Anemia in Pregnancy

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Research Project on Anemia in Pregnancy

you can download this Research Project from the following link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/318513299/Our_Research.doc.html

By:
Mubashir Shaikh - LUMHS Jamshoro

Yes, You Can Prevent Cancer .... !

Friday, November 20, 2009

I was surfing, and got a small article on Prevention of Cancer, here i am sharing it with you .. !



There is No Cure Yet, but Can Cancer Be Prevented?
The hopeful news is cancer is a preventable disease. It can be avoided through not smoking, eating healthful foods, and exercising regularly, according to a sweeping study by Harvard School of Public Health. Researchers at Harvard evaluated the entire body of research about cancer's causes and discovered the largest contributing factors to cancer involve lifestyle choices. Nearly 70% of all cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking, eating and drinking habits, or a "sedentary lifestyle."

The cancer prevention plan: Eat whole foods including "5 (or more) fruits and vegetables a day," and eliminate or significantly reduce animal protein, animal fats, hydrogenated fats, processed foods containing additives, preservatives, or pesticides. Daily aerobic exercise and stretching increases circulation and helps the body eliminate toxins stored in our tissues. For individuals whose lifestyles have included smoking, excessive drinking, poor diets, and sedentariness, extra efforts may need to be taken to restore the body to its fullest health. However the benefits of lifestyle and dietary changes can begin today.

Foods high in chlorophyll, vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium and vitamin C will significantly increase elimination of toxins and free radicals known to cause cellular changes that are the root of cancer and other degenerative diseases. Furthermore, the addition of acidophilus and bifidus is associated with improved immune function by rebalancing the natural intestinal bacteria. New research regarding an coenzyme called CoQ10 may yield further important knowledge about how the body naturally defends itself against cellular changes that eventually result in cancer.

Fifty years after the "war on cancer" was declared, there is no cure. But cancer prevention and recovery strategies through diet, exercise, and spiritual connection are rapidly becoming evident.


Part of the above info is taken from an article in the Boston Globe, November 1996.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Source: http://www.fwhc.org/health/nocancer.htm

An Article on Rise in Birth Defects in IRAQ

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

After Iraq War, the Chronic Deformities in infants has rised upto 15 times. Read an article by Martin Chulov, published in Dawn Newspaper, on Sunday the 15th of November 2009.


Rise in birth defects


DOCTORS in Iraq’s warravaged enclave of Falluja are dealing with up to 15 times as many chronic deformities in infants and a spike in early life cancers that may be linked to toxic materials left over from the fighting.


The extraordinary rise in birth defects has crystallised over recent months as specialists working in Falluja’s over-stretched health system have started compiling detailed clinical records of all babies born.


Neurologists and obstetricians in the city interviewed by the Guardian say the rise in birth defects — which include a baby born with two heads, babies with multiple tumours, and others with nervous system problems — are unprecedented and at present unexplainable.


A group of Iraqi and British officials, including the former Iraqi minister for women’s affairs, Dr Nawal Majeed aSammarai, and the British doctors David Halpin and Chris Burns-Cox, have petitioned the UN general assembly to ask that an independent committee fully investigate the defects and help clean up toxic materials left over decades of war — including the six years since Saddam Hussein was ousted.


“We are seeing a very significant increase in central nervous system anomalies,” said Falluja general hospital’s director and senior specialist, Dr Ayman Qais. “Before 2003 [the start of the war] I was seeing sporadic numbers of deformities in babies. Now the frequency of deformities has increased dramatically.”


The rise in frequency is stark — from two admissions a fortnight a year ago to two a day now. “Most are in the head and spinal cord, but there are also many deficiencies in lower limbs,” he said. “There is also a very marked increase in the number of cases of less than two years [old] with brain tumours. This is now a focus area of multiple tumours.”


After several years of speculation and anecdotal evidence, a picture of a highly disturbing phenomenon in one of Iraq’s most battered areas has now taken shape. Previously all miscarried babies, including those with birth defects or infants who were not given ongoing care, were not listed as abnormal cases.


The Guardian asked a paediatrician, Samira Abdul Ghani, to keep precise records over a three-week period. Her records reveal that 37 babies with anomalies, many of them neural tube defects, were born during that period at Falluja general hospital alone.


Dr Bassam Allah, the head of the hospital’s children’s ward, this week urged international experts to take soil samples across Falluja and for scientists to mount an investigation into the causes of so many ailments, most of which he said had been “acquired” by mothers before or during pregnancy.


Other health officials are also starting to focus on possible reasons, chief among them potential chemical or radiation poisonings. Abnormal clusters of infant tumours have also been repeatedly cited in Basra and Najaf - areas that have in the past also been intense battle zones where modern munitions have been heavily used.


Falluja’s frontline doctors are reluctant to draw a direct link with the fighting. They instead cite multiple factors that could be contributors.


“These include air pollution, radiation, chemicals, drug use during pregnancy, malnutrition, or the psychological status of the mother,” said Dr Qais. “We simply don’t have the answers yet.”


The anomalies are evident all through Falluja’s newly opened general hospital and in centres for disabled people across the city. On November 2 alone, there were four cases of neurotube defects in the neo-natal ward and several more were in the intensive care ward and an outpatient clinic.


Falluja was the scene of the only two setpiece battles that followed the US-led invasion. Twice in 2004, US marines and infantry units were engaged in heavy fighting with Sunni militia groups who had aligned with former Ba’athists and Iraqi army elements.


The first battle was fought to find those responsible for the deaths of four Blackwater private security contractors working for the US. The city was bombarded heavily by American artillery and fighter jets. Controversial weaponry was used, including white phosphorus, which the US government admitted deploying.


Statistics on infant tumours are not considered as reliable as new data about nervous system anomalies, which are usually evident immediately after birth. Dr Abdul Wahid Salah, a neurosurgeon, said: “With neuro-tube defects, their heads are often larger than normal, they can have deficiencies in hearts and eyes and their lower limbs are often listless. There has been no orderly registration here in the period after the war and we have suffered from that. But [in relation to the rise in tumours] I can say with certainty that we have noticed a sharp rise in malignancy of the blood and this is not a congenital anomaly - it is an acquired disease.”


Despite fully funding the construction of the new hospital, a well-equipped facility that opened in August, Iraq’s health ministry remains largely dysfunctional and unable to co-ordinate a response to the city’s pressing needs. ¦ — The Guardian, London


Source: http://epaper.dawn.com, Sundays Dawn Newspaper, 15th November 2009

Avoid Hajj if you are at Risk of Swine Flu

Source: http://epaper.dawn.com, Sundays Dawn Newspaper, 15th November 2009.


Groups at risk from Swine Flu advised to avoid Haj


PARIS, Nov 14: People at risk of suffering severe consequences from swine flu should postpone going to the Haj in 2009, according to a study released on Saturday.

The Haj pilgrimage peaks this year from November 25 to 29, at the height of the alert over swine flu.


The study recommends that pregnant women, the elderly, individuals with chronic diseases and children who intend to participate in the 2009 Haj do so at a later date.


Secondary recommendations include providing persons showing flu-like symptoms with hygiene packs and information brochures, and setting up isolation facilities for those infected.


On average, each person infected with the 2009 pandemic flu spreads the virus to another 1.4 individuals.


But during the climax of the pilgrimage, when crowds can reach a density of up to seven people per square metre, the risk of infection could be much higher, the report said.
“These preparedness plans should ensure the optimum provision of health services for pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, and minimum disease transmission on their return home,” the researchers said.




study, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, was led by Ziad Memish of the Saudi Arabian health ministry. It is based on a June meeting of experts charged with making recommendations on how to reduce health risks during the Haj. Scientists from the UN Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation also contributed to the findings.


The Lancet questioned, though, whether these measures would be widely accepted or effective.


“Because Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and should be done at least once in a Muslim’s lifetime, individuals will probably not want to postpone after they have spent much time saving money and planning for this purpose,” it said in an editorial.—AFP




Source: http://epaper.dawn.com, Sundays Dawn Newspaper, 15th November 2009.

Diabetes Cases Rising in Pakistan

Source: http://epaper.dawn.com, Sundays Dawn Newspaper, 15th November 2009.

Concern over rise in Diabetes Cases
Peshawar, nov 14: speakers at a seminar held on saturday to mark the world diabetes day expressed concern over the rising number of diabetic patients in the country and have called upon the people to do regular exercise, decrease use of ghee and eat fresh fruits and vegetable to keep the disease at bay.

“About 15 per cent of the country’s popula- tion suffer from diabetes due to eating habits, smoking, lack of exercise, obesity and prevalent social tension,” said dr usman raza of the com- munity medicine department of the peshawar medical college (pmc) on saturday.

He said the disease also paved the way for oth- er medical complications such as heart prob- lems, kidney disease, hypertension and ailments of gums and teeth. all such medical conditions, he said, were avoidable provided the people took precautionary measures and changed their eat- ing habits. the world diabetes day is observed throughout the world to pay tribute to canadian scientist fredrick banting, who discovered insu- lin in 1921. the discovery of insulin, dr raza said, had saved 350 million lives since then.

The seminar was organised jointly by the community medicines and biochemistry depart- ments of the pmc to raise awareness level of non-medical staff of the college about the cau- ses and prevention of the disease. dr raza said 40,000 people in the province suffered from dia- betes and the number was rising owing to bad dietary regimes coupled with tobacco use and lack of mobilisation. on this occasion, a poster competition about diabetes was also held in which 30 posters were received from the college students.

Dr saeed anwar told the seminar that use of narcotics was also among the reasons for soaring number of diabetes patients, adding at least 30- minute exercise was required daily to stay healthy. the people who suffer from obesity or have problems of frequent urination, loss of weight, hunger and weakness should undergo investigation to analyse the sugar level in their blood, he added.

Mohammad qasim aman, a fourth-year stu- dent, spoke about the factors leading to the dis- ease. he said prevalence of diabetes in the fam- ily caused the disease in related people. he said pregnant diabetic women should take extreme care while eating because their newborn babies could also have the disease.

Source: http://epaper.dawn.com, Sundays Dawn Newspaper, 15th November 2009.

Vaccine for Cervical Cancer

Source: http://epaper.dawn.com, Sunday's Dawn Newspaper, 15th November 2009.

Cervical cancer vaccine hope for African women

DAR ES SALAAM: So crammed is Tanzania’s only cancer treatment centre that Rukia Kondogoza, wrapped in bright kanga cloth, has to share her bed with another patient.
A farmer from the rural south of the country, the 40-year-old has cervical cancer – the biggest cause of female cancer deaths on the continent and a disease that kills one African woman every 10 minutes.

Of the 500,000 women worldwide who are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, 80 per cent are in the developing world and 71,000 of them are in Africa, according to the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer.

“This cancer disease is worse than malaria because of all the heavy bleeding,” said Kondogoza, who is one of 7,500 new cases recorded in Tanzania each year.

“When the doctor brought the news I just accepted it. I knew I could not ignore it because it is there in my body.” Many others do ignore it, however.

The ministry for health and social welfare says only 10 per cent of cases ever reach the country’s only cancer centre, the Ocean Road Cancer Institute, for treatment.

Even so, the institute housed in a 19th century German colonial building with four wards and up to 200 in-patients at a time, is badly overstretched. Patients and relatives crowd the grounds, lying on the dirt outside.

“Right now we have 46 in-patients but only 28 beds,” said nurse Felister Massawe of Kondogoza’s ward.

“The patients are many but the beds are few, so some of them have to stay two to one bed.” Late diagnoses Caused by a virus that is passed through sexual contact – the human papillomavirus (HPV) – some 200 million African women are at risk from the disease. Condoms do not help because it is transferred via skin contact, not bodily fluid.

By the time symptoms emerge, such as bleeding after intercourse, it is often too late. Tanzania’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare says most come to the centre only once the disease has reached its later stages, making it harder to treat.

Of those who develop the disease, 78 per cent of all cases in Africa result in death – much high er than in the West where screening programmes have encouraged early detection of the illness, which can take 20 years to develop.

“For each of the mothers that dies, she leaves behind three to five children when she dies, adding to the orphan situation,” Professor Isaac Adewole, chairman of the sub-Saharan Africa Cervical Cancer Working Group, told Reuters.

“By the time they die they will have spent most of their money so there will be no way to take care of these orphans,” he said at the biennial African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer conference held in Tanzania this week.

Treatment is also expensive and Kondogoza is among the many who cannot afford a $140 regime of six doses of chemotherapy ad vised by doctors. She is relying on radiotherapy alone instead, which is provided free by the state.

Adewole said the prevalence of “quack doctors”, locals relying on witchcraft, also meant many women were not diagnosed.

“We doctors used to blame women but it turns out they would be visiting health professionals two or three times with no help, so doctors have to share in the blame for these deaths.” Vaccine hope Screening has helped to detect cervical cancer at an earlier stage in developed countries, but no African country except South Africa has a national screening programme.

Rival pharmaceutical companies Merck and GlaxoSmithKline have both developed their own vaccines – Gardasil and Cervarix – but no African country has developed a programme to give the vaccine to young girls.

“Cervical cancer kills relatively young women so more life years are lost than with other cancers, but this is a preventable cancer,” Professor Lutz Gissman, Head of Division at the German Cancer Research Centre and one of the team who discovered the virus, told Reuters at the conference.

“If you can persuade girls to get a vaccine shot, the problem will be drastically reduced in the next 10, 20 years.” The Cervarix vaccine is licensed in more than 100 countries, including 11 in Africa. GSK is undertaking a study of 666 women in Senegal and Tanzania – where the vaccine is already licensed – to monitor the effect on the immune system and its safety.

Adewole is in favour of administering girls aged nine or 10 in their last year of primary school with the vaccine, which should be administered before the onset of sexual activity.

“Not all children go to secondary school so we need to reach them earlier,” he said.

Many are put off by the high price of the drug, which sells for about $300 in the United States, but GSK says it will negotiate a cheaper price based on its policy of tiered pricing.

For Kondogoza, sitting on her bed as patients give each other pedicures with bare razor blades amid hacking coughing, it is too late for a vaccine. For her four daughters it may not be.

"Anything is ok if it will prevent the disease for these young children," she said,- Reuters.

Source: http://epaper.dawn.com, Sunday's Dawn Newspaper, 15th November 2009.

Huma Wasim Died of Sepsis

Friday, October 30, 2009

HUMA WASIM, wife of Wasim Akram (Former Pakistani Cricketer), died on 25th October (Sunday), in Apollo Hospital Chennai.

According to doctors Huma was suffering from sepsis (an inflammation of several tissues, including blood leading to kidney failure).


Want to Avoid Cold ? watch out for these Danger Zones

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Top 10 Cold Bug Danger Zones

Ten places you'll catch a COLD With temperatures plummeting to well near zero as a cold front sweeps through the country, the climate is ripe for cold bugs to get a grip. But there are certain steps you can take to help protect yourself.

A recent US survey has shown that people suffering from the common cold can transfer their germs onto household surfaces, where they can live for up to two days.So if you want to stay well, blitz these hotspots with disinfectant and make sure they are kept germ free to stand a greater chance of not getting struck down by a cold virus.

Here are revealed the top 10 cold bug danger zones to watch out for:

  • Bathroom taps: You would normally associate the bathroom with cleanliness, as it's a place where you wash after all, but the cold bugs do tend to hang around. Bathroom taps are the main offenders as germs can be transferred from hands and then picked up again by the next person to touch them. Be sure to clean them regularly with disinfectant.

  • Cash machines: Used by thousands of people every day, it's hardly surprising that cash machine keypads are crawling with germs. Make sure you wash your hands after use.

  • Door handles: Another place where germs are easily transferred is door handles. However, should you be lucky enough to have brass, copper or silver ones then bugs will only survive for up to eight hours on them as these metals are poisonous to many germs.

  • Light switches: Turning a light on is something most people do every day, but did you know that the flu virus can survive for up to 48 hours on plastic light switches?

  • Computer keyboards: A study conducted by Which? magazine in the UK this year found that computer keyboards contain more bacteria than toilet seats - yuck! Those who ate lunch at their desks had the dirtiest keyboards, so make sure you eat your lunch elsewhere and give your PC a good clean with alcohol wipes.

  • Fridge handles: Germs can also be found on your fridge door handle around 40% of the time that you touch it.

  • Public transport: Many of us travel into work on public transport every day, but how many times do the buttons, bars and handles on the buses and trains get disinfected? Our guess is not very many, so be sure to wash your hands after travelling.

  • Telephones: 25,127 is the number of germs which can live on your telephone per square inch, which makes it even more toxic than your computer keyboard. Not to mention that you hold it close to your face so the likelihood of transferring germs to your mouth is rather high. Time to get a hands-free kit?

  • Shopping trolleys: Your weekly shop might not be the only thing you pick up when you go to the supermarket. Shopping trolley handles are also notorious for harbouring all kinds of germs, some which can cause colds and others which might upset your stomach.

  • Remote controls: Considering it normally lives on the arm of your sofa, the humble remote control is one of the most germ-covered objects in your home. Using it also carries a high risk of infection as any bacteria living on it can be transferred to your fingertips which can then end up in the your mouth causing a virus or infection.

SOURCE: ourfunforum.com

Lisa Ray is Suffering from Multiple Myeloma (Cancer)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The beautiful model and Kasoor fame actress, who has worked in some bollywood and hollywood movies is suffering from a rare cancer of White Blood Cells called Multiple Myeloma.

On july 23, she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and from july 3, her treatment is started, she is just 37 years old. One of her directors has said that at this point Lisa truly wants to raise the awareness and funding to make sure this incurable disease finds a cure.
This news was posted by herself on her blog called Lisa's Yellow Diaries. The actress said, “For me, it was a relief to hear what was wrong. The plasma cells in my bone marrow were rampaging, multiplying, squeezing out the red blood cells and it was time to begin doing something about it. I was also tired of being tired all the time. And you just know when something is not kosher with your body. So when I sat there with Bobcat — my life partner and reservoir ofYellow—and got the news I didn’t react and I didn’t cry. I’m an actress, believe me, I can be dramatic. Not just then though.”
Here is the link of Lisa's personal Blog; http://lisaraniray.wordpress.com .

Very soon i will post about what is Multiple Myeloma, its features, Complications, and Treatment.

Lecture Notes of Human Anatomy - Grays Anatomy

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Here are the Lecture Notes of Human Anatomy for you, from BARTLEBY.COM. These are not lecture notes, but a book which can be read online, but you can refer it as Lecture Notes, you will get a good help from these pages because these are from Gray's Anatomy.

Contents:
  1. Embryology
  2. Osteology
  3. Syndesmology
  4. Myology
  5. Angiology
  6. The Arteries
  7. The Veins
  8. The Lymphatic System
  9. Neurology
  10. Organs of the Senses
  11. Splanchnology
  12. Surface Anatomy and Surface Markings

Medical Geek - a forum for Medical Students


Medical Geek - a wonderful forum for Medical Students and Doctors. You can get Lecture Notes on your desired Subject, Audios and Videos, Documentaries, Doctors hangout, medical current affairs, books, lots of stuff to download, study material and miscellaneous resources for various Medical Tests like USMLE, GRE, TOEFL and MRCP, only at MEDICALGEEK.COM

Take following Precautions to Prevent Swine Flu

(1) Always cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, because Swine Flu appears to be transmitted in the same fashion as Common Cold.

(2) Frequently wash your hands with soap and water, because Swine Flu can be contracted through touching contaminated objects.

(3) If Swine Flu is confirmed in your area then try to avoid large public gatherings. Be particularly careful about indoor gatherings where
air circulates poorly.

(4) If you really care for yourself then please do wea
r Respiratory Mask.(5) If you find Common cold or flu like symptoms in you, then dont go to your work, stay at home, take rest and your usual home remedies for flu. If your symptoms fail to improve then contact your Health Care Provider.

An Aspirin a day, keeps Breast Cancer Away ... !

Thursday, September 10, 2009


Daily intake of aspirin may lower women's risk of developing estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers only and not in other types.

Around 75% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), which means the cancer cells have receptors for the female hormone estrogen on their surface. Estrogen helps the cancer cells grow, so drugs that block the action of estrogen are often used to treat ER+ cancer.
Such were the study results published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research.
It is feasible, in theory, that aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could lower the total risk of breast cancer. They block an enzyme called cyclooxygenase, an activity that could disrupt breast cancer development in a number of ways - for example, by reducing the amount of estrogen produced in the body.

Unlike other NSAIDs, aspirin has irreversible effects on cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, so the study authors looked for differences in cancer development according to whether women used aspirin or another kind of NSAIDlinks.

"In summary, our results do not support an important influence of NSAIDs on total breast cancer risk. Daily aspirin use, however, appeared to offer some protection for ER+ breast cancer in this population ... Our results provide support for further evaluating relationships in prospective studies with well-defined measures of NSAID use by NSAID type ... and by ER status."
But if 75% of all breast cancers are ER+, then aspirin has brought potentially good news already.

Source: straightfromthedoc.com

Obama's smoking habit and his family's cancer history

US President Barack Obama's smoking habit and his family's cancer history were cited as being the biggest (and only) health risks facing him prior to his presidential appointment. But now, with his seemingly non-stop travel schedule and unfathomable amounts of stress, he is at high risk for a slew of other health complications. What can we learn from Obama about staying healthy into our 40's, 50's and beyond and what should we do differently? According to President Obama's primary care physician (a general internist): The following is a summary of his medical records for the past 21 years.
During that period of time, Senator Obama has been in excellent health. He has been seen regularly for medical checkups and various minor problems such as upper respiratory infections, skin rashes and minor injuries.

His family history is pertinent for his mother's death from ovarian cancer and grandfather who died of prostate cancer. His own history included intermittent cigarette smoking. He has quit this practice on several occasions and is currently using Nicorette gum with success.
Of course a person's health is detrimental into his running for the US Presidency. Now that Obama is President, his health is more important than ever.

Vintage Surgical Instruments

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Now-a-days in operation theaters you will find very delicate and good looking surgical instruments, but there was a time in the history of surgery when the surgical instruments were huge in size with a scary look. I am posting here only 1 instrument, for rest of the instruments you have to visit the source blog, here is the link: http://www.surgicaltechnologists.net/blog/20-scary-old-school-surgical-tools


Circumcision Knife (1770s)
Ritual circumcision is performed around the world in varying extents and for varying reasons, but few instruments used in the process are as intimidating as this European knife from the 18th century.

Download Dictionary of Medical Terms

Monday, September 7, 2009


Click Here to Download

Password for .RAR File:
http://medicalbooks4everyone.blogspot.com/
Source: Medicalbooks4everyone.blogspot.com

Template of History Taking

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Many of the Medical Students while their posting to wards, feel difficulty in taking history of the patients, sometimes they feel shy, sometimes they forget the questions and sometimes they feel problem in remembring the sequence of the questions. I have made a template of History Taking Chart which i keep with me during my ward postings, and here i am sharing that template with you. For verification of this template you can read a book named "An Introduction to the Symptoms and Signs of Surgical Disease", by Norman L. Browse. You can download this template from the following link.

I am in Final Year and still cant administer an Injection

Hi Friends, i am a Final Year MBBS Student, i have a decent amount of theoritical knowledge but i am still struggling in Clinical Skills. I am in Final Year and by far now i should know and i should be practicing some basic medical procedures like how to give an IV/IM Injection, How to insert a NG Tube or a Catheter. Although on the first day of House Job, we will be taught every thing which is considered as Basic, but at University Level, you won't be fed by spoon, you have to learn by yourself, try and practice every thing as a Home Work. So i will be posting here some videos of how to give an Injection and along with some other basic procedures also, come let's learn together.

How to give the Intra Muscular (IM) Injection

MedicoStudents.blogspot.com

Dear Visitors,
MedicoStudents.Blogspot.Com is an online resource blog for Medical Students (under graduates, graduates, and post graduates), Nurses, Teachers and others who are interested in Medical Science. I will post here Lectures of various medical subjects, videos of medical procedures, various books to download, news and updates regarding medical science, and i will also share my personal experience here on this BloG.

Regards,
Admin