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

In this issue of the journals a number of papers dealt with various topics including health assessment, the effect of Khat and others. In addition we have the second paper of the series on Evidence Based Medicine.

A paper from Abha City was done to assess the health aspect of male teachers (384) and to assess level of job satisfaction of male teachers in different grades in Abha city.

The study was done through a questionnaire. The average age was 39.31. The level of satisfaction regarding current job and salary of teachers which revealed that 65.6% were satisfied while 34.4% were not satisfied. The complaints or health problems among teachers as regard eyesight problems 15.4%,Hearing problems in 6.5%,Mental illness, psychological or psychiatric problem was 7.8%,The history of drug or alcohol problem 2.3%. The relation between ill health and experience years gave a significant association but with level no significant association. The relation between job satisfaction and experience years showed no significant difference with experience years but the higher rates with longer experience (70.2%) and gave significant relation with level especially at primary level.

A paper from Turkey tried to understand whether or not there are some beneficial changes of health parameters with hydroxyurea in sickle cell diseases (SCDs) cases. All SCDs cases were enrolled, and a hydroxyurea therapy was initiated. The authors studied 337 patients.. Hydroxyurea was well-tolerated with a majority of patients (80.1%). Mean number (10.3 versus 1.7 crises per year, p<0.000) and mean severity of painful crises decreased, significantly (7.8 versus 2.2, p<0.001). The authors concluded that SCDs are chronic inflammatory disorders initiating at birth. Hydroxyurea decreases frequency and severity of painful crises, WBC and PLT counts, and total and direct bilirubin and LDH levels, and it increases body weight and Hct value, all of which indicate a decreased inflammatory process in patients. Thus elective surgical procedures should be performed after a few months of treatment with hydroxyurea in non-users.

A paper from Africa looked at - Khat (Catha edulis) chewing as a risk factor of low birth weight among full term Newborns: A systematic review of Meta-analysis, data of 1850 neonates and their maternal history were obtained, with Khat chewers to non-chewers ratio of 1.1:1. A mean birth weight of Khat chewing mothers was found lower than the non-chewers neonates, with the mean difference of -130.74 [-189.90, -71.59] grams, Heterogeneity: Tau² = 0.00; Chi² = 0.95, df = 1 (P = 0.33); I² = 0%. In all assumptions tasted, the finding of the Meta analysis has showed consistent direction, while a reduction of 130.74 gram is the best available estimate of the effect size. The authors concluded that Khat chewing during pregnancy is found to be a significant risk factor for reduction of birth weight which may contribute a lot for infant mortality.

A retrospective study from Australia reviewing a consecutive series of Lichtenstein repairs performed by a single experienced hernia surgeon was carried out. 248 inguinal hernia patients operated on in 2005 were reviewed. Patients were contacted via telephone at a median of 50 months. A recently validated inguinal pain questionnaire was used to assess the incidence of chronic pain. 185 (75%) patients were able to be contacted for follow-up, making a total of 213 inguinal hernia repairs (including bilateral hernias). The authors concluded that chronic pain did not appear to be a major problem within this cohort of patients. The Lichtenstein technique can produce favourable results in terms of chronic pain for unilateral, bilateral and recurrent inguinal hernias in an unselected group of patients with the usual mix of risk factors and complications.

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