Self-reported maternal handwashing knowledge and behaviours observed in a rural hospital in Pakistan

Background: Under-5 mortality remains high in developing nations despite decades of multilateral cooperation to reduce it. Diarrhoea contributes up to 15% of all mortality in this age group. Frequently reported barriers include poor hygiene, lack of sanitation facilities, and negligible public health education on the issue. Interventions such as Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) could complement modern public health approaches with renewed vigour in wake of SARS-CoV-II (COVID-19). Aims: We sought to assess maternal hand hygiene and ability to prepare oral rehydration solution at home. Methods: In addition to the ability to prepare oral rehydration solution at home, this cross-sectional study, carried out at the Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal during 2017, compared knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of mothers of children with diarrhoea to those shoes children did not have diarrhoea. Results: 511 (48%) children < 5 years were diagnosed with diarrhoea irrespective of household location. Among 1065 accompanying mothers recruited for this study, only 130 (12%) were able to prepare ORS at home and 288 (27%) qualified as regular hand-washers according to the criteria. Just over half of the respondents consumed untreated water supplied via a nearby canal. Almost 80% of neighbourhoods lacked waste collection. Conclusion: These findings informed management of frequent child diarrhoea cases presented at the hospital with locally relevant preventive knowledge. They are also expected to be useful in educating mothers on regular handwashing and the preparation of ORS as home-based interventions.

Post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors of Bam earthquake 40 days after the event

To investigate the point prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] in a group of survivors of the Bam 2003 earthquake, 145 participants [83 females and 62 males] were studied using structured interviews according to PTSD Symptom Scale [PSS] and Revised Impact of Event Scale [R-IES] items. The mean number of first and second order family members who had died in the disaster was 75.7, range 0 to 350 persons. About 81% of the participants were eligible for PTSD diagnosis according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-IV or DSM IV-TR] criteria. No significant correlation was found between demographic variables or history of psychiatric illness and measures of psychological distress

Predictive models for mortality and length of hospital stay in an Egyptian burns centre

Our aim was to obtain a statistical profile of survivors and deaths among burn victims and to develop predictive models for mortality and length of hospital stay. All patients admitted to the Burns Unit of Alexandria Main University Hospital over a 1-year period were included. Of 533 cases, mean length of hospital stay was 15.5 +/- 21.6 days and the mortality rate was 33%. Total surface area burnt, inhalation burns, age, sex, depth and degree of burn wounds were the significant independent predictors of mortality in multiple logistic regression analysis. The significant independent predictors of the length of hospital stay were clothing ignition, total surface area burnt, sex, degree and depth of burn and inhalation burns