scales. Socio-demographic profiling can be used as an effective advocacy tool.
Rise in rabies cases in Jammu region: A problem that requires urgent attention
Authors: Dewan Deepika , Langeh Sahil , Kotwal Suresh , Gupta Rajat , Kumar Dinesh 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Context:
Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease that is endemic in India. Both forms of rabies, namely, encephalitic and furious, invariably lead to coma and death. Lack of awareness is the most critical barrier in accessing timely post-exposure prophylaxis that can prevent the progression to clinical disease.

Aims:
To report the case series of fourteen clinically suspected rabies cases.

Settings and Design:
We followed a retrospective study design. Data were collected from the Anti Rabies Section of Government Medical College, Jammu, which is a tertiary care hospital of Jammu Division.

Methods and Material:
We collected data of all patients over a period of three years, from 2017 to 2020, who were diagnosed as cases of clinically suspected rabies on the basis of classic signs and symptoms and who finally succumbed to the disease.

Statistical Analysis Used:
Descriptive statistics was used to describe the results of the study

Results:
In the present description, the mean age of the patients was 31 ± 18.6 years. Out of 14 suspected cases, 9 had not received any post-exposure prophylaxis—neither vaccine nor serum—and instead visited spiritual faith healers. The remaining patients had history of either incomplete, unknown, or incorrect vaccination status. Median duration of presentation of symptoms after dog bite was 42 days, with a range of 15–180 days. Mean survival of patients after presentation of symptoms was around 1.8 days

Conclusions:
Low level of awareness resulted in non-seeking of health-care services after animal bites.
Exploring influential factors in childhood vaccine delays in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Basham Karam , Al Mutairi Faris , Baw Bara , Al Said Leila 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Introduction:
Infectious diseases present a substantial worldwide health challenge, yet vaccines have played a crucial role in significantly decreasing illness rates. Despite their effectiveness, global vaccination coverage stands at 85%, leaving a considerable number of infants without routine immunization. Our study seeks to examine the occurrence of delayed primary vaccination and the factors influencing it in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia addressing a critical void in current research.

Methodology:
A cross-sectional investigation was carried out in the primary care facilities of the first health cluster in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Information was gathered utilizing a well-structured questionnaire, modified from a prior study. The study encompassed children aged two years and younger, accompanied by their parents who brought their vaccination cards for the visit. Non-probability convenience sampling was employed for data collection. Subsequently, the data underwent thorough cleaning in Excel (Microsoft Excel) and was subjected to analysis using IBM SPSS 29 (IBM SPSS Statistics 29).

Results:
The study involved 402 participants, primarily over 12 months old, with a balanced gender distribution. Noteworthy findings indicate a 20.9% prevalence of childhood vaccine delays, with reasons such as high-grade fever (33.3%) and travel (26.2%). Significant associations were found in children aged 6–12 months (25.8%, P = 0.039), families with over four children (31%, P = 0.010), perceptions of vaccine harm (50.0%, P = 0.013), and acknowledgment of neglect (96.4%, P = 0.001).

Conclusion:
The research illuminates the complex factors influencing childhood vaccine delays in Saudi Arabia. Stressing the significance of personalized interventions, it underscores the necessity to tackle challenges specific to age, parental perspectives, and access issues for improved vaccination outcomes.