257 Comparing Practice Testing to Restudying in the Dissecting Room: An Experimental Study

Aim

Medical students employ many strategies for learning, most commonly restudying. However, evidence suggests that restudying is not as effective as other strategies, namely practice testing. Different studies have compared restudying to practice testing on a variety of subjects. Few studies have assessed the effect of practice testing in anatomy courses. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies have investigated practice testing in the dissecting room (DR). In this study, we aim to measure the effect of practice testing in a DR setting, as compared to restudying.

Method

Second-year medical students learning the cardiovascular system were included in the study. Two groups were randomly selected to participate in practice tests taken at the end of DR sessions. The other two groups were asked to restudy the material. At the end of the four-week course, all students took a 15 points multiple-choice exam on learned material. Authors of practice tests were blind to the final exam content and vice versa.

Results

One hundred eight students participated in the study. Fifty-three students were in the practice testing group, and 55 were in the restudying group. The practice testing group performed significantly better than the restudying group (p = .008), with a mean of 8.57 +/- 2.3 for the practice testing group and 7.27 +/- 2.6 for the restudying group.

Conclusions

Practice testing significantly improved retention of Anatomy. We recommend that practice testing is implemented regularly at the end of DR sessions to enhance the learning experience.

259 Effect of Telegram Videos on Anatomy Education Among 2nd Year Medical Students, University of Khartoum, 2021

Aim

COVID-19 had major effect on the health and medical education. In order to oblige with the social distancing and quarantine, universities shifted to online learning. This study aimed to assess the effect of online education on anatomy DR (dissection room) teaching by the use of telegram software.

Method

This was a cross-sectional, prospective interventional study, which was carried out among 2nd year medical students in University of Khartoum. Students undertook initial tests on the heart and anterior abdominal wall modules. Telegram videos, prepared by the author, on the anatomy of the heart and the anterior abdominal wall were distributed to students. Students took a second test after watching the videos. A total number of 41 students attended heart sessions and 40 students attended the anterior abdominal wall sessions were included.

Results

The pre-test mean score for the heart and abdomen modules were 4.56 ± 2.335 and 6.15 ± 2.94, respectively. The post-tests means were 9.98 ± 2.877 and 8.95 ± 3.14, respectively. 90% and 75% of the students were satisfied with these videos, respectively.

Conclusions

This study revealed that Telegram videos as a method of online teaching had a positive effect on the students' performance, which was evidenced by the significant improvement in student's scores after watching the videos. Additionally, most of the students were satisfied with the videos and give positive feedback.

224 Measurement of the Hippocampal Volume Among a Sample of Healthy Sudanese Adults

Aim

The hippocampus is involved in many functions; most importantly the short-term memory and memory consolidation. Hippocampal volume is an important determinant for cognition, memory function and as an indicator for the development of many diseases such as Alzheimer’s, depression, and schizophrenia. This study aimed to measure the cortical structures of the hippocampus in young adult Sudanese to examine the effect of sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and education on the cortical structures.

Method

A cross-sectional descriptive community-based study was done. It included 60 individuals within the age range of 20–40, for which, MRI imaging was done using 1.5 Tesla Philips scanners, Version: 3.2.1. T1-weighted images obtained using three-dimensional acquisition by Magnetization Prepared Rapid Acquisition (MP-RAGE). Images were analysed using the BrainSuite software, and the data was analysed using SPSS version 26.

Results

The mean volume for the right and left hippocampus was 3.22±0.92 cm3 and 3.35±0.79 cm3, respectively. The right hippocampal white matter volume and left hippocampal cortical volume were larger in males than females. There was no significant asymmetry between the right and left sides. There was no statistically significant association between the hippocampal volume and age, educational status, or the BMI.

Conclusions

Measurements of the right and left hippocampal volume among Sudanese adults goes in line with other international studies. The cortical volume of the hippocampus is not affected by age, BMI, and education level, but can be affected by gender. Further studies with larger samples are required in order to support these data.

255 An Audit on the Knowledge of Junior Doctors About DKA at a Local Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan

Aim

DKA is the most common cause of death in pediatric patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Junior doctors have a significant role in the management of those patients. We conducted this audit to assess and improve the knowledge of house officers about the characteristic features and management of DKA.

Method

The audit was conducted in Alshuhada hospital, Khartoum. It consisted of two cycles (2019–2021). A 14 items questionnaire based on Sudan Diabetes Mellitus guidelines 2011 was used for the assessment. All house officers in the department of pediatrics were involved in this study. Teaching sessions were used as an intervention in the first cycle, while poster presentations and teaching sessions were used in the second cycle.

Results

Nine house officers participated in the first cycle, while seven house officers were involved during the second cycle. The correct choice of initial fluid correction was selected by 55.5%, 88.8%, and 100% of the house officers before the first cycle, after the first cycle, and after the second cycle, respectively. The figures for the initial management of cerebral edema also rose from 33.3% to 66.7% after the first cycle and reached 100% after the second cycle. The percentage of house officers who identified Investigations needed in suspected cases of DKA improved with each cycle, from 66% to 77% in the first cycle and increased to 100% after the second cycle.

Conclusions

Teaching sessions and posters helped to improve the knowledge of the House officers about the diagnosis and management of DKA.

1255 Crowdedness and Consequences of Long Waiting Time in Public and Private Health Centers Among Patients in Khartoum State, Sudan - 2016

Aim

Waiting time (WT) reflects quality of services delivered by Primary health care level. Long waiting time is due to various causes, among which crowdedness is a main cause. This prolonged time has negative impacts on PHC services utilization as well as patients’ outcomes. The aim of this study is to measure the total WT, assess the crowdedness in PHC centers, and to determine the possible consequences of this long waiting time.

Method

Descriptive cross sectional– health institution-based study done in 40 Health centres across Khartoum state using randomized multi-stage sampling. Patients, doctors and lab technicians were interviewed using three different pre-tested structured questionnaires.

Results

A total of 477 patients were included in the study. The average waiting time was found to be 168 minutes. Crowdedness was one of the main causes of delay in waiting time. The lab was the most perceived crowded service (74.4% of the respondents). This long WT had health consequences on patients, ranging from backache, joint pain, and headaches to hypoglycemic symptoms. These symptoms affected patients' willingness to return to the same center. 36.4% of the affected patients were unwilling to revisit the same center.

Conclusions

WT in this study is longer compared to studies from other countries. Crowdedness is one of the main causes of long WT. Due to this prolonged time, patients experienced physical symptoms. It also affected their future attitude regarding PHC centers utilization. There is a need to understand the underlying causes of this issue and address them appropriately.

Differential patterns of human immunoglobulin G subclass responses to distinct regions of a single protein, the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium falciparum

Comparisons of immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass responses to the major polymorphic region and to a conserved region of MSP-1 in three cohorts of African villagers exposed to Plasmodium falciparum revealed that responses to Block 2 are predominantly IgG3 whereas antibodies to MSP-1(19) are mainly IgG1. The striking dominance of IgG3 to Block 2 may explain the short duration of this response and also the requirement for continuous stimulation by malaria infection to maintain clinical immunity.

Hypophysectomy enhances interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-10 mRNA expression in the rat brain

Although the effects of various cytokines as regulators of hormone synthesis and production are well documented, the role for pituitary hormones as modulators of cytokine synthesis is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of pituitary hormones' depletion on cytokine synthesis after short- (21 days) and long- (35 days) term hypophysectomy (ST-HX and LT-HX, respectively). The expresssion of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in the rat brain was studied using in situ hybridization. Our results indicate that IL-1beta mRNA-expressing cells were significantly upregulated at day 21 in hypophysectomized rats compared to sham-operated controls. This enhanced expression was also detected later at day 35 post hypophysectomy. However, TNF-alpha mRNA expression was significantly increased only at the later sampling interval. IL-10 mRNA-expressing cells were increased after long-term hypophysectomy compared to controls. TGF-beta mRNA-expressing cells were not increased after hypophysectomy. In conclusion, these results suggest a role for pituitary hormones in IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 synthesis.