BackgroundPaintings have been used in Medical Humanities modules in Nepal at Manipal College of Medical Sciences and KIST Medical College. Detailed participant feedback about the paintings used, the activities carried out, problems with using paintings and the role of paintings in future modules has not been previously done. Hence the present study was carried out.MethodsThe present module for first year medical students was conducted from February to August 2010 at KIST Medical College, Nepal. Paintings used were by Western artists and obtained from the Literature, Arts and Medicine database. The activities undertaken by the students include answering the questions 'What do you see' and 'What do you feel' about the painting, creating a story of 100 words about the scene depicted, and interpreting the painting using role plays and poems/songs. Feedback was not obtained about the last two activities. In August 2010 we obtained detailed feedback about the paintings used.ResultsSeventy-eight of the 100 students (78%) participated. Thirty-four students (43.6%) were male. The most common overall comments about the use of paintings were "they helped me feel what I saw" (12 respondents), "enjoyed the sessions" (12 respondents), "some paintings were hard to interpret" (10 respondents) and "were in tune with module objectives" (10 respondents). Forty-eight (61.5%) felt the use of western paintings was appropriate. Suggestions to make annotations about paintings more useful were to make them shorter and more precise, simplify the language and properly introduce the artist. Forty-one students (52.6%) had difficulty with the exercise 'what do you feel'. Seventy-four students (94.9%) wanted paintings from Nepal to be included.ConclusionsParticipant response was positive and they were satisfied with use of paintings in the module. Use of more paintings from Nepal and South Asia can be considered. Further studies may be required to understand whether use of paintings succeeded in fulfilling module objectives.

This article discuss about scientific basis of benefits of practicing slow pranayama, especially alternate nostril breathing pranayama. It explains the basis of benefit of alternate nostril breathing exercises and its probable relation with nasal cycle, cerebral dominance and autonomic nervous system. The airflow through one nostril is greater than next at any point of time which later switches to another. This is called nasal cycle. The nasal cycle lasts from 30 minutes to 2-3 hours. The nasal cycle occurs naturally. This nasal cycle is related with the cerebral dominance. When one nostril is dominant, the contra lateral hemisphere is active. The right nostril breathing leads to increased sympathetic activity while left nostril breathing decreases sympathetic activity and increases parasympathetic tone. So it has been speculated that these three phenomenon viz. nasal cycle, cerebral dominance and autonomic activities are correlated. This review also suggests that practicing alternate nostril breathing (Nadisodhan pranayma) regularly keeps the two hemispheres active and balances the sympathetic and parasympathetic activities in the body. Sympathetic or parasympathetic activity alternates automatically in our body which is important for our survival. Due to our hectic and stressful life, this naturally occurring alternate breathing cycle gets disrupted and we suffer from different ailments. These ailments are due to imbalance of autonomic nervous system which can be resolved by practicing alternate nostril breathing, the Nadisodhan pranayama. It’s just like returning back to nature. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jmcjms.v1i1.7885 Janaki Medical College Journal of Medical Sciences (2013) Vol. 1 (1):38-47

Background: Most workers of carpet factory and sawmills suffer from non-specific lung diseases and ventilatory disorders. There is so many such industries operative in Lalitpur district and so far not many studies have been reported on pulmonary function in these workers. Method:A brief clinical sheet regarding age, occupational particulars, smoking habits and presence or absence of major complaints was recorded for each worker. Spirometric parameters were recorded using an electronic (MEDSPIROR) spirometer. The groups consisted of control subjects not exposed to industrial dusts (n=50) for each group of workers (carpet factory, n=50 and saw mill, n=50). Result:This study indicated an overall reduction in pulmonary function parameters; in particular FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC % in carpet factory workers and FEV1 and FEV1/FVC % in saw mill workers. Comparison of pulmonary function parameters between carpet factories workers and sawmill workers revealed a significant reduction in FEV 1 and MVV in carpet workers. Conclusion:Exposure to cotton dust and wood dust leads to combined type of spirometric deficit revealing obstructive or restrictive lung diseases. Workers exposed to industrial dusts also suffer from various upper or lower respiratory symptoms.

Background: Derangements of mineral metabolism occur during early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Mineral metabolism has emerged as important predictors of morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients. This study aims to evaluate the values of calcium and phosphorous in reference to practice guidelines issued by National Kidney Foundation Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) in patients undergoing hemodialysis in KIST Medical College Teaching Hospital.Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective study which included 101 patients who underwent hemodialysis in KIST Medical College Teaching Hospital over a period of three months (October 2010 to December 2010). The laboratory parameters of serum calcium, and phosphorus were evaluated and were compared with that of recommended values by K/DOQI guidelines.Results: The mean values for serum calcium, phosphorus, and calcium-phosphorus product were 8.79 ± 1.48 mg/dL, 5.30 ± 1.32 mg/dL and 46.62 ± 1.96 mg2/dL2 respectively. Forty (40%), 53 (53%) and 76 (76%) cases of CKD patients met K/DOQI target value for calcium, phosphorous and calciumphosphorous product respectively. Twenty one percent of the patients meet the three K/DOQI guidelines and 14% did not meet any of the recommended guidelines by K/DOQI.Conclusion: To achieve all the K/DOQI guidelines multi-disciplinary team approach is crucial. More extensive multicenter studies need to be carried out. It is necessary to develop our national guidelines in future.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2012) Vol. 2, 293-296DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpn.v2i4.6881

Background and Objectives: In recent years, there has been considerable interest in scientific research on yoga, especially on Pranayama. Nostril breathing exercises including Alternate nostril breathing, Left nostril breathing and right nostril breathing exercises is getting attention in the east and in the west. Left nostril breathing exercises is also called Chandra Nadisuddhi Pranayama or Chandra anulomaa vilomaa Pranayama (CAV). Very few have carried out research on Chandra Anuloma Viloma Pranayama (CAV). This study was carried out to see the effects of CAV on experienced yoga practitioners and naïves.Material and Methods: The study consisted of 36 subjects divided into two groups, first group consist of 26 medical students who were naïve and the next group consist of 10 yoga practitioners. All the subjects performed 12 rounds of Chandra Nadisuddhi Pranayama in each session for 24 days. Variables were entered into SPSS Program and were analyzed.Results: This study depicts fall in Pulse rate, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure and Diastolic blood pressure after CAV Pranayama in both Naïves and Yoga practitioners. But the significant drop was observed in SBP only (at p < 0.05) among Naives and in all parameters except respiratory rate among Yoga Practitioners.Conclusion: The effect of the Chandra Anuloma Viloma (CAV) in this study was more eminent in the yoga practitioners than in the naïve group.Janaki Medical College Journal of Medical Sciences (2015) Vol. 3 (1):45-51