Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosed Using Indigenously Wrapped Sweating Technique: First Large-Scale Study Reporting Socio-Demographic, Clinical, and Laboratory Features among the Children in Bangladesh A Lower Middle Income Country.

Due to lack of robust data on childhood cystic fibrosis (CF) in Bangladesh we sought to evaluate their clinico-epidemiology. A cross-sectional observation was conducted adopting CF-foundation consensus-panel-diagnostic criteria in 3 tertiary-care-hospitals in Bangladesh from 2000 to 2017. Clinically suspected 95 CF-cases were subjected to sweat-chloride testing using locally-developed a fast, cheap and effective indigenously body-wrapped sweating technique measured by US-Easy Lyte-automated microprocessor-controlled analyzer marking ≥60 mmol/L as positive. Mean-age of CF-cases at disease-onset was 16.9 ± 26.6 months that significantly differed with age-at-diagnosis (P < .02). Pulmonary syndromes included chronic wet cough in 100%, respiratory distress in 90.5%, digital-clubbing in 78%, mucopurulent-sputum in 74%-cases, and crepitation in 82%. Radio-imaging revealed bronchiectasis in 60%, hyperinflation/peribronchial-thickening in 22% and, pan-sinusitis in 89%-cases. While 37% had history-of malabsorption, high-fecal-fat revealed in 53%-cases. Malnutrition prevailed as severe-underweight in 87%-cases and all CF-cases (100%) had high sweat-chloride (mean = 118 ± 53.34 mmol/L). Thus, children with pulmonary features coupled with severe malnutrition and associated radio-imaging bronchiectasis should be screened for CF with a fast, cheap and effective sweat test in resource poor settings.

Psychological states of Bangladeshi people four months after the COVID-19 pandemic: An online survey.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic essentially imposes psychological effects on people. As the pandemic progresses, people experience psychological trauma gradually, which can change over time. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among Bangladeshi people four months after the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among Bangladeshi citizens aged ≥18 years from June 1 to June 10, 2020. The participants completed an online questionnaire examining socio-demographic variables and COVID-19 related factors, along with the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21. A total of 1146 respondents have been included in the study. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, IBM Statistics version 22.0. RESULTS: The prevalence of moderate to the extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress was 47.2%, 46.0%, and 32.5%, respectively, with no significant gender differences. The prevalence of anxiety and stress was significantly higher in participants aged >30 than in participants aged 18-30 years. Daily follow up COVID-19 related news, having COVID-19 symptoms so far, having contact (direct or indirect) with COVID-19 infected person, and fear of infection were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. CONCLUSIONS: Sizable proportions of participants had depression, anxiety and stress four months after the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. The findings of this study underscores the need for strategies aimed at reducing these psychological sufferings in Bangladeshi people in the context of COVID-19.

Prevalence of stress among medical students: a comparative study between public and private medical schools in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Throughout the world all health professionals face stress because of time-pressures, workload, multiple roles and emotional issues. Stress does not only exist among the health professionals but also in medical students. Bangladesh has currently 77 medical colleges 54 of which are private. This study was designed to collect baseline data of stress-level among Bangladeshi students, which we believe will form the basis for further in depth studies. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on medical students from 2 public and 6 private medical-schools in Bangladesh. All medical schools have common curriculum formulated by the Government of Bangladesh. The study population was 1,363 medical students of Year-III and IV of academic session 2013/2014. Universal sampling technique was used. The period of study was February to June 2014. Data was collected using a validated instrument, compiled and analysed using SPSS version-20. RESULTS: A total of 990 (73%) out 1,363 medical students participated in the study, of which 36% were male and 64% were female. The overall prevalence of stress of the study population was 54%. 53% of male and 55% of female were reported suffering from stress. 54% of Year-III students and 55% of Year-IV were noted suffering from stress. There was statistically significant (p = 0.005) differences in the level of stress between public (2.84 ± 0.59) and private (2.73 ± 0.57) medical schools student. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of Bangladeshi medical students are suffering from measureable academic stress. It would be pertinent if the relevant authorities could address the issue so as to provide a conducive medical learning environment.