Rajshahi Medical College (RMC) is a public medical school located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. The college is affiliated to Rajshahi Medical University. It was the second such institution in erstwhile East Pakistan after Dhaka Medical College. It has a large hospital which is the central provider for advanced health care in the northern part of Bangladesh.
Objective This study applied a socio-material practice lens to examine health professionals’ responses to methanol poisoning in Bangladesh and to compare these practices with established guidelines.Design This study employed a rapid ethnographic design.Setting Data were generated in primary-level, secondary-level and tertiary-level health facilities in six districts of western Bangladesh between September 2024 and May 2025.Participants We carried out semi-structured interviews with 50 health professionals with responsibilities for managing patients experiencing alcohol-related or poisoning-related conditions.Results Among health professionals, the meanings of methanol poisoning as a diagnostic category, its symptoms and treatments are obscured by moral concerns about alcohol. Materials, including antidotes, for managing methanol poisoning were scarce, and health professionals reported using readily available medical supplies for supportive treatment, though not specifically adapted for methanol poisoning. Health professionals’ care practices for responding to methanol poisoning were often structured by these meanings and materials, with guidelines remaining largely invisible.Conclusions Socio-material practices of health professionals in response to methanol poisoning in Bangladesh are characterised by missed opportunities. Improving responses requires shifting the meanings of methanol poisoning as a diagnostic category, ensuring that materials such as treatment guidelines and appropriate antidotes, such as ethanol and fomepizole, are available and supporting providers to enact care practices that reflect these guidelines.
Background: The blood coagulation system is very delicately balanced; is maintained in a fluid state in the vasculature and rapidly clots to seal an injury. This study aims to determine the demographic and clinical pattern of bleeding disorders. Materials and Methods: This prospective type of cross-sectional study comprised 112 patients with bleeding or a history of bleeding in the Department of Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, from January to December 2016. Patients were examined for clinical presentation and underwent haematological investigations to arrive at a diagnosis. The data was obtained, tabulated and analysed by using SPSS 22. Results: In this study, 81.2% of patients suffered from congenital coagulation factors deficiency, and haemophilia was found to be the most common congenital haemostatic defect (61.6%). Bleeding disorder was found predominantly among males in 86.6% compared to females (13.4%). 1st-degree consanguinity was mainly observed in Glanzmann thrombasthenia and Von Willebrand Disease. History of prolonged bleeding was statistically associated with clinical diagnosis of the patient (p<0.01). Conclusions: Haemophilia A and B were found as the leading causes of bleeding disorder. Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) also played a role and Glanzmann thrombasthenia was the most common one that had been identified among other disorders.
Background: Non-malignant haematological disorders, including anaemias, haemophilias, different bleeding, and coagulation disorders are prevalent in outpatient settings and often present significant clinical challenges. Their early detection and management are critical for improving patient outcomes. Objective: This study aims to assess the prevalence, distribution, and clinical characteristics of non-malignant haematological disease events among OPD attendees at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh, from January 2024 to December 2024. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 1202 OPD attendees in the Department of Haematology at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The study covered 12 months and focused on conditions including Aplastic Anaemia, Thalassemia, Haemophilia A, Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA), Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), Haemophilia B, Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia (AIHA), and Evan's Syndrome. Statistical analyses, including frequency distributions, standard deviation, and p-values, were performed to assess associations. Results: Of the 1202 attendees, Haemophilia A 586 (48.7%) and Thalassemia 336 (27.9%) were the most prevalent disorders. The incidence of Haemophilia B 93 (7.7%), Aplastic Anaemia was 82 (6.8%) and Immune thrombocytopenic Purpura 63 (5.2%). Standard deviations were calculated: Haemophilia A (SD = 15.2), Thalassemia (SD = 8.6), and Haemophilia B (SD = 3.3). A significant relationship was found between gender and disorder prevalence (p = 0.001). ANOVA results showed significant variability in Thalassemia occurrences across months (F = 3.4, p = 0.02). Conclusion: The study highlights the prevalence of non-malignant haematological disorders at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, emphasizing the need for targeted healthcare interventions.
Background: Among complete blood counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume are commonly used in diagnostic medicine to evaluate normal and abnormal hematological status. As complete blood count depends on lifestyle, dietary habits, ethnicity and environment, country-wise normal level of complete blood count can help in judgmental decision and aid interpretation and accurate diagnosis of diseases. Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Physiology in collaboration with Department of Pathology at Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi over a period of 1 year from January 2025 to December 2025. Based on predefined eligibility criteria, a total of 475 apparently healthy adults of both gender in Rajshahi City were included in this study. Data were analyzed by SPSS software, version-26 and p value less than 0.05 was statistically significant for all tests. Results: Regarding age distribution out of 475 respondents, 201 (42.30%) were within the age group of 20-29 years. The normal levels of Hb, hematocrit and MCV were 9.30-15.90 gm/dl, 31.40-48.50% and 70.70-96.31 fl, respectively. Hemoglobin, hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume were significantly higher in less than forty years than forty years or more aged respondents. Conclusions: Normal level of hemoglobin, hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume are important to diagnose diseases, screen blood donors and assess overall health.
Background Urinary tract infections are one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, with a substantial socioeconomic burden, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries, where the rise of antimicrobial resistance further complicates treatment. In Bangladesh, misuse of antibiotics due to widespread availability without prescriptions has been a key contributor to the development of this resistance. Hence, clinicians need to be equipped with knowledge of current resistance patterns to provide effective empirical therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of uropathogens and their antimicrobial resistance profiles. Methods Culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing data from 9,625 samples collected between July and December 2025 were obtained from the Microbiology departments of Dhaka Medical College, Rajshahi Medical College, and Mymensingh Medical College, in this retrospective cross-sectional study. The samples were cultured on MacConkey agar, Cysteine Lactose Electrolyte Deficient agar, and blood agar; species identification was performed via Gram staining and other standard biochemical tests. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar was utilized for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Growth positivity, distribution of isolated uropathogens, antibiotic susceptibility and resistance, and resistance classification were assessed using descriptive statistics. Results 1730 (17.97%) samples were growth-positive, of which 1032 (59.7%) were samples from female patients. Infections were most prevalent in patients belonging to the ≤ 20 years (28.0%) and 40–59 years (27.5%) age groups. Gram-negative uropathogens were most frequently isolated, with Escherichia coli being predominant (42.9% of culture-positive samples), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.9%). Escherichia coli infections were significantly more common in female patients (65.9%), whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa was more prevalent among male patients (62.8%). E coli and K. pneumoniae showed considerable resistance to co-amoxiclav, co-trimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone. Fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin, amikacin, and meropenem were effective antimicrobials against gram-negative uropathogens; for gram-positive pathogens, vancomycin and linezolid were most effective. Conclusions Several commonly prescribed antimicrobials were demonstrated to have a considerable loss of susceptibility. This denotes an increased possibility of treatment failures following standard empirical treatment and highlights the need for evidence-based therapy guided by antimicrobial susceptibility testing alongside the development and enforcement of hospital antibiotic policies.
