Common causes of hearing impairment among children less than 8 years of age in District Bahawalpur, Punjab Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the common causes of hearing loss among young children, and to compare the causes along gender lines. Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2020 to March 2021 at two government hospitals and one private clinic in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, and comprised children of either gender aged <8 years with complaint of decreased hearing. They were examined and tested for hearing impairment. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: Of the 328 subjects, 164(50%) each were girls and boys. The overall mean age was 4.20±2.08 years. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 178(54.3%), cases, conductive in 118(36%) and mixed type in 32(9.8%). Otitis media with effusion 89(27.1%) was the commonest cause of hearing impairment, followed by consanguinity 73(22.3%). There was no significant difference between the male and female children (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Otitis media with effusion was the commonest cause of hearing impairment, followed by consanguinity. Gender had no significant role to play in this regard.

Development and characterization of polyethylene oxide and guar gum-based hydrogel; a detailed in-vitro analysis of degradation and drug release kinetics.

Herein, we synthesized hydrogel films from crosslinked polyethylene oxide (PEO) and guar gum (GG) which can offer hydrophilicity, antibacterial efficacy, and neovascularization. This study focuses on synthesis and material/biological characterization of rosemary (RM) and citric acid (CA) loaded PEO/GG hydrogel films. Scanning Electron Microscopy images confirmed the porous structure of the developed hydrogel film matrix (PEO/GG) and the dispersion of RM and CA within it. This porous structure promotes moisture adsorption, cell attachment, proliferation, and tissue layer formation. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) further validated the crosslinking of the PEO/GG matrix, as confirmed by the appearance of C-O-C linkage in the FTIR spectrum. PEO/GG and PEO/GG/RM/CA revealed similar degradation and release kinetics in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium, Simulated Body Fluid, and Phosphate Buffer Saline (degradation of ∼55 % and release of ∼60 % RM in 168 h.). The developed hydrogel film exhibited a zone of inhibition against Escherichia. coli (2 mm) and Staphylococcus. aureus (9 mm), which can be attributed to the presence of RM in the hydrogel film. Furthermore, incorporating CA in the hydrogel film promoted neovascularization, as confirmed by the Chorioallantoic Membrane Assay. The developed RM and CA-loaded PEO/GG-based hydrogel films offered suitable in-vitro properties that may aid in potential wound healing applications.