Drinking of arsenic-contaminated water and the associated health impacts have been reported in developing and developed countries. Bangladesh is faced with the worst arsenic contamination of groundwater in the world, with an estimated 35 to 77 million people at risk of exposure to drinking arsenic-contaminated tubewell water. Lack of appropriate technologies has complicated and inhibited mitigation initiatives. This paper discusses the data obtained during efforts made to develop technologies for safe water supply by the Government of Bangladesh and its national and international partners. It is expected that the information will contribute towards development of appropriate technologies for water supply for millions of people in Bangladesh and other countries. About 95% of Bangladesh's rural population drinks tubewell water. Both arsenic removal and alternative technologies were widely promoted for water supply in these areas. The government and its national and international development partners developed various arsenic mitigation technologies for water supply, but most of the arsenic removal technologies were promoted without sound testing and showed poor, questionable and/or confusing performance in real situations. Also, use of most of the arsenic removal technologies was discontinued after a few to several months of installation. Concerns about the microbiological contamination of safe feed water during treatment were noted in arsenic removal options, in addition to high costs, efficiency, social and/or other problems. The 2004 National Policy for Arsenic Mitigation and its Implementation Plan stated a need for access to safe drinking water for all through alternative water technologies while arsenic removal technologies are developed and promoted after specified verification. The national policy specified and widely promoted alternative options such as improved dugwells, safe tubewells, pond sand filters, rainwater harvester and piped water systems from arsenic-safe water sources. A few of the promoted alternative options showed poor functional and social performance, in addition to supplying microbiologically contaminated water. Arsenic-safe shallow tubewells, deep tubewells and piped water systems may be regarded as appropriate technologies under the existing conditions when the performance of the arsenic removal and alternative water technologies were compared. There are constraints in promoting those three water technologies in various hydrogeological conditions throughout the county. A wide range of appropriate technologies needs to be developed and promoted, and the issue of how to deal with the existing millions of arsenic-contaminated tubewells also needs to be considered. Research and development of sound sciencebased appropriate technologies are urgently recommended for effective realization of the Millennium Development Goal for safe water.

<p><strong>Objective:</strong> Endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis may be associated with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in multiple ways. The intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CIMT) is an important parameter for early atherosclerotic change. Previously several studies addressed the association between SCH and CIMT. Some studies indicate that SCH might be related to increase CIMT, while other studies revealed no significant association.   The aim of the study was to further examine the relationship between CIMT and SCH patients in our own laboratory setting in Bangladesh.</p><p><strong>Patients and Methods: </strong>This cross sectional study was carried out at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Dhaka Medical College Hospital Campus, Dhaka during the period of January 2016 to October 2016. The study included 56 consecutive patients. Out of 56 patients, 26 were in SCH group and 30 were in euthyroid control group. CIMT was measured in each subject via High resolution B-mode ultrasonography. Data were analyzed between these two groups in respect to age, sex, BMI, and mean CIMT.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 56 subjects, 26 were SCH group and 30 were euthyroid control group. Male to female ratio was 3:23 and 9:21 in SCH and control groups respectively. The mean age was 30±7.4 and 32±8.7 years in SCH and control groups respectively. The mean BMI was 25.6±4.7 kg/m² in SCH and 25.1±4.1 kg/m² in control group. The mean CIMT was significantly (p≤0.05) higher in SCH group (Right-0.80±0.05 mm, Left-0.80±0.07 mm) than control group (Right-0.60±0.05 mm, Left- 0.61±0.05 mm). SCH group was further subdivided into two groups with a cut off value of serum TSH at 10 mIU/L.  The mean CIMT was significantly higher in SCH with TSH above 10 mIU/L than SCH group with TSH less than 10 mIU/L (p≤0.05). Pearson’s rank correlation test showed significant positive correlation between both CIMT and TSH values.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study showed that CIMT was significantly higher in SCH group than euthyroid control group. The CIMT values were positively correlated with the TSH values. Therefore we may conclude that SCH is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis  in addition to other  classical risk factors.</p><p>Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 19(2): 123-127, July 2016</p>

Background: Newborn screening programs signify early and presymptomatic detection of treatable disorders which authorize commencement of prompt medication to alleviate notable fatality. Newborn screening (NBS) for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) has been a successful public health initiative in preventive medicine over the last few decades. Previous pilot (1999-2006) and phase 1 (2006-2011) NBS program in Bangladesh reported an increased incidence compared to global data which urged to initiate a second phase NBS program for the detection of CH. Materials & Methods: Neonates’ blood was collected from the umbilical cord or by heel prick and drawn on the Guthrie filter paper card. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was measured from this filter paper by Immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) or Dissociation Enhanced Lanthanide Fluorescence Immunoassay (DELFIA) method. Results: 123 out of 2,61,550 neonates have already been diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism from September 2018 to August 2020, which represents an incidence of 1:2126. Conclusion: Ongoing phase-2 project data is already showing some optimistic outcomes. Hence, a time-worthy sustainable policy should be implemented to mark this program as an effective one. Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 25(1): 15-21, 2022

Hypertension is a chronic disease, which progresses silently and leads to many complications affecting major body organs. Hypertensive patient's awareness may be developed on the various aspects regarding disease and self-care management through the health care providers. Nurses knowledge regarding hypertension plays an important role in the ability to the management of hypertension Patients [Kaur et al., 2007]. This descriptive type of cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the Nurses knowledge regarding hypertension in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, (NICVD), Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Sample size was selected 60 nurses through purposive sampling technique. Data were collected by using the self-administer questionnaire through maintaining face to face interview of the respondents. Data analysis procedure was done by using statistical approaches. Analyzing demographic information, it has found, most of the nurses are from older age group with majority of them belong to secondary level education, significant proportion of them have done diploma in nursing. In terms of awareness, largest number of respondents has very good knowledge on concept of hypertension. They have also fairly known about management and prevention of hypertension. However, they have limitation in knowing causes and symptom of hypertension. In addition, they have quite poor knowledge how to control hypertension. From this study, it is concluded that, hospital management require instigating different training opportunities and learning session so that nurses would have improve their knowledge.

Lung cancer is the third most common site of origin of metastatic cancer deposits in bone, after breast and prostate. It's metastasis to bone is one of the most aggressive tumors and has a very unfavorable prognosis. This retrospective descriptive study was designed to detect the skeletal metastasis of carcinoma (Ca) lung patient by Tc 99m MDP bone scan. The medical records of all patients attended between January 2015 and July 2015 with a diagnosis of lung cancer were reviewed. Lung cancer in all patients was confirmed pathologically, and patients underwent whole-body bone scan for evaluating skeletal metastasis. Patient with clinical and laboratory evidence of infection, trauma, metabolic disease or arthropathy were not included in the study. Bone scan was done after three hours of intravenous administration of 20mci Tc 99m MDP (methylene diphosphonate) and images were obtained on a gamma camera. The mean age of the patients was Mean ± SD was 55.5 ± 12.5 with range from 31 to 90 years. Out of 47 cases, 36 (76.59%) were diagnosed as positive for skeletal metastasis by bone scan and 11 (23.41%) were negative for bony metastasis. Among 36 positive patients, 28 patients (77.86%) were histopathologically diagnosed as adenocarcinoma, 7 patients (19.44%) had squamous cell carcinoma and only one patient (2,7%) had small cell carcinoma. Bone scan findings were compared by either conventional X-ray/CT scan/MRI /pathologically. In present study, the distribution of lesions in bone scan had recorded. Maximum 47.22 % lesions were found in ribs, 27.77% lesions were in lumbar vertebrae, 19.44% in thoracic vertebrae, 19.44% in joints, 16.66% in long bones (femur and humerus), 11.11% in skull bones, 22.22% in pelvic bones, 5.55% in clavicle and 2.77% in scapula. Tc 99m MDP bone scan plays a pivotal role for detection of skeletal metastasis which is very essential to manage Ca lung patient. As bone scintigraphy is very cost effective in govt. nuclear medicine centre in comparison to other imaging modalities, so it can play a major role in detecting skeletal metastasis in ca lung patients in a developing country like Bangladesh.