Study of knowledge, attitude and practice of copper T as a method of contraception among antenatal women

Background: Family planning is defined by WHO as a way of thinking and living that is adopted voluntarily, upon the basis of knowledge, attitudes and responsible decisions by individuals and couples, in order to promote the health and welfare of family groups and thus contribute effectively to the social development of a country. The main objective was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding family planning and the practice of contraceptives among the antenatal women.Methods: A hospital based, cross sectional study was conducted in obstetrics and gynaecology department of SGT medical college, hospital and research institute over a period of 6 months. Convenient sampling was used to identify and interview 500 pregnant women, using a semi structured questionnaire. Data was entered and analysed with SPSSv21.Results: In our study, 74.2% participants have the knowledge about Cu-T as a method of contraception and 39% participants considered it a safe and economical method of contraception, 16.2% participants used PPIUCD and 40.2% considered it as unsafe method. Uses of PPIUCD was significantly associated with increasing age, illiteracy and non-working participants. Around one third participants were having uncertain attitude towards use of PPIUCD.Conclusions: In our study we observed that uses of PPIUCD is still lower side and there is a need to be motivate the people for effective and appropriate use of contraceptives when required and arrest the trend towards unwanted pregnancy.

Saudi SCD patients’ symptoms and quality of life relative to the number of ED visits

Background Individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) have significantly increased emergency department (ED) use compared to the general population. In Saudi Arabia, health care is free for all individuals and therefore has no bearing on increased ED visits. However, little is known about the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and frequency of acute care utilization in this patient population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 366 patients with SCD who attended the outpatient department at King Fahad Hospital, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through self-administered surveys, which included: demographics, SCD-related ED visits, clinical issues, and QoL levels. We assessed the ED use by asking for the number of SCD-related ED visits within a 6-month period. Results The self-report survey of ED visits was completed by 308 SCD patients. The median number of SCD-related ED visits within a 6-month time period (IQR) was four (2-7 visits). According to the unadjusted negative binomial model, the rate of SCD-related ED visits increased by (46, 39.3, 40, and 53.5 %) for patients with fever, skin redness with itching, swelling, and blood transfusion, respectively. Poor QoL tends to increase the rate of SCD-related ED visits. Well education and poor general health positively influenced the rate of SCD-related ED visits. Well education tends to increase the rate of SCD-related ED visits by 50.2 %. The rate of SCD-related ED visits decreased by 1.4 % for every point increase in general health. Conclusion Saudi patients with sickle cell disease reported a wide range of SCD-related ED visits. It was estimated that six of 10 SCD patients had at least three ED visits within a 6-month period. Well education and poor general health resulted in an increase in the rate of SCD-related ED visits

The Pristine survey - XV. A CFHT ESPaDOnS view on the Milky Way halo and disc populations

We present a one-dimensional, local thermodynamic equilibrium homogeneous analysis of 132 stars observed at high resolution with ESPaDOnS. This represents the largest sample observed at high resolution (R ∼40 000) from the Pristine survey. This sample is based on the first version of the Pristine catalogue and covers the full range of metallicities from [Fe/H] ∼-3 to ∼+0.25, with nearly half of our sample (58 stars) composed of very metal-poor (VMP) stars ([Fe/H] ≤ -2). This wide range of metallicities provides the opportunity of a new detailed study of the Milky Way stellar population. Because it includes both dwarf and giant stars, it also enables the analysis of any potential bias induced by the Pristine selection process. Based on Gaia EDR3, the orbital analysis of this Pristine-ESPaDOnS sample shows that it is composed of 65 halo stars and 67 disc stars. After a general assessment of the sample chemical properties with the α-elements Mg and Ca, we focus on the abundance of carbon and the neutron capture elements Ba and Sr. While most of our VMP subsample is carbon normal, we also find that 14 stars out of the 38 stars with [Fe/H] ≤ -2 and measured carbon abundances turn out to be carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars. We show that these CEMP stars are nearly exclusively (i.e. 12 stars out of 14) in the regime of low luminosity, unevolved, dwarf stars, which we interpret as the consequence of bias of the Pristine filter against C-rich giants. Among the VMP stars, we identify two CEMP stars with no enhancement in neutron-capture process elements and another one enriched in s-process element. Finally, one VMP star is found with a very low [Sr/Fe] abundance ratio for its metallicity, as expected if it had been accreted from an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy

Health-related quality of life in patients with sickle cell disease in Saudi Arabia

Background There is a lack of research concerning health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Saudi patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), particularly among adult populations. The aim of the current study was to describe the characteristics of SCD patients and their impact on their quality of life (QoL). Methods Six hundred twenty-nine adult SCD patients who attended King Fahad Hospital in Hofuf and King Fahad Central Hospital in Jazan were included in the analysis. Demographic/clinical data were collected and an Arabic version of the Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire was used to assess QoL. Results SCD patients who hold a university degree reported positive impacts on the following domains of SF-36: physical role function, vitality, emotional well being, social function, pain reduction, and general health (P = .002, P = .001, P = .001, P = .003, P = .004, and P = .001, respectively). In general, patients with fever, skin redness, swelling, or history of blood transfusion tended to impair the health status of the SF-36. A multivariate analysis revealed that patients with a university degree tended to report high scores of physical role functions, emotional role function, and vitality. Patients with regular exercise tend to increase vitality, social function, general health, and reduce pain. Unemployment tends to lessen vitality and worsen pain. On average, pain, social function, and physical function scores tended to worsen in patients with swelling or history of blood transfusion. Conclusions This study highlighted that poor education, fever, skin redness, and swelling were negatively associated with specific components of SF-36. SCD patients with a history of blood transfusion found their QoL poorer, whereas regular exercise tended to improve QoL

Saudi SCD patients’ symptoms and quality of life relative to the number of ED visits

Background Individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) have significantly increased emergency department (ED) use compared to the general population. In Saudi Arabia, health care is free for all individuals and therefore has no bearing on increased ED visits. However, little is known about the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and frequency of acute care utilization in this patient population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 366 patients with SCD who attended the outpatient department at King Fahad Hospital, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through self-administered surveys, which included: demographics, SCD-related ED visits, clinical issues, and QoL levels. We assessed the ED use by asking for the number of SCD-related ED visits within a 6-month period. Results The self-report survey of ED visits was completed by 308 SCD patients. The median number of SCD-related ED visits within a 6-month time period (IQR) was four (2-7 visits). According to the unadjusted negative binomial model, the rate of SCD-related ED visits increased by (46, 39.3, 40, and 53.5 %) for patients with fever, skin redness with itching, swelling, and blood transfusion, respectively. Poor QoL tends to increase the rate of SCD-related ED visits. Well education and poor general health positively influenced the rate of SCD-related ED visits. Well education tends to increase the rate of SCD-related ED visits by 50.2 %. The rate of SCD-related ED visits decreased by 1.4 % for every point increase in general health. Conclusion Saudi patients with sickle cell disease reported a wide range of SCD-related ED visits. It was estimated that six of 10 SCD patients had at least three ED visits within a 6-month period. Well education and poor general health resulted in an increase in the rate of SCD-related ED visits

Curettage of benign bone tumors without grafts gives sufficient bone strength: A case-series of 78 patients

Background and purpose The defect that results after curettage of a bone tumor is usually filled in the same way. We report the outcome in patients with benign bone tumors that were treated with curettage but no filling

Ghostly tributaries to the Milky Way: charting the halo's stellar streams with the Gaia DR2 catalogue

We present a panoramic map of the stellar streams of the Milky Way based upon astrometric and photometric measurements from the Gaia DR2 catalogue. In this first contribution, we concentrate on the halo at heliocentric distances beyond 5{ kpc}, and at Galactic latitudes |b > 30°, using the STREAMFINDER algorithm to detect structures along plausible orbits that are consistent with the Gaia proper motion measurements. We find a rich network of criss-crossing streams in the halo. Some of these structures were previously known, while several are new discoveries, but others are potentially artefacts of the Gaia scanning law and will require confirmation. With these initial discoveries, we are starting to unravel the complex formation of the halo of our Galaxy