International Medical Journal

Abstract : To determine the association of quality of life with sexual dysfunction in female hemodialysis patients. A crossectional study. At Karachi Institute of Kidney disease from December 2019 to February 2020. All female patients who were on hemodialysis for more than 6 months, living with their spouse and willing to participate were included. Those who were unmarried, had mental disorder and not agreeable to participate were excluded. Data was gathered about age, education, occupation, menstruation status, co-morbid, duration of dialysis and duration of kidney disease. The WHO Quality of life scale (WHO-QOL)-BREF was used to assess the quality of life while sexual dysfunction was gauged with female sexual function Index (FSFI). SPSS 25 was used for the analysis of the data. In this study, the mean age of the participants was 43.56+ 10.31. Female sexual scale score was low across all domains. Quality of life was reduced in all sub categories but specifically low score in physical and mental components. Pearson correlation showed a negative relationship between the mental domain and arousal, lubrication, satisfaction and pain constituents of FSD which were statistically significant (P<0.05). However there were no significant association in between the other domains of quality of life and sexual dysfunction (P>0.05). Hemodialysis dependent female patients have impaired quality of life associated with sexual dysfunction. Regular assessment of female sexual dysfunction should be a routine at hemodialysis units..
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Tracheostomy is a common procedure performed in critically ill patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure and for airway issues. It is commonly performed to assist in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation or in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. The objective of the study is to assess the etiology of indications for performing tracheostomy in patients admitted in a tertiary health care center. The most common indication for tracheostomy is upper airway obstruction (48%) secondary to neoplastic causes (54%), followed by upper airway obstruction secondary to deep neck space infections (34%). Predominant age group was seen to be 61-75 years. Tracheostomy still remains a lifesaving procedure in the surgical management of airway if performed timely despite its few complications. Key Words- Tracheostomy, airway obstruction, ventilation.

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Carcinoma of the Breast is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in females worldwide. The annual age-standardized incidence rate of BC worldwide in 2012 was 43.1/100,000 women and 25.8/100,000 in India [1]. Breast cancer has emerged as a multifactorial disease [2]. In our country especially, low socio-economic status, lack of medical facilities, poor living conditions, low educational status and many other factors impede women from getting medical care earlier and thereby influence the morbidity and mortality associated with carcinoma breast. The purpose of this study is to highlight a strong association between various socioeconomic and epidemiological factors and a delay in diagnosis and treatment of the disease. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research centre located in Pimpri, Pune between May 2020 to June 2021. Socioeconomic Status, Educational status are important variables in breast cancer stage at diagnosis. Also, increasing the awareness amongst women about this disorder in order to sooner diagnosis is notable. There were some limitations in this study. In our country where women form the backbone of most families especially in rural setup - it is imperative to make reforms to overcome these socio-demographic factors described in this study as well as others not mentioned thereby increasing their chances to fight this disease and reduce the consequent mortality. Therefore, socioeconomic status should be focused to promote knowledge in relation to breast cancer stage at diagnosis in the general population especially in developing countries like India.

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Abstract : Tobacco smoking has been recognized to have an effect on the human physiology, and amongst the harmful effects of tobacco, it has been linked with its impact on hearing profile. This study is designed to see the effect of smoking in the hearing profile of a person. This study included 50 subjects amongst which 25 have been smokers and remaining 25 have been non smokers. All the subjects who are in age group of 20 to 60 years, their history was taken in details and examination was carried out. Their audiometric thresholds have been recorded in a sound proof room by an audiometrist. Smoking was found to be substantially related with hearing loss. Also, the hearing loss was sensorineural type, with the mild degree of hearing loss being the most common amongst the smokers..
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Rotator cuff tears are observed to be the common amongst the elderly and athletes. There are many techniques for repairing the rotator cuff tears such as open supraspinatus tear repair, mini-open tear repair, arthroscopic, etc. Although, previous studies have shown that both techniques are associated with good clinical outcomes, the most effective method of repair is yet to be determined. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the early and late clinical results of arthroscopic technique versus open repair technique in patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears. It was a randomized clinical trial performed on 100 patients undergoing rotator cuff repair using arthroscopic technique or open repair technique. Patients with complains of shoulder pain, visiting OPD between July 2019 and June 2020, were evaluated for the presence of a full thickness rotator cuff tear. Evaluation was done using the simplified version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Score and Constant Murley Score (CMS). Pain was rated using a self-rated visual analog scale (VAS). Forward Flexion and External Rotation, of the shoulder joint in both groups was improved postoperatively and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at any point of time. The VAS was significantly higher at Post-operative Day 1 and Month 1 for open repair technique as compared to arthroscopic technique. The DASH score was significantly higher at Post-operative Month 3 and Month 6 for open repair technique as compared to arthroscopic technique. The CMS was significantly higher at Post-operative Month 1 for arthroscopic technique as compared to open repair technique. Both the techniques deliver similar results in long-term outcome, but arthroscopy technique delivers better recovery at short-term follow-ups.

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