Journal of Lumbini Medical College 

About: Journal of Lumbini Medical College is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Pregnancy & Population. It has an ISSN identifier of 2392-4632. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 164 publications have been published receiving 306 citations.

Virtual Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: Pros and Cons

Abstract: The current outbreak of corona virus disease (COVID-19), declared as public health emergency of national and international concern by World Health Organization (WHO), led to unprecedented public health responses in Nepal and many countries around the world including travel restriction, closure of educational institutions, curfews in some places and quarantines. This pandemic has affected lives of millions in different ways in different geographic locations worldwide. Beyond the immediate threat to health, unemployment, insecurity, etc., education is one of the sensitive areas which has been affected tremendously, students in Nepal not being an exception. The closure of all educational institutions effective from 18th March, 2020 followed by the nationwide lockdown from 24th March, 2020 till date enforced by Government of Nepal (GoN) as an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 has shed a light on numerous issues affecting the access to education. As per the United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report 2020, a total of 1,190,287,189learners are currently affected constituting 68% of the total enrolled learners worldwide because of temporary or indefinite country wide school closures implemented by the respective governments in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. In Nepal alone 8,796,624 students have reportedly been affected.

Risk Factors of Diarrhea in Children Under Five Years in Urban Slums: An Epidemiological Study

Abstract: Introduction: Diarrhea is a leading cause of mortality in children in developing countries and the condition is worse in slums. In order to provide effective preventive and management strategies, it is important to identify factors associated with the disease. This study was carried out to investigate the risk factors of diarrhea in children under five years of age in urban slums. Methods: Parents of all children under five years from the urban slums of Tansen municipality, Palpa, Nepal were interviewed using a standardized pretested questionnaire and proforma. Parental variables, environmental factors, and presence of diarrhea in those children in past three months were collected by trained enumerators and the data were analyzed with statistical software SPSS-10. Results : A total of 450 under five years children were enrolled in the study. There were 216 (48%) male and 234 (52%) female children with F:M ratio of 1.08:1. Occurrence of diarrhea was lower if the children were breast-fed for more than six months, well-nourished, used fountain water for drinking, or used boiled or treated water. Similarly, diarrhea prevalence was lower if father had a regular job, daily income in the family was more than one US dollar, there was a toilet in the house, practice of hand washing was followed before feeding or preparing food, or there was no child suffering from diarrhea in the neighborhood. Conclusion: There are a few variables that are significantly related to diarrhea in children under five years of age. In order to decrease the diarrheal episodes in children in the slums of the developing countries, priority could be given in the improvement of those variables. J. Lumbini. Med. Coll. Vol 4, No 2, July-Dec 2016, page: 94-98 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22502/jlmc.v4i2.99

Adverse Effects of Oral Hypoglycemic Agents and Adherence to them among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Nepal

Abstract: Introduction : Oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) are the most common drugs used in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. There are various established adverse effects related to their use including hypoglycemia, weight gain, gastrointestinal disturbance, lactic acidosis, and fluid retention. However, the pattern of adverse effects related to OHAs in Nepalese patients still needs to be explored. Our study aims to determine the pattern of adverse effects resulting from the use of OHAs among Type 2 Diabetes mellitus patients and their adherence to the medication. Methods : All diabetic patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. After informed consent, patients were interviewed and evaluated as per the designed proforma. They were mainly studied for common drug used, adverse effects of the drugs, occurrence of hypoglycemia, and adherence to treatment. Results : The study comprised of 183 patients with mean age of 58.73 years ( SD = 12.95). Fifty-six (30.6%) patients said that they developed adverse effects of drugs but only 21 (11.5%) of them reported to their treating physician. Most common adverse effect were related to central nervous system such as tingling sensation of hands and feet, dizziness, drowsiness, etc. Though 91 (49.7%) patients had developed symptoms suggestive of hypoglycemia, only 31 (16.9%) knew that it was due to hypoglycemia. Majority of the patients ( n = 143, 78.1%) administered the drugs as prescribed by the physician. Among the defaulters, the most important reasons for failure to properly administer the drugs was forgetfulness in 82.5% ( n = 33, N = 40) of cases. Among the study variables family history of chronic illness ( p = 0.046) and information about adverse effects from physician ( p = 0.001) had a significant relationship with incidence of adverse effects. Whereas none of them had a significant relationship with adherence to hypoglycemic medication. Conclusion : The incidence of adverse effects was high with hypoglycemia occurring in 49.7% of the cases, though only one-third of them recognized it to be due to hypoglycemia, in the patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Family history of chronic illness and information about adverse effects from the physician had significant relationship with the incidence of adverse effects of hypoglycemic treatment. Journal of Lumbini Medical College Vol 5, No 1, Jan-June 2017, page: 34-40 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22502/jlmc.v5i1.126

Knowledge and Practice of Self-medication among Undergraduate Medical Students

Abstract: Introduction: Self-medication is an important aspect of self-care. It is a common practice in society and medical students are no exception. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge and practice of self-medication among students of a medical school in Western Nepal.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among basic science and clinical students after obtaining prior consent from those willing to participate. Respondents’ degree of agreement with a set of 25 statements was noted using Likert scale to assess their knowledge. The practice of self-medication was studied by asking about the use of selected groups of medicines during the past one-year period and noting the pattern of use.Results: Three hundred and thirty of the 356 students (92.6%) participated in the study. Mean knowledge score was 93.2 (SD = 8.1). Self-medication was practiced by 83.3% (n = 275) of respondents. Knowledge about self-medication differed among respondents according to gender (p = 0.03) and nationality (p = 0.04) but not other variables. Practice of self-medication was associated with father’s profession (p = 0.03) and nationality of the respondents (p = 0.04).Conclusions: Students’ knowledge about self-medication was good and they commonly practiced self-medication. Pain-killers were the most commonly used drug. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22502/jlmc.v6i1.174

Prevalence and Outcome of Preterm Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Unit of a Tertiary Care Center in Western Nepal

Abstract: Introduction: Preterm deliveries contribute to major morbidity and mortality in developing countries. They are a leading cause of admission in neonatal care units. Advances in the management have ensured better survival of preterm births, however cost, care and resource limitations influence the outcome.This study was conducted to determine the prevalence, risk factors, morbidity patterns and outcome of preterm admissions to a neonatal unit of a tertiary care center. Methods: This was a retrospective study where all preterm admissions over a period of two years were evaluated for maternal risk factors and morbidity pattern. Outcome was measured in terms of survival rate and case fatality rate. Mann Whitney U test and Fisher's Exact test were used to see the association between various parameters and clinical outcome. Results: Preterm admissions constituted16.48% of all neonatal unit admissions with a male to female ratio of 1.32:1. Common risk factors for preterm births were Prelabour Rupture of Membrane (31.2%) followed by Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy (15.1%) and Antepartum Hemorrhage (8.6%). Common morbidities were Sepsis (40.9%), Jaundice (28%) and Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) (14%). Case fatality rate was significantly high in RDS (45.1%) and perinatal asphyxia (11.1%). Overall survival rate was 75.26%. Conclusion: Preterm births were an important cause for admissions in neonatal unit. Sepsis, jaundice, RDS and necrotizing enterocolitis were common morbidities observed. Since clinical outcome was related to gestational age, improving antenatal care, timely interventions and early referral of high risk pregnancies to tertiary level centers might improve the survival rate