BackgroundThe prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is growing in Pakistan; however, there are no national screening programs or guidelines in place to curb its development. This study was conducted with the aim of ascertaining public awareness and attitudes regarding CRC and current screening practices. Furthermore, the study assessed perceived barriers which could impact future screening processes.MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among urban dwellers of Karachi, Pakistan. We excluded any individuals belonging to the medical profession, those diagnosed previously with CRC or having any significant co-morbidity. The validated and pre-tested questionnaire was administered among the study participants to record demographic information, awareness of CRC risk factors, symptoms and screening tests. Attitudes towards screening and perceived barriers to screening were also assessed. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0) (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). A knowledge score, out of a total of 14 points was calculated to reflect a participant’s overall knowledge regarding CRC risk factors and signs/symptoms.ResultsThe prevalence of CRC screening in eligible individuals (50 years or older) was 2.6% in our study population. Positive attitudes towards CRC management and screening were observed, with 75.1% (n = 296) acknowledging the preventive role of screening tests. Despite this only 14.9% (n = 58) of study participants expressed a future desire to undergo screening. Major barriers to screening were reported to be “a lack of knowledge regarding the screening procedure”, a “lack of screening facilities” and that the “screening procedure is too expensive”. A majority (n = 285, 72.3%) of the participants expressed a greater willingness to undergo screening if their doctor recommended it.ConclusionA national CRC screening and awareness program should be launched to promote awareness and facilitate screening in risk groups. General practitioners are needed to play a key role in counseling patients and endorsing healthy screening practices.

BackgroundThe prevalence of autism is growing worldwide. Owing to parents being the primary caregivers in most situations, their ability to recognize the signs and symptoms of autism and respond appropriately is of paramount importance in aiming to provide the best healthcare to autistic individuals. This study was conducted with the aim of ascertaining the parent’s knowledge and awareness of autism.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents residing in Karachi, Pakistan. We excluded any individuals belonging to the medical profession, those who have autistic children, and those who couldn’t completely comprehend English and Urdu. A sample size of 339 parents was selected. A validated and pre-tested questionnaire was administered among the study participants to record demographic information, knowledge, and perceptions regarding autism and its signs and symptoms. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23.0, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US). A knowledge score was calculated for opinions about autism and its sign and symptoms individually to reflect a participant’s overall knowledge regarding autism.ResultsFrom our study population, 75% of our population had heard of autism, with those who knew of someone with the disorder displaying greater awareness. However, our participants displayed poor knowledge scores, with a mean score of 5.59 in the section concerning correct opinions on autism and that of 6.84 in the section testing knowledge of signs and symptoms. Despite this, 95.6% of the participants were willing to get their children treated, in the event of them being diagnosed with autism.ConclusionUnfortunately, our population displayed a lack of awareness and knowledge regarding autism. To fill this gap, awareness programs should be conducted to promote parent’s knowledge regarding autism, so as to allow for early diagnoses and an appropriate treatment plan/therapy. On a positive note, most were willing to get their children tested and treated in case of a diagnosis. However, only a small number of participants knew of autism centers in Karachi. General practitioners are needed to play a key role in counseling parents about autism.

Objective: Our research article aimed to determine if six-month mortality amongst hepatitis B and C patients undergoing cardiac surgery varied according to gender, post-operatively. Secondarily, we highlighted the significant differences among the two genders in their pre-operative, operative, and post-operative characteristics and deduced significant predictors of mortality. Methods: We obtained approval from the International Review Board of the Dow University of Health Sciences, and conducted a retrospective study targeting hepatitis B and C patients who had undergone cardiac surgery between January 2013 to October 2018 at the Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 20.0). The population was divided into two groups, based on gender. Chi-squared test was used to compare categorical variables and odd ratios with 95% confidence interval were also computed. Differences in continuous variables were assessed using independent T-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Results: There was no significant difference in six-month mortality between the genders, with a 22.5% mortality in males and 20.0% mortality in females. Post-operatively, males had higher creatinine (p=0.003) levels but females tended to have a longer ward stay (p=0.032). On multivariate logistic regression, duration of intubation (aOR=1.131, 95% CI: 1.002-1.275), cardiopulmonary bypass time (aOR=1.030, 95% CI: 1.002-1.059) and duration of ward stay (aOR=1.100, 95% CI: 1.031-1.175) were found to be significant predictors of mortality. Conclusion: There is no association between six-month mortality and gender among hepatitis B and C patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Additionally, duration of intubation, cardiopulmonary bypass time and duration of ward stay are significant predictors of six-month mortality.