Tobacco use and its associated factors among students of medical college at tertiary care center of Eastern Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Despite declining smoking prevalence globally, South Asia faces a rising burden. In Nepal, existing tobacco control laws haven't curbed use, with 28.9% of young adults engaging in tobacco use. This study investigates tobacco use and associated factors among medical, dental, and nursing students at a Nepalese tertiary care center. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess tobacco use prevalence and identify factors associated with it among future healthcare professionals, considering their distinct roles in tobacco control. Medical students can contribute through clinical counseling and public health advocacy, dental students through oral health education, and nursing students through patient education and community outreach. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 427 medical, dental, and nursing students was conducted. Data was collected using online questionnaires distributed via email and social media. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used for analysis. RESULTS: The study found that 45% of participants were aged 22-25, with females comprising the majority (53.2%). Nearly half (49.2%) belonged to the medical faculty, and 24.4% were in their first year. Furthermore, among those who smoke, 53% reported smoking less than 5 cigarettes daily. The analysis revealed significant associations between smoking with age (p = 0.01), year of study (p = 0.001), parental smoking history (p = 0.001), and having friends who smoke (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the moderate prevalence of cigarette smoking among medical students, with family and friends emerging as major influences. Stress relief was a common reason, particularly among young females and first-year students. These results emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive tobacco control programs within medical institutions to equip future healthcare professionals to effectively address smoking issues.

Acute pancreatitis secondary to moderate hypertriglyceridemia: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: It is crucial to remain vigilant about acute pancreatitis, even in cases with moderately elevated triglycerides. Triglycerides as a cause of acute pancreatitis must be considered even in the absence of other risk factors. Abstract: Hypertriglyceridemia is one of the most common causes of acute pancreatitis (AP), with triglyceride levels greater than 1000 mg/dL being an established risk factor for AP. Cases of acute pancreatitis due to triglyceride levels less than 1000 mg/dL have rarely been reported in the literature. We report a case of a 26-year-old para-2, living-2 (P2L2) female who presented with epigastric pain and fever, with a serum triglyceride level of 579 mg/dL. A diagnosis of acute pancreatitis was made based on the clinical features and radiological findings, despite no identifiable risk factors. Hypertriglyceridemia was managed with no complications of acute pancreatitis during treatment.

A small frontal lobe cavernoma presenting with headache mimicking migraine and complex focal seizure: A case report.

Cavernoma, or cerebral cavernous angioma, are hamartomatous lesions formed by sinusoidal vascular spaces without cerebral parenchyma in between. Cavernoma is a rare disorder that is diagnosed infrequently and incidentally, so it is called incidentaloma. However, cavernoma can present with seizures, headaches, and other focal neurological deficits, with seizures being the most frequent presentation. Cavernoma is angiographically concealed, and it's diagnosis is challenging. So, the cavernoma is diagnosed based on an MRI. We present the rare case of a patient who presented with a complex focal seizure and migraine-like headache caused by a small frontal lobe cavernoma.