Exploring the live experiences of the nursing faculty, working in public sector institutions of Punjab regarding educational transformation from diploma to degree programme.

The objective of the study was to explore the faculty's views regarding nursing education transformation from diploma to degree programme. Phenomenological descriptive qualitative approach was adopted to explore the experiences of 10 nursing faculty members who were teaching for more than two years in two public sector nursing colleges (inclusion criteria) in Punjab-College of Nursing, Jinnah Hospital Lahore, and College of Nursing, Nishtar Hospital, Multan-from 2021 to 2022. Data was collected by in-depth interviews of the 10 participants. It was tape recorded, transcribed, and analysed by using Braun and Clarke`s thematic analysis technique. Seven themes were derived, in which good transition, change in instructional methodology, several strengths of degree programme, higher authorities' ignorance, lack of resources, resources can be managed at government level as well as institutional level, positive impact, improved skills in all dimensions were the main elements. This transition is facing challenges, and authorities need to pay proper attention, while policy formation for smooth implementation is needed.

Association of serum advanced glycation (AGEs) end products, apolipoprotein-B and zinc in severity of T2DM retinopathy.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), lipids and lipoproteins and antioxidant enzymes are involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). AGEs and modified Apolipoprotein-B (Apo-B) lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species causing damage to the retina leading to DR. Zinc has antioxidant properties and protects the retina against reactive oxygen species. The current study aimed to compare the levels of serum AGEs, Apo-B and zinc in non-diabetics and type II diabetics without and with DR. Serum AGEs and Apo-B were measured by ELISA while zinc was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The impact of all three markers on the severity of DR was calculated, individually as well as together as a model, to determine the relationship of these markers with severity of diabetic retinopathy. Regression analysis showed that AGEs, Apo-B and zinc were all contributing significantly to the severity of DR, together having an 82.8% impact on it (R2=0.828). The model of the three parameters was best fit to indicate the severity of DR (p-value = 0.553). This study provides a basis for further validation of the suggested model with prospective studies which can then be used in clinical setups to predict the individuals at risk.

Effectiveness of basic training session regarding the awareness of Ebola virus disease among nurses of public tertiary care hospitals of Lahore.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of basic training session regarding the awareness of ebola virus disease among nurses of public tertiary care hospitals. METHODS: The quasi-experimental study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, from November to December 2015, and comprised nurses working at three public tertiary care hospitals. Baseline and post intervention data was collected through a questionnaire, and was compared using SPSS 20 . RESULTS: The sample comprised 100 nurses. The mean baseline knowledge score was 3.93±2.519 which indicated poor knowledge. The post-intervention mean score was 13.18±1.192 and the difference was significant (p<0.05).. CONCLUSIONS: The basic training session regarding awareness of ebola virus disease was highly effective.

Revealing the Connection Between Hemodialysis and Sexual Physiology in Women With End-Stage Renal Disease.

INTRODUCTION: In the recent past, the procedure of hemodialysis has frequently been opted for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) around the globe. In such patients, the concern of sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent, which causes psychological as well as social deterioration in these patients. Wretchedly, this issue has been ignored in developing countries like Pakistan because of social and cultural constraints.  Objectives: The aim was to measure and compare Female Sexual Functions of Dialysis (FSFI) scores among three comparative groups: healthy controls, pre-dialysis patients, and hemodialysis patients. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out with 60 females aged 22-50 years in which 20 were healthy (controls) and 40 were patients with ESRD; of these 40, 20 were taking only oral medicines (pre-dialysis) and 20 were also receiving hemodialysis (hemodialysis). Married women who could read Urdu and were living with live spouses were included, and those with any psychological or psychiatric illness were excluded. Data was collected through a Likert-scaled questionnaire, Urdu translation of the FSFI questionnaire, and scores of each domain were analyzed. Single-tail one-way ANOVA was used to observe the significant difference among the three comparative groups. RESULTS: A strong statistical difference was observed among the hemodialysis, pre-dialysis, and healthy control groups when these three study groups were compared for the mean scores of all related domains of FSFI questtionarie. In each female sexual domain, i.e. Desire, Arousal, Lubrication, Orgasm, Satisfaction, and Pain, the diseased groups (pre-dialysis and hemodialysis) showed lower sexual scores than the healthy group. The lowest scores were observed in the pre-dialysis group (16.4 ± 6.8) and the highest were noticed in the healthy group (29.9 ± 1.8); the hemodialysis group (23.3 ± 5.0) expressed a moderate pattern of scores in each sexual domain. CONCLUSION: ESRD female patients who were receiving hemodialysis along with routine oral medications showed improved sexual physiology (with better FSFI scores) compared to those who were without hemodialysis.

Serum leptin levels in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity, mortality and disability worldwide. Leptin, a 16kDa product of ob gene, is an endocrine hormone produced by white adipose tissue. It is primarily involved in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. Hyperleptinemia is one of the novel risk factors contributing in many ways to CVD. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to find the level of leptin in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and compare it with healthy people in our population. METHODS: Our study was an analytical and cross-sectional study. Our study included 60 patients with a history of CAD and 60 healthy controls (aged 40-60 years, both sexes). Leptin levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Mean serum leptin level in patients was 11.48 +/- 11.25 etag/ml, while control group had a mean leptin level of 8.22 +/- 8.01 etag/ml (p = 0.071). CONCLUSION: Leptin levels were higher in patients but the difference was non-significant. More studies are needed with larger sample size in our population.

Gauging the Effectiveness of Training Sessions Among Nurses Regarding Biomedical Waste Management: A Quasi-Experimental Study From a Developing Country.

Introduction Biomedical waste management (BWM) plays a crucial role in maintaining human and environmental health. Unfortunately, health-care workers (HCWs) lack the essential awareness concerning BWM and there is a dire need to adopt different strategies to improve their practices. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of training sessions among HCWs regarding biomedical waste management using a quasi-experimental study design. Methods This quasi-experimental study included a total of 64 nurses, selected with a systematic random sampling technique. Three days of structured training sessions were organized in the morning and evening shifts. Pertinently, pre-test and post-test were organized before and after the end of training sessions. Practices of nurses regarding BWM were also assessed before the training and after one month of training with the aid of a checklist. Results The low pre-test scores of the study participants elucidated insufficient knowledge regarding various aspects of BWM. After the three days of the structured training sessions, the analysis of post-test scores elucidated a marked improvement in the knowledge of the study participants. The practices of nurses regarding BWM were inappropriate; however, one month after the training sessions, the re-evaluation of practices showed a significant improvement. Conclusion The study showed that nurses had poor knowledge regarding BWM and were significantly improved on teaching interventions. An essential knowledge regarding BWM is therefore very useful for HCWs to protect themselves from infectious diseases. The inclusion of regular training sessions in the teaching curriculum can ensure adherence to guidelines for appropriate BWM. Assurance of ideal practices for BWM plays a key role in the prevention of nosocomial infection among HCWs.

Serum adiponectin levels in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin is an adipocytokine secreted from white adipose tissue. Serum level of adiponectin has been shown to be reduced in several disease states like obesity and diabetes. Hypoadiponectinemia has also been included in the list of newer risk factors for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). METHODS: In this analytical cross-sectional study serum adiponectin level was measured by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) in 60 cases of coronary artery disease (CAD) (both sexes, aged 40-60 yrs) and 60 healthy controls. RESULTS: Low levels of adiponectin were seen in CAD patients as well as controls. These levels were lower as compared to western standards. CONCLUSION: Our study conforms to the previous observation of lower serum adiponectin levels in South Asians compared to the western standards. Serum adiponectin level should be considered in the laboratory work-up of CAD patients.