Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Pulmonary Arteriovascular Malformation: A Rare Cause Of Unexplained Hypoxia And Acute Dyspnoea In Young Patients, Nousheen Iqbal, Karim Abdur Rehman, Javaid Ahmed Khan, Tanveer Ul Haq

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are anomalous vascular connections between arteries and veins in the lung and comprise of two types, simple and complex. PAVMs are associated with congenital conditions such as hereditary haemorrhagic telengiectasia along with acquired causes. We present a case of a 26-year-old man who presented with dyspnoea, palpitations and decreased oxygen saturation as an initial presentation of PAVM, which was treated successively with embolisation.

Cloned Microglias With Novel Delivery System In Multiple Sclerosis, Abdul Mannan Baig Dr.

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory neurological disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS), characterized by demyelination and activation of microglia. Mitochondrial mutations and dysfunctions in microglial cells are thought to contribute to the detrimental effects of neuroinflammation seen in MS. The Somatic Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) technology offers a more practical mode of therapy in MS, this method would attempt to dilute and/or progressively replace the mutated and activated microglia with cloned Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (OEC) with remyelinating and scavenging properties which would attempt to limit the progression of MS. Applying SCNTderived Embryonic Stem (ES) cells based therapy by …

Food Choices And Practices During Pregnancy Of Immigrant Women With High-Risk Pregnancies In Canada: A Pilot Study, Gina M A. Higginbottom, Helen Vallianatos, Joan Forgeron, Donna Gibbons, Fabiana Mamede, Rubina Barolia

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Immigrant women may be regarded as a vulnerable population with respect to access and navigation of maternity care services. They may encounter difficulties when accessing culturally safe and appropriate maternity care, which may be further exacerbated by language difficulties and discriminatory practices or attitudes. The project aimed to understand ethnocultural food and health practices and how these intersect in a particular social context of cultural adaptation and adjustment in order to improve the care-giving capacities of health practitioners working in multicultural perinatal clinics.
Methods: This four-phase study employed a case study design allowing for multiple means of data collection …

Pharmacy Newsletter : December 2014, Pharmacy Department

Pharmacy Newsletter

Content:

• New WHO Guide to Prevent and Control Cervical Cancer
• Analgesic use in Adult Patients with Advanced Chronic Liver Disease or Cirrhosis
• The Novel Treatment of Clostridium Diffi cile Associated Diarrhea (CDAD)
• 25th September, World Pharmacist Day-Celebration

Factors That Affect Attachment Between The Employed Mother And The Child, Infancy To Two Years, Naureen Kassamali, Salma Amin Rattani

School of Nursing & Midwifery

To explore a mother's feeling of attachment and the affects her working status on the attachment relationship with her child, upon ethical clearance from the institutional ethics committee, in-depth interviews of nine participants were conducted. Mothers enrolled were those who resumed the employment within the first year of post-delivery and were having a child up to two years of age. Results revealed that maternal employment itself does not enhance or deteriorate attachment with the child. It is combinations of factors that revolve around it impact on their bond. Overall, maternal integration or the balance of the dual roles of employment …

A Study Protocol: Using Demand-Side Financing To Meet The Birth Spacing Needs Of The Underserved In Punjab Province In Pakistan, Syed Khurram Azmat, Moazzam Ali, Waqas Hameed, Ghulam Mustafa, Ghazanfer Abbas, Muhammad Ishaque, Mohsina Bilgrami, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: High fertility rates, unwanted pregnancies, low modern contraceptive prevalence and a huge unmet need for contraception adversely affect women’s health in Pakistan and this problem is compounded by limited access to reliable information and quality services regarding birth spacing especially in rural and underserved areas. This paper presents a study protocol that describes an evaluation of a demand-side financing (DSF) voucher approach which aims to increase the uptake of modern contraception among women of the lowest two wealth quintiles in Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Methods/Design: This study will use quasi-experimental design with control arm and be implemented in: six government …

Effectiveness Of Stretching Of The Flexor Retinaculum With Ultrasonic Therapy In The Management Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Waqar Ahmed Awan, Muhammad Naveed Babur, Misha Ansari, Maria Liaqat

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Aims & Objective: The objective of study was to compare the effectiveness of manual stretching of the flexor retinaculum with or without ultrasonic therapy. Methods: The study was started by selecting the 50 patients from the out patients department of Al-nafees Hospital AlipurFarash and National institute of Rehabilitation Medicine Islamabad with history of carpal tunnel syndrome. The 25 patients in experimental group were treated with manual stretching of flexor retinaculum and ultrasound and 25 patients of control group were treated with manual stretching of flexor retinaculum. Every session was started by assessment of improvement of the symptoms in each patient. …

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: Ten Year Experience At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan., Abid Laghari, Aamir Hameed, K. Kazmi

Department of Medicine

Objective: There is very little literature regarding Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTC) from the Asian Countries other than Japan and Korea. We conducted this study to determine the demographics, clinical presentations, complications and recovery of left ventricular (LV) systolic function in TTC patients of Pakistani origin.

Methods: A ten years retrospective case series study of TTC was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital. Patients were followed for up to six months after presentation, with special emphasis on the recovery of LV function.

Conclusion: TTC is classically triggered by an acute illness or by extreme stress and a triggering incident may not …

Cytokine Variations And Mood Disorders: Influence Of Social Stressors And Social Support, Marie-Claude Audet, Robyn J. Mcquaid, Zul Merali, Hymie Anisman

Brain and Mind Institute

Stressful events have been implicated in the evolution of mood disorders. In addition to brain neurotransmitters and growth factors, the view has been offered that these disorders might be provoked by the activation of the inflammatory immune system as well as by de novo changes of inflammatory cytokines within the brain. The present review describes the impact of social stressors in animals and in humans on behavioral changes reminiscent of depressive states as well as on cytokine functioning. Social stressors increase pro-inflammatory cytokines in circulation as well as in brain regions that have been associated with depression, varying with the …

Interventions To Promote Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy In Africa: A Network Meta-Analysis, Edward J. Mills, Richard Lester, Kristian Thorlund, Maria Lorenzi, Katherine Muldoon, Steve Kanters, Sebastian Linnemayr, Robert Gross, Yvette Calderon, K Rivet Amico, Harsha Thirumurthy, Cynthia Pearson, Robert H. Remien, Lawrence Mbuagbaw, Lehana Thabane, Michael Chung, Ira B. Wilson, Albert Liu, Olalekan A. Uthman, Jane Simoni, David Bangsberg, Sanni Yaya, Till Bärnighausen, Nathan Ford, Jean B. Nachega

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is necessary for the improvement of the health of patients and for public health. We sought to determine the comparative effectiveness of different interventions for improving ART adherence in HIV-infected people living in Africa.

Methods: We searched for randomised trials of interventions to promote antiretroviral adherence within adults in Africa. We searched AMED, CINAHL, Embase, Medline (via PubMed), and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to Oct 31, 2014, with the terms “HIV”, “ART”, “adherence”, and “Africa”. We created a network of the interventions by pooling the published and individual patients' data for comparable treatments and comparing …

Vaccine Effectiveness And Risk Factors Associated With Measles Among Children Presenting To The Hospitals Of Karachi, Pakistan., Aysha Zahidie, Saba Wasim, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the risk factors regarding guardian's practices associated with development of Measles and also find out effectiveness of Measles vaccine among children less than 12 years of age presenting to the hospitals of Karachi.

STUDY DESIGN:

Matched case control study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY:

Multicenter surveillance was conducted in 11 public and private sector hospitals of Karachi from January 2011 to September 2012 in consultation with World Health Organization Measles Surveillance Cell.

METHODOLOGY:

Cases were children aged less than 12 years with Measles presenting to the hospitals. Controls for cases were enrolled from the same hospitals without …

Risk Factors Associated With Birth Asphyxia In Rural District Matiari, Pakistan: A Case Control Study, Farhana Tabassum, Arjumand Rizvi, Shabina Ariff, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: During the past two decades there has been a sustained decline in child mortality; however, neonatal mortality has remained stagnant. Each year approximately 4 million babies are born asphyxiated resulting in 2 million neonatal deaths and intrapartum stillbirths. Almost all neonatal deaths occur in developing countries, where the majority is delivered at homes with negligible antenatal care and poor perinatal services.
Objectives: To identify socio-demographic and clinical risk factors associated with birth asphyxia in Matiari District of Sindh Province, Pakistan.
Method: A matched case control study was conducted in Matiari District with 246 cases and 492 controls. Newborn deaths …

Use Of Fresh Parental Fibular Allograft For Reconstruction Of Skeletal Defects After Limb Salvage Surgery, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Raza Askari, Sher Baz

Department of Surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To share early experience with paediatric patients having undergone skeletal reconstruction after limb salvage surgery.

METHODS:

A reterorespective audit study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from 1994 to 2011 An audit of the institutional tumour registry was done and relevant cases of paediatric patients having undergone skeletal reconstruction after limbsalvage surgery were tracked. Outcomes were objectively assessed through Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score. International Society of Limb Salvage grading was used to measure union of the graft to the host bone.

RESULTS:

Of the total 9 patients, 5(55.6%) were males and 4(44.4%) were females with an …

Transfusion Practice In Orthopedic Patients: Do We Really Need It?, Kashif Abbas, Raza Askari, Masood Umer, Kamran Hafeez

Department of Surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the proportion of inappropriate transfusions in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery at a tertiary care university hospital, and factors associated with inappropriate transfusions.

METHODS:

The prospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from December 2008 to September 2009, and comprised patients admitted to the Orthopaedic Department and received transfusion of at least one packed cell. Patients were divided into four groups: A, those with haemoglobin < 7, B, haemoglobin 7.1-10 without ischemic heart disease, C, haemoglobin 7.1-10 with ischemic heart disease, and D, haemoglobin >10. Variables recorded were, pre-transfusion haemoglobin level, co-morbids, symptoms of hypovolemia, pre-transfusion volume replacement with fluids, transfusion reactions, and haemoglobin after 48 hours. Indications of transfusion were assessed in …

Asymptomatic Urinary Tract Infection: Cause Of Postoperative Wound Infection, Irfan A. Khan, Masood Umer

Department of Surgery

bstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the rate of urinary tract infection in patients given incomplete treatment before undergoing hip fracture surgery.

METHODS:

The descriptive case series was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, From October 25, 2012 to April 24, 2013. 84 postmenopausal women having hip fracture along with asymptomatic urinary tract infection. The infection was treated incompletely and postoperatively wound infection rate was determined. The SPSS version 17 was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS:

The overall mean age of the 84 patients in the study was 63.57+10.34 years. Overall, 14(16.7%) patients had wound infection after orthopaedic implant surgery …

Our Experience With Van Nes Rotationplasty For Locally Advanced Lower Extremity Tumours, Raza Askari, Masood Umer, Mohsin-E-Azam, Haroon Rashid

Department of Surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To present an early experience with the time-tested technique of Van Ness Rotationplasty to save distal lmbs.

METHODS:

Van Nes Rotationplasty for locally advanced lower extremity tumours. A reterorespective audit was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised cases of bone and soft tissue sarcoma who underwent Van Ness Rotationplasty over seven years from January 2005 to December 2011. Demographic data, family history, past history, co-morbids, date since diagnosis, duration of symptoms, type of tumour, metastasis, pre-op and post-op functional status, recurrence and survival were collected.

RESULTS:

Of the 351 cases of bone and soft tissue …

Effect Of Teriparatide On Bone Regenerate After Distraction Osteogenesis, Masood Umer, Tashfeen Ahmad, Sadia Habib, Rasham Rehman, Mahmood Ahmed, Irfan Qadir

Department of Surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the effect of teriparatide on new bone formation in a rat model of distraction osteogenesis.

METHODS:

The experimental study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, in November-December 2010, and comprised male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250gm each who were allocated to two treatment groups, teriparatide and saline, both given subcutaneously for 7 weeks. Femoral distraction was done for 3 weeks at the rate of 0.4mm/day, followed by a further 4 weeks for consolidation. New bone formation was assessed using X-ray scoring system, bone densitometry and histology.

RESULTS:

The 12 rats in the study were …

Treatment Updates Regarding Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma And Anaplastic Oligoastrocytoma, Khurshid Ahmed Khan, Ahmed Nadeem Abbasi, Nasir Ali

Department of Radiation Oncology

Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma / Anaplastic Oligoastrocytoma (AO/AOA) is a WHO Grade-III primary brain tumor. These tumors comprise about 5 - 10% of all gliomas, which make them the third most common primary brain tumors after glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytomas. For many years standard of treatment remained Maximum Safe Resection (MSR) followed by Radiotherapy (RT). These tumors have also been known to be sensitive to alkylator-based chemotherapy particularly the subset having 1p/19q co-deletion signature. There is robust data showing that these tumors are responsive to chemotherapy in recurrent or progressive setting. Recently, up front chemotherapy has been added to standard post-surgery RT. …

Comparison Between Greulich-Pyle And Girdany-Golden Methods For Estimating Skeletal Age Of Children In Pakistan, Muhammad Awais, Naila Nadeem, Yousuf Husen, Abdul Rehman, Madiha Beg, Yasir Jamil Khattak

Department of Radiology

Objective: To compare Greulich-Pyle (GP) and Girdany-Golden (GG) methods for estimation of Skeletal Age (SA) in children referred to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.STUDY Design: Cross-sectional study.PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Radiology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from July 2010 to June 2012.METHODOLOGY: Children up to the age of 18 years, who had undergone X-ray for the evaluation of trauma were included. Each X-ray was interpreted using both methods by two consultant paediatric radiologists having at least 10 years experience, who were blinded to the actual Chronologic Age (CA) of children.Results: A total of …

Variability Of Magnification On Digital Pelvic Radiographs From Patients With Fractures Of The Femoral Neck - A Retrospective Audit, Akbar Jaleel Zubairi, Tashfeen Ahmad

Department of Surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the variability in magnification of radiographs in an emergency setting.

METHODS:

The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised records of patients who underwent Austin Moore hemiarthroplasty over a two-year periodfrom 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2007. Magnification factor was determined using measurements obtained from preoperative and postoperative radiographs and comparing them with the actual size of implant used. Intra-observer and inter-observer reliability of measurements were calculated. SPSS 19 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS:

Of the 63 patients studied, 25(39.7%) were males and 38(60.3%) were females with an overall …

Stroke Rehabilitation In Pakistan: What We Know And What We Need To Do?, Farooq Azam Rathore, Akhtar Waheed

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Stroke is one of the leading causes of adult neurological disability all around the globe. There have been some remarkable improvements in the acute management of stroke. These include the use of thrombolysis, development of radiological investigations including computerized tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging and establishment of acute stroke units. There have been some promising advances the field of stroke rehabilitation as well in the last three decades.

Prof. Akhtar Ahmed – A Memoir Of Love, Respect, Admiration, And..., Ismail A. Khatri

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Prof. Akhtar Ahmed – a majzoob, how can it be. What an unusual analogy! I was kind of surprised when I heard this from one of my revered teachers Prof. Iftekhar Ahmed who happen to be one of the students of Prof. Akhtar Ahmed like me. However, when he explained this analogy it made complete sense. He explained that a majzoob throws stones on the salik and treats the salik harshly until he is confident that the salik can go through and endure the hardships on the path. Once satisfied, the majzoob opens up for the salik and the knowledge …

The Burden Of Dysphagia And Chest Infection In Acute Ischemic Stroke In A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Islamabad Capital Territory, Rao Suhail, Shahzad Ahmed, Sumaira Nabi, Mansoor Iqbal

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Stroke is the foremost cause of severe neurologic disability in adults and is associated with a variety of complications. Dysphagia complicates acute ischemic strokes (AIS) in 42% cases and is more evident during the first week after ischemic stroke. Chest infection complicates AIS in 32% of the cases and 89% of these cases are due to dysphagia. Videofluoroscopy is the gold standard for swallowing assessment but due to non availability, bedside swallowing assessment is a more handytool. Methods: From August 2013 to February 2014151 patients were enrolled according to the set criteria.Each patient was assessed for dysphagia according to the …

Diagnostic Issues And Clinical Spectrum Of Childhood Degenerative Brain Diseases, Tipu Sultan, Ashfa Ameer Khan, Muhammad Arshad Khawaja, Zia Ur Rahman, Ahsan Waheed Rathore

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

To find out the spectrum of clinical presentation and typesof neurodegenerative disorders of childhoodin tertiary care child neurology centre of Pakistan. To find out the role of brain imaging in the diagnosis of degenerative brain disorders in children. Methods: It will bea retrospective, descriptive study conducted at department of paediatric neurology,The Children’s Hospital, Institute of child health, Lahore, Pakistanfrom January 1st,2004 to December 31,2013 (10 years). A total of 22,737 patients were admitted in the Paediatric Neurology department in the above said period. Out of them 366 children fulfilled the inclusion criteria. History, clinical examination and relevant investigations were evaluated …

Gender Based Differences In Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Athar Javed, Ahmad Furqan, Mohsin Zaheer, Naeem Kasuri

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the common complications of diabetes mellitus. Aim: To find out gender based differences in frequency of DM, age at diagnosis of DM and subsequent onset of DPN, duration of DM and DPN and electrophysiological patterns. Methodology: On the basis of non-probability purposive sampling, a cross sectional study was conducted at Neurology department, Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Patients fulfilling the ADA criteria for DM, and DPN were included in the study. Data was analyzed using SPSS 16 version. Results: A total of 125 patients were included in the study with 57/125 (45.6%) males and 68/125 …

Pattern And Outcome Of Epilepsy At Department Of Neurology At Cmc Teaching Hospital Larkana, Alam Ibrahim Siddiqui, Badaruddin Junejo, Lal Chander Dhingra, Anila Mumtaz

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Epilepsy is third most common chronic neurological disease. Mortality is 2-3% more common in epilepsy patients than in general population. World wide survey have shown that epilepsy responds to treatment in about 70 % of epileptic patients and three fourth of the affected people do not get the treatment they need. So objective of our study was to know the outcome and pattern of epilepsy at Department of Neurology CMC teaching hospital Larkana ,so that in next step we could know which factors could reduce the morbitity and mortality due to epilepsy hence could prevent complications due to epilepsy. Total …

Radiological Findings In Peri-Partum Neurological Emergencies: Experience From A Tertiary Care Hospital, Pari Gul, Bushra Rehan, Saleha Anwar, Muhammad Usman Aziz

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Acute neurological diseases requiring hospitalization are unusual in young women. Some of these diseases are unique to pregnancy and the post-partum period including pre-ecclampsia. Others such as cerebral venous thrombosis, ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, etc. are indirectly related to pregnancy and seen less frequently. To explore the causes of neurological emergencies in this specific patient population, we performed a radiological audit of young women in pregnancy and postpartum period presenting with neurological emergencies. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study carried in the Department of Radiology, Liaquat National Hospital over one year from January 2013 till January 2014, after …

Frequency Of Peripheral Neuropathy In Newly Diagnosed Patients Of Diabetes Mellitus Iion Clinical And Electrophysiological Basis, Muslim Ali Lakhiar, Naila Naeem Shahbaz, Abdul Hafeez Bughio, Jai Prakash

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

To determine the frequency of peripheral neuropathy in newly diagnosed patients of Diabetes Mellitus type II on clinical and electrophysiological basis. Methods: This is Hospital based descriptive cross sectional study conducted at department of Neurology Civil Hospital Karachi/ Dow University of Health Sciences from 20th December 2011 to 20th June 2012. Data was collected from Neurology OPD, Medicine OPD and Diabetic Clinic Civil Hospital Karachi. Results: Total no of patients were 107 who were already diagnosed as type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Out of these, there were 57 (53.3%) male patients and 50 (46.7%) female patients, with ratio of males to …

A Case Report Of Joubert Syndrome In Adult Presenting With Seizures, Ramla Nayaib Hashmi, Umm Ul Kiram

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Joubert syndrome (JS) is rare autosomal recessive condition characterized by hypotonia, ataxia, psychomotor delay, and variable occurrence of oculomotor apraxia and neonatal breathing abnormalitie,intellectual disability, and specific mid-hindbrain malformation (“molar tooth sign”, MTS) We reportthe case of Joubert syndrome in a 32 years old female patient presenting with intellectual impairment, breathing abnormal breathing patterns like tachypnea followed by apnea ataxia, and seizures. She was diagnosed on the basis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and clinical features. JoubertSyndrome should be considered in all patients presenting with hypotonia, ataxia, nystagmus, breathing abnormalities and developmental delay. Its neuroimaging hallmarks include molar tooth sign …

Stiff Person Syndrome: A Diagnostic And Management Challenge, Zoya Sajjad, Anam Abrar, Zafar Ullah, Aasim Rehman, Wasim Tariq, Arsalan Ahmad

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by progressive muscle stiffness and rigidity, mostly involving axial muscles, resulting in functional disability. It is associated with elevated anti- Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody levels. Electromyography findings are often diagnostic. We present a case of a 48 years old male, who presented with progressive stiffness and rigidity of axial muscles and limbs. His EMG was consistent with SPS. Anti GAD antibodies were markedly elevated. He was treated with rituximab and has improved significantly. SPS is a difficult diagnosis, usually under diagnosed due to lack of awareness among medical community. …