Pleural Tuberculosis and its Treatment Outcomes

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence, treatment and clinical outcomes of tuberculosis pleuritis at a hospital in the state of Penang, Malaysia.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in Hospital of Penang, Malaysia. Patient records were reviewed retrospectively to identify patients with confirmed diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis from January 2006 to December 2008. Chest x-ray (CXR) and pleural biopsy were carried out on all patients. Directly observed therapy (DOT) was given to all patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.Results: Of 1548 tuberculosis cases, 80 (5.2 %) patients had tuberculous pleuritis. The mean age of the patients was 35.4 ± 12.87 years, with a male to female ratio of 3.4:1. Ethnically, a plurality (n = 30, 37.7 %) of cases among tuberculosis pleuritis patients were Chinese, followed by Malay (31.2 %). Out of the 80 patients with tuberculous pleuritis, 10 (12.5 %) also had diabetes mellitus, and 8 (10.0 %) HIV/AIDS. Fever, cough, chest pain and shortness of breathing were the most frequently reported symptoms. Treatment success rate was 1.558 times higher among TB group than pleuritis TB group (Odds ratio, 95 % CI, 1.06 – 2.59, p = 0.025).Conclusion: The incidence of TB pleuritis was gender- and race-related, with DM and HIV the most commonly reported risk factors. Treatment success rate was higher among pulmonary TB group than in those with TB pleuritis (extra pulmonary TB).Keywords: Tuberculosis, Pleuritis, HIV/AIDS, Biopsy, Pulmonary

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Diabetes in the General Population: A Cross-Sectional Study from Pakistan.

Background: Low knowledge about diabetes risk factors coupled with high disease prevalence is common in low-resource countries. This study evaluated diabetes-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the general population in Punjab (Pakistan). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five districts in Punjab from January to March 2017. Data were collected from 2019 adults aged 18⁻90 years through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. The total knowledge score ranged from 0⁻9; a score ≥6 was considered adequate diabetes awareness. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and linear and binary logistic regression were used for the analyses. Results: Respondents' mean age was 32.92 ± 11.4 years. In total, 85.9% of respondents had heard of diabetes, and 30.1% knew about the glucose tolerance test. We found 2.3% of respondents scored zero for diabetes knowledge, 11.3% scored 9, and 47.4% scored ≥6 (adequate awareness). Being female (β = 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16, 0.05; p = 0.001), socioeconomic status (β = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.36; p < 0.001), being diabetic (β = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.53, 1.10; p < 0.001), and higher education (β = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.33; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with knowledge score. Respondents with high socioeconomic status showed significantly higher positive attitudes compared with those with low socioeconomic status (adjusted odds ratio 1.57, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.24). Only 8.7% (30/343) of those diagnosed with diabetes had never undergone blood glucose screening since diagnosis. Conclusions: Knowledge of diabetes risk factors, management, and care is low in Pakistan's general population. Targeted public education programs should be instigated at a national level to increase understanding of diabetes prevention and treatment

Policing Pakistani Style in the Theatre of Terror

A NATO air strike killed 24 Pakistani Army members who were patrolling the Afghanistan border with Pakistan, and, although the US use of drones in Pakistan have been controversial, this latest incident enraged and inflamed public and political opinion in Pakistan as thousands of people protested across Pakistani cities as well as media channels using solemn music to portray the soldiers as martyrs massacred in the interests of the US. The incident has arguably fuelled anti-US/UK sentiments which do not make it easier for the Pakistani police service, already struggling with strategic, resource and geographic challenges, to counter the threat from terrorist groups. In the fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, such incidents will only add to the antipathy and propaganda used by those organisations to play upon disaffected Pakistani's and use such moments as a recruitment tool both in the UK and in Pakistan. In light of this, it is important to explore and examine the repercussions upon law enforcement agencies such as the Pakistani police and the methods which they have to employ in combating and dealing with terror threats, since those operations will have a direct impact in Britain. In an age of terror, the Pakistani police force must adopt a more focused community policing model that will help tackle such developing terrorist ideologies. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht