Gender parity perspectives in Asia Pacific: a descriptive analysis of Philippine rheumatology conferences

Gender parity at conferences can facilitate progress in academia towards the attainment of gender equality as emphasized in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The Philippines is a low to middle-income country in the Asia Pacific with relatively egalitarian gender norms experiencing significant growth in rheumatology. We examined the Philippines as a case study to analyze the impact of divergent gender norms on gender equity in rheumatology conference participation. We used publicly available data from PRA conference materials from 2009 to 2021. Gender was identified from information provided by organizers, online science directory networks, and a name-to-gender inference platform, the Gender application program interface (API). International speakers were identified separately. The results were then compared to other rheumatology conferences around the world. The PRA had 47% female faculty. Women were more likely to be the first authors in abstracts at the PRA (68%). There were more females among new inductees in PRA with the male: female ratio (M:F) of 1:3. The gender gap among new members declined from 5:1 to 2.7:1 from 2010 to 2015. However, low female representation was observed among international faculty (16%). Gender parity at the PRA was found to be considerably better when compared to other rheumatology conferences in the USA, Mexico, India, and Europe. However, a wide gender gap persisted among international speakers. Cultural and social constructs may potentially contribute to gender equity in academic conferences. Further research is recommended to assess the impact of gender norms on gender parity in academia in other Asia-Pacific countries.

A280 DOES THE PLACEMENT OF A MANOMETRY PROBE WITH ENDOSCOPY AND CONSCIOUS SEDATION EFFECT MEASUREMENTS ON ENSUING HIGH RESOLUTION MANOMETRY? A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY IN PATIENTS POST-PERORAL ENDOSCOPIC MYOTOMY

Background

High resolution manometry (HRM) is the gold standard for diagnosis of esophageal motility disorders. This is traditionally conducted without sedation, using intranasal intubation with a manometry probe. Inserting the HRM probe immediately after endoscopic examination allows for endoscopic visualization and sedation for probe placement. This method is used commonly used for our patients who are post-peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). However, it is unclear whether short acting sedative drugs administered during endoscopy can affect contractility measurements during HRM.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine if conscious sedation with short-acting anaesthetic agents (Midazolam and Fentanyl) influenced HRM readings in patients undergoing evaluation post-perioral endoscopic myotomy (POEM).

Method

We conducted a retrospective cohort study, comparing patients post-POEM who had endoscopy under conscious sedation with placement of the manometry probe versus those without preceeding endoscopy/sedation. Post-POEM patients who had undergone HRM over a 3-year period (2019-2022) were identified from motility lab records. Electronic charts were reviewed for data abstraction, and HRM parameters (resting lower esophageal pressure and integrated relaxation pressure) were determined for both groups and compared using t-tests, and error listed as standard error of the mean.

Result(s)

From 2019-2022, 15 patients underwent manometry using a non-endoscopic approach with no sedation and 25 underwent manometry following endoscopy with conscious sedation and placement of the probe during the procedure. In the latter group, HRM occurred within 2 hours of probe placement. The mean doses of fentanyl and midazolam were 115mcg (+/-29.7) and 3.3mg (+/-1.3) respectively. The mean end-expiratory lower esophageal sphincter pressure was 9.8 mmHg (+/- 2.9) in the non-endoscopic group and 26.24mmHg (+/- 5) in the endoscopy group (p <0.02). The median integrated relaxation pressure was 11.2 mmHg (+/-1.2) in the non-endoscopic group and 14.52mmHg (+/- 0.9) in those in the endoscopy group (p <0.04).

Conclusion(s)

In conclusion, this small, retrospective cohort study shows that manometry probe placement after endoscopy with conscious sedation may affect esophgeal HRM measurement parameters in the post-POEM patient population. Physicians should consider delaying HRM measurements for >4 hours to maximize clearance of the sedative medications.

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Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Mental healthcare for young and adolescent LGBTQ+ individuals in the Indian subcontinent

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a significant change in the way healthcare is dispensed. During the pandemic, healthcare inequities were experienced by various sections of society, based on gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The LGBTQ individuals were also affected by this inequity. There is a lack of information on this topic especially in the developing countries. Hence this issue requires further exploration and understanding. Previous literature briefly explored the mental, physical, and emotional turmoil faced by the LGBTQ community on a regular basis. They feared rejection by family and friends, bullying, physical assault, and religious biases. These issues prevented them from publicly speaking about their sexual orientation thereby making it difficult to collect reliable data. Although they require medical and psychological treatment, they are afraid to ask for help and access healthcare and mental health services. Being mindful of these difficulties, this article explores the various underlying causes of the mental health problems faced by LGBTQ individuals, especially, in the Indian subcontinent. The article also examines the status of healthcare services available to Indian sexual minorities and provides recommendations about possible remedial measures to ensure the well-being of LGBTQ individuals.

The Cultural Context of Plagiarism and Research Misconduct in the Asian Region

Plagiarism is one of the most frequent forms of research misconduct in South and East Asian countries. This narrative review examines the factors contributing to research misconduct, emphasizing plagiarism, particularly in South, East and Southeast Asian countries. We conducted a PubMed and Scopus search using the terms plagiarism, Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, research misconduct and retractions in January of 2022. Articles with missing abstracts, incomplete information about plagiarism, publication dates before 2010, and those unrelated to South, East, and Southeast Asian countries were excluded. The retraction watch database was searched for articles retracted between 9th January 2020 to 9th January 2022. A total of 159 articles were identified, of which 21 were included in the study using the database search criteria mentioned above. The review of articles identified a lack of training in scientific writing and research ethics, publication pressure, permissive attitudes, and inadequate regulatory measures as the primary reasons behind research misconduct in scientific publications. Plagiarism remains a common cause of unethical publications and retractions in regions of Asia (namely South, East and Southeast). Researchers lack training in scientific writing, and substantial gaps exist in understanding various forms of plagiarism, which heavily contribute to the problem. There is an urgent need to foster high research ethics standards and adhere to journal policies. Providing appropriate training in scientific writing among researchers may help improve the knowledge of different types of plagiarism and promote the use of antiplagiarism software, leading to a substantial reduction in the problem.