ABSTRACT
Background: Anemia is widespread public health problem with 1.62 billion people affected globally. In India, Anemia is considered a major health problem. Children, women of child bearing age and pregnant women are more prone to develop anemia. Anemia affects the physical and mental growth of children, associated with increase maternal and fetal mortality, leads to reduced work productivity in adults. The present study was undertaken to determine prevalence and severity of anemia among patients who attended the outpatient clinics of a Unani research hospital in Telangana. Methods: This hospital based retrospective observational study wasconducted from January 2020 to December 2020 to investigate the prevalence, type, and determinants of anemia. The complete haemogram values of all the patients who underwent haemogram investigation were noted, information was compiled, tabulated, and analysed. Descriptive statistics were computed with percentages, mean, standard deviation, and student抯 t-test was used find the significance of study parameters.Results: Prevalence of anemia was 26.2% (872/3326), high prevalence of anemia was observed in females (44.04%) compared to males (5.72%) (p<0.0001). The prevalence was more in reproductive age group (58.6%). Moderate anemia (58.6%) was more prevalent followed by mild anemia (36.6%). Microcytic hypochromic blood picture predominates with the incidence of 53.6% followed by normocytic blood picture 42.2%.Conclusions: Results confirmed high prevalence of anemia in females and moderate anemia being more prevalent followed by mild anemia and majority of anemia cases were microcytic, suggesting iron deficiency as the main cause of anemia.
ABSTRACT
Trichobezoars are impactions of swallowed hairs in the stomach and occasionally in the intestine. They occur in emotionally disturbed, depressed, or mentally retarded patients who have trichotillomania and trichophagia. Trichobezoars are usually diagnosed on CT scan or upper GI endoscopy. They can give rise to complications like gastroduodenal ulceration, haemorrhage, perforation, peritonitis, or obstruction, with a high rate of mortality. The treatment is endoscopic, laparoscopic, or surgical removal and usually followed by psychiatric opinion. Herein, we report a case of gastric trichobezoar presenting as gastric perforation in a patient of trichotillomania and trichophagia that was accidentally found on laparotomy. As the patient was in shock on admission, relevant history of trichophagia could not be elicited. Henceforth, she was operated for perforation peritonitis. Trichobezoar was discovered intraoperatively and removed. The perforation was repaired with Graham's omental patch. Postoperatively, history of trichophagia was corroborated with scarring alopecia of scalp. Trichobezoars is usually seen in adolescent girls, often with an underlying psychiatric or social problem. Laparotomy is the gold standard treatment. Surgical treatment should be followed by behavioral and psychiatric treatment. The patient should be vigilantly monitored for this impulsive disorder, as recurrences are common