Browsing by Author "Joshi, SK"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Publication Acquaintance with the actuality: Community diagnosis programme of Kathmandu Medical College at Gundu village, Bhaktapur, Nepal(Kathmandu University, 2008) Vaidya, A; Pradhan, A; Joshi, SK; Gopalakrishnan, S; Dudani, IAbstract Introduction: In Nepal, various field programs such as community diagnosis programmes (CDP) have been initiated to make the education of doctors, nurses and dentists more community oriented and relevant and suited to the health care scenario. Community diagnosis refers to the identification and quantification of the health problems in a community and identification of their correlates for the purpose of defining those individuals or groups at risk or those in need of health care. The article presents the main activities of community diagnosis as a core component of community-based education for the medical students at Kathmandu Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal. Methodology: A 4 weeks’ Community Diagnosis Programme was conducted by MBBS II students (9 th Batch) of the Kathmandu Medical College under the supervision of the Department of Community Medicine in November 2006 in the rural community of Gundu VDC (village development committee). The tools used included pre-tested questionnaires, weighing machines, measuring tapes, stethoscopes and sphygmomanometers. After the data collection and compilation, the students presented their findings in oral presentations, accompanied by a written report, including essential recommendations for improving the health status of these communities. Results: The students benefited from the necessary process of integrating clinical skills and a public health approach, so as to enhance their epidemiological thinking and be of greater use to the communities where they will practice. The community also benefited by achievement of behavioral changes leading to healthier lifestyles and increased awareness of health-related matters and their role in quality of life. Conclusions: CDP is a way to practically demonstrate that the link between a medical college and society is possible. That is, a medical college can serve the community and thus society, with specific activities to improve health and the skills of students who will serve as future health professionals.Publication Publication Asymptomatic throat carriage rate and antimicrobial resistance pattern of Streptococcus pyogenes in Nepalese school children(Kathmandu University, 2009) Dumre, SP; Sapkota, K; Adhikari, N; Acharya, D; Karki, M; Bista, S; Basnyat, SR; Joshi, SKAbstract Background: Streptococcus pyogenes or Group A streptococcus (GAS) causes several suppurative and non suppurative infections. In addition to pharyngitis and skin infections, GAS are also the causative agent of post-streptococcal infection syndromes such as acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and post-streptococcal glumerulonephritis (PSG). GAS frequently colonises in the throat of an asymptomatic person. Pharyngeal carriage rates of GAS among healthy school children vary with geographical location and seasons. Objectives: We carried out this preliminary study to determine the throat carriage rate and antimicrobial resistance trend of Streptococcus pyogenes or Group A streptococcus (GAS) among the Nepalese school children. Materials and methods: Four schools situated at different locations of Kathmandu valley were included in the study. Throat swabs from 350 students of age group 5-15 years were collected, immediately transported to the laboratory and were processed for S. pyogenes following standard microbiological procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolates was performed by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method following CLSI guidelines. Results: S. pyogenes was isolated from 10.9% (38/350) of the screened children. The GAS colonisation rate was statistically insignificant (P>0.05) with sex and age sub-groups, although the rate was slightly higher among girls and age sub-group 9-12 years. No significant difference in carrier rate was observed among different schools (P>0.05). All isolates were susceptible to azithromycin. No resistance was detected for penicillin and its derivative antibiotic ampicillin. Highest resistance rate was observed for cotrimoxazole (71.0%) followed by chloramphenicol (7.8%), ciprofloxacin (5.2%) and erythromycin (5.2%). Conclusion: Antibiotic resistant GAS isolated from asymptomatic Nepalese school children is a public health concern. When screened and appropriately treated with antibiotics, carriers can be prevented from spreading of streptococcal infections in the school environment and the community. Preventing cross infections would ultimately reduce the incidence of life-threatening sequelae which are debilitating and difficult to treat. It is recommended to conduct regular screening and GAS surveillance in schools, and maintain rational use of antibiotics to minimise GAS carriage/infections and resistance. Key words: Streptococcus pyogenes, Antibiotics Resistance, Throat carriage, Children, Nepal.Publication Publication Biomass combustion and potential health effects in the developing countries(Kathmandu University, 2010) Joshi, SK; Dahl, A; Kristensen, T; Roldin, PNAPublication Diabetes mellitus: A review of its associations with different environmental factors(Kathmandu University, 2010) Joshi, SK; Shrestha, SAbstract Diabetes Mellitus is a global health problem with a worldwide prevalence of 2.8% in 2000. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an auto immune disorder genetically mediated, while type 2 is more of a life style induced disorder although the role of genetic susceptibility, infections are also equally strong. Many studies have backed up these statements. However, there have been very few researches that show association of diabetes with environmental factors like pollution, exposure to chemicals e.g. mercury, arsenic, psychological condition e.g. depression, stress, and socio-economic conditions e.g. occupation, earnings etc. Recently, the role of these factors in causation and progression of diabetes have received much attention. Thus, this review has been designed to explore more on association of diabetes with physical, socio-economic and psychological environment. Key words: arsenic, diabetes, environment, mercury, occupation, POPs, sleep, socio-economic status, stressPublication Economic and social burden due to injuries and violence in Nepal: A cross-sectional study(Kathmandu University, 2009) Joshi, SK; Shrestha, SAbstract Background: Injury and violence cause five million deaths annually in the world which is around 9% of the global mortality. Eight out of fifteen leading causes of deaths in the age group 15-25 years are injury related. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the incidence, severity and socio-economic burden of injuries and violence in two cities of Nepal. Materials and methods: Relevant data was collected from 17th August 2008 to 16th September 2008 from injured patients attending emergency departments at six health centres in two cities. Results: In total, 505 injury cases were reported. 42.5% of the injuries occurred in roads and 34.1% at home. 65% of road traffic injuries involved motorcycles. The majority (60%) of the injured subjects were economically active. A single injury case cost 126.2 US$ including all the expenses and the loss due to inability to work. Conclusion: The high incidence of injuries, especially road traffic injuries, adds a huge economic burden to nation. Key words: disabilities, economic burden, injuries, violencePublication Publication Throat carriage rate and antimicrobial resistance trend of Streptococcus pyogenes among the asymptomatic Nepalese school children(Kathmandu University, 2009) Dumre, SP; Sapkota, K; Adhikari, N; Acharya, D; Karki, M; Basnyat, SR; Joshi, SKAbstract Background: Streptococcus pyogenes or Group A streptococcus (GAS) causes several suppurative and non suppurative infections. Since the 1980s there has been re-emergence in the incidence of invasive S. pyogenes infections and rheumatic heart disease all over the world and hence throat carriage has assumed of great importance. Objectives: We carried out this preliminary study to determine the throat carriage rate and antimicrobial resistance trend of Streptococcus pyogenes or Group A streptococcus (GAS) among the Nepalese school children. Materials and methods: Four schools situated at different locations of Kathmandu valley were included in the study. Throat swabs from 350 students of age group 5-15 years were collected, immediately transported to the laboratory and were processed for S. pyogenes following standard microbiological procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolates was performed by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method following CLSI guidelines. Results: S. pyogenes was isolated from 10.9% (38/350) of the screened children. The GAS colonisation rate was statistically insignificant (P>0.05) with sex and age subgroups, although the rate was slightly higher among girls and age subgroup 9-12 years. No significant difference in carrier rate was observed among different schools (P>0.05). Highest resistance rate was observed for Cotrimoxazole (71.05%) followed by Chloramphenicol (7.8%), Ciprofloxacin (5.2%) and Erythromycin (5.2%). All isolates were susceptible to Azithromycin. No resistance was detected for penicillin and its derivative and Azithromycin. Conclusion: Antibiotic resistant GAS isolated from asymptomatic Nepalese children is a concern. When screened and appropriately treated with antibiotics, carriers can be prevented from spreading of streptococcal infections in the community. This would ultimately reduce the incidence of life-threatening sequelae which are debilitating and difficult to treat. It is recommended to conduct regular screening programs and GAS surveillance, and maintain rational use of antibiotics to keep GAS carriage/ infections and resistance in check. Key words: Streptococcus pyogenes, Antibiotics Resistance, Children, Throat carriage, NepalPublication Violence against women in Nepal: Role of health care workers(Kathmandu University, 2009) Joshi, SKNA