Aman Tiwari

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought about a transition in hand hygiene practices since the disease has no cure. WHO recommends frequent hand washing for at least 20 seconds each time or the use of alcohol-based hand rubs to prevent infection. This change has led to a variety of skin changes over hands including dryness, redness, irritation, etc. Dermatitis is a medical term for skin inflammation (irritation). Contact dermatitis is an allergic or irritant reaction that causes a painful or itchy skin rash. Frequent use of hand hygiene products, particularly soaps, and other detergents, is one of the leading causes of irritant contact dermatitis among health workers in this Covid pandemic era. Materials and Methods: To know the impact of change in hand hygiene practices after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, an online survey was conducted using google forms. Participants included only medical students and professionals aged 18 and above till 35 years. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Information was recorded and analyzed. Results: The study included a total of 151 participants including medical students and professionals out of which 71 (47%) were male, 79(53%), and female, all aged between 18-35 years. 136 (90.1%) of the total participants agreed with an increase in hand hygiene practices brought about by the pandemic, using various means for the same including soap, alcohol-based gels, rubs, and wipes. 51 participants (33.8 %) noticed explicit changes in the skin of their hands after the switch in their respective hand hygiene practices. Conclusions: This study highlights the changes in hand hygiene practices due to the pandemic and the prevalence of dermatitis due to the same in medical students and professionals. The study will highlight the awareness about the prevention of skin changes in hand due to frequent sanitation and the need to seek a dermatologist if and when required   Keywords: COVID-19, Hand hygiene practices, Dermatitis

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Abstract

Background: One of the most prevalent metabolic disorders among women of reproductive age is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Menstrual dysfunction and androgen excess symptoms, such as hirsutism and acne, are common in women with PCOS. Additionally, there may be an increased risk of other morbidities such as obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, infertility, cancer, and psychological disorders. Aim: This study is an attempt to summarise the prevalence of polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS) in adolescent girls and young women residing in the National Capital Region belonging to the age group of 11-30 years. Materials and Methods: The study was questionnaire-based and carried out for a duration of 6 months with 267 participants. The BMI of the participants was calculated using the formula: BMI= weight in kgs/ height in m2. PCOS was diagnosed using a questionnaire with Rotterdam’s criteria. Result: The prevalence of PCOS was found to be 77.1%. The mean age group at which maximum number of participants were diagnosed with PCOS was 18-20 years. The BMI (BMI=kg/m2) of all the participants was calculated and 8% participants came under the obese category. 90% of the participants were aware of PCOS, 79.2% participants agreed PCOS is increasing rapidly while 19.3% participants had no idea about PCOS. Conclusion: The study concludes that respondents were less aware of the actual prevalence of PCOS and also associate the disorder’s manifestation with lifestyle variations. Even at this young age adolescent girls and women are at a high risk of metabolic syndrome because of the increased prevalence of sedentary lifestyles and lack of physical activity. A good diet, regular exercise, early diagnosis, and treatment modalities available are all critical components of raising awareness about PCOS and the risk factors associated with it.   Keywords: PCOS, Lifestyle, Adolescent.

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