Mallikarjun K Biradar

Abstract

Introduction: World Health Organization (WHO) defines sudden death as "deaths within 24 hours from the onset of the symptoms". It is also defined as death which is sudden, unexpected, clinically unexplained, or otherwise obscure even though there needs to be no unnatural element in their causation. Patients with neoplastic diseases, especially malignancies, are at greatly elevated risk of sudden death, because they may suffer from a variety of neoplasms. Majority of neoplasm-related sudden deaths (NSDs) are caused by neoplasm’s affecting critical organs such as the heart and brain. Objectives: To study the different histomorphological neoplastic lesions of heart in sudden deaths. Materials and Methods: A total of 1500 hearts were studied. All the sudden deaths which happened in hospital from 1997 to 2016 were included in the study. Result: In 20 years (1997-2016) nearly 1500 hearts were studied for sudden deaths in our institute. In our autopsy series, only secondary cardiac tumours were seen in 05 cases and caused sudden Ischemic heart disease were reported in 250 (17%) cases and left ventricular hypertrophy in 145(9.60%) cases. Altogether hypertensive heart diseases contributed about 26% of total sudden deaths. Recommendation: A routine health check up of the people after 40 years along with conducting system is need of the hour. Keywords: Leukemia, Melanoma, Sudden death.

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Introduction: A low sex ratio indicates strong male child preference and consequent gender inequities, neglect of girl child resulting in higher mortality at young ages, female feticide. Objectives: To assess gender preference in married women having children and to know attitude and awareness regarding the sex determination techniques among married women attending OPD and antenatal clinic in UHTC, KIMS. Materials and Methods: The cross sectional study was carried out in UHTC, department of community medicine, KIMS, Koppal from January to March 2018. All the women who were registered in antenatal clinic and those who are coming to OPD in the reproductive age group were enrolled. Result: 78.4% were in 17-27 age group. Half of the study paricipants (53%) belongs to lower middle and lower class.31.4% have completed their primary education and more than half of them are having nuclear family. Awareness about sex determination 19.6% told yes, only 9.8% were opined that sex determination can be done. 96.2% not knowing any method of fetal sex determination. Only 33.4% were aware that fetal sex determination is a crime. 57.8% were not known about punishment for sex determination. 64.7% told they have no inerest in gender preferring for additioinal child. Recommendation: Improving the literacy status of women and creating awareness about the consequences of female feticide is need of hour Keywords: Gender bias, Sex determination, Married women, UHTC.

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Introduction: Substance use patterns are notorious for their ability to change over time. Both licit and illicit substance use cause serious public health problems. While lack of a comprehensive policy has been repeatedly highlighted and various suggestions made to address the range of problems caused by substance use. Objectives: To study the socio-demographic profile and the reasons for substance use among patients admitted at De-addiction centre in Belagavi, North Karnataka. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all the patients admitted at the De-addiction centres during the study period were interviewed. The data was analyzed using Microsoft excel and proportions were used. Result: A total of 43 substance abusers were interviewed. Majority of the substance abusers (39.6%) were in the age group of 31 to 40 years. Most of the abusers had primary education (41.8%).81.4% of abusers were married and 76.7% were having nuclear type of family. Most of abusers were from lower socio economic status III to V (90.8%). History of substance abuse was observed in 58.1% of the family. Most of the abusers started using substance within 20 years (60.4%), 39.5% people used substance for < 20> Recommendation:  Our observations point towards the vulnerability of younger age towards substance use and hence, it is proposed that the preventive health policies in this regard should be targeted specifically during teenage years. Keywords: Alcohol, substance use, De-addiction centre, Family background.

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