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Tip-Over Injuries Among Children: Data From An Urban Emergency Department Of Karachi, Pakistan, Rubaba Naeem, Asrar Ali, Ahmed Raheem Buksh, Ayesha Quddusi, Uzma Rahim Khan

Department of Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Most unintentional injuries among children occur in the home environment. Tip-overs, defined as incidents where heavy objects fall on children due to some type of interaction, are one of the reasons for injuries inside the home. This study aims to determine injury patterns and outcomes for child injuries resulting from tip-overs in the home environment as reported in the emergency department.
Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of pediatric (under 18 years) tip-overs injuries occurred in years 2010 to 2015 at the Aga Khan University Hospital. Furthermore, parents of injured children participated in phone interviews to provide information …

Helmet Wearing Saves The Cost Of Motorcycle Head Injuries: A Case Study From Karachi, Pakistan, Asrar Ali, Muhammad Ashar Malik, Uzma Rahim Khan, Umerdad Khudadad, Ahmed Raheem Buksh, Adnan A. Hyder

Department of Emergency Medicine

Purpose: To estimate the difference in healthcare cost of head injuries among motorcycle helmet users and non-users.
Methods: Motorcycle crash victims with head injuries that were brought to a public, tertiary care emergency room in Karachi were studied through a descriptive cross-sectional design. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, injury pattern, helmeting practice, length of hospital stay, out-of-pocket payments (OOPs), and healthcare service utilization at the facility to estimate total healthcare and other costs applying micro-costing methods during the hospitalization period.
Results: A total of 323 motorcyclists involved in crash were brought to a public tertiary …

Heat Emergencies: Perceptions And Practices Of Community Members And Emergency Department Healthcare Providers In Karachi, Pakistan: A Qualitative Study, Uzma Rahim Khan, Naveed Ahmed, Rubaba Naeem, Umerdad Khudadad, Sarwat Masud, Nadeem Ullah Khan, Junaid Abdul Razzak

Department of Emergency Medicine

Heat waves are the second leading cause of weather-related morbidity and mortality affecting millions of individuals globally, every year. The aim of this study was to understand the perceptions and practices of community residents and healthcare professionals with respect to identification and treatment of heat emergencies. A qualitative study was conducted using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, with the residents of an urban squatter settlement, community health workers, and physicians and nurses working in the emergency departments of three local hospitals in Karachi. Data was analyzed using content analysis. The themes that emerged were (1) perceptions of the community …

Involvement Of Medical Students And Fresh Medical Graduates Of Karachi, Pakistan In Research, Kiran Ejaz, Muhammad Shahid Shamim, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Syed Abid Hussain

Department of Emergency Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To study the involvement in research, of final year medical students and fresh graduates of Karachi, Pakistan and to identify the factors influencing their interest in medical research.

METHODS: A cross-sectional, questionnaire based study was conducted in 2007-2008. Five institutes representing the private and public hospitals in the city were selected by cluster sampling. Final year medical students and fresh graduates were included. Descriptive statistics were charted using SPSS v.16 after double data entry.

RESULTS: Out of 378, 186 (49%) participants had journal reading habits due to the requirement of their institution. Mostly, 157 (41%) undergraduates had already participated …