Orindom Shing Pulock

Lingual thyroid is a rare congenital malformation. The symptoms of lingual thyroid range from hypothyroidism to dysphagia and even sleep apnea. However, it

Bangladesh is a well-known epidemic zone for dengue fever. Several epidemiological and geographical factors influence the transmission and severity of dengue infection. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological and geographical factors that contributed to the severity of the dengue outbreak in Bangladesh in 2023. This hospital-based cross-sectional study investigated 1,313 dengue patients admitted to public hospitals in Dhaka, Chattogram and Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, between July and December 2023. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the independent risk factors for severe dengue infection. The average age of respondents was 29.5 years, with individuals aged 20–40 accounting for 59.5%. Of the 1,313 dengue patients, 19.3% (254) were diagnosed with severe dengue infection. Patients with low monthly income and those lacking awareness of dengue’s spread from clogged rooftop water were respectively 2.35 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.35; P P <0.05; 95% CI: 1.20–4.14) times more likely to develop severe dengue. The dengue outbreak has become a serious public health issue in Bangladesh, with factors such as low family income and lack of awareness contributing to the development of severe cases. These findings provide valuable evidence for policymakers to guide and implement preventive measures and raise awareness.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health crisis and around the last decade, newspapers were one of the main sources of public dissemination of information for so. This study highlights how Bangladeshi mainstream newspapers represented AMR-related news and how they created the narrative of AMR in Bangladesh. We conducted both quantitative and qualitative content analysis on 275 AMR-related news articles published in the twelve highest circulated dailies (January 2010 to September 2021). We divided the articles into report, opinion, and editorials and analyzed how their contents built the narrative of AMR in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi newspapers reported misuse of antibiotics by the consumers the most (32.2%), followed by selling without prescriptions (29%), and over-prescription by the health providers (26.1%). There were hardly any news reports describing the impact of pharmaceutical companies in prescribing and selling antibiotics. Around 45% of the news articles were event-oriented. Moreover, they suggested inadequate recommendations to battle AMR. Valid, consistent, and reliable AMR news coverage can play a crucial role in creating mass awareness, making providers accountable, and supporting national action plan in mitigating AMR threat. The Bangladeshi journalists interested in reporting AMR-issues should focus on disseminating more Bangla articles with scientific information, and reporting causes and recommendations responsibly.

In resource-constrained settings, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) is a rare hereditary metabolic illness that frequently remains undiagnosed. We present a scenario that illustrates the challenges in diagnosing and managing MPS because of test inaccessibility, and we propose potential approaches to minimize the hurdles. We recommend that physicians anticipate a rare genetic disease, such as MPS, based on the clinical history findings from routine radiological investigations. Additionally, stakeholders should perform risk stratification and implement screening tests as soon as possible to ensure that patients are effectively enrolled in treatment programs.

In resource-constrained settings, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) is a rare hereditary metabolic illness that frequently remains undiagnosed. We present a scenario that illustrates the challenges in diagnosing and managing MPS due to test inaccessibility, as well as potential approaches to minimize the hurdles.

Introduction The consequence of good diabetic treatment depends on the patient’s commitment to a large degree. Noncompliance leads to inadequacy of metabolic control, which strengthens the advancement and speeds up diabetic complications. Methodology This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Medical Center Hospital, Chattogram, Bangladesh. The study included two hundred and fifty-nine patients with T2DM. Data regarding sociodemographic factors, patient’s characteristics, medication factors, physician-related factors, and noncompliance were collected using a pretested and structured questionnaire. Treatment adherence was assessed by Morisky Medication Adherence Scales (MMAS-8). Data analyses were conducted on SPSS v23.0 Software. The study’s main goal was to assess the treatment noncompliance level among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Bangladesh. Result The majority of the participants (56%) were in the 40-45 years of age group, followed by 32% in the older age group (≥60 years), and 62.5% of them were male. One hundred and sixty-eight (64.86%) patients were considered low adherent as per the response of the MMAS-8 scale (score Conclusion Patient counseling and awareness programs may enhance treatment adherence among people with T2DM. Our findings will help physicians and public health workers to develop targeted strategies to increase awareness of the same among their patients. Highlights One of the most preventable causes of treatment failure is noncompliance with treatment. Age group, educational level, and monthly family income had a significant association with the compliance to treatment in diabetic patients Majority of the respondents (64.86%) were low adherent to the medications as per MMA-8 scale. Financial issues (32.3 percent), forgetfulness (27.7%), a hectic daily schedule (17.7%), and fear of antidiabetic medicine side effects were all cited as key causes for noncompliance with antidiabetic treatment. Aged participants (≥ 60 years), monthly family income of (30,000-50,000) BDT, uncontrolled glycemic status and smokers portrayed higher frequency of noncompliance.

Aim: This study investigated the knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 in Bangladeshi adults by online and phone survey methods during the early stage of its spread. Methods: Data were collected through phone calls (April 14-23, 2020) and online survey (April 18-19, 2020) in Bangladesh. The questionnaire had 20 knowledge questions with each correct response getting one point and incorrect/don’t know response getting no point (maximum total knowledge score 20). Participants scoring >17 were categorized as having good knowledge. Results: The percentages of good knowledge holders were 57.6%, 75.1%, and 95.8% in the phone, online non-medical, and online medical participants, respectively. Most of the phone and online participants had good knowledge of the preventive practices of COVID-19. However, among the non-medical participants (both phone and online), the correct response rates were lower than 80% for the knowledge questions asking about the facts that - some patients may have no symptoms, diarrhea is a symptom of this disease and that it cannot be prevented by any currently available medication. Male gender, higher education, living in town/urban areas, good financial condition, and use of internet were positively associated with higher knowledge score among the non-medical participants. However, higher knowledge score was associated with having less confidence in the final control of COVID-19. Conclusion: Our study identified some COVID-19 information that were less known among the participants and the potential factors that were associated with having good versus poor knowledge. Besides, this study sheds light on the attitude of Bangladeshi adults towards COVID-19.

Peoples’ adherence to the guidelines and measures suggested in fighting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is partly determined by the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) of the population. In this cross-sectional study, we primarily addressed two key issues. First, we tried to determine whether there is a significant difference in the estimated COVID-19 knowledge level from the online and phone survey methods. Second, we tried to quantify the knowledge and attitude of COVID-19 in Bangladeshi adult population. Data were collected through phone calls (April 14-23, 2020) and online survey (April 18-19, 2020) in Bangladesh. The questionnaire had 20 knowledge questions with each correct response getting one point and incorrect/don’t know response getting no point (maximum total knowledge score 20). Participants scoring >17 were categorized as having good knowledge. The percentages of good knowledge holders were 57.6%, 75.1%, and 95.8% in the phone (n=1426), online non-medical (n=1097), and online medical participants (n=382), respectively. Comparison between phone and online survey showed that, overall, online survey might overestimate knowledge level than that of phone survey, although there was no difference for elderly, poor, and rural people. Male gender, higher education, living in town/urban areas, good financial condition, and use of internet were positively associated with good knowledge. However, higher knowledge was associated with having less confidence in the final control of COVID-19. Our adult population-level estimates showed that only 32.6% (95% CI 30.1-35.2%) had good knowledge. This study provides crucial information that could be useful for the researchers and policymakers to develop effective strategies.

Background: Cost of getting health services is a major concern in Bangladesh as well as in many other countries. A family has to bear more than half of the health care cost despite many facilities provided by the public hospitals. This out‐of‐pocket (OOP) expenditure drives many families under the poverty line. The aim of this study was to find out the exact cost incurred by the family for a surgical operation of their child in the public and private sectors in Bangladesh.Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted to find out the cost of child surgery in different settings of public and private hospitals in Chittagong division, Bangladesh. Cost of herniotomy was then compared across different settings.Results: In this study, cost of operation in urban private hospitals was highest mostly due to surgeon and anesthetist fee. The cost was lowest in outreach programs as surgeon fee, anesthetist fee and accommodation cost was nil; food and transport cost was minimum. However, cost of accommodation, food, transport and medicine contributed significantly to OOP expenditure especially in tertiary‐level public hospitals, in both indoor and day care settings, and also in private urban hospitals.Conclusions: Our study provides some insight into the OOP expenditure in different health care settings in Bangladesh. This study might be useful in developing a strategy to minimize the OOP expenditure in this country.