From the Editor

This eighth issue this year has various papers from the region including a paper from Nepal.

Salem M et al did a descriptive cross sectional study study to evaluate professionalism in family medicine residency program in Qatar. This study was conducted in the Family Medicine Residency Program in Qatar. The sample size was 41 residents; all residents in the program at time of the study in 2016-2017. This study showed that the overall professional domains giving appropriate scores in all the domains with total score 84.3+15.5 from 120 while self-assessment score is 31.8+6.2 from total score of 40. The authors concluded that family medicine residents are capable of consistently performing professionally across the domains of professionalism. However, the Excellence and Altruism domains are in need for improvement.

Sushil et al did a cross-sectional study performed on 584 young male adults aged between 17 and 22 years. Two variables were noted from each individual: Arterial blood pressure and blood group. Chi-square test was used to find the relation between these two variables. The authors found that the mean systolic blood pressure was significantly high in A blood group when compared to other blood groups (P value 0.04). The correlation between diastolic blood pressure and blood groups A, B, AB and O were not found. They concluded that suggested that A blood group individuals have more susceptibility for high blood pressure indicating a potential risk of cardiovascular diseases with genetic relation between ABO blood group and hypertension. More and more studies in larger population and different geographical area are required to prove the correlation between ABO blood group and the blood pressure.

AL-Mutawa N et al; assess the implications of introducing reflective practice in Family Medicine Residency Program on residents perceptions in Qatar. They used a cross-sectional study design. A purposive sample of 26 (34) residents were recruited. Inclusion criteria: all current PGY1-PGY3 residents. PGY4 residents as well as residents who have finished the 4 years Training were excluded. The study included 26 residents from PGY-1, PGY-2 and PGY-3. More than 80% of respondents thought that the sessions were useful and enjoyable.
The authors concluded that by enhancing reflective practice, family medicine residents will be able to improve their insight into their strengths and weaknesses, and develop an action plan to mitigate weaknesses and improve their case management in the future. This will help to improve competencies far better Primary Care work force in PHCC.

Adalat M et al; investigated the effects of a Persian herbal medicine treatment including Crocus sativus, Hypericum perforatum, Cinnamon verum, and Vitis vinifera on fatigue and sleep disorders in MS patients. They did a double-blinded, clinical trial, 52 patients with MS suffering from fatigue or sleep disorders were randomly divided into two groups (herbal remedy or the placebo). The insomnia severity scale (ISI) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were used to assess sleep difficulties. There was a significant reduction in FSS and MFIS scores in both groups, but the mean change rate in FSS and MFIS scores in the drug group was significantly higher compared to the placebo group. The present study suggests that herbal extract treatment may improve sleep disorder and fatigue symptoms in MS patients. Further investigations are needed to know the exact mechanism of actions.

Helvaci. M.R et al; tried to understand whether or not there is a lower prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) due to moderate to severe immunosuppression in sickle cell diseases (SCDs). All patients with the SCDs and age and sex-matched controls were studied. The study included 428 patients with the SCDs (220 males) and 433 controls (223 males). The authors concluded that SCDs are severe and continuous inflammatory processes on vascular endothelium, particularly at the capillary level, and terminate with end-organ failures in early years of life. Beside that, SCDs may cause moderate to severe immunosuppression by several mechanisms that may be the cause of significantly lower prevalence of RA in the SCDs.

Bendak L looked at the importance of physical activities for Down syndrome students which will reflect positively on their spatial relations. The quantitative approach was adopted where the total number of the Down syndrome students in the field of study was 10 from two private schools. The students were divided into two groups where the control group was 5 Down syndrome students and the experimental group was also 5Down syndrome students. The measuring instrument or tool that was used in this study is the Woodcock-Johnson III. A pretest was done on all 10 students during the first trimester of the school year. Then the physical activities intervention was applied for two trimesters. After that, the posttest was applied and the results were submitted to analysis, where the means and standard deviations, the independent samples T- test, and the paired samples T- test were calculated. The results of this study showed statistical differences to the benefit of the experimental group over the controlled group.

Brygel et al evaluate the place of models in Surgical education workshops. Until recently surgical procedures and training were carried out under an apprenticeship type system. With technological advances and medico legal pressures and so many new operations being devised this system has become outdated. As a result skill laboratories have been introduced. These cater from the most basic skills such as, making incisions, knot tying and suturing, to major surgery.

Chief Editor:
A. Abyad
MD, MPH, AGSF, AFCHSE
Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb

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