Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating The Symptoms And Treatment-Related Knowledge Of Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy In A Tertiary Care Hospital, Kiran Nawaz Ali

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Cancer has become the leading source of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Its prevalence is rising and high-risk behaviours are being adopted by the people in society. Knowledge about cancer and its management helps in adjusting the resource allocations and in terms of public health policy. Moreover, patient education about symptoms, treatment, and side effects is crucial and must be addressed.
Knowledge about cancer, its side effects, and the possible treatment outcomes is essential, as it helps in deciding about adherence to the treatment. It is observed that many oncology patients have information gaps related to cancer and chemotherapy. However, …

Global Blood Pressure Screening During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Results From The May Measurement Month 2021 Campaign, Thomas Beaney, Wei Wang, Markus P Schlaich, Aletta E Schutte, George S Stergiou, Luis Alcocer, Jafar Alsaid, Alejandro Bimbo Diaz, Rafael Hernandez-Hernandez, Mohammad Ishaq, Jacek Jozwiak, Nadia Khan, Gaia Kiru, Harsha Mccardle, Augustine Nonso Odili, Wook Bum Pyun, Cesar A Romero, Jiguang Wang, Neil R Poulter, Mmm Investigators

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Raised blood pressure (BP) remains the biggest risk factor contributing to the global burden of disease and mortality, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. May Measurement Month (MMM), an annual global screening campaign aims to highlight the importance of BP measurement by evaluating global awareness, treatment and control rates among adults with hypertension. In 2021, we assessed the global burden of these rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Screening sites were set up in 54 countries between May and November 2021 and screenees were recruited by convenience sampling. Three sitting BPs were measured, and a questionnaire completed including demographic, lifestyle and …

Transradial-Transfistula Access For Cardiac Catheterization In Patients With Abandoned Hemodialysis Fistulas, Noah Q. Haroian, Michael P. Savage, David L. Fischman

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Guidelines consider radial access a relative contraindication in patients with end-stage renal disease as part of a vessel preservation strategy. Radial access distal to a hemodialysis fistula, what we term transradial-transfistula access, offers a solution to radially access this population without affecting their vessel preservation plan. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)

Evaluation Of Awareness, Knowledge, And Preventive Intervention Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Among Chinese Young Adults, Yi Du

Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Chinese young adults (CYA) aged 18-25 years ranges from 4.7% to 15.1% and has kept increasing in recent years. Previous studies reported limited awareness and knowledge of NALFD among middle-aged and older Chinese populations, however, they have not investigated awareness in CYA, for which there is no well-validated questionnaire. There is currently no efficacious educational intervention on NAFLD for CYA.

The objectives were 1) to develop and validate a questionnaire which can be used to assess the awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among CYA; 2) to assess the awareness and knowledge …

Strategic Recommendations To Bridge The Gaps In Awareness, Diagnosis And Prevention Of Heart Failure In The Middle East Region And Africa, Ahmed Bennis, Elijah N Ogola, Eric Klug, Hadi N. Skouri, Hilal Bahjet Al Saffar, Hany Ragy, Kamal Waheeb Alghalayini, Khaldoon A Alhumood, Magdy Abdelhamid, Mehmet Birhan Yilmaz, Ramzi Tabbalat, Yüksel Çavuşoğlu

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Abstract Objective: With the increasing burden of heart failure (HF) in the Middle East Region and Africa (MEA), it is imperative to shift the focus to prevention and early detection of cardiovascular diseases. We present a broad consensus of the real-world challenges and strategic recommendations for optimising HF care in the MEA region. Method: To bridge the gaps in awareness, prevention, and diagnosis of HF, an assembly of experts from MEA shared their collective opinions on the urgent unmet needs. Results: Lack of awareness in the community, high prevalence of risk factors, poor accessibility and affordability of care and diagnostics …

Stroke Care In Pakistan, Anjum Farooq, Narayanaswamy Venketasubramanian, Mohammad Wasay

Section of Neurology

Increasing incidence of stroke and lack of infrastructure in both urban and rural areas needs immediate attention in Pakistan. There is a high proportion of young stroke with poor stroke outcomes. Acute stroke care is scarce in Pakistan due to the small number of neurologists (1 neurologist per 1 million population), few stroke units, and limited availability of alteplase (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator) in the country.

Awareness Of Genetic Predispositions That Increase The Risk Of Breast Cancer, Carly Huber

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States and is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Certain demographics, such as racial/ethnic, age, and gender groups, are underrepresented in breast cancer studies. This lack of representation results in issues with creating genetic tests, as variants associated with those groups are not being detected. Furthermore, these underrepresented demographics are receiving a worse prognosis than those that are overrepresented in research. This study aimed to understand how informed the understudied racial/ethnic, gender, and age populations are regarding breast cancer and genetic testing compared to …

Awareness Regarding Causes Of Infertility Among Out-Patients At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Karachi, Pakistan, Hamza M. Ahmed, Mohammad Khan, Farah Yasmin, Haris Jawaid, Hiba Khalid, Anum Shigri, Faryal Nawaz, Choudhary A. Hasan

Section of Internal Medicine

Introduction: Infertility is the inability of a couple to achieve pregnancy within 12 months of sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives. The Pakistani population, belonging to a low-middle income country, has a high prevalence of infertility due to a low knowledge and awareness regarding its causes, and lack of healthcare-seeking behavior for this medical issue. The prevalence of infertility in Pakistan is reported as 22%, with primary infertility accounting for 4% of the total cases. This leads to psychological trauma among women as societal norms equate infertility with failure on a personal, emotional, and social level. In this study, …

Patient Safety Escape Room: A Graduate Medical Education Simulation For Event Reporting., Gretchen Diemer, Rebecca Jaffe, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Xiao Chi Zhang, Jillian Zavodnick

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction: Although residents are on the front lines of patient care, they enter few formal patient safety reports on the adverse events and near misses they witness. Demonstrating the rationale and mechanics of reporting may improve this.

Methods: We designed and implemented an escape room patient safety simulation to incorporate active learning, gamification, and adult learning theory into intern patient safety onboarding. Interns from all sponsoring institution programs participated, identifying, mitigating, and reporting a range of patient safety hazards. Props and faculty time were the major resources required.

Results: One hundred twenty interns participated in this simulation in June 2018. …

Frequency And Factors Associated With Adult Immunization In Patients Visiting Family Medicine Clinics At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi, Samar Zaki, Asma Usman, Swaleha Tariq, Sameena Shah, Iqbal Azam Syed, Waris Qidwai, Kashmira Nanji

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with adult immunization in patients visiting family medicine clinics at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2014 to March 2015 in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants more than 18 years were invited to participate in the study. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect information. Data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 19.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp).
Results: A total of 340 patients were surveyed. The majority of patients …

Awareness, Use And Perceptions About E-Cigarettes Among Adult Smokers In Karachi, Pakistan., Maryam Sarfraz, Hamza Abdur Rahim Khan, Amna Urooba, Zainab Manan, Omar Irfan, Ramlah Nadeem, Huma Baqir, Saad Farooq, Zarrar Khan, Javaid Khan, Sarah Saleem

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of awareness, current use and intention to use of e-cigarettes among adult smokers.

METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was carried out at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from July to August 2016, and comprised people aged above 18 years who had smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. Convenience sampling method was used. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS 22 was used for data analysis..

RESULTS: Of the 387 participants, 359(92.8%) were male. The overall mean age was 32.4±12.6 years. Moreover, 215(55.5%) respondents belonged to the middle socio-economic class. Besides, 249(64.3%) …

Volition And Action In The Human Brain: Processes, Pathologies, And Reasons, Itzhak Fried, Patrick Haggard, Biyu J. He, Aaron Schurger

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Humans seem to decide for themselves what to do, and when to do it. This distinctive capacity may emerge from an ability, shared with other animals, to make decisions for action that are related to future goals, or at least free from the constraints of immediate environmental inputs. Studying such volitional acts proves a major challenge for neuroscience. This review highlights key mechanisms in the generation of voluntary, as opposed to stimulus-driven actions, and highlights three issues. The first part focuses on the apparent spontaneity of voluntary action. The second part focuses on one of the most distinctive, but elusive, …

Assessing For Awareness And Knowledge Regarding Diabetes In Pre-Diabetes Obese Patients, Remona Lysa Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in prevalence of diabetes in the United States. Prevention of diabetes and improving patients' knowledge and awareness of diabetes are crucial for healthcare providers. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a theoretical foundation, the student used the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to improve awareness and knowledge of diabetes among obese individuals with prediabetes. The key research question of this project was to determine whether the patients' diabetes knowledge and awareness improved after the NDPP program. A convenience sample of …

Backpack Safety Awareness To Prevent Back Pain In School-Aged Children, Aaron M. Gelinne

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 6,300 children between the ages of 5 and 18 were treated in emergency rooms for backpack injuries in 2016. Swanton Elementary School services over 500 children and frequently cites back pain as a reason for nurse visits, but does not provide any education on proper backpack safety. September 20, 2017 was National School Backpack Awareness Day which provided a unique opportunity to educate school parents and children about backpack safety.

Promoting Awareness Of The Opioid Epidemic In Rural Vermont, Kathleen Olson

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Vermont is in the middle of an opioid epidemic. Heroin use fatalities are on the rise and the number of people in treatment for opioid use disorder in Rutland County has tripled in recent years. Despite this widespread problem, community members of Rutland County feel that there is reluctance to talk about opioid misuse and lack of awareness. This project aims to bring awareness, provide resources, and encourage people struggling with opioid use disorder to seek treatment.

Awareness Of Diabetes Risk Associated With Individuals 18 And Older, Rebecca Jane Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is increasing at epidemic proportions, and is 12-17% higher in Marion County Florida than it is across the state, based on Florida Department of Health statistics. The purpose of this DNP project was to determine if awareness of individual risk of developing Type 2 diabetes through a questionnaire would result in high-risk participants agreeing to attend a diabetes prevention program (DPP) at a local medical clinic. The health belief model and Rosswurm and Larrabee's model for change were used as frameworks. The review of the literature showed that prevention programs were highly effective …

Social Cognition, Empathy And Functional Outcome In Schizophrenia, Amy Sparks, S. Mcdonald, B. Lino, M. O'Donnell, M. Green

Amy E.T. Sparks

Social and occupational functioning difficulties are a characteristic feature of schizophrenia, and a growing body of evidence suggests that deficits in social cognition contribute significantly to these functional impairments. The present study sought to investigate whether the association between social cognition and social functioning in schizophrenia would be mediated by self-reported levels of empathy. Thirty outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, and twenty-five healthy controls completed a well-validated facial affect processing task (Ekman 60-faces facial task from the Facial Expressions of Emotion - Stimuli and Tests; FEEST), The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT; to assess emotion …

Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention For Substance Craving., Katie Witkiewitz, Sarah Bowen, Haley Douglas, Sharon H Hsu

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Craving, defined as the subjective experience of an urge or desire to use substances, has been identified in clinical, laboratory, and preclinical studies as a significant predictor of substance use, substance use disorder, and relapse following treatment for a substance use disorder. Various models of craving have been proposed from biological, cognitive, and/or affective perspectives, and, collectively, these models of craving have informed the research and treatment of addictive behaviors. In this article we discuss craving from a mindfulness perspective, and specifically how mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) may be effective in reducing substance craving. We present secondary analyses of data …

Adherence To The European Society Of Cardiology (Esc) Guidelines For Chronic Heart Failure - A National Survey Of The Cardiologists In Pakistan, Sana Shoukat, Saqib A. Gowani, Ather M. Taqui, Rameez Ul Hassan, Zain A. Bhutta, Anum I. Malik, Sajjad A. Sherjeel, Quratulanne Sheheryar, Sajid H. Dhakam

Section of Neurosurgery

Background:The aims of this study were to evaluate the awareness of and attitudes towards the 2005 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for Heart Failure (HF) of the cardiologists in Pakistan and assess barriers to adherence to guidelines.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in person from March to July 2009 to all cardiologists practicing in 4 major cities in Pakistan (Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar). A validated, semi-structured questionnaire assessing ESC 2005 Guidelines for HF was used to obtain information from cardiologists. It included questions about awareness and relevance of HF guidelines (See Additional File 1). Respondents' management …

Knowledge And Awareness About Cervical Cancer And Its Prevention Amongst Interns And Nursing Staff In Tertiary Care Hospitals In Karachi, Pakistan., Syed Faizan Ali, Samia Ayub, Nauman Fazal Manzoor, Sidra Azim, Muneeza Afif, Nida Akhtar, Wassi Ali Jafery, Imran Tahir, Syed Farid-Ul-Hasnian, Najam Uddin

Community Health Sciences

Background and Objective: Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality amongst the gynecological cancers worldwide, especially in developing countries. It is imperative for at least health professionals in developing countries like Pakistan to have a sound knowledge about the disease. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge and awareness about cervical cancer and its prevention amongst health professionals in tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods and Design: A cross-sectional, interview based survey was conducted in June, 2009. Sample of 400 was divided between the three tertiary care centers. Convenience sampling was applied …

Awareness Of Stroke Risk Factors, Signs And Treatment In A Pakistani Population, Zarmeneh Aly, Kanza Abbas, Syed Faraz Kazim, Fawad Taj, Fatima Aziz, Affan Irfan, Rashid Sheikh, Mariam Shakir, Syed M Javed, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of awareness in the general public on risk factors, symptomatology and immediate treatment of stroke.METHOD: A cross sectional study was conducted in a sample of subjects visiting a tertiary care university hospital by means of a self-designed questionnaire. The study period extended between May and June, 2007.RESULTS: A total of 398 individuals were surveyed. Hypertension (69.1%) and stress (55.8%) were identified as two major risk factors for stroke. Among them 50.8% identified "Brain" as the principal organ involved in stroke out of which 78.2% of the response came from people whose level of education was …

Well-Being Of Medical Students And Their Awareness On Substance Misuse: A Cross-Sectional Survey In Pakistan., Abdul Wahab Yousafzai, Syed Ahmer, Ehsanullah Syed, Naila Bhutto, Saman Iqbal, Mohammed Naim Siddiqi, Mohammed Zaman

Department of Psychiatry

Objective: To investigate psychological well-being and substance abuse among medical students in Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted in six medical colleges across Pakistan. Final-year medical students were interviewed by either a postgraduate trainee in psychiatry or a consultant psychiatrist. Results: A total of 540 medical students were approached, 342 participated and the response rate was 64.5%. Mean age was 23.73 years (SD 2.45 years), 52.5% were male and 90% single. Two out of every five respondents reported that work/study at medical school affected their personal health and well-being. A considerable proportion of students were aware of alcohol …

Intracerebral Hemorrhage For The Palliative Care Provider: What You Need To Know., B Brent Simmons, Susan M Parks

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) makes up 10%-30% of all strokes. Palliative care providers are often asked to get involved with ICH cases to aid with development of short-term and long-term goals. Prognosis can be calculated using the ICH score (based on Glasgow Coma Score score, ICH volume, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, age, and location of origin) or the Essen score (based on age, NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS], and level of consciousness). Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status is important to discuss with families. Expert consensus states DNR is appropriate if the patient has two of the following: severe stroke, life-threatening brain damage, or significant …

A Technological Approach To Reaching A Hidden Population Of Problem Drinkers., Daniel Z Lieberman, Suena W Huang

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: The most common obstacle to the treatment of individuals with drinking problems is that most do not seek treatment. This study compared a group of treatment-seeking patients with users of an alcohol-evaluation Web site to determine whether an Internet application could reach a population of problem drinkers who are distinct from those served by currently available forms of care.

METHODS: An open-source application was developed that was modeled on the Drinker's Check-Up, which has been shown to increase motivation for behavior change while presenting itself as a nonthreatening evaluation. To recruit non-treatment seekers, the program was offered as a …

Short-Wavelength Light Sensitivity Of Circadian, Pupillary, And Visual Awareness In Humans Lacking An Outer Retina, Farhan H. Zaidi, Joseph T. Hull, Stuart N. Peirson, Katharina Wulff, Daniel Aeschbach, Joshua J. Gooley, George C. Brainard, Kevin Gregory-Evans, Joseph F. Rizzo Iii, Charles A. Czeisler, Russell G. Foster, Merrick J. Moseley, Steven W. Lockley

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

As the ear has dual functions for audition and balance, the eye has a dual role in detecting light for a wide range of behavioral and physiological functions separate from sight. These responses are driven primarily by stimulation of photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs) that are most sensitive to short-wavelength ( approximately 480 nm) blue light and remain functional in the absence of rods and cones. We examined the spectral sensitivity of non-image-forming responses in two profoundly blind subjects lacking functional rods and cones (one male, 56 yr old; one female, 87 yr old). In the male subject, we found …

Elder Abuse Screening Protocol For Physicians: Lessons Learned From The Maine Partners For Elder Protection Pilot Project, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Research and Evaluation

This manual was designed to assist physicians, nurses, and medical office managers become aware on means to incorporate screening processes in regard to elder abuse. The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging has reported that as many as five million elderly persons are abuses each year in the United States. By implementing proper screening procedures, disclosure will be made easier, thus protecting patients from harm. The screening procedure involves evaluating for mistreatment among patients 60 years or older, at least once per year. The protocol has been tested in 16 healthcare facilities with a total of 2,082 patients being …

Patient Education In Glaucoma: What Do Patients Know About Glaucoma?, Vital Paulino Costa, George L Spaeth, Maura Smith, Cordelia Uddoh, José Paulo Cabral Vasconcellos, Newton Kara-José

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the knowledge glaucoma patients have about their disease and its treatment.

METHODS: One hundred and eighty-three patients were interviewed at the Glaucoma Service of Wills Eye Hospital (Philadelphia, USA, Group 1) and 100 at the Glaucoma Service of University of Campinas (Campinas, Brazil, Group 2). An informal, relaxed atmosphere was created by the interviewer before asking a list of 18 open-ended questions.

RESULTS: In Group 1, 44% of the 183 patients did not have an acceptable idea about what glaucoma is, 30% did not know the purpose of the medications they were taking, 47% were not aware …