Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Challenges In Evaluating Pediatric Fever And Rash In The Era Of Covid-19 And Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children (Mis-C)., Taylor Jarvill, Priyanka Lauber Do, Samuel Umaru Md, Tibisay Villalobos Md, Susan K. Yaeger Md

Department of Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has challenged the medical community to characterize and treat a new illness. Now almost two years after the initial confirmed cases of COVID-19, medical teams are faced with another unique disease process temporally related to the pandemic-multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The comparison of these patients’ presentations illustrates the new challenges of evaluating a pediatric rash and fever in the era of MIS-C. Case Reports: This report presents three cases with features of MIS-C, positivity for SARS-CoV-2, rashes, fevers, gastrointestinal involvement, and elevated inflammatory markers. The first case poses a diagnostic …

Relationship Between Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Utilization And Biopsychosocial Characteristics Among Homeless Shelter Adolescents., Brittney A Gaudet, Nina Liu, Allison N Kayne, Taylor L Jarvill, Cecilia Zemanek, Jeffrey M Downen, Hoonani M Cuadrado, Amy B Smith, Marna R Greenberg, Jessica L Jacoby, Joanne N Quinones

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To determine whether biopsychosocial factors are associated with sexual activity and contraceptive utilization among homeless shelter adolescents. Methods: A retrospective study of 440 adolescents at a shelter in Pennsylvania between February 2015 and September 2019 was conducted. The cohort was evaluated to determine what relationship age, gender identity, substance use, and trauma history have with sexual activity and contraceptive utilization. Results: Sexual activity was significantly related to age (mean 15.8+1.4 years in sexually active vs. 14.7+1.6 years in abstinent youth, p<0.001); remote history of self-harm behavior (relative risk ratio (RR) 1.23 [95% CI 1.03-1.46]; p=0.02), history of aggressive behavior (RR 1.21 [95% CI 1.01-1.46]; p=0.04), history of trauma (RR 1.24 [95% CI 1.04-1.48]; p=0.03), and substance use (RR 2.27 [95%CI 1.86-2.77]; p<0.001). There were 55.7% sexually active females vs. 42.50% males reporting contraception use (p=0.01). After adjustment, older age and substance use remained significantly associated with sexual activity (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.58 [95% CI 1.36-1.83]; p<0.001 and AOR 5.18 [95% CI 3.28-8.18]; p<0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Females self-reported sexual activity using contraception more than males. After adjustment, older age and substance use were associated with sexual activity. By better understanding the impact these factors can have on contraceptive utilization, informed policy and practice interventions can be developed and implemented to help increase safe sex practices in spaces where homeless adolescents access healthcare.

Syndrome Of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion And Lead Toxicity In A Child With Sickle Cell Disease And Pica., Akshay Gupta Do, Alexandra Amaducci Do, Andrew L. Koons, John D. Lindmark, Gillian A. Beauchamp Md

Department of Emergency Medicine

We describe the presentation and management of a three-year-old child with a history of pica, vitamin D deficiency, and sickle cell disease, who was admitted for pyelonephritis, and found to have elevated blood lead level (BLL) of 103.7 µg/dL, and who subsequently developed altered mental status and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). In consultation with Medical Toxicology, the patient was chelated with calcium disodium edetate (EDTA) and British Anti Lewisite (BAL). The patient's hyponatremia was managed with hypertonic saline infusion. The patient's encephalopathy improved throughout her hospital course, and she was discharged on hospital day 8. Following five …

Red Blood Cell Transfusion In Critically-Ill Children And Its Association With Outcome, Hafsa Sohail, Shah Ali Ahmed, Parveen Usman, Farah Khalid, Anwar Ul Haque, Qalab Abbas

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To determine the indications and threshold of haemoglobin levels for packed red blood cell transfusion and its association with outcomes in a paediatric intensive care setting.
Methods: The retrospective study was conducted in the paediatric intensive care unit of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised medical records of all inpatients with age between 1 month and 16 years who received packed red blood cell transfusions between January and December 2017. Data was retrieved from the hospital database and was analyzed using SPSS 22.
Results: Of the 147 subjects with a mean age of 67.89±65.8 months, 76(51.7%) were …

Pediatric Congenital Heart Diseases: Patterns Of Presentation To The Emergency Department Of A Tertiary Care Hospital, Surraiya Bano, Saleem Akhtar, Uzma R. Khan

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To observe presentation of Pediatric congenital cardiac defects to the Emergency Department (ED) of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.
Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients under the age of 16 years with congenital cardiac defects presenting to the Emergency Department of Aga Khan University Hospital over a period of eighteen months, from January 2012 to June 2013. Study population was divided into two groups; first group constituted children with undiagnosed congenital cardiac defects, whereas second group constituted children with diagnosed congenial cardiac defects presented to ED. In previously diagnose cases each visit was counted as …

Lamotrigine Odt-Induced Seizure In A 3-Year-Old Child After Accidental Ingestion, Ashley Griswold Do, Briana Tully, Kenneth D. Katz Md, Gillian A. Beauchamp Md, Matthew D. Cook Do, Robert D. Cannon Do

Department of Emergency Medicine

Lamotrigine is a new generation antiepileptic which blocks sodium channels and can cause significant toxicity in overdose. A case of a three-year-old child who suffered a seizure and required endotracheal intubation after accidental lamotrigine ingestion is presented. The lamotrigine concentration measured 23.2 mcg/mL which is the highest reported after accidental pediatric exposure. A review of the literature regarding pediatric lamotrigine poisoning is also included.

Teaching Children Road Safety Through Storybooks: An Approach To Child Health Literacy In Pakistan, Haris Ahmad, Rubaba Naeem, Nukhba Zia, Asher Feroze, Amarah Shakoor, Uzma R. Khan, Asad Mian

Department of Emergency Medicine

Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) commonly affect the younger population in low- and-middle-income countries. School children may be educated about road safety using storybooks with colorful pictures, which tends to increase the child’s interest in the text. Therefore, this study assessed the use of bilingual pictorial storybooks to improve RTI prevention knowledge among school children.
Methods: This pretest-posttest study was conducted in eight public and nine private schools of Karachi, Pakistan, between February to May 2015. Children in grades four and five were enrolled at baseline (n = 410). The intervention was an interactive discussion about RTI prevention using a …

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Presenting With Diabetic Ketoacidosis (Dka) In A Neonate, Fareed Ahmed, Sayyeda Ghazala Kazi, Waqas Khan

Department of Emergency Medicine

Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a rare manifestation with an incidence of one affected individual among 400000 live births. NDM can be divided into Transient (TNDM) and Permanent (PNDM) types. A significant overlap occurs between both groups, to an extent that TNDM cannot be distinguished from PNDM based solely on clinical features. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (TIDM). DKA at diagnosis is more common in young children near the age of five years. Neonatal DKA is a rare occurrence causing it to be missed in the differential …

Pattern Of Relapse In Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia In A Tertiary Care Unit, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Sayyeda Ghazala Kazi, Muhammad Irfan Habib, Khalid Mehmood Ahmed Khan, Nukhba Zia

Department of Emergency Medicine

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the frequency, site and time to relapse from diagnosis, and to see the relationship of relapse with important prognostic factors.

METHODS:

The prospective descriptive observational study was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, June 2005 to May 2007, and comprised newly-diagnosed cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Bone marrow aspiration was done on reappearance of blast cells in peripheral smear and cerebrospinal fluid. Detailed report was done each time when intra-thecal chemotherapy was given or there were signs and symptoms suggestive of central nervous system relapse. SPSS 12 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS:

Of …

Frequency And Outcome Of Meningitis In Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Of Pakistan, Amna Jawaid, Surriya Bano, Anwarul Haque, Khubaib Arif

Department of Emergency Medicine

Meningitis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide in intensive care settings. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and outcome in children with meningitis through a retrospective chart review done in pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital from January 2000 to December 2014. During these 14 years, 64 patients were admitted with meningitis in pediatric intensive care unit. Out of 64, 36 were diagnosed with pyogenic meningitis, 18 patients with viral meningitis, and 10 with tuberculous meningitis. Most complications were observed in the initial 48 hours. Most common presentation was altered …

Uncovering The Burden Of Intentional Injuries Among Children And Adolescents In The Emergency Department, Uzma R. Khan, Butool Hisam, Nukhba Zia, Mohammed Umer Mir, Olakunle Alonge, Seemin Jamali, Adnan Hyder, Junaid Abdul Razzak

Department of Emergency Medicine

Introduction: In low- and middle-income countries, injuries are a leading cause of mortality in children. Much work has been done in the context of unintentional injuries but there is limited knowledge about intentional injuries among children. The objective of this paper was to understand the characteristics of children with intentional injuries presenting to emergency departments in Pakistan.
Methods: The data was from the Pakistan National Emergency Departments Surveillance (Pak-NEDS), conducted from November 2010 to March 2011 in seven major emergency departments of Pakistan. Data on 30,937 children under 18 years of age was collected. This paper reports frequency of intentional …

The Pediatric Disease Spectrum In Emergency Departments Across Pakistan: Data From A Pilot Surveillance System, Huba Atiq, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Surraya Bano, Asher Feroze, Sayyeda Ghazala Kazi, Jabeen Fayyaz, Shivam Gupta, Junaid A. Razzak, Adnan A Hyder, Asad Mian

Department of Emergency Medicine

Background: There is an increasing number of urgently ill and injured children being seen in emergency departments (ED) of developing countries. The pediatric disease burden in EDs across Pakistan is generally unknown. Our main objective was to determine the spectrum of disease and injury among children seen in EDs in Pakistan through a nationwide ED-based surveillance system.
Methods: Through the Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance (Pak-NEDS), data were collected from November 2010 to March 2011 in seven major tertiary care centers representing all provinces of Pakistan. These included five public and two private hospitals, with a collective annual census of …

Overcrowding In The Emergency Departments: Challenges And Opportunities For Improvement, Muhammad Akbar Baig, Asad Mian, Fatima Najeeb, Hira Shahzad

Department of Emergency Medicine

With the advent of Emergency Medicine, one can observe an increase in the number of Emergency Departments (ED) across the country. However, most EDs struggle due to an overwhelming number of patients. Overcrowding can lead to delays in patient care. For a city like Karachi which is an active disaster zone, preemptive preparedness is required in the face of terror threats and such overcrowding needs to be decreased to a bare minimum. The most frequent causes of prolonged length of stay (LOS) in the ED include non-availability of in-hospital beds, delays in response to subspecialty consultations and escalating medical expenses. …

Developing Paediatric Emergency Medicine—An Opinion From A Developing Country Tertiary Care Center, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Shahan Waheed, Irum Qamar Khan

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Nail As A Foreign Body In A Neonate, An Unusual Presentation At An Unusual Age, Sayyeda Ghazala Irfan Kazi, Muhammad Irfan Habib, Badar Afzal, Irum Qamar Khan, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Maryam Aftab

Department of Emergency Medicine

Children are prone to ingest substances due to their exploratory nature and tendency to put everything in the mouth. Commonly ingested foreign bodies are coins, batteries and buttons. Foreign body ingestion in neonates is a very rare presentation and always needs important consideration as it can be a part of child abuse and can lead to serious life threatening consequences

Frequency Of Retinopathy Of Prematurity In Premature Neonates With A Birth Weight Below 1500 Grams And A Gestational Age Less Than 32 Weeks: A Study From A Tertiary Care Hospital In A Lower-Middle Income Country, Arjumand Sohaila, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Iqtidar Ahmed Khan, Huba Atiq, Ali Syed Muhammad Akhtar, Prem Kumar, Kishwer Kumar

Department of Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a treatable cause of blindness in neonates. In Pakistan, ROP is often not recognized early because screening and treatment programs are not yet in place in most neonatal units, even in tertiary care hospitals. It is hoped that this report will help inform medical professionals of the magnitude of the problem and help to design appropriate management strategies.

Objectives: The aim was to determine the frequency of ROP in premature and very low birth weight (BW) neonates (BW(GA)weeks).

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Study Setting : Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary care …

Ct Scan In Children With Acute Bacterial Meningitis: Experience From Emergency Department Of A Tertiary-Care Hospital In Karachi, Pakistan, Jabeen Fayyaz, Arshalooz Rehman, Akhter Hamid, Munawar Khursheed, Nukhba Zia, Asher Feroze, Uzma R. Khan

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To determine the role of computed tomography scan in children presenting to emergency department with symptoms and signs of suspected acute bacterial meningitis.

Methods: The retrospective analysis was done on children who were admitted through the Emergency Department at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from September 2009 to September 2011 with the diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis. Information related to age, gender, presenting complaints, clinical signs and symptoms, computed tomography scan findings and final outcome of patients was gathered from the medical records. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis.

Results: A total of 192 patients were admitted with …

Age Related Clinical Manifestation Of Acute Bacterial Meningitis In Children, Jabeen Fayyaz, Arshalooz Rehman, Akhter Hamid, Munawar Khursheed, Nukhbha Zia, Asher Feroze

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To determine the signs and symptoms of acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in different age grops of a paediatric population.

Methods: The retrospective study comprised patients who had been admitted through the Emergency Department of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi with the relevant diagnosis from September 2009 to September 2011. Case record forms were used to collect data from patient files. Data was collected using variables such as age, gender, presenting complaints, clinical signs and symptoms, computed tomography scan findings and final outcome of patients. There was a minimal risk of breach in patient confidentiality. SPSS 19 was used for …

Rota Virus Diarrhea In Hospitalized Children, Muhammad Irfan Habib, Sayyeda Ghazala Kazi, Khalid Mehmood Ahmed Khan, Nukhba Zia

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To determine the frequency and clinical features of Rota virus diarrhea in children presenting in a tertiary care hospital.

Study Design: A cross-sectional, observational study.

Place and Duration of Study: National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, from January to June 2007.

Methodology: A total of three hundred children of either gender aged 1 month to 5 years, who presented with diarrhea of < 7 days as a primary illness were enrolled. Children with bloody diarrhea or nosocomial gastroenteritis acquired duringhospitalization for other disease were not included. Detection of Rota virus in stool was done by enzyme linked immunoassay.

Results: Out of 300 children, 188 (63%) tested positive and 112 (37%) tested negative for Rota virus. Positive Rota virus cases in 7 – 12 months of age was (n = 34, 18.08%). Overall, 151 (80.3%) children …

Strengthening Paediatric Emergency Medicine In Pakistan Is Our Need To Reach Millennium Development Goal 4., Emaduddin Siddiqui, Kiran Ejaz

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Mothers’S Education And Working Status; Do They Contribute To Corrosive Poisoning Among Paediatric Patients Of Karachi, Pakistan?, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Kiran Ejaz, Sayyeda Ghazala Irfan Kazi, Saif Siddiqui, Syed Jamal Raza

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objectives: To determine the causative factors behind corrosive poisoning in children like effect of working mothers, their educational status, financial background, family size and number of siblings.

Methods: The multi-centre, prospective, case series of all paediatric patients presenting to the Emergency Department of the National Institute of Child Health and the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from August 2008 to July 2009 is presented. It comprised all paediatric patients with a history of corrosive poisoning at the two hospitals. SPSS 20 was used for statistical analysis.

Results: Out of 105 cases, 56(53%) related to the private-sector Aga Khan University Hospital, …

Disseminating Childhood Home Injury Risk Reduction Information In Pakistan: Results From A Community-Based Pilot Study, Aruna Chandran, Uzma Rahim Khan, Nukhba Zia, Asher Feroze, Sarah Stewart De Ramirez, Cheng-Ming Huang, Junaid A. Razzak, Adnan A. Hyder

Department of Emergency Medicine

Background: Most childhood unintentional injuries occur in the home; however, very little home injury prevention information is tailored to developing countries. Utilizing our previously developed information dissemination tools and a hazard assessment checklist tailored to a low-income neighborhood in Pakistan, we pilot tested and compared the effectiveness of two dissemination tools.

Methods: Two low-income neighborhoods were mapped, identifying families with a child aged between 12 and 59 months. In June and July 2010, all enrolled households underwent a home hazard assessment at the same time hazard reduction education was being given using an in-home tutorial or a pamphlet. …

School-Based Injury Outcomes In Children From A Low-Income Setting: Results From The Pilot Injury Surveillance In Rawalpindi City, Pakistan, Uzma Rahim Khan, Junaid A. Bhatti, Nukhba Zia, Umar Farooq

Department of Emergency Medicine

Background

School-based injuries account for one in five unintentional childhood injuries. Little is known about the epidemiology of school-based injuries in low-income settings. The objective of our study was to compare emergency department (ED) outcomes of the school-based injuries with respect to age, sex, and injury mechanisms in a Pakistani urban setting.

Findings

A pilot injury surveillance study was conducted at the EDs of three major tertiary-care hospitals of Rawalpindi city from July 2007 to June 2008 and included children of less than 15 years injured at school. The World Health Organization’s questionnaire for injury surveillance was used. There were …

Nitric Oxide Metabolites As Biomarkers For Influenza-Like Acute Respiratory Infections Presenting To The Emergency Room, Asad Mian, Federico R Laham, Andrea T Cruz, Harsha Garg, Charles G Macias, A. Chantal Caviness, Pedro A Piedra

Department of Emergency Medicine

Aims: Nitric oxide (NO) is increased in the respiratory tract in pulmonary infections. The aim was to determine whether nasal wash NO metabolites could serve as biomarkers of viral pathogen and disease severity in children with influenza-like illness (ILI) presenting to the emergency department (ED) during the 2009 influenza A H1N1 pandemic.
Methods: Children ≤18 years old presenting to the ED with ILI were eligible. Nasal wash specimens were tested for NO metabolites, nitrate and nitrite, by HPLC and for respiratory viruses by real-time PCR.
Results: Eighty-nine patients with ILI were prospectively enrolled during Oct-Dec, 2009. In the …

Non-Traumatic Coma In Paediatric Patients: Etiology And Predictors Of Outcome, Saba Ahmed, Kiran Ejaz, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Maimoona Azhar Salim, Muhammad Umer Rais Khan

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To determine the common etiological features of non-traumatic coma in children and evaluate possible predictors of morbidity and mortality in these patients.
Method: A cross sectional study was carried out at the Paediatric Department of Civil Hospital Karachi from February 2008 to February 2009. In total 100 children, up to 14 years of age having history of non-traumatic coma were included. At the time of enrolment demographic data, clinical features, laboratory parameters and radiological workup were recorded. Data was entered and analyzed with SPSS version 16. Descriptive statistics were generated for all variables. Relationships between categorical variables were evaluated …

A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial To Evaluate 4% Liposomal Lidocaine Cream On Pain And Anxiety During Venipuncture In Pediatric Patients Who Present To The Ed, Jenny Boucher, Valerie Rupp Rn, Bsn, Joanna L. Bokovoy Drph, Rn, Scott Hamilton, Kimberly Hamilton Ba, Scott M. Brenner Md, Kevin Weaver Do

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Improving Outcome In Pediatric Intensive Care Unit In Academic Hospital In Pakistan, Anwarul Haque, Surraiya Bano

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective:

To assess the impact on the clinical outcome of critically ill children before and after introduction of pediatric intensivist in an academic pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) inPakistan.

Methodology: :

This is aretrospective audit of children (age from one month to 14 years) admitted in the PICU during two 12-month periods in PICU of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).Patients in Cohort one were managed by pediatric intensivist while in Cohort two were managed by general pediatricians.Patients were compared during the two 12-month cohort period.

Results:

During the study, in cohort one, 314 patients were admitted, mean age was 24 …

Chediak-Higashi Syndrome, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Shaheena Hanif

Department of Emergency Medicine

Chediak Higashi Syndrome is a rare inherited autosomal recessive disorder of immune system. Susceptibility to infection due to phagocyte dysfunction ranges from recurrent skin infection to over whelming fatal systemic infection. A five years old male child was admitted on 31st March 2006 with the complaints of pallor, fever & ear discharge for 6 month. He was treated by several medications but had temporary relief. The ear discharge was bilateral, foul smelling and of yellowish color. Past history was significant with episodes of abscess involving the different parts of body. Myeloid precursors shows giant, purple stained granules mainly in metamyelocytes, …

The Need For Formal Paediatric Resuscitation Training In Pakistan., Adina R., Sheikh Sajjad, Junaid Razzak

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.