Attitudes Toward Wife Beating in Pakistan: Over-Time Comparative Trends by Gender.

We investigate the determinants and over time patterns of perceptions toward wife beating from 2012 to 2018 in Pakistan. We use two waves of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey that include ever-married women and men aged 15 to 49 (12,607 women and 3052 men in 2012 and 11,543 women and 3055 men in 2018). Education, employment, wealth, and region influence attitudes toward wife beating. While women are generally more tolerant toward wife beating than men, the presence of a family member during the interview further increased their tolerance toward wife beating. Wife beating support has increased over time among women whose interviews were overheard and men. Additionally, households with joint decision-making have a lower tolerance toward wife beating, even lower than households where the wife is the main decision-maker.

Efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants with and without Aspirin: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Various anticoagulant therapies are prescribed to patients under physicians' discretion and recently Direct Oral Anticoagulants(DOAC) have been under trials to evaluate their safety and efficacy. In addition to this, the regimen of DOACs and Aspirin is of keen interest as researchers continue to find an optimal regimen to treat blood clots in patients. This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational studies that asses the safety and efficacy of DOAC with and without Aspirin. Methods: We queried MEDLINE and Cochrane CENTRAL from their inception to April 2021, for published and randomized controlled trials and observational studies in any language that compared dual (DOAC + ASA) therapy or mono (DOAC alone) therapy in patients with AF. The results from the studies were presented as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and were pooled using a random-effects model. Endpoints of interest included major bleeding, myocardial infarction (MI), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), hospitalizations, all-cause mortality, and stroke. Results: The risk of major bleeding was significantly lower in the DOAC alone group compared with DOAC plus aspirin group. Non-significant results were obtained (P value greater than 0.05) for other outcomes establishing that DOAC monotherapy was not superior to the combined regimen in reducing the risk of MACE, Stroke, Hospitalization, Death. Conclusion: Among patients with NVAF (Non valvular Atrial Fibrillation) and VTE (Venous thromboembolism) receiving anticoagulation prophylaxis, in terms of safety profile our comparisons showed a statistically significant reduction in Major Bleeding in DOAC Alone group compared with DOAC Plus Aspirin.

Knowledge and attitudes about burn complications in medical students.

Burn injury in developing countries is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Pakistan faces a widespread problem of burn complications. The objective of this cross sectional study was to assess knowledge and attitudes in medical students regarding burn complications. A 12-question survey was distributed among 3rd, 4th and 5th year students of public sector medical colleges of Karachi, Pakistan. Out of 353 respondents, the proportion of students that were aware of burn complications was the following, with an expected response of 100% for each complication: depression [86%], fear [53.3%], post-traumatic stress disorder [40.8%], suicidal tendencies [35.1%], sleep disorder [30%], anxiety [27%], guilt [12.7%], personality changes [7%], eating disorder [5.4%], cardiac arrest [68%], hypothermia [64.3%], contractures [61%], infection [43.6%], chronic pain [41.6%], scarring [33%], chronic inflammation [24.9%], and muscle wasting [22.9%]. Most students were of the view that scarring occurs in third-degree burns [68%] only; being unaware of its presence in second-degree burns. 19.3% of the students incorrectly thought that surgery is needed for the healing of all burn patients. There appears to be a lack of basic knowledge about the physiological and psychological complications of burns among medical students of Pakistan.

Prevalence and Predictors of Blood Pressure Screening in Karachi: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background There is a lack of data about hypertension screening in low- to middle-income countries. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of blood pressure (BP) screening in Karachi, Pakistan. The secondary objective was to identify ways to improve effective BP screening practices among the population at risk. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to May 2017. The sample population consisted of 2039 residents of Karachi who were older than 18 years. A well-composed questionnaire was pilot tested and then used to assess their socio-demographic characteristics, personal attitude towards a healthy lifestyle, dietary habits, and BP screening practices. We used a chi-squared test as the primary statistical test. Results Of 2039 people, 1627 had their BP checked at least once in their lifetime. Approximately, half of the participants had their BP checked on a yearly basis. Women had a higher rate (83.6%, n = 989) of getting their BP checked than men (74.5%, n = 636). A significant relationship was observed between BP screening and lifestyle practices such as physical activity (p = 0.00), hours of sleep (p = 0.01), water intake (p = 0.01), and dining out (p = 0.03). Conclusion Current BP screening practices are inadequate amongst the urban population of Karachi. There is an urgent need for federal implementation of BP screening as well as awareness programs across the nation.