INTRODUCTION Acid peptic disease (APD) is a common gastrointestinal condition with a higher prevalence in populations of lower socioeconomic status. Various factors, including infections and specific medications, contribute to its development. This study investigated the relationship between simple, cost-effective inflammatory biomarkers - the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) and Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS Out of the 334 study participants with dyspeptic symptoms enrolled in this study, 167 were confirmed HP-positive through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of biopsy specimens obtained following upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. An equal number of age- and sex-matched HP-negative patients with dyspeptic symptoms were enrolled as controls. Venous blood samples were obtained and analyzed for complete blood count, and NLR and PLR were calculated post endoscopy. RESULTS We observed HP infection in 60% of female participants presenting with dyspeptic symptoms. A significant correlation was observed between dyspeptic symptoms categorized a postprandial epigastric discomfort, burning epigastric pain, and bloating with HP infection. Both NLR (<0.001) and PLR (<0.05) demonstrated statistically significant associations with HP infection status. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis suggested NLR to be a superior predictor of HP positivity compared to PLR. CONCLUSION This findings of the present study suggests NLR and PLR could serve as predictive inflammatory markers for HP infection in patients with dyspeptic symptoms. These findings may serve healthcare providers in resource-limited settings potentially helping in referral for specialist care and endoscopic evaluation. Specialist physicians and tertiary health centers could use these ratios in monitoring HP eradication therapy.
INTRODUCTION People with diabetes mellitus have a high risk of several serious health problems that increase healthcare costs, decrease life quality, and increase the death rate. The study aimed to assess the awareness regarding diabetic complications among patients with diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHODS A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Endocrine Outpatient Department of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. A total of 101 patients diagnosed with diabetes were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with structured interview questionnaires in the Outpatient Department before and or after medical checkups. Data were entered in SPSS version 16 and analyzed using descriptive statistics for frequency, percent, median, mean, and interquartile range, and inferential statistics Chi-square to measure the association between awareness of diabetic complications and sociodemographic and disease-related variables. RESULTS More than half (56.4%) of the respondents had an adequate level of awareness and more than two-fifths (43.6) of the respondents had an inadequate level of awareness on complications of diabetes. Awareness of complications of diabetes was significantly associated with duration of diabetes (p=0.05) and experience of diabetes complications (p=0.03). CONCLUSION This study concludes that nearly half of diabetic patients have inadequate awareness on complications of their disease. To decrease the onset of diabetic complications and financial burden to the patients and healthcare system and increase the patients’ quality of life diabetic awareness programs are required to be conducted at the community and health institution level.
INTRODUCTION Nitrobenzene poisoning is an uncommon but potentially fatal cause of acquired methemoglobinemia, particularly in agricultural regions. We report an 18-year-old male presenting with acute hypoxia, cyanosis, and refractory low oxygen saturation following unknown pesticide ingestion. Despite limited diagnostic resources, characteristic clinical features, chocolate-colored blood, and a marked saturation gap supported the diagnosis of methemoglobinemia. Prompt empirical treatment with oxygen, methylene blue, and ascorbic acid resulted in rapid recovery. This case highlights the importance of clinical recognition and early intervention in suspected nitrobenzene poisoning, especially in resource-limited settings.
Pediatric nursing is a specialized field that requires not only strong clinical competence but also patience and emotional resilience. It focuses on the care of infants, children, and adolescents, where involvement of the family involvement plays a crucial role in the overall care process. Despite advancements in healthcare systems across many parts of the world, pediatric nurses continue to encounter several challenges that influence the quality and delivery of care. At the global level, common issues include a shortage of nursing staffs, increased workload, and the need to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies. In Nepal, these challenges are further intensified by limited resources, difficult geographical conditions, and restricted access to specialized training opportunities. This review therefore examines both global and Nepalese contexts to better understand the existing challenges in pediatric nursing and to identify key areas requiring improvement.
INTRODUCTION The accurate laboratory reports are an essential part of the health care delivery system. The quality of a diagnostic laboratory is reflected by its accurate diagnostic results. A preanalytical error means any error in the laboratory that occurs during sample collection and transportation. This can lead to inaccurate laboratory results which can further lead to inappropriate clinical decision and can cause serious health risk to the patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted in Department of Pathology, Birat Medical College Teaching Hospital for 6 months (from 1 August 2022 to 31 January 2023). All the samples received in the pathology department were verified by the laboratory staff on duty for patient's identification like name, surname, age, sex, date of sample collection, hospital registration number, bill number and relevant clinical history RESULTS Out of twenty four thousand five hundred and sixty three (24563) total samples received in pathology department, preanalytical errors were seen in one hundred and ninety four (194) samples which comprises of 0.7 percentages of total sample. Most common preanalytical errors were clotted samples which comprises of (47.42%) of all the errors. CONCLUSION Preanalytical errors can cause unnecessary panic in patients and wastage of both time and money. We can minimize preanalytical errors by regular training of laboratory staff and by virtual coordination and conversation between the sample collecting laboratory staffs.
