UoP Staff Publications

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Browsing UoP Staff Publications by Author "Dayaratne, K. M. P. L."

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    Adrenaline toxicity following accidental administration of the 1:1000 solution during dental procedures; four case reports
    (2012) Fernando, Dinesh M. G.; Dayaratne, K. M. P. L.
    Four patients aged between 35 and 50 years attended the out patients department of a dental hospital for tooth extraction. Following administration of, what was thought to be the local anesthetic, Lignocaine, to the gum and sub mucosa, they all collapsed. What had, in fact, been injected was 1:1000 adrenaline. We would like to report the symptoms, signs and investigation findings that followed. Significantly elevated Troponin T, CPK (total), CPK (MB) and ECG changes were seen. Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Studies showed a myopathic pattern and reduction in motor and sensory conduction respectively. These patients were followed up for a period of five years. Long term effects such as tremor, muscle weakness, easy fatigability and shortness of breath on exertion, which is not reported in the literature, were reported by all patients.
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    Attitudes of Sri Lankan medical students toward learning communication skills
    (2012) Marambe, Kosala N.; Edussuriya, D. H.; Dayaratne, K. M. P. L.
    ABSTRACT Introduction: The General Medical Council of the UK, advocates that by the end of their undergraduate course, medical students should be proficient in communicating with patients. However, the attitude of some medical students toward formal training in communication skills seems lukewarm. Although several studies on assessing attitudes of medical students on learning communication skills have been carried out in Europe and America, Asian studies are very few and literature in the Sri Lankan context is lacking. To explore the attitudes of first to fourth year medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya (FOMUP), Sri Lanka on learning communication skills and to identify possible factors that may influence student attitudes. Methods: A total of 675 students from year 1 to 4 of the FOMUP were asked to complete a modified version of the Communication Skills Attitude Scale. Items of its positive attitude scale (PAS) were analyzed together while negative items were considered individually. Results: Response rates ranged from 70% to 98% for the various year groups. There were no significant differences between the PAS for males and females and for those exposed to formal training and those who were not. The junior students scored significantly higher on the PAS than seniors. Most students of all the groups disagreed with the item “I don’t see why I should learn communication skills”. Approximately one-quarter of the students of each group endorsed the statement “Nobody is going to fail their medical degree for having poor communication skills”. Out of the students who have undergone formal communication training, almost one-third agreed that they find it difficult to take communication skills learning seriously. Discussion: Although medical students seem to have realized the importance of communication skills training for the practice of medicine, a significant minority have reservations on attending such sessions. Sri Lanka faculty will need to make a concerted effort to change this attitude through improving teaching and assessment strategies
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    Repeated episodes of physical child abuse
    (2010) Fernando, D. M. G.; Dayaratne, K. M. P. L.
    INTRODUCTION According to Berard Knight the ‘child abuse syndrome” exists when an infant or child suffers repetitive physical injuries inflicted by a parent or guardian, in circumstances that exclude accident.' Physical abuse represents approximately 70% of child abuse cases and may range from minor bruises to fatal hacmatomas. We report a case where the child has been repeatedly released into the same hazardous environment, in spite of a diagnosis of physical child abuse being made by pediatricians and judicial medical officers. The child has been subjected to repeated abuse resulting in multiple hospital admissions with 7 long bone frictures, multiple rib fractures and other life threatening injuries in her short life span of 20 months,