Psychosocial predictors of antenatal stress in Pakistan: perspectives from a developing country.

Objective: Antenatal stress is highly prevalent globally and is associated with adverse physical and psychiatric morbidities and adverse neonatal outcomes. However, the burden of antenatal stress and its psychosocial predicators have not been explored in context of the Pakistani sociocultural environment. The present study explores the prevalence of antenatal stress and its association with gender of offspring, socioeconomic background, cultural beliefs, and access to healthcare in the province of Punjab, Pakistan.

Psychopharmacology in Pediatric Mixed Anxiety Disorder: An Evidence-based Review.

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders among youth, with prevalence rates ranging from 25 to 32 percent. These disorders are under-recognized and often undertreated in this population. Anxiety disorders in youth exhibit a chronic and persistent course of symptoms with a higher risk of comorbidities, functional impairment, and worsening of severity.

A Review of the Pharmacological Management of Chronic Pain in Patients with Heart Failure.

The incidence rates of heart failure (HF) and chronic pain increase with age. In the geriatric population, both disorders often coexist and pose a challenge to clinicians in treating them simultaneously. We conducted an online literature search for reports of the heart failure effects of pharmacological treatments for chronic pain.

Hereditary angio-oedema as a rare cause of small-bowel obstruction.

A 52-year-old man with known hereditary angio-oedema (HAE) presented with a 2-day history of progressive severe abdominal pain, distension, nausea, vomiting and constipation. CT of his abdomen and pelvis showed small-bowel obstruction and ascites. HAE is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by a C1 esterase deficiency and involves episodic oedema of subcutaneous and mucosal tissues.

Current trends and future perspectives for medical education in Colombia.

Colombia is the second largest country in South America. In this article, we provide an overview of medical education in Colombia, including a description of existing public and private medical schools and available undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Medical education in Colombia has evolved through time, following international trends.

Home Hospice, Not Hospital.

In December 2017, my mother was diagnosed with an end-stage pancreatic cancer. In the following weeks, she had to be taken to the emergency room frequently due to worsening infections, electrolyte imbalance, and vertigo, which often led to delirium. The doctors treating her were well qualified but lacked education and training about palliative and end-of-life care issues, which was reflected in their clinical practice.

Association of bullying experiences with depressive symptoms and psychosocial functioning among school going children and adolescents.

Objectives: We examined the association of bullying experiences with depressive symptoms and psychosocial functioning among children and adolescents in rural Pakistan. A total of 452 school-going children in Nawabshah, Pakistan were conveniently interviewed to assess rates of bullying experiences and severity of depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents.

Extreme Ends of Pain Sensitivity in SCN9A Mutation Variants: Case Report and Literature Review.

Pain insensitivity disorders are rare; however, when individuals are insensitive to pain, they are significantly more vulnerable to physical injuries, with higher morbidity and mortality rates, compared with the general population. The authors present the case of an 11-month-old male infant with SCN 9A gene mutation that resulted in congenital insensitivity to pain, while his mother, with a different mutation of the same gene, had hypersensitivity to pain. This is a rare familial presentation of the extreme ends of pain sensitivity, and might be the first such example in medical literature.

Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Clinical Review for the General Physician.

General practitioners (GPs) are often the first clinicians to encounter patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Given the gravity of the debilitating pain associated with TN, it is important for these clinicians to learn how to accurately diagnose and manage this illness. The objective of this article is to provide an up-to-date literature review regarding the presentation, classification, diagnosis, and the treatment of TN.

Pharmacological Treatment of Pain in Osteoarthritis: A Descriptive Review.

Purpose Of Review: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis that is characterized by loss of articular cartilage and new formation of bone. Pain and functional disability are common features that lead to disability and poor quality of life. This review discusses the current state of knowledge concerning the treatment of pain in OA, with a focus on pharmacological treatments.

Chronic Pain in Youth: Can Mental Health Services Provide Relief?

Chronic pain in youth is a common experience that is often under-reported, under-diagnosed, and frequently untreated. Biological processes, psychological factors, and socioeconomic determinants play important roles in the perception of pain in youth. Comorbid anxiety and depression are common and may exacerbate clinical presentation.

Adequacy of Pain Control in Patients With Advanced Cancer in Pakistan.

Purpose:: Pain is highly prevalent in advanced cancer and requires aggressive management. However, pain management in cancer is minimally investigated in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study explores the adequacy of pain management in patients with advanced stage cancer in Pakistan.

Frequency and correlates of symptoms of anxiety and depression among young caregivers of cancer patients: a pilot study.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of symptoms of anxiety and depression among the young caregivers of family members with cancer and their correlation with role of gender, age and socio-economic status.

Results: A total of 87.8% of caregivers were between 11 and 16 years of age, with 94.

Psychotherapeutic interventions for chronic pain: Evidence, rationale, and advantages.

Background: Long-term use of opioids to treat chronic pain incurs serious risks for the individual-including misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose and death-as well as creating economic, social, and cultural impacts on society as a whole. Chronic pain and substance use disorders are often co-morbid with other medical problems and at the present time, primary care clinicians serve most of this population. Primary care clinicians would benefit from having alternatives to opioids to employ in treating such patients.