Intoxicant Use in Undergraduate Medical Students of Islamabad, Pakistan

Intoxicant use and subsequent substance abuse is the leading health problem in younger age groups in contemporary times, and across the globe. It contributes to morbidity, mortality and economic loss. It also disturbs the social system of a community and creates a serious threat to global health. The aim of this study was to determine the use of intoxicants among medical college students of Islamabad and to identify the associated factors with intoxicant use. A cross-sectional research design was used to gather survey data from two private medical colleges. Data from a final sample of 310 respondents was analyzed using descriptive statistics. It was found that smoking was the most prevalent intoxicant used amongst the participants (21.9%). The other most common prevalent use of intoxicants included alcohol (6.1%), Naswar (powdered tobacco dip) (6.8%) and Heroin (3.9%). The male gender and need for mental relaxation were found to be statistically significant with cigarette smoking. Most of the students indicated that they did not feel guilty about using intoxicants. It is important that medical college administration develops policies to control intoxicant use among students, including and not limited to awareness campaigns, counseling and support for stress relief.

Correlation Between Ovarian Volume and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Using Ultrasound.

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine abnormality in women of reproductive age with a prevalence of 5-10% in different populations. The prevalence of PCOM in patients with PCOS has been shown to be ≥ 90% in different populations. Diagnostic evaluation accounts for a relatively minor part of the total costs of providing care and evaluating women with PCOS. Hence more widespread and liberal screening for the disorder appears be a cost-effective strategy in susceptible patients. PCOM on ultrasound is diagnosed if one of the following is present in one or both of the ovaries; Ovarian volume of more than or equal to 10 cc, more than 12 ovarian follicles 2-9 mm in diameter. Ovarian volume on ultrasound is easy to measure and has good reproducibility compared to follicle number. Primary Objective: To determine the correlation between ovarian volume as seen on ultrasound and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Study design: Cross sectional study with retrospective collection of data at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Nairobi Kenya. Results: Data from 206 patients meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria was analyzed. The point biserial correlation coefficient was 0.2561 (t statistic = 3.78, p = 0.0002). We further calculated the mean ovarian volume difference between the two groups which was -2.53 (95% CI -3.72 to – 1.34). Multivariable logistic regression model was run, ovarian volume was significantly associated with PCOS (p = 0.003), with the risk of PCOS increasing by 15% (AOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.05-1.26) for each unit increase in ovarian volume. Distribution of BMI in patient’s diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome was as follows; 56.6% overweight, 34.5% normal BMI and 8.8% obese. Conclusion: We have shown that transvaginal ultrasound has clinical utility in the prediction of PCOS. Our findings can be applied to the local general