Digital Commons Network^™

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis With Various Doses Of Hydroxychloroquine Among Healthcare Personnel With High-Risk Exposure To Covid-19: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Fibhaa Syed, Muhammad Hassan, Mohammad Ali Arif, Sadia Batool, Rauf Niazi, Ume E Laila, Sadia Ashraf, Junaid Arshad

Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective This trial aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with various hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) doses against a placebo among healthcare personnel (HCP) with high-risk exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19). Methods A phase II, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted including 200 subjects with no active or past severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (antibody testing and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were taken at the time of enrollment). Subjects of experimental groups one to three received HCQ in various doses and the control group received a placebo. The study outcomes in terms of …

Conflict, Extremism, Resilience And Peace In South Asia; Can Covid-19 Provide A Bridge For Peace And Rapprochement?, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Arun Mitra, Afsah Salman, Fawad Akbari, Suraya Dalil, Fyezah Jehan, Mushtaque Chowdhury, Saroj Jayasinghe, Purnima Menon, Samiran Nundy

Institute for Global Health and Development

Abstract, issue, and pagination are not provided by the author/publisher

Comparative Trends In Ischemic Heart Disease Admissions, Presentation And Outcomes Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic: First Insights From A Tertiary Medical Center In Pakistan, Ali Aahil Noorali, Humza Thobani, Shiraz Hashmi, Sara Iqbal, Asma A H. Merchant, Mian Arsam Haroon, Sardar Shahmir Babar Chauhan, Saad Mallick, Nida Zahid, Yasir Khan, Osman Faheem, Saulat Fatimi

Department of Medicine

Introduction: COVID-19 has manifested a striking disarray in healthcare access and provision, particularly amongst patients presenting with life-threatening ischemic heart disease (IHD). The paucity of data from low-middle income countries has limited our understanding of the consequential burden in the developing world. We aim to compare volumes, presentations, management strategies, and outcomes of IHD amongst patients presenting in the same calendar months before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis at the Aga Khan University Hospital, one of the premier tertiary care centres in Pakistan. Data were collected on all adult patients (>18 years) …

Difficulty Breathing Or Just A Case Of The Nerves? Incidental Finding Of Primary Pleural Schwannoma In A Covid-19 Survivor, Daania Shoaib, Muhammad Nauman Zahir, Saqib R. Khan, Adnan Jabbar, Yasmin Abdul Rashid

Section of Haematology/Oncology

Schwannoma is a rare tumor that arises from the Schwann cells, which are specialized, myelin-producing cells of the peripheral nerve sheaths. As anatomic logic would dictate, these masses commonly occur in the skull base, cerebellopontine angle, and posterior spinal roots. Of this already rare entity, rarer still are the pleural schwannomas, representing approximately 1-2% of thoracic tumors. These tumors commonly affect adults with a propensity for the third and sixth decades of life and a comparative male predilection. Schwannomas are benign, indolent, and follow an asymptomatic course. As such, they often come to light incidentally.
Here we report a case …

Lung Transplantation In A Patient With Covid-19-Associated Acute Respiratory Failure, Fatima Sajid, Taha Ahmed, Maher A. Baz, Michael I. Anstead

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently a significant cause of acute respiratory failure worldwide, leading to irreversible fibrotic lung disease. In patients with persistent respiratory failure after acute COVID-19 infection, lung transplant is an emerging option. Here, we have presented a case where the patient required venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) support for 33 days until a bilateral lung transplant was performed on day 71 after the initial COVID-19 infection. The early outcomes have been favorable. Currently, no guidelines exist for an acceptable time period after initial COVID-19 infection, duration of negative COVID polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, or negative …

Acceptance Of Covid-19 Vaccine In Pakistan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study, Mohammad Aadil Qamar, Omar Irfan, Rubaid A. Dhillon, Areesh Bhatti, Mir Ibrahim Sajid, Safia Awan, Wajiha Rizwan, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Zouina Sarfraz, Javaid Ahmed Khan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is available across various countries worldwide, with public-private partnerships ensuring all individuals are vaccinated through a phased approach. Irrespective of the geographical spread, several myths pertaining to the COVID-19 vaccine have stemmed, ultimately limiting the national administration of vaccines and rollouts. This study assessed the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among the general public in Pakistan.
Methods: A pre-validated questionnaire was administered from January 2021 to February 2021 to assess the public attitude and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Logistic regression analyses were run to identify factors associated with the acceptance among the …

The Relation Of Abo Blood Group To The Severity Of Coronavirus Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study From A Tertiary Care Hospital In Karachi, Fazal Ur Rehman, Syed Furrukh Omair, Fatima Memon, Bakhtawar J. Rind, Danish Ahmed Memon, Syed Ahsan Ali, Bilal Ahmed, Naureen Ali

Section of Internal Medicine

Background: Blood groups are considered to have an impact on the occurrence and severity of coronavirus disease. While among Chinese and Caucasian, blood group O individuals were less and group A were more likely to have severe disease and mortality, data on South Asians aren’t available.
Objective: This study aimed to find out the association of disease severity with blood group among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
Materials and methodology: Data were collected on a predesigned questionnaire containing details of patient demographics, medical comorbidities, clinical presentation, and laboratory parameters. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the association of the …

A Retrospective Observational Study: Is Absolute Lymphocyte Count A Prognostic Marker In Covid-19?, Mansoor Zafar, Muhammad Shahbaz, Mangala Karkhanis, Mohamed Abdelbagi, Opeyemi A. Makanjuola, Bipin Pun, Ratan S. Randhawa, Frederic Cuison, Dana Safarova, Najam-Us-Saher Rizvi

Section of Internal Medicine

Aim: Our study aimed to find a correlation between low absolute lymphocyte count and COVID-19-related mortality.
Methods: This study followed a retrospective observational cohort design to analyze the data of patients who presented with symptoms and signs of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), at the Conquest Hospital and Eastbourne District General Hospital in East Sussex, United Kingdom, between February 10, 2020 and May 1, 2020, retrospectively. Survival and mortality for the first 30 days and comorbidities were analyzed for all patients who were tested for COVID-19 irrespective of swab results and had blood lymphocyte levels taken at the …

Remdesivir For The Treatment Of Covid-19: A Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Arif Musa, Elizabeth Warbasse, Jenna Yousif, David Baron, Susan Stevens, Emily Blodget, Kasim Pendi, Areio Hashemi, Besma Aly, Alisha Khambati, Jahan Tajran, Danielle Rangal Paradela, Daniel H. Chen, Khalid Kamal, Sarkis Kouyoumjian

Conference Presentation Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Successful Pivot Of A Community Exercise Program To Virtual During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Letracia Rose, James G Beckerman

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Increased Diagnosis Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Hospitalized Patients With Alcohol Related Hepatitis After The Covid-19 Outbreak: A Global Multi-Center Propensity Matched Analysis., Abhilash Perisetti Md, Randeep Kaur, Ragesh Thandassery

PCI Publications and Projects

No abstract provided.

Correlation Of Severity Of Covid-19 Disease With Gastrointestinal Manifestations And Liver Injury - A North Brooklyn Community Hospital Experience: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Kitson Deane, Ajay Singh, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Lyam Ciccone, Beishi Zheng, Arslan Afzal, Gulam Khan, Giovanna Rodriguez, Gul Bahtiyar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: The primary receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2), is expressed in the gastrointestinal tract and liver parenchyma. The involvement of the gastrointestinal tract with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has remained unclear. The following study retrospectively reviews gastrointestinal symptoms and liver function tests at the time of hospital admission to identify patient outcomes including prolonged hospital stay, the requirement for intensive care, and all-cause in-hospital 30-day mortality.
Methods: A retrospective review of patient charts at the Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center (WMC) was conducted at the time of hospital admission, using a pre-determined selection criterion. …

Cytokine Storms, Evolution And Covid-19, Joe Alcock, Alix Masters

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Since the identification of severe illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the role of the host immune system in causing disease has attracted widespread attention, along with intense interest in medical interventions that target the host immune response. A wide variety of agents have been proposed to treat a cytokine storm in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but so far, only one class of medications, corticosteroids, has proved useful. In recent decades, experimental therapies for cytokine storms have been tried and mostly failed to help patients with severe sepsis and other infections. We summarize this history in order to frame …

The Association Of Chest Radiographic Findings And Severity Scoring With Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Covid-19 Presenting To The Emergency Department Of A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Raima Kaleemi, Kiran Hilal, Ainan Arshad, Russell S. Martins, Avinash Nankani, Tanveer Ul Haq, Sundas Basharat, Zeeshan Ansar

Department of Radiology

Introduction: While chest x-rays (CXRs) represent a cost-effective imaging modality for developing countries like Pakistan, their utility for the prognostication of COVID-19 has been minimally explored. Thus, we describe the frequency and distribution of CXR findings, and their association with clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19.
Methods: All adult (≥ 18 years) patients presenting between 28th February-31st May to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan, who were COVID-19 positive on RT-PCR with CXR done on presentation, were included. A CXR Severity Score (CXR-SS) of 0-8 was used to quantify the extent of pulmonary infection on CXR, …

Atrial Fibrillation In Covid-19: A Descriptive Study Of Incidence, Mortality And Related Factors, Diana L. Taylor

DNP Research Projects

Abstract

This scholarly project determined the relationship of atrial fibrillation (AF) occurrences in COVID-19, as it is the most frequent arrhythmia in the U.S. and is driven by inflammatory pathology. In COVID-19 positive patients with AF occurrences understanding the relationship between these conditions could help identify patients with poor prognosis, higher morality, and other factors earlier in the hospital course.

This single-center scholarly project was a retrospective descriptive chart review to determine the relationship between AF and COVID-19 over a 6-month timeline in Chattanooga, TN. Of the 565 hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients included, 82 (14.5%) had AF occurrences. A higher …