Chandka Medical College

About: Chandka Medical College is a education organization based out in Larkana, Pakistan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Medicine & Population. The organization has 106 authors who have published 108 publications receiving 1170 citations.

Frequency of Workplace Burnout Among Postgraduate Trainees in a Teaching Hospital in Mirpur.

Abstract: Background Work-related stress and burnout among medical practitioners has been a frequently studied phenomenon. It reduces work efficiency and productivity and also has negative impacts on patient care. This study assessed the extent of work-related stress and burnout and the reasons behind this burnout among the Internal Medicine and Pulmonology residents of Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. Materials and methods This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among the postgraduate trainees of Internal Medicine and Pulmonology in Mohi-uddin Islamic Medical College and Hospital, Mirpur, Azad Kahsmir. Out of the 70 trainees, 64 completed the study (response rate: 85.3%). The trainees recorded their sociodemographic profile including age, gender, marital status, name of the department, and year of training. Work-related stress and burnout were assessed using a 28-question-based Burnout Questionnaire adapted from the American Welfare Association. Reasons of burnout among the postgraduate trainees were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS v. 21. Results There were 45 men (70.3%) and 19 women (29.6%). The mean age of the trainees was 29.25 ± 2.87 years. No stress and professional burnout was reported in 20.3% residents; 29.6% residents had stress but no professional burnout; 23.4% residents had fair chances of burnout; 14% residents had early burnout; and 12.5% residents had advanced burnout. Higher grades of burnout are more common among male residents, those who are married, and those in early years of postgraduate training. Common reasons of work-related burnout were reported to be long work hours (68.75%), decreased job satisfaction (54.7%), and lack of workplace facilities (45.3%). Conclusion Most of the residents in Mirpur have work-related stress and are at the verge of burning out. Large-scale studies, assessing more correlates, must be conducted in this region to give a better understanding of this phenomenon and help formulate plans to prevent and manage work-related stress and burnout among the postgraduate trainees.

Association Between Long-Term Use of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Hyperkalemia in Diabetic Patients

Abstract: Introduction The association between continuous use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and hyperkalemia is not consistent in the literature and creates grounds for further large-scale trials, particularly in patients with a chronic disease that affects renal function, such as diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, we will compare mean serum potassium level and the prevalence of hyperkalemia in diabetic and non-diabetic patients based on their use of NSAIDs. Methods This case-control study was conducted in the internal medicine unit of a tertiary care hospital from May 2019 to December 2020. After taking informed consent, 700 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of type 2 DM, of either gender, were enrolled in the study via consecutive convenient non-probability technique. Another set of 700 participants from the public were enrolled as the reference or control group. Continuous NSAID use was defined as NSAID used for a minimum of 20 days in the last 30 days. Blood was drawn via phlebotomy and sent to the laboratory to test for potassium level. Results Serum potassium level was significantly higher in diabetic patients with continuous NSAID use compared to the diabetic patients without continuous use (4.8 ± 0.8 mmol/L vs. 4.5 ± 0.7 mmol/L; p-value: 0.0001). Additionally, serum potassium level was significantly higher in non-diabetic patients with continuous NSAID use compared to non-diabetic patients without continuous use (4.3 ± 0.7 mmol/L vs. 3.9 ± 0.5 mmol/L; p-value: 0.0001) Conclusion In this study, the patients with continuous use of NSAIDs had higher levels of serum potassium level compared to patients without continuous use of NSAIDs. This difference was even higher in diabetic patients.

The Success Level of Hypospadias Repair in Adults

Abstract: Introduction Hypospadias is the abnormal opening of the urethra at the undersurface of the penis. Hypospadias repair is performed in such patients to treat the condition. The success level of hypospadias repair in adults still needs to be established on a larger scale. Therefore, we conducted this study to document the success level of hypospadias repair in adults in our setting to add to the literature. Materials and methods This prospective study was conducted at a major metropolitan hospital in Karachi over a period of six months. A total of 75 male patients aged between 20-50 years and diagnosed with hypospadias of any level with or without mild to moderate chordee were included. Demographic features such as age and the duration of hypospadias were noted. Hypospadias repair using a tubularized incised plate (TIP) urethroplasty technique was performed, and the patients were observed for three days in the ward and for three months in the outpatient department for any complications. The procedure was considered a success if there were no complications and no need for a second surgery; we also took into account patient satisfaction with the procedure to determine the success level. The mean and standard deviation were calculated for patient age and the duration of hypospadias. Frequency and percentages were calculated for distribution of patient age, distribution of the duration of hypospadias, and the success of hypospadias repair. The correlation of patient age and the duration of hypospadias with the success of hypospadias repair was also determined by applying the Chi-square test, and a p-value of ≤0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results The mean age and the duration of hypospadias for the study population were the same at 31.43 ± 8.47 years. Distribution of patient age and the duration of hypospadias was also the same with 51 (68%) patients of ≤35 years of age and 24 (32%) patients of >35 years of age. Hypospadias repair was successful in 52 (69.33%) patients but unsuccessful in 23 (30.66%). The stratification of patient age and the duration of hypospadias with the success of hypospadias repair showed a significant inverse relationship (p = 0.017). The data relating to patient age and the duration of hypospadias showed the same values as hypospadias is a birth defect. Conclusion Adult patients undergoing primary hypospadias repair generally show good outcomes. However, the chances of favorable outcomes gradually decrease with age. Hence, patients should be encouraged to undergo the procedure as early in their lives as possible. Patients who are middle-to-old aged should especially be counseled about the relatively higher risk of unsuccessful procedures. Further analysis is needed to confirm the validity of these findings.

Frequency of Cutaneous Disorders in Patients With Celiac Disease.

Abstract: Background and objective Celiac disease is an autoimmune multisystem disorder that is triggered by dietary gluten sensitivity in genetically susceptible individuals. It presents with extraintestinal cutaneous manifestations including dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, urticaria, and alopecia areata. Due to the insufficient availability of data, this study aimed to estimate the frequency of cutaneous manifestation in a Pakistani population with celiac disease. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2020 to July 2021, and 300 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of celiac disease were enrolled in the study from the internal medicine department of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Celiac disease was confirmed by the presence of immunoglobulin A (IgA) endomysial antibody and IgA tissue transglutaminase antibody. The presence of cutaneous manifestations was assessed with the assistance of a qualified dermatologist and noted in a self-structured questionnaire. Results Overall, the most common cutaneous manifestation was DH (16.0%), whereas the second most common cutaneous manifestation was psoriasis (13.8%). DH was most commonly found among males (18.9%), while psoriasis was more common among females (14.12%). Conclusion Among the various cutaneous presentations in patients with celiac disease, the most common dermatological manifestation was DH. Therefore, patients with cutaneous manifestations should undergo screening for celiac disease.

Invasive versus Non-invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Complicated By Acute Respiratory Failure.

Abstract: Introduction Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is frequently encountered as a medical emergency. AECOPD is the third leading medical cause of hospitalization due to acute respiratory failure (ARF). The utilization of ventilators for patients with ARF secondary to AECOPD has increased. There has been a major inclination towards utilization of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) and sparing invasive positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) for life-threatening respiratory distress and/or in patients where NIPPV failure is observed. The aim of this observational study was to compare the clinical and laboratory parameters patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated by ARF admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods In the prospective observational study with known cases of COPD complicated by ARF, patients were grouped into NIPPV and IPPV groups based on their clinical and laboratory parameters. Thirty patients were included in each group. Demographic data was collected. Clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated at baseline and at 24 hours of ventilation. The outcome was assessed in terms of duration of ventilation, hospital and ICU stay and overall mortality. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Both IPPV and NIPPV groups demonstrated marked reduction in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) with 24 hours of ventilation (for IPPV: 78.1 ± 20.2 vs. 69.1 ± 20.2; p=0.08) (for NIPPV: 68.1 ± 17.8 vs. 57.2 ± 21.5; p=0.03). In NIPPV group, there was significant improvement in partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) (p=0.009), respiratory rate (p=0.008), heart rate (p<0.0001), systolic blood pressure (p=0.03), and diastolic blood pressure (p<0.0001). These parameters did not improve significantly in the IPPV group except for systolic blood pressure (p=0.008). The NIPPV failure rate was 20%. NIPPV patients had a significantly shorter duration of ventilation, ICU stay, and hospital stay. In-ICU mortality was significantly lower in the NIPPV group as compared to IPPV (13% vs. 40%; p=0.01). There was no difference in post-ICU in-hospital mortality between the two groups (6.7% vs. 16.7%; p=0.13). Conclusion Both NIPPV and IPPV are effective in normalizing acidosis and hypercapnia in patients with COPD complicated by ARF. Patients managed with non-invasive mode of ventilation have a shorter duration of ICU as well as hospital stay. Survival rates are also better as compared to patients managed with invasive ventilation.