Nutritional status, dietary habits, and their relation to cognitive functions: A cross-sectional study among the school aged (8-14 years) children of Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Limited research addressed links between nutritional status, dietary habits, and cognitive functions in young children. This study assessed the status of cognitive functions and their association with nutritional status and dietary habits of school age children of Bangladesh. METHODS: This cross-sectional multi-centre study was conducted on 776 participants in 11 conveniently selected educational institutions. A printed questionnaire with three sections (Section 1: background information, section 2: PedsQL™ Cognitive Functioning Scale, and section 3: semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire) was utilized for the data collection purpose. Sections 1 and 3 were self-reported by parents, and trained volunteers completed section 2 in-person along with the anthropometric measurements. Statistical analyses were done in Stata (v.16). Mean with standard deviation and frequencies with percentages were used to summarize quantitative and qualitative variables, respectively. Pearson's chi-square test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used to explore bivariate relationships. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 12.02±1.88 years, and the majority (67%) were females. The prevalence of poor cognitive function was 46.52%, and among them, 66.02% were females. In terms of body mass index (BMI), 22.44% possessed normal weight, 17.51% were overweight, and 5.19% were obese. This study found a statistically significant relationship between BMI and cognitive functions. Furthermore, different dietary components (e.g., protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber, iron, magnesium) showed a significant (p<0.05 for all) weak positive correlation with cognitive function. CONCLUSION: BMI and dietary habits were associated with the cognitive function of young children in Bangladesh. Although the cross-sectional design of the study precludes causal relationships from being determined, the study finding deserves further examination via longitudinal research.

Increased screen time and its association to migraine and tension-type headache: a cross-sectional investigation among Bangladeshi students.

Background: Increasing prevalence of screens among young people is a notable characteristic of the modern digital era. The study aimed to explore the prevalence and associated factors of migraine headache (MH) and tension-type headache (TTH) among Bangladeshi students continuing online education. Methods: A total of 771 students were selected conveniently and using the quota sampling method. A pretested semistructured and self-administered questionnaire containing the background information, Headache Screening Questionnaire-English Version, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing scale and Insomnia Severity Index was used for data collection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between different headaches and screen use. Results: The prevalence of MH, TTH and mixed headache (both MH and TTH) in the study population was 26.07%, 47.08% and 14.75%, respectively. Longer duration of online study (>12 months, adjusted ORs (AORs): 2.83, 95% CI 0 1.00 to 8.00), history of eye problem (AOR: 1.48, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.17), insomnia (AOR: 1.53, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.33) and moderate-to-severe depression (AOR: 2.35, 95% CI 1.55 to 3.56) were significantly associated with migraine headache. Conversely, longer duration of online study (>12 months, AOR: 2.87, 95% CI 1.40 to 5.86), moderate-to-severe depression (AOR=1.47, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.10) and use of multiple devices (AOR<1) for online study were significantly associated with TTH. In addition, longer duration of screen exposure (for >12 months, AOR: 4.56, 95% CI 0.99 to 20.93), moderate-to-severe depression (AOR: 2.25, 95% CI 1.37 to 3.72) and family history of headache (AOR: 2.66, 95% CI 1.65 to 4.29) were associated with mixed headache. Conclusion: Considering the current prevalence of TTH and MH among students and their relationship with screentime, providing health education on the proper use of electronic devices can be a promising strategy in mitigating the negative consequences.

Response to apheretic platelet transfusion in children of acute lymphoblastic leukemia receiving induction chemotherapy: a cross-sectional study from Bangladesh.

Background: Disease and therapy-related hypoproliferative thrombocytopenia is a significant barrier to managing acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) patients. To reduce the risk of haemorrhage, apheretic platelet transfusion is a modern, effective, and expensive option. Since most ALL patients in Bangladesh have financial constraints, this study can shed light on the magnitude of benefit regarding the effectiveness of apheretic platelet prophylactically and therapeutically in children of ALL receiving induction chemotherapy. Materials and methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of transfusion medicine and the department of paediatric haematology and oncology at a tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh from June 2020 to June 2021. A total of 33 cases of ALL were enroled in this study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. After receiving written informed consent, relevant data were collected using a face-to-face interview with the guardian of the patients, thorough clinical examination, and relevant investigation. After the collection of all the required data, analysis was done by Stata (v.16). Results: Mean age of the patients was 7.39±4.46 (SD), ranging from 1 to 18 years. The majority of children were aged younger than or equal to 10 years (69.70%). Male children were slightly predominant (51.5%). Significant post-transfusion platelet increment (Median pre-transfusion count 16×103/µl vs. Median post-transfusion count 133×103/µl, P<0.001) was observed. WHO bleeding grades also improved after apheretic platelet transfusion (P<0.05). Age was a significant factor associated with corrected count increment (CCI) in both univariate and multivariate analysis. In subgroup analysis, age and gender were significant predictors of CCI in therapeutic transfusion group but not in prophylactic transfusion group. Conclusions: Significant improvement in bleeding status and platelet count was observed following apheretic platelet transfusion.

Medical students' career preferences in Bangladesh.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the career preferences among Bangladeshi medical students, identify the factors that influence their present choices, and additionally report the role of gender and academic year behind their decisions. METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted in Bangladesh from August 2022 to April 2023 included 801 medical students conveniently selected from medical colleges in eight divisions. Data were collected using a web-based survey and analysed using STATA version 16.0. Statistical tests included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, frequency, and Kruskal-Wallis H test. The response rate was 94.6%, and the CHERRIES guideline was followed for reporting the results. RESULT: The majority of the participants were female (64.42%) and under the age of 23 years (58.8%). The study revealed that medicine was the preferred career choice for the majority of students (65%), with surgery being the most popular first choice (30.21%) among them. Female medical students showed a significantly higher preference for gynaecology & obstetrics (p < 0.001), while male students had a significantly higher tendency to choose general practice (p = 0.002). There is a significant gender difference (p < 0.05) in the career preference factors, including professional prestige, role model influence, easy money, family time, promotion opportunities, income for lifestyle, and research opportunities. Academic year differences were also observed, with increasing interest in medicine and public health (p < 0.001), a decrease in interest in surgery (p < 0.001), and a decline in preference for non-medical careers as students progressed through their MBBS life (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall, medicine was the most popular speciality choice, however, male students preferred general practice and female students preferred gynaecology and obstetrics more. Personal passion, opportunities for contribution to society, professional prestige, having a direct dealing with patients, and income will allow an enjoyable lifestyle were the most important factors in the choice of their career.

Pleural fluid adenosine deaminase to serum C-reactive protein ratio for diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) and malignant pleural effusion (MPE) may occasionally show similar cytological and biochemical picture including ADA. In such cases, differentiating TPE and MPE is challenging and needs histopathology of pleural tissue which may involve invasive procedures. The present study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of pleural fluid ADA to serum CRP (ADA/CRP) ratio to discriminate between tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion. In addition, we investigated whether the ratio ADA/CRP adds diagnostic value to ADA. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), Mohakhali, Dhaka, from July 2021 to February 2022 on diagnosed patients of TPE and malignant pleural effusion MPE. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was constructed for identifying TPE. The added value of the ADA/CRP ratio to ADA was evaluated using the net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all tests. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients were enrolled in this study, of which 31 had TPE, and 28 had MPE. Pleural fluid ADA to serum CRP ratio and pleural fluid ADA level was significantly higher in patients with TPE, but there was no significant difference in serum CRP levels between patients with TPE and MPE. At cut off value of > 1.25, pleural fluid ADA to serum CRP ratio had a sensitivity of 93.8%, specificity of 85.2%, and positive and negative predictive values were 88.2% and 92% respectively, in the diagnosis of TPE and area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.94. The NRI and IDI analyses revealed added diagnostic value of ADA/CRP to ADA. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the ADA/CRP ratio improves the diagnostic usefulness of ADA for TPE.

Prevalence of hypogonadism in transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia patients of Bangladesh: investigating the role of serum ferritin level as a diagnostic tool

ABSTRACT Introduction: Hypogonadism is one of the most frequent complications in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients and early recognition and treatment is the core element in restoring impaired gonadal function. Despite the high burden of disease, relevant studies are scarcely addressing the gonadal function of such patients in Bangladesh. The pattern of gonadal function in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients must be characterized before planning a generalized management plan. Moreover, since iron overload is a key reason behind hypogonadism in thalassemia patients, investigating the role of serum ferritin level as a diagnostic tool for hypongadism was also an aim of this study. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Transfusion Medicine of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 94 patients were enrolled in this study. A detailed history and thorough clinical examination were carried out in each patient and recorded using a pretested structured questionnaire. In addition, the laboratory assessment of serum ferritin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and estradiol in serum were also performed. The data were analyzed using the STATA (v.16). Results: The mean age of the patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia was 18.81 ± 4.65 (SD), with 53.3% of the patients being male. The overall prevalence of hypogonadism was 35.11%, 18.1% being normogonadotropic, 11.7% being hypogonadotropic and 5.3% being hypergonadotropic. The serum ferritin level was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with hypogonadism (Eugonadal: 2,174.79 (± 749.12) ng/ml; Hypogonadal: 3,572.59 (± 1,199.49) ng/ml). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of serum ferritin was high (0.83) and the p-value was highly significant (< 0.001). Conclusion: Therefore, the serum ferritin level and gonadal hormone analysis of transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients can be considered a screening tool for assessing gonadal function and early detection and prevention of hypogonadism.

Imposter phenomenon among health professionals and students: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

Health professionals and medical students are at increased risk of the imposter phenomenon (IP) in other words, the imposter syndrome, due to the challenging nature of their professions. It is particularly concerning since it is linked to a higher incidence of burnout and suicidal ideation. We must first thoroughly grasp its prevalence and associated factors to address this issue. However, no published review of the data includes a meta-analysis to help understand the character and associated factors of IP among medical workers and medical students. This study aims to investigate IP prevalence and risk factors among healthcare personnel. Five online databases will be searched for papers published in English between January 2000 and December 2022, and 2 independent reviewers will filter, select studies, extract data, and evaluate the risk of bias in each piece. The retrieved articles will be included based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. A third reviewer will decide on any disagreements between the 2 reviewers. Where appropriate, a meta-analysis will be conducted using the random-effects model. The heterogeneity of the studies will be examined, and a sensitivity analysis will be done depending on the study quality. The purpose of this review is to determine the prevalence and risk factors for IP among healthcare personnel. The review's findings will emphasize the severity and contributing factors of the problem, therefore guiding policy for future actions.

Impact of workplace bullying and burnout on job satisfaction among Bangladeshi nurses: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Job satisfaction is one of the most important but least researched issues in the nursing profession in Bangladesh. This study aimed to investigate how workplace bullying and burnout are related to job satisfaction, as well as determine the factors that are associated with job satisfaction among Bangladeshi nurses. Methods: Data were collected from Bangladeshi registered nurses between February 26, 2021, and July 10, 2021, in this cross-sectional study. Bullying, burnout, and job satisfaction were measured with the Short Negative Acts Questionnaire [S-NAQ], the Burnout Measure-Short version (BMS), and the Short Index of Job Satisfaction (SIJS-5), respectively. The correlations between age, bullying, burnout, and job satisfaction were assessed using a Pearson's correlation test. In order to investigate the adjusted association of demographic characteristics, occupational variables, bullying, and burnout with job satisfaction, multiple linear regression models were fitted. Results: The study included 1,264 nurses (70.02% were female) with a mean age of 28.41 (±5.54) years. Job satisfaction was significantly negatively correlated with bullying and burnout (p < 0.001). According to the multiple linear regression models, the private-employed nurses had lower job satisfaction than the government-employed nurses (ß = -0.901, CI: -1.640 to -0.162). Compared to the nurses in the Dhaka division, the nurses in the Chattogram division (ß = 0.854, CI: 0.099 to 1.609) and other divisions (ß = 0.993, CI: 0.273 to 1.713) had higher job satisfaction. Nurses without sufficient equipment to manage patients (ß = -1.230, CI: -1.696 to -0.763), and nurses not paid on time (ß = -1.475, CI: -2.221 to -0.729) were predicted to have significantly lower job satisfaction. Nurses' job satisfaction levels were decreased with higher levels of workplace bullying (ß = -0.086, CI: -0.120 to -0.053), and burnout (ß = -1.040, CI: -1.242 to -0.838). Conclusions: Nurses' job satisfaction was correlated with workplace bullying and burnout. Moreover, insufficient professional support from the authorities predicted nurses' job satisfaction. Reducing the instances of bullying and burnout among nurses, as well as improving their working environment, are essential to increase job satisfaction. This is possible with the support of hospital management, policymakers, and government authorities.

Gadget addiction among school-going children and its association to cognitive function: a cross-sectional survey from Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: People are becoming more dependent on technology than ever before. Today's children and adults are heavily plugged into electronics, which raises concerns for their physical and cognitive development. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the relationship between media usage and cognitive function among school-going children. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 schools in 3 of Bangladesh's most populous metropolitan areas: Dhaka, Chattogram and Cumilla. A semistructured questionnaire with three sections was used to obtain data from the respondents: (1) background information, (2) PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scale and (3) Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form. Stata (V.16) was used for statistical analysis. Mean and SD were used to summarise quantitative variables. Qualitative variables were summarised using frequency and percentage. The χ2 test was used to explore bivariate association between categorical variables, and a binary logistic regression model was fit to investigate the factors associated with the cognitive function of the study participants after adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: The mean age of total of 769 participants was 12.0±1.8 years, and the majority (67.31%) were females. The prevalence of high gadget addiction and poor cognitive function was 46.9% and 46.5%, respectively, among the participants. After adjusting the factors, this study found a statistically significant relationship (adjusted OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.7) between gadget addiction and cognitive function. In addition, the duration of breast feeding was a predictor of cognitive function as well. CONCLUSION: This study found digital media addiction as a predictor of decreased cognitive performance in children who use digital gadgets regularly. Although the cross-sectional design of the study precludes causal relationships from being determined, the study finding deserves further examination via longitudinal research.

Prevalence of hypogonadism in transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia patients of Bangladesh: investigating the role of serum ferritin level as a diagnostic tool.

INTRODUCTION: Hypogonadism is one of the most frequent complications in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients and early recognition and treatment is the core element in restoring impaired gonadal function. Despite the high burden of disease, relevant studies are scarcely addressing the gonadal function of such patients in Bangladesh. The pattern of gonadal function in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients must be characterized before planning a generalized management plan. Moreover, since iron overload is a key reason behind hypogonadism in thalassemia patients, investigating the role of serum ferritin level as a diagnostic tool for hypongadism was also an aim of this study. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Transfusion Medicine of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 94 patients were enrolled in this study. A detailed history and thorough clinical examination were carried out in each patient and recorded using a pretested structured questionnaire. In addition, the laboratory assessment of serum ferritin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and estradiol in serum were also performed. The data were analyzed using the STATA (v.16). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia was 18.81 ± 4.65 (SD), with 53.3% of the patients being male. The overall prevalence of hypogonadism was 35.11%, 18.1% being normogonadotropic, 11.7% being hypogonadotropic and 5.3% being hypergonadotropic. The serum ferritin level was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with hypogonadism (Eugonadal: 2,174.79 (± 749.12) ng/ml; Hypogonadal: 3,572.59 (± 1,199.49) ng/ml). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of serum ferritin was high (0.83) and the p-value was highly significant (< 0.001). CONCLUSION: Therefore, the serum ferritin level and gonadal hormone analysis of transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients can be considered a screening tool for assessing gonadal function and early detection and prevention of hypogonadism.

A child resides within a young adult: The first reported case of Alström syndrome in Bangladesh.

A 32-year-old male case with short stature presented to us with audio-visual impairment, obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, and hypogonadism. The single-gene genetic analysis revealed an ALMS1 gene mutation. A diagnosis of ALMS was reached for meeting one major and four minor criteria.

Hand hygiene products and adverse skin reactions: A cross-sectional comparison between healthcare and non-healthcare workers of Bangladesh during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The deadly COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe since December 2019. Due to the significant risk of infection, frontline health workers had to use Personal Protective Equipment and hand hygiene products, to help prevent transmission of infection. The present study aims to compare the adverse skin responses between healthcare workers (HCW) and non-healthcare workers (NHCW). Materials and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study of HCW and NHCW throughout the country wa executed. A self-structured questionnaire was utilized to gather data from 404 HCWs and 826 NHCWs during a two-month period using multistage sampling. STATA (v16) was used to analyse the data. Results: 41.87% of the study participants experienced adverse skin reactions, which were more prevalent amongs HCW (65.10%) than NHCW (30.51%). The most frequently reported skin condition was skin dryness (34.39%), followed by skin peeling (11.71%). Users of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS) were more likely to get itch (8.13%), whereas soap water users were more likely to suffer from skin peeling (35.74%) and rash (7.46%). There was a significant (p < 0.001) association between occupation and adverse skin responses, with HCW being 3.5 times more likely to have adverse skin manifestations than NHCW. Conclusion: The research showed that healthcare workers were at a greater risk to developing skin reactions than the overall population with frequent use of hand hygiene measures being a significant risk factor.

Knowledge, attitude, perceived effectiveness and self-practice of complementary and alternative medicine: a cross-sectional comparison between medical and non-medical students of Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Bangladesh's population commonly utilizes Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat their health issues. Despite the increasing interest in CAM, it has been excluded from conventional medical training in Bangladesh for many years. Therefore, this study assessed and compared the knowledge level, attitude, perceived effectiveness, and self-practice of CAM among undergraduate students of Bangladesh. METHODS: This cross-sectional group comparison study was conducted among undergraduate (both medical and non-medical) students of Bangladesh between November and December 2021. Data was collected using a self-reported pretested semi-structured online questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions regarding background information, knowledge regarding CAM, source of CAM knowledge, attitude towards CAM, interest in attaining CAM knowledge, perceived effectiveness of CAM, perceived adverse effects of CAM, self-practice of CAM, and whether would they refer CAM to others. A total of 576 students responded and the data gathered allowed for the following: (1) an overview of the study groups, (2) respondents' general perception and knowledge regarding CAM, and (3) a comparison of respondents' CAM knowledge, general perception, and usage by area of study. Data were analyzed using STATA (v.16) and descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U test were performed. RESULTS: A total of 329 medical students and 247 non-medical students participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 21.57 ± 1.8 years and 56.2% of them were male. The most known CAM among medical (M) students was homeopathy (44.6%) and among non-medical (NM) students were herbal medicine (45.7%). Non-medical students had significantly better knowledge about nine out of twelve CAM modalities included in the study, and no significant differences were present for the rest of the modalities. Medical (81.1%) and non-medical students (86.2%) perceived traditional Chinese medicine and homeopathy to be the most effective respectively. "Incorporating CAM with conventional medicine would result in increased patient satisfaction" showed the most statistically significant (p = 0.0002) difference among both groups. Yoga was the most often practiced modality among medical students and homeopathy among non-medical students. CONCLUSION: Medical students have a lacking of knowledge and a positive attitude towards CAM, despite its very common practice among the people of Bangladesh. Therefore, emphasis should be put on the inclusion of CAM modules in medical training.

Knowledge, attitude and perception among medical students and healthcare professionals regarding male infertility: a cross-sectional survey from Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding male infertility among medical students and healthcare workers in Bangladesh. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. SETTING: This study covered eight divisions of Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were medical students or healthcare professionals of Bangladesh who were surveyed anonymously on their knowledge, attitude and perception regarding male infertility. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The level of knowledge, attitude and perception regarding male infertility. ANALYSIS: The mean knowledge and attitude scores were then correlated with sociodemographic factors using χ2 and two-independent sample t-tests. Finally, we performed binary logistic regression to explore predictors of good knowledge and positive attitude. RESULT: Among 556 participants, 49.82% did not have good male infertility knowledge, and nearly 60.79% had negative attitudes regarding male infertility. Young (23-26 years) healthcare professionals and medical students were more likely to have good knowledge than others (OR: 1.81; 95% CI 1.099 to 2.988). Surprisingly, women were more likely to have a positive attitude (OR=1.48; 95% CI 1.002 to 2.19, p=0.049) than men. Among all the professions, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery doctors were most likely to have good knowledge and a positive attitude regarding male infertility. Good knowledge of male infertility predicted a positive attitude (OR=1.61; 95% CI 1.105 to 2.346, p=0.013) and vice versa. CONCLUSION: Our research found that healthcare professionals and medical students in Bangladesh had inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes regarding male infertility despite favourable opinions. This emphasises the need for interdisciplinary training programmes, standardisation of healthcare worker guidelines and curricular adjustments for medical students.

Inter-arm blood pressure difference as a tool for predicting coronary artery disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe atherosclerosis have been found to exhibit considerable changes in blood pressure (BP) between arms. The objective of our study was to investigate the predictive value of interarm blood pressure difference (IABPD) for coronary artery disease (CAD) severity. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Cardiology, Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chattogram from May 2020 to November 2020. The study conveniently selected 110 individuals who visited the department for a coronary angiography during the study period. The BP of both arms were synchronously measured 1-2 days before the coronary angiography and IABPD were calculated. After coronary angiography, two blinded interventional cardiologists visually estimated the amount of coronary artery obstruction and determined the Gensini score. RESULTS: Among the participants, more than three-fourths of the patients were above 50 years of age (64.66%), and the majority were male (86.67%). 14.7% of participants had no occlusion in their coronary artery, 38.0% of participants had insignificant occlusion, 26.7% participants had mild occlusion, 10.3% participants had moderate occlusion, 3.3% participants had significant occlusion and 6.0% participants had total occlusion. Corrected pulse IABPD (cIABPDpulse) showed the greatest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.73) for predicting a high Gensini score (>median). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between corrected systolic IABPD (cIABPDsys) and the Gensini score (B=0.057, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The differences in BP between the arms were found to be having a strong positive correlation with CAD severity.

Prevalence of dermatological manifestations due to face mask use and its associated factors during COVID-19 among the general population of Bangladesh: A nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Following the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, individuals have begun to take preventive measures to avoid exposure. Among the precautionary measures, facemask was mostly emphasized. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dermatological symptoms linked with face mask usage and explore other associated factors. This cross-sectional survey was conducted throughout all eight divisions of Bangladesh. 1297 people were approached using a fixed-step procedure on a random route sample where 803 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of dermatological manifestation in this study was 40.85%. The common dermatological manifestations due to facemasks use were acne (26%), allergy symptoms (24%), traumatic symptoms (24%), and other symptoms (26%). Two important frequently reported risk factors were previous history of skin diseases and obesity. Females were more likely to have acne (CI: 1.199, 3.098; p = .007) and allergy issues (CI: 1.042, 2.359; p = .031). N95 and KN95 masks were more likely to produce allergic symptoms, while surgical mask users were more likely to develop acne. Acne was prevalent more than twice (CI: 1.42, 4.26; p = 0.001) in persons with a COVID-19 infection history. Further exploration is required to find out the reason. Surgical mask users reported more complaints than other types of masks, and prolonged use caused more skin symptoms. Modifications in the pattern of facemask usage and planning for work recesses might also be advised to provide for a pause from uninterrupted facemask use.

Post-COVID-19 Memory Complaints: Prevalence and Associated Factors.

INTRODUCTION: Memory complaints resulting from COVID-19 may have a significant impact on the survivors' quality of life. Unfortunately, there is insufficient information available on memory loss and its relationship to COVID-19. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of memory complaints in post-COVID-19 patients and to find potential contributing factors. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 401 individuals who had previously been diagnosed with COVID-19 at four COVID testing centers situated across Bangladesh. The MAC-Q questionnaire was used to evaluate memory. A binary logistic regression model was fit to study the variables related to memory complaints, with a p-value of <0.05 deemed statistically significant. RESULT: Memory complaints was prevalent in 19.2% of the post-COVID patients. Individual predictor analysis revealed that among the treatment modalities, steroids and antibiotics were associated with impaired memory. Multiple logistic regression showed that individuals who recovered from COVID-19 within six to twelve months were more likely to have memory deficits. Even though age, sex, oxygen demand, and hospitalization were not linked with memory complaints, rural residents exhibited more significant memory complaints than urban residents. CONCLUSION: Nearly one-fifth of the COVID-19 patients suffer from various degrees of memory complaints within one year. However, no association was found between COVID-19 severity to memory complaints.

Prevalence of dermatological, oral and neurological problems due to face mask use during COVID-19 and its associated factors among the health care workers of Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: When caring for COVID-19 patients, using personal protective equipment (PPE) may significantly lower the risk of infection of health care workers (HCWs). However, adverse responses due to PPE use have been observed during the 2003 SARS pandemic. This study will highlight the different adverse reactions caused by face mask use, one of the essential components of PPE in the HCWs, and identify the factors associated with these problems. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted between September and October 2021. 404 HCWs were selected by snowball sampling from four randomly selected healthcare facilities of Bangladesh. Trained volunteers collected data by face-to-face interview using a pretested structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using STATA (v.16) and summarized using frequency and relative frequency. Later, the chi-square test was used to explore bivariate relationships, and the binary logistic regression model was fit to identify the predictors. RESULTS: The majority of the respondents were 26-36 years (70.30%), male (69.80%), and doctors (74.50%). 48.76% of the respondents had unfavorable skin responses beneath the face masks; female gender, physicians, professionals working more than 32 hours a week, wearing N95, and more than one mask were predictors of skin problem. 28.47% and 60.15% of all participants suffered from some form of oral and neurological problems, respectively. CONCLUSION: Face mask use sequelae, especially skin, oral and neurological problems, are prevalent among health care workers. Therefore, necessary precautionary measures should be taken to safeguard our frontlines.