Singh P, Khan S, Siddiqui A. H.

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Hypoalbuminemia occurs in a variety of disease states and is associated with an increased rate of complications during hospitalization, resulting in an increased length of stay. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of hypoalbuminemia in IPD and OPD patients and to see which age group and sex have high prevalence of hypoalbuminemia.
Nine hundred forty four patients, attending Nepalgunj medical college and Teaching Hospital, Banke, Nepal from March 2011 to February 2012 were included in this study. The normal reference range for serum albumin was 3.5 – 5.5gm/dL in males and females. Hypoalbuminemia is defined as serum albumin < 3.5 gm/dL. The outcome assessments in the hypoalbuminemia and normal albumin groups were compared. Serum albumin level estimation was done by using the diagnostic reagent kit manufactured by RFCL kit , India. A number of 944 studies were selected, the statistical information of which was collected for systematic analysis.
The results showed that the high prevalence of hypoalbuminemia found in males (89.72%) as compare to females(88.12%). The prevalence of hypoalbuminemia is different as the period of age and it increases after 21-40 years and high prevalence seen in after the age of 60. Serum albumin level was low in male as compare to female.

Khan S, Singh P, Siddiqui A. H., Ansari M

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Hepatitis B is significant health problems that might involve the late sequel of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study aimed to know the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in mid and far western region in Nepal with various clinical conditions.
This was a retrospective study conducted in mid and far western region in Nepal, which was performed in the Central Laboratory of Microbiology at Nepalgunj Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Banke, Nepal during the period of September 2010 to April 2012. The serum samples were tested for Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) by Sandwich immunoassay. Total 7010 patients including 43.72% male and 56.28% female were tested for HBsAg. Of them, 135 were positive and 6875 were negative.
In 135 positive cases 84 (62.22%) were male and 51 (37.77% )were female. In 6875 negative cases 2981 were male and 3894 were female. The seroprevalence rate of HBV was 1.93% in mid and far western region in Nepal. Seroprevalence of HBV seems to be higher in male then the female; it was 2.75% in male and 1.29% in female.
The study revealed that the seroprevalence of HBV was alarmingly higher in such a population, which probably reflects a high background prevalence of HBV infections should be taken into consideration and Implementation of community-based preventive measures and improved strategies for safe blood supply might prove useful to decrease the seroprevalence.

Nyandra I M., Pangkahila W, Raka-Sudewi A. A., Bagiada I N. A.

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Pathophysiology of premature ejaculation (PE) is very complex because it is associated with many factors, which can be grouped into biological factors and psychological factors. Various diseases have been found correlate between psychological factors and biological factors through cytokines, one of which is IFN-y (IFN-g). IFN-y affect indolamine dioxygenase enzyme (IDO) and decrease levels of serotonin. Low levels of serotonin leads to PE. The purpose of this study was to prove the relationship of serotonin and IFN-y in pathophysiology of PE.

This study was designed as a pretest-posttest double-blind cross-over control group design. Patients with PE were divided into 2 groups: control group and treatment group. Treatment group received flouxetine 20 mg for 30 days. Then the control and treatment groups were crossed after passing a 14-days washout period. Previously as a control group to treatment group and received flouxetine 20 mg per day for 30 days. Before and after treatment in each group was examined the levels of serotonin and IFN-y.

Of the 26 subjects, each group there was 13 subjects. Flouxetine 20 mg per day for 30 days increased serotonin levels were significantly (p < 0.05), and decreased levels of IFN-y were significantly (p < 0.05). Increased levels of serotonin and decreased levels of IFN-y was significantly associated with improvements (intravaginal ejaculatory latency time) ejaculation in PE patient.

From these results it can be concluded that PE occurs because decreased levels of serotonin. Decreased levels of serotonin are associated with increased levels of IFN-y.

 

Susi Purnawati, Alex Pangkahila, Anak Agung Raka Sudewi, D. P. Sutjana

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Work stress may affect the quality of working life due to decrease of work ability, cognitive ability, and may also lead to risky behavior. The decrease in work stress could be reflected by the decrease in stressor, psychological distress and cortisol levels among employees. An ergonomic job stress intervention (Ergo-JSI) applied in this study has several advantages in regard to participatory ergonomics and individual orientation. The objective of this research is to analyze the decrease in job stress reflected by the decrease in stressor, psychological distress and cortisol levels among the employees of a National Bank in Denpasar, Bali, after the application of Ergo-JSI.

This is an experimental study with treatment by subject design which was conducted from January to September 2011. Several dependent variables such as stressor and psychological distress were measured using the Indonesian version of Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ), while the blood cortisol was measured using chemiluminescence technique. Totally 25 male employees of the Private National Bank in Denpasar 25 were used as the research subjects. They were randomly selected and their ages averaged 39.

After the application of Ergo-JSI, a significant change (p < 0.05), that is, a 6.8% decrease in stressor and a 23.7% fall in cortisol were found. Apart from that, a significant change (p< 0.05), that is, a 28% decrease in psychological distress was also found.It could be concluded that the application of Ergo-JSI reduces job stress among the employees of the National Bank in Denpasar, Bali.