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Introduction Different organs and organ systems are affected by a well-known chronic immune disorder called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Besides the physical harm caused by this disorder, it affects the mental health of patients in a greater ratio by causing depression and anxiety. The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of undiagnosed depression and its effects on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Material and methods This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in the Rheumatology outpatient department of Fatima Memorial Hospital (FMH), Lahore, from November 2022 to February 2023. All study subjects had been given a prior diagnosis of SLE based on the 2012 Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria. Three sections comprised the survey form: section I asked questions about socio-demographic information (gender and age); section II assessed the degree of mental illness activity; and section III assessed the degree of SLE disease activity. The nine-item PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire 9) scale, which is used to diagnose severe depressive disorder, was utilized to measure depression. To compare categorical variables, we applied Fisher's exact tests and chi-square; for continuous variables, we utilized the student's t-test. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software for Windows Version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), with a significance threshold of p-value <0.05. Results Mild, moderate, and severe depression were present in 20%, 37.5%, and 37.5% of the patients, respectively. Pearson correlation of disease severity was strongly positive with depression (R2=0.634, p=0.01). The correlation was statistically significant. Conclusion Our research indicates that depression is a real problem for SLE patients. There is a positive correlation between the activity of the disease and the intensity of depression.
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Background Blood transfusion plays a vital role in medical practice. Evaluation of blood utilization in a blood bank is a crucial step in good transfusion practice. It is the inception towards assessing the present and future demands for blood and also avoiding unnecessary transfusions. Methods Retrospective analysis of one-year data, available in the blood bank of Gulab Devi Hospital Lahore, was done to study blood transfusion practice. Issue registers were accessed to retrieve the required information such as gender, age, blood group, pre-transfusion Hemoglobin level, ward, clinical diagnosis, and indication for the transfusion. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Frequency and percentages were used to summarize categorical demographics and clinical variables. Results A total of 1181 units were requested from the hospital during our study period. Majority of the requests were for the female patients (69%) of the reproductive age group (21 to 30 years). Blood group B positive was most frequent in our study population. Maximum requests were from reproductive health departments (39.9%). Surgery was the major diagnostic category to require blood transfusions (31.8%). Elective surgery constituted the major indication requiring blood transfusion at our hospital (41.3%). Conclusion Blood utilization patterns vary significantly within geographical regions, hospital to hospital, and according to clinical practices as well as patients' clinical findings. Moreover, diseases burden, level of organization, and advancement of healthcare facilities in various settings contribute to the significant contrast in blood utilization trends.