NepMed is a Nepal MEDLINE(Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) by Nepal Health Research Council(NHRC) in collaboration with Nepal Medical Association. It includes bibliographic information for articles from academic biomedical journals covering medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry veterinary medicine, and allied health sciences.
Recent Submissions
Self-Assessment of Oral Health Status among Adults Residing at Chautara, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal
(Nepal Health Research Council, 2025) Dahal, Sirjana; Khapung, Anju; Dahal, Samarika; Poudel, Prakash
Background: Little is known about attitudes and practices regarding oral health of developing countries. This study aimed to determine the self-assessment of oral health status among adults residing at Chautara, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 440 adults selected by convenience sampling method. Interview using WHO oral health questionnaire for adults 2013 was taken after receiving informed consent. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel Sheet and analysed in SPSS version 24. Mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage were calculated.
Results: Majority had positive assessment regarding their teeth (366, 83.18%) and gums (384, 87.27%). Many (417, 94.77%) cleaned their teeth ?one times a day. Majority used toothbrush (434, 98.64%) and paste (411, 93.41%) for cleaning their teeth. Some, (184, 41.82%) visited a dentist at least once in their lifetime and the main reason was pain or trouble in teeth/gums/mouth (94, 51.09%). Very often, they faced problems chewing (31, 7.0%) and biting (27, 6.1%) foods. They mostly consumed tea with sugar (132, 30.0%) and biscuits, cakes and cream cakes (59, 13.4%) several times a day. Most of them smoked cigarettes every day (93, 21.1%), followed by tobacco chewing (67, 15.2%). In the past 30 days, 179 (40.7%) drank one or more drinks of alcohol.
Conclusions: The study findings showed that most of the adult residents of Chautara, had positive self-assessment of their oral health status. However, they faced many oral health problems which may be due to their unhealthy lifestyle suggesting need for oral health awareness programs.
Keywords: Adults; oral health; self-assessment.
Efficacy of Lactulose and Polyethylene Glycol in the Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy
(Nepal Health Research Council, 2025) Pathak, Rahul; Lamsal, Manoj; Bhusal, Mohan
Background: Hepatic encephalopathy presents a significant clinical challenge in individuals with advanced liver dysfunction, manifesting as confusion, altered consciousness, and personality changes. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of lactulose and polyethylene glycol in managing Hepatic encephalopathy.
Methods: The study is conducted at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Nepal; the study enrolled 45 cirrhotic patients with altered mental status in each study group. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. The basic demographic and clinical data were collected, including laboratory investigation and precipitating factors for Hepatic encephalopathy. The severity of Hepatic encephalopathy was assessed using the West Haven Criteria.
Results: In this study there was significant difference between two groups in terms of mean time taken for complete resolution of hepatic encephalopathy, with mean of 2.98 ± 2.129 days in Polyethylene Glycol group compared to mean of 4.67 ± 3.076 days in Lactulose group, with a significant p-value of 0.004. There was also significant difference in length of hospital stay between two groups, with a mean hospital stay of 6.36 ± 3.654 days in Polyethylene Glycol group compared to 9.70 ±5.388 days in Lactulose group, with a significant p-value of 0.001.
Conclusions: In conclusion, polyethylene glycol showed promising results in the treatment of Hepatic encephalopathy compared to lactulose polyethylene glycol. demonstrated an improvement and quicker resolution of Hepatic encephalopathy symptoms, highlighting its potential as a cost effective and safe alternative for managing Hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients.
Keywoards: Hepatic encephalopathy; lactulose; polyethylene glycol.
Prevalence of Gingival Pigmentation and its Association with Age, Gender and Gingival Biotype in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nepal
(Nepal Health Research Council, 2025) Khayamali, Jenisha; Khadka, Rachana; Lamichhane, Simant; Rijal, Arjun Hari
Background: While dentistry in the past focused primarily on prevention and treatment of dental diseases, modern dentistry has evolved to place greater emphasis on appearance of teeth, gums, and the overall smile. Since gingival pigmentation significantly impacts a patient’s aesthetics, it has recently become a prominent topic of interest. Objective was to determine the prevalence of gingival pigmentation among Nepalese people in terms of its extent and distribution and to correlate it with age, gender, and gingival biotype.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on Nepalese patients who visited the ‘Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology’ at Dhulikhel Hospital from June 20, 2024 to September 20, 2024 after obtaining ethical approval. Data was collected via convenience sampling, and intraoral examinations focused on gingival biotype and pigmentation in the anterior labial region, a key aesthetic area. The data was entered into MS EXCEL and analyzed using the latest version of SPSS.
Results: Total 380 patients were examined in this study, including 173 (45.5%) males and 207(54.5%) females. Most had pigmentation in the attached gingiva followed by interdental papillae. There was a statistically significant relationship (p<0.05) between gingival pigmentation and the patient’ age, as well as between gingival pigmentation and gingival biotype (p<0.05) However, there was no significant relationship (p=0.59) between gingival pigmentation and the patient’s gender.
Conclusions: Knowledge regarding the distribution and extent of gingival pigmentation will be a valuable asset for clinicians during various depigmentation procedures, to choose the most appropriate technique for a particular type of gingival pigmentation.
Keywords: Depigmentation; gingiva; gingival biotype; gingival pigmentation.