BACKGROUND: To determine factors that facilitate and are barriers to self-monitoring of blood glucose in type 2 diabetic patients visiting family medicine clinics at a tertiary care teaching hospital Karachi Pakistan. METHODS: Approximately 255 patients were consecutively recruited from the clinics during April 2018 to May 2019 at Family Medicine outpatient clinics at the Aga Khan University Hospital. Data on socio-demographic status, facilitators and barriers to SMBG were extracted through a questionnaire, after obtaining an informed written consent. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 19.RESULTS: Among study participants 47.5% were above 50 years and 51.4% were males. About 30.2% of the participants were practicing SMBG at least once a month and 26% were practicing it daily. Fear of complications was the biggest facilitator (80.1%) and being expensive (51.4%) was barrier for SMBG. Over half of the SMBG practicing participants (59.7%) were diagnosed with diabetes for more than 05 years (p: 0.63). CONCLUSION: Assessment of blood glucose is a critical component of diabetes treatment and management. It can motivate patients to become active participants in their own care. Health care providers should communicate and educate the patients about the advantages of SMBG.

Objective: To determine factors that facilitate and are barriers to self-monitoring of blood glucose in type 2 diabetic patients visiting family medicine clinics at a tertiary care teaching hospital Karachi Pakistan. Methods: Approximately 255 patients were consecutively recruited from the clinics during April 2018 to May 2019 at Family Medicine outpatient clinics at the Aga Khan University Hospital. Data on socio-demographic status, facilitators and barriers to SMBG were extracted through a questionnaire, after obtaining an informed written consent. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 19. Results: Among study participants 47.5% were above 50 years and 51.4% were males. About 30.2% of the participants were practicing SMBG at least once a month and 26% were practicing it daily. Fear of complications was the biggest facilitator (80.1%) and being expensive (51.4%) was barrier for SMBG. Over half of the SMBG practicing participants (59.7%) were diagnosed with diabetes for more than 05 years (p: 0.63). Conclusion: Assessment of blood glucose is a critical component of diabetes treatment and management. It can motivate patients to become active participants in their own care. Health care providers should communicate and educate the patients about the advantages of SMBG.

Objective: Comparison of pin site infection rate between schanz screws and k-wires in ilizarov fixator for tibial fracture Methodology: It was a randomized control trial, conducted at department of Orthopedics, Khyber Teaching Hospital, MTI, and Peshawar from July 2021 to June 2022. Sampling Technique was Non-probability consecutive sampling. Patients were divided into two groups using computer generated random sequence number. Patients in group A were stabilized using K-wires and patients in group B were stabilized using k-wire and schanz screws. Data were entered in specially designed proforma. Result: Mean age in group A patients was 35±2.77 years, while in group B it was 38±3.12 years. Gender distribution between two groups was analyzed. In Group A 72.3% were males and 27.7 % females while in Group B patients, 70% were males and 30% were females. Mean duration from injury to surgery was 5 days with SD±2.12 in group A, while 5.5±2.37 days in Group B. Analysis of PSI among both groups shows that Group B, in whom Schanz pins technique was used, had significantly high rates of pin site infection (24.1%) compared to group A (9.6%) in whom K-wires technique was used (p 0.012). Conclusion: Our study concludes that the frequency of pin site infection is significantly less in Ilizarov fixator using K-wires (9.6%) as compared to Ilizarov fixator using Schanz pins(24.1%).