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Background: There has been a global rise in caesarean section (CS) rates including Nepal. Though caesarean birth reduces maternal mortality and morbidity but is associated with short and long-term risks. The main objective of this study was to find out the prevalence and factors associated with caesarean section among women admitted at a tertiary care hospital. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at postnatal ward of Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital. Women who had either vaginal or caesarean birth during the study period were included in the study. A non-probability consecutive sampling technique was adopted to include 178 women. Data were collected through face-to-face interview technique and hospital records. Descriptive and chi-square analysis were done to find out the factors associated with caesarean birth. Results The mean age of women was 24.64 (± 4.64) years. In majority, both the woman and her spouse had acquired secondary-level education which was 43.3% and 46.1% respectively. Few (14%) of the women were working. Half of the women were primiparous and few (14%) had a prior history of cesarean birth. More than half (51.7%) have ANC visits more than 4 times. More than one-third (37.1%) women have had their labour induced. The prevalence of CS was 38.2%. The major indications for CS were previous CS and fetal distress which were 23.45 and 20.98 respectively. Variables such as age, education, parity, and previous CS were significantly associated with CS with p-value ≤ 0.05. Conclusions: The overall magnitude of CS in this study exceeds the WHO-recommended critical threshold of 10-15%. Age, education, parity, and previous CS were significantly associated with cesarean birth. A judicious decision is an utmost priority while selecting a case for primary CS as it is evident that previous CS has the highest likelihood of having subsequent CS.

Background: Health science students, since long time, have been using digital technology mainly for the research purposes only. Due to global spread of corona virus disease (COVID-19), education system has changed and adopted online education which was a solution for the continuity of teaching and learning process during COVID-19 pandemic. The main objective of this study was to assess the attitude towards online education among bachelor level health science students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla. Complete enumeration was done. Total 68 bachelor level students were taken for the study. A pretested self administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 16. Frequency and percentage were also computed for demographics variables. Chi-square test was applied to assess the association between socio-demographic variables and attitude level. Results: The study illustrated that, among the 68 bachelor level students, nearly two third (63.2%) students had negative attitude towards online education during COVID-19 pandemic. There was statistically significant association of attitude level with ethnicity, type of program and strength of internet connection (p≤0.05). Conclusion: Majority of students of Karnali Academy had negative attitude towards online education; and they had faced many difficulties like internet and electricity problem etc. Administration and faculty members should take necessary measures for improving online education.

Introduction: Hip spica with or without prior traction has become a standard treatment for closed isolated femoral shaft fracture in children below six years. The time of hip spica application is not uniform in the existing literature. The aim of this study is to find out the prevalence of complication of early application of one and a half hip spica for femoral shaft fractures in children below six years in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done among 42 children who were managed with early hip spica application (within 72 hours) for femoral shaft fracture from January 2015 to December 2020 after receiving ethical clearance from Institutional Review Committee. Convenient sampling technique was done. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Results: Complication was seen in nine (21.4%) (95% Confidence Interval= 9.02-33.84) patients. Skin breakdown from local pressure had the highest prevalence in our study which was documented in three (7.14%) patients who resolved with conservative treatment. Conclusions: The prevalence of complication of early application of one and a half hip spica for femoral shaft fractures in children below six years was similar to other studies done in similar setting.

Background: Good nutrition is the foundation for a healthy life. Malnutrition is associated with higher rates of morbidity and mortality as well as increased health care expenditures, and prolonged hospital stays. Elderly People are uniquely susceptible to malnutrition due to the association of aging with various factors that influence nutritional status. Objectives: The objectives of the study was to assess the nutritional status of the elderly population having dental problem in ward no. 29 Harisiddhi, Lalitpur, Nepal Methodology: A community based cross sectional descriptive study was undertaken at, ward no. 29 Harisiddhi, Lalitpur with one hundred fifty (N=150) elderly people by using systematic random sampling method. The MNA-SF (Mini-Nutritional Assessment – Short Form) tool was utilized for interviewing the elderly people. Results: The main findings of this study revealed that 60% of the elderly people having dental problem were at risk of malnutrition, only 22% had normal nutritional status and 18% of the respondents were malnourished. The average BMI of the elderly people was 27.1 kg/m2.There was significant association between age, educational Status, types of family, income source, type of dental problem and nutritional status of the respondents. Conclusions: More than half of the elderly people are at risk of malnutrition and only few have normal nutritional status so nutritional counselling and dental health program should be conducted among the elderly people focusing on the importance of balanced diet, activity and dental health for maintaining the nutritional status within their motivation and energy level. Keywords: Nutritional Status, Dental Problems, Elderly People.

Abstract The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the effects of individual-level and tooth-level factors on apical periodontitis (AP) in an urban population in southern Brazil. A random sample of digital panoramic radiographs (n = 545) from a dental school database was evaluated. The diagnosis of AP was determined by using a dichotomous scale (yes/no). AP was assessed according to gender, age, presence and quality of endodontic treatment (ET), presence of an intracanal post, coronal condition, and dental group. Data were analyzed descriptively and through multilevel Poisson regression analysis, considering teeth characteristics (level 1) nested in individuals (level 2). In this sample of 545 participants, the prevalence of AP was 49.5% (n =2 70) and ET was 43.5% (n = 237). Considering 13,595 teeth, AP was identified in 596 (4.4%) and ET in 617 (4.5%). Of the teeth with ET, 153 (24.8%) presented AP. Among individual-level factors, the disease was not significantly associated with gender or age. For tooth-level factors, AP was significantly associated with ET quality: teeth with short fillings (< 3 mm) and teeth with over-fillings had 2.77 (CI: 1.95–3.94, p < 0.001) and 1.08 (CI: 0.39–2.98, p < 0.001) higher prevalence of AP, respectively. There was no association between AP and age, gender, dental group, coronal condition, or the presence of an intracanal post. AP was highly prevalent in this population, and multilevel analysis indicated a significant association with ET quality.

This systematic review synthesizes the existing evidence in the literature regarding the association of propolis with controlled delivery systems (DDSs) and its potential therapeutic action in dental medicine. Two independent reviewers performed a literature search up to 1 June 2023 in five databases: PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase, to identify the eligible studies. Clinical, in situ, and in vitro studies that investigated the incorporation of propolis as the main agent in DDSs for dental medicine were included in this study. Review articles, clinical cases, theses, dissertations, conference abstracts, and studies that had no application in dentistry were excluded. A total of 2019 records were initially identified. After carefully examining 21 full-text articles, 12 in vitro studies, 4 clinical, 1 animal model, and 3 in vivo and in vitro studies were included (n = 21). Relevant data were extracted from the included studies and analyzed qualitatively. The use of propolis has been reported in cariology, endodontics, periodontics, stomatology, and dental implants. Propolis has shown non-cytotoxic, osteoinductive, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, propolis can be released from DDS for prolonged periods, presenting biocompatibility, safety, and potential advantage for applications in dental medicine.