Pleomorphic adenomia of lower lip: A case report

Pleomorphic adenoma is a benign tumor of the salivary glands. It commonly occurs in the parotid gland, palate, upper lip and cheek. The authors present a rare case of a pleomorphic adenoma of the lower lip in a 30 years old female admitted on 20th of July, 2022 at Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital, Islamabad with a complaint of painless, slightly itchy swelling on the lower lip for the last four months. Careful history and examination revealed a swelling of the lower lip which had gradually increased in size but was static for the last three months. As the patient complained of cosmetic and social inconvenience, it was surgically managed. Any post-operative complications were ruled out and the patient was sent home in a good condition. Much research is warranted to know the exact etiopathogenesis and appropriate management of pleomorphic adenoma of the lower lip.

Knowledge of First Aid Treatment of Burns: A Comparative Study of Parents and Non-parent Adults

Background

Burn first aid treatment is any primary care provided for burn injuries prior to medical aid. Children are most vulnerable, with 17% to 18% of childhood burn injuries in Pakistan resulting in disability due to inadequate first aid. Misconceptions and incorrect instant home remedies like toothpastes and burn creams encumber the health care system with preventable ailments. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge scores of parents of children under the age of 13 years and non-parent adults regarding burn first aid treatment.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted on parents of children under the age of 13 years and non-parent adults. This study included 364 respondents via an online questionnaire; those under the age of 18 years and with previous workshop attendance were excluded. Results were computed in terms of frequencies and comparisons using chi-square test and student t test.

Results

Overall, knowledge among both groups remained inadequate (mean score of 4.18 ± 1.94 out of 14 with parents = 4.20 ± 1.91 and non-parent adults = 4.17 ± 1.98) with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.841). From a total of 364 respondents, 148 (40.7%) confessed to using toothpaste as the best first aid, while cooling the burn was the most favored immediate step (27.5%). Running with the face covered by a wet towel was considered the safest way of escaping a burning building by 33.8% of respondents.

Conclusions

Both groups were poorly aware of burn first aid treatment, with no superiority of parents over non-parent adults. This highlights the need for educating adults, especially parents, to cater to the prevalent misconceptions in our society and help deliver authentic knowledge regarding first aid management of burns.

Management of a giant carbuncle on the posterior trunk with excision and grafting

Carbuncle is a painful subcutaneous mass of interconnected infected hair follicles with multiple discharging sinuses. It has predisposition in conditions like diabetes, immune-compromised states, chronic skin diseases etc. The authors present a case of a 67 year old diabetic male admitted in July 2020 at Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital (ANTH) Islamabad, with a giant carbuncle on his back. Due to its large size, systemic co-morbidity, and increased risk of complications in surgical treatment, a multi-disciplinary team approach was employed. Both general and plastic surgeons were involved, who performed excision and soft tissue coverage respectively. The aim of the surgical intervention methods, like wide excision and debridement, application of vacuum assisted wound closure (VAC), and skin grafting was to minimise the healing time and risk of development of post-operative infection. The patient was surgically managed and sent home in a good condition.