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That article also makes it seem like patients in Pakistan are receiving what seems to me like a wildly high number of injections: > An injection was provided d
by Marsymars 6mo ago
That article also makes it seem like patients in Pakistan are receiving what seems to me like a wildly high number of injections:
> An injection was provided during 53% of patient visits in Rawalpindi and 92% in Tando Allah Yar
> Patients from Tando Allah Yar reported a mean 3.8 visits to a healthcare provider by a member of their household during the previous month, compared to 2.5 by those from Rawalpindi (Table 2). During all such visits, an injection was given. Overall, 56% patients felt that an injection was necessary. Such perceptions were higher in Tando Allah Yar than in Rawalpindi (79% vs. 39%) (Table 2). Providers reciprocated such perceptions in that 44–56% of providers felt that an injection was required for common ailments such as fever, influenza, body aches or diarrhoea.
> Patients expect to receive injections for minor ailments such as fever or influenza-like symptoms and willingly pay for these, on the mistaken belief in the efficacy of injections to overcome common symptoms that eventually abate with time (10). Healthcare providers comply with such wishes and are convinced of the necessity of injections.
> We have previously demonstrated that the total national supply of syringes in Pakistan is sufficient to meet the demand for the ~1.1 billion syringes used annually for immunization, diabetes, laboratory testing and drug administration in clinics or hospitals
On the last point, I did a bit of a search to look for the total number of syringes used worldwide. I'm actually questioning whether that number is using similar methodology to arrive at the ~1.1 billion number, since I'm seeing numbers around 15 billion for the annual number of injections - meaning that Pakistan would be using over double the average per-capita number of syringes (and re-using many of them) while simultaneously having a population that's much younger (23 vs 31 median age) and poorer ($7k vs $26k median PPP/capita) than average.
If those numbers check out, the simple solution would just be to stop giving unnecessary injections, money would be saved, and there'd be no need to reuse syringes.
- ceejayoz 6mo agoA similar thing happens in the US; people demand antibiotics for a cold. It’s easier to say yes than to explain the reason it won’t work.
- deleted 6mo ago[deleted]
- shigawire 6mo agoIs that true or just a rumor? All the family medicine people I know would not do that. Only in a case where it is 50/50 bacterial or viral like an ear infection in a young kid.
- kube-system 6mo agoThere is more effort today to avoid overprescribing antibiotics, but in cases where diagnosis is not certain, most providers will oblige
- thayne 6mo agoMore than that, it's often easier to just prescribe something than to figure out if it is bacterial or viral.
- MassiveQuasar 6mo agoCould just prescribe sugar pills then instead of antibiotics for a cold.
- thayne 6mo agoIME, most people (in the US) don't bother going to a doctor for a cold unless it lasts a long time or is especially bad, because you'll probably get better on your own and going to the doctor is expensive.
- ButlerianJihad 6mo agoI was working in a church office when I came down with a runny nose and other cold symptoms. My supervisor told me I could stay home for a day, but if longer than that, I would require a doctor’s excuse. Now, that seemed fair from a labor perspective, but it is extremely unfair to someone like me. Because I do not own a vehicle, and seeing a doctor would involve boarding one or more buses and snorking the entire way there and back. Risking infection for everyone around me was exactly what I sought to avoid by staying home. So what else could I do, but come into work and carry on? It is this sort of unreasonable requirement that fuels “presenteeism”.
- LorenPechtel 6mo agoProbably patient demand for *something*. The problem of antibiotics for viral infection is well known but the problem with needing to do something is far more widespread. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of saline is getting injected.
- Aurornis 6mo ago> > Patients from Tando Allah Yar reported a mean 3.8 visits to a healthcare provider by a member of their household during the previous month, This seems like an excessive number of doctor visits, too. I can’t imagine a household where someone is going to the doctor almost every week. 45 doctor visits a year and they’re getting injections (of what?) most of the time?
- londons_explore 6mo agoI, as someone broadly healthy and who has barely used healthcare services, asked to see my health records recently. I was shocked to see 500+ 'interactions' between me and the healthcare provider! However it turns out the majority of those interactions are very minor things - ie. "Patient received text message reminder about appointment". "Patient was sent letter with test results" etc. When you count interactions like that, you can get a big number fast.
- sokka_h2otribe 6mo agoMember of household = significantly bigger. I believe your numbers suggest a household size of 1 person. I also would suggest that most likely old people live with their families, and skew towards "which member" of the household went to the doctor. Well, with such a low mean age it could also be very young people skewing the number, im fully speculating.