The objective of the study was to describe the incorporation of breast cancer screening program in the medical curriculum of a medical school and determine its feasibility in finding breast cancer.

METHODS: From school year 2011 - 2012, a 3-hour module that assesses third year medical students' proficiency in clinical breast examination (CBE) was incorporated into the pre-clinical clerkship program at the Cebu Institute of Medicine. The students who have satisfactorily completed the module were invited to participate in the Breast Cancer Control Outreach Program (BCAcop). Pertinent data included: number of participating consultants and students,number of patients seen as well as their demographic and clinical profile, breast cancer cases found.

RESULTS: Four BCAcop were conducted and 6 consultants supervised the medical students in the CBE modules and BCAcop. Seventy seven medical students passed the CBE module and participated in BCAcop. A total of 254 patients with age range of 8 to 80 (mean32 years) attended the lay forum while 246 patients (96.9%) consulted at the on-site breast clinic. Among those examined, 146 patients (59.3%) had essentially normal breasts. Fibrocystic change was the most frequent diagnosis with 49 patients (19.9%), followed by fibroadenoma with 34 patients (13.8%). Six patients (2.4%) were suspected to have breast cancer. Four patients (66.7%) proceeded to have a biopsy and were confirmed. Two patients availed of treatment.

CONCLUSION: Incorporating breast cancer screening program in the medical school curriculum encourages medical students to participate in breast cancer control outreaches where their basic knowledge and skills on clinical breast exam are reinforced with actual patient contact. Furthermore, women with breast cancer are found and offered treatment through this program.

Human ; Fibroadenoma ; Clinical Clerkship ; Early Detection Of Cancer ; Fibrocystic Breast Disease ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: To describe common practices in pain assessment and control of surgery patients at Cebu Velez General Hospital (CVGH).

METHODS: Records of adult patients admitted to the Department of Surgery within January to June 2014 were reviewed. Data collected were method of pain monitoring, pain scores and analgesics given on admission, operation done, pain within and beyond 24 hours postoperatively, analgesics given 24 hours post-operatively, and upon discharge.

RESULTS: A total of 176 operations were included in this survey.Fifty one percent of the operations were under general surgery. Pain monitoring was done by the surgical clerks. Not one chart had pain monitoring documented in the vital signs monitoring sheets. Thirty two percent had no pain assessment on admission. Among those with pain assessment on admission, 60.5% suffered from significant pain. Tramadol was the most frequent parenteral analgesics given at 80% on admission as well as postoperatively and upon discharge.Tramadol+paracetamol combination was the most prescribed oral analgesics post-operatively. Within 24 hours after surgery, 40.9% of patients had no recorded pain assessments. Half of those patients assessed suffered from significant pain while still in the hospital.Beyond 24 hours post-op, 47.7% had no documented pain assessment. Almost a third of the patients assessed for pain had significant pain.

CONCLUSION: Postoperative pain assessment and control have been poorly addressed among surgical patients from admission to discharge. Tramadol was the most commonly utilized analgesic whether parenteral, oral, monotherapy or in combination with a nonopioid analgesic.

Human ; Tramadol ; Analgesics, Non-narcotic ; Pain Measurement ; Acetaminophen ; Analgesics ; Pain, Postoperative