Journal of Bangladesh Society of Physiologist

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching learning process in pre clinical medical education in selective medical college in Bangladesh

2024-03-14T06:53:35+00:00

Background: The corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruption in educational sector including medical education. This disease outbreak has changed the medical education curriculum from traditional platform to elearning for students including Bangladesh. Objective: To observe the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching learning process in medical education in Bangladesh. Methods: This qualitative survey was done among the 68 pre-clinical students aged 19 to 23years, of a non-government medical college in Bangladesh, from march to December 2021. All study participants were first year undergraduate MBBS students from anatomy, biochemistry and physiology. Data was collected by administering pre-tested questionnaires through Google form. Results: About 75% of the participants agreed that online classes were helpful during the home stay period of COVID pandemic, but about 92.2% of them were skeptical about the success of this online system for their future medical education. About 80.9% had difficulty in keeping their concentration during online class. About 94% found difficulty to follow online practical classes. Majority of the students (82.4%) feel anxious whether they were capable of doing their job properly since this method needs technical knowledge. About 50% students had limited access to internet, there were technical issues like power cut (76.5%), and poor network of internet (69.1%) also reduced the effectiveness of online education. Online class also disrupt teacher-student relationship. Conclusion: The internet based classes served the purpose of continuation of academic activity in medical education during adverse condition of COVID . But due to uneven use of technology it had some obstacles also. Student’s ability to learning in medical education was also hampered in the absence of physical classes. This online method of education system needs much improvement to be effective in medical education.

J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2022;17(2): 64-71

Effects of variation in air conditioner temperature on lung functions of air conditioner users

2024-03-19T07:09:50+00:00

Background: As a result of increasing environmental temperature, use of air conditioner(AC) has become very popular specially in the urban areas mostly during hot months of the year. Regular exposure to cold, dry air of AC can cause various alterations in lung functions of AC users which can lead to many lung diseases in future. These alterations in lung functions can be influenced by AC temperature fixation. Objective: This study aimed to observe the effect of variation of AC temperature on lung function in apparently healthy adult subjects living in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Method:This cross sectional study was conducted on 48 apparently healthy adult male and female who were exposed to cold air discharged by air conditioner for at least 6 hours per day for minimum 5 days per week for the past 2 to 4 years. They were then divided into two groups based on setting temperature at which AC was regulated. Group A was consisted of 24 subjects (12 male and 12 female) who were exposed to AC temperature constantly regulated in between 18° C to 22°C. Group B consisted of 24 subjects (12 male and 12 female) who were exposed to AC temperature constantly regulated in between 23°C to 25°C. Forced vital capacity(FVC),forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV₁), and ratio of FEV₁/FVC were estimated in all subjects to assess lung functions using Minato Autospiro AS-507.Percentage of predicted value of all parameter was used in data analysis. Statistical analysis was done by unpaired Student’s ‘t’ test. Results: In this study mean percentage (%) of predicted value of FVC FEV₁, and FEV₁/FVC were significantly lower in group A in comparison to group B. Conclusion: Regulation of AC at a lower temperature can lead to more reduction of lung function in AC users.

J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2022;17(2): 72-77

Comparison of Serum Vitamin D Level between Outdoor and Indoor Working Professionals and Its Correlation with Serum Parathyroid Hormone Level

2024-03-19T07:25:43+00:00

Background: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is functionally linked to vitamin D for calcium homeostasis in our body. Objective: To compare serum vitamin D level between outdoor and indoor working professionals of Dhaka city, Bangladesh, and observe its correlation with serum PTH level. Methods: This cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from July 2018 to June 2019. A total of 101 indoor and outdoor professional workers of both sexes working in different sectors living in Dhaka city participated in this study. They were divided into two groups –outdoor workers (n=35) and indoor workers (n=66) Estimations of both serum vitamin D₃and PTH were done using chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay method. Statistical analysis was done by students unpaired t tests and Pearson correlation coefficient test. Results: Among outdoor workers, mostly hailed from Traffic Police Services (83%) and the rest (17%). were street hawkers. Indoor workers were recruited from the hospital – nurses (32%), doctors (27%), administrative employees (21%), hospital ward assistants (12%) and medical technicians (8%). Sufficient and insufficient levels of serum D₃ were observed more in outdoor professional workers than indoor (P<0.05) whereas deficient levels of serum D₃ was found more in indoor workers than outdoor workers (P<0.001). Mean serum vitamin D₃ level was found significantly (P<0.001).higher in outdoor workers than that of indoor workers (19.35±5.67ng/ml vs. 14.17±4.18ng/ml) but mean serum PTH level was not significantly different (P>0.05)r in outdoor workers than that of indoor workers (42.35±18.27 vs. 37.78±17.54); Moreover, there was no significant correlation between serum vitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels in both outdoor (r= +0.290; p >0.05) and indoor (r= –0.206; p>0.05) groups .Conclusion: Our data concluded that indoor working professionals were more prone to develop vitamin D deficiency although outdoor working professionals may be affected with vitamin D insufficiency. In addition, there may be no relationship between serum vitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels even in D deficient indoor workers.

J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2022;17(2): 78-84

Acute effect of hemodialysis on FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC% in chronic kidney disease stage- V patients

2024-03-19T07:41:33+00:00

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage-V is associated with impairment of pulmonary functions which may be improved by taking hemodialysis treatment. Objective: To observe the acute effect of hemodialysis on FVC,FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in CKD stage-V patients. Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka from September 2015 to August 2016 on 40 male newly diagnosedCKD stage-V patients aged 30-55years who were advised to take maintenance hemodialysis. Forty age and BMI matched apparently healthy male were control. FVC, FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC%were assessed by portable digital spirometer. before and after their first hemodialysis session in patients and once in healthy control. For statistical analysis, paired and independent sample‘t’ tests were done, as applicable. Results:Percentage of predicted values of FVC and FEV₁ were found significantly lower in patients than the healthy control at baseline but FEV₁/FVC%was almost similar to control. Again, FVC, FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC were found significantly increased after the end of hemodialysis than the before hemodialysis session. Conclusion:The pulmonary functions were reduced in newly diagnosed CKD stage-V patients and hemodialysis cause immediate improvement of lung functions in patients with CKD stage-V.

J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2022;17(2): 85-90

Effect of listening music (Rabindra Sangeet) on autonomic dysfunction in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: A power spectral analysis of heart rate variability

2024-03-19T07:55:37+00:00

Background: Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a complex method for assessing cardiac autonomic nerve function (CANF) in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients which is a common mental disorder in the world. Recently, music therapy is used as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in clinical psychiatry for GAD. Objective: To observe the effect of music therapy on CANF by power spectral analysis of HRV in GAD patients was designed. Methods: This prospective non randomized intervention study was done in 2019 on 60 newly diagnosed GAD patients aged 20- 40 years, both male and female. Among them 30 patients were under music therapy with listening of Raga Bhairabi based Rabindra sangeet for 3 months and 30 patients were without music therapy for three months. Age, sex and BMI matched healthy control were also enrolled. HRV of all GAD patients and control were recorded at baseline and after three months of follow up. HRV were recorded by Power Lab 8/35. For statistical analysis Bonferroni’s Post Hoc test and paired sample‘t’ test were done. Results: Total power, LF power, HF power, LF n.u, HF n.u and LF/HF and were significantly lower in all GAD patients compared to healthy control at baseline. After 3 months of music therapy, significant increment of Total power, HF power, HF n.u and significant decrement of LF n.u and LF/HF occurred whereas no change of these except HF n.u were noted in patients without music after 3 months. Moreover, after three months of music therapy, Total power, HF n.u, and LF/HF were almost same to control. Conclusion: So this study concluded that music therapy improve autonomic dysfunction in GAD patients and can be used as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in clinical psychiatry for good cardiac health in GAD patients.

J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2022;17(2): 91-100

Memory protective effect of Phyllanthus emblica against scopolamine induced spatial memory loss in male Long Evan Rats tested by Radial Arm Maze

2024-03-19T08:11:00+00:00

Background: Dementia is the commonest problem of middle aged and elderly subjects due to age related changes and oxidative stress. Many traditional herbal agents including Emblica Officinalis (Phyllantus Emblica) demonstrated its benefit against memory loss. Objective: To investigate the protective effect of Ethanolic extract of Phyllantus Emblica (EEPE) or Emblica Officinalis in scopolamine induced memory impaired male Long Evan rats. Methods: This animal behavioral study was carried out on total 18 male long Evan rats weighing 300-400gm. According to treatment they were divided into NS (control) group (n=6, normal saline 5ml/kg) Sco(n=6; Scopolamine 2mg/kg) and PE(n=6; EEPE 400mg/kg+ Scopolamine 2mg/kg).This experiment was conducted for total 33 days. After 7 days acclimatization NS group and PE rats were treated with normal saline and EEPE respectively for consecutive 26 days. Scopolamine was given to sco group and PE group from day 22 to 26 (5 days during acquisition phase. Spatial memory (working and reference memory error) was assessed by 8 arm radial arm maze (RAM). Statistical analysis was done by ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test. Result: Working memory error (WME) as well as reference memory error (RME) was found significantly higher in scopolamine treated rats compared to normal memory as well as PE pretreated rats whereas no significant difference was found in WME and RME between normal memory rats and PE pre- treated rats. Conclusion: Phyllanthus Emblica can prevent memory impairment in scopolamine induced memory loss in Long Evan rats.

J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2022;17(2): 101-110