Reducing the risks of nuclear war - the role of health professionals

@#In January, 2023, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of the Doomsday Clock forward to 90’s before midnight, reflecting the growing risk of nuclear war.1 In August, 2022, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world is now in “a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War.2 The danger has been underlined by growing tensions between many nuclear armed states.1,3 As editors of health and medical journals worldwide, we call on health professionals to alert the public and our leaders to this major danger to public health and the essential life support systems of the planet—and urge action to prevent it.

Time to treat the climate and nature crisis as one indivisible Global Health Emergency

@#Over 200 health journals call on the United Nations, political leaders, and health professionals to recognise that climate change and biodiversity loss are one indivisible crisis and must be tackled together to preserve health and avoid catastrophe. This overall environmental crisis is now so severe as to be a global health emergency.

Demographical evaluation of laparoscopic versus open appendectomy at tertiary care teaching hospital

Objective: To document the demographical evaluation of laparoscopic versus open appendectomy at tertiary care teaching hospital

Patients and methods: This is comparative study was carried out in Surgical Unit-II, Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan from 21[st] November 2012 to 3[rd] February 2016 after the approval from Ethical review committee. During period of the study sixty patients admitted through the outpatient department, as well as from casualty department of Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro / Hyderabad were enrolled. Results were prepared with the help of tables and graphs. Data was analyzed through SPSS software

Results: Out of 60 patients, 40 were males [66.66%] and 20 females [33.33%]; with male to female ratio of 2:1. The mean age for both groups was 26.78 years, ranging from 10 to 70 years. Symptoms of patients in both groups were almost identical comprising of pain in right iliac fossa in 59 [98.33%], pain starting around umbilicus in 45 [75%], nausea in 50[83.33%], vomiting 35[58.33%], anorexia in 25 [41.66%], fever in 22[36.66%] and altered bowel habits in 20[33.33%]

Conclusion: The laparoscopic appendectomy has significant advantages over open appendectomy with respect to length of hospital stay, discharge from hospital, and postoperative in-hospital complications and morbidity